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the new lenox patriot | August 15, 2019 | 13
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From NewLenoxPatriot.com as of Monday,
Aug. 12
1. Boys basketball: Providence looks
forward to Year 2 under Murphy
2. Softball: New Lenox’s Lotus helps
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3. Lincoln-Way legend Paus enjoys
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4. Providence graduate operating own
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5. Baldermann announces run for State
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from the editor
Active shooter drills more important than ever
Sean Hastings
sean@newlenoxpatriot.com
When I was a
kid and we did
lockdown drills
in school, it packed a little
bit more of a punch than
the tornado drills or fire
drills we did, but that’s all
it was. It was just another
drill we did.
And maybe I was naive
to think of why we did
the lockdown drill when
I was just a kid. I kind
of just thought a bad guy
was in the school who was
not supposed to be there,
and never really gave it a
thought as to why. All we
did was hide in a corner
of the room—all 30 of
us packed together away
from the little window on
the door.
Having finished high
school, where we did those
lockdown drills, but then
going through college, we
never did any sort of active
shooter training as far as
I knew. We did a fire drill
once a semester, but that
was it.
When I was a kid, an active
shooter situation was
something I never thought
of. But now, as an adult,
seeing it happen far too often,
in types of places that
I would frequently go to:
Walmart, bars, a concert,
and more, it just scares me.
I’m not sure what’s going
on now in the elementary
through high school
regarding those drills, but
I can imagine people are
little more cautious and it
hits them a little bit harder
that unfortunately that is a
reality far too many people
have had to deal with in
this country.
Just two weeks ago in
Dayton, my best friend’s
sister and her friends
were across the street 30
minutes before the shooting
happened. She went
home, went to bed and
slept through the night, not
knowing it occurred. Of
course my friend’s family
tried calling and texting
her to see if she was OK,
but she was asleep and
not replying. Then it got
to the point of calling
Dayton Police and Dayton
hospitals. Thankfully, she
eventually woke up and let
them know she was fine.
I have no idea what that
can do to her and the rest
of my friend’s family, and
especially for all the people
and families who lost a
loved one at a Dayton bar
or an El Paso Walmart.
One place: a spot where
you go to have a good
time, hang with friends
where you should be
worry-free. The other: a
place where you go to buy
your food for the week.
So, now what? Are we
supposed to look over our
shoulder everywhere we
go?
The “surviving an active
shooter” event I covered
Thursday, Aug. 8, had
approximately 125 people
in the crowd. Some were
kids, but most were adults.
What I once would have
thought was a crazy idea
seems almost normal now.
The course ran through
slides that stated you
should think about exit
strategies for places you
frequent.
Crazy, right? It’s ridiculous
to think that’s where
we’re at right now. It’s
too much of a cycle we go
through where something
tragic happens, we mourn
it, nothing gets done to try
to prevent it from happening
again, another happens
and we go through the
same motions.
“Our friend Claudia just finished 1,000
Books Before Kindergarten! Way to go!! :)”
The New Lenox Public Library posted this
Aug. 7
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“ Students from @LWCentralKnight @
LWEGriffins @LWWestWarriors embarked
on a 7 day adventure canoeing and back
country camping in Quetico Provincial Park
with the Voyageur Wilderness Programme!
#SummerTimeFun #LWAdventures
@LWDistrict210 Tweeted this Aug. 6
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From Page 12
Park district class
introduces children to
baking
Briella Price came to the
Founders Community Center
ready to cook — and
donned a princess apron
just for the occasion.
The 5-year-old Frankfort
resident was one of several
children to attend the
Frankfort Park District’s
Aug. 7 Chocolate Chip
Explosion class, which
instructed young chefs in
baking basics.
Instructor Sharon Koczor
has been teaching children
to cook at the Founders
Community Center
for three years and leads a
monthly cooking class.
Before the baking began,
Koczor went over the
importance of cleanliness
with her students. Stepping
up to the sink, the children
washed their hands and
prepared to mix ingredients.
“Every recipe I bring
here, the kids love,” Koczor
said. “I try and bring
something different that
they don’t make at home.
The most popular cooking
class I do is Cookies
for Santa. I have about 15
kids making cookies. Each
of them makes about 12
cookies each with sprinkles
and more.
“Some of the kids get
flour all over them; their
hands get all sticky from
the frosting,” she added,
laughing. “It’s a mess.
They have a lot of fun.”
Reporting by Mary Compton,
Freelance Reporter For
more, visit FrankfortStation.
com.
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