OP_090618

16 | September 6, 2018 | The orland park prairie NEWS
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FROM THE TINLEY JUNCTION
Andrew student selected
for state education advisory
council
An Andrew senior was one
of only 20 students statewide
selected to represent students’
interests to Illinois education
policymakers.
Corlin Leonard, of Tinley
Park, was chosen for the Illinois
State Board of Education
Student Advisory Council for
the 2018-2019 school year.
As advisors to the board, the
group of students meet and
work together to present a
research project in March,
as well as share perspectives
and concerns as they relate
to Illinois’ education policies
throughout the year.
“It’s a very humbling experience,”
Leonard said. “I
hope to be an advocate for
mental and physical handicapped
personnel — for
more involvement and more
collaboration to create a better
sense of community between
all students.”
Leonard began the application
process last spring
that involved a personal essay
regarding his goals as an
advisor, followed by a live
interview. Andrew principal
Robert Nolting encouraged
him to apply and broke the
good news over the summer.
Leonard is involved in numerous
clubs and activities
at Andrew, including serving
as a transfer student ambassador,
speech team member,
PEOPEL tutor and peer mediator.
He also is an accomplished
musician, accumulating
more than 100 over of
community service, assisting
with his church’s band, who
plans to pursue a career in
audio engineering and music
production in Chicago, Nashville
or Boston.
“My goal is to be an inspiration
to others,” Leonard
said. “I try to keep a good
spirit and smile, radiate positivity
to spread that life and
love. Take all that God has
given me and spread it towards
others.”
Reporting by Cody Mroczka,
Editor. For more, visit Tin
leyJunction.com.
FROM THE MOKENA MESSENGER
Librarian writes first novel
at 88
It was a dark and stormy
night.
Well, maybe not so dark
and stormy, and maybe not
at night, either, but Mokena
Community Public Library
District welcomed one of its
own for a book signing Aug.
27.
Shirley Guendling, a circulation
clerk at the library and
longtime Mokena resident
recently released her first
novel, “I Believed You.”
“There are three main elements:
love, revenge and
murder,” Guendling said.
“And there’s a love triangle
that goes terribly wrong. People
have been deceived, and
are terribly hurt and angry,
and [that] causes a terrible,
terrible ending.”
Guendling said she started
the novel years ago, but was
not sure if she liked it. So, she
put it away in a drawer.
But it was always on her
mind.
“I had no idea where to go
with any of this,” she said.
Luckily, a friend hooked
her up with an editor based
in Minnesota, who then introduced
Guendling to a publisher,
based in Wisconsin.
“I really lucked out with
these two women. … I am
one happy person,” Guendling
said.
Her advice for other aspiring
novelists?
“Try to contact someone
who can get you in the right
direction and get the book
to fruition, rather than just
sitting. … Anyone can sit,
I think, and write and write,
but then who’s going to get it
out there?” she said.
Guendling already has
started another novel, though
she said it won’t be a sequel
to “I Believed You.”
“I Believed You” is available
on amazon.com.
Reporting by T.J. Kremer III,
Editor. For more, visit Moke
naMessenger.com.
FROM THE FRANKFORT STATION
Frankfort to launch indoor
flag football program
Frankfort youth will have
the chance to participate in
a safe introduction to football
this fall through a new
indoor flag football league,
created through a partnership
between the Frankfort Park
District and Roma Sports
Club.
“We’ve been in talks with
the park district for a little
while now, and it made sense
on both ends to get together
with them on this,” said Nick
McCauley, general manager
of Roma Sports Club.
The program, scheduled
for Oct. 8-Dec. 15, includes
three divisions based on the
ages of the participants: one
for first- and second-graders,
one for third- and fourthgraders,
and a third division
for fifth-and sixth graders.
Games will take place on
Saturdays, and each team
will have an hour of practice
on Mondays, McCauley said.
The deadline to register for
the league is Sept. 24, and the
fee for Frankfort residents is
$125, while non-residents
will pay $130. Participants
who register after the deadline
will be charged an additional
$10 late fee.
McCauley said he thought
the league could be a good
jump start for children who
eventually go on to play traditional
football.
“It’ll be a basic introduction
for these kids,” he said.
“A lot of these kids are starting
young, so they probably
haven’t played before.”
Maurice Sullivan, Frankfort
Park District recreation
supervisor, said he hopes the
program encourages participants
to develop teamwork
and sportsmanship skills in a
fun, safe environment.
