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THE REGIONAL NEWS Named best small weekly in Illinois five times by the Illinois Press Association

Thursday, December 31, 2015

Serving Palos, Orland and Worth townships and neighboring communities

74th Year, NO. 53 • 2 Sections

Petition for Palos 118 referendum filed

By Jack Murray

Regional News Editor The organizer of a petition effort filed on Monday’s deadline to force Palos School District 118’s planned $6.5 million borrowing onto the ballot as a referendum question in the November election.

John T. Donovan said he and his supporters collected 2,100 signatures of registered voters on the petitions he filed with a representative of the board of education at the district’s administration building, 8800 W. 119th St., Palos Park.

A minimum of 1,654 signa-

tures, or 10 percent, of registered voters residing in the school district are needed to place the district’s working cash bond issue on the 2016 presidential election ballot. Donovan said he filed more than was needed, plus a cushion, to forestall any legal objection against the referendum petition.

Icy snow covered the ground and was still falling as Donovan pulled up to the building, carrying a letter-sized document box containing the petition sheets, shortly after 2 p.m.

Any legal objection to the petition for a referendum must be filed within a period of five business days from the date that

Donovan filed his petition sheets, by state law. That deadline is this Monday, Jan. 4.

A legal objection seeking to void the referendum would be heard by a three-member local electoral board made up of school board members – president, secretary, and longest serving member.

If no legal challenge is made, the school board still has until August 2016 to decide whether to move forward with placing the question on the November 2016 ballot, district Superintendent Anthony Scarsella, citing the district’s legal counsel, said on Tuesday.

No referendum, however,

would mean no bond issue unless and until the school board again undertakes the legal notice and public hearing process to vote a new intent to authorize the issuance of working cash fund bonds.

“We respect those residents who signed the petition and we look forward to having the opportunity to provide additional and accurate information about the investments we are proposing, most importantly providing greater opportunities for our early childhood and pre-kindergarten students,” Superintendent Scarsella said in Photo by Dermot Connolly response to Monday’s action by Donovan. “This school district Petition circulator John T. Donovan, of Palos Park, submits petition sheets signed by voters to place Palos School District 118’s $6.5 million working

See PALOS 118, Page 2 cash fund bond issue onto the November ballot as a referendum question.

2015 YEAR IN REVIEW

Photo by Tim Hadac

Photo by Tim Hadac

More than 70 years’ worth of The Regional — digitized for easy searching — are now available on computers at the library, as shown by Administrative Librarian Elaine Savage and Public Services Librarian Bruce Sullivan.

Trails for Illinois Executive Director Steve Buchtel (from left), Gayle Greenwald, Palos Heights Parks and Recreation Director Mike Leonard and William Poore, of Palos Heights, gather at the June ribbon-cutting on the trail at Lake Katherine in Palos Heights for the opening of the bicycle trail that runs between Alsip and Lemont.

The Regional looks back

2015 saw the opening of the Cal-Sag Trail, the unveiling of the Sporting Life in Palos Heights mural, the adoption of the Harlem Avenue Overlay District and the groundbreaking for the reconstruction of the Palos Heights Recreation Center.

B

ut the news with the biggest implications for the economic and demographic future of The Regional News’ coverage territory was made by the village that had been a relatively sleepy place for news the year before aside from the celebration of its centennial — Palos Park.

Westward expansion The Palos-Orland story of the year 2015 came out of Palos Park last August when Mayor John Mahoney dropped the bombshell that Cog Hill, Gleneagles and the Mid-Iron golf courses and parcels connecting them could be annexed into Palos Park in early 2016.

And the war came: That same night, Lemont Mayor Brian Reaves promised an overflow crowd at his Village Board meeting that he would work to prevent Palos Park from annexing four properties totaling 1,400 acres of unincorporated Cook County land.

In the months since, Palos Park appears to be winning the battle after both the village and the Cook County Forest Preserve District approved the annexation agreement that puts Palos Park contiguous to all three golf courses and the Ludwigs Feed Store parcel.

The best case legally to be made for Palos Park is that the owners of all four parcels

want to be annexed into that village, not into Lemont, and each have submitted annexation petitions to Palos Park.

Mahoney has said the annexations could be completed by spring 2016, a few months away. Cog Hill Golf & Country Club was home to the PGA’s Western Open from 1991 to 2006. It and the other three parcels would add a huge boon to Palos Park’s real estate tax base and potential for residential and commercial development that would further grow the village’s revenue stream. Plus it would give Palos Park bragging rights to Golf Capital of the World: Cog Hill and Gleneagles have a combined six, 18-hole golf courses, according to Mahoney.

Harlem Avenue destiny Palos Heights in October established the Harlem Avenue Overlay District, years in the making. The new zoning code lays the groundwork for mixed-use, pedestrian friendly commercial and residential developments the length of the Harlem corridor through Palos Heights from the Cal-Sag Channel to 128th Street. Michael Coogan of Brigid Capital’s transformation of the old Ben Franklin into Palos Place, completed in 2015, with its residences above stores and offices, is a real-life model of the future envisioned by

the new overlay rules.

The same week Palos Heights established the Harlem Avenue Overlay District, a small group of retailers formed the Harlem Avenue Association in an effort to promote retail.

The brainchild of Diane Goerg, owner of Diane’s Place, a restaurant and ice cream shop in Palos Place, the group organized the first Holidays on Harlem event held in conjunction with the Palos Area Chamber of Commerce, city and fire district’s tree-lighting celebration on Dec. 4.

Photo by Jeff Vorva

MariJo Calacci of District 118 and Rick Nogal of District 230 pose at their polling place, Peace Village in Palos Park, on Election Day in April.

Search The Regional archives The Palos-Orland area’s history is now more accessible than ever at the Palos Heights Public Library, we learned in January.

Almost every edition of The Regional News, from its founding in 1941 to mid2012, is now available in digital format online at the library, 12501 S. 71st Ave. The collection is available at a computer terminal in the library that has Internet access. The move is a major step forward from the rolls of microfilm that researchers and others had to scroll through in years past, then Administrative Librarian Elaine Savage noted. The initial cost was $9,500.

See 2015 YEAR IN REVIEW, Page 7

Stepping down in May, Orland Park Trustee Edward Schussler (left) receives congratulations and applause from Village Manager Paul Grimes (from left), Mayor Daniel McLaughlin, and Trustee James Dodge.

Visit us on the web at www.theregionalnews.com • email: TheRegional@comcast.net • To advertise, call 708-448-4000

2 Thursday, December 31, 2015

The Regional News

Photo by Dermot Connolly

Treasures trove goes to Holidays on Harlem raffle winner Diane Goerg, owner of Diane’s Place, 12306 S. Harlem Ave., gathers with Mary, Grace, and Caera Kennedy, of Palos Heights, and the grand prize in the Holidays on Harlem raffle just before the girls picked the winner Wednesday last week.

Raffle entrants had to collect stamps from 20 businesses located in the Palos Heights business district on Harlem

Avenue in order to have a chance to win the ‘boatful’ of prizes donated by the businesses. No purchases were necessary. The prizes included bottles of wine, gift certificates and other items with a total value of $1,500. The raffle winner was Mary Dombrowski, assistant principal of St. Alexander School in Palos Heights, who volunteers for the Palos Heights Classic Car Event and Southwest Half Marathon.

Icy snowstorm hazards prompt alerts from police traffic,” Miller said. “In Palos Park, winter can bring heavy rain, high winds, ice and snow.”

“We’re always monitoring conditions,” Chief Miller said. Police soon sent the following tips and guidelines in response to the harsh, wintry conditions: “Our staff follows weather reports 24 hours a day, all year long, with a direct line to the National Weather Service and live Doppler radar feeds,” Miller noted. “We use real-time, live-streaming cameras to see actual conditions on key streets.”

The Public Works Department begins preparing early for the snow season by getting snow equipment ready, stockpiling supplies, training staff for emergency response and updating the snow response priorities map. Miller said.

Planning before the extreme weather, or following common-sense tips once a storm has hit, can limit problems, he added.

During a snowstorm, village crews work around the clock.

Designated neighborhood priority routes are cleared first to accommodate fire, medical and police response, as well as school buses and commuter traffic. If snowfall is continuous, those arterials may require repeated plowing and sanding before crews can work to clear neighborhood streets.

Chief Miller soon sent the following tips and guidelines in response to the harsh, wintry conditions. Driving on Ice and Snow: Ice and snow, combined with Palos Park’s steep hills, can make for hazardous driving conditions.

The village’s campaign, “Ice and Snow, Take it Slow,” to raise awareness about winter driving.

The campaign reminds drivers of safe driving tactics in winter con-

ditions, including slower speeds, slower acceleration, slower steering and slower braking.

• Check conditions: When you see snow or ice forecast, plan ahead. Talk to your employer, local school or day-care center. How will they provide you information?

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) offers reports on highway conditions with online Statewide Traveler Information. If conditions appear hazardous, don’t leave home unless you have to.

• Extra time: Give yourself extra time. It’s not worth putting yourself and others in a dangerous situation just to be on time.

• Before leaving home: Pack winter safety equipment and a breakdown kit in your vehicle.

Prepare your vehicle by packing a shovel, flashlight, blankets and chains or cables for the tires along with a breakdown kit (winter driving checklist).

• Driving tips: The faster you’re going, the longer it will take to stop. When accelerating on snow or ice, take it slow to avoid slipping. When braking, do so slowly and never slam the brakes. If you have anti-lock brakes, press on the pedal down firmly and hold it. If you don’t have anti-lock brakes, gently pump the pedal.

Either way, give yourself plenty of room to stop.

• Black ice: Roads that seem dry or just wet may actually be slippery with black ice. Take it slow when approaching intersections, off-ramps, bridges or shady areas; all are hot spots for black ice.

• Snowplows: Give snowplows room to work. The plows are wide and can cross the centerline or shoulder. Do not tailgate and try not to pass. If you must pass, take extreme caution and beware of the snow cloud.

had with potential signers. In addition to delaying our proposed Continued from Page 1 investments, putting the bond issuance on the November 2016 has always prided itself on being ballot puts taxpayers at risk to pay transparent and we will continue to more for these bonds based on provide the facts to our community lower prioritization or potentially so they can make an informed missing out on federal subsidies, decision on this important issue.” which could amount to hundreds Donovan contends he filed more of thousands of dollars, and exthan enough legally valid signa- pected increases in historically low tures to doom any legal objection interest rates.”

Donovan was grateful for the to a referendum. “We believe we help he received to get the petition have a cushion large enough to sheets signed on both the weeksurvive a challenge, “ he said. ends and days before and after “We checked the poll sheets prior Christmas, a daunting task. “On to filing, and believe we have a behalf of the volunteers, I want to high enough margin to succeed.” thank each and everyone of the School board President John residents who took time out of Faustino was critical of the costs their busy holiday schedules to associated with the delay of the welcome us into their homes to bond issue caused by the refer- speak about the petitions,” he said. endum. “I respect voters’ right “During the very short window we to sign petitions and move Palos had to organize this, it was very 118’s proposed bond issuance to humbling to see the overwhelming the ballot,” Faustino said. “Unfor- support from so many residents tunately, I don’t believe petition desiring to have input on this issue. circulators shared all the facts they Many thanked us, but we should

be thanking them—they were the ones who were kind enough to welcome and reach out to us.”

Donovan added: “The two most prevalent comments we heard from residents were ‘Thank you so much for doing this, this is definitely something that should be on the ballot; if it wasn’t for you folks and the Regional News covering the issue, we would have had no idea this is what our school board has been doing,’ and ‘the board’s judgment here is the exact reason our country is $19 trillion dollars in debt, soon to be $20 trillion by the deadline week.’”

How was Donovan able to pull off the effort in the 30-day period between Nov. 26 and Monday’s filing deadline? “I can tell you that 95 percent of people who opened their doors ultimately signed the petition,” he said. “We received more phone calls and emails asking to sign and see this issue on the ballot than I can count. This petition far and away has the overwhelming support of residents.”

The icy snow and sleet that fell Monday after the long Christmas weekend prompted Palos Park police to update weather alerts issued for the area due to harzardous driving conditions.

Police on patrol reported that the snow, sleet, ice mix was causing many cars to leave the roadway, and were in ditches or in accidents across the area, Police Chief Joe Miller warned.

Police recommended avoiding driving if possible. “Stay home stay safe,” Miller advised. Additional Police Department staff was called in to assist with weatherrelated increased calls for service.

Also, police well-being checks of seniors were underway, he added.

“If you must drive, use extreme caution the sleet, snow, icy mix is very dangerous to drive in. This coupled with high winds requires heightened driver awareness,” Miller advised.

The icy conditions caused a fatal crash when a Metra train struck a car on the tracks near 87th Street and Pulaski Road in Hometown at about 1:20 p.m. Two Chicago women in the car were killed and four others injured in the crash that authorities said was caused in part by the weather conditions.

Palos Park police rebroadcast a Metra alert soon after the fatal crash, warning that inbound and outbound trains on the Southwest Service line “may be operating upwards of 15 minutes behind schedule between Ashburn and Oak Lawn due to ongoing signal problems caused by the earlier vehicle being struck by a train near Pulaski.”

“Palos Park takes a proactive approach, using best practices to respond to snow and ice: Snow, ice and extreme cold can play havoc with village streets and

Palos 118

Happy 2016!

Cuddle up with The Regional News this winter. Happy New Year! to all our readers and advertisers to whom we are grateful for another year reporting the news and telling the stories of Palos-Orland.

Image by Jessica Loftus

Mental health services in the South Suburbs: Now what?

By Barbara Pasquinelli

League of Women Voters of the Palos-Orland Area In 2011 Governor Pat Quinn and the Illinois General Assembly threatened to close the Tinley Park Mental Health Center due to budget constraints. The same services could be performed elsewhere and at a lower cost, they said.

The League of Women Voters and other advocacy groups urged a delay at least until specific plans were in place for a smooth transition. Despite public hearings, at which LWV testimony was offered, the facility was ordered

closed in 2012, with no real plan in place.

Today, local agencies and police departments are struggling to meet the needs of our citizens facing mental health issues. Too often the solution is incarceration rather than treatment. Sheriff Dart has said that a huge percentage of those in jail suffer some sort of mental illness requiring treatment rather than punishment.

Now, some three and a half years later, we’re still seeking answers. Join spokespersons from local agencies and a police department to work toward solutions to this important issue. Speakers

include Marianne Bithos from NAMI, Orland Park police Lt. Joe Mitchell, Elizabeth Murphy from Grand Prairie Services and Jean Xoubi, executive director of Metropolitan Services.

Join the League of Women Voters of the Palos Orland Area and their guests on Saturday, Jan. 9,coffee at 9:30 a.m., meeting at 10, at the Palos Heights Public Library.

The League is a nonpartisan political organization, whose meetings are always open to the public.

www.palosheightslibrary.org. The library is at 12501 S. 71st Ave.

• Winter Story Time Sessions - Story times help parents and guardians develop a life long love of books and reading in their children. The six basic skills of early literacy are touched upon, to varying degrees, in our story time programs: Print Motivation, Print Awareness, Letter Knowledge, Vocabulary, Phonological Awareness and Narrative Skills.

The Winter Session starts Jan. 11 and ends Feb. 18. Register once for all six weeks.

• Tiny Tots (birth to 23 months with an adult) Mondays at 10 a.m.

and 11 a.m.

• Terrific Twos (ages 24 to 35 months with an adult) Tuesdays at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.

• Preschool Story Time (ages 3-6) Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

• Pajamarama - Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. – for all ages. Wear your pajamas, bring your blanket and join us for quiet bedtime stories on Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 6:30 p.m.

No registration is required.

All programs are free and open to everyone at the Palos Heights Public Library, at 12501 S. 71st Ave. in Palos Heights. For more information or to register for a program, visit www.palosheightslibrary.org, call 448-1473, or stop by the Youth Services desk.

Answers

Sudoku

LIBRARY NOTES Antiques appraisal Antiques dealer Rex Newell will be at the Palos Park Public Library on Saturday, Jan. 9, at 11 a.m. Rex Newell is a well-known appraiser of more than 20 years’ experience. He will appraise any type of item that registered guests bring; please only one item each due to time constraints.

The library is at 12330 Forest Glen Blvd. Seating is limited; call to register 448-1530; for more information, visit the library online at palosparklibrary.org

Heights library upcoming events • New Year Holiday Closings – The Palos Heights Public Library will be closed New Year’s Eve, Thursday, Dec. 31, and New Year’s Day, Friday, Jan. 1.

• DVD Gift Cards -- Get one DVD rental free after five rentals with the library’s $5 gift cards.

DVD Gift Cards are available for purchase at the Circulation Desk.

• The following clubs meet weekly at the Palos Heights Public Library: Needle Club – Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Scrabble Club – Tuesdays from 1-3 p.m.

Mah Jongg – Tuesdays from 1-4 p.m.

Contact the library to register for these programs at 448-1473 or visit the library’s website at

Heights library youth programs

Puzzle on Page 9

Puzzle on Page 9

The Regional News

Thursday, December 31, 2015

3

2015 leaves us with the passing of greats

Photo by Dermot Connolly

Standing behind a table full of donated food, toys and diapers at CNB Bank, 12727 S. Ridgeland Ave., being donated this week to three area charities are Greg Paetow (from left), vice president of Palos Heights; teller Debbie Volante; Christen Smith, personal banker; and Shelley Malik, teller supervisor. Using money donated by employees throughout the year for the bank’s “casual Friday” Jeans for Charity fundraising drive, they are making donations to the Worth Township Food Pantry, toys to Lurie Children’s Hospital, and the Southwest Area Diaper Depository for Little Ends (SWADDLE), a local diaper bank.

CNB Bank’s dress-down Fridays earn a tidy sum for area charities

By Dermot Connolly The staff of CNB Bank, 12727 S. Ridgeland Ave., in Palos Heights, is donating supplies to three local charities, all paid for through the bank’s Jeans for Charity fundraising efforts.

Bank employees donate a few dollars each Friday in exchange for getting to wear jeans that day.

“We raised more than $500 this year, and decided to make donations to three different

local charities,” said teller supervisor Shelley Malik on Monday. She explained that employees raised the money by donating about $3 each week in exchange for dressing more casually on Fridays.

“We like to support local charities, and this year, we chose three very worthy ones,” she said. Using the money raised, the staff collected a table full of food for the Worth Township Food Pantry, at 11601 S. Pulaski Road in Alsip, as well as toys for patients at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, and diapers

and other supplies for Southwest Area Diaper Depository for Little Ends (SWADDLE), a diaper bank serving low-income families in the Southwest Suburbs. A collection box for SWADDLE is also located in the bank, where customers could drop off packages of diapers as well.

