LP_051718

16 | May 17, 2018 | The Lockport Legend news
lockportlegend.com
FROM THE ORLAND PARK PRAIRIE
Officials raise, table video
gaming question in split vote
The battle over whether or
not to allow video gaming in
Orland Park continues, after
the Village Board voted 4-3
May 7 to table a decision on
the ordinance.
Mayor Keith Pekau and
trustees Michael Carroll and
Dan Calandriello cast the
dissenting ballots.
The ordinance on the floor
was to allow video gaming
within Village limits, albeit
with many restrictions, and
came after three town hall
meetings on the topic and
two non-binding/advisory
referendum questions on
the March primary ballot.
The results of the election
showed a slight edge for
those against video gaming
in Orland Park.
The ordinance would have
called for the board members
to review the ordinance,
and its successes or failures,
yearly for the first three
years post-implementation.
It also set forth several expectations
and restrictions
on businesses that would
receive gaming licenses,
such as: only allowing it for
Class A liquor license holders
that have been conducting
business on the property
for at least 18 months prior
to applying for the gaming
license; limiting each license
holder to five gaming terminals;
capping the number of
available licenses to 20 for
first year; prohibiting offpremises
signs advertising
that the establishment has
video gaming; having the
business place a decal or
sign on each public entrance
to the establishment letting
customers know the business
is licensed for video
gaming; and requiring the
business install a video camera
surveillance system that
monitors the video gaming
area, and allowing the police
chief or a designee to review
the footage.
Reporting by Jon DePaolis,
Freelance Reporter. For more,
visit OPPrairie.com.
FROM THE TINLEY JUNCTION
Beloved Andrew teacher
Lloyd Eichwald dies
unexpectedly
The tributes began pouring
in on social media as
soon as the unexpected news
made its way around the
Andrew High School community.
Science instructor Lloyd
H. Eichwald, of New Lenox,
died over the weekend of
May 6. Adored by students
and respected by colleagues,
Eichwald taught the subject
of biology, but it was his
compassionate and connective
approach, often starting
class with an introductory
“good morning, inspiring
scholars” and finishing with
a joyful “biology is life”
farewell that made the longtime
educator stand out, according
to past and current
students.
“Mr. Eichwald was not
ill nor had any health conditions,
making his passing
all the more surprising and
challenging,” Andrew Principal
Bob Nolting said in a
message to families. “For
those who knew Mr. Eichwald
knew a teacher who
was passionate about his
subject but more passionate
about the connections he
made with his students.”
Counselors and social
workers were available for
students and staff throughout
the week to help those in
need to cope.
“Yesterday was a challenge
for many students,
staff, alumni and parents,”
Nolting said in a followup
message posted May 8.
“Many shared their thoughts
on Mr. Eichwald through
letter-writing, story-sharing,
twitter posts and art. Mr.
Eichwald was a beloved
teacher and it was a painful,
but healthy, day to grieve as
a school. We know that students
and staff will continue
to struggle, as we attempt to
return to some level of normalcy.”
Eichwald is survived by
his wife, Nancy, and children,
Shannon, Lindsey and
Erich.
Reporting by Cody Mroczka,
Editor. For more, visit
TinleyJunction.com.
FROM THE MOKENA MESSENGER
Event by Accelerate, police
encourages safety for young
drivers
With prom just around the
corner for many high school
students, the Mokena Police
Department teamed up with
Accelerate Indoor Speedway
to show students firsthand
the dangers of distracted and
impaired driving.
“Hopefully, kids will have
a better appreciation of what
impaired driving can cause,
what distracted driving can
cause and, of course, the
inherent dangers,” Mokena
Police Chief Steven Vaccaro
said.
Although he said the department
does not respond to
many calls of young drivers
driving under the influence,
Vaccaro noted distracted
driving is a problem for
many people in the community.
