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Graduation Special Section: Inside

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REPORTER

THE Volume LVIII, No. 10

Serving Chicago Ridge, Evergreen Park, Hickory Hills, Oak Lawn, Palos Hills and Worth

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$1 Newstand 3 SECTIONS

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Banquet hall tent OK’d after intense debate Temporary structure approved for Aladdin’s Palace in Hickory Hills

By Sharon L. Filkins A request for a six-week temporary tent during Ramadan for a local banquet hall created a stir at last Thursday’s Hickory Hills Council meeting.

Ald. Thomas McAvoy (3rd) approved a request for the tent for Aladdin’s Palace Banquet Hall, 8821 W. 87th St., near the end of what seemed as though it would be a brief and inconsequential meeting.

McAvoy presented a six-page report outlining the request from the owners of the banquet hall, Layal ElSahfei and her sister, Kamar. He added that the request was supported by Mayor Mike Howley and Brian Fonte, his fellow 3rd Ward alderman.

He stated that the owner of the 87th Street Plaza, where the facility is located, is Alan ElSahfei, Layal and Kamar’s uncle.

“He is a stellar businessman and is very cooperative with our city’s requirements about the plaza,” McAvoy said about the banquet hall that is in the 3rd Ward.

According to the written request, the ElSahfei family wants to erect a 30-by-30 foot tent in the parking lot to the east of the banquet hall. The tent would be used to accommodate seating for overflow attendees and those wishing to smoke at events held in connection with the

Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan, which runs from May 26 through June 24.

Layal ElSahfei, who was present at the meeting, explained that the tent would serve as an overflow area for their business, which normally seats about 250 people.

“All food would be served inside the restaurant but customers could carry their plates out to the tent. Smoking would also be allowed in the tent,” she said.

Mayor Mike Howley joined McAvoy in support of the request, stating that the tent would be a temporary addition.

“They have been good corporate citizens and since this a temporary situation, it will give the owners a chance to evaluate the process to see if it is workable for future events,” Howley said. “Even though I do not have a vote, I support this request.”

At that point, the council erupted with numerous questions for ElSahfei.

Ald. Scott Zimmerman (4th Ward) asked about the noise level.

“There are residents just across the See HICKORY HILLS, Page 11

Oak Lawn and Chicago Ridge will continue to share fire chief Sheets to serve at least 4 more years

By Dermot Connolly

Photo by Kelly White

Big steps in the battle against breast cancer

Over 14,000 people participated in the 18th annual Beverly Breast Cancer Walk on Sunday morning in Chicago. Story and more photos: Page 7.

Neat Repeats volunteer saying goodbye to ‘family’

By Joe Boyle It all started when Chris Doran wanted to take a few courses at Moraine Valley Community College.

“It was suggested as part of my class to do a paper by volunteering at the Crisis Center,” Doran recalled. “I don’t know if I could do that. But then it was mentioned that they have a retail store. I thought that would be a great idea.

“And I have been here ever since,” she added.

That was the beginning of her 29 years as a volunteer for the Neat Repeats Resale, which is now located at 7026 W. 111th St.,

Chris Doran cuts a piece of cake during her retirement party held last Thursday at Neat Repeats Resale in Worth. Doran retired after serving 29 years as a volunteer for Neat Repeats.

Worth. (Neat Repeats also has another location in Orland Park.)

Doran reminisced about the early days last Thursday during a retirement party held in her honor at the shop.

Funds raised from Neat Repeats Resale benefit the Crisis Center for South Suburbia, a non-profit community organization that provides emergency shelter and other services for individuals and families victimized by domestic violence. The Crisis Center has helped hundreds of women build a better life for themselves and their children.

Doran said she began working at the

Photo by Joe Boyle

See VOLUNTEER, Page 11

Oak Lawn and Chicago Ridge have shared a fire chief since 2014, and by mutual agreement between the neighboring villages, Chief George Sheets will continue wearing two hats for at least four more years.

The Oak Lawn Village Board passed the new intergovernmental agreement to continue the arrangement last week without much comment, and the Chicago Ridge Village Board followed suit at its meeting on Tuesday.

“I don’t see any reason to change the agreement. It has been working out well for everyone,” Chicago Ridge Mayor Chuck Tokar said before the board approved it unanimously.

Oak Lawn, being the larger community, covers two-thirds of Sheets’ salary, in addition to benefits, and Chicago Ridge is responsible for one-third. The exact salary agreement was not available this week, but Tokar said it costs the village about $50,000 annually. Sheets, who lives in Oak Lawn, said the agreement calls for the Chicago Ridge portion of the salary to increase by 5 percent each year.

The relationship between management and members of the firefighters union in Oak Lawn has been difficult at times in recent years, primarily due to staffing and other issues that have led to lawsuits. But everyone in Chicago Ridge seems to agree that having Sheets on board has worked out very well.

Prior to the vote on Tuesday, Chicago Ridge Fire Lt. Chris Schmelzer, president of the Chicago Ridge Firefighters Union Local 3098, sent Tokar a glowing recommendation letter regarding Sheets’ value to the department, and asked him to share it with the trustees.

Schmelzer cited several accomplishments that have been achieved under Sheets’ leadership in Chicago Ridge, including the introduction of a part-time firefighter program in which part-time and full-time staff work together. This has also allowed for the opening of the Lombard Avenue fire station. That station initially opened part-time but was expanded to full-time this year, providing ambulance service to the main residential section of the village.

See FIRE CHIEF, Page 11

‘Poppy Day’ highlights need to reach out to veterans

By Joe Boyle Members and volunteers from the Marrs-Meyer American Legion Post 991 in Worth will be out in force next Thursday.

The volunteers will be found at main intersections and near retail stores throughout the village on May 25 collecting for veterans. The gift for people who donate will be artificial flowers that represent poppies.

Bethanne Lode, secretary and treasurer for MarrsMeyer American Legion Auxiliary, is the local Poppy Day chairman. She said the volunteers are

dedicated and a great help on Poppy Day. “I’m getting in the neighborhood of 50 to 55 volunteers,” said Lode. “We have some older seniors who are out there as long as six hours. We have some great volunteers.”

Lode said her preparation for Poppy Day begins in January, with the bulk of the work occurring in the final two weeks. Lode said the auxiliary understands the sacrifice of the U.S. Armed Forces in their effort to preserve freedom and to honor past and current service members. The members will wear a red memorial poppy as a sign of their appreciation on Memorial Day weekend.

The 900,000 members of the American Legion Auxiliary, the world’s largest patriotic service organization of women, are asking every American citizen to wear a poppy on the observance of Memorial Day (Monday, May 29) in addition to the entire preceding weekend.

“Wear it in honor of the millions of Americans who have willingly served our nation, all too many of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Lode. “This entire Memorial Day weekend will pay an honored tribute to all veterans, especially those See POPPY DAY, Page 11

File photo by Jeff orva

George Sheets will continue in the dual role as the fire chief for Chicago Ridge and Oak Lawn.

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2 The Reporter

Thursday, May 18, 2017

POLICE REPORTS Chicago Ridge Drug possession

Photo by Kelly White

Mother’s Day gift

Kera Gade, 10, of Oak Lawn, has her nails painted by her aunt, Gail Glowacki, of Crestwood, at the Chicago Ridge Library’s Spa Night held on May 2 in honor of Mother’s Day.

Legislation to expand organ/tissue donor registry is sent to governor Secretary of State Jesse White’s legislation that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to register for the state’s First Person Consent Organ/Tissue Donor Registry when they receive their driver’s license or identification card passed the Illinois Senate on Monday.

House Bill 1805, sponsored by state Rep. Deb Conroy (D-46th) and state Sen. Mattie Hunter (D3rd) now goes to the governor for consideration.

“This legislation, which the vast majority of other states have implemented, is an important step in reducing the number of those on the waiting list,” White said. “I urge the governor to sign this life-saving legislation.”

The legislation amends the Illinois Anatomical Gift Act allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to join the First Person Consent

Organ/Tissue Donor Registry.

Under current law, an individual must be at least 18 years old to join the registry. Those who join the registry will receive a letter from the secretary of state’s office thanking them for joining. White encourages 16- and 17-year-olds to use this letter as a basis for discussing their decision with their parents.

By joining the First Person Consent Organ/Tissue Donor Registry, 16- and 17-year-olds will be giving consent to donate their organs and tissue at the time of their death, with a single limitation.

Residents can register with the Secretary of State’s Organ/ Tissue Donor Registry at LifeGoesOn.com, by calling (800) 210-2106 or visiting their local driver services facility.

