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the wilmette beacon | March 26, 2020 | 11
Posted to WilmetteBeaconDaily.com 6 days ago
Parent of Kenilworth preschool student tests positive for COVID-19
Eric DeGrechie, Editor
According to a notice on
its website, Kenilworth’s A
Joyful Noise Preschool announced
Thursday, March
19, that a parent of a student
From MAR. 20
who was in a classroom
at the school on March 12
was confirmed positive for
COVID-19 (coronavirus).
The Center for Disease
Control, Illinois Department
of Public Health,
and Illinois Department of
Children and Family Services
have been notified
along with all families and
teachers associated with
AJN Preschool, according
to the notice.
AJN Preschool and all
Kenilworth Union Church
activities in the building
were suspended on Friday,
March 13, “the implications
are remote of further
spread to AJN students,
families, and our church
members,” reads the notice.
The preschool building,
located at 211 Kenilworth
Ave., remains closed for
activities. The notice stated
that “a thorough cleaning
of the entire building,
including all classrooms,
began and continues.”
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Posted to WilmetteBeaconDaily.com 3 days ago
New Trier student achieves Eagle Scout rank
Hilary Anderson
Freelance Reporter
The Little House of
Glencoe, located at 690
Birch Road in Glencoe,
has a brand new driveway
thanks to a young, local
Eagle Scout.
New Trier freshman Alec
Coleman reached the rank
of Eagle Scout and was
honored by members of
Glencoe’s Troop 28, along
with family and friends at
an Eagle Scout Court of
Honor ceremony Feb. 23,
held at the Glencoe Union
Church.
“The rank of Eagle
Scout, the highest level
in scouting, is reached by
only about 6 percent of individuals
who become Boy
Scouts,” said Tom Temple,
Coleman’s Eagle Scout
Service Project coach. “The
requirements are challenging,
but Alec met each.”
There are seven ranks
Coleman had to achieve
before reaching Eagle
Scout status. They included
selecting 21 from among
130 possible merit badges
and completing the requirements
for each. Four specific
requirements are required
for the Eagle Scout
rank.
“Even more remarkable
is that most scouts are 17
or 18 years old when they
reach the rank of Eagle
Scout, Alec was only 14
and a high school freshman
when he completed
his service project this past
December,” Temple added.
To obtain the rank of
Eagle Scout Coleman also
had to perform a leadership
service project that benefited
a religious institution,
school or community organization.
He had to show his leadership
skills with only the
guidance and support from
his parents and scout leaders.
He also had to find the
necessary monies to pay
for materials for his chosen
project.
Coleman gave an overview
of what his service
project entailed at the Eagle
Scout Court of Honor ceremony.
“I went to the website that
listed some possible service
projects,” said Coleman. “I
saw one about repairing or
replacing the driveway by
the Little House of Glencoe
—I camped there many
times with my troop. The
driveway flooded when it
rained and the water would
puddle or run off into the
grass and woods. Some of
the grass turned into muddy
areas. There were big potholes
all over. I chose it and
began planning what needed
to be done.”
He then went to Robert
Delforge, a Little House
board member who also
had been involved in scouting.
He made a presentation
of his idea to the board.
They liked what Coleman
proposed, so he began his
project.
“I raised about $3,100
through a Go Fund Me
page,” Coleman said.
“Then I held a bake sale in
front of Hometown Coffee
and Juice. I asked my
family and friends to make
things for the bake sale.
That merited $720 and the
Little House donated $375.
Family and friends contributed
another $425.”
Coleman hired a landscape
contractor, Jesus Olmos,
who had been recommended
by neighbors to do
the heavy work.
“The circle driveway in
front of the Little House is
about 18 feet across with
a circumference of almost
300 feet,” Coleman said.
“We needed about 70 cubic
yards of grade nine stone.”
Most of the money went
to buying the stone [gravel]
for the driveway.
“The landscaper brought
in bobcats [ small tractors]
to regrade the driveway,”
he added. “It took about
six truckloads of stone.
We used a fallen log from
an invasive tree that had
been cut down to redefine
the boundaries of the driveway.
We burned the rest of
the branches in a fire pit.”
He then took an address
sign for the Little House
that was near the back of
the house and hard to see
and moved it closer to the
front of the driveway.
“We added a solar light
encased in plastic on top
of the sign,” said Coleman,
“That way visitors could
see the address, 690 Birch
Rd., at night. We also improved
the lettering on the
sign.”
It took Coleman and his
crew about four days to
complete the project. They
finished it on Oct. 5, 2019.
Following Coleman’s
overview of his service
project, Jeff Heftman,
Troop 28’s scoutmaster
and master of ceremony for
the evening, congratulated
Coleman on becoming an
Eagle Scout.
“May the qualities
that inspired you to this
achievement continue to
lead you to even greater
success in your life—a life
characterized by service to
others,” Heftman said.
He then asked Ben Miller,
Coleman’s former coscoutmaster,
to make Eagle
Scout medal presentations.
Miller gave Coleman’s
mother, Kristin Coleman,
an Eagle medal to pin on
(left to right) Alice Buchholz (Alec’s grandmother
who came from South Carolina for ceremony), Alec
Coleman, Kristin Coleman (Alec’s mother and Jerry
Coleman (Alec’s father). Hilary Anderson/22nd Century
Media
her son’s shirt, which she
did.
Coleman pinned a special
Eagle pin on his father,
Jerry Coleman, mother and
grandmother, Alice Buchholz,
who came in from
Hilton Head, South Carolina
just for her grandson’s
special ceremony.
Heftman gave Coleman
a special Eagle Scout neckerchief,
emblematic of all
Eagle Scouts everywhere.
He also received a flag of
the United States of America
from Miller that was
flown in Coleman’s honor
over the United States Capitol
building.
He then received an
Eagle walking stick from
Sharon Zulkie, the Unit
Commissioner in Glencoe
for the Potawatomi District
along with the council representative,
Jack Baldwin.
Coleman joined scouting
in first grade and plans to
stay involved.
“I joined because of all
the fun activities,” he said.
“The pinewood derby and
camping out for starters.
I find scouting interesting
and I like the ideals
for which it stands.
Scouting has taught me a
lot about life skills, time
management, how to be
independent, problem solving
techniques, personal
management and first aid
among so many other
things. I plan to stay in
scouting and maybe earn
some more merit badges. I
can be a scout leader in my
troop.”
Scouting is not the only
activity in which Coleman
currently is involved.
“I am a member of New
Trier’s Tri-Ship Service
Club,” he said. “I played
hockey until last year, but
now I mostly play baseball.
I also play the piano
and am interested in music
composition. Some day I
hope to be a scout leader
when I have kids.”