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®<br />
Trade bound<br />
Mokena pipefitters help give students<br />
college alternatives, Page 3<br />
Students in charge<br />
Village Hall site of<br />
Student Government Day, Page 16<br />
The chosen ones<br />
Publisher 22nd Century Media reveals winners in<br />
Southwest Choice Awards special section, Inside<br />
mokena’s Award-Winning Hometown Newspaper mokenamessenger.com • March 21, 2019 • Vol. 11 No. 32 • $1<br />
A<br />
Publication<br />
,LLC<br />
William J.<br />
Garrett<br />
Hugh<br />
(Butch)<br />
McCorkle<br />
Richard C.<br />
LaCien, Jr.<br />
Beth Janus-<br />
Doyle<br />
Peter J.<br />
Wilkes (PHOTO<br />
NOT SUBMITTED)<br />
Joseph<br />
Kirkeeng<br />
The six candidates who will appear on the April 2 ballot for LW D210 Board of Education.<br />
Design by Nancy Burgan/22nd Century Media<br />
Six D210 candidates vie for four seats, Pages 4-5<br />
Appraisal Day<br />
SATURDAY,MARCH 23<br />
MOKENA 19102 S.88th Ave.<br />
www.LWCBank.com<br />
SEE OUR AD INSIDE FOR DETAILS!
2 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger calendar<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
In this week’s<br />
Messenger<br />
Pet of the Week.............12<br />
Police Reports................13<br />
Editorial........................19<br />
Puzzles..........................28<br />
The Scene......................28<br />
Classifieds................ 32-40<br />
The Mokena<br />
Messenger<br />
ph: 708.326.9170 fx: 708.326.9179<br />
Editor<br />
TJ Kremer III, x29<br />
tj@mokenamessenger.com<br />
assistant editor<br />
Megan Schuller, x34<br />
m.schuller@22ndcm.com<br />
Sales director<br />
Lora Healy, x31<br />
l.healy@22ndcenturymedia.com<br />
real estate sales<br />
Tricia Kobylarczyk, x47<br />
t.weber@22ndcenturymedia.com<br />
classifieds/Legal Notices<br />
Jeff Schouten, x51<br />
j.schouten@22ndcenturymedia.com<br />
PUBLISHER<br />
Joe Coughlin 847.272.4565, x16<br />
j.coughlin@22ndcenturymedia.com<br />
Managing Editor<br />
Bill Jones, x20<br />
bill@opprairie.com<br />
president<br />
Andrew Nicks<br />
a.nicks@22ndcenturymedia.com<br />
EDITORIAL DESIGN DIRECTOR<br />
Nancy Burgan, x30<br />
n.burgan@22ndcenturymedia.com<br />
22 nd Century Media<br />
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Unit SW Office Condo #3<br />
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www.MokenaMessenger.com<br />
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The Mokena Messenger<br />
(USPS #025404)<br />
is published weekly by<br />
22nd Century Media, LLC,<br />
11516 W. 183rd Pl.<br />
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Published by<br />
www.22ndcenturymedia.com<br />
Megan Schuller<br />
m.schuller@22ndcm.com<br />
THURSDAY<br />
D210 Board of Education<br />
Meeting<br />
7 p.m. March 21 Lincoln-Way<br />
Central High<br />
School, 1801 E. Lincoln<br />
Highway, New Lenox.<br />
Meetings are held on the<br />
third Thursday of every<br />
month at the Knights of the<br />
Roundtable at LWC.<br />
Economic Development<br />
Commission Meeting<br />
7:30 a.m. March 21. Village<br />
Hall, 11004 Carpenter<br />
Street, Mokena.<br />
Adult Book Discussion<br />
7-8:30 p.m. March 21.<br />
FRIDAY<br />
Woodcock Walk<br />
6:30-8 p.m. March 22.<br />
Hickory Creek Preserve,<br />
10537 W La Porte Rd, Mokena.<br />
Spend the first part<br />
of the evening discovering<br />
more about this bird, then<br />
hike to watch the courtship<br />
flight of the male. The hike<br />
is approximately one mile<br />
on both paved and natural<br />
surface trails over uneven<br />
terrain. Be sure to dress for<br />
the weather.<br />
SATURDAY<br />
NAWS Fundraiser<br />
6 p.m. March 23, Gaaelic<br />
Park, 6119 W. 147th St.,<br />
Oak Forest. Partake in a<br />
1940s murder mystery.<br />
Cost is $60 per person.<br />
MONDAY<br />
Jazz from Planet Flippo<br />
Quartet<br />
1-2 p.m. March 25. Mokena<br />
Community Public<br />
Library District, 11327 W.<br />
195th St., Mokena. Spend<br />
an afternoon of hearing<br />
original compositions and<br />
arrangements from Jazz<br />
From Planet Flippo. This<br />
quartet will play contemporary<br />
classics by the Beatles,<br />
Joni Mitchell, David<br />
Bowie, Sting and others.<br />
Village Board od Trustees<br />
Meeting<br />
7 p.m. March 25. Village<br />
Hall, 11004 Carpenter<br />
Street, Mokena.<br />
UPCOMING<br />
Shrek Jr. The Musical<br />
7 p.m. Friday, March<br />
29, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday,<br />
March 30 and 2 p.m. Sunday,<br />
March 31. Noonan<br />
Academy 19131 Henry<br />
Drive, Mokena. Tickets<br />
$10 adult, $8 child through<br />
Diane Simon at simonfamily1995@gmail.com<br />
National Wheelchair<br />
Basketball Association<br />
Championship Tournaments<br />
March 29-31. The Lincoln-Way<br />
Special Recreation<br />
Association will<br />
host two separate National<br />
Wheelchair Basketball Association<br />
championship<br />
tournaments. For more<br />
information on times and<br />
locations visit www.lwsra.<br />
org or call (815) 320-3500.<br />
After Hours Game Night<br />
6-9 p.m. Friday, April<br />
5. Mokena Public Library<br />
District. 11327 W. 195th<br />
St., Mokena. Ages 14 and<br />
up can play games after<br />
hours in the library.<br />
Sensory Yoga<br />
11:30 a.m. Saturday,<br />
April 6. Mokena Public<br />
Library District. 11327 W.<br />
195th St., Mokena. Pre K<br />
thorugh 9 years old. Registration<br />
Required. The sensory<br />
benefits of yoga for<br />
kids help proprioceptive<br />
and vestibular input.<br />
Walking Book Club<br />
9-10 a.m. Wednesday,<br />
April 10. Oaks Recreational<br />
Center, 10847 W La<br />
Porte Road, Mokena.<br />
Flashlight Egg Hunt<br />
8-9 p.m. April 11. Yunker<br />
Farm, 10824 W. LaPorte<br />
Road, Mokena. Join the<br />
Park District to challenge<br />
friends to see who can find<br />
the most treat-filled eggs<br />
using only a flashlight. The<br />
child that finds the golden<br />
egg will receive a basket<br />
filled with treats. Please<br />
bring your own flashlight<br />
and a bag to collect the<br />
eggs. Pizza will be served<br />
after the hunt. The hunt is<br />
for ages 10–15. Preregistration<br />
is required.<br />
NAWS BINGO Night<br />
6 p.m. Friday, April 12.<br />
Traverso’s Restaurant,<br />
15601 S. Harlem Ave., Orland<br />
Park. $25 per person<br />
includes pizza, soda and<br />
10 games of bingo.<br />
MAMMA MIA! Production<br />
7 p.m. on Friday April<br />
12, 1 and 3 p.m. on Saturday<br />
April, 13 and 3 p.m. on<br />
Sunday April 14. Lincoln-<br />
Way East, 201 Colorado<br />
Ave, Frankfort. Tickets<br />
available beginning on<br />
March 4 for $10 each.<br />
For more information visit<br />
lwemusic.org.<br />
ONGOING<br />
Kindergarten Registration<br />
Drive<br />
8 a.m.-4 p.m. Ongoing.<br />
District Administrative<br />
Center, 20100 South<br />
Spruce Drive in Frankfort.<br />
Summit Hill School District’s<br />
2019-20 kindergarten<br />
registration drive continues.<br />
Parents may access<br />
www.studentregistration.<br />
org to review the checklist<br />
of documents needed for<br />
registration. Parents have<br />
the option of enrolling<br />
their kindergartener in the<br />
extended day program or<br />
the half-day program. Registration<br />
fee for extended<br />
day is $150. Registration<br />
fee for half day is $125.<br />
Critter Class<br />
5:30–6:30 p.m. on<br />
Tuesdays, March 5–26.<br />
Program Center, 10925<br />
La Porte Road, Mokena.<br />
This 4-week class is an<br />
introduction to some of<br />
the world’s most misunderstood<br />
creatures.Each<br />
class features live animals.<br />
Classes are taught by the<br />
experts from Crosstown<br />
Exotics. Some classes may<br />
take place outdoors. Ages<br />
6-12. For more information,<br />
call the Mokena Park<br />
District at (708) 390-2401<br />
or go to mokenapark.com<br />
to register.<br />
LIST IT YOURSELF<br />
Reach out to thousands of daily<br />
users by submitting your event at<br />
MokenaMessenger.com/calendar<br />
For just print*, email all information to<br />
m.schuller@22ndcm.com<br />
*Deadline for print is 5 p.m. the Thursday prior to publication.<br />
Correction<br />
In the March 14 issue<br />
of The Messenger,<br />
Steven Jacobson’s and<br />
Timothy J. Ozinga’s<br />
photos were switched.<br />
This was corrected<br />
on our website. The<br />
Messenger regrets the<br />
error.<br />
Mokena Fire Protection<br />
CPR Class<br />
6 —9:30 p.m. Ongoing.<br />
Mokena Fire Station<br />
1, 19853 S. Wolf Rd,<br />
Moknea. The Mokena Fire<br />
Protection District offers<br />
monthly CPR classes for<br />
the public. Students are instructed<br />
in adult, child and<br />
infant CPR and AED. The<br />
cost of the class is $35 for<br />
Community CPR and $40<br />
Healthcare CPR. Register<br />
for specific dates at www.<br />
mokenafire.org.<br />
Senior Fitness Class<br />
1-2 p.m. Mondays,<br />
Frankfort Township Event<br />
Centre, 20701 Landings<br />
Pointe, Frankfort. Join<br />
the Frankfort Township<br />
for balance strengthening,<br />
chair side light yoga classes.<br />
For more information<br />
and registration, call (815)<br />
806-2766.<br />
Board of Education<br />
Meeting<br />
7-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays,<br />
Board Room, Mokena<br />
Elementary School,<br />
11244 Willow Crest Lane,<br />
Mokena. 4907 or visit<br />
www.frankforttownship.<br />
com.
mokenamessenger.com news<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 3<br />
Mokena Pipefitters Union helps<br />
students with career choices<br />
Amanda Del Buono<br />
Freelance Reporter<br />
Seniors at Tinley Park High School visit Pipefitters<br />
Union Local 597 Training Center in Mokena to learn<br />
more about career opportunities following high school.<br />
Photo submitted<br />
College isn’t for everyone,<br />
and, as a young adult,<br />
it can be intimidating trying<br />
to figure out what to<br />
do after graduating high<br />
school. To help his students<br />
make that difficult<br />
but incredibly important<br />
decision, Tinley Park High<br />
School automotive technology<br />
teacher Mark Moberg<br />
has tried to educate<br />
them about the variety of<br />
opportunities available<br />
to them after high school<br />
that are right in their backyards.<br />
For the past 18 years,<br />
Moberg has brought<br />
groups of students to a variety<br />
of trade schools and<br />
organizations in the area<br />
to give them a first-hand<br />
account of potential career<br />
paths outside of college.<br />
With graduation quickly<br />
approaching in just a few<br />
months, he recently took<br />
13 students to the Pipefitters<br />
Union Local 597<br />
Training Center in Mokena.<br />
“I teach primarily seniors,<br />
and it’s getting to<br />
be that time where they<br />
need to make some decisions,<br />
and most of the kids<br />
in my automotive classes,<br />
they’re not probably going<br />
to college,” Moberg said.<br />
“So, I just try to show them<br />
some of the other options<br />
out there, like the Pipefitters.<br />
I take them to UTI,<br />
which is an automotive<br />
school...I just do it when it<br />
gets this time of year.”<br />
The trip to the Pipefitters<br />
Union included a 90-minute<br />
tour of the training<br />
facility. During the tour,<br />
Adam Sutter, admissions<br />
director for the Pipefitters<br />
Union, walked the students<br />
through the stateof-the-art<br />
training facility,<br />
showing them both the<br />
building trades and HVAC<br />
wing, he said. Throughout<br />
the tour, the students were<br />
able to see apprentices on<br />
the floor practicing the<br />
trade, actively welding<br />
and fabricating at the facility.<br />
“He showed all of the<br />
stuff that they’re going to<br />
have to learn to be a member<br />
of the Pipefitters,”<br />
Moberg said. “He showed<br />
what was involved in the<br />
welding class and the heating<br />
and air conditioning<br />
classes. So, he really gave<br />
them a good tour, and he<br />
didn’t hold anything back<br />
with how difficult some of<br />
the training is.”<br />
Throughout the tour,<br />
Sutter explained to the<br />
students the process and<br />
expectations the union has<br />
set for applicants to the local<br />
union and apprenticeship<br />
program, Sutter said.<br />
“We talk to them about<br />
how to apply to the local<br />
union, so they understand<br />
that process, which<br />
is obviously the biggest<br />
process, what we expect<br />
from them, what they can<br />
expect from us in training,<br />
the scope of the work that<br />
we do, the skill that it takes<br />
to actually be successful at<br />
it,” he said. “We talk about<br />
our pay scale obviously,<br />
because they like to hear<br />
about money, and also all<br />
of our benefits as well. We<br />
give them a good idea of<br />
what’s going on out there,<br />
and we tell them exactly<br />
what they need to do and<br />
let them go from there and<br />
let them make their decisions.<br />
This way they’re<br />
educated now to make an<br />
educated decision when it<br />
comes to their career and<br />
what they want to pursue<br />
after high school.”<br />
This first-hand experience<br />
with the trade makes<br />
the best impression on the<br />
students, said Sutter, who<br />
gives tours to many high<br />
schools in an effort to encourage<br />
students to apply<br />
for the union’s apprenticeship<br />
program.<br />
“The building sells itself,<br />
it’s a state-of-the-art<br />
facility, it’s massive,” Sutter<br />
said. “So, seeing that<br />
and actual equipment and<br />
machinery and the guys<br />
working, I mean that really<br />
sets that hook. Going to a<br />
high school and talking to<br />
them about it, I could give<br />
Please see pipe fitter, 11<br />
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4 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger election 2019<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
Lincoln-Way Community High School D210 (6 for 4 four-year terms)<br />
Name: William<br />
J. Garrett<br />
Age: 30<br />
Town of Residence:<br />
Manhattan<br />
Occupation: Operations<br />
Manager<br />
Prior elected political experience:<br />
LWHS ESP President,<br />
LWHS ESP Secretary,<br />
and Townes of Leighlinbridge<br />
Treasurer<br />
Why are you running for<br />
D210 Board of Education?<br />
As a graduate of Lincoln-<br />
Way East High School and a<br />
resident of the Lincoln-Way<br />
Community, I have always<br />
envisioned collaborating with<br />
the community to enhance the<br />
educational development of<br />
young minds. My goal, like<br />
most parents, is to provide an<br />
environment that will allow<br />
all children to develop and<br />
become highly competitive in<br />
a global society. My passion<br />
for student success has been a<br />
vital component in my choice<br />
to continue working in schools<br />
for the last 10 years.<br />
What makes you the best<br />
candidate for this position?<br />
The key factors that separate<br />
my skill set from other candidates<br />
is my ability to engage<br />
our stakeholders while keeping<br />
students at the center. My<br />
ability to blend academics with<br />
finances will help position our<br />
schools to mitigate risks, measure<br />
the academic return on<br />
investment, and create a sound<br />
and purposeful financial plan.<br />
It can never be understated that<br />
strategic planning is an investment<br />
in success. I have been<br />
a proponent of data collection<br />
as a method to identify “small<br />
victories” that can be scaled to<br />
ensure programmatic sustainability.<br />
What are the Top 3 issues<br />
you see facing the Board of<br />
Education, and what would<br />
you do to solve them?<br />
The top issues facing Lincoln-Way<br />
Community High<br />
School District 210 are collaboratively<br />
identifying the programmatic<br />
needs of students,<br />
developing a cost saving strategy<br />
that will balance the fund<br />
balance to revenue ratio, and<br />
align Lincoln-Way with best<br />
practices of the Government<br />
Finance Officers Association.<br />
These three issues are not isolated<br />
but, rather, an intricate<br />
braid of challenges.<br />
Lincoln-Way has again received<br />
the lowest financial<br />
profile designation from the<br />
Illinois State Board of Education.<br />
Out of the 852 schools<br />
reported by ISBE, Lincoln-<br />
Way is one of 29 schools listed<br />
as “Financial Watch.” To increase<br />
the financial stability of<br />
Lincoln-Way, a fiscally sound<br />
district budget will need to be<br />
passed and continuous monitoring<br />
of the financial health<br />
must occur. In order to achieve<br />
a healthy financial institution,<br />
we must set clear goals and<br />
policies, prioritize long term<br />
strategies, and focus tax dollars<br />
into financially responsible<br />
directions that can be<br />
measured.<br />
Name: Beth Janus-Doyle<br />
Age: 40<br />
Town of Residence: Mokena<br />
Occupation: High School<br />
English teacher (18 years)<br />
Prior elected political experience:<br />
LW 210 School<br />
Board Member (elected in 2017)<br />
Why are you running for D210 Board<br />
of Education?<br />
I am running for re-election because<br />
I still maintain that all school boards<br />
should have at least one current teacher/educator.<br />
How can a board that is<br />
supposed to work with the community<br />
to improve student achievement<br />
function properly without the input<br />
of someone who actually “lives and<br />
breathes” education? The day-to-day<br />
workings of a high school are complex,<br />
and much like many other careers,<br />
people cannot truly understand it unless<br />
they are a part of it. I feel I add a<br />
specific and distinct perspective to the<br />
board.<br />
What makes you the best candidate<br />
for this position?<br />
I am a long-time community member<br />
(14 years), parent of a Lincoln-<br />
Way Central freshman, an 18-year high<br />
school educator and my retired parents<br />
have been living in Frankfort for 18<br />
years. I also have many friends, family<br />
members and colleagues who live<br />
in the Lincoln-Way communities. My<br />
unique perspective as a teacher and<br />
parent is important, and first and foremost,<br />
I always have the best interests<br />
of the students in mind when making<br />
decisions.<br />
What are the Top 3 issues you see facing<br />
the Board of Education, and what<br />
would you do to solve them?<br />
Continued Focus on School Safety:<br />
Schools need to continuously evaluate<br />
their safety measures. In this day<br />
and age, schools must be diligent and<br />
make continued efforts to improve. We<br />
are charged with the safety and well being<br />
of other people’s children, and that<br />
is not something that should be taken<br />
lightly. We have worked to implement<br />
several important safety measures, and<br />
have addressed and fixed some worrisome<br />
policies; however, there is always<br />
more work to be done when it<br />
comes to the safety of our students and<br />
staff.<br />
Students’ Emotional Needs: The<br />
social-emotional well being of our<br />
children is critical to their success in<br />
school, outside of school and to becoming<br />
functioning adults. More than ever,<br />
we are facing an increase in anxiety,<br />
depression and other emotional/mental<br />
health issues. It is essential that schools<br />
work (harder) to put plans in place<br />
that address these growing needs. Students<br />
need to be held accountable and<br />
Please see Doyle, 5<br />
Name: Joseph<br />
Kirkeeng<br />
Age: 53<br />
T o w n :<br />
New Lenox<br />
O c c u -<br />
pation:<br />
Banker – president &<br />
CEO First Secure Bank &<br />
Trust; adjunct professor<br />
of business and management<br />
at Joliet Junior College.<br />
Prior elected political<br />
experience: Currently<br />
member Board of Education<br />
Lincoln-Way High<br />
School District 210; previously<br />
a member of the<br />
Board of Education New<br />
Lenox Grade School District<br />
122.<br />
Why are you running<br />
for D210 Board of Education?<br />
After accepting an appointment<br />
to the board in<br />
June 2016, I was elected<br />
to the Lincoln-Way High<br />
School Board of Education<br />
in April 2017. I<br />
have lived in the Lincoln-<br />
Way District for nearly<br />
25 years. I would like to<br />
continue the progress the<br />
board and the administration<br />
have experienced<br />
over the past several<br />
months in these areas: To<br />
continue the path to longterm<br />
financial stability; to<br />
grow the total educational<br />
experience for all of the<br />
students and their families<br />
throughout the district;<br />
and to ensure the pride all<br />
citizens within the district<br />
feel when they interact<br />
with the high school district.<br />
What makes you the<br />
best candidate for this<br />
position?<br />
My professional experience<br />
is in the financial services<br />
industry. This experience<br />
has assisted me in<br />
understanding the financial<br />
challenges facing the<br />
district. This includes the<br />
operating budget challenges,<br />
the long-term debt<br />
issues, the administrative<br />
and cultural opportunities,<br />
and the willingness<br />
to engage with those that<br />
live within our district.<br />
I have worked with all<br />
of the current board members<br />
and the district’s<br />
administration to create<br />
improved practices as<br />
well as enhance policies<br />
to move the district away<br />
from its recent financial<br />
history and create a path<br />
to financial stability. I<br />
have also been very active<br />
in meeting with those<br />
from the community who<br />
have ideas and suggestions<br />
pertaining to many<br />
aspects of how the district<br />
operates and interacts<br />
with the community.<br />
What are the Top 3 issues<br />
you see facing the<br />
Board of Education, and<br />
what would you do to<br />
solve them?<br />
Ensure District’s Financial<br />
Stability: This<br />
can be accomplished by<br />
continuing to improve<br />
the district’s operational<br />
financial position through<br />
expense management,<br />
evaluating potential revenue<br />
sources, and improving<br />
the monitoring,<br />
communicating and assessment<br />
of financial<br />
results. The district has<br />
made great strides; however,<br />
an economic downturn<br />
or changes in our<br />
Please see kirkeeng, 9
mokenamessenger.com election 2019<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 5<br />
Lincoln-Way Community High School D210 (6 for 4 four-year terms)<br />
Name: Richard C.<br />
LaCien, Jr.<br />
Age: 52<br />
Town of Residence:<br />
Mokena<br />
Occupation: Superintendent<br />
and<br />
project manager, member of<br />
Sheet Metal Workers Local 73,<br />
Chicago<br />
Prior elected political experience:<br />
Commissioner of the Mokena<br />
Park District Board<br />
Why are you running for D210<br />
Board of Education?<br />
I am running for the D210<br />
Board of Education because<br />
I have a son in the school<br />
district and I want to be<br />
involved.<br />
What makes me the best candidate<br />
for this position?<br />
I am the best candidate because<br />
no current board members<br />
have construction experience<br />
and I believe that I would<br />
be an asset to the board. I will<br />
be able to fill the gap by bringing<br />
my extensive construction<br />
experience regarding projects<br />
and costs. In addition, I will be<br />
able to give guidance and direction<br />
to the school board on how<br />
to assist those students who<br />
want to make a career by getting<br />
into the trades if college is<br />
not for them.<br />
What are the Top 3 issues you<br />
see facing the Board of Education?<br />
The top issues facing the<br />
D210 Board of Education are<br />
now that we’ve come out of<br />
our financial warning status,<br />
we need to keep our budget in<br />
check and building our reserves<br />
while still accomplishing the<br />
improvements for the district<br />
and doing capital jobs as they<br />
become required.<br />
Name: Hugh<br />
(Butch) Mc-<br />
Corkle<br />
Age: 63<br />
Town of residence:<br />
Frankfort<br />
(Unincorporated)<br />
Occupation: Retired police<br />
detective sergeant, current Lincoln<br />
Way security<br />
Prior elected political experience:<br />
N/A<br />
Why are you running for<br />
D210 Board of Education?<br />
Twenty-eight years of experience<br />
as a police officer, detective,<br />
juvenile officer, child<br />
advocate and all three levels of<br />
FEMA certifications. I am confident<br />
in helping the current administration<br />
becoming a more<br />
secure environment at minimal<br />
to no cost. Voters should question<br />
why anybody would want<br />
to run for a position that doesn’t<br />
pay anything or have any benefits.<br />
I am not looking to build<br />
a political future by any means.<br />
I simply have a gift of knowledge<br />
and experience that I want<br />
to give back to our community,<br />
and create a safe and secure environment<br />
for our children.<br />
doyle<br />
From Page 4<br />
pushed to high standards, of<br />
course, but we are living in a<br />
time with so many variables,<br />
changing social constructs,<br />
and fears that no adults have<br />
ever seen the likes of: social<br />
media, smart phones, instant<br />
access to everything, cyber<br />
What makes me you best<br />
candidate for this position?<br />
I take a common-sense approach<br />
to issues facing the<br />
school district. I believe in accountability<br />
and transparency.<br />
I will not only be the advocate<br />
for our students but also the<br />
parents and taxpayers who fund<br />
our schools. I am the only candidate<br />
with the experience and<br />
education in the area of safety<br />
and will take a proactive approach<br />
to ensure the safety<br />
and security of students and<br />
staff. As I watch all the horrific<br />
events that occur in our schools<br />
across this country I’ve learned<br />
we need to be on top of our<br />
game. I don’t ever want to look<br />
a parent in the face and say,<br />
“I’m sorry we could have done<br />
more but we chose not to.”<br />
What are the Top 3 issues<br />
facing the Board of Education?<br />
Financial Responsibility:<br />
I will work with not only the<br />
other six board members and<br />
the superintendent, but will<br />
also listen to the citizens and<br />
make decisions with the least<br />
impact and maximum effect<br />
for the district.<br />
Future Direction: I’m not a<br />
fan of “we’ve always done it<br />
that way.” In my time at I’ve<br />
come to find that Lincoln-<br />
Way is a great school district,<br />
with administration and staff<br />
who have genuine heart, care<br />
and passion for the students.<br />
We need to be constantly<br />
looking for ways to improve<br />
on problems and correct what<br />
has been working. Together<br />
we can make it better.<br />
Security: As already mentioned<br />
I come from a law enforcement<br />
background. I have<br />
often said if a person knows<br />
right from wrong and can use<br />
an index from vehicle/criminal<br />
code law book they can<br />
be the police. The difference<br />
between police and security is<br />
the power of arrest. I not only<br />
have education in this field, but<br />
the years of experience. I never<br />
aspired to run for any political<br />
office. After two years of<br />
working Lincoln-Way security<br />
I have noticed many flaws in<br />
the system that can be corrected<br />
with little or no tax dollars.<br />
For obvious reasons, I don’t<br />
want to mention what these<br />
flaws are, as persons may want<br />
to take advantage of them.<br />
bullying, increased instances<br />
of violence and increased<br />
number of suicides, just to<br />
name a few. These are all<br />
very important to address, as<br />
a student cannot be successful<br />
without being mentally<br />
healthy. Schools can always<br />
do more to address this.<br />
Finances/Empty Building:<br />
Although the district has<br />
made huge strides in correcting<br />
its financial troubles, we<br />
still have an uphill financial<br />
battle and an empty building.<br />
We need to start focusing on<br />
creative ways to reduce expenditures<br />
and continue to<br />
explore options to increase<br />
revenue. It is also time, now<br />
that some of the “fires” have<br />
been put out/addressed/managed,<br />
to start seeking options<br />
for our empty building.<br />
Name: Peter J. Wilkes<br />
Age: 55<br />
Town of Residence:<br />
Frankfort<br />
Occupation: Attorney<br />
Prior elected political<br />
experience: N/A<br />
Why are you running for D210<br />
Board of Education?<br />
The reason I am running for a<br />
school board position is very simple<br />
and straightforward.<br />
I currently have four children<br />
enrolled in Lincoln-Way East:<br />
two juniors and two freshmen. My<br />
niece is currently attending Lincoln-Way<br />
West, and her two sisters<br />
and brother also attended Lincoln-<br />
Way West. For the obvious reason,<br />
I have a vested interest in the quality<br />
of education provided by our<br />
schools.<br />
What makes you the best candidate<br />
for this position?<br />
I believe the combination of<br />
my professional occupation and<br />
prior experience with volunteer<br />
organizations, along with a<br />
healthy dose of common sense,<br />
qualifies me for a position on the<br />
school board.<br />
As a practicing trial attorney,<br />
I am faced daily with decisions<br />
involving ethical and legal issues<br />
that can be utilized by this board<br />
for all decisions involving the administration<br />
and district. It will be<br />
my goal to ensure all policies are<br />
transparent, ethical and comply<br />
with the law. In my professional<br />
capacity, I have always made sure<br />
that I receive as much information<br />
as possible prior to rendering an<br />
opinion or decision. I will bring<br />
this experience to the school<br />
board and encourage an open dialogue<br />
among the members to ensure<br />
the proper course of action is<br />
taken.<br />
What are the Top 3 issues you<br />
see facing the Board of Education,<br />
and what would you do to<br />
solve them?<br />
With respect to the top three issues<br />
facing the Board of Education,<br />
it is my opinion that fiscal<br />
responsibility, employing quality<br />
teachers and accumulating school<br />
resources are critical.<br />
Fiscal Responsibility: The administration<br />
has done an outstanding<br />
job of devising and implementing<br />
a fiscal plan creating a<br />
solvent district. It will be the job<br />
of this board to make sure that path<br />
continues on in that direction.<br />
Quality Teachers: Teachers undoubtedly<br />
have the biggest impact<br />
upon students. At least that was<br />
my experience in high school.<br />
Providing a classroom environment<br />
that encourages students<br />
to become fully engaged in class<br />
increases the chances of graduating<br />
well-rounded young men and<br />
women who will be best equipped<br />
to continue on in their life journey.<br />
The school district is already<br />
recognized as one of the top districts<br />
in this state, and that is due<br />
in large part to the quality men and<br />
women who currently educate our<br />
children. We need to reward those<br />
who create and promote the learning<br />
environment, and continue to<br />
attract new teachers who possess<br />
the same enthusiasm and passion<br />
as the current staff does.<br />
Resources: If you hire the best<br />
people to teach, and provide them<br />
with the best resources to teach,<br />
our children benefit.