Reporting by Nuria Mathog,
Editor. For more, visit Frank
fortStation.com.
FROM THE HOMER HORIZON
Homer Glen single mom
receives surprise from
business owner
When Kim Manson looked
outside her house the morning
of Aug. 2, she could
not believe her eyes. Ten
landscaping trucks and 20
employees pulled up and
jumped out of their vehicles,
ready to get started.
Little did Manson know,
they were all there to transform
the outside of her Homer
Glen home, and all for free.
Owner Jim Lahey, of A
Touch of Green Landscaping
in Homer Glen, lent a helping
hand to his friend Manson
to beautify her yard just
a day before the residence
went on the market and just
hours before a photographer
came to take photos of the
house.
Lahey and three of his
crews arrived at 8:30 a.m.,
with trucks full of flowers,
mulch, fertilizer, soil and
“everything to make the
house shine,” Lahey said.
Manson decided to put her
house up for sale at the last
minute after a recent divorce,
and said she did not think
she would have the time or
resources to “do an overhaul
like that” and spruce up the
outside. She initially reached
out to Lahey asking for
mulch, in hopes that her two
sons could help spread it before
heading back to college.
Instead, he called back
to tell her not to worry; he
would take care of her.
“That’s what you do with
friends; that’s what friends
are for, to help people when
they need it,” Lahey said.
Reporting by Jacquelyn Schlabach,
Assistant Editor. For
more, visit HomerHorizon.com.
FROM THE LOCKPORT LEGEND
Butler PTO enlists food trucks
for fundraiser
When Matthew Swedko,
of Homer Glen, heard the
food trucks would be returning
to Butler School, he
got his teenage daughter,
Korryn, to get their favorite
food: steak tacos from Tacos
Giselle.
“We’ve been here three
times before,” Matthew said.
“This event gives back to
the community, and Tacos
Giselle has amazing food.
We want to always support
the community.”
On Aug. 28, two food
trucks came to Butler School
in Lockport — those being
Tacos Giselle and Kona Ice.
Both were to donate part of
the food sales back to the
school’s parent-teacher organization.
Katie Eaton, the financial
secretary for the PTO board,
said she could not be happier
to have the food trucks at
Butler School.
“We’ve got snow cones
and tacos tonight,” Eaton
said. “When you come out
and take part in this, you’re
actually supporting the kids.
Karen Novak sets up all the
PTO fundraising activities.
This is the first time we’ve
had Kona Ice, but we’ve had
food trucks before. We hold
food truck events every other
Tuesday.”
As Eaton and her children
enjoyed their snow cones, a
line of families were waiting
to choose their favorite
flavors. Spigots with various
flavors were offered on the
side of the Kona Ice truck.
With summer ending, the
food trucks stop coming in
the fall.
“Oct. 23rd is the final day
we’re holding the food truck
event for this year” Eaton
said. “We will start up again
in spring.”
Reporting by Mary Compton,
Freelance Reporter. For more,
visit LockportLegend.com.
FROM THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT
Forum aims to prevent
teenage drug use
Heroin does not discriminate.
And Will County is not immune
to the nationwide heroin
and opioid epidemic that
has affected an increasing
number of people each year.
“More than 600 people
have died from heroin addictions
in Will County over the
past 20 years, and the numbers
continue to escalate,”
Will County Coroner Patrick
O’Neil said. “We recorded a
record-high of 85 heroin and
heroin-related overdoses last
year, and this year we are on
pace to surpass that number.”
O’Neil was one of several
speakers at the Aug. 29 forum
hosted by the Will County
Substance Abuse Prevention
Coalition. Other speakers
included James Glasgow,
Will County State’s Attorney,
the Rev. Jolinda Wade, and
coaches and accomplished
basketball players.
The speakers addressed a
group of students and parents
in the auditorium at Lincoln-
Way West High School.
Powell said, “If one kid
hears something that is impactful
and one kid has his
destiny changed from this
evening from one of the
speakers, if one kid is saved,
that’s all that matters, because
that one kid has the opportunity
to do something special,
that one kid has the opportunity
to be great, and then that
one kid can go change someone
else.”
Lt. Ed Hayes, of the Will
County Sheriff’s Office, said
the Hidden in Plain Sight
trailer — which was onsite
for the event — not only
educates parents on warning
signs and changes in their
children that could indicate
depression or drug use but
also helps parents broach the
topic with their teens.
Reporting by Amanda Stoll,
Assistant Editor. For more, visit
NewLenoxPatriot.com.