HH_030217

Wondering about H20 

Resident starts petition against Illinois American 

Water, Page 6 

Joyful for java 

Starbucks staff bubbling with excitement to 

be in Homer Glen, Page 7 

Cut it up, hand it over 

Coupons abound in 22nd Century Media’s latest 

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Homer Glen’s Award-Winning Hometown Newspaper homerhorizon.com • March 2, 2017 • Vol. 12 No. 5 • $1 

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Homer girl who has 

overcome assortment 

of heart issues has 

chance to meet 

favorite professional 

baseball team, Page 3 

Peyton Kirk, a 10-year-old Homer 

Glen resident, steps up to bat against 

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle 

Hendricks Feb. 22 in Mesa, Arizona. 

Photo submitted 

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2 | March 2, 2017 | The Homer Horizon calendar 

homerhorizon.com 

In this week’s 

Horizon 

Standout Student...........10 

Sound Off.....................13 

Pastor Column...............16 

Faith Briefs....................16 

Puzzles..........................19 

Classifieds................ 24-33 

Sports...................... 35-40 

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THURSDAY 

March Coffee 

March 2, Montessori 

School of Lemont 16427 W. 

135th St., Lemont. Any prospective 

parents are invited 

to attend this information 

session. RSVPs are requested 

and can be sent to info@ 

lemontmontessori.com. 

For more information visit 

www.lemontmontessori. 

com. 

Danceworks 2017 

7 p.m. March 2, Lockport 

Township High School East 

Campus, 1333 East Seventh 

St., Lockport. Lockport 

Township High School District 

205’s Orchesis Dance 

Club will present Danceworks 

2017. Original choreography 

in lyrical, contemporary, 

jazz, hip-hop, 

Caribbean, Latin and pointe 

styles will be performed, 

as well as a performance 

by alumna Becca Dankovich 

and several members. 

Tickets are $5 and will be 

sold at the door. For more 

information, contact Diane 

Sniegowski at (815) 588- 

8418. 

SUNDAY 

Cub Scout Pack 64 Annual 

Pancake Breakfast 

7 a.m.-noon March 5, 

Lockport VFW Post 5788, 

1026 E. 9th St., Lockport. 

The cost is $7 per person — 

children 3 and under are free 

— and includes pancakes, 

scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, 

coffee, orange juice and 

milk. 

TUESDAY 

Fruits And Veggies To The 

Rescue 

4:30-5:30 p.m. March 7, 

Homer Township Public Library, 

14320 W. 151st St., 

Homer Glen. An interactive, 

innovative program 

created and taught by Nina 

Vanderwiel. The program 

taps into kids’ imaginations 

and love of superheroes to 

inspire them to love – and 

eat – their fruits and veggies. 

A healthy snack is 

provided. Registration and 

$2 is required; payment 

due one week in advance. 

Contact Youth Services at 

children@homerlibrary.org 

or call (708) 301-7908 for 

more information. 

WEDNESDAY 

Village Board Meeting 

7 p.m. March 8, Village of 

Homer Glen, 14240 W. 151st 

St., Homer Glen. Bi-monthly 

meeting. 

Upcoming 

2017 State of the Village 

Address 

11 a.m. Wednesday, 

March 15, DiNolfo’s Banquets 

14447 W. 159th St., 

Homer Glen. The Homer 

Glen Area Chamber of Commerce 

— along with Mayor 

George Yukich — host the 

annual State of the Village 

address. Exhibitor tables 

open and registration begins 

at 11 a.m.; lunch begins 

promptly at 11:45 a.m. 

The cost is $40 for chamber 

members, and it is $45 for 

non-members and members 

after March 8. Vendor tables 

cost $75, which includes 

lunch ticket. This event is 

open to all chamber members 

and area residents. Visit 

www.homerchamber.com 

for more information. 

Zentangle, Beyond The Basics 

7 p.m. Wednesday, March 

15, Homer Township Public 

Library, 14320 W. 151st St., 

Homer Glen. Sue Jacobs is 

a certified Zentangle teacher. 

She will explain and 

demonstrate her techniques 

and encourages all to draw 

along. She will have kits on 

hand for $5, which include 

five 3 1/2” square tiles of 

printmaking paper, a Sakura 

Pigma Micron pen, special 

pencil and tortillions to create 

softness. She will also 

have extra tiles for 50 cents 

each. Participant are welcome 

to bring their own supplies 

if they like. Presented 

by the Lemont Artists Guild. 

Contact Adult Services at 

askalibrarian@homerli 

brary.org or (708) 301-7908 


Homer Glen Junior Woman’s 

Club General Meeting 

7 p.m. Monday, March 20, 

Homer Glen Village Hall 

Community Room, 14240 

W. 151st St., Homer Glen. 

All women ages 18 and 

over in the surrounding area 

are invited. Contact Lauren 

Tetrick at hgjwc@yahoo. 

com with any questions or 

for more information visit 

www.homerglenjuniors.org. 

Coloring for Adults 

7 p.m. Monday, March 

27, Homer Township Public 

Library, 14320 W. 151st 

St., Homer Glen. A stressfree 

evening of peace, calm 

and coloring. Coloring is 

not just for children; it actually 

has stress relieving 

benefits for adults, too. 

Registration is required. 

Contact Adult Services at 

askalibrarian@homerlibrary. 

org or call (708) 301-7908 


D92 Kindergarten 

Registration 

4:30-7 p.m. Monday, 

March 27; 9:30-11 a.m. and 

1-2:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 

28, Walsh School, 514 N. 

MacGregor Road, Lockport. 

Kindergarten registration 

for Will County School 

District 92 — Walsh, Reed, 

Ludwig and Oak Prairie 

— will be open to children 

who will be 5 years old on 

or before Sep. 1, 2017. The 

items you must furnish at 

the time of registration are 

your child’s government 

issued birth certificate (no 

other birth certificate will be 

accepted) and three proofs 

of residency. The following 

will be accepted as proof: 

One from this category: The 

most current real estate tax 

bill, signed lease, closing 

statement for the purchase 

of a home, or an affidavit 

(provided by the district) indicating 

shared housing and 

that the child lives in the 

home. Two from this category: 

driver’s license, gas 

or electric bill, public aid 

card, voter registration card, 

home/apartment insurance 

certification, bank/credit 

card statement or automobile 

registration. Children 

must also have a dental, eye 

and physical exam with current 

immunization information 

in order to be admitted. 

Contact Walsh School or the 

district office for any questions 

regarding registration. 

Meet the Homer 33C School 

Board Candidates 

7 p.m. Wednesday, March 

29, Homer Junior High 

School cafeteria, 15711 Bell 

Road, Homer Glen. Hosted 

by Homer District 33C Council 

of the American Federation 

of Teachers Local 604. 

Forum will be live-streamed 

at www.bit.ly/streamhomer. 

Homer Glen Junior Woman’s 

Club General Meeting 

7 p.m. Monday, April 17, 

Homer Glen Village Hall 

Community Room, 14240 


All women ages 18 and 

over in the surrounding area 

are invited. Contact Lauren 

Tetrick at hgjwc@yahoo. 

com with any questions or 

for more information visit 

www.homerglenjuniors.org. 

Ongoing 

33C Early Registration 

Feb. 21-April 28. Homer 

33C is offering an early registration 

discount to families 

of returning students. Visit 

the district’s website at www. 

homerschools.org and click 

the “Registration” link under 

“Quick Links” for more information. 

Families who register 

by April 28 will receive 

a $30 discount per child. 

Luck of the Irish 

4:15-7:30 p.m. Feb. 

27-March 8, Homer Township 

Public Library, 14320 


Visit the Bookmobile to try 

and guess how many jelly 

beans are in the guessing jar. 

Visit homerlibrary.org for the 

Bookmobile’s schedule. 

Earth Day-Arbor Day 

Volunteers Wanted 

11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, 

May 20, Konow’s Corn 

Maze, 16849 S. Cedar 

Road, Homer Glen. The 

Environment Committee of 

the Village of Homer Glen 

is seeking, volunteers, exhibitors, 

demonstrators and 

sponsors for the 10th annual 

Earth Day-Arbor Day celebration 

Students seeking 

community service hours 

are welcome. Contact the 

committee at eartharborday@homerglen.org, 

call 

the Village of Homer Glen 

at (708) 301-0632 or visit 

www.homerglenil.org. 

America’s Tooth Fairy Smile 

Drive 

Earley Family Dental, 

15748 Bell Road, Homer 

Glen. Donations of toothbrushes, 

floss, toothpaste, 

and rinse are being collected. 

As a part of National 

Children’s Dental Health 

Month, the donated items 

will be delivered to a charity 

for local children and youth 

in need. Contact Alisa at 

(708) 301-2220 for more information. 

Have an item for calendar? 

Deadline is noon Thursdays 

one week prior to publication. 

To submit an item to the 

calendar, contact Assistant 

Editor Erin Redmond at 

e.redmond@22ndcenturymedia. 

com or call (708) 326-9170 

ext. 15.

homerhorizon.com news 

the Homer Horizon | March 2, 2017 | 3 

Homer Glen heart patient meets Chicago Cubs in Arizona 

Local 10-year-old 

among nine children 

selected for trip to 

spring training 

Erin Redmond, Assistant Editor 

At just 10 years old, Peyton 

Kirk has endured more 

than most will in their entire 

lives. 

She also recently received 

a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: 

an all-expenses paid trip 

for her and her family to meet 

the reigning World Series 

champion Chicago Cubs during 

spring training in Mesa, 

Arizona. 

The Homer Glen girl was 

one of nine local children 

selected by Advocate Children’s 

Hospital for the overnight 

trip. She, along with her 

mother, Monica, and brother, 

Zach Pacheco, packed their 

bags and headed to “Wrigleyville 

West” Feb. 21 from 

Chicago O’Hare International 

Airport. 

The trip was a three-way 

partnership between Advocate, 

American Airlines and 

the Chicago Cubs — and it 

was all surreal for Peyton and 

her family. 

“She’s just beside herself,” 

Monica said. “She came off 

the field, and she told me 

she’s never washing her hand 

again after she shook all the 

players’ hands. I didn’t even 

know when she was out there 

that she met Ryne Sandberg, 

who is my all-time favorite 

player ... I was like, ‘I can’t 

believe you met him.’ 

“It’s still sinking in, everything 

that happened, because 

there was just so much ... 

Zach had a blast, too; it was a 

lot of fun for him. It was nice 

to see the siblings also have 

a little bit of fun because everything 

that goes on affects 

them, as well.” 

The trip was a welcome 

Clark the Cub visits with Peyton Kirk at the Cubs’ spring 

training facility. 

break from Peyton’s normal 

schedule of doctor’s visits 

and physical therapy. Having 

been born with an aortic 

valve area that did not shut, 

a hole in her heart and subaortic 

stenosis, a condition 

which restricts blood flow 

from the left ventricle, her 10 

short years have been filled 

with surgery after surgery 

and constant checkups. With 

school on top of that, there is 

little time left for Peyton to 

simply enjoy being a child. 

“Her first heart surgery, 

they went in to repair all that, 

and her AV node was bumped 

— that controls the timing of 

your heart,” Monica said. 

“She’s in what’s known as 

complete heart block — her 

heart doesn’t know to beat on 

its own.” 

Because of Peyton’s condition, 

doctors installed a 

pacemaker. When she was 

5, it was detected her mitral 

valve in her heart was leaking. 

According to the American 

Heart Association, when 

this happens, blood can flow 

back into the atrium, which 

Ludwig School student Peyton Kirk is shown (left to right) as a newborn, older baby and 

at her first Cubs game. Kirk, now 10, has had a number of medical conditions throughout 

her life, and recently traveled to see the Chicago Cubs at spring training Feb. 21 in Mesa, 

Arizona. Photos submitted 

can increase pressure in veins 

connected to the heart and 

lungs. To rectify this, she had 

to undergo another surgery to 

replace it and her pacemaker. 

Just two weeks ago, Peyton’s 

pacemaker began acting 

up again, requiring another 

surgery and another replacement. 

So when Monica received 

the call that Peyton had been 

selected for the trip last week, 

she immediately accepted the 

invitation. 

Peyton, whose smile was 

as bright as her pink Cubs’ 

shirt, recalled the moment 

her mother told her the news. 

“I was feeling like I was 

going to meet Anthony Rizzo 

and just excited,” the lifelong 

Cubs fan said, hoping to meet 

her favorite player, which she 

ultimately did. “We’re going 

to enjoy the warm weather.” 

The trip came together 

quickly; it was arranged in 

about a week, according to 

Cristina Enea, marketing coordinator 

for Advocate. After 

receiving the green light, she 

asked the Child Life departments 

at the hospital’s Oak 

Lawn and Park Ridge locations 

to nominate children 

based on their medical history. 

Of course, the children 

selected had to be huge Cubs 

fans, too. 

“I just went through the 

list, and everyone said ‘yes’ 

right away,” Enea said. “I 

was a little nervous because 

you have to have parents take 

off work, but everyone was 

so just grateful, so we were 

good to go … All they had to 

do was get here.” 

The trip may have been 

quick, but there was no shortage 

of activities. The group 

was treated to a welcome 

dinner Feb. 21, followed by 

breakfast at the ballpark, 

tours of the locker room and 

training facilities, pictures on 

the field and finally a meetand-greet 

with Cubs players 

Feb. 22. 

Peyton and her family had 

never been to Arizona and 

never thought they would be 

going to spring training. But 

getting to meet the World Series 

champions was a dream 

come true. 

“It’s a pretty big deal,” 

Monica said. “This is a 

chance for these kids who 

through so much to have a 

great time and not worry for 

two days.” 

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4 | March 2, 2017 | The Homer Horizon news 


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Will County Board member responds 

to backlash over his website posts 

Balich apologizes, 

refutes criticisms, 

will not resign 

Megann Horstead 

Freelance Reporter 

A Will 

County Board 

member has 

come under 

fire recently 

for using his 

website blog 

to share a Balich 

controversial 

article. 

On Jan. 20, Will County 

Board Member Steve Balich, 

a Republican from 

Homer Glen, shared a post 

on his website www.will 

countynews.com written 

by radio talk show host 

and writer Dan Proft titled 

“What’s Left of The Left.” 

The post that Balich 

shared read, “If we learned 

one thing from [former U.S. 

President Barack] Obama, 

speechifying doesn’t bring 

the country together, create 

jobs or reverse barbaric 

cultural trends. And so [U.S. 

President Donald] Trump’s 

unity-signaling Inaugural 

Address was quickly followed 

by a protest march of 

grumpy old women and their 

wives to which Susan B. Anthony 

would not have been 

welcome.” 

Balich said he removed 

the post, which referred to 

the Jan. 21 Women’s March 

in Chicago and elsewhere 

throughout the country, after 

being contacted by constituents. 

The article can still be 

found at www.upstreamideas.com. 

“I got an email from two 

ladies saying the post was 

offensive,” Balich said. “I 

took the post down as soon 

as I got the emails. I’m not 

trying to get people upset.” 

Around that time, the 

Will County Board received 

emails asking Balich to resign. 

Will County Board Speaker 

Jim Moustis asked Balich 

to comment on the matter 

Feb. 2 during the board’s 

Executive Committee meeting. 

“I said I’m sorry if I offended 

some people,” Balich 

said. “I support all women 

100 percent and all citizens. 

I thought that was the end of 

this.” 

Balich said he finds no 

wrong in sharing what he 

posted, and that the article 

was making a satire out of 

the Women’s March. The article 

is not viewed as an inappropriate 

expression when 

compared to what he saw at 

the demonstration held in 

Chicago last month, he said, 

though he declined to elaborate 

on what he specifically 

witnessed. 

“I happened to be there 

that day,” he said of the 

Women’s March in Chicago. 

“I was on the outskirts. I was 

at a venue near it. I was in an 

elevator grossed out.” 

Balich said people should 

watch coverage of the march 

and develop their own 

opinion of what happened 

there. He maintained that he 

was exercising his right to 

free speech, just like those 

marching. 

Two weeks later, at a Feb. 

16 Will County Board meeting, 

three women spoke out 

in response to Balich’s post, 

the first being Virginia Rimeika, 

of New Lenox, who 

resides in the district Balich 

represents. 

“I felt compelled to 

speak,” she said. “I was at 

the [Women’s] March [in 

Chicago]. His description 

wasn’t what I saw.” 

Rimeika recalls the Women’s 

March as being predominantly 

peaceful as people 

for and against the demonstration 

sought to make their 

views known. She added 

Balich’s decision to share 

the article draws reasons 

for concern, in part, because 

people who visit his “news” 

webpage might feel those 

are the Will County Board’s 

views. 

“I just feel he’s inappropriately 

posting on a blog called 

willcountynews.com,” she 

said. “It’s his personal blog. 

That’s what he said that 

was. I assumed it was a Will 

County-sanctioned blog, 

and that all board members 

would have them.” 

The Homer/Lockport Tea 

Party has expressed support 

for Balich and released 

a statement on his behalf, 

which read, “ … It saddens 

us to let everyone know 

that Steve Balich has been 

under attack by the Women’s 

March on Washington 

Group, which is basically 

[an] anti-Trump group.” 

The release said that Balich 

pointed out “vulgar” and 

“lewd” behavior that took 

place at the Women’s March. 

Balich did not agree with 

the speaker’s request that he 

comment on the matter during 

the Feb. 2 meeting. 

“I don’t feel it’s appropriate,” 

he said. “It’s not even 

County board business. I put 

stuff on my blog. [It’s] up to 

you what you put up there.” 

Balich said he often shares 

various articles on his website 

for anyone to read. 

“I post stuff on the blog 

that I don’t always agree 

with,” he said. “The major 

portion of the articles I put 

up, I agree with. The only 

reason I put them up when I 

don’t agree is because I find 

them interesting.” 

Please see balich, 9



Homer Glen Village Board 

Officials approve extension for long-term development plan 

Jessie Molloy 


The Homer Glen Village 

Board met Feb. 22, where it 

approved an extension on a 

long-term development plan 

and two contracts for Village 

improvements. 

After a short discussion, 

the board voted unanimously 

to approve an extension 

of the special use 

permit and final development 

plan for the proposed 

Waterfall Place commercial 

center. The property, 

which is located just north 

of 159th Street west of Bell 

Road and was purchased 

by Legacy Development in 

2005, will be the home of 

a 75,000-square foot commercial 

development, including 

dining, retail and 

office spaces. 