6 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger news<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
Village of Mokena Board of Trustees<br />
Economic incentive agreement gets extension<br />
Jon DePaolis<br />
Freelance Reporter<br />
An incentive agreement<br />
designed to attract retail<br />
sales tax-generating businesses<br />
to the Corporate<br />
Corridors North business<br />
park was extended 15<br />
years Monday, March 11,<br />
during the Village of Mokena<br />
Board of Trustees<br />
meeting.<br />
The trustees voted 6-0<br />
to extend the agreement,<br />
which began in 2008 and<br />
was set to expire in four<br />
years. The initial economic<br />
incentive agreement<br />
set a 50-50 sharing<br />
of the 1 percent non-home<br />
rule sales tax, but it does<br />
not include the one-half<br />
of 1 percent portion of the<br />
non-home rule sales tax<br />
set aside for road infrastructure.<br />
Therefore, the<br />
Village shares the one-half<br />
of 1 percent of the sales tax<br />
Round it up<br />
A brief recap of other items discussed<br />
at the March 11 Board of Trustees<br />
meeting<br />
• As part of the Consent Agenda, the<br />
Village Board members voted 6-0<br />
to pass the revised prevailing rate<br />
of wages ordinance from the Illinois<br />
Department of Labor in late February.<br />
• During the work session, the<br />
trustees verbally voiced support for a<br />
special use permit amendment that<br />
would allow RCS Mokena, LLC, to<br />
negate the requirement to provide an<br />
8-foot PVC fence between the parcel<br />
of land of Lot 1 of the Corporate<br />
remaining equally with the<br />
business.<br />
“This economic incentive<br />
agreement has been<br />
very successful in attracting<br />
retail sales tax-generating<br />
businesses to the<br />
industrially zoned properties<br />
in the Corporate<br />
Corridors North business<br />
park,” Mokena Director of<br />
Economic and Community<br />
Development Alan Zordan<br />
said.<br />
Corridors North business park and<br />
the Burnside Station subdivision. In<br />
its place, and after speaking to the<br />
residents’ homeowners association,<br />
RCS Mokena would add supplemental<br />
landscaping along a berm that is<br />
between the homes and Lot 1.<br />
• Also during the work session, the<br />
board members discussed shortterm<br />
and long-term goals for items<br />
identified previously as Village<br />
priorities, including development<br />
along 191st Street and the Interstate<br />
80 corridor, the downtown area,<br />
and capital projects. The general<br />
consensus from the board members<br />
was that more information and plans<br />
were needed.<br />
He listed some of the<br />
businesses that have come<br />
to that business park as<br />
part of the original incentive<br />
agreement, such as:<br />
Win Supply; Central Illinois<br />
Trucks; Point Blank;<br />
Accelerate Indoor Speedway;<br />
and ABC Supply.<br />
But, with the original<br />
incentive agreement’s<br />
term winding down, “it<br />
has become a less effective<br />
tool for attracting<br />
businesses,” Zordan<br />
said.<br />
Zordan said it was the<br />
board’s direction to staff to<br />
extend the incentive agreement<br />
another 15 years. The<br />
extension was reviewed by<br />
the Economic Development<br />
Commission in October<br />
2018 and the Village<br />
Board in December 2018.<br />
Zordan said the new 15-<br />
year term would begin as<br />
soon as it was passed by<br />
the board, eliminating the<br />
four years left on the old<br />
agreement.<br />
Steve Vernon, on behalf<br />
of Corporate Corridors<br />
North, voiced his support<br />
for the incentive agreement<br />
extension during the<br />
meeting.<br />
“I [think] it’s a win-win<br />
for us as the developer and<br />
the Village in their desire<br />
to acquire sales tax-producing<br />
tenants and users in<br />
the area,” Vernon said.<br />
Trustee Joseph Siwinski<br />
also said he felt extending<br />
the agreement was an important<br />
move by the Village.<br />
“It’s fared very well for<br />
the Village over the many<br />
years it has been in existence,”<br />
Siwinski said. “I<br />
think it will help [Vernon]<br />
to continue to develop [at<br />
the business park]. More<br />
importantly, it will help<br />
our Village continue to<br />
grow and provide very little<br />
impact on our residents<br />
or our police officers.<br />
“It provides a great<br />
deal of revenue for our<br />
Please see village, 13<br />
Summit Hill School D161 Board of Education<br />
Contracts, late start and feasibility study among discussion<br />
Megan Schuller<br />
Assistant Editor<br />
Summit Hill School<br />
District 161 Board of Education<br />
members voted to<br />
extended the contracts of<br />
its staff and administrators<br />
during its March 13<br />
meeting. Included in that<br />
extension was Superintendent<br />
Barb Rains’ contract,<br />
which was extended to<br />
June of 2020.<br />
In separate motions, the<br />
board unanimously voted<br />
for an overall 3 percent<br />
increase over current contract<br />
value for all D161<br />
administrators, paraprofessionals<br />
and lunchroom<br />
supervisors.<br />
“Three percent is based<br />
upon what the current<br />
teachers contract calls<br />
for, so that becomes the<br />
standard for the district,”<br />
Board President Rich Marron<br />
said.<br />
A 3.2 percent pay increase<br />
was also passed for<br />
non-certified staff, such as<br />
technical support, secretaries<br />
and clerks in order to<br />
normalize their contracts<br />
to match the industry standard.<br />
Rains also took time<br />
to address ongoing discussions<br />
regarding a delayed<br />
start option for bad<br />
weather days. The superintendents<br />
of the four<br />
feeder school districts<br />
and Lincoln-Way Community<br />
High School District<br />
210 met to discuss<br />
the late start option on<br />
March 11.<br />
“You may remember<br />
because of the complexities<br />
of implementing this<br />
system we have to all be<br />
in,” Rains said. “One of<br />
our local districts cannot<br />
participate in it, which<br />
makes it very difficult<br />
to maneuver for everyone<br />
else. The consensus<br />
at the time was to not<br />
move forward with this<br />
option.”<br />
Rains said that the one<br />
feeder district could not<br />
participate because of the<br />
coupling of routes and timing.<br />
Parents will still have<br />
option to drive students in<br />
or keep them home on inclement<br />
weather days.<br />
“We can pick this up<br />
year-to-year but, for this<br />
next school year, this is<br />
where we are at,” Rains<br />
said. “This goes back<br />
to sometimes not hav-<br />
Please see D161, 9<br />
Round it Up<br />
A brief discussion on other topics discussed at the<br />
D161 March 13 meeting.<br />
• Forecast 5 analytics software was approved,<br />
totaling $7,425 for the last quarter of this school<br />
year.<br />
• The district opened up a request for proposal for<br />
an intercom systems at Arbury Hills and Frankfort<br />
Square Schools.<br />
• The board voted to authorize Superintendent<br />
Barb Rains to begin developing a tentative budget<br />
for the 2019-2020. This process is scheduled to<br />
conclude in September, with the final adoption of<br />
the budget by the school board.<br />
• The next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 10<br />
at the Mary Drew Administration Center.
mokenamessenger.com mokena<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 7<br />
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8 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger election 2019<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
Summit Hill School D161 (5 candidates for 3 four-Year positions)<br />
Name: Stacey<br />
Borgens<br />
Age: 45<br />
Party: Independent<br />
Town of Residence:<br />
Frankfort<br />
Occupation: HR<br />
administrator<br />
Prior elected political experience:<br />
Elected and serving on the<br />
Summit Hill School Board since<br />
2011<br />
Why are you running for the<br />
Summit Hill School District<br />
161 Board of Education?<br />
I am seeking re-election to the<br />
Summit Hill School Board because<br />
I believe in the work that<br />
we have done over the past eight<br />
years, and I am invested in the<br />
work that we have started to set<br />
forth for teachers, students and<br />
our community.<br />
What makes you the best candidate<br />
for this position?<br />
Throughout my time on the<br />
board I have sought to increase<br />
opportunities for students and<br />
teachers to be successful in their<br />
current classrooms and as they<br />
move forward into high school<br />
and beyond. I believe that my<br />
efforts focus on the total child<br />
— not only their educational development,<br />
but their social and<br />
emotional skills as well. I have<br />
worked toward smaller class<br />
sizes, remaining fiscally responsible<br />
and been an advocate for<br />
teachers and staff in the process.<br />
What are the Top 3 issues you<br />
see facing the Summit Hill<br />
School District 161 Board of<br />
Education and what would<br />
you do to solve them?<br />
• Providing students with an<br />
education that prepares them<br />
for High School and beyond<br />
— continuing to work with<br />
administration and staff to increase<br />
rigor in the classrooms,<br />
supporting teachers that find<br />
new ways to reach students<br />
and help them achieve growth<br />
and support better technology<br />
and training for students and<br />
staff. Student success and the<br />
District’s success does not boil<br />
down to how they perform on<br />
standardized testing. Education<br />
is constantly evolving and<br />
we need to stay ahead of the<br />
curve.<br />
• The status of funding our<br />
schools — staying aware of<br />
what happens in Springfield, remaining<br />
fiscally responsible to<br />
the tax payers of District 161,<br />
finding ways to best utilize the<br />
funds and resources that we<br />
have on hand.<br />
• Recognizing that with additional<br />
technology comes<br />
greater responsibility for student<br />
safety — we need to ensure<br />
that the necessary safeguards<br />
are in place to protect<br />
our students from inappropriate<br />
content that is now more<br />
easily accessible than ever,<br />
train our staff to watch for any<br />
warning signs of cyberbullying<br />
and keep an open dialogue<br />
with parents so they are active<br />
participants in this process.<br />
Name: Katie Campbell<br />
Age: 47<br />
Party:<br />
Town of Residence: Tinley<br />
Park<br />
Occupation: Teacher<br />
Prior elected political experience:<br />
None<br />
Why are you running for the Summit<br />
Hill School District 161 Board of Education?<br />
I am running for Summit Hill 161<br />
Board of Education because I have two<br />
young children in the district, and, after<br />
attending numerous Superintendent Parent<br />
Advisory Meetings I became concerned.<br />
I have learned that there is an<br />
enormous lack of depth and accountability<br />
with program implementation and<br />
our students and community are paying<br />
the price. I would like to see a more rigorous<br />
curriculum for all students with<br />
an abundance of support and resources<br />
for our teachers and students. My concern<br />
is not only for my children, but<br />
for all of our children and community<br />
members.<br />
What makes you the best candidate<br />
for this position?<br />
Most importantly, I bring 25 years<br />
dedicated to public education and all<br />
of the practical/real-world experiences<br />
within that time to the board. My professional<br />
career has included 11 years as a<br />
District Department Supervisor, which<br />
involved program implementation, using<br />
data to evaluate said programs, and curriculum<br />
development. My professional<br />
record within the educational setting<br />
is unmatched among any of the other<br />
candidates.<br />
What are the Top 3 issues you see<br />
facing the Summit Hill School<br />
District 161 Board of Education<br />
and what would you do to solve<br />
them?<br />
The top issues facing Summit Hill<br />
School District are: Improved student<br />
achievement especially as it relates<br />
to meeting and exceeding state standards;<br />
Enhanced performance goals<br />
used to evaluate the superintendent to<br />
include a clear direction for improvement<br />
of our district; Fiscal responsibility<br />
that includes wisely managing<br />
funds to provide resources that allow<br />
students and staff to maximize their<br />
talent.<br />
Our district is testing 10-39 percent<br />
below Frankfort 157-C students<br />
on state-wide tests. This leaves Summit<br />
Hill students to enter Lincoln-Way<br />
East significantly behind their peers.<br />
We need a more rigorous curriculum<br />
across all grade levels and all learning<br />
abilities. We have remarkable facilities;<br />
we have talented and distinguished<br />
teachers; we have exceptional<br />
students and parents who are highly<br />
engaged in their child’s education;<br />
and we have a first-class community.<br />
Why have our test scores flat-lined<br />
while our neighboring districts have<br />
soared?<br />
Current and prior performance goals<br />
used to evaluate our superintendent<br />
lack depth and long-term vision. The<br />
Please see campbell, 13<br />
Name:<br />
George<br />
Leonard<br />
Age: 44<br />
Party: N/A<br />
Town of<br />
Residence:<br />
Frankfort<br />
Occupation: Teacher<br />
Prior elected political<br />
experience: I have held<br />
a seat on the D161 board<br />
for the past four years<br />
Why are you running for<br />
the Summit Hill School<br />
District 161 Board of<br />
Education?<br />
To help guide District<br />
161 as it continues on its<br />
path of excellence and<br />
strives to grow to even<br />
higher heights, while maintaining<br />
fiscal responsibility.<br />
Participating in board,<br />
district and community<br />
discussions by adding my<br />
insights as an educator and<br />
community member, but<br />
understanding my role as a<br />
school board member and<br />
allowing the district staff to<br />
preform their duties.<br />
What makes you the<br />
best candidate for this<br />
position?<br />
I have extensive experience<br />
in the field of education.<br />
As a teacher and board<br />
member, I have been dedicated<br />
to finding better ways<br />
to serve the needs of the<br />
students we are entrusted to<br />
educate. I believe that is my<br />
duty to work with fellow<br />
stakeholders, not to find<br />
problems, but to find solutions.<br />
I am proud to serve a<br />
district that has been wonderful<br />
for my children and<br />
continues to be a pillar of<br />
our community.<br />
What are the Top 3 issues<br />
you see facing the<br />
Summit Hill School District<br />
161 Board of Education<br />
and what would<br />
you do to solve them?<br />
1. Declining enrollment<br />
— Because of declining<br />
enrollment we may have<br />
to make some tough choices<br />
in the future. While it is<br />
too early to predict what<br />
this will entail, it is important<br />
that we take all<br />
factors into consideration<br />
as we move towards what<br />
is best for our district and<br />
our community. Some of<br />
these factors include, fiscal<br />
responsibility, community<br />
concerns, economic<br />
impacts, educational benefits<br />
and many more. Too<br />
often, major decisions are<br />
made in our community<br />
without considering the<br />
multitude of factors that<br />
are involved.<br />
2. Negativity — We<br />
have too many people that<br />
complain about problems<br />
and attack new initiatives<br />
in order to further political<br />
agendas or carry out personal<br />
vendettas. It is easy<br />
to point to a problem and<br />
assign blame, but that is<br />
not what our district needs.<br />
We need people that want<br />
to do the hard work necessary<br />
to find solutions and<br />
pathways for improvement.<br />
We need people that<br />
are motivated by a desire<br />
to provide the safest environment,<br />
most fiscally<br />
sound budget and strongest<br />
education possible for<br />
our children. I am proud of<br />
our district and I am excited<br />
to continue to work to<br />
make it even better.<br />
3. The Unknown —<br />
Through my experience<br />
in education, I have<br />
learned that it is almost<br />
impossible to predict the<br />
myriad of changes and issues<br />
that arise with each<br />
new school year. Many<br />
of the changes come from<br />
the state or even the federal<br />
level, and we have no<br />
control over them. Thus, it<br />
is imperative that we have<br />
experienced, solutionfocused<br />
people at every<br />
level of our district. Our<br />
ability to adapt and stay<br />
ahead of the curve is what<br />
will allow us to continue<br />
on our path of excellence.
mokenamessenger.com election 2019<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 9<br />
Summit Hill School D161 (5 for 3 four-Year positions)<br />
Name: Trudy K.<br />
Sturino<br />
Age: 59<br />
Party: Independent<br />
Town of Residence:<br />
Frankfort<br />
Occupation: Information<br />
technology manager<br />
Prior elected political experience:<br />
None<br />
Why are you running for the<br />
Summit Hill School District<br />
161 Board of Education?<br />
I believe that a school district<br />
needs to provide students with a<br />
well-rounded education, building<br />
necessary life skills that will<br />
develop them into successful<br />
young adults and assist them as<br />
they pursue their future academic<br />
and career goals. Additionally,<br />
I believe that a school district<br />
owes constituents a district<br />
that is stable, provides a sense<br />
of community, manages tax dollars<br />
responsibly and maintains<br />
property values. As a parent, I<br />
have demonstrated a willingness<br />
to work with school administrators,<br />
teachers, parents and<br />
community members to build<br />
on D161’s existing success and<br />
continue to drive improvement.<br />
What makes you the best candidate<br />
for this position?<br />
I have been a D161 community<br />
member for 20 years, active in<br />
multiple elections and have four<br />
sons who are all graduates of<br />
Summit Hill D161. Throughout<br />
my children’s education, I have<br />
maintained heavy involvement<br />
in managing my children with<br />
special needs, supported them in<br />
curricular and extra-curricular<br />
activities, and maintained the<br />
best possible educational environment<br />
for them.<br />
I have a strong education in<br />
business management, with an<br />
emphasis on accounting and<br />
information systems. I have<br />
served as an auditor, logistics<br />
manager, project manager, systems<br />
architect and solutions<br />
manager. In my current role<br />
as an IT consultant, I have had<br />
to work with many business<br />
and project teams to achieve<br />
goals to ensure the project’s<br />
success. I believe all of these<br />
create a unique ability to identify<br />
challenges, view the whole<br />
problem, and identify multiple<br />
solutions, which leads to a<br />
foundation for better dynamics<br />
for resolution.<br />
What are the Top 3 issues you<br />
see facing the Summit Hill<br />
School District 161 Board of<br />
Education and what would<br />
you do to solve them?<br />
The first item is aligning our<br />
curriculum to incorporate new<br />
technologies into our curricular<br />
footprint that allow teachers to<br />
enhance and support their curriculum<br />
and assist in students<br />
learning these tools. My recent<br />
LW high school graduates have<br />
had some very limited exposure<br />
to these classroom technologies.<br />
We as a community need<br />
to broaden these tools for the<br />
benefit of all of our educators<br />
and students. Without them, I<br />
believe that our students will not<br />
be properly prepared for the post<br />
high school environments, and<br />
we need to consistently work<br />
to shorten this gap to allow our<br />
students every opportunity to<br />
succeed.<br />
The second item I see is to<br />
continue to move forward and<br />
build on the solid foundation<br />
the current board has successfully<br />
implemented. We have<br />
been able to see the benefits of<br />
fiscally responsible decisions,<br />
stabilized the use of our assets,<br />
invested in the development of<br />
our educators and seen their vision<br />
with the district roadmap.<br />
While challenges will always<br />
exist, we need to continue open<br />
conversations with our tax base,<br />
our entire community and our<br />
educators to ensure we identify<br />
new paths for success to maintain<br />
the current level of excellence<br />
and accountability.<br />
The third item is to provide<br />
additional curricular and extracurricular<br />
opportunities for all<br />
students. We have seen growth<br />
in this area, and using my direct<br />
experience with my own<br />
IEP children in many district<br />
sponsored programs, I hope<br />
to expand the offerings. This<br />
will allow all of our students to<br />
have opportunities for personal<br />
growth, expanded learning, and<br />
leadership opportunities to ensure<br />
they have the best school<br />
experience possible. Learning<br />
does not just happen inside the<br />
classroom, it occurs all areas the<br />
student participates in.<br />
Name: Debbie Staples<br />
Age: 50<br />
Party: My understanding<br />
is that the school<br />
board is not affiliated<br />
with any political party<br />
Town of Residence:<br />
Tinley Park<br />
Occupation: Human Resources / Labor<br />
Relations<br />
Prior elected political experience:<br />
None<br />
Why are you running for the Summit<br />
Hill School District 161 Board of<br />
Education?<br />
I have been a resident of Brookside<br />
Glen for over 20 years and it’s important<br />
to me that we retain and continue<br />
to attract residents to the neighborhood,<br />
and having an excellent school<br />
system is one of the main reasons<br />
people chose to move into a neighborhood.<br />
The residents pay a lot of money<br />
in taxes and if they don’t feel they are<br />
getting a return on their investment,<br />
the attraction to the neighborhood will<br />
decline.<br />
What makes you the best candidate<br />
for this position?<br />
I have approximately 25 years of<br />
experience in the human resources<br />
field including the last nine years in<br />
labor relations. I believe that expertise<br />
makes me a very qualified candidate<br />
for recruiting and developing talent,<br />
developing goals and negotiating.<br />
What are the Top 3 issues you see<br />
facing the Summit Hill School District<br />
161 Board of Education and<br />
what would you do to solve them?<br />
The main issue facing Summit Hill<br />
District 161 are the flatlined test scores<br />
compared to Frankfort 157-C district.<br />
Over the past four years, the PARCC<br />
scores for district 157-C have improved<br />
for both language arts and math<br />
but Summit Hill have flatlined. My<br />
recommendation to improve scores<br />
begins with the board working with<br />
the superintendent to set ambitious,<br />
measurable goals and to evaluate the<br />
progression of the goals regularly. The<br />
superintendent’s performance must be<br />
evaluated based on the progress of the<br />
goals and improvement of scores. We<br />
must have a more rigorous curriculum<br />
with an abundance of support for the<br />
teachers and the students. The program<br />
must be inclusive of everyone<br />
and not only focus on the students in<br />
the accelerated programs.<br />
kirkeeng<br />
From Page 4<br />
state government processes<br />
could create headwinds and<br />
hurdles that the board needs<br />
to be constantly considering<br />
and monitoring.<br />
Ensure the ongoing management<br />
of district’s reputation:<br />
This can be achieved<br />
by enhancing communication,<br />
sharing information<br />
and continuing the dialogue<br />
with the community. We<br />
have been working closely<br />
with the administration to<br />
review and improve the<br />
formal organizational structure,<br />
and augment everyone’s<br />
ability to fulfil on<br />
D161<br />
From Page 6<br />
ing enough busses, drivers<br />
and timing of the<br />
delay.”<br />
Unit district update<br />
Marron said after the<br />
the district’s mission. This<br />
includes the district’s academic<br />
excellence, the success<br />
in the arts and athletics,<br />
the expansion of additional<br />
opportunities, and the overall<br />
improvements pertaining<br />
to the educational process.<br />
We will look to continue<br />
augmenting the educational<br />
process. This will include<br />
offering a variety options for<br />
all students. The development<br />
of the curriculum for<br />
students who are work-force<br />
oriented as well as those<br />
who are college bound after<br />
high school is needed. The<br />
assessing and implementing<br />
the next phase of technology<br />
will provide great assistance<br />
as the district improves its<br />
meeting that there has been<br />
no response to the request<br />
for proposal to help conduct<br />
a feasibility study on<br />
Lincoln-Way North. At the<br />
moment, the Unit District<br />
committee is at a standstill.<br />
“Without responses we<br />
educational experience for<br />
all students.<br />
A focus on the long-term<br />
debt analysis and management:<br />
The long-term debt<br />
incurred by the district when<br />
it was in an expansion phase<br />
needs to be evaluated and<br />
the options fully vetted. This<br />
includes the options and the<br />
alternatives for the capital<br />
assets still held by the district,<br />
including vacant land<br />
and the Lincoln-Way North<br />
building. The timeline for<br />
some of the potential options<br />
to be considered is<br />
approaching. The board has<br />
started its evaluation and we<br />
will look to review all potential<br />
courses as it pertains to<br />
this topic.<br />
don’t have a clear-cut path in<br />
how to move forward,” Marron<br />
said.<br />
For now the committee<br />
will continue to follow up<br />
on, research and weigh the<br />
next steps to take its course<br />
of action.