Malik said CNB Bank began the Jeans for Charity program since opening the branch on 127th Street about 18 months ago. She said the CNB branch at 5459 W. 159th St. in Oak Forest runs a similar program.

Local author recounts ‘Heavenly visions’

By Dermot Connolly Seeing the Blessed Virgin Mary in his bedroom, premonitions of world events and even an alien encounter are just part of life for Chicago Ridge resident Jerry Eroncig, who has written a book about his experiences.

“I’ve seen it all. Sign after sign after sign. Nothing bothers me,” said Eroncig, 62, during a recent interview at Krapil’s Steakhouse, 6600 W. 111th St., in Worth, where he is a manager.

Entitled “Heaven Files,” the 160-page book begins with Eroncig’s 1988 encounter with the Blessed Virgin Mary, who he said appeared to him at 3:30 a.m. one morning in his Chicago apartment.

“I quickly sat straight up in bed. I stared at a figure standing at my bedroom door; it was the Blessed Virgin Mary. She held in her hands a round, glowing ball.

There is no doubt in my mind that it represented the world,” said Eroncig, a native of the Wrightwood neighborhood, where he attended St. Thomas More School and Bogan High School. He said that experience and others that followed have renewed his faith in God. He said Mary was wearing blue and green robes, and described her face as “beautiful and glowing.”

“She was trying to tell me something, but did not speak,” said Eroncig of the apparition.

“I wondered what Mary was trying to tell me. This curiosity consumed me for years after that incredible encounter,” he said.

Soon afterward, he moved to California and then Las Vegas, mainly working as a security guard. But no matter where he went, Eroncig said his supernatural experiences continued.

Although these encounters have led to many sleepless nights, Eron-

cig describes himself as “blessed and gifted.” He wrote the book because he felt he could help others by sharing his experiences.

He said Mary still makes her presence known to him in the form of glowing blue and green lights in his darkened room. He also sees red and blue lights, which he interprets as God. “It usually happens while I am in bed, but wide awake,” he said.

“It can happen in a hotel room or anywhere,” he said. While they don’t speak, he said he can feel the light, as well as reassuring shoulder pats and kisses, letting him know that they are there.

“I’m telepathic,” he said, explaining how he also has premonitions of tragic events. Although he said he usually cannot tell where in the world they are occurring, everything from hurricanes to boats capsizing, he said the visions precede similar events by a day or two. He said his premonitions included one of 9/11, which he describes in the book.

He is unclear on how God communicates with him. And although he said the premonitions of tragic events are not detailed, Eroncig said he has worked with law enforcement agencies from the FBI on down in order to limit or prevent atrocities.

“I can’t tell you everything, but 9/11 could have been a lot worse,” he said.

He maintains that “the world is in danger” from international terrorism, and his mission is to “undermine their insurgence.”

In addition to details about his premonitions, the author also includes in his book an illustration of an alien with triangular facial feature that he said materialized out of a haze in his apartment. He said he was watching television when he saw the creature appear from a haze across the room, and come toward him. He said it did

Neat Repeats Resale stores are looking for volunteers to work in their stores with a boutique atmosphere.

Share your compassion, your talent and time.

Give five hours a week and make a difference in the lives of victims of domestic violence. Join the Neat Repeats team, develop new skills and help in

JOE BOYLE As far as spring, it never really arrived. The cold winter was followed by some spring snow, rain and more rain. And it was cold.

Temperatures seemed to get better in July and the fall had warmer than usual temperatures.

Perhaps we will be jolted by more cold temperatures in January. The temperatures were mostly mild in December 2014. So, I guess we will just have to see.

In most of these years in reviews, there is always a story on noted obituaries. On one hand it seems a little morbid but we are interested to see some famous names that have left us. When the subject is brought up at the end of the year, I can’t really remember. The most recent names come to mind.

I heard that Meadowlark Lemon, the clown prince for the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team for years, died Sunday. I haven’t followed the Harlem Globetrotters much lately but I knew that Lemon was long retired. Dave Henderson, a stylish slugging outfielder for the Oakland A’s and Boston Red Sox, died Sunday at age 57.

However, during the course of a year, the names escape me. I had to look them up. The list includes actors Omar Shariff, Marjorie Lord, Robert Loggia, Leonard Nimoy, Maureen O’Hara, Anne Meara, Rod Taylor and Donna Douglas, who played Elly May Clampett on “The Beverly Hillbillies.”

Scott Weiland, frontman for the Temple Pilots, also died in 2015.

He was joined by country singer Lynn Anderson, who sang “Rose Garden.” ESPN anchor Stuart Scott succumbed to cancer. The woman once known as Cynthia Lennon also died. She was John Lennon’s first wife.

Besides Lemon and Henderson, Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks and White Sox legend Minnie Minoso also died in 2015. And we can’t forget New York Yankee great Yogi Berra.

As the year quickly comes to an end, we are apparently being invaded by drones. With little regulation over the use of them, these flying contraptions have been falling out of the sky of late, almost injuring a skier while dropping on a jogger. Two tourists were also being detained after flying a drone over the Vatican recently.

So, be careful out there. Have a safe and Happy New Year.

Joe Boyle is the editor of The Reporter. He can be reached at therepoter@comcast.net.

RECREATION ROUNDUP Great Candy Cane Hunt, treats, bonfire The Great Candy Cane Hunt will be held Monday, Jan. 4, from noon to 1:30 p.m., at the Palos Park Recreation Center, 8901 W. 123rd St. from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Indoor and outdoor activities are Photo by Dermot Connolly planned: a candy cane hunt, bonNewly published author Jerry Eroncig, of Chicago Ridge, looks at a copy of fire for roasting marshmallows and his book, “Heaven Files,” during a recent interview at Krapil’s Steakhouse in hot chocolate in The Park. Inside Worth, where he is a manager. will be holiday music, open gym, not speak, but just stared at him before disappearing.

While he got goosebumps watching the figure come toward him, Eroncig said he did not feel the urge to bolt from the room, as many people would.

“What you will read in Heaven Files will challenge your beliefs, but these are true and incredible experiences,” he said, adding that a co-worker who has read it said it “changed his life.”

Eroncig said he is planning to have book-signing events in the area in the new year but it is currently available on several sites online, including www. tatepublishing.com and www. amazon.com.

SIMPLE GIFTS Neat Repeats seek volunteers

Another year has passed and another one will arrive at midnight. The year 2015 will make way for 2016. And what does that really mean? Well, 12 months have passed and in that time a lot has happened.

But trying to recall all it can be difficult. Yes, I can remember the endless shootings that have resulted in needless deaths. That makes up most of the major headlines during the year. It was a year of storms, politically and due to the weather.

A lot of people seemed angry, or at least they gave the impression they were. With smartphones, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc., we can be in constant communication with someone. That means a lot of people were sounding off about how Black Lives Matter, All Lives Matter and 16 shots.

Of course, people also comment on Charlie Sheen, Steve Harvey and Adele.

Of course, there is also Kim Kardashian. Her contribution to society is to continue sending out photos of herself. Kardashian not only posted photos of her face but her backside as well. Welcome to 2015, where people can shout, tweet their indignations and also provide us with plenty of narcissism.

During the course of the year, strange occurrences happen. Let’s take the weather, for instance. For the past month up until Monday, we have not seen any snow. We did have a minor snowstorm before Thanksgiving that resulted in about six inches of the white stuff in the southwest suburbs.

But that quickly melted and the temperatures have been in the 40’s and 50’s throughout December.

The mild temperatures were welcome but they were accompanied by dark clouds that seemingly would cross the sky at a rapid pace. That would result in some heavy rain or mist. It was not a White Christmas but the weather was eerie. The cold weather took a vacation in December, along with the sun.

Most of the East Coast has also had mild temperatures. Buffalo, which usually has snowstorms in November, just recently had their first snow. But the weather has played havoc in Texas and Oklahoma. Major tornadoes have ravaged parts of Texas near Dallas.

I was flipping through my remote Saturday afternoon and paused for a few minutes to watch the Sun Bowl, which was played in El Paso, Texas. However, there was no sun to be found. Snow was falling heavily throughout the game. It was a strange sight.

However, if you turn back the clock to last January, we were dealing with a near record-breaking cold wave. Temperatures were below zero for most of the month.

your own community.

Prospective volunteers who enjoy meeting people and like knowing you make a difference, can visit the stores in Orland Park at 9028 W. 159th St. or in Worth at 7026 W. 111th Street. Come in, enjoy a tour, meet other volunteers, and learn why Neat Repeats is a great place to volunteer.

For information, call the store manager: Orland Park 708/364-7605 or Worth 708/361-6860.

Santa bingo, crafts and prizes.

Everyone will start in the gym to divide into age groups. Ages 2 through 6 with parents will group together, then the big kids, ages 7 and up will be grouped together.

The event will be indoors if inclement weather, but dress to be inside and outside. Pre-registration fee is $4 per child by Dec. 31 or $6 at the door. For more, call 671-3760 or visit palospark.org.

OPINION

4 Thursday, December 31, 2015

EDITORIAL

The Regional News

Final hours of 2015 ends year of bluster and rants We will close the final chapter for 2015 at midnight. Many New Year’s revelers will be celebrating with party hats and streamers.

Old Father Time will make way for Baby New Year.

The passing of another year excites many of us. The countdown from 2015 to 2016 will be shared by people across this nation tonight, whether we are at parties or at home watching on TV. But after the party hats are put away along with the streamers, what does it all mean? We enter another year. The hope is that it will be better than the last. New Year’s resolutions will be made and most likely will be broken.

The year 2015 was like a gust of wind that never subsided. During this endless storm were constant shootings at schools, movie theaters, suburban malls and a holiday party in San Bernardino, Calif. Shootings became so frequent during the year that many of these stories were no longer front page news. That’s the nature of the world we live in.

This is also an election year, which means that we could watch seemingly endless debates that will extend into the new year. The Republicans bidding to become the next president could have filled a Stars Wars convention. The list of candidates was as high as 16 at one point. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham just recently bowed out of the race, or as they like to say, suspended his campaign.

Graham, like many other Republican candidates, could never gain enough traction in this crowded race. He was the victim of low rankings that had him on the junior varsity. Cable TV news outlets like Fox News and CNN had him buried with the other taxi squad members, well out of the prime time spotlight.

With so many GOP candidates, this has become the race of rants and sound bites. The candidates who yelled the loudest received the most attention as a result of Tweets, Facebook and cable TV shows.

Then there is the Donald. Of course, that is none other than Donald Trump. The mouth that roared has essentially sucked all the oxygen out of the GOP race so far. His constant insults has resulted in a lot of mileage out of the segment of the population that is angry about life in general.

Trump’s campaign in many ways defies logic. He never seems to speak in specifics and just rants about his perceived enemies.

Yet, he seems to gain more followers who like his “tells it like it is” style. It’s as if the campaign has become an extension of his onetime reality show.

The Democrats have just three candidates with Hillary Clinton the frontrunner. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has caused a stir and appeals to many liberal followers. Former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has tried to rise above the two other candidates but has become nothing more than a footnote.

The Democratic and Republican presidential races will be big stories for 2016. We will be writing about both races a year from now. Someone out of this crowd will be the next president of the United States.

So, as we close the lid on 2015, the richter scale of events will continue to create aftershocks in the new year. Accusations of police brutality will continue as more video recordings of altercations with police are revealed.

Locally, we say goodbye to part-time Evergreen Park firefighter Dan Capuano, who died in a fire on Dec. 14 in a Chicago building with numerous code violations. Capuano fell through a vacant elevator shaft that was not blocked off. Capuano was not able to see that well because of heavy smoke on the second floor of the Chicago building.

Capuano had been a member of the Chicago Fire Department for 16 years. He leaves a wife and three children.

But there were many good stories. In just the past month, we saw the Marrs-Meyers American Legion Auxiliary 991 provide Christmas baskets of goods for needy local families. Students at Marist High School and volunteers provided gifts for children and adults in Robbins. The Marrs-American Legion Post welcomed Great Lakes Navy Base recruits for a Christmas Day meal.

Even with all the bluster and mayhem, a light does shine. With the New Year quickly approaching , here’s a toast for more good stories in the coming year.

— Joe Boyle

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This newspaper is dedicated to the memory of those who gave their lives to protect America’s This newspaper is dedicated to freedom of the press, whenever and however it the memory of those who gave may be threatened. their lives to protect America’s free-

dom of the press, whenever and This newspaper newspaper dedicated This dedicated to to however it may beisthreatened. the memory memory of those who the who gave gave theirlives lives to protect America’s their to protect America’s freefreedom of the press, whenever and

READERS WRITE Voter supports Palos 118 investment in education Dear Editor, By the time this is published, attorney John T. Donovan’s petition effort to place the Palos District 118’s proposed bond issuance on the November election ballot will have succeeded or failed.

No matter. Mr. Donavan needs no reminder that the people of this community did, in fact, exercise their right to vote.

They chose not to elect him to the District 230 school board. They did, however, elect a District 118 school board that has a track record of balanced budgets and careful borrowing. They and the staff they have assembled deliver an excellent product. We, the people, have elected a trustworthy board and have empowered them to make sound financial decisions on our behalf. Mr. Donovan would have them wasting endless hours and dollars on “cost studies” and an unnecessary referendum.

That’s not leadership.

To the reader who laments the $364 dollars a month he pays in property taxes to Districts 118 and 230, I say, what a bargain! Can he propose a more useful way to spend $364 than to contribute to the high quality education of the young people of his community? There will always be people who oppose educational spending.

Mostly, they are people who have already reaped the benefits of that education for themselves and their own children.

If the petition effort succeeds and a referendum appears on the November ballot, I will proudly vote in favor of investment in education.

— James Mohan, MD, Palos Park

In harm’s way to Serve and Protect Dear Editor, As families gather after celebrating the holidays and enjoy the company of each other, we ask all to take a moment to think about those thousands of incredible selfless men and women all across this country heading out on patrol or readying the fire apparatus to put themselves in harm’s way to protect us.

These dedicated men and women who sacrifice time away from their families, are now in some circles vilified, degraded, and even spat upon. But, through their resil-

ience they continue to serve our communities and respond to crises, not theirs, but someone else’s.

In 2014, over 240 million people called 911 for assistance. Day-in and day-out these incredible selfless men and women handle those calls and cases with honor, dignity and professionalism.

During this new year, we ask all to remember 24/7/365 in this country we have public servants honorably doing their duty and protecting the public without resorting to unnecessary force. In reality, police use of force is a statistically rare event.

These men and women who put themselves on the line every day for our safety are good people. They serve on our PTAs and as Scout leaders or Sunday school teachers. They are us.

The only difference, they wear a badge and as Robert Peel said, “The police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.”

— Joe Miller, Palos Park Chief of Police

To improve police-community relations, end the War on Drugs Dear Editor, Protests and violence have captured the attention of world media following the first anniversary of the day police Officer Darren Wilson fatally shot unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

Yet President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, charged with improving police-community relations and reducing crime, has largely overlooked one of the elements most essential to accomplishing this goal: the need to reform drug policy. Ending drug prohibition is essential to restoring peace in the streets, reforming our criminal justice system, and healing our communities. Until those policies change, black communities will continue to fall victim to American policing gone awry.

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), a nonprofit of police, judges, prosecutors, and other criminal justice professionals dedicated to ending the War on Drugs, recently submitted the following statement to the Task Force:

“The drug war created [America’s] crisis in policing and destroyed public support [for policing] in some quarters....

Both police and academic leaders have offered... their ideas [to the Task Force] regarding improved community policing, better training, more accountability, civilian review boards, grand jury reform, ending police impunity for misconduct, etc. These recommendations have merit and capacity for improved policing and better community relations. However, LEAP believes that without reforming U.S. and global drug policy, no reform or set of reforms can stop the unending perversion of American values, virtues [and]... policing [practices].”

It is the time-honored mission of police to “serve and protect” communities, but that mission has been corrupted by decades of failed drug enforcement policies. Federal grants and departmental promotion policies reward drug arrests, creating a monetary and personal incentive to focus on drug offenses instead of serious crimes. Violent crime has taken a back seat to drug enforcement for too long, and has changed the way police relate to marginalized communities, who no longer see police as protectors, but as aggressors.

Meanwhile, police are playing doctor, giving people addicted to drugs an arrest record rather than the treatment options and medical attention that would allow them to improve their lives.

LEAP called upon President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing because we believe in introducing a new drug policy paradigm based upon human rights, harm reduction, education, accessible medications, economic development, racial equality, respect for the law, and respect for law enforcement. We now call on all Americans concerned with the state of our justice system to contact Congress and the President to end the War on Drugs. Call upon them to jointly push for an amendment of the three United Nations Drug-Control Treaties that serve as fountainhead for the global War on Drugs.

Call upon them to replace the criminalization-and-incarceration model of drug policy with a system of legalized, controlled, and regulated drug markets, treating drug abuse as a health problem and not a law enforcement issue.

— Jim Gierach, Palos Park

Cable TV promises are forgotten When I’m not at work, and I am not doing something with the family, I spend my off time changing channels searching through the wreckage of “entertainment promises broken,” also known as cable TV. Does anyone think cable TV has come even close to the promises it made when it replaced “free” TV back in the late 1970s?

Turns out “It’s a Wonderful Life” isn’t so wonderful after all.

It’s been that long since “On-TV” and its little antenna provided some great content at a reasonable price only to be gobbled up by the behemoth monsters, Comcast and Direct TV. Today, cable TV is a cash register for the Hollywood moguls.

Remember when cable TV said, “We will be commercial free”? When was the last time you watched a good program that didn’t have commercials?

Remember when they said, “You pay one subscription” for everything? Now, everything has a price tag.

RAY HANANIA Cable has figured out a way to squeeze every last penny out of our hard working hands.

I have both Comcast Cable and Direct TV, each at different locations. I laugh when I see the commercials for each claiming they offer better more reliable services, and cheaper than the other.

It’s a lie.

Both systems fall off-line all the time, usually when it’s a holiday and most people are at home watching TV. The Internet service is unreliable and inconsistent. But worse is the greed. Yes, pure greed, that drives these systems.

I wanted to watch an earlier season of some innocuous series on CBS. I figured, this is CBS one of the five staples of free TV (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX and WGN). Turns out

that if I want to watch a prior season, I had to pay $2.99 for each episode of the past season of “free TV.” The vast majority of programming on cable TV sucks.

It’s terrible. I feel like I am a castaway on a lost island with no hope, flipping through channels hoping I might find something of quality to watch.

It never happens.

