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2018 BALLOT INSIDE THIS ISSUE 

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mokena’s Award-Winning Hometown Newspaper mokenamessenger.com • February 8, 2018 • Vol. 11 No. 26 • $1 

A 

® 

Publication 

,LLC 

Staying 

connected State 

Rep. Margo McDermed 

hosts senior technology 

class, Page 4 

Mokena Community Park 

District’s Critter Class finishes 

tortoise lessons, Page 3 

Building 

self-confidence 

Nova Quarter Horses 

teaches children 

confidence skills, Page 5 

Making the 

grade 

Local students receive 

academic recognition, 

Page 8 

Mortoise, an African spurred tortoise who is believed to be more than 20 years old, takes a bite out of a leafy green. 

His diet consists mostly of vegetables like the lettuce and carrots the Mokena Community Park District Critter Class 

participants got to feed him on Jan. 31. Amanda Stoll/22nd Century Media 

HIGH YIELD 

Savings Account 

1.10 % for balances 

of $5,000 

APY* or more 

*Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is current as of 1/31/2018 and is subject to 

change at any time; $250 minimum to open Savings Account; Balances of 

$250-4,999.99 earn 0.15% APY; Balances of $5,000 or more earn 1.10% APY; 

Fees could reduce earnings if balance drops below $250. 

www.LWCBank.com 

HIGH YIELD 

13-month CD 

1.55 % $5,000 

Minimum 

APY** 

Balance 

**Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 1/31/2018 

and is subject to change at any time; Minimum deposit to receive 

APY is$5,000; Apenalty may beimposed for early withdrawal. 

MOKENA 19102 S.88th Ave. • 708-326-8300 ■ NEW LENOX US30 at Marley Rd. • 815-462-4300

2 | February 8, 2018 | The Mokena Messenger calendar 

mokenamessenger.com 

In this week’s 

Messenger 

Police Reports................11 

Pet of the Week.............11 

Editorial........................17 

Faith Briefs....................20 

Puzzles..........................28 

Classifieds................ 32-40 

The Mokena 

Messenger 

ph: 708.326.9170 fx: 708.326.9179 

Editor 

TJ Kremer III, x29 

tj@mokenamessenger.com 

assistant editor 

Amanda Stoll, x34 

a.stoll@22ndcenturymedia.com 

Sales director 

Lora Healy, x31 

l.healy@22ndcenturymedia.com 

real estate sales 

Tricia Weber, x47 

t.weber@22ndcenturymedia.com 

Classified Sales 

Kellie Tschopp, x23 

k.tschopp@malibusurfsidenews.com 

Recruitment Advertising 

Jess Nemec, x46 

j.nemec@22ndcenturymedia.com 

Legal Notices 

Jeff Schouten, x51 

j.schouten@22ndcenturymedia.com 

PUBLISHER 

Joe Coughlin 847.272.4565, x16 

j.coughlin@22ndcenturymedia.com 

Managing Editor 

Bill Jones, x20 

bill@opprairie.com 

president 

Andrew Nicks 

a.nicks@22ndcenturymedia.com 

EDITORIAL DESIGN DIRECTOR 

Nancy Burgan, x30 

n.burgan@22ndcenturymedia.com 

22 nd Century Media 

11516 West 183rd Street 

Unit SW Office Condo #3 

Orland Park, IL 60467 

www.MokenaMessenger.com 

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circulation@22ndcenturymedia.com 

The Mokena Messenger (USPS #025404) is 

published weekly by 22nd Century Media, LLC, 

328 E Lincoln Hwy New Lenox, IL 60451. 

Periodical postage paid at New Lenox, IL 

and additional mailing offices. 

POSTMASTER: Send changes to: 

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Published by 

www.22ndcenturymedia.com 

Amanda Stoll 


FRIDAY 

MOMS Club 

10 a.m. Feb. 9, Mokena 

Public Library, 11327 195th 

St., Mokena. Join MOMS 

Club of New Lenox, including 

Mokena, Manhattan, and 

Wilton Center. All ages are 

welcome. There is no cost to 

attend. Bring your children; 

there will be a fun Valentine’s 

Day craft to do. This is a great 

way to meet other moms in 

the area and for your children 

to meet other children. For 

more information, visit www. 

MomsClubNewLenox.com 

or www.momsclub.org or 

email momsclubnewlenox@ 

yahoo.com. 

St. Anthony WOW 

7 p.m. Feb. 9, Frankfort 

Township Building, 11000 

W. Lincoln Highway (Rte. 

30), Frankfort. Join St. Anthony 

WOW, a non-denominational 

social group for 

Widows or Widowers for a 

short meeting with entertainment 

and refreshments. New 

faces are welcome. Enter 

through the back of the building. 

For more information, 

call Mary at (815) 469-4351 

or Bill at (708) 478-6118. 

Valentine’s Day Ride 

and Dinner 

7-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9; 4-6 

p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10; and 

6:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 

10, Nova Quarter Horses, 

10129 W. 187th St., Mokena. 

Grab your special someone 

and join us for an evening riding 

lesson followed by a delicious 

Italian dinner. The menu 

will consist of an Italian entrée, 

salad, rolls and a beverage. 

Let Nova be that special place 

you take your special someone 

this Valentine’s Day. $75 per 

couple and $20 per additional 

rider. The Friday and Saturday 

evening classes are for adults 

only. The Saturday afternoon 

class is a family class. For 

more information and registration, 

call (708) 479-3696. 

SATURDAY 

Zumba Demo Class 

Deadline to register is 

Feb. 10. Demo class will be 

held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. 

Monday, Feb. 12, The Oaks 

Recreation & Fitness Center, 

10847 W. La Porte Road, 

Mokena. Zumba is a dynamic 

class that combines Latin 

rhythms and easy to follow 

moves to create an exhilarating, 

whole-body workout. 

Classes for participants ages 

16 and older. For more information 

and registration, 

call (708) 390-2343 or visit 

www.mokenapark.com. 

Cupid’s Floats 

10 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 10, 

Old Plank Trail Community 

Bank, 20012 Wolf Rd., 

Mokena. Join Old Plank 

Trail Community Bank for a 

special holiday treat as they 

celebrate Valentine’s Day. 

They will be serving refreshing 

Cupid’s Floats and having 

holiday themed crafts for 

the kids to enjoy. Visit www. 

oldplanktrailbank.com to 

find a Valentine’s Day coloring 

sheet to bring to the bank 

for a special treat. 

SUNDAY 

Winter Work Day 

8 a.m.-noon Feb. 11, 

Hickory Creek Preserve–La- 

Porte Road Access, 10537 

W. La Porte Road, Mokena. 

The Forest Preserve District 

of Will County’s network of 

volunteers will be pitching in 

this winter to help improve 

the preserves. If you love nature 

and you want to help the 

environment, consider joining 

them by signing up for a 

resource management workday. 

A District representative 

will be there to coordinate 

the day’s activities. Registration 

is required. To register, 

call (815) 722-7364 or email 

rgauchat@fpdwc.org. 

MONDAY 

Mokena Women’s Club 

6:30 p.m. Feb. 12, Mokena 

Community Public Library, 

11327 W. 195th St., 

Mokena. The speaker will 

talk about Mokena’s historical 

Pioneer Cemetery. Light 

refreshments will be served. 

UPCOMING 

STRONG by Zumba 

Demo Class 

9-10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 

17, The Oaks Recreation & 

Fitness Center, 10847 W. 

La Porte Road, Mokena. 

STRONG by Zumba is not a 

dance class. This new HIITstyle 

(high intensity interval 

training) class also uses the 

science of synced music motivation 

to improve all aspects 

of fitness including strength, 

stamina, cardio power, mobility 

and balance. Classes 

for ages 16 and older. Space 

is limited, and preregistration 

is recommended. For more 

information and registration, 

call (708) 390-2343 or visit 

www.mokenapark.com. 

Yoga Nidra Workshop 

11:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m. Sunday, 

Feb. 18, The Oaks Recreation 

& Fitness Center, 10847 

La Porte Road, Mokena. Release 

the stress that accumulates 

during the hectic work 

week. Yoga Nidra or yogic 

sleep is a stage in which the 

body is completely relaxed, 

and the practitioner becomes 

increasingly aware of the inner 

world by following a set 

of verbal instructions. This is 

different than meditation. The 

workshop will start with gentle 

yin yoga poses followed by restorative 

poses leaving you full 

of peace and relaxed and ready 

for a restorative sleep. Essential 

oils will also be discussed. 

Participants should bring a 

blanket, small pillow and wear 

comfortable attire. Class is for 

ages 16 and older. Registration 

cost is $21 before Feb. 15. For 

more information and registration, 

call (708) 390-2343 or 

visit www.mokenapark.com. 

Senior Driving Seminar 

10 a.m.-noon Tuesday, 

Feb. 20, New Lenox Library, 

120 Veterans Parkway, New 

Lenox. State Representative 

Margo McDermed will provide 

four senior driving seminars 

over the course of the 

year for older drivers looking 

to refresh their memory 

of the written driving test, a 

necessary step to renewing 

their license. Each two-hour 

seminar will be taught by an 

instructor from the Secretary 

of State’s Office. The seminar 

will cover an overview of 

the contents of the Rules of 

the Road booklet and include 

a sample test. The seminars 

are offered free of charge. 

For more information and to 

RSVP, call (815) 277-2079. 

Board of Education Meeting 

7-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, 

Feb. 21, Board Room, Mokena 

Elementary School, 

11244 Willow Crest Lane, 

Mokena. The Mokena Board 

of Education meets the third 

Wednesday of each month. 

For more information and 

meeting agendas, visit www. 

mokena159.org. 

ONGOING 

Mokena Woman’s Club 

Scholarships 

Applications must be postmarked 

by March 15. Graduating 

Mokena high school 

students pursuing higher education 

are eligible to apply for 

the FRWC Mokena Woman’s 

Club Scholarships. The funds 

for the scholarships were 

raised at the Club’s 44th Annual 

Holli-Daze Arts and 

Crafts Show which is the 

Club’s major fund raiser and 

a year-round project. Over 

the past 55 years, the Club 

has awarded 210 scholarships 

totaling more than 

$143,000. The application 

is available at Lincoln-Way 

East High School, Lincoln- 

Way Central High School 

and Providence Catholic 

High School as well as at the 

Mokena and Frankfort Public 

Libraries for other students. 

Submit the completed application, 

an official transcript, 

a letter of career goals, and 

a letter of recommendation 

to GFWC Mokena Woman’s 

Club, Scholarship Committee, 

P.O. Box 1008, Mokena. 

Chorale Scholarships 

Applications must be submitted 

to the school counselor 

by March 8. To meet its mission 

of enriching and enhancing 

musical opportunities in 

the community, Lincoln-Way 

Area Chorale will be awarding 

a scholarship to one senior 

student from each of the 

Lincoln-Way High Schools. 

The student must be planning 

on majoring in vocal performance, 

vocal education, 

or musical theater in the fall 

semester of 2018. Qualifying 

students should see their 

school counselor or music 

teacher for the application. 

Lincoln-Way Half Marathon 

Registration is open for 

the 2nd Annual Lincoln-Way 

Half Marathon. Race will 

be at 7 a.m. Sunday, April 

22 and will begin at Breidert 

Green, 123 Kansas St., 

Frankfort. After 2.7 miles of 

running on the scenic, treelined 

Old Plank Trail, runners 

will turn off into the 

Hickory Creek Forest Preserve. 

The rolling hills of the 

forest preserve will provide 

a picturesque tour as they 

reach the halfway and turnaround 

point in the race. 

Current registration cost is 

$70. Volunteers are being 

sought for the race as well. 

For volunteer sign-up and 

race registration, visit lincol 

nwayhalfmarathon.com. 

To submit an item to the 

printed calendar, contact 

Amanda Stoll at (708) 

326-9170 ext. 34, or email 

a.stoll@22ndcenturymedia. 

com. Deadline is noon 

Thursdays one week prior to 

publication.

mokenamessenger.com news 

the Mokena Messenger | February 8, 2018 | 3 

Critter Class wraps up turtles, tortoises unit 

Amanda Stoll, Assistant Editor 

What is the difference between 

a turtle and a tortoise? 

This was the central question 

for the Mokena Community 

Park District’s Critter 

Class this time around. 

During the four-week unit 

with Crosstown Exotics, 

which culminated Jan. 31 

with a visit from Mortoise 

the Tortoise, a group of children 

got to encounter the 

reptiles up close. 

While turtles are semiaquatic 

or full-time water 

dwelling reptiles, tortoises 

mostly prefer their time spent 

on land. Some have differences 

in their eating habits, as 

well, with tortoises preferring 

an all plant diet and turtles 

eating an omnivorous diet. 

Last week’s star of the 

show was Mortoise, a 20- to 

25-year-old African spurred 

tortoise, also known as a sulcata. 

Other critters that made 

an entrance were Tank, a 

22-year-old sulcata, Tut, a 

9-year-old leopard tortoise, 

and the very tiny Ego, a 

baby Burmese mountain tortoise 

who hatched just last 

August. 

The class is taught by Colin 

Langenderfer and Mike 

Levins, who own Crosstown 

Exotics. Between the two 

of them, they own dozens 

of animals that they use for 

their educational programs, 

including birthday parties and 

appearances at park districts 

and children’s museums in 

the area. 

Mortoise even got a taste 

of the spotlight during an episode 

of “Chicago Fire,” where 

Langenderfer said he had his 

own trailer and a stunt double. 

Silliness of tortoise acting 

stars aside, the children at the 

MCPD’s class were delighted 

to meet all of the creatures 

and got to feed them as much 

lettuce and carrots as they 

wanted. 

Safety of both the children 

and the animals is taught 

hand-in-hand with the reptilian 

knowledge, and Levins 

said it is especially important 

during feeding time. 

“No petting the face typically, 

or when you’re feeding 

it to watch your fingers,” 

Levins said. “...They’re not 

trying to bite you to bite you, 

they’re like, ‘Hey, it’s a carrot’ 

and then chomp, chomp, 

chomp. And, We don’t want 

accidents to happen.” 

He said having the children 

sit calmly while being 

introduced to the animal and 

allowing the animal a chance 

to get used to them, as well, is 

important. The tortoises like 

Mortoise are pretty easygoing, 

but some can get scared 

by all the commotion. 

Upcoming Critter Classes 

will include a unit on snakes, 

featuring boas and pythons, 

as well as native species, 

hopefully followed by a unit 

on insects. 

Most of the animals that 

Langenderfer and Levins own 

and care for have been given 

to them by people who either 

couldn’t take care of them 

anymore, didn’t want them 

or were unaware of how large 

they would get and didn’t 

have the space for them. 

“We don’t claim to be a 

sanctuary,” Langenderfer 

said, “but when you have animals, 

people are like, ‘You’re 

Please see tortoise, 11 

Emma Moses feeds some lettuce to Mortoise the tortoise. 

An African spurred tortoise can live for more than 75 years 

and can weigh upwards of 100 pounds. 

Amanda Stoll/22nd Century Media 

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4 | February 8, 2018 | The Mokena Messenger news 


Seniors take on technology during McDermed, AT&T seminar 


We live in a time where 

technology is ubiquitous, 

and those without access to 

it are being more and more 

left behind. 

To combat some of the 

confusion, and sometimes 

even fear, that can come 

with new technology, State 

Rep. Margo McDermed 

sponsored a second senior 

technology seminar Thursday, 

Feb. 1. AT&T representatives 

assisted seniors with 

their devices and answered 

questions ranging from privacy 

settings to software 

updates. 

“It’s really important for 

seniors to be able to comfortably 

utilize all the technology 

and tools that are 

out there for them to keep 

them connected, to keep 

them safe, and to improve 

the quality of life and fun 

and connection with family,” 

McDermed said. “So, 

we don’t want people to be 

intimidated by it. We don’t 

want people to be bullied 

or taken advantage of when 

they’re using their technology. 

We want it to be a fun 

connection for them.” 

Many families, including 

McDermed’s, are spread 

across the country, or even 

the world, and McDermed 

said technology and social 

media are great tools for 

people to use to stay connected 

with the ones they 

love. 

“Grandma and grandpa 

can be part of their grandchildren’s 

lives with Skype, 

with Instagram [and] with 

some of the other technologies 

that are available to 

us,” she said. 

In addition to helping seniors 

stay connected, Mc- 

Dermed noted how using 

mobile banking and bill pay 

can help seniors during the 

winter months. 

Freezing temperatures 

and icy surfaces can put 

people at risk for falls during 

the cold season, and seniors 

are at an increased risk 

for serious injury from such 

a fall. 

“These are all things that 

make your life simpler and 

easier and more convenient,” 

McDermed said, “So 

to be able to use those fearlessly 

is a big advantage.” 

One of the most talked 

about topics was social media, 

and Jeff Adducci, director 

of external affairs at 

AT&T, said didn’t surprise 

him. 

“We’re seeing that seniors 

are connecting with their 

families through social media 

[and] connecting with 

their friends through social 

media,” Adducci said. 

While sites and apps such 

as Facebook, Instagram 

and Snapchat are great at 

helping keep seniors from 

feeling isolated, especially 

those with limited mobility, 

Adducci discussed the importance 

of online security 

and demonstrated how to 

use the privacy settings on 

popular sites. 

Most, if not all, of the 

seniors at the seminar were 

well-versed on phone and 

email scams going, but 

Adducci said it is always 

good for them to get updates 

on new techniques 

being used by criminals to 

steal personal and financial 

information. 

“Scammers have new 

scams coming out every 

day so we were just talking 

about some of the ones that 

they were experiencing,” 

Adducci said. 

Adducci said more than 

60 percent of seniors are 

using some form of technology 

to get online. 

“I think it’s important that 

they use it, but they need to 

be comfortable with it,” Adducci 

said. 

Senior Driving Seminars 

Seniors will get a chance 

Carol Winemiller (left), of Homewood, and Judy Totosz, of Frankfort, update the privacy settings on their Facebook 

accounts during the Senior Technology Seminar hosted by State Rep. Margo McDermed’s office Thursday, Feb. 1, at the 

Frankfort Township building. Photos by Amanda Stoll/22nd Century Media 

to review the rules of the 

road before taking their 

driver’s license renewal 

test. Instructors are from the 

Secretary of State’s Office, 

and participants will be provided 

with a study book and 

a sample test during these 

free seminars. For more information 

and registration, 

call (815) 277-2079. 

• 10 a.m.-noon Feb. 20, 

New Lenox Public Library, 

120 Veterans Parkway, New 

Lenox. 