10 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger school<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
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the Mokena messenger’s<br />
Standout Student<br />
Sponsored by Marquette Bank<br />
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High sixth-grader<br />
What do you like to do<br />
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I enjoy listening to music,<br />
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What’s your dream job?<br />
My dream is a pediatrician.<br />
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I might seem like an<br />
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really quiet and introverted.<br />
Whom do you look up to<br />
and why?<br />
I look up to Oprah Winfrey.<br />
She’s very openminded,<br />
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extremely generous.<br />
What’s your favorite class<br />
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My favorite class is world<br />
history because when I was<br />
younger I would check out<br />
books on the Civil War<br />
from the library.<br />
What’s one thing that<br />
stands out about your<br />
school?<br />
The teachers are really<br />
patient with you if you<br />
don’t understand something<br />
and will walk you<br />
through it, and are overall<br />
very kind toward you.<br />
What extracurricular(s) do<br />
you wish your school had?<br />
I think a self-defense<br />
class would be nice to<br />
have in our school so students<br />
would know how<br />
to defend themselves if<br />
they’re caught in a dangerous<br />
situation.<br />
If you could change one<br />
thing about your school<br />
what would it be?<br />
I would change how<br />
long passing period is so<br />
Photo submitted<br />
kids don’t feel as rushed<br />
and end up forgetting some<br />
materials for their classes.<br />
What’s your favorite thing<br />
to eat in the cafeteria?<br />
I absolutely love the cafeteria’s<br />
nachos. I wish they<br />
served them more often.<br />
What’s your best memory<br />
from school?<br />
In second grade in Ms.<br />
Meehan’s class when we<br />
raised chicks. Everybody<br />
in school came to see<br />
them.<br />
Standout Student is a weekly<br />
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the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 11<br />
pipe fitter<br />
From Page 3<br />
them a lot of detailed information,<br />
and that works,<br />
at least they understand it,<br />
but seeing the facility itself,<br />
it’s amazing. They’re<br />
really kind of like, ‘Wow,<br />
I had no idea.’ Talking<br />
about it doesn’t really do it<br />
any justice really.”<br />
This isn’t the only vocational<br />
opportunity Moberg<br />
is trying to show his<br />
students this year, he said.<br />
A few days after the trip<br />
to the Pipefitters Union<br />
Training Center, Moberg<br />
took another group of 14<br />
to Moraine Valley Community<br />
College’s automotive<br />
program, and in the<br />
fall, he took a group to<br />
Universal Technical Institute.<br />
Several of the trips focus<br />
on automotive trades<br />
and build on TPHS’ automotive<br />
program, which<br />
gives the students handson<br />
experience repairing<br />
community members’ cars<br />
free of charge, Moberg<br />
added.<br />
To the students, these<br />
trips offered valuable information<br />
about these potential<br />
career paths as they<br />
prepare to make some important<br />
decisions. Moberg<br />
said that a percentage of<br />
the students who take these<br />
trips end up in the unions<br />
or at the trade schools he<br />
took them to visit.<br />
“This is my 18th year<br />
here, and every year …<br />
I’m sure at least a dozen<br />
kids go into one of the local<br />
automotive programs;<br />
we’ve had a couple of<br />
kids go into the Pipefitters<br />
Union and Operators<br />
Union,” Moberg said.<br />
Hoping to be among<br />
those, Tyler Hall, an<br />
18-year-old senior from<br />
Oak Forest, has actively<br />
begun looking into joining<br />
the Pipefitters Union<br />
when he graduates in a few<br />
months.<br />
“I feel [the trip] was<br />
very beneficial. It’s better<br />
than being in the classroom.<br />
They teach us to<br />
go to college, but college<br />
isn’t for everybody, and<br />
there’s different outlets<br />
where you can make more<br />
money than people who go<br />
to college and have benefits,”<br />
Hall said. “You just<br />
have to go and learn some<br />
certain things. They don’t<br />
teach us these things in the<br />
classroom.”<br />
Hall has attended several<br />
of these trips, which<br />
are helping the teen decide<br />
what his next steps will be,<br />
he said.<br />
“The UTI trip was fun,<br />
but it wasn’t really what I<br />
thought it would be,” Hall<br />
said. “… The Pipefitters,<br />
I’m really thinking about<br />
doing the Pipefitters. I<br />
know people personally<br />
who are pipefitters, and<br />
the lifestyle they live and<br />
what they do on a daily basis,<br />
and I’m looking in to it<br />
as we speak.”<br />
Unlike many of his<br />
peers, Terrence Wrzesinski<br />
has known for many<br />
years that he wants to join<br />
a union after he graduates.<br />
Coming from a union<br />
family, his debate has<br />
only been which union he<br />
should join.<br />
Because of this, visiting<br />
the Pipefitters Union<br />
Training Center with<br />
Moberg was particularly<br />
inspiring to the 17-yearold<br />
from Tinley Park.<br />
Although he’s still undecided<br />
on which union he<br />
will join, Wrzesinkski said<br />
that seeing the Pipefitters<br />
Union’s massive building,<br />
the machinery and meeting<br />
pipefitters first hand<br />
made quite an impression<br />
on him.<br />
“It was a lot better going<br />
there because it was<br />
hands on; [Sutter] showed<br />
us some welds, he let us<br />
hold pipe, we saw a lot of<br />
machines, we went to the<br />
rooms where people were<br />
welding. That was just really<br />
cool to see, and it really<br />
got me thinking,” he<br />
said. “… Our instructor, he<br />
was very good on explaining<br />
what each part and<br />
each machine did.”<br />
These seniors said<br />
they’d encourage their<br />
peers and students entering<br />
their senior year to<br />
take these trips and explore<br />
vocational education<br />
and other opportunities<br />
they can consider for after<br />
graduation.<br />
“I think it was really<br />
inspirational. Even if they<br />
don’t want to be a pipe fitter,<br />
I’d say just going on<br />
the pipefitters trip, or any<br />
type of union trips, it just<br />
gets you in the field, you<br />
get to meet some of the<br />
people that are in the field,<br />
they can tell you the pros<br />
and cons of it, and you<br />
get to see the large scale<br />
of what you’d be doing,”<br />
Wrzesinski said. “Even<br />
if you are undecided between<br />
college and union,<br />
if you’re like 50/50, I feel<br />
like you should at least<br />
give it a shot, just to see<br />
what else is out there, because<br />
it is also just interesting<br />
that people live different<br />
lifestyles.”<br />
Hall added: “I would tell<br />
anybody who’s a junior or<br />
sophomore to definitely be<br />
open and take everything<br />
in, because once school’s<br />
all over with, then you’re<br />
shoved into the real world.<br />
In two months, I’ll be<br />
graduating high school,<br />
and I have to make a lot of<br />
hard decisions. So, I would<br />
just tell them to take in everything<br />
they can get and<br />
use all the tools that they<br />
have.”<br />
To learn more about the<br />
Pipefitters Union Local<br />
597, visit www.pf597.org.<br />
More information about<br />
its training and apprenticeship<br />
programs can be<br />
found at www.pftf597.org.<br />
Applications are accepted<br />
the first Wednesday of every<br />
month from 8 a.m. to<br />
noon at the Mokena training<br />
facility.<br />
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12 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger community<br />
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the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 13<br />
Police Reports<br />
Felony charge for allegedly fleeing motorist<br />
Nicholas W. Olsen, 28,<br />
of 5828 Kenmore Ave. in<br />
Chicago, was charged Feb.<br />
26 with aggravated fleeing/attempt<br />
to elude peace<br />
officer, DUI-alcohol, reckless<br />
driving, speeding: 26-<br />
34 mph over posted limit,<br />
operating an uninsured<br />
motor vehicle and causing<br />
an accident with property<br />
damage.<br />
According to police<br />
reports, just after 1 a.m.<br />
an officer on patrol travelling<br />
northbound on<br />
Everett Lane observed<br />
Olsen’s vehicle travelling<br />
Village, so it is a great opportunity<br />
for us. I think it’s very important,<br />
and I think it’s very wise of the<br />
board, to extend this out so [Vernon]<br />
can fill the remaining parcels and<br />
make that a long-term win-win for<br />
everybody.”<br />
Police patrols increase<br />
Earlier in the meeting, during Public<br />
Comment, a couple of residents<br />
spoke to the board members about<br />
a recent string of car burglaries that<br />
have occurred in the Village. After<br />
they spoke, Mokena Police Chief<br />
Steven Vaccaro addressed what the<br />
police department is doing in response<br />
to these crimes.<br />
“We have added extra patrols on<br />
our midnight shift … and all of my<br />
at what appeared to be “a<br />
high rate of speed” in the<br />
southbound lane. A check<br />
of the radar reportedly<br />
showed Olsen traveling<br />
at 55 mph in a 25 mph<br />
zone. The officer turned<br />
on the vehicles emergency<br />
lights and attempted to<br />
initiate a traffic stop, but<br />
Olsen did not slow down<br />
and made a right turn<br />
onto westbound Cambridge<br />
Drive. Olsen then<br />
pulled into a townhome<br />
parking area, where he<br />
reportedly struck a light<br />
pole. Olsen attempted to<br />
back up, reportedly striking<br />
the officer’s vehicle<br />
in the process. Olsen then<br />
reportedly made several<br />
more attempts to drive<br />
forward and backward,<br />
but the vehicle was stuck<br />
on a patch of ice.<br />
The officer ordered at<br />
gunpoint Olsen and two<br />
passengers in the backseat<br />
of Olsen’s vehicle to show<br />
their hands, and ordered<br />
Olsen to turn off his vehicle<br />
and hand over the keys.<br />
While speaking with Olsen,<br />
the officer reportedly<br />
smelled a strong odor of<br />
officers right now are dedicated to<br />
residential areas and main streets<br />
looking for anything that is suspicious,<br />
by way of people or vehicles<br />
that are basically touring the area<br />
for no reason,” he said. “We have<br />
sent out a community letter and we<br />
have sent out our ‘Lock It or Lose<br />
It’ brochures, [and] the ‘See It, Report<br />
It’ information that has been on<br />
our website and our Channel 6 cable<br />
scroll.<br />
“The basis of our whole campaign<br />
has been asking our residents to lock<br />
their cars, hide their valuables, take<br />
their garage door openers out of their<br />
vehicles at night, and do that 9 [p.m.]<br />
check at night. Check your front<br />
door. Check your back door. Make<br />
sure your cars are locked, and make<br />
sure your garage door is closed.”<br />
Vaccaro said some suspects have<br />
been identified.<br />
alcohol and could hear Olsen<br />
slurring his words. Olsen<br />
was asked to perform<br />
several field sobriety tests,<br />
all of which he reportedly<br />
failed. Olsen was then<br />
placed under arrest.<br />
While at Mokena Police<br />
Department, Olsen<br />
was charged with a felony<br />
for the aggravated fleeing<br />
and eluding a peace officer<br />
charge. He was then<br />
transported to Will County<br />
Adult Detention Facility.<br />
EDITOR’S NOTE: The<br />
Mokena Messenger’s police<br />
Mokena fire responds to 228 calls in February<br />
Submitted by Mokena Fire<br />
Protection District<br />
The Mokena Fire Protection District<br />
responded to a total of 228 calls<br />
for service during the month of February,<br />
including the following:<br />
village<br />
From Page 6<br />
• Emergency medical services -<br />
113<br />
• Auto accident response - 26<br />
• Request for citizen assist - 26<br />
• Carbon monoxide alarm - 2<br />
• Commercial fire alarm - 19<br />
• Mutual aid response - 13<br />
• Residential fire response - 2<br />
• Structure fire - 1<br />
• Commercial trouble alarm - 26<br />
For more information on the Mokena<br />
Fire Protection District, visit<br />
mokenafire.org.<br />
campbell<br />
From Page 8<br />
board should establish concrete,<br />
SMART performance goals, based<br />
on data, to evaluate the superintendent<br />
and her programs. This lack of<br />
accountability is a direct contributor<br />
to the decline in student test<br />
scores. SMART performance goals<br />
established in conjunction with<br />
the board is critical to the district<br />
catching up with our neighboring<br />
districts.<br />
Highly rated schools translate to<br />
higher home values. It is time to<br />
move our children and our whole<br />
community forward. Providing our<br />
teachers and all of our students<br />
with superior resources and support<br />
is essential in this process.<br />
We need to expect more for our tax<br />
dollars.<br />
reports come from the<br />
Mokena Police Department.<br />
Anyone listed in these reports<br />
is considered to be innocent<br />
of all charges until proven<br />
guilty in a court of law.<br />
Bob Spychalski<br />
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14 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger news<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
Hempology CBD educates its customers on products in Homer Glen<br />
Mokena man part<br />
owner in new<br />
business<br />
Thomas Czaja<br />
Contributing Editor<br />
It is still a relatively new<br />
business in the community,<br />
but it is one already seeing<br />
a steady stream of repeat<br />
customers, skeptics turned<br />
believers and an increase<br />
in sales as curiosity and a<br />
search for relief continue<br />
to bring people through the<br />
front door.<br />
Hempology CBD officially<br />
opened in Homer<br />
Glen in January and began<br />
really advertising itself on<br />
social media last month. It<br />
specializes in selling a variety<br />
of products containing<br />
cannabidiol, a naturally<br />
occurring compound<br />
in industrial hemp.<br />
Hemp is part of the cannabis<br />
family of plants,<br />
though different from the<br />
marijuana plant in that it<br />
contains much less tetrahydrocannabinol,<br />
the ingredient<br />
in marijuana that<br />
gives users a “high.”<br />
The Agriculture Improvement<br />
Act of 2018, or<br />
Farm Bill, recently legalized<br />
hemp production in<br />
all 50 states, and Illinois<br />
is currently working on licensing<br />
systems in what is<br />
still considered a new and<br />
growing industry.<br />
Jeff Baffa, of Frankfort,<br />
owned Valhalla Vitamins<br />
in Homer Glen and began<br />
selling CBD products there<br />
last September. Seeing the<br />
fit and potential for them,<br />
he converted the store into<br />
Hempology CBD with<br />
now co-owners Mark Diorio,<br />
of Mokena, and Dan<br />
Kaminski, of Orland Park<br />
and a Tinley Park native.<br />
The trio of owners was<br />
present for the store’s official<br />
ribbon cutting Feb.<br />
27 with Village of Homer<br />
Hempology CBD co-owner Dan Kaminski, of Orland<br />
Park and a Tinley Park native, inspects some of the<br />
products geared toward pets at the Homer Glen store.<br />
Glen and Heritage Corridor<br />
Business Alliance<br />
officials to further explain<br />
what it is exactly they sell.<br />
“We are bringing a new<br />
idea and new product to<br />
your town,” Kaminski told<br />
those in attendance, adding<br />
the THC in the CBD<br />
products has to be less<br />
than .3 percent. “What we<br />
are trying to do is bring<br />
[CBD] to the community<br />
with top manufacturers.<br />
Our manufacturers have<br />
been vetted by us. You can<br />
research all of these manufacturers<br />
online.<br />
“They all are top in the<br />
industry and have thirdparty<br />
lab testing, which<br />
is big for us and the consumer.”<br />
The owners first thoroughly<br />
research the products<br />
they offer, making<br />
sure the aforementioned<br />
third-party lab tests everything<br />
for purity and<br />
potency, covering things<br />
like THC, heavy metals,<br />
pesticides and foreign materials.<br />
Everything in the<br />
store is organically grown<br />
in the United States and is<br />
non-psychoactive, as well<br />
as non-habit-forming.<br />
“There is a big misconception<br />
out there that this<br />
is marijuana and going to<br />
get you stoned,” Diorio<br />
said. “Nobody is getting<br />
stoned off CBD or hemp.<br />
It is a kind of lifestyle you<br />
introduce to your body,<br />
like vitamins. You take<br />
them every day, you’re going<br />
to feel better.”<br />
The products sold can<br />
act as alternative options<br />
to more traditional pharmaceutical<br />
treatments and<br />
can have therapeutic benefits<br />
for arthritis, chronic<br />
pain, inflammation, insomnia,<br />
anxiety, migraines<br />
and much more, according<br />
to the business.<br />
Products sold include<br />
everything from tinctures<br />
to edibles to capsules to<br />
vapes to skincare to infused<br />
drinks to honey to<br />
even items for pets, all<br />
with CBD in them. The<br />
CBD binds to receptors<br />
in the immune system to<br />
positively impact how one<br />
feels, moves and reacts.<br />
“You come to our store,<br />
you know you are getting a<br />
good, safe, clean product,”<br />
Baffa said, again stressing<br />
they only use top brands<br />
that have been third party<br />
tested.<br />
Despite a number of<br />
customers noting improvement<br />
in their ailments after<br />
using the products so far<br />
and returning for more,<br />
according to Kaminski,<br />
he said they never say that<br />
CBD will cure anything.<br />
Rather, that it can help aid<br />
the various conditions.<br />
“We start people out<br />
here small with 5 or 10<br />
Hempology CBD co-owner Jeff Baffa, of Frankfort, examines a product recently at the<br />
Homer Glen business. Photos by Thomas Czaja/22nd Century Media<br />
milligrams,” Kaminski<br />
said. “It is up to the consumer<br />
to regulate their<br />
dosing and make sure they<br />
maintain it. If they do that<br />
and find their sweet spot,<br />
it is pretty successful, usually.”<br />
Still, the owners remind<br />
customers they are not<br />
medical professionals, and<br />
that individuals should always<br />
consult with a doctor<br />
to be safe before using<br />
these or any other supplemental<br />
dietary products.<br />
Products should only be<br />
used as directed on the<br />
label, and hemp should<br />
not be used if someone is<br />
pregnant or nursing.<br />
Hempology CBD in Homer Glen, a business which<br />
recently celebrated its ribbon cutting Feb. 27, offers a<br />
number of product options that contain cannabidiol that<br />
can provide therapeutic benefits for different ailments.<br />
There are educational<br />
booklets for customers to<br />
look up specific ailments<br />
with staff for the latest information<br />
and research on<br />
if hemp would or would<br />
not be a good option.<br />
Seeing firsthand customers<br />
put a CBD cream<br />
on their arthritic hands and<br />
the pain and redness goes<br />
down within 10 minutes<br />
or hours, or hearing that<br />
people are sleeping better,<br />
their shoulder is not hurting<br />
as much or a multitude<br />
of other scenarios makes<br />
it a feel-good business for<br />
the owners, Kaminski said.<br />
Kaminski added that<br />
more research and further<br />
regulations are in store for<br />
the future of the industry<br />
as the call for CBD’s alternative<br />
therapeutic benefits<br />
grows, but he is confident<br />
in its safety now and what<br />
it can do.<br />
“We want to take it one<br />
step at a time and want<br />
to be accepted in Homer<br />
Glen in this community,”<br />
Kaminski said. “We want<br />
people to say they go<br />
to this store because we<br />
know our stuff.”<br />
Hempology CBD is<br />
open from 10 a.m. to 7<br />
p.m. Monday through Friday<br />
and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.<br />
Saturday and Sunday. It is<br />
located at 14831 Founders<br />
Crossing.<br />
For more information<br />
on the business, CBD and<br />
its products, visit www.<br />
hempologycbdstore.com,<br />
call (708) 966-0440 or visit<br />
them on Facebook, Twitter<br />
and Instagram.
mokenamessenger.com mokena<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 15<br />
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16 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger news<br />
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Mokena Junior High School students prep for a taping of a mock board meeting at<br />
Mokena Village Hall March 13. T.J. Kremer III/22nd Century Media<br />
Village Hall home to annual<br />
Student Government Day<br />
T.J. Kremer III, Editor<br />
More than 60 students<br />
from four schools participated<br />
in Student Government<br />
Day March 13,<br />
hosted by the Village of<br />
Mokena.<br />
The tradition started<br />
more than 30 years ago<br />
and is used as a way to<br />
give young people handson<br />
experience of what it is,<br />
exactly, that local governments<br />
do for their towns.<br />
The morning started<br />
with a welcome from<br />
Mokena Mayor Frank<br />
Fleischer, followed by an<br />
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overview of local government<br />
processes, which<br />
included a Q&A session<br />
with Village staff and students.<br />
Later that evening, Mokena<br />
Junior High School<br />
students met at Village<br />
Hall to rehearse and tape a<br />
mock board meeting, with<br />
students playing the roles<br />
of various staff, trustees<br />
and even the mayor.<br />
Samya Walker, an<br />
eighth-grader at MJH,<br />
portrayed the role of development<br />
director. She<br />
said she has an interest in<br />
getting involved in politics<br />
at some point in the<br />
future.<br />
“Yeah, I do, but probably<br />
a higher up role,”<br />
Walker said. “I just picked<br />
any role for now, just to<br />
see how the government<br />
works, in general.”<br />
Fleischer said that the<br />
day was an opportunity<br />
for the children to become<br />
ambassadors for the Village.<br />
“They’re going to go<br />
home after the meeting<br />
[and tell] their parents<br />
what they learned today,”<br />
Fleischer said. “And, if<br />
they learned what happens<br />
in our community<br />
— what our public works<br />
department does, what our<br />
finance department does,<br />
what our police department<br />
does — they understand<br />
a little better what<br />
they’re paying taxes for.<br />
They learned a lot today.”<br />
To view the mock board<br />
meeting, visit mokena.<br />
municipalcms.com/pview.<br />
aspx?id=20855.
