OP_0606

16 | June 6, 2019 | the orland Park Prairie news
OPPrairie.com
FROM THE MOKENA MESSENGER
$100K to be spent on
downtown improvements
The Mokena Village Board
approved at its May 28 meeting
more than $100,000 worth of
streetscape improvements to the
downtown district.
Bernardin Landscaping, of
Mokena, was awarded the contract
in the amount of $102,335
after a 3-1 vote.
Trustee Joseph Budzyn cast
the lone dissenting vote.
“This is a maintenance project
that includes excavation,
disposal, preparation of the
base, installation of brick pavers
and restoration of the affected
areas,” Public Works Director
Lou Tiberi said.
Before the rest of the board
commented, Mayor Frank
Fleischer asked Trustees George
Metanias and Jillian Hersted to
give their thoughts on the project,
as they were previously
asked to take the lead on working
with staff to put together the
project details.
“I think this enhancement of
our downtown is past due not
only for the looks but [also] for
safety,” Metanias said. “[Trustee
Hersted] and I, and staff, met
there a few times. We tried to
figure out what was best and
what would look good and what
would be safe. We came up with
a plan, and staff put it all together.
We put it out for bid, and I
think this will not only enhance
our downtown to make it look
nice and clean but I think it will
be maintenance-free. But it will
be safe, also, for people walking
around. There was a lot of work
put into it.”
Reporting by Jon DePaolis, Freelance
Reporter. For more, visit
MokenaMessenger.com.
FROM THE FRANKFORT STATION
Relay for Life to raise more
funds for American Cancer
Society
Area residents will continue
the American Cancer Society’s
tradition of supporting cancer
research and honoring cancer
survivors this week at the Relay
for Life of Greater Will County.
The annual event is scheduled
from 3-11 p.m. Saturday, June
8, at the Lincoln-Way North
building, 19900 S. Harlem Ave.
in Frankfort.
For Event Chairperson
DeAnn Anzaldi, a breast cancer
survivor, seeing all of the cancer
survivors wear the event’s distinctive
purple shirts gives her
hope.
“The more purple shirts, that
means that more people are
beating the disease,” she said.
“That’s why I feel special about
it. I know the American Cancer
Society does a lot of great
things, but for me, it’s just a
symbol. If there’s 100 purple
shirts out there, it gives me inspiration
that it can be beat.”
This year, 15 teams are participating
in the Relay for Life,
with an average of 10 people per
team. Anzaldi expects 200-300
attendees, including walkers,
vendors, survivors and members
of the event committee.
Anzaldi said she hopes this
year’s relay raises approximately
$15,000.
“It’s for research,” she said.
“It’s for any of the programs
that the American Cancer Society
provides. ... They have
programs for cancer survivors
going through treatment.”
Reporting by Nuria Mathog, Editor.
For more, visit FrankfortSta
tion.com.
FROM THE TINLEY JUNCTION
Tinley girl’s lemonade stand
raises big bucks for good causes
Most children start a lemonade
stand to buy a toy or a bike.
Kiera Fitzmaurice started hers
to give away the proceeds.
With her sixth annual charity
event approaching, the 9-yearold
from Tinley Park has raised
more than $5,500 to date for a
variety of causes and is aiming
to make an even bigger impact.
“I wanted to give something
away, but I couldn’t think of
what,” she said, telling the story
of how she came up with the
idea. “I realized I really like
lemonade, and a lot of people
like drinking it on hot days. So,
I realized I could sell lemonade
and give the money away.”
The stand — which will be
set up Saturday, June 15, in the
Fitzmaurice driveway at 16906
Sandy Lane — has benefitted
a different organization every
year. This year’s recipient is
RE;ACT 4 Ryan, a nonprofit
dedicated to equipping first responders
with mental health
counseling and training.
In addition to the lemonade
— made from the same recipe
each year and costing just 50
cents a glass — the event has
grown to include fire trucks, engines
and ambulances from the
Tinley Park Fire Department, as
well as a collection of other custom
vehicles. Grilled meats and
other barbecue foods are part of
the mix, too.
