NL_122718

8 | December 27, 2018 | The New Lenox Patriot NEWS
newlenoxpatriot.com
Former New Lenox
officer sues Village
over benefits dispute
James Sanchez, Editor
A former New Lenox police
officer filed a lawsuit
against the Village of New
Lenox earlier this month
over a financial dispute on
the officer’s disability benefits.
Paul Griffin was a New
Lenox officer from 2002 to
2017. The lawsuit states on
Sept. 7, 2016, Griffin suffered
a “catastrophic injury
to his lower left extremity”
after leaving a subpoenaed
appearance assignment to
testify before the grand jury
at the Will County Annex
Court Building in Joliet.
Griffin reportedly slipped
off a curb and hyperextended
his left knee as he was
getting into his unmarked
vehicle. According to court
documents, he was able to
grab the door to keep himself
from falling down, but
immediately felt pain in the
front and rear of his knee.
Two months later, a doctor
diagnosed Griffin with a torn
meniscus, and he underwent
surgery on Dec. 8, 2016.
Post-surgery, the lawsuit
alleges Griffin’s knee did not
improve. On Aug. 31, 2017,
Griffin underwent a full left
knee replacement. According
to the suit, Griffin said it
would be unsafe for him, his
co-workers and the public if
he returned to duty.
He resigned on Oct. 10,
2017 while under internal
investigation by the police
department for obstructing
justice, official misconduct
and mishandling court documents,
according to court
documents.
The lawsuit stated the
Board of Trustees of the
New Lenox Police Pension
Fund selected three physicians
to examine Griffin’s
disability claim. All three
concluded Griffin was “permanently
disabled” from the
2016 incident.
All evidence was presented
to the pension board at a
June 20, 2018 hearing, and
on Oct. 22, 2018, the board
denied Griffin’s line-of-duty
disability pension, but granted
his application for a noton-duty
disability pension
effective the date he was off
the municipality’s payroll,
the lawsuit added.
An officer with a not-onduty
pension is entitled to
50 percent of the salary attached
to the officer’s rank
at the date of suspension of
duty or retirement, while a
line-of-duty disability pension
grants 65 percent of the
salary attached to the officer’s
rank.
Griffin hired Palatinebased
Law Offices of Thomas
W. Duda to represent him
to contest that the incident
on Sept. 7, 2016 occurred
while on duty, with the goal
that the court reverses the
pension board’s decision and
make the board pay Griffin
line-of-duty disability benefits.
The case is expected to
return to court at 9 a.m. on
March 26, 2019. The New
Lenox Police Department
was not immediately available
for comment.
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www.newlenoxpatriot.com
FROM THE LOCKPORT LEGEND
Flood forces D91 holiday
program to Rialto stage
Some 500 students from
Milne-Kelvin Grove School
District 91 performed Dec.
18 at the Rialto Square Theatre
in downtown Joliet as
part of the school’s annual
“I Love Christmas” program.
This year’s program was
extra special because of the
venue. Choral director and
teacher Sarah Randolph
said most years the students
perform their program at
the school’s old gym. But
roughly a month ago, flooding
issues forced the school
to seek a new location. The
school’s new gym was not
ideal, as it is smaller than the
old gym and does not have a
stage, so she reached out to
the community for help.
But at first no location was
big enough to accommodate
hundreds of students and
hundreds of parents. If they
were, the stage was not free
anyway, Randolph said.
“I thought, ‘I’ll try the Rialto,’”
she said.
She figured it was a long
Election 2019
Village, D210, NLPL to have races, while others to go unopposed
James Sanchez, Editor
On, Dec. 17, the election
filing period for the April 2,
2019 consolidated election
closed. Listed below are the
candidates running in races
that affect New Lenox.
Village of New Lenox
Four candidates are competitng
for three spots that are
four-year-terms on the Village
Board. Incumbents Jasen
Howard, Doug Finnegan and
Keith Madsen will be challenged
by newcomer Brian
O’Leary. Mayor Tim Baldermann
filed for re-election and
will run unopposed.
shot to get a professionalgrade
theater to offer up its
space for elementary students,
but it worked. They
had Tuesday morning open,
but only for a few hours, and
the students could not use
the stage to practice or prepare.