mokenamessenger.com news<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 17<br />
MJH student to compete for state GeoBee title<br />
Submitted by Mokena School<br />
District 159<br />
Addison Jensen has been notified<br />
by the National Geographic<br />
Society that she is one of the<br />
semifinalists eligible to compete<br />
in the 2019 National Geographic<br />
GeoBee Illinois State Competition.<br />
The contest is scheduled<br />
to be held at Heartland Community<br />
College in Normal March<br />
29.<br />
This is the second level of the<br />
National Geographic GeoBee<br />
competition, which is now in its<br />
31st year. School GeoBees were<br />
held in schools with fourththrough<br />
eighth-grade students<br />
throughout the state to determine<br />
each school champion.<br />
School champions then took an<br />
online qualifying test, which<br />
they submitted to the National<br />
Geographic Society. The National<br />
Geographic Society has<br />
invited up to 100 of the topscoring<br />
students in each of the<br />
50 states, the District of Columbia,<br />
Department of Defense Dependents<br />
Schools and U.S. territories<br />
to compete in the State<br />
GeoBees.<br />
This year, National Geographic<br />
increased the prize money for<br />
all State GeoBees. State champions<br />
will receive a medal, $1,000<br />
in cash, and other prizes, as well<br />
as a trip to Washington, D.C., to<br />
represent their state in the National<br />
Championship to be held<br />
at National Geographic Society<br />
headquarters, May 19-22. Students<br />
who come in second and<br />
third place will receive cash<br />
awards of $300 and $100, respectively.<br />
Each State Champion will<br />
advance to the National Championship<br />
and compete for cash<br />
awards and college scholarships.<br />
In 2019, the national champion<br />
will receive a $25,000 college<br />
scholarship, $1,000 in cash, a<br />
lifetime membership in the National<br />
Geographic Society, and<br />
an all-expenses-paid Lindblad<br />
expedition to the Galápagos Islands<br />
aboard the National Geographic<br />
Endeavour ll; second<br />
place will receive at $10,000<br />
college scholarship and $1,000<br />
in cash; third place will receive<br />
a $5,000 college scholarship<br />
and $1,000 in cash; and seven<br />
runners-up will receive $1,000<br />
in cash each.<br />
Visit natgeobee.org for more<br />
information on the National<br />
Geographic GeoBee.<br />
Follow the National competition<br />
at National Geographic<br />
Headquarters in Washington,<br />
D.C., May 19-22 at natgeoed.<br />
org/experiences.<br />
Mokena Junior High School seventh-grader is slated to compete<br />
in the 2019 National Geographic GeoBee Illinois State Competition<br />
March 29. 22nd Century Media file photo<br />
Dollars<br />
for dogs<br />
(and cats)<br />
Mokena Womens<br />
Club donates<br />
$1,000 to NAWS<br />
Humane Society<br />
shelter<br />
RIGHT: Members of<br />
Mokena Womens Club,<br />
NAWS animal shelter<br />
and Mokena Chamber of<br />
Commerce pose with a<br />
check for $1,000 donated<br />
to NAWS — much to the<br />
delight of Otis the dog —<br />
by Mokena Womens Club<br />
at Mokena Community<br />
Public Library after<br />
the monthly Mokena<br />
Chamber of Commerce<br />
meeting March 12.<br />
T.J. Kremer III/22nd<br />
Century Media
18 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger news<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
FROM THE TINLEY JUNCTION<br />
Tinley Park High School band<br />
director named to Midwest<br />
Music Festival Hall of Fame<br />
Vince Aiello has been the<br />
band director of Tinley Park<br />
High School for more than two<br />
decades. And, for more than two<br />
decades, he has entered the band<br />
in the Midwest Music Festival,<br />
where the ensemble performs<br />
challenging pieces and more often<br />
than not finishes in the contest’s<br />
Top 5.<br />
All of that happened again in<br />
February, but this year’s event<br />
also featured a special touch:<br />
Aiello being named to the longrunning<br />
festival’s prestigious<br />
Hall of Fame.<br />
The recognition — which only<br />
has been extended to a small,<br />
accomplished set of directors<br />
— was due after Aiello’s many<br />
years of consistent excellence,<br />
said Mike Madonia, the festival’s<br />
long-time executive director.<br />
“He wants to get better all the<br />
time,” Madonia said. “He wants<br />
the band to get better all the time.<br />
He cares a lot about those kids.<br />
His groups are simply phenomenal.”<br />
Aiello, 53, was presented with<br />
the honor in front of family,<br />
friends, peers and, of course, his<br />
student-musicians.<br />
“My band kids were really<br />
rowdy, jumping up and down<br />
and cheering for me,” Aiello<br />
said. “That probably meant the<br />
most to me. They’re why I do it.”<br />
Madonia said Aiello’s approach<br />
to music and to teaching<br />
perfectly reflect what he has<br />
tried to accomplish with the festival<br />
over the decades.<br />
“I’m trying to teach them that<br />
nothing worthwhile is easy,”<br />
he said. “It’s going to take hard<br />
work, and if you’re not going to<br />
dedicate yourself to it, it won’t<br />
happen. Performing — and performing<br />
well — is the fun part.<br />
But getting there takes a lot.”<br />
Reporting by Will O’Brien,<br />
Freelance Reporter. For more, visit<br />
TinleyJunction.com.<br />
FROM THE LOCKPORT LEGEND<br />
LTHS grad excels on ice in first<br />
season at Robert Morris<br />
When Morgan Donchez attended<br />
Lockport Township High<br />
School, she did not flock to a lot<br />
of school social functions.<br />
Donchez, a 2018 LTHS graduate,<br />
would not trade her high<br />
school experience, because she<br />
was busy doing something else:<br />
playing hockey.<br />
She is still playing hockey now<br />
and excelling at it. Donchez just<br />
completed her freshman season<br />
as a starting left winger on the<br />
women’s hockey team at Robert<br />
Morris University in Chicago.<br />
Donchez not played but also<br />
was named the Central Collegiate<br />
Women’s Hockey Association’s<br />
Third Star for January.<br />
That is because “Doochie” registered<br />
five goals and five assists<br />
in six games during the month.<br />
That is not all she did in her<br />
freshman season on the team.<br />
She led the team, which finished<br />
10-19, with an average of 0.64<br />
goals per game.<br />
“I was the second leading<br />
scorer as a freshman in the CC-<br />
WHA,” Donchez said.<br />
When she was in grade school<br />
at Taft School in Lockport, she<br />
also played basketball, but there<br />
is nothing like hockey for her.<br />
“It’s just the feeling of purpose<br />
when you step out on the ice,”<br />
Donchez said of why she loves<br />
hockey. “Just that close-knit<br />
feeling with people who have<br />
the same goal as you and want to<br />
have that success with you.<br />
“I’ll just try to do better each<br />
year, on and off the ice. I’ll try to<br />
be the best one out there.”<br />
Reporting by Randy Whalen,<br />
Freelance Reporter. For more, visit<br />
LockportLegend.com.<br />
FROM THE FRANKFORT STATION<br />
St. Baldrick’s event continues<br />
tradition that started with Hope<br />
There were cheers, tears and<br />
a lack of hair March 10 at the<br />
sixth St. Baldrick’s head-shaving<br />
event held at Frankfort Black<br />
Belt Academy.<br />
Frankfort residents showed<br />
up at the academy to have their<br />
heads shaved, purchase baked<br />
goods and buy raffle tickets.<br />
The annual event benefits the St.<br />
Baldrick’s Foundation — a notfor-profit<br />
organization that funds<br />
childhood cancer research —<br />
and the families of area children<br />
and teens with cancer.<br />
Vicki Truesdale, of Frankfort,<br />
has organized the event for the<br />
past six years. She is a student<br />
and instructor at Frankfort Black<br />
Belt Academy, which donates<br />
its space every year to host the<br />
event.<br />
“Seven years ago, a sibling<br />
of a student at the academy was<br />
diagnosed with cancer and was<br />
going through treatment,” Truesdale<br />
said. “Her name is Hope. A<br />
couple of kids from the academy<br />
did an event getting their head<br />
shaved, so we decided to host an<br />
event here. St. Baldrick’s helps<br />
to raise funds for research and<br />
treatments, which is underfunded.<br />
We also have raffles and bake<br />
sales, which help the families<br />
going through treatment right<br />
now.”<br />
Reporting by Mary Compton,<br />
Freelance Reporter. For more, visit<br />
FrankfortStation.com.<br />
FROM THE HOMER HORIZON<br />
LTHS boys water polo looks<br />
to make its mark after last<br />
season’s success<br />
Coming off one of — if not<br />
the best — seasons in its history,<br />
the Lockport Township boys water<br />
polo team knows it will be<br />
hard to have that level of success<br />
again this season.<br />
But the Porters are OK with<br />
that, as this year’s group will<br />
look to make its own mark and<br />
improve as the season progresses.<br />
“I’m really excited,” Lockport<br />
coach Joe Lewandowski said.<br />
“This [first week] offers just a<br />
glimpse of what we have. We<br />
graduated seven seniors from<br />
last season’s team, and [in the<br />
opener], we were excited to just<br />
get back in the water.”<br />
Lockport opened the season<br />
March 11 at home. The game<br />
was close into the third quarter,<br />
but in the end Metea Valley<br />
pulled away for an 11-7 victory.<br />
Four seniors with experience<br />
return for Lockport. They are<br />
Michael Bates, Simon Harmata,<br />
Caleb Speechley and Tyler<br />
Thompson.<br />
Last year, Lockport lost 13-4<br />
to Naperville Central in the title<br />
match of the Metea Valley Sectional.<br />
It was the first sectional<br />
final in five years for the Porters,<br />
who won their only sectional title<br />
and placed fourth in the state<br />
in 2012. The team still finished<br />
with a record of 27-5.<br />
Reporting by Randy Whalen,<br />
Freelance Reporter. For more, visit<br />
HomerHorizon.com.<br />
FROM THE ORLAND PARK PRAIRIE<br />
TY Spa employee allegedly<br />
propositioned undercover cop<br />
A 53-year-old massage therapist<br />
was arrested after she allegedly<br />
propositioned an undercover<br />
police officer March 7 at TY<br />
Spa, 11225 159th St.<br />
Jihua Dun, of 2030 S. State<br />
St. in Chicago, was charged<br />
with one count of prostitution,<br />
a Class A misdemeanor, according<br />
to a press release issued<br />
March 12 by the Orland Park<br />
Police Department. The business<br />
itself was issued “several”<br />
local ordinance violations, according<br />
to police.<br />
Police said they received complaints<br />
that employees at the<br />
business were unlawfully touching<br />
and propositioning male<br />
customers. Detectives began<br />
an investigation, and on March<br />
7 an undercover police officer<br />
was getting a massage at TY<br />
Spa when the masseuse offered<br />
to perform a sex act in exchange<br />
for money, according to the press<br />
release.<br />
The business was subsequently<br />
inspected and shut down<br />
pending a business license hearing<br />
with the Village of Orland<br />
Park, police said.<br />
Dun reportedly posted the required<br />
bond and was released<br />
pending a court appearance<br />
scheduled for April 12 at the<br />
Cook County Courthouse for the<br />
Fifth Municipal District in Bridgeview.<br />
Reporting by Bill Jones, Editor. For<br />
more, visit OPPrairie.com.<br />
FROM THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT<br />
NL Chamber showcases<br />
community offerings at annual<br />
expo<br />
The Lincoln-Way area is home<br />
to small businesses, family restaurants,<br />
national chains, nonprofits,<br />
civic groups and everything<br />
in between.<br />
More than 80 representatives<br />
from area establishments came<br />
together at Lincoln-Way Central<br />
for the New Lenox Chamber of<br />
Commerce’s annual Community<br />
Expo and Home Show, held<br />
in the fieldhouse on March 9.<br />
Whether new to the area or simply<br />
looking for something new,<br />
attendees were able to peruse the<br />
diverse offerings of the village at<br />
this one-stop event.<br />
New Lenox Chamber of<br />
Commerce CEO Emily Johnson<br />
explained that the expo was<br />
bigger and better than ever in<br />
2019.<br />
“We have so many businesses<br />
that come back year after year,<br />
and each year we see a ton more<br />
businesses join us in this event,”<br />
Johnson said. “They want to get<br />
their name out there. It’s really<br />
exciting to see how the expo is<br />
developing. It’s such a fun way<br />
to engage and connect with the<br />
community. My goal that I set<br />
for myself is to bring business<br />
and community together, and<br />
this is the perfect event to actually<br />
do that.”<br />
New Lenox resident Jackie<br />
Potocki, co-owner of Ranch<br />
Frostie, was excited to participate<br />
in the expo for the first time<br />
this year. Cedar Way Veterinary<br />
Clinic, Lincoln-Way Community<br />
High School District 210<br />
Foundation, Cooper’s Hawk<br />
Winery & Restaurant, Home<br />
Helpers, Kiddie.<br />
Reporting by Laurie Fanelli,<br />
Freelance Reporter. For more, visit<br />
NewLenoxPatriot.com.
mokenamessenger.com sound off<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 19<br />
Social snapshot<br />
Top Web Stories<br />
From MokenaMessenger.com as of Monday,<br />
March 18<br />
1. Home of the Week: 20958 Tall Grass<br />
Drive, in Mokena<br />
2. Lincoln-Way dedicates arts center to<br />
longtime director<br />
3. Dancing dad takes final bow after 21<br />
years<br />
4. Village of Mokena Board of Trustees:<br />
Economic incentive agreement gets<br />
extension<br />
5. Election 2019: Mokena Community<br />
Park District Board of Commissioners<br />
(5 for 4 Four-Year Terms)<br />
Become a member: mokenamessenger.com/plus<br />
“Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Mokena.”<br />
Mary Schmidt posted this to her Facebook<br />
page Sunday, March 17.<br />
Like The Mokena Messenger: facebook.com/<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
“I’m thrilled to join a great team at<br />
@22ndCM as the first sports editor for the<br />
@FrankfrtStation @MokenaMessenger<br />
and @TheNLPatriot. I will do my absolute<br />
best to provide these communities with the<br />
sports coverage they deserve. Excited to<br />
get going this week!”<br />
@Millar_S posted this to his Twitter account<br />
Sunday, March 17.<br />
Follow The Mokena Messenger: @mokenamessenger<br />
From the Assistant Editor<br />
Trading headline puns for Hawaiian sun<br />
Megan Schuller<br />
m.schuller@22ndcm.com<br />
Goodbyes are painful.<br />
Writing this<br />
farewell editorial<br />
is no different.<br />
I have been writing for<br />
The Mokena Messenger<br />
since April of last year. Mokena<br />
has become my own<br />
home away from home as<br />
I covered countless stories<br />
across the village.<br />
From Board of Education<br />
meetings to hard-hitting<br />
breaking news, such<br />
as Metra’s gate malfunction.<br />
I was there at the<br />
center of the action.<br />
Sometimes, I would<br />
be in the front row of a<br />
meeting typing vigorously<br />
on my laptop, and other<br />
times I was camouflaged<br />
in the foreground. My face<br />
was usually hidden by the<br />
camera held up to my right<br />
eye, but my presence was<br />
given away by the press<br />
pass that swung around<br />
my neck. For every great<br />
moment of nearly the past<br />
year, I was there.<br />
I covered stories such<br />
as: the Lincoln-Way<br />
madrigals decision being<br />
reversed; the village’s<br />
first and now annual pride<br />
event; the meetings where<br />
Summit Hill School District<br />
161 moved forward<br />
to pursue the feasibility<br />
of acquiring Lincoln-Way<br />
North; the successful<br />
season of the Lincoln-<br />
Way Marching Band; and<br />
many others. All of these<br />
moments fill my heart<br />
with pride because I am<br />
honored to have been a<br />
part of this community<br />
for these moments in the<br />
village’s history.<br />
Mokena is in a prosperous<br />
time of refinement<br />
and growth, but at the<br />
core of that is a solid<br />
foundation of a sense of<br />
community. The nature of<br />
growth comes with growing<br />
pains, but I have seen<br />
the strength in what the<br />
community can do when<br />
it rallies together, when it<br />
gets involved with local<br />
government and school<br />
boards, and when it makes<br />
its voices heard.<br />
I was in charge of<br />
several beats during the<br />
time I worked for The<br />
Messenger, transportation<br />
and education being my<br />
most regular and closely<br />
followed ones. I have<br />
watched a lot happen in<br />
my time here. Similar to<br />
the way you watch a child<br />
grow up, I’ve watched the<br />
school districts undergo a<br />
lot of transformation.<br />
I wish I could be here<br />
to watch my beats and<br />
the Village of Mokena<br />
continue to grow, but it is<br />
time for my own growth<br />
to happen, as well.<br />
To the residents I have<br />
met through each story<br />
and to the readers that<br />
have reached out to me<br />
regarding my work, I say,<br />
“Thank you.” I thank you<br />
for giving this humble<br />
reporter, who grew up<br />
in Plainfield and Joliet,<br />
a place to call home in<br />
Mokena.<br />
I have thoroughly<br />
enjoyed every opportunity<br />
I’ve been given over this<br />
past year at The Messenger.<br />
But, like all good<br />
things, it had to come<br />
to an end. My fiancee,<br />
Justin, is now back from<br />
his deployment, and I<br />
secured a job at the Pacific<br />
Business News in Honolulu,<br />
Hawaii, to advance<br />
my career and be closer<br />
to him. Bigger and better<br />
things are before me at<br />
this pivotal moment in my<br />
life. Though I am excited<br />
for my new adventure, I<br />
am cognizant that I leave<br />
behind my family, friends,<br />
co-workers and, of course,<br />
my loyal readers.<br />
I have learned a lot of<br />
valuable lessons from<br />
each community I wrote<br />
for. From Mokena, I<br />
gained a sense of community<br />
that is fostered<br />
between organizations,<br />
local government, school<br />
boards and the residents<br />
whom each entity serves.<br />
From following the<br />
proposed Mokena D159<br />
referendum to the financial<br />
challenges of Lincoln-<br />
Way D210 and the unit<br />
district committee formed<br />
by Summit Hill D161,<br />
I was there to break the<br />
news objectively and accurately.<br />
Journalism challenges<br />
me to always ask and ask<br />
again, to look from every<br />
angle in an unbiased manner,<br />
and to listen to understand<br />
— not to respond.<br />
The stories that were<br />
published in The Messenger<br />
appear as words<br />
bound by ink to paper. But<br />
what I see are pieces of a<br />
multi-dimensional puzzle<br />
composed of perspectives,<br />
information and captured<br />
moments that fit together<br />
piece by piece, word by<br />
word.<br />
Yes, journalism continually<br />
challenges me, but<br />
I also write to challenge<br />
journalism as I move forward<br />
with my career.<br />
Every word I write in a<br />
story takes on a life of its<br />
own in your hands after<br />
they leave my fingertips.<br />
The words I have written<br />
for you will long outlive<br />
me once my physical<br />
presence here in Mokena<br />
is gone. I will not forget<br />
those who made me feel<br />
the presence and impact<br />
I made here through my<br />
words.<br />
In Hawaii the phrase<br />
“aloha” is often referred<br />
to as a cultural way of life,<br />
but it is also spoken as a<br />
greeting for “hello” and<br />
“goodbye.” For me this is<br />
a somber goodbye, but it is<br />
also a welcoming hello to<br />
the many new experiences<br />
that await me in Hawaii.<br />
So I think it’s only fitting<br />
my last words to my readers<br />
be: Aloha, Mokena.<br />
Sound Off Policy<br />
Editorials and columns are the<br />
opinions of the author. Pieces<br />
from 22nd Century Media are<br />
the thoughts of the company as<br />
a whole. The Mokena Messenger<br />
encourages readers to write<br />
letters to Sound Off. All letters<br />
must be signed, and names and<br />
hometowns will be published.<br />
We also ask that writers include<br />
their address and phone number<br />
for verification, not publication.<br />
Letters should be limited to 400<br />
words. The Mokena Messenger<br />
reserves the right to edit letters.<br />
Letters become property of The<br />
Mokena Messenger. Letters that<br />
are published do not reflect<br />
the thoughts and views of The<br />
Mokena Messenger. Letters<br />
can be mailed to: The Mokena<br />
Messenger, 11516 West 183rd<br />
Street, Unit SW Office Condo<br />
#3, Orland Park, Illinois, 60467.<br />
Fax letters to (708) 326-9179 or<br />
e-mail to tj@mok<br />
namessenger.com.<br />
www.mokenamessenger.com.
20 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger mokena<br />
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OPPORTUNITY
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | mokenamessenger.com<br />
A spoonful of<br />
sugar All About Music preps<br />
for ‘Mary Poppins,’ Page 26<br />
Back for another cup<br />
Frankfort’s Kup A Joe Cafe always adapting with the<br />
times for a continually fresh experience, Page 27<br />
Mokena park<br />
district lets girls<br />
be princesses for<br />
a day, Page 26<br />
Brian Jamrok and 3 year-old Cora dance<br />
the night away at Mokena Community<br />
Park District’s Daddy Daughter Ball<br />
Saturday, March 16. Rochelle McAuliffe/22nd<br />
Century Media
22 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger faith<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
Faith Briefs<br />
St. Mary’s Catholic Church (19515<br />
115th Ave., Mokena)<br />
Parish Mission<br />
7 p.m. March 18-20<br />
Father Paul De Soza, MC<br />
will present at Saint Mary<br />
Mokena’s three-day parish<br />
mission in the main<br />
church. Topics will include<br />
how to live one’s Catholic<br />
faith daily and how to recognize<br />
God’s presence in<br />
everyday life. Confessions<br />
will be offered on Monday,<br />
March 18, and Mass will<br />
be celebrated on Wednesday,<br />
March 20.<br />
Church Service<br />
5 p.m. Saturdays; 8 a.m,<br />
9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 6:<br />
p.m. Sundays<br />
Adoration<br />
Wednesdays following<br />
8:00 a.m. Mass in the Chapel<br />
until 6:45 p.m.<br />
Young at Heart Senior Club<br />
1 p.m. the first and third<br />
Wednesday of the month.<br />
Join the senior club for activities<br />
and outings Sept.-<br />
June. For more information,<br />
call (708) 699-5018.<br />
Holy Rosary<br />
7:30 a.m. daily; 7 p.m.<br />
Tuesday evenings.<br />
St. John’s United Church of Christ<br />
In Memoriam<br />
Marion G. Hutson<br />
Marion G. (Leonhardt)<br />
Hutson, 96, of Mokena,<br />
died March 7.<br />
She was the beloved<br />
wife of 69 years to the late<br />
Manning J. Hutson; cherished<br />
mother of Gregory<br />
A. (Cindy) Hutson of<br />
Joliet, Douglas S. (Terri)<br />
Hutson of Mokena, Geoffrey<br />
L. (Karen) Hutson of<br />
Richton Park, Rob L. (Janet)<br />
Hutson of Peotone,<br />
and Deborah M. (John)<br />
Trumpus of Mokena; loving<br />
grandmother of 14;<br />
(11100 Second St., Mokena)<br />
Traditional Service<br />
8 a.m. traditional service,<br />
9:45 a.m. contemporary<br />
& traditional music in<br />
a service of praise and reverence.<br />
Supervised childcare<br />
available. For more<br />
information, call (708)<br />
479-5123.<br />
Cards for a Cause<br />
7 p.m. the second Monday<br />
of each month. Bring<br />
your tape, scissors and colored<br />
pencils — if you have<br />
them — and plan for a creative<br />
evening with lots of<br />
fun.<br />
Bundles of Love<br />
7 p.m. the second and<br />
fourth Tuesday of each<br />
month. Enjoy fun and fellowship<br />
while making<br />
baby quilts for infants baptized<br />
at St. John’s and lap<br />
quilts for shut-ins.<br />
Mokena United Methodist Church<br />
(10901 LaPorte Road, Mokena)<br />
Service and Sunday School<br />
10:15 a.m. Sundays.<br />
Church service and children’s<br />
Sunday School will<br />
be held. For more information,<br />
call (708) 479-1110.<br />
great-grandmother of 19;<br />
devoted daughter of the<br />
late Henry and Mary Leonhardt;<br />
and fond sister<br />
of the late Harold Leonhardt.<br />
In lieu of flowers, contributions<br />
to the Joliet Area<br />
Hospice — 250 Water<br />
Stone Circle, Joliet, 60431<br />
— would be appreciated.<br />
Bible Study<br />
7 p.m. Tuesdays at the<br />
church. For more information,<br />
call (708) 479-1110.<br />
Community Prayer<br />
Gathering<br />
2:30 p.m. every 4th Sunday.<br />
Breakfast<br />
9 a.m. every third Saturday<br />
of the month.<br />
Choir Practice<br />
7:30 p.m. Wednesdays.<br />
Newcomers welcome.<br />
Weight Watchers<br />
Wednesday<br />
Weigh-ins take place at<br />
6:30 p.m., while the meeting<br />
is at 7 p.m.<br />
Marley Community Church (12625 W.<br />
187th St., Mokena)<br />
Church Service<br />
10 a.m. Sundays. Childcare<br />
is provided.<br />
Sunday School<br />
9-10 a.m. Sundays.<br />
Senior High Youth Group<br />
7-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays.<br />
For more information,<br />
email marleycommu<br />
nitychurch@gmail.com.<br />
Junior High Youth Group<br />
6-7:30 p.m. Fridays.<br />
For more information,<br />
email marleycommunity<br />
church@gmail.com.<br />
Edward Prange, Jr.<br />
Edward Prange, Jr., 73,<br />
of Mokena, died March<br />
13.<br />
He was the beloved husband<br />
for 51 years to Karen<br />
(Maier); loving father of<br />
Laurie (Tom) Webster and<br />
Jeffrey (Audra) Prange;<br />
adored grandfather of<br />
Tristan, Grant and Adia;<br />
devoted son of the late<br />
Edward and Helen “Lynn”<br />
Prange; dear brother of<br />
Joyce (Bob) Quinn and<br />
Richard (Rosemary)<br />
Prange; and dearest uncle<br />
of many nieces and nephews.<br />
He was retired from<br />
Ford Motor Company<br />
with 42 years of service.<br />
Men’s Group<br />
6 p.m. Sunday nights in<br />
the church basement. All<br />
men are welcome.<br />
Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church<br />
(10731 W. La Porte Road, Mokena)<br />
Worship<br />
5 p.m. Saturdays, 9 a.m.<br />
Sundays.<br />
God’s Kids Club<br />
10:15 a.m. Sundays in<br />
Sept.-May.<br />
Adult Bible Study<br />
10:15 a.m. Sundays in<br />
Sept.-May.<br />
Mokena Baptist Church (9960 W. 187th<br />
St., Mokena)<br />
Sunday Services<br />
11 a.m. and 5 p.m. For<br />
more information, call<br />
(312) 350-2279.<br />
Sunday School<br />
10:15 a.m. Sundays.<br />
Mokena Baptist offers<br />
Sunday School classes<br />
for all ages. For more information,<br />
call (312) 350-<br />
2279.<br />
Parker Road Bible Church (18512<br />
Parker Road, Mokena)<br />
Worship Service<br />
10:30 a.m. Sundays. Be<br />
sure to arrive early for our<br />
Sunday Worship Service to<br />
Please see faith, 23<br />
He was an avid Chicago<br />
Blackhawks and White<br />
Sox fan and was passionate<br />
about cars and music.<br />
In lieu of flowers, memorials<br />
in Ed’s name to the<br />
charity that means most to<br />
you are appreciated.<br />
Do you have someone’s life<br />
you’d like to honor? Email<br />
Editor T.J. Kremer III at tj@<br />
mokenamessenger.com with<br />
information about a loved<br />
one who was a part of the<br />
Mokena community.<br />
Robin’s Nest<br />
Lent: New life and a fresh start<br />
Robin Melvin<br />
Contributing Columnist<br />
I<br />
enjoy watching life<br />
return to my backyard.<br />
Trees budding, birds<br />
singing and fat squirrels<br />
with their tails twitching.<br />
They seem as excited as I<br />
am to get out and breathe<br />
fresh air.<br />
In this Lenten season, we<br />
focus on the greatest symbol<br />
of new life: the cross.<br />
What seemed to end in<br />
death, didn’t. What seemed<br />
to be a loss, wasn’t. In fact,<br />
the cross is where we find<br />
our Provision, our Promise<br />
and our Power. It is salvation,<br />
life, and victory.<br />
Let’s start with salvation.<br />
The dictionary says<br />
it’s “deliverance, rescue,<br />
recovery, or escape.” If<br />
we need to escape or be<br />
rescued from something,<br />
that something must be<br />
pretty awful. And, yes, it<br />
is. That something is sin.<br />
It’s our common human<br />
experience.<br />
I remember trying to<br />
find my salvation by following<br />
rules. Rules are<br />
good. They show us right<br />
and wrong and help us set<br />
healthy boundaries. But,<br />
rules alone can’t change<br />
our hearts. Without heart<br />
change, we go right back<br />
to what we know is wrong.<br />
Whether it’s a wrong attitude<br />
or wrong behavior,<br />
it’s a vicious, self-defeating<br />
cycle. Life in our power, on<br />
our terms. Which sounds<br />
like freedom but we’re<br />
human. So, it becomes<br />
bondage. Sin is sneaky like<br />
that.<br />
New life starts when we<br />
believe there’s a freer way<br />
to live. We stop trying to<br />
beat sin on our own. We<br />
decide we want an all-in<br />
relationship with Jesus.<br />
It’s that profound, yet this<br />
simple:<br />
“If you openly declare<br />
that Jesus is Lord and<br />
believe in your heart that<br />
God raised him from the<br />
dead, you will be saved<br />
[rescued, delivered.] For<br />
it is by believing in your<br />
heart that you are made<br />
right with God, and it is by<br />
openly declaring your faith<br />
that you are saved. Anyone<br />
who believes in him will<br />
never be put to shame.”<br />
Romans 10:9-11<br />
These aren’t magic<br />
words. This wholehearted<br />
decision rescues us. Boom.<br />
Just like that. By faith<br />
alone, we trade death for<br />
life. We invite Jesus in to<br />
set things right between<br />
us and God and we stand<br />
before the Father as if we’d<br />
never sinned. Now that’s<br />
freedom. Sin is no longer<br />
the boss of us. Jesus is.<br />
Salvation is just the<br />
beginning, my friend. As<br />
we move forward, free<br />
from sin’s control, we find<br />
our divine design. That is<br />
our promise. But, we’ll talk<br />
about that next time.<br />
Let’s prepare our hearts<br />
for Easter. The cross, Jesus’<br />
darkest hour, invites us into<br />
our brightest days. To new<br />
life and a fresh beginning.<br />
For more with Robin,<br />
visit robinmelvin.com/con<br />
tact or on Facebook, Robin<br />
Melvin, Author.<br />
The thoughts and opinions<br />
expressed in this column are<br />
those of the author. They do<br />
not necessarily represent the<br />
thoughts of 22nd Century<br />
Media or its staff.
mokenamessenger.com life & arts<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 23<br />
Daddy Daughter Ball makes every girl a princess for a night<br />
Rochelle McAuliffe<br />
Freelance Reporter<br />
For every dad, their little<br />
girl is a princess. And,<br />
thanks to the Mokena<br />
Community Park District,<br />
there’s a special night each<br />
year for dads to treat her<br />
like one.<br />
On Saturday, March 16,<br />
fathers and their daughters<br />
were invited to an evening<br />
of fun and dancing for the<br />
13th annual Daddy Daughter<br />
Ball, hosted by the<br />
MCPD. Previously known<br />
as the “Cinderella Ball,”<br />
the annual event was bigger<br />
and better than before.<br />
While space had been<br />
limited in years past, the<br />
new gymnasium made<br />
a perfect venue for this<br />
year’s ball. Serving 140<br />
people this year as compared<br />
to 60 in the past,<br />
there were even more dads<br />
that took the opportunity<br />
to make their princess’<br />
dreams come true.<br />
With dancing, games,<br />
desserts and drinks, the<br />
princesses were treated<br />
to a magical evening with<br />
their dads, and even got<br />
their own crown.<br />
“This is probably my<br />
favorite event of the entire<br />
year. It’s absolutely<br />
adorable,” said Rebecca<br />
Phetteplace, recreation supervisor<br />
of special events.<br />
“It’s a night that dads get<br />
one-on-one time with their<br />
daughters. If they have<br />
other kids around, this is a<br />
Steve Jacobson and his 4 year-old daughter, Brooke,<br />
pose in front of the enchanted storybook.<br />
unique experience for just<br />
the two of them.”<br />
With two other children<br />
in addition to his 4-yearold<br />
daughter, Reese, Jason<br />
Erickson was thrilled to<br />
spend a quality evening<br />
with his daughter. When<br />
asked about their favorite<br />
part of the evening, the dad<br />
and daughter both said,<br />
“being together.”<br />
“I love spending time<br />
just the two of us. It gives<br />
me a great feeling to be<br />
with her,” Erickson said.<br />
For Dave Szutenbach,<br />
the highlight of his evening<br />
was seeing his daughter<br />
Abigail, 6, with the<br />
Ball’s special guest, Princess<br />
Belle.<br />
“It was really special<br />
seeing her with Belle. It’s<br />
just been a great night<br />
with her,” Szutenbach<br />
said.<br />
Fred Brown and Olivia,<br />
4, were already looking<br />
forward to the special evening<br />
together after hearing<br />
about the event. When they<br />
learned that Princess Belle<br />
would be in attendance,<br />
Olivia’s excitement grew<br />
even more, as “Beauty and<br />
the Beast” is her favorite<br />
movie.<br />
Between the dancing<br />
and delicious dessert, the<br />
duo had a blast with each<br />
other.<br />
“It’s been a lot of fun.<br />
There’s not usually a lot of<br />
The princesses in attendance at Mokena Community Park District’s Daddy Daughter<br />
Ball Saturday, March 16, had a chance to dance with Princess Belle of Beauty and the<br />
Beast. Photos by Rochelle McAuliffe/22nd Century Media<br />
stuff for just her and I to do<br />
together, so it’s really nice<br />
to be able to do things like<br />
this,” Brown said. “She’s<br />
my princess, and I love<br />
treating her like one.”<br />
That feeling was contagious.<br />
“To see all these dads<br />
dancing and playing<br />
games and having tons of<br />
fun doing something they<br />
wouldn’t necessarily get<br />
to do all the time with their<br />
daughters, it’s a really cool<br />
thing to see,” Phetteplace<br />
said.<br />
RIGHT: Brad Grzebielucha<br />
grabs snacks with<br />
daughter Francesca, 4.<br />
faith<br />
From Page 22<br />
enjoy a hot, complimentary<br />
cup of coffee every week at<br />
the church. Following the<br />
Christian Education Hour<br />
(9:15-10:15 a.m.), all beverages<br />
can be found just<br />
outside the sanctuary.<br />
Grace Fellowship Church (11049<br />
LaPorte Road, Mokena)<br />
Narcotics Anonymous<br />
7-9 p.m. Mondays.<br />
All those struggling<br />
or who have struggled<br />
with a narcotics addiction<br />
are welcome. All<br />
meetings are confidential.<br />
For more information,<br />
call (708) 479-<br />
0300.<br />
Spanish Church<br />
12:30 p.m. Sundays.<br />
Worship Service<br />
10 a.m. Sundays. All are<br />
welcome.<br />
Women’s Bible Study<br />
8:45-9:45 a.m. Sundays<br />
and 2-3 p.m. Tuesdays.<br />
Victory Baptist Church (13550 US Route<br />
6, Mokena)<br />
Sunday School<br />
9:30 a.m. Sundays.<br />
Morning Worship<br />
10:45 a.m. Sundays.<br />
Evening Worship<br />
6 p.m. Sundays.<br />
Weekday Worship<br />
7 p.m. Wednesdays.<br />
Have something for Faith<br />
Briefs? Contact Editor T.J.<br />
Kremer III at tj@mokenamessenger.com<br />
or call (708)<br />
326-9170 ext. 29. Deadline<br />
is noon Thursday one week<br />
prior to publication.
