MK_072519

® 

Hey, mambo 

Festa Italiana offers Mokenians 

taste of Old Country, Page 4 

Local commissioner resigns 

Planning, Zoning Board member embroiled in 

controversial comments quits, Page 6 

Empowering women 

Women learn self-defense techniques, 

Page 8 

mokena’s Award-Winning Hometown Newspaper mokenamessenger.com • July 25, 2019 • Vol. 11 No. 50 • $1 

A 

Publication 

,LLC 

Annual Firecracker Weekend draws big 

crowds despite heat, Page 3 

Attendees at the annual Firecracker Dance join together sampling 

local food, beverages and music Saturday, July 20, in the Metra lot 

on Front Street in downtown Mokena. Photo submitted 

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2 | July 25, 2019 | the mokena messenger calendar 

mokenamessenger.com 

In this week’s 

Messenger 

Pet of the Week.............15 

Editorial........................19 

Faith Briefs....................22 

Puzzles..........................30 

The Scene......................30 

Classifieds................ 33-40 

The Mokena 

Messenger 

ph: 708.326.9170 fx: 708.326.9179 

Editor 

TJ Kremer III, x29 

tj@mokenamessenger.com 

sports editor 

Steve Millar, ext 34 

s.millar@22ndcm.com 

Sales director 

Lora Healy, x31 

l.healy@22ndcenturymedia.com 

real estate sales 

Tricia Kobylarczyk, x47 

t.weber@22ndcenturymedia.com 

classifieds/Legal Notices 

Jeff Schouten, x51 

j.schouten@22ndcenturymedia.com 

PUBLISHER 

Joe Coughlin 847.272.4565, x16 

j.coughlin@22ndcenturymedia.com 

Managing Editor 

Bill Jones, x20 

bill@opprairie.com 

president 

Andrew Nicks 

a.nicks@22ndcenturymedia.com 

EDITORIAL DESIGN DIRECTOR 

Nancy Burgan, x30 

n.burgan@22ndcenturymedia.com 

22 nd Century Media 

11516 West 183rd Street 

Unit SW Office Condo #3 

Orland Park, IL 60467 

www.MokenaMessenger.com 

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circulation inquiries 

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is published weekly by 

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Published by 

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Thursday 

Mokena Park’s Movie in 

the Park 

8:15 p.m. July 25, Yunker 

Park, 10824 W. LaPorte 

Road in Mokena. Join 

Mokena Community Park 

District for its Movie in 

the Park, “Coco.” Terraced 

lawn seating is available, 

or bring lawn chairs or 

blankets to enjoy these 

great summer events. Alcohol, 

candles and sparklers 

are prohibited. In the 

event of inclement weather, 

visit mokenapark.com 

or Mokena Community 

Park District’s Facebook 

page for event status. For 

more information, call 

(708) 390-2401, or visit 

mokenapark.com. 

SATURDAY 

Sensory-friendly dinosaur 

dig 

10:30-11:15 a.m. July 

27, Mokena Community 

Public Library District, 

11327 W. 195th St. in 

Mokena. Join the Mokena 

Community Public 

Library District as our 

sensory-friendly program 

goes back in time to locate 

and dig up dinosaur 

bones. Each child will get 

their own sensory friendly 

dig site and special dinosaur 

to discover. Child 

should come with a parent 

or caregiver. Limit of 

10 children per class, ages 

3–9 years old. To register, 

call (708) 479-9663, 

or register through our 

events calendar at moke 

nalibrary.org. 

UPCOMING 

Create your own comic 

book contest 

Aug. 1-31, Mokena 

Community Public Library 

District, 11327 

195th St. in Mokena. Stop 

by the Mokena Community 

Public Library District 

on Aug. 1st to grab blank 

comic book sheets in the 

Children’s Department 

and start creating a comic 

world. Submit a finished 

comic book by 5 p.m. Aug. 

24. The comic books will 

be read and judged during 

the week. The winners and 

prizes will be announced 

on between 1-2 p.m. on 

Aug. 31. This contest 

is open to grades Pre-K 

through fifth. For more information, 

call (708) 479- 

9663, or visit mokenali 

brary.org. 

Paint and create Friday 

10-11 a.m. Aug. 2, Mokena 


Library District, 11327 

195th St. in Mokena. Wear 

your old clothes and come 

prepared to get messy at 

the Mokena Community 

Public Library District. 

We will be painting with 

different brushes and materials, 

like feathers, cotton 

balls and sponges, or 

you can paint with your 

fingers. Smocks will be 

provided for the children. 

Age’s infant-5 years old. 

Limit of 20 children per 

class. To register, call 

(708) 479-9663, or register 

on our events calendar 

at mokenalibrary.org. 

Lincoln-Way Area 

MobliePack meal packing 

9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Aug. 

3, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Aug. 4, 

Lincoln-Way West High 

School, 21701 Gougar 

Road in New Lenox. Lincoln-Way 

Area MobilPack 

and Feed My Starving 

Children are looking for 

volunteers to help pack 

132,192 meals. This will 

potentially feed 362 hungry 

children for an entire 

year. For information on 

how to volunteer, or to 

make a donation, visit 

fmsc.org/mobilepack. 

Infant social time at the 

library 

10-11 a.m. Aug. 5, Mokena 



195th St. in Mokena. 

Come and meet other infants 

and toddlers at the 

Mokena Community Public 

Library District. You 

can play, socialize, and 

listen to music and stories. 

Age’s newborn-3 years 

old are welcome. To register, 

call (708) 479-9663 

or register on our events 

calendar at mokenalibrary. 

org. 

Lincoln-Way Foundation 

half marathon and new 

10K 

7 a.m. Sept. 14, Breidert 

Green in downtown Frankfort. 

Join the Lincoln-Way 

Foundation for a day of 

running, music, food, refreshments, 

exhibitors 

and more. Net proceeds 

will fund scholarships as 

well as grant requests for 

educational enhancements 

made on behalf of the 

students at Lincoln-Way 

Community High School 

District 210. This event is 

open to people of all ages. 

For more information, 

visit lincolnwayhalfma 

rathon.com, email robert. 

kennedy@lw210.org, or 

call (815) 462-2976. 

Trivia Night 

6 p.m. Sept. 21, Mokena 

VFW Post 725, 19852 

Wolf Road in Mokena. 

Join the Mokena Miracles 

for Trivia Night. Get a 

group of six to eight people 

for a table, or come 

meet new people. Pizza 

dinner included in ticket 

price, cash bar available, 

50/50 raffle, raffle baskets 

and more. Tickets are $25/ 

person or $150/table. For 


(708) 580-6479, or email 

mokenamiracles@gmail. 

com. 

ONGOING 

Kindergarten Registration 

Drive 

8 a.m.-4 p.m. Ongoing. 

District Administrative 

Center, 20100 South 

Spruce Drive in Frankfort. 

Summit Hill School 

District’s 2019-20 kindergarten 

registration drive 

continues. Parents may 

access studentregistration. 

org to review the checklist 

of documents needed 

for registration. Parents 

have the option of enrolling 

their kindergartener in 

the extended day program 

or the half-day program. 

Registration fee for extended 

day is $150. Registration 

fee for half day is 

$125. Payment options are 

available. 

Mokena Fire Protection 

CPR Class 

6-9:30 p.m. Ongoing. 

Mokena Fire Station 

1, 19853 S. Wolf Road, 

Moknea. The Mokena Fire 

Protection District offers 

monthly CPR classes for 

the public. Students are instructed 

in adult, child and 

infant CPR and AED. The 

cost of the class is $35 for 

LIST IT YOURSELF 

Reach out to thousands of daily 

users by submitting your event at 

MokenaMessenger.com/calendar 

For just print*, email all information to 

m.schuller@22ndcm.com 

*Deadline for print is 5 p.m. the Thursday prior to publication. 

Community CPR and $40 

Healthcare CPR. Register 

for specific dates at moke 

nafire.org. 

Lincoln-Way Toastmasters 

7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 

Frankfort Village Hall, 

432 Nebraska Street, 

Frankfort. Meets the 1st 

and 3rd Thursday of each 

month. Toastmasters is a 

community based organization 

whose primarily 

goal is to help people 

overcome their fear of 

public speaking while also 

developing leadership 

skills. 

3D Printer Class 

10-11 a.m. every third 

Saturday of the month, 

Mokena Community Public 


W. 195th St. Visit the YA 

Computer Lab to create 

3-D nameplates with our 

Makerbot 2x 3-D Printer. 

Call (708) 479-9663 for 

more information. 

Township Trip to Ireland 

Register now for the 

Frankfort Township’s trip 

to Ireland Oct. 15-22. 

Visit the Emerald Isle for 

a night’s stay in a castle, 

stand on the Cliffs of Moher 

and tour Dublin. There 

will be whiskey tastings, 

visits to churches and other 

historic sites including 

the Blarney Stone and the 

Blarney Castle. For more 

information, call Jodi at 

(815) 806-2766.

mokenamessenger.com news 

the mokena messenger | July 25, 2019 | 3 

Lions keep tradition alive 

with Firecracker Weekend 

T.J. Kremer III, Editor 

Despite heat indexes 

topping 100 degrees Friday, 

July 19, and Saturday, 

July 20, Firecracker Weekend, 

hosted by the Mokena 

Lions Club, brought hundreds 

of Mokenaians out 

for two days of entertainment. 

The annual event, now 

in its 32nd year, is the biggest 

fundraising event of 

the year for the Lions, according 

to the club’s Vice- 

President Robin Urbaszewski. 

“The Firecracker Dance 

Weekend is our largest 

fundraiser of the year, 

generating close to 90 percent 

of our total annual 

income,” Urbaszewski 

said. “The proceeds from 

this event allow us to support 

local individuals and 

organizations that are in 

need. While our focus is 

on visual and hearing impairment, 

we also provide 

food baskets four times per 

year, and scholarships.” 

The money raised goes 

directly back into the community, 

supporting such 

programs as: Juvenile 

Diabetes Research Foundation; 

community eye exams 

and glasses expenses 

covered by Mokena Lions 

Club; Lincoln-Way graduates 

scholarships; food 

baskets and gift cards for 

Mokena families in need; 

Lincoln-Way Special Recreation 

Foundation; Trinity 

Services Foundation; 

Oasis for the Visually Impaired; 

Heartland Service 

Dogs; The Bridge Teen 

Center; and Camp Lions, 

among a host of others. 

The event has grown 

over the past six years 

from just a one-night 

dance, which the Lions bill 

as Mokena’s biggest party, 

to include a car and motorcycle 

show, and the inaugural 

“Made In America” 

vendor show. 

Firecracker Weekend 

kicked off Friday night 

with Musicpalooza, featuring 

musical performances 

by Mokena’s All About 

Music and Children’s Theatre. 

Saturday began with a 

car show and vendor fair 

in the morning, followed 

by the main attraction — a 

concert featuring Johnny 

Russler and the Beach 

Bum Band Rendition — as 

temperatures slowly began 

to drop in the evening. 

Please see Weekend, 9 

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4 | July 25, 2019 | the mokena messenger news 


Italian fest brings out American spirit 

Mary Compton, Freelance Reporter 

As Mokena’s annual Festa Italiana 

was underway Sunday July 

21, rain began to pour down along 

Front Street. Making sure there 

was enough sausage, Mokena resident 

Ray Loffredi kept the food on 

the grill despite the wet weather. 

“The rain won’t stop me,” 

Loffredi said. 

He was one of the original 

four men who started the Mokena 

Festa. 

“Myself and three others began 

this as we were having wine 

in my basement. We thought it 

would be great to have an Italian 

Fest in Mokena,” he said. 

This was the sixth year for the 

Festa. 

“We all took part, we put this 

together [and] look what it is today,” 

he said. 

Loffredi wanted to make sure 

with any Italian Festa the food 

would be first rate. 

“Some people took on entertainment, 

I wanted to take care 

of the food. Every year I make 

the homemade sausage,” Loffredi 

said. “The past six years I 

made Ray’s Sausage, which is 

my grandfather’s recipe from 

Amaseno Italy. My whole life 

I’ve been making this sausage. I 

now teach my son to carry on the 

tradition.” 

It was the first time it had 

rained during the annual Festa. 

Numbers of attendees were 

down for this year’s celebration 

of Italian culture. 

“It’s a little damp today,” said 

Vince DiFiore, who is chairman 

of the board for Festa Italiana in 

Mokena. 

DiFiore, who has lived in Mokena 

for 22 years, is also one of 

the men who began Festa. 

“Despite the rain, it’s a decent 

crowd,” DiFiore said. “This feast 

started at 69th Street in Chicago. 

This is the Feast of Mary Mount 

Carmel. My mother’s name happened 

to be Maria Carmella, 

who was born on the Feast day 

so this is very special.” 

While Vince was preparing to 

While local popular entertainer Frank Rossi plays the accordion, Maureen McBride from Orland Park 

dances with Rocco Fusco during the 6th annual Festa Italiana in Mokena Sunday, July 21. Photos by 

Mary Compton/22nd Century Media 

sing, “Sweet Caroline” was resonating 

throughout the large white 

tent, being sung by Joe Zirconia. 

“I’m going to be singing a 

short set with about eight songs 

from Sinatra tunes to George 

Strait,” DiFiore said. “I’m a better 

entertainer than I am a singer. 

“This day is to let people experience 

what our heritage is. 

We celebrate family, fun, faith 

and music.” 

DiFiore has been performing 

for more than 30 years. Other 

performers who brought their 

talents to Mokena’s Festa were 

Jack Miuccio, Nino Folino, John 

Truncali, Frank Rossi, Franco 

Martarano, Carmelo Zaconne, 

Ted Aliotta and Dave Molinari 

with The Fabtones. 

“If the audience is having a 

good time, I’m having a good 

time,” DiFiore said. 

DiFiore said that many residents 

are not aware that Festa 

Italiana is a fundraiser. 

“We generally help Lincoln 

Way Special [Recreation], 

Knights of Columbus, the Mokena 

Lions Club and various 

charities we donate to,” he said. 

Vendors serving food at the 

Festa were Anthony’s Pizza, Aurelio’s 

in Mokena, Nothing Bundt 

Cakes from Mokena, Little Al’s 

and Palermo’s in Frankfort. The 

music continued as local favorite 

entertainer Rossi prepared to 

perform. Rossi played traditional 

Italian music along with songs 

by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet 

and Dean Martin. 

“I have my accordion today 

and brought Michael Vittori 

on drums, and singing is Wynn 

Kanten,” Rossi said. “This Festa 

is a way of life. Looking at the 

beauty of life like helping people. 

It’s also about food and family 

and music. Some of the songs 

I play bring back the heritage. 

This is how we live. I always 

want to bring the joy of music to 

thousands, one at a time.” 

As Rossi moved around the 

tent playing the accordion, more 

residents and friends began to fill 

up the tent. The President of Festa 

Italiana, Dave Molinari, said 

he is proud of the way the event 

has continued on. 

“Everything we do here today 

is for charity,” Molinari said. 

Molinari has been a Mokena 

resident for 25 years. He, DiFiore 

and others want to continue this 

Festa tradition for years to come. 

“You have to realize, despite 

the rain, the show must go on,” 

DiFiore said. “There is no business 

like show business. Today it 

shows there are good times and 

bad times. I know the spirit of Italy 

is here today, the spirit of America 

is here today. We’re American 

Italians not Italian Americans.” 

RIGHT: Vince DiFiore, of 

Mokena, sings, “New York, New 

York,” while Mary Pizzato (left 

to right), Marie Hanson, Isabella 

Hanson, Alexis Citro and Carol 

Kotinek form a chorus line.

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Local commissioner resigns posts following 

controversial remarks on social media 


Daniel Ray, an appointee 

on the Planning Commission 

and Zoning Board of 

Appeals, announced his 

resignation from both positions 

via a letter submitted 

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to Village officials July 16. 

In a two-sentence resignation 

letter to Mokena 

Mayor Frank Fleischer 

and the Village Board, Ray 

wrote: “I, Dan Ray, am 

resigning my position as 

a member of the Planning 

Commission and Zoning 

Board of Appeals, effective 

immediately. I would 

like to thank you for allowing 

me to serve the Village 

of Mokena.” 

Attempts to reach Ray 

for comment were not returned. 

Although no specific 

reason was given by Ray 

for his sudden resignation, 

he had been involved in an 

alleged dispute on Facebook 

over the Village’s 

decision to include the 2nd 

Kentucky Cavalry — an 

Addison-based, pro-Confederate 

group — as part 

of the Village’s Fourth of 

July fireworks show. The 

2nd Kentucky Cavalry had 

been responsible for shooting 

off cannons during the 

fireworks for the past approximately 

15 years. 

According to a screenshot 

provided by Emily 

Beigel, director of the 

Southwest Suburban Activists 

group, Ray wrote, 

“Can they aim the cannons 

at those panty waist south 

suburban ass-i-vist?” on 

a since-deleted Facebook 

thread originally posted by 

former Mokena Mayor Joe 

Werner on July 2. 

Beigel filed a complaint 

with the Mokena Police 

Department regarding 

what she called “threats” 

against her and members 

of her group. As of press 

time, no charges have been 

filed against Ray. 

During the July 8 Village 

Board meeting, Fleischer 

Please see fallout, 14 

Mokena D159 Board of Education 

Supt. gives ‘wish list’ for summer projects 


Superintendent Don 

White presented the Mokena 

D159 Board of Education 

during its July 17 

regular meeting with a 

“wish list” of projects he 

said he hopes the district 

can complete over the 

summer. 

Items on that list included: 

• Window and door replacement/repair 

at Mokena 

Intermediate School 

and Mokena Elementary 

School, not to exceed 

$20,000 

• Exhaust fans at MIS 

and MES, not to exceed 

$10,000 

• Painting at all three 

campuses, not to exceed 

$15,000 

• Water fountains with 

filters for bottle filling 

devices, not to exceed 

$23,000 

• Landscaping projects, 

not to exceed $20,000 

• Six total unit vent repairs 

at MIS and MES, not 

to exceed $25,000 

• Playground fence, not 

From July 17 

Mokena business triggers hazmat response 


Mokena Fire Protection 

District responded 

to a hazardous materials 

incident at Future Environmental 

Inc, 19701 97th 

Ave., at around 1:30 p.m. 

Wednesday, July, 17. 

The reason for the 

hazmat response was the 

release of an oxidizer, according 

to Mokena Fire 

Protection District Chief 

Howard Stephens. 

Some residents near the 

site were asked to stay in 

their homes while Mokena 

Fire and the MABAS19 

Round it up 

A brief recap of other items discussed at the July 

17 Mokena D159 Board of Education meeting 

• As part of the consent agenda, the board voted 

7-0 to approve a contract for photography services 

with VanGogh. 

• The board voted 7-0 to approve district bills for 

the month of June in the amount of $273,235.80. 

• The August regular meeting was rescheduled 

for 7 p.m. Aug. 14 at Mokena Elementary School, 

11244 Willowcrest Lane in Mokena. 

to exceed $10,000 

• Mokena Junior High 

School track repair, not to 

exceed $15,000 

• Concrete repair at 

MES, not to exceed 

$10,000 

“Our summer projects 

have gone extremely well 

this summer, so we’re a little 

bit ahead of the curve,” 

White said. “So, we’re in 

a place where we might 

be able to consider getting 

done some additional projects.” 

Funding for the projects 

has already been approved 

in the district’s fiscal year 

2019-2020 Operations and 

were requested. 

No injuries were reported, 

Stephens said. 

The area is free for traffic 

flow, and a containment 

and clean-up effort is under 

way and will be complete 

once the hazmat advisers 

indicate everything 

is safe, Stephens said. 

Maintenance budget; however, 

should any project 

exceed its specific limit 

for spending, then the district 

would hold off on that 

project until staff could 

come back to the board 

with a recommendation in 

August. 

White said he would like 

to begin the process of getting 

quotes for the projects 

and move forward with 

any that could be started 

and perhaps completed 

before the next board 

meeting in August. Any 

projects that would exceed 

$20,000 would require 

board approval. 

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Outgoing State Rep. continues self-defense class 

Rochelle McAuliffe 

Freelance Reporter 

When one usually hears about 

girl power, they do not think 

about it coming from the power 

of punches, but State Rep. Margo 

McDermed wants women to 

be empowered to defend themselves. 

On Thursday, July 18, Mc- 

Dermed of the 37th District hosted 

a women’s self-defense class 

at the New Lenox Village Hall. 

More than 40 women attended 

the class to learn more about how 

to protect and defend themselves, 

as well as prepare themselves to 

be more aware to react. 

The class focused on avoidance 

tactics, self-defense misconceptions, 

offensive techniques 

and defensive escapes. 