The project has been delayed 

multiple times due 

first to the onset of the recession 

and then by the 

IDOT reconstruction of 

159th. Each year, the Village 

has granted extensions 

to Legacy to accommodate 

the situation so the property 

could be developed at 

a better time. 

This year, with the construction 

on 159th coming 

nearer to completion, work 

is slated to begin on the development 

in spring or summer. 

“They’re going to 

break ground and probably 

get a foundation 

poured and ready,” Mayor 

George Yukich said. “Construction 

should be finished 

sometime in 2018 

as the roadwork is being 

completed.” 

Tree planting to be done in 

two waves 

The board also voted 

unanimously to approve a 

contract with Landscape 

Supply, Inc. for the 2017 

spring and fall Public Parkway 

Tree Planting Program. 

The contract is for $61,000, 

and the company will take 

care of all the work in the 

Village’s annual tree replacement 

project. 

Village staff is compiling 

a list of trees to be included 

in the two waves of replacement, 

so residents who have 

lost a tree are encouraged 

to contact Community Relations 

Coordinator Sue 

Steilen to be put on the list. 

National Citizen Survey 

Finally, the board voted to 

approve a contract with National 

Research Center, Inc. 

Round it Up 

A brief recap of board action from the Feb. 22 meeting 

of the Homer Glen Village Board 

• Mayor Yukich reported that all the official emails 

for the Village will now include the domain name @ 

homerglenil.org for the sake of uniformity. The new list 

of email addresses is now online at the Village website 

for residents who wish to contact Village employees. 

• The official plans for the development of Heritage 

Park on the Village Hall property are now online. 

Residents can view the plans at the Village website, 

and construction implementing the plan is slated to 

begin this spring. 

to conduct a citizen’s survey 

of the village for $16,830. 

“We want to get an honest 

opinion of what the residents 

want to see done and what 

they are comfortable with 

money being spent on,” said 

Yukich of the survey. 

The purpose of hiring the 

firm to do the survey is to 

ensure an even sampling of 

residents across demographics 

for more consistent, scientific 

results. The firm will 

be working with the board to 

develop the survey questions. 

The board suggested that 

if the survey produces significant 

information and the 

budget allows for it, the survey 

process may be revisited 

every few years. 

According to a press release 

from the Village, 1,500 

households throughout the 

community will be chosen to 

participate in the 16-question 

survey, with those selected 

receiving a pre-notification 

postcard in the mail in midto-late 

April, with the survey 

arriving shortly thereafter. 

The National Citizen Survey 

is a set of customized 

questions intended to measure 

eight aspects of community 

livability: community engagement, 

education and enrichment, 

recreation and wellness, 

economy, built environment, 

natural environment, safety 

and mobility, the release said. 

The scientific survey has 

been used by more than 300 

communities in 45 states and 

is endorsed by the International 

City/County Management 

Association. 

Wednesday March 8th • 6:30pm



Homer Glen resident begins petition to obtain lower water rates for village 

Illinois American 

Water plans to 

set up community 

meeting on topic 

Meredith Dobes 


Online efforts to obtain 

lower water rates for residents 

of the Village of Homer 

Glen have taken off after 

resident Lissa Mauksch 

started a Change.org petition 

approximately five 

weeks ago. 

As of press time, the petition 

has more than 880 

signatures of its 1,000-signature 

goal. 

Mauksch said she was inspired 

to begin the petition 

after receiving water bills 

she considered to be high 

and seeing other residents 

raise concerns about their 

water bills on Homer Glen 

Facebook groups she is a 

part of. 

“I saw how many people 

really have this concern and 

started the petition,” she 

said. “Everybody on Facebook 

is commenting that 

they want answers.” 

In the Homer Glen Village 

Square public Facebook 

group, residents have 

posted a variety of concerns 

about their water bills, 

and one resident, Robert 

Karp, created a graph 

comparing Homer Glen 

water bills to water bills of 

Tinley Park, where he used 

to live. 

Karp’s graph shows 

that his average cost per 

unit in Tinley Park was 

$8.48 compared to an average 

of $44.70 in Homer 

Glen. 

“My bill is in excess of 

$175 many months, and 

there’s just two of us,” 

Mauksch said. “We compared 

it against some 

people we know who live 

in Orland Park with Chicago 

water, as well. We’re 

just getting really — I feel 

— taken advantage of in 

Homer Glen.” 

After seeing the online 

petition, Illinois American 

Water began to work toward 

coordinating a time to 

set up a community meeting 

to speak to residents 

and answer their questions, 

according to Richard Hermann, 

senior manager of 

field services and production 

at IAW. 

So far, the company has 

contacted the Homer Township 

Public Library to discuss 

setting up such a meeting. 

IAW became the water 

and wastewater provider to 

Homer Glen around 2002 

after acquiring Citizens 

Utility Company. Prior to 

the acquisition, CUC started 

a project to bring Lake 

Michigan water to the village 

to help with water 

Are you reaching 90,000 subscribers? 

NO 

Contact Sherry Ranieri! 

Sherry Ranieri 

YES 

You’re one of our 

valued clients! 

Sales Director for The Homer Horizon & The Lockport Legend 

s.ranieri@22ndcenturymedia.com • 708.326.9170 ext.21 

Visit us online at homerhorizon.com 

“I saw how many people really have this concern 

and started the petition. Everybody on Facebook is 

commenting that they want answers.” 

Lissa Mauksch — Homer Glen resident who began a petition due to what she 

sees as costly local water rates, on other residents sharing her viewpoint 

quality concerns, as the village 

initially used a groundwater 

system. 

“When it comes to talking 

about water rates in 

the village, it’s important 

for us to help our customers 

understand the difference 

between a regulated 

utility and municipal-run,” 

Hermann said. “We operate 

under the jurisdiction 

of the Illinois Commerce 

Commission. … As a regulated 

utility, our rates are 

based on the true cost. The 

thing about municipal is 

often times there are other 

sources of revenue that are 

able to subsidize wastewater 

costs — through local 

taxes or other local service 

fees.” 

Hermann said there are 

four parts of a resident’s bill 

from IAW — water service, 

water supply, wastewater 

collection and wastewater 

treatment. 

The water service charge 

includes a basic, fixed service 

rate; a variable use 

charge; and a fire service 

charge for the installation 

and maintenance of fire hydrants, 

as well as ensuring 

mains and facilities are at 

capacities needed for fire 

flows. 

The water supply charge 

includes a fee associated 

with buying Lake Michigan 

water, which flows from 

Chicago to Bedford Park to 

American Lake Water Company 

to IAW. 

The wastewater collection 

charge is a fee for services 

and the maintenance 

of sewer mains, manholes 

and lift stations. The wastewater 

treatment charge is 

a fee for services and the 

maintenance of three wastewater 

treatment facilities in 

the village — Oak Valley, 

Chickasaw Hills and Derby 

Meadows. 

“There are very high, capital-intensive 

costs to own, 

operate and maintain [the 

three plants,]” Hermann 

said. “In the late ‘60s and 

early ‘70s when the village 

was unincorporated, there 

was development in three 

separate areas. … We feel 

the community could’ve 

been better served by one or 

two [plants.]” 

IAW is working with the 

Village to reduce its capital 

cost by reconstructing the 

Chickasaw Hills facility to 

regionalize two plants at 

the site, allowing IAW to 

decommission the Derby 

Meadows plant, Hermann 

said. 

“In the village, we provide 

wastewater treatment 

to customers,” Hermann 

said. “If a customer compares 

that service to that of 

a resident in the Village of 

Orland Park, Orland Park 

does not provide wastewater 

treatment. Ultimately, 

the County receives the 

wastewater through the 

Metropolitan Water Reclamation 

District. 

“Our customers’ neighbors 

in Cook County pay 

their wastewater treatment 

charges on their property 

tax bill. It’s a charge from 

MWRD. We provide that 

service in Homer Glen, and 

it shows up on the monthly 

bill.” 

Mauksch said she hopes 

to receive more signatures 

on the petition and 

would like to send it to 

IAW, Mayor George Yukich 

and the Citizens Utility 

Board, which recently 

worked with Will County 

Board Members Steve Balich 

and Mike Fricilone to 

curb a proposed IAW rate 

increase. 

“Ideally, I’d like for 

Homer Glen to step in and 

find the solution for the 

longer term,” Mauksch 

said. “It’s hurting the community. 

It’s hurting retail 

values. When we bought 

our house in Homer Glen, 

we were told not to move 

here because the water bills 

are ridiculous. We were 

quoted about $100 a month, 

and it’s never been $100 a 

month. When it exceeds 

that for a household of two 

people, that’s even more ridiculous.” 

Mauksch added that if 

a town hall meeting is established, 

she hopes there 

is a good turnout from 

residents. 

“A lot of people in Homer 

Glen sit behind keyboards 

and complain,” she said. 

“We need people to actually 

show up. 

“I’d like to see Homer 

Glen and Illinois American 

Water come through to the 

right partnership. I want 

answers to why is it so expensive 

here versus other 

communities that have 

Chicago water, and how 

does Homer Glen work to 

make sure it’s offsetting the 

cost so we’re comparable 

with surrounding communities.” 

To view Mauksch’s petition, 

visit www.change. 

org/p/stephen-j-balich-water-bill-we-want-answersin-homer-glen-il.



Starbucks has something brewing in Homer Glen 

Coffehouse opening 

draws positive reply 

from community 

Thomas Czaja, Editor 

Starbucks Shift Supervisor Jim Merlo makes a beverage 

during the ribbon cutting. 

In contrast to an overcast 

sky and moderate rain 

Thursday, Feb. 23, in Homer 

Glen, the mood inside the 

community’s new Starbucks 

at 14118 Bell Road at Homer 

Town Square was sunny and 

bright. 

The popular coffeehouse 

was celebrating its ribbon 

cutting with Village officials 

and Homer Glen Area Chamber 

of Commerce members. 

A week before, on Feb. 16, it 

opened its doors for the first 

time for residents. 

It was a “good recruitment 

process” getting Starbucks 

into that location, according 

to Janie Patch, the economic 

development director for the 

Village. 

“Oh, everybody’s 

thrilled,” she said of locals 

and officials alike. “We 

could tell [the good feedback] 

was coming because 

we were getting so many 

calls at Village Hall asking 

when [Starbucks] was going 

to be opening. 

“... It’s with great excitement 

that it’s finally here, 

and we’re happy.” 

As those at the ribbon 

cutting sampled coffees 

and different sweets, Store 

Manager Lauryn Ford said 

that business had been great 

throughout Week 1. She and 

her “partners” — what she 

calls the different baristas 

and employees there — are 

excited to be in Homer, she 

said. 

“I haven’t heard anything 

negative yet,” Ford said. 

“... I just want the people 

to come in and see us. My 

partners give great service, 

and we make some awesome 

drinks.” 

To that end, Ford highlighted 

several things coming 

up, including a macchiato 

deal from 2-5 p.m. 

Thursday, March 2 through 

Sunday, March 5, one where 

customers can buy one macchiato 

and get one free. 

Come summertime, the 

manager added there will be 

a frappuccino happy hour. 

“Being so close to the elementary 

schools and things, 

the kids always come in and 

love the frappuccinos,” she 

said. 

While the Jewel-Osco in 

the same strip mall as the 

new Starbucks actually already 

has a Starbucks in it, 

Ford is confident both locations 

will co-exist and be 

successful. 

“Typically, customers that 

go in Jewel sip while they 

shop, so I guess it’s fun for 

them when they come here 

because they can spend time 

in the cafe, maybe get some 

work done or enjoy time 

friends,” Ford said. “So far, 

we’ve been doing good with 

both.” 

The Starbucks that just 

opened also has a drive-thru, 

a perk for customers who do 

not want to have to come 

inside. It is also in an outlet 

building that will soon house 

another highly anticipated 

tenant — a Chipotle Mexican 

Grill. 

Chipotle, which many 

residents have anxiously 

waited for for months, 

like the Starbucks before 

it opened, is scheduled to 

open next door April 11, according 

to Patch. 

“What it’s doing is it’s going 

to bring more traffic and 

shoppers to an already busy 

retail node,” Patch said. 

Ford said she envisioned 

Starbucks and Chipotle having 

a positive effect on one 

another. 

“I think [Chipotle will] 

help grow business,” Ford 

said. “A lot my partners are 

looking forward to [Chipotle] 

coming; it’s their favorite 

place to eat. I think it will 

actually help us and make us 

even more popular.” 

Before then, though, 

Ford anticipates different 

kinds of customers stopping 

by — those who love 

Starbucks and see one and 

just pull over, along with 

those who will come since 

it is now the nearest Starbucks 

to their home. She 

hopes they will venture in 

Homer Glen Village officials and Homer Glen Area Chamber of Commerce members 

gather for a photo with Starbucks Store Manager Lauryn Ford (middle, with scissors) 

during a ribbon cutting Thursday, Feb. 23, at the coffeehouse. Photos by Thomas 

Czaja/22nd Century Media 

during the course of the 

year for seasonal favorites 

like pumpkin spice lattes 

in autumn and peppermint 

mochas in winter while trying 

new menu items. 

A large global map on the 

wall opposite of the counter 

shows those who walk in 

where their beloved coffee 

from Starbucks hails from at 

spots around the world. 

It all makes for a coffeehouse 

that is brimming with 

a plethora of choices and 

enthusiasm. 

“We’re open, and we’re 

ready to give out some great 

customer service and energy,” 

Ford said. 

For more information, visit 

www.starbucks.com. 

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Lockport’s Air Force Junior 

ROTC ties for first at conference 

22ND CENTURY MEDIA AND PLANET FITNESS PRESENT 

Frank Gogola 


Antonio Lange had never 

considered joining the Air 

Force. 

After four years of involvement 

in the Air Force 

Junior ROTC at Lockport, 

the senior is within four 

months of leaving for Lackland 

Air Force Base near 

San Antonio. 

“Starting July 1, I’ll be 

going over to BMT – basic 

military training,” Lange 

said. “Right now, I’m in 

the [delayed entry program] 

for the people that are still 

in high school. It’s like a 

vestibule between going in 

and civilian. In the DEP, 

you wait until you get a 

job contract, then that’s 

what you’re going to be 

doing after basic. I haven’t 

gotten mine yet, but in 

March, my recruiter said it’s 

coming.” 

Before leaving, Lange 

helped Lockport tie for first 

place at the SouthWest Suburban 

Conference championship 

meet Saturday, 

Feb. 25, at Bolingbrook 

High School, as the Porters 

ran their full complement 

of events for the first time 

this season. He will also be 

competing at the Air Force 

Nationals with select teammates 

later in March. 

At Lockport, Lange has 

risen to the level of group 

commander, the highest 

position possible for an AF- 

JROTC student. The decision 

of elevating Lange was 

an easy one for Maj. Steve 

Brown, Lockport’s AF- 

JROTC instructor. 

“He’s a natural leader,” 

Brown said. “Some have 

to work at it. He’s very 

comfortable with leading 

people, where he’s trying to 

take the team or the corps, 

what needs to happen next. 

He communicates extremely 

well. [He] comes across 

as a servant-leader rather 

than a top down you guys 

have to do this. He engages 

the cadets and encourages 

them, talks with them.” 

Lange’s parents 

convinced him to try 

ROTC instead of a physical 

education class during 

freshman orientation. The 

structure, discipline and 

leadership drew him in 

pretty quickly. The family 

atmosphere he cultivated 

with teammates has grown 

his interest in ROTC beyond 

high school. 

“I’ve never thought about 

going into the military before 

this program,” Lange 

said. “I liked the opportunities 

the Air Force offers, 

the benefits like paid for 

college, benefits for future 

with my family. They seem 

to be very family oriented. 

Growing up, family was a 

big thing for me. The family 

aspect of the military 

how everyone is brothers 

grabbed my attention.” 

At the SWSC championship 

meet, Lange won the 

armed duet with partner 

Noah Frandsen and the unarmed 

duet with partner 

Patrick McMahon. 

In tying for first place 

overall with Lincoln-Way 

East, Lockport junior Edgar 

Cana won the armed 

solo, while the team won 

the varsity color guard and 

inspection, along with junior 

varsity color guard and 

unarmed exhibition. Varsity 

and JV scores were combined 

to determine the conference 

champion. 

In the past, teams accumulated 

championship 

points throughout regularseason 

conference meets 

and those points combined 

with scores on the day of 

the championship. With 

the conference decreasing 

from six to four teams this 

year, the SWSC made it so 

the conference champion 

would be decided on how 

the team performs solely on 

the championship day. 

“I’ve never felt more nervous 

but also never more 

ecstatic at a conference because 

this year one of our 

struggles was running all 

our routines,” McMahon 

said. “At our first competition, 

we didn’t run three 

routines. Second one, we 

didn’t run one routine. Today 

was the first time we’ve 

put all our routines on the 

floor. So, it’s been hard to 

gauge where we stand in 

our conference. Today was 

just ‘let’s see how good we 

are as a team.’” 

Lange, McMahon and 

other Lockport AFJROTC 

members will compete at 

the Air Force Nationals on 

March 18 in Dayton, Ohio. 

Lockport will be taking 

at least its unarmed duet, 

armed duet, armed solo and 

color guard. 

“This color guard is nationals 

worthy,” Brown 

said. “This is their second 

year together, and they 

should be very competitive. 

Commander is excellent; 

that’s McMahon. He’s 

outstanding. That has a lot 

to do with how a team will 

perform if that commander 

has that command voice 

and is annunciating and is 

very precise with their commands 

and calling on the 

correct foot. It just adds to 

the confidence of the team.” 

VENDORS WANTED 

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Vendors needed for shopping, fashion, 

beauty, health, food, home decor and more! 

DEADLINE: APRIL 13, 2017 

For more information, call (708) 326-9170 or 

visit www.22ndcenturymedia.com/lady 

balich 

From Page 4 

Balich added that there is 

a need for more opinions to 

be shared in today’s world 

and refuted the idea of resigning 

from the board. 

Rimeika said neither an 

apology to the public nor his 

resignation would resolve 

the matter. 

“I’d recommend that he 

tamper his comments on his 

blog because people are taking 

it as official news,” she 

said. 

A fundraiser that was 

planned for Balich’s behalf 

Thursday, Feb. 23, at Mullets 

Sports Bar & Restaurant 

in Homer Glen was canceled 

after “the women turned up 

the heat” and “threatened a 

protest” at Mullets if it were 

to take place, according to 

a post from Feb. 20 on Balich’s 

blog site. 

