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18 | May 23, 2019 | the homer horizon news homerhorizon.com FROM THE TINLEY JUNCTION Tinley native named Lynchburg, Virginia, Teacher of the Year Andrew Napierkowski has come a long way since his days as a studious-butshy teen in Tinley Park. He has moved from the back of the classroom to the front, and from the Midwest to the South. His personal and professional development has been such, in fact, that on May 1, his employer, Lynchburg City Schools in Lynchburg, Virginia, named him the district’s Teacher of the Year. “It’s a really amazing, humbling honor,” Napierkowski said. “We have a lot of great teachers in the area, and we all work hard. For someone to recognize all that effort, it’s just really nice.” Napierkowski said the “ah-ha” moments with students are what keep him motivated. “When you see their eyes get really big, and watch them get it, that’s why I teach,” he said. “Everything else is just a benefit.” In 2013, his student teaching assignment landed him at Heritage High School, where he has been ever since. The award, though given in a surprising, heartwarming fashion, did not take Napierkowski totally off-guard. He puts in long hours, often working well after work, and serves on a variety of administrative committees at the school, including its faculty advisor group and its National Honor Society. In April, Heritage Principal Timothy Beatty informed Napierkowski he nominated him for the award. Napierkowski put together a packet outlining some of his accomplishments and prepped for an interview with an administrative panel. He thought the process went well but was not expecting to win. “I’m not in it for acknowledgement,” he said. Reporting by Will O’Brien, Freelance Reporter. For more, visit TinleyJunction. com. FROM THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT 3 Corners Grill & Tap now open The wait has finally ended for New Lenox. 3 Corners Grill & Tap is now open at 901 E. Lincoln Highway. Its official opening day was May 13. The new establishment takes the spot of what was formerly Floyd’s Ale House, which closed in 2015, and The Charley Horse, which closed in 2013. 3 Corners has two other locations, in Lemont and Downers Grove. The New Lenox location’s hours are 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. On its website, 3 Corners says it offers 27 different beers. The menu features a selection of starters, burgers, wraps, sandwiches, soups, “minis,” flatbreads, entrees, sides and a children’s menu. For more information, visit www.3cornersgrill. com/new-lenox. Reporting by Sean Hastings, Editor. For more, visit New LenoxPatriot.com. FROM THE ORLAND PARK PRAIRIE Orland Park’s Dylan Cruz prepares to release film on Amazon Prime Dylan Cruz is always on the move, in pursuit of a new ideas and new opportunities, and new ways to share his talents with the world. The minute the Orland Park resident finished postproduction on “The Day After Halloween,” a featurelength film he wrote and directed, and in which he starred, he has been busy in pursuit of the next project. “I’ve been running around like crazy, but it’s been a good crazy,” he said. The post-production process for “The Day After Halloween” involved intense, sometimes 10-hourlong stints of viewing footage with the production team and editing together the best takes. It took roughly one year of work before the film was finalized. Then, Cruz and his team gathered paperwork to submit the film to Amazon for streaming on Amazon Prime. Once closed captioning was added to the film, so it could also be shown in other countries, Amazon accepted the film for streaming. It is scheduled to be published at the end of the summer on the streaming service. Amazon Prime customers can view the film for free, and others can rent or purchase the film through Amazon. “I’m really excited to finally show the public what I’ve been up to for the past year-and-a-half,” Cruz said. “It’s a proud moment to see something you thought about come alive in front of you. ... It’s definitely put a new, reignited desire and passion in me to create more, beyond what I’ve already made.” For more information about Cruz’s projects, visit www.dylancruzofficial. com. Reporting by Meredith Dobes, Freelance Reporter. For more, visit OPPrairie.com. FROM THE MOKENA MESSENGER Mokena preschoolers ready for real world of kindergarten The gym auditorium at Mokena Elementary School was filled with smiles and songs May 15, as graduation season began with Mokena Community Park District’s Spring Preschool Program ceremony. The celebration taught the toddlers that graduation not only signifies the end of their preschool experience but also a transition on their path to kindergarten. “I love being each child’s very first teacher on their educational journey,” said Janet Nush, the Mokena Community Park District preschool teacher. “I love seeing each child develop a love for learning, and seeing each child learn and grow in the two years that they are with me.” Nush and childcare aide Janine White welcomed the attendees. Following the introduction, the graduating students came to the stage to lead the group in the “Pledge of Allegiance,” followed by the Mokena Park District song “Days of the Week.” The students also danced to the songs “Twink a Link,” “Jack and Jill” and “Humpty Dumpty.” At Mokena Park District Early Childhood Education, teachers utilize standard curriculum — introducing math, science and social studies concepts — to create a higher level of thinking and basis for their continued education. Reporting by Caitlin Fyfe, Freelance Reporter. For more, visit MokenaMessenger. com. FROM THE FRANKFORT STATION Hickory Creek students star in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ It was a tale as old as time, performed by some of Frankfort’s youngest actors and actresses. The Hickory Creek Middle School production of “Beauty and the Beast,” which debuted the evening of Friday, May 17, and ran through Sunday, May 19, was the culmination of months of the hard work of approximately 130 middle school students. In addition to performing onstage, the students served on the stage crew, helped with makeup and costumes backstage and participated as dance assistants, said Cori Chojnacki, the school’s chorus booster president. Several of the lead roles in the musical were double-cast to provide more acting opportunities for the young performers. “For me, it’s always fun to see the progression of it from the very beginning to the showtime and how much the kids grow and how they can be proud of all their hard work,” she said. “We are actually sold out of every show, so we are very excited about that, and the kids are really looking forward to performing in front of such big audiences.” Now in its 23rd year, the musical was directed by Leslie Walton, with the assistance of Cindy Heath and Rebecca Schumacher. “Every year, Ms. Walton chooses her show based on the students that she has in the chorus and what show she thinks best fits their personalities,” Chojnacki explained. Reporting by Nuria Mathog, Editor. For more, visit Frank fortStation.com.