“I said, ‘I can do it,’” Randolph
recalled. “We have the
best children in the world.”
Reporting by Jesse Wright,
Freelance Reporter. For more,
visit LockportLegend.com.
FROM THE ORLAND PARK PRAIRIE
Library expo features a
community of creators
As the temperature drops,
most folks enjoy cuddling
up with a cozy blanket or
heavy quilt. But how often
do we consider the craftsmanship,
community and
history behind this functional
art form?
On Dec. 14 and 15, the
Orland Park Public Library
hosted its Exploring Textiles
expo, giving patrons the opportunity
to learn more about
needlework, fabric arts and
handmade textiles from a
Lincoln-Way Community High
School D210
Six candidates are competing
for four four-year
slots on the D210 Board of
Education: incumbent board
members Beth Janus-Doyle
and Joseph Kirkeeng, Manhattan
resident William J.
Garrett, Frankfort residents
Hugh “Butch” McCorkle
and Peter J. Wilkes and Mokena
resident Richard C.
LaCien, Jr. D210 Trustees
Christine Glatz and Ronald
A. Lullo are not running for
re-election.
variety of local craftspeople.
The program — which was
held from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on
both Friday and Saturday
— also featured live demonstrations
detailing tips and
techniques that can be used
by hobbyists and advanced
artists.
“We want to let the community
know that needle
arts aren’t dying,” said Kelly
Cuci, the library’s outreach
services manager, the morning
of Dec. 14. “People are
really involved with them.
We’ve got these great clubs
here, and they’re helping us
out with this event.”
Along with exploring the
intricate art form, the event
also invited attendees to join
the local community of creators.
“I know that my grandmother
sewed, my parents
sewed and now I’m sewing,”
Cuci said. “It seems to run in
families and in communities.
People get close, and
they share traditional sewing
techniques.”
Reporting by Laurie Fanelli,
Freelance Reporter. For more,
visit OPPrairie.com.
New Lenox School D122
Three incumbents are running
unopposed for a full
four-year term on the Board
of Education: Secretary Nicole
Swallow, President
William Pender and Board
Member Cynthia Dykas. No
one filed for the two-year unexpired
term.
NL Community Park District
The park district’s Board of
Trustees race will also go unopposed.
Three incumbents
filed for the April 2 election:
Treasurer Garry Kraemer,
Vice President Brian Fischer
and Secretary Dale Larson.
FROM THE MOKENA MESSENGER
Goddard School gives
money, toys for holidays
The Goddard School in
Mokena donated $1,000 on
Dec. 15 to Mokena Miracles
and donated more than 30
toys to Silver Cross Hospital
for its pediatric unit.
“It’s holiday time, so we
thought we’d do a good
thing here,” Goddard coowner
Neel Saha said. “Mokena
Miracles is doing some
great work.”
Students sold cookie
dough to raise the funds.
The toys donated to Silver
Cross came via Goddard’s
Mokena location being chosen
as one of only 50 to participate
in a toy testing back
in September.
Saha presented the check
along with his wife, Dolon.
“You have no idea how
much this means to us and
how much it will mean to the
families who we provide a
wonderful holiday for,” said
Officer Tom Czarnecki.
Reporting by T.J. Kremer III,
Editor. For more, visit Moke
naMessenger.com.
New Lenox Public Library
Four candidates are vying
for three open seats on the
library Board of Trustees.
Incumbents Louis J. Broccolo,
Bonnie Ulstad and
Michelle DeBella Monbrod
will be challenged by newcomer
Alex Vancina.
Union School District 81
All four incumbents will
run unopposed for USD81.
Those are New Lenox residents
Shelly Sinclair and
Linda Brunner, and Joliet
residents Christopher Gustafson
and Carey Brock.