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16 | October 11, 2018 | The frankfort station news
frankfortstation.com
Photo Op
This week’s Photo Op comes from Frankfort
resident Christine Eich.
“This is a picture of the flower I purchased in April to
support the Lincoln-Way Marching Band,” she wrote. “It is
just amazing, as you can see.”
Have you captured something unique, interesting, beautiful or just
plain fun on camera? Submit a photo for “Photo Op” by emailing
it to nuria@frankfortstation.com, or mailing it to 11516 W. 183rd
St., Office Condo 3 Unit SW, Orland Park, IL, 60467.
Aria
Lulu’s Locker Rescue
Aria is an 11-weekold
female black
shorthair. She is an
outgoing, curious cat
and is currently being
fostered with several
dogs and cats. She
gets along well with all of the animals, as well as the
people she encounters. While she is happy to play by
herself, she would likely do best in an active household
with lots to do. For more information, visit https://
luluslockerrescue.org/aria/.
Want to see your pet featured as The Frankfort Station’s Pet of
the Week? Send your pet’s photo and a few sentences explaining
why your pet is outstanding to Editor Nuria Mathog at nuria@
frankfortstation.com or 11516 W. 183rd St., Office Condo 3,
Suite SW, Orland Park, IL 60467.
FROM THE MOKENA MESSENGER
Suspects sought in
armed robbery
Mokena police are investigating
an armed robbery that
occurred at approximately
1:50 a.m. on Oct. 1, at the
BP gas station at 191st Street
and LaGrange Road.
The lone suspect who entered
the BP gas station in
Mokena was described as a
black male, approximately
6-foot 1-inch tall with a thin
build. The suspect was described
as wearing a hoodie
and a ski mask during the robbery,
according to Mokena
Police Chief Steve Vaccaro.
According to Vaccaro, the
suspect fled south on foot
and managed to escape the
area despite assistance from
Frankfort Police Department
and Will County Sheriff’s
Deputies. It’s believed the
suspect had an accomplice
waiting for him in a vehicle
to make his escape.
On Monday evening, another
armed robbery involving
two black males was reported
at the New Lenox Speedway
Gas Station, located at 800
W. Lincoln Highway, around
11:30 p.m.
The same suspects are believed
to have been involved
in both robberies, and police
are looking into a third possible
related incident in Tinley
Park, according to New
Lenox Police Deputy Chief
Louis Alessandrini.
Tinley Park Police Chief
Matthew Walsh confirmed
an armed robbery occurred
at approximately 2:40 a.m.
Monday at the Speedway gas
station on 183rd Street, but
said the investigation was
too early to determine if any
connection existed between
the other reported robberies
in neighboring communities.
Walsh said a handgun
was displayed and a minimal
amount of cash was stolen.
Police said no one was injured
during the incidents.
New Lenox and Mokena
police are urging anyone with
information about the armed
robberies to call the NLPD
tip line at (815) 462-6111 or
MPD (708) 479-3912.
Reporting by T.J. Kremer
III, Editor. For more, visit
MokenaMessenger.com.
FROM THE ORLAND PARK PRAIRIE
Orland Park police honored
for traffic safety efforts
The Orland Park Police
Department was recognized
Oct. 1, with a slew of awards
for making local roads safer.
The department was
awarded first place in the
Illinois Traffic Safety Challenge
for the “Municipal 66-
100 Sworn” category. It also
won the Judges Award for
best overall submission by
any department, as well as
an award for having the top
distracted driving awareness
program. Both awards were
based on 2017 performance.
“We were fortunate to win
a number of awards as a result
of our traffic safety program
for the year, which also
included no traffic deaths in
2017,” Orland Park Police
Chief Tim McCarthy said.
Scott Kristiansen, director
of the Illinois Traffic Safety
Challenge, was on-hand to
present three awards to Mc-
Carthy and the Village of Orland
Park Board of Trustees.
“The Illinois Traffic Safety
Challenge is a friendly competition
between like-sized
agencies with all the departments
in Illinois,” Kristiansen
said. “This year, for the 2017
Illinois Traffic Safety Challenge,
the Orland Park Police
Department did an exceptional
job. Some of you may
know that this is one of the top
agencies in the state of Illinois
when it comes to traffic safety,
highway safety, as well as law
enforcement in general.”
Kristiansen said there are
four main violations that the
Challenge’s organizers attribute
for causing crashes:
impaired driving; speeding;
occupant protection; and
distracted driving.
“It is the enforcement and
the education of those types of
violations that have the biggest
impact on the number and the
severity of fatality and injury
crashes in the state of Illinois,”
he said, adding that the Traffic
Safety Challenge encompasses
a lot of different criteria — but
“it’s not who writes the most
tickets — not by a longshot.”
“To win this award, you
have to have comprehensive
traffic safety program
[encompassing] policies and
procedures, training, recognition,
enforcement, public
education and information,
and a data-driven approach
to the traffic safety programs
that you have,” he said.
Reporting by Jon DePaolis,
Freelance Reporter. For more,
visit OPPrairie.com.
FROM THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT
Pooch-a-Palooza provides
fun in the park for pets
It was a paws-itive afternoon
at Walker Country Estates
Park on Sept. 30 as the
New Lenox Community Park
District hosted its fourth annual
celebration of man’s
best friend, Pooch-a-Palooza.
Raffles and games designed
for dogs encouraged pets to let
loose – while being leashed –
and enjoy a day dedicated to
dogs. This year’s festivities
featured even more dog-related
vendors onsite, where pet
parents could purchase their
fur babies a snack or souvenir,
as well as the welcome return
of several popular contests.
Each year, New Lenoxbased
pet food store Tucker’s
Doggie Delights sponsors
Pooch-a-Palooza and
helps recruit food vendors
and more offerings for dogs
big and small.
“We love this event because
it’s dogs, dogs, dogs,”
said Tucker’s owner Nick
Janowski. “It’s on the north
end of town, so this is a great
opportunity for us to meet
some new dogs.”
Each year, the popularity
of Pooch-a-Palooza continues
to grow.
“A lot of people in New
Lenox are dog people, and
dog people love to go to events
with their dogs,” Wrase said.
“They’re part of the family so
they like to do something fun
together. This event allows
people to come out to a park –
since we can’t offer a dog park
per se – with their dogs and
enjoy time with their family.”
Pet parents can mark their
calendars for Saturday, Oct.
27, when Tucker’s Doggie
Delights will be hosting
a Halloween party inside
the store at 2011 Calistoga
Drive in New Lenox.
Reporting by Laurie Fanelli,
Freelance Reporter. For more,
visit NewLenoxPatriot.com.
FROM THE TINLEY JUNCTION
Tinley Park golf course also
serves as a nonprofit
Nestled just beyond the
Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
in Tinley Park lies the
only nonprofit, public golf
course explicitly dedicated to
U.S. veterans and active service
members in the country.
The Odyssey Golf Foundation
was created in 2013 by the
Halikias family with a mission
to serve veterans, active military
personnel, and children
and adults with special needs.
Prior to the formation of the
501(c)(3) charity, the Halikias
family built the Odyssey
Country Club in 1990 with the
goal of creating a public golf
course with a country club feel.
The course along with the
pro shop, golf academy, and
practice facilities was then
gifted to the foundation to provide
free golf instruction and
practice, discounted course
and driving range fees, and
camaraderie in the form of
well-attended weekly outings
and specialized programs for
amputees, visually impaired
and those with special needs.
“What I enjoy the most is
coming out and coaching the
visually impaired people that
come from Hines [VA] Hospi-
Please see NFYn, 17