MM_011917

mokena’s Award-Winning Hometown Newspaper mokenamessenger.com • January 19, 2017 • Vol. 10 No. 23 • $1
A
®
Publication
,LLC
Repairs needed
Residents, owner of
prospective Mokena auto
repair shop clash over
details of operation,
Page 3
Be mine?
Publisher 22nd Century
Media announces annual
Valentine’s Day Coloring
Contest, Page 6
Mind matters
Hospital plans new mental
health facility for Will
County, Page 11
Students (left to right)
Turner Doran, Trevor
Hon, Ryan Kraft and
Dylan Walenga cheer
on competitor Joey
Berardelli during the
National Geographic
Bee Friday, Jan. 13, at
Mokena Junior High
School.
Amanda Stoll/22nd
Century Media
Mokena Junior High School’s National Geographic Bee inspires
passion in competitors, fans alike, Page 5
Open House
AND REGISTRATION
Join us for our Open House from 1:00pm - 2:30pm to
tour our school, meet our staff, and register
your child for the upcoming 2017-2018 school year.
St. Anthony Catholic Preschool
Programs
& Curriculum
3 Year Old Preschool Classes
4 Year Old Pre-Kindergarten Classes
• 13 Student Maximum Per Class
• Frankfort’s Only Catholic Preschool
• Certified and Experienced Teachers
• Monthly Prayer Services
• Nut-Free Allergy Friendly
Atmosphere
• Extended Day Programs
(815) 469-5417 • 7659 Sauk Trail, Frankfort, IL • www.stanthonypreschool.com
Sunday, Jan. 29 th
Subjects
Include
Religion, Math, Language Arts,
Writing, Spanish, Computers...
and many more that promote
kindergarten readiness skills!

2 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger calendar
mokenamessenger.com
In this week’s
Messenger
Police Reports................14
Editorial........................17
In Memoriam ...............20
Faith Briefs....................20
Puzzles..........................29
Classifieds................ 32-40
Sports...................... 41-48
The Mokena
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ph: 708.326.9170 fx: 708.326.9179
Editor
Tim Carroll, x29
tim@mokenamessenger.com
assistant editor
Amanda Stoll, x34
a.stoll@22ndcenturymedia.com
Sales director
Lora Healy, x31
l.healy@22ndcenturymedia.com
real estate sales
Tricia Weber, x47
t.weber@22ndcenturymedia.com
Classified Sales
Kellie Tschopp, x23
k.tschopp@malibusurfsidenews.com
Recruitment Advertising
Jess Nemec, x46
j.nemec@22ndcenturymedia.com
Legal Notices
Jeff Schouten, x51
j.schouten@22ndcenturymedia.com
PUBLISHER
Joe Coughlin 847.272.4565, x16
j.coughlin@22ndcenturymedia.com
Managing Editor
Bill Jones, x20
bill@opprairie.com
president
Andrew Nicks
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EDITORIAL DESIGN DIRECTOR
Nancy Burgan, x30
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22 nd Century Media
11516 West 183rd Street
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Published by
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Amanda Stoll
a.stoll@22ndcenturymedia.com
THURSDAY
Business After Hours
5-7 p.m. Jan. 19, Absolute
Hearing Care/Absolute
Vision Care, 20006 S. Wolf
Road. Mokena. Join the Mokena
Chamber of Commerce
for this free networking
event. For more information,
call (708) 479-2468.
Planning Committee/Zoning
Board of Appeals
7 p.m. Jan. 19, Mokena
Village Hall, 11004 Carpenter
Street, Mokena. The
Planning Committee/Zoning
Board of Appeals is
scheduled to meet. For more
information, visit www.mokena.org.
Frankfort Square Park
District Board Meeting
7:30 p.m. Jan. 19, Community
Center, 7540 W.
Braemar Lane, Frankfort.
The Frankfort Square Park
District Board meets on
the third Thursday of each
month. For more information
and meeting agendas
visit www.fspd.org.
SATURDAY
Bingo at the Library!
1-2 p.m. Jan. 21, Mokena
Community Public Library
District, 11327 195th St, Mokena.
Get your lucky charms
and daubers ready and head
over for an afternoon of
Bingo. Winners will receive
fun prizes, and snacks will
be served. Bingo is open to
ages 18 and older. Registration
requested. Call (708)
479-9663 or email tdomzal
ski@mokena.lib.il.us.
SUNDAY
Family Swim
4:30-6:30 p.m. Jan. 22,
Lincoln-Way East High
School Pool, 201 Colorado
Ave, Frankfort. Cost is $5
for residents. Free for F.A.N
members. Call (815) 469-
3524 for more information.
MONDAY
Bunco and Bingo
Deadline to register is Jan.
23. Event will be held from
10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. on
Thursday, Jan. 26, The
Oaks Recreation & Fitness
Center, 10847 W. La Porte
Road, Mokena. Join friends
for coffee and treats while
playing Bunco and Bingo for
fun prizes. This event is for
ages 55 and over. Cost is $7.
For more information, call
the Mokena Park District
at (708) 390-2401 or visit
www.mokenapark.com to
register.
Village Board Meeting
7 p.m. Jan. 23, Mokena
Village Hall, 11004 Carpenter
St., Mokena. The
Mokena Village Board is
scheduled to meet. For more
information, meeting agendas
and minutes visit www.
mokena.org.
UPCOMING
Business After Hours
5-7 p.m. Thursday, Jan.
26, Apex 3 C.P.A., 10036
W. 190th Place, Mokena.
Join the Mokena Chamber
of Commerce for Business
after Hours and a ribbon cutting
with Apex 3 C.P.A. The
ribbon cutting is scheduled
for 5:30 p.m. For more information,
call (708) 479-2468.
Winter Book Sale
1-5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27 and
9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday,
Jan. 28, Mokena Public
Library, 11327 W. 195th
Street, Mokena. Most books
at the Friends of Mokena
Library Book Sale sell for
only $1 and many are even
less. The sale features many
novels and children’s books.
Puzzles, games, DVD’s, and
CD’s will also be placed
on sale. This book sale also
features a large number of
cookbooks and large print
books. The public is invited.
For more information, call
(708) 479-9663 or visit
www.mokenalibrary.org.
Intro to Yoga
10-11 a.m. Friday, Jan 27,
Mokena Community Public
Library District, 11327
195th St, Mokena. Join Marti
Anne for this class that’s
designed especially for first
time yoga students. Learn a
series of gentle poses, postures
and positions while
calming the body and the
mind. We will spend time
going from standing poses
to poses on the mat. Bring
a yoga mat or use one provided
for class. Registration
required. Call (708) 479-
9663 or email tdomzalski@
mokena.lib.il.us.
School open house
Noon-2 p.m. Sunday,
Jan. 29, St. Mary Catholic
School, 11409 195th Street,
Mokena. Come experience
our welcoming community,
view the advanced learning
environment, meet the
dedicated faculty and staff,
and witness testimonials
from school families regarding
academic successes and
lasting friendships. Faculty
will be available to discuss
curriculum, personalized
learning programs, extracurricular
opportunities and tuition
assistance. Starting in
the 2017-2018 school year,
St. Mary will offer 3-yearold
preschool through eighth
grade. On-site registration
will be available. Those interested
are encouraged to
bring their photo ID, children
social security numbers
and a check. Registration
costs $25. For more information,
call (708) 326-9330
or visit www.stmaryschool
mokena.org.
ONGOING
Baseball and Softball
Deadline to register for
the spring season of Mokena
Baseball/Softball is Tuesday,
Jan. 31. Register by Saturday,
Dec. 31 to receive a
$20 discount. MBSA offers
baseball and softball divisions
from Shetland (Pre-K)
to Palomino (12th grade).
Register at mokenabaseballsoftball.org.
Email secretary@mbsa.org
for more
information.
Youth Spring Lacrosse
Registration
Registration for the 2017
Spring Season of Lincoln-
Way Youth Lacrosse is now
open. New this year is a
kindergarten and 1st grade
team in addition to teams
for grade 2, grades 3 and 4,
grades 5 and 6, grades 7 and
8, and high school teams.
Visit www.lincolnwaylacrosse.com
for more information
and registration.
Winter Reading Programs
Ongoing through Friday,
March 3, Mokena Community
Public Library District,
11327 195th St, Mokena.
Tis’ the season to cozy up to
a good book or stop by the
library to see what warm
and appealing things the library
has to offer this winter.
Reading programs are
geared towards both children
and adults. Earn prizes
for reading books, attending
programs and trying out the
new virtual reality station.
For more information, stop
by the library, call (708)
479-9663, or visit www.mokenalibrary.org.
Business Women’s
Association
6-8 p.m. the third Tuesday
of each month September
through June, Little
Joes, 1300 N. Cedar Road,
New Lenox. Attend the
Lincoln-Way Area Business
Women’s Association
(LWABWO) dinner meetings.
LWABWO is a nonprofit
club formed in 1971
to support the interest and
networking of the business
women in the work world as
well as to extend opportunities
to local business women
through education. The
main focus of the group is to
provide scholarship funds
to graduating female high
school seniors and adult
women for the purpose of
continuing education. New
members are welcome. Visit
www.LWABWO.org for
more information.
Story Hour for All Ages
10-10:45 a.m. every Friday.
Mokena Community
Public Library District,
11327 W. 195th St., Mokena.
All children are welcome
to come to the library
for a free story time. No
pre-registration is required
to join the weekly event.
For more information, call
(708) 479-9663.
Knitting Club
3-4:30 p.m. Fridays, Mokena
Community Public
Library District, 11327 W.
195th St., Mokena. Both beginning
and advanced knitters
are welcome to join this
group, which meets in the
Adult Reading Room. For
more information, call (708)
479-9663.
American Legion Post 2000
meetings
7:30 p.m. fourth Wednesday
of each month, Frankfort
VFW, 22057 S. Pfeiffer
Road, Frankfort. The
Frankfort-Mokena American
Legion is open for new
members, and all veterans
are welcome. The group
provides care packages for
veterans overseas, helps
the Manteno veterans and
strives to take care of every
veteran who needs help. For
more information, call (815)
469-3993.
To submit an item to the
printed calendar, contact
Amanda Stoll at (708)
326-9170 ext. 34, or email
a.stoll@22ndcenturymedia.
com. Deadline is noon
Thursdays one week prior to
publication.

mokenamessenger.com News
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 3
Mokena Village Board
Residents wary of auto repair shop
YOUR SEARCH BEGINS AT
Jon DePaolis
Freelance Reporter
Tempers flared and tensions
were high Jan. 9, as the
Village of Mokena Board of
Trustees heard a special use
permit request from an automotive
repair shop interested
in relocating to Mokena.
Rennology Motor Sport
services European vehicles
and is seeking to move its
Oak Forest location to the
Corporate Corridors South
Business Park, 8901 W.
192nd St. Unit A, in Mokena.
Economic and Community
Development Director Alan
Zordan said that vehicle repair
services require a special
use permit in the I-1 Light Industrial
zoning district.
The business is located
near the Tara Hills subdivision.
Zordan said the nearest
single-family home to
the business is about 210
feet away, while the nearest
townhome is 260 feet away.
While there were no concerns
from the public at an
Oct. 17 conceptual meeting,
according to Zordan, residents
turned out Nov. 17 at a
Planning Commission meeting
to cite objections to the
project. The Planning Commission
members voted 7-1
to recommend the Village
Board approve the special
use permit.
“I’d like to point out that
they do not do any body
work and no painting in this
facility, and their hours of
operation are typically Monday
through Friday, 8 a.m.-5
p.m.,” Zordan said.
He added there was a
meeting that took place on
Dec. 20 between some of
the affected residents and
Village staff and the mayor.
Coming out of that meeting,
some of the restrictions the
residents wanted the board
to impose on the special
use permit were: the garage
doors on the east side be
Round it up
A brief recap of action at the Jan. 9 meeting of the Mokena
Village Board.
•During the Consent Agenda portion of the evening,
trustees voted 5-0 to approve a liquor license
ordinance amendment for the former location of
Scrementi’s Restaurant, which recently closed. Balagio
Ristorante and Banquets is planning to open at that
location sometime in February.
•During her comments to the Village Board, Clerk
Patricia Patt mentioned that NuWay will pick up
Christmas trees on a resident’s regular refuse day
throughout the entire holiday season.
•Village Administrator John Tomasoski mentioned
during his comments to the board that the Village Hall
can be utilized as warming center during the winter.
Residents who are in need should call the police
nonemergency number at (708) 479-3911.
•Trustees also voted 5-0 to approve a two-year
contract with Beary Landscaping for grass mowing
and maintenance of Village-owned properties for the
2017 and 2018 seasons in the amount of $139,320 —
$69,660 each year.
closed by 5 p.m. each day;
that the overhead doors on
the south end be closed at
all times, unless a delivery is
being made or in event of an
emergency; no overnight or
outdoor storage of vehicles;
and any road testing of vehicles
be done on 191st Street,
instead of 192nd Street.
Richard Swann, owner of
Rennology, attended the Jan.
9 board meeting and said he
found it a little “distasteful”
that staff met with the residents
without him.
That immediately drew
a sharp rebuke from Mayor
Frank Fleischer.
“It’s their life,” Fleischer
said. “We had to [find out]
what their concerns were.
There was absolutely no reason
for you to be at that meeting,
Mr. Swann. We didn’t sit
there and throw darts at you,
and, in fact, we stood up for
your business. But these are
our residents. They come before
your business, so please
understand that.”
Swann said he believes the
proposals by the residents
were too restrictive.
“The reason we are moving
from Oak Forest to Mokena
is because we want to
park all of our vehicles inside
of the building,” Swann
said. “The building [in Mokena]
is substantially sized,
and right now [in Oak Forest],
we have issues with
people breaking into vehicles
parked outside.”
He also said if a customer
were to drop off a vehicle
overnight, he would not be
able to stop that customer.
Swann also challenged
the board to find an alternative
route the business could
use to road test vehicles that
doesn’t include 192nd Street.
He said that is the only way
to access 191st Street, and if
there is a restriction against
him using 192nd Street and
he were to get in any sort of
accident on that road, his insurance
would not cover it.
“The residents … would
have you believe that we are
attempting to break the land
speed record, set an amaz-
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DAVID J COBB
708.205.COBB(2622)
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4 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger News
mokenamessenger.com
VILLAGE
From Page 3
ing quarter-mile [time] or do
burnouts,” Swann said. “We
test drive in neighborhoods
around Oak Forest. The responsibility
to make sure
that we test within the laws
of those streets is the police
department in Oak Forest
… and you will find not one
single complaint about any
test drives. We test drive
within the laws of the road.”
Swann also claimed the
residents at his Oak Forest
location are closer than the
residents in Mokena. He
said noise complaints have
never been an issue. He said
his business does not operate
on weekends or on holidays,
but that he may do non-auto
repair work past the hours of
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays
or on weekends. Swann also
invited the board members
and the residents to visit his
business to check out noise
levels.
Open
House
Saturday, Jan. 21 st
10:30am-12pm
Register for 2017-2018
• 2 Yr Olds: M/W or T/Th 9-11:20am
• 3 Yr Olds: M/W or T/Th 9-11:30am
• 4 Yr Olds: M-Th 8:45-11:40am
Limited openings available
“To put a restriction on us
from working those hours
when our neighbors attached
… can work 24 hours a day
… frankly, that’s un-American,”
Swann said.
Marty Nagle, one of the
neighbors concerned about
the business, said he was
“not opposed to the business
coming to Mokena,” but said
is the wrong location.
He said the residents will
be able to see parked cars,
because they all have elevated
decks.
“What you are doing by
allowing this business to
come into this area is putting
us in the position to where
we have to call the police
[about potential violations],”
Nagle said.
Trustee Jim Richmond
said he thought long about
the request. He said he
would take up Swann on his
offer to check out the noise
level, offering to spend his
day working from the location
to see for himself. Ultimately,
he said he was in favor
of approving the special
use permit.
Trustee Debbie Engler
also said she was in favor
of moving forward with the
request.
Trustee John Mazzorana
said he visited the business,
and he doesn’t believe it will
have an impact on the nearby
neighborhood. He was in
favor of the request, as well.
Fleischer mentioned
Trustee Joseph Budzyn —
who was absent — relayed
to him that he also was in
favor of approval.
Trustee George Metanias
said he wanted to visit the
location first to make sure
the noise levels will not add
to the residents’ problems in
that area. He said he would
be in favor of the request if
the noise levels didn’t impact
residents.
Trustee Joseph Siwinski,
however, said he would not
support the request. He said
the business should have
tried to garner compromise
with the residents, and that
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Director
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Where we challenge the mind
and spark curiosity...
short of that, he would not
vote to approve it.
“When our residents have
a problem, it is imperative
that you work with them, because
that is why we have a
special use,” Siwinski said.
Swann suggested later in
the meeting changing the
hours of operation for the
business away from 8 a.m.-5
p.m., but the board members
said those were what was
originally proposed.
“I’m going to pay the
same property tax as the
guy next door, and he can
use his building 24 hours a
day, so I wonder if you’re
going to entertain a refund
in the property taxes because
you’re restricting the
use of the building,” Swann
asked. “Secondly, there’s
also things that we do that
don’t [make] any noise; for
example, me working on my
accounts, marketing or answering
our phones. What
exactly can we not do? Because
I think it is unfair to
restrict us to business hours
where, within a stone’s
throw, there are people
working 24 hours a day.”
Attorney Carl Buck said
the reason the special use
permit process is in place is
because the Village Board
has determined an automotive
repair shop has a potential
impact on residents.
“So, it is not only appropriate,
but it is 100 percent
correct to consider these
types of variables with respect
to how this business
may or may not be used,”
Buck said. “So, comments
related to a rebate on taxes
are not appropriate.”
Fleischer, who said he
doesn’t have a vote, said if
residents had concerns about
the project, they should have
been at the October meeting
to voice them. He said by not
doing so, the business owner
invested time and money
into the location.
Fleischer directed staff to
have the permit draft ready
to be voted on by the next
Village Board meeting.
Pioneer Cemetery earns
commemorative plaque
Jon DePaolis
Freelance Reporter
The Village of Mokena
Board of Trustees voted 5-0
Jan. 9 to accept a donation
from Will County for the
cemetery located off Wolf
Road, between LaPorte
Road and Front Street.
Trustee Joseph Budzyn was
absent.
Mokena’s Pioneer Cemetery
was designated a Will
County Historic Landmark
in November by the Will
County Historic Preservation
Commission and the
Will County Board.
“This cemetery was
nominated for this designation
by Matt Galik, who
is a local historian here in
Mokena and also a member
of the Historic Preservation
Committee of the [Mokena]
board,” said Kirk Zoellner,
assistant village administrator,
during the meeting.
Representatives from the
Will County Historic Preservation
Commission were
on hand to present a commemorative
plaque to the
Village, to be placed at the
cemetery. In order to accept
the donation, Zoellner said
the Village had to agree to
the plaque’s location on the
cemetery grounds, as well
as to pay for any maintenance
or mounting of the
plaque.
Galik presented the
plaque to Mayor Frank
Fleischer and thanked the
mayor and the trustees for
their work to get the designation.
“It’s a very worthy landmark,
and we were glad we
were able to be involved,”
Galik said.
Fleischer thanked Galik
for his work on the project.
“I remember when you
were younger and you’d
come up and give reports
and stories on the Village
of Mokena, and I appreciate
the time and effort you put
into this,” Fleischer said.
Later in the meeting, during
the work session, trustees
also heard a request
from a new chapter of the
Daughters of the American
Revolution. The Founders
Crossing DAR requested
hosting a rededication ceremony
at the gravesite of
Charles Denny, an American
Revolution veteran, at
Pioneer Cemetery.
During his presentation of
the proposal to the trustees,
Zoellner said the last time
the gravesite was rededicated
was in 1939.
Christina Bannon, the regent
of the DAR’s Founders
Crossing chapter, said
it serves communities like
Mokena, Frankfort, New
Lenox, Homer Glen, Orland
Park and Lemont.
“One of the biggest things
that the DAR does is recognize
areas of historical
preservation,” Bannon said.
“I believe Charles Denny
may have been the first one
in that cemetery. He was a
Revolutionary War patriot,
who served in Dutchess
County, New York, in the
militia. One of the things
the DAR likes to do is recognize
anything historical.
We are hoping to do a rededication
sometime in the
summer.”
Trustee John Mazzorana
said he thought the board
should be supporting it
wholeheartedly.
“I think we need to be
doing whatever we can to
facilitate this,” Mazzorana
said.
Other trustees seemed in
support of the proposal, as
well.

