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22 | February 8, 2018 | The Mokena Messenger mokena mokenamessenger.com “ABSOLUTELY —Kenn Wells, former lead dancer of the English National Ballet IN THE WORLD.” Art that Connects Heaven &Earth ALL-NEW 2018 SHOW WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA “ I’ve reviewed about4,000 shows. None can compare to what Isaw tonight.” —Richard Connema,renowned Broadwaycritic “Demonstratingthe highest realm in arts.” —Chi Cao, principaldancerwiththe BirminghamRoyal Ballet “Absolutely the greatest of the great! It must be experienced.” —Christine Walevska,“goddessofthe cello”,watched Shen Yun5times “This is the highest and best of what humans can produce.” —Oleva Brown-Klahn,singer and musician “AWE-INSPIRING!” — —BroadwayWorld “The 8thwonder of theworld. Peoplehavenoidea what they'remissing untiltheycomehereand seethe show.” —Joe Heard, former WhiteHouse photographer, watched Shen Yun6times ALL 2017 SHOWS SOLD OUT! SECURE YOUR SEATS NOW! MAR 21–25 Rosemont Rosemont Theatre APR 5–8 Aurora Paramount Theatre APR 12–15 Chicago Harris Theater Tickets ShenYun.com/Chicago 888-99-SHOWS (74697) Prices: $80- $200
mokenamessenger.com life & arts the Mokena Messenger | February 8, 2018 | 23 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. Vote & Win a vacation for 2 to Cancun! Jan. 18- feb. 12 Choose your favorite local businesses in Beauty, Dining, Education, Fitness & Recreation, Health, Pets, Services, Shopping and Vehicles. 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. Look for the ballot in the center of this newspaper or vote online at 22ndcenturymedia.com/swchoice starting Jan. 18.
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