That’s because the driving force in Hollywood is not quality or even entertainment. It is filling time with schlock they can sell and resell over and over and over again.

A movie premieres in Hollywood at the movie theater. That costs $12 bucks a person. Then, it lives on in the hotel travel industry system as a $19 movie when you go on vacation.

From there, some of the movies (not all) make it to the secondary movie theaters, where you pay a buck to sit in squalor and filth to watch it.

From there, Hollywood sells it to the cable TV system, which re-sells it to you for $14 or more as pay-per-view.

Movies then went to video

stores but now go directly to public DVD sales, for $24 or more. After several months, movies end up on Netflix, at a consistently inexpensive monthly price of only $8.99, then to RedBox for $1.50 rental.

I buy movies at Apple TV and keep them online to watch for free. No subscription charges.

Netflix and Apple TV are the best buys. They are uncorrupted by the greed that plagues Comcast and Direct TV. Government, which embraced and “protected” cable TV in the 1980s, needs to take action and make serious changes to control pricing, repetitive charges and service disruptions.

You think Comcast doesn’t scream when my payment doesn’t come on time? It’s time to make cable scream.

Ray Hanania is an award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and columnist.

Reach him at rghanania@ gmail.com.

The Regional News

Thursday, December 31, 2015

New Illinois laws for 2016 listed POLICE BLOTTER: ORLAND PARK

By Bob Bong

Leaving pets outside in extreme weather

More than 200 new laws go into effect on Jan. 1, 2016, covering a gamut of subjects from powdered alcohol to hunting bobcats. Here is a quick rundown of the more interesting ones:

Pet lovers persuaded lawmakers to impose fines on residents who leave their pets outdoors during very hot or cold weather conditions. Fines range as high as $2,500 and violations can mean a year in prison.

Powdered alcohol ban Illinois becomes the latest state to ban the use of powdered alcohol (called palcohol) even though it has been approved by the federal government.

Supporters of the ban said it would be way too easy to spike someone’s drink using the powder.

Powdered caffeine restrictions Unlike powdered alcohol, this isn’t a complete ban – it’s only restricted for people under 18 years old. The law was passed after the death of an Ohio high school athlete due to a possible overdose.

Official state pie Illinois has a state bird, state vegetable, state fossil and now a state pie. Pumpkin pie got the nod from lawmakers because Illinois is the top pumpkin growing state in the country. About 85 percent of the pumpkin eaten in the U.S. comes from Illinois.

New license for drunken drivers It used to be that motorists would lose their driving privileges forever after four DUI convictions.

The new law allows for a restricted license if the person can prove being sober for three years and having no license for five years. There are about 5,000 four-time offenders in Illinois.

Divorce law overhaul There will be only one ground for divorce – irreconcilable difference. Gone are other grounds including adultery, physical cruelty or mental cruelty. Concepts like “child custody” and “visitation” are getting the boot, too. Now judges will allocate “parenting responsibilities.”

Experimental drugs OK’d Terminally ill patients will have the right to try experimental drugs once they’ve exhausted all other treatment options. Proponents say it will give patients another chance. Medical experts said it was a risky proposal.

Silver Alert for adults who go missing Illinois will now have a Silver Alert system to help find missing adults with Alzheimer’s and similar conditions. It will work much like the Amber Alert system for missing children.

Underage drinking

Bobcat hunting Hunters can now go after bobcats in Illinois. The formerly endangered species has now reached safer numbers, and supporters of the law argue hunting will keep the population under control. Since bobcats aren’t eaten, opponents say they’ll be hunted for trophies and bragging rights. Hunting of bobcats was banned in 1972. You will be able to hunt the critters from Nov. 1 to Feb. 15.

Carbon monoxide detectors

Ruben Sotelo-Torres, 26, of Orland Park, was charged with using an electronic communication device while driving, as well as driving on a suspended license, after police curbed his car near 156th Street and La Grange Road at 12:15 a.m. Dec. 14. Police said he was texting and driving. He was given a court date of Jan. 21 in Bridgeview.

The monitors will be required in all schools starting in 2016.

Pocket picked You can check out all 237 of the new laws at while playing hoops IllinoisSenateDemocrats.com.

A 32-year-old Orland Park man told police that he believes his pocket was picked while he played a basketball arcade game at Dave and Busters, 49 Orland Square Drive, at about 9:45 p.m.

Dec. 11. The victim said he was

many as young as 12, some younger, are victims. In fact, anyone under the age of 18 involved in this crime is a victim.

The public can help the state stop this by knowing the signs and by reporting the crime.

What are some potential indicators of trafficking a child?

The child may: • Show signs of physical harm • Become depressed, fearful or withdraw • Have a history of running away or currently be on run • Have expensive clothing, jewelry, manicures, pedicures, etc.

• Begin spending time with an older boyfriend or girlfriend

• Be found in a hotel/motel • Have new tattoos or branding • Be performing work inappropriate for his or her age • Become isolated from family, friends or sources of support • No longer have control of his or her driver’s license or other identification documents To learn more about how to recognize the signs of human trafficking, visit DCFS.Illinois.gov.

If you suspect or know a child is a victim of human trafficking, call 911 and the DCFS Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline 1-800-25-ABUSE. Remember, our children are not for sale.

— DCFS

Morrison and County Board end 2015 on notes of reform It’s been a busy five months for Commissioner Sean Morrison since taking office on July 22. The Cook County Board of Commissioners closed out the 2015 calendar year with the passage of three important reform-minded Morrison initiatives at their recent Dec. 16 board meeting.

Commissioner Morrison brought with him to the board an extensive business background and made fiscal responsibility and innovative reform key pillars of his agenda. He also made it a top priority to meet with every Cook County department, agency and county elected official to learn the fiscal scope and operational structure of every area of county government.

“Having worked closely with the administration over the last several months, I’m very pleased to see these three initiatives passed and look forward to their implementation as it will move Cook County government in the right direction of reform, efficiency and consolidation,” remarked Commissioner Morrison.

The board approved the $2.3 million purchase of an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) to facilitate communications between the different software applications used by each of the County’s justice agencies: Chief Judge, Clerk of the Circuit Court, Public Defender, Sheriff, State’s Attorney and the Cook County Bureau of Technology, which operates under the Office of County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. The Bureau of Technology was given approval by the Board for the implementation of ESB software and hardware, as well as development and managed

Orland Park police charged Susan C. Kingsley, 21, of Oak Forest, with DUI, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and no proof of insurance. Police investigating a crash near 144th Place and La Grange Road at 12:38 a.m. Dec. 5 took her into custody and ordered her vehicle towed and impounded, according to the police report. She is due in court in Bridgeview on Jan. 12.

Blue Island resident Jeovany Arriaga-Guillen, 23, was charged with DUI, improper lane usage and failure to signal when required after police curbed his SUV near 151st Street and 88th Avenue at 2:03 a.m. Dec. 7. The vehicle was towed and impounded, and Arriaga-Guillen is set to appear in court in Bridgeview on Jan. 28.

Illinois still prohibits underage drinking, but if you are under 21 and drinking and you or a friend needs medical assistance you will not be arrested Orland man charged with if you call 911. texting while driving

Know the warning signs to help prevent child human trafficking January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month in Illinois.

The human trafficking of children for sex in Illinois happens in every small town and big city throughout the state.

Since 2011, the Department of Children and Family Services has investigated more than 600 allegations of child human trafficking in our state. Most of the reports involved children being victimized within blocks of where they live.

Unlike the sale of illicit drugs, a child can be sold multiple times a day. Sadly, child sex trafficking is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States. It is important to know that both boys and girls,

Charged with DUI

services for data exchanges among County criminal justice agencies.

As Vice Chair of the Technology & Innovation Committee, Commissioner Morrison sees consolidation and modernization of IT services as critical to raising efficiencies and cutting long-term costs for county government. And, he sees the ESB as a significant step which will improve communications and data exchanges between multiple county agencies while providing significant cost savings.

A new ordinance approved by the county board will require businesses that store hazardous chemicals such as acids, solvents and other highly toxic chemicals to report the type of substance in the facility, the location of the chemicals and how the chemicals are stored. This information will provide a measure of safety for nearby residents and first responders. The information collected will be kept by the Cook County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and will be available to first responders.

Upon its approval, Commissioner Morrison said, “This ordinance is a very important public safety issue for our communities and our first responders who many times walk into an unknown location which presents a very dangerous and life-threatening situation as we saw recently with the tragic loss of Chicago Firefighter Daniel Capuano.”

The third item approved at the December board meeting involves the county reducing and streamlining its vehicle fleet operations and creating a more efficient system of vehicle purchase, use and maintenance that will save taxpayers money. President Preckwinkle’s administration will now partner with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office on vehicle maintenance with a more efficient system to

save money and promote use of ‘green’ vehicles. The Sheriff’s Office will now maintain and service all county passenger vehicles.

The three reform initiatives passed in December come on the heels of the Nov. 18 passage of the FY2016 Cook County Budget which included four new taxes which was in addition to the 1 percent Sales Tax increase passed in mid-July just prior to Commissioner Morrison’s appointment to the board.

After several weeks of budget hearings and negotiations, the FY2016 Budget was passed but with significant opposition. “It was my goal to see the county budget passed without any new taxes but unfortunately that was not the case. That’s why I could not support it. Those targeted businesses will now face an additional financial burden which in my view is not beneficial to the long term health of our county’s economy,” Morrison concluded.

According to Morrison, raising taxes can no longer be the primary remedy to addressing fiscal matters because creating new tax revenue streams inevitably leads to new spending. He believes the path to fiscal stability needs to be built squarely around strong fiscal reform policies across all areas of Cook County government along with fostering a positive economic environment where businesses can thrive.

As 2016 arrives, Commissioner Morrison is looking forward to working with his county board colleagues, President Preckwinkle and her administration to continue to create new and innovative reforms and establish more quantifiable measures to move Cook County government in the right fiscal direction.

— Office of Commissioner Sean M. Morrison

momentarily jostled while shooting a ball and initially believed it was one of his friends trying to distract him. A short time later, he noticed his iPhone missing from his vest pocket.

Mom’s wallet stolen at Whole Foods A woman told police that someone stole her wallet from her unzipped purse while she shopped at Whole Foods, 15260 S. La Grange Road, shortly before 2 p.m. Dec. 20. She told police that she discovered the crime when she went to pay for her groceries. She added that she did not see anyone she considered suspicious, and that her two children may have distracted her while the theft occurred. The wallet contained about $100 cash, credit cards and a driver’s license.

Charged with leaving scene of accident Police charged Orland Park resident Estevan Espanaaponte, 24, with leaving the scene of an accident, unsafe backing on a roadway and driving on a revoked license. Police investigating a fender bender near 151st Street and Lakeview Drive at 4:33 p.m.

Dec. 15 were told by a motorist that another vehicle struck his and then drove away, police said.

Police found a car matching the description a short distance away, driven by Espanaaponte, who was positively identified by the victim, according to the police report. The vehicle was towed and impounded, and Espanaaponte is scheduled to appear in court in Bridgeview on Jan. 28.

5

Orland man allegedly steals energy drinks A 31-year-old Orland Park man was charged with retail theft after he allegedly stole multiple packs of Red Bull and Monster energy drinks—worth nearly $200--from a grocery store in the 17900 block of South Wolf Road at 12:32 p.m.

Dec. 9.

The arrested man disputed the allegation, saying he was not past the last point of purchase when he was stopped, according to the police report. Police said the man was wanted on a warrant relating to a charge of driving on a suspended license, according to the police report. He is due in court in Bridgeview on Jan. 26.

Charged with stealing stereo equipment Police charged Orland Park resident Robert A. Parker, 31, with felony retail theft after he allegedly stole about $1,300 worth of stereo equipment from an electronics store in the 15800 block of South La Grange Road at 12:41 p.m.

Dec. 9. He was due at a bond hearing on Dec. 10.

Plastic snowman abducted A 53-year-old woman told police that someone stole a 2-foot-tall plastic snowman from the front of a home in the 11800 block of West Dunree Lane. The theft was discovered at about 3 p.m. Dec. 15. The woman added that she would not sign a complaint if the thief was apprehended, that she just wanted her holiday decoration returned.

POLICE BLOTTER: PALOS HEIGHTS Charged with trespass at Palos Hospital Krystian Witkowski, 25, of Bridgeview, was charged with criminal trespassing at Palos Community Hospital, 12251 S. 80th Ave., at 6:43 a.m.

Dec. 23.

Police said Witkowski was arrested after he refused to obey numerous requests from security guards to leave the grounds of the hospital. He is due in court on Jan. 14.

Charged with driving while license suspended Michael Thomas Siberz, 42, of Orland Park, was charged with driving on a suspended license following a traffic stop at 9:52 a.m. Saturday, in the 7600 block of West Route 83.

Police said he was also cited with speeding. Siberz is due in court on Jan. 14.

POLICE BLOTTER: PALOS PARK License charges Meghan L. Pacius, 19, of Chicago, was charged with driving on a suspended license following a traffic stop at 1:58 p.m. Dec 10, in the 14200 block of South LaGrange Road. She is due in court on Jan. 21, Sandra F. Vargas, 33, of Blue Island, was charged with driving on a suspended license and speeding following a traffic stop at 4:19 a.m. Dec. 13, at Route 83 and Kean Avenue. She is due in court Jan. 21.

Antonio Daniel Vazquez-Lopez, 46, of Crestwood, was charged with driving without a license and other offenses following traffic stop at 6:52 a.m. Dec. 17, in the 12200 block of South LaGrange

Road. Improper passing and taillight violation . Jan. 21.

Dennis M. Peterson, 22, of Peotone, was charged with driving without a license on person following a traffic stop at 9:50 p.m. Dec. 18, in the 11200 block of South LaGrange Road. Police said he was also cited for driving without insurance and no rear registration. He was also issued village ordinance violations for possession of drug paraphernalia after a bong and hash oil were found in the car. He is due in court on Jan. 21.

Charged with DUI Afrim Sabanoski, 35, of Bridgeview, was charged with felo-

ny aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol following a traffic stop at 1:19 a.m. Dec. 15, in the 11800 block of South LaGrange. Police said the offense was upgraded to a felony because he was already driving on a suspended license from a DUI charge in November. He was also cited for improper lane usage and driving without a rear registration light.

He was held for a bond hearing.

Larry D. Davis, 44, of Orland Hills, was charged with DUI and other offenses when he was stopped at 9 p.m. Dec. 21, in the 13200 block of South LaGrange Avenue. He was also cited for improper lane usage and no insurance. Davis is due in court on Jan. 21.

SENIOR NOTES Orland Township Myrtle Beach trip Orland Township offers seniors an early-spring trip to Myrtle Beach and Charleston, S.C. Tickets are on sale now for this bus tour, a weeklong trip. Transportation will leave at 8 a.m. on Sunday, April 3, and will return on Saturday, April 9. Tickets are $585 for double occupancy and add an additional $180 for single occupancy. Cost includes motorcoach transportation, six

nights lodging including four consecutive nights in the Myrtle Beach area, 10 meals (six breakfasts and four dinners), three evening shows: Legends in Concert, Carolina Opry, and Alabama Theatre’s ‘One the Show.’

This trip also includes a guided tour of Charleston, a visit to Broadway at the Beach, and admission to the Brookgreen Gardens. Tickets are at the township office, 14807 S. Ravinia Ave., Orland Park. Call 403-4222 for more information.

6 Thursday, December 31, 2015

The Regional News

DEATH NOTICES

HEALTH BEAT Free CPR classes at Orland Township Orland Township, 14807 S. Ravinia Avenue, will give free CPR classes for both seniors and adults ages 16-54 on the following days: Tuesday, Jan. 12, at 1 p.m. (seniors) and Thursday, Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. (adults), Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 1 p.m. (seniors), Thursday, Feb. 18, at 6 p.m., Tuesday, March 8, at 1 p.m. (seniors) and Thursday, March 10 at 6 p.m. (adults) The classes are led by instructors from the Orland Fire Protection District; certificates will be distributed upon completion. Additional classes, including health care provider CPR, which includes certification, are also held monthly at the fire department’s Station 3.

Dates and times may be found at www.orlandfire.org.

Registration is required, so call 403-4222 to reserve your seat.

Orland Twp. monthly immunization clinic Orland Township will host its monthly immunization clinic on Saturday, Jan. 9, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 2, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, March 5, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the township building, 14807 S. Ravinia Ave. Free vaccines are available to township children 18 and under.

Some eligibility restrictions ap-

ply. Non-residential children who meet the eligibility guidelines are welcome. For children residing outside of the township’s boundaries, a $20 administration fee per vaccine will be charged (does not apply to those with Medicaid/All Kids). An up-to-date shot record is mandatory to receive any vaccine, and children must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

Children’s vaccines that are available include DTaP, DTaPHep B-IPV, DTaP-IPV-Hib, DTaPIPV, Hep A, Hep B, Hep B-Hib, HPV, Meningococcal, MMR, IPV, Pneumococcal, Rotavirus, Tdap and Varicella. Adult vaccines that are available include HPV, Pneumococcal, Hep A, Tuberculosis, Hep B, Tdap, IPV, Meningococcal, Hep A-Hep B, MMR, Typhoid, Varicella and Shingles.

For additional clinic dates and adult immunization prices, visit www.orlandtwp.org.

Cancer support group at Our Lady of Woods Our Lady of the Woods Parish offers a cancer support group that will meet Jan. 14, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., in the church’s hospitality room, 10731 W. 131st St., in Orland Park.

Guest speakers will discuss spiritual fulfillment, pain management, surgical interventions, palliative care and hospice, treat-

PICK OF THE LITTER

ment of difficult side effects, nutritional needs, navigating the health care system, stress and stress management and more.

The group will continue to meet on the second Thursday of each month.

Group facilitator is parish faith community nurse Janet Nold, RN. For information, contact her at 280-7134.

JOHN FLEMING DVM • Prairie StateVet.com

started with the obligatory basic workup, which included a physical exam, CBC, chemscreen, SpecFpl, thyroid test, urinalysis and radiographs. Since he had been vomiting and was dehydrated we gave him some injections and began IV fluids. The treatment for his subsequently diagnosed pancreatitis consisted of medications for vomiting and pain and IV fluids along with fairly intensive nursing care. On the third day we sent him home.

Brenda is a long-time client and is in the clinic a lot and we didn’t charge her full fee but if we had done so she easily could have had an $800 bill. At a referral hospital her bill would probably have been around $2,500. Pet insurance would have reimbursed her $560 of our $800 bill or around $1,900 of the hypothetical referral hospital’s bill.

I’ll tell you about a third case I saw just a couple of days ago. A local client has a young dog and their daughter who lives downtown in Chicago was watching the little dog for her parents. Sassy had a little seizure and the daughter was nervous and took her to a vet clinic.