Led by One Light Self-Defense, 

One Light is a local nonprofit 

that teaches free courses across 

Illinois, with its message reaching 

as far as Nairobi, Kenya. One 

Light and Rep. McDermed have 

partnered for the past three years 

to provide this class for free to 

the residents of the 37th District. 

Julie Cempel of Tinley Park 

recruited four other women from 

her family circle to join her at the 

class, wanting to make sure that 

the women knew how to protect 

and defend themselves at all 

stages of life. 

“It’s a weird, crazy world out 

there today. I want these girls to 

know how to protect themselves 

on campus, in dating situations, 

even at the mall,” Cempel said. 

“Crime is everywhere, and these 

girls need to know what to do 

and how to protect themselves.” 

One of the things that concerned 

Cempel most was lack of 

situational awareness that comes 

from cell phones, leaving people 

distracted. 

“It’s always phones up and 

heads down,” Cempel said. 

Topics like this were addressed, 

making sure that the 

women understood tips such as 

checking mirrors before exiting 

a vehicle, or securing a child’s 

car seat from the driver’s seat 

with the doors locked rather than 

outside of the car. 

But it wasn’t just safety tips, 

as the women learned simple 

techniques in self-defense, such 

as knee kicks and jabs, but also 

some more advanced techniques, 

such as the single sinawali, a 

type of weaving parry to ward 

off an attack. 

“I really enjoy sponsoring 

these classes because we’re enabling 

women with self-defense 

tools, and letting women know 

that they can protect themselves,” 

said Kathy Hilton, chief 

of staff for McDermed. 

On July 10, Rep. McDermed 

announced that she would not be 

seeking reelection in 2020, following 

her 14 years as an elected 

official, preceded by 30 years as 

a corporate lawyer. 

Spending a lot of time with her 

grandchildren is what is up next 

for McDermed. 

“Her retirement is going to be 

a huge loss to the residents of the 

37th District, but she’s earned 

it,” Hilton said. “It’s been an 

honor to serve her.” 

Through an email, McDermed 

commented that one of the best 

parts of the job has been providing 

information and services 

like the self-defense class to the 

people of the 37th District. 

“I love sponsoring the selfdefense 

classes because they are 

simple yet powerful. Women and 

girls become more aware of their 

surroundings, and they learn 

simple, cost-free tools to escape 

a bad situation,” she wrote. “It’s 

my responsibility and privilege 

to share [this] with my constituents.” 

“We still have a year-and-ahalf 

left in term, so we’re running 

full steam ahead. There will 

be more classes announced,” 

said Hilton. 

After retirement, McDermed 

will consider sponsoring future 

self-defense classes as a retired 

representative if her successor 

doesn’t continue them. 

For more information about 

One Light Self-Defense, visit 

onelightselfdefense.com. 

Mary Thornton (left) and Pauline Deuran, both of Mokena, practice the single sinawali, a defensive 

technique taught by One Light Self-Defense during a self-defense class for women sponsored by State 

Rep. Margo McDermed Thursday, July 18, in New Lenox. Photos by Rochelle McAuliffe/22nd Century Media 

Tarne Mixon of One Light Self-Defense teaches a group how to throw elbow jabs.

mokenamessenger.com news 


Weekend 

From Page 3 

Also on hand — er, paw 

— for the festivities was 

Heartland Service Dogs 

newest puppy recruit, 

Rory, who is sponsored by 

the Mokena Lions Club. 

Attendees danced the 

night away while enjoying 

food from Beggars Pizza 

and Doc’s Smokehouse, 

and washing it down with 

craft beers from Arrowhead 

Ales, Hickory Creek Brewing 

Company, 350 Brewing 

Company or a beverage 

from Margaritaville, all local 

businesses that helped 

support the event. 

In order to make sure 

partygoers stayed cool, 

Frankfort Fire Protection 

District loaned two cooling 

stations with fans that 

blew a cool mist of water 

for anyone feeling overheated. 

The Mokena Lions 

boast more than 60 men 

and women who devote 

thousands of hours of their 

time and a fair amount of 

money out their own pockets, 

Urbaszewski said. 

They give 100 percent of 

their fundraising proceeds 

back to the local community. 

That means that any 

administration costs are 

supported strictly by members 

of the club. 

“The Lions Clubs International 

motto is ‘We 

serve,’ Urbaszewski said. 

“We are all just a single 

event away from a medical 

or financial hardship. To me 

it is a privilege to be in a position 

to give back to those 

who truly need help at some 

point in their lives.” 

For more information on 

the Mokena Lions Club, 

including information on 

how to join, visit moke 

nalions.org. 

To view more photos from 

Firecracker Weekend, visit 

MokenaMessenger.com. 

We all scream for ice scream 

Frankfort Police Department’s Cone with a Cop helps beat heat 

Mokena residents Gracie (left), Aidan (middle) and Noah Weathers enjoy free Kernel Sweetooth ice cream cones 

during Cone with a Cop in Frankfort Thursday, July 18. Laurie Fanelli/22nd Century Media 

Crystal Brook of Frankfort 

Grand Opening 

Monday - Friday 

Hawthorn Preserve of Lockport 

Close Out Open House 

Saturday & Sunday 

The Ashley The Milford The Erin II The Caitlin 

• Starting at the Mid 400’s 

• Lincoln Way East 210 School District 

• 56 lots Phase I- going fast 

• Visit us or by appointment 

Open Saturday & Sunday 

11:00- 3:00pm 

NOW 

OPEN 

ONLY 

8 

LEFT! 

• Starting as low as $315 

• 2,100 - 2,500 square feet 

• Visit us or by appointment 

10:00am -2:00pm 

or by appointment 

Call Jerry or Mike Murphy 

708-259-7018 

708-774-2427 

jmurphy@mallowhomes.com 

www.mallowhomes.com 

Call Mike Mangin 

312-914-4413 

mmangin1234@gmail.com

10 | July 25, 2019 | the mokena messenger school 


the Mokena messenger’s 

Standout Student 

Sponsored by Marquette Bank 

2019 

Jenin Ali, Mokena 

Junior High eighthgrader 

Reach more than 

87,900 

homes & businesses 

What do you like to do 

when you are not in school 

or studying? 

I like to go outside and 

hang out with my family. 

We enjoy spending 

time together and bonding 

while watching movies. 

PUBLISHES: 

Thursday August 8th 

SPACE/ADVERTORIAL: 

Wed July 24th 

AD APPROVAL: 

July 30th 

2nd Annual 

August 

Call your local sales director at 

708.326.9170 

22ndcenturymedia.com 

10 

3–10pm 

presented by 

$10 Tickets 

$15 on day of event 

Billie Limacher 

Bicentennial Park 

201 W. Jefferson St., Joliet,IL 

Where do you want to 

go to college/vocational 

school? 

I want to go into the 

medical field because I 

like helping people. 

What is your dream job? 

I hope to work in a hospital 

with a profession that 

allows me to be in the surgery 

room. 

What is one thing people 

don’t know about you? 

I’m actually pretty quiet 

at my house. 

Whom do you look up to 

and why? 

I look up to my mom 

because she manages our 

household seamlessly. It’s 

not easy dealing with two 

teen daughters and two 

little kids. I also look up 

to my dad because he has 

become successful without 

a formal education. He is a 

hard worker and provides 

for our family. 

What do you keep under 

your bed? 

I keep a box of pictures 

and memories that I like 

to take out when I feel 

like reflecting on the good 

times. 

What is/was your 

favorite class? 

All of the classes in the 

seventh grade are my favorite 

because they make 

learning fun and positively 

impact our lives. All of 

the teachers want the best 

for us and will help us become 

better people in the 

end. 

What’s one thing that 

stands out about your 

school? 

Everyone is nice and accepts 

each other for their 

differences. 

Photo submitted 

What is your favorite 

thing to eat in the 

cafeteria? 

I would rather bring 

food from home. 

What is your best memory 

from school? 

One of my favorite 

memories is from this 

year’s seventh-grade 

field trip to Springfield 

because I was with all of 

my friends and my favorite 

teachers, Mr. Bell, Ms. 

Harry, Mr. West, Ms Canning, 

Ms. Storino, Ms. 

Schoenecker, Ms. Amadio, 

and Mrs, Truffa. We 

wish Skinny Legend was 

there. 

Standout Student is a weekly 

feature for The Mokena Messenger. 

Nominations come 

from Mokena-area schools. 

Will-Joliet 

Bicentennial Park Inc. 

JOLIETBLUESFESTIVAL.COM 

visit us online at 

www.mokenamessenger.com



61st Annual 

Golf Outing 

The Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce would like to thank the following sponsors for 

supporting the Chamber’s Annual Golf Outing held recently at The Odyssey. 

Since 1948 

22nd Century Media 

350 Brewing Company 

Apple Chevrolet 

Arrenello’s Pizza 

Audio Visual Productions, Inc. 

Baird & Warner - Marty King 

Bettenhausen Automotive 

Brady-Gill Funeral Home 

CNB Bank & Trust, N.A. 

Cool Clouds LLC 

Donne Insurance 

Eternally Green Lawncare 

Goldy Locks, Inc. 

Gordon Flesch Company 

Hilton-Garden Inn-Chicago/Tinley Park 

Homewood Disposal (NuWay) 

Hutchison, Anders & Hickey 

Law Offices 

John Kasperek Co., Inc 

Jonker & Associates 

Nothing Bundt Cakes – Orland Park 

& Mokena 

NuMark Credit Union 

Shark Shredding & Document 

Management Services 

Smith Crossing 

South Suburban College 

Tinley Park 

815-469-4400 

The Horton Group 

Tinley Park High School 

Trouvaille Med Spa 

Victor J. Andrew High School 

Walt’s Food Centers 

Wingate by Wyndham 

The Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce would 

also like to send a special thank you to each 

and every one of our Raffle Prize & Goodie Bag 

Donors. Your contribution allows the Chamber’s 

Golf Outing to be a continued success. 

Thank you to all of our Volunteers! We couldn’t 

put on such a great Outing without your 

dedication and support. 

Elite e antage 

Checking 

Stated APY accurate as of 06-07-2019. 

***Open aconsumer 

Elite eVantage 

checking account and 

receive a$50.00 gift 

card to 

*Annual Percentage Yield 

•3.09% APY on balances up to $15,000 

•3.09% -1.08% APY on balances of $15,000.01 and above 

•0.10% APY on entire balance if requirements are not met. 

• A minimum deposit of $100 is required to open. 

•Offer applies to in-branch account opening only. 

**To qualify for premium rate, requirements must be met during each statement cycle: 

•Have 10 or more debit card POS purchases post to your account. 

•Have 1recurring direct deposit or 1recurring ACH debit or use CNB’s free Bill Pay 

•Access your CNB Online Banking at least once during the statement cycle 

•Have avalid email address to receive the required eStatements and electronic notices 

*** Youwill receive a$50 gift card toThe Primal Cut restaurant for opening anew Elite eVantage account. Youwill receive 

the gift card when the new account is opened. This offer is valid for alimited time only and expires on 8/31/19. Any bonus 

obtained in conjunction with opening this account is considered income and is reportable to the IRS. Youwill receive an IRS 

Form 1099-Misc by January 31 of the following year. 

APY and balance tiers are subject to change at any time at our discretion. Minimum average daily balance of $0.01 required to 

obtain advertised APY. Fees could reduce earnings on the account. 

17344 S. Oak Park Avenue 

Tinley Park, IL 

708-407-8150 

PALOS HEIGHTS |12727 S. RIDGELAND AVE |708.293.0121 

OAK FOREST |5459 W. 159TH ST. |708.535.8905 

TINLEY PARK |9400 W. 179TH ST. |708.580.0305 

www.cnbil.com

12 | July 25, 2019 | the mokena messenger mokena 


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AT&T UNLIMITED &MORE PREMIUM PLAN: Avail. to elig. customers only. Plan starts at $80/mo. after autopay & paperless bill discount w/in 2 bills. Enroll in both to get discount. Multiple Phone Line Discount: Monthly $15 (3 lines) or $30 (4 or more lines) discount applied to plan charge w/in 2 bills. Limits: After 22GB of data usage on a line in a bill cycle, for the remainder of the cycle, AT&T may temporarily slow data speeds on that line during 

times of network congestion. Select devices only, 10/plan. See att.com/unlimited for plan details & pricing. Wireless Streaming: Plan includes Stream Saver which limits wireless streaming to max of 1.5 Mbps (to stream in HD (up to 1080p) when avail., turn Stream Saver off). Details at att.com/streamsaver. Streaming ability & resolution vary and are affected by other factors. Tethering/Mobile Hotspot: Includes up to 15GB per line/mo. After 15GB, 

tethering speed will be slowed to max of 128 Kbps except for Connected Cars. WATCHTV: Add to &More Premium plan. To add, you must create account at attwatchtv.com/verifywatchtv, verify your wireless account & then you can access through WatchTV app or compatible browser. May require verification via text msg. Req’s compatible device (sold separately). WatchTV subject to its own terms & conditions, see attwatchtv.com/terms-and-conditions for 

details. Included channels, programming & content subj. to change & benefit may be terminated. Lost Eligibility: If you cancel elig. wireless svc, you lose access to WatchTV. Limits: Access to one WatchTV acct/wireless acct. Limit 1 concurrent stream with WatchTV. May not be stackable. Use only in the DCA. CHOOSE ONE: Elig. customers can add to AT&T Unlimited &More Premium for no extra charge. Use only in the DCA. Must create acct at attwatchtv.com/verifywatchtv, 

verify your wireless acct & then select your one add-on. Music apps not avail. to Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands customers. May require verification via text msg. Req’s compatible device (sold separately). May require acct creation and acceptance of third-party terms & conditions for certain add-on choices. Access to add-on is for 12 months; then may select new add-on option for next 12 months. Customers w/ elig. AT&T TV svc also get Premium 

movie channel selection on that platform, which is billed & credited w/in 2 bills. Premium movie channel access ltd to WatchTV app only for customers in Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands, and for certain MDU customers. Included channels, programming and/or content subject to change and benefit may be terminated. Lost Eligibility: Upon cancellation of elig. wireless plan you may lose access. Limits: Access to one add-on per elig. wireless account. May 

not be stackable. AT&T employees, retirees & IMO consumers are not eligible for the autopay & paperless bill discount, adding WatchTV at no extra charge or the &More Premium add-on. Offer, programming, pricing, channels, terms & restrictions subject to change and may be discontinued at any time without notice. GEN. WIRELESS: Subj. to Wireless Customer Agmt at att.com/wca. Svc not for resale. Credit approval, deposit, active and other fees, monthly 

& other charges per line apply. See plan details & att.com/additionalcharges for more. Coverage & svc not avail. everywhere. International & domestic off-net data may be at 2G speeds. Other restr’s apply & may result in svc termination. AT&T svc is subj. to AT&T network management policies, see att.com/broadbandinfo for details. HBO,® Cinemax® and related channels and service marks are the property of Home Box Office, Inc. SHOWTIME® is a registered 

trademark of Showtime Networks Inc., a CBS company. You must be a SHOWTIME subscriber to get SHOWTIME ANYTIME® and watch programs online. STARZ® and related channels and service marks are the property of Starz Entertainment, LLC. Visit starz.com for airdates/times. Amazon, Amazon Music, and all related logos and motion marks are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. The Walking Dead: ©2018 AMC Network Entertainment LLC. All 

Rights Reserved. ©2018 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. ©2018 AT&T Intellectual Property. All Rights Reserved. AT&T, Globe logo, DIRECTV and all other DIRECTV marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.



SAVE BIG with Lincoln-Way Realty 

Proudly serving Chicago Southland 

and Northwest Indiana! 

(708) 479-6355 

Joseph Siwinski 

Managing Broker & Owner 

11104 Front Street (Unit 2E), Mokena, IL 

10800 W. 133rd Ave (Unit B), Cedar Lake, IN 

Indiana 219-232-3010 Mokena 708-479-6355 

www.IincoInwayrealty.com 

jsiwinski@lincolnwayrealty.com 

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NEW 

NEW 

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New Lenox 

• Offered at $274,900 

• Immaculate Cape Cod! 

314 W. Haven Ave. 

• Numerous Updates! 

• Oversized wooded lot! 

Mokena 


• 4 Bedrooms, 2.1 Baths 

10647 Westport Way 

• Pristine Custom Home! 

• Wonderful Location! 

Cedar Lake 


• 5 Bedrooms, 3 Baths 

12833 Carey St. 

• Beautiful Custom Home! 

• Oversized Premium Lot! 

Lemont 



1119 Berkley Ln. 

• Well Maintained Home! 

• Excellent Location! 

Homer Glen 



14751 Cinnamon Creek Ln. 

• Immaculate Custom Home! 

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Mokena 


• Historic 4 Bedroom Home! 

11122 3rd St. 

• Extraordinary Finishes! 

• Gorgeous 1 Acre lot! 

NEW 

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Westmont 



412 Kristin St. 

• Custom 2 Story! 

• HinsdaleCentralHighSchool! 

Streamwood 



502 Ascot Ln. 

• Beautiful Townhome! 

• Desirable Location! 

PRICE CHANGE 

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Mokena 



9214 W. Arquilla Dr. 

• Immaculate Townhome! 

• Overlooks Retention Land! 

PRICE CHANGE PRICE CHANGE 

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$146,900 

Mokena 



10513 O’Connell Ave. 

$209,900 

• Ranch with Updates! 

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9943 Cambridge Dr. 

• Beautiful Townhome! 

• Upgraded Kitchen! 

Mokena 



18039 S. Crystal Lake Dr. 

• Custom Built 2017! 

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Palos Heights 


• Entertainers Dream Home! 

6527 Deer Ln. 


• Custom & Immaculate! 

Oak Forest 

• 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bath 

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Wilmington 


• Spacious Ranch Home! 

172 Catfish Cir. 

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• Beach, Pool, & Fishing! 

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• Custom 6 Bedroom Home 

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*Cooperative Commission and other restrictions may apply. Listing fee is applicable on primary residence only. The fee is not an “upfront fee” it is payable at closing. 

Lincoln-Way Realty Inc. is proud to be an affiliated business with MBLO Funding Inc. an Illinois and Indiana residential mortgage licensee NMLS #223738, Joseph Siwinski NMLS #223856.



Deadlines for Farm and Barn Fest approaching 

Staff Report 

Mokena Community 

Park District’s annual 

Farm and Barn Fest at 

Yunker Farm, 1024 W. La- 

Porte Road in Mokena, is 

scheduled for 10 a.m.-11 

p.m. Aug. 10, but several 

events have deadlines fast 

approaching. 

Pre-registration deadline 

for the Country Cutie contest 

is Aug. 2. Pre-registration 

fee is $5, or $10 on Aug. 

10, if spots are still available. 

The contest is broken 

down in age divisions — 1 

year old, 2 years old, 3 years 

old, 4 years old and 5 years 

old — and is scheduled to 

be held at the Kids Stage at 

10:30 a.m. Western attire is 

recommended. 

Pre-registration for the 

Diaper Dash is also Aug. 

2. Pre-registration cost is 

$5, or $10 on Aug. 10, if 

spots are still available. 

This event is for children 

12 months and younger 

and is scheduled to be held 

at the Kids Stage at noon. 

The vendor registration 

for the Outdoor Flea Market 

is Aug. 3. This event 

is scheduled for 8 a.m.-1 

p.m. at The Oaks Recreation 

and Fitness Center. 


call (708) 390-2401, or 

visit mokenapark.com. 

PROUD TO BE NAMED AN AMERICAN STAR CERTIFIED AGENCY 

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LincolnWay area 

• Full time realtor since 1992 

• Remodeling & staging 

experience 

• Professional photography 

included with all listings 

(815) 954-4443 Cell 

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Mokena Lions earn State recognition 

Staff Report 

The Mokena Lions Club 

were recognized with five 

awards during the annual 

District 1-BK Awards Dinner 

in Marseilles on June 

8. 

Among the awards received 

were a first-place 

award for the number of 

new members inducted 

into the club for the 2018- 

2019 fiscal year, and a 

second-place award for an 

18.7 percent net increase 

in new memberships with 

a total of 10. 

“This is such an honor to 

be recognized by our District, 

but the real credit belongs 

to our club members 

who continue to seek and 

recruit new Lions into our 

club,” said Lion Craig Mc- 

Cutcheon, outgoing club 

president. “As with most 

volunteer organizations today, 

attracting and keeping 

active members is no small 

fallout 

From Page 6 

said that he was aware 

of the incident involving 

Ray’s alleged posts and 

that, “In the decision with 

Mr. Ray, the Village is reviewing 

the matter. We will 

feat. These results demonstrate 

that the Mokena 

Lions Club is a thriving 

organization in our community 

that will continue 

to do great things for those 

in need.” 