24 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger life & arts<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
Ogre the top: Noonan to put on ‘Shrek the Musical Jr.’<br />
Megan Schuller<br />
Assistant Editor<br />
Not every story is a<br />
fairy tale. This is exactly<br />
the case in the “Shrek the<br />
Musical Jr.,” which Noonan<br />
Academy students are<br />
scheduled to put on March<br />
29-31.<br />
The play is an adoption<br />
of the movie ”Shrek” released<br />
in 2001, and “Shrek<br />
the Musical,” which later<br />
followed the success of the<br />
movie.<br />
Every year for the past<br />
14 years, Noonan Academy<br />
has carried on the tradition<br />
of choosing different<br />
plays to put on for the<br />
community and Noonan<br />
families.<br />
According to the Noonan<br />
Drama Club Director<br />
Marta Koonce, this is the<br />
first year that the drama<br />
club is utilizing understudies<br />
instead of double casting<br />
roles.<br />
“It is a good way for the<br />
actor to learn and grow,”<br />
Koonce said. “It reinforces<br />
everyone’s role by learning<br />
and watching each<br />
other.”<br />
Sixth grader Matthew<br />
Egan, of Tinley Park, was<br />
cast for several roles, including<br />
a woodland creature,<br />
knight and Shrek understudy.<br />
“It’s cool to learn both<br />
parts as an understudy<br />
because there is someone<br />
else to go to for help,”<br />
Egan said.<br />
Koonce said that<br />
“Shrek the Musical Jr.”<br />
was chosen for many<br />
reasons, one of them being<br />
that there was a lot<br />
of good lead roles in the<br />
performance.<br />
“It’s a fun show for the<br />
kids to put on, and it’s one<br />
of my favorites,” Koonce<br />
said. “It has a good message<br />
of embracing who<br />
you are without judging<br />
by appearance. When you<br />
do things together, you are<br />
stronger.”<br />
During weekly rehearsals<br />
after school, Koonce<br />
assisted seventh-grader<br />
Nico Valenctini, of Mokena,<br />
with his intricate costume<br />
by fastening a cape<br />
and fake set of legs to his<br />
Lord Farquaad costume.<br />
“My favorite part of the<br />
play is honestly the costumes,”<br />
Valenctini said,<br />
kneeling so it appeared his<br />
fake legs made him stand<br />
waist-high in height.<br />
Sixth-grader Gavin<br />
Kenny, of Frankfort, plays<br />
Shrek’s loyal sidekick,<br />
Donkey.<br />
“I like my character because<br />
I get to use funny<br />
voices, which I love to<br />
do,” Kenny said.<br />
Other students, such as<br />
eighth-grader Mary Huguelet,<br />
of Tinley Park, said<br />
that the play is an enjoyable<br />
challenge.<br />
“They push us to our<br />
limit, making sure we are<br />
doing our best,” Huguelet,<br />
who plays Princess Fiona,<br />
said.<br />
The thing that makes<br />
Noonan’s program different<br />
is that there is no<br />
traditional stage space for<br />
the students to rehearse<br />
on. Years ago a shallow<br />
built-out stage was created<br />
for the gymnasium, but it<br />
does not get rolled out until<br />
closer to show day.<br />
“Since the kids have<br />
not been able to work on<br />
the stage, we place cones<br />
on the floor so they can<br />
learn the spacing for each<br />
scene.”<br />
Eighth-grader Ethan<br />
Villasenor, of Mokena,<br />
was cast as the lead role<br />
of Shrek, the sarcastic and<br />
swamp-dwelling ogre.<br />
“I enjoy...working with<br />
loving friends and the<br />
Noonan family,” Villasenor<br />
said. “It makes you a<br />
If You’re Going...<br />
What:<br />
“Shrek the Musical Jr.”<br />
When:<br />
7 p.m. March 29<br />
2 p.m. and 7 p.m.<br />
March 30<br />
2 p.m. March 31<br />
Where:<br />
Noonan Academy,<br />
19131 Henry Drive, in<br />
Mokena.<br />
For Tickets:<br />
Contact Diane Simon<br />
at (773) 519-0612.<br />
Tickets are $10 per<br />
adult and $8 per child.<br />
small piece of a bigger picture,<br />
which is cool.”<br />
The performers said<br />
during their rehearsal that<br />
they all look forward to the<br />
upcoming shows.<br />
“I can’t wait to perform<br />
in front of my family and<br />
friends,” Kenny said.<br />
Koonce said that she<br />
hopes both the audience<br />
and students are able to<br />
learn valuable lessons<br />
from the production.<br />
“I hope the number one<br />
thing the kids take away<br />
from this show is the joy<br />
of putting on a show with<br />
friends and the joy that<br />
brings to others,” Koonce<br />
said. “This is always a big<br />
family affair at Noonan.<br />
The program benefits<br />
the students by instilling a<br />
sense of character and confidence<br />
in the performers,<br />
according to Koonce.<br />
“What I enjoy most is<br />
seeing the confidence develop<br />
in them,” she said. “I<br />
watch them go from being<br />
shy on day one to becoming<br />
a performer by the end<br />
of the show... they grow as<br />
performers but also as human<br />
beings.”<br />
Shrek, played by eighth-grader Ethan Villasenor (right), of Mokena, rehearses March<br />
11 with castmates: sixth-grader Matthew Egan (back), of Tinley Park; eighth-grader<br />
Mary Huguelet (left), of Tinley Park; and seventh-grader Nico Valenctini (front), of<br />
Mokena. Photos by Megan Schuller/22nd Century Media<br />
Characters Shrek and Fiona — played by Ethan Villasenor (middle), of Mokena, and<br />
Mary Huguelet (left), of Tinley Park, respectively — embrace each other during a<br />
scene while Donkey, played by Gavin Kenny, of Frankfort, rejoices during a rehearsal<br />
of Noonan Academy’s performance of “Shrek the Musical Jr.”
mokenamessenger.com life & arts<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 25<br />
Area artists get spotlight at ArtWorks 2019<br />
Laurie Fanelli, Freelance Reporter<br />
Art was in the air, on the<br />
walls and across the campus of<br />
Lincoln-Way East during the<br />
district’s annual ArtWorks event<br />
Friday, March 15.<br />
The celebration of creativity<br />
featured more than 900 works of<br />
art from kindergartners through<br />
seniors in high school who attend<br />
over 30 area schools. Attendees<br />
were encouraged to get<br />
in on the fun by participating in<br />
a variety of art demos, and local<br />
student ensembles provided the<br />
perfect soundtrack for a day of<br />
culture and imagination.<br />
Lincoln-Way Community<br />
High School District 210 art<br />
department chair, Phil Labriola,<br />
enjoyed seeing the evolution of<br />
talent on display from all of the<br />
art exhibition age groups.<br />
“It’s really cool to see the different<br />
levels, where student’s artwork<br />
starts out and how it keeps<br />
growing from grade to grade,”<br />
Labriola said. “Some students<br />
have been here multiple years<br />
in a row, and they’ve had stuff<br />
in the show each year and keep<br />
working as they get older. It’s<br />
nice to see and it’s nice to hear<br />
that people are making ArtWorks<br />
a tradition to attend every year,<br />
and that it’s something that actually<br />
means something to them.”<br />
New Lenox residents the<br />
Mack family – mom Tanya, dad<br />
Russell, and daughters Jennavieve<br />
and Gwendolyn – always<br />
enjoy stopping by Artworks, but<br />
2019 was extra-special because<br />
Gwendolyn had a colorful robot<br />
painting showcased alongside<br />
the works of her Spencer Pointe<br />
classmates.<br />
“ArtWorks is great because<br />
they have all these activities we<br />
can do,” Tanya said. “It’s free,<br />
it’s a day out and the kids love<br />
art.”<br />
Jennavieve – who had her own<br />
art featured in 2017 – added, “I<br />
like art and doodling, so I like<br />
coming to this every year.”<br />
For many families, the art<br />
demonstrations are an annual<br />
ArtWorks highlight. In 2019,<br />
Mokena resident Libby Roberts gets her face painted at ArtWorks 2019 at Lincoln-Way East Friday,<br />
March 15. Photos by Laurie Fanelli/22nd Century Media<br />
Mokena resident and professional pastel painter Ted Fuka creates a new work of art onsite at ArtWorks<br />
2019.<br />
participants were able to join<br />
hands-on sessions for string art<br />
paintings, origami, pinch pots in<br />
clay, jewelry making and much<br />
more.<br />
Hilda Walker teacher Joanna<br />
Olszta led an oil pastel and graffiti<br />
art demonstration that taught<br />
participants about color coordination,<br />
shading and blending<br />
techniques.<br />
“We are doing a graffiti class<br />
so students are going to learn<br />
how to make block letters and<br />
then alter them to make them a<br />
little more funky, a little more<br />
jazzy,” said Olszta who has been<br />
involved with ArtWorks for the<br />
past 11 years. “Then we’re going<br />
to learn how to blend oil pastels<br />
and shade with them.<br />
“I like seeing all the kids excited<br />
about art. They don’t get<br />
enough art in school nowadays so<br />
it’s nice to be able to offer something<br />
outside of that so kids can<br />
create. Unfortunately, they’re on<br />
their tablets and technology so<br />
much that they are at risk of losing<br />
this part of themselves: the<br />
creative nature that we all have.”<br />
Attendees also enjoyed watching<br />
professional artist demos<br />
featuring oil painter John Tylk,<br />
of Frankfort, and pastel painter<br />
Ted Fuka, of Mokena. Facepainting<br />
and concessions added<br />
to the ArtWorks fun, as well,<br />
and everyone was invited to stop<br />
by the Field House to visit the<br />
Frankfort Community Showcase,<br />
which was being held in<br />
conjunction with the event.<br />
Lincoln-Way East Orchestra<br />
Director Michelle Freeland<br />
was on-hand leading a pair of<br />
groups from the Lincoln-Way<br />
Youth Strings – comprised of<br />
second- through seventh-graders<br />
– in a performance in the auditorium<br />
and the Lincoln-Way String<br />
Chamber Ensemble for a set in<br />
the cafeteria where the Art Exhibition<br />
was being held.<br />
Freeland encourages young<br />
musicians to consider strings not<br />
only for a creative outlet, but also<br />
to develop critical thinking skills.<br />
“It creates a self-discipline and<br />
the right-brain, left-brain interaction,”<br />
she said. “Studies show<br />
that it helps them in all areas of<br />
their life.”<br />
Labriola also cited the many<br />
benefits art students enjoy in a<br />
wide variety of school subjects,<br />
and said he hopes that ArtWorks<br />
has a small part in encouraging<br />
budding artists to continue in<br />
their crafts for years to come.<br />
“I think art teaches excellent<br />
problem solving skills, and research<br />
shows that students [who]<br />
are involved with art do better<br />
in other courses, as well, and<br />
they do better on testing,” he<br />
said. “It’s a really great way to<br />
foster that creativity and thinking<br />
skills. If they are passionate<br />
about art, and they enjoy it, they<br />
should continue to do it. Hopefully<br />
ArtWorks helps keep that<br />
going.”
26 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger life & arts<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
Mokena production of ‘Mary Poppins Jr.’ a spoonful of sugar<br />
Rochelle McAuliffe<br />
Freelance Reporter<br />
There’s a show that’s<br />
“practically perfect in every<br />
way.”<br />
All About Music Children’s<br />
Theater’s is preparing<br />
for its “supercallifragilisticexpialidocious”<br />
presentation of “Mary<br />
Poppins Jr.,” hitting the<br />
stage March 29-31 at the<br />
Lincoln-Way Central Fine<br />
Arts Center, located at<br />
1801 Lincoln Highway in<br />
New Lenox.<br />
The “junior” in the title<br />
of the production indicates<br />
that the score is vocally<br />
friendly for younger voices;<br />
however, the show still<br />
features all the characters<br />
from the original version,<br />
just with some different<br />
twists and turns.<br />
Connie Johnson-Beebe<br />
has served as creative<br />
director at AAMCT for<br />
more than 20 years, and<br />
has directed more than 100<br />
shows with the company.<br />
Throughout her years with<br />
the company, she said that<br />
one of her favorite things<br />
to witness with every production<br />
is the growth within<br />
each child throughout<br />
the production.<br />
“It’s amazing to watch<br />
the kids develop through<br />
the process,” Johnson-<br />
Beebe said. “They come in<br />
timid to the first rehearsal<br />
because they don’t really<br />
know their characters, but<br />
then we see them learn<br />
their role and who they<br />
should be onstage. It’s<br />
great to see how far they<br />
come beginning to end.<br />
They transform as actors.”<br />
Playing Robertson<br />
Ay, Ginny Frank of New<br />
Lenox is one of the many<br />
actors within the company<br />
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who embraces the transformation<br />
into her role.<br />
At just 11 years old, Mary<br />
Poppins Jr. will be Frank’s<br />
18th production within the<br />
company.<br />
“Ever since I was really<br />
little, I’ve really been<br />
into looking into another<br />
person’s world, and I’ve<br />
always really liked being<br />
onstage and singing,”<br />
Frank said.<br />
As an actor with a funny<br />
bone, Frank is naturally<br />
drawn to more comedic<br />
roles, and enjoys her character<br />
in Mary Poppins<br />
because “they’re really<br />
funny.”<br />
While past productions<br />
at AAMCT have featured<br />
large, choreographed<br />
dance numbers, this will<br />
be the first production incorporating<br />
tap dancing.<br />
For Jill Rechter, the choreographer<br />
at AAMCT since<br />
Elizabeth DeYoung (left), 14, of New Lenox, and Caroline Howey (right), 10, of<br />
Mokena, lead the other chimneysweeps in a dance number during a rehearsal for All<br />
About Music’s production of “Mary Poppins Jr.” Photos by Rochelle McAuliffe/22nd<br />
Century Media<br />
2004, the addition of tap<br />
dancing was “an undertaking,<br />
but it’s turning out<br />
awesome.”<br />
“A lot of these kids<br />
aren’t dancers, so seeing<br />
them be able to learn all<br />
the steps and process it and<br />
putting it all together as a<br />
final product, it’s great,”<br />
Rechter said. “I can’t wait<br />
to see the looks on the<br />
kids’ faces at the end of the<br />
first show when they hear<br />
the applause.”<br />
“Many kids haven’t had<br />
dance experience, let alone<br />
tap, and it’s incredible to<br />
see them coming together<br />
and conquering this together,”<br />
Johnson-Beebe<br />
explained.<br />
Jillian Rice, an 18-yearold<br />
from Mokena, is a familiar<br />
face on the AAMCT<br />
stage. For the past 10<br />
years, she’s been apart<br />
of numerous productions<br />
within the company, as<br />
well as at Chicago Christian<br />
High School, the<br />
Beverly Arts Center in<br />
Chicago and Curtain Call<br />
Theater in Mokena. After<br />
Stephanie White (center), 17, of Mokena, plays Burt<br />
alongside Edie Balester (right), 14, of New Lenox, who<br />
plays Mary Poppins.<br />
a long career with the children’s<br />
company, “Mary<br />
Poppins Jr.” marks her last<br />
show with AAMCT.<br />
“This is where it all<br />
started for me. It seems<br />
like I’ve been here for a<br />
million years,” said Rice.<br />
“It’s definitely sad, but I’m<br />
excited for what comes<br />
next, and I wouldn’t be<br />
where I am without All<br />
About Music.”<br />
Showtimes are 7:30<br />
p.m. on March 29; 2 p.m.<br />
and 7:30 p.m. March 30;<br />
and 1 p.m. March 31. Advanced<br />
tickets are available<br />
at All About Music,<br />
located at 19108 Wolf<br />
Road in Mokena, for $14,<br />
or $15 at the door. For<br />
more information, call<br />
(708) 479-0440 or visit al<br />
laboutmusicmokena.com/<br />
mary-poppins.
mokenamessenger.com dining out<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 27<br />
The Dish<br />
Kup A Joe Cafe prides itself on variety of breakfast, lunch selections<br />
Business puts its<br />
current emphasis<br />
on having healthy<br />
options<br />
Thomas Czaja<br />
Contributing Editor<br />
On most days, Jim Garofalo<br />
can be found sitting<br />
inside his business mingling<br />
with customers.<br />
The owner of Kup A Joe<br />
Cafe in Frankfort has been<br />
in the restaurant industry<br />
for more than 40 years,<br />
and since opening in 2012<br />
the eatery has been his<br />
home away from home, as<br />
he continues to tweak the<br />
menu and give customers<br />
what they want.<br />
“I enjoy the people,”<br />
Garofalo said of his customers<br />
on a recent morning<br />
while sitting in a<br />
booth at Kup a Joe. “I’m<br />
always out here sitting<br />
with somebody, talking<br />
with somebody. You get<br />
to know the families, the<br />
kids, and get a lot of regulars.”<br />
To keep the existing patron<br />
base happy, as well as<br />
appeal to current trends,<br />
Garofalo will occasionally<br />
tweak the menu, as<br />
well as having an evolving<br />
menu of specials separate<br />
from the main one. To<br />
find new dishes, he will go<br />
online and do research.<br />
“We’ve put a lot more<br />
healthy items on the menu<br />
right now, which are really<br />
popular,” he said. “A<br />
lot of keto items — keto<br />
pancakes, keto ranchero<br />
Benedict, keto scramblers.<br />
We do a lot of gluten-free<br />
items, healthy-type breakfast<br />
items.”<br />
The aforementioned<br />
keto pancakes ($10.79) are<br />
made with gluten-free almond<br />
flour, fat-free cream<br />
cheese and eggs that are<br />
topped with one’s choice<br />
of fresh fruit, with options<br />
of either strawberries,<br />
blueberries or raspberries.<br />
“I think we have more<br />
variety of different food<br />
items than most breakfast<br />
places that just give breakfast<br />
and eggs,” Garofalo<br />
said.<br />
Another breakfast dish<br />
that Garofalo said is “super<br />
popular” is the bacon<br />
avocado scramble<br />
($10.19), which is eggs<br />
scrambled with crisp bacon.<br />
It also includes fresh<br />
spinach, grilled onion, tomato,<br />
avocado and pepper<br />
Jack cheese.<br />
At Kup A Joe, whether<br />
talking about the egg specialities,<br />
omelettes, skillets,<br />
waffles, crepes or any<br />
of the lunch offerings, the<br />
owner said everything is<br />
prepped for that day, that<br />
they use fresh produce and<br />
that items are mostly all<br />
organic, including all salads.<br />
By May 1, the business<br />
is to unveil its summer<br />
salads. And, before long,<br />
the outdoor patio, a wellliked<br />
spot for customers,<br />
will reopen for the warmer<br />
months.<br />
“We just try to stay<br />
ahead of the times, look at<br />
what’s popular, and keep<br />
with the generation of people<br />
coming up and eating,<br />
just because it’s changing<br />
so much,” Garofalo said.<br />
“We just have to change<br />
the menu and follow that,<br />
as far as I’m concerned.”<br />
The business also used<br />
to do dinner but stopped<br />
several years ago, returning<br />
its focus to its and Garofalo’s<br />
roots of breakfast<br />
and lunch. Despite the<br />
change, a meatloaf dinner<br />
Kup A Joe Cafe<br />
41 Old Frankfort Way<br />
in Frankfort<br />
Hours<br />
7 a.m.-2 p.m. daily<br />
For more information<br />
Web: www.<br />
kupajoecafe.com<br />
Phone: (815) 464-<br />
0909<br />
($10.99), which comes<br />
with sliced meatloaf with<br />
mashed potatoes and<br />
grilled vegetables, can still<br />
be had for lunchtime.<br />
Other signs of updates<br />
can be seen through Kup A<br />
Joe’s fare being available<br />
for purchase on DoorDash<br />
and Grubhub, as well as<br />
a special on Wednesdays<br />
with which anyone who<br />
comes in and spends $15<br />
or more on their bill can<br />
take home a box of powdered<br />
sugar or glazed cinnamon<br />
sugar doughnut<br />
holes.<br />
While Kup A Joe is<br />
a dining spot first, both<br />
mimosas and Bloody<br />
Mary’s (each $6) are also<br />
big sellers, especially on<br />
the weekends. Given its<br />
namesake, coffee also is a<br />
beverage staple there, with<br />
Garofalo working with a<br />
company called Royal Cup<br />
Coffee to use one of their<br />
high-end blends, he said.<br />
“It’s good some good<br />
body to it; it’s not just watery,”<br />
he said of the java he<br />
sells. “Everyone compliments<br />
me on the coffee,<br />
so I guess it’s the right<br />
blend.”<br />
Though still some time<br />
away yet for 2019, a big<br />
event at Kup A Joe is the<br />
annual free turkey dinner<br />
held the week before<br />
Thanksgiving. Three onehour<br />
time slots are created<br />
The pearl sugar raspberry mini waffles ($10.99) at Kup A Joe Cafe in Frankfort are<br />
pearl sugar-infused waffles drizzled with sweet cream cheese, topped with fresh<br />
raspberries. Photos by Megan Schuller/22nd Century Media<br />
The chicken pot pie ($10.99) is full of chunks of chicken, in addition to peas, carrots<br />
and celery.<br />
for it, and reservations<br />
are taken. Diners eat for<br />
no charge and are simply<br />
asked to bring a donation<br />
for the local Frankfort<br />
Township Food Pantry.<br />
“[Guests] fill up the [donation]<br />
truck, come in eat<br />
for free and everybody is<br />
happy,” the owner said.<br />
Garofalo plans to continue<br />
to engage the community<br />
and stick with<br />
certain traditions while adjusting<br />
the regular and specials<br />
menus along the way.<br />
“I’ll be changing the<br />
menu as time goes on, using<br />
some different items,<br />
coming up with different<br />
ideas,” he said.
