NL_081519

6 | August 15, 2019 | the new lenox patriot news
newlenoxpatriot.com
State Sen. Hastings
latest to show
interest in LW
North building
T.J. Kremer III
Contributing Editor
State Sen. Michael
Hastings, along with representatives
of Lincoln-
Way Community High
School District 210 and
Illinois State Police,
toured the shuttered Lincoln-Way
North building
June 27. Hastings then
posted on social media on
July 29 some details of the
tour.
Hastings wrote that
he is interested in looking
at the possibility of
repurposing the closed
high school as a new
headquarters for District
5 State Police. Its current
headquarters is in Lockport.
Additionally, the space
not used by ISP could
potentially be used by
other State agencies,
including Central Management
Services, Illinois
Emergency Management
Agency, Department of
Natural Resources and
the Department of Public
Health.
Hastings said in an interview
with The New
Lenox Patriot that he
and other State agencies
planned a follow-up visit
“in the next two to three
weeks.”
Hastings said he was not
familiar with the potential
limitations for any sale
of the building under the
current bond agreement
that provided the funds to
build Lincoln-Way North
and Lincoln-Way West,
which voters passed in a
2006 referendum; however,
Hastings stressed that
it was in the best interest
of D210 “to look at anything”
to get the bond debt
off the taxpayers.
“You got to make a decision
here soon or the
taxpayers are going to pay
for it,” Hastings said.
Broker - Management Team
“10”
Local teens pack book bags with
supplies for NL children in need
Sean Hastings, Editor
The first day of school
can be a scary day for a lot
of children for a multitude
of reasons. It can be because
the child is shy, starting
at a new school, or simply
nervous taking a step
up to the next grade.
And then what about the
child who does not have
the basic materials to get
through a school year—
pens, pencils, folders,
markers?
Well, with the help of
New Lenox residents who
donated boxes of school
supplies throughout the
summer, and local teenagers
who helped pack the
book bags for New Lenox
students in need, there
won’t be nearly as many
children starting school
without the necessary supplies.
The idea to have the program
came from programming
director Kelli Svancarek
with teen coordinator
Melissa Leggero putting it
all together.
The teens were packing
book bags for children in
fourth through eighth grade
and Leggero had a list of
the number of students in
each grade that needed supplies.
“I didn’t know how this
was going to work with it
being the first time I had
done it,” Leggero said.
“Every time we get the
donations, it’s such a great
thing. I think it’s the best
thing I’ve done here at the
library. It makes me so happy
that I can help.”
Leggero added that she
was surprised that so many
children needed supplies.
“You don’t think about
LW West rising senior Paige Ross looks at the list of supplies to pack a book bag for
an NL child in need. Photos by Sean Hastings/22nd Century Media
it, but you then you realize
there are kids that need
stuff,” she said. “I think it’s
nice because we’re helping
our own kids. We’re giving
[the supplies] to kids in
our own community so it
makes it meaningful.”
And while the teenagers
helping out were given
community service hours,
they all seemed engaged
and wanting to help, especially
because it could be
going to a classmate or a
neighbor.
They don’t know who
receives the supplies, but
for one student helping, she
said as she grew up she did
not always have the supplies
she needed, so it felt
good to give back.
Some of the book bags
were unable to be completely
packed because of
the donations running slim,
Two tables were covered in school supplies including
pens, pencils, sticky notes, notebooks and more.
Students from seventh through eighth grade were on
hand to help.
but Leggero said the library
will make a post on social
media asking for specific
items that were still needed.
So eventually each backpack
will be filled. And
that was the best part for
the students helping—filling
the backpack with all
the needed supplies, rising
Lincoln-Way West senior
Paige Ross said.