Also recognized by District 

1-BK, which includes 

65 local Lions Clubs in 

northeast Illinois, was Lion 

Derrald “Doc” Taylor, of 

Mokena, for his service as 

2018-2019 chairperson of 

the Lions Eye Health Program. 

Lion “Doc”, a Mokena 

Lion for more than 

30 years, also serves as the 

co-chair for the Mokena 

club’s Sight an Hearing 

Committee, which assists 

local individuals with vision 

and hearing impairments 

to connect with local 

resources. 

The Mokena Lions Club 

was chartered in 1953 as a 

member of Lions International, 

and currently has a 

membership of more than 

get back to you when it is 

appropriate [and] we research 

it ourselves. So, the 

residents will get an answer 

on that.” 

Ray was first appointed 

to the Planning Commission 

in 2012 by then-Mayor 

Werner, and appointed 

to the Zoning Board of 

60 men and women who 

volunteer their time and 

efforts to raise money to 

provide supplementary 

support for individuals, 

as well as support organizations 

for those in need. 

One-hundred percent of 

the proceeds raised by the 

Mokena Lions goes back 

to the community. Noteworthy 

events held by the 

Mokena Lions Club are: 

the annual Firecracker 

Dance Weekend; annual 

Pancake Breakfast, scheduled 

for Oct. 7, in conjunction 

with the Mokena Fire 

Protection District; Candy 

Days, scheduled for Oct. 

12-13; and annual Easter 

Egg Hunt, scheduled for 

April 13 at Main Park in 

Mokena. To make a donation, 

purchase event tickets, 

or to learn more about 

membership in the Mokena 

Lions Club, visit mo 

kenalions.org, or email at 

mokenalionsclub@att.net. 

Appeals by current-Mayor 

Fleischer in 2014. 

Village Administrator 

John Tomasoski said Village 

officials met with Ray prior 

to his resignation, where Ray 

apologized for his actions. 

“The Village wants to 

thank Ray for his years of 

service,” Tomasoski said. 

www.crisrealty.net 

Visit us online at www.mokenamessenger.com

mokenamessenger.com community 


THANK YOU FOR VOTING US 

BEST SENIOR LIVING FOR 

THREE YEARS IN A ROW!!! 

Jake 

NAWS Illinois Humane Society 9981 W. 

190th St. Mokena, 60448 

Jake is a sweet and gentle older 

English coonhound mix who deserves 

to find a loving forever home. He is a 

very friendly boy who likes everyone he 

meets and does well with other dogs 

in playgroup. He loves to go for walks 

and then nap on a comfy bed. Please 

email Heather at heather@nawsus.org 

Photo submitted 

or call (708) 478-5102 to set up an appointment with an adoption counselor 

to meet him. 

Want to see your pet featured as The Mokena Messenger’s Pet of the Week? Send your pet’s 

photo and a few sentences explaining why your pet is outstanding to Editor T.J. Kremer 

III at tj@mokenamessenger.com or 11516 W. 183rd St., Office Condo 3, Suite SW, Orland 

Park, IL 60467. 

WHAT MAKES TINLEY COURT 

DIFFERENT THEN ALL THE REST? 

Our unique lifestyle of Catered Senior Living. 

WHAT DOES “CATERED 

SENIOR LIVING” MEAN? 

It means we understand that 

each person has unique needs 

and wants. At Tinley Court 

those needs and wants will 

be met with dignity, 

respect and support. 

Tinley Court strives to nurture individuality with a sense of purpose 

in hopes of enriching ing one’s life. We offer a support system like no other 

senior community. Staffed 24 hours for the well-being and security of 

our residents. 

Featuring: 

• 3 Chef Prepared meals served to you by professional wait staff 

• Full Daily activity program which includes entertainment & trips 

• Wellness Center offering podiatry, therapy, x-ray, lab, hearing 

& dental services without having to leave the building 

• Weekly housekeeping 

• Utilities 

• Library, chapel, café, beauty/barber shop 

• Walking distance to Tinley Park shops & restaurants 

• Veteran’s Financial Assistance available 

RENT NOW 

AND 

GET ONE 

MONTH 

FREE! 

Come Experience Our 

“1 of a Kind” Premier Independentent 

Senior Living Community! 

2017 WINNER 

2018 

WINNER 

Call 708-532-7800 

TO SCHEDULE A PRIVATE TOUR. 

16301 S Brementowne Rd., 

Tinley Park, IL 60477 

www.tinleycourt.com 

2019 WINNER 

Member of Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce Since 1994



Call today to connect with a 

SENIOR LIVING ADVISOR 

INDEPENDENT LIVING • ASSISTED LIVING • MEMORY CARE 

UNDERSTAND YOUR OPTIONS — Learn the different types of 

senior care available 

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE — Our Advisors have the local knowledge to 

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(855) 864-1539 

! We’re paid by our partner communities 

A Place for Mom has helped over a million families find 

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Our Advisors are trusted, local experts who can help 

you understand your options. 

FIND YOUR NEXT 

GREAT 

HIRE 

Call Noah Pavlina 

to learn more about recruitment 

advertising in your local newspaper. 

708.326.9170 ext. 46 

n.pavlina@22ndcenturymedia.com 

Joan Lunden, journalist, best-selling author, former host of 

Good Morning America and senior living advocate. 

Find local jobs within 

your community. 

It’s never been easier. 

22nd Century Media now provides an easy-to-use online job search. 

Find employers within your area who are looking to hire. 

Go to jobssw.22ndcm.com to find your next 

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Employer looking to post a position? 

We have solutions for you too!



School &Sports 

PHYSICALS 

CHICAGOHEIGHTS 

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FROM THE TINLEY JUNCTION 

Music in the Plaza a big hit 

with variety of weekend 

entertainment 

For eight Saturday evenings 

throughout the summer, 

Zabrocki Plaza is 

transformed into the hottest 

spot in town for Tinley 

Park’s Music in the Plaza 

concert series. The series 

boasts a variety of entertaining 

acts from the Chicagoland 

area and beyond, 

along with food and drink 

from favorite local establishments. 

Playing on the evening 

of July 13 was Tynan, a 

10-piece horn-driven band 

from Bridgeview. 

Just a few of the people 

taken by the music were 

Mokena residents Steven 

McCurdy and Connie 

Carroll, who spent most 

of the evening tearing up 

the dance floor. The duo 

has been married for nine 

years but has known each 

other for over 38 years, 

and their favorite thing to 

do together is dance. 

“We go out dancing 

more than three times a 

week together,” McCurdy 

said. “Music and dancing 

are the ways we connect.” 

As avid dancers, being 

able to swing to a good 

beat is a requirement for 

BE SMART. ADVERTISE IN 

CONTACT 

their evenings out, and 

evenings in Zabrocki Plaza 

have never disappointed 

them. 

The next Music at the 

Plaza concert will take 

place on Saturday, July 

27, and will feature The 

Boy Band Night, complete 

with the hits and moves of 

boy bands. Additional acts 

for the rest of the season 

include HiFi Superstar on 

Aug. 10 and Rockstar Rodeo 

on Aug. 24. 


visit TinleyPark.org. 

Reporting by Rochelle McAuliffe, 

Freelance Reporter. For 

more, visit TinleyJunction. 

com. 

FROM THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT 

Former LW West student 

entering third year on 

Bears drumline 

The Chicago Bears 

Drumline delivers beats 

during the tailgate at Bears 

home games, plays a pregame 

show on the field 

and keeps it coming after 

the game at the front gate 

as well. 

New Lenox native Derek 

Dalton has been a part 

of the madness for the last 

two years and is entering 

his third. 

The Chicago Bears 

Drumline plays at different 

corporate/private events 

and regularly at different 

public community events 

as well. 

“It’s just kind of cool to 

see everything that goes 

on behind the scenes at 

the game in terms of how 

entertainment gets around, 

going through the tunnels 

and seeing everything 

from the inside-out,” Dalton 

said. 

Dalton has a long list 

of different groups he has 

played with. As a graduate 

of Lincoln-Way West, he 

played with its drumline, 

he played with Northern 

Illinois University’s drumline, 

the Cavaliers Indoor 

Percussion, Pioneer Drum 

and Bugle Corps, Colts 

Drum and Bugle Corps 

and the Chicago Bulls 

Stampede Drumline. 

Dalton found out about 

the Bears Drumline — 

which started in 2005 — 

about halfway through 

high school. 

“It’s a new thing they’re 

starting to do in the NFL 

over the last decade and 

it’s becoming more and 

more popular and more 

teams are starting to form 

their own drumlines,” Dalton 

said. 


LORA HEALY 

708.326.9170 ext. 31 l.healy@22ndcenturymedia.com 

Having played in different 

professional groups 

and two years with the 

Bears, he has gotten used 

to playing in front of big 

crowds and the excitement 

that comes with it, but still 

enjoys it. 

Reporting by Sean Hastings, 

Editor. For more visit New 

LenoxPatriot.com 

FROM THE ORLAND PARK PRAIRIE 

Taste turns Sweet 16 

The Taste of Orland 

Park is back for its 16th 

year and the three-day 

festival returns with a full 

slate of restaurants, entertainment 

and family activities 

sure to whet appetites 

of all ages. 

The fest is set for Aug. 2 

through Aug. 4, at Orland 

Park Village Center. Admission, 

parking and activities 

are all free. Nearly 

20 community organizations 

will have a presence 

at the celebration. 

Featuring 19 Orland 

Park restaurants — eateries 

from outside the village 

aren’t allowed — Taste’s 

dining lineup includes perennial 

favorites such as 

Papa Joe’s Italian Restaurant, 

Orland Park Bakery 

and its atomic cake cups, 

and Riviera Country Club. 

Musical entertainment 

will be diverse. Trippin’ 

Billies, a Dave Matthews 

tribute band, headlines 

Aug. 2. On Aug. 3, there 

will be a live-band karaoke, 

a Cher tribute performance 

by Lisa McClowry 

and Chicago-area festival 

favorite 7th Heaven. 

American English, a Beatles 

tribute act, closes out 

the Taste on Aug. 4. 

For those willing to 

brave the summer heat, 

there will be plenty of outdoor 

activities as well, including 

a lip-syncing contest, 

talent show and car 

display. Aug. 3 is kids day. 

Aug. 4 will see several 

military tributes, starting 

at 11 a.m. with an opening 

ceremony, motorcycle 

honor ride and presentation 

of the colors. Sine 

Wave, a group made up of 

drum and bugle musicians, 

will perform after. 

Reporting by Will O’Brien, 

Freelance Reporter. For 

more, visit OPPrairie.com. 

FROM THE HOMER HORIZON 

Local librarian wins 

prestigious award for 

service to young adults 

With a degree in English 

literature and an inherent 

love for books, a career 

as a librarian was a seamless 

fit for Lockport Township 

High School alumna 

Heather Colby. 

She has been an integral 

part of the Homer Township 

Public Library District 

for 12 years, and was 

recently selected as the 

2019 recipient of the Illinois 

Library Association’s 

Young Adult Librarian of 

the Year Award. 

“This feels incredible,” 

Colby said. “I am proud of 

the work that I do, so to be 

recognized in this way is 

one of the highlights of my 

career.” 

The award, presented by 

ILA and the Young Adult 

Services Forum, recognizes 

an Illinois Young Adult 

Librarian who is making 

an outstanding local contribution 

in library services 

to young adults by creating 

and implementing library 

programs that identify and 

meet the needs of the teens 

in their community. 

Through a wide range of 

programming and events, 

Colby has transformed the 

library into a space where 

teens experience a strong 

sense of belonging. 

“I want them to know 

that the library is more 

than just a place to get 

books,” she said. “We are a 

community space.” 

“We’re here for them to 

hang out with old friends 

and make new ones. 

Whether they are into anime, 

Marvel, sour candy, 

or Harry Potter, we have a 

program for them.” 

Reporting by Abhinanda 

Datta, Assistant Editor . For 

more, visit HomerHorizon. 

com. 

FROM THE LOCKPORT LEGEND 

Five-hour standoff ends 

with arrest of Lockport 

man 

After a five-plus-hour 

standoff with police July 

15, a man was arrested for 

firing an AR-15 rifle recklessly 

in the area of Bruce 

Road and Lawrence Avenue 

that evening. 

Ryan Gass, 35, faces 

two counts of reckless 

discharge of a firearm, according 

to Deputy Chief 

Dan Jungles with the Will 

County Sheriff’s Office, 

which reported that no one 

was injured in the incident. 

Police responded around 

4:25 p.m. on July 15 to 

a call of shots fired near 

Bruce Road and Lawrence 

Avenue, the release says. 

According to Jungles, the 

suspect was shooting his 

firearm at cinder blocks on 

his property located on the 

2700 block of Lawrence 

Avenue. 

Authorities could not 

immediately locate the 

suspect. 

“A search of the area 

around the residence was 

conducted and an AR-15 

style rifle was located on 

the property,” the release 

stated. 

A nearby dispatch center 

then reportedly received 

calls from a male subject 

who said he lived at the 

address in question. Jun- 

Please see nfyn, 19

mokenamessenger.com sound off 


Social snapshot 

Top Web Stories 

From MokenaMessenger.com as of Monday, 

July 22 

1. Breaking News — Mokena business 

triggers hazmat response 

2. Home of the Week: 19408 Hunter Trail, 

Mokena 

3. Mokena protestors demand change in 

immigration 

4. Standout Student: Tessa Kmak, 

Lincoln-Way Central 

5. ‘Working: A Musical’ explores what 

‘work’ means to others 

Become a member: mokenamessenger.com/plus 

“Our next free preschool screening is 

Wednesday, July 31!” 

Mokena School District 159 posted this to 

its Facebook Page July 8. 

Like The Mokena Messenger: facebook.com/ 


“It’s fun to walk around town with my 

best friends! #ThursdayThoughts 

#ThursdayMotivation #downtown #mokena 

#dogs #bffs #ZSHQ” 

@GiGi_OnTheScene posted this to her 

Twitter account July 11. 

Follow The Mokena Messenger: @mokenamessenger 

From the Editor 

On the value of celebrations 

TJ Kremer iii 

tj@mokenamessenger.com 

What a weekend 

for partying, 

if one didn’t 

mind risking spontaneously 

bursting into 

flames during the torrid 

mini-heatwave that swept 

through Mokena Friday 

and Saturday. 

I probably mentioned 

this last summer, but I 

despise the hot weather, 

nfyn 

From Page 18 

gles said the man asked the 

dispatcher why there were 

sheriff’s deputies on his 

property, and threatened 

“if it happened again, there 

would be a shoot out.” 

Deputies responded by 

establishing a perimeter 

around the property and 

evacuated residents in that 

immediate area near Lawrence 

Avenue and Bruce 

Road in unincorporated 

Lockport Township. 

Reporting by Alex Ivanisevic, 

Editor. For more, visit 

LockportLegend.com. 

as anyone who is within 

earshot of me during July 

and August can attest to. 

However, I am a fan 

of events that bring the 

community out to share in 

each other’s company over 

good food, cold drinks and 

fun stories. And there was 

plenty of that to go around 

this weekend. 

It’s no secret that 

our town has had some 

divisive events in recent 

weeks. We have seen 

some neighbors turn on 

other neighbors over differing 

viewpoints of race 

and race relations. We 

have seen residents confront 

our local leadership, 

sometimes quite vigorously, 

over long-standing 

policies and traditions that 

some feel are outdated and 

FROM THE FRANKFORT STATION 

Injured teen’s mother 

thanks Frankfort for 

support 

The mother of a teen 

cyclist hit by a vehicle in 

June addressed trustees 

during the July 15 Frankfort 

Village Board meeting 

to express gratitude for the 

community’s support and 

positive response following 

the accident. 

Frankfort resident 

Stephanie Spicer said her 

15-year-old son Shane 

was on the road to recovery 

after colliding with a 

van June 30 while crossing 

Elsner Road on the Old 

Plank Road Trail. 

“He sustained significant 

injuries, including a 

concussion and a facial 

fracture, but he’s fine and 

he’s on the mend, and I’m 

thankful for that,” Spicer 

said. “But why I’m really 

here is I want to thank my 

fellow residents, the police 

department, the fire 

department and the first 

responders who took such 

great care of my son.” 

Spicer said she found 

out nearby runners who 

witnessed the accident 

“immediately went to 

[her] son to help him” and 

insensitive. We have seen 

others in our community 

become upset over these 

polarizing issues and wonder 

why it is that we, as a 

community, cannot just let 

things be as they are and 

be harmonious. 

It appears the latter 

group got their wish this 

weekend. 

Even if just for a couple 

of days, Mokenians were 

able to reconnect in a positive 

way and get back to 

being a united community 

again, if only briefly for 

now. For a couple of days, 

bygones were bygones, 

as scores and scores of us 

came together to celebrate 

the good things about our 

community. 

I, for one, am thankful 

that we have organizations 

an off-duty state trooper 

stayed with her son until 

first responders arrived. 

like the Mokena Lions 

Club with people who 

make it their mission to do 

good for others, no matter 

who those people are that 

are in need of services. I 

am grateful that there are 

people like the ones who 

organized Festa Italiana 

as a means to express a 

shared heritage — if only 

for one day — and all the 

positive things that go 

with that sense of coming 

together. 

So, while I still despise 

the summer for its godforsaken 

heat and humidity, 

I’m thankful that we were 

able to put the uncomfortableness 

to the side for a 

couple of days and focus 

instead on the things that 

make Mokena a great 

place to live. 

Additionally, Spicer 

said, Frankfort Police Department 

Sgt. Scott Potter 

helped keep her calm after 

calling her to inform her 

of the accident and later 

texted her while she was 

at the hospital to check in 

on Shane. After Shane was 

discharged from the hospital, 

Potter and his dispatcher 

visited her home to 

bring Shane gifts and see 

how he was doing. 

“In a culture where 

we’re inundated with 

such negative energy, I 

am here to just share my 

heartfelt appreciation and 

give praise to my village,” 

Spicer said. 

Reporting by Nuria Mathog, 

Editor. For more, visit 

FrankfortStation.com. 

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 Mokena Messenger 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 Mokena Messenger reserves the right to edit letters. 

Letters become property of The Mokena Messenger. Letters that 

are published do not reflect the thoughts and views of The Mokena 

Messenger. Letters can be mailed to: The Mokena Messenger, 11516 

West 183rd Street, Unit SW Office Condo #3, Orland Park, Illinois, 

60467. Fax letters to (708) 326-9179 or e-mail to tj@mok 

namessenger.com. 

www.mokenamessenger.com.



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OPPORTUNITY 

Exit I-80 at La Grange Road south for just under twomiles to La PorteRoad andturn east for one-half mile to Brookside Meadows.

Getting 

reacquainted Managing 

Editor Bill Jones revisits years 

of trips to the Wisconsin Dells in 

latest Get Out of Town, Page 26 

the mokena messenger | July 25, 2019 | mokenamessenger.com 

Panful of possibilities 

The Whistle in Tinley Park open for 

early morning breakfast, late-night 

fun, Page 27 

LWE student writes, produces and 

stars in play, Page 23 

Lincoln-Way East 

student Anmarie 

D’Ortenzio (right) 

embraces Frankfort 

resident Leyla 

Eames on June 

16 during the 

production of 

“Mi Estrella” — a 

play D’Ortenzio 

wrote, produced, 

choreographed 

and directed — 

at Lincoln-Way 

Central. Mary 

Compton/22nd 

Century Media

22 | July 25, 2019 | the mokena messenger faith 


Faith Briefs 

St. Mary’s Catholic Church (19515 

115th Ave., Mokena) 

Church Service 

5 p.m. Saturdays; 8 a.m, 

9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 6 

p.m. Sundays 

Adoration 

Wednesdays following 

8 a.m. Mass in the Chapel 

until 6:45 p.m. 

Young at Heart Senior Club 

1 p.m. the first and third 

Wednesday of the month. 

Join the senior club for activities 

and outings Sept.- 

June. For more information, 

call (708) 699-5018. 

Holy Rosary 

7:30 a.m. daily; 7 p.m. 

Tuesday evenings. 

St. John’s United Church of Christ 

(11100 Second St., Mokena) 

Traditional Service 

8 a.m. traditional service, 

9:45 a.m. contemporary 

and traditional music 

in a service of praise and 

reverence. Supervised 

childcare available. For 


(708) 479-5123. 

Cards for a Cause 

7 p.m. the second Monday 

of each month. Bring 

your tape, scissors and colored 

pencils, if you have 

them, and plan for a creative 

evening with lots of 

fun. 

Bundles of Love 

7 p.m. the second and 

fourth Tuesday of each 

month. Enjoy fun and fellowship 

while making 

baby quilts for infants baptized 

at St. John’s and lap 

quilts for shut-ins. 

Mokena United Methodist Church 

(10901 LaPorte Road, Mokena) 

Touch-a-truck 

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 3. 