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Nicholas Raptis, 61, of the 6400 block of West Pamela Lane, was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance following his arrest in the 9600 block of South Ridgeland Avenue at 10:40 p.m. Friday. Police said they took him into custody when they saw him because they knew he was wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant for domestic battery. They said the felony drug charge was filed after a bag of cocaine was found in his sock.

He was held for a bond hearing.

Battery charges

• Gregory Gudziunas, 35, of the 10400 block of Southwest Highway, Worth, was charged with battery to a police officer following an incident in the 7000 block of Southwest Highway at 8:40 p.m. Sunday. Police said he became belligerent and refused to step away as requested while paramedics were tending to a man who had passed out in a parking lot. They said he was arrested after acting irrationally and yelling obscenities, and attempting to knock down an officer, according to a police report. He was also cited for resisting arrest and public intoxication. He is due in court on June 20.

• Two juveniles were charged with battery following a disturbance at 104th Street and Natoma Avenue at 4:30 p.m. last Thursday.

Police said they were called to break up a fight, and located the alleged offenders in a car as it was leaving the scene. Police said all the people involved in the fight attended the same high school.

The two charged as juveniles were released to their parents and are awaiting a hearing in Juvenile Court.

Retail theft Kwana Johnson, 36, of the 2000 block of Jarvis Avenue, Chicago, was charged with retail theft at Kohl’s in Chicago Ridge Mall at 6:25 p.m. Friday. Police said she was stopped after allegedly taking a $93 pair of jeans from the store.

She is due in court on June 20.

Suspended license • Mohammed Farrash, 31, of the 5700 block of West 106th Street, Chicago Ridge, was charged with driving with a suspended license at 5:30 a.m. Saturday on the block where he lives. He was also cited for using a cellphone while driving. He is due in court on July 13.

• Syeda Hashmi, 27, of the 4900 block of West Winova Street, Chicago, was charged with driving with a suspended license at 6:40 p.m. Sunday in the 9400 block of South Ridgeland Avenue. Police said she was also cited for failure to wear a seatbelt. She is due in court on June 20.

• Carolina Pareja, 39, of the 3700 block of West 120th Street, Alsip, was charged with driving

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with a suspended license following a traffic stop at 7 p.m. Friday in the 10600 block of South Central Avenue. Police said she was also arrested on an outstanding warrant for driving under the influence of alcohol, and cited for having expired registration. She is due in court on July 19.

Evergreen Park Criminal trespassing

• Francheska Burke, 18, of Sun Prairie, Wis., was charged with criminal trespassing to a vehicle following a traffic stop at 11:43 a.m. last Thursday in the 4100 block of West 95th Street. Police said the car she was driving had been reported stolen in Madison, Wis., but there was no proof Burke knew that when she borrowed it from a friend. She was also cited for driving with a revoked license, and driving without insurance.

• Henry Rowell, 35, of Chicago, was charged with criminal trespassing in Little Company of Mary Hospital, 2800 W. 95th St., at 8:18 p.m. May 5. Police said he had been discharged from the hospital but refused to leave.

• Daniel L. Muelhausen, 36, of Oak Lawn, was charged with retail theft for allegedly stealing a drill worth $199 from Menards, 9100 S. Western Ave., at 12:58 p.m. April 8.

• Remulus Q. Scott, 18, of Evergreen Park, was charged with two counts of battery following an altercation with two juveniles in the 2900 block of West 102nd Street at 11:12 p.m. May 6. Police said he grabbed one of the victims by the left arm and chest, and kicked another one in the back.

• Darrell Tims, 19, of Crestwood, was charged with retail theft at Walmart, 2500 W. 95th St., at 3:20 p.m. May 6. Police said he took two electronics items worth $28.12.

Retail theft • Jimmie Bentley, 51, of Chicago, was charged with retail theft at Meijer, 9200 S. Western Ave., at 5:56 p.m. May 8. Police said he took 11 packages of spareribs and other meat worth a total of $122.96.

• Christopher Briggins, 19, of Chicago, was charged with retail theft at Walmart, 2500 W. 95th St., at 7:10 p.m. May 8. Police said he took two cellphone cases worth $44.76 in total.

Theft charge Yashauni Burton, 27, of Markham, was charged with six counts of theft at Carson’s, 9700 S. Western Ave., at 11:25 a.m.

May 6. Police said that a store investigation determined that while working at the returns counter between Dec. 7, and April 9, she allegedly made fraudulent returns six times, costing the company $678.38.

Suspended license Tekia Anderson, 26, of Chicago, was charged with driving with a suspended license following a traffic stop at 8:50 p.m. May 6 in the 2400 block of West 87th Street. Police said she was also cited for driving without insurance and failure to signal and obstructing a police officer. Police added that she refused to follow directions and became belligerent.

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Retail theft Police responded to a report of retail theft at the Shell gas station at 8801 W. 87th St. at 11:30 p.m. May 9. An employee reported that an unidentified man stole a newspaper, can of pop and other small items. He could only provide a vague description of the offender, who escaped in a black SUV.

Outstanding warrant Jamiel A. Sabir, 38, of the 1100 block of Flamingo Court in Bradley, Ill., arrested on an outstanding Pike County warrant following a traffic stop at 4:36 p.m.

May 9 in the 8000 block of West 90th Street. He was also issued a written warning for making an illegal turn. Police said the warrant was for failure to appear in court on a charge of driving with a suspended license. He is due in court in Pittsfield on June 12.

Oak Lawn DUI charges

• Christopher M. Mepham, 24, of Oak Lawn, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol at 2:35 a.m. May 6 after his vehicle struck a house in the 4900 block of West 91st Street.

Police said his silver Ford Taurus had driven through the front yard and crashed in the front of the home. No injuries to him or the occupant of the house were reported. Police said he registered a .124 blood-alcohol count on a breath test. He was also cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. Mepham is due in court on May 30.

• Judith E. Damarjian, 65, of Evergreen Park, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol following a traffic collision at 2:15 a.m. May 7 on Kilbourn Avenue. Police said her vehicle struck a parked car and she failed field sobriety tests. She was also cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid a collision. She is due in court on June 6.

Drug possession

Ania V. Skzydlak, 24, of Hickory Hills, was charged with possession of a controlled substance after allegedly injecting herself with heroin in a bathroom in the Speedway gas station at 9800 S. Cicero Ave, at 11 p.m. May 7.

Gas station staff called police because Skzydlak had been in the bathroom for an extended period of time, and was not responding to knocks on the door.

She was found on the floor, and police said she admitted falling off the toilet after injecting herself. Two bags of heroin, as well as needles and other material used to prepare it were found, police said. She was issued a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia. Police said she refused medical treatment and was held for a bond hearing.

License charges Efrain Nava, 48, of Midlothian, was charged with driving without a license following a traffic stop at 6:01 p.m. May 3 at 108th Street

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and Cicero Avenue. Police said he was also cited for violating minimum speed regulations for driving less than 20 miles an hour.

He is due in court on May 22.

• Salma Fadel Mutan, 31, of Burbank, was charged with driving with a canceled license following a traffic stop at 10:15 a.m.

May 3 on Southwest Highway.

Police said she was also cited for speeding, driving without insurance, and failure to notify the Secretary of State of a change of address. She is due in court on May 26.

Outstanding warrants • Sarah L. Parchem, 25, of Posen, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for battery from Midlothian following a traffic stop at 6:35 p.m. May 4 at 102nd Street and Cicero Avenue. Police said she was also cited for driving without insurance and improper display of a license plate. She is due in court on May 22.

• George White, 52, of Chicago, was arrested on an outstanding Cook County warrant when police were called to LA Fitness, 8812 S. Cicero Ave., at 7:47 p.m. May 4. Police were called to the gym to remove White, because he allegedly refused to leave. He was held on $1,000 bond.

• Ryan N. Lowery, 36, of Oak Lawn, was arrested on an outstanding Cook County warrant after police said he flagged down a patrol car at 4:39 a.m.

May 6 at 99th Street and 54th Avenue. Police said he told them he wanted to let them know that the headlights were out on the squad car. Due to recent burglaries in the area, the time the incident occurred, and the fact that he was dressed in black and carrying a backpack, police performed a background check.

Police said they discovered that a warrant was out on Lowery.

It was for a violation of a conditional release on a suspended license charge. He was held for a bond hearing.

Palos Hills

Aggravated speeding Annar M. Abualhuda, 18, of Palos Heights, was charged with aggravated speeding following a traffic stop at 7:30 p.m. May 9 in the 11100 block of Southwest Highway. Police said he was also cited for improper lane usage and failure to use a turn signal when required. He is due in court on June 26.

Suspended license Ammouri Abdelkader, 21, of Tinley Park, was charged with driving with a suspended license about midnight on Monday in the 10300 block of South Harlem Avenue. Police said he was also cited for screeching tires.

