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4 | November 21, 2018 | The tinley junction news
tinleyjunction.com
Independent
candidate
running for
Tinley Park
trustee seat
Cody Mroczka, Editor
A political
newcomer unaffiliated
with
any party is
hoping to be
elected to one
of the three
Village of Tinley
Park trust-
Godlewski
ee positions in the next municipal
election this April.
Brian Godlewski officially
announced his candidacy
back on Sept. 16 through a
Facebook post on his page
at “Brian Godlewski – Tinley
Park.” A 14-year resident
of Tinley Park, Godlewski is
a real estate broker at Baird
& Wagner and also is a substitute
teacher. He cited a
15-year background in the
real estate industry including
commercial, residential, and
governmental experience in
urban planning and economic
development.
In his announcement,
Godlewski said he was an
independent candidate who
would not accept any campaign
donations. He is a
graduate of Loyola University
and the University of Illinois
at Chicago. Godlewski
resides in the village with his
wife, Dawn, their two children,
and two dogs.
The three trustee seats
up for election in April are
held by Michael Pannitto
and Brian Younker, both
elected in 2015, and John
Curran, appointed last June
to replace Michael Mangin
who resigned. The seat was
originally held by Jake Vandenberg
until he was elected
mayor in 2017.
New Tinley Park political party backs three trustee candidates
Cody Mroczka, Editor
A trio of Tinley Park residents
and first-time candidates
are being backed by
a new political party led by
two current elected officials
seeking to win the three open
trustee seats in the next municipal
election this April.
Village of Tinley Park
Trustee Michael Glotz and
Clerk Kristin Thirion officially
announced on Nov. 3
the formation of One Tinley
Park along with a slate of
trustee candidates in William
Brennen, Diane Galante, and
Michael Mueller.
FROM THE FRANKFORT STATION
Saving the animals, one print
at a time
As she looked out of her
office window at the Brookfield
Zoo, Frankfort resident
Sandi Dornhecker knew she
had to begin painting what
she saw.
For Dornhecker, who has
worked at the zoo for 26
years and serves as the facility’s
vice president of human
resources, art is the ideal way
to convey her love for animals.
Her journey began with
a series of animal drawings
created with colored pencils.
“I’ve been doing my animal
art for about four years,”
Dornhecker said. “I have a
passion for animals — that is
the focus of my art. Some of
the artwork [is] from photos
that I’ve taken at the zoo. It’s
coins
From Page 3
would be able to pick little
prizes. Some of those prizes
would be coins.”
Though Birk does not
care for all the recognition,
he is happy to talk
Born and
countant for
2009, Mueller
raised in Tinley
an automotive
is a principal
Park,
manufacturer
software archi-
Brennan is
in Frankfort
tect for CSG
an insurance
where she has
International
agent who
worked for the
where he has
owns and
last 25 years
worked for the
operates an Brennan and currently Galante last 14 years. Mueller
agency in La-
serves on the
He is a twotime
Grange with State Farm. He Village’s Marketing and
graduate of Loyola Uni-
was previously a paramedic Branding Commission and versity and resides in the Will
and serves as a Board Member
at St. Coletta’s of Illinois,
a nonprofit based in Tinley
Park. He resides in the village
with his wife Lindsay
and their three children.
A resident of Tinley Park
since 1996, Galante is an ac-
Economic Commercial Commission.
She is a graduate of
the University of Illinois at
Chicago and resides in the
village with her husband Joe
and their two children.
A former Chicago resident
who moved to Tinley Park in
County portion of the village
with his wife Tracy and their
two children.
The three trustee seats up
for election in April are held
by Michael Pannitto and
Brian Younker, both elected
in 2015, and John Curran,
fun to just walk out at lunchtime
and visit the animals.”
While big cats are her favorite
animals to portray,
Dornhecker regularly brings
a variety of species to life
through her artwork, including
giraffes and zebras.
“I have a large zebra I’m
working on right now,” she
said. “If you saw my office at
the zoo, it’s covered with giraffes,
including pictures and
knickknacks.”
Dornhecker said she hopes
her work brings exposure to
species that are becoming
extinct. Many of the animals
that she works with at the
Brookfield Zoo are on the endangered
species list.
“This is why I’m drawn
to do my art,” she said. “I’m
hoping to bring attention to
the plight of some of the animals
who are endangered. A
about his prized possessions.
A huge Chicago
White Sox fan, one of
Birk’s favorites is a 1917
design with the baseball
team’s logo.
“I have a half dime that
looks like a jewel,” he said.
“I have a 1803 half dollar
that is rare. If you want to
percentage of my sales I donate
back to the causes that
are helping endangered animals.”
Reporting by Mary Compton,
Freelance Reporter. For more,
visit FrankfortStation.com.
FROM THE ORLAND PARK PRAIRIE
Orland Park woman
remembered for boundless
kindness, generosity,
leadership
Miriam Zayed lived
each day of her life with
kindness and selflessness,
and for the many accomplishments
she made
through those temperaments,
she is being remembered
and missed in the Orland
Park and greater Chicagoarea
communities.
Zayed died of natural
spend money for a good
coin, get a Carson [City
Morgan Silver] Dollar that
was released when Richard
Nixon was president.
If there’s one coin that has
history to it, it’s the Carson
Dollar.”
Judy Green met Bill and
his wife Darlene over 30
causes Oct. 23 at the age of
68. She was a community
leader, activist, daughter, sister,
wife, mother and grandmother,
but above all she
was a friend to anyone who
needed one.
In 1978, Zayed and her
family moved to Orland
Park, where she lived since
that time. Her involvement
in community leadership and
advocacy roles increased at
that time, as did the respect
she earned from her community.
She was involved with the
Arab American Institute in
Washington, D.C., the Arab
American Democratic Club
as its treasurer, the Orland
Township Democratic Organization,
the Beitunia Club of
Chicago and the Arab American
Ladies Society, which
helped fund the Mosque
years ago at Trinity Lutheran
Church in Tinley Park.
Green joined the Oak Forest
Numismatic Society for its
493rd consecutive meeting
on Nov. 5 when Birk was
honored.
“With Bill, he doesn’t
broadcast his ‘good deeds’
- he just does them,” Green
appointed last June to replace
Michael Mangin who
resigned. Curran’s seat was
originally held by Jake Vandenberg
until he was elected
mayor in April 2017. That
September, Glotz and Thirion
formally separated from
the Concerned Citizens for
Tinley Park political party
less than six months after
securing victories in a CCTP
sweep of the elections which
saw Vandenberg win his first
term for mayor, Thirion for
clerk, and Glotz for trustee.
Additionally, Trustees Cynthia
Berg and William Brady
won on the CCTP ticket.
Foundation in Bridgeview.
Samir Khalil, chairman of
the Arab American Democratic
Club, said he was
blessed to have known Zayed
and shared time with her.
“Miriam was empathetic
and was able to put herself
in other people’s shoes,” he
said. “It was never about
‘me’ and ‘I.’ She never lost
the ability to ask questions.
She made sure everyone’s
concerns were listened to
and understood, and then she
would move on.”
In addition to her volunteerism
and advocacy, Zayed
taught for roughly 30 years at
Charles W. Earle Elementary
School in Chicago’s Englewood
neighborhood.
Reporting by Meredith Dobes,
Freelance Reporter. For more,
visit OPPrairie.com.
said. “Serving as president
of the club, because someone
was needed to fill the office;
establishing the chess
club at Trinity with the kids;
teaching Bible study to the
seniors; giving his talks in
the area. That sort of unselfish
service and dedication
should be honored.”