• 10 a.m.-noon May 22, 

Parker Road Bible Church, 

18512 Parker Road, Mokena. 

• 10 a.m.-noon Aug. 21, 

Frankfort Police Station, 

2002 Lincoln-Way Lane, 

Frankfort. 

• 10 a.m.-noon Nov. 13, 

Pipefitters Hall, 10850 W. 

187th St., Mokena. 

Jeff Adducci, director of external affairs at AT&T, helps Monee resident Pete Rogers update 

his laptop software during the seminar.



Horse-sized boost of confidence 

Nova Quarter Horses 

holds first selfconfidence 

boosting 

class for children 

T.J. Kremer III, Editor 

Children are increasingly 

spending time with internet 

connected devices, which 

may be a factor in an overall 

decrease in self-confidence 

because of a lack of personal 

interactions, according to 

Nova Quarter Horses owner 

Lorri Ebeling. 

Ebeling said she’s noticed 

children are more likely now 

than in the past to avoid eye 

contact, hide behind their 

parents and generally show 

more signs of shyness when 

they come for riding lessons. 

So, she decided it would 

be a good idea for Nova 

Quarter Horses to hold a 

self-confidence building 

class Sunday, Feb. 4. 

Around a dozen children 

ages 6-10 showed up for 

the first of its kind class, a 

decent turnout for children 

who are dealing with confidence 

issues. 

The class was led by Kathleen 

Carlson, MSW, LCSW, 

BCD therapist and owner of 

Equine Pathways to Change, 

who led the children through 

several individual and team 

confidence building exercises 

designed to bring out their 

strengths. 

“It wasn’t a teaching experience. 

That’s not what 

this is about,” Carlson said. 

“This is about encouragement 

and support. Like I said 

to the kids, ‘You’ve got a lot 

of tools; you probably don’t 

even know you have them. 

I want you to leave here today 

knowing that you’ve got 

a lot of good things inside 

you.’ 

“You saw the delight and 

the confidence when they 

figured it out. And that’s 

what I was going for. It 

wasn’t about, ‘Oh, everybody’s 

got to accomplish the 

task.’ It was about the trying.” 

The day began with some 

icebreakers to get the children 

to know each other and 

warm up to the idea of working 

both independently and 

with a team to try to accomplish 

tasks, such as getting a 

horse to lift its hooves so the 

children could clean them, 

and leading a horse through 

an obstacle course. 

“The child and their team 

member each had to go 

through the course the way 

it was demonstrated by using 

just a piece of ribbon or 

piece of string, to either put 

around the horse’s — they 

could do it any way they 

wanted to do it,” Ebeling 

said. “A lot put the string 

around the neck, some put it 

around the halter, so it was 

diverse; there was no wrong 

way of doing it. Everyone 

cheered each other on. 

There the teamwork came 

in, which, of course, builds 

more confidence.” 

At the conclusion of the 

class, Carlson encouraged 

children to talk about their 

own struggles with selfconfidence 

and apply what 

they learned in other areas of 

their lives. 

“To just have this be an 

isolated experience is useless,” 

Carlson said. 

The children were each 

given journals so they could 

write down their experiences 

in building self-confidence 

and what they took away 

from the class so that they 

could continue to apply the 

lessons learned. 

Ebeling said that although 

there are no immediate dates 

set for future self-confidence 

building classes, she is definitely 

interested in offering 

more in the future. 

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OIL CHANGE 

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Nova Quarter Horses owner Lorri Ebeling (center) instructs children on a task to clean a horse’s hooves Sunday, Feb. 4. 

The self-confidence building class was designed to give children ages 6-10 a boost in their confidence by having them 

perform individual and team tasks. T.J. Kremer III/22nd Century Media

6 | February 8, 2018 | The Mokena Messenger mokena 


15 TH ANNUAL 

wellness 

FRANKFORT 

fair 

SATURDAY 

FEBRUARY24 

8:00AM-11:00AM 

Founders Center,140 Oak St. 

Downtown Frankfort 

Raffle 

Prizes 

FREE 

5-minute 

Chair 

Massages 

performedby 

2therapists 

FREE 

Health 

Screenings 

FREE 

FREE Health Screenings 

• Blood Glucose (8-12 hrs. fasting optional) 

• Blood Oxygen 

• Blood Pressure 

• Body Mass Index 

• Bone Density (Osteoporosis) 

• Pulmonary (Spirometry) 

• Hepatitis C (for baby boomers) 

• Injury Screenings 

(performed by METT Therapy Services) 

Diabetes 

Awareness& 

Vision 

Screening Info 

providedby 

the Frankfort 

Lions Club 

Giveaways &Refreshments 

Wellness Fair Education 

• Heart and Vascular Institute 

• EHAC: Early Heart Attack Care 

• Advanced Heart Failure Center 

• Comprehensive Cancer Institute 

• The Latest Lung, Colon and 

Breast Cancer Modalities 

presented by Nurse Navigators 

Ann Cuvala and Terri Foelsch 

• Breast Health &Wellness Center 

• International Travel Medicine 

KanayoK.Odeluga, MD, Occupational Medicine 

Medical Director, Franciscan Working Well 

• Franciscan Physician Network 

• Specialty Physicians of Illinois, LLC 

• Franciscan Home Health Care 

• Franciscan Health Diabetes Center 

• Ask the Physician 

Tonja Austin, MD, Family Medicine 

Franciscan Physician Network 

Hakeem Jibawi, DO, Cardiac Electrophysiology 

Specialty Physicians of Illinois, LLC 

• Rehabilitation Services 

• Joint Program 

• Occupational, Physical and Sports Therapy 

• VITAS Hospice Care 

FREE 

Informational Seminars 

Hands-Only CPR Class 

presented by the Franciscan Health Chest Pain Center Committee 

Heart Health Guidelines Class 

presented by the SPI Advanced HeartFailure Clinic Care Team 

REGISTER TODAY! CALL 1-866-790-2229 or visit FranciscanHealth.org 

FRANKFORT

mokenamessenger.com mokena 


WE COMPLETELY 

AGREE … 

Deb 

W I N T E R 

SUCKS! 

We’ll find you a 

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8 | February 8, 2018 | The Mokena Messenger school 


Mokena college 

students recognized for 

academic excellence 

Staff Report 

Parents, family, friends 

and former teachers have a 

lot to be proud of from the 

2017 fall semester: Nearly 

two dozen students were 

recognized by their respective 

colleges for outstanding 

academic achievements. 

The Messenger wishes to 

congratulate the following 

students: 

University of Alabama 

•Jennifer Franceschini, President’s 

List 

•Lauren Franceschini, 

Dean’s List 

•Darby Lang, Dean’s List 

•Valentine Lang, President’s 

List 

•Ellie Novotny, Dean’s List 

•Joshua Perch, President’s 

List 

•Allyson Shipley, Dean’s 

List 

•Caroline Ward, President’s 

List 

•Sydney Whalen, President’s 

List 

Augustana College 

Dean’s list 

•Danielle Janacek 

•Gillian Nevins 

•Brittany Pospishil 

•Rafael Rodriguez 

Carthage College 

Dean’s list 

•Bryan Jack 

The Citadel 

Dean’s list 

•Sarah Dobrich 

Cornell College 

Dean’s list 

•Charlotte Imlach 

University of Dayton 

Dean’s list 

•Maximilian Bonoma 

•Steven Cap 

•Meghan Marth 

•Jimmy Sharkey 

•Mitchell Sharkey 

University of Iowa 

Fall graduates 

•Ryan Tempel, B.S. human 

physiology 

•David Van Geertry, B.A. 

biochemistry 

Knox College 

Dean’s list 

•Jason White 

Miami University 

Dean’s list 

•Chase Fugett 

Olivet Nazarene University 

Dean’s list 

•Morgan Brzeszkiewicz 

•Maricruz Chavez Zepeda 

•Carson Lau 

•Abigail Pattara 

•Blake Van Bruggen 

•Julie Warning 

•Austin Wegforth 

Southern Illinois University 

Edwardsville 

Dean’s list 

•Taylor Cross 

•Jakub Kowalski 

Tulane University 

Dean’s list 

•Michael Maurer 

Upper Iowa University 

Dean’s list 

•Madison Brownrigg 

Visit us online at Mokenamessenger.com 

Mokena student earns service academy nomination 

Submitted by U.S. Senator 

Dick Durbin 

U.S. Senator Dick 

Durbin released on Jan. 25 

the names of young men 

and women whom he has 

nominated to attend four of 

the nation’s service academies. 

“I am again honored to 

nominate some of the best 

and brightest young men and 

women from all across Illinois 

to attend our nation’s 

service academies,” Durbin 

said. “These individuals are 

the leaders of tomorrow, and 

I have no doubt that they 

will make their families and 

their country proud.” 

The academies include: 

U.S. Military Academy at 

West Point, New York; U.S. 

Air Force Academy in Colorado 

Springs, Colorado; U.S. 

Naval Academy in Annapolis, 

Maryland; and the U.S. 

Merchant Marine Academy 

in Kings Point, New York. 

Everyone who wishes to attend 

a service academy must 

secure a nomination from 

one of a few sources, including 

a U.S. Senator. Prospective 

students at the service 

academies must apply for 

a nomination and demonstrate 

exceptional academic 

achievement and good moral 

character. 

Nominated for the Air 

Force Academy was Jared 

Bachman, of Mokena, son of 

Robert and Karen Bachman. 

LW Central Mathletes win division conference final 

Submitted by Lincoln-Way 

Community High School 

District 210 

On Jan. 24 the Lincoln- 

Way Central Mathletes won 

the Southwest Suburban 

Blue Division Conference 

Finals. The Knights took 

home 693 points against 

Lincoln-Way West’s 665 

points. Central students 

won medals in all 15 areas 

of competition by earning 

two fourth-place medals, 

three-third place medals, 

four second-place 

medals and six first-place 

medals. 

Seniors Alex Manka and 

Ben Bethke earned fourth 

place in their oral on graph 

theory with 37 out of 50 

points. Senior Emily Parker 

and junior Kalei Bass 

earned second place in their 

oral on functions and graphs 

with 47 points. Freshmen 

Jay Parker and Ashvi Patel 

placed second in their matrices 

oral by scoring 48 

points. 

Knights placing first 

were: the freshman graphs 

team of Anna Bethke, Nolan 

Cales, Michelle Mikos, 

Liam Papier, Jay Parker 

and Behrooz Shamsaddin; 

the sophomore linear 

functions team of George 

Burchfield, Jordan Carter, 

Matthew Flais, Jared Kreis, 

Danny McNulty and Chelsea 

Verheyen; the freshman/sophomore 

calculator 

team of Ryan Curran, Payton 

Eggert, Matthew Flais, 

Courtney Cagnolatti, Cales 

and Ashvi Patel; the freshman/sophomore 

group of 

Kreis, Verheyen, Parker 

and Sarthak Shah; the junior 

systems of equations 

team of Kalei Bass, Jeremy 

Brown, Jonah Haskins, Ennis 

Lange, Behnam Shamsaddin 

and Michael Zhan; 

and the junior/senior group 

of Ben Zuraitis, Behnam 

Shamsaddin, Haskins and 

Burchfield. 

Lincoln-Way Central 

Mathlete President Emily 

Parker praised her team. 

“Way to go Mathletes,” 

she said. “I know we practiced 

hard for this win and 

you deserve it.” 

The Knights now set their 

sights on a victory at the 

Regional Competition in 

late February. 

LW Foundation makes $100K donation 

Submitted by Lincoln-Way 

Community High School 

District 210 

On Jan. 24 Executive Director 

Bob Kennedy and 

board members of the Lincoln-Way 

Foundation presented 

Lincoln-Way Superintendent 

Dr. R. Scott Tingley 

with a check in the amount 

of $100,000. In addition to 

that donation, the Foundation 

raised more than $5,000 for 

the Lincoln-Way Transition 

Program, bringing the grand 

total donation to $105,670. 

“From the funds donated in 

2017, we have made a huge 

technological impact that benefits 

thousands of students at 

The Lincoln-Way Central Mathletes pose Jan. 24 after 

taking home the division conference final. Photo submitted 

all three schools, as well as 

those students in the Transition 

program,” Kennedy said. 

The funds were raised 

through various products and 

events hosted by the Foundation. 

Sales of Lincoln-Way 

school calendars and commemorative 

bricks, local 

business support through the 

Foundation Partner Program, 

as well as the Lincoln-Way 

Half Marathon and Gala Dinner 

events all contributed to 

the grand total. 

”The Foundation had a successful 

year in 2017 thanks 

to the continued support of 

Please see donation, 12



The band was a-howlin’ 

The Summit Hill Junior High School Pep Band traveled to the All- 

State Arena on Jan. 21 to perform at the Chicago Wolves hockey 

game. The pep band is comprised of seventh- and eighth-graders. 

Members of the Summit Hill Junior High Pep Band pose at the All-State Arena Jan. 21, where 

they performed before the start of the Chicago Wolves hockey game. Photo submitted 

Students teaching students 

Mokena Elementary School second-grade student Mshenda 

Diming recently taught his classmates in Mrs. DeSalvo’s and Mrs. 

Meehan’s classes how to read and write braille. 

Mokena Elementary student Mshenda Diming teaches fellow students how to read and 

write in braille. Photo submitted 

LWC Music Boosters hold Trivia 

Night fundraiser at The Alley 

Laurie Fanelli 

Freelance Reporter 

Lincoln-Way Central Music Booster President Karen 

Bussean, of Mokena, enjoys her food and wine pairing 

during the trivia contest fundraiser at The Alley Grill and 

Taphouse Friday, Feb. 2. Laurie Fanelli/22nd Century Media 

While sports fans were 

gearing up for Sunday’s big 

game, supporters of high 

school music were engaging 

in an epic competition 

of their own during a Friday 

night fundraiser. 

Trivia was the MVP of 

the LWC Music Boosters 

first-of-its-kind fundraiser 

— which took place on Friday, 

Feb. 2, at The Alley 

Grill and Tap House — and 

the delicious food and wine 

pairings served during the 

event were all-stars in their 

own right. Prizes and splitthe-pot 

added to the fun and 

gave attendees additional 

ways to raise money in support 

of the music programs 

at Lincoln-Way Central. 

LWC Music Booster 

Treasurer-Elect Linda Marquardt 

explained that the 

fundraiser was designed not 

only to raise money for the 

school’s music program, but 

also as a way for parents to 

spend time together. 

“We wanted to have an 

adult event that would give 

parents a chance to meet 

each other and greet each 

other and have a good night 

together while raising funds 

for our kids,” she said. 

Entry to the event cost 

$40 and included five tickets 

for food, wine and 

beer, and additional funds 

were raised throughout the 

trivia competition as players 

could purchase “mulligans” 

to eliminate wrong 

answers. Money raised will 

go toward supporting the 

students in Lincoln-Way 

Central’s music program 

as they grow as singers and 

musicians. 

“We give scholarships for 

summer camps and private 

lessons and we just commissioned 

a piece of music,” 

Marquardt said. “Lincoln-Way 

Central is hosting 

the Mid-America Guitar 

Festival and the Boosters 

commissioned a piece that 

they are going to debut at 

that event.” 

Mokena residents Sharon 

and Keith Koc were among 

the 60 attendees at the fundraiser. 

Their son Joey is a 

percussionist at Mokena Junior 

High School and he will 

be attending Lincoln-Way 

Central for high school. 

“This is going to be his 

future and Lincoln-Way 

Central will be his school. 

We would love to see him 

stay involved with music,” 

Sharon Koc said, adding 

that the event itself was also 

a motivating factor in attending 

the trivia night. 

“We’ve got some really 

good friends who are already 

involved in the LWC 

Booster program as well, 

and, add a little trivia, food 

and wine, we thought it 

would be a fun night,” she 

said. 

Brad Aronson of Pub 

Trivia USA hosted the trivia 

portion of the evening, during 

which guests were able 

to enjoy food along with 

drink pairings from Louis 

Glunz Wines. Everyone 

was divided into six teams 

and whichever team had the 

most points at the end of the 

competition won a prize. 

“I ask a variety of questions 

in a variety of categories 

as easy as a first-grader 

can answer and as hard as 

your high school kid would 

say, ‘Who knows that?’” Aronson 

said. “The first round 

has a wide range of categories 

including history, children’s 

literature, one-sentence 

movies, sports venues 

and American history.” 

Parents had a great time 

during the competition but, 

ultimately, the event was 

about the kids. 

“I have two sons that 

have been in the music program. 

Jason is in Orchestra 

and Will is in the Chorale. 

We just want to support 

them,” Marquardt said. 

“That’s what we do, that’s 

what all the LWC Booster 

parents do, and we want to 

raise funds to help them get 

the best musical experience 

possible.”



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Police Reports 

Police: Obstructed windshield leads to arrest 

tortoise 

From Page 3 

the animal guys. Take our 

stuff.’” 

And, they’re happy to do 

so, but at the same time it is 

similar to the fate that many 

pets face when the nostalgia 

and newness of the pet wears 

off. 

“It’s a long-term pet,” 

Levins said. “A lot of people 

don’t realize that it’s going to 

live as long as them.” 

Langenderfer said an African 

spurred tortoise like 

Mortoise will generally live 

for 75 to 100 years. 

In lieu of being to have all 

these animals as pets, Langenderfer 

said he hopes more 

parents sign their children up 

for the program in the future 

because it is an opportunity 

for them to get some handson 

learning. 

“When we go to the zoo, 

you get to see a lot of really 

cool stuff, but most of that 

stuff is hiding in its display,” 

Leonard Anthony Campagna, 

23, of 352 Whitney 

Lane in Joliet was charged 

Jan. 30 with operating an 

uninsured motor vehicle, 

driving on a suspended/revoked 

driver’s license and 

having obstructed/tinted 

windows. 

According to police reports, 

an officer on patrol at 

West LaPorte Road spotted 

Campagna’s vehicle with 

an obstructed windshield 

travelling southbound on 

LaGrange Road. The officer 

initiated a traffic stop, where 

it was reportedly discovered 

that Campagna’s driver’s license 

was suspended. Campagna 

was then placed under 

arrest. 

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Mokena 

Messenger’s police reports 

come from the Mokena Police 

Department. Anyone listed in 

these reports is considered to 

be innocent of all charges until 

proven guilty in a court of law. 

Langenderfer said. “When 

you go to the zoo, you get to 

look at stuff; you don’t really 

get to interact with things on 

a hands-on basis. 

“From this class, we’d 

like to get a more intimate 

experience when it comes to 

interacting with animals you 

wouldn’t normally get to see 

on a day-to-day basis.” 