Come check out emergency 

vehicles from Mokena 

and Will County. Event 

will include free food and 

music. 

Community Garage Sale 

9 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 9-10. 

See what treasures are up 

for sale at this community 

garage sale. 

Service 

10:15 a.m. Sundays. 

For more information, call 

(708) 479-1110. 

Bible Study 

7 p.m. Tuesdays at the 

church. For more information, 

call (708) 479-1110. 

Community Prayer 

Gathering 

2:30 p.m. every fourth 

Sunday. 

Breakfast 

9 a.m. every third Saturday 

of the month. 

Weight Watchers 

Wednesday 

Weigh-ins take place at 

6:30 p.m., while the meeting 

is at 7 p.m. 

Marley Community Church (12625 W. 

187th St., Mokena) 

Church Service 

10 a.m. Sundays. Childcare 

is provided. 

Sunday School 

9-10 a.m. Sundays. 

Senior High Youth Group 

7-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays. 


email marleycommu 

nitychurch@gmail.com. 

Junior High Youth Group 

6-7:30 p.m. Fridays. 


email marleycommunity 

church@gmail.com. 

Men’s Group 

6 p.m. Sunday nights in 

the church basement. All 

men are welcome. 

Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church 

(10731 W. La Porte Road, Mokena) 

Worship 

5 p.m. Saturdays and 9 

a.m. Sundays. 

God’s Kids Club 

10:15 a.m. Sundays in 

Sept.-May. 

Adult Bible Study 

10:15 a.m. Sundays in 

Sept.-May. 

Mokena Baptist Church (9960 W. 187th 

St., Mokena) 

Sunday Services 

11 a.m. and 5 p.m. For 


(312) 350-2279. 

Sunday School 


Mokena Baptist offers 

Sunday School classes 

for all ages. For more information, 

call (312) 350- 

2279. 

Parker Road Bible Church (18512 

Parker Road, Mokena) 

Worship Service 

10:30 a.m. Sundays. Be 

sure to arrive early for our 

Sunday Worship Service 

to enjoy a hot, complimentary 

cup of coffee every 

week at the church. Following 

the Christian Education 

Hour (9:15-10:15 

Please see faith, 25 

St. John’s bible school shows 

children faith is everywhere 


From July 14-17, children 

in St. John’s United 

Church of Christ were 

transported to Africa on a 

faith-based safari. Not literally, 

of course: Africa was 

the theme of this year’s vacation 

bible school. 

For three days, the 

church was transformed 

into the wondrous continent 

of Africa so that children in 

grades pre-K through sixth 

grade could learn about the 

different animals — including 

rhinoceros, lions, 

giraffes and bizarre birds 

called hoopoes — and cultures 

of the people there, 

with an emphasis on reinforcing 

that God exists 

everywhere, not just within 

our own borders. 

“Basically, it’s teaching 

them no matter what, even 

though you may have difficulties 

in life, that God 

is still good and he’s with 

you,” said Michelle Stiglic, 

director of children’s ministry 

and vacation bible school 

director. “It’s a very positive 

message for the kids.” 

Each morning started 

with a specific passage of 

the bible for the children 

to study. Then the children 

would rotate through several 

stations — imagination, 

wild bible adventures, kid 

vid cinema, stampede sports 

and hungry herd cafe — to 

further explore that day’s 

teaching and how it applies 

even in far away lands. 

At the end of the threeday 

program, parents were 

invited to be treated to 

a musical performance, 

along with a slideshow of 

photos taken throughout 

the vacation bible school. 

Children at St. John’s United Church of Christ learn about passages in the bible during vacation bible school July 

14-17 and how those lessons apply universally. This year’s theme was Africa. T.J. Kremer III/22nd Century Media

mokenamessenger.com life & arts 


Student-produced play explores lives of immigrants 

Mary Compton 


For the second time in 

just a few months, Frankfort 

resident Anmarie 

D’Ortenzio presented to 

the Lincoln-Way community 

an original play she 

wrote, directed, choregraphed 

and produced. 

The incoming senior at 

Lincoln-Way East has begun 

her journey to Broadway 

in Frankfort. Her 

latest production, “Mi Estrella,” 

which debuted July 

16, at the Lincoln-Way 

Central small theater, had 

a political story behind it. 

“My first show, I didn’t 

make much of a statement,” 

D’Ortenzio said. 

“This show is making a 

political statement in an 

understated way.” 

“Mi Estrella,” meaning 

“my star” in Spanish, 

discusses a tragic time in 

American history when 

Mexican-American immigrants 

were illegally 

deported during the Great 

Depression. Throughout 

the play, the hardships and 

struggles that immigrants 

have faced in the United 

States are performed with 

compassionate voices. 

Two weeks before curtain, 

D’Ortenzio would 

add another element to 

her role in the production 

she wrote, directed, 

choregraphed and produced. 

In theater, whem 

wishing someone good 

luck, it is tradition to say, 

“break a leg.” In this case, 

the actress who originally 

planned to play Carla, one 

of the characters in the 

play, actually broke her 

foot in another production. 

But the show must go on, 

and who better to play Carla 

than the writer and producer 

herself, D’Ortenzio? 

“I was terrified to take 

over the role of Carla two 

weeks before showtime, 

but the cast made me feel 

comfortable and supported,” 

D’Ortenzio said. “I 

knew my lines because I 

wrote them. It’s one thing 

to direct people, but to act 

among them gives you a 

connection that you don’t 

find any other time. I also 

relate to Carla in so many 

ways, I love her. All of my 

characters are based off 

someone I know. My Nona 

immigrated from Italy; she 

was the best woman I ever 

knew. Latino women and 

Italian women are different. 

They have heart. I feel 

close to her when I wrote 

about Carla.” 

With each scene, visions 

of history from the 1930s 

bring the Smith family 

through a reality of tragedies 

a typical Mexican- 

American family would 

have faced during that 

time period. 

“Theater is a way for 

us to come together,” 

D’Ortenzio said. “After 

seeing this, people leave 

with a different point of 

view. This was my reason 

for doing this. This was 

historically correct.” 

According to a research 

study by Joesph Dunn, a 

former California senator, 

local government officials 

deported 1.8 million 

people to Mexico. 

Sixty percent of them were 

American citizens from 

California, Texas, Michigan 

and even Illinois. 

“A lot of this was not 

documented,” D’Ortenzio 

explained. “With the ICE 

raids going on right now, 

this is relevant. I wanted 

to write something that 

made an impact. Whether 

you’re left, right or middle 

doesn’t matter, you can appreciate 

the story for what 

it is.” 

Max Adams, of Frankfort, 

was the assistant 

director of “Mi Estrella” 

and is D’Ortenzio’s best 

friend. The two friends 

met in fourth grade at 

Chelsea Intermediate 

School, where Adams 

played Aladdin and Anmarie 

played Jasmine. 

They have not only starred 

in productions since then 

but have also continued to 

work together outside of 

Lincoln-Way East’s theater 

program. 

“I worked with getting 

the actors to see Anmarie’s 

vision for this,” Adams 

said. “They worked so 

hard ... putting words on 

the script to making it real 

onstage. I learned about 

the motivations behind 

each character and figuring 

out how everything fits 

together has been a huge 

journey. Anmarie is the 

most creative and motivating 

person on this planet. It 

astounds me that she was 

able to produce, direct and 

write two shows within a 

year.” 

Watching the play in the 

audience was Anmarie’s 

mother, Marie D’Ortenzio, 

who helped take care of 

the costumes and held the 

practices in the family’s 

home in Frankfort. More 

than 25 years ago, Marie 

D’Ortenzio was a member 

of the Lincoln-Way Central 

theater program. 

“Years ago, this was 

Lincoln Way Central’s theater,” 

Marie said. “I performed 

in ‘Oklahoma’ and 

‘Sound of Music’ on this 

very stage.” 

She sat in the very seat 

she would sit in watching 

her father play violin 

for every musical up until 

1989. 

Frankfort resident Kylie Steinhauser, the youngest cast member in “Mi Estrella” — a play 

written, produced, choreographed and directed by Lincoln-Way East student Anmarie 

D’Ortenzio — performs a dance number during a scene in the production, which debuted 

July 16 at Lincoln-Way Central. Photos by Mary Compton/22nd Century Media 

“It’s been so surreal to 

be back here,” she said. 

“It seemed so big back 

then. I’m thinking, ‘This 

is where I used to dress, 

and I have even found my 

old locker.’ I knew her 

play would do well in this 

space. It’s been a journey.” 

As with her previous 

production, “Sweet Pride,” 

Anamarie D’Ortenzio requested 

canned goods and 

boxed food for entry. The 

food was collected and 

donated to the Frankfort 

Township Food Pantry. 

“In order for humans 

to understand something, 

we have to feel empathy,” 

she said. “As a writer, you 

have to create something 

that relates to all audiences. 

In order for us to process 

hardships in our life, 

we have to face it. This is a 

good way to face it. 

“I try to impart on the 

actors as well as the audience: 

we create art to 

Andy Draus (right), of Mokena, embraces his 

character’s daughter, played by Leyla Eames of 

Frankfort. 

change the world. We 

change opinions. We 

change the community. 

But most importantly, we 

change each other through 

storytelling by trying to be 

a part of something bigger 

than ourselves. The best 

advice I can give everyone 

is to love hard.” 

On Thursday, July 18, 

Anmarie D’Ortenzio left 

for Yale University as 

part of the National Student 

Leadership Conference. 

She was chosen by 

Lincoln-Way East and 

will spend 18 days in an 

acting program at the university.



Last Call 

Before Fall 

6–9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, 

Georgios Orland Park, 

8800 W. 159th St., Orland Park 

• 70+ vendors 

• Mini workshops 

• Free tote bags to first 200 attendees, courtesy of 

Artistic Med Spa 

• Free water bottles to first 200 attendees, 

courtesy of Moraine Valley Community College 

• Free wine glasses to first 200 attendees, courtesy 

of Fox's Pizza 

• Create a mini wooden sign with DIY Sign Party 

for $5 

• Have a tarot card reading with Whimsy Moon 

(additional cost) 

• Cash Bar 

• Bring canned food items for local Micro Pantries 

Event is ages 21+ 

PRESENTED BY 

22ND CENTURY MEDIA AND COLLEEN MCLAUGHLIN, 

THE MCLAUGHLIN TEAM, COLDWELL BANKER RESIDENTIAL 

VENDORS 

• 22nd Century Media 

• 322 West Soap Company 

• 3B’s Mobile Boutique 

• Al-Anon Family Group 

• Artistic Med Spa 

• Avon LLC 

• BDazzled Candy Buffets & More 

• Bella Interiors 

• BNutty 

• Brannigan Chiropractic Center 

• Chicago Sky 

• Chiro One Wellness Center 

• ChoVonne Accessories 

• Colleen McLaughlin, The McLaughlin 

Team, Coldwell Banker Residential 

• Color Street 

• Crafts by Rosemary 

• Damsel In Defense 

• DIY Sign Party 

• Eagle Sports Range 

• Elevate with Cathy 

• Ensemble Boutique 

• Euro Victorian 

• Fabulously Sweet Creations 

• Fox’s Restaurant - Mokena 

• Fred Astaire Mokena 

• Gift Basket by Occasion 

• Glammerish 

• Glamour Bijoux Paparazzi Consultant 

• Gracie Pie Apothecary 

• GorJus Whips Body Butter 

• Honest 

• Huaywasi: Handmade in Peru 

• Imperfect Produce 

• Inspire Studio Gallery, LLC 

• Jewels2U 

• Juicy Luzy Sangria 

• LBRI PURE n’ NATURAL Skin Care 

• LegalShield 

• Make Up Eraser 

• Mary Kay Cosmetics 

• Massage Envy - Tinley Park 

• Moraine Valley Community College 

• Mrs. Bunton’s Cookies 

• Norwex 

• Nothing Bundt Cakes 

• Orland Park Fit Body Boot Camp 

• Perfectly Posh 

• Physicals Plus Health and Wellness 

• PreNata Smoothies 

• Progressive Radiology 

• Renewal By Andersen 

• Represent Sports 

• Rock’s #1 Gals Jewelry 

• Scarves by PNT General Service 

• Scentsy 

• Sheets by Karen 

• Shelf Genie of Chicago South 

• Sterk Family Law Group 

• Surprise Parties 

• Tastefully Simple 

• The Oasis For Natural Healing 

• Thirty-One Gifts 

• Thrive by Le-Vel 

• Total Life Changes (TLC) 

• Totes & Taggies by Melinda 

• Trayce Madre 

• Usborne Books & More 

• Virtue Cider 

• Wakaya Perfection/CBD/KETO 

• Wine, Spirit, Butterbeer Mixes 

• Whimsy Moon 

• Wicks & Wax 

• Women’s Healthcare of Illinois 

• Young Living Essential Oils 

(Oily University) 

For FREE tickets, visit 22ndCenturyMedia.com/fall

mokenamessenger.com life & arts 


Matt’s Old Mokena 

Meeting hall shows value of common spaces 

Matt galik 

Contributing Columnist 

A 

community’s 

lifeblood is in the 

place where it 

meets and comes together. 

It is here that friendships 

are enriched, and ties are 

fostered that give life to a 

neighborhood. On the other 

side of the coin, without 

a comfortable gathering 

spot, a neighborhood is 

left to flounder. Our Village’s 

meeting places have 

been many over the years, 

and Mokena Hall was the 

town’s nucleus more than 

100 years ago. 

At the turn of the 20th 

century, the hall above 

Frank Liess’s Front 

Street general store was 

the scene of countless 

dances, meetings and 

other social gatherings. 

Later known as Martin 

Hall after the property 

changed hands in 1912, 

it tragically went up in 

smoke in a calamitous 

yet mysterious fire that 

July, and Mokena was left 

reeling from the effects 

of the blow. There was no 

longer a place for community 

events to be held, 

and the many local clubs 

and organizations were 

left without a home. After 

a forlorn five months, 

two Mokena businessmen 

joined forces to cure the 

situation. At the end of 

1912, it was announced 

that George Hacker, the 

owner of a McGovney 

Street lumberyard, had 

bought for $900 the lot 

were Martin Hall had 

stood. He was going into 

partnership with Emil 

Krapp, a Front Street 

cattle dealer, and the two 

set forth their intention 

to build a new hall, one 

bigger and better than the 

Village had ever seen. 

Like a phoenix from the 

ashes, the new structure 

was christened Mokena 

Hall, would be one story 

high and would measure 

36 by 78 feet. The plans 

were grandiose, with 

Hacker and Krapp sparing 

no expense. A large stage 

would be the hall’s centerpiece, 

with dressing rooms 

flanking it on each side, 

not to be outdone by the 

dining room and kitchen 

in the basement. All in all, 

the two planners estimated 

to the Joliet News that everything 

would cost about 

$4,000. 

A good number of the 

fixtures for the new place 

came to Mokena via 

railroad from Chicago, 

including a shipment 

of chairs that showed 

up in town at the end of 

January 1913. Around the 

same time, both Hacker 

and Krapp went to the 

city to personally select 

supplies, such as dishes, 

stage curtains and a piano 

for the building. On Jan. 

29, 1913, it was officially 

announced to the public 

that Mokena Hall was finished 

and ready to open. 

A point of local pride for 

the new building was that 

its interior was illuminated 

by a whopping 18 

electric lights, with the 

juice having first been 

turned on in town earlier 

that month. The ceiling of 

the hall had been painted 

a regal light green, while 

walls sported a darker 

hue of the same color. 

A unique aspect of the 

venue was its stage curtain, 

which held eight big 

squares, each containing 

painted ads for Mokena 

business people. 

Lost to time is what 

the first event was to be 

held at Mokena Hall. 

William Semmler, the 

village correspondent to 

the Joliet News, reported 

that a “grand ball” would 

be given on Jan. 30, the 

day after the building 

was finished; however, 

a separate piece by him 

Seen here around 1913 and having formerly stood at today’s 11020 Front St., Mokena 

Hall was a gathering point for countless social events in the early part of the 20th 

century. Image courtesy of Richard Quinn 

indicated that on Sunday 

night, Jan. 26, St. Mary’s 

parish would put on a 

play there called “The 

Old Homestead”, with a 

cast of 16. As Semmler’s 

reportage doesn’t indicate 

whether the church drama 

took place in the as-yet 

unfinished building on 

that date, it’s been totally 

forgotten which event 

was first. Not only were 

dances and plays on the 

agenda for the new venue, 

but early moving pictures 

were, as well. On the 

schedule for early February 

were silent movies of 

“the wild western order.” 

In time, Krapp’s young 

sons, Milton and Roy, 

would be trained to operate 

the projector. 

A new chapter in the 

building’s history started 

in early 1920, when the 

local auto dealing firm 

of Hentsch and Hellmuth 

moved in. After the course 

of time, it’s been long 

since forgotten whether 

Mokena Hall ran out of 

money, or whether the car 

men bought it out. In any 

case, by that March, they 

had torn out the stage to 

make room for their Overlands 

and Clevelands. In 

time, another car concern 

would move in; and in the 

summer of 1923, the Ford 

agency of Elmer Cooper 

and Barney Hostert 

bought the property. Here 

they put down their stakes 

and remained in business 

at this location for 

decades, remaining wellremembered 

in Mokena to 

this day. 

Ironically, like its predecessor, 

the old building 

ultimately burned in a disastrous 

fire in 1993. The 

earliest days of the place 

were filled with levity and 

joy, memories that are still 

brought to life when looking 

back at Mokena Hall. 

faith 

From Page 22 

a.m.), all beverages can 

be found just outside the 

sanctuary. 

Grace Fellowship Church (11049 

LaPorte Road, Mokena) 

Narcotics Anonymous 

7-9 p.m. Mondays. All 

those struggling or who 

have struggled with a narcotics 

addiction are welcome. 

All meetings are 

confidential. For more information, 

call (708) 479- 

0300. 

Spanish Church 

12:30 p.m. Sundays. 

Worship Service 

10 a.m. Sundays. All are 

welcome. 

Women’s Bible Study 

8:45-9:45 a.m. Sundays 

and 2-3 p.m. Tuesdays. 

Victory Baptist Church (13550 US Route 

6, Mokena) 

Sunday School 


Morning Worship 


Evening Worship 

6 p.m. Sundays. 

Weekday Worship 

7 p.m. Wednesdays. 

Have something for 

Faith Briefs? Contact 

Editor T.J. Kremer at tj@ 


or call (708) 326-9170 

ext. 29. Deadline is noon 

Thursday one week prior to 

publication.

26 | July 25, 2019 | the mokena messenger life & arts 


get out of town! 

The temperature’s high, Dells hotels 

Visitors brake not, 

spare no dives with 

Wisconsin’s wildest 

collection of rides 

Bill Jones, Managing Editor 

Tacky. Tourist trap. Hell 

hole. 

And those are some of 

the nicer ways people have 

voiced their displeasure 

online for the Wisconsin 

Dells. 

To be fair: Those words 

can be fairly accurate, too, 

depending on what you enjoy 

in a vacation. 

The Dells are Branson, 

Missouri. They are Pigeon 

Forge or Gatlinburg, Tennessee. 

They are an easy 

summer weekend getaway 

with one main downtown 

strip that specializes 

in sugary treats, strange 

storefront museums and 

knickknacks galore. 

But as a child, none of 

the negatives were ever on 

my mind. I loved our maybe-too-frequent 

trips to the 

Dells for a few simple reasons. 

Water parks. Go-karts. 

Miniature golf. 

Slide on over 

It’s hard to find a hotel 

in or around the Wisconsin 

Dells that isn’t equipped 

with its own water park (or 

at least a nice pool). It’s 

the hallmark of the Dells, 

the reason people make the 

three-plus-hour trek. 

Kalahari Resort and 

Great Wolf Lodge both 

have massive indoor parks 

on-site. And as a child, I 

once got to stay at the Chula 

Vista Resort, which 

has one of those death-defying 

straight-drop water 

slides they assure you the 

laws of physics make safe 

but you’re fairly certain 

will kill you. 

More often than not, 

my grandparents’ love for 

roadside accommodations 

led us to the Indian Trail 

Motel, which offers indoor 

and outdoor pools. My favorite 

memories there are 

playing shuffleboard with 

my grandpa on the grounds 

— all you really need to 

make for a good trip. 

While I hesitate to say 

the hotel doesn’t really 

matter, if you’re going to 

the Dells for water parks, 

Noah’s Ark has long been 

the main game in town. It 

remains a must-visit no 

matter where you’re staying. 

While you’re there, if 

you happen to find the keys 

to a Cadillac at the bottom 

of a pool, let me know. The 

Caddy is long gone, but it 

would be closure more than 

a decade in the making. 