mokenamessenger.com News
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 5
A busy day for geography bee combatants
Seventh-grader wins
MJHS geography
bee before crowd of
peers, teachers
Amanda Stoll, Assistant Editor
To anyone outside the
gymnasium, it must have
sounded like a sporting event.
But despite the roar of
the crowd and the bleachers
packed with students,
staff and parents, no one was
shooting hoops or blocking a
spike Friday, Jan. 13.
Instead, 10 students at
Mokena Junior High School
were competing in the National
Geographic Bee for
a chance to compete at the
state level.
While structured similarly
to a spelling bee, these
students were asked about
geography — on an international
scale.
Some questions about
national cities, states and
landmarks were relatively
straightforward, while others
about far-away countries
and international geography
were perplexing.
There were ups and downs
and tiebreaker rounds, all of
which ignited the crowd in
thunderous cheers, groans
and applause. One after
another, competitors were
eliminated after two incorrect
answers.
“They are very competitive,”
said Victoria Albon, a
seventh-grade U.S. History
teacher and the chair of the
history department. “I feel
proud that I’m in a school
that prioritizes academics.”
In the end, seventh-grader
Grace Ansburg took first
in the National Geographic
Society-sponsored bee,
ahead of eighth-grader Ben
Osowski. Sixth-grader Kate
Rogers took third place, and
eighth-grader Anna Bethke
took fourth place.
Other MJHS semifinalists
who competed Friday were
seventh-graders Andrea
Montgomery and Madelyn
Overstreet, and eighth-graders
Joe Barrett, Joey Berardelli,
Nicole Bieker and Margie Ansburg (left) hugs her daughter, Grace, who took first place at the Mokena Junior High School National
Please see BEE, 8 Geographic Bee Friday, Jan. 13. Photos By Amanda Stoll/22nd Century Media
Jacky Osowski (right) congratulates her son, Ben, who took second place in the
geography bee.
Students (from left to right) Ben Osowski, Grace Ansburg, Anna Bethke and Kate Rogers
compete in the geography bee

6 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger News
mokenamessenger.com
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Valentine’s Day Coloring Contest
asks children to fill hearts with love
Publisher 22nd
Century Media
returns readerfavorite
competition
Bill Jones, Managing Editor
The premise is simple.
Every year, we give you a
blank heart, and we ask you
to fill it with love.
Isn’t that sweet?
That longtime tradition is
returning, as 22nd Century
Media announces the return
of its annual Valentine’s Day
2017 SEASON
Winter on
the Green
New Day & Time | SATURDAYS | NOON to 2PM
Beat the winter blues and join us for 4 fun-filled
Saturdays January & February 2017!
BREIDERT GREEN | Downtown Historic Frankfort
Hot Chocolate • Cookies
JANUARY 21
Winter Sports
JANUARY 28
Chili Cook-Off
Coloring Contest.
With Valentine’s Day
quickly approaching —
count this a friendly reminder
for all you lovebirds
or significant others in need
of making some amends —
The Mokena Messenger is
asking children ages 3-12 to
get creative by downloading
the form from the home page
of MokenaMessenger.com,
creating just one outstanding
valentine per entrant and
sending those valentines our
way.
Entries must be mailed to
FEBRUARY 4
“Super” Saver
Shopping
FEBRUARY 11
Valentine’s Weekend
Details for each event available
on villageoffrankfort.com
Sponsored By Village of Frankfort &
Frankfort Chamber of Commerce • Frankfort Park District
Frankfort Boy Scout Troop 270 • Frankfort Lions Club
Tinley Park - Frankfort Rotary Club
Frankfort Historic Business Association
VILLAGE OF FRANKFORT
or dropped off at The Mokena
Messenger c/o Editor
Tim Carroll, 11516 W. 183rd
St., Unit SW Office Condo
#3, Orland Park, IL, 60467.
The deadline to submit
entries is 5 p.m. Wednesday,
Feb. 8. The Messenger’s
staff will review all entries
and select one winner in
each of three age groups —
ages 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. The
top entries are to be published
in The Messenger’s
Feb. 16 edition, and each of
the three winners are to receive
a certificate for a free
Kids’ Meal at Culver’s Tinley
Park, 18248 Sayre Ave.
Winners will be chosen
based on creativity and neatness.
Entries must use and fit
on the form provided.
As in past years, The Mokena
Messenger is to team
up with an area organization
to help distribute the finished
valentines — minus the entry
form information — to
active military and/or veterans.
For more information, call
(708) 326-9170 ext. 20.

mokenamessenger.com Mokena
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 7
SOUTH HOLLAND HOMEWOOD TINLEY PARK FRANKFORT CRETE DYER BEECHER
WALT’S
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TUES. JAN. 24th, 2017
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Sun. 7 am to 7 pm
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$
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Tony’s
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Pizza
5/ $ 10
US No. 1 “Genuine”
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$
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Best
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Made
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Coffee
Hinkley Springs
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$
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Limit 4, Add’l. $2.99 Ea.
Aunt Jemima
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Varieties
Naturals
Fruits
10/ $ 10
Sprouts
$
1 39 Lb.
Gluten
Free

8 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger News
mokenamessenger.com
Community group to host Lincoln-Way candidate forum
Kirsten Onsgard
Contributing Editor
A five-member slate of
candidates competing in a
contested Lincoln-Way Community
High School District
210 school board election
said a conflict of interest is
why they will not be participating
in a forum next month.
The forum will be hosted
by Lincoln-Way Area Taxpayers
Unite, the community
group active in transparency
and fiscal responsibility efforts,
whose former vice
president Robert Ripp is
now running for the Board
of Education. Because LWA-
TU will be offering endorsements
after the forum, the
five-member slate Citizens
for 210 argues that implies
“a de facto endorsement of
[Ripp’s] candidacy,” said
slate member Ben Yomtoob.
“10”
“We are very interested in
participating in a forum that
has all 13 candidates that’s
run by a neutral organization,”
Yomtoob said. “We
just feel that LWATU isn’t the
right organization to sponsor
something like that.”
In total, six of the 13 candidates
vying for a board
seat will answer to voters
during the 7 p.m. Feb. 2
event in the Lincoln-Way
Central High School Auditorium:
Aaron Janik, Mokena
School District 159 vice
president; financial services
executive and current board
member Joseph Kirkeeng;
lawyer and current board
member Joseph Kosteck; investment
banker and current
board member Christopher
Lucchetti; current board
President Dee Molinare; and
Ripp, an accountant and former
leader in LWATU.
Community member Beth
Janus-Doyle said she will not
be attending the forum because
her husband is scheduled
for surgery, and board
secretary Christopher Kosel
said he informed LWATU he
has a personal commitment
that day.
The five seats open during
the April 4 election come
after years of heavy scrutiny
by LWATU, parents and
community members for
what they say is a lack of
transparency and financial
mishandling, resulting in
the closure of Lincoln-
Way North. Lincoln-Way
currently faces more than
$307 million in principal
short- and long-term debt
and two ongoing federal
investigations.
LWATU announced the
event as a nonpartisan forum
which will be moderated
by Chicago Tribune Editorial
Board member Kristen
McQueary. Residents may
submit questions for the
candidates prior to the forum
through a questionnaire
posted on LWATU’s Facebook
page and will have an
opportunity to question candidates
directly at the event.
Liz Sands, president of
LWATU, said planning the
forum began before Ripp announced
his candidacy. His
wife, Stacey Ripp, initially
assisted with organizing the
forum, but they both stepped
down from LWATU when he
announced his bid, a move
Sands said was “frankly a
shock” to her at the time.
Ripp said he believes the
format is neutral due to the
third-party moderator.
“At the time we decided
to do this, we had no idea
who was going to be running,”
Sands said. “But we
wanted to make sure that
everybody had an equal opportunity,
so at that point,
we knew we needed to find
a moderator who had nothing
to do with us.”
Yiakos
Ripp
Talley
Yomtoob
Kirkeeng
Town
Though candidates will receive
questions beforehand,
McQueary will dictate which
questions are asked and how
to follow up, Sands said.
LWATU intends to endorse
three four-year candidates
and two two-year candidates.
Citizens for 210 — which
also includes Kathy Pleasant,
Karen Town, Lee Talley
and Gus Yiakos — is seeking
to get its entire slate elected
to enact what Yomtoob said
are “cultural changes” in
the district. The slate faces
Janik
Kosel
Pleasant
Janus-Doyle
Lucchetti
Kosteck
an opposing
slate in Janik,
Molinare and
Kosteck, that
is hoping a
third party
such as a media
or civic Molinare
organization
will host another forum.
“I understand their trepidation
in coming,” Sands
said. “I wish they would
have reached out … and
asked their questions directly
to us. I really wish they
would have.”
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BEE
From Page 5
Arwen Rolinitis.
The competition is not
completely done, at least not
for the victor. Ansburg will
take a timed online test to
qualify for the state competition.
As many as 100 students
from around Illinois
will compete in the state
competition March 31.
The state champion will
then advance to the national
competition in Washington,
D.C., May 15, where that
student will test his or her geography
knowledge against
students from all 50 states.
The winner of the national
bee will receive a $50,000
college scholarship, while
second place will receive
$25,000 in scholarship money,
and third place will receive
a $10,000 scholarship.
In the 23 years MJHS has
hosted the bee, there has
been one state champion
who qualified for the national
competition. Theneighth-grader
Dean Parnell
qualified nationally in
2002.
Albon said students who
have gotten a taste of the competition
often will spend all
year studying for the next bee.
She has organized the bee
at the school seven times,
and she said she enjoys seeing
the students’ level of
excitement when the geography
bee comes around.
For those who wanted to
prepare for Friday’s challenge,
National Graphic
has bee study books, online
quizzes and a GeoBee Challenge
application, all devoted
to helping students prepare
for the geography bee.
To see the types of questions
the students were asked
during the competition, visit
the National Geographic
study corner at www.nation
algeographic.org/bee/study.

mokenamessenger.com School
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 9
The mokena messenger’s
Standout Student
Sponsored by Marquette Bank
John Hall, Lincoln-
Way Central senior
John Hall was picked as
this week’s Standout Student
because of his academic performance.
What is one essential you
must have when studying?
Music. It really helps me
relax and concentrate on
what I’m doing.
What do you like to do when
not in school or studying?
I really enjoy hanging out
with my friends and just
watching sports on TV or
playing ping pong.
What is your dream job and
why?
My dream job would be
to own a successful business
in downtown Chicago. I just
think it would be really cool
to run a big business, especially
in a city like Chicago.
What is one thing people
School News
GFWC Mokena
Mokena Woman’s Club
offers scholarships for
graduating Mokena
residents
The GFWC Mokena
Woman’s Club is once
again offering scholarships
to graduating Mokena high
school students pursuing
higher education.
The application is available
at Lincoln-Way East,
Lincoln-Way Central and
Photo submitted
don’t know about you?
I could play the ukulele. I
started playing a few years
ago just because I was looking
for something new to
do. It’s actually a really fun,
easy instrument to play.
Whom do you look up to and
why?
Definitely my mom. She’s
always there for me through
everything and always pushes
me to be a better man. I
couldn’t thank her enough
for everything she’s done for
me.
Who is your favorite teacher
and why?
I’d have to say it’s a tie
between Mr. Finnegan and
Mr. Tarala. They both understand
my personality and
always motivate me to do
Providence Catholic high
schools, as well as on the
school’s websites. It is also
available at the Mokena
Community Public Library
District for other students.
The completed application,
along with an official
transcript, a letter of career
goals and a letter of recommendation
must be postmarked
and received on or
before March 15. Completed
applications can be sent to
GFWC Mokena Woman’s
better. I loved being in both
of their classes.
What is your favorite class
and why?
AP Psychology is probably
my favorite class right
now. Mrs. Pehle is an awesome
teacher, and I find the
things we learn about to be
very interesting.
What is one thing that
stands out about your
school?
Our school spirit. No
school can compare to the
spirit we show. There’s so
much love and tradition at
Central, and it’s really amazing
to be a part of it.
If you could change one thing
about school, what would
it be?
Maybe just the air conditioning
in some rooms. That
could get annoying. Other
than that, I wouldn’t change
a thing. I love every part of
Lincoln-Way Central.
What is your best memory
from school?
Playing (and winning) my
first home football game as
a senior against Sandburg.
Playing in front of a crowd
like ours is definitely an unforgettable
experience.
Standout Student is a weekly
feature in The Mokena
Messenger. Nominations come
from Mokena area schools.
Club, Scholarship Committee,
P.O. Box 1008, Mokena,
IL 60448.
The funds for the scholarships
were raised at the
Club’s 43rd Annual Holli-
Daze Arts and Crafts Show,
which is the club’s major
fundraiser and a year-round
project.
Over the past 54 years,
the club has awarded 196
scholarships totaling more
than $130,000. Established
Please see sChool, 14
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We want to know your favorite local businesses!
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To reserve your space, call (708) 326-9170!
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10 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger Mokena
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mokenamessenger.com News
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 11
Silver Cross introduces plans for behavioral health hospital in New Lenox
Megann Horstead
Freelance Reporter
In 2012, the Tinley Park
Mental Health Center
closed, which left Will and
Grundy counties with more
limited services for area residents
with mental health or
substance abuse issues.
Dubbed as Silver Oaks
Hospital, this expansion –
which totals to a two-story,
68,000-square-foot facility
that would be built on the
New Lenox campus – would
provide 100 beds, as well as
inpatient and outpatient services.
At a Jan. 11 press conference,
Silver Cross officials
and other community leaders
came together to discuss
the proposed $22 million
capital development.
Among those in attendance
were Silver Cross
President and CEO Paul
Pawlak; Silver Cross Vice
President of Business Development
and Chief Strategy
Officer Ruth Colby;
Will County Executive
Larry Walsh and Will County
State’s Attorney James
Glasgow.
“We look at the whole
perspective of healthcare
and we felt that this time
there was one area that really
needed some attention,”
Pawlak said. “I think we all
know that just about one out
of every four Americans unfortunately
suffer from mental
illness or substance or
chemical abuse.
“That’s a high number.
So, we’ve been looking at
this subject for a number
of months, and then in December
our board at Silver
Cross approved us to build
a 100-bed psychiatric hospital
on the Silver Cross
campus.”
Silver Cross partnered with
US HealthVest, a behavioral
healthcare company, to move
forward with Silver Oaks. To
add, the project will be fully
Pawlak (from left), Will County Executive Larry Walsh and
Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow chat before
talking to the media about the development plan.
funded by US HealthVest,
Colby noted.
“They’re going to be able
to bring inpatient, outpatient
and ER programs that
we currently don’t have,”
Pawlak said of US Health-
Vest’s involvement. “This is
going to be a vast improvement
for mental health services
in Will County.”
To advance the project, a
certificate of need application
must be filed to the Illinois
Health Facilities and
Services Review Board by
February.
Continuing care for the
community
In 2012, the Tinley Park
Mental Health Center
closed, which left Will and
Grundy counties without an
outlet to offer services to
area residents with mental
health or substance abuse issues,
as well as a place for
victims of abuse to turn to.
Silver Cross does run an
existing 20-bed inpatient
unit for individuals 18 years
and older, as well as adult
outpatient treatment programs
to address those issues,
but officials recognize
that what the hospital has
now is not enough.
In Will and Grundy counties,
there are more than
8,000 cases of individuals
suffering from mental
health related issues, Colby
shared. She noted roughly
60 percent of those seeking
inpatient acute mental
healthcare go to units outside
the area.
That’s why erecting Silver
Oaks would be a “godsend”
in the community, Glasgow
said.
“We’re a county of over
700,000 people,” he added.
“It’s long overdue.”
Silver Cross, too, outlined
how many cases they encountered
in 2016: 77,990
emergency visits, 21,153
inpatient admissions and
165,600 outpatient registrations.
Glasgow added Will
County’s courts need facilities
like Silver Oaks to function
at optimum level.
The proposed New Lenox
Silver Cross Hospital President/CEO Paul Pawlak addresses the media regarding the
announcement of a proposed $22 million capital development plan for a behavioral health
hospital in the New Lenox campus. Photos by James Sanchez/22nd Century Media
hospital would mirror facilities
like Linden Oaks Behavioral
Health in Naperville,
which provide a wide range
of mental health and behavioral
programs for adolescents
and adults.
The project holds a number
of benefits to the community,
including job creation.
Silver Cross would
add 200 jobs for New Lenox
area residents.
Baldermann said he is
proud to know the way the
community has embraced
Silver Cross since relocating
to New Lenox.
“This is an area at one
time over a decade ago was
talking about 2 millionsquare-feet
of retail,” Baldermann
said. “While as
we know the way shopping
is done nowadays, that’s
changed – and in my opinion,
to our benefit.
“Silver Cross has a been
a wonderful partner with us
here in New Lenox, and we
are thrilled to see the expansion
of quality healthcare
services for our residents
and for the entire area.”
Construction for Silver
Oaks, if approved, would
begin late summer and the
building would open in
2019. For more information
on the plans for Silver Oaks
or updates, visit www.silvercross.org.
The Best Way
to Start Your Year
IS TO ADVERTISE
Your Business Here.
®
The Mokena Messenger
Contact
Lora Healy
708.326.9170 ext. 31
l.healy@22ndcenturymedia.com