The stand will be open from
around 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Reporting by Will O’Brien, Freelance
Reporter. For more visit
TinleyJunction.com.
FROM THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT
Doughnuts and beer making
return to Arrowhead Ales for
Father’s Day
Not too long ago, Arrowhead
Ales Brewing Company in New
Lenox teamed up with Home
Cut Donuts in Joliet to create a
beer. All 700 22-ounce bottles
of that beer sold in one hour.
So, the two entities are coming
together again to make
twice the amount of beer this
time around, adding a blueberry
variant set to come out on Father’s
Day, Sunday, June 16.
“It’s going to be a good day,”
said Mike Bacon, owner and
head brewer of Arrowhead.
“We’re offering a special menu
with traditional barbecue items
paired with our new beer releases.
It’s a great way to spend
Father’s Day — barbecue, beer,
doughnuts.”
The beer’s release was originally
slated for the Saturday of
Father’s Day weekend, but now
being on Father’s Day it gives
people something unique to do
on that day.
“[We said] let’s gear it toward
Father’s Day and give people
something else fun to do,” Bacon
said. “It’s something that
nobody else is doing around
here.”
Arrowhead Ales opens at 11
a.m. on June 16 and is located
at 2101 Calistoga Drive in New
Lenox.
Reporting by Sean Hastings, Editor.
For more, visit NewLenoxPa
triot.com.
FROM THE HOMER HORIZON
Cruise nights ride back into Big
R parking lot for 2019 season
There is nothing quite like
spending a day in the sun, listening
to oldies and looking
underneath the hood of classic
cars.
After getting rained out with
its first attempt at its season
opener, the Lemont Classic Car
Club held its first weekly cruise
night of the 2019 season on May
26 in the Big R parking lot. The
parking lot was filled with cars
of all makes and models, from
vintage to modern. And with
every car was a story its driver
was excited to tell.
Since the club’s founding as
a nonprofit in 2001, the Lemont
Classic Car Club has used its
classic cars to raise money for
local charities. By using funds
raised from weekly 50/50 raffles
at cruise nights, as well as entry
fees to the annual car show,
the group has been able to assist
charities in the community
such as One Step at a Time, a
camp for children with cancer;
Shady Oaks, a camp for people
with disabilities; and the TLC
Animal Shelter.
For club secretary Sharen
Moscato, of Homer Glen, classic
cars and charity go together.
“If you can’t do something
nice with one of your classic
cars, why have it?” Moscato
asked. “You have to do good,
and you have to give back.
That’s what we’re here for.”
The car club will gather in the
Big R lot from 4-7 p.m. every
Sunday through September.
Reporting by Rochelle McAuliffe,
Freelance Reporter. For more visit
HomerHorizon.com.
FROM THE LOCKPORT LEGEND
Lockport children’s theater
group stages second musical
production
Bragi’s Players Children’s
Theatre is bringing some youth
and children’s stories to Taft
School’s 80-year-old theater
this weekend with its second
musical production.
“Seussical Jr.,” a musical
by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen
Flaherty, based on the stories
of Dr. Seuss, is to be performed
by Bragi’s Players at
7 p.m. on June 6, 7 and 8, and at
3 p.m. on June 9 at Taft School,
1605 S. Washington St. in Lockport.
Patty Colella, the producer
and director of the Bragi’s Players,
said after the fun and success
they had with putting on
their first musical production of
“Grease” last year, they decided
to come back with another this
year. She said although “Seussical
Jr.” is based on familiar
children’s book characters, it is
a Broadway production and is
meant for audience members of
all ages to enjoy.
Colella said the musical captures
the children’s excitement
and love for theater, and they
are all “very excited” for the
premiere.
Bragi’s Players is a nonprofit
sponsored by the Taft Foundation.
Children ages 5-14 from
school districts 33C, 90, 91 and
92 (and more), take part in the
theater, with approximately 39
total cast members.
Colella and Co-Director La-
Donna Lopez both said it is
important to them to keep the
theater going for children who
wish to be a part of it.
Reporting by Alex Ivanisevic,
Assistant Editor. For more, visit
LockportLegend.com.