28 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger puzzles<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
crosstown CROSSWORD & Sudoku The crosstowns: Frankfort, Homer Glen, Lockport, Mokena, New Lenox, Orland Park, Tinley Park<br />
Crossword by Myles Mellor and Cindy LaFleur<br />
Across<br />
1. P, to the Greeks<br />
4. ‘’Batman Forever’’<br />
actor Kilmer<br />
7. Tinley Park’s<br />
Irish sister city<br />
13. Dueler with<br />
Hamilton<br />
15. U.N. arm<br />
16. Guarantee<br />
17. Prefix with logical<br />
18. “My ___” by<br />
Usher<br />
19. Hollow<br />
20. Beat to the tape<br />
22. Discounter’s<br />
word<br />
23. Inedible mushroom<br />
26. Most wise<br />
29. Rococo<br />
32. Blood-typing<br />
system<br />
33. Renege<br />
36. Milit. rank<br />
38. Where Seoul is<br />
40. Energy measurement<br />
41. Spanish “Sir”<br />
42. Token<br />
43. It makes good<br />
scents<br />
45. Rumpus<br />
46. Lease granter<br />
48. Stirred up<br />
50. Tinley Park<br />
Amphitheatre, goes<br />
with 57 across<br />
53. Amateur<br />
55. “Hollywood<br />
songbook” writer,<br />
Hanns<br />
57. See 50 across<br />
59. “Love Story”,<br />
first name: ___ Mcgraw<br />
60. Police dept. alerts<br />
63. Penitent one<br />
64. Minister, abbr.<br />
65. EPA concern<br />
66. Manufacturers<br />
67. Compass point<br />
68. Minded the baby<br />
Down<br />
1. Baseball score<br />
2. Govt. housing org.<br />
3. “Creme Sandwich”<br />
cookie<br />
4. Pulsating effect, in<br />
music<br />
5. Orally<br />
6. Some diving birds<br />
7. Apple offering<br />
8. Toyota model<br />
9. English Poet, Richard<br />
___<br />
10. San ___ Obispo,<br />
Calif.<br />
11. Fall times: Abbr.<br />
12. Questioning word<br />
14. Itinerary<br />
21. 1900 Puccini<br />
premiere<br />
24. Strong<br />
25. Table scrap<br />
26. Big Apple retailer<br />
27. Intensely excited<br />
28. Valley<br />
30. Of musical sound<br />
31. Wear away<br />
34. Joplin’s nickname<br />
35. Monster in<br />
Tolkein stories<br />
37. Motivate<br />
39. Contain a sacred<br />
thing<br />
41. Pigeon preceder<br />
43. Costa del ___<br />
44. Like waves on a<br />
shoreline<br />
47. Oklahoma athlete<br />
49. Many thoughts<br />
51. The wonder ___<br />
88’ TV series<br />
52. Cunning ways<br />
53. “Toodle-oo”<br />
54. Avoided serious<br />
injury<br />
56. Tach readings<br />
57. Video maker, for<br />
short<br />
58. Hosp. areas<br />
61. Snake pet<br />
62. Military rank,<br />
abbr.<br />
MOKENA<br />
The Alley Grill and Tap<br />
House<br />
(18700 S. Old LaGrange<br />
Road, Mokena; (708)<br />
478-3610)<br />
■9 ■ p.m. Tuesdays:<br />
Karaoke<br />
Fox’s Restaurant and Pub<br />
(11247 W. 187th St.,<br />
Mokena; (708) 478-<br />
8888)<br />
■6 ■ p.m. Thursdays,<br />
Fridays and Saturdays:<br />
Performance by Jerry<br />
Eadie<br />
NEW LENOX<br />
Little Joe’s Restaurant<br />
(1300 N. Cedar Road,<br />
New Lenox; (815) 463-<br />
1099)<br />
■5-8 ■ p.m. Tuesdays:<br />
Piano Styles by Joe<br />
HOMER GLEN<br />
Front Row<br />
(14903 S. Bell Road,<br />
Homer Glen; (708) 645-<br />
7000)<br />
■7 ■ p.m. Wednesdays:<br />
Trivia<br />
FRANKFORT<br />
Pete Mitchell’s Bar & Grill<br />
(21000 Frankfort<br />
Square Road, Frankfort;<br />
(815) 464-8100)<br />
■6-8 ■ p.m. Wednesdays:<br />
Free N’ Fun Bar Game.<br />
Free to play.<br />
LOCKPORT<br />
Port Noir<br />
(900 S. State St., Lockport;<br />
(815) 834-9463)<br />
■4-7 ■ p.m. Monday-<br />
Friday: Happy Hour<br />
Strike N Spare II<br />
(811 Northern Drive,<br />
Lockport; (708) 301-<br />
1477)<br />
■9:30 ■ p.m.-12:30 a.m.<br />
Mondays: Quartermania<br />
ORLAND PARK<br />
Traverso’s Restaurant<br />
(15601 S. Harlem Ave.,<br />
Orland Park; (708) 532-<br />
2220)<br />
■8 ■ p.m. Wednesdays<br />
and Saturdays: Karaoke<br />
To place an event in The<br />
Scene, email a.ivanisevic@<br />
22ndcenturymedia.com.<br />
answers<br />
How to play Sudoku<br />
Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9x9 grid that<br />
has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of<br />
3x3 squares. To solve the puzzle each row, column<br />
and box must contain each of the numbers<br />
1 to 9.<br />
LEVEL: Medium<br />
Crossword by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan
mokenamessenger.com Mokena<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 29<br />
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30 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger local living<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
Outstanding new home values in Peotone can be yours At Westgate Manor<br />
Distinctive Home Builders is building new homes from the low $200s<br />
When it comes to a preferred location,<br />
Peotone is a steadily growing<br />
suburb with a strong infrastructure<br />
and an irresistible small-town charm<br />
with a bright future—which is why Distinctive<br />
Home Builders chose the Will<br />
County village for its newest community<br />
of 38 single-family homes: Westgate<br />
Manor.<br />
“Peotone is a family-friendly village<br />
just south of Chicago and is one<br />
of the best kept secrets among new<br />
home seekers,” said Bryan Nooner,<br />
President of Distinctive Home Builders.<br />
“We expect to attract home shoppers<br />
from northwest Indiana and the<br />
south suburban Chicago marketplace.<br />
We will likely also see buyers from the<br />
Kankakee area because the Peotone<br />
school district is so desirable.”<br />
Several factors attracted Distinctive<br />
Home Builders to this hometown atmosphere<br />
community, not the least of<br />
which was its convenient location between<br />
Interstate 57 and Illinois Route<br />
50 and easy access to I-80. Commuters<br />
will enjoy several nearby train stations<br />
and a mere 35-minute drive to<br />
Chicago.<br />
“It’s a vibrant, growing community<br />
<br />
centers in the west and southwest suburbs<br />
with impressive commercial and<br />
industrial growth that has followed the<br />
residential boom here,” said Nooner.<br />
<br />
combined with lower construction<br />
costs add up to savings when compared<br />
to a similarly-equipped home in<br />
the area,” added Nooner.<br />
Westgate Manor brick and frame<br />
<br />
The Fahan II, a split level 3-4BR luxury townhome at Brookside Meadows.<br />
2-Story Great Room Prairie Model<br />
three to four bedrooms, two to threeand-<br />
a-half baths, full basement,<br />
formal dining room, vaulted, tray or<br />
<br />
kitchen with custom maple cabinets,<br />
family room or great room, and concrete<br />
driveways. Depending on the<br />
home selected, other standard amenities<br />
can include a living room, den,<br />
dinette, a tray or vaulted ceiling in<br />
the master bedroom, and dual-zoned<br />
heating and air conditioning.<br />
<br />
wide variety of styles and selections—<br />
<br />
designs—each available in three to<br />
<br />
Manor, including two-story and ranch<br />
homes. Square footages span 1,600 to<br />
2,500 for ranches and 1,800 to 3,000<br />
for two-story homes.<br />
“Most home shoppers feel there<br />
<br />
you need and what you want in a new<br />
home. With our new premium inclu-<br />
cantly<br />
by including additional features<br />
that our buyers told us were most important<br />
to them,” said Nooner, who<br />
added that “now is the best time to buy,<br />
because you can still take advantage of<br />
preconstruction prices that range from<br />
the low $200s which makes this a ter-<br />
<br />
Other premium standard features<br />
included at Westgate Manor are brick<br />
<br />
basements in most models, ceramic<br />
<br />
baths and foyer; and custom maple<br />
cabinets. Distinctive kitchen cabinets<br />
<br />
ers<br />
with dove tail joints, which is very<br />
rare in the marketplace.<br />
“When you build a new home with<br />
Distinctive, you truly are receiving a<br />
hand crafted home with custom made<br />
cabinets no matter what the price<br />
range,” noted Nooner. This year, Distinctive<br />
Home Builders is celebrating<br />
30 years building thousands of homes<br />
throughout the Will and south Cook<br />
county areas.<br />
Distinctive Home Builders, an in-<br />
<br />
<br />
with a “Zero Punch list” closing policy.<br />
Prior to closing, each home undergoes<br />
an industry leading 100-point checklist<br />
to insure the home measures up to<br />
our high quality standards.<br />
Aspen III Exterior<br />
Customers stay connected to the<br />
progress of their home from start to<br />
struction<br />
portal. “Our customers simply<br />
download our Distinctive HomeBuilders<br />
app and they are in touch with their<br />
new home 24/7 from anywhere in the<br />
world. The app allows our customers<br />
to see the progress of their home and<br />
access their documents at any time,”<br />
Nooner explained. “Our customers really<br />
appreciate the integration of social<br />
media sites directly in our app allowing<br />
them to easily share photos and updates<br />
of their new home with family and<br />
friends,” he concluded.<br />
As a semi-custom builder, Distinctive<br />
Home Builders can modify any of<br />
its standard designs to cater to a customer’s<br />
tastes, which means that moving<br />
walls, adding extra windows or even<br />
extending the garage are all possible.<br />
Nooner added that “All our homes<br />
<br />
built to the new National Energy Code<br />
guidelines. Every home we build has<br />
upgraded wall and ceiling insulation<br />
<br />
<br />
customers take possession of their new<br />
home, we perform a blower door test to<br />
insure that each home passes a set of<br />
very stringent guidelines which insures<br />
that our homes are tight and energy ef-<br />
<br />
means lower gas and electric bills for our<br />
customers each month.”<br />
Peotone was established in 1856 and<br />
<br />
downtown area complete with diners,<br />
pizza parlors, cafes and pubs. In season<br />
there is a Farmer’s Market in front<br />
of the American Legion. Also the community<br />
has a popular Fall Fest in front<br />
of the famous Peotone Windmill; once<br />
<br />
the map in the late 1800s. A Christmas<br />
in the Village Festival is another annual<br />
community event that concludes with a<br />
Lighted Parade at night. Peotone now<br />
has an estimated population of just over<br />
4,000. Metra rail service is nearby providing<br />
commuters easy access to downtown<br />
Chicago.<br />
Westgate Manor is conveniently located<br />
within walking distance of the<br />
esteemed Peotone High School. The<br />
<br />
and Information Center is located in<br />
Manhattan three miles south of Laraway<br />
Rd. on Rt. 52. at 16233 Pinto Lane,<br />
Manhattan, IL, 60422. Hours are daily<br />
from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed<br />
Wednesday and Thursday and they are<br />
always available by appointment.<br />
-<br />
<br />
times and lot availability are subject to<br />
change without notice. Please contact<br />
a Distinctive representative for current<br />
pricing and complete details. For more<br />
<br />
homebuilders.com.
mokenamessenger.com real estate<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 31<br />
The Mokena Messenger’s<br />
Sponsored content<br />
of the<br />
WEEK<br />
Be Prepared to fall in love with this fantastic home located in the quiet suburb of<br />
Mokena that’s located just 35 miles from Chicago. Tucked nicely into a wonderful<br />
neighborhood but close to everything and just minutes from interstate access and<br />
tons of shopping and restaurants. So much has been done that makes this home<br />
move-in ready and value driven for anyone on a budget.<br />
Traditional, tri-level located in the heart of Mokena in Tomahawk Trails.<br />
Address: 11052 Kimberly Trail, Mokena, IL 60448<br />
Feb. 25<br />
• 2100 Tall Grass<br />
Drive, Mokena, 60448<br />
- Larita Luckey Trustee<br />
to Timothy W. Damrow,<br />
Michelle K. Panek,<br />
$480,000<br />
Feb. 26<br />
• 19539 116th Ave.<br />
D, Mokena, 60448-<br />
1850 - Elaine M. Elliott<br />
to Jonathan B. Valente,<br />
$120,000<br />
• 19626 Beechnut<br />
Drive, Mokena, 60448-<br />
9333 - Patricia L.<br />
Roderick to Donna<br />
Schauer, $149,000<br />
• 9743 Cambridge<br />
Circle, Mokena, 60448-<br />
7724 - Chicago Title<br />
Land Trust Co Tr to Eyad<br />
I. Al Hjouj, Zeena S.<br />
Hasan, $195,000<br />
Feb. 27<br />
• 18898 S. Vanderbilt<br />
Drive, Mokena, 60448-<br />
8882 - Michael A.<br />
Gregory to Aiste<br />
Rakstyte, $192,000<br />
• 19913 Amberly Court,<br />
Mokena, 60448-1675<br />
- Lynette M. Delatte to<br />
Tu Cam Thi Dzu Castillo,<br />
David Castillo Jr.,<br />
$535,000<br />
The Going Rate is provided<br />
by Record Information<br />
Services, Inc. For more<br />
information, visit www.<br />
public-record.com or call<br />
(630) 557-1000<br />
Amenities: Outside you’ll pull up and see the neat as a pin home where no<br />
expense was spared. More than 1,200-square-feet of new concrete was poured<br />
for the driveway, front walk and back patio in 2015. A new architectural roof was<br />
put on after a full tear off of previous one in 2016. Windows are newer and in<br />
great shape, as well. Inside, this threebedroom,<br />
two-bath tri-level is host to an<br />
updated kitchen with quartz counters in<br />
2018, as well as new carpet, updated<br />
baths and ceiling fans in the last few<br />
years. Out back is a large concrete<br />
patio perfect for cookouts. No backyard<br />
neighbors.<br />
Asking Price: $260,000<br />
Listing Agent: Colleen<br />
and Michael McLaughlin,<br />
The McLaughlin Team,<br />
(708) 606-2881,<br />
realtorcolleen4u@<br />
yahoo.com, www.<br />
chicagolandhomes4u.com<br />
Listing Brokerage:<br />
Coldwell Banker<br />
Residential Brokerage<br />
To list a home as Home of the Week, contact t.weber@22ndcenturymedia.com.
32 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger classifieds<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
1003 Help Wanted<br />
MARKETING ASSOCIATE<br />
Aero Rubber Company, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of<br />
industrial rubber products including industrial rubber bands<br />
and custom rubber parts and we’re looking to enhance<br />
our marketing department. We’re searching for a creative,<br />
deadline-oriented marketing associate.<br />
You must be a self-starter who is ready for a challenge. You will<br />
apply your passion for marketing to assist with content<br />
development, target marketing, email automation,<br />
new business development, and customer loyalty programs.<br />
You will have the opportunity to:<br />
- Develop and curate content for blogs, social media,<br />
and publications<br />
- Create emails to support marketing automation<br />
- Maintain, monitor, and improve lead scoring<br />
- Conduct market research and develop action plans<br />
- Be a driving force behind new coporate partnerships through<br />
outbound calling, lead nurturing, and collaborating with<br />
our sales force<br />
- Plan and support tradeshows<br />
Qualifications<br />
Degree in marketing or a related field<br />
Proficient in Microsoft Office and Adobe Suite<br />
Familiarity with marketing automation<br />
Ability to meet deadlines<br />
Results orientated<br />
(An Added Plus):<br />
Graphic design prowess<br />
Previous writing experience<br />
Knowledge of SEO best practices & WordPress<br />
An understanding of Google Ads & Analytics<br />
Benefits<br />
Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K<br />
To Apply: Send cover letter and resume to:<br />
kmoore@aerorubber.com<br />
Warehouse Help Wanted<br />
Looking for full-time Warehouse Help.<br />
Must be 21 years old and have a valid Drivers License with a<br />
good driving record. Forklift experience a plus.<br />
Warehouse duties will include; Lifting, Measuring & Cutting of:<br />
Carpet, Padding, Sheet Vinyl & Cartons of product.<br />
Loading & unloading of delivery trucks & Installer Vans.<br />
Scheduling daily installations via computer.<br />
Making deliveries to Binder and Customer’s Homes.<br />
Taking Inventory. Other duries involve maintenance around the<br />
Building, inside and outside.<br />
Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mon. thru Fri.,<br />
Sat. 7:30 to Noon every other week.<br />
Call (708) 364-6100 for appointment,<br />
ask for Mike Potempa or Paul Wisnoski<br />
1003 Help Wanted<br />
1009 Financial<br />
Carpet Interiors Carpet One<br />
50 Orland Square Drive Orland Park, IL 60462<br />
(708) 364-6100 1061 Autos Wanted<br />
Part-time Telephone Work<br />
calling from home for<br />
AMVETS. Ideal for<br />
homemakers and retirees.<br />
Must be reliable and have<br />
morning &evening hours<br />
available for calling.<br />
If interested,<br />
Call 708 429 6477<br />
M-F, 10am - 1pm Only!<br />
Help<br />
Wanted<br />
Custodians<br />
Full-Time & Substitute<br />
Positions Available<br />
Kirby School District 140 -<br />
Tinley Park, IL<br />
Shift: 3:00pm-11:30pm<br />
$10.60/hour<br />
Apply online:<br />
ksd140.org/employment<br />
SALES ASSISTANT<br />
NEEDED<br />
Due to our rapid growth and<br />
expansion, Tinley Park<br />
Industrial Manufacturing Sales<br />
office seeks detail-oriented<br />
Sales Assistant for full-time<br />
position. A Sales Assistant at<br />
ARC does both sale’s<br />
administrative and customer<br />
service functions. This is a<br />
very diversified position in our<br />
FAST-PACED office. The<br />
ideal candidate must be<br />
HIGHLY MOTIVATED and<br />
needs to possess strong<br />
organizational &<br />
communication skills.<br />
Excellent computer literacy<br />
needed, including MS Word &<br />
Excel. Industrial customer<br />
service experience a plus.<br />
Repeat customer & supplier<br />
contact. No telemarketing or<br />
cold calling required.<br />
Competitive salary & benefit<br />
pkg incl. 401K.<br />
Send letter & resume to:<br />
cstratton@aerorubber.com<br />
P/T Associate for Travel<br />
Agency in Orland Park.<br />
Exp. and open<br />
availability required.<br />
Approx. 16-24 hrs/weekly.<br />
Send resume to:<br />
travel@goodbuytravel.com<br />
Lawn Care Service<br />
Looking for responsible,<br />
motivated with driver’s<br />
license. Pay based on exp.<br />
708.226.9322<br />
The Lucky HotDog<br />
Now Hiring Cooks<br />
Call 708-263-0130<br />
Apply Now!<br />
Landscaping & Lawn<br />
Maintenance Personnel<br />
Experience needed<br />
(708) 687-8091<br />
Outside Work:<br />
Lawn Fertilizing & Core<br />
Aeration: Year-round &<br />
Seasonal Employment<br />
Potential for paid winters off.<br />
Benefits incl. health, dental,<br />
IRA. Good driving rec a must.<br />
Time and a half over 40 hrs.<br />
$15/hr starting pay.<br />
Apply in-person 7am - 5pm<br />
Lawn-Tech, Ltd.<br />
7320 Duvan Dr<br />
Tinley Park, IL<br />
708-532-7411<br />
Hiring Desk Clerk<br />
(must be flexible w/ shifts)<br />
& Housekeeping<br />
(Morning) Needed at<br />
Super 8 Motel<br />
Apply within:<br />
9485 W. 191st St, Mokena<br />
No Phone Calls<br />
Hiring Part-Time CDL<br />
Delivery Driver,<br />
Greenhouse Assistant and<br />
Seasonal Laborers.<br />
Send resume to:<br />
gardencenter@jimmelka.com<br />
Melka Landscaping in<br />
Mokena, IL<br />
F/T Experienced Glazier<br />
Non-Union Shop<br />
Apply Within<br />
9324 Golfstream Road 1W<br />
Frankfort, IL<br />
(815) 469-7485<br />
Need Laundry Attendant<br />
Do laundry, cleaning,<br />
& help customers<br />
Call Ray at 708.203.3734<br />
Experienced Painter needed<br />
Please call Don at<br />
Don’s Restoration Painting<br />
708-220-1022<br />
DRIVE CAR BUYERS<br />
TO YOUR DOOR WITH<br />
A CLASSIFIED AUTO AD<br />
CALL US TODAY at 708.326.9170<br />
CLASSIFIEDS<br />
Help Wanted · Garage Sales · Automotive<br />
Real Estate · Rentals · Merchandise<br />
Sell It 708.326.9170 | Fax It 708.326.9179<br />
Charge It | DEADLINE - Friday at 3pm<br />
1019 Business<br />
Opportunities<br />
20 Week Program to grow<br />
existing start up company in<br />
distribution industry. Person<br />
will be rquired to work and<br />
learn every aspect of the<br />
business. Must be self-motivated<br />
& able to lift 70 lbs,<br />
operate delivery truck & be<br />
willing to sell. After<br />
completion of program, there<br />
will be evaluation for<br />
advancement and sone form of<br />
ownership. Serious inquiries<br />
only. 708-945-9150<br />
LOCKPORT<br />
HUGE ESTATE SALE<br />
Estate up for sale from<br />
1957 to present.<br />
Many collections such as Crystal,<br />
Books, Disney, Milk Glass,<br />
Figurines, Dolls, 45s and 78s.<br />
Vintage toys, furniture,<br />
appliances, tools.<br />
Holiday Decor for every season!!<br />
Hosted at St John’s Church Hall<br />
312 E. 11th Street, Lockport<br />
Friday, March 22 8 - 4pm<br />
Saturday, March 23 9 - 3pm<br />
1057 Estate Sale<br />
Automotive<br />
$52 4 lines/<br />
7 papers<br />
Real Estate<br />
$50 7 7 papers<br />
lines/<br />
Help Wanted<br />
$13 4 lines/<br />
per line 7 papers<br />
Merchandise<br />
$30 7 4 papers<br />
lines/<br />
1023 Caregiver<br />
Caregiver Services<br />
Provided by<br />
Margaret’s Agency Inc.<br />
State Licensed & Bonded<br />
since 1998. Providing quality<br />
care for elderly.<br />
Live-in/ Come & go.<br />
708.403.8707<br />
Heaven Sent Caregivers<br />
Professional caregiving<br />
service. 24 hr or hourly<br />
services; shower or bath<br />
visits. Licensed & bonded.<br />
Try the best! 708.638.0641<br />
Garage<br />
Sale<br />
Advertise your<br />
RENTAL<br />
PROPERTY<br />
in the newspaper<br />
people turn to first<br />
CALL US TODAY: 708.326.9170<br />
www.22ndcenturymedia.com<br />
Automotive<br />
WANTED!<br />
WE NEED CARS, TRUCKS & VANS<br />
Running Or Not from Old to New!<br />
Top Dollar Paid - Free Pick-Up<br />
Locally Located<br />
(708)205-8241
mokenamessenger.com classifieds<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 33<br />
CLASSIFIEDS<br />
Help Wanted · Garage Sales · Automotive<br />
Real Estate · Rentals · Merchandise<br />
Sell It 708.326.9170<br />
Fax It 708.326.9179<br />
Charge It<br />
DEADLINE -<br />
Friday at 3pm<br />
Automotive<br />
$52<br />
4 lines/<br />
7 papers<br />
Help Wanted<br />
per line $13<br />
4 lines/<br />
7 papers<br />
Real Estate<br />
$50<br />
7 lines/<br />
7 papers<br />
Merchandise<br />
$30<br />
4 lines/<br />
7 papers<br />
LOCAL<br />
REALTOR<br />
DIRECTORY<br />
READYTO SELL YOUR<br />
REAL ESTATE?<br />
CALL<br />
Mike McCatty<br />
& ASSOCIATES<br />
mccattyrealestate.com<br />
708-945-2121<br />
Illinois Indiana Florida<br />
ONE BILLION IN LOCALLY<br />
CLOSED SALES SINCE 1999<br />
CENTURY 21 AFFILIATED<br />
Kim Wirtz<br />
realtor <br />
kim@kimwirtz.com<br />
kimwirtz.com<br />
708.516.3050<br />
Rates As<br />
Low As3 %<br />
Advertise<br />
your<br />
RENTAL<br />
PROPERTY<br />
in the<br />
newspaper<br />
people turn<br />
to first<br />
Contact Classified Department<br />
to Advertise in this Directory<br />
Chicagoland’s #1 Century 21 Agent<br />
(708)<br />
326.9170<br />
CALL US TODAY: 708.326.9170<br />
www.22ndcenturymedia.com
34 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger classifieds<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
1074 Auto for Sale<br />
2004 Asphalt Paving/Seal Coating<br />
2025 Concrete Work<br />
1998 Chevy Silverado<br />
White, clean interior, needs<br />
an engine. $1000 OBO<br />
312.656.3724<br />
Rental<br />
DRIVE CAR BUYERS<br />
TO YOUR DOOR WITH<br />
A CLASSIFIED AUTO AD<br />
CALL US TODAY at 708.326.9170<br />
1225 Apartments for Rent<br />
Oak Forest Terrace<br />
15815 Terrace, Oak Forest<br />
2006 Basement Waterproofing<br />
Spacious 1 & 2 Bdrms.<br />
Serene setting & Beautiful<br />
Grounds. Tennis, Pool,<br />
Walking Trails. Near metra.<br />
708-687-1818<br />
oakterrapts@att.net<br />
For Rent<br />
1BR home in New Lenox.<br />
Very nice for asingle/quiet<br />
person, all utilities included;<br />
gas, electric, cable & internet.<br />
No Pets, credit check required.<br />
$1,250/month.<br />
708-205-6918<br />
2011 Brick/Chimney Experts<br />
1327 Warehouse Property for Rent<br />
Frankfort<br />
Warehouse/office space.<br />
Could be used for toy storage,<br />
shared unit. Call for<br />
apt. 219-613-1800<br />
DRIVE CAR BUYERS<br />
TO YOUR DOOR WITH<br />
A CLASSIFIED AUTO AD<br />
CALL US TODAY at 708.326.9170<br />
Business Directory<br />
2017 Cleaning Services<br />
2003 Appliance Repair<br />
QUALITY<br />
APPLIANCE<br />
REPAIR, Inc.<br />
• Air Conditioning • Furnaces<br />
Refrigeration • Dishwashers<br />
Stoves & Ovens • Microwaves<br />
Garbage Disposals<br />
Washers&Dryers<br />
Family Owned &Operatedsince 1986<br />
Someone you can TRUST<br />
All work GUARANTEED<br />
BEST price in town!<br />
708-712-1392<br />
Place a garage sale ad & reach<br />
over 96,000 homes across<br />
the southwest suburbs!<br />
FOR $42 YOU’LL GET<br />
ASINGLE FAMILY AD<br />
4 LINES in 7 PAPERS<br />
CALL THE CLASSIFIED<br />
DEPARTMENT: 708.326.9170<br />
With the Purchase<br />
of a Garage Sale Ad!<br />
www.22ndcenturymedia.com<br />
Buy<br />
It!<br />
SELL<br />
It!<br />
FIND<br />
It!<br />
in the<br />
CLASSIFIEDS<br />
CALL<br />
708.326.9170<br />
Calling all<br />
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<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
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<br />
2032 Decking<br />
Sturdy<br />
Deck & Fence<br />
Repair, Rebuild or<br />
Replace<br />
Make It Safe - Make it Sturdy<br />
708 479 9035
mokenamessenger.com classifieds<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 35<br />
2060 Drywall<br />
2070 Electrical<br />
2120 Handyman<br />
2132 Home Improvement<br />
Drywall<br />
*Hanging *Taping<br />
*New Homes<br />
*Additions<br />
*Remodeling<br />
Call Greg At:<br />
(815)485-3782<br />
Drywall Taping<br />
& Repair<br />
Professionally Done<br />
Call Ed<br />
815-710-0350<br />
EXPERIENCED<br />
ELECTRICIAN<br />
R E A S O N A B L E<br />
D E P E N D A B L E<br />
SMALL JOBS<br />
CALL ANYTIME<br />
(708) 478-8269<br />
HANDYMAN SERVICE —WHATEVER YOU NEED<br />
"OVER 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE"<br />
Windows, Doors, Decks Kitchen & Bathroom Remodeling, Plumbing Interior and<br />
Exterior Painting Wall Paper Removal Professional Work At Competitive Prices<br />
CALL MIKE AT 708-790-3416<br />
Advertise your<br />
RENTAL<br />
PROPERTY<br />
in the newspaper<br />
people turn to first<br />
2075 Fencing<br />
CALL US TODAY: 708.326.9170<br />
www.22ndcenturymedia.com<br />
2090 Flooring<br />
2130 Heating/Cooling<br />
DRIVE CAR BUYERS<br />
TO YOUR DOOR WITH<br />
A CLASSIFIED AUTO AD<br />
CALL US TODAY at 708.326.9170<br />
Buy<br />
It!<br />
SELL<br />
It!<br />
FIND<br />
It!<br />
in the<br />
CLASSIFIEDS<br />
CALL<br />
708.326.9170
36 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger classifieds<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
2132 Home Improvement<br />
2140 Landscaping<br />
CLASSIFIEDS<br />
Help Wanted · Garage Sales · Automotive<br />
Real Estate · Rentals · Merchandise<br />
Automotive<br />
$52 4 lines/<br />
7 papers<br />
Help Wanted<br />
$13 4 lines/<br />
per line 7 papers<br />
Sell It 708.326.9170 | Fax It 708.326.9179<br />
Charge It | DEADLINE - Friday at 3pm<br />
Real Estate<br />
$50 7 7 papers<br />
lines/<br />
Merchandise<br />
$30 7 4 papers<br />
lines/<br />
2145 Lawn Maintenance<br />
Place a garage sale ad & reach<br />
over 96,000 homes across<br />
the southwest suburbs!<br />
FOR $42 YOU’LL GET<br />
ASINGLE FAMILY AD<br />
4 LINES in 7 PAPERS<br />
CALL THE CLASSIFIED<br />
DEPARTMENT: 708.326.9170<br />
2150 Paint & Decorating<br />
With the Purchase<br />
of a Garage Sale Ad!<br />
www.22ndcenturymedia.com<br />
2135 Insulation<br />
...to place your<br />
Classified Ad!<br />
708.326.9170<br />
DRIVE CAR BUYERS<br />
TO YOUR DOOR WITH<br />
A CLASSIFIED AUTO AD<br />
CALL US TODAY at 708.326.9170<br />
2145 Lawn<br />
Maintenance<br />
Neat, Clean, Professional<br />
Work At ACompetitive Price<br />
Specializing in all<br />
Interior/Exterior Painting<br />
• Drywall/PlasterRepair<br />
• Wallpaper Removal<br />
• Deck/Fence Staining<br />
• PowerWashing<br />
Free Estimates<br />
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Forquality & service you<br />
can trust, call us today!<br />
Advertise your<br />
RENTAL<br />
PROPERTY<br />
in the newspaper<br />
people turn to first<br />
CALL US TODAY: 708.326.9170<br />
www.22ndcenturymedia.com
mokenamessenger.com classifieds<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 37<br />
2150 Paint & Decorating<br />
2170 Plumbing 2200 Roofing<br />
MARTY’S<br />
PAINTING<br />
Interior / Exterior<br />
Fast, Neat Painting<br />
Drywall<br />
Wallpaper Removal<br />
Staining<br />
Free Estimates<br />
20% Off with this ad<br />
708-606-3926<br />
Advertise your<br />
RENTAL<br />
PROPERTY<br />
in the newspaper<br />
people turn to first<br />
Buy SELL FIND<br />
It! It! It!<br />
in the<br />
CLASSIFIEDS<br />
CALL<br />
CALL US TODAY: 708.326.9170 708.326.9170<br />
www.22ndcenturymedia.com<br />
Place a garage sale ad & reach<br />
over 96,000 homes across<br />
the southwest suburbs!<br />
FOR $42 YOU’LL GET<br />
ASINGLE FAMILY AD<br />
4 LINES in 7 PAPERS<br />
CALL THE CLASSIFIED<br />
DEPARTMENT: 708.326.9170<br />
With the Purchase<br />
of a Garage Sale Ad!<br />
www.22ndcenturymedia.com<br />
Want to<br />
See<br />
Your<br />
Business<br />
in the<br />
Classifieds?<br />
Call<br />
708-326-9170<br />
for a FREE<br />
Sample Ad<br />
and Quote!