12 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger Community
mokenamessenger.com
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Want to see your pet featured as The Mokena Messenger’s Pet of the Week? Send your pet’s
photo and a few sentences explaining why your pet is outstanding to Editor Tim Carroll at tim@
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mokenamessenger.com Mokena
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 13
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14 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger News
mokenamessenger.com
Police Reports
Police: Woman failed to yield, caused collision
Havva Kiana-Haresabadi,
30, of 21408 Sage Brush Lane
in Mokena, was charged Jan.
9 with driving without a valid
license and failure to yield
while turning left after police
were dispatched to Wolf
Road and Lincoln Highway
in response to a vehicle collision
that caused a personal
injury. When police asked to
see her driver’s license and
proof of insurance, Kiana-
Haresabadi reportedly produced
an international driving
permit that expired one
year from the date of issuance,
which was November
2015. The alleged victim of
the collision told police that
she was driving through the
intersection when the gray
Ford Kiana-Haresabadi was
driving turned left into the intersection,
causing the collision,
according to the report.
Jan. 5
• LeJuan F. Johnson, 20,
of 15708 St. Louis Ave. in
Markham, was charged Jan.
5 with driving without a
valid license and improper
lighting after police reportedly
observed the gold
Dodge Stratus he was driving
traveling on 191st Street
near La Grange Road without
headlights activated. After
initiating a traffic stop,
police reportedly discovered
that Johnson did not have a
valid driver’s license.
Dec. 30
• Police were reportedly dispatched
to Crossmark Site
Utilities in response to a
theft. The complainant told
police that he arrived at the
shop and later checked the
storage container on the
premises to find that several
items were missing. The
items missing were two Stihl
chop saws, valued at $1,000;
a torpedo heater, valued at
$500; a Rigid pipe threader,
valued at $1,000; and a rotating
laser, valued at $500.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Mokena
Messenger’s police reports
come from the Mokena Police
Department. Anyone listed in
these reports is considered to
be innocent of all charges until
proven guilty in a court of law.
New Lenox police arrest men
who allegedly brought 94
pounds of cannabis to Mokena
James Sanchez, Editor
Following an “intensive”
cannabis trafficking investigation,
two men were arrested
Jan. 10, after they delivered
94 pounds of cannabis
to an undercover police officer
in Mokena, according
to a press release issued Jan.
11 by the New Lenox Police
Department.
Jacob S. Burkham, 39, of
Santa Barbara, California,
and Joseph J. Sanders, 26, of
Crows Landing, California,
From Jan 11
Burkham
Sanders
both were charged with one
count each of possession of
cannabis, a Class 1 felony,
as well as delivery of cannabis
and cannabis trafficking,
both Class X felonies.
New Lenox police conducted
the arrest, with the
help of the Department of
Homeland Security, at the
Super 8 Motel near 191st
Street and La Grange Road
in Mokena, according to Sgt.
Louis Alessandrini.
Burkham and Sanders reportedly
were transported to
the Will County Adult Detention
Facility pending a
bond hearing scheduled for
Wednesday, Jan. 11.
For more on this and
other Breaking News, visit
NewLenoxPatriot.com.
MFPD responds to December calls of service
Submitted by Mokena Fire Protection
District
The Mokena Fire Protection District responded
to a total of 235 calls of service for
the month of March, including the following:
• Emergency medical services: 102
• Auto collision response: 22
• Request for citizen assist: 20
• Carbon monoxide alarm: 8
• Dive/water incident response:
• Commercial fire alarm: 19
• Gas leak: 2
• Mutual aid response: 37
• Residential fire response: 1
• Structure fire: 2
• Commercial trouble alarm: 21
For more information on the Mokena Fire Protection
District, visit www.mokenafire.org.
Attention Builders:
Advertise with
22nd Century Media
Reach 92,000+ Southwest Suburban homes.
®
Contact
Lora Healy
708.326.9170 ext. 31
l.healy@22ndcenturymedia.com
Local authorities confiscated 94 pounds of cannabis following an arrest of two California
men. Photo submitted
School
From Page 9
in 1960, the Mokena Woman’s
Club opened Mokena’s
first kindergarten the same
year, and began offering
scholarships to students in
1962. The club is a member
of the General Federation
of Women’s Clubs of
Illinois.
Southeast Missouri State
University
Lincoln-Way Central student
earns scholarship
Matthew Helmke, of New
Lenox, has received the University
Scholarship and Midwest
Achievement Award to
attend Southeast Missouri
State University for the 2017-
2018 academic year.
Helmke is the son of Michael
and Michelle Helmke
and will be a 2017 graduate
of Lincoln Way Central
High School.
Many scholarship opportunities
exist at Southeast
Missouri State University.
For more information, visit
www.semo.edu.
Compiled by Editor Tim Carroll,
tim@mokenamessenger.com.

mokenamessenger.com mokena
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 15
PROVIDENCE CATHOLIC CHILDREN’S ACADEMY
WHY PCCA?
• Full-Day Kindergarten
• Half/Full-Day Options for PS & PK
• Before/After School Care
• Spiritual & Nurturing Environment
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CLASSES INCLUDE:
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• Preschool (age 3)
qUESTIONS? CALL 815.485.7129
1800 West Lincoln Highway • New Lenox, Illinois 60451 • visit us on the web @ wearepc.org

16 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger News
mokenamessenger.com
Publisher’s inaugural Healthy Living Expo offers classes, demos and more
Laurie Fanelli
Freelance Reporter
Every year, people across
the country take time out to
set New Year’s resolutions,
with a goal to improve their
daily lives.
Saturday, Jan. 14, 22nd
Century Media provided
south suburban residents
with the opportunity to sample
a smorgasbord of fitness,
diet and wellness techniques
at its Healthy Living Expo.
The inaugural event took
place at the Tinley Park
Convention Center, with
more than 40 vendors making
themselves available to
do demonstrations, answer
questions, and give tips and
techniques on easy ways to
become healthier in 2017.
“January is the time when
people hit the reset button,”
said Heather Warthen, chief
events officer at 22nd Century
Media. “So, we decided
to add this as an expo and see
what we can get for some
healthy living vendors. We’re
also offering free 30-minute
fitness classes throughout the
Yoga instructor Carrie Pokorney chats with participants
before she begins her class.
day from various gyms and
organizations. So, it should
be a fun day.”
The first class of the morning
came compliments of
Body Tech Total Fitness’
Todd Fitzpatrick, who led
participants in a CrossFit
workout.
“I recommend CrossFit,
because it blends together
the three main facets of fitness,
which are strength,
cardiovascular activity and
gymnastics — flexibility and
mobility,” he said. “It blends
all of them together in a very
intense yet constantly varied
environment. So, you get the
most work you can out of the
shortest time span.”
Whether one is an advanced
athlete or someone
who has not stepped foot in a
gym for decades, CrossFit can
be adapted to any skill set.
“The best thing about
CrossFit is that you can scale
it to your mobility,” Fitzpatrick
added.
Yoga, dance and a variety
of other fitness classes were
offered later in the day, giving
folks the opportunity to
see which exercise works
best for them.
The Healthy Living Expo
also provided health screenings,
informative seminars
and the chance to purchase
goods, like locally sourced
honey.
“Honey is much better than
sugar, because it has vitamins
and minerals that don’t appear
in sugar,” said Hidden
Knoll Apiaries’ Dawn Steinman,
of her honey.
Some of the top draws of
the event were the on-site
cooking demonstrations from
two of the area’s top chefs:
chef Colin Turner of Tin Fish
in Tinley Park and chef Tim
Bucci from Joliet Junior College’s
Culinary Arts program.
“I teach family consumer
science,” said Laura Widdel,
of her primary motivation for
heading to the Tinley Park
Convention Center the morning
of Jan. 14. “So, I teach
cooking and sewing, and I
Shelia Fitzgerald (left), of Tinley Park, and Sue Anello, of
Orland Park, learn about chemical-free cleaning supplies
from Norwex Saturday, Jan. 14, during 22nd Century
Media’s Healthy Living Expo, at the Tinley Park Convention
Center. Photos by Laurie Fanelli/22nd Century Media
mainly wanted to come out to
see Tim, the chef from JJC.”
Widdel’s friend Kendell
Stachelski added that, along
with the cooking demos, she
was interested in learning
more about the many uses
for essential oils.
“I have some essential
oils and diffusers,” she said.
“I’m sick right now. So, if
they can give me any tips on
how to clear things up, that
would be awesome.”
Weight Watchers, Theracore
Physical Therapy, Ingalls
Health System, and
Heart & Sole Dance are just
a sampling of the many vendors
that were on hand at the
Healthy Living Expo.
Warthen noted, “When
you think healthy living,
we’ve got it all.”
FROM THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT
ShareFest seeks volunteers,
broadens digital outreach
As ShareFest continues
to implement more community
service plans in the Will
County area, founder Gary
Cheney wants to make sure
his volunteer foundation expands
along with that.
The New Lenox-based,
nonprofit organization partnered
with WotNow — an
app that narrows down hyperlocal
events and activities
that are tailored to the users
— to broaden its outreach.
Aside from acquiring more
volunteers, Cheney said the
goal was to reach out to the
younger crowd, as well as be
more accessible in the digital
age.
“We need more coordinators,
and we need more volunteers,”
Cheney said. “The
need is there, but the laborers
are few. So, we have to
find ways to reach those volunteers,
and that means marketing.”
Deepa Salem, founder
of WotNow, said there are
posts on Facebook and Twitter
that people do not care to
received on their news feeds.
Instead of combing through
those social media sites for
what they want, Salem said
everything is at the forefront,
based on the user’s
preferences.
Wotnow has ties with Lincoln-Way
West, New Lenox
Public Library, New Lenox
Chamber of Commerce and
New Lenox Community
Park District. ShareFest is
the Naperville-based company’s
latest partnership
from the area.
Reporting by James Sanchez,
Editor. For more, visit
NewLenoxPatriot.com.
FROM THE LOCKPORT LEGEND
LTHS grad making noise in
electronic music scene
Brett Stogsdill has traded
one base for another.
The Homer Glen native
and Lockport Township
High School graduate had
big dreams of playing baseball
in college. But after
injuring his arm, Stogsdill
went from running the bases
to dropping the bass.
Now Stogsdill, better
known by his artist name
Mielo, is making noise on
the electronic dance music
scene. The 21-year-old’s latest
single, “Pretty When U
Cry,” has more than 500,000
views on YouTube and debuted
in November on 103.5
KISS FM.
“We were sitting in the
living room, waiting for it to
come on,” Stogsdill said with
a laugh. “It was supposed to
come on at 8:01 p.m. ... and
then a Maroon 5 song came
on, and I just thought, ‘Well,
maybe they’re just not doing
it.’ But they played it a halfhour
later. It was cool.”
Reporting by Erin Redmond,
Assistant Editor. For more, visit
LockportLegend.com.
FROM THE TINLEY JUNCTION
Christian Hills’ The Rally
brings together area
children, teens
“At the end of the day, my
God sets the trends.”
That was the final message
Adriel Cruz shared with
his audience, right before he
dipped into his track “Trendsetter”
off of his EP “Show
and Tell.” His song outlines
a personal struggle of staying
strong, keeping the faith,
moving forward and saying
a “prayer for these [player
haters].”
“My God hold me down
and not one of you could
ever stop it,” he continued.
“Jesus, more than a prophet.
If you had His job, you
would drop it. His mastery
defies all logic.”
Cruz — better known
as Chicago-based rapper
“Skrip” and the pastor of
World Renegade Church —
was the main act at The Rally,
a first gathering, held Jan.
11, for teens and children
at Christian Hills Church in
Orland Hills.
Christian Hills Church
not only draws in members
from Tinley Park and other
surrounding communities in
the southwest suburbs but
is a part of the Tinley Park
Ministerial Alliance.
Reporting by F. Amanda
Tugade, Editor. For more, visit
TinleyJunction.com.

mokenamessenger.com Sound Off
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 17
Social snapshot
Top Web Stories
From MokenaMessenger.com as of
Monday, Jan. 16
1. Leading with principle: Former North
principal to leave Lincoln-Way after 18 years
2. Mokena man charged with putting private
photos of ex online
3. New Lenox police arrest men who allegedly
brought 94 pounds of cannabis to Mokena
4. Residents, owner of prospective Mokena
auto repair shop voice concerns to Village
Board
5. Standout Student: Ryan Kraft, Mokena
Junior High School eighth-grader
Become a member: mokenamessenger.com/plus
“Welcome back to school day! We hope
everyone had a fantastic winter break.
Normal classes resume today.”
Mokena Junior High School shared this
message on its Facebook page Jan. 10.
Like The Mokena Messenger: facebook.com/
mokenamessenger.com
“Battle for the Blue...Lincoln-Way Central
Wrestling recognizes our local heroes of
Law Enforcement!”
@LWCKnights shared this photo on its
Twitter page Jan. 10.
Follow The Mokena Messenger: @mokenamessenger
From the editor
Beating the bee: Memories
from a former stellar speller
Tim Carroll
tim@mokenamessenger.com
That is the
“Orchestra.”
word I misspelled
in my third-grade
spelling bee.
The details are a little
hazy. I’m not 100 percent
certain it was third grade,
for instance, and I do not
remember for sure whether
I left the H off or spelled
it with a K or what, but I
remember — with shame to
this day — that it was the
word I didn’t spell correctly
and that knocked me out of
that spelling bee.
The advice I want to give
the students who competed
in the Mokena Junior High
School geography bee
(Page 5) this past Friday,
Jan. 13, is that they should
avoid being like me.
Not necessarily in messing
up an answer, because
that’s just going to happen
sometimes, whether you
like it or not.
You should do your best
to be unlike me more by
not allowing that memory
or mistake to hang over
you — especially for, in my
case, some 15-plus years.
I’ve always been a deep
thinker. Not deep enough to
spell “orchestra” properly,
mind you, but a deep
thinker nonetheless, and
usually at the wrong times.
I often find myself pondering
different ways I could
have handled situations so
they would have turned out
more favorably.
That can be a good thing,
because it can help me
make better decisions the
next time a similar situation
arises.
But it can also be a
horrible thing, because I
sometimes can’t seem to
keep myself from dwelling
on the past and thinking
of how things could have
been.
For the spelling bee
example, I was a pretty
good student, if I may say
so myself. I went to a very
small grammar school, so I
certainly felt that I was the
favorite to win that spelling
bee every year we had
it. And that made me put a
little too much pressure on
myself, which I know now
was an error.
And yet, I continue to
make that error. I played
men’s 16-inch softball
roughly five days a week
this past summer, which
should have been great.
Except I was in a slump for
most of the summer at the
plate.
Eventually, I pretty much
broke out of the slump and
wound up reaching base
consistently and driving in
some big runs. But I still
wasn’t having as much
fun as I should have been,
because I didn’t expect
myself just to reach base;
I wanted to lead the league
and the team in doubles,
triples, home runs, RBI,
walks, on-base percentage,
OPS+, WAR, defensive
runs saved, GUAGI,
YONDO, SWEELEP and
ManCot.
(Yes, the last four are
made up, I’m pretty sure,
and most of the others
aren’t kept track of in 16-
inch softball.)
But I was able to have
a fair amount of fun. So, I
was able to overcome, for
the most part, what would
have more or less crippled
my performance and ability
to have fun as a younger
person.
If you’re a student who
didn’t perform the way you
desired in the geography
bee, this may not sound like
a tale of triumph. It isn’t.
Not completely, not yet.
But I hope that, as I continue
to get older and have
more and more positive
and negative experiences, I
will be able to completely
get over my expectations
for myself and have fun no
matter what.
I hope that all you students
had a ton of fun during
the geography bee, and
none of you are like me in
not being able to get over
the expectations you set
for yourself. But I suspect
there’s at least one or two
who may still be struggling
with it, and this next part is
for you.
Progress is good, and
I’ve made some. If you’re
a student who is feeling
down because of your
performance in the bee, you
will make progress, too.
It may not come quickly
enough for your liking —
Lord knows mine came
about as slowly as frozen
molasses and continues to
move at a sub-glacial pace
— but it will come.
Aaron Rodgers told
Packers fans (I’m not one,
but I respect the hell out of
him as a player) to R-E-L-
A-X back in 2014 after the
Packers started 1-2.
It’s not exactly that easy,
at least not for me. It takes
a little more than spelling
a word to actually perform
the action.
But, students like me, it
will get better, especially if
you commit this spelling to
memory:
O-R-C-H-E-S-T-R-A
Sound Off Policy
Editorials and columns are the
opinions of the author. Pieces
from 22nd Century Media are
the thoughts of the company
as a whole. The Mokena Messenger
encourages readers to write
letters to Sound Off. All letters
must be signed, and names and
hometowns will be published.
We also ask that writers include
their address and phone number
for verification, not publication.
Letters should be limited to 400
words. The Mokena Messenger
reserves the right to edit letters.
Letters become property of The
Mokena Messenger. Letters that
are published do not reflect
the thoughts and views of The
Mokena Messenger. Letters can be
mailed to: The Mokena Messenger,
11516 West 183rd Street, Unit
SW Office Condo #3, Orland
Park, Illinois, 60467. Fax letters
to (708) 326-9179 or e-mail to
tim@mokenamessenger.com.
www.mokenamessenger.com.

18 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger Mokena
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the mokena messenger | January 19, 2017 | mokenamessenger.com
Penguins of South Africa
Former Mokena resident travels to Cape Town to
work with penguins, other sea birds, Page 23
Double The Dish
Side Street American Tavern for the main course,
Zettlmeier’s Bakerei for dessert, Pages 26, 28
Lincoln-Way Marching Band member
recounts trip to San Antonio, Army All-American
Bowl performance, Page 21
Lincoln-Way Marching Band member Becky LiVigni
practices prior to her performance with the color
guard and the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band
during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Jan. 7 at the
Alamodome in San Antonio. Photo submitted

20 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger Faith
mokenamessenger.com
Faith Briefs
St. John’s United Church of Christ (11100
Second St., Mokena)
Blood Drive
8:30 a.m.-noon Sunday,
Jan. 22, Christian Community
Center (next to the
church).St. John’s United
Church of Christ in conjunction
with Heartland Blood
Centers is hosting a blood
drive. Call (708) 479-5123
or visit www.heartlandbc.
org to sign up. Walk-ins welcome.
Pancake Breakfast
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sunday,
Jan. 29, St. John’s United
Church of Christ, 11100 Second
St., Mokena. Join the St.
John’s Christian Preschool for
an all-you-can eat pancake
breakfast. Menu includes pancakes,
sausages, applesauce,
nice, milk and coffee. Cost is
$7 for adults, $5 for children
ages 7-12, $3 for children
ages 3-6 and free for ages 2
and younger. For more information,
call (708) 479-5123.
Traditional Service
8 a.m. traditional mass,
9:45 a.m. contemporary &
FUNERAL SERVICES DIRECTORY
traditional music in a service
of praise and reverence. Supervised
childcare available.
For more information, call
(708) 479-5123.
Garden Club
8 a.m. Tuesdays. For more
information, call (708) 479-
5123.
St. Mary’s Catholic Church (19515 115th
Ave., Mokena)
Church Service
5 p.m. Saturdays; 8 a.m,
9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 6:
p.m. Sundays
Adoration
Wednesdays following
8:00 a.m. Mass in the Chapel
until 6:45 p.m.
Holy Rosary
7:30 a.m. daily; 7 p.m.
Tuesday evenings
Parker Road Bible Church (18512 Parker
Road, Mokena)
Worship Service
10:30 a.m. Sundays. Be
sure to arrive early for our
Sunday Worship Service to
enjoy a hot cup of coffee every
week at the church. Following
the Christian Education
Hour (9:15 - 10:15 a.m.),
all beverages can be found
just outside the sanctuary.
Grace Fellowship Church (11049 LaPorte
Road, Mokena)
Narcotics Anonymous
7-9 p.m. Mondays. All
those struggling or who have
struggled with a narcotics
addiction are welcome. All
meetings are confidential.
For more information, call
(708) 479-0300.
Spanish Church
12:30 p.m. every Sunday
Junior High Youth Group
6-7:30 p.m. Fridays. For
more information, email
marleycommunitychurch@
gmail.com.
Church Service
10 a.m. Sundays. Childcare
is provided
Sunday School
9-10 a.m.
Men’s Group
6 p.m. Sunday nights in
the church basement. All
men are welcome.
Kim O’Neil Golob
Kelli Hartseil Mores
Kelly Furlong Foresman, Secretary
Colonial Chapel
Family Owned Funeral Home
edward damstra, owner
Private On-Site
Crematory Orland Park
colonialchapel.com
ADVERTISE
YOUR
FUNERAL
SERVICES.
Contact Jessica Nemec
@708.326.9170 ex.46
www.22ndcenturymedia.com
Worship Service
10 a.m. every Sunday. All
are welcome.
Women’s Bible Study
8:45-9:45 a.m. every Sunday
and 2-3 p.m. every Tuesday
Marley Community Church (12625 W.
187th St., Mokena)
Senior High Youth Group
7-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays.
For more information, email
marleycommunitychurch@
gmail.com.
In Memoriam
Frank Haddon
Frank Haddon,
68, of Mokena, died Jan. 11.
He served in the U.S. Air
Force and was a Vietnam
veteran. He is survived by his
wife, Cindy; daughters, Joni
(Brian) Murphy and Molly
(Scott) Long; grandchildren,
Carly, Tegan, Olivia, Jack,
Kyle and Georgia; and sister,
Janice (Vince) Rizzi.
Interment Abraham Lincoln
National Cemetery. In lieu
of flowers, donations to the
American Cancer Society,
www.cancer.org, would be
appreciated.
Nancy Jean Mitchell
Nancy Jean Mitchell,
82, of Mokena, died Jan. 4.
She was the original owner
of Steamboat Hotdogs in
Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church
(10731 W. La Porte Road, Mokena)
Contemporary Worship
5 p.m., Saturday
Worship
9 a.m., Sunday
Have something for Faith
Briefs? Contact Assistant
Editor Amanda Stoll at
a.stoll@22ndcenturymedia.com
or call (708) 326-9170 ext. 34.
Deadline is noon Thursday one
week prior to publication.
Mokena. She is survived
by her children, Lori (Bob
DiLorenzo) Mitchell-Hill,
Jill (Tim) McEldowney,
Rene (George Lange) Bochenek
and Robert J. (Stacy)
Mitchell; eight grandchildren;
and siblings, Edward
(Arlene) Valliere and Arthur
Valliere. Visitation was held
at Kurtz Memorial Chapel.
A funeral Mass was held at
St. Mary Church. Interment
St. Mary Cemetery. In lieu
of flowers, memorials to
Friends of Sunny Hill would
be appreciated.
Have someone’s life you’d like
to honor? Email Editor Tim
Carroll at tim@mokenames
senger.com with information
about a loved one who was a
part of the Mokena community.