In my experience, the first thing you don’t do with a young dog that has a mild brief seizure is an MRI. However, the vet who saw the dog told the daughter she needed to take the dog right then to a specialty practice for an MRI.

LEGAL NOTICE

Richard Lee Kudia

Aurora M. “Dolly” Bray nee Frigo, age 94, of Richard Lee “Dick” Kudia, age 70, of Orland Park, Orland Park, died on Dec. 20. Beloved wife of 68 formerly of Chicago, died on Dec. 20 at MacNeal years to the late Glenn “Pete” Bray (2015). Lov- Hospital in Berwyn. Beloved husband of 40 years ing mother of Laurel (Mitch) Alvarez and the late to Patricia M., nee Ahern. Loving father of Joseph Janel (Larry) Woodruff. Cherished grandmother of (Kelley) Kudia of Tampa, FL and Christine Kudia of Elisa Woodruff, Alan (Rachel) Woodruff, Allison Chicago. Cherished grandfather of Owen and Riley.

(Billy) Burnette and Luke (Marisa) Alvarez. Dearest Dearest brother of JoAnn Gruca of Chicago. Devoted great-grandmother of Claire, Max, Nell and Rosalie. uncle of Mary Jo (Patrick) Para of St. Charles, IL. Devoted daughter of the late Guerino and Lucia Frigo. Dear sister of the late Albert, Ida, Bruno Special cousin, uncle and friend of many.

Mr. Kudia was born in Chicago. He was a bioand Johnny. chemist.

Visitation was held Dec. 27. Funeral Dec. Mrs. Bray was born in Chicago. She was a retired Access to Care enrollment secretary at Sherwin Williams. Visitation was held 28 from Colonial Chapel in Orland Park to St. Dec. 27. Funeral Dec. 28 from Colonial Chapel, Michael Church. Mass Interment was held at Holy at Orland Township in Orland Park, to St. Michael Church. Mass. Inter- Sepulchre Cemetery, Alsip. In lieu of flowers, meOrland Township residents who ment was held at Orland Memorial Park Cemetery. morial contributions may be made to Saint Ignatius have a family income less than In lieu of flowers, memorials to Avon Foundation College Prep Tuition Assistance, 1076 W. Roosevelt 300 percent of the federal poverty Breast Cancer Crusade appreciated.

Rd., Chicago, IL 60608. guidelines, no health insurance or a deductible of $500 more per person and are ineligible for Medicaid, Medicare Part B (Medicare Part A coverage is acceptable), Cathaleen Novak has become our community speaks to Marist’s odologies that will maximize the AllKids, FamilyCare or CountyCare can apply for Access to a full-time social worker for the mission,” said department direc- social-emotional learning capaciCare at Orland Township, 14807 2015-16 year at Marist High tor Erik Christensen, Class of ‘97. ties of all students. I will work School, 4200 W. 115th St., Chi- “We recognize the need to serve hard to provide compassionate, S. Ravinia Ave. all students. Guidance counselors nonjudgmental support to students, An appointment is necessary. cago.

Novak joined Marist in Au- and the social worker will work their families, and school staff.”

The Access to Care program together to best serve our students’ “From the ‘extremely complex’ provides visits to an assigned gust. She has needs.” to the ‘typical teenage’ problem, Access to Care doctor for $5, eight years of The addition of a school social we recognize the ever changing, basic lab and X-ray services for experience and Marist officials worker to the Marist faculty will and evolving needs of our stu$5 per draw or procedure, and provide another level of support dents,” said Christensen. “We recprescription medication for $15 said that Noto our students. A school social ognize that all students’ needs are (generic), $30 preferred brand and vak is the only area Catholic worker provides both direct and important within their high school $40 (non-preferred brand). Brand school to emindirect services to students and and lifetime experience. By addname medications are available ploy someone Cathaleen Novak also acts as a liaison to outside ing such a position, we are just only at Walgreens. serving solely agencies. Novak will be providreaffirming our desire to serve all To make an appointment or for as a social worker. ing individual student support as more information, call 403-4222.

The position was added to bet- well as ongoing small groups students in our care in a uniquely ter serve students who deal with throughout the school year on Marist way.”

All students at Marist High more complex issues such as various topics.

School are assigned to a guidance chronic illness or hospitalization.

“I am excited that the educators Students who work with Novak and leaders at Marist High School counselor who stays with that stuare those who require long term, recognize the unique and valu- dent throughout their four years at and at times, immediate services. able benefits to providing students the school. They meet periodically Delegating these student cases to with advanced social-emotional throughout the year providing stuthe social worker will also help skill development and resourc- dents with three pillars of support the work flow of the guidance es,” Novak said. “I am a strong — academic, college/career, and While there, the little guy also department, allowing counselors advocate for students and work social/personal. The department had a spinal tap. I’m not here to time with their assigned students. hard to ensure they receive the also offers programming such as “The benefit of having a pro- services he or she may need. I speakers, awareness events, and make a judgment on the recommendations or treatments made fessional to focus on the complex am self-motivated and committed small groups on a variety of issues by another veterinarian but I bet and truly ‘least favored’ students in to learning new counseling meth- relevant to teens. all of that did cost a pretty penny.

I am guessing about $4,000 between the two clinics. Again, pet insurance, after the $100 deductible and 80 percent reimbursement level would have shouldered about $3,100 of that cost.

This past Thursday I saw Bob with his 4-year-old Husky whom he loves dearly. The dog has a swollen lymph node at the backside of his knee. A year ago we removed a cancerous toe on the same leg. I made a cytology slide from the lymph node which revealed many cancerous cells. We believe this is either melanoma or a clear cell carcinoma. If Bob and Jackie pursue top of the line treatment with our referral oncologist they may be looking at $3,000 to $8,000. Again, pet insurance would be a great thing to have.

Unfortunately none of these people have pet insurance and corporate ownership, high student loan debt levels coupled with production-based pay (which we have so far avoided) and the rising every-day costs of just keeping a practice open are all contributing to the ever-accelerating cost of veterinary care.

I recently talked to a representative of a pet insurance company who told me most policies that she sells cost between $1 and $2 daily. If you have many pets you’re probably not going to look at pet insurance, but for those of you with just one or two you should consider it.

You can’t take it with you.

— Anonymous

Cases make the case for pet insurance

Another local three-doctor practice has gone corporate.

Across the nation big corporate companies are buying up veterinary practices and the speed with which they are doing so seems to be accelerating. I’ve heard one prediction that within five years most veterinary practices in the U.S. will be corporate-owned.

There are many angles to this topic, which we could talk about, but for the purpose of this article I will limit the discussion to the associated cost of caring for your pet.

I would strongly encourage you to do some homework and look at pet insurance. I wish we had had health insurance on EB when he got ill two years ago and I’m glad I had it on Molly last year when she decided she needed surgery from eating a foreign object.

Let me share with you a couple of cases from last week. Dorothy from Oak Lawn came in with her older terrier mix who was “not himself.” We did a physical exam, ran some blood work here in the clinic and took a couple of radiographs. We diagnosed a cancerous spleen, which we removed. He was in the clinic for a couple of days before going home.

Dorothy’s bill was around $1,300. If she had had pet insurance, she would have been reimbursed $1039. At a referral hospital, Dorothy’s bill most likely would have been around $4,000 and pet insurance would have reimbursed her around $3,200.

Also last week we saw Brenda from Chicago who came in with her old cat who, like Dorothy’s dog, was ADR (ain’t doing right) along with some weight loss. She told us to do anything necessary.

We hospitalized the little guy and

Aurora M. Bray

Marist has full-time social worker on staff

2015 YEAR IN REVIEW

The Regional News

Continued from Page 1

Strawberry Fields whenever The Regional last January profiled Palos Heights resident Mary E. Matury Gibson, a nurse who sings in her church choir, and her published memoir, “Remembering Strawberry Fields.” She grew up on a little farm—16 acres—near Lowell, Ind., the daughter of Italian immigrants. Her book is now at local libraries and Gibson made the rounds of local book signings and talks to community groups. Her coming of age story is a bitter-sweet tale of triumphs, hurts and tragedies filled with the characters she grew up with.

Tragic end to search Authorities found the body of John Cunningham Jr. in January, long after he walked away from his parents’ home—near 104th Avenue and McCarthy Road—on Oct. 30, barefoot and wearing only a gray T-shirt and black sweatpants, and without his wallet or cell phone, according to police.

His body was discovered in a frozen detention pond by a group of youths playing hockey in the 12700 block of Misty Harbour Lane shortly before 4:30 p.m., about a mile southwest of the Cunninghams’ home.

Sentenced for theft Former Palos Heights Fire Protection District administrative assistant Michelle Sopko, 46, of Oak Forest, was sentenced in March to eight years in prison after she admitted stealing more than $350,000 from the fire district.

Sopko pleaded guilty to a single count of theft of government property valued at more than $100,000 in an agreement with prosecutors and approved by Circuit Court Judge John Hynes, She had been arrested in December 2013 after an investigation by the Cook County Sheriff’s Financial Crimes Unit and the Palos Heights Police Department.

Massage arrests A Palos Heights police joint investigation with the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Vice Unit resulted in three arrests and charges--one relating to alleged prostitution and two relating to allegedly performing massages without licenses--at businesses in Palos Heights.

Two women were taken into custody by the Cook County Sheriff’s Police on Feb. 11 at a business in the 7200 block of West 127th Street, police announced in March. Both were charged with violations of the Massage License Act for performing massages without proper license after undercover officers performed multiple checks of the business throughout the investigation, according to a Palos Heights Police Department press release.

A third woman was taken into custody by Sheriff’s officers at a business in the 7000 block of West 127th Street on Feb. 18. She was charged with two counts of prostitution.

More than a week before the arrests, Palos Heights resident Kathy Lovitt and a local business owner blew the whistle on what they said were three local massage establishments essentially acting as fronts for prostitution.

Thursday, December 31, 2015

7

Reign of excellence

Elaine Savage, the woman who brought the Palos Heights Public Library into the 21st century— literally and figuratively—wrote the final page of the final chapter of her 27 years at the cherished institution when she retired last spring.

“This is a good place, a genuine community center,” Savage said in a Page One story in The Regional at the library, 12501 S. 71st Ave. “We’ve worked to make it that, and I think we have succeeded.

Editor Jack Murray’s editorial commended her for her years of hard work, and dedication, not only to the library, but the broader community of Palos Heights through her involvement with the Chamber of Commerce and support for the woman’s club, League of Women Voters and other civic groups.

A good night for McLaughlin The biggest winner in last April’s election was not even on the ballot.

Candidates backed by Orland Park Mayor Daniel McLaughlin and his political organization swept to victory in school board races, as well as the heart of his turf, the Orland Park Village Board, in the April election.

Longtime Trustee Edward G. Schussler—a man with 17 years of service on the board and a political pedigree that includes being a former acting mayor and the descendant of two other mayors— was dislodged by McLaughlin’s First Orland Party slate.

With all 50 precincts reporting, incumbents Carole Griffin Ruzich and Patricia A. Gira led with 3,387 (27.54 percent) and 3,357 votes (27.3 percent), respectively. Newcomer Michael F. Carroll grabbed the final slot, with 2,897 (23.56 percent) tallies, and Schussler was stuck at the bottom with 2,656 (21.6 percent).

Tuesday’s result was quite a difference for Schussler from four years ago when he was the top vote getter in the April 2011 election that saw a nine-way race for three slots. In that election he ran on the same ticket with Gira and Ruzich under the Orland Park United banner backed by McLaughlin.

District 230 battle Voters settled things in High School District 230, re-electing Board President Rick Nogal and Vice President Patrick O’Sullivan, and electing Denis Ryan, the third member of their ticket, by a wide margin over four others in the April election.

O’Sullivan led with 8,426 votes, Nogal was in second at 7,180, and Denis Ryan was firmly in third with 6,631, with all 119 precincts reporting. All three ran as a “230 United” team.

Bringing up the rear of the race was John Thomas Donovan with 5, 217 votes, Mary Ryan Norwell with 3,565 tallies, Frank Ryan with 3,350 votes, and Wesley Boske with 1,240. Some 13,501 voters cast ballots in the race, for a 13.15 percent turnout, according to the Cook County Clerk’s Office.

Martyrs of genocide Saints Joachim & Anne Armenian Apostolic Church, 12600 S. Ridgeland Ave. in Palos Heights

Photo by Tim Hadac

Palos Heights author Mary E. Matury Gibson holds a copy of her newly published debut memoir, “Remembering Photo by Tim Hadac Strawberry Fields, a colorful yet stark recollection of Palos United Methodist Church Pastor Laura Barkley welcomed members of Worth United growing up on a small family farm in Indiana.

Methodist Church to join a united congregation at the Palos Heights church in September.

held solemn commemorative events open to people of all faiths in remembrance of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey, 1915-1922.

“When we don’t remember history, we are condemned to repeat it,” said the Rev. Fr. Tavit Boyajian, the church’s parish priest.

The church showed “The Armenian Genocide,” a PBS documentary, on April 24, before a pizza dinner and an ecumenical worship service to which the community was invited. All 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide who died for their faith were canonized as saints by the church in Armenia that week.

Last Hurrah Orland Park Trustee Edward G. Schussler’s last hurrah at Village Hall quickly became emotional as he neared the end of his remarks and reflected on his wife, Sharon, at his last Village Board meeting in May. “It’s been a 17-year run, and I’ve enjoyed it. The only regret I have tonight is, um, that my wife couldn’t be here to, uh…” he said, pausing to hold back tears.

“It’s just hard to talk about it,” Schussler nodded, alluding to the tragedy of how his wife of 49 years suffered brain damage last December while undergoing surgery.

The packed Village Board chamber responded with an immediate standing ovation and thunderous applause, the second of the night for the veteran public servant who ran a strong re-election bid as an independent but lost in April to a candidate who ran with the support of Mayor Daniel McLaughlin and his political operation.

Methodists merge The congregations of both Worth United Methodist Church, 7100 W 112th St., and Palos United Methodist Church, 12101 S. Harlem Ave., each voted to unite as one church body.

The union became official Sept.

1 after each flock voted Yes to the merger at both their respective Sunday morning worship services on May 3.

Worth United Methodist Church has struggled with low membership for quite some time, and Palos welcomed the Worth

members with open arms. Pastor Laura Barkley said: “There was a unanimous ‘Yes’ from our congregation, followed by tears and clapping. We are thrilled to join in ministry with them.”

Slain man mourned The area mourned the death of Kevin O’Malley, a 25-yearold man from Palos Park who died after he was fatally shot by an armed assailant on Chicago’s North Side.

Mr. O’Malley died on a sidewalk in the 900 block of West Oakdale, in the Lakeview neighborhood, after being shot twice in the chest at about 2 a.m. He was the second Palos Park fatally Kevin O’Malley shot in Chicago in recent years. A Humboldt Park man was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated robbery in O’Malley’s death after his arrest soon after the shooting by Chicago police on a nearby CTA Brown Line train platform.

Police said the assailant robbed Mr. O’Malley of his cell phone and cash before the victim gave chase on foot. An argument and struggle ensued before Pitts shot him twice with a small silver revolver, prosecutors said. CTA security video captured images of Pitts fleeing the scene and climbing onto the train platform.

Prosecutors added that when Pitts was apprehended, he was wearing only one shoe and that his other shoe was found at the scene of the shooting.

Trail runs through Palos More than a dozen government officials and Friends of the CalSag Trail joined with hundreds of

others in June to mark the opening and cut the ribbon on the western leg of the new Cal-Sag Trail at Lake Katherine in Palos Heights.

The trail, years in the planning and making, runs between Lemont and Cicero Avenue in Alsip.

From there, the eastern stretch will run to Burnham, almost the Indiana border.

Sporting Life lives The unveiling of the Sporting Life in Palos Heights mural in October beautified the “ugliest wall in town” thanks to a project of the Palos Heights Public Arts Commission.

The south wall of the public works building, just south of City Hall, 7607 W. College Drive, is adorned with a five-panel work of art that the Regional highly praised in an editorial of congratulations to commissioners and the city.

Designed by Chicago fine artist and illustrator David R. Becker, the mural depicts silhouetted athletes competing in baseball/softball, running, swimming, soccer and enjoying bicycling. It fits in well with its surroundings because the wall faces a parking lot that serves the public pool, baseball/softball diamonds and the 34-acre Community Park, Arts Commission member Maria DeCaprio-Sunta noted.

A time to mourn Mary L. Johnson, of Palos Heights, the head of public services in the Adult Services Department of the Palos Heights Public Library, died June 16 at the Loyola Univer- Mary L. Johnson sity Medical Center in Maywood. She was 63.

A beloved figure at the library, Mrs. Johnson worked there for more than 20 years and most recently also served as co-interim head of the library, after the retirement of Elaine Savage earlier this spring. Before joining the Palos Heights Public Library in 1995, she served as a librarian in Palos School District 118.

“Mary had the greatest smile and the warmest personality,” said Palos Heights Public Library Circulation Manager Karen Skocik, a 20-year colleague and best friend of Mrs. Johnson. “People looked forward to seeing her every day.

In fact, one of our patrons described her as ‘the lady with the million-dollar smile.’”

Looking forward Palos Heights Public Library Director Jesse Blazek took up his duties before a reception welcomed him in September. He is no stranger to books, libraries, research — or the volleyball Jesse Blazek court. At one time in his wide and varied career, Blazek, who holds two master’s degrees, was the assistant coach for the women’s volleyball team at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., an NCAA Division I school.

He played in college as a starter on the men’s volleyball team at Eckerd College, a liberal arts college in St. Petersburg, Fla. His team won the NIRSA national championship in 2000. Blazek took up his new duties as Palos Heights’ new library director on July 27. The high quality of the library staff is what struck him most about his new post in Palos Heights after completing his first week in Elaine Savage’s old office at the library’s helm.

BUSINESS

8 Thursday, December 31, 2015

FINANCIAL FOCUS

The Regional News

Avoid problems by updating beneficiary designations Like many people, you might not particularly enjoy thinking about your estate plans, but such planning is necessary to make sure your assets go where you want them to go.

And it’s just as important to regularly review your plans with your tax, legal and financial professionals in case any changes are needed. For instance, some of your wishes expressed in your will may be overridden by beneficiary designations you filled out years ago. If these designations become outdated, your assets could be passed to those you didn’t intend.

You might be surprised at how many of your financial assets and legal documents have beneficiary designations tied to them. If you have an IRA, a 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan, a life insurance policy, an annuity, a transfer-on-death (TOD) arrangement, or any of a variety of other assets or accounts, you almost certainly named a beneficiary. And this beneficiary designation offers a simple, direct and efficient way to get assets in the hands of your loved ones who survive you.