For more information 

and registration for Mokena 

Community Park District programs, 

call (708) 390-2401 or 

visit mokenapark.com. 

NEW YEAR. 

NEW SUCCESS. 

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS IN 

The Mokena Messenger 

LORA HEALY 

708.326.9170 ext. 31 l.healy@22ndcenturymedia.com 

CONTACT 

Get 

ready 

to 

vote! 

coming 

Jan. 18-feb. 12 

Categories include: 

Beauty • Dining 

Education 

Fitness & Recreation 

Health • Pets • Services 

Shopping • Vehicles 

Tango 

NAWS Illinois Humane Society 

9981 W. 190th St. 

Mokena, 60448 

Tango is a handsome, 9-monthold, 

neutered, male, domestic 

long hair brown tabby with white. 

He is a quiet and gentle boy that 

came to the shelter quite scared. 

He has made amazing progress 

and now seeks out attention and 

enjoys being petted. He would do 

best in a home with a patient owner where he can continue to come out of his shell. 

Contact Wendy at (708) 478-5102 or wendy@nawsus.org to meet him. 

Honor your favorite local businesses by voting for 

them in the third annual Southwest Choice Awards! 

Look for the ballot inside your 22nd Century Media newspaper 

or vote online at www.22ndcenturymedia.com/swchoice 

THE FRANKFORT STATION • THE HOMER HORIZON • THE LOCKPORT LEGEND 

THE MOKENA MESSENGER • THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT 

THE ORLAND PARK PRAIRIE • THE TINLEY JUNCTION 

Want to see your pet featured as The Mokena Messenger’s Pet of the Week? Send your pet’s photo 

and a few sentences explaining why your pet is outstanding to Editor T.J. Kremer III at tj@moke 

namessenger.com or 11516 W. 183rd St., Office Condo 3, Suite SW, Orland Park, IL 60467.



Check your heart healthtoday 

donation 

From Page 8 

generous individuals and 

business owners who believe 

in our mission of enhancing 

academic achievement,” 

Kennedy said. “My Board 

of Directors and the Lincoln- 

Way administration deserve a 

great deal of praise for their 

ongoing efforts in making 

the Lincoln-Way Foundation 

one of the finest educational 

foundations in the state.” 

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED 

All-Beethoven Program 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 7:30PM 

OZINGA CHAPEL | PALOS HEIGHTS, IL 

Coriolan Overture, Piano Concerto No. 1 and Symphony No. 7 

with Guest Conductor Stefan Veselka and Pianist Winston Choi 

The donation will provide 

Lincoln-Way students with 

accessibility to a more digital 

experience. With the addition 

of 10 carts and 332 new laptops, 

over 1,500 students will 

benefit from the gift. Teachers 

at each of the Lincoln- 

Way campuses will be implementing 

new technology into 

their classrooms nearly every 

day. Additionally, the $5,670 

donation will provide students 

of the Transition Program 

with equipment to create 

a “Chat and Break” area, 

individual study/computer 

carrels, student-centered 

work stations, and seminar 

tables to create post-secondary 

learning environments. 

“The hard work of the 

Foundation partnered with 

the support of our Lincoln- 

Way community is unparalleled,” 

Tingley said. “We are 

grateful for their continued 

efforts to enhance the student 

learning experience in each 

of our schools.” 

40th Anniversary Season 

Stilian Kirov, Music Director 

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. 

Tickets from $25 in advance. Student tickets, $10. (Fees may apply) 

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Old Plank Trail 

Community 

Bank to raise 

minimum wage 

Staff Report 


Bank, a Wintrust Community Bank, 

is to increase the minimum wage 

paid to its eligible noncommissioned 

hourly employees to $15 an 

hour. This decision comes as a result 

of the recently enacted tax reform 

legislation and the bank’s continued 

commitment to its employees. 

Wintrust expects that more than 

600 employees will benefit from 

this action across its family of 

more than 150 bank locations, including 

those at the Old Plank Trail 

Community Bank charter. 


Bank, N.A., a Wintrust Community 

Bank, has fourteen locations 

in Illinois, with branches in Frankfort, 

Mokena, New Lenox and Orland 

Park. 

For more information, visit at 

oldplanktrailbank.com. 

Mokena Chamber 

welcomes 2018 leaders 

Submitted by Mokena Chamber of 

Commerce 

Early voting, 

holiday hours 

announced 

Submitted by Will County Clerk’s 

Office 

The Gubernatorial General Primary 

Election is March 20; however, 

Will County residents can take 

advantage of holiday early voting 

hours. 

Early voting provides an opportunity 

for voters to skip the line 

at their polling place on election 

day. 

Any registered Will County voter 

can cast a ballot at the Will County 

Clerk’s office starting Thursday, 

Feb. 8, through March 19. The Will 

County Clerk’s Office will be open 

on Lincoln’s Birthday — Monday, 

Feb. 12 — and President’s Day — 

Feb. 19 — from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 

for early voting only. 

Last day to register to vote in person 

or by mail is Feb. 20, and the last 

day to register online is 

March 4. For this and all election 

related information visit, thewill 

countyclerk.com. 

Early voting for Will County residents starts Thursday, Feb. 8. Photo submitted 

A celebration was held at Tuscany Falls 

in Mokena Jan. 26 to congratulate President 

Skye Bergeson and the Board of Directors 

on their inauguration as the 2018 

leaders of our Chamber of Commerce. 

The evening’s festivities were led by 

Master of Ceremonies Robin Urbaszewski. 

They included cocktails and networking, 

raffle opportunities, diner, dancing, 

photo booth, and the installation of officers 

by Mokena Mayor Frank Fleischer 

and the official welcoming toast given 

by State Rep. Margo McDermed. Also 

giving speeches were outgoing President 

Troy Griffiths and incoming President 

Skye Bergeson. 

Members of the 2018 Mokena Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors (left to right) Vice President Ed Kasza, Kevin Mathers, SK Patel, 

Mahja Bortocek, Bridget Fogarty, Secretary Michelle DePaolis, Lora Healy, President Skye Bergeson, Treasurer Mary Frost, Past President 

Troy Griffiths and Leticia Martino take a photo. Members Chuck Gosney and Austin Copley are not pictured. Photo submitted



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FROM THE TINLEY JUNCTION 

Tinley Park native training 

to break world record 

Jim Perkins grew up gliding 

on wood. 

Rolling on eight wheels, 

the 51-year-old Tinley Park 

native has logged hundreds 

of thousands of miles at the 

Tinley Park Roller Rink and 

several other suburban hardwood 

floors since he was a 

child, sometimes seven days 

a week. But no amount of 

experience can prepare Perkins 

for what he is striving 

to achieve — something 

that has never been accomplished 

before. 

On June 20, Perkins intends 

to embark on a 7,000 

mile journey starting in 

Lewiston, Idaho, that will 

ideally wrap up 120 days later 

in Kittery, Maine. Along 

the way, he intends to ride 

through all 48 continental 

states, shattering the previous 

Guiness Book World 

Record for longest journey 

completed on roller blades 

by nearly 1,600 miles. The 

mission has been a dream for 

Perkins since he was a child 

further inspired by his father, 

who is currently bedridden 

and battling cancer. 

“It doesn’t matter how old 

you are, you can aspire to 

be better everyday,” Perkins 

said. “This is an opportunity 

to inspire people every day 

for those people who might 

need a little inspiration. I 

don’t want to break the record; 

I want to crush it.” 

A quest tracking page, aspire2bbetter.com, 

has been 

set up and Perkins has also 

created a GoFundMe page, 

www.gofundme.com/skatethe-48, 

with a goal of raising 

$100,000 to help offset the 

cost of equipment, supplies 

and a follow-behind car for 

safety. 

A portion of the proceeds 

are to be designated to the 

American Cancer Society. 

Reporting by Cody Mroczka, 

Editor. For more, visit Tin 

leyJunction.com. 

From THE FRANKFORT STATION 

Emil’s Brrrew Fest offers 

craft beers on tap 

There was a golden opportunity 

brewing for the 

return of a wintertime craft 

beer festival in the Village of 

Frankfort. 

Now in its third year, 

Emil’s Brrrew Fest featured 

more than 45 different beers 

and spirits from more than 

20 breweries. The annual 

event took place Jan. 27 at 

CD & ME in Frankfort. 

“We get a lot of feedback 

on it,” said Dean Vaundry, 

a partner of CD & ME and 

Frankfort Spirits. “They like 

that it’s run really well. We 

try to give people a really 

great experience.” 

Between bits of food and 

conversation, festivalgoers 

enjoyed live music throughout 

the event. 

“It’s just an event where 

people can come out and enjoy 

themselves,” Vaundry 

said. “In the winter, people get 

tired of doing stuff [indoors.]” 

Typically, Emil’s Brrrew 

Fest brings in roughly 300 

attendees. 

“We just feel like we [are 

a solid host of] an indooroutdoor 

event,” Vaundry 

said. “We got all these fire 

pits that really makes it conducive 

to having an indooroutdoor 

event.” 

Nicole Morgan, of New 

Lenox, had never previously 

attended Brrrew Fest, but 

she was excited to come out 

this time around. 

“Our friends let us know 

that they were coming, so 

we decided to try it out,” she 

said. 

Out of all the beers she had 

tried up to that point, her favorite 

was Goose Island’s 

Bourbon County Stout, she 

said. 

“It’s a dark beer, kind of 

sweet, maybe a little bit of 

chocolate,” she said. 

Reporting by Megann Horstead, 

Freelance Reporter. For more, 

visit FrankfortStation.com. 

FROM THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT 

IDOT identifies possible 

alternatives to address I-80 

concerns 

As part of the Illinois 

Department of Transportation’s 

plan to reconstruct Interstate 

80 from Ridge Road 

to the west and Route 30 

to the east in New Lenox, 

a public meeting was held 

Jan. 31 to seek the public’s 

feedback on the range of 

potential alternatives IDOT 

identified to address concerns 

about transportation 

infrastructure. 

The study area encompasses 

a number of communities 

across Kendall, Grundy and 

Will counties, including the 

Village of New Lenox. 

IDOT officials have developed 

three categories of 

alternatives to receive further 

evaluation with possible 

opportunities for corridorwide 

reconstruction, reconstruction 

of bridges or reconstruction 

of interchanges. 

Steve Schilke, project 

manager for IDOT, said the 

proposed improvements to 

Interstate 80 are anticipated 

to last through 2040, given 

the actual and projected 

growth in population, and 

industrial and warehouse developments. 

The meeting brought in a 

number of representatives 

for transportation organizations, 

State and municipal 

officials, residents, and other 

community members to 

learn more about the project 

and provide feedback. 

“I’m interested in the projects,” 

said Kristi Kijowski, 

of Shorewood. “I no longer 

travel I-80 as much. I commuted 

to the Joliet train station 

and back for 4-5 years. 

Getting on and off Chicago 

Street [to use] I-80 was unsafe. 

You’d have to merge 

two times. Every time, I was 

gritting my teeth.” 

IDOT’s study of the Interstate 

80 corridor is anticipated 

to reach completion by 

the fall. 

Reporting by Megann Horstead, 

Freelance Reporter. For 

more, visit NewLenoxPatriot. 

com. 

FROM THE HOMER HORIZON 

Young School students paint 

hallway mural with local 

artist 

Meet Homer Glen resident 

Amy Blank. 

She has been an artist for 

22 years and specializes in 

painting wall murals. She 

started painting murals when 

she was 16 years old and got 

her professional start when 

she painted a mural inside 

the business that was owned 

by her friend’s father. 

Blank is a full-time artist 

and paints murals mainly in 

homes but also in commercial 

businesses. She prefers 

oil and acrylic painting to 

water colors, and she studied 

painting at Northern Illinois 

University. 

“I love working with a 

client who has an idea of 

something, but they’re not 

quite sure what that is, and 

I feel like my particular skill 

is that I can artistically bring 

to conception their idea,” 

Blank said. 

On Jan. 31, Blank collaborated 

with students at 

Young School in Grades 1-4 

to paint a mural in one of 

the school’s hallways. Every 

year, students in Homer 

Community Consolidated 

School District 33C get the 

opportunity to “Meet the 

Artist” through the school 

program that brings in local 

artists to share more about 

their craft. 

Blank spent seven hours 

painting the top half of the 

mural that’s of a superhero 

in space, which is part of 

Young School’s superhero 

theme for the academic 

school year. Blank made 

a grid at the bottom of her 

painting, where the students 

could pick one of any of the 

over 360 squares to paint. 

“I really love this project,” 

Blank said. 

Reporting by Jacquelyn Schlabach, 

Assistant Editor. For 

more, visit HomerHorizon.com. 

FROM THE LOCKPORT LEGEND 

Police officer raises money 

in advance of Super Plunge 

When someone told Lockport 

Police Officer Debbie 

Schenk to go jump in the 

lake, she did not think twice. 

On Feb. 16, Schenk is 

to make her first jump into 

Lake Michigan at 1 p.m. and 

continue jumping once each 

hour for 24 hours. The event 

is called the Super Plunge, 

and it benefits the athletes of 

Special Olympics Illinois. 

“I do this because I have a 

brother with special needs,” 

Schenk said. “My brother’s 

name is John. He lives in a 

group home in Orland Park. 

He has participated in Special 

Olympics since he was 

5 years old. Today, he is 46. 

My brother functions at an 

8-year-old level.” 

On Jan. 28, Schenk held a 

spaghetti dinner at the Lockport 

VFW Post 5788 to raise 

funds to participate in the 

Super Plunge. 

“This is the only fundraiser 

I do for the 24-hour Super 

Plunge,” Schenk said. “I do 

have businesses that donate. 

I have to raise a minimum of 

$2,500.” 

As of press time, Schenk 

had raised roughly $1,000. 

The spaghetti with all the 

trimmings was donated and 

cooked by Schenk’s best 

friend Merv Nolte. That 

name may be familiar to 

Lockport residents, because 

in addition to owning Sizzles 

and Whizzy Puffs in Lockport, 

Nolte is constantly giving 

back to the community. 

“We met at a fundraiser, 

where she helped me raise 

funds in a dunk tank,” Nolte 

said of Schenk. “There are 

a lot of people in Lockport 

who have come together. It’s 

really nice to see.” 

Reporting by Mary Compton, 

Freelance Reporter. For more, 

visit LockportLegend.com. 

FROM THE ORLAND PARK PRAIRIE 

Community supports veterans 

at annual Chili Challenge 

There were approximately 

18.5 million veterans in the 

United States as of 2016, according 

to the United States 

Census Bureau. And for Orland 

Park’s John Mackey, a 

U.S. Army veteran and owner 

of Mackeys’ Pub, helping 

his fellow veterans and building 

awareness for them is a 

necessity. 

On Jan. 28, Mackeys’ Pub 

hosted its fourth annual Chili 

Challenge, which benefited 

the Disabled Patriot Fund 

and the Village of Orland 

Park Veterans’ Commission. 

“We’re appreciative for 

anything that we can give,” 

Mackey said. “[The veterans] 

gave so much.” 

After its first year, it was 

clear that the Chili Challenge 

was a hit, Mackey 

said. So, he got an idea. 

“At first, it was just the 

competition,” Mackey said. 

“Then, I realized we could 

make a fundraiser out of it.” 

The Disabled Patriot Fund 

supports veterans and their 

families who have been adversely 

affected by the War 

on Terrorism, according to 

its website. 

The Chili Challenge donations, 

along with the other efforts 

by Mackeys’ Pub, help 

drive the reach of the Disabled 

Patriot Fund, allowing 

it to help more veterans, said 

Gail Blummer, a member of 

the Disabled Patriot Fund 

Fundraising Committee and 

volunteer co-coordinator. 

“It means everything,” 

Blummer said. “The [U.S. 

Department of Veteran Affairs] 

doesn’t cover much of 

the disabilities that veterans 

have from war … and they 

have to wait for benefits. 

They do get them eventually, 

but sometimes they take 

a while to kick in, and we’re 

here in the meantime to offer 

support.” 

Reporting by Amanda Del 

Buono, Freelance Reporter. 

For more, visit OPPrairie.com.

mokenamessenger.com sound off 


Social snapshot 

Top 10 Web Stories of 2017 

From MokenaMessenger.com as of 

Monday, Feb. 5 

From the Editor 

On Super Bowl selfies 

1. When giving feels as good as receiving 

2. ‘Back on the road to financial recovery’ 

3. Knights finish season with third-place 

title at state 

4. Physical ‘D’ leads Knights over Warriors 

5. Central’s second half the difference 

maker against Andrew 

Become a member: mokenamessenger.com/plus 

TJ Kremer iii 

tj@mokenamessenger.com 

Well, that was a 

heck of a game. 

Super Bowl LII 

lived up to hype, as most 

Tom Brady/Bill Belichick/ 

Pats Super Bowls happen 

to do. As a Bears fan — for 

now, at least — I had no 

dog in this fight, but I was 

silently rooting for the underdog 

Philadelphia Eagles. 

More than that, though, I 

was rooting for a decent 

showing of Super Bowl 

commercials and halftime 

show. 

It seems to me that the 

quality of the commercials 

had dropped off a bit in 

recent years. We can probably 

blame the internet for 

that; why would companies 

shell out millions of dollars 

to run an ad on such a woefully 

antiquated medium as 

… *snootily* … television, 

when they could just as 

easily get more exposure, 

and for far less money, 

on the interwebs?! They 

wouldn’t. Until they did. 

Hooray for television! 

And hooray for the return 

of what I thought were some 

pretty hilarious ads. So, here 

are the T.J. Kremer III Top 3 

Super Bowl ads: 

No. 3 - Random Eli 

Manning NFL ads. Could 

it be that Eli is as funny as 

his older brother, Peyton? 

Probably not, but these random 

appearances leading 

up to the “Dirty Dancing” 

finale got a good chortle 

from me. 

No. 2 - Solo: A Star 

Wars Story. OK, little 

fact about me: I LOVE 

Star Wars. (Disney, not so 

much.) This movie about a 

young Han Solo is something 

Star Wars fans have 

been waiting a long time to 

see. Plus, it’s going to come 

out in May and not during 

the winter, so us crazy fans 

can get back out and tailgate 

before the movie. 

And the big winner is … 

*drumroll, please* 

No. 1 - Doritos/Mt. Dew 

- Peter Dinklage and Morgan 

Freeman lip syncing to 

Busta Rhymes (one of my 

all-time favorite musicians) 

and Missy Misdemeanor 

Elliott (another of my alltime 

favorites) had me in 

awe of those actors’ talents. 