The blog added the restaurant 

said they did not want to 

be involved in a controversy, 

which has also included a 

woman at the Feb. 16 meeting 

who referred to another 

recent post shared by Balich 

as anti-Muslim. 

Balich said he is not sexist 

or anti-Muslim, and said his 

supporters know that. 

In an effort to gather donations 

that were lost as a 

result of the canceled fundraiser, 

Balich set up a Go- 

FundMe page, which as of 

press time had collected 

$1,875 by 33 people in nine 

days while trying to reach a 

$10,000 goal. 

For more information, 

visit www.gofundme.com/ 

sbalich.

10 | March 2, 2017 | The Homer Horizon community 


Announcements 

Welcoming Lily! 

Erin Redmond 

The Lockport Legend, The 

Homer Horizon assistant 

editor 

Fish Fry all-u-can eat 

Blackened Mahi Tenders w/coleslaw 

3 Mahi Sliders w/coleslaw & side 

Butterfly Shrimp (8) w/coleslaw & side 

Popcorn Shrimp w/Fries 

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia Dinner 

served with Rice, Veggie & Colesaw 

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia Sandiwch 

(served on gourmet bun) w/side 

Cod Fish Sandwich 

(Lightly breaded served on gourmet bun) w/side 

Tuna Melt Sandwich w/coleslaw & side 

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Coach is a miniature 

Labradoodle who 

celebrated his 7th 

birthday Feb. 26. He’s 

the world’s worst guard 

dog, as he loves to greet 

everyone he meets with 

kisses. Coach, who is 

named after the legendary Super Bowl champion 

Bears coach Mike Ditka, has been on countless 

adventures with me. We’ve road-tripped across the 

country, seeing everything from the icy Yosemite 

National Park to the beautiful red rocks in Sedona, 

Arizona, and he has lived in four different states. In 

his downtime, he enjoys snuggling, chasing birds and 

patiently waiting for someone to drop food. 

Do you want to see your pet pictured as The Homer Horizon’s 

Pet of the Week? Send your pet’s photo and a few sentences 

explaining why your pet is outstanding to Tom at tom@homer 

horizon.com or 11516 W. 183rd St., Office Condo 3, Suite SW, 

Orland Park, IL 60467. 

Bridal Show 

Brides and Grooms 

Pre-Register Online by 

March 6. & be eligible for 

an LED TV drawing! 

Free Admission 

TUESDAY 

March 7 th 

6PM to 8PM 

Tinley VFW Hall 

17147 S. Oak Park Ave. 

For more details: 

tinleybridalshow.com 

Marge and Rich Mills, 

of Homer Glen, are new 

grandparents once more, 

as they joyfully welcomed 

Lily Ann McNeely into the 

world on Wednesday, Feb. 

1, at 10:06 a.m. 

Lily weighed 7 pounds and 

9 ounces and measured 

20.5 inches long. 

She is a little sister to 

proud brother Aidan 

McNeely and daughter to 

Tiffany and Ryan McNeely, 

of Plainfield. 

Make a FREE announcement 

in The Homer Horizon. We will 

publish birth, birthday, military, 

engagement, wedding and 

anniversary announcements 

free of charge. Announcements 

are due the Thursday 

before publication. To make an 

announcement, email tom@ 

homerhorizon.com. 

Visit us online at 

homerhorizon.com

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FROM THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT 

Local chronicles study tours 

in South Africa, Namibia 

With plenty of choices 

to fulfil her course requirements, 

Corinne Brennan 

chose to take a two weeks of 

her winter break to a whirlwind 

trip halfway around 

the globe to learn about the 

history, economy and cultures 

in South Africa and 

Namibia. 

Brennan, a 2013 graduate 

of Lincoln-Way West High 

School, is a senior at Carthage 

College majoring in 

neuroscience and minoring 

in psychology. 

The school requires students 

to take a Global Heritage 

course, as well as a 

Carthage Symposium — a 

class taught by two or more 

professors from different 

disciplines. 

Economics & Business in 

Southern Africa, the course 

that Brennan took, fulfilled 

both of those requirements 

during a two-week J-Term 

class. 

“The whole thing was 

just a great experience, and 

I love just being able to 

travel,” said Brennan, who 

added that going on the trip 

without having to do any of 

the planning or organizing 

made the trip all the more 

enjoyable. 

During the trip, she traveled 

to various towns in 

Namibia and South Africa, 

learning about different cultures 

in each, as well as the 

vast economic differences 

between many of the places 

they visited. 

They also had the opportunity 

to see nature on their 

trip during a wildlife safari. 

“I think that the students 

had an incredible journey, 

because we traveled to both 

South Africa and Namibia, 

and the places and the people 

are so beautiful,” said 

Jennifer Madden, one of 

three Carthage instructors 

from the trip. “To also be 

in a place where nature is 

so powerful ... it’s also very 

humbling, too.” 

Reporting by Amanda Stoll, 

Assistant Editor. For more, visit 

NewLenoxPatriot.com. 

FROM THE ORLAND PARK PRAIRIE 

Local resident finds extra 

happiness in bit roles 

Five months ago Stacey 

Miner lost her job, and now 

she is doing something she 

loves. 

Miner, 51, worked as an 

office manager. Prior to that, 

she had spent much of her 

career working as a paralegal 

and then as a legal secretary. 

But sick of long work 

days, a three-hour round 

trip commute and a job that 

did not satisfy her anymore, 

Miner found herself at a 

crossroads. 

Miner’s search for new 

employment was a struggle 

and one that was adding 

more stress to her situation. 

A friend gave Miner the advice 

to find something in the 

interim that made her happy 

and excited to go to work. 

And that’s just what she did. 

“It was a Sunday night, 

it was 11:30 and I couldn’t 

sleep,” Miner said. “I got on 

Facebook.” 

Miner had seen her friend, 

Dawn Liedke, posting about 

her daughter’s involvement 

in working as an extra on the 

NBC show “Chicago Fire.” 

It sparked Miner’s interests 

so much so that she reached 

out to Liedke for advice on 

how to get involved. 

Miner was directed to 

a group on Facebook and 

emailed the available address 

when the casting 

description fit her 5-foot- 

7-inch-stature and Size 4 

frame. Thirty minutes later, 

she was being asked for photographs. 

“My kitchen turned into 

a changing room,” Miner 

said. “My table turned into a 

wardrobe scene.” 

After taking multiple photos 

of herself Miner sent the 

photographs to the casting 

department. The next day 

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she was on her way to set. 

“Anyone can do,” Miner 

said. “It’s just taking the 

time.” 

Reporting by Brittany Kapa, 


OPPrairie.com. 

FROM THE MOKENA MESSENGER 

Fourth-graders learn about 

squid through dissection 

When fourth-graders 

at Mokena Intermediate 

School walked into the science 

classroom Feb. 21, 

things were a little different. 

Instead of looking at diagrams 

in a textbook, they 

dissected squid. 

It is the first time fourthgraders 

at MIS have had the 

opportunity to dissect squid 

as part of the school’s science 

curriculum. 

Amy Christiansen, an environmental 

educator with a 

background in aquatic science, 

led the dissections for 

groups of students throughout 

the day. 

With her experience as 

a former employee of the 

Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, 

Christiansen shared her 

knowledge with students. 

For much of her time with 

them, she allowed students 

investigate on their own, 

instead of telling them the 

answers to the questions she 

posed to them. 

“I just think it’s a really 

fascinating dissection to do, 

because it’s a marine animal, 

which most kids don’t 

have exposure to in the first 

place,” Christiansen said. 

“[Squid have] a lot of easy 

structures to be able to talk 

about them as an example.” 

During the hands-on experience, 

the students learned 

about how squid find their 

prey and avoid being the 

prey of other animals in the 

ocean. Christiansen told 

students that squid see their 

prey with large eyes that 

would be comparable to eyes 

the size of dinner plates on a 

human. 

Small groups of students 

were given a preserved squid 

to investigate, as Christiansen 

led them through the dissection 

with fresh squid. 



MokenaMessenger.com. 

FROM THE FRANKFORT STATION 

Frankfort boy the model for 

male American Girl character 

When Maxton Polad went 

to Wisconsin for a photo 

shoot for American Girl 

a year ago, little did he or 

his family know he would 

become the face of its first 

male character. 

As the year went on, 

American Girl began hinting 

at the release of a boy doll 

for the company’s line of 

previously all-girl dolls. 

It was not until two weeks 

ago that they knew that 

14-year-old Maxton would 

be the face of the story for 

the first male American Girl 

doll. The doll, Logan, was 

released last month. 

“[The doll] looks similar 

to him, of course, and then 

the book cover came and 

it’s him on the book,” said 

Julianne Polad, Maxton’s 

mother. “Then, we knew for 

sure.” 

The doll, named Logan 

Everett, is paired with Tenney 

Grant, another one of 

American Girl’s dolls. Logan 

plays Tenney’s bandmate 

and drummer in the 

book about the dolls, titled 

“Tenney Shares the Stage.” 

Maxton began modeling 

at age 11 for Nordstrom, and 

has since modeled for department 

store’s brands and 

acted in several commercials. 

He once was the face 

of a back-to-school campaign 

with a billboard that 

stood nearby. 

He said if American Girl 

chose to make the book into 

a movie, he would love to be 

chosen to act the part of Logan 

Everett. 

Lately, he has had a few 

other auditions, but until 

something comes through he 

has been staying busy with 

honors classes, baseball, 

golf and National Junior 

Honor Society — on top of a 

few TV appearances. 



FrankfortStation.com. 

FROM THE TINLEY JUNCTION 

Area students step into 

Tinley Park officials’ shoes, 

learn about government 

The Tinley Park Community 

Resources Commission 

asked high school teachers 

from Tinley Park, Andrew, 

Lincoln-Way East and Marian 

Catholic to nominate students 

for Youth In Government, 

a program designed 

to give teens the opportunity 

to understand how the government 

works at the local 

level. 

These students went oneon-one 

with Tinley Park officials 

to learn about their 

jobs, departments and work 

on behalf of the community. 

“It’s a once a year project 

for the Village,” said Ronald 

Centanni, of the Community 

Resources Commission. 

“It’s something that 

we thought might be a good 

chance [for students] to learn 

about village government.” 

A reception was held Feb. 

21 at Village Hall’s Kallsen 

Center for the students, Village 

officials and parents. 

The gathering was then followed 

by a mock Village 

Board meeting. 

Mayor Dave Seaman 

thanked the students at the 

reception for their participation. 

“This is the kind of thing 

that really starts to trigger 

that interest in government,” 

Seaman said, addressing the 

audience. 

Reporting by Brittany Kapa, 


TinleyJunction.com.

homerhorizon.com sound off 


Social snapshot 

Top stories 

From HomerHorizon.com from Friday, Feb. 24 

From the Assistant Editor 

Getting to know Peyton 

1. Homer Glen wrestler finishes third at national 

tournament 

2. Homer Township preteen stars in horror film 

3. Homer Glen Norwich terrier a finalist in 

prestigious dog show 

4. Wrestling: Lockport’s Timmons wins individual 

state title at 160 

5. HGJWC bingo fundraiser draws approximately 

170 people to Lockport 

Become a Horizon Plus member: homerhorizon.com/plus 

Erin Redmond 


I 

had butterflies in my 

stomach as I drove to 

Chicago O’Hare International 

Airport on Feb. 21. 

I was attending the sendoff 

celebration for nine local 

children who were headed 

out to meet the World Series 

champion Chicago Cubs 

at spring training in Mesa, 

Arizona. Among those was 

10-year-old Peyton Kirk, a 

Homer Glen resident and 

Ludwig School fifth-grader 

who has battled severe heart 

problems since birth. You 

can read about it on Page 3. 

While Peyton was excited 

and a little nervous for her 

trip — which included 

meeting her favorite player, 

Anthony Rizzo — I was just 

as excited and nervous to 

meet her. 

As a journalist, it’s always 

tricky navigating questions 

that involve sensitive 

medical information. And 

honestly, I wasn’t sure what 

to expect. 

Peyton was born with a 

hole in her heart and valves 

that malfunction. In short, 

her heart doesn’t beat on its 

own. Knowing she was a 

heart patient, I half-expected 

to find a fragile child, timid 

from all she’s endured. 

Peyton is the opposite. 

Instead, I found a beaming 

little girl who was full of 

life and energy. If you didn’t 

know her story, it would be 

nearly impossible to know 

she’d had any health problems. 

She is the epitome of 

strength. 

Peyton hasn’t had a 

normal childhood, but that 

hasn’t dampened her spirit. 

All the doctor’s visits, 

the shots, the surgeries, the 

checkups, the pacemaker 

replacements and countless 

other operations she has 

endured have only made her 

stronger. She has persevered 

and thrived through it all. 

But for two brief and 

unforgettable days, she got 

to push all that aside. She 

was able to run the bases and 

play ball just like we all did 

in our childhood. 

And she did it all with a 

little help from some World 

Series champs. Even this 

White Sox fan can give the 

boys in blue credit for giving 

children like Peyton a oncein-a-lifetime 

experience like 

no other. 

Peyton’s experience at 

spring training is a reminder 

that sometimes all it takes is 

just one small act to make 

someone’s day. Like a 

professional baseball player 

shaking a child’s hand. Or 

that same child saying a sincere 

“thank you” and smiling 

brightly to someone who’s 

sharing her story. That made 

my entire week. 

What small way can you 

make someone’s day? 

“Butler School students sure were proud 

when they bundled up the bears they 

collected for Operation Teddy Care.” 

Homer Community Consolidated 

School District 33C from Feb. 23. 

Like The Homer Horizon: facebook.com/homerhorizon 

“Shorts and T-shirts during recess. Is it 

really February in Chicago? #D92Pride 

#february2017” 

@WillCounty92, Superintendent Pete 

Sullivan, from Feb. 22. 

Follow The Homer Horizon: @homerhorizon 

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 Homer 

Horizon 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 Homer 

Horizon reserves the right to edit letters. Letters become property of The 

Homer Horizon. Letters that are published do not reflect the thoughts 

and views of The Homer Horizon. Letters can be mailed to: The Homer 

Horizon, 11516 West 183rd Street, Unit SW Office Condo #3, Orland 

Park, Illinois, 60467. Fax letters to (708) 326-9179 or e-mail to tom@ 

homerhorizon.com. 

www.homerhorizon.com. 

Letters to the Editor 

Keep current fire district 

Board of Trustees with your 

vote 

The people who live in 

the jurisdiction of the Homer 

Township Fire Protection 

District will be electing the 

Board of Trustees of the Fire 

District for the first time in the 

history of the Homer Township 

Fire Protection District. 

Paul Anderson, Mark 

Lobes, and Ken Fijan are the 

current trustees of the Homer 


District and have been doing 

a remarkable job. 

Trustees, Paul Anderson, 

Mark Lobes and Ken Fijan 

have been fiscally and professionally 

responsible managing 

the needs of the Homer 


District. 

While always putting the 

public’s safety first, Anderson, 

Lobes and Fijan have 

reduced district’s cost by reducing 

the fire district’s vehicle 

fleet saving on insurance 

and maintenance. 

They negotiated with the 

Homer Township Fire Protection 

District’s labor union 

which allowed a contract 

variance saving the fire district 

nearly a million dollars 

while maintaining the high 

quality of fire/rescue and ambulance 

service provided by 

the HTFPD firefighters, paramedic 

and command staff. 

Just as important to the operation 

of a fire district is the 

administrative personnel. 

Human resource, finance 

and office personnel maintain 

the constant organizational 

needs. They are responsible 

for interacting with 

banks, insurance companies, 

law firms, County, State and 

federal organization. They 

manage regulations, grants, 

payroll and many other duties 

that make a fire district 

run properly. Trustees Paul 

Anderson, Mark Lobes and 

Ken Fijan have been working 

hard for the people of the 

Homer Township Fire Protection 

District to maintain a 

efficient, fiscally responsible 

and professionally run fire 

district and will continue to 

do so with your vote. 

Keith Hojek 

Homer Glen resident 

Paul Anderson has HTFPD 

Board of Trustees experience 

Most people call 911 

emergency and request help 

from their local fire department 

without knowing what 

makes it work. Well, for the 

past eight-and-a-half years, 

I personally know that Paul 

Anderson is one of the reasons 

why the Homer Township 

Fire Protection District 

is performing to its highest 

expectations. 

Managing unfunded mandates 

from State and federal 

government, downsizing the 

fleet to save insurance and 

maintenance costs, working 

with the union saving nearly 

$1 million are just a few decisions 

Paul was part of while 

still putting public safety first! 

The Homer Township Fire 

Protection District, in addition 

to our local and County 

police departments, are two 

departments that we need 

to trust, sometimes with our 

lives. Being a board trustee 

is a very important position 

and requires a lot of experience. 

Besides being a friend, 

I insist that Paul Anderson 

makes sure that my tax dollars 

are spent wisely! 

When you go to the ballot 

box April 4 and see the 

box that includes the Board 

of Trustees for the Homer 


District, remember experience 

does make a difference 

here! Paul Anderson has over 

eight years of leadership! 

Enough said! 

Michael Bonomo 

Homer Township resident



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the homer horizon | March 2, 2017 | homerhorizon.com 

A tasty 

venture 

Chili Cook-off the 

creation of members 

of Venturing Crew 63, 

Page 18 

Animals big and small in attendance at annual LTHS event, Page 17 

Renee Cajandig, of Big Run Wolf Ranch, shows off an Arctic wolf Feb. 19 during Wild Fest at Lockport Township High School’s East Campus. 

Adam Jomant/22nd Century Media 

Celebrating 

standards 

Orland Park’s Square 

Celt offers renditions 

on the classics as 

St. Patrick’s Day 

approaches, Page 20

16 | March 2, 2017 | The Homer Horizon faith 


faith briefs 

St. Bernard Parish 

(13030 W. 143rd St., Homer Glen) 

Bishop Robert Barron’s 

Pivotal Players Series 

10 a.m. Thursday, March 

2; 3 p.m. Sunday, March 5; 

7 p.m. Sunday, March 27. St. 

Thomas Aquinas The Theologian 

will be presented. 

Weekend Worship 

4:30 p.m. Saturdays. 8:30 

a.m., 10 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. 

every Sunday. 

Confession 

3:30-4:15 p.m. First and 

FUNERAL SERVICES DIRECTORY 

Kim O’Neil Golob 

Kelli Hartseil Mores 

Kelly Furlong Foresman, Secretary 

It was easy to 

decide on cremation. 

Now, what about the 

rest of the decisions? 