However, as time goes by, you may experience many changes in your life — and when your life changes, your beneficiary designations may need to follow. But if you are like many people, you might forget to update these designations after a marriage, divorce or other change in your family situation. And because the beneficiary designation is a legally binding document, the asset will go to the person you once named as a beneficiary, regardless of your current relationship status.

It really doesn’t take much effort to look over your accounts and legal arrangements to ensure that your beneficiary designations are current — and if they aren’t, it’s pretty easy to change them. In fact, for some financial accounts, you may be able to update the beneficiary designations online. In any

JIM VAN HOWE

Edward Jones Investments case, plan on reviewing your beneficiary designations regularly, but especially when you experience a change in your life.

Here’s one more thing to keep in mind: Make sure your current beneficiaries are informed that they will eventually be receiving your 401(k), IRA, life insurance proceeds or other assets that require a beneficiary designation. This advance knowledge may help your loved ones as they plan and maintain their own financial and investment strategies.

Although it’s clearly important for you to update your beneficiary designations and to communicate your actions, you will still need to attend to other areas of your estate planning, such as providing care for minor children or dependents, deciding who you want to receive specific items that do not carry a beneficiary designation, naming someone to manage your affairs should you become incapacitated, and specifying the control you wish your beneficiaries to have over their inheritance. These are just a few examples of estate-planning considerations.

Because everyone’s situation is different, you will need to consult with your legal advisor to determine the level of estate planning you require. As we’ve seen, updating your beneficiary is one piece of the puzzle — but to leave the legacy you desire, you’ve got to complete the picture.

Jim Van Howe is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Palos Heights. His office is at 7001 W. 127th St. He can be reached at 361-3400.

Supplied photo

Marquette Bank employees volunteered to help wrap gifts for more than 110 children and adults through the bank’s ninth annual Adopt-a-Family project.

Marquette Bank brightens the holidays for local families Annual Adopt-a-Family project provides gifts to 110-plus individuals this Christmas season Marquette Bank, a locally-owned neighborhood bank, provided gifts for more than 110 children and adults as part of its ninth annual Adopt-a-Family Project.

This employee-run project is an annual event where the bank teams up with local organizations to collect donations to distribute gifts to families in need.

“We have been doing our Adopt-a-Family Project for nine years and it continues to be such a rewarding experience,” said Betty Kosky-Harn, executive vice president. “We are so grateful to our employees and local partners for their time and effort to help brighten up the holidays for these families.”

Marquette Bank raised funds for the Adopt-a-Family project by holding bank-wide jeans days, where employees could make a $5 donation to wear jeans to work.

More than 400 toys were donated by businesses and Marquette Club customers of Marquette Bank through the sixth Annual Neighborhood Toy Drive.

Once donations were collected, bank employees came together and held a “wrapping party” where they spent a few hours after work wrapping gifts for the families. Toys from the Neighborhood Toy Drive were also donated to the Toy Box Connection, Englewood Cares Outreach Ministries, PODER, Maria Kaupas Center, Clara’s House and Paul Hall Boys

& Girls Club.

Marquette Bank thanked the following local organizations for their help in distributing gifts to local families: Action Coalition of Englewood; Esmond Elementary School; Nativity BVM; Orland Township; Nathan Hale Middle School; St. Adrian Church; St. Benedict Church; St. Richards High School; St. Rita Parish; Toy Box Connection; The Port Ministries.

The Adopt-a-Family project is part of the Marquette Neighborhood Commitment, where each quarter Marquette Bank focuses on a different area of need – shelter, hunger, education and health/ wellness. For more information about the bank or the Marquette Neighborhood Commitment, call 1-888-254-9500 or visit www. emarquettebank.com/neighborhood.

— Marquette Bank

AREA PROPERTY TRANSFERS Following are the property transfers in the area, according to the latest report, as received from the Cook County Recorder of Deeds Office. The Regional News does not attempt to correct errors made by that office.

Photo courtesy John Clifford

A Royalberry welcome for Breakfast with Santa

Royalberry Wafflehouse & Restaurant owner Frank Salman (right) and his brother Zeke held a Breakfast with Santa on Christmas Eve at the popular eatery, at 6417 W. 127th St. in Palos Heights. The special event, part of holiday happenings in and around Palos Heights, was attended by young and old alike, said Alderman Jack Clifford (2nd Ward) who sent this photo

BUSINESS NOTES Real estate broker classes at Moraine Enter the real estate market by learning to sell homes or get licensed to open a business at the Real Estate Training Center at Moraine Valley Community College. Broker and managing broker classes begin in the spring 2016 semester.

The Broker Pre-License Topics course provides instruction in real estate fundamentals. Topics include license law; real property; agency basics; seller and buyer relationships and counseling; local, state and federal laws affecting real estate; brokerage; marketing and advertising; market analysis and appraisal; financing; contracts; independent contractor

and employee status; occupational disciplines; and business planning.

The 13-week course is on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., beginning Jan. 26.The cost is $665.

The next course is Broker Applied Principles/Interactive, which covers role play, and situational and case study examples. Topics include listing presentation, buyer representation, agency disclosure, purchase agreements, handling offers, market analysis, fair housing, antitrust, and inspection/repair issues. This three-week course is on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., beginning May 5. The cost is $133.

Licensed real estate agents looking to open their own business after working with a managing

broker for a year can enroll in the required managing broker courses to get certified. The Managing Broker Pre-License Topics covers licensing, operations, handling of money, recruiting, brokerage support, transaction supervision, marketing and advertising, dispute resolution, company policies, disclosure issues, and industry issues. This five-week course is on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., beginning Feb. 1. The cost is $266.

For additional information, call 974-5735. Register in person at the Registration Office, located in Building S, Room 125, on campus, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills, by calling (708) 974-2110 (TTY 711) or online at morainevalley.edu.

Orland Park 16201 118th Street LLC to Chapel Firehouse, 16201 118th Ave, $525,000; Sluderski Regina Disabled Person to Powers Thomas J Jr, 9724 154th St, $193,000; Standard B&T Co Tr to Bock Stacey R, 10612 Golf Rd, $285,000; Schillinger Laverne E Tr to Parker Donald, 11117 Wisconsin Ct, Unit #1A, $135,000; Zubek Andrzej to Gawle Patty L, 17233 Lakebrook Dr, $242,000; Synergy Property Holdings LLC to Hernandez Alejandro, 8800 159th St, Unit #1A, $110,000; Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr to Mcgowan Troy, 15705 Old Orchard Ct, Unit #157052N, $119,000; Keehan Mary Lou to Vanderbilt Jennifer, 11836 Greenfield Dr, $280,000; Gorski John to Gorski Neil Joseph, 17806 Bernard Dr, Unit #1B, $135,000; Jousma Lucas A to Gabriel Cara L, 15801 Orlan Brook Dr, Unit #G170, $112,000; Skwarczyk Janice to Olson Jeffrey N, 17749 Brookfield Cir, $311,000; Cambell Ruth A to Guzman Eva, 15255 West Ave, Unit #152552S, $125,000; Vitiritti Frank R to Polivka Jeffrey M, 11021 New York Ct, Unit #176, $189,000; Kole Mark G Adm to Cryan Ruth A, 7448 Ponderosa Ct, Unit #G1B, $91,000; Deutsche Bk Natl Trust Co to Razik Samantha, 9865 Cordoba Ct, Unit #2D, $60,000; Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr to Standard B&T Co Tr, 14624 S Humphrey Dr, Unit #1B7, $200,000; Holke Betty Lou Tr to Nadess Frank G, 9707 W Hillcrest Cir, $290,000; Delaurentis Nicholas J Jr to Smith Kyla, 10817 Caribou Ln, $460,000; Montemayor Lucinia to Future Services Prop LLC, 17171 Wolf Rd, $375,000; Rodriguez Rolando to Gubala Irena, 11117 Wisconsin Ct, Unit #3B, $134,000; Moulton Paul to Doogan Raymond P, 10460 Timberline Ct, $655,000;

Matiusovas Ustinas to Luszczek Andrezej, 9840 El Cameno Ln, $384,000; C A Hayes Mechanical Inc to Sunlight-Tech Inc, 15311 70th Ct, Unit #1, $279,000; Braun & Aldridge Inc to Lama LLC Hunt 26 Series, 15126 Huntington Ct, $107,500; Oconnor Joanne T Tr to Demasi George M, 14900 Avenida Del Este St, $242,000.

Palos Heights Synergy Prop Holdings LLC to Palcu John III, 12920 S Mason Ave, $215,000; First Midwest Bk to Smith Charles M, 12210 S 71st Ave, $307,500;

Goodnough Linda S Adm to Kay Kevin, 7321 Pottawatomi Ct, $265,000; Coghlan Susan C to Mcdonald Nathan, 13001 W Golfview Ln, $315,000; Zoeterman George G Trust to Stanislaw David C, 6218 W 127th St, $262,500.

Palos Park Collins Michael J to Kilduff Brian, 9818 W Mill Dr, Unit #E1L32, $137,500; Risoli Ralph Tr to Coughlin Kevin, 1 St. Moritz Dr, Unit #1101, $185,000; Odenbach James to Saleh Mohammad, 12635 Suffield Dr, $472,500.

Mortgage Rates Around the Area First Midwest Bank (as of Dec. 28)

30-year fixed

RATES APR POINTS 4.125 4.160 0

15-year fixed

3.375

3.470

0

30-year fixed Jumbo

4.250

4.295

0

United Trust Bank (as of Dec. 28)

30-year fixed

RATES APR POINTS 4.000 4.021 0

15-year fixed

3.375

3.411

0

10-year fixed

3.250

3.303

0

Prospect Federal (as of Dec. 28)

30-year fixed

RATES APR POINTS 4.000 4.047 .25

20-year fixed

3.750

3.814

.25

15-year fixed

3.375

3.438

.25

All rates subject to change daily. Equal opportunity lenders.

The Regional News

Thursday, December 31, 2015

PHOTO MEMORIES FROM THE REGIONAL ARCHIVE

9

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Across 1 “The Alphabet Song” opening 5 Closed 9 Postpone 14 Lemony in taste 15 “__ Lisa” 16 Overjoy 17 *Handy tool to have when you’re out of loose-leaf paper 19 Red-suited reindeer driver 20 China’s Zhou __ 21 Forming a queue 23 Memory aid, such as “HOMES” for the Great Lakes 26 Amount paid 29 *Amulet 34 Sch. in the smallest state 35 T-shirt sizes, for short 36 Sound portion of a movie 37 *Prime ballpark accommodation

The Regional reviews the news of the year 1965 in the Palos area: Cub Scouts—Oct. 21. A 25th anniversary was celebrated by Cub Scout Pack 3604 with a charter presentation at a worship service at the Methodist Church

1 Arthur of tennis 2 Timely benefit

39 *Architectural style featuring geometric shapes

3 Select with care

41 Amazed

5 Church-founded Dallas sch.

42 Regret

6 Luv

43 “__ MisŽrables”

7 Clean with Liquid-Plumr

44 *Stand-up venue

8 Hummus paste

48 French father

9 Dry up

49 Kids’ show host with a “Neighborhood” File photo from Dec. 31, 1965 51 “Will you marry me?” is one

50 Years Ago This Week

Down

55 Flusters 59 Deceived 60 Ostracize ... and what the first words of the answers to starred clues comprise

4 Imagined while sleeping

10 Vivacity 11 Vampire tooth 12 Caesar’s immortal “And you?”

13 Gather in a field 18 Bowler’s target 22 Actor Cage, in tabloids 24 Austen heroine

63 Submit tax returns online

25 Milkshake additive

64 Actor Lugosi

26 Like Rubik’s creation

65 Sulk

27 Maine college town

66 Small and unimportant

28 Early riser’s hr.

67 Cheese from the Netherlands

30 1963 Paul Newman film

68 Winter fall

31 Dancer Astaire

File photo from Dec. 29, 2005

10 Years Ago This Week Palos Lions deliver holiday largesse: The Palos Lions Club gathered at Jewel-Osco on 127th and Harlem bright and early on Dec. 17, a Saturday morning, to purchase nearly $4,000 worth of groceries for food baskets destined to go to 33 needy families for Christmas. Shown are Lions Hank Newcom (from left), Tom Crowhurst and Casey Gresik, a Jewel assistant manager, Lions Gene Adams and Dick Welge, Jewel shopper Pat Penland, Lions Jim Welge, Roby Schrader and Tom Post, Lion grandson Eric Reeder and Lion son Jerry Gresik. Funds from the Lions Club’s annual Christmas tree sale held in the Jewel-Osco parking lot helped pay for the charitable enterprise.

32 Potato cutter 33 Bullwinkle, for one 35 Start-up cash 38 Nor. neighbor 39 Cut __: dance, in old slang 40 Hick 45 1520 and 2015, e.g.: Abbr.

46 Buster who played Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon 47 Lazed 48 Biblical songs 50 Bobby’s monogram, in ‘60s politics 51 Argued in court 52 Lower-interest mtge.

53 Norse war god 54 President when Texas was annexed 56 Utah national park 57 1960s-’70s Boston Bruins nickname 58 Hearty dish 61 Pie __ mode 62 Pic taker

(Answers on page 2)

The object of the game is to fill all the blank squares with the correct numbers.

Each row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order.

Each column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order.

Each 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9.

(Answers on page 2)

COMINGS & GOINGS Andy’s Frozen Custard invites kids to celebrate New Year’s Andy’s locations in Burbank, Countryside, Evanston and Oak Lawn invite kids to celebrate the New Year with their families on Jan. 1, 2016.

The chain invites kids and their families to kick off the new year with a countdown and balloon drop at noon. Kids ages 12 and younger will receive a free kids sundae. There will be games, music, crafts and more for the kids from noon to 1:30 p.m.

The free event includes raffle prizes every 15 minutes.

Participating locations include the Andy’s at: 8041 S. Harlem Ave. in Burbank; 5745 S. La Grange Road in Countryside; and 9507 S. Cicero Ave. in Oak Lawn.

Toy store opens at Chicago Ridge BZ Toys Zone is now open at Chicago Ridge Mall in Chicago Ridge. The toy store is located near the Carson’s court.

Cuzin’s opens second location in Midlothian A popular Tinley Park watering hole has opened a second location in Midlothian.

Cuzin’s Neighborhood Bar at 17704 S. Oak Park Ave. opened a second location earlier this year at 3636 W. 147th St. The new location is open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday to Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday. It offers a full menu for dining in as well as carry out. Delivery will be offered soon.

Both locations have video gaming.

Calls for more information were not returned.

According to its website, both locations are owned by former Chicago police officer Dennis Suglich and his wife, Karen. They started Cuzin’s with a cousin in 2002 after buying Les and Lena’s and renaming it. The cousin was bought out in 2012.

For more information, call the Midlothian location at (708) 389-4444.

Pilot opens travel center in Joliet

BOB BONG Shoe Carnival opens in Chicago Evansville-based Shoe Carnival has opened its 24th Chicago area store.

The store opened late last month at 4150 S. Pulaski Road in the Pulaski Promenade shopping center.

The stores feature an open floor plan, catchy music and friendly associates, coupled with great value on name brand shoes and accessories. The store is next door to Petsmart.

“We are excited to open a new Shoe Carnival location in the Chicago area. Shoe Carnival is known for our one of a kind shopping experience, unbelievable product assortment and unique atmosphere, which creates a customer focused way to shop for shoes,” Todd Beurman, Senior Vice President of Marketing, said in a release. “At Shoe Carnival, our customers will not only be treated to great value on name brand footwear and accessories for the entire family, they’ll also get a fun and exciting shopping experience.”

Shoe Carnival carries name brand products like Stacy Adams, Skechers, Puma, Adidas, Sof Sole and many more.

New Mexican restaurant opens in Frankfort A new Mexican restaurant opened earlier this year in the Jameson Plaza at 80th Avenue and U.S. 30 in Frankfort.

My Taco opened at 7940 W. Lincoln Highway in the former Hawgs and Dawgs hotdog shop.

For more information and ordering, call (815) 469-8226.

Knoxville-based Pilot Flying J last month opened a Pilot Travel Center at 40 E. Laraway Road in Joliet.

“We’re thrilled that our new travel center will serve the Joliet community, as well as contribute to the local economy,” Pilot Flying J CEO Jimmy Haslam said in a release.

“We hope local residents and those traveling through the Will County area and along Interstate 80 and U.S Highway 53 will enjoy the convenience and amenities of our new Pilot Travel Center.”

The new travel center created 70 new jobs.

The center features 10 fueling positions and seven diesel lanes with high-speed pumps for quicker refueling. It has an Arby’s as well as a hot deli that serves hot dogs, pizza, sandwiches and soup. There is a convenience store and a coffee shop.

The new facility is Pilot Flying J’s 44th location in Illinois and the second to open in the south suburbs this year. Another center opened earlier in Alsip. There are other centers in the far southern suburbs and northwest Indiana.

The Joliet location is expected to contribute $3.8 million annually in state and local tax revenues.

The Joliet Pilot Travel Center honors the MyRewards loyalty card, through which members can earn in-store retail and restaurant discounts.

Pilot Flying J has a network of more than 650 centers under the Pilot Travel, Flying J, Road Ranger and Mr. Fuel names.

The company says it serves more than 1.3 million customers daily.

If you see a new business in town or wonder what happened to an old favorite, drop me a line at bobbong@hotmail.com.

You can also catch up on Comings & Goings in other parts of the Southland at www.southlandbusinessnews.com and www. southlandsavvy.blogspot.com

Photo by Joe Boyle

WHATIZIT? Two readers came up with the right answer for the last week’s Whatizit quiz photo. They responded correctly that it was the Ronald McDonald House, 4410 W. 93rd St., across the street from Hope Children’s Hospital and Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

Nancy Carly, of Joliet, a former Oak Lawn resident who lived in the village for 43 years, knew it was the Ronald McDonald House.

Evergreen Park resident Jan Merchantz said it was the bronze statues of children that are out in front of the Ronald McDonald House.

The statues of the children are adorned with holiday caps at this time of the year. Children with various ailments are treated at the facility in a family-like environment. Officials at Ronald McDonald House said that families who have children in the hospital are dealing with a lot of stress. The facility not only cares for the patients but provides support for the families.

In December of 2008, Ronald McDonald House opened its doors to the families of children in treatment who need an affordable place to call home. The 16-bedroom house has been a short-term home for more than 200 families since its opening. Parents and siblings live in a comfortable environment that offers the privacy of sleeping in their own rooms along with an ample community living space where they can receive support from other families in similar situations.