Trip’s a gas 

Here’s the thing: As 

much as the fun of the 

Wisconsin Dells is measured 

by the gallon, I was 

always really in it for the 

go-karts. And as much as 

Mt. Olympus is now a 

resort with its own water 

park and roller coasters, 

the more than a half-dozen 

go-kart tracks are what had 

me begging to go back. 

Tracks feature a combination 

of pavement and 

wood ramp structures, all 

playing into the pantheon 

theme of the park. Find 

me something that recreates 

the same excitement 

of riding to the top of the 

Trojan Horse and coming 

back down from it. I’ll do 

another lap while I wait. 

It’s everybody’s game 

I don’t care how old you 

are; if you can’t find enjoyment 

in miniature golf, I 

think you need to get your 

fun meter recalibrated. 

And it’s hard to beat five 

courses in one spot like 

you get at the wonderful 

Pirate’s Cove in the Wisconsin 

Dells. 

I guess this is growing up 

Through experience 

tells me the Dells are a better 

place for children than 

adults, the older crowd can 

find things to enjoy, too. 

Couples may enjoy 

renting a WaveRunner to 

take out on Lake Delton. 

And though duck transport 

seems to be the most 

popular way to take in 

the Dells’ scenery, hiking 

around Baraboo’s Devil’s 

Lake offers some fun for 

the adventuring types. 

There is good fishing in 

the area, too. And the River’s 

Edge has boat rentals 

and a bait shop nearby. If 

you don’t catch anything, 

you can just get your fish 

there (and watch them in 

the restaurant’s aquarium 

tanks, too). 

Seafood not your thing? 

The Dells have a few 

steakhouses, as well. For 

the food, the history and 

the atmosphere, The Del- 

Bar is where it’s at. 

There also is plenty 

of big-people golf to be 

found. But why? 

Some weird within 

Finally, when in Rome, 

do as the Romans do. 

When in the Dells, embrace 

the weird. 

Iowa County’s House 

on the Rock is a unique 

piece of architecture to 

tour, where every room is 

interesting in its own way. 

Broadway is home to a 

glockenspiel that re-enacts 

the Pied Piper of Hamelin 

tale every half-hour in the 

Bavarian village. 

And while that Haunted 

Mansion downtown isn’t 

“good,” per se, you’re in 

the Dells. Just have some 

fun already! 

Get out of Town! is a monthly 

travel column focusing on 

relatively local destinations 

and activities, with helpful 

tips, readers’ stories and 

more. 

Another 

Perspective 

We asked readers on social 

media to share their 

favorite activities when 

the temperature rises. 

They said… 

“Sit outside and 

enjoy the sun.” 

—@MyPpassas, 

in response to @ 

TheNLPatriot on 

Twitter 

“Paint Kindness 

Rocks! #tprk” 

—Adrienne Jasiczek, 

in response to The 

Tinley Junction on 

Facebook 

“Swim and 

eat popsicles 

nonstop!” 

—Christine Misunas- 

Bilus, in response to 


on Facebook 

Sure, the Wisconsin Dells could be seen as 

punishment to some, but there is plenty to enjoy 

about it with the right attitude. Sarah Jones, despite 

appearances, enjoyed her time in the Dells. 

Bill Jones/22nd Century Media 

Finding your sweet spot 

Cool off with 

these sweet 

Chicago treats 

Heather Warthen 

Contributing Editor 

From sparkly, edible 

glitter on ice cream to 

hearth-roasted banana 

splits, several spots in 

Chicago put a creative 

twist on classic ice cream. 

While a favorite for 

untraditional churros — 

think Lucky Charms on 

a green churro — Bodega 

also has what it calls 

a cinnamon cone. For 

those who love churros, 

the cone is sprinkled with 

cinnamon and sugar, then 

filled with soft-serve ice 

cream. Customers can 

choose up to three toppings. 

I opted for unicorn 

stardust glitter, salted 

chocolate pretzels and 

dulce de leche. 

Not in the mood for 

ice cream? Check out the 

charcoal lemonade. 

Known for its wild, 

colorful Instagrammable 

concoctions year-round, 

BomboBar is a popular 

place to pick up the 

Italian-style hole-less 

doughnuts known as 

bomboloni. Bombo- 

Bar takes the treats one 

step further by pairing a 

mini version with gelato. 

Scoops of charcoal Oreo 

or tie-dye sugar cookie 

gelato can be topped with 

a variety of things, such 

as Fruity Pebbles and 

cotton candy. 

The Cooler Chocolate 

Shakes also are a hit in 

warmer months. 

While traditional banana 

splits are nice, I 

love the one Roister 

serves that includes a 

hearth-roasted banana 

topped with ice cream 

and seasonal toppings 

— such as passion fruit, 

macadamia nut and caramelized 

white chocolate. 

The banana caramelizes 

perfectly, and when 

paired with the cold ice 

cream it makes an unforgettable 

bite.

mokenamessenger.com dining out 


The Dish 

The Whistle aims for family comfort, caters to morning and night crowds alike 

Alex Ivanisevic 


A modern, Chicago vibe 

with all the comforts of 

a family restaurant, The 

Whistle Sports Bar & Grill 

in Tinley Park is serving 

up homemade meals for 

both night owls and early 

birds alike. 

Mark Mikesell, originally 

from Louisville, and 

his wife, Stephanie, who 

grew up in New Lenox, established 

the restaurant at 

7537 W. 159th St., Tinley 

Park in July of 2017. 

Mark said he entered 

the restaurant business 

after working “in corporate 

America for 15 

years.” Stephanie, on 

the other hand, grew up 

around her family members’ 

restaurants her 

whole life. The two said 

they were happy to open 

their restaurant in a spot 

that provided them with 

what they were looking 

for in an area with which 

they were familiar. 

“It is family friendly but 

it is more like a downtown 

bar on the south side,” 

Mark said. “Our business 

is 42 percent food, so people 

come in here and food 

is our leader. It is all fresh 

— even our fried pickles 

[$7.49], we batter ourselves 

— and that is why 

we are successful.” 

Stephanie added, “We 

also serve breakfast all 

day, and the cool thing 

about us is that Monday 

through Saturday we are 

open from 6 a.m. until 2 

a.m., and Sundays we’re 

open 11 a.m. until 2 a.m.. 

Our kitchen closes at 1 

a.m. every night, which is 

huge.” 

There is also an ages 

21-and-older gaming 

area in the restaurant, 

The Whistle Sports 

Bar & Grill 

7537 W. 159th St. in 

Tinley Park 

Hours 

• 6 a.m.-2 a.m. 

Monday-Saturday 

• 11 a.m.-2 a.m. 

Sunday 

Kitchen hours 

• Open until 1 a.m. 

daily 

For more information ... 

Phone: (708) 904- 

4990 

Web: whistlesportsbar. 

com 

and gamers are offered 

a complimentary breakfast 

between 6 and 9 a.m. 

The Whistle Sports Bar 

also has a lunch special 

Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.- 

3 p.m., giving customers 

an array of menu items at 

discounted prices. 

The Mikesells take 

pride in the vast menu The 

Whistle Sports bar offers 

with a creative variety of 

appetizers, entrees and 

more, which they promise 

are all homemade and 

fresh. With the restaurant’s 

long hours and full 

menu available until 1 

a.m., Mark and Stephanie 

keep a staff of roughly 30 

employees. 

“We’ve got a really 

good crew here,” Stephanie 

said. 

In addition to regular 

seating, the restaurant also 

has seating available at the 

bar and outdoor seating on 

its patio. No matter where 

customers are seated, they 

are sure to have a clear 

view of a TV or projector 

screen mounted on the 

brick walls of the restaurant 

to watch whichever 

game is playing. 

“I think The Whistle 

A few of customers’ favorite menu items at Whistle Sports Bar & Grill are (clockwise from front left) the fried 

pickles chips, Gino’s steak sandwich with fresh cut fries, loaded nachos, the Crisp Punch and Hunch Punch 

cocktails, the Mini Turkey O’Toole and Buffalo wings. Photos by Alex Ivanisevic/22nd Century Media 

“I think The Whistle brand is 

out there, and I think people 

like to come here because of the 

food, great environment.” 

Mark Mikesell — owner of The Whistle Sports 

Bar & Grill in Tinley Park 

brand is out there, and I 

think people like to come 

here because of the food, 

great environment,” Mark 

said, noting The Whistle 

provides its customers a 

“unique” Bloody Mary 

cart from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 

Saturday and Sundays. 

The Whistle already offers 

catering from the full 

menu, but because of the 

restaurant’s popularity, the 

Mikesells hope to open a 

space next to its location 

as a party venue to host 

events by fall. 

“The staff and the people 

that come here are what 

makes the sports bar so 

successful,” said Dominic 

Botta, Stephanie’s younger 

brother, who manages the 

restaurant. “The regulars 

that come in weekly and 

help make this bar go 

round and really talk us 

up are a part of that. Also, 

having the staff here that 

gives off the ambiance and 

personality of the space we 

like to have.” 

Stephanie agreed and 

said, “We try to treat everyone 

like family,” adding 

that they make the 

effort to connect to the 

surrounding community 

and sponsor youth athletic 

teams and activities. 

“We try to give back 

to the community,” Mark 

The Whistle Sports Bar & Grill, located at 7537 W. 159th 

St. in Tinley Park, has outdoor seating for when the 

weather allows. 

said. “And Stephanie is the 

glue behind the scenes and 

keeps everything going 

with her personality.” 

Botta added that he 

thinks his sister’s favorite 

part about running the 

restaurant has to do with 

the space they have established, 

he said, “since she 

is really family-oriented, 

to have a place where you 

can bring family together 

and provide a service like 

great food, seeing others 

have a great time and being 

the reason that that 

could be possible, I would 

say that is the best thing.” 

Mark said, “With this 

restaurant we have been 

able to grow friendships 

we would not have had the 

opportunity for without.”

28 | July 25, 2019 | the mokena messenger life & arts 


Far-out fun 

Children make tie-dye shirts, hats at Mokena library 

2019 GUIDE 

LOOK INSIDE TO 

FIND REALTORS 

AND OTHER 

BUSINESSES 

TO HELP FIND 

YOUR PERFECT 

HOME. 

2019 GUIDE 

22ndcenturymedia.com The Mokena Messenger | The New Lenox Patriot | The Frankfort Station 

Ads will appear digitally in the marketplace on each 

newspaper’s website and as a printed glossy book! 

APPEARING 

SEPTEMBER 19 TH 

Space Deadline: 

AUGUST 23 RD 

Ad Approval Deadline: 

AUGUST 28 TH 

Call 708-326-9170 to place your ad! 

Ashley Ward (left), 6, tie-dyes a hat, while her friend Kailey McGraw, 7, does the same 

with a T-shirt at Mokena Community Public Library District Thursday, July 18. Around 

20 children showed up for the free event as part of the library’s Summer Reading 

program. Photos by T.J. Kremer III/22nd Century Media 

22nd Century Media 

Improvement 

Reach more than 

87,900 homes 

and businesses! 

Publishes 

August 29, 2019 

Space reservation deadline: Aug. 14 

Advertorial submission deadline: Noon, Aug. 14 

Ad Approval deadline: Aug. 20 

Please call: 708.326.9170 to reserve your ad. 

Michael Opsal, 4, gets some help from his mother, Chrisy, tie-dying a hat.

mokenamessenger.com dining out 


The Dish 

A big refresh with a little nostalgia 

White Horse Inn 

renovates to offer 

family-friendly 

dining, more 

Sean Hastings 


Over the last two years, 

the JBD White Horse Inn 

went from being a small 

bar that only served food 

until 2 p.m. Monday-Friday, 

to a family-friendly 

spot, doubling its size and 

catering to all individuals. 

Co-owners Annette 

Rizza and Jim Hedberg 

took over operations of the 

White Horse in September 

2014. Since then, the two 

revamped what used to 

be an oversized kitchen, 

opening it up to a 50-person 

family eating area and 

adding a patio. 

They also expanded the 

kitchen hours to the weekend 

and to 6 p.m., and then 

kept pushing the hours 

back as time went on. 

The expansion happened 

in October 2016. 

The original half of the bar 

is still there, but only open 

to those 21 and older. 

The White Horse has always 

been a staple in New 

Lenox — most people 

know about it, whether 

they have been there or 

not. The White Horse has 

events coming up July 25 

with Effen Vodka and with 

Skyy Vodka Aug. 8. Rizza 

said events like that help 

let people know they have 

a patio now. 

And the food is a big 

reason why the expansion 

needed to happen. 

“Our food took off and 

everybody was coming in 

wanting to eat and bring 

their kids, but we only had 

from the bar and over [to 

The family-eating side of the White Horse was built out 

in 2016 and has helped accommodate large crowds 

looking to eat. 

the original side],” Rizza 

said. “People were coming 

in with their families and 

we couldn’t accommodate 

them.” 

The White Horse features 

a “from-scratch” 

kitchen. It hand-batters 

and breads its fish, along 

with other items, and everything 

is cooked to order. 

It has an extensive menu 

ranging from 13 different 

starters, a mixture of soups 

and salads, burgers, sandwiches, 

and more. 

One of the top menu 

items is the beer-battered 

cod ($10.50, subject to 

change), which features 

three, deep-fried cod fillets, 

served with coleslaw 

and fries. The breaded 

fried shrimp ($11.95, subject 

to change) also is a fan 

favorite. 

And during Lent, the 

White Horse offers a fish 

fry on Fridays, which is 

buy-one-get-one free. 

The White Horse also 

serves different pot roasts. 

The pot roast tacos ($7.95), 

topped with pico de gallo 

and fresh avocado, is a top 

menu item. 

“The response from 

JBD White Horse Inn 

348 W. Maple St., in 

New Lenox 

Hours 

• 9 a.m.-1 a.m. 

Sunday-Thursday 

• 9 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday- 

Saturday 

For more information ... 

Phone: (815) 485- 

4848 

Email: hinettie8@ 

yahoo.com 

Web: 

jbdwhitehorseinnnl. 

com/ 

The pot roast tacos ($7.95) topped with pico de gallo is a top-selling item at the White 

Horse Inn in New Lenox. Photos by Sean Hastings/22nd Century Media 

The beer-battered cod, which is hand-breaded and battered, is a popular menu item 

at the White Horse. Specials are offered with it throughout Lent. 

the community has been 

great,” Rizza said. “They 

love that we’re accommodating 

kids. Most people 

know that we have food, 

but we still get the people 

that come in not knowing 

we are a restaurant and 

serve food.” 

On the White Horse’s 

Facebook page it says “the 

tradition reborn.” 

In fact, the old sign on 

the front of the building is 

on the far left wall of the 

restaurant. 

“It’s still nostalgic, it 

still looks like the old 

White Horse, it’s just super-sized,” 

Rizza said. 

Over the last few years, 

the White Horse has become 

a hotspot for Bears 

games on Sunday and 

Blackhawks games, too. 

Customers are given 

raffle tickets during Bears 

games and they can win 

different prizes. Tickets 

are pulled at halftime and 

at the end of the game. 

“Last year, when the 

Bears were winning, there 

was hardly any room in 

here,” Rizza said. “Last 

year, we had one big 

screen on the patio and 

now we have three.” 

The White Horse has 

been around since 1973 

and can now be found 

filled on any given night, 

especially with $5 burgers 

and free bingo on Monday, 

and half-priced appetizers 

on Tuesday.

30 | July 25, 2019 | the mokena messenger puzzles 


crosstown CROSSWORD & Sudoku The crosstowns: Frankfort, Homer Glen, Lockport, Mokena, New Lenox, Orland Park, Tinley Park 

Crossword by Myles Mellor and Cindy LaFleur 

Across 

1. Unit of force 

5. Long skirt 

9. Old-style calculators 

14. Beginning of a 

flower 

15. Angers 

16. Emulated chatty 

catty? 

17. Rock that stands 

out 

18. Granny 

19. Arctic villa 

20. Classroom feature 

23. Prefix with 

‘’drome’’ or ‘’space’’ 

24. Sgts., e.g. 

25. Parents 

28. Classroom for karate 

31. Lockport Mayor, 

Steve 

33. Speed up 

38. Columnist Bombeck 

39. Five-time Wimbledon 

champ 

40. Spanish “Sir” 

41. Ticket info, maybe 

42. City near Yorba 

Linda 

43. Forerunners of 

pocket calculators 

45. Four-time champion 

of the Australian 

Open 

47. Baltic Sea feeder 

48. Cellphone storage 

card 

49. WWII pilots 

52. Lick ___ promise 

55. New name for 

the old site of the 

Chevron refinery in 

Lockport, 2 words 

58. Alicia Keys favorite 

instrument 

62. Tennis player Lendl 

63. Famous duelist 

65. Breathing problem 

66. Infamous fiddler of 

ancient times 

67. Animal with a mane 

68. Turned off 

69. Expanded 

70. Aerospace educator, 

DeVore 

Down 

1. U.S. Army medal 

2. San Francisco Bay’s 

___ Buena Island 

3. Football Hall of 

Famer Greasy 

4. “Women Ironing” 

artist 

5. Expensive wrap 

6. Egyptian, for one 

7. Flashbulb element 

8. Sci-Fi great, Asimov 

9. Surrounded by 

10. Request fervently 

11. Legal departure, 

abbr. 

12. Top exec 

13. Wedding agreement 

21. Hip 

22. Sister of Snow 

White 

25. Jeopardy 

26. Pop singer Mann 

27. Glowing orbs in 

the sky 

29. Actress Alba or 

Tandy 

30. Hershiser of the 

diamond 

32. Like some beverage 

bottles 

33. Successor to Arafat 

34. Queen’s favorite 

dog 

35. “White Room” rock 

group 

36. “Wheel of Fortune” 

request 

37. List for every day 

actions 

44. Harvest 

46. Polynesian 

50. Growing 

51. Disconnect 

53. Pre-Christian priest 

54. Site of Goodyear’s 

main office 

56. One in a million 

57. TV reception 

problem 

58. “Hook” role 

59. Business going 

public 

60. Miniature colonist 

61. New form 

64. It’s stranded, for 

short 

MOKENA 

The Alley Grill and Tap House 

(18700 S. Old LaGrange 

Road, Mokena; (708) 

478-3610) 

■9 ■ p.m. Tuesdays: 

Karaoke 

Fox’s Restaurant and Pub 

(11247 W. 187th St., 

Mokena; (708) 478- 

8888) 

■6 ■ p.m. Thursdays, 

Fridays and Saturdays: 

Performance by Jerry 

Eadie 

NEW LENOX 

Little Joe’s Restaurant 

(1300 N. Cedar Road, 

New Lenox; (815) 463- 

1099) 

■5-8 ■ p.m. Tuesdays: 

Piano Styles by Joe 

HOMER GLEN 

Front Row 

(14903 S. Bell Road, 

Homer Glen; (708) 645- 

7000) 

■7 ■ p.m. Wednesdays: 

Trivia 

FRANKFORT 

Pete Mitchell’s Bar & Grill 

(21000 Frankfort 

Square Road, Frankfort; 

(815) 464-8100) 

■6-8 ■ p.m. Wednesdays: 

Free N’ Fun Bar Game. 

Free to play. 

LOCKPORT 

Port Noir 

(900 S. State St., Lockport; 

(815) 834-9463) 

■4-7 ■ p.m. Monday- 

Friday: Happy Hour 

Strike N Spare II 

(811 Northern Drive, 

Lockport; (708) 301- 

1477) 

■9:30 ■ p.m.-12:30 a.m. 

Mondays: Quartermania 

ORLAND PARK 

Traverso’s Restaurant 

(15601 S. Harlem Ave., 

Orland Park; (708) 532- 

2220) 

■8 ■ p.m. Wednesdays 

and Saturdays: Karaoke 

To place an event 

in The Scene, email 

a.datta@22ndcenturymedia. 

com. 

answers 

How to play Sudoku 

Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9x9 grid that 

has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 

3x3 squares. To solve the puzzle each row, column 

and box must contain each of the numbers 

1 to 9. 

LEVEL: Medium 

Crossword by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan

mokenamessenger.com local living 


Outstanding new home values in Peotone can be yours At Westgate Manor 

Distinctive Home Builders is building new homes from the mid $200s 

When it comes to a preferred location, 

Peotone is a steadily growing suburb 

with a strong infrastructure and an 

irresistible small-town charm with a 

bright future—which is why Distinctive 

Home Builders chose the Will County 

village for its newest community of 38 

single-family homes: Westgate Manor. 

“Peotone is a family-friendly village 

just south of Chicago and is one of 

the best kept secrets among new home 

seekers,” said Bryan Nooner, President 

of Distinctive Home Builders. “We 

expect to attract home shoppers from 

northwest Indiana and the south 

suburban Chicago marketplace. We will 

likely also see buyers from the Kankakee 

area because the Peotone school district 

is so desirable.” 

