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16 | April 12, 2018 | The New Lenox Patriot News newlenoxpatriot.com FROM THE ORLAND PARK PRAIRIE Trustees discuss reverting mayoral role to part-time status The days of a full-time mayor in Orland Park may be on borrowed time. During the Finance Committee meeting April 2, three Village Board members forwarded on an item — without a recommendation — to the full Village Board for discussion and possible action that could revert the full-time Village president position back to a part-time position after the 2021 election. The three members of the committee are trustees Michael Carroll, Dan Calandriello and Patricia Gira, who asked for the item to be placed on the April 2 committee meeting agenda. During the meeting, Gira said there has been a lot of discussion — and confusion — regarding the role of the full-time position. “It is very difficult without clearly outlined parameters for the full-time position versus the parttime mayor’s position,” Gira said. “We’re not clear on it, and I don’t think anyone has a good understanding of it.” Carroll, the committee chairman, said he checked with the Village clerk’s office to confirm that Mayor Keith Pekau was sworn in May 15, 2017. To give it a full year to see “the effectiveness of our ordinance,” Carroll suggested sending it to the board level for discussion on May 21. Calandriello agreed with Carroll about having the conversation May 21. The committee members voted 3-0 to send the item on to the Village Board without a recommendation for discussion and possible action May 21. Reporting by Jon DePaolis, Freelance Reporter. For more, visit OPPrairie. com. FROM THE MOKENA MESSENGER ‘Every 21 Seconds’ to make public debut On Friday, April 13, “Every 21 Seconds,” the film based on Mokena native Brian Sweeney’s struggle with traumatic brain injury, will make its public debut at Emagine Entertainment’s Frankfort Theatre. The film previously had been screened by a private audience in January. “Every 21 Seconds” follows Sweeney’s life after he was viciously attacked outside of a bar in Wisconsin in 1992. The attack left Sweeney with a traumatic brain injury. Since then, Sweeney has been on a mission to share his story in the hope that it will raise awareness and spur action for the approximately 2 million people per year who are diagnosed with and suffer from a TBI. “I spent the first five years trying to convince people that there was nothing wrong with me, and every day since trying to get people to understand what the challenges are for folks who go through this, what some of the deficits might be,” Sweeney said in an interview with The Messenger back in January. “But, also, what you can do, not what you can’t do. I always say focus on the capabilities, not the disabilities. “I wanted to be the voice that gave these people a voice.” The movie is based on Sweeney’s book of the same name. The film recently was nominated for several awards — including Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Ensemble — by Festigious, a monthly online film festival. Reporting by T.J. Kremer III, Editor. For more, visit MokenaMessenger. com. FROM THE LOCKPORT LEGEND Lockport native to compose piece for Chicago Symphony Orchestra For a final project in his summer course at Northwestern, Jim Stephenson was instructed to write a bad piece of music. The course, Adventures in Bad Music, had a backward approach to helping students discover what they do and do not like. The 24-year-old at the time had never taken a composition course before this one and, surprisingly, wrote a “bad” piece that ended up being enjoyed by his classmates. It was that moment that encouraged Stephenson to begin writing music full-time. “I was like, well, if I try to write a bad piece and someone likes it, let’s see what happens when I try to write good music,” he said. “I started composing at the age of 24, and that grew and grew and grew.” His talent and love for music composition led him to receive an invitation in November 2015 to write a piece for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra that will be premiered during one of their concert weekends in June 2019. “It’s just one of those beautiful things that you never expect,” Stephenson said. “I mean, this is literally the orchestra I grew up listening to. My dream as a kid was to someday play in the Chicago Symphony. That’s not happening, because I don’t play trumpet anymore, but this about as close or maybe even better.” Reporting by Jacquelyn Schlabach, Assistant Editor. For more, visit LockportLegend.com. FROM THE FRANKFORT STATION Dental hygienist