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Troy school district 30-c special olympics Basketball Team members michael Horn and lillian chanda earned gold medals at the special olympics Regional skills competition.
At the same time that United States athletes were competing for Olympic medals on the world stage, two members of the Troy Special Olympics Basketball Team earned gold medals in their divisions at the recent Special Olympics Regional Skills Competition held at Manteno High School. Troy Middle School students Lillian Chanda and Michael Horn won for their skills in dribbling, shooting and passing. Troy student Johnny Prystalski was also an active participant on the team, but was not able to compete. Coaches for the Special Olympics team are Katie Lewis, Lukas Van Eck and Rachel Violetto.
“Michael and Lily did an excellent job all throughout our time practicing and at the competition,” Van Eck said. “They cheered each other on, and I was happy and excited to be there with them at the regionals.” Troy Director of Student Athletics Meagan DeGroot said the whole district is celebrating the team’s victories. “I am extraordinarily proud of these athletes,” she said. “They’ve worked hard all season, and they continue to surprise me. We wish them luck at the state competition.” The Special Olympics State Competition will be held in March at Illinois State University.
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WIll coUnTy
Lockport, DuPage River Coalition receive 2021 Forest Preserve Partner Awards The City of Lockport and the Lower DuPage River Watershed Coalition received the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s 2021 Appreciation of Partners Awards at the Feb. 10 Forest Preserve Board of Commissioners meeting. The City of Lockport was recognized for its years of coordination and a $575,000 contribution to a new 3.5mile segment of the Veterans Memorial Trail. Ground was broken in late 2021 for the trail section, which will stretch from Hadley Valley preserve north to 159th Street in Lockport. The trail will create transportation benefits by linking regional and local trails, commercial and residential areas, and local open spaces and recreational developments, said Ralph Schultz, the Forest Preserve District’s executive director. “The Forest Preserve is appreciative of their ongoing efforts to contribute to the District and their commitment to making the Veterans Memorial Trail a reality,” he said of City officials. Alderwoman Renee Saban and City Administrator Ben Benson accepted the award on behalf of the City. Benson said the new trail segment will be a bonus for the City’s growing east side. “It’s an honor to be acknowledged,” Benson said of the award. “… Thank you for the opportunity and we look forward to, hopefully, joining you again with another project.” The Lower DuPage River Watershed Coalition was chosen to receive the award for its assistance in making the Hammel Woods dam removal project a reality. The Coalition handled all aspects of the environmental and engineering phases and contributed nearly $600,000 toward the cost of the project. The group made sure the dam removal and modifications would maximize the health of the DuPage River and the creatures that live in it and around it, Schultz said. “While the results of the Hammel Woods dam modification may not be visible to the average citizen, the ecological benefits that extend to our region and beyond are quite substantial,” he added. Jennifer Hammer, Lower DuPage River coordinator at The Conservation Foundation, said the idea to re-
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From left, Forest preserve Board of commissioner s president Joe Vanduyne, lockport alderwoman Renee saban, lockport city administrator Ben Benson, and Forest preserve executive director Ralph schultz. move the dam dates back to a canoe trip she took more than 20 years ago where she and a previous Forest Preserve executive director discussed impacts the dam had on fish movements in the river system. The completion of the project will open fish passage not only in Will County but also in DuPage County where restoration efforts also have made a difference in the health of the river, Hammer said. “And so, this project really is a piece of a much bigger restoration effort throughout the whole watershed,” she added. The Forest Preserve District couldn’t complete as many projects as it does without these “amazing” partnerships, said Forest Preserve Board President Joe VanDuyne. “So, once again, thank you very much City of Lockport and Lower DuPage Coalition,” he said. For more information on the Forest Preserve District of Will County, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.
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From left, Forest preserve Board of commissioner s president Joe Vanduyne, The conservation Foundation s lower dupage River coordinator Jennifer Hammer, and Forest preserve executive director Ralph schultz.