Car is stolen A black Nissan was reported stolen from the 8400 block of West 99th Terrace at 7 p.m. May 8.

Theft reports • Police are investigating a theft reported at Holiday Banquets, 10140 S. Roberts Road, at 11:30 p.m. Friday. A woman told police that she lost her necklace while attending a function at the banquet hall. She said that when she returned to get it, she was told that a child had picked it up and given it to an unknown adult.

• A theft was reported at a home in Cour Masson at 11 a.m. Sunday.

The homeowner said unknown people were allowed into the residence and took unspecified items without permission.

• Medication delivered to a residence in the 11200 block of Moraine Drive was reported stolen at 10 a.m. Monday.

Criminal damage 2015 2012 2011

• A vehicle damaged a mailbox in the 10500 block of South Terry Drive at about 9 p.m. May 9, police were told.

• Damage to a car parked in the Holiday Banquets lot at 10140 S. Roberts Road was discovered and reported at 11 a.m. Sunday.

The owner told police he parked the vehicle in the lot and went to Durbin’s restaurant in a neighboring strip mall. When he returned, he found the mirror, driver’s side door and license plate had been damaged.

Police reports are provided by law enforcement agencies.

Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proved guilty in a court of law.

Thursday, May 18, 2017

The Reporter

3

Oak Lawn garden Oak Lawn Park District employees, village officials and gardeners celebrated the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Oak Lawn Community Garden, 104th and Cook Avenue, on May 8. Taking part in the celebration were (from left) Larry Fetchko, Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123 community liaison officer; Joe Craig, superintendent of parks for the Oak Lawn Park District; Oak Lawn Trustee Bud Stalker (5th); Kathy Gavin, District 123 superintendent; Dolly Foster, Oak Lawn Park District horticulturist; Oak Lawn Village Clerk Jane Quinlan; Mary Pat Coughlin, Oak Lawn Park District commissioner; Donna McCauley, Oak Lawn Park District commissioner; Jim Bushbach, Oak Lawn Park District commissioner; Mary Wallace, former Oak Lawn Park District commissioner; Maddie Kelly, Oak Lawn Park District executive director; and Oak Lawn Trustee Terry Vorderer (4th).

Photo by Kelly White

CHICAGO RIDGE VILLAGE BOARD MEETING

Board opts out of raising minimum wage

By Dermot Connolly The Chicago Ridge Village Board voted unanimously on Tuesday to opt out of two Cook County ordinances raising the minimum wage and mandating paid sick leave.

Neighboring communities such as Oak Lawn and Evergreen Park have already opted out of both ordinances passed by the Cook County Board of Commissioners, which go into effect on July 1. One ordinance raises the minimum wage to $10, with an annual hike of $1 until reaching $13 in 2020, and the other mandates that employees receive as much as 10 days of paid sick leave per year.

In Cook County home-rule communities such as Chicago Ridge that opt out of the new minimum wage ordinance, the Illinois minimum wage of $8.25 will continue to apply.

Mayor Chuck Tokar said he heard from many local small business owners, as well as

the manager of Chicago Ridge Mall, stressing the importance of opting out of the minimumwage law.

“It is pretty clear that it would have a significant impact on our small businesses— and big businesses too — if we didn’t opt out of it,” Tokar said. “I’m not against raising the minimum wage, but it cannot be done on a spotty basis like this. It has to be done on a statewide basis or not at all.”

Business owners have warned they might be forced to cut staff or move to communities with lower minimum wage laws in order to survive.

“Businesses across the street from each other could be competing, with one required to pay higher costs,” said Tokar, adding that the situation would be worse in communities split between counties.

The board also passed a resolution approving the sale of village-owned property at 10250 Southwest Highway. The Chicago

Ridge Fire Department was located on the site until 2009, when the new headquarters opened at 10063 S. Virginia Ave. Tokar said the property will be sold for $150,000 to a developer planning a $1 million medical building.

Trustee Bill McFarland pointed out that the new building will generate some property tax revenue.

“Yes, getting anything is better than what we are getting now, which is nothing,” said Tokar.

The board also considered approving a business license for a Roma video-gaming café in a vacant storefront at 6422 W. 107th St. The owners said it would be like their existing Roma café in Worth, with an expanded menu. Several trustees said they liked the Worth location, but Trustee Lisel Kwartnik requested tabling the proposal until the June 6 meeting so she and others can visit both sites.

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EVERGREEN PARK VILLAGE BOARD MEETING

Mayor, trustees return for another term

By Sharon L. Filkins The primary business that took place at the Evergreen Park Village Board meeting on Monday night was the installation of officials who were elected to office in the April election.

With the exception of one newcomer, taking the oath of office was nothing new to four of the officials being sworn in to office.

Mayor James Sexton, Village Clerk Cathy Aparo and trustees Carol Kyle and Mark T. Phelan, all of whom ran unopposed, were returned to office for another four-year term.

Newcomer Norm Anderson, who also ran unopposed, took his first oath of office as trustee. He replaces Dan McKeown, who stepped down after serving one term. Administering the oath of office was Judge Kathleen Panozzo.

Sexton thanked all those who supported him and said he was approaching the next four years with renewed vigor and energy.

He also commended McKeown for his many

years of service to the village.

“He not only served as a trustee. He spent many years on the police pension board. We wish him well in his retirement.”

During the public comment portion of the meeting, resident Steve Sage reported a problem with vandalism by youths at Circle Park in the area of Spaulding and Homan avenues.

“We feel like hostages in our neighborhood. These kids walk back and forth to Dunkin’ Donuts leaving a path of destruction behind them,” he said. “They have threatened residents; they are drinking in the park and are damaging cars. It is really out of hand. I have photos of the damage for evidence. I am asking the village to step up to help.”

Sexton told him to give his photos to Police Chief Michael Saunders.

“Trust me, you will be freed of being held hostage,” Sexton said.

In other business, the board approved appointments for committees and commissions for 2017-18, including recommendations for

part-time and auxiliary police.

Also approved was a request from Saunders to declare a vacancy in the police department and to hire one individual from the probationary patrol officer eligibility list.

A conditional approval was granted to the Browse & Brew business, located at 3545 W. 99th St., to place outdoor bistro tables in front of the business. However, Sexton directed Public Works Director Bill Lorenz to check it out to make sure there wasn’t any obstruction of the sidewalk. He also suggested the installation of a higher parking-stop in front of the store.

Business Certificates were granted to Kelly Insurance Services, Inc., at 3570 W. 95th St., and BGold Virgin Hair, Inc., a hair salon at 8734 S. Kedzie Ave. Two bids were awarded to Insituform, Inc.: $230,467 for sanitary sewer liners and $142,350 for sewer relining. A portion of the $142,350 will be paid with $120,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds from Cook County.

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4 The Reporter

Our Neighborhood

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Families enjoy carnival at Kasey Meadow Park in Hickory Hills A carnival was held from last Thursday through Sunday at the Hickory Hills Park District’s Kasey Meadow Park, 8047 W. 91st Place.

According to Jennifer Fullerton, executive director of the Hickory Hills Park District,

a carnival was held about 30 years ago at Kasey Meadow Park. Fullerton said there had not been one since, but the hope is that the carnival becomes an annual event.

A variety of rides for children were available, including moving teacups and miniature cars.

A train for kids was also available. For teens, the galleon provided some fun. The Freak Out ride that faced Roberts Road in front of the Hickory Hills Park District elevated in the air over the sidewalk and a portion of the street.

Parents also took advantage of the newly

installed playground equipment in the park.

Asphalt has been placed on a large portion of the newly installed paths near the baseball fields. The Fitness Zone contains outdoor exercise equipment and visitors to the carnival and the park were using it frequently on Saturday.

Photos by Joe Boyle The galleon was a popular ride at the Kasey Meadow Park Carnival Two youngsters are having fun on a car ride Saturday afternoon at Kasey Meadows A variety of rides were available for kids at the carnival. as the ship would sway back and forth.

Park in Hickory Hills.

Get ready for Memorial Day at Palos Heights Farmers Market Planning a BBQ over the Memorial Day holiday weekend? The Palos Market has all your protein needs covered, with beef, chicken, pork, sausages, salmon, and vegan patties ready for the grill!

Multiple varieties of barbeque sauces and peppers are available at Theresa’s Selections.

Don’t want to cook? Three different varieties of tamales and many pizza products are also available. Early spring vegetables and some very early hot house fruit continue to come into the market.

Many of the spring fruits have a short season, so make sure to stock up on farm fresh spring produce while it is available.