38 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger classifieds<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
2200 Roofing 2200 Roofing<br />
CLASSIFIEDS<br />
Help Wanted · Garage Sales · Automotive<br />
Real Estate · Rentals · Merchandise<br />
Sell It 708.326.9170 | Fax It 708.326.9179<br />
Charge It | DEADLINE - Friday at 3pm<br />
Automotive<br />
$52 4 lines/<br />
7 papers<br />
Real Estate<br />
$50 7 7 papers<br />
lines/<br />
Help Wanted<br />
$13 4 lines/<br />
per line 7 papers<br />
Merchandise<br />
$30 7 4 papers<br />
lines/<br />
2220 Siding<br />
2255 Tree Service<br />
2294 Window<br />
Cleaning<br />
P.K.WINDOW<br />
CLEANING CO.<br />
Window Cleaning<br />
Gutter Cleaning<br />
Power Washing<br />
Office Cleaning<br />
call and get $40.00 off<br />
708 974-8044<br />
www.pkwindowcleaning.co4<br />
2489 Merchandise<br />
Wanted<br />
Metal Wanted<br />
Scrap Metal, Garden<br />
Tractors,<br />
Snowmobiles,<br />
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ANYTHING METAL!<br />
Call 815-210-8819<br />
Free pickup!<br />
2390 Computer Services/Repair<br />
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and Quote!<br />
2440 Travel Biz<br />
Life’s A Trip Travel presents Diamond Tours<br />
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w/ many tours and many meals included<br />
Price $639 per person<br />
May 13th - 18th<br />
Call 815.838.4895<br />
Bus will leave from Lockport
mokenamessenger.com classifieds<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 39<br />
2702 Public<br />
Notices<br />
2900 Merchandise<br />
Under $100<br />
2900 Merchandise<br />
Under $100<br />
FREE FREE FREE<br />
Certificate No. 32726 was filed in<br />
the office of the County Clerk of<br />
Will County on February 28, 2019<br />
wherein the business firm of Precision<br />
Home Improvements located<br />
at 10505 English Bay, Mokena, IL<br />
60448 was registered; that the true<br />
or real name of the person owning<br />
the business, with their respective<br />
post office address is as follows:<br />
Jake Peters<br />
10505 English Bay<br />
Mokena, IL 60448<br />
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have<br />
hereunto set my hand and Official<br />
Seal at my office in Joliet; Illinois,<br />
this 28th day of February, 2019<br />
Lauren Staley Ferry<br />
Will County Clerk<br />
2900 Merchandise<br />
Under $100<br />
(2) Chrome swivel bartsools,<br />
black vinyl seat and backrest<br />
$40/pair. Heavy-duty metal<br />
worktable w/ belly drawer,<br />
wood laminate top measures,<br />
36” by 62” FREE.<br />
708.301.0249<br />
1pink 20” Schwinn girls Stardust<br />
bike $20 or best offer.<br />
1 green 20” Upland girls Dragonfly<br />
bike $20 or best offer.<br />
708.301.1213<br />
2 wing chairs, rose colored<br />
$100 OBO. 708.785.0987<br />
4antique dining room chairs<br />
$100. 815.485.6008<br />
4kitchen island stools, excellent<br />
condition. Will send pics<br />
$75. 708.715.0887<br />
5 pc. entertainment center,<br />
solid oak, smoked glass doors,<br />
fully lighted, lots ofstorage for<br />
CDs and tapes, etc. Excellent<br />
condition $90.<br />
70 packages of tiny beads for<br />
jewelery crafting $20. Vintage<br />
16 pc. set Golden Shell luncheon<br />
dishes Anchor Hocking,<br />
new in box $20. 708.301.0519<br />
Aprilaire Space-Gard air purifier<br />
plus new 4” air filter $75.<br />
815.469.6554<br />
Car care kit $15. Auto solar<br />
pan $12. RC Airplane set<br />
fighter kit $30. Metal folding<br />
chairs $6. Oscilloscope $37.<br />
708.737.9739<br />
Car roof bag, 15cu. ft., water<br />
proof, complete kit. US made.<br />
Storage bag for it $90 OBO.<br />
708.301.0729<br />
Crystal punch bowl set $20.<br />
Spider-Man poster on vinyl<br />
50” x 96” $20. New brass<br />
Schlage door and deadbolt $30.<br />
708.341.2904<br />
For Sale: Men’s Foot Joy golf<br />
shoes, size 13, still in box $25.<br />
Women’s Top Flight golf<br />
shoes, size 10, still in box $25.<br />
815.806.9094<br />
For Sale: Spring-Easter ceramic<br />
village includes 17<br />
houses plus 30 figures and accessories.<br />
Like new $100 for<br />
set. 815.806.9094<br />
Girls 21” Schwinn bike w/<br />
hand brakes, like brand new<br />
$30. Barbie dolls in box<br />
$10-$15. Disney radio/alarm<br />
clock $10. 630.390.9071<br />
Golf balls (pre-driven): Bag of<br />
100 Callaways $25. Bag of 100<br />
Titleists $25. Bag of 100 Nikes<br />
$25. Bag of 100 Topflites $20.<br />
Call Tom 708.597.2972<br />
Graco crib/Toddler bed. Dark<br />
brown, used once $75. Sealy<br />
crib mattress $35. Will separate<br />
if needed. Washer, good<br />
condition $50 OBO.<br />
708.262.7002 or 779.279.2260<br />
Kermit the Frog 1983<br />
push-button phone. Good condition<br />
$40. Plastic car ramps,<br />
used once $30. 815.201.1540<br />
New deluxe 5 pc. barbecue tool<br />
set, stainless steel w/ solid oak<br />
wood handles $45. Antique<br />
vintage GENEVA ILL #8<br />
black flat cast iron, nice condition<br />
$20. 708.466.9907<br />
New dog trolley 50’ pulley and<br />
cable $25. New ceiling fan<br />
$65. Metal frame basket planters<br />
$10. 708.224.8003<br />
New KingCraft 1/2” 24 volt<br />
hammer drill charger,<br />
2batteries $60. Push back recliner<br />
$40. 708.448.9597 -<br />
Ask for Lou<br />
New white 5 foot solid surface<br />
vanity top w/4inch on center<br />
sink that can be trimmed tofit<br />
smaller vanity $65.<br />
815.592.9474<br />
Oakley sunglasses for young<br />
me. Flack style, white frame<br />
w/ grey lenses $100.<br />
708.606.6398<br />
Pro-Form 485E eliptical exercise<br />
machine. Good condition<br />
$40. 708.995.7223<br />
Rocking chair $55. Hand knitted<br />
sweaters, size M/L, warm!<br />
$30. Mechanics uniforms, size<br />
M/L $15. 708.224.8003<br />
Rolling sewing machine tote.<br />
Everything Mary brand, cheetah<br />
print. New $35.<br />
815.838.9432<br />
T.V. 22” LG brand $39.<br />
815.922.3690<br />
Vintage APMuffler Minutemen<br />
Clock Sign 30 Minute<br />
Install by Burnwood Products<br />
$75. 5Hess, 2ERTL trucks<br />
$25. 815.838.7898<br />
Young adult fancy tail guppies<br />
$1 each. Live stem plans $1<br />
per stem, $2per bunch. From<br />
clean show tank. Call<br />
708.738.5038<br />
New white 5 foot solid surface<br />
vanity top w/4inch on center<br />
sink that can be trimmed to fit<br />
smaller vanity $65.<br />
815.592.9474<br />
Oak bi-fold doors, great condition.<br />
Hardware and tracks included,<br />
various sizes $50 per<br />
set. Steve 815.735.5063<br />
Pickup truck cap for 8 foot<br />
bed, brown fiberglass, slider<br />
cab window, garage kept $75.<br />
708.267.4611<br />
Pillsbury Doughboy porcelain<br />
collection from Danbury mint -<br />
Baked to Perfection, clock, and<br />
Recipe Time. All 3for $100.<br />
815.464.6176<br />
Quaker Oats ceramic cookie<br />
jar. Looks like regular round<br />
container, only bigger. 9.75”<br />
high, 5.5” diameter. Like new -<br />
only used asadecoration $25.<br />
815.462.4942<br />
Rocking chair $55. Hand knitted<br />
sweaters, size M/L, warm!<br />
$30. Mechanics uniforms, size<br />
M/L $15. 708.224.8003<br />
Rolling sewing machine tote.<br />
Everything Mary brand, cheetah<br />
print. New $35.<br />
815.838.9432<br />
Spiral book binding equipment:<br />
2 boxes plastic combs,<br />
comb spreading machine, falcom<br />
measuring device. All<br />
$75. Call Fran 708.614.8541<br />
Tiffany hanging lamp $50.<br />
708.479.4250<br />
Two beautiful swivel accent<br />
chairs, blush color. Excellent<br />
condition $95 for both.<br />
708.301.0249 - leave message<br />
Vintage Heileman’s special export<br />
beer tavern bar lighted<br />
sign w/ ship $50. Vintage Old<br />
Style lighted sign $40.<br />
708.873.1245<br />
Xmas tree 7’ pre-lit w/ three<br />
choices of lighting and storage<br />
bag w/ wheels, used twice $50.<br />
708.403.2473<br />
Calling all<br />
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In this tough economy, we'll give you a free<br />
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Circle One:
40 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger sports<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
Athlete of the Week<br />
10 Questions<br />
with Maddie Clark<br />
Maddie Clark is a senior<br />
on the Lincoln-Way Central<br />
girls water polo team<br />
How’d you get started<br />
in water polo?<br />
I used to swim for the<br />
Gators [in seventh grade]<br />
at Lincoln-Way Central<br />
and I saw them putting up<br />
the display case for when<br />
Lincoln-Way Central went<br />
to state for the first time<br />
and placed second. And<br />
my grandma wanted me<br />
to play because she saw<br />
all the girls in the display<br />
case and thought that’d be<br />
a good way to start out.<br />
What’s your favorite<br />
memory of playing the<br />
sport?<br />
My sophomore year<br />
when both the Lincoln-<br />
Way East team and Lincoln-Way<br />
Central team<br />
merged because I got to<br />
meet so many new players<br />
and people. And, also that<br />
year, we got to go to state.<br />
If you could switch<br />
places with any living<br />
person, then who<br />
would it be and why?<br />
[Five-time Olympic<br />
gold medalist] Missy<br />
Franklin because I wish I<br />
was fast at swimming like<br />
her.<br />
What’s the hardest<br />
part about playing<br />
water polo?<br />
Commitment<br />
because<br />
you have to be willing to<br />
put in the effort in getting<br />
up in the morning to go to<br />
practice and also staying<br />
after school and going to<br />
all of the games.<br />
What are you<br />
currently binge<br />
watching?<br />
“Parks and Recreation”<br />
on Netflix. It’s good. It’s<br />
really good.<br />
Do you prefer to play<br />
offense or defense?<br />
I definitely like playing<br />
defense more. I consider<br />
myself a more defensive<br />
player than an offensive<br />
player, and I feel a lot<br />
more happy when I take<br />
the ball from someone else<br />
than when the ball is taken<br />
away from me.<br />
22nd century media file photo<br />
If you could have<br />
dinner with anyone<br />
living or dead, then<br />
who would it be and<br />
why?<br />
Freddie Mercury because<br />
I think he is a really<br />
cool singer, and I loved<br />
watching the new movie<br />
for Queen. I always listened<br />
to Queen growing<br />
up.<br />
What would be the<br />
first thing you’d buy if<br />
you won the lottery?<br />
A new car. A Ford Explorer.<br />
White.<br />
Do you have any<br />
superstitions or rituals<br />
before a match?<br />
Not really, but we always<br />
do a team cheer before<br />
a game. We usually do<br />
the fight song and then we<br />
break out.<br />
What advice do you<br />
have for younger<br />
players?<br />
Take advantage of every<br />
opportunity you get<br />
because the only way you<br />
can get better is to push<br />
yourself.<br />
Interview conducted by T.J.<br />
Kremer III, Editor<br />
BUY IT!<br />
SELL IT!<br />
FIND IT!<br />
- IN THE -<br />
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mokenamessenger.com sports<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 41<br />
Hockey<br />
Celtics’ surge falls short against defending state champions<br />
Brittany Kapa<br />
Freelance Reporter<br />
It took just seven seconds<br />
for Providence<br />
Catholic High School to<br />
turn the momentum of<br />
the AHAI state semifinal<br />
game in its favor, but<br />
Loyola Academy Gold<br />
proved why they’re the defending<br />
state champions.<br />
The Ramblers and Celtics<br />
battled it out March 11,<br />
at the Edge Ice Arena in<br />
Bensenville, for a chance<br />
to play on the state stage<br />
at the United Center on<br />
March 22. Despite Providence<br />
evening the playing<br />
field early in the second<br />
period, it was Loyola<br />
who regained control and<br />
closed out the semifinal<br />
match 4-2, securing another<br />
trip to state.<br />
The win gives Loyola<br />
Gold a 10-day break before<br />
battling it out against<br />
rival New Trier Green for<br />
the state title.<br />
Celtics’ sophomore Joe<br />
McConnell, of Mokena,<br />
was disappointed with<br />
the outcome, but his confidence<br />
in his teammate<br />
never wavered during the<br />
game.<br />
“Throughout the whole<br />
game I thought we were<br />
going to win, even when<br />
we came out during that<br />
third period when we were<br />
down two goals,” he said.<br />
The sentiment was different<br />
for Loyola.<br />
“We told the guys before<br />
playoff time that it’s a process,”<br />
said Loyola Gold<br />
head coach Donald Lavarre.<br />
“Whether you continue<br />
to advance, you’re<br />
always in the moment.<br />
We will cherish the moment<br />
right now, together,<br />
and tomorrow’s a new day.<br />
We’re still alive. We get<br />
to enjoy going to practice,<br />
team stretches or whatever<br />
team functions we have.”<br />
The journey to defending<br />
their state title started<br />
with two quick goals in<br />
the first period to give the<br />
Ramblers a 2-0 advantage<br />
going into the second.<br />
Loyola forward Andrew<br />
Buck broke through first,<br />
with Cole Corrigan and<br />
Christian Dunne picking<br />
up the assists. Matthew<br />
Schauwecker, assisted by<br />
Jacob Gonzalez, made it<br />
2-0 roughly two minutes<br />
later, and Loyola Gold<br />
held that lead through the<br />
first.<br />
The Celtics came out<br />
with fire to start the second<br />
period, and after switching<br />
up their lines quickly<br />
evened the score.<br />
“With playing a more<br />
veteran team, with older<br />
kids, we knew we couldn’t<br />
afford to make any mistakes,”<br />
Providence coach<br />
Nick Iaciancio said. “We<br />
made a couple in the first<br />
period that led to those<br />
goals, but we came back<br />
from that, and I’m proud<br />
of that effort.”<br />
Colin Reis broke<br />
through first under two<br />
minutes into the second<br />
period.<br />
Just seven seconds later,<br />
Peyton Botich’s shot dribbled<br />
past Loyola’s goaltender<br />
Matthew Choate,<br />
and tied the game with 15<br />
minutes, 18 seconds left in<br />
the period.<br />
“We changed things up,<br />
we decided we were going<br />
to pressure them, so we<br />
got a couple of quick ones<br />
off of that,” Iaciancio said.<br />
“We got into some penalty<br />
trouble after that, and I<br />
think that took some of our<br />
momentum away.”<br />
It wasn’t Loyola’s best<br />
hockey in the first minute<br />
and a half of the second,<br />
Providence’s Marc Johnston (in green) gets aggressive behind the net against<br />
Loyola’s Hayden Beck March 11 during the AHAI state semifinal match between the<br />
two teams in Bensenville. Photos by Brittany Kapa/22nd Century Media<br />
Loyola’s Eamon O’Brien (left) and Providence’s Graham Garrett try to edge each<br />
other out for puck possession along the boards.<br />
and Lavarre knew that.<br />
“We fell asleep there for<br />
a minute and a half, it happens,”<br />
Lavarre said. “It’s<br />
unfortunate, but you didn’t<br />
really hear me say much.<br />
It’s about how you adapt<br />
to a little adversity, and<br />
our backs were against the<br />
wall there for a minute and<br />
a half, two minutes.”<br />
Loyola stayed calm<br />
under pressure, but the<br />
scored stayed even until<br />
the last two minutes of the<br />
period when Aidan Finegan’s<br />
rebound popped<br />
out in Cooper Prawdzik’s<br />
wheelhouse. Prawdzik<br />
took just a second to line<br />
up on a wide-open stickside<br />
net, and took the lead<br />
back for the Ramblers.<br />
Penalty trouble hurt a<br />
young Providence team at<br />
the start of the third, and<br />
a veteran Loyola squad<br />
didn’t waste time turning<br />
that into their advantage.<br />
Gonzalez, assisted by<br />
Finegan, scored the insurance<br />
goal early in the third<br />
period.<br />
“I think 20 seniors going<br />
into the third period<br />
knew that their season was<br />
on the line,” Lavarre said<br />
about his team’s aggressive<br />
third-period play.<br />
Providence, with 13<br />
rookies on the team this<br />
season, two freshmen<br />
among them, played their<br />
best hockey in the last two<br />
weeks of the season.<br />
“It was going to be a<br />
year where it took some<br />
time to mature. Luckily,<br />
we matured the last two<br />
weeks of the season,” Iaciancio<br />
said.<br />
While some sophomores<br />
might be intimidated going<br />
up against the defending<br />
state champions, McConnell<br />
knew his best course<br />
of action was to stay calm<br />
and play his game. He recorded<br />
nine blocked shots<br />
during the effort.<br />
“I played my game exactly<br />
how I played every<br />
other game,” he said. “I<br />
wasn’t scared. I just came<br />
out and played. I knew we<br />
could beat them. We just<br />
came up short.”<br />
With so many players returning<br />
next season, Iaciancio<br />
has high hopes for what<br />
next season will bring.<br />
“I just told the returning<br />
players that we’re going<br />
to expect a lot out of them<br />
now, they showed that they<br />
can do what we asked for<br />
and going forward that’s<br />
going to be their expectation,”<br />
he said.