Several factors attracted Distinctive 

Home Builders to this hometown 

atmosphere community, not the least 

of which was its convenient location 

between Interstate 57 and Illinois Route 

50 and easy access to I-80. Commuters 

will enjoy several nearby train stations 

and a mere 35-minute drive to Chicago. 

“It’s a vibrant, growing community 

that benefits from ease of access to 

job centers in the west and southwest 

suburbs with impressive commercial 

and industrial growth that has followed 

the residential boom here,” said Nooner. 

“Affordable land prices in Peotone, 

combined with lower construction costs 

add up to savings when compared to a 

similarly-equipped home in the area,” 

added Nooner. 

Westgate Manor brick and frame 

homes offer (features vary per model) 

three to four bedrooms, two to three 

and- a-half baths, full basement, formal 

dining room, vaulted, tray or nine-foot 

first-floor ceilings, a large kitchen with 

custom maple cabinets, family room 

or great room, and concrete driveways. 

Depending on the home selected, other 

standard amenities can include a living 

room, den, dinette, a tray or vaulted 

ceiling in the master bedroom, and dualzoned 

heating and air conditioning. 

Distinctive Home Builders offers a 

wide variety of styles and selections— 

buyers can choose among 12 different 

designs—each available in three to eight 

different elevations at Westgate Manor, 

including two-story and ranch homes. 

Square footages span 1,600 to 2,500 

for ranches and 1,800 to 3,000 for twostory 

homes. 

“Most home shoppers feel there must 

be a trade off from getting what you need 

and what you want in a new home. With 

our new premium inclusions we have 

closed that gap significantly by including 

additional features that our buyers told 

us were most important to them,” said 

Nooner, who added that “now is the best 

time to buy, because you can still take 

advantage of preconstruction prices that 

range from the mid $200s which makes 

this a terrific New home value.” 

Other premium standard features 

included at Westgate Manor are brick 

front exteriors on the first floor, free 

basements in most models, ceramic tile 

or hardwood floors in the kitchen, baths 

and foyer; and custom maple cabinets. 

Distinctive kitchen cabinets feature 

solid wood construction (no particle 

board), have solid wood drawers with 

dove tail joints, which is very rare in 

the marketplace. 

“When you build a new home with 

Distinctive, you truly are receiving a 

hand crafted home with custom made 

cabinets no matter what the price range,” 

noted Nooner. This year, Distinctive 

Home Builders is celebrating 30 years 

building thousands of homes throughout 

the Will and south Cook county areas. 

Distinctive Home Builders, an 

industry leading innovator, offers the 

fastest build times (90 working days) 

with a “Zero Punch list” closing policy. 

Prior to closing, each home undergoes 

an industry leading 100-point checklist 

to insure the home measures up to our 

high quality standards. 

Aspen Model 

Customers stay connected to the 

progress of their home from start to 

finish through Distinctive’s unique 

construction portal. “Our customers 

simply download our Distinctive 

HomeBuilders app and they are in 

touch with their new home 24/7 from 

anywhere in the world. The app allows 

our customers to see the progress of 

their home and access their documents 

at any time,” Nooner explained. 

“Our customers really appreciate the 

integration of social media sites directly 

in our app allowing them to easily share 

photos and updates of their new home 

with family and friends,” he concluded. 

As a semi-custom builder, Distinctive 

Home Builders can modify any of its 

standard designs to cater to a customer’s 

tastes, which means that moving walls, 

adding extra windows or even extending 

the garage are all possible. Nooner 

added that “All our homes are highly 

energy efficient and will be built to the 

new National Energy Code guidelines. 

Every home we build has upgraded wall 

and ceiling insulation values with energy 

efficient windows and high efficiency 

furnaces. Before our customers take 

possession of their new home, we 

perform a blower door test to insure that 

each home passes a set of very stringent 

guidelines which insures that our homes 

are tight and energy efficient. Owning a 

more energy efficient means lower gas 

and electric bills for our 2-Story Great 

Room Prairie Model customers each 

month.” 

Peotone was established in 1856 and 

offers tree-lined streets and a charming 

downtown area complete with diners, 

pizza parlors, cafes and pubs. In season 

there is a Farmer’s Market in front of the 

American Legion. Also the community 

has a popular Fall Fest in front of the 

famous Peotone Windmill; once a 

thriving flour mill that put Peotone on 

the map in the late 1800s. A Christmas 

in the Village Festival is another annual 

community event that concludes with a 

Lighted Parade at night. Peotone now 

has an estimated population of just 

over 4,000. Metra rail service is nearby 

providing commuters easy access to 

downtown Chicago. 

Westgate Manor is conveniently 

located within walking distance of the 

esteemed Peotone High School. The 

Westgate Manor new home offsite Sales 

and Information Center is located in 

Manhattan three miles south of Laraway 

Rd. on Rt. 52. at 16233 Pinto Lane, 

Manhattan, IL, 60422. Hours are daily 

from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed 

Wednesday and Thursday and they are 

always available by appointment. 

Specials, prices, specifications, 

standard features, model offerings, 

build times and lot availability are 

subject to change without notice. Please 

contact a Distinctive representative for 

current pricing and complete details. 

For more information, call (708) 479- 

7700 or (708) 737-9142 or visit www. 

distinctivehomebuilders. com.

32 | July 25, 2019 | the mokena messenger real estate 


Sponsored content 

The Mokena Messenger’s 

of the 

WEEK 

What: Custom four-bedroom home 

Where: 10647 Westport Way in Mokena 

Amenities: Just minutes away from 

interstate access, the Metra station, 

McGovney Park, Downtown Mokena and 

excellent schools is this custom home. 

Enjoy year-round fun from the large 

backyard that has a huge deck and 

plenty of space to play. Step inside to a 

grand foyer, which flows into more than 

2,600 square feet of beautiful living 

space that is sun-filled and neutrally 

decorated. Throughout the main floor 

are new wood laminate floors that blend 

a formal living room; spacious family 

room with gas fireplace; custom bar; 

eat-in kitchen; and a large dining room. 

On the second floor are four bedrooms, all with ample closet space. They include 

a master suite with walk-in closet, dual sinks, separate shower and Whirlpool tub. 

Plus, the basement has been roughed-in and it’s ready for your finishing touches. 

Asking Price: $339,900 

Listing Agent: Joseph 

Siwinski Managing Broker 

& Owner (708) 479-6355 

jsiwinski@lincolnwayrealty. 

com 

Listing Brokerage: Lincoln- 

Way Realty 

Want to know how to become Home of the Week? Contact Tricia at (708) 326-9170 ext. 47. 

June 11 

• 12102 Sarkis Drive, 

Mokena, 60448- 

8741 - First Bank Of 

Manhattan Truste to 

Ryan Ley, Kathryn Ley, 

$604,000 

• 19806 Wolf Road 

405, Mokena, 60448- 

1385 - Brett R. Davis to 

Dennis Carduff, Linda 

Carduff, $150,000 

June 12 

• 18885 S. Vanderbilt 

Drive, Mokena, 60448- 

8881 - Steven Raimondi 

to John Morganthaler, 

$180,000 

• 12912 W. Hunt Club 

Court, Mokena, 60448- 

8589 - Joe Ciucci to 

Alvaro A. Alvarez, Eva C. 

Alvarez, $130,000 

• 19541 116th Ave. B, 

Mokena, 60448-1851 

- Darlene Hentsch to 

Shannon Chrapkowski, 

$119,500 

June 13 

• 19514 Victorian 

Drive, Mokena, 

60448-2426 - Rising 

Neighborhood Homes 

Llc to Ryan Welbourn, 

Alisa Welbourn, 

$410,000 

• 19456 Moher Court, 

Mokena, 60448-8005 

- Tammy A. Errant 

to Derek M. Hosler, 

Courtney M. Hosler, 

$326,500 

• 18917 Meadow 

Creek Drive, Mokena, 

60448-9110 - Jeffrey 

R. Gacek to Sarah M. 

Wojcik, $326,000 

• 12300 W. Josephine 


9206 - David W. Stein to 

Estela Nava, $260,000 

• 11432 Edgewood 


1430 - Joseph Dutton 

to Rachel Hozzian, 

Nicholas E. Hozzian, 

$254,000 

• 19300 Wolf Road 

6, Mokena, 60448- 

1158 - Violetta Chavez 

to Michael F. Szostak, 

Loretta M. Szostak, 

$100,000 

June 14 

• 19803 Therese 

Lane, Mokena, 60448- 

1711 - Ryan Susay to 

John Gottfried, Jennifer 

McCarthy, $292,000 

The Going Rate is provided 

by Record Information 

Services, Inc. For more 

information, visit www. 

public-record.com or call 

(630) 557-1000.

mokenamessenger.com classifieds 


1003 Help Wanted 

CONSULTATIVE SALES ENGINEER 

for Custom Rubber Products Company 

At Aero Rubber Company, Inc. we value the desire to succeed, 

providing a great customer experience, and supporting our teams. 

As a consultative sales engineer in our Industrial Rubber Band 

Division, you’ll receive in-depth training on our rubber products 

so you can actively identify new targets and establish new 

business from inception through to final sale. 

To succeed you’ll need to evaluate opportunities, build 

relationships, and develop leads with the support of targeted 

marketing campaigns. You’ll call on qualified targets, provide 

technical sales consultations, develop quotes, and provide 

outstanding customer service to ensure loyal customers. 

Throughout the entire process you’ll track leads with our 

CRM system and report on your results. 

This is an inside non-commissioned position; 

it is not a telemarketing position. 

Qualifications 

- 3-5 years minimum successful B2B development and 

industrial sales experience 

- Prior consultative sales and relationship building 

(not catalog sales) 

- Proven track record of achieving results 

- Strong phone presence with excellent verbal communication 

and listening skills 

- ISO and/or quality system experience a plus 

Benefits 

Medical/Dental/Vision, 401K, 

Performance Bonus, Relocation Package 

About Aero 

Located in SW Suburb of Chicago, 46+ Years Strong 

ISO 9001:2015 

To Apply: Send cover letter and resume to: 

bschatte@aerorubber.com 

SENIOR SALES 

ASSISTANT 

Due to rapid growth and growing 

business opportunities, 

Aero Rubber Company 

seeks a detail-oriented 

Senior Sales Assistant for a 

full-time position. 

Working directly with a 

sales engineer, you would be 

responsible for providing 

exceptional customer service 

and performing sales 

administrative functions. 

This is a very diversified 

position in our fast-paced 

office. 

Qualifications: 

- Strong organizational & 

communication skills 

- Expert in Microsoft Office 

- Industrial B2B customer 

service experience a plus 

Competitive salary & benefit 

package including 401K 

To apply, send cover letter 

and resume to: 

cstratton@aerorubber.com 

Small Cleaning Company 

looking for P/T Help for 

Commercial & Residential 

815-370-2532 

Help 

Wanted 

Experienced 

Real Estate Receptionist 

Looking for a P/T, long-term 

receptionist for our front desk 

that can handle a wide variety 

of administrative duties. 

We would like this candidate 

to have prior real estate 

knowledge and demonstrate 

professionalism as the 

first point of contact. 

If you are hard-working, 

reliable, and honest and have 

a willingness to work in the 

real estate industry - 

please call me, Julie Carnes, 

office manager/broker at 

(708) 906-3301 

Position available for a 

full time residential 

water treatment technician 

for south suburban company. 

On site job training provided. 

Job includes product delivery, 

installation and/or equipment 

repair. Must be able to lift and 

move heavy products for 

delivery. 40 hour week plus 

occasional Saturday work. 

Benefits include vacation, 

health insurance and 401K 

contributions. Email resume 

to jrob36@ameritech.net or 

fax to 815-485-2451. 

1003 Help 

Wanted 

PART-TIME PERSONAL 

ASSISTANT WANTED 

We are seeking a highlymotivated 

Personal Assistant, 

who can provide seamless 

organizational support to 

several senior executives 

and other office staff, deftly, 

in a timely manner, with 

strong interpersonal skills 

and good judgment, in a 

complex and dynamic 

work environment. 

Compensation is $18-$20/hour 

For more details 

send your resume to: 

gregskalaski@mail.com 

Maintenance & 

Janitorial Positions 

Full-time (w/ benefits package) 

employees wanted for 

janitorial and maintenance 

of south-suburban apartment 

community (Orland Hills) 

Responsibilities would 

include but not be limited to: 

Janitorial - general, basic 

cleaning skills 

Maintenance - light electrical, 

plumbing, and general 

maintenance of the property 

If you are interested in this 

position, please email: 

HRmailbox@pmdchicago.com 

Part-time Telephone Work 

calling from home for 

AMVETS. Ideal for 

homemakers and retirees. 

Must be reliable and have 

morning &evening hours 

available for calling. 

If interested, 

Call 708 429 6477 

M-F, 10am - 1pm Only! 

Hiring Desk Clerk 

(must be flexible w/ shifts) 

& Housekeeping 

(Morning) 

Needed at Super 8 Motel 

Apply within: 

9485 W. 191st St, Mokena 

No Phone Calls 

Are you a person with 

attention to detail? 

Hiring P/T House Cleaners 

No Evenings/Weekends 

Will Train 

(815) 464-1988 

Edible Arrangements in 

Orland Park is Now Hiring! 

Apply within: 

9040 W. 159th Street 


Hope to see you soon! 

P/T Podiatric Assistant 

needed for Homer Glen & 

Burbank offices. 

Days & Evenings 20-30 hrs/wk 

Fax resume to 708.636.4105 

1003 Help 

Wanted 

CUSTOMER SERVICE 

REPRESENTATIVE 

The Village of Mokena has an 

opening for a Customer Service 

Representative. The successful 

candidate will have an extensive 

background of customer service, a 

thorough knowledge ofMicrosoft 

Office and the ability to perform 

their duties with minimal supervision. 

Duties include but are not 

limited to: answering and directing 

phone calls, waiting onresidents 

at the service counter, maintenance 

ofvarious databases, data 

entry ofwater bills and building 

permits, etc. Municipal experience 

preferred but not required. 

Salary range upper 30s. Please 

send your resume w/cover letter to 

the Mokena Village Hall, Attn: Finance 

Director, 11004 Carpenter 

Street, Mokena, IL 60448 or electronically 

to administration@mokena.org 

. Position open until 

filled. EOE No phone calls. 

Alvernia Manor 

Senior Living - Lemont 

Part-Time Cook 

Call for Details 

(630) 257-7721 

1004 Employment 

Opportunities 

1010 Sitters 

Available 

Need an 

Infant Nanny? 

Peggy 815 405 7500 

(Frankfort) 

NEED BABYSITTER 

HELP? 

Loving mom in New Lenox, 

will provide daily care in my 

home, Monday-Friday. 

Nelson Prairie School area 

and Spencer Kindergarten. 

Call Stacy at 630-776-4103 

Buy 

It! 

SELL 

It! 

FIND 

It! 

in the 

CLASSIFIEDS 

CALL 

708.326.9170 

Caregiver Services 

Provided by 

Margaret’s Agency Inc. 

State Licensed & Bonded 

since 1998. Providing quality 

care for elderly. 

Live-in/ Come & go. 

708.403.8707 

1023 Caregiver 

WANTED 

Want to care for an 

elderly or disabled person 

in MY loving, 

well-appointed home. 

Excellent references 

Please call for more details 

(815) 614-8140 

1025 Situations Wanted 

Looking for Room to Rent 

Retired registered nurse 

Would consider live-in 

caregiver position 

(815) 210-9432 

1050 Community Events 

1052 Garage Sale 

Lockport 805 Cove Avenue. 

Thurs. 7/25, Fri. 7/26, and 

Sat. 7/27, 8-4pm. Kent-Coffey 

mid-century chest and dresser 

(walnut), maple China hutch 

and end tables, rocker glider, 

flat panel TV, mirrors, kitchenette 

and 4 chairs, Bass Pro 

10 foot kayac, power washer, 

crossbow, guitar, and bedding 

Orland Park 13912 Thomas 

Dr 7/27 7-3pm Adult, kids & 

baby clothes, hshld, books, 

tools, crafts & much, much 

more! 

Tinley Park 18052 Goesel Dr. 

Thurs. 7/25 & Fri. 7/26, 8-2pm 

Clothing, furniture, misc., 

teacher’s items, & much more! 

Homer Glen 14942 Wilco Dr. 

7/26 1-6pm &7/27 7-4pm, furniture, 

deco, baby toys and 

clothes, everything, cash only 

DRIVE CAR BUYERS 

TO YOUR DOOR WITH 

A CLASSIFIED AUTO AD 

CALL US TODAY at 708.326.9170 

Garage 

Sale 

1053 Multi Family 

Sale 

Lockport 1225 Illini Drive. 

Thurs. 7/25, Fri. 7/26, Sat. 7/27 

8am -3pm. Don’t miss out - 

golf items, furniture, fishing 

gear, girls clothing, holiday decor, 

record players & records. 

New Lenox , 1708 & 1710 

Foxwood Drive 7/26 &7/27 

9-3pm, Alarge assortment of 

items. Come on out! 

Orland Park 10848 142nd St. 

7/26 &7/27 8am to 3pm, 2 

families , adult clothes, designer 

bags, jewelery, formal 

dresses, shoes, Legos, toys, 

books, hshld decor, kitchen, 

patio furn, holiday and much 

more! Excellent condition! 

1057 Estate Sale 

Homer Glen 14345 

Independence Way. Sat. 7/27, 

9am - 3pm. Furniture, medical 

supplies, and household items

34 | July 25, 2019 | the mokena messenger classifieds 


CLASSIFIEDS 

Help Wanted · Garage Sales · Automotive 

Real Estate · Rentals · Merchandise 

Sell It 708.326.9170 

Fax It 708.326.9179 

Charge It 

DEADLINE - 

Friday at 3pm 

Automotive 

$52 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

Help Wanted 

$13 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

per line 

Real Estate 

$50 

7 lines/ 

7 papers 

Merchandise 

$30 

4 lines/ 

7 papers 

LOCAL 

REALTOR 

DIRECTORY 

Advertise 

your 

RENTAL 

PROPERTY 

in the 

newspaper 

people turn 

to first 

Contact Classified Department 

to Advertise in this Directory (708) 326.9170 

CALL US TODAY: 708.326.9170 

www.22ndcenturymedia.com



CLASSIFIEDS 



Automotive 

$52 4 lines/ 

7 papers 

Help Wanted 

$13 4 lines/ 

per line 7 papers 

2004 Asphalt Paving/Seal Coating 

CLASSIFIEDS 



Automotive 

$52 4 lines/ 

7 papers 

Help Wanted 

$13 4 lines/ 


Sell It 708.326.9170 | Fax It 708.326.9179 

Charge It | DEADLINE - Friday at 3pm 

Real Estate 

$50 7 7 papers 

lines/ 

Merchandise 


lines/ 

Sell It 708.326.9170 | Fax It 708.326.9179 


Real Estate 


lines/ 

Merchandise 


lines/ 

OPEN 

HOUSE 

SHOWCASE 

OPEN 

HOUSE 

Saturday 7/27 1-4pm 

14365 Mallard Drive. 

Homer Glen, IL 

(Pheasant Hollow South) 

2822 sq. ft., 4bedroom, 2 

1/2 bath, new paint and carpet. 

Huge backyard for 

kids/pets/play! Updated 

kitchen and bathrooms. 

Move-in ready and seller 

motivated to sell. Come on 

by! $329,000 Listed on 

Zillow. 773-368-2792 

Rental 

1225 Apartments 

for Rent 

Mokena/Weber 

Wills Apartments 

1 Bedroom apt. $ 850 

2 Bedroom apt. $ 980 

CLOSE TO METRA AND 1-80 

708-479-2448 

Business Directory 

2003 Appliance Repair 

QUALITY 

APPLIANCE 

REPAIR, Inc. 

• Air Conditioning • Furnaces 

Refrigeration • Dishwashers 

Stoves & Ovens • Microwaves 

Garbage Disposals 

Washers&Dryers 

Family Owned &Operatedsince 1986 

Someone you can TRUST 

All work GUARANTEED 

BEST price in town! 

708-712-1392 

2006 Basement Waterproofing 

2007 Black Dirt/Top Soil 

Sawyer 

Dirt 

Pulverized Black Dirt 

Rough Black Dirt 

Driveway Gravel 

Available 

For Delivery Pricing Call: 

815-485-2490 

www.sawyerdirt.com 

Place a garage sale ad & reach 

over 96,000 homes across 

the southwest suburbs! 

FOR $42 YOU’LL GET 

ASINGLE FAMILY AD 

4 LINES in 7 PAPERS 

CALL THE CLASSIFIED 

DEPARTMENT: 708.326.9170 

With the Purchase 

of a Garage Sale Ad! 