Other food products available include breads, bakery, pies, organic desserts, kettle corn, noodles, cheeses, eggs, butter, jams and local honey, peanuts and seasonings, cinnamon almonds, and maple syrup products. Pick up everything you need for summer parties and picnics at Pampered Chef. Finally, our farmers have beautiful flowers and flowering

plants, and Hiemenz Nursery has many flowering perennial plants and grasses.

Alice Collins, Community Outreach Worker from the Cook County Health & Hospitals System (CCHHS), will represent the organization at the upcoming May 24 Farmers Market in the Community Tent. As one of the largest public health systems in the nation, caring for more than 300,000 patients each year, the CCHHS provides expert health care to the residents of Chicago and suburban Cook County regardless of their ability to pay.

CCHHS is comprised of two Joint Commission-accredited hospitals, 15 community health centers, the Ruth M. Rothstein Core Center, a primary care center for patients with HIV and other infectious diseases, the Cook County Department of Public Health and more.

South Suburban Community Health Centers are located in Oak Forest, Robbins and Ford Heights. Information about the “Go the Distance Cook County” initiative and the CCHHS hospitals and health centers in general will be available. Give-

aways will be available to those patrons who complete a very brief survey. More information about CCHHS can be found at www.cookcountyhhs.org Quality Photo, 12240 S Harlem Ave. in Palos Heights, will also be a guest of the Community Tent. Time to get your old photos and videos organized? Quality Photo can do that. Representatives will have information about their photo and video organization and digitalization. In addition, fun, personalized photo gifts, and locally inspired wall art and gifts will be on display. Perfect for teacher, wedding, or any gift you need!

Finally, Simple Treasure, of 12306 S Harlem in Palos Heights, will be a Community Tent guest. Come see Maureen’s beautiful jewelry creations, including earrings and necklaces. Other gift items are also available.

Make sure to stop by the City Tent.

New this year is the Palos Heights Farmers Market Gift Certificates, which are available for purchase. The certificates sell for $5 each, and are available for

sale at the City Tent. This week, Dr. John Principe, MD of Wellbeing, MD Center for Life, provides “Asparagus with Capers and Lemon Crème Sunflower Sauce.” This and some previous year’s early springtime recipes will be available.

Previous year’s recipes can be found at www.wellbeingmd.com, or palosheights. org. Also, make sure to pick up a 2017 Frequent Shopper Card. Bring a canned food donation (fruit, vegetable or protein only), or donate fresh fruit or vegetables from the market, and double credit will be given to your Frequent Shopper Card.

This year, the market is partnering with The Palos United Methodist Church Food Pantry at 12101 S Harlem Ave. All canned donations will be brought to that location. All fresh produce donations will be donated to Operation Blessing in Alsip.

LINK cards are now accepted at the Palos Heights Farmers Market. Again this year, the “Palos Bucks” Double Value Matching Program will take place. Stop by the City Tent to start the process

and for more information. The market is proud to announce that it is the recipient of a LINK UP Illinois USDA Grant for the support of the promotion of the Palos Heights Farmers Market LINK program.

Representatives of the Palos Heights Beautification Committee will be available selling this year’s Classic Car Event Split the Pot Raffle Tickets. They make great Father’s Day Card stuffers! The drawing will be on Thursday, July 20, and winner need not be present.

The market would like to thank this year’s Palos Heights Farmers Market Sponsors. They include Dr. John Principe, MD of Wellbeing MD Center for Life; Palos Health; The Private Bank; CNB Bank and Trust; United Trust Bank; City of Palos Heights Mayor Bob Straz; Running for Kicks; Golden Shoes; and Camille’s Confections.

Additional information about the market can be found at www.palosheights. org, by emailing farmersmarket@ palosheights.org. You can also join us on Facebook or call (708) 361-1800.

Irish Fest to be held Memorial Day weekend The annual Irish Fest will be held over the Memorial Day weekend at Gaelic Park, 6119 W. 147th St., Oak Forest.

The festival hours are from 4 to 11 p.m. Friday, May 26; 2 to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 27; 1 to 11 p.m. Sunday, May 28 (Mass is celebrated at 11:30 a.m.); and 1 to 8 p.m. Monday, May 29, which

is Memorial Day. Unlimited carnival rides, entertainment and various exhibits will be provided. Irish step dancing will take place. The fest will also include a petting zoo, dog and horse exhibitions, a stage dedicated to youngsters, and a leprechaun stage that will include magic acts and face painters.

This indoor/outdoor festival will feature over 40 acts, including American English, Jig Jam, The Fenians, Socks in the Frying Pan, The Prodigals, Emmet Cahill and The Neverly Bros. The Performing Arts stage, located in the main building in the Celtic Room on the second floor, includes one-act Irish plays.

Daily admission is $15 for adults, and $12 for seniors and kids ages 4 to 12. Each day has a reduced admission of $10 for adults, and $8 for kids and seniors during the first hour. Online discounts include a four-day pass for $28 when purchased by May 26.

For further information and additional online price discounts visit the website at www.chicagogaleicpark.irishfest.org or call (708) 687-9323.

Emerging Writers Competition entry forms are available

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Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White says entry forms are available for the 13th annual Illinois Emerging Writers Competition Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Award.

The competition is named in honor of the late Pulitzer Prizewinning Illinois Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks, and is cosponsored by the Illinois Center for the Book and Kevin Stein, who succeeded Brooks as Illinois Poet Laureate.

The competition is open to Illinois residents age 18 and over.

Entries must be postmarked

by June 30.Cash prizes will be awarded for first ($500), second ($300) and third place ($100).

Winning poems will be submitted for possible publication in the “Ninth Letter,” “RHINO”and “Quiddity”journals and “Poetic License Press”publications. Winners will read their poems at a ceremony later this year at the Illinois State Library in Springfield.

Entry forms can be found at http://cyberdriveillinois.com/ departments/library/center_for_ the_book. For more information, contact Illinois Center for the Book Coordinator Bonnie Matheis at (217) 558-2065 or bmatheis@ ilsos.net.

Compiled by Joe Boyle

News and events from our archives Tornado’s fury has residents concerned about students • 50 years ago

From the May 18, 1967 issue The story: Hundreds of phone calls and letters about the students of Oak Lawn Community High School following the April 21 tornado have been addressed from the superintendent’s office.

The athletic coaches first saw the funnel approaching and rushed students inside the building away from the flying glass. The synchronized swim team that consisted of 35 girls was practicing for a show. They had left earlier than originally planned because the school maintenance department chose that week to chlorinate the pool. At 5:27 p.m., two walls of the swimming pool disintegrated and the roof fell into the pool. The girls escaped serious injury and even death.

The quote: “As we analyze the questionnaire and can pinpoint personal needs of students or their families, we will make these known to those who have offered to serve these specific needs,” according to the superintendent’s office.

Attorneys argue over authenticity of signatures for referendum

• 25 years ago

From the May 14, 1992 issue The story: The electoral board hearing on whether or not there are enough valid signatures or petitions to put a $15 million bond issue referendum on the Nov. 7 ballot for District 218 will conclude Tuesday as two attorneys give their presentations.

Attorney Richard Cowen, representing opponents of the referendum, argued the petitions have enough valid signatures. Cowen said the objectives filed by Vincent Cainkar, attorney for the objectors challenging the petitions, were based on technicalities, and that only a handful were actually invalid signatures.

Some of the technicalities Cowen referred to instances where residents who signed the petitions did not write street, place or avenue on the addresses. Cainkar said it was more than just that.

The quote: “If a person doesn’t know his or her address, maybe that person didn’t know what he or she was signing, either,” said Cainkar.

Time for 17-year locusts to ‘invade’ southwest suburbs • 10 years ago

From the May 17, 2007 issue The story: The cicadas are coming, the cicadas are coming.

After 17 years, the cicadas will be out in force this summer for their brief life above ground, but this should not be a dreaded experience. The brood that will hit the area will be in the northern third of Illinois, eastern Iowa, southern Wisconsin, and a few spots on the northern border of Indiana and Michigan, according to Phil Nixon, an extension specialist at the University of Illinois.

For 17 years, the cicadas thrive underground and live off of sap from trees and shrub roots.

For unknown reasons, they dig toward the surface after 17 years when the ground temperature becomes 64 degrees, around the end of May. They also create a lot of noise that humans have to adjust to.

The quote: “it’s all in the ears of the beholder,” said Nixon. “It’s a wonderful piece of nature. Some people say it’s earsplitting, while some say, ‘where can I hear it.’ Some think it’s a wonderful phenomenon.”

Thursday, May 18, 2017

The Reporter

5

Dist. 230 information superhighway has accelerated

By Dermot Connolly If all goes according to plan, the information superhighway will soon be moving faster than ever in the three District 230 high schools.