Who needs to slay dragons 

or escape a prison when you 

can lip sync rap like those 

two?! 

And finally, kudos to 

Justin Timberlake for giving 

a shout-out to Prince. I 

would’ve liked to have seen 

a bit more of a tribute with 

a few more artists, but the 

gesture still seemed sincere. 

All in all, I’m giving Super 

Bowl LII an “A.” Solid 

all around showing. Get 

ready, 2019, the ads seem to 

be back. 

“Springtime is in the air, order your tickets 

online now.” 

Curtain Call Theatre posted this on its 

Facebook page Feb. 1. 

Like The Mokena Messenger: facebook.com/ 


“Good luck to our Lincoln-Way Central 

Cheerleaders! #Statebound” 

@LWDistrict210 posted this to its Twitter 

account Friday, Feb. 2. 

Follow The Mokena Messenger: @mokenamessenger 

Letter to the Editor 

Mokena Chamber prez 

welcomes village 

Dear Editor, 

It is an honor to be part of 

an organization that has done 

so much good for our community 

and local businesses. 

As we begin 2018, I look 

back on my time thus far 

with the Mokena Chamber 

of Commerce. I think of the 

many people who warmly 

welcomed me into the Mokena 

business community 

and the friendships I have 

made with people I have 

met at the many Mokena 

Chamber events. Most of all 

I think about what a joy and 

honor it is to truly connect 

to the Mokena community 

through my own business. 

That is why our 2018 

theme will be “Connecting 

Chamber to Community.” 

Time changes many things, 

but one thing that should not 

change is our objective as an 

organization to do everything 

in our power to help local 

businesses thrive. We will 

build on some of the things 

we are already doing well 

and explore new ideas and 

initiatives. We want to empower 

our members, and the 

Mokena community to help 

us achieve our full potential 

as a chamber. I believe the 

key to this will be improving 

our ability to successfully 

communicate with both our 

membership and the Mokena 

community at large. 

We want to hear from you. 

If there is something we can 

improve, we want to know. 

When you have a new idea 

that will benefit the Mokena 

community, we want 

to know. Most importantly, 

we want to know what we 

as an organization can do to 

spotlight your business and 

help you grow. However, that 

means we need your help in 

understanding how we can 

best help you to position your 

business for success. We will 

be creating opportunities for 

open discussion and education 

on how to build strategic 

working relationships. 

I believe that partnering 

with others offers us the ability 

to grow in new and exciting 

ways that we could not 

achieve on our own. I will look 

forward to partnering with 

The Village of Mokena, The 

Mokena Park District, The 

Mokena Library and many of 

the surrounding Chambers of 

Commerce to help strengthen 

our local business community. 

Thank you for entrusting 

this mission to the 2018 Mokena 

Chamber of Commerce 

Board of Directors. We are 

proud and honored to serve 

the Mokena community. Together, 

there is no limit to 

what we can accomplish. 

Skye Bergeson, 2018 Mokena 

Chamber President 

Sound Off Policy 

Editorials and columns are the 

opinions of the author. Pieces 

from 22nd Century Media are 

the thoughts of the company as 

a whole. The Mokena Messenger 

encourages readers to write 

letters to Sound Off. All letters 

must be signed, and names and 

hometowns will be published. 

We also ask that writers include 

their address and phone number 

for verification, not publication. 

Letters should be limited to 400 

words. The Mokena Messenger 

reserves the right to edit letters. 

Letters become property of The 

Mokena Messenger. Letters that 

are published do not reflect 

the thoughts and views of The 

Mokena Messenger. Letters can be 

mailed to: The Mokena Messenger, 

11516 West 183rd Street, Unit 

SW Office Condo #3, Orland 

Park, Illinois, 60467. Fax letters 

to (708) 326-9179 or e-mail to 

tj@mokenamessenger.com. 

www.mokenamessenger.com.



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Valentines Day Celebration with refreshments and entertainment 

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Come for a night of dancing, bring your bobby sox, dance partner and 

high school year book to have a blast from the past. 5:00-8:00pm. 

Join us for breakfast bingo. It will be a fun filled morning of food, games, and prizes. 9:00am 

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the mokena messenger | February 8, 2018 | mokenamessenger.com 

Mokena Munchies Learn to make 

your own London-inspired dish, Page 23 

Jumping out of the cold 

More than 200 people attend LWSRA Jumpfest, Page 26 

Providence students 

(left to right) Billy 

O’Neil, of Manhattan, 

Jacob Hilty, of Mokena, 

and Lincoln-Way 

Central student Joey 

Dawczak perform their 

routine Jan. 29 during 

Providence’s Got Talent 

at the school gym. 

Adam Jomant/22nd 

Century Media 

PCHS students show off for talent show, Page 21 

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20 | February 8, 2018 | The Mokena Messenger faith 


Faith Briefs 

Victory Baptist Church (13550 US Route 

6, Mokena) 

Sunday School 

9:30 a.m. Sundays. 

Voting 

is now 

open! 

THE FRANKFORT STATION • THE HOMER HORIZON • THE LOCKPORT LEGEND 

THE MOKENA MESSENGER • THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT 

THE ORLAND PARK PRAIRIE • THE TINLEY JUNCTION 

A guide to aging healthfully 

and gracefully with help from 

programs, organizations and 

businesses. 

voting open 

Jan. 18-feb. 12 

Help your favorite local businesses take home an 

award in the third annual Southwest Choice Awards. 

Complete at least 50 categories and be eligible for 22nd Century Media’s Southwest 

Choice Awards prize — one three-night trip for two (2) adults to Riu Caribe in 

Cancun, Mexico, courtesy of Apple Vacations. 

Vote in the ballot inside your 22nd Century Media newspaper 

or online at www.22ndcenturymedia.com/swchoice 

Reach more than 

87,000 homes 

and businesses! 

Morning Worship 


Evening Worship 

6 p.m. Sundays. 

Weekday Worship 

7 p.m. Wednesdays. 

St. John’s United Church of Christ (11100 

Second St., Mokena) 

Traditional Service 

8 a.m. traditional mass, 

9:45 a.m. contemporary & 

traditional music in a service 

of praise and reverence. Supervised 

childcare available. 

For more information, call 

(708) 479-5123. 

Garden Club 

8 a.m. Tuesdays. For more 

information, call (708) 479- 

5123. 

Cards for a Cause 

7 p.m. the second Monday 

of each month. Bring your 

tape, scissors and colored 

pencils — if you have them 

— and plan for a creative 

evening with lots of fun. 

Bundles of Love 

7 p.m. the second and 

fourth Monday of each 

month. Enjoy fun and fellowship 

while making baby 

quilts for infants baptized at 

St. John’s and lap quilts for 

shut-ins. 

Mokena United Methodist Church (10901 

LaPorte Road, Mokena) 

Service and Sunday School 


Church service and children’s 

Sunday School will 

be held. For more information, 

call (708) 479-1110. 

Bible Study 

7 p.m. Thursdays. For 

more information, call (708) 

479-1110. 

Community Prayer Gathering 

2:30 p.m. every 4th Sunday. 

Breakfast 

9 a.m. every third Saturday 

of the month. 

Choir Practice 

7:30 p.m. Wednesdays. 

Newcomers welcome. 

Weight Watchers Wednesday 

Weigh-ins take place at 

6:30 p.m., while the meeting 

is at 7 p.m. 

Marley Community Church (12625 W. 

187th St., Mokena) 

Senior High Youth Group 

7-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays. 

For more information, email 

marleycommunitychurch@ 

gmail.com. 

Junior High Youth Group 

6-7:30 p.m. Fridays. For 

more information, email 

marleycommunitychurch@ 

gmail.com. 

Church Service 

10 a.m. Sundays. Childcare 

is provided. 

Sunday School 

9-10 a.m. Sundays. 

Men’s Group 

6 p.m. Sunday nights in 

the church basement. All 

men are welcome. 

Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church 

(10731 W. La Porte Road, Mokena) 

Contemporary Worship 

5 p.m. Saturdays. 

Worship 

9 a.m. Sundays. 

God’s Kids Club 

10:15 a.m. Sundays. This 

club is open to those between 

the ages of 4-17. 

Adult Bible Study 


Mokena Baptist Church (9960 W. 187th 

St., Mokena) 

Sunday Services 

11 a.m. and 5 p.m. For 

more information, call (312) 

350-2279. 

Sunday School 

10:15 a.m. Sundays. Mokena 

Baptist offers Sunday 

School classes for all ages. 


(312) 350-2279. 

St. Mary’s Catholic Church (19515 115th 

Ave., Mokena) 

Church Service 

5 p.m. Saturdays; 8 a.m, 

9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 6: 

p.m. Sundays 

Adoration 

Wednesdays following 

8:00 a.m. Mass in the Chapel 

until 6:45 p.m. 

Holy Rosary 

7:30 a.m. daily; 7 p.m. 

Tuesday evenings. 

Parker Road Bible Church (18512 Parker 

Road, Mokena) 

Worship Service 

10:30 a.m. Sundays. Be 

sure to arrive early for our 

Sunday Worship Service to 

enjoy a hot, complimentary 

cup of coffee every week at 

the church. Following the 

Christian Education Hour 

(9:15 - 10:15 a.m.), all beverages 

can be found just outside 

the sanctuary. 

Grace Fellowship Church (11049 LaPorte 

Road, Mokena) 

Narcotics Anonymous 

7-9 p.m. Mondays. All 

those struggling or who have 

struggled with a narcotics 

addiction are welcome. All 

meetings are confidential. 


(708) 479-0300. 

Spanish Church 

12:30 p.m. Sundays. 

Worship Service 

10 a.m. Sundays. All are 

welcome. 

Women’s Bible Study 

8:45-9:45 a.m. Sundays 

and 2-3 p.m. Tuesdays. 

Have something for Faith 

Briefs? Contact Assistant 

Editor Amanda Stoll at 


or call (708) 326-9170 ext. 34. 

Deadline is noon Thursday one 

week prior to publication.

mokenamessenger.com life & arts 


A talented bunch 

Students show off 

their best moves 

for talent show 

fundraiser 


Providence Catholic 

High School students sang, 

danced, entertained and 

even beatboxed their hearts 

out during the school’s second 

Provi’s Got Talent Show 

Jan. 29. 

All the students were part 

of a group who volunteered 

to put on the show to benefit 

the senior prom, and Assistant 

Dean of Students Jennifer 

Williams said she was 

happy to see a variety of students 

and talents throw their 

hats in the ring. 

Unlike the popular show 

“America’s Got Talent” 

there were no eliminations 

or harsh critiques but, rather, 

a show of never-failing support 

from the students in attendance. 

There were repeated 

standing ovations, and the 

students got involved in the 

performances, singing along 

with Megan Kulpinski’s 

piano medley, and clapping 

to the beat as Gabby Huminsky, 

and her friend Francesca 

Lolli, Irish danced around 

the gym floor. 

While the performers 

and spectators were primarily 

seniors, there were 

a few underclassmen in the 

spotlight, as well as one of 

Providence’s international 

students. 

“Tommy Gong is one of 

our international students, so 

this is his first year at Providence,” 

Williams said. “So, 

for him to come out and do 

beatboxing was surprising 

for all of us. 

“...I think it really does 

show them being united,” 

Williams said. “By having 

freshmen and sophomores 

come out with all seniors — 

pretty much the whole audience 

was the majority seniors 

— and it takes a lot to 

get up here and sing in front 

of those kids.” 

Although some of the students 

said they were nervous 

about performing in front of 

their peers, they all said they 

felt supported by the other 

students, which was evident 

by the crowd’s thunderous 

response to each and every 

student who performed. 

Sophomore Lauren Carpenter 

said it was her first 

time performing solo in front 

of her peers, and after being 

involved in the school’s fall 

production of “Godspell” 

she had more confidence to 

perform on her own. 

“Originally, I was kind of 

hesitant to perform... I was 

nervous about it but it was 

okay,” Carpenter said, who 

sang “Titanium” by Madilyn 

Bailey. 

Gabby Huminsky, a junior 

at Providence, has been Irish 

dancing since age 4, and 

studies Irish dance at Trinity 

Academy of Irish Dance in 

Elmhurst. She and her friend 

Francesca Lolli performed a 

duet for the show. 

“Everyone is so nice at 

Providence. We all get along, 

and there’s no, like, bullying 

or putting people down. 

It’s just all about supporting 

each other,” Huminsky said. 

Senior Jacob Hilty, of Mokena, 

kept his performance 

under wraps until it was time 

for him to take the stage, 

with nothing other than 

“Surprise” listed on the program 

for the event. 

“When people heard I 

was doing the talent show, 

everyone knew it was going 

to be something goofy, 

something funny because 

that’s just the way I am,” 

Hilty said, who performed 

a humorous rendition of 

Providence Catholic High School’s Emma Budd, of Mokena, performs Jan. 29 during Providence’s Got Talent hosted at 

the school gym. Photos by Adam Jomant/22nd Century Media 

Providence students end the talent show by singing “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond. 

Omi’s “Hula Hoop” song, 

which was featured in the 

movie “Despicable Me 3.” 

He and Billy O’Neil, a junior 

at Providence, and Joey 

Dawczak, a senior at Lincoln-Way 

Central, danced 

before their peers with multiple 

hula hoop tricks and 

silly dance moves. 

“...I guess in front of a 

big crowd we were nervous 

that we were maybe going to 

make too big of fools of ourselves,” 

Hilty said. 

In the end however, he 

said the family atmosphere 

at Providence resulted in a 

fun and supportive reception 

from the audience members.



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mokenamessenger.com life & arts 


Matt’s Old Mokena 

Winter march to war 

Mokena Munchies 

An unusual combo for breakfast or lunch 

Matt Galik 

Contributing Columnist 

In the midst of winter, we 

focus on what’s in front 

of us. It’s the harshest 

time of year, and keeping 

warm and protecting our 

property supersede almost 

everything else. It’s very 

easy to forget that our village 

is in the midst of marking 

the 100th anniversary of 

one of the most historically 

significant periods of the 

20th century, namely that 

of the First World War. In 

today’s column, we take up 

where we last left off, in examining 

a conflict that was 

then in its fourth year, as it 

entered the first of American 

participation, and how it all 

played out in the then-small 

town of Mokena. 

No one could say that our 

community forgot about 

their boys in the military. 

At the end of November 

1917, a sheet of paper 

was placed in post office 

seeking contributions for 

baseballs and bats to be 

sent to American soldiers 

in France. Being a perennial 

favorite in town, some 

of Mokena’s baseball fans 

readily gave donations to 

this cause. The local Camp 

Fire Girls, a group much 

like today’s Girl Scouts, 

was busy knitting all things 

woolen for local soldiers, 

while the ladies of the local 

Red Cross unit continued 

making bandages and compresses 

for use in overseas 

combat zones, not to mention 

over a dozen comfort 

kits for hometown soldiers. 

In early December, some of 

their gauze got lost, which 

caused their diligent work 

to hit a speed bump, but 

nevertheless, the Mokena 

ladies comprising the group 

forged onward. 

The Red Cross and its 

work on the home front 

were held as an especially 

worthy cause by Mokenians 

of 100 years ago, as 

is seen by the fact that the 

owners of the Mokena Hall 

on Front Street donated 

its usage to the group. The 

huge, multipurpose building 

was used by the Red Cross 

to screen movies around 

Christmas time, which 

financed their work. St. 

John’s German Evangelical 

church also generously 

helped them raise funds. In 

a December thank you note 

to the church’s pastor, the 

Rev. William Kreis, the Red 

Cross’s village secretary 

praised the congregation, 

but also gently chided the 

men of Mokena, who in the 

face of the active ladies, 

were asked to “do their bit” 

as well. 

As the calendar moved 

forward to January 1918, 

no Mokenian would’ve 

forgotten it was winter, and 

a bad one at that. The community 

was perilously close 

to being frozen out by a 

coal shortage so severe that 

some residents were relighting 

ashes doused with 

oil to heat their houses. 

Around 15 inches of snow 

fell on Jan. 11 and 12, in a 

blizzard that is still known 

as one of the worst in Illinois 

history. It was the first 

time in living memory that 

trains on the Rock Island 

stopped running, while 

extreme cold even caused 

the village streetlights to 

quit. Those brave enough 

to venture from their homes 

reported “frozen faces.” 

To compound the chaos, 

what is now Wolf Road 

was totally closed for at 

least three weeks, due to 

a monster, six-foot-deep 

snow drift that covered the 

thoroughfare for a distance 

of about 600 feet immediately 

south of town. The 

village board wound up 

hiring farmer George Marti 

to cut through it in early 

February. 

Meanwhile, Mokena 

garage worker and new 

soldier Fred Steinhagen 

was in training at Camp 

Logan, Texas, where he was 

bowled over by an illness 

that swept through that 

camp around New Year’s 

1918. Fred Hentsch and 

Theron Watt were also new 

inductees into army life, 

coincidentally being also 

being stationed at Camp 

Logan, where they bumped 

into Steinhagen from time 

to time. That January also 

held an important development, 

one that separated a 

particular soldier from the 

rest. Town barber George 

Kraus’s son Karl arrived in 

France with his regiment at 

the end of January, being 

seemingly the first Mokena 

soldier to set foot on 

European soil during WWI. 

Unlike his neighbors still in 

training camps, Karl Kraus 

was headed onward into the 

bloodiest warzone the world 

had ever seen. 

While the end of the war was 

less than a year distant, there 

was still much to transpire that 

would affect not only Mokena, 

but also her residents in uniform. 

Stay tuned to this column 

for the ever-continuing story. 

Beth Krooswyk 

Contributing Columnist 

Who knew that tasty, 

“clean” food could 

be found at an 

airport? That’s exactly what 

we discovered recently at 

London’s Gatwick Airport. 

In October, I was incredibly 

blessed to go along 

on one of Joel’s business 

trips: his company’s yearly 

sales summit to the island 

of Crete, Greece. What a 

fantastic opportunity, and a 

definite 2017 highlight. 

Our connecting flight was 

in London, so while waiting, 

we searched out some food. 

That’s when we saw Gatwick’s 

Grain Store Café. 

For some reason, we were 

both drawn to the unusual 

“sweet potato stack” on their 

breakfast menu. 

Yes, I am one of those 

weirdos who takes photos of 

food, especially when it’s unusual, 

delicious or amazingly 

presented. In this case, all 

three. But we were so hungry 

and time-crunched that I 

didn’t stop to take a photo. 

Instead, I’ve recreated it at 

home since our trip. 