2011 Brick/Chimney Experts 

2011 Brick/Chimney Experts 

A+ 

2017 Cleaning Services 

Barb’s Cleaning 

Service 

We clean your home the 

way YOU want it 

cleaned! Good 

Quality, Professional, 

Reliable, and 

Experienced. 

Please call for 

estimate. 

708-663-1789 

Experiened 

Cleaning Lady 

Will Clean House or 

Apartment. 

Free estimates! 

815 690 7633 

2018 Concrete Raising 

Want to 

See 

Your 

Business 

in the 

Classifieds? 

Call 

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2702 Public 

Notices 

Certificate 32961 was filed in the 

office of the County Clerk ofWill 

County onJuly 12, 2019 wherein 

the business firm of SIN’SA- 

TIONAL PUBLISHING 

Located at 18811 Marjorie Parkway 

Mokena, IL 60448 was registered; 

that the true or real name of 

the person owning the business, 

with their respective post office address, 

is as follows: 

Yolanda M. Buick 

18811 Majorie Parkway 

Mokena, IL 60448 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have 

hereunto set my hand and Official 

Seal at my office in Joliet; Illinois, 

this 12th day of July, 2019. 

Lauren Staley Ferry 

Will County Clerk 

2703 Legal 

Notices 

NOTICE OF HEARING 

BEFORE THE PLANNING 

COMMISSION VILLAGE OF 

MOKENA 

Notice is hereby given that apublic 

hearing will beheld onAugust 15, 

2019 at the meeting ofthe Planning 

Commission of the Village of 

Mokena, Illinois at the hour of 7:00 

P.M. or as soon thereafter asthe 

agenda permits, atthe Village Hall 

at 11004 Carpenter Street, Mokena, 

Illinois, at which time and 

place the following will be considered: 

Regarding the property located at 

18781 S. 90th Street, Unit E, apetition 

for aSpecial Use Permit to 

operate a brewery with a tasting 

room in the I-1, light industrial 

zoning district has been filed. Thomas 

Soltis representing Brothership 

Brewing of 8203 Callista 

Drive, Frankfort, IL 60423 has 

filed the petition. Mokena Wolf 

Road, LLC of 18811 S. 90th Avenue, 

Mokena, IL 60448 owns the 

property. 

The property isdescribed as follows: 

LOT 11OFBLOCK 2INCOR- 

PORATE CORRIDORS NORTH 

INDUSTRIAL BEING ASUBDI- 

VISION OF PART OFSECTION 

3, TOWNSHIP 35 NORTH, 

RANGE 12 EAST OF THE 

THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, 

ALL BEING IN WILL COUNTY, 

ILLINOIS. 

COMMON ADDRESS: 18781 S. 

90th Avenue, Mokena, IL 

PIN # 19-09-03-401-008-0000 

Any person wishing toappear for 

or against said petitions may do so 

in person, in writing or by council 

at said time and place. The petition 

for this land use action and a 

full detailed legal description is 

available for review at the Mokena 

Village Hall at 11004 Carpenter 

Street during normal working 

hours. 

Any person wishing toappear for 

or against said petitions may do so 

in person, in writing or by counsel 

at said time and place. 

Dated this 25th day of July, 2019 

Planning Commission 

Doug Heathcock 

Chairman 

2703 Legal 

Notices 

NOTICE OF HEARING 

BEFORE THE ZONING 

BOARD OF APPEALS 

VILLAGE OF MOKENA 

Notice is hereby given that apublic 

hearing will beheld onAugust 15, 

2019, at the meeting ofthe Zoning 

Board of Appeals ofthe Village of 

Mokena, Illinois, at the hour of 

7:00 P.M., orassoon thereafter as 

the agenda permits, atthe Village 

Hall at 11004 Carpenter Street, 

Mokena, Illinois, at which time and 

place the following will be considered: 

An application to widen the width 

of a driveway has been submitted 

for the property located at 11139 

Revere Road. August and Elizabeth 

Deuser, 11139 Revere Road, 

Mokena, IL 60448 own the property 

and have submitted the petition. 

The property isdescribed as follows: 

The east 1/2 of lots 23 and 24in 

Arthur T. Mcintosh and company’s 

addition to Mokena, asubdivision 

of part of the west 1/2 of the northwest 

1/4 ofsection 8,township 35 

north, range 12 east of the third 

principal meridian, according to 

the plat thereof recorded February 

10, 1925, in plat book 16, page 51, 

as document NO. 375946, in Will 

County, Illinois. 

Pin #: 19-09-08-103-002-0000 

Any interested person may attend 

and provide comments or ask questions, 

orally, in writing, or both. 

Any individual requiring special 

accommodations as specified by 

the Americans with Disabilities 

Act is requested to notify the Village 

ofMokena-ADA Compliance 

Coordinator at (708) 479-3912 at 

least 24 hours in advance ofthe 

meeting date. 

Dated this 25th day of July, 2019. 

Zoning Board of Appeals 

Doug Heathcock 

Chair 

2900 Merchandise 

Under $100 

20 inch BMX -crome color 

Huffy Tremor VGC $40 

708-785-3085 

Antique cake plates 22K gold 

edged. Old world design $25 

each Call 815-838-9179 

Back issues of Corvette 

Magazine. Issues 24 thru 123. 

$1 each Call 815-485-3524 

Bally Fireball pinball machine 

$100 OBO Call 708-460-5624 

Bicycle: Vintage Triumph ladies 

English 3 speed good condition 

$60 Call 630-865-5543 

Tinley Park 

Bike - men’s Huffy $12, antique 

wood rocker $10, lg. ceramic 

base lamp $8, C. Bernadine 

uniform skirts $4 each 

Call 708-301-8880 

China cabinet excellent condition 

3 glass shelves 3 drawers 

interior light 68”h x24”w x 

14”d $70 Northbrook, Photos 

on Craigslist 847-272-2252



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42 | July 25, 2019 | the mokena messenger sports 


BASEBALL 

Final Four run has LW East excited for next spring 

STEVE MILLAR, Sports Editor 

Lincoln-Way East rising 

senior Cade Turner said he 

learned a lot from watching 

Illinois-bound Cole 

Kirschsieper pitch for the 

Griffins during a dominant 

senior season this spring. 

The biggest thing Turner 

took away was not mechanical 

or strategic, however. 

It had more to do 

with attitude. 

“I remember watching 

Cole all year,” Turner said. 

“He always had that look 

on his face like he wanted 

to compete against every 

better. All of us saw that 

and we’re trying to take 

it into our own games and 

just have that mentality to 

go out there and beat every 

individual batter.” 

As the Griffins prepare 

for life without Kirschsieper 

- the school’s all-time 

leader in wins and ERA - at 

the top of their rotation, the 

summer served to reassure 

them that the pitching staff 

is still in fine shape. 

Several pitchers had 

success on the mound as 

East went 15-3 over the 

summer and advanced to 

the semifinals of the Illinois 

High School Baseball 

Coaches Association’s 

Phil Lawler Classic, the 

summer state playoffs. 

“We feel like we’re going 

to be really deep in the 

spring on the mound,” East 

coach Eric Brauer said. 

“We don’t have a Cole 

Kirschsieper, but I think 

we’ll have more guys top 

to bottom that can get us 

outs and give us innings, 

go out there and be competitive.” 

The Griffins won seven 

straight games to open the 

summer playoffs, breezing 

through double-elimination 

regional and sectional 

tournaments without a loss 

and beating Jacobs 6-0 in 

a state quarterfinal July 

15. Against Jacobs, Davey 

Fitzpatrick had a threerun 

double to highlight a 

five-run fifth inning as the 

Griffins broke open a 0-0 

tie. Anthony Panzella and 

Danny Heimer combined 

for the shutout, with Panzella 

earning the win. 

The run ended, however, 

with a 5-2 loss to Brother 

Rice in the semifinals July 

17 at DuPage Medical 

Group Field in Joliet. 

East was undone by 

three errors and left 10 runners 

on base in the game. 

The Crusaders went on to 

win the summer state title 

the next day, beating Geneva 

2-0 in nine innings. 

Self-inflicted damage 

In the semifinal, East 

jumped out to a quick 2-0 

lead in the second inning. 

Fitzpatrick and Ryan 

McCoy opened the frame 

with singles. TJ DeVries 

followed with a grounder 

back to Brother Rice pitcher 

Jack Lausch. Lausch 

tried to get the out at third, 

but Fitzpatrick beat the 

throw to load the bases 

with no outs. 

Dan DeCero and Matt 

Michaels then drove in 

runs with a RBI groundout 

and a sacrifice fly, respectively. 

Still, the Griffins did not 

produce a hit after loading 

the bases and missed a 

chance to break the game 

open. 

That was a sign of things 

to come, and Brother Rice 

immediately battled back. 

East committed three errors 

in the third inning and 

the Crusaders took advantage, 

coming up with three 

big two-out hits to push 

across five runs. 

“Obviously the main 

thing in this game was giving 

up five unearned runs 

in the third,” Brauer said. 

“That’s tough to overcome. 

You don’t win many 

games when you have an 

inning like that.” 

East had chances to rally, 

loading the bases in the 

sixth and getting the tying 

run to the plate in the seventh, 

but could not come 

up with timely hits. 

“When you fall behind 

like that, you have to come 

up with a big hit and we 

did not,” Brauer said. 

Bright spots abound 

Despite the loss, there 

were many reasons for 

optimism. The Griffins 

did not allow an unearned 

run over their final three 

games: a 10-0 sectional final 

win over Lincoln-Way 

West, the 6-0 victory over 

Jacobs and the Brother 

Rice defeat, when all five 

runs were unearned. 

Starter and rising senior 

Mike Szczasny was hurt 

by the defensive lapses 

and departed after 2 2/3 

innings, giving up the five 

unearned runs. Turner 

shut down the Crusaders 

the rest of the way with 4 

1/3 shutout innings. He allowed 

two hits, did not issue 

a walk and struck out 

two. 

“Both our guys did 

a great job throwing 

strikes,” Brauer said. “We 

only walked two guys. If 

we make a couple plays 

there in the third, who 

knows? All five runs in 

one inning.” 

Turner is hoping to take 

on a big role his senior season, 

and gained confidence 

over the summer. 

Davey Fitzpatrick capped a big summer at the plate with two hits in Lincoln-Way 

East’s 5-2 loss to Brother Rice in a summer state semifinal July 17. 

PHOTOS BY GARY MIDDENDORF/22ND CENTURY MEDIA 

“I want to be that hardthrowing 

righty coming 

out of the pen,” he said. 

“I want to be the guy that 

comes in, throws strikes 

and gets the job done. 

“We have a lot of depth 

in our pitching staff. We 

have so many guys that 

come in and do the job. We 

just have to come in and 

throw strikes because we 

have a pretty good defense 

behind us.” 

One of the defensive 

anchors is McCoy behind 

the plate. The senior leader 

threw out three base runners 

in the semifinal. 

“Defense is my biggest 

thing,” McCoy said. 

“It’s blocking balls, stealing 

strikes and throwing 

guys out. I tried to buy our 

pitchers some strikes.” 

McCoy will also be 

counted on heavily offensively 

next spring. Fitzpatrick, 

DeVries, rising sophomore 

Alex Stanwich and 

Rising senior Cade Turner throws a pitch during 

Lincoln-Way East’s 5-2 loss to Brother Rice in a 

summer state semifinal July 17. Turner threw 4 1/3 

shutout innings. 

rising seniors Cael Geijer 

and leadoff hitter Nick 

Merganthaler were among 

the offensive standouts this 

summer for the Griffins. 

After bowing out in a 

shocking first-round upset 

this spring and coming up 

just short in the summer, 

the Griffins are plenty fired 

up for next season. 

“I know we’re going 

to come out and grind all 

year to be ready for next 

spring,” McCoy said. 

“We’ll definitely have a 

chip on our shoulder. Having 

it end like this in the 

summer, after the way we 

lost [in the spring] is just 

going to make us work 

harder in the offseason.”

mokenamessenger.com sports 


Athlete of the Week 

10 Questions 

with Abbey Ward 

Abbey Ward is a rising 

senior on the Lincoln-Way 

Central soccer team. 

How did last season 

go? 

I’d say it was probably 

my best season yet at 

Central. Even as a team, I 

think that this was our best 

season the past three years. 

We won regionals, which 

was really exciting. 

What have you 

learned from coach 

Sean Fahey? 

He taught us a new 

mentality, not just saying 

you’re going to do something, 

but actually doing 

it. Living without regrets 

is something he also spoke 

about. I feel like I’ve 

learned that instead of feeling 

bad for myself when 

something goes wrong, 

those are the moments you 

really grow as a person. 

When did you start 

playing soccer? 

I started playing when 

I was 5. I joined a travel 

team when I was about 8 

years old. 

Do you play any other 

sports that help with 

your soccer abilities? 

I still play basketball for 

Central. I also used to do 

track and field for a bit at 

Central. I think that the 

skills from basketball help 

me on the field. The agility 

required for basketball 

helps me with soccer. The 

creative aspect of getting 

down the court in basketball 

also helps me with 

soccer. 

You said that you 

wanted to play soccer 

collegiately. What 

has that process been 

like? 

I’ve been looking and 

reaching out to coaches. 

Some have reached out to 

me, but nothing official 

yet. I’ve been going to 

showcases with my travel 

team to help garner interest. 

It’s a good way to get 

exposure and eventually 

commit somewhere. 

Dream scenario: what 

school would you most 

like to play at? 

Somewhere big, I really 

like Mizzou. I just want 

to go to a school that has 

an awesome atmosphere, 

both academically and 

athletically. I’d like the opportunity 

to play at a power 

five conference school. 

Any particular 

pregame rituals? 

Before every game, I 

always drink coffee or 

something with caffeine to 

get me jittery and ready for 

the game. It’s been a team 

joke about me using biofreeze. 

I was always hurt 

somewhere, so I put that 

on before every game. 

What has been the 

STEVE MILLAR/22ND CENTURY 

MEDIA 

best part about being 

a Lincoln-Way Central 

athlete? 

I’d have to say all of the 

coaches I’ve had at Central. 

They have been amazing 

mentors, even outside 

of the sport. Everyone is 

just really supportive, not 

necessarily about the game 

but also the athlete. 

Who is your favorite 

athlete? 

Alex Morgan because 

she’s obviously a great 

player, but also seems 

down to earth. That’s a big 

thing for me. I’m a fan of 

good people. 

Since it’s summer: lake 

or ocean? 

Ocean, that would mean 

that I am on a beach somewhere 

relaxing. With a 

lake, there isn’t always an 

actual beach. 

Interview conducted by Editorial 

Intern Joe Bielanski. 

Volleyball 

Quick learner Sorenson on the rise for Griffins 

RANDY WHALEN 


If one could go back in 

time just two short years 

ago and tell Ali Sorenson 

where she would be now, 

the Lincoln-Way East junior 

girls volleyball player never 

would have believed it. 

As she enters her junior 

season as a middle hitter 

at East, Sorenson is literally 

looking to reach new 

heights. She’s still growing 

and has been getting a lot of 

looks from Division 1 volleyball 

programs, including 

recently at a camp at the 

University of Wisconsin. 

Pretty good for someone 

who had never touched 

a volleyball before high 

school. 

“My freshman year, I 

went out for volleyball 

and was on the ‘B’ team,” 

Sorenson said. “That was 

my first year of volleyball. 

I was in cheer for a while 

and when I started at East, 

I thought I might go the 

first year without playing 

a sport.” 

But a little parental intervention 

pushed her toward 

volleyball. 

“My dad, Al, pushed me 

toward it,” Sorenson said. 

“I really didn’t want to 

go. I had never hit a volleyball. 

After the first day 

of volleyball camp [in the 

summer of 2017], I came 

out crying. I didn’t like it 

at all. It was not OK.” 

So, if someone would 

have told her at that point 

that two years later she’d 

be highly recruited in the 

sport and would be anxious 

to lead the Griffins to 

great heights this season, 

what would she have said? 

“I would have been 

like, ‘I don’t believe you, 

there’s no way,’” Sorenson 

said. “I would have been 

like, ‘There’s no way you 

can be serious.’ But I guess 

you never know.” 

You sure don’t. Sorenson 

didn’t play much as 

a freshman. But she got 

some blocks and was utilized 

on defense. 

“She had some cheer 

experience before high 

school, but was tall,” East 

coach Kris Fiore said of 

Sorenson. “Freshman year, 

she was totally raw and 

didn’t play that much. But 

then she decided to take 

private lessons and totally 

dedicated herself to the 

sport.” 

It was just a matter of 

sticking with it. 

“My freshman year 

was not the best,” Sorenson 

said. “But my parents 

knew you couldn’t teach 

height. So, I stayed with it. 

I wasn’t going to quit. 

“Then my mom [Cindy] 

called the owners of Velocity 

Volleyball in Mokena, 

Mike and Sindy See. 

I came in there three times 

per week. I also came in 

and did jump training every 

day for a couple of 

hours.” 

That helped immensely 

as Sorenson came into last 

volleyball season like a 

new person. 

“I was on the sophomore 

team for the first week,” 

Sorenson said. “But then 

coach Fiore pulled me up 

to the varsity so I could 

play with them.” 

Play she did, moving to 

the middle right away, but 

mostly as a defensive presence. 

“Last season Ali had the 

most blocks in a match (8) 

and her 85 blocks on the 

year were in the Top 5 in 

East history,” Fiore said. 

“She wasn’t as much of an 

offensive threat, but we will 

look for her to be this season. 

She played club for Ultimate 

16U Gold team and 

all phases of her game have 

really started to click.” 

Junior Ali Sorenson is 

a player on the rise for 

Lincoln-Way East. Photo 

submitted 

Last season, the Griffins 

finished with an uncharacteristic 

18-19 record. But 

they were playing their 

best volleyball at the end 

of the season. Their final 

match was a 25-20, 21-25, 

25-17 loss to Marist in the 

title match of the Class 4A 

Bradley-Bourbonnais Regional. 

Marist went on to win 

its second straight Class 

4A State Title. In the entire 

postseason, the East 

match was the only one 

that went three sets for the 

RedHawks (39-3). 

“We have 10 returning 

starters,” Fiore said. “Everyone 

knows everything 

in the system and what’s 

expected of them.” 

Obviously, that includes 

Sorenson, who has grown 

an inch and a half since 

last year and now stands 

6-foot-3. She’s probably 

not done growing and the 

Griffins are certainly not 

done winning this summer. 

“I knew I could be at 

that level if I kept working,” 

Sorenson said. “I tell 

people never give up. You 

know the best reasons why 

you’re there. You just have 

to go for it.”



Going Places 

Gedville takes softball skills to Winona State 

RANDY WHALEN 


Gabby Gedville called it 

“a whole new beginning.” 

For the Mokena native 

and recent Lincoln-Way 

Central graduate, it was 

also a case of love at first 

sight. 

That “it” is Winona 

State University in Winona, 

Minn. That’s where 

Gedville will continue her 

softball career as she will 

start school there next 

month and plans to play 

outfield for the Warriors 

softball team next spring. 

“I had never been to 

Minnesota until I visited 

there,” Gedville said. “It’s 

on the border of Wisconsin 

and Minnesota, right on 

the Mississippi River. It’s 

really pretty there.” 

Gedville got to go to the 

school for the first time 

nearly two years ago. 

“I heard of the school 

and went there for a softball 

camp in the fall of 

2017,” Gedville said. “I 

went back there for another 

camp and looked 

around at the school even 

more then. It’s just perfect. 

It’s just far enough away 

from home at five hours. 

Plus, they have train service 

from there to Union 

Station in Chicago. 

“The coaches are outstanding, 

I really like 

them. Plus my roommate, 

Brianna Luciano from 

Hersey High School, is 

a good friend of mine. 

We’ve been playing together 

on the New Lenox 

Lightning for years. It’s a 

Division II program and 

just a good fit for me. It’s a 

whole new beginning.” 

While she’s embarking 

on a new chapter in life 

and softball, Central coach 

Class of 2019 Lincoln-Way Central graduate Gabriella Gedville is headed to Winona 

State to continue her softball career. STEVE MILLAR/22ND CENTURY MEDIA 

Jeff Tarala has no doubt 

that Gedville will continue 

her outstanding play. 

“For me as a coach, a 

player like Gabriella is 

what a coach looks for,” 

Tarala said. “She is a 

player that shows up and 

gets her work done and is 

looking to improve. In my 

three years of coaching 

Gabriella, I never heard 

her complain or come in 

with a bad attitude. She 

was a quiet leader for us 

that led through an example 

of working hard and 

doing whatever the coaching 

staff asked of her. 

“As for Winona State, 

they will be getting a quality 

young lady that will 

bring a consistent work 

ethic and presence in the 

lineup. They are extremely 

fortunate to have Gabriella 

coming into their program. 