“Distracted driving and
impaired driving are not
only dangerous for [the driver],
but they’re dangerous to
the entire community and
any community [they] drive
through,” Vaccaro said.
High school students
were challenged to drive the
course in a kart while wearing
goggles that simulated
drowsy driving or intoxicated
driving — at a blood
alcohol level twice the legal
limit.
Even Accelerate employees
who know the course
better than anyone had difficulty
navigating the orange
cones lining the center of
the curves and creating obstacles
on the straightaways.
Officers from the Illinois
State Police, as well as the
Carol Stream Police Department,
teamed up to bring a
rollover simulator and lowspeed
crash simulator to the
event.
While the rollover simulator
was not interactive in the
sense of actually being able
to experience a crash, the
low-speed impact simulator
was.
“Many don’t believe you
can cause any damage in a
7 mph crash, but you can,”
Vaccaro said.
Reporting by Amanda Stoll,
Assistant Editor. For more, visit
MokenaMessenger.com.
FROM THE FRANKFORT STATION
Frozen custard restaurant,
hockey training center to
come to Frankfort
A new Freddy’s Frozen
Custard & Steakburgers and
an indoor hockey training
facility are one step closer
to becoming a reality, after
the Frankfort Village Board
on May 7 granted special use
permits for both projects.
Freddy’s intends to construct
a 3,476-square foot
restaurant at the Frankfort
Crossing Shopping Center,
9701 W. Lincoln Highway.
The special use permits approved
by the Village allow
a drive-up service window, a
carryout restaurant and outdoor
seating for the project.
The board also approved
a major planned unit development
change to allow the
construction of the restaurant,
conditional upon staff
approval of a revised landscape
plan and verification
that the garden well height
will be sufficient to provide
screening from headlights
from Route 30.
Another special use permit
approved by the Village
trustees will allow The Cube
Training Center, a proposed
indoor hockey facility, to use
the space at 9216 Gulfstream
Road, Unit A, in the Airport
Industrial Park, for indoor
recreation and entertainment
purposes.
Trustee Bob Kennedy said
he wanted to thank the planning
commissioners for their
work on the projects.
“I want to thank them for
their diligence, their vision,
their agreements and their
disagreements, to get the
best overall product together
for us as trustees to review
that, I think, has an overall
net benefit to the Village of
Frankfort and its residents,”
he said.
Reporting by Nuria Mathog,
Editor. For more, visit
FrankfortStation.com.
FROM THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT
Park district celebrates
everyday heroes
With “Avengers: Infinity
War” topping the box office
records, it seems that superheroes
remain a favorite in
today’s culture. Although
superheroes like Batman
and Wonder Woman come
to mind when one thinks of
a superhero, the New Lenox
Community Park District
highlighted the superheroes
in our everyday lives: moms.
On May 6, the park district
hosted its third annual Mom/
Son Superhero Night. With
plenty of activities, food and
fun, mothers and their sons
were invited to spend an
evening together the weekend
before Mother’s Day.
Looking for a new type
of mother-son event, Recreation
Supervisor Tracy
Wrase came up with the
superhero night, which has
proven successful since its
inception, she said. This
year, the event reached capacity,
with more than 100
people at the event.
“I like that we can have
fun celebrating moms and
all the hard work they do,”
Wrase said. “And we want
to show them that the park
district is with them, because
they do so much work, and
we want to do something
special for them.
“It’s a really great event
that grows every year. I’m
very happy moms enjoy the
event.”
Attendees were not only
invited to dress up as their
favorite superheroes but also
got involved in a variety of
craft activities, including
making their own masks,
capes and superhero tools
to fend off villains. Additionally,
young heroes had
the opportunity to test their
skills in an agility course.
Last but certainly not least,
mothers and sons had the
opportunity to meet Captain
America, who was present
at the event for a meet-andgreet
and photos.
Reporting by Amanda
Del Buono, Freelance
Reporter. For more, visit
NewLenoxPatriot.com.
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