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homerhorizon.com News
the Homer Horizon | January 24, 2019 | 7
Segment of Gougar Road
closed through Jan. 25
Submitted by Village of
Homer Glen
As part of the Fiddyment
Creek Sanitary Sewer project,
the segment of Gougar
Road between 151st Street
and 159th Street closed
Monday, Jan. 21, and will
remain so through Friday,
Jan. 25.
The road closure will allow
the Village’s contractor,
Austin Tyler Construction,
to install a sanitary sewer
across Gougar Road and
temporarily restore the road.
Permanent restoration of
Gougar Road will take place
in the spring.
Through an agreement
with the City of Lockport
and the Bonnie Brae Forest
Manor Sanitary District, the
Fiddyment Creek Sanitary
Sewer project will provide
sewer service to the area
between Cedar and Gougar
Roads and between 151st
and 159th Streets. This essential
utility extension will
ready developable acres
within the Village of Homer
Glen for new commercial
and residential development.
For more information,
contact Development Services
Director Mike Salamowicz
at the Village of Homer
Glen at (708) 301-0632.
Two Village committee
positions now available,
accepting applications
Staff Report
The Village of Homer
Glen is currently accepting
applications to fill volunteer
vacancies on the Community
& Economic Development
Committee and the
Parade & Festival Committee.
Applicants must submit a
letter of intent and resume
via email. Appointments are
made by recommendation
of the mayor and approval
by the Village Board.
The Community & Economic
Development Committee
is tasked with advising
the Village Board on
issues regarding the economic
health of the Village.
The Committee discusses
comprehensive planning,
business retention and recruitment,
marketing and
Village code updates. The
committee meets on the second
Tuesday of each month
at 7 p.m. at Village Hall.
The Parade & Festival
Committee is responsible
for planning the Village’s
annual Homer Community
Festival. The fest will be
located in Heritage Park for
the first time in 2019.
The Committee is responsible
for discussing
entertainment contracts,
volunteers and marketing
the event. Candidates
with experience in website
design and marketing are
desirable. The Committee
meets on the third Tuesday
of each month at 6 p.m. at
Village Hall.
For any questions about
the vacancies, contact Assistant
Village Manager
Heather Kokodynsky at
hkokodynsky@homergle
nil.org.
Local Jiu Jitsu gym owner gives
back to vets, law enforcement
Free month to train
a way to honor and
remember men and
women who serve
Bella Zarlengo
Editorial Intern
Leo Valdes has owned
Randori Jiu Jitsu for eight
years, but it wasn’t until August
of this past year that he
decided to open a gym in
Homer Glen.
After being open for less
than six months, Valdes decided
to run a promotion to
give back to local community
members. For all of January,
local law enforcement, firefighters,
paramedics, active
military members and veterans
have been able to receive
a free month of training.
“It includes unlimited
training. They can come in
seven days a week, mornings,
afternoons, evenings,
train as much as they want
to and all of the martial arts
that I offer, which is judo, Jiu
Jitsu and muay Thai boxing,”
Valdes explained, who said
everything is based on an
honor system.
Valdes said many childhood
friends that did judo
with him went on to go into
the military, and some were
killed in action overseas. This
month is the eight-year anniversary
of the death of one of
his best friends, which is also
why he decided to offer the
program in January.
“And I had friends in law
enforcement also and I know
the sacrifice and everything
they put in and give,” Valdes
said. “I thought, you know,
maybe I can help a little bit
here. Maybe I can offer some
help for everybody that’s out
there risking their lives for
us, maybe I can give them
some extra ways to protect
their lives.”
Valdes, who was once a
professional MMA fighter,
is passionate about judo and
jiu-jitsu and said he gives everything
he can into his classes.
Randori Jiu Jitsu does
have a competition team, but
Valdes said the main point of
his classes are to teach self
defense.
Valdes explained, “Everything
that I teach is geared for
self defense. If you can’t use
it in self defense, it has very,
very small value.”
A free month of training
for law enforcement is not
VOTING
OPEN
Jan. 17–Feb. 10!
the only promotion that Valdes
offers at his gym. He also
gives a free month of training
to anyone that is being
bullied at school. Not only
to help them defend themselves,
but to give them a
group of friends and a place
they can belong to.
Valdes said that this program
has been very successful.
“I assign them an advanced
student as a personal partner
and kind of a partner and an
instant friend,” Valdes said
of his anti-bullying program.
“Part of it is like, they get to
feel like they have friends
that support them, and then
sometimes we get lucky, and
some of the kids go to the
same school, and then that
helps, too.”
For his January promotion,
Valdes said he has had a few
law enforcement and military
personnel in his gym, but
he is still hoping to get even
more to come in.
He added he will definitely
offer the promotion again in
the future.
For more information on
Randori Jiu Jitsu, located
at 12509 W. 159th St., call
(708) 374-1446 or visit www.
randorijiujitsu.com.
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