mokenamessenger.com Life & Arts
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 21
Lincoln-Way spinner soars to the big stage
Lincoln-Way Marching
Band spinner performs
at All-American Bowl
Jason Maholy
Freelance Reporter
Remember the Alamodome.
A Lincoln-Way Central senior
who performed at the indoor stadium
earlier this month as a member
of the U.S. Army All-American
Marching Band will certainly do
that, and she will forever carry with
her the memories she made and the
experiences she shared with fast
friends during a week in San Antonio.
Becky LiVigni, a color guard
captain of the all-district Lincoln
Way Marching Band, is one of 125
high school seniors from across the
country named to the band, which
performed during halftime of the
U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
The annual showcase of some of
the nation’s most highly-recruited
prep football players was played
Jan. 7 at the Alamodome.
LiVigni, of Mokena, said she
will cherish the experiences that
helped make her seven days in San
Antonio the best week of her life.
The halftime performance was all
of six minutes – albeit probably
the greatest six minutes of her high
school “spinning” days – but it
was the total experience, and the
similarly-passioned people she met
and with whom she shared food,
laughs, hugs and tears that touched
her to the very core.
“It was amazing to do something
with people [you] had met just six
days before, but you felt so connected
to,” LiVigni said. “I’ve never
gotten so close to people in such
a short amount of time, and I feel
like I’m forever changed because
of the people I met and because of
this experience.
“They’re like family to me now,
and I feel like I’ll forever have this
really deep connection with a lot of
the girls and guys that I spun with
and performed with.”
LiVigni left for Texas from
O’Hare International Airport the
morning of Jan. 2, without her family
but not alone, as she was in the
company of two other U.S. Army
All-American Marching Band
members from Illinois.
Upon arriving in San Antonio
two hours later, she and her companions
were greeted in the airport
terminal by five uniformed soldiers
from the Army and Marine Reserves.
The military men whisked
the trio away to the hotel where
they would stay for five days, and
where they were promptly fitted for
uniforms.
It was evident from the start that
the experience would be unlike any
other LiVigni had during her high
school color guard days. As if being
one of 125 students who would
practice for 27 hours over the following
four days before performing
a new routine in front of 75,000
cheering fans was not exciting
enough, camera crews documenting
the students’ experience began
following LiVigni and the other
two Illinois youths almost as soon
as they arrived the hotel.
“Right away, we started being
interviewed, and there were just
cameras everywhere, at all times,
constantly watching you and trying
to capture the whole experience,”
she said. “It was crazy. They were
always getting in your face, and it
was funny; you didn’t want to look
at them. We kind of piqued their interest,
I guess.”
The first day and night featured a
little hangout time, a welcome party,
the band and color guard members
introducing themselves to one
another and a “super-cool” private
concert by the Six String Soldiers.
“It was very fast paced, and you
were kind of just thrown into it,”
she said. “I mean, it was just crazy
the first day.”
The action did not slow down
from there. LiVigni had to be in the
hotel lobby and ready to board a
shuttle to practice at 7:45 the next
morning. For the following 10 hours,
the color guard members learned
and rehearsed the routine they would
perform in just four days.
Lincoln-Way Central student Rebecca LiVigni takes a group picture with the other color guard members who
performed at the All-American Bowl Jan. 7 in San Antonio. Photo Submitted
“It was pretty intense,” LiVigni
said.
A sobering moment came when
the instructor told the group that
each one of the students there
represented the best from each of
their respective high school’s color
guards – but as All-Americans,
each would just be another member
of the guard. The statement was not
meant to discourage the students,
but to emphasize how rare the opportunity
is for one to be among the
most talented and accomplished of
their peers.
“At first, I was very intimidated
– I was with people who are doing
this professionally,” LiVigni said.
“I felt like just being in their presence,
I became better. Everybody
was so amazing. They were so
dedicated and passionate. It really
inspired me, honestly, being with
them.”
Practice the next day was six
hours and marked the guard’s initial
trip to the Alamodome and first
rehearsal with the band with which
they would perform. That evening,
the members of the band, color
guard and football teams gathered
with soldiers at a restaurant, where
chosen members representing each
group participated in a Soldiermetric
Challenge that featured pushup,
situp and eating contests.
LiVigni said meeting the soldiers
was another highlight of her week.
“They were so interesting, and
they were just fascinating to talk
to, and they seemed really interested
in getting to know us, which
was really cool,” she said. “And
just hearing their stories, it really
gave me a new perspective on the
Army.”
LiVigni met one soldier who at
first didn’t seem to eager to talk,
but she couldn’t help but query him
about his experiences in the Army
and the patches on his jacket. The
man eventually opened up, and she
learned he was a sniper who had
served overseas. He earned another
patch for a survivalist effort during
which he went into the forest with
only the clothes on his back.
“They have to survive with just
their brains and what they can find
in the woods,” LiVigni said. “He
said they slept in swamps, and that
was the ultimate survival training.
I couldn’t believe when he said it
was the most fun he’d ever had – it
was hard, but he really enjoyed it. I
was like, ‘OK, if you’re into that.’”
Game Day brought with it a
sense of finality; for LiVigni and
many other members of the band, it
would be their final performance as
members of a color guard. She was
excited but not nervous about spinning
in front of the largest crowd
before which she would ever perform.
Her mother, stepfather and sister
were in the stands screaming her
name, and friends of hers would be
watching live on Facebook; but she
was confident in herself and her
bandmates, and she took comfort
knowing the performance was a
celebration and a showcase of their
collective talents.
“One of the things they stressed
to us was that it’s not a competition,
you’re not being judged,” she
said. “The two main reasons we
were there was because we are passionate
about it and to celebrate in
honor of the Army. There wasn’t
much pressure to perform perfectly;
it was just because you love
doing it that you were there. We
were just very excited to be there
Please see American, 23

22 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger mokena
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mokenamessenger.com Life & Arts
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 23
Former Mokena resident works with penguins in South Africa
Brittany Kapa, Assistant Editor
Across the Atlantic Ocean,
at the very southern tip of
Africa, there sits a small
coastal town that is trying to
make a difference in coastal
birds’ lives.
In Claremont, Cape Town,
South Africa, the Southern
African Foundation for the
Conservation of Coastal
Birds makes it its daily mission
to help save penguins
and other seabirds in the
surrounding area from oil
spills and abandonment. The
SANCCOB facility, which
was founded in the late
1960s by Althea Louise Burman
Westphal, welcomed a
local woman on Jan. 9 for
the next month.
Tracy Smith, a former Mokena
resident and graduate
of Chicago Christian High
School, has worked for the
Shedd Aquarium for the last
six years. Smith, who attended
elementary school in Tinley
Park, has multiple connections
to not only the south
suburbs, but with sea animals,
as well. She has spent
her career thus far learning
about these animals, how to
care for them and was excited
to arrive at SANCCOB.
“[In] our professional development,
we look at what
opportunities we can offer to
our staff, and we ask them to
show their interest in [programs
we partner with that]
they might be available for,”
said Madelynn Hettiger,
manager of the Shedd’s Marine
Mammal Department.
The Shedd has partnered
with SANCCOB for the last
four years, and it was an
opportunity Smith said she
didn’t want to miss out on.
It was also one that she did
not realize would come as
quickly as it did.
“It wasn’t until a couple
of years ago that I heard we
started sending people to
[SANCCOB],” Smith said.
“From the very beginning,
I’d just think how cool it
would be to get to do that
someday. I guess I didn’t
realize how quickly it might
come for me.
“I feel very lucky. I’ve
been at Shedd for six years
now, and I’ve gotten to go
to the Alaska SeaLife Center
for some rescue rehab with
harbor seals. I’ve gotten to
do some dolphin transports
in down in Miami. Now, I
get to go to South Africa for a
month, so I feel very lucky.”
Since the SANCCOB facility
deals more with rehabilitation
and releasing the animals
back into the wild, the focus
is not on bonding with the
animals but preparing them to
reenter the population.
Smith has worked with a
number of different animals
during her time at the aquarium,
including sea lions,
birds of prey, whales, and
she was recently promoted
to dolphin trainer. Smith
has also worked with penguin
chicks in the past,and
hoped that this experience
would help her during her
Tracy Smith, a former Mokena resident, will be responsible for bottle feeding endangered penguin chicks like these at
the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds in Claremont, Cape Town, South Africa. Smith has
worked at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago for six years and began her time at SANCCOB on Jan. 9. Photo submitted
time at SANCCOB.
“The Magellanic [penguin]
species that we have [at the
Shedd] is a very similar species
to the African penguin,”
Smith said. “So, a lot of the
overall behavior and medical
stuff that I’ll learn there in
SANCCOB will help when
I come back here to Shedd.”
Smith said part of the training
she is excited to learn is
tube feeding the animals.
SANCCOB focuses not only
on penguins and seabirds affected
by oil spills, but also
the endangerment of young
penguin chicks.
During the months of October
through January, adult
penguins go through moult –
the replacement of worn-out
feathers that can take three
or four weeks to complete
– which prevents them from
entering the ocean. Many of
the young chicks born during
this time will not receive
enough food and may die of
starvation.
SANCCOB steps in to
help save these vulnerable
chicks, and then once the
chicks are strong enough,
they are released back into
the wild. This is the type of
work that Smith is expecting
she will be doing, but she will
not know for sure until she is
more settled into the facility.
“Here at Shedd, we’re so
focused on the relationship
building of our training, and
then when we go to a rescue/
rehab facility, it’s a little bit
different,” Smith said. “It’s
kind of the opposite of that –
you don’t want to build that
relationship. It’s unique in that
way.”
Smith plans to take a 10-
day vacation following her
time at SANCCOB. She said
she heard that working days
can be long, up to 11 hours,
and she plans to use her time
off to relax and explore her
surroundings. Smith said her
fiancé will join her for that
10-day period.
“I’ve never been really
anywhere out of the country
too much, so that will be
very exciting,” she said.
American
From Page 21
and show the world what
we could do in such a short
amount of time.”
As the band members
waited to take the field,
they held each others’ hands
tightly and shook with excitement.
Smiles were everywhere,
and chills pulsed
through LiVigni’s body.
Thoughts about how
much she loves spinning
and how ready she was
for the moment about to
come raced through her
mind. She heard her family
calling her name from
the stands, and she saw that
roughly one-quarter of the
dome’s occupants were soldiers.
“So you could just see the
camo, and it was so cool,”
she said. “And they’re all
cheering for us, and they
have these towels that
they’re waving in the air. It
was incredible. I didn’t even
think that would happen, that
people cared that much.”
Then, almost as soon as
the final show in her celebrated
color guard career
began, it was over. As the
students walked off the field
and the sense of what they
had just done hit them, a
wave of emotion washed
over the group.
“We walked off that field,
and we went right into the
tunnel, and I’ve never seen
so many people cry at one
time,” she said. “It happens
every year, I guess. We all
ran off, and we were just
hugging each other and
crying, and our drum major
called us to attention
and gave a very emotional
speech about how proud
she was and how proud we
should be that we honored
our country like that.
“It was so emotional and
very bittersweet knowing
that people who were
so meaningful to you, you
probably weren’t going to
see them very much after
that; but you shared this experience
that would forever
connect you.”

24 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger LIFE & ARTs
mokenamessenger.com
Mokena Library remembers Elvis’ 82nd birthday
Amanda Del Buono
Freelance Reporter
At 4 years old, Olive
Schlieske already has developed
a taste for the wholesome
music of the 1950s.
Entranced by a performance
by Dave “Elvis”
Thomas at the Mokena Community
Library District, Olive
was ecstatic when Thomas
sang Elvis Presley’s “(Let
Me Be Your) Teddy Bear”
and handed Olive her very
own teddy bear to take home.
“My husband is a big Elvis
fan,” said Carla Schlieske,
Olive’s mother and an Oak
Lawn resident.
Carla’s husband, Tom, said
that Thomas’ performance
was one of the best Elvis impersonations
he had seen.
“I was blown away,” Tom
Schlieske said. “He really
captured the moment in an
hour. … He’s probably one
of the best I’ve seen.”
As part of the library’s
Saturday Music Program, it
hosted its annual Elvis performance
Jan. 6, which attracted
nearly 60 attendees
from Mokena and nearby
communities.
“We always do this program
around Elvis’ birthday,
which would be tomorrow,
Jan. 8. He would have been
82,” said Nancy Baker, the
library’s head of circulation.
Baker said that Thomas has
performed the Elvis program
for quite a few years, and it
has been one of the library’s
best-attended Saturday Music
Program performances.
“They love ‘50s music, and
they love Elvis,” Baker said.
Additionally, Thomas has
developed a fan base in the
area, which helps bring in
more community members,
Baker said.
“He’s become family to
us, too,” she said. “And the
patrons enjoy his performances.”
In fact, Mokena resident
Evelyn May said that she
has been attending Thomas’
Elvis shows for more than a
decade.
“He sang at my granddaughter’s
16th birthday,”
she said. “… He’s very good,
and he’s got a good heart.”
May said that she was not
an Elvis fan during his heyday,
but as she’s gotten older,
she’s come to appreciate
his music.
“I didn’t like The Beatles
either, but now I do,” she
said.
For Thomas, playing at the
Mokena Library is always a
great opportunity, he said.
Although he’s performed for
crowds of thousands, he said
that the crowd at the library
is special.
“This is a wonderful
crowd, and they get into the
show,” he said.
Having recently retired,
Thomas said he’s dedicating
himself to his Elvis performances.
“I love doing this,” he
said. “… All I’m trying to
inspire is music.”
Olive and May’s granddaughter
aren’t the only
young people that have been
touched by Thomas’ music.
His 11-year-old grandson,
Drake Thomas, performed
alongside his grandfather at
the library.
Drake Thomas has been
performing with his grandfather
since he was 2 years old,
and he now sings and plays a
handful of instruments.
“Elvis inspires me because
he was himself; he didn’t care
what everybody else thinks,”
the junior Thomas said.
Dave “Elvis” Thomas performs during a tribute on Jan. 6 for
Elvis Presley’s 82nd birthday -- which would have been on
Jan. 8 -- at the Mokena Community Public Library District.
Photo Submitted
For Dave Thomas, it’s
a very special opportunity
for him to perform with his
grandson.
“Since he was 2 years old,
he’s been on stage with me,”
he said. “He’s extremely
musically talented, but I
want him to be himself.
They always say it skips a
generation. It’s an honor for
me to be on stage with him.
He’s 10 times the musician
I’ll ever be.”
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mokenamessenger.com MOKENA
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 25
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26 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger Dinning out
mokenamessenger.com
The Dish
Family tradition continues at Tinley bakery
Zettlmeier’s Bakerei
owner pours it all
into maintaining
family name
Max Lapthorne
Contributing Editor
Walking into Zettlmeier’s
Bakerei in Tinley Park and
seeing the dozens of rows of
baked goods on display, one
would assume it took a small
army of bakers to create all
the items, but one would be
wrong.
Owner Paul Zettlmeier is
responsible for baking every
single item sold at the
bakery, from coffee cakes
to doughnuts. He spends
roughly 12 hours per day at
the bakery, preparing all the
items, including 50-60 coffee
cakes, dozens of doughnuts
and whatever specialty
cake orders arrived.
Paul’s sister, Dawn, works
up front at the bakery, taking
orders and handling the financial
side of the operation.
Zettlmeier’s Bakerei,
17016 S. Oak Park Avenue,
opened in 1996 as a family
venture, and Paul Zettlmeier
bought out his parents, Hans
and Ruth, in 2008. Paul sold
the bakery in 2014 for family
reasons, but when the
owner contacted him this
past September, saying he
was going to have to close
shop, Paul did not hesitate to
buy his bakery back.
“When this presented itself,
I pretty much dropped everything
I was doing,” he said.
The family’s history of
producing baked goods in
Tinley Park goes all the way
back to the 1970s. The Zettlmeiers
opened the Tinley
Park Bakery just down the
road from the current location
back in 1978, which is
where Paul learned most of
what he knows about baking.
Pictured is one of the many cakes crafted by Zettlmeier’s
Bakerei in Tinley Park.
“That’s where I got my
start,” he said. “I started working
for my dad. My dad taught
me everything I know.”
Many of the scratch
recipes Paul uses today at
Zettlmeier’s Bakerei actually
originated in Germany,
where his father, Hans,
honed his craft in the 1940s
and 1950s. Hans then moved
to the United States in the
1960s and bounced around
from bakery to bakery,
learning the best items from
each place, until he built up
enough recipes to open his
own bakery.
The long family history in
the area has led to a strong,
loyal customer base for
Zettlmeier’s Bakerei. Some
of the customers have been
enjoying the family’s baking
their entire lives.
“We’re actually on our
fourth generation of people
now,” Paul said. “People
have come in here saying,
‘My mom brought me here
when you guys opened,’ and
then those people would say,
‘My parents brought me to
Zettlmeier’s Bakerei
17016 S. Oak Park
Avenue in Tinley Park
Hours
• 5 a.m.-2 p.m.
Wednesday-Saturday
• 6 a.m.-noon Sunday
• Closed Monday-
Tuesday
For more information...
Web: www.facebook.
com/zettlmeiersbakerei
Phone: (708) 444-2253
your parents’ shop.’”
The Tinley Park Bakery
closed its doors in the 1990s
because Jewel, which was
next door, started selling
baked goods and pushed the
Zettlemeiers out of business.
So, now at Zettlmeier’s Bakerei,
Paul makes sure their
product is above and beyond
anything that can be found
at Jewel or any other similar
store.
“Everything is done here
fresh daily,” he said. “We try
to give them something they
can’t get at a grocery store.”
Zettlmeier’s is known for a
Zettlmeier’s Bakerei owner Paul Zettlmeier mixes ingredients Thursday, Jan. 12, at his
bakery in Tinley Park.. Photos by Max Lapthorne/22nd Century Media
The wide variety of baked goods at Zettlmeier’s in Tinley Park is crafted personally by
owner Paul Zettlmeier.
variety of its delicacies, but at
the top of the list are its doughnuts
($0.99) coffee cakes
($6.99-$8.99) and atomic
cake ($24.95). The doughnuts
are so widely sought that people
have gone far out of their
way to get them.
“We’ve had people that
have literally taken the train
from downtown, come here
to get my donuts and taken it
back downtown,” Paul said.
“That’s how well known we
are for our doughnuts.”
While maybe not as famous,
the atomic cake is
special in its own way. It is
made up of two layers of
yellow cake, two layers of
chocolate cake, strawberries,
bananas, custard and fudge,
providing a wealth of sweet
flavors, all in one dessert.
The combination of being
his own boss and maintaining
a generations-long relationship
with customers is
what Paul enjoys most about
owning the bakery, and he
looks forward to making
sure the Zettlmeiers name
remains synonymous with
quality desserts.
“It’s second to none,” he
said.