Can readers guess this week’s Whatizit? The clue is: Learning ridge.

Send your guess by noon Monday to thereporter@conmcast.net.

Make sure to include your name and hometown.

10 Thursday, December 31, 2015

The Regional News

COMMUNITY NOTES Noon Year’s Eve The Palos Heights Parks and Recreation Department invites families to ring in the New Year at noon instead of midnight today (Thursday), from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Rec. Center, 6601 W. 127th St. The recreation center will be transformed into a miniature Times Square, complete with music and a “Countdown to Noon” balloon drop as a special way to spend New Year’s Eve with the kids. There will be a pizza lunch

served and New Year’s activities for families with children ages 10 and under. To RSVP, call the Rec. Center at 361-1807.

Utility bill seminar at Palos Township Palos Township will host a seminar with a representative from the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) at 10 a.m. Jan. 13 at Palos Township, 10802 S. Roberts Road in Palos Hills.

Residents can bring their gas, electric and phone bills and have one-on-one consultations with CUB experts, learning how to trim these bills by an average of $200 a year. To help make homes more efficient other information will be offered about rebates, loans and other programs offered by government and utility companies.

The township will provide a free mini breakfast, compliments of Trustee Sharon Brannigan and local stores.

CLUB ACTIVITIES Toastmasters Club The Center Toastmasters Club holds its first meeting of the new year on Wednesday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m., at 12700 Southwest Highway, Palos Park.

Toastmasters is an organization for people interested in improving and practicing their public speaking skill. Members take turns leading the meetings and giving speeches, gaining confidence from the encouragement of each other.

The Center Toastmasters meet on the

Supplied photo

Artist and educator Liz Wall is the instructor of a variety of art classes for youth that begin this month and next at the McCord Gallery & Cultural Center in Palos Park.

McCord offers art classes for youth Instructor Liz Wall will offer art classes for youth beginning Jan. 12 at the McCord Gallery & Cultural Center in Palos Park.

Drawing, Painting & Paper Mache will be on Tuesdays, Jan. 12 – Feb. 23, (seven weeks), 4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. The fee is $115 for members of McCord/$120 for non-members.

Winter Drawing, Painting and Paper Mâché, Ages 6 – 12 will he held on Wednesdays, Feb. 3 – Feb. 24, (four weeks), 4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. The fee is $65 for members of McCord /$70 for non-members.

A portion of each class will be spent on the Drawing Skills Program, depending on interest.

This program is based on classical drawing techniques broken down into steps or levels appropriate for various ages. There are five different categories, which include line, shape, shading, proportion and practice. Each category has six levels. Students will start at a level appropriate for their age and interest. All of the drawing lessons will help students improve observational skills, focus and

concentration. Some of the lessons include puzzles that help with shape recognition, experimenting with different materials, making various types of line, shading to make things appear 3D and judging space to teach proportion.

Some of the assignments incorporate drawing from memory and imagination as well as drawing from observation.

Instructor Liz Wall has a B.A. in education and holds a K-9 teaching certificate as well as a Drawing and Painting Certificate from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. As a teacher, Wall was a member of the curriculum committee and developed the Art Curriculum for School District 143. She has taught art in both elementary and junior high schools.

McCord Gallery & Cultural Center is located at 9602 W. Creek Road (129th and La Grange Road), Palos Park. For more information call 671-0648 or visit www.mccordgallery.org.

— McCord Gallery & Cultural Center

SCHOOL NOTES Chicago Christian High School Open House Chicago Christian High School will host an Open House on Thursday, Jan. 28, at 6:45 p.m., at the school, 12001 S. Oak Park Ave. in Palos Heights.

Chicago Christian High School is part of the Southwest Chicago Christian School Association, serving Christian families since 1900. Its vision is to be a Christ-centered learning community intent on restoring God’s world. The Open House will provide an opportunity to meet the faculty and coaches and attend a variety of sectionals covering topics such as the school’s STEM programs (the only Project Lead the Way STEM courses in the area), tuition assistance, and co-curriculars.

Everyone is welcome; no need to register.For more information, contact Wilma Persenaire at 3887656 or visit www.swchristian. org/admissions.

Moraine Valley spring registration Moraine Valley Community College is holding registration for the spring 2016 semester, which starts Jan. 19 with on-campus credit classes. Off-campus credit classes and on-campus continuing education classes begin Jan. 25 while off-campus continuing education classes start Feb. 1.

Moraine Valley offers classes for those interested in transferring to four-year colleges or universities by earning associate’s degrees in Arts, Fine Arts or Science. Students also can choose from several career programs offered at the college including Allied Health and Nursing, Business and Computer Sciences, Industrial Technology, and Public Service. The college also offers noncredit programs, courses, workshops, and seminars.

Some of the college’s courses

are offered in different formats to accommodate student needs, making it easy for people to fit college classes into their life.

These flexible learning options include evening, off-campus, oneday-a-week, online, weekend, and short-term classes.

A complete list of credit and noncredit classes can be found in the spring 2016 class schedule or online at morainevalley.edu.

Registration is ongoing. Tuition is $116 per credit hour plus fees and books. Students who have applied to the college can register in the Registration Office, located on campus in the Student Services Center (Building S), 9000 W. College Pkwy. in Palos Hills; by phone at (708) 974-2110 (TTY 711); or online at morainevalley.edu.

Mother McAuley Celebration Gala Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School will host its Celebration Gala on Saturday, Feb. 6, at Beverly Country Club.

This annual fundraiser benefits tuition assistance for Mother McAuley students, and celebrates individuals who exemplify the charism and values of foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine McAuley. This year Mother McAuley will present Kelly O’Connor Heneghan with the Catherine McAuley Leadership Award, and induct two distinguished members of the McAuley community as Life Trustees: Sister Susan Sanders, ’69, RSM, Ph.D., and Carole Intrieri Wilson ’68.

Celebration will begin with cocktails at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m., music and entertainment. In addition to the award presentation, there will be a live auction and silent auction.

Tickets cost $175 per person and may be purchased online at www. mothermcauley.org or by calling (773) 881-6559.

first and third Wednesdays of every month.

New members and guests are always welcome. For more, Dave Sanders or Lois Lauer at The Center at 361-3650.

Palos Heights Woman’s Club The Palos Heights Woman’s Club will not meet in January, but club members will be busy with many meetings.

These include the project meeting, the wrap up meeting of the Christmas Walk committee, the nominating committee meeting to obtain

replacements for the outgoing officers for the club’s 2016-2017 club year, the Finance Committee meeting to review the charitable donations to be voted on by club members, and the officers and department heads preparing their reports from January to December 2015 club activities to be sent to the Third District and Illinois Federation of Women’s Clubs. The PHWC Club has won many awards for their activities and charitable donations.

For fun, the members will be meeting for breakfast and a movie at the end of January as an Art Department outing.

SPORTS The Regional News • The Reporter

Favorite moment Vorva reveals his favorite area sports moment of 2015. Page 2

Jeff Sports Editor • sports@regionalpublishing.com

KenVorva, Karrson, Sports Editor • sports@regionalpublishing.com

Thursday, December 31,2015 2015 Thursday, March 5,

Favorite photos A look at some images from the sports world in 2015.

Page 3 Southwest• •Section Section2,2,Page Page11 Southwest

BEST SPORTS STORIES OF 2015

A year filled with rare treasures Photo by Jeff Vorva

Former Moraine Valley star Richaun Holmes is the first player from the Palos Hills school to be drafted by the NBA.

Photo by Jeff Vorva

Kathy Levin, with her son Jake, takes one last look at the scoreboard that had her as the No. 1 scorer in Oak Lawn girls basketball history. She watched as Brianna Markusic broke the record.

5,953 rushing yards and is the only player in NCAA history to run at throw for at least 1,000 yards in all four years of play.

8. Big football scores

By Jeff Vorva • Sports Editor

En route to finishing second in the state in Class 8A, Marist’s football team, which had four losses heading into the playoffs, knocked off Barrington, 5956, in the quarterfinals in Chicago. The game set an IHSA record for most points in a Class 8A playoff game. Quarterback Brendan Skalitzky accounted for 633 yards and eight touchdowns.

One week later, 16th-seeded St Xavier University nearly knocked off No. 1 Morningside in the first round of the NAIA playoffs and suffered a 75-69 loss in four overtimes. It was the highest scoring playoff game in NAIA history and the second highest score in any NAIA game ever played.

T

his year was pretty rare when it came to area sports.

Like most years, it had its share of highs and lows. But for some reason, 2015 featured a fair share of accomplishments that you hardly ever see. Some you may never see again.

To quote legendary coach Bob Hallberg, who made the top 10 list for being the first coach in history to lead a men’s and women’s college basketball program to No. 1 in the nation: “There are very few people in this world that can say they did something that nobody else has done. If you climb Mt. Everest, you are not the only guy who did it. More than one guy have walked on the moon.’’

So, here are the top 10 area sports stories for 2015:

1. A perfect afterNonn for SXU pitcher St. Xavier University junior pitcher Nicole Nonnemacher became just the second pitcher in NAIA history to throw a perfect game while striking out all 15 batters that she faced.

She beat Trinity International University, 9-0 on April 14 in Chicago, striking out 15 and threw 57 pitches – 50 for strikes. TIU hitters made contact just five times and all were foul balls in the 73-minute doubleheader opening game.

Thirteen of the 15 strikeouts were swinging and two were called.

The Bloomington native joined Central Baptist Arkansas pitcher Emily Guess, who did it twice in two games in 2011, once in a 27-0 win over Hillside Free Will Baptist (Oklahoma) and once in a 13-0 win over Crowley’s Ridge (Arkansas) four days later.

2. Moraine Valley player drafted into the NBA

For the first time in the history of Moraine Valley Community College, a former Cyclones basketball player was drafted by an NBA team.

Richaun Holmes, who played at the

9. Half-Marathon hi-jinx

Photo by Jeff Vorva/staff photo illustration

Nicole Nonnemacher of St. Xavier is just the second pitcher in NAIA history to throw a perfect game and strike out every batter she faced. She accomplished the incredible feat on April 14 in St. Xavier’s 9-0 victory over Trinity International University.

Palos Hills school in 2011-12, was drafted in the second round and 37th pick by Philadelphia on June 25. The 6-foot-9 Holmes moved from Moraine to Bowling Green. Before coming to Moraine, he was a good, but unheralded player at Lockport High School.

“Moraine gave me a running start to hone my skills,” he said. “Nobody (on the Division I level) was knocking at my door).’’

3. First in state, fourth in nation Sandburg’s boys cross country team won its first Class 3A boys cross country state championship in November and one month later, finished fourth in the nation in the Nike Cross Nationals event in Oregon.

For the Eagles, the state win was “surreal” according to senior Sean Torpy, who finished third in the state individual to lead his team. The national finish, however, was not as high as the Eagles wanted as they were ranked No. 1 in the nation by multiple national websites for most of the year.

“It was a heck of an effort,” Torpy told MileSplit USA after the race. “We were wishing we could finish higher.’’

4. Marist’s whirlwind state softball championship The Illinois High School Association Class 4A state softball championship title game between Marist and Lincoln-Way East was scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. on June 13.

But an ominous weather forecast for the East Peoria area forced officials to start the game in the morning. By 5:30, players, coaches and fans were in the Marist cafeteria in the middle of a celebration of that morning’s 1-0 victory over East eating cake and celebrating.

One player echoed Torpy’s sentiment on winning the state title.

“The entire experience has been surreal,” said Orland Park’s Brooke Wilson, who was also on the 2012 state title team and became the first female athlete in the school’s history to win two state championships.

5. Gold Coyne Last year, Palos Heights native and Sandburg graduate Kendall Coyne helping the United States hockey team to a Silver Medal in the Olympics was the No. 1 story. This year, she makes it to the top 10 again by helping the U.S. beat Canada, 7-5, to claim the Women’s World Cham-

pionship in Sweden on April 4.

She had a goal and assist in the Gold Medal game.

She has won three gold medals and a silver medal in world and Olympic competition.

6. SXU Women reach No. 1 St. Xavier’s woman’s basketball team picked up the No. 1 ranking in the nation among NAIA Division II schools for the first time in the program’s history on Dec. 8.

Coach Bob Hallberg became the first coach in history to lead a men’s and a woman’s team to No. 1 in the nation.

He also coached Chicago State’s men to No. 1 in the nation when it was an NAIA school in 1983.

7. Vander Laan’s the man Former Chicago Christian football star Jason Vander Laan is leaving Division II Ferris State with an armload of records and awards.

The senior quarterback most impressive feat in his final year is that he set the record for most career rushing yards by a college quarterback.

Vander Laan finished his career with an NCAA record for any division with

For the first time in the eight years of the running of the area’s half-marathon and 10K race in Palos Heights a bandit entered the 10K race and won it. The man claimed to be from Cicero and his name was Juan Munoz but he didn’t officially enter the race or pay the fee to run in the May 3rd race.

Race co-director Mel Diab said bandits usually show up in bigger events.

Meanwhile on the women’s side, the half marathon was won by Kailey Green, whose family wasn’t there to see it because they were in downstate Washington moving into their new house after their old house was destroyed by tornado on Nov. 17, 2013.

10. A fixed broken record Brianna Markusic became Oak Lawn High School’s all-time girls basketball scorer on Jan. 29, but leading up to it, she wasn’t sure whose record she would try to break.

Kathy Krzak owned the record from 1995-99 with 1,235 points. But LaTondra Brooks was deemed the scoring leader

by OL officials with 1,448 points, which caused some protest from Krzak’s family because 1,132 of those points came with Oak Lawn from 2011-14 and 316 came as a member of a Missouri varsity team when she was a freshman.

Oak Lawn officials reversed their decision and Krzak, who is married and goes by the last name of Levin, was back to No. 1 and was in the Oak Lawn gym to watch Markusic break her record.

Marist players rejoice and Barrington players are stunned after Marist’s 59-56 win in the state quarterfi als. The game was a record for most points in a Class 8A playoff game.

Photo by Jeff Vorva

Photo by Jeff Vorva

Dan Laskero, Tom Brennan and Chris Torpy relax and soak in the state cross country championship that they won in November.

2

Section 2 Thursday, December 31, 2015

The Regional News - The Reporter

It was a really big ‘W’ of a moment in 2015 JEFF VORVA Making the Extra Point

S

ometimes the best ideas are stolen ideas.

Years ago I was working as a sportswriter at a local daily paper and someone had the bright idea to end the year by having each one of us write about a certain special moment or behindthe-scenes occurrence from that year.

It could be funny, touching or sentimental.

When I covered the Cubs, I did everything from Todd Wellemeyer’s belching ability to racing home after a Cubs workout to watch my son play in an All-Star game.

I loved writing those stories and when I became editor of the Reporter, it took me until my second year to get my rear in gear and write one for 2014. I shared a tale about columnist Don C. White professing his love for his grandson during a December photo shoot after Don. C. spent way too much time the hospital mending from openheart surgery.

So I am taking that stolen idea from years gone by (does anyone even remember Todd Wellemeyer anymore?) and bringing it back to the sports pages.

If took me all of a half a moment to come up with my favorite moment of 2015.

On Oct. 8, St. Laurence senior football player Alex Martinez had just been told his Chicago firefighter father, Rich, died suddenly at age 48. Alex tweeted to the world “My heart is broken in a million pieces.”

He was scheduled to be the starting quarterback the next night at Aurora Christian.

I planned on shooting photos at two other games and writing about one of them. So I called an audible and made a quick change

Photo by Jeff Vorva

St. Laurence quarterback Alex Martinez looks at a banner presented to him and autographed by his teammates after and Oct. 9 win over Aurora Christian while coach Harold Blackmon looks on. Martinez’s father, Rich, died the day before.

of plans and shot a quarter of the Richards-Eisenhower game in Blue Island and headed to far west Aurora to see if he would play and how the team was holding up through this tragedy.

Well, the route from Blue Island to Aurora on a Friday night is filled with traffic and it took a while to get there.

I missed the pregame moment of silence that the Au-

rora school did for Martinez and his family.

When I got there late in the first quarter, he was indeed playing and playing pretty well.

Martinez threw for 202 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another score as the Vikings won 63-24 for their fifth win in a row.

Then came the magic moment.

After the game, coach Harold Blackmon gathered the boys near the south end zone gave a speech and had Martinez stand up.

A couple of his pals presented him with this big box and Alex opened it up.

Inside was a team-autographed ‘W’ banner which was made popular by the Cubs, who happened to be playing St. Louis in the play-

offs that night.

Martinez had a huge smile as he unfurled the huge ‘W.’ It was a moment you don’t see on a football field. It was a great moment of pure joy, camaraderie and offered some temporary relief during a dreadful 24-hour period.

“That was great for them to do that,” Martinez said.

Blackmon said the banner was one of the players’ ideas.

“Our kids really embrace family,” the coach said. “We all grieve with Alex. In the pregame speech we said for a few hours we wanted to get him to normalcy and doing something that’s fun. Alex’s dad loves the Cubs so they decided to give him a banner.

We take care of our own.’’

They took care of their own and provided one of the best moments of 2015.

FOCUS ON PRO SOCCER

Centenario will play in Chicago

By Jeff Vorva Sport Editor

Soldier Field and Chicago will host one of the biggest world soccer events of 2016 in June.

Group seeds and game dates for the historic 2016 Copa America Centenario have been announced,.

Organizers are calling this a “once-in-a-lifetime soccer summer event” which honors 100 years of the Copa America tournament. It will feature some of the world’s best teams and players competing from June 3 through June 26 in the United States.

The United States will be visiting Santa Clara, Calif. (June 3) to kick-off the tournament, before visiting Chicago (June 7) and Philadelphia (June 11).

Argentina will head to Santa Clara (June 6), Chicago (June 10) and Seat-

tle (June 14). Brazil will travel to Pasadena (June 4), Orlando (June 8) and Foxborough (June 12), and Mexico will play its group matches in Phoenix (June 5), Pasadena (June 9) and Houston (June 13).

Seattle, New York/New Jersey, Foxborough and Santa Clara will all host quarterfinal matches, while Houston and Chicago will be site of the two tournament semifinals.

As the host nation, the United States earns the Group A seed, while Argentina, as the highest FIFA-ranked nation in the Americas (per December FIFA rankings), will be seeded top of Group D. The national teams of Brazil and Mexico have also been awarded group seeds, and will head Groups B and C, respectively.

The remaining 12 participating nations will be sorted into the four groups

Solider Field is expected to fill up when it plays host to big-time world soccer action in June.

in early 2016 based on a public draw.