helps create a community with healthier teeth The dentist’s office is not most people’s favorite place to find themselves, but for those who cannot afford a visit, it is even harder to get themselves in that chair. Dayna Mazurek, a dental hygienist at Advanced Family Dental in Frankfort, is not only helping patients find their way to an office but also finding her way to them. After completing an American Dental Association training to become a community dental health coordinator, Mazurek has increased her involvement in the community and on social media. “I bring all my experiences out in the public and to here where I can educate the patients more oneto-one,” noted Mazurek, who said she is able to better talk to patients and educate them about their oral health, both in the office and at public events such as health fairs. Mazurek said it can be difficult for those who are uninsured or underinsured to find the resources they need, but she is hoping to change that by distributing information on those programs more widely. “I grew up in a single-family household,” Mazurek said. “As I was a teenager and younger adult I was on Medicaid. So, I have that experience to help those less fortunate, because I was in their shoes, too.” Reporting by Amanda Stoll, Assistant Editor. For more, visit FrankfortStation.com. FROM THE TI<strong>NL</strong>EY JUNCTION Tinley Park gas station annexation request faces opposition It was just after midnight April 6 when the Tinley Park’s Plan Commission voted to continue rather than adjourn a public hearing that had already lasted in excess of four hours. A quorum of Commissioners came to a consensus that the advisory group needed more time to deliberate before offering a recommendation to the Board of Trustees on an annexation request that has drawn vocal opposition from nearby residents, who cite concerns over traffic, safety and property values from Lenny’s Food N Fuel, located at 19420 S. Harlem Ave. Owner Leonard McEnery petitioned the Village to annex a 4.87-acre parcel of property that operates as a diesel and regular fuel station, Dunkin’ Donuts drivethru, car wash, and propane fueling station. The parcel is located in unincorporated Will County, and receives water and sewer services from Frankfort. The agreement is contingent upon the Village the rezoning the property from C-2 to B-3 and creating a new liquor license to allow for the sale of packaged liquor, as well as 24-hour video gaming in compliance with the Illinois Gaming Commission’s definition of a “truck stop.” The businesses in operation also would need two special use permits to operate within Tinley Park. Officials said the annexation could bring in $408,000 of revenue annually from sales, property, and video gaming taxes. The public hearing is scheduled to continue Thursday, April 19, at the next Plan Commission meeting. Reporting by Cody Mroczka, Editor. For more, visit TinleyJunction.com. FROM THE HOMER HORIZON Healthy Kids Running Series returns to Homer for second year The Esquivels from Lockport all have one thing in common — running. Robert participates in halfmarathons and marathons, and his wife, Rebecca, joins him on Saturdays for their running club. In the last year, their 5-year-old daughter, Graysen, began to follow in their footsteps and lace up her own sneakers to participate in the Healthy Kids Running Series in Homer Glen. The series, which features five races over five weeks, began Sunday, April 8, and will continue for the next four Sundays at Stonebridge Park. “My husband was running marathons and half-marathons, and [Graysen] loved to go watch,” Rebecca said. “She always runs with him to get his medal, so she’ll run the last 75 feet or so, whatever she can. So when [the Healthy Kids Running Series] came up, it was like, ‘This is yours; you can do this for yourself,’ and she loved it.” Greysen participated in the series’ inaugural year in Homer Glen in 2017, winning her division in the 50-yard dash. Children in prekindergarten run the 50-yard dash, while kindergartners and firstgraders run a quarter of a mile. Second- and-third-grade students run a half mile, with the fourth- and fifth-graders running a full mile. The series is held twice a year in the spring and fall. In 2017, there were 130 children that participated between both. Currently, approximately 70 children signed up for this year’s spring series. Parents can register their children online at www.healthykids runningseries.org/race_locations/ homer-glen-il-2. The cost is $35 for the series, or $10 per race. Reporting by Jacquelyn Schlabach, Assistant Editor. For more, visit HomerHorizon.com.