While my kids don’t think 

it’s that great, Joel and I do, 

and after sharing the concept 

with my sister MaryLou, 

my niece Jonalee and my 

BFF Julie, I know there are 

others who do agree that this 

unusual combo is quite tasty 

and worthy of its own recipe 

column. 

So, as promised, here’s 

my vegetable-laden recipe to 

balance out the dessert from 

last time. 

A Sweet Potato Sideways Stack, inspired by a similar dish 

discovered in a London airport, serves tow and is ready in 

about an hour. Beth Krooswyk/22nd Century Media 

Sweet Potato Sideways Stack 

Ingredients 

•2 sweet potatoes 

•Olive oil 

•Sea salt 

•1 ripe avocado 

•Roasted tomato salsa* (I 

use Frontera) 

•Feta cheese crumbles 

Directions 

Scrub sweet potatoes. Poke 

holes with a fork; rub with 

olive oil and sprinkle with 

sea salt. 

Bake in a dish at 400 for 

45-60 minutes, or until fork 

pierces easily. (Or bake in 

advance and reheat before 

serving.) Cut into slices — 

leave peel on for extra fiber 

and nutrients. 

Cut avocado into slices. 

Alternate sweet potato and 

avocado slices. If desired, 

stack in towers like the 

restaurant did! 

Top with salsa and feta. 

Serves two. 

*Note: Use tomato chutney 

or a different salsa. Optional: 

Add black beans. 

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Look for the ballot in the center of this newspaper or vote online at 

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24 | February 8, 2018 | The Mokena Messenger MOKENA 

mokenamessenger.com mokenamessenger.com MOKENA 


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Please write in your favorite business in 

each category. A minimum of 10 categories 

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vote per person and/or email address (for 

online ballots). 

At least 50 categories must be filled in to 

be eligible for 22nd Century Media’s 

-- Southwest Choice Awards prize -- 

one three-night trip for two (2) adults to 

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OFFICIAL RULES 

SPONSOR: 22nd Century Media, 11516 W. 183rd Place. 3SW, Orland Park, IL 60467. 

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER: Complete a 2018 Southwest Choice Awards Official Entry Ballot in the Jan. 18 and 25, Feb. 1 and 8 editions of 22nd Century Media’s southwest publications (includes The Frankfort 

Station, The Homer Horizon, The Lockport Legend, The Mokena Messenger, The New Lenox Patriot, The Orland Park Prairie and The Tinley Junction). A minimum of 10 categories is required for ballot to count. Only 

one vote per person and email address (for online ballots). At least 50 categories must be filled in on the Entry Ballot in order to be eligible for the Prize. Mail entries to: “Southwest Choice Awards ℅ 22nd Century Media, 

11516 W. 183rd Place 3SW, Orland Park, IL 60467. Hand-delivered entries and online entries will be accepted. No photocopies or mechanical reproductions. The sweepstakes begins Jan. 18, 2018,and ends Feb. 12, 

2018. Entries must be received by no later than 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12, 2018. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, mutilated, incomplete, illegible, stolen, or postage-due mail or otherwise undeliverable 

entries. The winner will be selected in a random drawing from all eligible entries received on or about Feb. 21, 2018. The winner will be notified by phone within 15 days of drawing. A voucher for the prize will be awarded 

within 30 days after the winner has been notified and chosen. For a copy of the Official Rules, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to “Southwest Choice Awards” c/o 22nd Century Media, 11516 W. 183rd Place 

3SW, Orland Park, IL 60467. All entries become the property of the Sponsor. 

CONDITIONS: Sponsor is not responsible for printing, production, typographical or other errors or omissions. Prize winner may be required to complete and return an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release 

before receiving Prize. If affidavit and release are not returned within seven (7) days of the Prize drawing, or if the Prize winner is ineligible, the Prize may be forfeited and an alternate Prize winner may be randomly chosen 

from among all eligible entrants. Winner will be required to provide proof of insurance at the time of delivery. • All taxes associated with the Prize are the sole responsibility of the winner. By entering, participants agree 

to be bound by the official rules (and the Sponsor’s interpretation thereof) and consent to the use of their name, photograph, and/or likeness for advertising/publicity without further consideration, except where prohibited 

by law. Sponsor may prohibit entrants from participating in the Sweepstakes and disqualify entries if they attempt to enter the Sweepstakes through means not described in the rules, attempt to disrupt the Sweepstakes 

or circumvent the rules, act in an unsportsmanlike manner or with an intent to annoy or harass any other entrant or Sponsor. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel or suspend the Sweepstakes should unauthorized human 

intervention or other causes beyond the control of the Sponsor corrupt the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper operation of the Sweepstakes. In the event Sponsor terminates Sweepstakes due 

to unauthorized human intervention or other causes beyond the control of the Sponsor, Sponsor shall award the Prize in a random drawing of all entrants to one eligible participant, based upon the rules of eligibility. All 

decisions are final. • Odds of winning depend upon the number of entries received. Possible entries are unlimited in number and only one prize will be awarded. A purchase will not improve chance of winning. Prize is 

not transferable. No prize substitution except by Sponsor, who reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value. Each winner is responsible for all federal, state and local taxes as well as all departure/immigration 

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Chiropractor __________________________ 

Dentist ______________________________ 

Doctor _______________________________ 

Emergency Room _______________________ 

Hearing Clinic _________________________ 

Home Health Care ______________________ 

Hospital ______________________________ 

OB/GYN ______________________________ 

Orthodontist __________________________ 

Orthopedic ___________________________ 

Pediatrician ___________________________ 

Physical Therapy _______________________ 

Place to have a Baby ____________________ 

Podiatrist _____________________________ 

Senior Living __________________________ 

Urgent Care ___________________________ 

Vision Center __________________________ 

Weight Loss Center _____________________ 

DININg 

Asian fusion ___________________________ 

Bakery ______________________________ 

Barbecue ____________________________ 

Beer Garden __________________________ 

Breakfast ____________________________ 

Brewery _____________________________ 

Brunch ______________________________ 

Buffet _______________________________ 

Familyowned &operatedsince 1959 

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Chicken Wings ________________________ 

Chinese food _________________________ 

Date night spot ________________________ 

Deli/Sub sandwiches ____________________ 

Family-owned restaurant _________________ 

Fine Dining ___________________________ 

Fried Chicken _________________________ 

Greek Restaurant ______________________ 

Gyros _______________________________ 

Happy Hour ___________________________ 

Hibachi Grill __________________________ 

Hot Dogs ____________________________ 

Ice Cream ____________________________ 

Irish pub _____________________________ 

Italian Restaurant ______________________ 

Juice/Smoothies _______________________ 

Mexican Restaurant ____________________ 

New Restaurant (Feb. 2017-present) ________ 

Outdoor Dining ________________________ 

Pizza _______________________________ 

Pizza - Chicago-style ___________________ 

Pizza - Most creative ____________________ 

Pizza - Thick Crust _____________________ 

Pizza - Thin crust ______________________ 

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Seafood - Fast Food ____________________ 

Seafood - Fine Dining ___________________ 

Sports Bar ___________________________ 

Steakhouse __________________________ 

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Country Club __________________________ 

Dance Studio _________________________ 

Driving Range _________________________ 

Family Entertainment Center ______________ 

Gaming Center ________________________ 

Golf Course ___________________________ 

Fitness Center/Gym _____________________ 

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Live Entertainment Venue ________________ 

Movie Theater _________________________ 

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taxes, airport arrival taxes, airline fuel surcharges and tour-guard insurance. 

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VOTE OnlinE nOw 

www.22ndcenturymedia.com/swchoice 

Entry Ballot Must Be Received By 

5 p.m. Feb. 12, 2018 

At least 10 categories must be completed for ballot to be counted. 

At least 50 categories must be completed to be eligible for prize. 

Name ________________________________________ Age___________ 

Address _____________________________________________________ 

City ________________________________________________________ 

State _________________________________________ Zip___________ 

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E-mail ______________________________________________________ 

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26 | February 8, 2018 | The Mokena Messenger life & arts 


LWSRA raises funds for programs, promotes inclusivity through Jumpfest 

Megann Horstead 


To help ensure that local 

children do not succumb to 

cabin fever during the winter 

months, at which point 

there’s often a lull in community 

event offerings, the Lincolnway 

Special Recreation 

Association hosted its annual 

Jumpfest Jan. 27 at its New 

Lenox facility. 

The event was open to the 

community, and it served, 

in part, as the organization’s 

fundraiser. 

“We hold it for pretty 

much the [same] reasons 

why we hold a lot of our 

community events: It’s 

just for awareness,” said 

Karyn Reczek, marketing, 

outreach and fundraising 

coordinator for LWSRA. 

“We know that everybody 

knows someone with special 

needs.” 

LWSRA dedicated the first 

hour of play for parents and 

children with special needs to 

try everything out. 

“We actually had our staff 

out there talking to the people 

that were there were not familiar 

with us,” Reczek said. 

“We got three of them that 

Kerry Marshall takes a photo of her son Gavin Marshall, 

who is bouncing inside a jumpy. 

now want to do some [LWS- 

RA] programs.” 

LWSRA prides itself on 

continually looking to make 

its presence known in the 

community. They offer Special 

Olympic and adaptive 

sports, as well as social recreation 

programs for individuals 

who have physical and 

cognitive disabilities through 

a special cooperative agreement 

with the Frankfort, 

Manhattan, Mokena, New 

Lenox, Peotone, and Wilmington 

Island park districts. 

“We find there’s so many 

people who aren’t aware of 

who we are, so we’re out 

there to tell them who we are 

and what we offer to the community,” 

Reczek said. 

Funds raised through 

Jumpfest support LWSRA 

scholarships. 

“We do get quite a number 

of scholarship requests every 

year,” Reczek said. 

Last year, Jumpfest brought 

in 212 jumpers to take part in 

the festivities. Reczek said 

she thinks they’re fairly close 

to being on target with that 

this year. 

Jumpers were met by a 

number of different jumpies 

to try out, with two of them 

set up for smaller children, 

Volunteer Michael Squires (left) watches as children prepare to descend the slide during 

LWSRA’s Jumpfest Jan. 27. Photos by Megann Horstead/22nd Century Media 

as well as slides, an obstacle 

course and other similar apparatus. 

“It’s just a good time,” 

Reczek said. “It’s a nice way 

for parents to get the kids out 

of the house in the middle of 

winter.” 

Reczek said when there’s 

a lull in activities during the 

winter months for families to 

take part in, the LWSRA is 

happy to meet the communities’ 

need. 

“Even today was a really 

nice, it’s just nice to be able 

to have the kids come out 

and do something locally,” 

she said. “You don’t have to 

travel far for it, and they can 

just come out and play.” 

Jumpfest is made possible 

thanks, in part, to its volunteers. 

Students came out from 

many of the area schools, including 

Providence Catholic 

High School, and Lincoln- 

Way East, Central and West 

high schools. 

“We had an awesome turnout,” 

she said. “We had 28 

volunteers come out. I put 

them into two shifts, and 

they’ve just been phenomenal. 

… I couldn’t run this out 

without the volunteers.” 

Adventure 

on the stage 

St. Mary students search for 

treasure, wax figures come 

to life 

RIGHT: Students in the Drama Club at 

St. Mary in Mokena perform in “Night 

at the Wax Museum” Thursday, Feb. 

1, as part of Catholic Schools Week. 

T.J. Kremer III/22nd Century Media



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28 | February 8, 2018 | The Mokena Messenger 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. Common deciduous tree 

4. Legal scholar’s deg. 

7. Scholastic sports grp. 

11. Weak-___ (lacking 

resolution) 

14. Watcher 

15. Fantasy creatures of 

Middle-earth 

16. Defense agency that is 

developing auto-steering 

vehicles 

17. Russian river 

18. Polio vaccine 

19. Mokena beer and 

whiskey bar 

21. Anthology 

23. Astronaut’s wear 

25. Aviation prefix 

26. Cook on a grill 

29. You may have to send 

for it 

31. Actress-singer Zadora 

34. Feature of some skirts 

36. Have trouble on the ice 

37. Running backs, for 

short 

38. Polite response 

41. Move quickly 

43. A Beatle bride 

44. Small hill summit 

46. Mandate 

47. Down time 

48. Early anesthetics 

51. Macbeth’s burial site 

52. ____ Polloi 

53. Andean stimulants 

55. Mokena sports bar 

59. Potential lifesaver 

62. Pack ___ (quit) 

63. Hearty cheers 

65. Michener best-seller 

67. “I Need to Know” 

singer Anthony 

68. Cluster 

69. Pound sounds 

70. Cream additive 

71. Dorothy’s auntie and 

others 

72. Dusk, to Donne 

Down 

1. Accepted 

2. Sci. class 

3. 2007 U.S. Open winner 

Cristie 

4. Soap ingredient 

5. Entertaining Jay 

6. Sea rescue adjective 

7. Emphatic denial 

8. Gripe 

9. Rights grp. 

10. Names a price 

12. Quip 

13. Little touches, as of 

paint 

14. Madison Avenue cow 

20. Continental prefix 

22. Must 

24. “Very funny” station 

26. Secretly watch 

27. Daughter of Juan 

Carlos 

28. Noted storyteller 

30. Rap sheet letters 

31. Art gallery 

32. “Peer Gynt” dramatist 

33. Stars, in Kansas’ 

motto 

35. Hire 

39. Poison remedy 

40. Start of a Chinese 

game 

42. Flying disc 

45. Iron pumper’s pride 

49. Really let have it 

50. High school subj. 

52. Therefore 

54. Pretentiously cultured 

55. Butterbean 

56. Bibliographic abbr. 

57. Copter’s forerunner 

58. Urban blight 

60. Toll unit 

61. Stare, open-mouthed 

64. Failing grades 

66. Payroll ID, at times 

MOKENA 

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■9 ■ p.m. Tuesdays: Karaoke 

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■6 ■ p.m. Thursdays, Fridays 

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HOMER GLEN 

Front Row 

(14903 S. Bell Road, 

Homer Glen; (708) 645- 

7000) 

■7 ■ p.m. Wednesdays: 

Trivia 

FRANKFORT 

Pete Mitchell’s Bar & Grill 

(21000 Frankfort Square 

Road, Frankfort; (815) 

464-8100) 

■6-8 ■ p.m. Wednesdays: 

Free N’ Fun Bar Game. 

Free to play. 

LOCKPORT 

Port Noir 

(900 S. State St., 

Lockport; (815) 834- 

9463) 

■4-7 ■ p.m. Monday-Friday: 

Happy Hour 

■8-10 ■ p.m. Thursdays: 

Comedy Bingo 

■8-11 ■ p.m. Fridays 

and Saturdays: Live 

Band 

■7-11 ■ p.m. Sundays: 

Open Mic Night 

To place an event 

in The Scene, email 

a.stoll@22ndcenturymedia. 

com. 

answers 

How to play Sudoku 

Each sudoku puzzle consists of a 9x9 grid that 

has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3x3 

squares. To solve the puzzle, each row, column and 

box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. 

LEVEL: Medium 

Sudoku by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan

mokenamessenger.com local living 

the Mokena Messenger | February 8, 2018 | 29

30 | February 8, 2018 | The Mokena Messenger local living 


ORLAND PARK, 

IL (February 8, 

2018)-Improvements 

to healthcare are 

extending life spans for 

millions of Americans 

while presenting a 

new set of concerns. 

It is a delicate balance 

between providing 

care for aging parents 

while still providing 

opportunities for them 

to maintain their 

independence. Related 

living homes are 

gaining in popularity as 

more and more families 

are returning to this 

type of lifestyle as a 

solution that relieves 

parents of the burden 

of home maintenance 

while allowing for them 

to be more active with 

their grandchildren. 

The Carson model 

by T. J. Cachey 

Builders, currently 

under construction 

in the Western 

Trail Subdivision in 

Manhattan, is a perfect 

example of related 

living. 

There are no steps in 

the ranch plan of the 

NEW MAINTENANCE-FREE VILLA RANCH HOME 

AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY 

Carson model 

to navigate, and 

zero threshold 

showers and 

grab bars can be 

added if needed 

or set up to 

anticipate future 

needs. T. J. 

Cachey Builders 

is a semi-custom 

home builder. The 

Carson boasts an 

open floor plan with 

a kitchen overlooking 

the family room, three 

bedroom layout and a 

flex room, and is priced 

from $314,900 to 

$370,000. The master 

bedroom has three 

closets (two are walk-in), 

and a private bath. The 

second bedroom or 

the related living suite 

has a private bedroom, 

bath and kitchenette/ 

living room. It’s a great 

opportunity for Mom 

and Dad to have their 

own space. In addition 

to the Carson model, 

there are three other 

three bedroom ranch 

plans to consider from 

1,500 square feet and 

starting at $240,900. 

Stop by the model to 

call (708) 349-1575 or 

(815) 462-0242 today to 

set up a private tour of 

the Carson. 

The final phase of 

Sky Harbor in New 

Lenox is now open, 

priced from $296,900 

with look-out lots 

and the popular 

Stagecoach 

model available 

for sale, as well 

as one lot left in 

Phase 1. Come 

see the Stage 

Coach model 

in Sky Harbor, 

located at 2198 Alta 

Vista in New Lenox, 

between 11 a.m. and 

3 p.m. on Friday, 

Saturday, or Sunday. 

There are only four lots 

remaining in Cherry 

Hill South starting at 

$240,900, and one lot 

available at Western 

Trail in Manhattan. 

Choose from five other 

home plans or design 

a custom home from 

scratch in any one of 

these communities. 

T. J. Cachey Builders 

also offers duplex ranch 

and two-story villas 

in Manhattan from 

$204,900. Many of 

which include first floor 

bedroom suites. 

Families who purchase 

a home from T. J. 

Cachey Builders can 

take comfort in the fact 

that the company is 

celebrating its 91st year 

in business, survived 

the recent recession, 

is financially secure 

and has constructed 

thousands of homes for 

satisfied homeowners 

in Chicago, South 

Holland, Oak Lawn, 

Orland Park, Palos 

Park, Homer Glen, 

Frankfort, Manhattan 

and Mokena. Tom 

Cachey is a third 

generation president of 

T. J. Cachey Builders 

and former president 

of the Southwest 

Suburban Home 

Builders Association.

mokenamessenger.com real estate 


The Mokena Messenger’s 

Sponsored content 

of the 

WEEK 

Spacious two-story on a 

gorgeous lot. 