Colonial Chapel 

Funeral Home 

Private, On-site Crematory 

15525 S. 73rd Ave. 

(155th/Wheeler Dr. & Harlem) 

Orland Park, Illinois 

Family owned for 40 Years 

colonialchapel.com 

708-532-5400 

The Cremation Experts. 

third Saturday of the month. 

Confessions are also available 

upon request at any 

time. 

Cross of Glory Lutheran Church 

(14719 W. 163rd St., Homer Glen) 

‘The Shack’ Discussion 

6 p.m. March 8-April 5, 

Wednesdays during Lent. 

Weekly supper at 6 p.m. followed 

by discussion on the 

many themes presented in 

the movie “The Shack” at 

6:30 p.m. 

Our Mother of Good Counsel Parish 

©2006 Copyrighted Material 

(16043 S. Bell Road, Homer Glen) 

CSC Food Drive 

5 p.m. Saturday, March 4. 

The Christian Service Commission 

monthly food drive 

benefits the Lockport/Homer 

Township FISH Food Pantry. 

Knights of Columbus Blood 

Drive 

8 a.m.-noon Sunday, 

March 5. The Knights of 

Columbus will host its first 

blood drive. The group is 

seeking a goal of 20 people. 

ADVERTISE 

YOUR 

FUNERAL 

SERVICES. 

No sign-up is necessary, but 

a photo ID is required. 

Sacrament of Penance 

8:30 a.m. first Friday of 

every month, 4-4:15 p.m. 

Saturdays, 9:30-10:15 p.m. 

Sundays. 

Have something for Faith 

Briefs? Contact Assistant 

Editor Erin Redmond at 

e.redmond@22ndcenturymedia. 

com or call (708) 326-9170 ext. 

15. Information is due by noon 

Thursday one week prior to 

publication. 

Contact Jessica Nemec 

@708.326.9170 ex.46 


Pastor column 

Discovering Lent 

as a gift from God 

Pastor Dana O’Brien 

Cross of Glory Lutheran Church 

Traditionally, the 40- 

day season of Lent, 

which begins this 

week with Ash Wednesday, 

was seen as a time of penitence 

and preparation. 

In ancient Israel, ashes 

were often used to symbolize 

the pervasiveness of 

sin and the inevitability of 

death. Many Christians have 

adopted this symbol — both 

to reflect our own mortality 

and to serve as a reminder 

that in the church year we 

are moving toward Jesus’ 

passion and death. 

When I was younger, 

I saw Lent as a pretty 

depressing time, a part of 

the year which had to be 

endured but certainly not 

enjoyed — much like a 

shot at the doctor’s office 

— something you were told 

was good for you but which 

you didn’t like while it was 

happening and were sure 

glad when it was over. I’d 

sometimes give up something 

I really loved, trying 

to imagine what my life 

would be like without God’s 

presence. 

And I’ll admit I wasn’t 

very good at it. Giving up 

something only lasted for a 

week or two, and temperamentally, 

I’m just not good at 

being sad for that long. More 

importantly, I have always 

found it impossible to focus 

on Jesus’ passion and death 

without also remembering 

his joy-filled resurrection 

three days later. And while I 

do feel convicted by my sin, 

such conviction is always 

combined with an enormous 

sense of gratitude for God’s 

grace and forgiveness. 

So maybe you can 

imagine my sense of relief 

when I discovered — only 

relatively recently — that 

I was thinking of Lent all 

wrong (OK, so maybe I’m 

just a bit slow here — many 

of you probably knew this 

all along). Instead of seeing 

Lent as a time when I 

should pretend that things 

stopped at the crucifixion, 

I began to see Lent as a 

gift from God. Certainly, 

penitence remains a big part 

of it, but I now understand 

Lent as an opportunity to reorient 

my relationship with 

God — a time to rediscover 

my identity, to remember 

who I am and whose I am. 

And a time to ask the question 

moving forward, “How 

do I live as God’s child in 

this time and place?” 

As we move through 

these next 40 days, I invite 

you to ask that same question 

— not with fear or 

anxiety, but with a confident 

hope, and, yes, even an 

underlying joy. 

For our God, whose last 

word is always resurrection 

and new life, continues to 

hold you firmly in his hand 

and continues to invite you 

into the amazing things that 

God is doing all around us 

each and every day. 

The opinions of this column are 

that of the writer. They do not 

necessarily reflect those of The 

Homer Horizon.

homerhorizon.com life & arts 


Wild Fest provides close encounter with animals 

Fifth installment of 

event raises funds 

for scholarships, 

animal programs 

Mary Stroka 


With the record-breaking 

warm temperatures that Chicagoland 

experienced Feb. 

19, the crowd count for the 

fifth annual Wild Fest was 

down for the event held that 

day inside Lockport Township 

High School’s East 

Campus. 

Kim Brehm, director of 

the LTHS District 205 Foundation, 

said the event drew 

an estimated 800 attendees 

instead of the typical 1,200 

to 1,500 people who have 

come from around the community 

in previous years. 

She said the decrease in attendance 

this year was disappointing, 

but it was still a 

successful event. 

“I think it’s an opportunity 

to bring in younger, future 

students into our high school 

facility … this will be their 

future home for four years,” 

she said. 

“We do think it’s a very 

educational opportunity, as 

well.” 

The LTHS District 205 

Foundation, Big Run Wolf 

Ranch and Jim Nesci’s Cold 

Blooded Creatures organized 

the event that featured 

a variety of animals, including 

an alligator, birds and 

bats. Proceeds went toward 

student scholarships and animal 

rescue programs. 

One of the several vendors 

at the event was Ed Hernandez, 

a trainer at K-9 Guardians 

— a dog boarding and 

obedience training facility 

in Lockport. K-9 Guardians’ 

dogs demonstrated obedience, 

scent and personal 

protection skills during a 

Wild Fest attendee Lucas Maclean (right) pets Baxter the 

skunk while Sharon Peterson from Incredible Bats looks 

on. 

presentation at the event. 

“I love coming out [to the 

event],” Hernandez said. “… 

We love showing our dogs 

what we’ve accomplished 

with them. We love educating 

the people.” 

Jen Orelik and her children, 

Gavin, Donavin and 

Layla, checked out the 

Pilcher Park Nature Center 

exhibit, which had a box 

turtle, a leopard tortoise, 

snakes and an albino African 

clawed frog, among other 

animals. 

Jen, a Frankfort resident, 

said that she “follows” Jim 

Nesci’s Cold Blooded Creatures 

Facebook page, and 

their family had the company 

come present at their 

home for a birthday party for 

Gavin a few years ago. 

Gavin, now 6, said his 

favorite part of Wild Fest 

was watching Bubba the alligator, 

one of the attractions 

that Nesci presented. Bubba 

is trained to take commands 

from Nesci. 

“I like holding the snakes 

and watching what the alligator 

was doing,” Gavin 

said. 

He added that he wants 

to be a zookeeper when he 

grows up. 

“Some people say I always 

take care of my lizards,” 

he said. 

He has two, Izzy and 

Climber, the latter of which 

he gave that name because, 

as Gavin said, “he likes to 

climb on branches a lot.” 

Another animal exhibitor 

at the event was Incredible 

Bats. Sharon Peterson, a bat 

naturalist and a teacher in 

Bolingbrook, brought bats 

and two skunks, Baxter and 

Bella. Bats and skunks both 

are prey for owls, she said. 

Visitors had the opportunity 

to pet the skunks — 

which had previously had 

their glands removed — as 

Peterson told them about 

the anatomy, spray and other 

characteristics of skunks. 

Skunks are omnivores and 

are not nocturnal but rather 

crepuscular, meaning that 

they are most active at dawn 

and at dusk. 

“Skunks are friendly,” 

said Megan Bettenhausen, of 

Peotone, who came with her 

friend Crystal McMahan, of 

New Lenox. “I didn’t know 

that they could get that big.” 

George Richter, of Save Our American Raptors, shows off a gyrfalcon Feb. 19 during 

Wild Fest at Lockport Township High School’s East Campus. Photos by Adam Jomant/22nd 

Century Media 

A groundhog nibbles on some food during Wild Fest. 

Crosstown Exotics 

brought a giant centipede, 

a Goliath bird-eating spider, 

a jungle carpet python, red 

foot tortoises and a panther 

chameleon named Elton 

John. 

Mike Levins, a reptile handler 

at Crosstown Exotics, 

said his company provides 

snakes and bugs to display at 

Statesville Haunted Prison, 

and they also do birthday 

parties and school events. 

“It’s cool that there are 

different animal presenters,” 

Levins said of Wild Fest. 

Nathan Fisher, of Lockport, 

brought his son Nolan, 

4, to the event for the first 

time after his girlfriend told 

him about it. 

“This is really awesome,” 

Nathan said. 

He praised the hands-on experience 

element of the event. 

“You’re not going to get 

that anywhere else,” he said. 

“For [Nolan] to see [animals] 

like this [up close] is 

something else.” 

“It was so much fun,” Nolan 

said.

18 | March 2, 2017 | The Homer Horizon life & arts 


Venturing Crew 63’s Chili Cook-off raises funds for scuba trip 

Co-ed group stays 

busy with adventure, 

leadership activities 

Jessie Molloy 


As any traveler knows, adventures 

can be expensive. 

That is why on Feb. 19 a 

group of friends and family 

from around the community 

gathered at Lockport’s Veterans 

of Foreign Wars Post 

5788 for a Chili Cook-off 

in support of a local scout 

group whose main occupation 

is high adventure. 

Venturing Crew 63 is a 

co-ed branch of Boy Scouts 

of America for students between 

the ages of 14 and 

21 dedicated to leadership 

and high adventure. Crew 

63 was founded at St. Bernard’s 

Parish in Homer 

2017 

& 

Glen in 2012 and is currently 

comprised of 15 students 

primarily from the Homer 

Glen and Lockport communities. 

“Right now, our group 

is about half-and-half boys 

and girls, and they’re pretty 

evenly spread out over 

the age range,” said Sharyl 

Sudowski, crew advisor. 

“We’ve aged a few out already, 

too, but we pick up 

new members as some of 

the kids leave regular Boy 

Scouts after eighth grade. 

That’s part of why we started 

this crew, to give them 

an extension when they 

start high school or to let 

them continue longer after 

they age out of Boy Scouts 

at 18.” 

While some members 

of the crew joined Venturing 

as their first foray into 

scouting in high school, 

others, like 15-year-old 

Reach more that 88,000 

homes & businesses 

Lockport Township High 

School sophomore Alex 

Carberry, joined after a long 

run in Girl Scouts. 

“I joined up last year after 

my Girl Scout Troop fell 

apart,” she explained. “We 

couldn’t really stay together 

when we went to high 

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Donald Peters, of Venturing Crew 63, takes a bite of chili. 

school, so me and my mom, 

who was my troop leader, 

started looking for something 

else to get involved 

in. I heard about Venturing 

Crew at school, so we 

decided to check it out and 

ended up joining.” 

It was Carberry and her 

mom who came up with the 

idea for the Chili Cook-off 

fundraiser. 

“She heard about another 

troop doing something 

like this, and we decided it 

sounded like a fun idea,” 

Carberry said. “So this is 

kind of my event today.” 

Unlike tradition scouting, 

Venturing Crew members 

are in charge of planning 

and organizing all their trips 

and fundraisers themselves. 

The parents are only involved 

as helpers in the process. 

“There’s a lot of work 

that goes into planning all 

our events, but the activities 

are very informational and 

we usually have a lot of fun, 

so it’s worth it,” Carberry 

said. 

Eight different chilis were 

entered in the cook-off by 

community members and 

members of another Boy 

Scout troop from Downers 

Grove. Entries cost $15 

each and were judged by attendees 

based on samples. 

Each vote for the best chili 

Randy Mattingly (left), of Homer Glen, and Bill Martin, of 

Lockport, make sure the chili is ready to serve Feb. 19 at 

the Venturing Crew 63 Chili Cook-off in Lockport. Photos by 

Laurie Fanelli/22nd Century Media 

cost $1, and full bowls of 

any individual chili cost $3 

each. 

The Venturing Crew also 

sold raffle tickets, baked 

goods, drinks and other 

non-competing chilis they 

prepared throughout the 

evening to help them in 

their fundraising needs. 

Half of the entry fees were 

allotted to the winner of the 

cook-off, and the rest of the 

proceeds are going to be 

put towards offsetting the 

costs of future adventure 

trips. 

One trip in particular 

seemed to be the destination 

for the funds: a trip to the 

Boy Scout-operated Florida 

National High Adventure 

Sea Base in the Florida 

Keys for a scuba diving excursion 

this December. 

The crew has gone to the 

base previously with great 

enthusiasm. 

More recently, Crew 63 

took a ski trip in Wisconsin 

and a historic walking tour 

of downtown Chicago. During 

the summer, Sudowski 

said they may take a camping 

trip, but no plans are set 

yet. 

At the end of the night, 

the crew had raised $462, 

thanks in part to the generosity 

of the cook-off winners. 

Don Peters and his sons, 

Donald and Ethan, representing 

Troop 55 from 

Downers Grove, won the 

cook-off with nine out of 

the contest’s 25 votes for 

their spicy chili dubbed 

“The Grateful Red.” 

The Peters’ donated their 

share of the entry fees back 

to Venturing Crew 63. 

“We’re just here to support 

a fellow troop,” Don 

said. “They sent out an 

email to the other local 

troops looking for entries 

and, coincidentally, it was 

the same weekend their 

mom said she was going 

to be out of town. We were 

looking for something to do 

on what we thought we be 

a 10-degree February Sunday.” 

Donald and Ethan, 15 and 

13 respectively, are considering 

joining Venturing as 

their next step up in scouting. 

Donald is scheduled to 

complete his Eagle Scout 

project later this year. 

As Venturing Crew 63 

continues to plan their scuba 

trip, they have at least 

one more fundraiser already 

planned, with a car wash 

event coming up in spring.

homerhorizon.com puzzles 


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. Restrain 

5. Chop-chop 

9. Opera singer Callas 

14. Ever and ___ 

15. Likable 

16. Free from faults 

17. Lemont neighbor 

19. Industrious 

20. Bar bill 

21. The “greatest” boxer 

22. Not healthy 

23. Tactless acts 

28. Poseidon’s domain 

29. Of the number 8 

31. Embryo holders 

32. Too tight around the 

neck 

33. Manages with what 

one has 

37. Rake part 

38. Skiing need 

40. “Scream” star 

Campbell 

42. Mythical being that 

is half man and half 

horse 

44. Harness racer 

45. Inlaid work 

47. Lit 

48. NATO member since 

1999: Abbr. 

51. Silver metallic element 

53. “Goodbye, Pierre” 

55. Family 

56. ___ and flow 

59. Agave fiber 

60. Pupil of Plato 

63. Oklahoma city 

64. Human parasites 

65. Las Vegas’ “highlight” 

66. Robed ruler, var. 

67. Aage Niels, Danish 

student of atomic 

structure 

68. Centimeter-gramsecond 

units 

Down 

1. Monetary unit of 

Thailand 

2. Relative of the buffalo 

3. Wyatt Earp movie 

4. Wind direction, for 

short 

5. How one line meets 

another 

6. Sand’s crystalline 

compound 

7. Royal flush card 

8. Signer’s implement 

9. Jellyfish 

10. Grace period? 

11. Australia’s coral ___ 

12. Film type 

13. Inner shrines in ancient 

temples 

18. Come from behind 

24. Like some buckets 

25. Base 

26. Rice Krispies sound 

27. Actor who played Dr. 

Evil (first name) 

29. Mo. for early Scorpios 

30. All the rage 

34. Military muddle 

35. It’s bit more than a 

tenth of a yeard 

36. Ended 

38. Down-to-earth 

39. Break in the game 

41. Afore 

43. Nominal 

44. Do watercolors 

46. Homer Glen Village 

President 

48. Ziti, e.g. 

49. Widespread loathing 

50. Hard-twisted thread 

52. Stage item 

54. The life of Riley 

57. Virtual opinion 

58. Affleck and Franklin 

60. Priest’s robe 

61. Duran Duran song 

62. Early afternoon 

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 

Strike N Spare II 

(811 Northern Drive, 

Lockport; (708) 301- 

1477) 

■■9:30 p.m.-12:30 

a.m. Mondays: 

Quartermania 

■Fridays: ■ Live bands 

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. 

Sudoku by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan 

answers 

HOMER GLEN 

Mullets Sports Bar and 

Restaurant 

(14903 S. Bell Road, 

Homer Glen; (708) 645- 

7000) 

■7 ■ p.m. Wednesdays: 

Trivia 

LOCKPORT 

The Outpost Pub & Grill 

(14929 Archer Ave., 

Lockport; (815) 836- 

8893) 

■8 ■ p.m. Tuesdays and 

Thursdays: Live DJ and 

Karaoke 

ORLAND PARK 

The Brass Tap 

(14225 95th Ave. Suite 

400, Orland Park; (708) 

226-1827) 

■8 ■ p.m. Tuesdays: Trivia. 

Prizes awarded 

■9 ■ p.m. Fridays and 

Saturdays: Live music 

TINLEY PARK 

Cuzins Bar 

(177th and Oak Park Ave., 

Tinley Park; (708) 633- 

1144) 

■Wednesdays: ■ 

Live Rock 

Band Karaoke 

■Saturdays: ■ Live Music 

MOKENA 

The Alley Grill and Tap 

House 

(18700 S. Old LaGrange 

Road, Mokena; (708) 478- 

3610) 

■9 ■ p.m. Tuesdays: Karaoke 

NEW LENOX 

Little Joe’s Restaurant 

(1300 N. Cedar Road, New 

Lenox; (815) 463-1099) 

■5-8 ■ p.m. Tuesdays: Piano 

Styles by Joe 

To place an event 

in The Scene, email 

b.kapa@22ndcenturymedia. 

com.

20 | March 2, 2017 | The Homer Horizon dining out 


The Dish 

Irish eyes are smiling for Square Celt’s Irish dishes 

Tim Carroll 

Contributing Editor 

“Top o’ the mornin’ to 

ya.” 

That is a greeting with 

which a patron is not likely 

to be met upon walking 

into Square Celt Ale House 

& Grill in Orland Park. 

But patrons would be forgiven 

if they might have expected 

it. 

The building stands on 

the outskirts of Orland 

Square Mall. But it would 

probably look well within 

its element on the outskirts 

of a bog, with peat stacks 

not far in the distance. 

Square Celt has five sister 

restaurants/bars under 

Vaughan Hospitality, all 

of which are located in the 

City of Chicago. None of 

those establishments share 

the Orland location’s name, 

though. 