homerhorizon.com sound off the homer horizon | May 23, 2019 | 19 Social snapshot Top Web Stories From HomerHorizon.com from Monday, May 20. 1. Police conduct Sticker Shock Campaign at Kenwood Liquors 2. LTHS students dominate in drafting and design 3. Volunteers assist in readying Shady Oaks Camp at annual clean-up day 4. Girls Track and Field: Five Porters qualify for state out of tough sectional 5. Homer 33C district leaders elaborate on curriculum, facility updates Become a Horizon Plus member: homerhorizon.com/plus “Hey! All your friends will be at <strong>HO</strong>MERFEST June 20-23!” Homer Community Fest, from May 15. Like The Homer Horizon: facebook.com/homerhorizon “Congratulations to the outstanding students recognized today by the Science and English Departments. Mason Kuhn, Gabrielle Bach, Thomas Wolf, Alexis Quemeneur, David Bruining and Eric Keta. #PorterPride” @LockportHS205, Lockport Township High School, from May 16. Follow The Homer Horizon: @homerhorizon Sound Off Policy Editorials and columns are the opinions of the author. Pieces from 22nd Century Media are the thoughts of the company as a whole. The Homer Horizon encourages readers to write letters to Sound Off. All letters must be signed, and names and hometowns will be published. We also ask that writers include their address and phone number for verification, not publication. Letters should be limited to 400 words. The Homer Horizon reserves the right to edit letters. Letters become property of The Homer Horizon. Letters that are published do not reflect the thoughts and views of The Homer Horizon. Letters can be mailed to: The Homer Horizon, 11516 West 183rd Street, Unit SW Office Condo #3, Orland Park, Illinois, 60467. Fax letters to (708) 326-9179 or e-mail to tom@homerhorizon.com. www.homerhorizon.com. From the Editor Remembering the true meaning of Memorial Day Thomas Czaja tom@homerhorizon.com By the time of this issue date, it will already almost be Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day weekend is looked forward to by many as a day off from work, the unofficial start of the summer season and perhaps the time for a weekend getaway. It is a time spent relaxing and with family and friends. But besides being those things for many of us, it is always important to recall the true meaning of the day, the remembrance and honoring of those who gave their lives in the armed forces for this country. Taking some time to reflect on this, and family and friends who have served and those who made the ultimate sacrifice makes us more fully appreciate the military and all those men and women go through and sacrifice on our behalf. As we do each year, we have published our Memorial Day list of local veterans who died while serving. You can view this list in its entirety on Page 13 of this issue. These are your local heroes from PRESENTED BY 22ND CENTURY MEDIA wars throughout the history of our country. And if there are any others who need to be added to the list that you know of, please do not hesitate in reaching out so they can be included in the future. Also, another big military story pertaining to the community can be found this week on Page 4. One of the local heroes on the aforementioned list is Pfc. Michael Olivieri, a Homer Glen native who was killed in action in Iraq in 2011. He was chosen to be the namesake of the new Pfc. Michael C. Olivieri Memorial American Legion Post 2011 that is having its inauguration this upcoming Sunday. Post 2011 was started by a group of veterans at Marian Village who this past Veterans Day were having dinner when they came up with the idea. It is great that Homer Glen will now have an American Legion it can call its own and will no doubt serve the community and area service members by remembering the fallen around Memorial Day and with its other initiatives and meetings. Finally, we have something on Page 12 of this Summer Social 5–8 p.m. Thursday, June 13, Orland Park Crossing, 14225 95th Ave. (143rd Street & LaGrange Road), Orland Park Last Call Before Fall 6–9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, Georgios Orland Park, 8800 W. 159th St., Orland Park Mistletoe Market 4–7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, Orland Park Crossing, 14225 95th Ave. (143rd Street & LaGrange Road), Orland Park issue about a Homer Glen native currently enlisted in the Navy involved with strategic deterrence. He is just one example of someone currently serving who is making a difference and the community proud. Veterans are at the heart of Homer Glen, and we continue to see all the sacrifices they have made as they continue to be rightfully honored. This Memorial Day, may we pause to remember those who breathed their last for fellow Americans and thank those still around and serving. VENDORS WANTED Deadline - May 31 Ghouls Night Out 6–9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, Konow’s Corn Maze, 16849 S. Cedar Road, Homer Glen Vendor and sponsor opportunities available! (708) 326-9170 ext. 16 h.warthen@22ndcenturymedia.com visit us online at www.HomerHorizon.com
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