At the District 230 Board of Education meeting on April 27, members authorized the administration to sign a contract with First Communications to serve as a second internet service provider in preparation for all students having Chromebooks in the upcoming school year.

Chief Technology Officer John Connolly explained that the district is in the third year of a fiveyear contract with Comcast as the primary internet service provider but more bandwidth is needed.

Currently, Comcast is providing 1 gigabyte (GB) of bandwith for students, and 600 megabits per second for staff. According to information provided to the board, the student internet circuit is maxed out every day, depending on the period. First Communications will now provide another 1 GB of bandwith into the primary data center in the Administration Building.

“Our students are increasing use of digital learning resources and devices,” Connolly said. “With our expansion of all four grade levels with Chromebooks next year, we needed to increase our internet bandwidth.

First Communications allows us to increase our bandwidth at a discounted price along with adding an additional ISP to increase reliability. For example, if Comcast Internet goes down, we can function with First Communications and vice versa. It is expected to be installed Aug. 1.”

The monthly cost of 1 GB is $1,912.50, or $22,950 annually, for a total of $68,850 for the 36-month contract, which has been budgeted. But Connolly pointed out that the internet services are eligible for 50 percent discounts through the eRate program, which provides discounts to help U.S. schools and libraries get affordable telecommunications and internet access. Therefore, although the district budgeted for the full

With all three entities sharing the cost of the annual maintenance, and the 50 percent discount through eRate, District 230 is expecting to save $1.15 million on the project.

“This will be a win-win situa-

tion for everybody,” said Florentine last week.

He said that extending the conduit to 179th Street also will help ongoing efforts to develop the regional mixed-use campus along the I-80 corridor.

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District 230 Board President Rick Nogal administers the oath of office to Melissa Gracias (from left), Susan Dalton, Tony Serratore and Kate Murphy-Peterson at the April 27 meeting. All four were re-elected on April 4.

$22,950 annual cost, an annual reimbursement of $11,475 is expected.

In a related move, the board also authorized the administration to sign a contract with G4S Secure Integration to upgrade wide area network (WAN) fiber for an implementation cost of $646,208.

This is also eligible for a 50 percent reimbursement through the eRate Program.

The stated goals of the WAN project, being undertaken in partnership with the village of Orland Park, are to increase bandwidth, save money, and improve internet rout flexibility and traffic management and security.

The initial cost includes installing fiber in conduit that the village had installed between 131st and 179th streets as part of the LaGrange Avenue construction project. This would increase the bandwidth strength of the district from 3 GB to 10 GB, enough to meet the technology needs for many years to come.

The cost to the district also may be lowered by $88,000 pending some agreements with the village. An Illinois State Board of Education grant of $323,104 is also under review.

“With the increase in bandwidth, we needed to increase our wide area network as well for internal traffic,” Connolly said. “This will provide a faster reliable network for our students

at a discounted rate. This will also support future technologies as our self-provisioned fiber can be expanded to match any growing need. Timeline for this is next school year.”

Connolly noted that the WAN agreement will not be finalized until the intergovernmental agreement is approved by the Orland Park Village Board. Frank Florentine, the director of technology

for Orland Park, said he plans to bring the agreement to the Village Board for a vote at the June 5 meeting, An intergovernmental agreement with District 135 is also needed, because District 230 will be using part of District’s 135’s fiber conduit on 151st Street, to link the LaGrange Road conduit with the District 230 administration building at 15100 S. 94th Ave.

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6 The Reporter

COMMENTARY

THE

Thursday, May 18, 2017

REPORTER

An Independent Newspaper Published Weekly Founded March 16, 1960

Ray Hanania

Some pols can take a joke, some can’t

Celebrating a mother of a Mother’s Day

T

he thin-skinned, strong-arm Statehouse partisanship of the past two and a half years reached out and infected the Illinois Conference of Women Legislators’ annual fundraising gala last week.

COWL is a bipartisan organization that raises money every year to “assist mature women who wish to continue their undergraduate education,” according to its website. “The goal of the scholarship is to focus on deserving, qualified women whose educations were interrupted due to family concerns and economic problems,” the group says. Women who have shown “leadership promise through community service” are given preference.

Anyway, it’s a good organization and it’s one of two events that I never miss each year — the other one being the House vs. Senate softball Rich Both events allow legislators to do things Miller game. together without partisan or leadership barriers.

They help build relationships and trust. Plus, they’re both a lot of fun. And after two and a half years of watching politicians fight each other to a draw on a state budget and economic reforms, we all need the occasional good time.

Lately, COWL has also brought in professional comedians to set the mood. This year’s comedian was Patti Vasquez, who has her own show on Chicago’s WGN Radio and did an increasingly rare interview with House Speaker Michael J. Madigan last week.

The evening often has the feel of an old-time variety show staged by amateurs. It’s not supposed to be perfect, and that can sometimes make things funnier. A legislator singing way off key would be unlistenable in another context, but at the COWL event it can be hilarious.

Some legislators have lots of talent. Rep. Will Guzzardi (DChicago) stunned the audience with his exquisite piano playing abilities. That he chose to cover a Tom Waits song and sang it in Waits’ gravelly voiced style made his performance all that much better.

Rep. David Olsen (R-Downers Grove) is a cheery and bright young man who generally speaks softly and is of, shall we say, slight build. But he sang a full-throated, a capella version of “Illinois,” our state song. Olsen mesmerized the audience.

Come to think of it, the men kind of stole the show last week.

COWL always stages some sketches and songs that are drenched in political satire. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Rep. Rob Martwick (D-Chicago) plays guitar and sings and wrote a parody of Otis Redding’s universally famous “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” “I’m sittin’ here on the House Floor / Waitin’ for a budget deal that I can vote for / I’m sittin’ here on the House Floor / Wastin’ time.”

Martwick wrote several strong lyrics: “Sittin’ here resting my bones / ‘Cuz the lobbyists won’t leave me alone / 200 miles I’ve roamed / Just to make this seat my own.”

But I particularly enjoyed the break: “Looks like nothin’s gonna change / Everyone keeps on passin’ the blame / I can’t do what the Governor tells me to do / This state’s going down the drain.”

He got a big howl of approval for that one.

COWL also produced a dance routine this year to a song by R&B singer Cupid called “Cupid Shuffle.”

Legislators on stage were dressed in checkered, western-style shirts just like Gov. Bruce Rauner wears in his latest TV ads featuring him in a pristine workshop and talking about the Democrats’ “duct tape solutions.”

Some members held up large signs with “Do your job” written on them, which is a constant refrain of Rauner’s critics. Some also carried signs featuring a large, menacing cartoon image of House Speaker Michael J. Madigan that was devised by the Madigan-hating Illinois Policy Institute.

Duct tape was supposed to be part of the routine, but the gimmick was scrapped at the last minute because the players didn’t have enough time to remove the tape and change between songs.

So, they wound up with extra boxes of the stuff.

But a freshman Republican House member reportedly took a video of the skit during rehearsal last week and sent it to a member of her leadership team. Republican legislators told me later they were then yanked out of the dance and by showtime last week only Democrats performed during the routine.

Unreal.

Some people just don’t know how to laugh at themselves.

Let’s hope the softball game survives intact.

Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.

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I Remembering Mom, and not just on Mother’s Day Dr. Glenn Mollette I wish I had my mother this past Mother’s Day — actually every day. How sweet it would be to talk to her on the telephone and talk about the weather, family and friends and hear about what she was doing. How better yet it would be if life was such that I could take her to G.C. Murphy’s snack bar and buy her a hot dog. Dad and mom gave me $5 and bought me a bicycle if I agreed to have my tonsils removed when I was about 7 years old.

When dad gave me the $5 I wanted to pay for our lunch, which consisted of hot dogs and cokes at the old soda fountain bar in the now defunct G.C. Murphy’s store in downtown Paintsville, Ky. It was the most money I had owned in my life and it felt good to treat mom and dad.

I never got the opportunity to do more for my mom and dad than they did for me. I would have liked to but time ran out. I hear stories about rock stars who buy their parents cars and houses and stuff like that. That’s cool but then often I hear about some of the same rock stars going broke and mom losing the house, so that’s not cool. This is all beside the point. I just wish mom were alive so I could buy her Sunday dinner and give her some flowers.

I took her some flowers on her birthday Sept. 3, 2001. She was on a breathing tube and wasn’t aware of my presence. I wanted to give her some flowers one more time while she was living.

Hindsight is always 20/20. We know people are going to die but we seldom make the most of our time with people.

Mom was a loving lady. She was a hard worker. She demonstrated Christian faith and perseverance and much more.