newlenoxpatriot.com Sound Off the New Lenox Patriot | April 12, 2018 | 17 Social snapshot Top Web Stories From NewLenoxPatriot.com as of Monday, April 9 1. Breaking News — Man, dog die due to house fire 2. Badminton: Warriors in winning form at Lockport Invite 3. Standout Student: Olivia Grubisich, Lincoln- Way West, senior 4. Boys Volleyball: Knights’ outside hitters put on show against Glenbrook South 5. Officials approve plans for Route 30 development near Walmart Become a member: NewLenoxPatriot.com/plus New Lenox School District 122 posted this April 4: “Nelson Prairie was proud to host Geoff Akins and Bubble Wonders! Mr. Akins shared with us all his tricks he has learned with bubbles as well as his message of achieving the impossible! Thank you Mr. Akins!” Like The New Lenox Patriot: facebook.com/TheNewLenoxPatriot “Our government is of the people and by the people. It is not for government officials who seek to abuse their position and deny the very science they are supposed to promote for the common good of the American people.” @RepBillFoster on April 5 Follow The New Lenox Patriot: @The<strong>NL</strong>Patriot From the Assistant Editor I can’t sing, but they sure can Amanda Stoll a.stoll@22ndcenturymedia.com The Lincoln-Way schools are not just competitive athletically and educationally — winners abound in the theater and music departments as well. All three schools excel with their band and choir programs, and all that young talent spills over into the spring musical theater productions. Last week, I attended part of a rehearsal at Lincoln-Way West, where the students are putting on a production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” and I was very much impressed by the skill of everyone on stage. With any large cast, there is a lot that goes into keeping everything organized much less actually making it look good, and West has certainly done both those things. Many established actors and actresses have played those same parts in broadway-scale productions of the classic show, but I think the West students can surely hold their own on stage despite their age. I spent a lot of time at the theater in high school helping out with costumes, playing in the pit, directing the spotlight and dancing on stage, and it was both exhausting and exhilarating. The students involved spend hours and hours practicing after school, sometimes in addition to other extra curricular activities. They do all this while still finishing their homework, doing class projects and maintaining their grades. It is a lot to ask of high school students, but the Lincoln-Way students rise to the challenge each year because they love what they do. I know. I was in their shoes many times, and it was not always fun, but it was always worth it. While most athletic teams or scholastic extracurriculars have a season’s worth of meets and games to attend, the theater group only performs one weekend during the semester. This is a chance for you to support those students in something they are passionate about, so don’t miss out. Going to downtown Chicago or traveling to New York City to see a professional production can be time consuming and expensive, and why do that MORTGAGE ALERT! CONTACT THE CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT 708-326-9170 22ndcenturymedia.com Lincoln-Way West “Fiddler on the Roof” 7 p.m. Friday, April 13 7 p.m. Saturday, 14 3 p.m. Sunday, 15 Cost: $10 Tickets: www.lwwmusic. org Lincoln-Way East “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” 7 p.m. Friday, April 27 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 28 when it is spring musical season in the LW area? With three very different shows being performed at the three schools this year, there is something for everyone. Maybe even consider attending all three. Each show will only set you back $10, and, after what I saw at rehearsal, I think that is a steal. This year, none of the performance weekends conflict between the three schools, which makes it easier to attend them all. West’s performances of “Fiddler on the Roof” are taking place this weekend, while East’s production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” will happen April 27, 28 and 29. Central’s rendition of “Shrek the Musical” will follow on May 3, 4 and 5. So, get your tickets, find your seat, sit back and enjoy the show. LOCK-IN MORE BUSINESS. ADVERTISE LOCALLY. 3 p.m. Sunday, April 29 Cost: $10 Tickets: www.lwemusic. org Lincoln-Way Central “Shrek the Musical” 7 p.m. Thursday, May 3 7 p.m. Friday, May 4 7 p.m. Saturday, May 5 Cost: $10 Tickets: www.lwcmusic. org 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 New Lenox Patriot 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 New Lenox Patriot reserves the right to edit letters. Letters become property of The New Lenox Patriot. Letters that are published do not reflect the thoughts and views of The New Lenox Patriot. Letters can be mailed to: The New Lenox Patriot, 11516 West 183rd Street, Unit SW Office Condo #3, Orland Park, Illinois, 60467. Fax letters to (708) 326-9179 or e-mail to james@newlenoxpatriot.com. www.newlenoxpatriot.com.
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