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frankfortstationdaily.com news
the frankfort station | December 26, 2019 | 9
FROM THE MOKENA MESSENGER
Very merry tradition
continues from father to
son
Some people seem born
to play certain parts in life,
to fill shoes only they can
fill.
Former longtime Mokena
resident Denis Brunner
is one of those people, only
his shoes to fill also come
with a red suit and stocking
cap.
Yes, Brunner portrays
Santa Claus. Not only that,
but he carries on the tradition
of becoming with his
whole being the Jolly Old
Elf from his father, David,
who first donned the suit
in 1961 in order to earn a
little extra Christmas cash.
He did so every Christmas
season after until his death
in 2006.
“There are stories out
there that when I was 5,
St. Mary Church had the
Christmas party for the
kids,” Denis said. “My
dad was Santa, and I didn’t
know it. I didn’t find that
out until I was about 12 or
13 years old.”
The now 52-year-old Denis
began booking his own
clients for holiday events
when he was in his late
teens and early 20s. Today,
Denis regularly appears
at events throughout the
southwest suburbs, including
the past 14 years with
the Mokena Community
Park District and an annual
booking with the Polar Express
Storytime Train.
Reporting by T.J. Kremer III,
Editor. For more, visit Moke
naMessengerDaily.com.
FROM THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT
Luke Lokanc named LW
West football coach
Eight-year Lincoln-Way
West defensive coordinator
Luke Lokanc was named
the new head coach of the
Lincoln-Way West football
team, the Lincoln-Way
Community High School
District 210 Board of Education
announced Thursday,
Dec. 19, at its meeting.
Lokanc replaces Dave
Ernst, who resigned earlier
this month, but will stay on
as the offensive coordinator.
Lokanc is excited to take
the next step in his career.
“I’m excited and grateful
for the opportunity, for
sure,” Lokanc said. “Having
Dave around is an
added plus. It’s a good time
at my age. It’s a goal that
you set at the beginning of
your career. With the experience
I got with Dave
and all the other previous
coaches I coached under —
which has been a lot — I’ve
learned a lot. I think it is the
correct time in my career to
take this next step.”
Lokanc was hired as the
defensive coordinator when
Ernst took the head coach
job in 2012.
Ernst said he hoped from
the beginning that when
he decided to step down, it
would be Lokanc filling the
role.
“He was a guy early on
that you could tell was going
to be a coach,” Ernst
said. “As soon as I was
even being considered to be
the head coach here, he was
a guy I knew was going to
be my defensive coordinator.
Whether he had any
experience as a varsity coordinator
or not, he’s a guy
I believed in as a player, as
a man and as a coach.”
Reporting by Sean Hastings,
Editor. For more, visit New
LenoxPatriotDaily.com.
FROM THE LOCKPORT LEGEND
Mamma Onesta’s brings
Italian-inspired boutique
store to Lockport
Italian flavor is coming
to Lockport, and it is coming
from familiar faces.
Mamma Onesta’s Bottega
— Italian for store — is
a joint venture by Frank and
Mary Degrassi, who own
Mamma Onesta’s restaurant
on State Street. Their
restaurant has been successful
in the 12 years since
its opening, so much so that
the couple finally decided
to act on a dream of selling
Italian merchandise in a
Lockport storefront.
The Bottega is a few
short weeks from opening
and is to feature pre-packaged
food items from the
restaurant, gifts and festive
items, imported wines, olive
oil from Italy, and other
dry goods such as T-shirts
from the restaurant.
Frank detailed the exclusivity
of having imported
Italian goods at the store,
explaining, “The wines
and oils are made in Italy;
it’s all imported. Panettone,
which is an Italian fruitcake
made in Italy, is made by
three old Italian women
and shipped here,” Frank
said.
Though the couple is
working together to get
the storefront ready for the
grand opening, Frank is
quick to give credit to Mary
for envisioning a shop of
which they can both be
proud.
“The space became
available, and we owned
the building next door,”
Frank said. “It’s been her
dream to have a shop like
this.”
Reporting by Derek Swanson,
Editorial Intern. For more,
visit LockportLegendDaily.
com.
FROM THE HOMER HORIZON
Goodings Grove building
could be sold to St.
Bernard’s
Homer Community
Consolidated School Dis-
Please see nfyn, 11
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