mokenamessenger.com MOKENA
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 27
Ken Pytlewski
Managing broker
Gail
Haug
Lee
Hansen
405 S 16765 Eastern Haven Ave, Orland Manhattan Hills
MLS 09401512... 09268435...Updated Move in ready home 3 bdrm, on corner 1 bath
property w/ 2.5 car garage. Remodeled bathroom -
+ hardwood flrs thru-out.
bsmt rec rm, 3 car detached gar. $254,900
$1,550/mo
LOT 21 Anna Ln, Monee
MLS 09150815... Priced To Sell. 1.39 acre lot in
Country Meadows. Great lot to build your dream
home.
$22,000
6308 Patricia Dr, Matteson
MLS 09369828... Lot for sale Ridgeland Manor**
Build your dream home zoned single family residence.
$25,000
22732 9720 S S Pulaski Olympia Rd 110, Dr, Oak Frankfort Lawn
11100 S 84th Ave 1A, Palos Hills
MLS 09256686... 09261641...Modular 2 bdrm, 1 bath home 1st in flr active unit in need adult MLS 09384745... Priced to sell. 1st flrf condo in Riviera
Regal. Steps away from heated pool, clubhouse.
of community total renovation. south Elevator of town, building. 1,262 sq Sold ft, "As-Is" 3 bedrooms,
2ba, all appliances, 1.5 car gar, com-
munity clubhouse & fishing pond. $65,500
$50,193
$60,000
Linda
Hentsch
Kim
Katsenes
Bridgette
Kavanagh
7859 9130 W North 140th St Ave, 202, Orland Frankfort Park
MLS 09471086... 09218965... Totally Split-level renovation with 2nd sub-bsmt flr unit.
in North unincorporated Orland location. area, 2 spacious 4 bedrooms, bdrms, 2.5ba, 1 bath.
Minutes to train station.
attached plus 4 car detached garages.
$279,000 $109,900
14817 Lawndale Ave, Midlothian
MLS 09345894... Updated 2 bdrm, 1.5 bath, 1.5
car garages, full bsmt. Hardwood & ceramic flrs,
custom trim, sun rm.
$109,900
17216 Holmes Ave, Hazel Crest
MLS 09400704... Spacious 3 bdrm, 2 bath ranch.
2 car attached gar. Liv rm w/ FP. Finished bsmt.
Screened porch. Convenient location.
$119,900
176021420 Edmonds S Jean Ave, Matteson New Lenox
MLS 09140924... 09331710...On Brick 86x160 3 bdrm lot ranch. near Freshly I-355,
painted, approx new 3,500 roof, sq gutters ft, 4 bedrooms, 2014, new loft, AC 3ba, 2011, 9
2.5 car garage, finished bsmt, landscaped lot.
in office, liv & din rms, bsmt. $345,000
$128,000
9328 Meadowview Dr, Orland Hills
MLS 09322831... End unit, 2 story townhome w/
2 bdrms + loft. Liv rm w/ vaulted ceiling. updated
KT & flooring. Dining rm. Patio
$129,900
Michele
Kosel
Julie
Kubinski
Mary Jo
McFadden
Lorecia
McGowan
Maria
Pennington
Pam
Schlafer
815 Shagbark Rd, Frankfort
MLS 08093185... Excellent opportunity to build your
dream home in New Frankfort Settlement. Gated
community. Corner lot on cul-de-sac.
$149,900
9316 Bradford Ln, Orland Park
MLS 09391227... 2 bdrm, 1.5 bath end-unit townhome
+ loft overlooking flr-to-ceiling FP in liv rm.
Ceramic tile in entry, KT & baths, vaulted master.
$164,490
100 Batson Ct 206, New Lenox
MLS 09224288... For Sale Or Lease - Newer Office
Condo. Brick Professional Building w/ Elevator.
Approx 1564 sq ft available.
$179,900
7623 W Royce Ct, Frankfort
MLS 09281915... Tri-level on a quiet cul-de-sac.
Liv rm w/ wood laminate flooring & FP. Formal din
rm. New carpet in fam rm, landscaped fenced yard.
$204,000
13404 2749 E Florence Brunswick Rd, Beecher Mokena
MLS MLS 09245725... 09261057…Brick Get electric ranch bill only! on Impeccable over half
maintained 4 bdrm, 3 bath home. Beautiful main
level.
bsmt,
Walk-out
3 full baths,
bsmt on
2 fpl,
nearly
2.5
3
car
acres.
attached gar
plus lge shed with loft. $268,000
$229,900
Jayne
Sinchak
Mike
Smetana
Amy
Zuidema
4224 185th Pl, Country Club Hills
MLS 09378084... Modern 2 story, 4 bdrm, 2.5 bath
home. Formal liv & din rms, FP, beautiful KT w/
granite and stainless. Unfinished bsmt. Large deck.
$234,900
15545 Natalie Dr, Oak Forest
MLS 09472495... Bright & beautifully updated 4
bdrm, 2 bath raised ranch renovated to perfection.
Must See!
$239,900
25755 S Kankakee St, Manhattan
MLS 09472478... Beautiful 5 acre parcel surrounded
by upscale homes. Excellent Lincoln-Way School
Disrict, electric to site, horses allowed.
$240,000
16259 Celtic Cir, Manhattan
MLS 09291679... Beautiful 3 bdrm, 2 bath split
level w/ sub bsmt. Open flr plan. Newer landscaping.
Park access.
$246,500
45018733 S. Park Dove St, Ave, Manhattan
Mokena 1620 Olive Rd, Homewood
MLS MLS 09283905... 09254594... Immaculate On 66x140 2 bdrm, lot 2.5 in bath town, end
unit completely townhome. remodeled Updated KT in and 2007! flrs, large 1,500+ master sq
ste,
ft,
unfinished
2 bedrooms
bsmt.
down plus upstairs master,
$194,900
MLS 09397184... Spacious and Charming Vintage
4 bdrm, 4 bath home. Huge living and dining rm.
Sun rm, deck. Oversized east-in KT.
$264,900 $269,000
15351 Wexford Ln, Orland Park
MLS 09369973... 4 bdrm, 2 bath home on private
lot located in a cul-d-sac. Open layout w/ partially
finished bsmt. Close to everything!
$274,900
700 Misty Creek Dr, New Lenox
MLS 09333331... Desirable Wildwood Estates 4
bdrm, 2.5 bath home. Spacious eat-in KT. large fam
rm. Professionally landscaped yard. Many Updates!
$324,900
2853 9077 Cole Liscanor Ln, Ave, New Mokena Lenox 15750 430 W Butternut Barr Rd, Trl, Frankfort Manhattan
MLS MLS 09389901... 09263640...All Impressive brick, 4 bdrm, 2,400+ 3 bath sq ranch. ft, 3 MLS MLS 09477871... 09261005...10 acres! acres! Approx Approx 4,000 sq 4,000 ft, 1st sq flr
bedrooms, 2.5ba, 15x22 fam rm with fpl &
Finished walk-out bsmt. Tara Hills Subdivision. Hardwood
27x17 master, 3 fpl, hand scraped teak flrs in liv & din
flrs throughout 1st flr.
& library. Bsmt, patio with pergola. $339,900
rms, sun rm, partly fin bsmt, 3 car gar, 36x50 barn.
bsmt, 3 car gar, 36x50 barn. $569,900
$358,900
$374,000
25317 S Tuscany Dr, Monee 21204 Pfeiffer Rd, Frankfort
MLS 09162703... Stunning 4 bdrm, 3 bath ranch.
Lake views! Eat-in KT w/ island. Great rm w/ vaulted
ceiling, FP. Nice master ste. Many updates.
$429,300 $750,000
cbhonig-bell.com
LOCAL SALES OFFICE
1413 E. Lincoln Highway
New Lenox
815-485-3401
MLS 09222754... For Sale or Lease. Prime Land
located near busy shopping area at the corner of
Route 30 and Pfeiffer Road approximately 5 Acres.

28 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger Dining Out
mokenamessenger.com
The Dish
Side Street combines unique flavors with entertainment
Brittany Kapa, Assistant Editor
Side Street American Tavern
offers more than just
good food.
Accurately named, Side
Street American Tavern is
nestled off 183rd Street and
Harlem Avenue at 18401
North Creek Drive in Tinley
Park. The restaurant not only
offers a wide range of meal
options on its menu but also
seemingly can adjust to anyone’s
entertainment needs.
Side Street has a private
dining room for all occasions
— a space big enough for a
wedding. The restaurant also
can shift into a sports bar
when needed, with 25 televisions
throughout. It truly is
a chameleon of a restaurant,
featuring seasonal menu
items to boot.
Owner Jimmy Kollintzas
has been working in the
industry his entire life. He
wanted Side Street to be a
middle ground for area residents.
It is not a sports bar,
nor is it a fine dining restaurant.
It lands in the middle,
with options for both scenarios.
Getting started
Kollintzas is a Tinley Park
resident but grew up in Indiana.
He has worked as a
bus boy, on the line and now
has opened yet another restaurant.
He also owns a fast
food concept restaurant in
Joliet, World Famous Jimmy
K’s Gyros.
“In high school, I started
off working in a family diner
and worked my way up into
owning my own restaurant,”
Kollintzas said.
He took his experience
with him and knows what
makes a good restaurant
tick. He opened Side Street
with his business partners
and cousins on March 17 of
this past year.
“Being on the south side,
you have sports bars and you
have very fine dining restaurants,”
Kollintzas said. “We
wanted to be a unique experience
where you could have
a little bit of both.”
Since the Tinley Park
Convention Center is close,
and the restaurant itself is
surrounded by hotels, it provided
a good opportunity to
play around with the menu
and add some more high-end
dishes. Kollintzas said they
wanted to be able to offer
everyone a good option for
dinner, whether that includes
a tender and juicy burger or
more of a fine dining option.
“What I’ve learned: Our
biggest asset as an independent
is that we’re hands on,”
Kollintzas said. “I’m here
every day. We’re really getting
to know what our customers
want and getting customer
feedback.”
Focused on the mains
Customer feedback has
played a major role in what
is offered on the extensive
menu.
Patrons can come in with
friends and share the generous
portion of Side Street
Nachos ($10). They come
piled high with pico de gallo,
queso, jalapeño, guacamole,
lettuce, olive, tomato
and onion. Options with the
dish include adding chicken
($2) or steak ($4).
“We wanted unique items
on the menu — wow items,”
Kollintzas said. “I think it’s
very important, because people
eat with their eyes.”
The restaurant does not
disappoint with its finer dining
options in this regard.
The cola-braised volcano
pork shank ($22) appeals to
the eyes, as well as the stomach,
when it is served. This
dish is served with a base of
house-made mashed potatoes,
and the generous portion
of pork shank is served
Side Street American
Tavern
18401 North Creek
Drive in Tinley Park
Hours
• 11 a.m.-midnight
Monday-Thursday
• 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday-
Saturday
• 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Sunday
For more information ...
Web: www.
sidestreettavern.com
Phone: (708) 928-8080
vertically with a tangy Carolina
mopping sauce on top
the entire dish. Guests will
have leftovers with this one.
Kollintzas always is willing
to hear what customers
have to say about his restaurant.
And recently, Side
Street opened for lunch, per
customer request.
“Our menu added a couple
more items that people
wanted,” Kollintzas said,
noting with the cold weather
people were craving heavier
options. “We added some
more comfort dishes, like
pot roast. We added chicken
pot pie, and we opened for
lunch recently. We offered
more sandwich selections.”
Uniquely named, the
Weezee is a creation from his
store in Joliet that has been
brought to Tinley Park. A
repeat customer visited, and,
at the time, Kollintzas was
trying out a new beef sandwich.
The customer loved it
so much that he brought his
friends the next day. Kollintzas
decided to name the sandwich
after the man.
“He was a truck driver,
and his name said ‘Weezee’
on [his shirt],” Kollintzas
said. “He was a bigger guy,
so we called it the ‘Big
Weezee.’”
The ‘big’ has been
This BBQ Burger ($12) at Side Street American Tavern in Tinley Park features an antibioticfree
patty with cherrywood bacon, onion strings, cheddar cheese, lettuce and BBQ sauce,
garnished with a pickle and seasoned fries. Photos by Brittany Kapa/22nd Century Media
dropped, but the Original
Weezee ($12) can be found
on the menu, complete with
beef, mozzarella and signature
seasoning, known as
sottaceti. Variations of the
sandwich include a chicken
option, a vegetarian option
and a meatball option.
Time for dessert
Side Street offers just two
desserts, but they are worth
leaving a little room. The
signature bread pudding ($7)
is served warm, with vanilla
ice cream and whipped
cream on top, and drizzled
with caramel. Sticking
with one of the restaurant’s
themes, this is a portion that
can be shared with others.
The bread pudding is
sweet with a hint of cinnamon.
It is just moist enough,
without being soggy, which
can be a common problem
for bread puddings.
Entertainment extras
Since the space is so
Side Street Tavern’s Bread Pudding ($7) is served warm,
with vanilla bean ice cream, whipped cream and caramel
drizzled on top.
large, Kollintzas has capitalized
on this fact. And
there are events throughout
the week — live entertainment
during the week,
as well as live bands on
the weekend. The restaurant
also has indoor bags
and trivia nights for those
interested.
“This restaurant is very
unique, because it’s such a
beautiful building,” Kollintzas
said. “We wanted to incorporate
everything here.
There are so many restaurants
and so much competition
that you have to make
yourself stand out a little
bit.”

mokenamessenger.com PUZZLES
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 29
crosstown CROSSWORD & Sudoku
The crosstowns: Frankfort, Homer Glen, Lockport, Mokena, New Lenox, Orland Park, Tinley Park
Crossword by Myles Mellor and Cindy LaFleur
Across
1. Mischief maker
6. Created
10. Leave it as it is
14. Emigre
15. College grad. school
16. Henry VIII’s sixth
17. Masons’ creations
18. Swell
19. Woodwind instrument
20. Will County nature
preserve
23. Wild enthusiasm
24. Types
25. Graduation-cap attachment
29. Pekoe
30. Arm bone
31. Beatles: “Old Brown
___”
34. Hurried
39. It may accompany
‘’Ahem!’’
41. Miscellany
42. Forested area
43. Popular Middle East
meat
44. Nil
46. In ___ of (instead
of)
47. It contains stanzas
49. Gather on the surface,
chemically
51. Systematic plan
55. Tennis great, Arthur
57. Lockport’s sewers’
sanctuary
62. Get to
63. Ballet attire
64. Pink color
66. Butterfly like
67. Length x width
68. Dark wood
69. Lean and mean
70. ____ apple
71. Artful move
Down
1. Drops on blades
2. Test
3. Repugnant
4. Woes
5. Renter
6. Food from heaven
7. Adjust one’s wheels
8. Mussolini title
9. Come out
10. Dessert shoveler?
11. Small drum
12. Break down
13. Lock
21. Building additions
22. Becomes frayed
25. Nip partner
26. Cream additive
27. Give the cold shoulder
28. It’s a long story
29. Rip
32. Ridicule
33. Unique
35. Suffers
36. History Muse
37. At all times
38. Slap on
40. Fusion weapon
45. Honolulu island
48. Wide river mouths
50. Made frost free
51. Scarecrow stuffing
52. Texas cook-off dish
53. Scar-like
54. Manicurist’s need
55. Daisy-like bloom
56. Young pigeon
58. Currency in France
59. Gray wolf
60. Stepped
61. Performed a melody
65. Potassium hydroxide
How to play Sudoku
Each sudoku puzzle consists of a 9x9 grid that
has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3x3
squares. To solve the puzzle, each row, column and
box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9.
LEVEL: Medium
Sudoku by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan
answers
MOKENA
The Alley Grill and Tap
House
(18700 S. Old LaGrange
Road, Mokena; (708) 478-
3610)
■9 ■ p.m. Tuesdays: Karaoke
Fox’s Restaurant and Pub
(11247 W. 187th St., Mokena;
(708) 478-8888)
■6 ■ p.m. Thursdays,
Fridays and Saturdays:
Jerry Eadie performance
Jenny’s Southside Tap
(10160 191st St., Mokena;
(708) 479-6873)
■6 ■ p.m. Tuesdays: Acoustic
Avenue, Psychic
night - second Tuesday
every month.
■9 ■ p.m. Thursdays:
Karaoke
■Fridays ■ and Saturdays:
Live bands
NEW LENOX
Little Joe’s Restaurant
(1300 N. Cedar Road,
New Lenox; (815) 463-
1099)
■5-8 ■ p.m. Tuesdays:
Piano Styles by Joe
LOCKPORT
The Outpost Pub & Grill
(14929 Archer Ave., Lockport;
(815) 836-8893)
■8 ■ p.m. Tuesdays and
Thursdays: Live DJ and
Karaoke
Strike N Spare II
(811 Northern Drive,
Lockport; (708) 301-
1477)
■9:30 ■ p.m.-12:30 a.m.
Mondays: Quartermania
HOMER GLEN
Mullets Sports Bar and
Restaurant
(14903 S. Bell Road,
Homer Glen; (708) 645-
7000)
■7 ■ p.m. Wednesdays:
Trivia
FRANKFORT
Pete Mitchell’s Bar & Grill
(21000 Frankfort Square
Road, Frankfort; (815)
464-8100)
■6-8 ■ p.m. Wednesdays:
Free N’ Fun Bar Game.
Free to play.
To place an event
in The Scene, email
b.kapa@22ndcenturymedia.
com.