As for Square Celt’s 

name, well, it just makes 

sense, General Manager 

Melissa Skora said. 

“We’re on Orland Square 

Drive, and then ‘Celt’ to 

give it that Irish feel,” she 

said. 

The restaurant has been 

open since October 2014, 

and Skora — a lifelong 

Orland Park resident — 

has been on board since 

August of that year, when 

Vaughan Hospitality began 

to gear up for the opening 

of its only suburban 

location. 

Since its opening, Skora 

said the best times for business 

have included summertime 

and springtime, 

because Square Celt offers a 

patio. But holidays also are 

a big draw. 

“Holidays is one of our 

definite favorite times because 

of all the Christmas 

parties,” Skora said. “And 

even now, coming up with 

St. Patrick’s Day, we go all 

out for a lot of the seasons 

with decorating.” 

As for the decorations for 

St. Patrick’s Day March 17, 

Skora and her colleagues 

will be doing their best to 

show their eco-responsibility. 

That is to say, they will 

be going green. 

“As of March 1 or 2, 

we’ll be decorated for St. 

Patrick’s Day,” Skora said. 

“We go green — green and 

orange.” 

And in celebration of St. 

Patrick’s Day, a few Irishinspired 

items are to highlight 

Square Celt’s menu. 

Irish fare for the Irish fair 

A half-wit detective could 

easily find a son or daughter 

of Éirinn who will say 

that nary a more authentic 

Irish meal than shepherd’s 

pie can be found, 

though it may not be on every 

menu. 

It is no wonder, then, that 

Square Celt’s shepherd’s 

pie ($15) is a real crowd 

pleaser, especially as St. 

Patrick’s Day nears. 

The uninitiated may not 

have much experience with 

shepherd’s pie, but it is a 

traditional Irish dish. Square 

Celt’s version includes 

ground beef in a casserole 

with carrots, onions and 

seasoning. The collection is 

then topped with a seasoned 

mashed potatoes, serving as 

a crust, and garnished with a 

sprig of rosemary. 

The shepherd’s pie is 

pressed down to make it 

more true to its pie name, 

and then baked in the oven 

until it reaches a golden 

brown. It is served with a 

spoon to allow diners to get 

to all of its layers. 

“The shepherd’s pie is 

homemade,” Skora said, 

adding that the dish is her 

Orland Park’s Square Celt, which is to feature its Irish dishes leading up to St. Patrick’s 

Day on March 17, will highlight its menu with their shepherd’s pie ($15). It is served in a 

casserole dish with ground beef, carrots, onions an seasoning, with a mashed potato crust 

and a sprig of rosemary on top. Tim Carroll/22nd Century Media 

father’s favorite. “It’s all 

of our own ingredients and 

special, little additions to 

it in making it our own. ... 

And when you see the size 

of it, you’ll understand 

the appeal and the thrill 

of ordering it. It’s ginormous.” 

And because it is not 

available on every menu 

in the area, Skora said the 

dish’s exclusivity adds to its 

appeal. 

“I think that makes it 

something special in its 

own, as well,” she said. 

“Even a fish and chips is 

an Irish fare, and you can 

get that somewhere else. 

But I grew up in Orland. I 

don’t really think I knew 

what a shepherd’s pie was 

before I started working 

here.” 

Fish and chips ($16; $12 

all-you-can-eat on Fridays) 

is another of Square Celt’s 

featured items leading up 

to March 17. The lightlybattered 

fish is served with 

coleslaw, a half-lemon, malt 

vinegar, tartar sauce and 

a side — the customer’s 

choice of French fries, waffle 

fries, chips or mashed 

potatoes. 

Square Celt also offers a 

corned beef sandwich ($12) 

that differs slightly from 

what some may experience 

elsewhere. 

“All of our corned beef 

is thick-cut,” Skora said. 

“Sometimes, people are a 

little surprised by that, because 

most people are used 

to the thinner pieces. 

“Even when you get a 

corned beef and cabbage, 

even when Marco [Mulia], 

our cook, cuts it on the carving 

station, it’s [a] thicker 

cut that we give people 

for it. It holds the juices better.” 

The corned beef sandwich 

is served on toasted rye 

bread with Gruyère cheese, 

a pickle spear and the customer’s 

choice of side. 

Square Celt Ale House 

& Grill 

39 Orland Square Drive 

Hours 

• 11 a.m.-2 a.m. 

Monday-Saturday 

• 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Sunday 

For more information... 

Web: squarecelt.com 

Phone: (708) 226-9600 

The pipes, the pipes are 

callin’ 

After Square Celt is all 

decorated and ready for St. 

Patrick’s Day, the restaurant 

will be one of the stops on 

the fourth annual Irish Music 

Trolley Saturday, March 

11. 

The trolleys allow patrons 

to travel for free from 4-9 

p.m. between six bars in Orland 

Park. 

Square Celt is to offer 

entertainment during the 

day, including bagpipers 

and Irish dancers. In the 

evening, the restaurant will 

host two bands playing Irish 

music, Patrick’s Rowdy 

Irishmen and The Whiskey 

Brothers. 

On St. Patrick’s Day, 

the restaurant is to begin 

the celebration with more 

bagpipers and Irish dancers, 

and then host two more 

bands playing Irish music. 

The menu also will feature 

mainly Irish food, in addition 

to pub staples like 

chicken wings, cheese curds 

and grilled chicken sandwiches. 

Skora said plenty of 

Square Celt’s regulars come 

from Irish heritage, and 

many of them are looking 

forward to the March 11 and 

March 17 festivities. 

Brunch is served 

For the discerning brunch 

customer, Square Celt may 

well become a new favorite. 

One of its biggest draws, 

Square Celt’s Sunday 

brunch — which operates 

from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 

costs $12.95 — runs the 

gamut on brunch food and 

drink. 

“If you were to wake up 

Sunday morning and be 

like, ‘I have a taste for a 

doughnut plus mashed potatoes,’ 

you would find it 

from 10-2:30 on the brunch 

[spread],” Skora said. 

Included in the price are a 

carving station, omelet station, 

Belgian waffle station, 

salad bar, fruits, pastries 

and assorted brunch mainstays, 

like scrambled eggs, 

macaroni and cheese, and 

mixed vegetables. 

Of course, no brunch 

menu would be complete 

without drink specials. 

Square Celt offers bloody 

marys and mimosas for $6, 

and $3 Miller Lite drafts.

homerhorizon.com local living 


Brookside Meadows in Tinley Park - Perfect for Millennials on the Move 

Home ownership is one 

of the best financial moves 

available. A good home 

in a good location can 

appreciate in value even in 

a difficult economy so the 

sooner you own, the better. 

The emerging population 

demographic known as 

Millennials have every reason 

to invest in a new home but 

have been slow to make the 

move. Experts say Millennials 

should take the time to 

learn ownership benefits by 

talking to owners, reviewing 

locations and by meeting 

with sales associates. 

Blending the ‘wants’ of 

today with the growing needs 

of tomorrow, Brookside 

Meadows, Crana Homes’ 

latest community of luxury 

townhomes in Tinley Park, 

is the smart choice for the 

Millennial lifestyle. These 

attractive homes have high 

appreciation value and 

low maintenance.They are 

affordable, well-built and 

designed with plenty of living 

space and amenities. What’s 

more, Brookside Meadows is 

a quiet neighborhood tucked 

into an energetic community 

close to highways, rail stations 

and major thoroughfares - ideal 

for the contemporary lifestyle. 

Crana Homes’ long 

tradition of craftsmanship 

and customer satisfaction 

make Brookside Meadows 

ideally suited for 

Millennials who demand 

quality and enjoy adding 

personal touches. With 

many custom choices 

available and prices 

holding in the upper- 

$200s (including site) now 

is the time to select a site, 

home design and special 

options. The floor plans 

featured in Brookside 

Meadows are the Fahan 

II and the Lennan II, both 

are ideal for singles and 

younger families who 

enjoy entertaining and 

love to relax. 

The Fahan II is a 

smart 3,303 total square 

foot attached home 

(2,087’ living space 

and a 1,216’ basement) 

with an attached twocar, 

dry-walled garage 

and a cement driveway. 

The stately two-story 

entrance foyer leads into a 

split level, three bedroom 

floor plan that has two 

and a half baths. A fourth 

bedroom is optional. The 

impressive loft overlooks 

a relaxing great room - 

with optional fireplace - 

which is adjacent to the 

large open space kitchen 

where guests are greeted 

with stunning granite 

countertops lined by 

generous cabinet space. 

The master bedroom 

offers an optional coffered 

ceiling and an optional 

plan for the master bath 

includes a soaker tub. 

Beautiful oak is used 

throughout the home – 

including doors, cabinets, 

railings and trim. Custom 

maple kitchen cabinets 

are warm and elegant. 

Ceramic tile covers the 

The Fahan II, a split level 3-4BR luxury townhome at Brookside Meadows. 

Optional fireplace below the stately loft in Fahan II. 

floors in the foyer as well 

as the bathrooms - which 

also feature cultured 

marble vanity tops. A 

full lookout basement 

and a patio increase 

the home’s value with 

added functional and 

recreational space. 

The Lennan II is a cozy 

two (or optional three) 

bedroom split level home 

and includes most all the 

features of the Fahan 

II except the spacious 

master suite is located 

on the upper level. The 

Lennan II also has a 

comfortable Dining/Family 

room. It has 3,167 square 

feet of total space (2,118’ 

living space and 1,049’ 

basement) with a two-car, 

dry-walled garage and a 

cement driveway. 

Millennial’s are 

committed to ‘green’ 

energy-saving features 

which are found in all 

Brookside Meadows 

homes. These features 

include a high-efficiency 

furnace and Lo-E glass 

throughout. Other ‘green’ 

features include an Energy 

Miser hot water heater, 

vented soffits, 1.75” 

insulated entrance doors, 

energy efficient appliances 

and Tuff-R insulated 

wall sheathing. Smoke 

detectors, Lake Michigan 

water and a sprinkler 

system are provided in all 

homes. Optional skylights 

provide natural diffused 

light and an optional 

walkout basement is 

another great touch. 

Contact a sales 

associate for details on 

Single-family 2-3BR townhome - The Lennan II, at Brookside Meadows. 

Master bath in the Lennan II. 

Lennan II large kitchen with oak cabinets and granite countertops 

options. All homes have 

underground utilities, 

deluxe landscaping 

and a first floor laundry 

room. Millennials have 

every reason to enjoy the 

benefits of a new home. 

The process starts with a 

visit to the fully furnished 

and beautifully decorated 

models at the Brookside 

Meadows, open 10:00am 

to 4:00pm Monday 

through Thursday, from 

noon to 4:00pm on 

Saturday and Sunday, and 

on Friday by appointment. 

Contact the Sales 

Center at 708-479- 

5111 for information and 

updates or visit online 

at www.cranahomes. 

com any time for home 

designs, descriptions, 

floor plans, features and 

options. To visit Brookside 

Meadows take I-80, exit 

La Grange Road south 

for just under two miles 

to La Porte Road and turn 

east for one-half mile. If 

mapping by way of a GPS, 

enter the address: 19839 

Mulroy Circle, Tinley Park, 

IL. Dimensions and specs 

are subject to updates.

22 | March 2, 2017 | The Homer Horizon local living 


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.

homerhorizon.com real estate 


The Homer Horizon’s 

sponsored content 

of the 

WEEK 

The current owner decided it is time to downsize, so her lovely home is now available. 

What: Spacious quad-level home with finished basement 

Where: 15550 Badger Lane, Homer Glen 

Amenities: A beautiful home that is richly appointed with numerous updates and 

upgrades throughout. The home features a newly remodeled, spacious chef’s 

kitchen, boasting a vaulted ceiling, and it has loads of custom cabinets with crown, 

granite counters, newer stainless steel appliances, window seat and gleaming 

hardwood floors. The home also has a formal living room/dining room with crown 

molding, generous-sized family room with cozy fire place, chair rail and wood 

laminate flooring, and a large master suite with shared luxury bath featuring double 

vanity, granite counters and new ceramic tile floor. The lower level office/den/fourth 

bedroom with a second newly remodeled bath could be great related living. The 

finished basement boasts a spacious recreation room that is perfect for entertaining. 

The home also has a park-like, semi-fenced yard with paver patio and fire pit. There 

is wood flooring and solid, six-panel doors throughout the entire home: roof 2011, 

siding 2008, windows 2016, sliding patio door 2012, baths 2012, basement 2016, 

sump/ejector 2015, furnace newer, air conditioning 2012, washer/dryer 2016, 

dishwasher 2017 and more! 

Listing Price: $294,000 

Listing Agent: For more information, call Kim Wirtz, Century 21 Affiliated, 

at (708) 516-3050 or visit www.kimwirtz.com. 

Want to know how to become Home of the Week? Contact Tricia at (708) 326-9170 

ext. 47. 

Jan. 12 

• 13445 W. Iroquois Trail, 

Homer Glen, 604918189 

Janusz Lesniak to Dennis 

R. Hogan, Valeri Hogan, 

$407,500 

Jan. 17 

• 12744 W. Beaver 

Den Trail, Homer Glen, 

604919024 Deutsche 

Bank Natl Trt Co Ttee to 

Bogdan Klejka, Marzena 

Klejka 

• 15548 Trailside Drive, 


Nabil A. Kabro to Michael 

E. Erickson, Marrisa L. 

Erickson, $227,000 

Jan. 19 

• 13734 S. Dublin Drive, 


Birute Smihngiene to 

Mateusz Gacek, Ewa 

Gacek, $120,000 

• 13814 Lemont Road, 


Phillip W. Basic Iii to 

Pawel J. Tyrala, Michelle 

C. Stypa, $224,000 

The Going Rate is provided 

by Record Information Services, 

Inc. For more information, 

visit www.public-record. 

com or call (630) 557-1000.

24 | March 2, 2017 | The Homer Horizon Classifieds 


CLASSIFIEDS 

Help Wanted · Garage Sales · Automotive 

Real Estate · Rentals · Merchandise 

1003 Help Wanted 

Village Seeks Seasonal Maintenance Workers 

The Village of Homer Glen is seeking to fill 

3 F/T seasonal maintenance worker positions. This 

position requires physical labor and will assist in 

maintaining the grounds of public property. 

Applicants must be 18 yrs. of age, have a H.S. diploma or 

GED and possess a valid driver’s license. Pay rate is $10 

per hr for approx. 40 hrs. per week from late March to 

October. Selected candidates will be required to pass a 

criminal background check, medical physical and 

drug screen. 

Interested candidates must complete the job application 

found on the Village’s website www.homerglenil.org 

Completed applications can be e-mailed to Heather 

Kokodynsky at hkokodynsky@homerglenil.org or 

mailed to Village of Homer Glen, Attn: Heather 

Kokodynsky, 14240 W. 151st Street, Homer Glen, IL 

60491. Applications are due Wednesday, March 15. 

up to 35 hours / week 

Busy Family Practice office 

located in Mokena seeking 

friendly part-time medical 

assistant, LPN or nurse. 

Approx. 20/week Thursday 

afternoon-evening and Friday 

daytime. There is also 

opportunity to cover 

reception and medical 

records/filing. Fax resume to 

708-479-8214 or Lynda at 

lyschiappa@gmail.com 

Landscaping & Lawn 

Maintenance Personnel 

Experience needed. 

$12-18/hr. F/T, Immediate 

Hire (708) 687-8091 / 

office@threebrothers 

landscaping.net 

Help 

Wanted 

Outdoor work: F/T 

year-round Employment 

Potential for paid winters 

off. Benefits incl. health, 

dental, IRA. Clean driving 

record a MUST. Starting 

rate: $14/hr. Time and 1/2 

over 40 hrs. Apply inperson 

7320 Duvan Dr, 

Tinley Park M-F 8a-4p or 

email resume to 

callus@lawntechltd.com 

P/T position available for 

busy travel agency in 

Frankfort. Must have 

office skills & be 

comfortable with the 

computer. Travel 

experience is helpful. 

Must be pleasant& work 

well with the public. 

Email your resume to 

sue@depaulotravel.com. 

LAWN TECHNICIAN 

Professional company 

located in Frankfort 

looking for reliable 

individual to apply dry 

fertilizer. Experience a 

plus, but not necessary. 

For interview call: 

(708)479-4600 

1003 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! 

HVAC company looking 

for service technicians to 

fill positions immediately. 

Refrigeration & food 

service equipment 

experience a must. Please 

fax resumes to 

888.352.3928. 

Hiring Desk Clerk (2nd 

& 3rd shift) & 

Housekeeping (Morning) 

Needed at Super 8 Motel 

Apply within: 

9485 W. 191st St, Mokena 

No Phone Calls 

Small engine repair & 

maintenance and small 

machine maintenance 

person needed. Electrical 

background & experience 

with machine repair 

required. Call 

708.878.2016 

Lawn Technician Wanted 

F/T exp preferred, valid 

driver’s license req. 

$12-14/hr. Office & routes 

in south suburbs. Call 

708.995.5549. 

Exp. Legal Assistant 

FT/PT. Mokena criminal & 

divorce firm. Send resume 

& letter to: 

jaytobrien@gmail.com 

Bartender over 21 & 

assistant manager needed. 

All-Stars Sports Bar 

708.612.5040 

Sell It 708.326.9170 

Fax It 708.326.9179 

Charge It 

DEADLINE - 

Friday at 3pm 

Automotive 

$52 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

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 

Affordable Caregiver 

Professional, private duty 

caregiver: live-in or come 

& go with a car. Insured 

with excellent references. 

Low prices. 

708.692.2580 

Heaven Sent Caregivers 

Professional caregiving 

service. 24 hr or hourly 

services. Licensed & 

bonded. Try the best! 

708.638.0641 

1025 Situations 

Wanted 

65 yr old man would like 

to meet female, 60-67 yrs, 

who enjoys the Cubs and 

60s music. Call Rich. 

815.260.7085. 

Help Wanted 

per line $13 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

1027 Arts and Craft Fairs 

1037 Prayer / Novena 

Oh, Holy StJude, Apostle & 

Martyr, great in virtue and rich 

in miracle, near kinsman of Jesus 

Christ, faithful intercessor 

of all who invoke your special 

patronage in time ofneed. To 

you Ihave recourse from the 

depth of my heart and humbly 

beg to whom God has given 

such great power to come to 

my assistance. Help me in my 

present and urgent petition, In 

return, I promise tomake your 

name known and cause you to 

be invoked. Say three Our Fathers, 

three Hail Marys and 

glories for nine consecutive 

days. Publications must be 

promised. St. Jude pray for us 

all who invoke your aid. 