Where: 18809 Parkway 

Lane, Mokena, 60448 

Amenities: Spacious 

two-story with finished 

basement. One of the 

largest models on a 

beautiful lot with gorgeous 

park setting views. The 

gourmet kitchen has 

custom 42-inch cherry 

cabinets and crown 

molding, granite counters, 

and chef’s-grade Viking 

appliances. Updated main 

level full bath. Hardwood 

flooring. Full wet bar in 

family room with two wine 

fridges and gas-start 

fireplace. Upscale molding 

and wainscoting in the 

basement and foyer. Large 

master suite. Huge loft 

area overlooking vaulted 

living room. Finished 

basement boasting 

recreation room, workout 

area and additional 

bathroom. Outside large 

deck with decorative rails 

is great for a big party or a 

nice day with pool, hot tub 

and storage shed. Front 

paver brick patio. Bridge to 

nearby park features acres 

of open space, gazebo, 

ball fields, playground and 

tennis courts. Convenient 

location. Close to Metra 

Train and Interstate 80. 

Asking Price: $369,000 

Contact: Team Tumas — 

Kim, Al or Ken — Coldwell 

Banker The Real Estate 

Group. For a private tour or 

more information on this 

property, please call (708) 

363-2073 or see virtual 

tour at teamtumashomes. 

com 

Want to know how to become 

Home of the Week? Contact 

Tricia at (708) 326-9170 ext. 

47. 

Jan. 2 

• 19531 116th Ave. D, 

Mokena, 60448-1846 

- Deborah M. Pazera to 

Monika Glowacz, Tom 

Winiarksi, $110,000 

Jan. 3 

• 9993 Cambridge 

Court, Mokena, 60448- 

7915 - Ryan N. Connelly 

to Richard Surbaugh, 

Francine D Surbaugh, 

$202,500 

Jan. 4 

• 19885 Lakeview Way, 

Mokena, 60448-7717 - 

Rita Spantideas Trustee 

to James Williams, 

$186,500 

Jan. 5 

• 10658 Revere Circle, 

Mokena, 60448-2466 

- Chicago Title Land 

Trust Co Tt to Joseph E. 

McNeely, Christine C. 

McNeely, $295,000 

• 10737 Revere Circle, 

Mokena, 60448-2467 

- Chicago Title Land 

Trust Co Tt to Patrick J. 

Shannon Jr., $304,000 

Jan. 8 

• 19398 Wolf Road 12, 

Mokena, 60448-1162 - 

Kelly Walsh to James R. 

Murray, $92,000 

• 19403 Tramore Lane, 

Mokena, 60448-8610 - 

Edward M. Lukin to Larry 

Edward Dinsmore, Laurie 

A. Dinsmore, $252,000 

Jan. 9 

• 12032 Ashbrook Lane, 

Mokena, 60448-8159 

- Klimaitis Construction 

Inc to Grant McCracken, 

Tiffany E. McCracken, 

$557,500 

• 12062 W. Josephine 

Drive, Mokena, 60448- 

9210 - Barbara L. Weidner 

to Kevin S. Cucci, Meghan 

M Chovanec, $220,000 

The Going Rate is provided by 

Record Information Services, 

Inc. For more information, 

visit www.public-record.com 

or call (630) 557-1000.

32 | February 8, 2018 | The Mokena Messenger Classifieds 


CLASSIFIEDS 

Help Wanted · Garage Sales · Automotive 

Real Estate · Rentals · Merchandise 

Help 

Wanted 

1003 Help Wanted 

F/T and P/T RESIDENTIAL CLEANING 

PROS NEEDED! 

START IMMEDIATELY! Up to $13/hr plus tips and 

bonuses. APPLY NOW! 

15868 WOLF RD, ORLAND PARK 

708.873.9044 - MaidPro.com 

customer_service_chisw@maidpro.com 

Growing Media Company 

Seeks Sales Directors 

Position Overview: 

22nd Century Media, a media 

publishing company based in 

Orland Park, is seeking Sales 

Directors to join their team. 

Responsibilities Include: 

Proactively prospecting and 

qualifying potential new 

advertising accounts; handling 

incoming leads; guiding ad 

copy for clients; identifying 

business opportunities and 

working with decision makers 

to obtain customer 

commitment; and achieving 

weekly revenue targets. 

Qualifications: 

Ideal candidates will possess 

1–3 years of experience in 

local/retail advertising sales 

and/or media environment. 

Must have a strong work ethic 

and ability to work 

independently as well as with 

a team. Excellent 

communication skills, 

time-management and 

interpersonal skills required. 

Next Steps: 

For more information or to be 

considered for this 

opportunity, email a 

resume to: 

careers@22ndcenturymedia.com 

No phone calls please. EOE 

Landscape Help Wanted: 

Must have a valid CDL 

driver’s license & labor 

exp. Self-starter & quick 

learner a +. Pay based 

upon exp. English 

speaking a benefit. Call 

Mon-Fri between 9-4 at 

815. 258.4042. 

Safety Assistant 

Tinley Park Safety Dept. 

looking for individuals for 

full-time office positions at 

transportation company. 

Multiple positions available. 

Candidates must be proficient 

with Microsoft Office and 

possess good commuication 

skills. Will train the right 

candidates. Please forward 

resume to 

recruiting@shipgt. com 

Licensed Insurance Sales 

Representative wanted 

IMMEDIATELY FULL- 

OR PART-TIME. We are 

located at 17121 88th Ave, 

Tinley Park, IL 60487. If 

interested, call The Ken 

Anderson State Farm 

Agency at 708.407.8000 to 

schedule an interview. 

Immediate openings 

for house cleaners in 

SW suburbs. 

P/T wkdays. No 

evenings/weekends. 

815.464.1988 

P/T Associate for Travel 

Agency in Orland Park. 

Exp. and open availability 

required. Approx. 16-24 

hrs/weekly. Send 

resume to: 

travel@goodbuytravel.com 

Paint Bay Assistant and 

Mechanics Assistant 

needed full-time. Please 

call Al: 630.327.2435. 

1003 Help 

Wanted 

P/T Medical Receptionist 

The Kennedy Center is 

looking for a motivated, 

dependable and organized 

person with excellent 

communication skills. Must 

be computer literate and a 

H.S. graduate. Contact Tracy 

at 815.320.3749. 

Lawn Technician Wanted 

F/T exp preferred, valid 

driver’s license req. 

$14-16/hr. Healt 

h insurance avail. Office & 

routes in south suburbs. 

Call 708.995.5549. 

FALL IN LOVE WITH 

A NEW CAREER! 

JOIN OUR ABC TEAM. 

CALL TODAY: 

708.349.1866 

Sales, canvassers, and 

installers needed. Call Trela 

Roofing & Remodeling: 

(708) 422-7204 

1004 Employment 

Opportunities 

PAID IN ADVANCE! 

Make $1000/week mailing 

brochures from home! 

No exp. req. Helping home 

workers since 2001! 

Genuine opportunity. 

Start immediately! 

www.MailingTeam.net 

1022 Caregiver 

Wanted 

Looking for skilled nursing 48 

hrs (Sat from 7a-Mon 8a) in 

Flossmoor area for senior. 

Please call: 708.309.4004 


Heaven Sent Caregivers 

Professional caregiving 

service. 24 hr or hourly 

services; shower or bath 

visits. Licensed & bonded. 

Try the best! 708.638.0641 

Sell It 708.326.9170 

Fax It 708.326.9179 

Charge It 

DEADLINE - 

Friday at 3pm 

Automotive 

Automotive 

$52 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 


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 

1074 Auto for 

Sale 

2009 Nissan Murano LE 

67k mi. Comes w/ Bose 

speaker system, 6 disc CD 

changer, heated seats, dual 

sunroof & extras. 

Good Condition. $10,400. 

(708)645-0358 

Real Estate 

1090 House for 

Sale 

Orland Park 

13643 Deerpath Drive 

2,200 sq ft ranch. 3BR, 2Ba, 

2.5 car garage, 1/2 basement 

unfinished +crawl, laundry, 

living rm, family rm, dining 

rm, kitchen w/peninsula countertop, 

fireplace, patio, hardwood 

floors. Master bedrm+ 

bath. 10K sq ft lot. New windows, 

roof, A/C, and gutters. 

$5,136 taxes. Call or text today. 

312-343-6378 FSBO 

Help Wanted 

per line $13 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

Rental 

Real Estate 

$50 

7 lines/ 

7 papers 

1220 Condos for Rent 

Mokena 

Upscale 2BR, 2Ba, condo 

on 2nd floor, with fireplace. 

$1,700/month plus 

1st & last month security. 

815-351-5437 

1225 Apartments for Rent 

Oak Forest Terrace 

15815 Terrace, Oak Forest 

Spacious 1 & 2 Bdrms. 

Serene setting & Beautiful 

Grounds. Tennis, Pool, 

Walking Trails. Near metra. 

708-687-1818 

oakterrapts@att.net 

Merchandise 

$30 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

New Lenox 

2BR, 2nd floor, freshly 

painted, new flooring, no pets, 

one month security deposit. 

Available now. Senior citizen 

discount. Call 708-829-6294 

1250 Garages for Rent 

SPACE WANTED 

Storage for summer car 

wanted. Drop off now, pick up 

in May. 815-556-7084 Rick 

Advertise your 

RENTAL PROPERTY 

in the newspaper 

people turn to first 

CALL US TODAY: 708.326.9170 


Don’t just 

list your 

real estate 

property... 

See the Classified Section for more info, 

or call 708.326.9170 

22ndCenturyMedia.com 

Sell It! 

With a Classified Ad 

...to place your Classified Ad! 

CALL 

708.326.9170

mokenamessenger.com Classifieds 


CLASSIFIEDS 



Sell It 708.326.9170 

Fax It 708.326.9179 

Charge It 

Automotive 

Help Wanted 

Real Estate 

Merchandise 

per line 

DEADLINE - 

$52 

$13 

$50 

$30 

4 lines/ 

4 lines/ 

7 lines/ 

4 lines/ 

Friday at 3pm 

7 papers 

7 papers 

7 papers 

7 papers 

LOCAL REALTOR 

DIRECTORY 

Selling your home? 

Get ready 

With 

Mike McCatty 

mccattyrealestate.com 

708-945-2121 

ONE BILLION IN 

CLOSED SALES SINCE 1999 

 

 

 

 

Sell It! 

With a Classified Ad 

Contact Classified Department 

See the Classified Section for more info, or call 

 

to Advertise in this Directory (708) 326.9170



CLASSIFIEDS 



Business Directory 

2001 Attorney 

Sell It 708.326.9170 

Fax It 708.326.9179 

Charge It 

DEADLINE - 

Friday at 3pm 

Automotive 

Real Estate 

$52 

4 lines/ 

7 papers Help Wanted 

$50 

7 lines/ 

7 papers Merchandise 

2006 Basement Waterproofing 

Leaky Basement? 

• Bowing Walls 

• Concrete Raising 

• Crack Raising 

• Crawlspaces 

• Drainage Systems 

• Sump Pumps 

• Window Wells 

$13 

per line 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

$30 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

FREE 

ESTIMATES 

2025 Concrete Work 

(866) 851-8822 Family Waterproofing Solutions 

(815) 515-0077 famws.com 

2011 Brick/Chimney Experts 

2017 Cleaning Services 

2003 Appliance Repair 

Two Experienced 

Polish Ladies, Mother 

& Daughter, Will 

Clean Your House! 

Please Call: 

(773)988-0625 

Experiened 

Cleaning Lady 

Will Clean House or 

Apartment. 

Free estimates! 

815 690 7633 

Polish Cleaning Lady 

Can Clean Your Entire Home 

or Office 

$$ Affordable Prices $$ 

20 Years Experience 

Call For FREE Estimates 

Monika: 815-715-0291 

HIRE LOCALLY 

Reach over 83% of prospective 

employees in your area! 

CALL TODAY 708-326-9170 

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 

...to place your 

Classified Ad! 

708.326.9170 

DRIVE CAR BUYERS 

TO YOUR DOOR WITH A CLASSIFIED AUTO AD 

A+ 

Call Us Today 708.326.9170 

Drywall 

*Hanging *Taping 

*New Homes 

*Additions 

*Remodeling 

Call Greg At: 

(815)485-3782 

2060 Drywall 

MORTGAGE 

ALERT! 

LOCK-IN MORE BUSINESS. 

ADVERTISE LOCALLY. 

CONTACT THE CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT 

708-326-9170 

22ndcenturymedia.com



CLASSIFIEDS 



2070 Electrical 

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 

2080 Firewood 2090 Flooring 

2130 Heating/Cooling 

Merchandise 

$30 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

($25 Value) 

2120 Handyman 

CALL TODAY FOR AFREE ESTIMATE 

Aprilaire HumidifierInstalled $495 

Furnace Clean & Check $80 

*Must present coupon to receive offer. Expires 2/28/18 

(708) 532-7579 

Visit our newwebsiteat www.tinleyheatingandcooling.com 

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 

Exp 

CODE # 

2090 Flooring 

2132 Home Improvement 

2075 Fencing 

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 

2080 Firewood 

Ideal 

Firewood 

Seasoned Mixed 

Hardwoods 

$115.00 per FC 

Free Stacking & 

Delivery 

708 235 8917 

815 981 0127 

Advertise your 

RENTAL PROPERTY 

in the newspaper 

people turn to first 

CALL US TODAY: 708.326.9170 


...to place 

your 

Classified Ad! 

CALL 

708.326.9170



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 

2296 Window 

Fashions 

2132 Home Improvement 2135 Insulation 

2150 Paint & Decorating 

7 lines/ 

7 papers 

Merchandise 

$30 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

Thinking of Updating Your 

Home, Office or Business? 

Crockett Construction has the 

expertise andapproach to turn your 

Home or Business Renovation 

ideas into reality; on time andwithin 

your budget. 

2150 Paint & Decorating 

Bourbonnais Showroom: 

Homer Glen Office: 

815-304-5012 708-301-8522 

crockettconstructioncorp.com 

Kitchens Bathrooms Basements Remodeling 

Neat, Clean, Professional 

Work At ACompetitive Price 

Specializing in all 

Interior/Exterior Painting 

• Drywall/PlasterRepair 

• WallpaperRemoval 

• Deck/Fence Staining 

• PowerWashing 

Free Estimates 

Senior Discounts 

Forquality & service you 

can trust, call us today! 

orlandpainting@gmail.com 

www.orlandpainting.com 

MARTY’S 

PAINTING 

Interior / Exterior 

Fast, Neat Painting 

Drywall 

Wallpaper Removal 

Staining 


20% Off with this ad 

708-606-3926 

Custom Painting 

I NTE R I O R /EXTE R I O R 

Free Estimates | Prompt Service 

Call Today!! 

(708) 371-6303 

Buy 

It! SELL It! FIND It! 

JPF 

Custom Decorating 

Painting & Remodeling 

Fully Insured 


30 Years in Business 

jfrankowski@comast.net 

(708)476-1034 

KENNEDY’S PAINTING 

Interior/Exterior 

Clean, Neat &Reasonable 

FREE ESTIMATES 

Insured • 30 Years Experience 

Call Mike (708)247-7335 

in the 

CLASSIFIEDS 

CALL 

708.326.9170



2170 Plumbing 

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 

2170 Plumbing 

2200 Roofing 

HIRE 

LOCALLY 

Reach over 

83% of 

prospective 

employees in 

your area! 

CALL TODAY FOR RATES 

&INFORMATION 

708-326-9170 


10% OFF With Ad! 

2200 Roofing 

KASCH PLUMBING Inc. 

• Waterheaters 

•SumpPumps 

• Faucets 

Lisense #055-043148 

Complete Plumbing Service 

• WaterLeaks 

• RPZ Testing 

• Ejector Pumps 

•Disposals 

• Toilets 

815.603.6085


mokenamessenger.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 



Merchandise 

Directory 

2489 

Merchandise 

Wanted 

Metal Wanted 

Scrap Metal, Garden 

Tractors, 

Snowmobiles, 

Appliances, Etc. 

ANYTHING METAL! 

Call 815-210-8819 

Free pickup! 

BUY IT! 

SELL IT! 

FIND IT! 

- IN THE - 

CLASSIFIEDS 

708.326.9170 

2703 Legal 

Notices 

TO: 

OCCUPANT; 

LAPORTE DEVELOPERS, LLC; 

DJ FAMILY LLC; 

CHESTER PASCUAL; 

WILL COUNTY CLERK; 

AND ALL UNKNOWN OWNERS 

AND PARTIES INTERESTED. 

TAX DEED NO.: 17TX300 

FILED: 12/13/2017 

TAKE NOTICE 

County of Will 

Date Premises Sold 12/03/2015 

Certificate No. 14-02437 

Sold for General Taxes of (year) 2014 

Sold for Special Assessment of(Municipality) 

and special assessment number Not Applicable 

Warrant No. Not Applicable 

Inst. No. Not Applicable 

THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN SOLD 

FOR DELINQUENT TAXES 

Property located at 10508 W LA 

PORTE RD., MOKENA, IL 60448 

Legal Description orProperty Index No. 

09-17-201-019-0000 

This notice istoadvise you that the 

above property has been sold for 

delinquent taxes and that the period of 

redemption from the sale will 

expire on 06/07/2018. 

The amount toredeem is subject toincrease 

at 6 month intervals from 

the date ofsale and may be further increased 

if the purchaser at the tax 

sale or his orher assignee pays any subsequently 

accruing taxes or special 

assessments to redeem the property 

from subsequent forfeitures or 

tax sales. Check with the county clerk as 

to the exact amount you owe 

before redeeming. 

This notice is also to advise you that a 

petition has been filed for a 

tax deed which will transfer title and the 

right to possession of this 

property ifredemption is not made onor 

before 06/07/2018. 

This matter isset for hearing inthe Circuit 

Court of this county in the Will 

County Court Annex , 57 N. 

Ottawa St., Courtroom 236, Joliet, Illinois 

on 07/12/2018 at 9:00 a.m. 

You may be present at this hearing but 

your right to redeem will already 

have expired at that time. 

YOU ARE URGED TO REDEEM IM- 

MEDIATELY 

TO PREVENT LOSS OF PROPERTY 

Redemption can be made atany time on 

or before 06/07/2018 by applying to the 

County Clerk of Will 

County, Illinois at the Office of the 

County Clerk in Joliet, Illinois. 

ADDRESS: Office of the Will County 

Clerk, 302 North Chicago St., Joliet, IL 

60432 

For further information contact the 

County Clerk 

TELEPHONE: 815.740.4623 

American Tax Lien, LLC Purchaser or 

Assignee. 

Dated this 24th day of January, 2018. 

14-14-02437 

Buy 

It! 