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oBITUaRy calKIns Keith A. “Monk” Calkins, age 61, a lifelong resident of Plainfield, IL, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, February 12, 2022, at Christ Hospital, Cincinnati OH. He was born July 21, 1960, in Joliet, IL. Beloved husband of Jennifer L. “Jenny” Calkins (nee Ward), whom he married October 4, 1997, loving father of Zachary S. Calkins of Plainfield and the late Adam J. Calkins, devoted son of the late Robert and Nancy (nee Yahn) Calkins, dear brother of Kirk Calkins, Kevin Calkins and Kathe Hawkins, all of Plainfield, IL, son-in-law of Annette (Steve Horath) Deininger of Elwood, IL and James (Kitte) Stalzer-Ward of Hersher, IL, brother-in-law of James (Buffy) Ward, Jr. of Hersher and Sean Ward of Elwood, fond uncle, great-uncle, nephew, cousin and friend of many. Keith grew up in Plainfield and was a
member of the Class of 1978 at Plainfield High School. He graduated with a degree in photography from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and worked in sales for over 25 years with the Packaging Group at Sherwin-Williams Company, Pittsburgh, PA. Keith enjoyed riding motorcycles, boating, and snowmobiling. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM at Overman-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 15219 S. Joliet Rd., Plainfield, IL. A celebration of Keith’s life will follow Wednesday, 1:00 PM in the funeral home. Interment: St. Mary Immaculate Cemetery, Plainfield. A reception will follow at Warehouse:109, 14903 S. Center St., #109, Plainfield, IL 60544, (815) 556-9553. For more information, please call (815) 436-9221 or visit www.overman-jones.com
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WIll coUnTy
Joliet West 2021 Yearbook staff receives recognition in IJEA Yearbook Contest By aRIanna WesTBRooKs
Joliet West HS Features Editor
The Joliet West High School 2021 Alpha Omega Yearbook staff received recognition in the Division 6 Illinois Journalism Education Association 2021 yearbook contest. The yearbooks were judged in eight categories including copy writing, sports coverage, photography, divider pages, graphics, layout and design, theme development, and coverage of the school year. Joliet West came in first place for layout and design and third place in graphics and sports coverage. It also received honorable mentions for overall general excellence and overall coverage, copywriting, and photography. The yearbook “More Than Meets the Eye’’ featured various spreads with pages ranging from sports coverage to “coping quaranteens.” This diversity stood out amongst other yearbooks. The yearbook was one of five from Illinois inducted into the Walsworth Hall of Fame in November. Out of six divisions total, Joliet West enrolled into Division 6 with +2,501 enrollments. Despite only having 3 editors design the yearbook and restraints from hybrid and virtual learning, they still managed to pull through and receive recognition for their hard work and dedication. Yearbook advisor Jennifer Galloy said, “There were times we felt defeated by this particular book. The circumstances were not ideal but we all did our part to make it happen. I’m proud of these former editors and the legacy they have left behind. I’m currently in a rebuilding phase with new staff members, so we have some big shoes to fill but I’m confident that we will get there.” Due to a virtual school year and a lack of usual in person photos, the
editors Louie Mendoza, Kelly Rappaport, and Kiersten Jordan had to get creative and take a different approach to designing the yearbook. As a result of this, the overall design differed greatly from previous years. The cancellations and regulations from the pandemic made it difficult for the staff to achieve their deadline goals. “It was definitely challenging to say the least. Our main struggle was getting content to put into the book. At the time, things were still unclear as far as rules and regulations go, so sports and events were
getting canceled or rescheduled. We mainly had to rely on student submissions which wasn’t the reliable
strategy but we made it work,” said Mendoza. “I have no idea how we pulled it
off, honestly. Louie came up with the initial model spread, and we modeled the rest of our graphic design after his idea. We all learn best by imitation when it comes to graphic design, and Louie was definitely a leader for that. We had to keep up with popular culture among the school despite not being around each other, so social media was a crucial tool too. Kiersten had some really spectacular, unique graphics too, which broke up the routine minimalist style that’s growing in popularity among graphic designers,” said Rappaport
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