Amen. This Novena has never 

been known tofail, Ihave had 

requests granted. S.B. 

Homer Glen, 13141 Stonewood 

Dr. 3/4 -3/5, 9-4p. Everything 

must go! Furn, tools, 

collectibles, silver, hshld items, 

clothes, drapes, misc. 

Real Estate 

$50 

7 lines/ 

7 papers 

Garage 

Sale 

1057 Estate Sale 

Merchandise 

$30 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

ADVERTISE 

IN OUR 

FUNERAL 

SERVICES 

DIRECTORY. 

Contact the 

Classified 

Department 

708.326.9170 

22ndcenturymedia.com 

DRIVE CAR BUYERS 

TO YOUR DOOR WITH 

A CLASSIFIED AUTO AD 

CALL US TODAY at 708.326.9170

homerhorizon.com Classifieds 


Automotive 

1061 Autos Wanted 

1065 Motorcycles 

2013 HD TriGlide Ultra 

Low Miles, Many Extras 

$27,000 or best offer. 

(708)280-7773 

1074 Auto for 

Sale 

2004 Hyundai Santa Fe 

121k mi. 100k mi. 

maintenance done (have the 

receipts). Mechanically 

Perfect! No accidents. New 

tires. Clean. Dark blue body 

with medium gray trim. 

$4,850 or best offer 

(815)955-4883 

CLASSIFIEDS 



Sell It 708.326.9170 | Fax It 708.326.9179 

Charge It | DEADLINE - Friday at 3pm 

1225 Apartments 

for Rent 

New Lenox 

2BR, 2nd floor, freshly 

painted, new flooring, no pets, 

one month security deposit. 

Available now. Senior citizen 

discount. Call 708-829-6294 

Oak Forest Terrace 

Automotive 

Real Estate 

$52 

4 lines/ 

7 papers Help Wanted 

$50 

7 lines/ 

7 papers Merchandise 

2006 Basement Waterproofing 

$13 

per line 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

$30 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

Real Estate 

1094 Offices for 

Sale 

Price Reduced 

for a quick sale! 

1003 Sq. Ft. commercial 

space in Tinley Park. New 

Roof and HVAC unit. has 

4 sinks and dining area. 

$41,000. 

Tom 708-280-8820 

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 

2010 Brick Pavers 

Rental 

1225 Apartments 

for Rent 

FRANKFORT 

Maple Apartments 

1BR-$830/month 

2BR- $930/month 

Plus security deposit 

NO PETS, 815-469-1899 

Tinley Park 

Clean, modern, 2BR, 

$860/month plus security 

& credit check. Heated, 

laundry, A/C, no pets. 

630-207-5994 

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 

2011 Brick/Chimney Experts



LOCAL REALTOR 

DIRECTORY 

REAL ESTATE ATTORNEYS 

CLOSINGS ANDALL REAL ESTATE NEEDS 

THOUSANDSOFTRANSACTIONSCLOSED 

•RECOGNIZEDASAN 

INDUSTRY LEADER FOR 

OUREXPERIENCE AND 

PROFESSIONALISM 

SELLING: $200 Flat Fee* 

BUYING: $500 Flat Fee* 

*Must mention Ad 

•FEATURED INCHICAGO 

REALTOR MAGAZINE 

•SELECTED BYCHICAGO 

AGENTMAGAZINE ASA 

"WHO'S WHO" IN 

CHICAGO REALESTATE 

OFFICESINORLANDPARK & CHICAGO 

WWW.DUFFINDORELAW.COM• 312.566.0911 

708.966.0692 

Attorneys At Law 

www.duffindorelaw.com 

DUFFIN &DORE 

Home financing 

provided by: 

MichaelErwin 

Contact Classified Department 

to Advertise in this Directory 

708.326.9170



2011 Brick/Chimney Experts 

CLASSIFIEDS 



Automotive 

$52 4 lines/ 

7 papers 

Help Wanted 

$13 4 lines/ 

per line 7 papers 

2060 Drywall 2070 Electrical 

Sell It 708.326.9170 | Fax It 708.326.9179 


Real Estate 

$50 7 7 papers 

lines/ 

2025 Concrete Work 

Merchandise 


lines/ 

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 

2075 Fencing 

Advertise 

your 

RENTAL 

PROPERTY 

in the 

newspaper 

people turn 

to first CALL US TODAY: 708.326.9170 


2080 Firewood 

2017 Cleaning Services 

FANTASTIK POLISH 

CLEANING SERVICE 

If you’re tired of housework 

Please call us! 

(708)599-5016 

2032 

5th Cleaning is 

FREE! Valid only one time 

Free Estimates 

& Bonded 

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 

Sturdy 

Deck & Fence 

Repair, Rebuild or 

Replace 

Make It Safe - Make it Sturdy 

708 479 9035 

MORTGAGE 

ALERT! 

LOCK-IN MORE BUSINESS. 

ADVERTISE LOCALLY. 

CONTACT THE CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT 

708-326-9170 

22ndcenturymedia.com 

Decking 

HIRE 

LOCALLY 

Reach over 

83% of 

prospective 

employees in 

your area! 

CALL TODAY FOR RATES 

&INFORMATION 

708-326-9170 


Ideal 

Firewood 

Seasoned Mixed 

Hardwoods 

$100 per FC 

Free Stacking & 

Delivery 

708 235 8917 

815 210 2882



2090 Flooring 2120 Handyman 

CLASSIFIEDS 



Automotive 

$52 4 lines/ 

7 papers 

Help Wanted 

$13 4 lines/ 


Sell It 708.326.9170 | Fax It 708.326.9179 


Real Estate 


lines/ 

Merchandise 


lines/ 

2130 Heating/Cooling 

HIRE 

LOCALLY 

Reach over 

83% of 

prospective 

employees in 

your area! 

CALL TODAY FOR RATES 

&INFORMATION 

708-326-9170 


BEECHY’S 

Handyman Service 

Custom Painting 

Drywall & Plaster Repair 

Carpentry Work 

Trim & General 

Tile & Laminated Flooring 

Light Plumbing & Electrical 

Remodeling, Kitchen & Bath 

Install StormWindows/Doors 

Clean Gutters 

Wash Siding & Windows 

Call Vern for Free Estimate! 

708 714 7549 

815 838 4347 

Advertise 

your 

RENTAL 

PROPERTY 

in the 

newspaper 

people turn 



2120 Handyman 

2130 Heating/Cooling 

CARRARAREPAIRSERVICE 

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



CLASSIFIEDS 



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 2132 Home Improvement 

2135 Insulation 

Residential/Commercial 

“Design/Build Professionals" 

Kitchen & Bathroom Remodeling · Room Additions · Finished Basements · Decks/Pergolas 

· Screen Rooms/ 3 Season Rooms · Front Porches/Porticos · Commercial BuildOuts 

- We provide Design, Product, and Installation - 

Free Consultation: 

Showroom: 

Member 

HomerChamber 

of Commerce 

2140 Landscaping 

Visit Our Showroom Location at 1223 N Convent St. Bourbonnais



2145 Lawn Maintenance 

2150 Paint & Decorating 

CLASSIFIEDS 



Automotive 

$52 4 lines/ 

7 papers 

Help Wanted 

$13 4 lines/ 


Sell It 708.326.9170 | Fax It 708.326.9179 


Real Estate 


lines/ 

Merchandise 


lines/ 

2170 Plumbing 

2150 Paint & Decorating 

MARTY’S 

PAINTING 

Interior / Exterior 

Fast, Neat Painting 

Drywall 

Wallpaper Removal 

Staining 


20% Off with this ad 

708-606-3926 

Neat, Clean, Professional 

Work At ACompetitive Price 

Specializing in all 

Interior/Exterior Painting 

• Drywall/PlasterRepair 

• Wallpaper Removal 

• Deck/Fence Staining 

• PowerWashing 


Senior Discounts 

Forquality & service you 

can trust, call us today! 

KASCH PLUMBING Inc. 

• Waterheaters 

•SumpPumps 

• Faucets 

Lisense #055-043148 

2170 Plumbing 

Complete Plumbing Service 

• WaterLeaks 

• RPZ Testing 

• Ejector Pumps 

•Disposals 

• Toilets 

815.603.6085



CLASSIFIEDS 



Sell It 708.326.9170 

Fax It 708.326.9179 

Charge It 

DEADLINE - 

Friday at 3pm 

Automotive 

Real Estate 

$52 

4 lines/ 


$50 

7 lines/ 


$13 

per line 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

$30 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

2220 Siding 

2200 Roofing 

2255 Tree Service 

2276 Tuckpointing/Masonry 

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 

www.pkwindowcleaning.com 

Advertise 

your 

RENTAL 

PROPERTY 

in the 

newspaper 

people turn 


www.22ndcenturymedia.com



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) 

CLASSIFIEDS 



2408 Health and Wellness 

Low Cost Blood Test 

CBC $10 CMP $18 LIPID $15 TSH $20... AND MORE! 

Special on Wellness Blood Test with Doctor visit in Groupon 

Deals $49.00 

www.BloodTestInChicago.com 

Unilabinc. Oak Park 

Phone: 708.848.1556 

2489 Merchandise Wanted 

Buying Gold 

and Silver 

Call for appointment 

in your home! 

Complete estate sales & 

clean outs available! 

Call (815)806-8900 

Professional 

Directory 

Merchandise 

Directory 

Metal Wanted 

Scrap Metal, Garden 

Tractors, 

Snowmobiles, 

Appliances, Etc. 

ANYTHING METAL! 

Call 815-210-8819 

Free pickup! 

GROW YOUR BUSINESS 

THIS SPRING! 

Call Kellie for more 

information on advertising in 

our Business Directory. 

(708)326-9170 ext . 23 

k.tschopp@22ndcenturymedia.com 

Sell It 708.326.9170 

Fax It 708.326.9179 

Charge It 

DEADLINE - 

Friday at 3pm 

Automotive 

Real Estate 

2701 Property for 

Sale 

SHERIFF'S SALE OF REAL ES- 

TATE of 15528 Red Cedar Trail, 

Homer Glen, IL 60491 (Residential). 

Onthe 23rd day ofMarch, 

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: Federal Home Loan Mortgage 

Corporation Plaintiff V.Lois 

M. Maida; et. al. Defendant. 

Case No. 16CH 0838 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 

$52 

4 lines/ 


$50 

7 lines/ 


$13 

per line 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

$30 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 


Sale 

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. 

SHERIFF'S SALE OF REAL ES- 

TATE of 13647 WCedarbend Dr., 

Homer Glen, IL 60491 (Single 

Family Residence). Onthe 9th day 

of March, 2016 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: U.S. BANK TRUST, 

N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSF9 

MASTER PARTICIPATION 

TRUST, Plaintiff V.BORIS MO- 

REV, Defendant. 

Case No. 16CH 1105 in the Circuit 

Court of the Twelfth Judicial 

Circuit, Will County, Illinois. 








amount paid by the purchaser to 
















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 









Act. 










obtains acourt order for its distribution 



the State.



CLASSIFIEDS 



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 


Sale 

2703 Legal 

Notices 

2703 Legal 

Notices 

2703 Legal 

Notices 

2900 Merchandise 

Under $100 

For Information Please Contact: 

Heavner Beyers and Mihlar LLC 

111 E. Main Street, 

Decatur, Illinois 62523 

P: 217-422-1719 

F: 217-422-1754 










PURPOSE. 

2703 Legal 

Notices 










PURPOSE. 

STATE OF ILLINOIS ) 

) SS. 

COUNTY OF WILL ) 

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF 

THE TWELFTH JUDICIAL CIR- 

CUIT 

WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS 

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation 

Plaintiff, 

vs. 

Lois M. Maida; et. al. 

Defendant. 

No. 16 CH 0838 

NOTICE OF SHERIFF'S SALE 

Public notice ishereby given that 

pursuant to ajudgment entered in 

the above cause on the 20th day of 

July, 2016, MIKE KELLEY, Sheriff 

of Will County, Illinois, will on 

Thursday, the 23rd day of March, 

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 tothe highest 

and best bidder orbidders the following-described 

real estate: 

LOT 155 IN TWIN LAKES #3, 

BEING A SUBDIVISION IN THE 

SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF 

SECTION 13, TOWNSHIP 36 

NORTH, RANGE 11, EAST OF 

THE THIRD PRINCIPAL ME- 

RIDIAN, ACCORDING TOTHE 

PLAT THEREOF RECORDED 

OCTOBER 27, 1987, AS DOCU- 

MENT NO. R87-59358 AND 

CERTIFICATE OF CORREC- 

TION RECORDED NOVEMBER 

16, 1987, AS DOCUMENT NO. 

R87-63129, IN WILL COUNTY, 

ILLINOIS. 

Commonly known as: 

15528 Red Cedar Trail, Homer 

Glen, IL 60491 

Description of Improvements: 

Residential 

P.I.N.: 

16-05-13-408-025-0000 


























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 









Act. 













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 

DRIVE CAR BUYERS 

TO YOUR DOOR WITH 

A CLASSIFIED AUTO AD 

CALL US TODAY at 708.326.9170 










PURPOSE. 

STATE OF ILLINOIS ) 

) SS. 

COUNTY OF WILL ) 

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF 

THE TWELFTH JUDICIAL CIR- 

CUIT 

WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS 

U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS 

TRUSTEE FOR LSF9 MASTER 

PARTICIPATION TRUST, 

Plaintiff, 

vs. 

BORIS MOREV, 

Defendant. 

No. 16 CH 1105 

NOTICE OF SHERIFF'S SALE 

Public notice ishereby given that 

pursuant to ajudgment entered in 

the above cause on the 29th day of 

September, 2016, MIKE KELLEY, 

Sheriff of Will County, Illinois, 

will on Thursday, the 9th day of 

March, 2016 , 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: 

P.I.N. fka 05-10-209-002 LOT 

112, IN BLOCK 5,INPEBBLE 

CREEK UNIT 2, PHASE II, BE- 

ING ASUBDIVISION OF PART 

OF THE NORTHEAST 1/4 OF 

SECTION 10, TOWNSHIP 36 

NORTH, RANGE 11, EAST OF 

THE THIRD PRINCIPAL ME- 

RIDIAN, ACCORDING TOTHE 

PLAT THEREOF RECORDED 

JUNE 3, 1977 AS DOCUMENT 

NO. R77-18514, IN WILL 

COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 

Commonly known as: 

13647 WCedarbend Dr., Homer 

Glen, IL 60491 

Description of Improvements: 

Single Family Residence 

P.I.N.: 

16-05-10-209-002-0000 


























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 









Act. 













the State. 

FOR INFORMATION PLEASE 

CONTACT: 

Heavner Beyers and Mihlar LLC 

111 E. Main Street, 

Decatur, Illinois 62523 

P: 217-422-1719 

F: 217-422-1754 

Plaintiff's Attorney 

MIKE KELLEY 

Sheriff of Will County 

2900 Merchandise 

Under $100 

10 foot Christmas Tree. FREE. 

708.432.8384 

2 metal, 2drawer w/locks file 

cabinets $20 each or 2 for $35. 

Computer desk $25. 

815.838.0239 

60’s deacons bench, dark 

brown, 16x16x40” $65. 

24x24” sofa cushions, good 

condition $20 each. 

708.460.3626 

Antique curio cabinet, must 

sell, moving $100. 

708.301.5071 

Boys Nike coat size 10-12 $10. 

Black dress shows size 5$10. 

Tony Hawk shoes size 5 $8. 

Snow pants size 14-16 $10. All 

in good condition. 

815.412.4132 

Complete fern fossil 270-350 

million years old. Carbon dated 

by Argonne Lab $95. Call 

815.838.9179 

Encyclopedia Britannica 45 

volume set, leather bound, gold 

edges, like new condition 

$100. 708.429.0111 

Grandma’s baby items: very 

nice & functional even flo high 

chair $25. Red &blue youth 

bed w/ mattress $40. Stroller 

$5. Umbrella stroller $5. White 

metal portable crib w/ mattress 

$8. 708.705.4644 

Harley Davidson collectible 

toys, beer cans, playing cards 

$100. 708.269.7264 

JBL 8Ohms Center Channel 

Speaker, works perfect. Includes 

over 9ft speaker cable 

$60. 708.466.9907 

Ladies golf clubs 1-3 wood, 

3-5-7-9 putter golf bag $50. 

Mens pro golf bag Lynx $35. 1 

bird cage $10. 708.478.8976 

Mokena: Full white headboard 

and frame $30. fitness flyer 

$30. Aerobic glider $30. Call 

tom 708.764.9758 

New Lenox: Free firewood cut 

into fireplace ready logs. 

815.351.3513 

Oak doors, pre-hung, pre-finished, 

pristine condition. 

Frames are new, never installed. 

18x80” 28x80” 30x80” 

R/H & L/H $30 each. 

815.348.2884 

Phono, cassette, raded console 

32x14x14” $50. Hand knit 

sweaters M/L $25. Big box of 

infant clothing $15. Sweat 

suits/ jogging suits M $10. 

708.448.8920 

Redoy propane 30K space 

heater, like new $75. Wood & 

glass 24x24x7” white $35. 

708.460.3626 

Stack-on electronic floor safe 

$100. Call Bob 708.522.8338 

Used 40 gal. gas, hot H2O 

heater, great condition, no 

leaks $95. 708.460.3626 

Vintage Mac Gregor 14 pc custom 

VIP70 golf clubs $25. 

Round oak table & 4 chairs 

$50. Ikea hi bar table $25. 

815.838.7898 

Vintage Stanley Steel Handyman 

Mirtre Hand Saw Box 

$30. 708.466.9907 

White bassinet, like new. Mattress 

included $25. 

815 838 7742 

Advertise 

your 

RENTAL 

PROPERTY 

in the 

newspaper 

people turn 

to first 

CALL US TODAY: 

708.326.9170



CLASSIFIEDS 



Sell It 708.326.9170 | Fax It 708.326.9179 


Automotive 

Real Estate 

$52 

4 lines/ 


$50 

7 lines/ 


$13 

per line 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

$30 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

22ND CENTURY MEDIA is looking for local 

FREELANCE REPORTERS and PHOTOGRAPHERS 

to cover events, meetings and sports in the area. 