SELL 

It! 

FIND 

It! 

Sell It 708.326.9170 

Fax It 708.326.9179 

Charge It 

DEADLINE - 

Friday at 3pm 

in the 

CLASSIFIEDS 

CALL 

708.326.9170 

Automotive 

Real Estate 

$52 

4 lines/ 


$50 

7 lines/ 


2900 Merchandise Under $100 

1/2” skil heavy duty electric 

drill variable speed reversable 

$60. 400 ft. roll white 12# 

stranded copper wire 600 volts 

$25. Ask for Lou 708.448.9597 

42” electric fire place heater, 

new $75. 708.599.6796 

6 Elvis Presley record albums: 

His Hand in Mine, Blue Hawaii, 

Welcome to my World, 

Madison Square Garden - Elvis 

on Stage, Legendary Magic of 

Elvis. All for $100. 

708.612.7373 

92” queen sleeper sofa, neutral 

colorsm smoke/pet free home 

$100. Love seat extra 

708.429.7107 

Antique vintage Geneva Ill #8 

star black flat cast iron, nice 

condition $25. Vintage Summit 

1993L collectible casting fishing 

reel $35. Vintage solid 

steel body wizard electric variable 

speed saber saw $40. 

708.466.9907 

Antique vintage iron, Geneva 

IL #8 star made of cast iron, 

nice condition $35. Rare CJ 

vintage gasoline U.S. 5gallen 

can & spout by Jayes Can 

Company $35. Vintage original 

Stanley Handyman mitre hand 

saw box $20. 708.466.9907 

Baby items: 8included. High 

chair, stroll w/ car seat, bouncy 

swing, ect. $100. Great condition! 

708.682.6434 Frankfort 

Cabbage shredder with 2adjustable 

blades 24”x7” $30. 3 

gallon clay crock $30. 

708.301.3528 

Craftsman hand plane w/extra 

blades $35. Palm sander $15. 

Gear wrench socket set, new 

$50. 708.214.4022 

Darvin curio, 69” tall x141/2” 

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Electric Fireplace. New $70. 

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FREE “gumballs” from sweet 

gum tree. Great for crafts! 

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gum tree. Great for crafts. 

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Girl’s poster/canopy (twin) bed 

& box spring $65. Thick 

hand-knit sweaters $25. Rustic 

plywood 4”x8” $10. Bob 

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per line 

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Gorilla rack GR1902 work 

center, 4ft work bench with 

single drawer $90. Call Tom at 

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Hickory sticks x4, $15. Spalding 

golf balls x12, 20¢. Titleist 

Pro V-1 Adams 7wood, $40. 

708.614.4678 

Ladies dresser, $30. Men’s 

double door chest, $30. 

Kitchen table, $20. Night stand 

(old), $20. 708.448.3093 

Leather chair, maroon, $25. 

Silver-plated silverware w/ 

wood case, $50. 708.349.3238 

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boots, size 11 $75. Resistol 

black cowboy hat size 75/6 

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Mike Jordans, $2. Holiday 

b eanies, $2. Chris 

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needs repair $50 obo. 

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North Face mens Olympic 

vest, large. Red, white &blue, 

D enali Sochi $95. 

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Pair of table lamps, white w/ 

scroll leaves, very nice cond w/ 

shades, 30”h, $50/pair. 

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Prom dress, size 2-4, baby 

blue. Will send pictures. $100. 

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from Heritage collection $55. 6 

foot wood ladder $10. 

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phone 8GB $50. Portable sewing 

machine, brand new! $10. 

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Solid wood TV snack tables. 

Like new. Set of2. $15/ea or 

$25 for both. Call Allen. 

708.403.2525

40 | February 8, 2018 | The Mokena Messenger sports 


Athlete of the Week 

10 Questions 

with Kalei Bass 

Kalei Bass, a junior, is one 

of the top bowlers on the 

Lincoln-Way Central girls 

bowling team. 

How’d you get started 

in bowling? 

I joined the bowling club 

over at Martino [Junior 

High] in seventh-grade. My 

friends were doing, so I 

thought, “this sounds interesting, 

I’ll try it.” 

What’s a life lesson you 

could take away from 

bowling? 

Probably to stay out of 

your own head and take 

things with a grain of salt if 

it goes bad. 

Who’s your favorite 

teammate? 

I don’t think I could pick 

just one because we all work 

together pretty well, and it’s 

a great environment. Maddie 

Conroy keeps the team 

laughing, and Amber Winemiller 

and Marianna Hristakos, 

they’re always smiling. 

And Lauren Davern, 

our freshman, always brings 

something new to the conversation. 

What’s the most 

difficult spare to pick up 

besides the 7-10? 

Probably the 6-7-10 because 

you have to hit it just 

right to knock the six pin into 

the seven, and sometimes 

even when you hit it where 

you need to it doesn’t always 

knock the 10-pin down. 

What are your thoughts 

on two-handed 

bowlers? 

I think it’s really cool. Everyone 

does their own thing, 

and it’s interesting to see 

people using their creativity 

and making a new way of 

bowling that’s actually really 

successful. 

What’s your greatest 

accomplishment in 

bowling so far? 

Bowling in the 240s. 

Those are my highest scores, 

and I think it’s really cool 

that those happened all this 

year. I bowled in the 240s 

twice in a tournament and 

another during practice. 

If you won the lottery, 

what’s the first thing 

you’d buy? 

22nd Century Media File Photo 

Honestly, I probably some 

for college, and buy myself a 

cool car – probably a Ferrari. 

What is your spirit 

animal? 

Probably a duck because 

I’ve always liked them ever 

since I was little. They’re 

cute and fluffy. 

If calories didn’t matter, 

what would your ideal 

post-game meal be? 

An ice cream sundae – hot 

fudge and sprinkles on vanilla 

ice cream – from Oberweis. 

If you could be someone 

else for a day, who 

would you be? 

I would be Harry Potter 

because it would be really 

cool to go to Hogwartz. 

Interview by Contributing Editor 

James Sanchez. 

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mokenamessenger.com sports 


This Week In... 

Knights varsity 

athletics 

Boys basketball 

■Feb. ■ 9 - hosts Thornton, 6 p.m. 

■Feb. ■ 10 - at IHSA Sectional, 

TBD 

■Feb. ■ 15 - at IHSA State 

Final, TBD 

■Feb. ■ 13 - hosts IHSA 

Regionals, TBA 



Girls basketball 

■Feb. ■ 12 - at IHSA Regionals, 

TBA 


TBA 


TBA 

Girls bowling 


TBD 

Boys track and field 

■Feb. ■ 10 - at Lockport Quad, 

10 a.m. 

Griffins varsity 

athletics 

Boys basketball 

■Feb. ■ 9 - hosts Sandburg, 

6:30 p.m. 

■Feb. ■ 10 - at Westinghouse, 

12:30 p.m. 

Girls bowling 

■Feb. ■ 10 - at IHSA Sectionals, 

TBA 

Wrestling 


TBA 


TBA 

■Feb. ■ 15 - at IHSA State 

Finals, TBA 

Wrestling 


TBD 

cheer 

From Page 46 

Gaynor, Tiffani Gergely 

Alyssa Goodman, Kelly 

Hausner, Claire Hawkinson, 

Karley Kalchbrenner, 

Megan Moylan, Grace Karana, 

Kait Oritz, Madison 

Parnello, Mary Kate Perisin, 

Amber Pluzycki, Lexy 

Selvaggio, Mia Stewart, 

Sterchele, Tessa Troike, 

Kylee Underwood, Payton 

Wallace, Kanya Washington, 

and Julie Zelenika 

“It was such a great 

weekend,” Julianne Polad 

said. “Few have the opportunity 

to make a difference 

and we do to our school and 

our community. This is the 

most talented team we’ve 

ever had. We did so well 

in the stunts and tumbling. 

We look forward to coming 

back here next year and doing 

well in 2019.” 

For the Lincoln-Way 

Central cheer team, it was a 

breakthrough weekend. The 

Knights were making their 

first state appearance since 

2008 and second in school 

history. They placed 12th in 

the preliminary round, on 

Friday, Feb. 2, with a score 

of 82.23. That was less than 

a half of point from the 

Top 10 and advancement to 

the finals. Glenbard North 

Girls basketball 



(82.53) was 11th while 

Prospect (82.64) was in the 

10th and final spot. 

“For us to get to state and 

be 12th overall is a fantastic 

accomplishment,” Central 

coach Danielle Emmart 

said. “It had been 10 years 

since we’ve gone to state. 

We were very close to making 

it [to the final day]. If 

we would have been clean, 

we would have made it. 

But being 12th in the state 

is an accomplishment 

in itself.” 

The seniors on the team 

were: Brianna Bowers, Taylor 

Cortese, Ryann Hosman, 

Maria Kulchytsky, Gianna 

Ruiz, Emily Sciaccotta, Megan 

Wallace, and Sydney 

Zakowski. 

“Brianna Bowers, Ryann 

Hosman, and Emily 

Sciaccotta were all at state 

with Lincoln-Way East as 

freshmen,” Emmart said. 

“So to make it back to state 

their senior year too was really 

big for them. Also Taylor 

Cortese was at state with 

Oak Forest before she transferred 

to Central.” 

The rest of the Knight 

squad was juniors: Kelly 

Gromnicki, Maddie Powers, 

and Lexi Troy. Sophomores: 

Brooke Aker, Allison 

Ceh, Madison Fields, 

Sophia Gambino, Aubrey 

Girls track and field 

■Feb. ■ 9 - at Homewood- 

Flossmoor Quad, 4:30 p.m. 

Lake, Sydney Steffens, and 

Emily Vargas. Freshmen: 

Katie Engerman, Mickayala 

Kukowski, Elizabeth 

Miller, Jamie Nightingale, 

Abbey Schissler, and Samantha 

Youngren. 

“It really was a rewarding 

season,” Emmart said. 

“A lot of school marks were 

made. We placed third at 

Joliet West in December. 

We were pretty consistent 

with how the kids maintained 

their placement and 

got better and better at some 

things. We placed fourth 

in the toughest sectional in 

the state [at Andrew] to get 

to state and that was huge, 

too.” 

Emmart, who cheered at 

Tinley Park before the IHSA 

state series was launched, 

was the head cheer coach 

at Lincoln-Way North for 

one year before the school 

closed in the spring of 2016. 

That last season the Phoenix 

placed fifth in the state. She 

is in her second season at 

Central and hopes for much 

more success. 

“I’m excited for the programs 

future and for the 

changes we’ve made,” Emmart 

said. “It’s a very exciting 

experience for these 

kids. We have some more 

talented kids coming up and 

they believe in it.” 

The Summit Hill eighth-grade girls basketball team poses with its regional championship 

plaque. Photo submitted 

SHJH 8th-grade girls basketball 

ends season as regional champs 

Submitted by Summit Hill 

School District 161 

The Summit Hill Junior 

High eighth-grade girls’ 

basketball team recently 

completed a successful 2017 

season, and finished with a 

record of 17-7. 

The Spartans, which compete 

in the Des Plaines Valley 

Conference, finished 

Boys Basketball 

Lincoln-Way East 74, 

Bolingbrook 72 

Zach Parduhn (22 points), 

Sam Shafer (21 points) and 

Brandon Petkoff (12 points) 

led the way for the Griffins 

Jan. 26. 

Lincoln-Way East 65, Joliet 

Central 53 

Brandon Petkoff (23 

points) led the Griffins Jan. 

27. 

Lincoln-Way Central 56, 

Bradley-Bourbonnais 52 

high school highlights 

The rest of the week in high school sports 

Sean Curran (19 Points), 

Andrew Hancock (10 

Points) and E.J. Charles (8 

Points) led the way for the 

Knights Feb. 2. 

Girls Basketball 

Lincoln-Way East 52, 

Sandburg 35 

Lauren Hunter (14 points, 

10 rebounds) led the way for 

the Griffins Jan. 30. 


Thornton 31 

Abi Baumgartner (17 

points, 22 rebounds) and 

Natalie Spudic (13 points, 

in fourth place with a 9-5 

record. The team defeated 

Kankakee Junior High to 

win the IESA Regional 

Championship, before falling 

to Flossmoor Parker 

in the IESA Sectional title 

game. 

Hailee Marek and Jamie 

Eggert were named to the 

DPVC All-Conference team, 

while Eggert was also recognized 

as the team’s DPVC 

Sportsmanship Award winner. 

Members of the 2017 

team include: Ashley Carroll, 

Andriana Kilias, Grace 

O’Hanlon, Kiley Ward, 

Madi Glaum, Marek, Alisia 

Salman, Emily Legno, Rachel 

Logan, Mackenzie Gallagher, 

Mackenzie O’Brien, 

Eggert, and managers Jailee 

Clemmons Sophia DeLise. 

7 rebounds) led the way for 

the Knights Jan. 30. 


Stagg 45 

Lauren Hunter (14 points) 

and Kaley Sheehan (12 

points) led the way for the 

Griffins Feb. 1. 


Thornwood 49 

Abi Baumgartner (26 

points, 11 rebounds), Regan 

LoConte (16 points, 5 rebounds) 

and Haley Stoklosa 

(9 points, 5 rebounds) led the 

way for the Knights Feb. 1.



Wrestling 

LW East takes 2nd in regional behind Provi 

Steve Millar 


Providence coach Keith 

Healy knew the Celtics would 

have to be nearly perfect to 

take down highly-ranked Lincoln-Way 

West and Lincoln- 

Way East, and the rest of a 

loaded field at the Saturday, 

Feb. 3, Class 3A Bradley- 

Bourbonnais Regional. 

“We knew we needed our 

full lineup to step up and get 

big wins for us to win this,” 

Healy said. “We needed 

all the kids, not just our top 

guys, to contribute.” 

The Celtics delivered, 

scoring 197 points to capture 

the team title and advance 

to take on Edwardsville in a 

dual team sectional Feb. 20 at 

a site to be determined. 

Providence came into the 

URBAN LIVING. 

SUBURBAN SETTING. 

meet not ranked in the Top 

25 of Class 3A by the Illinois 

Wrestling Coaches and Officials 

Association, but outscored 

No. 16 Lincoln-Way 

East (171) and No. 4 Lincoln- 

Way West (160.5) to win the 

championship. 

Lincoln-Way Central finished 

seventh with 47 points. 

The championship was especially 

meaningful for the 

Celtics with Healy set to retire 

at the end of the season 

after a 26-year stint as Providence 

coach that’s included 

six state championships. 

“I just want to send (Healy) 

out with a bang,” junior Jake 

Lindsey said. “He deserves it 

after everything he’s done for 

so many people in this sport.” 

Lindsey, a 113-pounder, 

was one of five champions 

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for Providence, along with 

Josh Ramos (145), Kevin 

Countryman (152), Cole 

Smith (160) and Logan Anderson 

(220). 

A state champion a season 

ago, Lindsey recently returned 

after missing most of 

the season with a torn labrum 

and rotator cuff in his right 

shoulder. 

He beat Homewood-Flossmoor’s 

Briscoe Watson by 

major decision, 12-3, in Saturday’s 

finals to improve to 

9-1 on the season. 

Providence advanced nine 

wrestlers to Saturday’s Alton 

Individual Sectional, including 

Dominick Ambrose, the 

runner-up at 138, and thirdplace 

finishers Nick Matthias 

(106), Ross Heimlich (120) 

and Alonso Serrano (126). 

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Lincoln-Way East’s Devin O’Rourke is one of eight Griffins to earn a spot at sectionals on 

Feb. 20. 22nd Century Media file photo 

Lincoln-Way East had a 

strong showing to take second, 

led by champions Nick 

Mihajlovich (182) and John 

Christensen (195). 

Mihajlovich dominated H- 

F’s Tommy Dantzler to win 

a 9-0 major decision in the 

championship match. He improved 

to 27-3 on the season. 

“I knew he was a good opponent 

and he was tough on 

top,” Mihajlovich said. “So 

I tried to stay away from tieups, 

and tried to get points 

shooting in. 

“It was good to wrestle one 

of the top guys that I haven’t 

wrestled before. It was a 

good learning experience.” 

Christensen (26-10) 

grabbed a big lead early and 

cruised to a 7-3 win over 

Lincoln-Way West’s Jordan 

Telez in the finals. 

“I wrestled him earlier in 

the season and won, so I was 

feeling good, but I couldn’t 

get overconfident,” Christensen 

said. “Just getting to 

sectionals is a big accomplishment, 

but my work’s not 

done yet. I’m looking forward 

to next week.” 

The Griffins advanced 

eight wrestlers to sectionals, 

including runners-up 

Gus Christensen (152), Chris 

Wilder (170) and Devin 

O’Rourke (heavyweight), 

and third-place finishers Paul 

Malito (132), Noah Alsguson 

(160) and Jaden Hacha (220). 

Mihajlovich said the Griffins 

have come a long way as 

a team this season. 

“We’re more of a team than 

we’ve been in the past,” he 

said. “We bond well together, 

we help each other out in the 

room, and I think that’s been 

a big part of our success.” 

Junior Mason Sargent was 

the lone Lincoln-Way Central 

wrestler to advance to 

sectionals, picking up a thirdplace 

finish at 182. 

Sargent (31-17) battled 

Providence’s Antonio Tuminello 

in a thrilling third-place 

match, getting a last-second 

takedown to emerge with a 

10-9 win and keep his season 

alive. 

“I just had to dig deep and 

think about what we’ve been 

practicing all season,” Sargent 

said. “I thought about what 

my coaches taught me, and it 

just all paid off at the end. 

“I knew I just had to get 

that takedown. I couldn’t not 

do it, or else everything was 

for nothing.” 

The win was especially 

satisfying for Sargent after 

he finished fourth at regionals 

last season, failing to advance. 

“This feels really good after 

I didn’t get to go to sectionals 

last year,” he said. “I 

was ready to come here and 

compete this year and make 

it this time.” 

Lincoln-Way West was 

without three starters, two 

who were injured last month 

and one who missed weight 

for the tournament. 

Warriors coach Brian 

Glynn felt his wrestlers 

competed well despite being 

shorthanded. 

“I was pretty happy,” he 

said. “We met or exceeded 

most of our seeds. We had a 

good day, but we were missing 

some pieces. We’re a team 

that needs everybody. We 

don’t have those top-tier guys 

that are going to carry us. We 

need all 14 to contribute, and 

we just didn’t have that.” 

Kyle Quinn (32-9) was the 

Warriors’ lone champion as 

he topped Wilder 4-2 for the 

title at 170. 