But in my opinion, it’s 

not just a quality softball 

player they will be getting. 

They will be getting 

a quality young lady that 

is determined to succeed, 

on the softball field, in 

the classroom, and in life. 

I had Gabriella in class, 

too, and she worked just as 

hard in class as she did on 

the softball field. That told 

me everything I needed to 

know about her. She is a 

well-rounded young lady 

that is destined for success.” 

Sparking the Knights 

That success was evident 

this season. With 44 

hits in 87 at bats, Gedville’s 

average was .506 

in the leadoff spot for 

the Knights. She banged 

out six doubles, had a 

trio of triples, stole 17 

bases, scored 31 runs and 

knocked in 14. Her onbase 

percentage was a robust 

.543 and her average 

with runners in scoring 

position was .625. 

“Gabriella hit .625 with 

runners in scoring position 

as a lead-off hitter,” Tarala 

said. “That is incredible. 

It shows how clutch she 

is when it counts and how 

the bottom of our lineup 

was doing a good job getting 

on for her.” 

The entire Knights team 

did well this past spring. 

They tied the 2006 team 

for best winning percentage 

in school history, going 

32-3 overall and capturing 

their third regional title in 

the past five seasons. 

But they were the topseed 

in the sectional and 

saw their season end with 

a heartbreaking 2-0 loss in 

nine innings to Joliet West, 

which went on to take third 

in the state in Class 4A. 

That capped off a fouryear 

high school career for 

Gedville which saw her 

teams win three regional 

titles. 

At Lincoln-Way East as 

a freshman, she was also 

part of a sectional title 

team. 

“I wish it could have 

happened,” Gedville said 

of getting to state. “I didn’t 

realize as a freshman how 

close we were to getting to 

state [losing 1-0 to Normal 

Community West in the Illinois 

state Supersectional]. 

I didn’t realize how 

cool that was. 

“The playoffs are so unforgettable, 

so close. All 

the little things have to go 

right in order for you to 

win the state.” 

Building a foundation 

When Lincoln-Way 

North closed, she came 

over to Central as the district 

realigned. 

“I wasn’t too nervous to 

go to Central,” Gedville 

said. “All my friends from 

Mokena Junior High like 

Ashley Platek and Amanda 

Weyh were going to 

Central, too.” 

The Knights were certainly 

glad to have her as 

she was the starting centerfielder 

the past three 

seasons. 

“The first thing that 

comes to mind with Gabriella 

is consistency,” Tarala 

said. “She was always a 

steady presence at the top 

of the lineup. She always 

had quality at bats and 

knew how to work counts 

when she needed to. She 

also always showed up in 

big games. In those types 

of games, she was at her 

best. Just getting on base, 

drawing walks or just 

simply working counts to 

make the pitcher work and 

put stress on the pitcher. 

“The second thing that 

comes to mind is her smile 

and laugh. She was always 

out there having a good 

time and laughing and I 

think that gets lost a lot of 

times with high-level softball, 

whether high school 

or travel ball. I also think 

that is why she has had 

success on the field. It does 

not seem that the moment 

or the game is too much 

for and she has things in 

perspective.” 

Gedville also played 

basketball between sixth 

grade and her freshman 

year at East. But since then 

it’s all softball. 

“I like softball because 

it’s really fast-moving,” 

she said. “It’s a very intense 

game and very competitive. 

You meet a lot of 

awesome people too.” 

She also credits playing 

at Central and in the New 

Lenox Lightning organization 

since she was 10 

for molding her into an 

All-State player. She was 

competing in a National 

Tournament with the 

Lightning the week of July 

21 in Huntington Beach, 

California. 

“Playing at Central and 

for the Lightning taught 

me that I have to work 10 

times harder to have my 

position,” Gedville said. 

“It taught me that I always 

have to have that passion. 

This past season was incredible 

and that will only 

help me in college.” 

Going Places is a weekly 

summer series featuring area 

athletes who are committed 

to play sports in college.



Golf 

Curran makes deep run 

at US Junior Amateur 


Competing in a field of 

over 150 of the best junior 

golfers in the world, Sean 

Curran more than held his 

own. 

Curran, a rising junior 

at Lincoln-Way Central, 

reached the Round of 32 

in match play before his 

run ended last week at the 

U.S. Junior Amateur at 

Inverness Club in Toledo, 

Ohio. 

“It was a super fun and 

memorable week,” Curran 

said. “Everything about 

the event was awesome. 

Inverness Club was great, 

the USGA ran a great 

event. It was tiring, but it 

was a lot of fun. I hope I 

can give it another run 

next year.” 

The event began with 

two rounds of stroke play 

to cut the field down to 64 

players for match play. 

Curran dealt with some 

inconsistency in the opening 

rounds and finished at 

8-over 150, putting him 

in an 8-way tie for 58th 

place which required all 

eight players to compete 

in a playoff for seven 

spots. 

Curran thus went to 

sleep on July 16 knowing 

he had a playoff and a potential 

first-round match to 

get through the next day. 

“I didn’t play my best 

to put me in that position 

at 8-over, but with the 

playoff the next morning, 

I looked it is as almost 

a warmup for my match 

later that day,” he said. “It 

ended up working out, I 

birdied to get in. 

“You want to make it to 

Lincoln-Way Central rising junior Sean Curran reached 

the Round of 32 at the U.S. Junior Amateur. 22ND CENTURY 

MEDIA FILE PHOTO 

match play and if you get 

there, anything can happen. 

You just have to get 

through those two days of 

stroke play and then match 

play is a lot of fun.” 

Curran was the only 

player among the eight to 

birdie the playoff hole, a 

nice momentum boost for 

match play. 

He was the only player 

from Illinois to qualify for 

match play. 

In the first round, Curran 

– seeded 58th – knocked 

off seventh-seeded Brett 

Roberts of Coral Springs, 

Fla., 2 and 1. 

“It was great to get one 

win,” Curran said. “Match 

play is a lot different. I 

also play basketball and 

feel like it’s a little more 

like that when you play 

match play, with the headto-head 

aspect. I enjoy it.” 

Curran’s tournament 

ended July 18 when he 

fell 2 and 1 to 26th-seeded 

Maxwell Moldovan of 

Uniontown, Ohio. 

Still, he knows how beneficial 

it was to play over 

four rounds of highly competitive 

golf on a challenging 

course. 

“You learn a lot,” Curran 

said. “It’s a very difficult 

course. It was playing 

tough. The rough was 

super thick, it’s a long golf 

course. There were a lot of 

other great junior golfers. 

Watching them helps you 

out.” 

Curran has another huge 

event around the corner as 

he is slated to play in the 

Junior PGA Championship 

in Hartford, Conn. starting 

Tuesday, July 30. 

His performance in Toledo 

gave him a big boost 

heading into that tournament. 

“It means a lot to get to 

that point in such a great 

event,” he said. “I’ll use it 

as a confidence builder for 

the rest of the summer and 

go from there.” 

Special moments abound at Wade camp 


Imagine being a 14-yearold 

and running football 

drills with two potential 

Hall of Fame athletes. 

Keylan Sanders had 

a chance to live out that 

dream scenario at the 

Dwyane Wade Celebrity 

Sports Academy camp 

Saturday, July 20 at Lincoln-Way 

Central. 

Sanders was going out 

for passes and taking 

handoffs from Bears superstar 

linebacker Khalil 

Mack. On the other side 

was Wade – a 13-time 

NBA All-Star- trying to 

defend Sanders, a 14-yearold 

from Chicago. 

“It was unbelievable,” 

Sanders said. “I look up 

to those guys a lot. I play 

football and I’m a big 

Khalil Mack fan, so that 

was a good experience.” 

Another 14-year-old, 

Rimon Kari, had a chance 

to play a quick one-on-one 

basketball game against 

Wade. 

“It was fun,” she said. 

“I was nervous, but it was 

pretty cool.” 

While Wade dribbled 

between his legs and buried 

jump shots, Kari did 

her best to defend him. 

“It was hard trying to 

guard him” she said. “Being 

on the court at the 

same time as him was such 

a cool experience.” 

Wade played a few more 

one-on-one games, showing 

off his moves and delighting 

the crowd when 

he bounced the ball off the 

backboard and went up for 

a thunderous dunk. 

Wade has brought many 

famous athletes to Lincoln-Way 

Central over the 

past decade-plus, but perhaps 

none who were at the 

pinnacle of their star status 

in quite the way Mack is. 

Mack is one of the 

NFL’s top players and is 

still new to the Chicago 

14-year-old Rimon Kari defends Dwyane Wade in a 

one-on-one game at Wade’s Celebrity Sports Academy 

camp Saturday, July 20 at Lincoln-Way Central. 

STEVE MILLAR/22ND CENTURY MEDIA 

Bears linebacker Khalil Mack greets campers at 

the Dwyane Wade Celebrity Sports Academy camp 

Saturday, July 20 at Lincoln-Way Central. 

GARY MIDDENDORF/22ND CENTURY MEDIA 

sports scene. Wherever he 

went on the Central campus, 

there were dozens of 

kids chasing after him. 

Mack posted a photo of 

he and Wade on his Instagram 

account with the 

caption, “Had a blast at 

the homie Dwyane Wade 

camp here in Chicago. 

Didn’t know Chicago can 

get this hot. Reminds me 

of home.” 

Mack is from Florida, 

and indeed the heat in New 

Lenox was Florida-like. 

With heat indexes well 

over 100, camp leaders adjusted 

schedules to reduce 

kids’ time spent outdoors. 

The heat could not keep 

the campers from having a 

blast. 

“I always watched 

[Wade] growing up,” Kari 

said. “Being at his camp 

and playing basketball 

with him was a lot of fun.”



Wade camp continues to make an impact at LW Central 

Mack, soccer stars 

also a part of twoday 

festivities 

SEAN HASTINGS 



Dwyane Wade never had 

a chance to tell Michael 

Jordan that he wanted to 

be just like him when he 

was growing up 

Wade grew up in Robbins 

and attended Richards 

High School in Oak Lawn. 

He played just one year for 

the Bulls in 2016, yet most 

children growing up in the 

area know D-Wade. 

And for the last 11 years, 

Wade has returned to New 

Lenox and hosted a camp 

every year because of his 

long-standing friendship 

with Mayor Tim Baldermann. 

He has given area children 

a chance to tell one 

of their heroes they want 

to be just like him — the 

chance he never got. 

“I was a little kid before 

and had people I looked up 

to,” Wade said. “Growing 

up in Chicago and growing 

up in the Chicago Bulls 

dynasty era and being fans 

of Michael Jordan, Scottie 

[Pippen] and those 

guys, they gave us hope. 

They gave us a vision of 

the dream we had and we 

wanted. To be there for 

the kids is the American 

Dream, right? 

“You get kids who say 

they want to be just like 

you. They want to travel 

the same path as you. I 

never had the opportunity 

to say that to Michael Jordan, 

but I would have said 

the same thing and look 

— I was able to travel the 

same path.” 

The Dwyane Wade 

Sports Academy is a twoday 

camp held at Lincoln- 

Way Central, and for 

years Wade has brought 

in superstar Chicago athletes 

including former 

Bull Jimmy Butler, former 

Bears players Devin Hester, 

Brandon Marshall and 

Charles Tillman, former 

Chicago Sky basketball 

player Elena Della Donne 

and more. 

This year’s camp on Friday, 

July 19 and Saturday, 

July 20 was no different. 

Bears star linebacker 

Khalil Mack left many of 

the hundreds of kids in attendance 

in awe when he 

arrived on day two and 

threw footballs to campers 

inside the Central gym. 

Mack also showed he is 

human, struggling along 

with Wade in a soccer 

competition. 

Chicago Red Stars defender 

Arin Wright interacted 

with the soccer players. 

Chicago Sky player 

Cheyenne Parker and 

coach James Wade – no 

relation to Dwyane – also 

participated, as did representatives 

of the Chicago 

Fire. 

Dwyane Wade said he 

likes to bring in the other 

sports’ athletes to show 

more children what the 

path they want to go down 

can lead to. 

The star power delighted 

the kids in attendance. 

“It’s been a really fun 

camp,” 14-year-old Keylan 

Sanders said. “It’s really 

cool seeing all these 

pro athletes.” 

Aside from the celebrities, 

hundreds of camp 

workers and volunteers 

led the campers through 

drills and competitions in 

Chicago Sky forward Cheyenne Parker (left) and Dwyane Wade share a laugh during 

Wade’s Celebrity Sports Academy camp on Friday, July 19 at LW Central. 

SEAN HASTINGS/22ND CENTURY MEDIA 

Jeremiah Powers, age 12 of Frankfort, takes part in a basketball game at the annual 

Dwyane Wade Celebrity Sports Academy Camp Saturday, July 20, at LW Central. 

GARY MIDDENDORF/22ND CENTURY MEDIA 

basketball, football, soccer 

and cheerleading. 

Several guest speakers 

with diverse backgrounds 

were also featured. One of 

them was Jason Griffin, a 

Harvey native and longtime 

strength and conditioning 

coach in the NFL 

and MLB. 

“We have a lot of great 

things going on from an 

athletic standpoint, we 

talk about grades, we have 

guest speakers talking 

about making the right decisions,” 

Griffin said. “It’s 

awesome.” 

Some thought the 2018 

camp was going to be the 

final year. All signs pointed 

to it. Wade, now a resident 

of Miami — where 

much of his career was 

spent and ended — was 

not sure what life would be 

like entering retirement at 

the end of the 2018-2019 

season. 

But he was asked by a 

mother of one of the campers 

in 2018 during a Q&A 

why he was not going to 

do the camp anymore. 

“I didn’t have a really 

good answer for her besides, 

‘My schedule is 

busy,” Wade said. “Then I 

[said] we’ll do it again. 

Though not every camper 

was able to get one-onone 

time with Wade, his 

presence was enough to 

make kids go wild. As a 

stray ball went bouncing 

away, there was a mad 

scramble just to get the 

ball and throw it back to 

him. 

Wade does not know 

for sure when the day will 

come when the camp may 

come to a close, but he will 

keep coming back as long 

as one thing stays true. 

“After every year you 

sit back and assess, one, 

did you make an impact? 

Or are you just doing 

something,” Wade said. 

“The biggest thing I sit 

with [camp organizers 

Donnie and Jessica Dereschuk] 

and say, “How 

big of an impact have we 

made just in 48 hours of 

doing a camp?’ If we continue 

to make an impact, 

then it’s something we’re 

going to continue to 

do.” 

To read more about the 

Celebrity Sports Academy, 

please see page 53.



fastbreak 

Going Places 

McPhillips ready to change it up again at Ball State 

Sean hastings/22ND 

CENTURY MEDIA 

1st and 3 

THREE CELEBRITY 

APPEARANCES AT THE 

DWYANE WADE CAMP 

AT LW CENTRAL 

1. Dwyane Wade 

Wade (above) 

brought his Celebrity 

Sports Academy 

camp back to 

LW Central and 

spent time playing 

basketball, football 

and soccer with the 

campers. 

2. Khalil Mack 

The Bears star 

linebacker 

delighted the kids in 

attendance when he 

arrived on Saturday, 

July 20 and threw 

footballs to campers. 

3. Female stars 

Chicago Red Stars 

defender Arin Wright 

interacted with 

soccer players while 

the Chicago Sky’s 

Cheyenne Parker 

was in action on the 

court. 

JOSH KROCKEY 


Of Wil McPhillips’ 

many talents on the volleyball 

court, the best might 

be his versatility. 

The 6-foot-4 McPhillips 

played three positions 

while starring at Lincoln- 

Way East, winning a state 

championship as a junior 

and capping his senior 

year by being named second 

team All-American by 

the American Volleyball 

Coaches Association. 

He is ready to make another 

change in position 

as he enters his freshman 

year at Ball State. 

“I think everybody 

knows about his athleticism, 

but he’s also a gamer,” 

Lincoln-Way East 

coach Kris Fiore said. 

“Like, you just knew he 

was going to come and be 

ready to play. 

“He didn’t really ever 

have any bad days. Was just 

super competitive. When 

the big games happened, 

he was the big-time player, 

and you need those types of 

kids to be successful. 

This spring, in his first 

season as a full-time outside 

hitter, McPhillips set 

a school record with 363 

kills. He also had 46 aces 

and 34 blocks as the Griffins 

went 28-10, losing to 

host and eventual state 

champion Marist in a sectional 

final. 

With the Griffins losing 

a big part of the core from 

Wil McPhillips, who broke Lincoln-Way East’s single-season record for kills this spring, is headed to Ball State to 

continue his volleyball career. 22ND CENTURY MEDIA FILE PHOTOS 

their championship team in 

2018, McPhillips emerged 

as a senior leader and went 

from a complementary 

player to his team’s go-to 

star. 

All while playing a new 

position. 

“It was actually a big 

change,” McPhillips said of 

the position move. “There’s 

a lot more passing, and you 

definitely get the ball more 

as an outside [hitter]. 

“I liked it a lot. It takes a 

while to master passing, so 

that was hard, but the hitting 

was fun.” 

Middle hitter is McPhillips’ 

customary position, 

which he had played since 

the start of his prep career 

at Lincoln-Way North, 

which closed after his 

freshman year. 

He continued playing 

the position after moving 

to Lincoln-Way East, but 

a wealth of talent at that 

spot necessitated a shift to 

right-side hitter midway 

through his junior season. 

McPhillips made the 

switch seamlessly, totaling 

133 kills and 37 blocks as 

the Griffins finished 39-3 

in winning the state title at 

Hoffman Estates. McPhillips 

had 10 kills each in 

the semifinals against New 

Trier and the championship 

opposite Neuqua Valley. 

“It was amazing. I’ll 

never forget the feeling 

of it,” McPhillips said. “It 

was a once-in-a-lifetime 

thing, for sure. Our goal 

was always to end up at 

Hoffman Estates, and it 

was just crazy, because 

at North, we never won a 

state championship. So, it 

was really cool to do that 

because not a lot of teams 

get that opportunity.” 

McPhillips is playing 

middle hitter for two club 

teams this summer, and 

he figures to stay in that 

position for his first year 

at Ball State, which went 

15-15 overall last season, 

including 6-8 in the ultra 

competitive Midwestern 

Intercollegiate Volleyball 

Conference. 

League competition includes 

matches against 

Lewis, which was third 

in the NCAA Tournament 

last season, and Ohio 

State, which won backto-back 

national titles in 

2016-2017 and took third 

the following year. 

“The level of competition 

[with club] compared 

to high school is a lot higher 

because, high school, 

there’s some kids on the 

team that just wanted to 

play the sport, and they’re 

not necessarily 100 percent 

dedicated to the volleyball,” 

McPhillips said. 

With that in mind, 

McPhillips knows his 

summer schedule will help 

get him ready for the next 

level at Ball State. 

“With club, everyone, 

really, that’s their main 

sport, pretty much, because 

it’s definitely an investment. 

And so it helps 

because the level of play 

is a lot better and prepared 

me a lot. Just the players 

that you play with. ... If 

you play with good players, 

it’ll obviously make 

you better.” 

Going Places is a weekly 

summer series featuring area 

athletes who are committed 

to play sports in college. 

LISTEN UP 

“I sit with [camp organizers Donnie and Jessica Dereschuk] and say, ‘How big 

of an impact have we made just in 48 hours of doing a camp?’ If we continue 

to make an impact, then it’s something we’re going to continue to do.” 

Dwyane Wade – 13-time NBA All-Star, on continuing to host an annual camp at 

LW Central 

Tune In 

Volleyball, 5 p.m. Thursday, July 25 

Summer League playoffs at Velocity All-Sports, Mokena 

• LW Central, LW East, LW West and Providence try to 

win a summer league title. 

Index 

44 - Gabriella Gedville feature 

43 - Athlete of the Week 

FASTBREAK is compiled by Sports Editor 

Steve Millar, s.millar@22ndcm.com.

mokena’s Hometown Newspaper | July 25, 2019 

MAJOR SUCCESS 

Curran has strong showing at 

U.S. Junior Amateur, Page 45 

FINAL FOUR 

LW East baseball run ends in 

summer state semis, Page 42 

Dwyane Wade, a 13-time NBA All-Star, gets set to take a shot at 

the Dwyane Wade Celebrity Sports Academy camp Friday, July 

19, at Lincoln-Way Central. SEAN HASTINGS/22ND CENTURY MEDIA 

Bears star Khalil Mack (left) and former NBA star Dwyane Wade watch campers at the 

Dwyane Wade Celebrity Sports Academy camp Saturday, July 20, at Lincoln-Way Central. 

STEVE MILLAR/22ND CENTURY MEDIA 

Wade, Mack join hundreds of kids at Dwyane Wade Celebrity Sports Academy camp at 

LW Central, Page 46

MK_072519

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