Interested individuals should send 

an email with a resume and any clips to 

JOBS@22NDCENTURYMEDIA.COM 


CHICAGOLY MAGAZINE 

CHICAGO SOUTHWEST 

THE FRANKFORT STATION 

THE HOMER HORIZON 

THE LOCKPORT LEGEND 

THE MOKENA MESSENGER 

THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT 

THE ORLAND PARK PRAIRIE 

THE TINLEY JUNCTION 

CHICAGO NORTHSHORE 

THE GLENCOE ANCHOR 

THE GLENVIEW LANTERN 

THE HIGHLAND PARK LANDMARK 

THE LAKE FOREST LEADER 

THE NORTHBROOK TOWER 

THE WILMETTE BEACON 

THE WINNETKA CURRENT 

MALIBU 

MALIBU SURFSIDE NEWS 

Looking to have a 

garage sale this year? 

Call the classified department or fax in your form below! 

• Goes in all 7 Southwest newspapers 

• 4 lines of information 

(28 characters per line) 

• Additional lines only a $1.95 

• Borders only an additional $1.00 

• FREE GARAGE SALE KIT 

$42.00 

Single Family 

$44.00 

Multi Family 

$47.00 

Subdivision 

$52.00 

Estate Sale 

Payment Method 

̌ Check enclosed 

̌ Money Order 

̌ Credit Card 

Ad Copy Here (print) 

APPEARING APRIL 20 

Call us today to reserve your ad! 

708.326.9170 


Deadline March 29 

Please cut this form out and 

mail or fax it back to us at: 

22 nd Century Media 

11516 W. 183 rd St 

Suite #3 Unit SW 


Name 

Address 

City/State/Zip 

Phone 

Credit Card Orders Only 

Card # 

Signature 

Phn: 708.326.9170 • Fax: 708.326.9179 


Circle One 

Exp.

homerhorizon.com sports 


Athlete of the Week 

22nd Century Media File Photo 

10 Questions 

with Trevell Timmons 

Trevell Timmons is a senior 

at Lockport Township High 

School and a member of 

the state champion Porters 

wrestling team, as well as 

an individual state champion 

in the sport. 

How did you get into 

wrestling? 

I started because I saw 

all my dad’s trophies in the 

garage. I wondered what 

they were about, and my 

dad told me, so I started doing 

it. He wrestled at Bogan 

[High School] and played 

football, too. 

What do you like about 

it? 

I just like how it’s a physical 

sport and a mental sport. 

I just like having that edge 

over that guy that you beat. 

What did it feel like to 

finally win an individual 

state title? 

This year, I feel like I 

worked harder than ever any 

other year, so it feels good. 

It still hasn’t set in yet, but 

every time I walk into the 

wrestling room, I think, 

‘Man, I’m a state titlist.’ 

What did you do in the 

offseason to rehab from 

the shoulder injury you 

suffered during last 

year’s state semifinals? 

I had a lot to do … I got 

really fat, but after a while, I 

talked to my coach, and we 

got me back in shape. We 

started doing one-on-one 

workouts and a lot of therapy. 

The injury I had was my 

whole left side, so I had to do 

therapy on my whole left arm. 

If you could go 

anywhere in the world, 

where would you go? 

Probably Hawaii. I’ve never 

been on an island before, 

and it looks pretty cool in all 

the TV and reality shows. 

What app do you use 

the most? 

Instagram. I like to look a 

lot of college wrestling [accounts] 

and see what those 

guys are doing. I like to see 

a lot of their workouts and 

what they’re doing. 

What superpower 

would you want to 

have? 

Super speed because you 

can use it for everything. 

What is one food you 

could not live without? 

Pizza. I love pizza. When 

I’m not wrestling, it makes 

me fat. 

What are your plans for 

after graduation? 

I’m going to college for 

wrestling and academics, 

too … My goal is a national 

title and to build a future for 

when I grow up. 

Where are you going? 

I’ll be going to Lincoln 

[College in Lincoln, Illinois]. 

Interview by Assistant Editor 

Erin Redmond 

The Homer Jr. High cheerleading team came in third last month at state — an eighth 

consecutive finish in the Top 3 there — to wrap up another season. Photo submitted 

Homer Jr. High cheerleaders end 

successful season third at state 

Submitted by Homer 

Community Consolidated 

School District 33C 

This Week In... 

Lockport Township High School 

Varsity Athletics 

Boys Track and Field 

■March ■ 3 at Homewood-Flossmoor 

Invitational, 4 p.m. 

Hard work and perseverance 

have paid off for 

the Homer Jr. High School 

cheerleading team. 

On Jan. 23, the team took 

third at the highly competitive 

IESA State Championship. 

Homer Community 

Consolidated School District 

33C Athletic Director 

Amanda Monahan said 

the cheerleaders performed 

“an amazing routine” and 

worked through various 

setbacks and obstacles, also 

noting the tough and competitive 

division the team 

is in. 

The team is coached by 

Kelly Klosak and Morgan 

Curry. In the course of the 

successful season, Homer 

Jr. High earned second at 

Bradley-Bourbonnais High 

School, fourth at Lincoln- 

Way East High School, third 

at Andrew High School and 

first at Oak Forest High 

School. 

Monahan added Homer 

has some of the most talented 

athletes in the state. 

She pointed to the fact the 

school scored in the Top 3 

at state for eight consecutive 

years, with the team 

working hard throughout the 

year and making a big time 

commitment to achieve the 

success. 

The team is comprised of 

sixth-graders Mary Bresnahan, 

Gianna Kosi, Megan 

Mecher, Emma Soderberg 

and Keila Vasylionis; seventh-graders 

Hayley Barron 

Hannah Boetscher, Shelby 

Gloss, Emma Mackin, 

Emma Motykowski, Brinda 

Parikh and Bianca Stillo; 

and eighth-graders Isabella 

Giertuga, Emma Harris, Fiona 

Heeney, Emily Jungheim, 

Morgan Lavery, Abbi Lewis, 

Marissa Pasco and Kaycee 

Siears. 

Girls Water Polo 

■March ■ 4 host Maroon & White Game, 10 a.m. 

Boys Water Polo 

■March ■ 4 host Maroon & White Game, 11 a.m.

36 | March 2, 2017 | The Homer Horizon sports 


Boys Swimming 

Porters swimmers, diver compete at state in Winnetka 

Lantow places in Top 

11 of two events 

Frank Gogola 


Senior swimmers from 

Sandburg, Lincoln-Way East 

and Lockport showcased the 

area’s depth in longer-distance 

races at the state finals. 

Sandburg’s Aidan Farley, 

East’s Andrew Grever and 

Lockport’s Josh Lantow finished 

in the Top 11 of the 

500-yard freestyle, while 

Farley and Lantow placed in 

the Top 11 of the 200-yard 

freestyle during consolation 

finals Saturday, Feb. 25, at 

New Trier High School in 

Winnetka. 

Lantow had the area’s best 

finish by placing eighth in 

the 200 free before taking 

11th in the 500 free. Farley 

finished ninth in the 500 free 

after taking 11th in the 200 

free. Grever placed 10th in 

the 500 free in his lone finals 

race. 

“The competition was insane,” 

two-time state qualifier 

Lantow said. “There’s 

just so many fast kids, fast 

times this year.” 

Other Sandburg, East and 

Lockport swimmers and 

divers didn’t make it past 

preliminaries. No Lincoln- 

Way West or Lincoln-Way 

Central swimmers advanced 

from prelims in their respective 

races. 

The swimmers with the six 

fastest times in each race advanced 

from Friday, Feb. 24 

preliminaries to Saturday’s 

finals. Competitors with the 

seventh through 12th fastest 

times in prelims moved on to 

the consolation finals. 

“Every year, you want to 

do as well as you can, so the 

A finals [first through sixth 

place] is the goal,” Lantow 

said. “But the 200 was very 

strong this year, so I’m happy 

with where I was.” 

Lantow swam a 1:40.60 in 

the 200 free finals to place 

eighth overall. After a slow 

start, he closed strong in the 

final 100 yards to move up 

from fourth to second in the 

consolation finals. 

Eighth was the same spot 

he finished during prelims 

despite swimming 0.48 seconds 

slower than his 1:40.12 

on Friday. Both times were 

than the 1:41.51 he posted in 

qualifying. 

In last year’s 200 free finals, 

only two swimmers 

swam below a 1:41. This 

year, there were eight finals 

times lower than that mark. 

“I was very happy with 

my performance today,” said 

Lantow, who plans to swim 

in college but is uncommitted. 

“I was able to swim the 

back half of the race really 

well, which is what I try to 

do. I was happy with the 

amount of energy I had going 

into the end of the race. 

Closing strong is what I usually 

try to focus on to close 

out the race and beat guys to 

the finish.” 

In the 500 free, he shaved 

0.01 seconds off his time 

and moved up one spot. He 

finished 11th with a 4:35.72 

after placing 12th in the prelims 

with a 4:35.73. That 

prelim time was 3.73 seconds 

better than his qualifying 

time of 4:39.46. 

A four-year varsity swimmer, 

Lantow qualified for 

state as a junior and senior. 

Both of his state finishes as 

a senior where career highs. 

As a junior, he was 17th 

in the 200 free (1:43.50) 

and 22nd in the 500 free 

(4:42.16). 

“The last two just because 

the growing and maturity,” 

Lantow said of how he was 

able to make state as a junior 

and senior. “I grew almost 

a foot since my freshman 

year. Just the team has come 

Lockport’s Josh Lantow begins the 500-yard freestyle at the state finals Saturday, Feb. 25, 

at New Trier High School in Winnetka. Carlos Alvarez/22nd Century Media 

a long way. Our team gets 

along well and pushes each 

other in practice. The last 

two years have just been really 

strong.” 

Lockport sophomore 

Wrigley Fields placed 28th 

out of 48 in the 1-meter diving 

preliminaries. He totaled 

a score of 183.40 over six 

dives and didn’t advance to 

the semifinals. 

Sophomore Jack 

O’Connor placed 37th out 

of 42 swimmers in the 200 

individual medley. His time 

of 1:58.35 on Friday was 

nearly a second slower than 

his 1:57.30 in qualifying. 

Grever swam a 4:34.38 in 

the 500 free to finish in 10th 

place. He led the consolation 

final through six sets of 

50 yards, lost the lead by the 

seventh out of 10 and did not 

regain it. 

“First off, I was feeling 

pretty strong,” Grever said. 

“Then lap 11 happened, 

and I just totally died out. 

… I really don’t know what 

changed throughout the race. 

I guess could have done 

more warmups to keep my 

body loose.” 

Grever’s finals time was 

0.61 seconds slower than his 

preliminary time of 4:33.77, 

which placed him ninth and 

allowed him to advance 

to the consolation finals. 

That 4:33.77 was 4.37 seconds 

better than his time of 

4:38.14 in qualifying. 

In the 500 free, Grever 

was seventh as a junior 

(4:35.54), eighth as a sophomore 

(4:37.31) and 23rd as a 

freshman (4:44.38). 

With high school swimming 

over, Grever said he 

will try out for water polo 

for the first time this spring 

before swimming at the University 

of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 

as a college freshman. 

“Just the camaraderie,” he 

said of why he’ll join water 

polo for the first time. “I like 

being with the guys. I’m 

done with high school swimming, 

so I figured I might as 

well join up on some other 

high school team.” 

In other finishes, East’s 

200 medley relay placed 

18th out of 26. The team of 

Bryce Wyma, Jared Blair, 

Mason Rhode and Jonathan 

Limp swam a 1:38.25. 

Senior Jonathan Limp finished 

21st out of 32 in the 

100 free with a time of 48.00 

seconds. He shaved 0.71 

seconds off his qualifying 

time of 48.71. 

Grever finished 23rd out 

of 42 competitors in the 200 

individual medley. His time 

of 1:56.02 was over a second 

better than his qualifying 

time of 1:57.25. He was 

15th as a junior (1:54.97) 

and 35th as a sophomore 

(2:00.61). 

The 400 free relay team 

of Limp, Wyma, Kellen 

Bachler and Grever placed 

27th out of 35 teams with a 

time of 3:14.39. 

The 200 free relay team 

of Bachler, Trevor Horn, 

Rhode and Grever finished 

29th out of 34 teams by posting 

a 1:29.16. 

Senior Jared Blair placed 

38th out of 45 swimmers in 

the 100 breaststroke prelims. 

His time of 1:00.35 was 


1:00.08 in qualifying. 

“The guys came out and 

gave it their all,” Grever 

said. “In the end, some were 

seeded second to last or last 

and made some great time 

drops, but they knew it probably 

wouldn’t be enough.” 

Central sophomore Danny 

O’Brien finished 37th out of 

39 swimmers in the 200 freestyle 

preliminaries, while 

junior Tim Murphy placed 

41st out of 45 swimmers in 

the 100 backstroke prelims. 

It was the first state appearance 

for both swimmers. 

West senior Kyle Karpluk 

had career-best places 

at state but finished his high 

school swimming career 

on a down note. The fouryear 

state qualifier failed to 

make it to the state finals or 

consolation finals in either 

events in which he competed. 

Karpluk placed 17th in the 

100 butterfly prelims, missing 

the finals by 0.32 seconds. 

His time of 51.37 was 


qualifying time of 50.66, 

which was the eighth-fastest 

qualifying time. Another 

50.66 would have put him 

in 11th and allowed him to 

advance to the consolation 

finals. 

He tied for 26th out of 

46 swimmers in the 50 free 

prelims. His time of 21.75 

seconds was 0.33 seconds 

slower than his qualifying 

time of 21.42, which was the 

13th-best qualifying time. 

The slowest time to make 

the finals was 21.19. 

Farley, a Michigan State 

commit, placed a career-best 

ninth in the 500 free finals 

with a 4:32.41 for Sandburg. 

The time was 0.32 seconds 

slower than his personal 

record of 4:32.09 to finish 

eighth in the prelims and 

advance to the finals. The 

4:32.09 was 5.69 seconds 

faster than his qualifying 

time of 4:37.78.



Hockey 

Providence defeats Fenwick 6-2 to secure Kennedy Cup 

Pair of Homer Glen 

players on current 

championship roster 

Brittany Kapa, Assistant Editor 

As the buzzer sounded 

concluding the final period 

of play, gloves, sticks and 

helmets flew into the air and 

landed scattering across the 

ice. Teammates hugged and 

cheered, and the Providence 

hockey team celebrated their 

win with family, friends and 

fans. 

On Feb. 21, the Providence 

hockey team hoisted 

the Kennedy Cup trophy after 

the team’s 6-2 win over 

Fenwick. Each player placed 

their lips on the smooth metal 

cup in celebration of the 

team’s victory. 

The Celtics took on the 

Friars at the Edge Ice Arena 

in Bensenville for the final 

game in the Chicago Catholic 

Hockey League’s Kennedy 

Cup series. The late 9:10 

p.m. start did not deter fans 

from cheering on the teams, 

some even donned pajamas. 

This is the second consecutive 

year the team has 

won the trophy, and its third 

in the last four years. Homer 

Glen residents Mike Massaro 

and Colin Kaminsky, 

both seniors and a forward 

and goalie, respectively, are 

part of this year’s team. 

With one win in the series 

against Fenwick, the team 

needed to come out fast and 

strong to gain momentum 

early, and that is exactly 

what it did. 

A strong start 

“I knew when we got 

those first couple [goals] that 

we were going to be all over 

them all game,” Ryan Iaciancio, 

Providence’s goalie, 

said. “We just had to keep up 

the pressure.” 

The Celtics pose with the trophy after knocking off 

Fenwick. 

Just three minutes into 

the first period Josh Mooncotch’s 

wrist shot, assisted 

by Jake Rott, found the top 

right corner of the net giving 

the team an early lead. 

Mooncotch’s good example 

created a domino effect, and 

throughout the next three 

periods Providence would 

find the back of the net frequently. 

Frankfort’s Dominic Borrelli 

was given the opportunity 

to play with the varsity 

team as a replacement for 

Cole Kaup who is injured. 

Borrelli proved himself after 

he won a face off to the 

left of Fenwick’s goalie and 

battled multiple players to 

net his first varsity goal just 

12:10 into the first period to 

give the team a 2-0 advantage. 

“It’s really cool,” Borrelli 

said about his experience 

playing in the game. “Coming 

up from [junior varsity] 

– everyone they wanted me 

here – and just proving to 

them that I can be part of the 

team is really nice.” 

Fenwick’s defenseman 

Louie Gomez took a low 

shot from the high slot, and 

teammate Luke Rohrbacher 

was able to re-direct the 

puck enough to sneak past 

a screened Iaciancio for the 

Friars’ first goal. 

The Celtics went into the 

second period strong, and 

Rott set the tone early on 

a powerplay goal – a back 

door shot off of a direct pass 

from Jake Vennetti. 

“It was cool scoring down 

here in front of the fans,” 

Rott said about the goal. “I 

had a couple [pucks] bounce 

off my stick in the beginning; 

I’m just glad that I got 

that one.” 

Soft ice conditions and a 

dangerously bouncy puck 

helped Providence out just 

two minutes later when 

Cam Cutler, assisted by 

Tom Dickason and Borrelli, 

stretched the lead to 4-1. 

Mokena’s Jake McConnell’s 

patience in the slot 

only added to the Celtics’ 

lead after a pass from Kevin 

Horan gave McConnell 

enough time to get a shot 

off and to score stick side 

on Fenwick’s goalie, Casey 

McCormick. 

McCormick faced 21 

shots before being pulled 

and replaced with Emmett 

McEnery. 

The sin bin 

It was after McConnell’s 

goal that Fenwick started to 

Providence goalie Colin Kaminsky (30), of Homer Glen, joins his team in celebration 

Feb. 21 at Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville after winning the Kennedy Cup. Photos by Adam 

Jomant/22nd Century Media 

get frustrated, chippy and 

then an onslaught of penalties 

on both sides filled the 

penalty box. 

Vennetti was called on a 

two minute charging infraction 

with 2:42 left in the 

second, and a 10-minute 

misconduct was added to the 

end of his minor penalty. 

“It takes you out of the 

game a little bit, especially 

coming into the third period 

and not playing a lot,” Vennetti 

said, who would not 

return until halfway through 

the third period. “It sucks, 

but we won.” 

Fenwick’s Jeremy Winkiel 

scored the team’s last goal 

on a wide open net after 

Iaciancio was out of position, 

making the score 5-2. 

Winkiel’s was called on a 

check from behind and a 

misconduct with 1:07 left in 

the period and would be out 

of action, like Vennetti, until 

more than half-way through 

the third period. 