The Warriors will be wellrepresented 

with nine wrestlers 

at sectionals.



 

 

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Girls gymnastics 

‘Everybody pretty much did what they needed to do’ 

Lincoln-Way co-op 

coasts to regional 

title trophy 

Chris Walker 


Madi Flondor has nothing 

against spectators. 

She just doesn’t want to be 

one right now. 

Rather, she wants to be 

one of those gymnasts that 

entertains the fans who are 

packed into the bleachers. 

The Lincoln-Way co-op 

senior took on the reduced 

role of an onlooker as the coop 

went on a fantastic postseason 

run last winter, which 

culminated in a sixth-place 

finish at state in Palatine, 

which was also its first appearance 

in the finals since 

2008. 

While it was an amazing, 

long overdue season for 

Lincoln-Way co-op, Flondor 

didn’t compete in the postseason 

due to an injury. 

Now she’s healthy and 

trying to get back there during 

her final season. 

She and her teammates 

took the first step to do that, 

cruising to victory in the 

Lincoln-Way East regional 

with 144.9 points on Jan. 29, 

easily in front of runner-up 

Hinsdale South’s 136.525. 

“Coming back from an 

injury has been really exciting 

because I didn’t get to 

compete with the team at 

state and to be a part of everything 

on the floor with 

them,” Flondor said. “So 

it’s a different feeling for me 

now that I’m back with the 

team, which is where I need 

to be. It’s a big confidence 

booster and everyone on the 

team has been supportive 

and we’re all good working 

together.” 

Lincoln-Way co-op simply 

owned the vault and 

beam as it had gymnasts 

place first, second and third 

on vault while snagging the 

top four spots on beam. 

Sophomore Korina Jarosz 

led the way on vault with a 

9.45 and was followed by 

Flondor and freshman Grace 

Kmak, both of whom earned 

a 9.3. 

On beam, it was senior 

Una Farrell leading the 

way with a 9.4 as she edged 

Flondor’s 9.35. Jarosz followed 

with a 9.225 and 

sophomore Erika Waaso 

added a 9.175. 

“Everybody pretty much 

did what they needed to do,” 

Lincoln-Way coach Kim 

Lago said. “There are a couple 

of smaller things to work 

for on bars to get their confidence 

up a bit and once we 

do that we should be good.” 

The team’s highest scores 

came on vault (37.3) and 

beam (37.15) while there 

was a substantial drop on 

bars (34.1) so any boost 

there at sectional would be a 

huge gain. 

Still, the team was consistent 

on bars as its five competitors 

scored between 7.95 

and 8.75. 

“The falls on bars are 

things we can get better on,” 

Jarosz said. “We just want to 

keep doing the best we can 

for each meet and see where 

it takes us.” 

Jarosz edged senior teammate 

Gabby DeVito 9.175 to 

9.15 on floor for top honors, 

although Jarosz shared first 

place with Lyons’ Olivia Kalata. 

Sophomore Allie Reis and 

Farrell provided the team’s 

final two counting scores on 

floor. 

“We’re still trying to break 

that 145 this season and trying 

to overcome that 144.9, 

which we’ve done multiple 

times,” Farrell said. “At the 

regional is when it really 

Grace Kmak, a freshman at Lincoln-Way Central, launches off the vault Jan. 29 during the Lincoln-Way East regional. The 

Lincoln-Way co-op team took the regional title. Photos by Julie McMann/22nd Century Media 

starts to matter and the pressure 

builds up. 

“How we handled it (on 

Jan. 29) is a good representation 

of how we’re going to 

do it at the sectional. I think 

we’re pretty cool under pressure 

and I think if we keep a 

good head on our shoulders 

we’ll be at state.” 

Kalata won the all-around, 

edging Hinsdale South’s 

Alex Caruso, 36.6 to 36.55. 

Farrell (36.4), Jarosz (36.2) 

and Kmak (35.175) followed 

for Lincoln-Way co-op. 

“It was a very consistent 

meet and I think we were all 

proud of our team,” Flondor 

said. “I was happy with the 

way we worked together to 

go out there and put up the 

score that we needed.” 

And now they need to do 

it just one more time to get 

to state. 

LW co-op gymnast Allie Reis, a sophomore from LW East, performs during the floor 

routine.



Griffins top Celtics, win 7th straight 

RANDY WHALEN 


There are many factors 

that have contributed to the 

fact that the Lincoln-Way 

East boys basketball team 

is in the midst of having its 

best season in school history. 

One of those is the contributions 

off the bench. 

That was certainly the 

case last week as Julian Barr 

made the most of his playing 

time. The 6-foot-3 junior 

guard poured in a game-high 

16 points as East staved off 

Providence by a score of 

61-47 in a matchup of local 

teams Jan. 30 in Frankfort. 

It was the seventh straight 

win for the Griffins (17-3), 

who recently vaulted into 

the rankings in the Chicago 

area with victories over 

state-ranked Bolingbrook 

(75-72 on Jan. 26 in Bolingbrook) 

and Joliet Central 

(65-53 on Jan. 27 at the Lincoln-Way 

West Shootout). 

Providence (8-14), which is 

looking to get healthy after 

a slew of injuries, hung in 

all game. The Celtics were 

led by junior guard Matt 

DiNardi (14 points, 5 rebounds). 

At halftime of the game 

there was a special honor 

for the East football team. 

Many member of the Class 

8A state champion Griffins, 

along with coach Rob 

Zvonar and assistants, were 

honored by MaxPreps. 

That was part of the Max- 

Preps and Army National 

Guard Tour of Champions. 

Members of the Army National 

Guard were there 

to help honor East, which 

went 14-0 and was ranked 

No. 33 in the Nation by 

MaxPreps. 

Although the ceremony 

made halftime a little longer, 

it was Barr being brought 

The Griffin’s Joey Buggemi goes for the long-range shot over a Celtic defender. Buggemi 

finished with nine points. 

into the game to start the 

second quarter that gave the 

Griffins a spark. 

“We were a little weary 

and a little fatigued,” East 

coach Rich Kolimas said of 

his squad from the pair of big 

wins the previous weekend. 

“Providence was playing energized 

and tough and Julian 

came in and gave us a lift.” 

While the Griffins led 

most of the way, it was when 

Barr came in that they got 

some separation. With East 

up by five after one quarter, 

he hit a 3-pointer to open the 

scoring in the second quarter. 

With the Griffins leading 

25-17, Barr banged home a 

3-ball from the left corner 

with 1:16 left in the second 

quarter and then added 

a highlight reel play to end 

the opening half. That came 

when senior guard Sam Shafer 

(9 points) whipped a perfect 

behind the back pass to 

Barr, as he streaked down 

the right side. Barr glided in 

for the layup with four seconds 

left to give him eight 

points in the quarter and also 

give the Griffins a 30-17 

halftime lead. 

“It was a nice pass,” Barr 

said of the play. “He [Shafer] 

saw me cutting and I was 

able to make the layup. The 

coaches just told us to find 

the open shooters and not to 

force it. They just found me 

open and it was my night.” 

It was, but recently Barr 

has set his own personal bar 

high. He and Shafer each 

had 18 points in the Griffins’ 

76-49 victory over Stagg on 

Jan. 19 in Frankfort. 

Barr added another 

3-pointer in the third quarter, 

which ended with East 

ahead 42-28. The Celtics 

cut the lead to nine on four 

occasions in the fourth quarter, 

the last time at 52-43 

on a layup by senior guard 

Scottie Slocum (7 points) 

with 2:38 to play. They had 

a couple of chances to get 

closer, but couldn’t convert. 

Doing what he does well, 

senior point guard Zach Parduhn 

(11 points, 5 rebounds) 

drove for a trio of layups 

in the fourth quarter. Barr 

Lincoln-Way East’s senior guard Sam Shafer goes between 

Providence defenders Jan. 30 for an acrobatic layup 

attempt. The Griffins beat the Celtics 61-47. 

Photos by Julie McMann/22nd Century Media 

capped off his night with 

five more points in the final 

three minutes to also help 

put Providence away. 

“Zach took over the 

game,” Kolimas said of the 

fourth quarter. “But it was 

just tough. This is a neighborhood 

rivalry and we respect 

[the Celtics]. They 

played us tough and we 

needed Julian and Zach to 

pull us through.” 

Junior guard Adam Taylor 

added eight points for Providence, 

which continued to 

play without starting junior 

point guard Kamaron Smith, 

who has been out with a 

knee injury. 

“We’ve had lots of injuries 

this season and it’s 

been a tough struggle,” said 

Providence coach Tim Trendel, 

who is in his eighth 

season as head coach at the 

school. “But [against East] 

we showed signs of life. We 

cut it to nine points there in 

the fourth quarter, but it’s a 

matter of learning how to 

get some defensive stops. 

We just don’t have the consistency 

we need to string a 

few stops together. But good 

teams make big shots. 

“That [East] is a good 

team. They are a No. 1 or 

No. 2 seed in the sectional. 

We had a similar situation 

the game before [on Jan. 26] 

against Leo. We were down 

by only eight in the fourth 

quarter to a good team before 

losing (48-32). I’m not 

much into moral victories, 

but I could tell by this [East] 

game that we’re moving forward 

and that’s a good sign 

that we’ll be alright.” 

Junior guard Adam Taylor 

added eight points for Providence, 

which led 5-0 in the 

first two and a half minutes 

and still led 7-6 with two 

minutes to play in the opening 

quarter. Senior guard 

Joey Buggemi (9 points) 

and senior forward Brandon 

Petkoff (8 points) also contributed 

for the Griffins, who 

used a 12-2 spurt to lead 

12-7 after the first quarter. 

“We were tired since 

we just had two really big 

games,” Barr said of coming 

into the Providence matchup 

after the Bolingbrook and 

Joliet Central wins. “It’s 

just been the team chemistry 

[that’s helped the success 

this season]. We all get along 

and just have fun. We have 

to keep working hard and 

keep it going.”



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The Lincoln-Way Central competitive cheerleading squad poses outside of the school 

before heading off to the state playoffs in Bloomington Feb. 2-3. The Knights finished 12th 

in the preliminary round and were unable to advance to the finals. Photo submitted 

LW East unable to defend state 

title, Central finishes 12th 

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OPPORTUNITY 

Randy Whalen 


For defending large 

school state champion, Lincoln-Way 

East, there was 

disappointment. 

The Griffins came out 

spirited, but had a couple 

of errors in the middle of 

their performance and that 

dropped them to seventh 

this season. 

“We have no doubt that 

we worked our hardest with 

this team and they left it on 

the floor,” East co-coach 

Julianne Polad said. “Some 

days it’s your day and some 

days it’s not. It wasn’t our 

day. But here it’s all about 

the culture. You have to win 

graciously and lose graciously.” 

Entering this seasons 

tournament, East was hoping 

to go back-to-back on 

state titles as it did in the 

2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. 

After not qualifying 

for state in the 2015-16 season, 

the Griffins were back 

on top last year, beating out 

defending state champion 

Joliet West. 

Despite the disappointment, 

the Griffins — who 

were second in the preliminary 

round with a score of 

90.07 on Friday, Feb. 2 — 

knew what they had done 

and were capable of. 

“I’m just really proud 

of what we did with this 

team,” East senior Olivia 

Sterchele said. “It’s been a 

long journey and I’m proud 

of what we did [at the state 

finals]. We just all wanted 

it for each other. Even [after 

the errors] we were in 

good spirits and had to push 

through till the end.” 

Senior Lauren Burns was 

on the varsity team all four 

years. So she got to experience 

a pair of state championships. 

Although she 

didn’t get to bring home a 

final one this season, she 

has no regrets. 

“I’m proud of what 

we’ve done this season 

and I wouldn’t trade it for 

anything,” Burns said. “It 

wasn’t the result we wanted, 

but I still wouldn’t trade 

a second of it. Just being a 

part of this team was such a 

great experience. This was 

the most unique team I’ve 

ever been on and a great 

group to go out with.” 

The members of the Griffin 

team are: Emma Barnard, 

Maddie Brokop, Burns, Angelina 

Gallina, Shannon 

Please see cheer, 41



fastbreak 

Boys Swimming 

LW Central captures conference meet ahead of state finals 

22nd Century Media File 

Photo 

1st-and-3 

Like fish in water 

1. LW Central boys 

swimming 

Tim Murphy (above) 

won the 100 freestyle 

and 100 backstroke 

en route to 

the Knights’ SWSC 

Red Division Conference 

title Saturday, 

Feb. 3. 

2. Record breaker 

Knights freshman 

Joe Bozzi set a new 

SWSC record in the 

500-yard freestyle. 

Bozzi’s time of 

4:51.72 beat the old 

record of 4:54.54, 

and was still not as 

fast as his personal 

best time of 4:47.01. 

3. Danny O’Brien 

O’Brien took home 

first place in both 

the 200 freestyle 

and the 100 butterfly, 

narrowly edging 

out teammates 

Bozzi and Tim Kirk, 

respectively. 

Dave Owen, Freelance Reporter 

The Knights are the kings 

of SWSC Red swimming. 

With Tim Murphy and 

Danny O’Brien each winning 

two individual events 

and freshman Joe Bozzi 

setting a new meet record 

in the 500-yard freestyle, 

Lincoln-Way Central sped 

to 271 points to easily top 

closest pursuers Andrew 

(second-place 190) and host 

Lincoln-Way West (third, 

187) and win the Saturday, 

Feb. 3 conference meet. 

“This meet is just really 

exciting,” said Murphy, 

who won the 100 freestyle 

(50.77) and 100 backstroke 

(55.60), and also joined 

O’Brien, Bozzi and Josh 

Fox on the winning 200 

and 400 freestyle relays. “It 

means a lot to win conference, 

so having that extra 

motivation really helps you 

push through, especially 

during a hard week of practice.” 

With the rest/taper imminent 

for Feb. 17 sectionals, 

the Knights showed no 

signs of fatigue in a huge 

performance across the 

board. The Central junior 

varsity also won the team 

title by an 85-point margin. 

“Varsity came in with 

higher yardage [in workouts] 

this week, so for that 

we swam incredibly well,” 

Central coach Luke Bell 

said. “And JV had some 

great swims, as well; Noah 

Ivicic swam his personal 

“It’s a new experience. The 

environment [of high school 

swimming] is completely different 

than club season. I just want to do 

my best for the team, and be here 

to help out.” 

Joe Bozzi — Lincoln-Way Central freshman, on 

setting a new SWSC conference meet record in the 

500-yard freestyle 

best in the 100 fly, Will 

Jager in the 500 freestyle 

dropped eight seconds, and 

Sean Murphy a freshman 

swam best times. Great 

swims all around.” 

Bozzi’s 500 swim had the 

most historic impact. His 

pre-taper time of 4:51.72 

was well off his season 

best (4:47.01), yet easily 

shattered the four-year-old 

SWSC Red record pace of 

4:54.54. 

That league record impressively 

added to his 

high-impact freshman season. 

“It’s a new experience. 

The environment [of high 

school swimming] is completely 

different than club 

season,” Bozzi said. “I just 

want to do my best for the 

team, and be here to help 

out.” 

A 2017 state meet veteran 

along with Murphy, 

O’Brien won both the 200 

freestyle (1:49.09) and 100 

butterfly (55.52) as a final 

tuneup for the state series. 

“I thought the meet went 

great,” O’Brien said. “Everyone 

was swimming really 

well. I had some good 

racing out there with Joe, 

and our relays were good. 

I’m satisfied.” 

The Knights had great 

double efforts in both the 

100 freestyle — Murphy 

edging teammate Fox by 

just .06 of a second — and 

the 200 free, as O’Brien 

topped Bozzi by .2 of a second. 

“Danny swam his heart 

out in the 200 freestyle, 

1:49, a great swim there,” 

Bell said. “And Joe, as well 

(second-place 1:49.28 in the 

200). They both had phenomenal 

swims. 

“And Tim had his best 

time in the backstroke. He 

broke the 56-second mark 

[at 55.52] after being 56.08 

Lincoln-Way Central’s Tommy Kirk finished first in the 200 

IM as the Knights took the SWSC Red Division conference 

title. 22nd Century Media File Photo. 

twice this season. And even 

a few kids that have been 

sick the past few weeks had 

great times. Josh Fox had an 

awesome 100 freestyle.” 

Tommy Kirk (2:05.26) 

and Nate Fritz (2:05.82) 

were one-two in the 200 IM, 

and Kirk was also second in 

the 100 butterfly. Kirk also 

teamed with Justin Hearne, 

Matt Senese and Zach Athos 

to win the 200 medley relay 

(1:46.55). 

“All the relays did really 

good – it was a real team 

effort,” Bozzi said. “Everyone 

here did a good job.” 

Athos showed versatility 

by placing third in both 

the 50 and 500 freestyles, 

Senese was third in the 100 

breaststroke and Hearne 

placed fourth in the 100 

backstroke. 

Murphy summed up the 

Knights’ key to success. 

“We train really hard, 

and I think the close team 

dynamic of everyone being 

friends,” he said. “Workouts 

are hard during practice, 

but just being able to push 

each other, knowing what 

someone’s going through 

and how you can get them 

to work even harder — that 

really has made this season 

more successful.” 

Now the Knights confidently 

prepare for higher 

stakes. 

“It’s different going to 

sectionals,” Murphy said, 

“because we try to cut back 

on yards as it gets closer 

so we can be rested and 

swim as fast as we possibly 

can.” 

“A couple more days of 

hard practices,” Bell said, 

“and then it’s tapers and see 

what they can do (at sectionals).” 

Listen Up 

TUNE IN 

Index 

“It’s different going to sectionals, because we try 

to cut back on yards as it gets closer so we can be 

rested and swim as fast as we possibly can.” 

Tim Murphy – Lincoln-Way Central swimmer, on the Knights’ 

strategy heading to sectionals 

Girls Basketball 

TBA, Monday, Feb. 12 

Lincoln-Way East opens regional title week 

at home 

41 – High School Highlights 

40 – Athlete of the Week 

FASTBREAK is compiled by Editor T.J. Kremer III, tj@moke 

namessenger.com.

mokena’s Hometown Newspaper | www.mokenamessenger.com | February 8, 2018 

LW East boys 

basketball cruises past 

Providence, Page 45 

No repeat for 

Griffins LW East cheer 

squad finishes seventh at 

state, Page 46 

Regional champs 

LW co-op girls gymnastics 

eye sectionals next, Page 44 

Lincoln-Way East’s senior guard Zach Parduhn 

drives the lane and puts up a floater against 

Providence Catholic High School Jan. 30. 

Julie McMann/22nd Century Media 

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