Details of groups and procedures for the draw will be announced leading up to that event.

In announcing the seeded teams, organizers also revealed the dates of

matches, including the cities each seeded nation will visit, as well as the dates they will play during the group phase of the tournament.

For tickets and information,, fans can visit CA2016.com. Due to the expected

Supplied photo

high demand for this premium soccer tournament, fans are urged to register early to guarantee access to information as it becomes available. More ticketing information will be released in the coming weeks.

THE NEXT LEVEL

The Naked Truth: Wade gets into the underwear business

By Jeff Vorva Sports Editor

Coming in 2016, former Richards basketball star Dwyane Wade, will unveil his Naked underwear collection to the public.

Wade, a veteran of the Miami Heat, will serve as the lead face for the Naked Brand Group’s Role Models campaign.

“I am very excited to partner with a brand that celebrates individuality and authenticity,” Wade said in a statement.

“What you wear underneath is the foundation for how you look and feel. Naked is taking innerwear to the next level and I look forward to helping them build the brand and the business.”

The NBA star doesn’t have to pretend to like this product. He was sold on it long ago.

“Dwyane, believe it or not, found us,” Carole Hochman, CEO of Naked Brand Group, told the Street website. “His wife brought him a pair of Naked underwear. He put it on and that’s what began the whole process. He put it on and took a selfie, sent it to his manager and said, ‘Find this company’.”

And the company was found.

In his role as creative director for this product line, Wade will work closely with Hochman and her design and development team to create a collection with broad global consumer appeal.

“I am eager to work with Naked to design a collection that offers standout style and comfort,” said Wade.

Wade’s collaboration and endorsement agreement with Na-

Supplied photo

Dwyane Wade, a former Richards basketball standout, is a spokesman for the Naked underwear brand.

ked, which includes license to Dwyane Wade’s name, image and other intellectual property, is multi-year, worldwide and exclusive in the category of Innerwear (underwear, undershirts, loungewear, sleepwear and robes).

Lewis to Syracuse?

Former Richards football star Sean Lewis, who has been coaching at Bowling Green in recent years, is ready to join Syracuse’s staff although an official announcement from the

school has not been made.

News reports say that Orangemen coach Dino Babers is leaning toward making Lewis his co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Lewis’s Twitter bio says he has the job and his banner image on the Twitter account is a collage of Syracuse photos.

After his career at Richards, he was a tight end at Wisconsin after switching from quarterback.

He coached at Richards, Eastern Illinois and Bowling Green.

Shepard duo biding time on BU roster One of the bigger surprised in NCAA Division III basketball is Benedictine University’s rise to No. 7 in the national ranking in December after the Eagles won

their first nine games of the season.

Two Shepard graduates are on the Lisle school’s roster – sophomore Darren Cohen and Jacob Littleton. Both are biding their time with the talented Eagles as they have both entered just one game so far this season.

McFarland hopes for rebound Former Stagg pitcher T.J. McFarland’s third year in the majors was his worst and he is hoping for a rebound in 2016.

The Baltimore Orioles reliever was optioned to TripleA Norfolk and recalled by the parent club 10 times in 2015. In between trips back and forth, he had a 4.91 ERA in 40 1/3 innings.

The Regional News - The Reporter

Thursday, December 31, 2015 Section 2

Favorite sports images from 2015

3

Photos and text by By Jeff Vorva • Sports Editor Even though I have been sports editor since September, and emotion. And we had a lot of rare, seemingly once- for a lot, capturing special and unusual moments and I have been shooting photos for both the Reporter and in-a-lifetime occurrences, as highlighted in our top 10 froze them in time.

So if you will indulge me for some self-indulgence, list on Page 1.

Regional all year.

We weren’t there for everything, but we were out there here are a few of my favorite sports photos from 2015: The 2015 sports year had plenty of thrills, triumphs

New Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich started making appearances in the Chicago area to introduce himself to the people and one of his first stops was a Mother McAuley basketball game in January. Here, he is taking a selfie in the middle of the Mighty Macs fan section.

Pep squad member Casey O’Connell and Oak Lawn Eagles basketball player Jimmy O’Keefe hug and smile for the camera during picture day to promote the sixth annual Special Olympics Basketball Day in January.

Nazareth lineman Gavin Smith was one of a handful of Roadrunners who did snow angels after beating St. Laurence to get to the Class 5A title game in November.

Richards, which lost its first two football games of the season, trailed Lemont 14-0 at halftime in week three on the road. But the Bulldogs rallied and won the game, 28-24, prompting laughs and smiles after the game.

Above: Marist quarterback Brendan Skalitzky ran and threw for 633 yards in a wild 59-56 victory over Barrington in the Class 8A playoff quarterfinals, celebrated with his team, was interviewed by media and finally had a moment to himself when he was called to the stands for more hugs and adulation.

Before Marist won the state championship in girls softball, they had to get by Oak Lawn in regional competition.

In this photo, Marist’s Zariya Gonzalez collides with Oak Lawn catcher Danielle Allen.

Allen hung on to the ball and Gonzalez was called out but Marist still won the regional title with a 5-3 victory.

Jack Michael Yunker of Oak Lawn really got into the Stanley Cup when it made an appearance in the area in August.

4

Section 2 Thursday, December 31, 2015

The Regional News - The Reporter

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Section 2 Thursday, December 31, 2015

The Regional News - The Reporter

For Sale

For Sale

For Sale

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION CITIBANK, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR AMERICAN HOME MORTGAGE INVESTMENT TRUST 2004-3 Plaintiff, -v.LARRY PATIENT, SHERRI L. PATIENT, CASEY TOOL AND LOCK TECHNOLOGY, INC., PROFIT SHARING PLAN F/B/O ELLERY E. CASEY, WESTGATE VALLEY ESTATES HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., AMERICAN HOME MORTGAGE CORP. Defendants 10 CH 044691 439 SHADOWCREEK LANE PALOS HEIGHTS, IL 60463 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on October 26, 2015, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on January 28, 2016, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive - 24th Floor, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 439 SHADOWCREEK LANE, PALOS HEIGHTS, IL 60463 Property Index No. 24-31-401016. The real estate is improved with a single family residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial sale fee for Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in \�AS IS\� condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property.

Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file or contact Plaintiff’s attorney: CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 794-9876 Please refer to file number 14-13-28028.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE, IL 60527 (630) 794-5300 Attorney File No. 14-13-28028 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 10 CH 044691 TJSC#: 35-15966 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

I679529

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR NOMURA HOME EQUITY LOAN, INC., ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-FM2 Plaintiff, -v.DARLENE M. MANOS, STATE OF ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, COLONIAL HEIGHTS, TOWNHOMES ASSOCIATION, INC., UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 15 CH 005376 28 PARLIAMENT DRIVE PALOS HEIGHTS, IL 60463 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on October 13, 2015, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on February 11, 2016, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive - 24th Floor, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 28 PARLIAMENT DRIVE, PALOS HEIGHTS, IL 60463 Property Index No. 23-24-300-053-0000. The real estate is improved with a condo/townhouse.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial sale fee for Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in \�AS IS\� condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. Where a sale of real estate is made to satisfy a lien prior to that of the United States, the United States shall have one year from the date of sale within which to redeem, except that with respect to a lien arising under the internal revenue laws the period shall be 120 days or the period allowable for redemption under State law, whichever is longer, and in any case in which, under the provisions of section 505 of the Housing Act of 1950, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1701k), and subsection (d) of section 3720 of title 38 of the United States Code, the right to redeem does not arise, there shall be no right of redemption. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property.

Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g) (1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file or contact Plaintiff’s attorney: CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 794-9876 Please refer to file number 14-15-04679.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE, IL 60527 (630) 794-5300 Attorney File No. 14-15-04679 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 15 CH 005376 TJSC#: 35-17855 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

I679051

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION STONEGATE MORTGAGE CORPORATION Plaintiff, -v.JACQUELINE VIDINICH Defendants 14 CH 20611 10616 SOUTH KOLMAR AVENUE Oak Lawn, IL 60453 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on November 3, 2015, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on February 4, 2016, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive - 24th Floor, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 10616 SOUTH KOLMAR AVENUE, Oak Lawn, IL 60453 Property Index No. 24-15-124-016-0000.

The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

The judgment amount was $205,275.56.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial sale fee for Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in AS IS condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.

The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, or a unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). In accordance with 735 ILCS 5/15-1507(c)(1)(h-1) and (h-2), 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(5), and 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1), you are hereby notified that the purchaser of the property, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and legal fees required by subsections (g)(1) and (g)(4) of section 9 and the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of section 18.5 of the Illinois Condominium Property Act. IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, contact the sales department, ANSELMO LINDBERG OLIVER LLC, 1771 W. Diehl Road, Suite 150, NAPERVILLE, IL 60563, (630) 453-6960 For bidding instructions, visit www.fal-illinois.com. Please refer to file number F14120053.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

ANSELMO LINDBERG OLIVER LLC 1771 W. Diehl Road, Suite 150 NAPERVILLE, IL 60563 (630) 453-6960 E-Mail: foreclosurenotice@fal-illinois.com Attorney File No. F14120053 Attorney ARDC No. 3126232 Attorney Code. 26122 Case Number: 14 CH 20611 TJSC#: 35-16504 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

For Sale Public Notice Network Ruff, Freud, Breems and Nelson, Ltd. IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON; Plaintiff, vs.

MARK J. HOLDA, ET AL; Defendants, REPUBLIC BANK OF CHICAGO; Counter - Plaintiff, vs.

MARK J. HOLDA AKA MARK HOLDA AKA MARK J. HOLDA; LYDIA MICHELLE HOLDA FKA LYDIA ROJAS AKA LYDIA MICHELLE HOLDA; HOLDA ENTERPRISES, INC.; FIRST MIDWEST BANK, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO PALOS BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE UNDER TRUST AGREEMENT DATED DECEMBER 13, 2000 AND KNOWN AS TRUST NUMBER 1-5000; LOMA VISTA NURSERY; CHRYSLER FINANCIAL SERVICES AMERICAS LLC DBA CHRYSLER FINANCIAL FKA DAIMLERCHRYSLER FINANCIAL SERVICES AMERICA, LLC; STATE OF ILLINOIS; CAPITAL ONE BANK, (USA), N.A., CITY OF PALOS HEIGHTS; THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY; UNKNOWN BENEFICIARIES OF TRUST AGREEMENT DATED DECEMBER 13, 2000 AND KNOWN AS TRUST NUMBER 1-5000; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS; Counter - Defendants 12 CH 8082 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Monday, January 18, 2016, at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 24-31-107-010-0000.

Commonly known as 6833 West 127st Street, Palos Heights, IL 60463.

The mortgaged real estate is a single family residence.

If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. THE SALE SHALL BE SUBJECT TO GENERAL TAXES, SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS AND TO A PRIOR RECORDED FIRST MORTGAGE. Sale terms: Bidders must present, at the time of sale, a cashier’s or certified check for 10% of the successful bid amount. The balance of the successful bid shall be paid within 24 hours, by similar funds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call Mr. Brandon R. Freud at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Ruff, Freud, Breems and Nelson, Ltd., 200 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60601.

(312) 263-3890.

INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I678834

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Call 708-745-4761 For Sale F13110209 Anselmo Lindberg Oliver LLC IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.; Plaintiff, vs.

MARK A. PELEGRINO AKA MARK PELEGRINO AKA MARK ANTHONY PELEGRINO; MIDLAND FUNDING, LLC CAPITAL ONE BANK (USA), N.A., SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO CAPITAL ONE BANK; OLD NATIONAL BANK S/B/M TO PRAIRIE BANK AND TRUST COMPANY AS TRUSTEE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF A CERTAIN TRUST AGREEMENT DATED THE 18TH DAY OF APRIL, 2007 AND KNOWN AS TRUST NUMBER 07-040; UNKNOWN BENEFICIARIES TRUST AGREEMENT DATED THE 18TH DAY OF APRIL, 2007 AND KNOWN AS TRUST NUMBER 07-040; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 13 CH 26293 Calendar 64 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Monday, January 18, 2016 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: Commonly known as 7159 West 107th Street, Worth, Illinois 60482.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection For information call The Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Anselmo Lindberg Oliver LLC, 1771 West Diehl Road, Naperville, Illinois 60563-1890.

(630) 453-6960. For Bidding instructions visit www. fal-illinois.com 24 hours prior to sale. F13110209 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122

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Section 2 Thursday, December 31, 2015

The Regional News - The Reporter

Experienced pressman needed to operate a Goss Community press part time.

20-30 hours per week.

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Please email resumes to

Amy Richards at arichards@regionalpublishing.com or call Southwest Regional Publishing at

708-448-4000 Help Wanted

South Suburban law firm seeking full time

LITIGATION SECRETARY

with outstanding proofreading and organizational skills to do work for multiple attorneys.

Must have experience with transcribing and organizing pleadings, discovery and correspondence and must be proficient in Microsoft Office.

Knowledge of Federal and State court electronic filing systems required. Use of ProLaw a plus.

Please email resumes to: ffrazier@odelsonsterk.com

Southwest Regional Publishing and Southwest Community News Group is seeking an Advertising Sales Representative.

The Sales Representative will prospect and cold call in addition to maintaining established accounts.

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE WILL: • Have 2-5 years proven outside sales experience and customer retention • Be highly self-motivated, competitive and organized • Have the ability to hit the ground running • Have proven ability to close sales on a one to two call cycle WE ALSO LOOK FOR CANDIDATES TO DISPLAY: • Drive and Energy • The ability to succeed in a fast paced, deadline oriented environment • The ability to multi-task • An outgoing personality WE OFFER: • Competitive salary plus commission • High earnings potential

PLEASE FAX OR E-MAIL RESUME TO AMY RICHARDS: 12243 South Harlem Ave., Palos Heights, IL 60463 Phone: 708-448-4000 • Fax: 708-448-4160

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Your Guide to Arts and Events in the Southwest Suburbs and Beyond

OUT & ABOUT

The Regional News • The Reporter

Thursday, December 31, 2015

Southwest • Section 2, Page 7

BROADEN YOUR HORIZONS PINTO’S POPCORN PICKS THIS WEEK Tuesday luncheon movie: Happy!

Happiness will be the focus of a movie at a Tuesday luncheon on Jan. 5, from noon to 2 p.m., at The Center, 12700 Southwest Highway, Palos Park.

Luncheon guests will watch the award-winning documentary “Happy” which tries to answer the questions “What makes us happy?” Is it money?

Family? Work? The film interviews people from the bayous of Louisiana to the deserts of Namibia, from the beaches of Brazil to the villages of Okinawa.

The luncheon costs $20 per person and requires advance reservations. For more, call The Center at 361-3650.

that is compassionate and inclusive. This curriculum connects children with their own inner wisdom and teaches interdependence, self awareness, respect for nature, stillness, forgiveness, prayer, meditation, and integrity. Using the Bible and other wisdom stories, Joyful Path helps children learn how to follow the path of Jesus in today’s world. For more information, parents may visit the website of Progressive Christianity: http://progressivechristianity.org.

The fee for the eight-week session is $80 for a family’s first child, $60 for the second child, and $40 for the third. Questions can be directed to Rev. Chris Hopkins at The Center: 361-3650.

Spiritual Companionship

Spiritual Companionship is available each Tuesday at The Center, 12700 Southwest Highway in A poetry workshop will be offered at The Log Palos Park.

Cabin Center for the Arts, 12700 Southwest HighSpiritual Companion Kathy Fontaine guides a way in Palos Park for six sessions, 9:15 until 11:45 person in prayer, meditation, and dialogue. Fona.m., beginning Tuesday, Jan. 5. The class will taine has been trained at the Institute of Spiritual then meet on the first and third Tuesdays of each Companionship in Chicago and is known to the Palos community as a spiritual growth leader and month for a total of six sessions.

Under the guidance of MaryAnn Grzych of Palos former kindergarten teacher. According to Fontaine, Heights, the class shares and supportively critiques spiritual companionship is “holy listening.” The each others’ works as they learn together to express cost of Fontaine’s one-on-one service is $20 per significant feelings and ideas through their writings. hour, which she donates to The Center’s camp The cost of the workshop is $58 for six sessions. scholarship fund.

For further information about Spiritual CompanAdvance registration is required. Call 361-3650. ionship appointments, interested persons should call

The Center at 361-3650.

Art classes

New six-week sessions of art classes begin the week of Jan. 4 at the Log Cabin Center for the Gentle yoga class A new five week series of Gentle Yoga classes Arts, 12700 Southwest Highway in Palos Park.

Beginning Monday morning, Jan. 4, Lapidary will be offered at The Center on Tuesday evenings instruction is offered with Larry Rothenberg. Knit- beginning Jan 5, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The class ting and Crocheting are offered Monday evening will meet at the Anderson Activity Center of The with Georgann Ring at 6:30 p.m. and again on Children’s Farm, 12700 Southwest Highway, Palos Park.

Friday morning, Jan. 8 at 9:30 a.m.

Instructor Carolyn Harms will lead the yoga sesA Poetry workshop, facilitated by Mary Ann Grzych, begins Tuesday morning, Jan. 5, at 9:15 a.m., sions, which will include discussion and practice on breathing, relaxation, and centering, as well as meeting every other week for six sessions.

On Wednesday, Jan. 6, April Schabes’ Collage movement and poses.

Yoga newcomers are welcome. Students should class begins in the morning at 9:30 a.m., and Denise Dulzo’s Quilting afternoon class begins at 1 dress in comfortable clothing and bring a yoga mat. p.m. Lenox Wallace offers Watercolor Painting and The five-week class costs $50. Preregistration is Don and Arlene Lesiak offer Woodcarving , both required. Call The Center: 361-3650.

on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m., Thursday classes include 9 a.m. Drawing and 1 p.m. Watercolor with Lois Hrejsa and 6:30 p.m. New teen lapidary classes Teens in grades 7 through 12 are invited to Stained Glass instruction with Harry Meneghini. register for a four week lapidary class beginning Additional classes in Calligraphy, Silver JewWednesday, Jan. 6, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., at The elry, Pottery, Weaving, Basketmaking, Woodcarving, Pastels, Teen Pottery, and Kids’ Art begin the Log Cabin Center for the Arts, 12700 Southwest Highway, Palos Park. week of Jan. 9.

Instructor Larry Rothenberg invites teens to learn Advance registration is required for all classes at the Log Cabin Center for the Arts. Call The to use the lapidary wheels to make smooth polished Center at 361-3650 or visit www.thecenterpalos.org. stones from rough slabs of rock. The class fee is $50 plus a $10 materials fee for introductory projects. Students purchase rocks for advanced projects. Advance registration is required. For The Bridge Teen Center programs • DIY Crochet Animal - 4 to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 5, more information, call The Center at 361-3650 or 12, and 19, The Bridge Teen Center, 15555 S. 71st visit www.thecenterpalos.org Court, Orland Park, students will learn how to make their own adorable crochet animal.