The Friars’ Joe Ergastolo 

was called on a trip with just 

four seconds left in the period 

and joined Winkiel in the 

box for the first 1:56 in the 

third period. 

“We just had to play our 

game, and think of the big 

picture,” said Providence 

head coach Nick Iaciancio 

about the large number of 

penalties. “We had a lead, 

and the only way we thought 

they were going to get back 

in it is if we were constantly 

in the penalty box.” 

Mooncotch scored the last 

goal for Providence early in 

the third period on a 5-on-3 

power play with help from 

Horan and Rott. 

“They’re a chippy team, 

they’ve always been a chippy 

team,” Mooncotch said. 

“We played better today and 

not let them get in our heads. 

I think that had a big part of 

us winning this game.” 

Taking it all in 

“I finally get to breathe,” 

Nick said after the game was 

over. “I thought we played 

hard and pretty much stuck 

to the plan.” 

The celebration of the 

Kennedy Cup trophy lasted 

for about a week before 

Providence had to shift focus 

to the Amateur Hockey 

Association Illinois’ state 

playoff series. 

“This was big for us,” 

Ryan said. “This was one of 

our main goals coming into 

the season. The fact that we 

got this win today just proves 

that we can go to state, and 

we can win it.” 

The state competition 

eluded the team two seasons 

ago, and the rest of the team 

cannot wait to get back to the 

finals at the United Center to 

earn back that previous loss. 

“We played pretty good 

defense through all three 

series, so we’ll have to continue 

to do that,” Nick said 

about the team’s play in the 

Kennedy Cup playoffs. “It’s 

one and done the rest of the 

way. We really can’t afford 

to have a bad game.”

38 | March 2, 2017 | The Homer Horizon sports 


Porters cap undefeated season with state title 

Randy Whalen 


There is an old saying, “it 

takes a little more to make a 

champion.” 

Coming into this wrestling 

season, Lockport Township 

knew what it would take. 

Now, the Porters are state 

champions. 

Lockport completed its 

mission with a 33-20 victory 

over perennial power Montini 

in the Class 3A title match 

of the Illinois High School 

Association Dual Team State 

Finals Saturday, Feb. 25, at 

U.S. Cellular Coliseum in 

Bloomington. 

With their first state championship 

in the sport, the Porters 

(29-0) also completed an 

undefeated dual meet season. 

While they had their two closest 

matches of the season at 

state, no team came within 

single digits of them all season. 

In 20 of their 29 wins, 

they scored 51 or more points. 

“It feels great, and we 

knew coming into high 

school that this senior season 

would be special,” Lockport 

senior Trevell Timmons said. 

“We knew by senior year 

we’d find the right weights 

for everyone and mature into 

our bodies, and we became 

state champions.” 

The team state title for 

Timmons comes a week after 

he captured the Class 3A individual 

state championship 

at 160 pounds. That was the 

third straight state medal for 

Timmons, and he was one of 

seven Lockport placers in the 

individual tournament. 

“It’s awesome,” Timmons 

said of winning both. “I’ve 

worked real hard for it, and it 

came at the right time. I got 

an individual and a team title 

with the ones I love.” 

Fellow senior Abdullah 

Assaf, who placed second at 

132 pounds in Class 3A on 

Feb. 18, agreed. 

“This is amazing,” Assaf 

said. “We get to walk out of 

here as state champions as 

seniors. All of these kids are 

my brothers. We got to do it 

one last time before some of 

us go our separate ways after 

this. It was nice to have one 

last memory together. 

“We all pushed each other 

in the room, and we’ll never 

forget this. We felt like we 

were the best, trained like we 

were the best and we are the 

best.” 

The state championship is 

the 18th in Lockport athletic 

history, with 17 of those coming 

in the past 25 years. It 

also marks three straight state 

wrestling trophies for the 

Porters, who placed fourth 

in 2015 and were third last 

season. 

“So much has gone into 

this,” said Josh Oster, Lockport 

coach and a 2002 LTHS 

graduate. “All of the kids 

over the years and all of the 

alumni coming back to help. 

What [former head coach] 

Joe [Williams] built, we’ve 

been able to continue on in 

his legacy.” 

Montini (22-3) was a surprise 

opponent in the finals. 

Most thought that three-time 

defending state champion 

Oak Park/River Forest would 

advance to bid for a fourth 

straight championship. The 

Broncos, however, rallied 

with four straight wins down 

the stretch and beat OPRF 

29-26 in the quarterfinals and 

then dispatched Deerfield 41- 

27 in the semifinals. 

All Montini has done since 

2000 is win 13 state championships. 

While most of them 

did not come in the large 

school class, the Broncos — 

who won eight straight Class 

2A titles between 2008-2015, 

— were in position for another 

one. 

The Broncos started out 

well, too, with junior William 

Lockport’s Abdullah Assaf celebrates Friday, Feb. 24, 

following a quarterfinal match at U.S. Cellular Coliseum in 

Bloomington. Clark Brooks/Photonews Media 

Lewan registering a 15-6 major 

decision at 145 pounds 

and sophomore Jacob Stiles 

following that with a 4-0 win 

at 152 for an early 7-0 lead. 

But Lockport started its rally 

when Timmons got a 7-4 win 

at 160, Nick Dado won 12-5 

at 170 pounds and fellow senior 

Chandler Proszek gutted 

out a 4-2 win at 182 to put the 

Porters up for good at 9-7. 

Proszek’s win was not only 

big for the scoring, it epitomized 

the Porters’ team-first 

attitude. 

“We had two guys at one 

weight,” Oster said of 170 

pounds. “So Chandler went 

up a weight, and it’s great to 

see his leadership there.” 

With the state championship 

as the goal all season, 

Proszek was glad to do it. 

“[Oster] pulled me aside 

and told me about the sacrifices 

we had to make,” Proszek 

said. “I knew it, and [to 

win] is the greatest feeling. 

We were loose and ready. We 

wanted to have fun, but we 

knew what the goal was and 

we finally got it.” 

The stretch that locked it 

up for Lockport came next. 

That was a trio of pins by 

senior Payton Fernandes (in 

1:45 at 195), Yousif Salah 

(in 2:38 at 220) and Ronald 

Tucker (in 2:50 at 285) to 

propel the Porters to a 27-7 

advantage. 

“This feels great and 

means a lot to us,” Fernandes 

said. “We executed everything 

perfectly, just like we 

needed to. Those three pins 

definitely sealed the deal and 

were great. I just wanted to 

get him to the mat as quickly 

as I could and get it over 

with. 

“We weren’t afraid of any 

other teams that were here. 

Most of us seniors came from 

the Homer [Jr. High state 

champion] team. We were 

all very close on and off the 

mat.” 

As happened throughout 

the season, Lockport’s upperweights 

came through. 

“Looking at everything, we 

knew that we had to get some 

points up top because they’re 

so good down low,” Oster 

said of the matchup with 

Montini. “Sometimes, you 

have to take what’s given to 

you, and three upperweights 

did their jobs and got pins.” 

Montini got wins from 

freshman Dylan Ragusin (6-2 

at 106), junior Joseph Melendez 

(18-8 major at 113) and 

junior Real Woods (11-4 at 

120) to close within 27-17. 

But senior Brendan Ramsey 

(14-7 at 126) clinched the 

state title with a big win. 

While Assaf was edged by 

freshman Fidel Mayora (8-6 

at 132) in his last high school 

match, it did not matter much 

at that point. 

“It was a bittersweet ending 

to my individual season,” 

Assaf said. “But this wasn’t 

an individual thing. We all 

love each other, and it was a 

family thing.” 

Senior Brandon Ramos 

capped it off with an 8-4 victory 

at 138 in the finale. 

“After going to state for 

four years and not placing 

and then finishing my season 

with this and a win, it’s something 

that I’ve been dreaming 

about since my freshman 

year,” Ramos said. “I’m so 

happy. We’re a family, and 

we deserved this. None of us 

were worried from the start 

since we knew that we were 

going to beat them.” 

In the semifinals, Lockport 

defeated fellow South- 

West Suburban Conference 

foe Lincoln-Way West 50-9. 

Assaf (pin in 2:31 at 138), 

Brandon Ramos (4-2 at 145), 

sophomore Baylor Fernandes 

(pin in 3:09 at 152), Timmons 

(19-6 major decision at 160), 

Dado (7-1 win at 170), Payton 

Fernandes (3-2 win 195) 

and Salah (3-0 win at 195) 

all won as the Porters jumped 

out to a 28-0 lead. Senior 

Jake Dudeck (pin in 1:23 at 

220) got the Warriors on the 

board as he registered one of 

his three pins on the day. 

Tucker (9-1 major decision 

at 285), sophomore Matt 

Ramos (12-2 major decision 

at 106), sophomore Anthony 

Molton (pin in 3:32 at 113), 

freshman James Pierandozzi 

(21-6 tech. fall at 120) and 

sophomore Matt Kronsbein 

(9-6 at 126) also added wins 

for Lockport before junior 

Nate Dluzak (4-3 at 132) 

won the finale for West (24- 

4), which defeated Deerfield 

39-15 for third place. 

The Porters faced a tough 

Marmion Academy team in 

the quarterfinals and had to 

rally for a 33-22 win. The 

Cadets (19-3) took a 19- 

14 lead with five matches 

remaining, but Lockport 

responded by winning the 

next four matches. 

Tucker had a crucial pin at 

the 4:42 mark to turn a close 

match into six points and give 

Lockport the lead for good. 

Matt Ramos followed that 

up with another third-period 

pin — this one in 5:27 at 106. 

Molton (5-1 at 113) and Pierandozzi 

(16-7 major decision 

at 120) then got big wins 

to clinch it. 

Also getting wins for the 

Porters in the quarterfinals 

was Assaf (5-3 at 132) in the 

opener, Baylor Fernandes 

(3-1 at 145), Timmons (23-7 

tech fall at 160), and Proszek 

(9-5 at 170) won for a 14-7 

lead. 

In the sectional, which was 

held Feb. 21 at Mahomet- 

Seymour, Lockport defeated 

Edwardsville 40-19. 

But years from now what 

will always be remembered is 

the title win over Montini and 

the way this veteran group of 

Porters came together to go 

out as state champions. Dalton 

Dwyer, Mike Scurlock, 

and Dan Stojsavljevic round 

out the Lockport seniors. 

“I’m really happy that we 

got to wrestle Montini since 

they have a great program,” 

Oster said. “[Montini coach] 

Izzy [Martinez] gets his kids 

to wrestle hard and they have 

fun. It was a good, fun atmosphere. 

“This was a special group. 

Our seniors have been successful 

for so long.”



fastbreak 

Boys Basketball 

Porters drop senior night finale to Griffins 

1st and 3 

Carlos Alvarez/ 

22nd Century Media 

Trio of Lockport 

boys swimmers 

represent team at 

state finals 

1. Porters in the pool 

The LTHS boys 

swimming team sent 

two swimmers and a 

diver to the state finals 

Friday, Feb. 24 and 

Saturday, Feb. 25, at 

New Trier High School. 

Josh Lantow took 

part in the 500- and 

200-yard freestyles, 

while Wrigley Fields 

competed in diving 

and Jack O’Connor 

swam in the 200 

individual medley. 

2. Led by Lantow 

Lantow took eighth in 

the 200 free and 11th 

in the 500 free. 

3. Sophomores gain 

experience 

Sophomore Fields 

placed 28th out of 

48 in the 1-meter 

diving prelims, totaling 

a score of 183.40. 

Sophomore O’Connor 

placed 37th out of 42 

swimmers in the 200 

individual medley with 

a 1:58.35. 

Comeback falls 

short versus 

balanced Lincoln- 

Way East squad 

Randy Whalen 


In its second season as a 

varsity basketball team in 

2002-2003, Lincoln-Way 

East won 19 games. 

Though some members 

of this season’s team were 

toddlers at the time, in the 

final game of the regular season, 

this group of Griffins 

matched that victory total. 

Led by a balanced scoring 

attack, East jumped out to a 

big early lead and held off 

Lockport 61-50 in the final 

SouthWest Suburban Conference 

Blue Division game for 

both teams Feb. 21 at Lockport. 

Sam Shafer (17 points), 

Dorian Aluyi, (16 points) 

and Max Shafer (15 points, 

6 rebounds) led the charge 

for East (19-10, 6-4), which 

clinched second place in the 

SWSC Blue and was coming 

off its huge 65-64 win Feb. 

17 over top-ranked Bolingbrook. 

Lockport (11-15, 2-8), 

which was celebrating senior 

night, was paced by senior 

forward Christian Schultz 

(career-high 17 points, 4 rebounds), 

senior guard Matt 

Smietanski (16 points, 4 rebounds) 

and junior center 

John Meyer (10 points). All 

of the Porters’ losses have 

been to teams with 17 or 

more victories. 

“We wanted to come out 

and play strong,” said Max, 

a senior forward. “[Lockport] 

was a trap game, but we’re 

just trying to put it together 

one game at a time. We’re not 

looking ahead. We just play 

resilient and don’t give up.” 

That was true in the game 

against the Porters but also in 

the season. 

“It’s been quite the process,” 

East coach Rich Kolimas 

said of the season. “We 

were very young last year 

[going 7-19], but getting a 

guy like Dorian [who was 

at Lincoln-Way North High 

School], with his savvy, his 

presence on the floor for us, 

just demands respect from 

other teams. 

“The guys have accepted 

their roles. We’ve shared the 

ball and played unselfish. 

That’s been a key to our success 

and a trademark to the 

season.” 

In last week’s game, Schultz 

— a forward and one of the 

five seniors in the Lockport 

starting lineup — scored the 

first three points in the opening 

minute. The rest of the 

first quarter belonged to the 

Griffins, as they scored the 

next seven points and took 

the lead for good. 

Ahead 11-8, Max hit backto-back 

shots — including 

his second 3-pointer of the 

quarter — in a 12-0 run over 

the final 2:14. Both Shafer 

brothers had eight points each 

“They are great people. ... They’re 

A-plus kids, and a great example 

for the community.” 

Brett Hespell — LTHS basketball coach, on the 

seven seniors on this year’s team 

in the opening period as East 

led 23-8 after one quarter. 

“We shared the ball, and 

my brother and I have been 

playing together forever, so 

we know what each other is 

going to do,” Max said. “[The 

Porters] weren’t playing up on 

me and leaving me the open 

shot. I took it personally and 

knocked them down.” 

Usually, Max is the defensive-minded 

player for East. 

But his scoring helped compliment 

his brother, who is a 

junior guard, and Aluyi, who 

is a senior forward. 

Junior guard Zach Parduhn 

(5 points) scored four points 

for East to start the second 

quarter and keep the lead at 

15 in the first couple of minutes. 

But boosted by a slam 

that turned into a 3-point play 

from Schultz and a trio of layups 

by Meyer, the Porters 

closed within 33-23 at halftime. 

Meyer added a pair of 

free throws to open the second 

half and close Lockport 

within eight. But the Griffins 

regrouped and led 44- 

31 after three. Senior guard 

Patrick Cooper connected 

on a 3-pointer, and Smietanski, 

who had eight points in 

the fourth quarter, made an 

old-fashioned 3-point play to 

close the Porters within 44- 

37 with 6:58 left in the game. 

That would be the first of 

four occasions that Lockport 

narrowed the lead to seven. 

After having other opportunities, 

they finally closed 

within five points twice in the 

final 66 seconds. The second 

time was at 55-50 on a layup 

by Smietanski with 50 seconds 

to play. 

Aluyi, however, capped 

the victory in style by hitting 

two free throws and following 

that up by taking an alleyoop 

pass from Sam for a slam 

with 35 seconds remaining. 

Junior guard Joey Buggemi 

(6 points) added a pair of free 

throws for the final margin, 

as East swept a pair of games 

from the Porters for the first 

time since the 2004-2005 

season. 

The loss was the eighth of 

the past nine games for Lockport, 

and six of those losses 

were in rugged SWSC Blue 

play. 

“They made shots, and 

we can’t fall behind 23-8,” 

Lockport coach Brett Hespell 

said. “Credit to [Max]; he 

made open shots, and those 

[East] guys are good. But we 

made too many turnovers [17 

in the game] and gave up 11 

second-chance points in the 

third quarter. 

“But Christian Schultz had 

his best game in a long time. 

For him to step up was fantastic.” 

Hespell, in his second season 

as Lockport coach, will 

miss his seven seniors. They 

are Cooper, Ben Davis, Andrew 

Flanagan, Matt Medina, 

Schultz, Smietanski and 

Chase Travis. 

“They are great people,” 

Hespell said. “They did things 

like make videos for our Porters 

vs. Cancer night [Feb. 3 

against Bolingbrook], and that 

got a lot of our younger students 

excited. They’re A-plus 

kids, and a great example for 

the community.” 

Postseason play opened 

this week, with both the 

Griffins and Lockport in the 

Class 4A Lincoln-Way East 

Sectional. 

The No. 6-seeded Griffins 

may very well meet the Porters 

in back-to-back games, 

as both teams are at the Joliet 

Central Regional. If No. 11- 

seed Lockport defeated No. 

22-seeded Plainfield South 

Monday, Feb. 27, it would 

face the Griffins at 7 p.m. 

Wednesday, March 1. 

The winner of that would 

likely play the No. 3 seed and 

host Joliet Central Friday, 

March 3, in the regional title 

game. 

LISTEN UP 

“Closing strong is what I usually try to 

focus on to close out the race and beat 

guys to the finish.” 

Josh Lantow — Porters boys swimmer, on his approach and what led 

to his success at state 

Tune In 

Boys Track and Field 

Off and running — 4 p.m. Friday, March 3, at 

Homewood-Flossmoor 

• The Lockport boys track and field team looks for a 

speedy start at a road invite. 

Index 

35 - Athlete of the Week 

35 - This Week In 

FASTBREAK is compiled by Editor Thomas Czaja, tom@ 

homerhorizon.com.

homer glen’s Hometown Newspaper | www.homerhorizon.com | March 2, 2017 

Icing the cup 

Celtics take care of business in Kennedy Cup Finals, Page 37 

Wading into competitive waters 

LTHS boys swimming sends three to state, Page 36 

Lockport wrestling team finishes historic season with state championship, unblemished record, Page 38 

Abdullah Assaf (middle) hoists the state championship trophy Saturday, Feb. 25, while Dan Stojsavljevic (left), Brandon Ramos (second from right) and Ronald Tucker (right) look on 

after the Porters defeated Montini in the dual team finals at U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington. Clark Brooks/Photonews Media

HH_030217

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