My wife and mother of my two sons passed almost 15 years ago. She was a great lady and mother to our children. She loved my boys more than life and the last thing she asked me to do was to please take care of them. I’ve tried but no one takes the place of a child’s mother.

My two grandmothers have passed on. My Mama Mollette and Mama Hinkle were just incredible women that would brighten any grandson’s day. I wish I still had them.

There are numerous wonderful women who I called this past weekend to wish a Happy Mother’s Day. Special moms need to know they are worthy.

I do have one very special mom in my life and that is my wife. She’s great. She loves our five children and three grandchildren.

She tries her best to go the third mile with each of them. She works, she cleans, she bakes, she washes clothes, worries, prays, cries, helps and is just an all-around great wife and mother. She is worthy of praise, love, flowers, candy, dinner and whatever I can come up with to give her.

I just hope that I can cherish the day with a great lady, wife and mom because time unfortunately is not really on our side when it comes to lots of tomorrows.

On Mother’s Day, or any day, take lots of time and thought for the moms in your life, while you have the chance.

Glenn Mollette is a syndicated columnist and author of 11 books.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Mayors should take bus ride to Springfield and demand legislators get to work A front page headline that appeared in The Reporter in the April 13 issue read: “Bennett rails against state budget impasse.” As many of you know, and Palos Hills Mayor Gerald Bennett himself knows, I don’t always agree with everything he says. This time I do agree with the concerns he and others at their meeting expressed. That being said – now is the time for action.

We all know that one mayor or a group of mayors such as the Southwest Conference of Mayors doesn’t have that much clout. My question is: Are there groups of mayors like the Southwest all over the state of Illinois? If so, it is way past time for more words.

Mayor Bennett, take the lead and get these groups of mayors together and go to Springfield. It is time our representatives listen to what we the people are saying.

Who better to lead than the leaders of our cities, towns and villages? Make it your mission to push this along and get them to listen. Let them know in no uncertain terms that if they don’t get to work and get a budget done, then 2018 will be doomsday for many of them.

The entire adult population of the state knows that it is way past time for party leaders to sit down with Gov. Rauner and get a budget done. We citizens have only one vote and the leaders from both sides have more power than they ever should have been granted. And we know we are helpless to change the way Springfield does business.

For me and my wife and many people that I talk with at my part-time job and when we volunteer at Hines Veterans Hospital, the hour glass is running down. We may not be

around to see the total collapse of our once great state. It is what we are leaving behind for our children and grandchildren that concern us.

Every time I hear or read about another union group marching in Chicago or Springfield to make their demands heard it makes me uneasy. I know they have financial needs as do the rest of the citizens of Illinois. It is their right and privilege to be able to do this.

But sometimes the demands and the methods used to put their points across seem not to be done in good faith. Without knowing all the facts in these matters, it is just my opinion that it seems one-sided.

Mayor Bennett, I know this is asking a lot of you and your valuable time to accept this challenge. Just ask yourself these questions: Is there any other way to accomplish this and am I up to the task? From what I know of you and your passion to get the job done, I say, “Yes you are.”

The outlook for the “Land of Lincoln” seems mighty grim. For the state to be so far in debt, bills not getting paid and total gridlock in the Capitol, it seems that there is little or no hope for the state to ever thrive again, let alone survive.

Being the positive person that I always try to be, it just seems to me that if the state representatives saw bus-loads of mayors from all over the state converging on Springfield they just might get the idea in their thick skulls that something important is about to happen.

I wish I could be there to watch.

— Don C. White, Palos Hills

Russia has ‘invaded’ the White House Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn was fired from his position as National Security Advisor because he lied to Vice President Mike Pence about his contact with Russian officials concerning the sanctions on Russia.

Chief White House Advisor Steve Bannon has stated in the past he is an admirer of Lenin, the founder of Russian Communism.

Former FBI Director James Comey was ostensibly fired on May 9 because of poor performance, but this occurred when Comey was heading up the investigation into Trump’s campaign staff possibly colluding with Russian officials to impact

the 2016 presidential election. Will Trump appoint a Russian sympathizer as the next FBI director?

On May 10, Trump met with two high level Russian officials at the White House, and barred the U.S. media from attending the meeting. However, the meeting was covered by TASS, the state-run media of Russia.

It appears the Russian invasion of the White House produced a liar and dictator as the leader of our country.

— Donald Moskowitz, Londonderry, N.H.

was standing in the lobby of Buca di Beppo on Sunday with my wife and son as some two dozen unhappy people waited nearly an hour for dinner tables to open up.

The restaurant in Orland Park was jam-packed and reservations were running as much as 90 minutes late.

Women, with their families celebrating “Mother’s Day,” were haranguing the poor young female receptionist who did her best to maintain a smile. She explained that as soon as tables opened, all would be seated.

“It’s muddah’s day, people” I wanted to yell, thinking of the popular song by Allan Sherman from back in the 1960s, “Hello Muddah, Hellow Faddah,” in which he complains about having to sit through an uncomfortable camping trip only to end up happy.

Did you think the restaurants were going to be empty?

Despite the wait, we were all seated and we all had our dinners. Was there really a need for frustration?

After thinking of the passenger dragged off of a United Airlines flight last month, I started to think about the entitlement our society enjoys these days.

We expect things. When our expectations are not met, we get angry. We need to blame someone else.

I reminded one of the ladies berating the cashier that it was Mother’s Day. Who expects not to wait for a seat on Mother’s Day? “We’ll get there,” I reassured a lady, who calmed a bit and told the receptionist, “Well, it’s not your fault. You’re doing your best.”

When I was young, we never went out for dinner on Mother’s Day. We stayed home and helped our mom around the house. Dad pulled out the barbecue, saturated the pile of briquettes with charcoal lighter fluid, and tossed in a match creating a large ball of fire to rise up in the air.

Who wouldn’t wait to see that?

We clawed through the crisp chicken, hot dogs and, despite it being Mother’s Day, a large pot of grape leaves stuffed with lamb and rice that my mom insisted on making that morning, even if it was “her day.”

Is going out to dinner with “Mom” the lazy way to celebrate all that “Mothers” do for us?

When we finally sat down and ordered our food, the glow from that evening’s expectations was gone.

Was that the best I could do?

Take my wife to a stressed-out, over-crowded restaurant, wait 90 minutes standing up by the cramped front lobby, and then, in the noise of the packed establishment after getting a table, quickly gobble up the Italian food?

The meal was gone in minutes.

Mind you, I love Buca di Beppo.

It’s not them. It’s all of us. But all that time and effort against all that we got to finally enjoy just didn’t seem very balanced.

I did the routine all men do. I bought my wife flowers. My son and I made her coffee, just the way she likes it, when she got up.

We gave her funny cards from American Greetings that had words thought up by someone else. I also had my son write his mom a letter explaining all the things he is grateful for. All I do in life is write for a living, so I took a pass, of course.

I still wondered how many hundreds of thousands of husbands had gone out that week and gave their wives the exact same Mother’s Day greeting card that I purchased for $6.99 for my wife?

Yet, I think I am going to try to do something else next time.

Maybe a barbecue, again, dinner at home surrounded by the family instead of angry strangers.

This way I can be paranoid and ask myself, “What if I didn’t do enough?”

Hope you had a Happy Mother’s Day, ladies, from the unimaginative men many of us are!

Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author and former Chicago City Hall reporter. Email him at rghanania@gmail.com.

Thursday, May 18, 2017

The Reporter

Walkers salute moms, join in fight against breast cancer

Burke bill would provide cost controls for people with pre-existing conditions

By Kelly White The Little Company of Mary Foundation recognized Mother’s Day in a special way with the 18th annual Beverly Breast Cancer Walk on Sunday morning.

The 3.5-mile walk began at Ridge Park, 96th and Longwood Drive, Chicago. This year, more than 14,000 men, women and children walked the Beverly neighborhood in commemoration of the countless wives, daughters and mothers who fought or are still fighting the war against breast cancer.

Walking for her sister, Ellen Tylkowski, of Oak Lawn, was happy to share her story.

“Our family was so happy when our sister, Barb (Salas, of Chicago), went into remission one year ago and was able to stop treatment,” Tylkowski said. “She is now happy and healthy. Her hair all came back and it’s thicker than ever. We couldn’t be more grateful.”

Tylkowski and her friends walked in tutus that she made by hand. However, she was far from the only one walking for a loved one that morning.

“We are here to walk for anyone who has fought, is still fighting or will be fighting breast cancer in the future,” said Valerie King, of Evergreen Park, who was walking alongside her 9-year-old daughter, Lilyana King. “This is our first year walking and we will definitely be back again next year.”