30 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger local living
mokenamessenger.com
Build and Move into Your New Home from the low $200s
With Lincoln-Way Schools at Prairie Trails in Manhattan
Distinctive Home Builders provides homeowners the
highest quality home on the market
Distinctive Home Builders
continues to add high quality
homes to the Manhattan
landscape at Prairie Trails; its
latest new home community,
located within the highly-regarded
Lincoln-Way School
District. Many families are
happy to call Prairie Trails
home and are pleased that
Distinctive is able to deliver a
new home with zero punch list
items in 90 days. Before closing,
each home undergoes an
industry-leading checklist that
ensures each home measures
up to the firm’s high quality
standards.
“Actually our last average
was 81 working days from excavation
to receiving a home
occupancy permit - without
sacrificing quality,” said Bryan
Nooner, president of Distinctive
Home Builders. “Everyone
at the company works
extremely hard to continually
achieve this delivery goal for
our homeowners. Our three
decades building homes provides
this efficient construction
system. Many of our
skilled craftsmen have been
working with our company for
Recently closed Prairie Trails Arbor Model
over 20 years. We also take
pride on having excellent communicators
throughout our
organization. This translates
into a positive buying and
building experience for our
homeowners and one of the
highest referral rates in the industry
for Distinctive.”
In all, buyers can select
from 13 ranch, split-level and
six two-story single-family
home styles; each offering
three to eight different exterior
elevations. The three- to
four-bedroom homes feature
two to two-and-one-half
baths, two- to three-car garages
and a family room, all in
approximately 1,600 to over
3,000 square feet of living
space. Basements are included
in most models as well. Distinctive
also encourages customization
to make your new
home truly personalized to
suit your lifestyle.
Oversize home sites; brick
exteriors on all four sides of
the first floor; custom maple
cabinets; ceramic tile or hardwood
floors in the kitchen,
baths and foyer; genuine wood
trim and doors; granite countertops
and concrete driveways
can all be yours at Prairie
Trails. All home sites at Prairie
Trails can accommodate a
three-car garage; a very important
amenity to the Manhattan
homebuyer, according
to Nooner.
“When we opened Prairie
Trails we wanted to provide
the best new home value for
the dollar and we feel with
offering Premium Standard
Features that we do just that.
So why wait? This is truly the
best time to build your dream
home!”
Distinctive offers custom
maple kitchen cabinets featuring
solid wood construction
(no particle board), have solid
wood drawers with dove tail
joints, which is very rare in the
marketplace. “When you buy
a new home from Distinctive,
you truly are receiving custom
made cabinets in every home
we sell no matter what the
price range,” noted Nooner.
Nooner added that all
homes are highly energy efficient.
Every home built will
have upgraded wall and ceiling
insulation values with
Recently closed Prairie Trails Arbor Model
energy efficient windows and
high efficiency furnaces. Before
homeowners move into
their new home, Distinctive
Home Builders conducts a
blower door test that pressurizes
the home to ensure that
each home passes a set of very
stringent Energy Efficiency
guidelines.
Typically a wide variety of
homes are available to tour
that include ranch and twostory
homes.
Distinctive is also offering
a brand new home, the
Stonegrove, a 3,000 square
foot open concept home with a
split foyer entry, formal living
and dining rooms, a two-story
great room, four bedrooms
and an upstairs laundry room.
Distinctive also offers Appbased
technology allowing its
homeowners to be updated
on the progress of their new
home 24 hours a day, seven
days a week at the touch of a
button.
Prairie Trails is also a beautiful
place to live featuring a
20-acre lake on site, as well
as direct access to the 22-mile
Wauponsee Glacial Prairie
Path that borders the community
and meanders through
many neighboring communities
and links to many other
popular trails. The Manhattan
Metra station is also nearby.
Besides Prairie Trails, Distinctive
Home Builders has
built hundreds of homes
throughout Manhattan in the
Butternut Ridge and Leighlinbridge
developments, as well
as thousands in the Will and
south Cook county areas over
the past 30 years.
Visit the on-site sales information
center for unadvertised
specials and view the numerous
styles of homes being
offered and the available lots.
Call (708) 737-9142 for more
information or visit us online
at www.distinctivehomebuilders.com.
The Prairie Trails
new home information center
is located three miles south
of Laraway Rd. on Rt. 52. The
address is 16233 Pinto Lane,
Manhattan, IL, 60422. Open
Daily 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closed Wednesday and Thursday
and always available by
appointment. Specials, prices,
specifications, standard features,
model offerings, build
times and lot availability are
subject to change without notice.
Please contact a Distinctive
representative for current
pricing and complete details.

mokenamessenger.com REAL ESTATE
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 31
This modern, mid-century
home is true ranch living.
What: This home sits
on three-quarters of an
acre and features two
bedrooms, one and a
half bathrooms and a
full, unfinished basement
waiting for your finishing
touches.
The Mokena Messenger’s
of the
WEEK
Southwest Chicago
Christian Schools
Where: 19054 S. Richard
Ave., Mokena
Amenities: Located
in a quiet, wooded
neighborhood on threequarters
of an acre,
this-all brick home has a
private backyard viewable
from the bedrooms and
dining room. This home
was designed and built
by an engineer and his
wife who used the best
of everything at the time.
The home has been wellmaintained
and updated
while still holding onto
some of the mid-century
decor. The large living
room, which is great for
entertaining, features
pendant lights, a fireplace
and several picture
windows for a great view
of the front yard. The
current owner has added
updates to the home since
2013. The home features
two updated bathrooms;
hardwood floors; four
panel, solid oak doors;
vaulted wood ceilings with
exposed beams; Anderson
windows; and first-floor
laundry. A third bedroom
can easily be added to the
first floor. In fact, there
were three bedrooms
at one time. The large
backyard shed with new
siding in 2015 and a
full roller door in 2014
features a washroom and
a changing/storage room.
The high-efficiency furnace
and new sump pump were
installed in 2016. The twocar
attached garage has a
separate electric service.
The home features a
whole-house generator
and an extra-deep well.
Located in the New Lenox
School District 122 and
Lincoln-Way Community
High School District 210,
this home is worth a look.
Asking Price: $245,000
Listed Agent: Jennifer
Christopher, of Oak Leaf
Realty in Frankfort. For
a private tour or more
information on the property,
call (815) 693-8016 or
email JenJChristopher@
gmail.com.
Want to know how to become
Home of the Week? Contact
Tricia at (708) 326-9170 ext.
47.
Oak Lawn Campus
10110 S. CENTRAL AVENUE
Preschool - 8th Grade
Tuesday, February 7, 6:00-7:30 pm
Monday, March 6, 9:00 am-12:00 noon
Thursday, April 6, 9:00 am-12:00 noon
Tinley Park Campus
17171 S. 84th Avenue
Preschool (Fall, 2017) - 8th Grade
Thursday, February 9, 6:00-7:30 pm
Monday, March 6, 9:00 am-12:00 noon
Dec. 12
• 10824 1st St., Mokena,
60448-1502 - Warren A.
Klier to John J. Sweeney,
Patricia M. Sweeney,
$140,000
• 11031 Quail Drive,
Mokena, 60448-8286
- Edward T. Slattery to
Chiraphorn Lindsey,
$240,000
• 19537 Beechnut Drive,
Mokena, 60448-8912
- Marc A. Saldana to
Genene Taylor, $174,000
Dec. 13
• 10408 Oconnell Ave.,
Mokena, 60448-1783
- Natubhai J. Patel to
Alan Ithal, Christina Ithal,
$355,000
The Going Rate is provided by
Record Information Services,
Inc. For more information,
visit www.public-record.com
or call (630) 557-1000.
New for Fall, 2017
Tinley Park Campus will offer
Half Day and Full Day Preschool options
Southwest Chicago
Christian schools
12001 S. Oak Park Avenue Palos Heights, IL 60463 (708) 388-7656
Any questions contact Tim Schnyders at tschnyders@swchristian.org
www.swchristian.org

32 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger Classifieds
mokenamessenger.com
CLASSIFIEDS
Help Wanted · Garage Sales · Automotive
Real Estate · Rentals · Merchandise
Sell It 708.326.9170 | Fax It 708.326.9179
Charge It | DEADLINE - Friday at 3pm
Apartment complex
maintenance in Lockport
FT/PT. Exp required. Must
have own tools. Send
resume:
dawne@keenrealty
management.com
P/T Positions Available.
Group Exercise Instructor,
Swim Instructor, Massage
Therapist. Please view our
employment section at
OPHFC.com to apply.
1003 Help Wanted
Automotive
Real Estate
Help
Wanted
Part-time Telephone Work
calling from home for
AMVETS. Ideal for
homemakers and retirees.
Must be reliable and have
morning &evening hours
available for calling.
If interested,
Call 708 429 6477
M-F, 10am - 1pm Only!
NEW YEAR!
NEW CAREER!
BECOME A BUS DRIVER
WITH AMERICAN
SCHOOL BUS.
708.349.1866
Looking for energetic,
reliable customer service
rep for finance company.
Email resume:
cashcityloans@yahoo.com
Security systems, low
voltage & data installers
wanted. 3+ yrs exp. Send
resume to
HR@ProNetSystemsInc.com
HIRE LOCALLY
Reach over 83% of prospective
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& INFORMATION
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$52
4 lines/
7 papers Help Wanted
$50
7 lines/
7 papers Merchandise
1005 Employment
Wanted
Need help with your TV,
computer or mobile device?
Call J-Tech for local support
that comes to you.
Competitive pricing.
Available evenings &
weekends. (708) 770-3475
JTechlocal@gmail.com
1023 Caregiver
Caregiver Services
Provided by
Margaret’s Agency Inc.
State Licensed & Bonded
since 1998. Providing
quality care for elderly.
Live-in/ Come & go.
708.403.8707
Caring, companion caregiver.
Over 25 yrs exp. Great
references w/ prof. healthcare
& social engagement
provided. Please call Ewa:
708.926.4034
1037 Prayer /
Novena
Thank you Our Lady of
Mt. Carmel for prayers
answered. CP
1061 Autos
Wanted
$13
per line
4 lines/
7 papers
$30
4 lines/
7 papers
WANTED!
WE NEED
CARS, TRUCKS
& VANS
Running Or Not
Top Dollar Paid !!!
Free Pick-Up
Locally Located
708 205 8241
Automotive
1061 Autos Wanted
Rental
1225 Apartments
for Rent
Oak Forest Terrace
15815 Terrace, Oak Forest
Spacious 1 & 2 Bdrms.
Serene setting & Beautiful
Grounds. Tennis, Pool,
Walking Trails. Near metra.
708-687-1818
oakterrapts@att.net
708-479-2448
FRANKFORT
Maple Apartments
1BR-$830/month
2BR- $930/month
Plus security deposit
NO PETS, 815-469-1899
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PROPERTY
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mokenamessenger.com Classifieds
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 33
LOCAL
REALTOR
DIRECTORY
REAL ESTATE ATTORNEYS
CLOSINGS ANDALL REAL ESTATE NEEDS
THOUSANDSOFTRANSACTIONSCLOSED
•RECOGNIZEDASAN
INDUSTRY LEADER FOR
OUREXPERIENCE AND
PROFESSIONALISM
•FEATURED INCHICAGO
REALTOR MAGAZINE
•SELECTED BYCHICAGO
AGENTMAGAZINE ASA
"WHO'S WHO" IN
CHICAGO REALESTATE
SELLING: $200 Flat Fee*
BUYING: $500 Flat Fee*
*Must mention Ad
OFFICESINORLANDPARK & CHICAGO
WWW.DUFFINDORELAW.COM• 312.566.0911
708.966.0692
Attorneys At Law
www.duffindorelaw.com
DUFFIN &DORE
CLASSIFIEDS
Help Wanted · Garage Sales · Automotive
Real Estate · Rentals · Merchandise
Sell It 708.326.9170 | Fax It 708.326.9179
Charge It | DEADLINE - Friday at 3pm
Business Directory
2003 Appliance Repair
QUALITY
APPLIANCE
REPAIR, Inc.
• Air Conditioning • Furnaces
Refrigeration • Dishwashers
Stoves & Ovens • Microwaves
Garbage Disposals
Washers&Dryers
Family Owned &Operatedsince 1986
Someone you can TRUST
All work GUARANTEED
BEST price in town!
708-712-1392
Automotive
$52 4 lines/
7 papers
Real Estate
$50 7 7 papers
lines/
See the Classified
Section for more info,
or call 708.326.9170
22ndCenturyMedia.com
2006 Basement Waterproofing
Help Wanted
$13 4 lines/
per line 7 papers
Merchandise
$30 7 4 papers
lines/
Don’t just
list your
real estate
property...
Sell It!
With a Classified Ad
Don’t just
list your
real estate
property...
Sell It!
With a Classified Ad
See the Classified Section for
more info, or call 708.326.9170
22ndCenturyMedia.com
Contact Classified Department
to Advertise in this Directory
708.326.9170
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®
HIRE
34 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger Classifieds
mokenamessenger.com
2011 Brick/Chimney Experts
CLASSIFIEDS
Help Wanted · Garage Sales · Automotive
Real Estate · Rentals · Merchandise
Sell It 708.326.9170
Fax It 708.326.9179
Charge It
DEADLINE -
Friday at 3pm
Automotive
Real Estate
$52
4 lines/
7 papers Help Wanted
$50
7 lines/
7 papers Merchandise
$13
per line
4 lines/
7 papers
$30
4 lines/
7 papers
2025 Concrete Work 2080 Firewood
2060 Drywall
2017 Cleaning Services
Drywall
*Hanging *Taping
*New Homes
*Additions
*Remodeling
Call Greg At:
(815)485-3782
Don’t just list
your real estate
property...
Sell It!
With a Classified Ad
See the Classified Section for more
info,or call 708.326.9170
22ndCenturyMedia.com
Barb’s Cleaning
Service
We clean your home the
way YOU want it
cleaned! Good
Quality, Professional,
Reliable, and
Experienced.
Please call for
estimate.
708-663-1789
EXPERIENCED
ELECTRICIAN
R E A S O N A B L E
D E P E N D A B L E
SMALL JOBS
CALL ANYTIME
(708) 478-8269
2070 Electrical
Ideal
Firewood
Seasoned Mixed
Hardwoods
$115.00 per FC
Free Stacking &
Delivery
708 235 8917
815 981 0127
...to place your
Classified Ad!
708.326.9170
LOCALLY
Reach over 83% of prospective
employees in your area!
Advertise your
RENTAL PROPERTY
in the newspaper
people turn tofirst
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RATES & INFORMATION
708-326-9170
www.22ndcenturymedia.com

mokenamessenger.com Classifieds
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 35
CLASSIFIEDS
Help Wanted · Garage Sales · Automotive
Real Estate · Rentals · Merchandise
2090 Flooring
Sell It 708.326.9170
Fax It 708.326.9179
Charge It
DEADLINE -
Friday at 3pm
Automotive
$52
4 lines/
7 papers
Help Wanted
per line $13
4 lines/
7 papers
Real Estate
$50
7 lines/
7 papers
2120 Handyman 2130 Heating/Cooling
Merchandise
$30
4 lines/
7 papers
Kitchen, Baths, Basements
Quartz Countertops
Electrical & Plumbing
Carpentry, Trim & Finish
Tile/Wood & Laminate Floors
Handyman Services
www.custombuilthomeimp.com
JEROME
MORTGAGE
ALERT!
LOCK-IN MORE BUSINESS.
ADVERTISE
LOCALLY.
2130 Heating/Cooling
2120 Handyman
CONTACT THE
CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT
708-326-9170
22ndcenturymedia.com
HANDYMAN SERVICE —WHATEVER YOU NEED
"OVER 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE"
Windows, Doors, Decks Kitchen & Bathroom Remodeling, Plumbing Interior and
Exterior Painting Wall Paper Removal Professional Work At Competitive Prices
CALL MIKE AT 708-790-3416
CARRARAREPAIRSERVICE
HIRE LOCALLY
Reach over 83% of prospective
employees in your area!
CALL TODAY FOR
RATES & INFORMATION
708-326-9170
www.22ndcenturymedia.com

36 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger Classifieds
mokenamessenger.com
CLASSIFIEDS
Help Wanted · Garage Sales · Automotive
Real Estate · Rentals · Merchandise
Sell It 708.326.9170
Fax It 708.326.9179
Charge It
DEADLINE -
Friday at 3pm
Automotive
$52
4 lines/
7 papers
Help Wanted
per line $13
4 lines/
7 papers
Real Estate
$50
7 lines/
7 papers
Merchandise
$30
4 lines/
7 papers
2132 Home Improvement
2135 Insulation
2150 Paint & Decorating
Residential/Commercial
“Design/Build Professionals"
Kitchen & Bathroom Remodeling · Room Additions · Finished Basements · Decks/Pergolas
· Screen Rooms/ 3 Season Rooms · Front Porches/Porticos · Commercial Build Outs
- We provide Design, Product, and Installation -
Free Consultation:
Showroom:
Member
Homer Chamber
of Commerce
Visit Our Showroom Location at 1223 N Convent St. Bourbonnais
Advertise your
RENTAL
PROPERTY
in the newspaper
people turn
to first
CALL US TODAY: 708.326.9170
www.22ndcenturymedia.com
...to place
your
Classified Ad!
708.326.9170

®
mokenamessenger.com Classifieds
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 37
2150 Paint & Decorating
CLASSIFIEDS
Help Wanted · Garage Sales · Automotive
Real Estate · Rentals · Merchandise
Sell It 708.326.9170
Fax It 708.326.9179
Charge It
DEADLINE -
Friday at 3pm
Automotive
Real Estate
$52
4 lines/
7 papers Help Wanted
$50
7 lines/
7 papers Merchandise
$13
per line
4 lines/
7 papers
$30
4 lines/
7 papers
2170 Plumbing
2180 Remodeling
Don’t just
list your
real estate
property...
Sell It!
With a Classified Ad
See the Classified Section for more info,
or call 708.326.9170
22ndCenturyMedia.com
MARTY’S
PAINTING
Interior / Exterior
Fast, Neat Painting
Drywall
Wallpaper Removal
Staining
Free Estimates
20% Off with this ad
708-606-3926
MORTGAGE
ALERT!
LOCK-IN MORE BUSINESS.
ADVERTISE LOCALLY.
CONTACT THE CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT
708-326-9170
22ndcenturymedia.com
2200 Roofing
2170 Plumbing
KASCH PLUMBING Inc.
• Waterheaters
•SumpPumps
• Faucets
Lisense #055-043148
Complete Plumbing Service
• WaterLeaks
• RPZ Testing
• Ejector Pumps
•Disposals
• Toilets
815.603.6085
Want to
See
Your
Business
in the
Classifieds?
Call
708-326-9170
for a FREE
Sample Ad
and Quote!

38 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger Classifieds
mokenamessenger.com
CLASSIFIEDS
Help Wanted · Garage Sales · Automotive
Real Estate · Rentals · Merchandise
Sell It 708.326.9170
Fax It 708.326.9179
Charge It
DEADLINE -
Friday at 3pm
Automotive
Real Estate
$52
4 lines/
7 papers Help Wanted
$50
7 lines/
7 papers Merchandise
$13
per line
4 lines/
7 papers
$30
4 lines/
7 papers
2200 Roofing
2255 Tree Service
...to place your
Classified Ad!
708.326.9170
2294 Window Cleaning
P.K.WINDOW
CLEANING CO.
Window Cleaning
Gutter Cleaning
Power Washing
Office Cleaning
call and get $40.00 off
708 974-8044
w w w . p k w i n d o w c l e a n i n g . c
o m
2489 Merchandise Wanted
Metal Wanted
Scrap Metal, Garden
Tractors,
Snowmobiles,
Appliances, Etc.
ANYTHING METAL!
Call 815-210-8819
Free pickup!
Advertise
your
RENTAL
PROPERTY
in the
newspaper
people turn
to first CALL US TODAY: 708.326.9170
www.22ndcenturymedia.com
Merchandise
Directory
Buy
It!
SELL
It!
FIND
It!
in the
CLASSIFIEDS
CALL
708.326.9170
Kusay Tax Service
Accounting /Payroll /Financial Planning
Call for an Appointment Today! Drop-Off Returns Welcome.
708-645-1188
“What do you say?...you say KUSAY!”
Serving The Southwest Suburbs since 1947
15939 S. Bell Rd. Homer Glen
(Behind the Bonfire Restaurant)
Call (708)326-9170
to advertise
in the
Tax Services
Directory