• Acoustic Guitar - 5 to 6 p.m. Jan. 5, 6, and 7 Chicago’s famed The Second will teach students the basics of the acoustic guitar. City coming to Moraine Chicago’s legendary sketch and improv comedy • Youtube Video Exercises - 4 to 5 p.m. Jan. theater returns to Moraine Valley Community Col6, will show students how to work out at home. lege with “Hooking Up with The Second City” on • DIY Starbucks Drinks - 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 7, students will learn how to make their favorite Saturday, Jan. 30, at 7:30 p.m.

The new show will be in the Dorothy Menker coffee drinks.

Theater in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, • Behind the Heart and Kayla Bailey - 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Jan. 8, a Skeeball Tournament with live 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills. Tickets are music from punk band Behind the Heart and singer/ $25 for the general public and $20 for students songwriter Kayla Bailey. Free food samples will be and seniors.

The audience will find this gaspingly funny revue provided by Wooden Paddle Pizza. a modern mix of romance, rancor and everything This free event is for teens in 7th through 12th in between. It makes mirth out of missed connecgrade. For more information call 532-0500. tions, girls’ night out adventures and all the crazy things people do for love. The Second City has been looking at and laughing about relationships for over UPCOMING 55 years, producing cutting-edge satirical revues Spirituality for Kids and launching the careers of comedy superstars, A new spiritual Joyful Path program for children including Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, begins at The Center, 12700 Southwest Highway, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, and more.

Palos Park, on Sunday, Jan. 10, from 12:15 to 1:15 Tickets for “Hooking Up with The Second City” p.m. and other upcoming performances can be purchased Led by Kitty Riggenbach and Bill Hopkins, Joy- online at morainevalley.edu/fpac, by calling (708) ful Path is not a religious education program but is 974-5500, or at the Box Office, located on the intended to nourish children’s spirituality in a way south end of the Fine and Performing Arts Center.

Poetry class

OMARR’S WEEKLY ASTROLOGICAL FORECAST

By Jeraldine Saunders ARIES (March 21-April 19): You can’t always talk your way out of a jam. A passing confrontation may put you on the defensive and you may be tempted to tell a little white lie. In the week ahead you will find that honesty is the very best policy.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You are fit for friendships. Your friendly demeanor can attract new friends and make old friends sit up and take notice. In the week ahead you can profit from the good judgment and wisdom of a long term partner.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The sharper the wit the deeper the wound. You might be involved in a conversation that entails pointed comments that cut to the quick.

Focus on being thrifty, organized, and responsible about bill paying in the week ahead.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You could feel like a bird in a gilded cage. As this week unfurls you might feel guilty for missing a deadline or for handing in slipshod work. Make every effort to

do your best so you aren’t held in check by disapproval.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Live to serve. Your sympathy and compassion may get a workout in the workplace. A creative idea might be put on the back burner. In the week ahead you may offer your services to someone in an effort to fill an imagined need.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Avoid sharp words and steer clear of sharp objects in the early part of the week. You take pride in being efficient and may go too fast in an attempt to uphold your public image. Don’t try to juggle too many tasks at a time.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You may look for love and only find friends. Your heightened sense of romance is best expressed through high quality possessions and apparel in the week ahead.

Your romantic overtures may fall somewhat flat.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’re walking in sunshine. Those golden rays may only be in your mind, but will keep you warm on a cold winter’s day. In the week to come you may be inspired or uplifted by positive thoughts and

images.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In the week to come a poker face can come in handy. Play your cards close to your chest. Take no unnecessary risks and don’t antagonize anyone. Use discrimination and precision to tackle emerging problems.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Pull with both oars. In the week to come you will get further and make the most progress by working in tandem with others.

You may run into obstacles or cause friction by trying to perform your duties all alone.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Steady as she goes. You may be on the edge of your seat and filled with anticipation of something more exciting as this week unfolds. However, you will be better off sticking to routines.

Avoid stirring the pot.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Get your hands dirty; mold clay into a pitcher or a bowl. You can take basic ingredients and turn them into something useful if you use your imagination. In the week ahead listen to your creative muse.

Drum roll, please: here are the best films of 2015 With the end of 2015 here, it’s time to look back at the best films of the year. Last week you read about the films not to watch, but now you get to read about the films to watch.

6) Avengers: Age of Ultron In a nod to my superhero fandom we have a standard superhero film done very well. Not all superhero films are created equal and this is clearly a cut above the rest. The film brings the whole gang back in this action packed sequel to “The Avengers.” In what other film this year could you see Captain America, Iron Man, The Hulk, and so many other awesome superheroes? To my knowledge there’s not one. That’s reason enough for this to be included in my list.

5) Inside Out An animated kids’ film brought to you by Disney, about the emotions in your head and how they all work together to make you who you are. The only issue of the film is that it may be too deep for most kids to fully understand. I know I wouldn’t have understood it at the young age its marketed to.

4) Bridge of Spies This is a cold film with a warm heart about a Brooklyn insurance

TONY PINTO lawyer who gets the “unofficial” job of negotiating the swap of a Soviet spy and an American spy during the cold war. This is a true life story starring Tom Hanks and directed by Steven Spielberg.

3) Love and Mercy Here we have the incredibly sad story about Brian Wilson, the legendary singer-songwriter of the Beach Boys. This film brings you the rise, the fall, and the revival of this musical figure. It’s the tale of two Brian’s — one of the past played by Paul Dano, and the one of the future played by John Cusack. Even the flaws of this movie don’t matter, because it’s so well done. This is Cusack at his best and you get to hear the music of the Beach Boys. Do you need any other reason to see this film?

2) Trainwreck This is written by its star Amy Schumer, who has her own Comedy Central series, “Inside Amy

Schumer.” If you’ve seen the show you’ll know nothing is too inappropriate or intimate to be written about and all that inappropriate humor lands here. It even stars LeBron James as a frugal version of himself. Surprisingly, he can act and is quite funny. Throughout the movie, there are appearances of random people like Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), John Cena (pro wrestler), and various celebrities playing themselves that even my dad would know. The film is raunchy, heartfelt and funny. If you want the traditional romantic comedy this film is not for you. If you can deal with a hard R-rated comedy this films for you.

1) The Martian For over two hours we have a movie about NASA astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) trapped alone on Mars. How is he going to survive? Is NASA going to try to save him? The struggle they paint for Watney is one of the things that make this movie great. It’s a visually stunning film, but none of that matters because Matt Damon is so great.

Most of this film is Matt alone on screen and he gets us to feel for this botanist trapped on Mars.

VIDEOVIEW BY JAY BOBBIN (NOTICE: Ratings for each film begin with a ‘star’ rating — one star meaning ‘poor,’ four meaning ‘excellent’ — followed by the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and then by a family-viewing guide, the key for which appears below.)

STARTING THIS WEEK:

“THE PERFECT GUY”: In a sort of gender reverse on “Fatal Attraction,” a woman (Sanaa Lathan) comes to regret getting involved with a stranger (Michael Ealy) while she’s on the rebound from a breakup with her boyfriend (Morris Chestnut, “Rosewood”).

The new relationship doesn’t last long when she gets a sudden glimpse of her latest beau’s angry streak ... but he’s not willing to let go and begins stalking her. The reliable performers do a lot for the familiar-feeling material here; Charles S. Dutton, Tess Harper and Kathryn Morris (“Cold Case”) also are in the strong cast. *** (PG-13: AS, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand) “A WALK IN THE WOODS”: The acting caliber clearly is present as Robert Redford and Nick Nolte — who previously worked together in the Redford-directed “The Company You Keep” — team in this comedy-drama. They play friends, respectively a travel writer and a fugitive, who embark on a hike of the Appalachian Trail together. The trek gives them plenty of time to compare wits and thoughts, relatively few of which match up. While the focus of the story (adapted from a book by Bill Bryson, who’s portrayed by Redford here) remains principally in those two actors, the noteworthy cast also includes Emma Thompson, Mary Steenburgen, Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation”) and Kristen Schaal (“The Last Man on Earth”). *** (R: AS, P) (Also on Blu-ray) “HITMAN: AGENT 47”: Inspired by a popular video-game series — as was an earlier “Hitman” movie that featured Timothy Olyphant (“Justified”) in the lead role — this action-crammed reboot casts Rupert Friend as an assassin who turns on the agency that wants to utilize his very special DNA to create a brigade of similar killers. Hannah Ware (“Boss”) plays his comrade in trying help him foil the plot and learn about his past. Zachary Quinto, Thomas Kretschmann and Ciaran Hinds also star. DVD extras: theatrical trailers; three “making-of” documentaries; deleted scenes; photo and poster galleries; comic book. *** (R: AS, P, V) (Also on Bluray and On Demand) “HEIST”: Talk about a robbery that goes wrong. Jeffrey Dean Morgan (“The Good Wife”) and Dave Bautista (“SPECTRE”) star in this melodrama as would-be

thieves who target a mobster’s (Robert De Niro) casino — they didn’t see what happened to his enemies in his earlier “Casino” movie? — only for the plan to go wrong, forcing them to hijack a bus and take the passengers hostage to make their escape. It doesn’t seem like much of an escape, though: The police are on their trail, as is the mobster’s lethal deputy (Morris Chestnut). Additional familiar faces in the cast include Kate Bosworth, Morris Chestnut, Gina Carano and MarkPaul Gosselaar. *** (R: AS, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray) “RAY DONOVAN: SEASON THREE”: The Showtime drama’s knack for strong, interesting casting continues in this round with the additions of Katie Holmes and Ian McShane (“Deadwood”) as a daughter and father whom professional “fixer” Ray (Liev Schreiber) becomes entangled with as he tries to advance his business aims, particularly in making himself able to call the shots for himself. His father Mickey (Jon Voight) continues to be a concern, especially as Dad makes moves to chart his own course. Wendell Pierce (“The Wire”) returns from Season 2, with Paula Malcolmson, Eddie Marsan, Katherine Moenning, Elliott Gould, Dash Mihok, Steven Bauer and Pooch Hall among other continuing members of the impressive cast. (Not rated: AS, N, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray) “SHAMELESS: THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON”: Another enduring Showtime series offers its latest season on

home video, as newly released convict Fiona (Emmy Rossum) has multiple romantic interests who may include her new boss (Dermot Mulroney). As usual, her own concerns aren’t helped

by Frank’s (William H. Macy) unpredictability, more of a worry as he adjust to having a new liver that likely wouldn’t react well to his old lifestyle. An overall change in the Gallaghers’ Chicago neighborhood’s makeup also impacts the family. Joan Cusack won an Emmy Award for her work in this season of the show, which also features Jeremy Allen White, Ethan Cutkosky, Emma Kenney, Cameron Monaghan, Steve Howey and Emily Bergl. DVD extras: two “making-of” documentaries; audio commentary by cast and crew members; deleted scenes.

(Not rated: AS, N, V) (Also on Blu-ray)

COMING SOON:

“SICARIO” (Jan. 5): Emily Blunt plays an FBI agent trying to dismantle a drug cartel along the U.S.-Mexico border; Benicio Del Toro also stars. (R: AS, P, GV) “TRUE DETECTIVE: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON” (Jan. 5): A new cast — led

by Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn and Rachel McAdams — is involved in a new mystery in the HBO drama’s sophomore round.

(Not rated: AS, N, P, V) FAMILY-VIEWING GUIDE KEY: AS, adult situations; N, nudity; P, profanity; V, violence; GV, particularly graphic violence.

FREE FITNESS WEEK This is your chance to come and try all the great fitness classes we offer.

Monday January 4 - Saturday January 9 Classes will be held at the Palos Heights Recreation Center 6601 W. 127th Street, Palos Heights Try as many free classes as you want during the week and after you try them you receive a $5.00 off coupon to use toward your registration for the 8-week session starting January 11.

Let us help you reach your fitness goals!

For any questions call 708-361-1807 Child care will be available for AM classes (excluding Spinning) For a list of classes visit www.palosheightsrec.org and click on the online brochure – page 38 is the Group Fitness Calendar

Your Guide to Arts and Events in the Southwest Suburbs and Beyond

OUT & ABOUT

The Regional News • The Reporter

Thursday, December 31, 2015

Creative journaling class intro session at Log Cabin

Southwest • Section 2, Page 8

WOLFGANG PUCK’S KITCHEN

A new year of Creative Journaling begins at the Log Cabin Center for the Arts on Friday, Jan. 8, at 12700 Southwest Highway in Palos Park.

Participants will be encouraged to create a colorful artistic record of their days, their thoughts, and their experiences, through words, collages, photos, poems, magazine images, drawings, watercolors, or any other media. The idea is that there are so many options that there are no excuses.

Using Gina Rossi Armfield’s “No Excuses Art Journaling” book as an inspiration, participants will make a commitment to make time for creativity, to document the days of their lives and keep a record of their thoughts and inspirations.

Students will need to purchase a daily, weekly, or monthly datebook or calendar, and should plan to begin right away on Jan. 8.

The Jan. 8 meeting is a free no-obligation introduction to the project for new students. Returning students pay a $10 fee. The group will meet once each month from 12 noon to 3 p.m., usually on the last Friday of the month.

To participant on Jan. 8, call The Center to say you are planning to come: 361-3650. After the Jan. 8 Introductory session, students will need to register to continue. The program cost for the 2016 year, Supplied photo which begins its meetings on Jan. Creative journaling student Eva Golembiewski shows a page in her journal 29, is $100 per year. to the class.

Fotolia.com.

Choose your favorite types of nuts to create a custom blend of toasted nuts for a perfect party snack.

Go nuts! Entertain guests with a last-minute party snack

By Wolfgang Puck

Photo courtesy of Phyllis Schulte

People can join a volunteer work crew to help keep Will County forest preserves clear of invasive species. For information on upcoming Forest Preserve District of Will County workdays, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.

New Year brings more Forest Preserve volunteer opportunities in Will County Start the New Year off right by volunteering to improve the preserves during upcoming Forest Preserve District of Will County natural resource management workdays.

Workdays are held from 8 a.m. to noon. Participants should dress for outdoor work and the weather.

Wear long pants, closed-toe shoes, and work gloves. RSVP by calling 815-722-7364 or email rgauchat@ fpdwc.org.

Workdays will be held on: Sunday, Jan. 17: Sugar Creek Administration Center, Joliet.

Monday, Jan. 18: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, Theodore Marsh,

Crest Hill.

Sunday, Jan. 24: Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve, Beecher.

Sunday, Feb. 14: Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Lockport.

Sunday, Feb. 28: Hickory Creek Preserve – Hickory Creek Junction, Mokena.

Saturday, March 5: Hammel Woods, Shorewood Sunday, March 6: Keepataw Preserve, Lemont.

Saturday, March 12: Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Lockport.

Sunday, March 13: Hickory Creek Preserve – Hickory Creek Barrens, New Lenox.

Saturday, April 2: Kankakee

What’s a party without crunchy, toasted nuts? Whether you’re host or guest, you’ll probably agree that nuts are perfect for parties.

Plus, a dish of roasted nuts is great when you and your friends sit down to watch an upcoming sporting event, such as the New Year’s Day bowl games or the Super Bowl, or for the spate of awards shows that start next month.

Whenever I entertain, whatever the occasion, I like to put together my own special blend of nuts.

With the following recipe, you can select the nuts you want to serve, mixing them in whatever variety and proportions you like.

Preparing a custom nut blend also lets you season the nuts to taste, making them whatever combination of salty, sweet and spicy you like. As an added benefit, toasting the nuts yourself gives them an incomparably rich flavor and satisfying texture to which commercial roasted nuts from a can, jar or bag simply cannot compare.

In this recipe, I call for equal quantities of seven different kinds of nuts, but you can vary their makeup however you like. (Bear in mind, too, that some of your guests may have nut allergies, so it’s a good idea to ask and alert them before sharing).

I recommend buying whole, shelled, raw nuts — skinless, too, for varieties such as peanuts, almonds or hazelnuts. You can also add a little dried fruit. I include pineapple in this recipe, but dried apricots or cherries would be good. You can also choose to make the seasoning blend as spicy or sweet as you wish.

Pack the nuts in airtight jars, tie a ribbon around the neck and you’re good to go for a party favor. Of course, it’s perfectly understandable if this delicious nut mixture never leaves your own home.

Sands Preserve – Shenk Grove, Braidwood.

Saturday, April 9: Messenger Woods Nature Preserve, Homer Glen.

Sunday, April 10: Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve, RomeSWEET-AND-SPICY oville.

MIXED NUTS Saturday, April 30: Earth Day Makes about 2 pounds (1 kg) Workday, Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve, Beecher.

• 1/4 pound (125 g) For more information on Forest shelled, whole, skinless Preserve District volunteer opporraw almonds tunities, visit ReconnectWithNa- • 1/4 pound (125 g) ture.org. shelled raw Brazil nuts — Will County Forest • 1/4 pound (125 g) shelled raw cashews Preserve District

• 1/4 pound (125 g) shelled, skinless raw hazelnuts • 1/4 pound (125 g) shelled, skinless raw peanuts • 1/4 pound (125 g) shelled raw pecan halves?

• 1/4 pound (125 g) shelled raw walnut halves • 1/4 pound (125 g) dried pineapple, cut into 1/2inch (12-mm) dice • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves • 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper • 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar • 2 teaspoons kosher salt Preheat the oven to 350 F. (175 C).

In a mixing bowl, combine the almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, walnuts and dried pineapple pieces.

With clean hands, toss the nuts and fruit together until thoroughly

combined.

Spread the mixture on one or more baking sheets large enough to hold it all in a single layer.

Bake in the preheated oven until the nuts are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, checking to make sure they don’t burn and stirring briefly for more even cooking.

When the nuts are almost done, melt the butter in the microwave oven or in a small saucepan. In a mixing bowl, stir together the rosemary, cayenne, sugar and salt.

Drizzle in the melted butter and stir well.

Transfer the warm nut mixture to a mixing bowl. Add with the seasoned butter mixture and toss thoroughly to coat the nuts and pineapple evenly.

Spread the coated nut mixture back on the baking sheet. Return the mixture to the oven and bake until the sugar in the coating has melted and the nuts are a deep brown color, 3 to 5 minutes longer.

Transfer the nuts to a large, clean bowl and serve them warm.

Or leave them on the baking sheet to cool to room temperature, and then pack them in one or more airtight containers for storage at home or for party favors.

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