Farrakhan is optimistic about<br />
his upcoming outdoor season.<br />
“Execution is the name of<br />
the game at the end of the day,”<br />
he said. “I’m getting there, and<br />
it’s only a matter of time until I<br />
spread my wings.”<br />
East’s Tyler Marchert (47-4.5)<br />
was the runner-up in the shot put<br />
while, Micah Cox (13-2) and<br />
Julian Bendy (12-25) finished<br />
second and third, respectively, in<br />
the pole vault.<br />
The Griffins’ Damone Hall<br />
took third in the 200 meters<br />
(24.52).<br />
Lockport senior Joe Edwards<br />
had the benefit of being teammates<br />
with three-time state<br />
champion shot put star John<br />
Meyer, who’s now at Michigan<br />
after graduating last year.<br />
“I learned a lot from him,<br />
watching his spins and technique,”<br />
Edwards said. “I still<br />
talk to him to this day, talk about<br />
technique and things.”<br />
Edwards is putting the lessons<br />
to good use. After a slow start at<br />
the conference meet, Edwards<br />
produced a throw of 47-feet<br />
11.5-inches to win the shot put<br />
title by 7 inches.<br />
“I was a little shaky at first, but<br />
I built my confidence and did my<br />
best at the end,” Edwards said. “I<br />
made a few adjustments and got<br />
a good throw in there.”<br />
Lockport coach Tom Razo<br />
was proud to see Edwards push<br />
through.<br />
“It’s good for Joe,” Razo said.<br />
“He threw well last week and<br />
then he wasn’t doing so well today,<br />
but he picked up the pieces<br />
and did what he had to do to win.<br />
He fought through the adversity<br />
and did well.”<br />
Lockport’s Ross Cronholm<br />
(4:35.01) finished third with a<br />
personal record in the 1,600,<br />
with teammate Donovan Paske<br />
(4:36.77) taking fourth.<br />
The Porters’ Ray Holland<br />
(8.68) and Aaron Kiela (8.83)<br />
were third and fourth, respec-<br />
42 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger sports<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
Boys Track and Field<br />
Knights claim 6th place at SWSC Indoor Championships<br />
LW East gets top spot,<br />
West finishes 10th<br />
Steve Millar, Sports Editor<br />
Brett Gardner is two-for-two<br />
at conference meets this school<br />
year, and the Lincoln-Way East<br />
junior made it look easy on Friday,<br />
March 15.<br />
Gardner ran away with the<br />
3,200-meter title at the South-<br />
West Suburban Indoor Championships,<br />
posting a personalrecord<br />
time of 9 minutes, 21.09<br />
seconds to finish more than 24<br />
seconds ahead of runner-up Tyler<br />
Cushing of Bolingbrook.<br />
Gardner, who also won the<br />
Southwest Suburban Blue cross<br />
country title in the fall, pulled<br />
away from the field over the last<br />
lap.<br />
“For being indoors and not the<br />
best track to run on, I thought<br />
I ran well,” Gardner said. “I<br />
thought I had another gear that I<br />
could get to at any time. I started<br />
settling in, realized I had to go,<br />
and when I did it felt good.”<br />
Gardner’s victory helped the<br />
Griffins win the team title with<br />
65 points, edging Andrew (63)<br />
and Thornridge (61).<br />
Lockport (51) and Sandburg<br />
(45) rounded out the top five,<br />
with Lincoln-Way Central (42)<br />
finishing sixth.<br />
Lincoln-Way West (16.5) was<br />
10th.<br />
“It feels great to be a conference<br />
champion,” Gardner said.<br />
“A lot of us having good days<br />
here will help propel us into the<br />
outdoor season.”<br />
Gardner expects to be at his<br />
best when things move outside.<br />
“If you’re running times under<br />
9:30 on a track like this inside,<br />
you’re doing something right,”<br />
he said. “This gives me a lot of<br />
confidence.<br />
“I’ve gotten in really good<br />
shape, grinding out my workouts,<br />
doing all the little things<br />
and I feel like it’s really paying<br />
off. When we get on some bigger<br />
Lincoln-Way Central’s Jared Kreis is congratulated after winning the 1,600 meters at the SouthWest<br />
Suburban Indoor Championships on Friday, March 15. Steve Millar/22nd Century Media<br />
tracks and get outdoors, it should<br />
be really fun.”<br />
Lincoln-Way Central junior<br />
Jared Kreis was unsure how he’d<br />
run in the 1,600 as he came in to<br />
the meet feeling far less than 100<br />
percent.<br />
Kreis missed the Batavia Invite<br />
on March 8 with the flu,<br />
which also hampered his preparation<br />
for the conference meet.<br />
“My training week was kind<br />
of compromised so I didn’t really<br />
know what to expect in the<br />
race, but I thought it turned out<br />
pretty well,” Kreis said.<br />
Indeed, it did. Kreis (4:25.46)<br />
built a big early lead and cruised<br />
to the win over teammate Andrew<br />
Englert (4:32.4).<br />
“If I can get a win when I’ve<br />
been sick, I’m happy with that,”<br />
Kreis said. “It wasn’t a [personal<br />
record], but you can’t always<br />
go out there and [a personal record].”<br />
Kreis executed his strategy by<br />
establishing a quick pace from<br />
the start.<br />
“I knew from the gun that<br />
there were going to be some<br />
good competitors and my goal<br />
was to take the lead early and see<br />
what I could do,” he said. “After<br />
a while, I realized I was out there<br />
by myself, so I just had to keep<br />
pushing it and it ended up working<br />
out pretty good for me.”<br />
Central senior Jacob Erickson<br />
won his first indoor conference<br />
title in pole vault after taking the<br />
outdoor crown last spring.<br />
Erickson’s vault of 13-feet<br />
8-inches was 6 inches better than<br />
the rest of the field.<br />
“I’ve had a really strong indoor<br />
season and it’ll give me a<br />
lot of confidence going into the<br />
outdoor season,” he said. “I feel<br />
like my offseason work helped a<br />
lot. I did a lot of sprints, a lot of<br />
working on my legs, and I feel<br />
like that made a huge difference.<br />
Once I started doing that, the<br />
heights just started coming”<br />
Erickson said he plans to push<br />
himself higher in the outdoor<br />
season.<br />
“I feel like I’ve got a lot more<br />
in me,” he said. “I know what I<br />
need to work on, and if I can fix<br />
a couple things, I’ll go up.<br />
“I want to keep my run the<br />
same and just work on being big<br />
and blowing through sticks, being<br />
comfortable moving up to<br />
heights that are uncomfortable to<br />
me now.”<br />
The Knights’ 4x800 relay<br />
team of Kreis, Jackson Burriss,<br />
Erik Johnson and Jonah Haskins<br />
finished second in 8:42.31, just<br />
under 14 seconds behind Sandburg.<br />
Central’s Adam Kedzior (12-<br />
2) was fourth in the pole vault.<br />
Lincoln-Way West’s WaQuan<br />
Brown (7.39) was third in the<br />
60, while the Warriors’ Jonathan<br />
Stiglic, Jack Quinn, Jack Auchstetter<br />
and Nolan Krol (8:49.04)<br />
took third in the 4x800.<br />
Griffins senior Fard Farrakhan<br />
went 45-feet 1-inch to win the<br />
triple jump.<br />
“Of course, I’m shooting to go<br />
longer and I know I can do better,<br />
but I gave it all I had,” Farrakhan<br />
said. “I’m looking forward<br />
to getting some practice time in<br />
and getting ready for outdoors,<br />
because that’s when it really<br />
matters.”<br />
Please see boys track, 43
mokenamessenger.com sports<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 43<br />
This Week In...<br />
Lincoln-Way Co-op<br />
Athletics<br />
Boys Lacrosse<br />
■March ■ 27 - hosts Stagg/<br />
Sandburg co-op, 7:30 p.m.<br />
Girls Lacrosse<br />
■March ■ 23 - at Marian<br />
Catholic, 10:30 a.m.<br />
■March ■ 27 - at Lockport,<br />
6 p.m.<br />
Knights Varsity<br />
Athletics<br />
Boys Water Polo<br />
■March ■ 26 - hosts Lincoln-<br />
Way West, 10 a.m.<br />
■March ■ 27 - hosts Lincoln-<br />
Way East, 10 a.m.<br />
Girls Water Polo<br />
■March ■ 23 - at Lyons<br />
Township Invite, 9 a.m.<br />
■March ■ 26 - at Lincoln-Way<br />
West, 5 p.m.<br />
■March ■ 27 - at Lincoln-Way<br />
East, 9 a.m.<br />
Boys Track and Field<br />
■March ■ 23 - at Illinois Prep<br />
Top Times meet, TBA<br />
Girls Track and Field<br />
■March ■ 23 - at Illinois Prep<br />
Top Times meet, TBA<br />
Boys Volleyball<br />
■March ■ 22 - at Marist<br />
Invite, 5 p.m.<br />
■March ■ 23 - at Marist<br />
Invite, 9 a.m.<br />
■March ■ 26 - hosts T.F.<br />
North, 5:30 p.m.<br />
Girls Soccer<br />
■March ■ 21 - hosts Marist,<br />
6:15 p.m.<br />
■March ■ 23 - at Windy City<br />
Classic, TBA<br />
■March ■ 25 - hosts<br />
Shepard, 6:15 p.m.<br />
■March ■ 27 - hosts Tinley<br />
Park, 11:45 a.m.<br />
Baseball<br />
■March ■ 22 - at Hinsdale<br />
South, 4:30 p.m.<br />
■March ■ 26 - hosts St.<br />
Laurence, 4:30 p.m.<br />
■March ■ 27 - hosts<br />
Naperville Central, 1 p.m.<br />
Softball<br />
■March ■ 25 - hosts<br />
Sandburg, 4:30 p.m.<br />
■March ■ 27 - at Lockport,<br />
4:30 p.m.<br />
Badminton<br />
■March ■ 23 - hosts LWC,<br />
H-F, Lemont, 8 a.m.<br />
■March ■ 26 - at Sandburg,<br />
8 a.m.<br />
Boys Tennis<br />
■March ■ 25 - at Oak Forest,<br />
10 a.m.<br />
Griffins Varsity<br />
Athletics<br />
Baseball<br />
■March ■ 22 - at Washington,<br />
Playing the Turf Jamboree,<br />
6:15 p.m.<br />
■March ■ 23 - at Glenbard<br />
North, Playing the Turf<br />
Jamboree, 9 a.m.<br />
■March ■ 25 - at Thornridge,<br />
4:30 p.m.<br />
■March ■ 27 - hosts Lincoln-<br />
Way West, 11 a.m.<br />
■March ■ 28 - at Thornton,<br />
4:30 p.m.<br />
Softball<br />
■March ■ 22 - at Minooka,<br />
4:30 p.m.<br />
■March ■ 25 - at Thornton,<br />
4:30 p.m.<br />
■March ■ 27 - hosts Andrew,<br />
11 a.m.<br />
■March ■ 28 - hosts Normal<br />
Community, 11 a.m.<br />
Boys Water Polo<br />
■March ■ 26 - at Sandburg,<br />
9 a.m.<br />
■March ■ 27 - at Lincoln-Way<br />
Central, 5 p.m.<br />
Girls Water Polo<br />
■March ■ 21 - at Riverside-<br />
Brookfield, 5 p.m.<br />
■March ■ 26 - hosts<br />
Sandburg, 9 a.m.<br />
■March ■ 27 - hosts Lincoln-<br />
Way Central, 9 a.m.<br />
Girls Soccer<br />
■March ■ 24 - at Windy City<br />
Classic, TBA<br />
■March ■ 26 - at Stagg, 10<br />
a.m.<br />
Badminton<br />
■March ■ 21 - hosts Lincoln-<br />
Way West, 4:30 p.m.<br />
■March ■ 23 - at Lincoln-Way<br />
Central Knight Quad, 8 a.m.<br />
■March ■ 28 - at Bradley-<br />
Bourbonnais, 10 a.m.<br />
Boys Tennis<br />
■March ■ 28 - hosts Joliet<br />
Catholic Academy, 4:30<br />
p.m.<br />
Boys volleyball<br />
■March ■ 21 - at Glenbard<br />
West, 6 p.m.<br />
■March ■ 28 - at Wheaton<br />
Warrenville South Tiger<br />
Classic, 5 p.m.<br />
Girls Track and Field<br />
FLYING HIGH<br />
Griffins soar to SWSC indoor title with 114 points<br />
Lincoln-Way East’s Janae Sanders leaps a hurdle in the 60-meter hurdles during<br />
the SouthWest Suburban Indoor Championships on Saturday, March 16. Sanders<br />
finished eighth. Photos by Mark Korosa/22nd Century Media<br />
boys track<br />
From Page 42<br />
tively, in the 60-meter<br />
hurdles.<br />
“Ross put up a solid<br />
time and Ray had a really<br />
solid race,” Razo said. “It<br />
was good to see.<br />
Colin Stapleton, Michael<br />
Barber, Alexander<br />
Kistinger and Josh Scholl<br />
(8:49.34) took fourth for<br />
the Porters in the 4x800,<br />
while Stapleton, Barber,<br />
Brendan Diamond and<br />
Devan Callahan (3:44.54)<br />
were fourth in the 4x400.<br />
Razo said he mixed up<br />
his lineup to test his team.<br />
“We didn’t run everybody<br />
in their main events,<br />
and guys still put up good<br />
times,” Razo said. “It’s<br />
good to develop the kids<br />
for the long run, they can’t<br />
be running the same events<br />
over and over. It teaches<br />
them to push themselves<br />
and be uncomfortable in<br />
different situations.”<br />
Razo is looking for the<br />
Porters to make big strides<br />
in the outdoor season.<br />
“This is a springboard<br />
into outdoors,” he said.<br />
“It’s a long season. Hopefully<br />
we can keep building,<br />
get some more speed<br />
and be ready to take the<br />
next step.”<br />
The Griffins’ Jenna Couwenhoven (left) and Ashley Mills finished third and second,<br />
respectively, in the 1,600 meters.
44 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger mokena<br />
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the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 45<br />
allegreti<br />
From Page 47<br />
talented football player.”<br />
Allegretti said Kreutz helped switch up<br />
his stance and his stagger.<br />
“But [also] just little things — how detailed<br />
he was with his hand placements<br />
and stuff like that,” Allegretti said. “The<br />
small, fine details of the game are what<br />
keep you in it or get you out of it.”<br />
Then, it was onto the East-West Shrine<br />
Game in Florida. Allegretti said the game<br />
week was hectic but fun. It started with a<br />
visit to the Shriner’s Hospital in Florida,<br />
and then continued with a week of practices<br />
before the game, which Allegretti<br />
said were almost as important as the actual<br />
game because of all the scouts and<br />
coaches there. Allegretti viewed it as a<br />
job interview, creating a resume for later<br />
this year when he tries to make a team out<br />
of camp.<br />
Next, Allegretti participated in a Pro<br />
Day at Illinois on March 11. A total of 29<br />
teams were there scouting Allegretti and<br />
some of his draft-eligible teammates.<br />
Allegretti measured in at 6-foot 4-inches<br />
and 310 pounds. He said he felt he ran<br />
well in the agility drills and the 40-yard<br />
dash. But the biggest part of the day was<br />
the offensive line drills. He worked out of<br />
a left-handed guard stance, a right-handed<br />
guard stance and at center.<br />
“I got to showcase a lot of my abilities,”<br />
he said.<br />
Then, after that, he broke down film<br />
with scouts and talked about protection<br />
schemes.<br />
Overall, he said he thinks that his opportunities<br />
will come from his versatility.<br />
That said, he thinks his best spot is at<br />
center.<br />
“That’s where I can move the best<br />
and excel, but a majority of teams might<br />
want me because I can play right and left<br />
[guard] or center,” he said.<br />
Nick Allegretti (left) takes a photo with<br />
former Bears center Olin Kreutz.<br />
Photo submitted<br />
‘The steal of the draft’<br />
Heading into the April draft, Allegretti<br />
is on some mock draft boards as a lateround<br />
pick. Drafted or not, if he makes a<br />
team, he’d be the first Frankfort Falcons<br />
football player to make the NFL.<br />
Zvonar thinks whoever gets Allegretti<br />
will be getting “the steal of the draft.”<br />
“You’re going to get an extremely highcharacter<br />
young man [who] is going to be<br />
an excellent football player [who] has the<br />
ability to play in the league for a decade,”<br />
Zvonar said. “You’re going to get a lot<br />
more than a football player. You’re going<br />
to get a tremendous human being and citizen,<br />
who is going to represent your organization<br />
well. He’s going to be an asset to<br />
that team.”<br />
Byrd also thinks the team that gets Allegretti<br />
will be getting someone special.<br />
“He’s going to maximize the things he<br />
has control over,” Byrd said of Allegretti.<br />
“I’m a big effort and attitude guy — that’s<br />
my mantra as a coach. That’s been Nicky<br />
Allegretti since Day 1 of high school to<br />
his last day at U of I. It didn’t matter if<br />
we were struggling as a team or if he was<br />
struggling in a match personally, he was<br />
going to give everything he had every<br />
single round. That’s what they are going<br />
to get out of him.”<br />
Carl Allegretti, Nick’s father, said his<br />
family has taken everything in stride during<br />
Nick’s road to the NFL.<br />
“I never really thought long-term,” Carl<br />
said. “What did I worry about when he<br />
was playing with the Falcons? Being able<br />
to make the team at Lincoln-Way East.<br />
It’s not easy to make that team. We’re a<br />
humble family, and I just wanted him to<br />
have the chance to play for Coach Zvonar.<br />
“Then, after that, it was doing the best<br />
you could on the mat, on the field and<br />
academically [to] get to the University<br />
of Illinois. What did I want him to do at<br />
Illinois? I wanted him to earn a starting<br />
spot and he ended up starting 36 straight<br />
games and playing in 48 straight games<br />
and being All Big 10.”<br />
Now, whether his son is drafted or<br />
signed as a free agent, Carl said he is going<br />
to be a proud father.<br />
For his own part, Allegretti isn’t sure if<br />
he will be drafted or not. But regardless, it<br />
all ends the same for him.<br />
“When you get to camp, you’ve got to<br />
make the team,” he said.<br />
So, what does he think a team will be<br />
getting if they take a chance on him?<br />
“Every day, you can expect me to be on<br />
the practice field — banged up or not,”<br />
Allegretti said. “I think teams will get a<br />
great deal out of me, and I plan on playing<br />
in the NFL for a long time.”<br />
LINCOLN-WAY SWIM ASSOCIATION<br />
GATORS<br />
TRYOUTS<br />
APRIL 1 st & APRIL 3 rd<br />
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Ages 9 and Over • 7pm<br />
at Lincoln-Way Central<br />
High School<br />
2019 WINTER<br />
GOLD CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS<br />
www.lwsagators.org<br />
Email LWSA Board president Michelle Moline<br />
at president@lwsagators.org to sign up!
46 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger sports<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
Pitching platoon pulls off win for Griffins<br />
RANDY WHALEN<br />
Freelance Reporter<br />
If you’re going to start<br />
what could be a special<br />
season, then you want to<br />
do it as early as possible.<br />
The Lincoln-Way East<br />
baseball team, which returns<br />
13 players from last<br />
season’s successful squad,<br />
did just that and got off to<br />
a hot start last week.<br />
According to Illinois<br />
High School Association<br />
rules, the earliest day a<br />
baseball game could be<br />
scheduled this season was<br />
March 11. Well, that day<br />
East played a baseball<br />
game.<br />
The Griffins (2-0<br />
through March 13) had<br />
another one two days later.<br />
That was a little more local<br />
and had good field<br />
conditions as they toppled<br />
Wilmington 5-2 in a nonconference<br />
matchup on<br />
March 13 at Route 66 Stadium<br />
in Joliet. The field<br />
there was converted to turf<br />
this year. That paid dividends<br />
as a steady rain earlier<br />
in the day didn’t rain<br />
out the game, which got<br />
off to a late 6:27 p.m. first<br />
pitch.<br />
“I like to play as early as<br />
possible,” East coach Eric<br />
Brauer said. “I like to see<br />
what we have in a game<br />
situation. You can only<br />
practice so much inside<br />
and do the same things in<br />
a fieldhouse.”<br />
The game itself resembled<br />
an early season one<br />
as the two teams combined<br />
for seven errors while each<br />
having six hits. But, despite<br />
making four errors,<br />
East took advantage of its<br />
opportunities to pull out<br />
the win.<br />
East used four pitchers,<br />
who allowed no earned<br />
runs, and each one of them<br />
had at least one strikeout.<br />
Sophomore Landen<br />
Looper went the first two<br />
innings and allowed no<br />
hits with three strikeouts<br />
and two walks. The rest of<br />
the Griffin pitchers all allowed<br />
two hits and had a<br />
strikeout with no walks.<br />
They were junior Mike<br />
Szczasny (2 2/3 IP), senior<br />
Matt Clark (2/3 IP) and senior<br />
Ethan Lambrigger (1<br />
2/3 IP). They were helped<br />
by inning-ending double<br />
plays to end both the sixth<br />
and seventh innings.<br />
“Everyone is on a low<br />
pitch count to start the<br />
season,” Brauer said. “Every<br />
year our expectations<br />
are high. We expect good<br />
things and to do well.<br />
We’ve got some internal<br />
goals that we’ve set. A lot<br />
of guys have their own<br />
goals and are going to look<br />
to be better.”<br />
East’s senior center<br />
fielder Tyler Safarik led off<br />
the bottom of the first with<br />
a triple to center and then<br />
scored on a passed ball. It<br />
became 3-0 in the fourth<br />
when senior second baseman<br />
Matt Watson (1-for-<br />
2, walk) scored on a wild<br />
pitch, and courtesy runner<br />
Jack Bertolani (2 runs)<br />
scored on a passed ball for<br />
a 3-0 lead.<br />
Bertolani scored again<br />
in the fifth on an error to<br />
make it 4-1. Junior designated<br />
hitter Ryan Mc-<br />
Coy added an RBI single<br />
to right in the inning that<br />
scored senior third baseman<br />
Zack Jurgens (1-3,<br />
walk) for a 5-1 lead. Senior<br />
shortstop Ryan Ritter and<br />
senior first baseman Casey<br />
Schlif were both 1-3 with a<br />
walk for the Griffins.<br />
Wilmington (0-1), which<br />
won the Class A state title<br />
Lincoln-Way East’s senior center fielder Tyler Safarik gets a hit and later scores<br />
during the 5-2 win over Wilmington March 13.<br />
Photos by Julie McMann/22nd Century Media<br />
The Griffins’ senior second baseman Matt Watson gets the force out and looks to<br />
turn the double play.<br />
in 2003 and 2005, scored a<br />
run in the fifth on an RBI<br />
single by senior Conner<br />
Dempsey (3-4, double)<br />
and a run in the sixth on<br />
a wild pitch. Ryan Woodall<br />
(2-2) and fellow senior<br />
Eli Byrd (1-2, walk) added<br />
hits for the Wildcats.<br />
Last year the Griffins<br />
went 28-6, establishing a<br />
new school record for most<br />
wins in a season. They also<br />
captured their second regional<br />
championship in the<br />
past three years. They expect<br />
to contend for another<br />
regional title and beyond,<br />
as well as the SouthWest<br />
Suburban Blue championship.<br />
“We’re really excited,”<br />
Watson said. “We know<br />
it’s a long season, but we’ll<br />
make sure we work hard.<br />
We’ve got a lot of returners<br />
and a lot to prove. We<br />
have a chip on our shoulder<br />
from last year and a<br />
bunch of awesome seniors.<br />
“For me, I just want to<br />
be a leader on this team. I<br />
want to make myself better<br />
and everyone around<br />
me better.”<br />
Two days earlier, on<br />
March 11, the Griffins<br />
traveled to Wheaton College<br />
for the season opener<br />
and defeated Hoffman Estates<br />
12-1 in six innings.<br />
Senior lefty Cole Kirschsieper<br />
got the win, junior<br />
right fielder Cael Geijer<br />
had three hits in his varsity<br />
debut and junior designated<br />
hitter Ryan McCoy<br />
(2-for-3) added four RBI<br />
as East had 12 hits.<br />
Hoffman Estates had<br />
only one hit off four Griffin<br />
pitchers. Kirschsieper<br />
(2 IP, 5 strikeouts, one<br />
hit) and junior lefty Sean<br />
McLaughlin (2 2/3 IP, 8<br />
strikeouts, 1 walk) were<br />
the two East pitchers<br />
that went at least two innings.<br />
East scored three<br />
in the first and added four<br />
more runs in the top of the<br />
fourth to take a 9-0 lead.<br />
The Hawks (0-1), who<br />
committed three errors,<br />
scored their run in the bottom<br />
of the fourth.<br />
This week East has<br />
games scheduled for 6:15<br />
p.m. Friday, March 22<br />
against Washington, and at<br />
9 a.m. Saturday, March 23,<br />
they face Glenbard North.
mokenamessenger.com sports<br />
the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 47<br />
fastbreak<br />
Going Places<br />
LW East grad Allegretti hopes for NFL shot<br />
Steve Millar/22nd Century<br />
Media<br />
1st and 3<br />
Griffins, Knights<br />
star at SWSC meet<br />
1. Brett Gardner<br />
(Above)<br />
The Lincoln-Way<br />
East junior won the<br />
3,200 meters at<br />
the SWSC indoor<br />
meet with a time of<br />
9 minutes, 21.09<br />
seconds. It’s his<br />
second conference<br />
title this school year<br />
as he also won one<br />
in cross country.<br />
2. Jared Kreis<br />
The Lincoln-Way<br />
Central junior took<br />
the SWSC indoor<br />
title in the 1,600<br />
meters in dominant<br />
fashion, his time of<br />
4:25.46 besting the<br />
field by nearly seven<br />
seconds.<br />
3. LW East girls<br />
The Griffins rolled<br />
to the SWSC indoor<br />
title with 114 points,<br />
53 more than<br />
runner-up Lockport.<br />
Senior Taylor Wright<br />
won four events: the<br />
60, 200, 400 and<br />
long jump.<br />
Jon DePaolis<br />
Freelance Reporter<br />
From high school to college,<br />
Nick Allegretti has<br />
dominated on the gridiron.<br />
Now, the Lincoln-Way<br />
East graduate hopes to<br />
make it to the top of the<br />
mountain: the National<br />
Football League.<br />
Allegretti, who just<br />
wrapped up his senior<br />
season at the University<br />
of Illinois Urbana-Champaign<br />
in November 2018,<br />
has been keeping busy on<br />
his road to the 2019 NFL<br />
Draft by participating<br />
in the East-West Shrine<br />
Game, taking part in Pro<br />
Days and working on his<br />
offensive line skills with a<br />
six-time Pro-Bowler.<br />
Big (Ten) impact<br />
While his senior season<br />
didn’t end the way he<br />
wanted — the Illini finished<br />
4-8 in 2018 — Allegretti<br />
capped his collegiate<br />
career off with a bevy of<br />
awards and honors. He<br />
was a three-time Academic<br />
All-Big 10 player,<br />
as well as a two-time Big<br />
10 Sportsmanship Award<br />
winner. He also was selected<br />
as a 2018 All Big 10<br />
second-teamer.<br />
But Allegretti also<br />
earned a different type of<br />
recognition the past two<br />
years.<br />
“Getting voted captain<br />
two years in a row and<br />
getting [it] voted by your<br />
teammates — it means a<br />
lot from the coaches, but<br />
when it is by your teammates,<br />
the guys in that<br />
locker room, it means a little<br />
more,” Allegretti said.<br />
Ultimately, while the<br />
team didn’t see a lot of<br />
success during his time<br />
there, Allegretti said he<br />
was happy with the choice<br />
he made to attend the university.<br />
He also saw the<br />
program through a tough<br />
time, as the team went<br />
through three head coaches<br />
in a short period of time.<br />
“But the last three years<br />
have been big building<br />
years,” he said. “Now,<br />
I’m leaving a program<br />
that is much older in the<br />
locker room and [has] an<br />
incredible coaching staff.<br />
The new facilities are just<br />
about up and running.<br />
It’s good to see that when<br />
you’re leaving a program,<br />
things are on the up and<br />
up. I’m excited about that<br />
O-line that has taken some<br />
huge steps over the last<br />
few years.”<br />
Allegretti also was at the<br />
forefront this season, taking<br />
on the role of being a<br />
vocal leader — skills he<br />
developed early in his career<br />
at Lincoln-Way East.<br />
“He was the guy that<br />
held everything together<br />
for us and made sure guys<br />
were working hard and<br />
doing the right things at<br />
school and on the field,”<br />
East coach Rob Zvonar<br />
said. “But he was also the<br />
guy who was also making<br />
sure the guys were making<br />
Former Griffins football player Nick Allegretti prepares<br />
for the 2019 NFL Draft after finishing his college career<br />
at University of Illinois. University of Illinois Athletics<br />
the correct decisions off<br />
the field.”<br />
It was a trait Zvonar saw<br />
Allegretti exhibiting yet<br />
again at Illinois.<br />
‘His work ethic was<br />
exceptional’<br />
Zvonar said he knew<br />
early on that Allegretti<br />
could be a special player.<br />
“He was a big kid, but as<br />
he grew, he became more<br />
and more athletic,” Zvonar<br />
said. “But what really<br />
stuck out first and foremost<br />
was his character and<br />
then his relentless work<br />
ethic. We had our eyes on<br />
him in sixth through eighth<br />
grade. So, when he came<br />
into East, we knew we<br />
wanted to get him ready<br />
for varsity football as soon<br />
as possible.”<br />
Allegretti bypassed<br />
freshman-level football<br />
and started right away<br />
with the sophomore squad<br />
his first year. Then, after<br />
being a standout, he won<br />
the starting varsity center<br />
job over the summer<br />
for his sophomore year in<br />
2011. From there, he became<br />
a two-time All-State<br />
selection his junior and<br />
senior seasons, and he was<br />
the first All-American in<br />
school history.<br />
Allegretti also excelled<br />
off the field. At East,<br />
Zvonar said he and the<br />
other coaches talk about<br />
having “revolving integrity,”<br />
which means not just<br />
being great on the football<br />
field but also in every<br />
phase of the player’s life.<br />
That could mean being a<br />
great student, being a great<br />
family member, or having<br />
that integrity in the community<br />
or in one’s social<br />
life.<br />
“He certainly was as<br />
good of an example of that<br />
as we’ve ever had,” Zvonar<br />
said. “When you’re raising<br />
your own sons, you look<br />
for role models for them.<br />
Although my guys are a<br />
little younger than Nick,<br />
you hope your sons can<br />
grow up to be just a little<br />
bit like Nick Allegretti —<br />
and then they’ll be OK.”<br />
Tyrone Byrd, former<br />
East wrestling coach, also<br />
pointed to Allegretti’s<br />
talent and character at a<br />
young age.<br />
“His work ethic was exceptional,”<br />
Byrd added.<br />
Because of his size,<br />
Allegretti had to wrestle<br />
bigger, older guys when<br />
he was a freshman. Immediately,<br />
Byrd said he<br />
recognized a maturity in<br />
Allegretti and a desire to<br />
try and get better. If there<br />
was something extra that<br />
needed to be done, Byrd<br />
said Allegretti was going<br />
to do it.<br />
Versatility on display<br />
After the Illini’s season<br />
ended, Allegretti got to<br />
work right away preparing<br />
for the draft, including<br />
getting personal coaching<br />
from former Chicago<br />
Bears center Olin Kreutz.<br />
“That was incredible,”<br />
Allegretti said. “To [work<br />
with] a guy who has done<br />
it all — played in a Super<br />
Bowl, been an All-Pro and<br />
Pro-Bowler; he’s the guy I<br />
watched my whole life, a<br />
role model and incredibly<br />
Please see Allegreti, 45<br />
LISTEN UP<br />
“We’ve got a lot of returners and a lot to prove. We have a chip on<br />
our shoulder from last year and a bunch of awesome seniors.<br />
Matt Watson — Lincoln-Way East senior second baseman<br />
Tune In<br />
GIRLS WATER POLO<br />
9 a.m. Wednesday, March 27<br />
• Lincoln-Way East hosts Lincoln-Way Central in a<br />
District 210 showdown.<br />
Index<br />
43- This Week In...<br />
40 - Athlete of the Week<br />
FASTBREAK is compiled by Sports Editor<br />
Steve Millar, s.millar@22ndcm.com.
mokena’s Hometown Newspaper | March 21, 2019<br />
TRACK<br />
Knight boys, girls shine at SWSC<br />
meet, Page 42<br />
Skating off<br />
Provi hockey season ends at<br />
state semis, Page 41<br />
Lincoln-Way East’s Matt Clark is one of four<br />
Griffin pitchers used in the 5-2 win over<br />
Wilmington March 13. Julie McMann/22nd<br />
Century Media<br />
LW East uses four pitchers in win<br />
over Wilmington, Page 46<br />
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