HH_021419

homerhorizon.com sound off
the Homer Horizon | February 14, 2019 | 9
Social snapshot
Top stories
From HomerHorizon.com from Monday,
Feb. 17.
1. Homer chamber throws farewell party
before merging into new alliance
2. Porters cheer finishes sixth at state, looks
back fondly on season
3. Homer resident, auto shop owner
remembered for being young at heart
4. Wrestling: Lockport dominates regional,
qualifies 10 for sectional
5. Seventh-grader wins Homer Jr. High
Geography Bee
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From the Editor
Helping Shady Oaks Camp provide another year of summer fun
Thomas Czaja
tom@homerhorizon.com
We know winter can
wreak havoc in
numerous ways.
Most of us have likely
seen enough of the polar
vortex, snow and ice for this
winter season, and so we
eagerly count down the days
until spring. Hopefully, the
worst is already past us.
But what has already
passed has still left aftermath
locally. At Shady
Oaks Camp in Homer Glen,
which serves people of all
ages with disabilities with a
summer camp, pipes burst
at two buildings earlier this
month because of the cold
conditions.
Extensive damage at
each building occurred as a
result. According to Shady
Oaks Camp Executive
Director Scott Steele, there
are thousands of dollars to
pay to a deductible for the
camp’s insurance to make
the necessary repairs. If
that money isn’t raised for
the completely self-funded
camp, it will have to dip
into its emergency fund and
operating budget, meaning
less money to spend on the
camp itself.
You can read the full
story about the damage and
how to help on Page 5 of
this issue. To keep the camp
up to its normal standard,
people volunteering both
their time to help with the
cleanup and their treasure to
fund the cleanup remains a
priority.
Having personally been
to the camp and having
featured Shady Oaks in a
number of stories in my
time here, I know there are
good people there, from
the families and campers
to staffers involved. It has
become a beloved site that
has played host to countless
fond memories for those
aforementioned folks. What
this camp does, I have been
told, is not easily found or
accessible elsewhere in the
area.
I think the fact it is going
into its 72nd summer camp
in 2019 shows how needed
and popular it is for those
campers who return year
after year. I am confident
the community will continue
to support Shady Oaks
Camp, as it has done all of
these years and decades to
present day.
Bad weather and unfortunate
events happen, but, like
anything else, it is how we
respond to them. Hopefully,
there will be enough of a
response that come the beginning
of camp, these burst
pipes will be nothing but a
distant memory and bump
in the road ahead of another
year of unforgettable and
irreplaceable moments for
campers both old and new.
Letters to the Editor
A letter in support of the
Homer Township Fire
Protection District referendum
Nobody likes to pay more.
Nobody wants to feel that
their hard-earned money is
being wasted. Over the last
several years, the Homer
Township Fire Protection
District has worked to improve
its finances, sold surplus
equipment and expanded
the intergovernmental agreements
for sharing equipment
and resources. They have reduced
the size of their office
staff and reduced the number
of professional staff from 36
to 32, going from four per
station to three per station.
If these changes hadn’t been
made, the alternative might
have required closing a station,
resulting in higher response
times and the loss of
critical time while responding
to emergencies.
Fire Chief Chris Locacius
and the Fire District Board
of Trustees have worked
“This just in...our community was awarded
Campus of the Quarter! We have won
it TWO TIMES IN A ROW!! Thank you to
all of our associates for working hard and
making this possible. Let’s try to get our
THIRD WIN next quarter so this traveling
award remains in our building.”
Marian Village, from Feb. 5.
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“Signing Day at LTHS...Exciting to Honor
and Celebrate these Athletes and their
Accomplishments...Good Luck at the Next
Level! #PorterPride”
@lthsathletics, Lockport Athletics, from
Feb. 6.
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cooperatively with the Firefighters
Local to re-structure
the staffing levels at the fire
stations. The District has
been dealing with limited
growth in revenue, Stateimposed
unfunded mandates
and escalating costs. Over
the years, these and other
factors have continued to diminish
their ability to make
necessary improvements to
their stations, update critical
lifesaving apparatus and replace
aging equipment.
The referendum funds
can only be used for station
repairs and improvements,
emergency response fleet
apparatus and equipment. It
is of vital importance that
our community supports our
First Responders in having
the most up-to-date life saving
equipment. It is also our
responsibility to make sure
that the stations are maintained
and in good working
order. These responsibilities
all require funding, and
when they are delayed or
deferred, the costs will be
higher in the future.
Annual homeowner increases
will be approximately
$25 per $100,000 of home
value. A home valued at
$350,000 will see an increase
of approximately $87. Again,
while no increase is ever welcome,
let’s not be penny wise
and dollar foolish. This is a
small increase to continue the
excellent service and reduced
response times that our fire
district provides.
Chief Locacius invites
you to reach out with any
questions at (815) 838-5006.
I strongly encourage
all residents in the Homer
Township Fire Protection
District to support this referendum.
Please be sure to
vote yes on April 2, 2019!
Keith Gray,
Homer Glen resident and
Village of Homer Glen
trustee
Sound Off Policy
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Letters should be limited to
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Homer Horizon. Letters can be
mailed to: The Homer Horizon,
11516 West 183rd Street, Unit
SW Office Condo #3, Orland
Park, Illinois, 60467. Fax letters
to (708) 326-9179 or e-mail to
tom@homerhorizon.com.
www.homerhorizon.com.