mokenamessenger.com Classifieds
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 39
CLASSIFIEDS
Help Wanted · Garage Sales · Automotive
Real Estate · Rentals · Merchandise
2701 Property for
Sale
2701 Property for
Sale
2703 Legal
Notices
Sell It 708.326.9170
Fax It 708.326.9179
Charge It
DEADLINE -
Friday at 3pm
2703 Legal
Notices
Automotive
$52
4 lines/
7 papers
Help Wanted
per line $13
4 lines/
7 papers
Real Estate
$50
7 lines/
7 papers
Merchandise
$30
4 lines/
7 papers
2900 Merchandise Under $100
SHERIFF'S SALE OF REAL ES-
TATE of 19329 Manchester Drive,
Mokena, IL 60448 (Condo/Townhouse).
On the 26th day of January,
2017 to be held at 12:00 noon,
at the Will County Courthouse Annex,
57 N. Ottawa Street, Room
201, Joliet, IL 60432, under Case
Title: Nationstar Mortgage LLC
Plaintiff V. Daniel D. Costello
a/k/a Daniel Costello; et. al. Defendant.
Case No. 16CH 0663 in the Circuit
Court of the Twelfth Judicial
Circuit, Will County, Illinois.
Terms of Sale: ten percent (10%)
at the time of sale and the balance
within twenty-four (24) hours;
plus, for residential real estate, a
statutory judicial sale fee calculated
at the rate of $1 for each
$1,000 or fraction thereof of the
amount paid bythe purchaser to
the person conducting the sale, not
to exceed $300, for deposit into the
Abandoned Residential Property
Municipality Relief Fund. Nojudicial
sale fee shall be paid by the
mortgagee acquiring the residential
real estate pursuant to its credit bid
at the sale or by any mortgagee,
judgment creditor, or other lienor
acquiring the residential real estate
whose rights inand to the residential
real estate arose prior to the
sale. All payments shall be made in
cash or certified funds payable to
the Sheriff of Will County.
In the event the property is a condominium,
in accordance with 735
ILCS 5/15-1507(c)(1)(H-1) and
(H-2), 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(5), and
765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1), you are
hereby notified that the purchaser
of the unit, other than amortgagee,
shall pay the assessments and legal
fees required by subdivisions
(g)(1) and (g)(4) of Section 9and
the assessments required bysubsection
(g-1) of Section 18.5 of the
Illinois Condominium Property
Act.
Pursuant to Local Court Rule 11.03
(J) ifthere is asurplus following
application of the proceeds of sale,
then the plaintiff shall send written
notice pursuant to 735 ILCS
5/15-1512(d) to all parties to the
proceeding advising them of the
amount ofthe surplus and that the
surplus will beheld until aparty
obtains a court order for its distribution
or, in the absence of an order,
until the surplus is forfeited to
the State.
For Information Please Contact:
Codilis & Associates, P.C.
15W030 N. Frontage Road Suite
100
Burr Ridge, Illinois 60527
P: 630-794-5300
F: 630-794-9090
PURSUANT TO THE FAIR
DEBT COLLECTION PRAC-
TICES ACT YOU ARE AD-
VISED THAT THIS LAW FIRM
IS DEEMED TO BE A DEBT
COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO
COLLECT ADEBT AND ANY
INFORMATION OBTAINED
WILL BE USED FOR THAT
PURPOSE.
2703 Legal
Notices
PURSUANT TO THE FAIR
DEBT COLLECTION PRAC-
TICES ACT YOU ARE AD-
VISED THAT THIS LAW FIRM
IS DEEMED TO BE A DEBT
COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO
COLLECT ADEBT AND ANY
INFORMATION OBTAINED
WILL BE USED FOR THAT
PURPOSE.
STATE OF ILLINOIS )
) SS.
COUNTY OF WILL )
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF
THE TWELFTH JUDICIAL CIR-
CUIT
WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS
Nationstar Mortgage LLC
Plaintiff,
vs.
Daniel D. Costello a/k/a Daniel
Costello; et. al.
Defendant.
No. 16 CH 0663
NOTICE OF SHERIFF'S SALE
Public notice ishereby given that
pursuant to ajudgment entered in
the above cause on the 19th day of
October, 2016, MIKE KELLEY,
Sheriff of Will County, Illinois,
will on Thursday, the 26th day of
January, 2017 , commencing at
12:00 o'clock noon, at the Will
County Courthouse Annex, 57 N.
Ottawa Street, Room 201, Joliet,
IL 60432, sell at public auction to
the highest and best bidder orbidders
the following-described real
estate:
PARCEL 1: THE EASTERLY
45.00 FEET OF THAT PART OF
LOT 10 BOUNDED AND DE-
SCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: COM-
MENCING AT THE SOUTH-
EAST CORNER OF SAID LOT
10; THENCE NORTHWEST-
ERLY ALONG THE EASTERLY
LINE OF SAID LOT 10 ADIS-
TANCE OF 34.98 FEET;
THENCE SOUTHWESTERLY
AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE
AFORESAID EASTERLY LINE
OF SAID LOT 10 ADISTANCE
OF 4.55 FEET TO THE POINT
OF BEGINNING; THENCE
SOUTHWESTERLY ALONG A
LINE WHICH FORMS AN AN-
GLE OF 173 DEGREES 01 MIN-
UTE 01SECONDS (AS MEAS-
URED IN A CLOCKWISE DI-
RECTION WITH SAID RIGHT
ANGLE LINE) ADISTANCE OF
123.67 FEET; THENCE NORTH-
WESTERLY AT RIGHT AN-
GLES A DISTANCE OF 81.00
FEET; THENCE NORTHEAST-
ERLY AT RIGHT ANGLES A
DISTANCE OF 123.67 FEET;
THENCE SOUTHEASTERLY AT
RIGHT ANGLES ADISTANCE
OF 81.00 FEET TO THE HEREIN
DESIGNATED POINT OF BE-
GINNING IN GRASMERE
MEADOWS TOWNHOMES IN
PART OF THE NORTHWEST 1/4
OF THE NORTHEAST 1/4 AND
PART OFTHE SOUTHWEST 1/4
OF THE NORTHEAST 1/4 OF
SECTION 9, TOWNSHIP 35
NORTH, RANGE 12, EAST OF
THE THIRD PRINCIPAL ME-
RIDIAN, IN WILL COUNTY, IL-
LINOIS. PARCEL 2: EASE-
MENTS FOR INGRESS AND
EGRESS FOR THE BENEFIT OF
PARCEL 1ASSET FORTH IN
DECLARATION RECORDED
APRIL 8, 2002 AS DOCUMENT
R2002-059604, AS AMENDED
BY DOCUMENTS R2002-064711
AND R2002-124125.
Commonly known as:
19329 Manchester Drive, Mokena,
IL 60448
Description of Improvements:
Condo/Townhouse
P.I.N.:
19-09-09-205-061-0000
Terms of Sale: ten percent (10%)
at the time of sale and the balance
within twenty-four (24) hours;
plus, for residential real estate, a
statutory judicial sale fee calculated
at the rate of $1 for each
$1,000 or fraction thereof of the
amount paid bythe purchaser to
the person conducting the sale, not
to exceed $300, for deposit into the
Abandoned Residential Property
Municipality Relief Fund. Nojudicial
sale fee shall be paid by the
mortgagee acquiring the residential
real estate pursuant to its credit bid
at the sale or by any mortgagee,
judgment creditor, or other lienor
acquiring the residential real estate
whose rights inand to the residential
real estate arose prior to the
sale. All payments shall be made in
cash or certified funds payable to
the Sheriff of Will County.
In the event the property is acon-
dominium, in accordance with 735
ILCS 5/15-1507(c)(1)(H-1) and
(H-2), 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(5), and
765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1), you are
hereby notified that the purchaser
of the unit, other than amortgagee,
shall pay the assessments and legal
fees required by subdivisions
(g)(1) and (g)(4) of Section 9and
the assessments required bysubsection
(g-1) of Section 18.5 of the
Illinois Condominium Property
Act.
Pursuant to Local Court Rule 11.03
(J) ifthere is asurplus following
application of the proceeds of sale,
then the plaintiff shall send written
notice pursuant to 735 ILCS
5/15-1512(d) to all parties to the
proceeding advising them of the
amount ofthe surplus and that the
surplus will beheld until aparty
obtains a court order for its distribution
or, in the absence of an order,
until the surplus is forfeited to
the State.
FOR INFORMATION PLEASE
CONTACT:
Codilis & Associates, P.C.
15W030 N. Frontage Road Suite
100
Burr Ridge, Illinois 60527
P: 630-794-5300
F: 630-794-9090
Plaintiff's Attorney
MIKE KELLEY
Sheriff of Will County
NOTICE OF FILING
A REQUEST FOR
NAME CHANGE
STATE OF ILLINOIS
CIRCUIT COURT
WILL COUNTY
There will be acourt hearing on
my request to change my name
from: Tyler John Spronk to the
new name of: Tyler John Sullivan.
The court hearing will beheld on
March 6, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. at 57
North Ottawa St. Joliet, Will
County in Courtroom #236
/s/:Tyler John Spronk
Tyler John Spronk
Filed 12/28/2016
Case No: 16MR3230
2900
Merchandise
Under $100
10” Craftsman table saw,
mounted on 3’-6 x 2’-0w x
2’-0h wooden table with drawers
for storage. $75 or best offer.
630.207.2889
13 gal. console humidifier,
large room automatic on/off
switch $50. Men’s sorel Winter
boots, new sz 10 $50.
708.478.8976
2pairs of Red Wing soft toe
shoes 8.5D $55 each. 6foot
wood ladder $10 firm.
708.798.9755
2-2 drawer file cabinets w/
locks $20 each or 2 for $35.
Nice computer desk $25 on
wheels. Kid’s sled w/ safety
guard $20. 815.838.0239
25 strands of mini lights for
man cave bar $20. Hand knitted
sweaters szM&L $30. Jogging
workout fancy sewat suits
M $25 ea. 708.448.8920
3 qt stainless vegetable
steamer, boxed $15. 20 pc.
boxed dinnerware set, tempered
glass $12. Washable
black kitchen rugs, 3for $29.
708.460.8308
4antique dining room chairs
$100. 815.485.6008
4antique dinning room chairs
$100. 815.485.6008
4 shadow boxes, asian symbols:
“harmony, love, happiness,
tranquility.” Antique copper
$20 each. 708.460.7185
42 brand new satin nichel
kitchen cabinet handles: round
with 3inch centers $90 for all.
815.469.5951
Aluminum 24 ft extension
house ladders $50. Two fire
extinguishers for $49. Call at
708.597.1927 in Crestwood.
Badge-A-Matic 1 2.25 pin
back pin buttom maker machine
tool press $100. Value
$300 and Badge-A-Matic paper
cutting mach mod 2800 for
21/4 cuts $100, $260 value.
815.464.5232 or 815.600.1023
Barbie by Mattel, Spring Bouquet
Barbie doll from Seasons
Collection, in original box.
Asking $85. Call 708.403.2057
after 4 pm.
Bird cage 24’x16”x16” $25.
Men’s 26” 3 speed bicycle.
Very good condition $30.
708.478.8976
Black leather, hooded shortcoat:
lined sx XL -1X, zip up,
never worn $50. Wooden high
chair converts to toddler chair,
scrolled deco $50.
815.485.3226
Body by Jake crunch machine
$25. Alpine Flex stepper $25.
Pro Form treadmill $50. Call
Chris: 815.791.7675
Boys Nike coat sz 10-12 $15.
Black dress shoes sz 5 $12.
Tony Hawk shoes sz 5 $8.
Snow pants sz 14-16 $10. All
in good condition.
815.412.4132
Canon AE-1 programmable
35mm camera flash, lenses, tripod,
case, manual. Like new
$100. 708.203.9272
Car books, hard covers, motor
&chiltons $2 each. Like New.
Paul 708.349.6433
Ceiling fan with lights. Brass
lamp. $100 for both.
815.464.6176
Christmas tree stand (holds
over 5gal ofwater for whole
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mokenamessenger.com sports
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 41
Wrestling
Bolstered by state hopefuls, West downs Central
Jason Maholy
Freelance Reporter
Jake Dudeck began his
high school wrestling career
three years ago at Lincoln-
Way Central.
During his time there, left
his sweat — and likely some
skin and hair — on the mats
on which he grappled with
friends and foes.
His proudest moment as a
Knight came last February,
when he won the final match
of his junior season to take
fifth place at 220 pounds
in the IHSA Class 3A state
tournament.
Dudeck wrestled in the
Central gym for the final
time on Thursday, Jan. 12 –
Senior Night for the Knights
– and continued a season in
which he has dominated the
majority of the competition
at 220 by pinning his opponent
in 39 seconds.
He did it not, however, do
so in Central’s red and black,
but instead orange and black;
and he was not being celebrated
as one of the Knights’
outgoing seniors.
In fact, his victory contributed
to Lincoln-Way West
defeating Central by the lopsided
score of 56-8.
Like hundreds of other
Lincoln-Way High School
District 210 student-athletes
who were forced to switch
schools because of Lincoln-
Way North’s closure, Dudeck
is competing this season for
a team other than the one to
which he dedicated himself
for the first three years high
school. Now. he is a member
of a talented West squad that
is ranked by Illinois Matmen
as one of the Top-10 teams
in Class 3A.
“Really weird, really
weird,” Dudeck said of being
on the opposing side in
the gym he called home for
three years. “Three years
I spent sitting in that chair
Gabe Stevens (right) sprawls as West opponent Jake Price
goes for a takedown.
over there, so to sit on the
other side is just weird. I
have no other words for it.”
Another wrestler who
changed schools – Jason
Stokes, who came to Central
from East – helped the hosts
to a strong start when he
defeated West’s Nate Dluzak
by technical fall at 132
pounds, but that was one of
only two matches in which
the Knights got the better of
the Warriors. Mason Sargent
(195) was the other victorious
Knight, edging Robert
Noga 5-3 in overtime in arguably
the best match of the
evening.
West grapplers who won
by fall were Garrett Geigner
(106), Payton Geigner (113),
Jake DiBenedetto (138),
Joey Schloegel (145) and
Dudeck. Other Warrior victors
were Chris Kennedy
(120), Tommy Buell (126),
Jake Price (152), A.J. Patterson
(160), Kyle Quinn (170),
Trevor Schmidt (195) and
Nick Skentzos (285).
Central coach Jason De-
Polo said the Knights were
facing a significant challenge
and was proud of the
way they competed.
“I think that was our
preach this week – getting
to a six-minute match and
wrestling the whole time,
and I think, for the most part,
we did that. I think we came
out and battled,” DePolo
said.
“They’re a good, solid
team, obviously, from 106
all the way to 285, and our
kids knew that coming in.
But I was pleased. Obviously,
the scoreboard was
in their favor, but I think we
were in a lot of the matches.”
DePolo came to Central
in 2013, the same year as
Dudeck, and was obviously
disappointed to lose a wrestler
of Dudeck’s caliber but
happy to see the athlete he
coached for three years having
great success.
Dudeck (25-4) has won 18
matches by fall – 15 of those
in the first period – and his
losses have come to three
wrestlers who are undefeated
in Illinois and another
who is expected to contend
for a state title.
“He’s a great kid,” DePolo
said. “He was doing this last
year, acting like a senior,
mowing people down, and
having that presence as he
walked into a gym. Good for
him, hats off to him. We’ll
be rooting for him down at
state for sure.”
Dudeck said he goes into
Lincoln-Way Central’s Noah Upchurch tries to stay upright as Lincoln-Way West opponent
Trevor Schmidt goes for a single-leg takedown Thursday, Jan. 12, during a dual between
the two teams in New Lenox. Photos by Jason Maholy/22nd Century Media
each match with the goal “to
get off the mat as fast as possible.”
His more long-term
goals are to win regional and
sectional titles, and to advance
to the semifinal round
at the state tournament. He
has won regional crowns and
placed runner-up at sectional
each of he last two seasons.
“I’m going really hard in
practice, probably harder
than I’ve ever done before,”
he said. “Over here, we had
really hard practices, but [at
West], it’s freaky how hard
they are, so I feel like I have
so much more gas than last
year.”
Stokes, meanwhile, hopes
to return to the state tournament
after being upset in
sectional competition last
season. He qualified for state
at 126 pounds as a sophomore
in 2014, and last year’s
disappointment has helped
Mokena resident Jason Stokes controls opponent Nate
Dluzak.
fuel his effort to get back to
Champaign.
“The team has been great
all year, it was no big change
for me at all,” he said of
coming over from East.
“The coaches picked up with
what I was working with last
year – they watched me, they
knew me from years prior,
so it wasn’t a big adaptation.
“I’m feeling good. Next
week is conference, and then
we have a week off, and that
week is when the champions
are made. I just don’t want to
have the same feeling as last
year.”

42 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger sports
mokenamessenger.com
A fan favorite.
Athlete of the Week
10 Questions
with Mia Prnakus
Chicagoly magazine’s Fall 2016 cover is
nominated for national Cover of the Year in the
Best Business and Technology category.
You can help us claim the Readers’ Choice Award by
visiting chicagolymag.com/vote and clicking Like.
Voting ends Jan. 26
Mia Prnakus is a Mokena
resident and Lincoln-Way
East High School senior.
This is her second year on
the high school’s varsity
poms and dance team.
How did you get started
with poms and dance?
I got started with dance
because my older sister did
dance, so I followed in her
footsteps. I thought it was a
really good way to stay active
and I also really enjoyed
it.
What has been your
biggest accomplishment
on the team?
My junior year on varsity,
we made it to state.
What is your routine
like?
Since we had a lot of
girls from North come over,
there’s been a lot of team
bonding, which has been
nice. This year, we are going
along with the same style
as we did last year, with a
contemporary jazz [routine].
We’re doing it to the
song, “Somebody to Love”
This Week In...
Knights Varsity
Athletics
Girls basketball
■Jan. ■ 19 - at Lincoln-Way
West, 6:30 p.m.
■Jan. ■ 24 - hosts Thornwood,
6 p.m.
Boys bowling
■Jan. ■ 21 - IHSA sectional,
TBA
by Queen. It’s a really good
song to dance to because every
knows it, and it’s a classic.
What is one thing
people might not know
about poms and dance?
That it is an IHSA sport,
despite what people think.
Other than that, it’s a lot
harder than people expect
it to be - it takes a lot more
energy. There’s a whole lot
of work that goes into it to
make it look how it does.
What have you
improved upon most
this season?
I’ve really improved on
the way I dance to music,
and how I go through the
motions. Instead of just
dancing the movements,
I actually perform it better
and have a better stage
presence.
What is your dream
job?
I think it’d be really fun to
work for any sort of big tech
company or social media
company.
Girls bowling
■Jan. ■ 19 - at Lincoln-Way
East, 4:30 p.m.
■Jan. ■ 21 - at SouthWest
Suburban Conference
Tournament. TBA
Boys swimming and
diving
■Jan. ■ 19 - at Homewood-
Flossmoor, 5 p.m.
Photo Submitted
What are your plans
after high school?
For college, I am going
to go to St. Ambrose University
in Davenport, Iowa.
I hope [to keep dancing]. I
haven’t heard back from the
coach yet, but I did audition
and sent in my application to
be on their team. I am going
to study computer science.
Who is your role model?
It’d probably be my parents
- they’re huge influences
and great people to look
up to.
What is your favorite
TV show?
I really like the TV show
“Mr. Robot,” because that’s
computer science.
When you are not in
school or dancing, what
do you like to do?
I like to read a lot, draw,
listen to music and watch
Netflix.
Interview by Contributing
Editor Kirsten Onsgard.
■Jan. ■ 20 - at Lockport
Invitational-diving, 5 p.m.
■Jan. ■ 21 - at Lockport
Invitational-swimming, 9 a.m.
Wrestling
■Jan. ■ 20 - at SouthWest
Suburban Conference
Tournament, 5 p.m.
■Jan. ■ 21 - at SWSC
Tournament, 9 a.m.