“The Beverly Breast Cancer Walk is the bringing together of the Beverly, Morgan Park, Evergreen Park and Oak Lawn communities for a common cause that directly benefits the community by enhancing the services of the Little Company of Mary Comprehensive Breast Health Center,” said Brian Lepacek, MDiv, executive director, Little Company of Mary Foundation. “It is an event of the community, by the community and for the community. We can now boast the largest participation of any health-causerelated walk in the metro Chicago area.”

The individual fee for the walk was $30 for on-site registration and $40 per person the day of the event, with a $15 charge for children under the age of 18. All participants received a free commemorative T-shirt.

The walk also served as a fundraiser for participants. Money raised will be used to expand breast health programming and assist those who may be in financial crisis during their treatment.

Over the past 17 years, the walk has raised more than $5 million to support Little Company of Mary Hospital’s award-winning Comprehensive Breast Health Center and impacted the lives of thousands of breast cancer survivors.

With generous community support in 2016, the hospital was able to sustain its funding

Photos by Kelly White

The 18th Annual Beverly Breast Cancer Walk, sponsored by the Little Company of Mary Hospital Foundation, took place on Sunday. Participants included (from left) Pat Deskovich, Linda Schremp and Ellen Tylkowski, of Oak Lawn. The three friends wore tutus that Tylkowski made.

Malina Waller, 5, and her mother, University of Chicago Chemotherapy nurse Monica Mitchell, take part in the 18th Annual Beverly Breast Cancer Walk on Sunday.

State Rep. Kelly Burke (D36th) introduced a bill that she said would protect people with preexisting conditions from having their insurance stripped or see their premiums increased.

“With so much uncertainty at the national level, I believe we must take action to help protect health care access and affordability for middle-class families,” Burke said. “Health insurance companies should not be raising rates simply to pad already excessive corporate profits.”

The Evergreen Park representative voted to pass House Bill 2624, which would protect middle-class families and seniors from the double-digit rate increases that many see year after year. Her measure creates an independent Health Insurance Rate Review Board, which will scrutinize proposed insurance premiums and block un-

justified increases intended only to increase corporate profits at the expense of consumers.

Burke helped to pass state-level protections for people with preexisting conditions like cancer, diabetes or heart disease. Burke said that while Washington politicians continue fighting to repeal federal protections for these at-risk individuals, her House Bill 2959 would prevent insurance companies selling policies in Illinois from discriminating against the sickest, oldest and most in need of care. The legislation passed the House with bipartisan support.

“Many of us know someone who has a preexisting condition and who struggled to cover the costs of high-risk health insurance,” Burke said. “My measure protects these individuals and ensures they will continue to have access to care.”

DEATH NOTICES

Walter Dvells Walter E. Dvells, 78, a Worth resident, died May 9 at the Lexington Healthcare Center in Chicago Ridge.

Mr. Dvells was a retired pipefitter. He was a member of the Pipe Insulators Local 17. He was also a former Boy Scout leader with Troop 456, a Girl Scout Troop leader and a former member of the Worth Lions. Relatives described him as being passionate about rescuing greyhounds and sheltie dogs. He was also an American Legion rider.

Survivors include his wife, Kathleen (nee Cornell); daughter, Julie Mignogna; son, Walter Jr.; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Services were Monday at Schmaedeke Funeral Home. Interment followed at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

Corinne Eldrenkamp

of current breast health programming and continue deepening its impact with the establishment of a Crisis Fund to assist breast cancer patients with emergent financial needs within the community.

“The biggest thing that puts a smile on my face is seeing women come in after treatment and seeing how happy they are,” said Dr. Jilma Patrick, fellowship-trained breast surgeon at Little Company of Mary Hospital. “I love what I do. I love working with my patients.”

The walk began in 1999, after Chicago-area resident Carol Moriarty sought treatment at Little Company of Mary’s Comprehensive Breast Health Center to aid her in her battle with breast cancer. After a successful plan of treatments, Moriarity found herself cancerfree. It was then that she and her sister,

Nancy Mulcahy, and longtime friend, and Beverly resident Lisa O’Brien, decided to give residents a local option in the fight against breast cancer. What started as a simple walk among a group of friends and family on Mother’s Day quickly grew into a 14,000 participants and community-wide event.

“Eighteen years is living proof that if we join hands and talents together, we can make a difference and save lives,” Lepacek said.

The day on which the annual walk takes place — Mother’s Day — is no coincidence.

“My mother has been a breast cancer survivor for the past seven years,” said Ken Corrano, who attended with his wife, Carrie; his 5-year-old daughter, Opal, and his mother, Diane Corrano. “We walk this walk together with her every Mother’s Day as a way to celebrate her.”

Corinne E. “Coy” Eldrenkamp (nee Vis), 96, died May 8 at her Oak Lawn home.

Mrs. Eldrenkamp was a retired secretary for Clark Oil Refinery in Blue Island.

Survivors include daughters, Judy L. Eldrenkamp and Nancy Zylstra; two grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

Services were Friday from Colonial Chapel to Calvin Christian Reformed Church. Interment followed at Fairmount-Willow Hills Memorial Park.

Anthony Neumann Anthony J. “Tony” Neumann, 73, died May 8 at his Hickory Hills home.

Mr. Neumann worked in the manufacturing industry. He was an avid golfer and gardener.

Survivors include his wife, Betty (nee Formanski); sons, Anthony Paul and David; sister, Patricia Robinson; four grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Services were Friday at Palos Gaidas Funeral Home.

Home remodeling ideas inspired by neighborhood walks

C

urb Appeal is a term I’ve been hearing a lot of recently. It’s not a new buzzword, but it is being used much more frequently, possibly due to popular HGTV shows like “Fixer Upper,” “Property Brothers” and “House Hunters,” to name a few.

Here you can see a house transformed inside and out in the space of an hour. Even in real time, seven weeks is phenomenal in renovating a home.

It’s sort of like a Janet version Boudreau “Drive–Thru” of home remodeling and it just doesn’t exist in the real world.

Merriam-Webster defines curb appeal as the visual attraction of a house as seen from the street. I pondered this a little while. While it’s all well and good that passerby admire your neat, well-kept home and overall appearance, are we pleasing ourselves or trying to live up to a standard? Are we (and our homes) going to be judged by how things look to strangers driving by?

My husband and I realized very early

7

on in the spring that we were going to need a new driveway and porch as the original was pretty much crumbling before our eyes. As much as the cost made us cringe, we knew it was a project we had to face, much like the new roof last year, and the backyard fence the year before that.

I’m no slouch when it comes to taking in the beautiful homes in my neighborhood. When I walk the dogs, the baby, or just myself, I’m particularly drawn to the landscaping — flowers, bushes, trees.

Everything comes to life in the spring and summer, almost as if the world has gone from black and white to vivid color.

I get ideas for how I want to plant my flower beds, notice the new and improved planters, and the dwarf trees that wouldn’t dream of clogging up your sewer pipes.

As I was out on my stroll last week, I started to notice porches. Oh my! Not just the same old concrete and iron railings. No wood, brick, stone and pavers.

I never realized all the options. I took a few snaps with my cellphone camera. Of course, I was discreet. It wasn’t as if I had a telephoto lens. Every day I walked a little more and accumulated more and more pictures of pretty homes. In the evening we would flip through them.

“I like the blue shutters on this one,” my husband would say.

“What do you think of a burning bush or two near the porch?” I asked. “I like that idea; maybe we should spring for sod, too.”

So now I sit here looking at folders — one for each project — filled with photos, sketches, quotes and proposals. My head is reeling. The contractors have long lists of customers waiting for much the same.

It may be fall until we have our house looking the way we want.

Did I fall for the whole curb appeal fad? I don’t know. It was more of a snowball effect. You buy new living room furniture and then you realize you should paint. You decide you should get a new area rug and hey, why not throw in a new lamp or two?

That said, you may not recognize our house next summer if you drive by. I do know I’ll be smiling whenever I’m out watering my green grass or pruning my dwarf weeping willow. That’s what really appeals to me.

Janet Boudreau is a writer and lifestyle blogger, and longtime resident of Evergreen Park. You can reach her at blndy9@yahoo.com.

Chicago Ridge Lions Club honors village sticker contest winner

Knights assist Sacred Heart

Submitted photo

The Knights of Columbus Crusaders Council presented a check for $600 to the Special Religious Education Program (SPRED) at Sacred Heart Parish in Palos Hills last month. Taking part in the presentation were (from left) David Gaidas, head usher at Sacred Heart Parish; the Rev. Jacek Wrona, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish; Beth Mikula, from the Religious Education program at Sacred Heart; and George Griffin, Knights of Columbus Crusaders Council. The Knights of Columbus are the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization. More information can be obtained by calling George, (630) 257-1630.