RIZZACARS.COM
mokenamessenger.com Mokena
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 43
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8425 W. 159th Street | Tinley Park | 844-796-0473

44 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger sports
mokenamessenger.com
Boys basketball
Sandburg free throw sinks Griffins in fourth quarter
Jon DePaolis
Freelance Reporter
For elite athletes, all that
matters — all that can enter
their mind at a given
moment — is the next play
or the next shot. For Sandburg’s
6-foot-8, junior center
Barlow Alleruzzo, that
meant putting behind a
fourth quarter against South-
West Suburban Conference
foe Lincoln-Way East Tuesday,
Jan. 10, during which he
missed all three of his previous
free throw attempts.
In that moment — with
exactly 17 seconds left in the
game and the Eagles down
40-39 — Alleruzzo stepped
to the charity stripe and focused
on his next shots.
“After I got done missing
like three free throws, I kind
of just took a deep breath and
realized I [needed] to have a
good amount of confidence
and just do what I used to do
in my backyard as a kid —
knock them down,” he said.
Alleruzzo sunk both shots,
and the Eagles held on to
earn a hard-fought, comefrom-behind
42-40 win in
Orland Park to improve to
9-5 overall and 1-1 in conference
play.
He was one of two Eagles
players in double figures,
scoring 11 total points and
grabbing three rebounds.
Sandburg senior forward Edmond
Mila led the team (and
the game) with 16 points and
six rebounds. Eagles junior
forward Jack McNulty added
eight points, four rebounds
and two assists, while junior
guard Jake Pygon had three
points and four rebounds.
Lincoln-Way East (10-
5, 0-2) was led in scoring
by 6-foot-6 senior forward
Dorian Aluyi, who had nine
points and six rebounds.
Teammate Zach Parduhn, a
junior guard, had nine points
and one rebound, while
6-foot-6 junior guard Sam
Shafer added seven points,
three rebounds and two
assists.
Alleruzzo said his team’s
conditioning played a big
part in their success against
East — particularly down
the stretch.
“We can be a gritty team,
and we also can get down the
floor hard,” he said. “We’re
not the biggest team, so we
have to be able to play hard,
play good defense, rebound
and do the little things every
time to win the game.
“We have a major amount
of confidence in ourselves.
Everybody trusts and loves
each other, so we trust that
when we are on the court,
we believe we can come
back from anything. We’re
a gritty team. We believe we
can do anything.”
But early on, it looked like
East would ride a hot start to
victory. The Griffins never
trailed in the first half after
scoring the first basket of the
game. Max Shafer, a 6-foot-
4 senior forward for the
Griffins, grabbed an offensive
rebound and put in the
shot to make it 2-0 about 30
seconds into the contest. A
little more than a minute later,
Sandburg tied it on a twopoint
jumper by Alleruzzo,
and the teams traded baskets
to make it 4-4 with 5:01 left
in the opening quarter.
But then the Griffins
closed out the quarter on a
9-5 run to lead 13-9. During
that stretch, Aluyi hit backto-back
3-pointers.
East hit back-to-back
3-pointers to start the second,
as well, with Parduhn
and senior forward Dan Mulhollan
(5 points, 2 rebounds)
knocking down the shots to
give their team the 19-9 lead.
Sandburg’s Mila followed
with a 3-pointer from the
left side, but then Parduhn
streaked through the paint
and made a shot while taking
a foul. He sunk the free
throw to complete the threepoint
play. Then, Aluyi made
1-of-2 free throws on East’s
next possession to give the
Griffins a 23-12 lead with
4:09 left in the half. That
was as big a lead as the Griffins
would have the rest of
the way, as the Eagles began
to claw their way back.
With under four minutes
to play in the half, Mila sunk
back-to-back 3-pointers to
get his team within 5 points.
“We were just running our
offense,” Mila said of his
scoring spurt in the second
quarter. “The team saw I
was hot, and they did a good
job of getting the open guy a
shot. I just did my part and
knocked the shot down.”
Then, after East got backto-back
buckets, Sandburg’s
McNulty drove the paint
and scored. Sandburg junior
guard Jason Pygon then hit
a free throw, followed by a
two-point jumper to make it
27-24 East with 1:32 left in
the half.
After a few failed possessions
and some fouls by
the Eagles, East got the ball
inbounds with 2.5 seconds
left in the half, and junior
guard Sam Coverick nailed
a 3-pointer at the buzzer to
give his team a 30-24 halftime
lead.
But foul trouble would
soon spell doom for the
Griffins.
“Our two best players got
into foul trouble — Dorian
Aluyi had two, and Sam
Shafer had two,” East coach
Rich Kolimas said. “We had
to take them out of the game,
and [Sandburg] was able to
creep back into the ballgame
at that point.”
Kolimas also pointed to
the defensive intensity of the
game perhaps taking a toll
on his players.
“I don’t know if it was
the fast pace but [rather] the
intensity of the defense,” he
said. “That was so high today
that both teams were fatigued
[late].
“Another thing is that we
haven’t played a game in 12
days. We’ve been trying to
simulate game situations in
practice, but it’s hard. I think
both teams were affected by
the intensity of the defense,
and it affected our shooting.”
Sandburg came out firing
in the third quarter, with Alleruzzo
putting in a 3-pointer
from the left side to start
things off. After Sam Shafer
put in two free throws a
half-minute later, Sandburg
went on a 9-0 run — with a
3-pointer (5 points total during
the run) by McNulty and
baskets by Mila and Jake Pygon
— to take its first lead of
the game at 36-32 with 1:25
left in the third.
But East closed out the
quarter on 5-0 run — with
baskets by Parduhn and
6-foot-6 senior center Zach
Zivo (5 rebounds) — to retake
the lead at 37-36
After a sloppy first four
minutes of the final quarter,
Sandburg retook the lead on
a basket in the lane by Mila.
With 3:22 left in the game,
Jake Pygon hit 1-of-2 free
throws to push the lead to
39-37.
Mila said Sandburg’s team
chemistry helped late.
“We really like each other,
and we trust in each other
— and that’s a big key,” he
said. “We know that when
we pass the ball to the open
man, that guy will knock
down the shot.”
Less than 20 seconds later,
Sam Shafer hit one of his
free throws after a foul by
Jake Pygon to make it 39-38
Sandburg.
Then, after a foul by Jason
Pygon on Sam Shafer with
1:33 left, Shafer hit both of
his free throws to give East
its last lead of the game at
40-39 — setting up Alleruzzo’s
late heroics.
Alleruzzo said the win was
important for the Eagles, especially
after a loss at home
earlier in the season left a
bad taste in their mouths.
“It was huge, because
we haven’t played a home
game in about two weeks,”
he said. “It was big for us to
come back and win at home,
because we lost one of our
home games to Stagg, which
is a big conference game.”
Dance
From Page 46
effort was paramount.
“We danced 150 percent
on that floor, and the rest of
it was in the judges’ hands,”
she said. “We did the best
we could. We’re proud of
our performance. We’re
glad that the judges saw our
performance like we did.”
It marked the second consecutive
year that Andrew
won conference. They finished
with a 91.7. Lincoln-
Way West (88.03) and Lincoln-Way
Central (78.73)
were the other top finishers.
“It’s so exciting to be
conference champs,” Andrew
coach Julie Mattix
said. “We were trying to
uphold the title, and they
were able to do it. They’re
a super-awesome group of
hard-working girls. They’re
like a little family.”
Andrew lost nine team
members to graduation, so
while they had some returnees,
they also had some newcomers
that needed to step
up.
“They lived up to the challenge,”
Mattix said. “I’m
just really proud of them.”
Lincoln-Way West, which
placed 8th in the state in
Class 2A last year, took second
place at both levels.
“I am very pleased with
the performances of both
teams,” Warriors coach
Melissa Sweeney said.
“Each year, the goal of our
program is to produce an
athletic and entertaining
routine. Both teams exceeded
my expectations for
their performance, and I am
extremely proud of every
dancer and the West dance
coaching staff.”
The Warriors will now focus
on moving on to sectionals.
“We have been the sectional
champions for the
past two years and have had
great success at the state
level,” Sweeney said. “This
is what we’ve been working
toward all year.”
Lincoln-Way Central followed
right behind the Warriors
to take third place.
“We’re very happy,”
Knights JV coach Niki Orseno
said. “Our JV got first,
and the varsity got third,
which we’re very happy
with. We’re just anxious to
see the scores to see where
we fell in terms of place.”
As long as the Knights
continue to progress, Orseno
will be satisfied wherever the
team lands in the standings.
“You always wants to do
better than the last time, and
I think the girls understand
that,” she said. “We’re just
going to make sure our
score keeps going up, and
if that happens, we’ll see if
we move up in places, and
we’re hopeful for that.”

mokenamessenger.com sports
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 45
Boys basketball
Knights keep it close before losing tight game to Bloom
Frank Gogola
Freelance Reporter
The Lincoln-Way Central
boys basketball team missed
a pair of shots while trailing
by one point in the final minute
and committed a costly
defensive foul, dropping a
non-conference road game
in Chicago Heights.
Central failed to pull out
another close game this season
as it lost 58-54 to Bloom
on Jan. 10.
The Knights caught fire
after a poor first quarter, but
a fourth-quarter drought and
missed shots dropped them
to 4-12 on the season.
Trailing 55-48, senior
Aaron Michalak scored a
layup with 1 minute and 32
seconds to play, then poured
in a corner 3-pointer on the
next possession to pull the
Knights within 55-53 with
44 seconds left.
After a Bloom timeout,
Michalak (12 points) stole
the ball near midcourt and
was fouled going the other
way. He made the first shot
of a 1-and-1 to pull Central
within a point 55-54 with 23
seconds left, but he missed
the second free throw.
“I felt it right away that I
had left it short,” Michalak
said.
Senior Brian Ponton
grabbed the rebound in between
four Bloom defenders
in the lane and got off a lefthanded
jumper that hit the
back left corner of the rim
and bounced out. Bloom rebounded,
and Austin Richie
(16 points) took an outlet
pass, drove to the basket,
drew an and-1 and sunk the
free throw to make Central’s
deficit 58-54 with 12 seconds
to play.
The Knights missed a layup,
and Bloom ran out the
clock.
“The worst thing to happen
was the 3-point play, because
now we don’t have a chance,”
Central coach Bob Curran
said. “It turned quickly.”
Curran and his players
were disappointed with their
record in games decided
by one or two possessions,
such as the four-point loss
to Bloom and a loss to Joliet
West, one of the top teams in
the state, on a buzzer-beater.
Bloom (11-3) picked up its
seventh win in nine games,
which included an upset of
Joliet West, then 11-0 and
the No. 5 ranked team in the
state, at the Pontiac Holiday
Tournament.
The Knights have shown
they can compete with top
teams. The focus now is on
hitting a high point in time
for the postseason, and improvements
in rebounding,
passing and free throws will
help them better close out
games.
“For us seniors, we’re
getting more ready for the
playoffs,” senior Bryan
Ross said. “These games
are important, but we’re really
focusing on the playoffs
because I think we can
do big things in the playoffs
this year. Even though
our record doesn’t show it,
I know we [have] potential
and talent.”
Against Bloom, the
Knights fell in a 12-2 hole
with the only points coming
on a pair of Ross free
throws. They missed their
first 14 shots from the field
until junior Chris Robinson
hit a 3-pointer to beat the
first-quarter buzzer.
Central used a 17-7 run in
the second quarter to take its
first lead at 22-21 with just
under 2:00 left in the half. Junior
Jake Blount hit a pull-up
jumper for the lead, capping
the run that included baskets
from six different players.
Down 34-29 in the third
quarter, Ross scored nine
Lincoln-Way Central guard Brian Ponton goes up for an easy layup during a 58-54 loss to Bloom Jan. 10 in Chicago
Heights. PHotos By Adam Jomant/22nd Century Media
Knights guard Luke Handley fights up a shot against Bloom.
straight points to put Central
up 38-34 midway through
the quarter. He made a pair
of corner 3-pointers with assists
from Michalak, and he
drained a trio of free throws
after drawing a foul.
Junior Luke Handley (9
points) hit a pair of free
Aaron Michalak leaps around the defense to make a pass
during Central’s loss.
throws to give the Knights a
47-43 lead with 7:20 to play.
However, they were held
scoreless for 5:08, as their
next five possessions went
turnover, offensive foul,
missed 3-pointer, a pair of
missed free throws and traveling.
Bloom used a 10-0 run
during that span to go up 53-
47 with 2:50 remaining.
Central would only get as
close as one point.
“[The loss] hurts because
we know they’re a good
team,” Michalak said. “We
think we’re a good team,
too. We’ve played a lot of
close games this year. Our
record could be a lot different.
We just [have] to work
on finishing.”

46 | January 19, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger sports
mokenamessenger.com
Knights finish third in SWSC competition
Chris Walker
Freelance Reporter
Kate Dempsey and Natasha
Robinson are not only
standouts in the classroom.
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They are also stars on the
dance floor.
The two Andrew seniors,
who are also Illinois State
Scholars, helped the Thunderbolts
win the SouthWest
Suburban Conference Red
Division competitive dance
title Jan. 11 in Bolingbrook.
“We definitely had a lot
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of competition going into
it,” Dempsey said. “I’m
super stoked. I’m on cloud
nine. I can’t believe it just
happened. It’s so amazing
to see all of our hard work
pay off, and taking the
floor is just an amazing feeling.”
Robinson said the team’s
Please see Dance, 44
Lincoln-Way Central’s Amanda Ruzas (left) and Emma
Wagner perform Jan. 11 during the SWSC Dance
Competition hosted at Bolingbrook High School.
Paul Bergstrom/22nd Century Media
Injuries, schedule hinder East’s showing in SWSC Blue
Chris Walker
Freelance Reporter
As one of the final teams
to take the floor during a
lengthy SouthWest Suburban
Conference competitive
dance meet, Sandburg
could have lost its focus.
Instead, the Eaglettes put
on an unforgettable show,
saving arguably the best
performance in Bolingbrook’s
gymnasium for last,
as they won the Blue Division.
They were the thirdto-last
team to compete.
It also marked the third
straight season that Sandburg
has won conference,
and this time, they did it
with a team that had more
new faces than old ones. The
Eaglettes only returned seven
dancers from last season,
but added eight new ones,
including one freshman.
“We’re absolutely happy
to win conference again.
We’ve very excited about
that,” Sandburg coach Jill
Roberson said. “We had
made a couple changes to
the routines since our last
performance, so we were
happy with that.”
Evolving, making tweaks
here and there and trying to
orchestrate the perfect ending
have all been a part of
Roberson’s plan to get the
team to perform at its best.
“We’ve changed things
from last year, and now
we’re already working on
our fourth ending,” she said.
“We’re almost there, and
now we’re getting ready for
sectionals.”
Although pleased with
the result, Roberson felt the
team wasn’t as energetic as
it needed to be. She assumes
that will take care of itself
the next time they compete.
“I wish we would’ve
brought a little more energy,
but we’ll see what sectionals
can bring,” she said.
“But overall, we’re pretty
happy.”
Lockport finished in third
place at both levels.
“We were happy with JV’s
placement, but we were hoping
for a better showing with
varsity, but still thrilled with
third place,” Porters coach
Kerri Elkei said. “We had
some uncharacteristic mistakes
and some timing/synchronization
issues in a few
places. At this point in the
season, the judges want to
see clean routines, so those
things hurt us. With that being
said, the girls are in good
spirits and want to make it
down to state. We know that
if they work hard over the
next week and bring their
A-game, they are capable of
achieving that goal.”
A few mistakes and an
injury-plagued Lincoln-
Way East pushed them into
fourth place among the sixteam
field.
“We were proud that our
girls were able to persevere
and recover from a few
missteps to finish the routine
strong,” Griffins coach
Karisa Casey said. “We
were also pleased with the
execution of four very difficult
lifts that take place
throughout the routine,
and we got some positive
feedback about several improvements
we have made
over the past few days.”
Casey said that the team
would continue to make adjustments
heading into sectional
to improve its overall
visual effect and musicality.
“We plan to do this by
manipulating a few of our
formations and building in
some more layers through
varying the tempo of choreography
and creating visual
dimension through grouping
of our dancers,” she said.
“The girls are coming off of
a hectic week - three competitions
in six days along
with practice and a basketball
game performance - but
they continue to be focused
on what is necessary to have
a successful performance at
sectionals.
“We are competing
against some very talented
teams, but we have full confidence
that our girls will
rise to the occasion.”

mokenamessenger.com sports
the Mokena Messenger | January 19, 2017 | 47
fastbreak Gymnastics
With talent and grit, Farrell eyes state final
Adam Jomant/22nd Century
Media
1st-and-3
Central hoopers
1. Aaron Michalak
(ABOVE)
The Lincoln-Way
Central guard
scored 12 points,
including a layup
and a 3-pointer
on consecutive
possessions to bring
the Knights within
two points of Bloom
Jan. 10.
2. Courteney Barnes
In a close 49-41
win over Thornton
Jan. 10, the senior
led the team with
18 points. It was
her team’s third
consecutive win,
including the thirdplace
game in the
Medieval Classic.
3. Luke Handley
The Knights junior
scored nine points
in the close 58-
54 loss to Bloom,
providing coach Bob
Curran with valuable
minutes off the
bench.
Lincoln-Way co-op
junior hoping for
third straight state
appearance
Frank Gogola
Freelance Reporter
Listen Up
“We’ve played a lot of close games this year. Our
record could be a lot different. We just [have] to
work on finishing.”
Aaron Michalak - Lincoln-Way Central point guard, on his
assessment of the Knights’ season following a close loss to
Bloom
Lincoln-Way co-op junior
Una Farrell couldn’t watch
the second day of competition
at the gymnastics state
meet last year.
It’s not that the allarounder
was too distraught
by being eliminated in preliminaries
the day before
and couldn’t bear to watch
the finals. She had to head
home to help younger sister
Faustina Farrell get prepared
for TWIRP, a Lincoln-Way
West dance, later that night.
Her eagerness to return to
state and put together a better
performance led to offseason
work that focused on adding
new skills and improving
current ones. Her success as
an underclassman was based
on youth-level work and raw
talent, but with back-to-back
state appearances ending after
one day, she’s made it a
goal to reach the second day
of competition.
“She’s very hard on herself,”
Lincoln-Way coach
Kim Lago said. “She has
high expectations for herself.
When an athlete has
their own expectations and
then you throw a coach’s
expectations on top of that,
it really formulates a great
athlete, because you’re holding
them to a standard and
they’re also holding themselves
to a standard.”
Farrell’s focus heading
into the season was on improving
her floor routine.
She felt like she let the team
down last year as she struggled
to score team points on
floor at meets.
She added a front full and
a back full and half to her
routine, and is working on
adding a double pike. Those
improvements have resulted
in a high score of 9.025 and
no scores below 8.65, as of
Jan. 10.
“Over the summer, I made
it a goal that I wanted to
get my scores counted in
the lineup,” Farrell said. “I
wanted to prove myself.”
On bars, she added bail.
It’s a release move that satisfies
the half-turn and release
requirements, and it has added
0.4 points to her score.
“Last year she was a great
competitor, really consistent,”
Lago said. “These new
skills have brought her to another
level this year.”
Farrell worked on those
moves during the offseason
at FlipStar Gymnastics
Academy in New Lenox,
where she practices with
most of her teammates.
FlipStar is where Farrell
got her first taste of gymnastics.
She took up the sport in
first grade after seeing her
older sister, Fionnuala, doing
it. They competed together
in grade school before Fionnuala
went to high school and
joined the cheer team.
TUNE IN
Boys Swimming and Diving
Friday, Jan. 20 and Saturday, Jan. 21
• The Lincoln-Way Central boys swimming
and diving team will compete with area
teams at the Lockport Invitational. The
diving portion starts at 5 p.m. Friday, and
swimming starts at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Farrell scored a 9.25 on balance beam Jan. 7 at the Sandburg Invite, her highest score of
the season. 22nd Century Media File Photo
“I was really jealous of her,
so I wanted to be just like my
older sister,” Farrell said. “I
thought it was so cool how
she could go out and compete
and get medals. I just wanted
to emulate her.”
Farrell found immediate
success in high school. She
said she was taken aback
when she made state as a
freshman, finishing 32nd
on vault. The state showing
was impressive: she had just
learned vault during the summer
heading into high school.
She followed up that performance
with a 28th-place
finish at state on balance
beam as a sophomore. For
the competitor who said she
lacks confidence on beam
despite her performance, the
finish came as a shock.
“I was just happy to make
it last year,” Farrell said. “I
was very surprised that it
was beam I made it for. I was
proud of myself for even
getting there, so I didn’t let it
get to me that I didn’t make
it to the second day.”
Her desire to succeed
meant setting a goal to advance
to the second day at
state, which would mean a
top-10 finish. She also wants
to help the team make the
trip, which is where her skill
additions and refinements as
an all-arounder can aid in
team scoring.
She continues to work on
perfecting vault, her best
event, and has scored a 9.15
or higher at every meet this
season with a best of 9.4.
On beam, she hadn’t
Index
42 – Athlete of the Week
41 - Lincoln-Way Central Wrestling
scored higher than an 8.95
until she put up a 9.25 at the
Sandburg Invite on Jan. 7.
It was at Sandburg where
Farrell put together her best
all-around performance. She
took third place (season-high
35.875) against state-level
competition from Sandburg
and Downers Grove South.
“Her biggest advantage
is her consistency and the
high expectations she sets
for herself and holds herself
to,” Lago said. “I don’t
think she realizes how good
she is. That’s sometimes better
when an athlete doesn’t
know how good they are because
then they work harder
because they don’t think
they’re that talented, and she
truly is talented.”
FASTBREAK is compiled by Editor Tim Carroll. Send any questions
or comments to tim@mokenamessenger.com, or call (708)
326-9170 ext. 29.

mokena’s Hometown Newspaper | www.mokenamessenger.com | January 19, 2017
Vaulting all the
way to state Lincoln-
Way co-op gymnastics junior
Una Farrell makes her
ambitions known, Page 47
A Bloomin’
heartbreaker
Central boys basketball can’t
quite finish in close contest
against Bloom, Page 45
Central dances way to third place in conference competition, Page 46
The Lincoln-Way Central competitive dance team goes through its routine Jan. 11 at the SouthWest Suburban Conference competition in
Bolingbrook. Paul Bergstrom/22nd Century Media
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