In honor of the Lions Club International’s 100-year anniversary, The Chicago Ridge Lions Club partnered with the Village of Chicago Ridge to host an artwork contest for the village vehicle sticker for 2017-18.

Junior high students, all Chicago Ridge residents from Finley Junior High, Our Lady of the Ridge School, Worth Junior High and Simmons Junior High, were invited to submit artwork to be judged.

The winner will be placed on the village vehicle stickers this year.

The winner was Megan Doon, from Finley Junior High School. Placing second was Mariah Santiago and third was Weronika Kaczmarazyk, who both attend Finley.

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8 The Reporter

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Governor meets Dist. 117 students at Tech Conference Gov. Bruce Rauner took time out of his day recently to stop and chat with North Palos District 117 students who were demonstrating how technology is being used in their classrooms.

Students from Glen Oaks, Oak Ridge and Conrady junior high school were invited to Springfield to share their knowledge of technology before local legislators and the public.

The event was called “TECH 2017” and students from select schools across the state were invited to attend. Various lawmakers were invited to the event and watch as students from the districts they represent demonstrated their command of various technologies.

State Rep. Kelly Burke (D-36th) and state Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18th) took time to meet with the District 117 students.

From elementary to high school classrooms, TECH 2017 highlighted the role that technology plays in education. The conference ranges from increases in collaboration and critical think-

ing to promoting learning beyond the limits of the school day by creating a space for students to share their learning and innovative uses of devices, the Internet and digital curriculum.

Conrady presented on “Project Lead the Way: Designing, Building and Innovative Thinking.”

Conrady teachers Megan Patti, Ginger Houston and Tim Prendergast teach the Project Lead the Way curriculum and nominated the students to showcase work from their “Flight & Space and Design & Modeling courses.

Natalie Profita, technology instruction coordinator; Devin Conroy and Sebastian Szczech, both seventh grade students, and Karol Bryja, a sixth grade student, demonstrated how technology in Project Lead the Way courses has allowed them to persevere through challenging and real-world tasks as they identified the constraints and criteria in the design of gliders and 3D virtual cubes.

Oak Ridge School presented on “Inspiring Creativity and Im-

pacting Student Learning Through Digital Arts.” Shadia Salem, technology instruction coordinator; Carl Buralli, a fifth grade student; Masah Farhan, a fourth grade student; and Ian Taylor, a fifth grade student, showcased how they integrated art, design and technology to create projects that fosters creativity, critical-thinking skills, communication and collaboration.

Students used what they learned with these digital arts tools to incorporate into their classroom curriculum.

Glen Oaks School presented on “Using Digital Arts in the Classroom.” Christine Pulgar, library media specialist, and Natalie Tyrala, a fifth grade student, shared projects they created that included technology-enhanced videos, comic strips and art techniques that demonstrated their understanding of the curriculum.

The main purpose to hold TECH 2017 was to raise awareness of the critical role technology plays in preparing students to succeed in today’s world.

Gaelic Park to host Irish step dancing contest

Submitted photo

Gov. Bruce Rauner greets students from North Palos District 117 recently who attended a Tech Conference in Springfield.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

CHICAGO RIDGE Park district plans Brookfield Zoo outing

The Chicago Ridge Park District will sponsor a bus trip for an outing to Brookfield Zoo on Saturday, May 20.

The bus will leave the Freedom Activity Center, 6252 W. Birmingham Ave., Chicago Ridge, at 9 a.m. and will return about 4 p.m. The transportation fee is $7 for residents and $12 for non-residents. More information can be obtained by calling (708) 636-4900.

Bus trip to Chicago Botanic Gardens The Chicago Park District will sponsor a trip to the Chicago Botanic Gardens on Saturday, June 3.

The bus leaves the Freedom Activity Center, 6252 W. Birmingham Ave., Chicago Ridge, at 10 a.m. and is scheduled to return at about 3:30 p.m. Guests will have an opportunity to view 26 gardens on 385 acres.

Admission is free to Botanic Gardens. The fee for transportation is $10 for residents and $15 for non-residents. More information can be obtained by calling (708) 636-4900.

EVERGREEN PARK ‘Jungle Book’ movie event to benefi children with Down syndrome

The recent Disney version of “The Jungle Book” will be presented to benefit children with

Down syndrome beginning at 7 p.m. today (Thursday, May 18) at Evergreen Park High School, 9901 S. Kedzie Ave. The all-inclusive event is also open to all children of all ages.

The movie, which is being shown in part through Orion Theaters, will also be presented at 7 p.m.

Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20. The movie will also be presented at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 21.

Children with Down syndrome will display their talents during this event. Guests can win a new iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi 128GB. The raffle ticket fee is $10. All proceeds for this event will go towards the DIS Theater Program. The fee at the door is $15. More information can be obtained by calling Juliette DeNova, (708) 614-6118.

Community garden blessing to be held A community garden blessing will be held at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, May 21 at the United By Faith Lutheran Church, 3240 W. 98th St., Evergreen Park.

The blessing will take place as members prepare for the growing season. This is the sixth year the blessing has taken place. A living labyrinth is also open to the community during daylight hours, seven days a week.

Farmers Market is now open at Yukich Field The Farmers Market will be held from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Thursday until mid-October at Yukich Field, 8900 S. Kedzie Ave., Evergreen Park.

A new season of goods and other novelties will be available

for purchase. More information or to become a vendor, call (708) 422-8776.

OAK LAWN

Oak Lawn Garden Club prepares for plant sale The Oak Lawn Garden Club will hold their annual plant sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 20 at the Centennial Park Gazebo, 9400 S. Nashville Ave. Many mature perennials will be available from the gardens of members. Grasses, vegetables and herbs will be available for purchase. The day’s event will also include garden art and a treasure chest. No sales begin before 9 a.m. More information can be obtained by calling Pat Bugos, (708) 424-9193.

Oak Lawn Community Garden seeks volunteers The Oak Lawn Community Garden is currently accepting registrations for the 2017 season.

This is a cooperative project between the Oak Lawn Park District, School District 123, and the Village of Oak Lawn. The garden is located at the corner of 104th and Cook Avenue.

Participants can grow their own produce or sign up to be a pantry garden volunteer to grow produce for local food pantries. In the 2016 season, the Oak Lawn Garden Community Garden donated 350 pounds of produce to local charities. The 2017 goal is to double that donation.

Allotments to rent are limited in availability. More information

can be found at www.olparks.com or by emailing Dolly Foster, Oak Lawn Park District Horticulturist, at dfoster@olparks.com.

Free summer concerts and movies at Village Green The Oak Lawn Park District and Village of Oak Lawn presents free summer concerts and movies on the Village Green, 95th Street and 52nd Avenue.

The first concert is scheduled for Sunday, June 4. The first movie is scheduled to be shown on Friday, June 23. All six concerts will begin at 7 p.m. on Sundays. All three movies will begin at dusk on Fridays.

For a full listing of concerts and movies, check out the summer program guide at www.olparks. com or call (708) 857-2200.

Auditions for Oak Lawn Park District Theatre production of ‘Pippen’ A casting call will be held by the Oak Lawn Park District Community Theatre group for the production of “Pippen” with auditions scheduled at 7:30 p.m.

Monday, June 5 and Tuesday, June 6 at the Oak View Center, 4625 W. 110th St., Oak Lawn.

Callbacks, if necessary, will be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 7 at Oak View. Individuals auditioning should have a song prepared, preferably from the show, and be prepared to dance. Show dates are Aug. 4,5,6,11,12 and 13.

For more information, call (708) 857-2200.

Oak Lawn film group to view, discuss ‘Argo’ CineVerse, the Oak Lawn Park District’s weekly film discussion group open to anyone age 17 and older, will celebrate its 12th anniversary by screening and discussing the 2012 movie “Argo” from 7 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, June 7 at the Oak View Community Center, 4625 W. 110th St., Oak Lawn.

Members should check the building signage for the correct room number. More information can be obtained by calling (708) 529-9028 or visit cineversegroup. blogspot.com.

Vacation Bible School to be held at Oak Lawn Bible School The annual Vacation Bible School will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, July 17 through July 21, at the Oak Lawn Bible Church, 9435 S. 54th Ave. The program is open for children entering preschool (ages 3 to 4) through fifth grade. This year’s program is entitled “Galactic Starveyors: Discovering the God of the Universe.” Children do not need to be members of the church to attend.

The program is free. For more information, call (708) 857-9800 or visit www.oaklawnbible.org.

To register online, go to oaklawnbible.org/events.

PALOS HILLS

Health screenings offered at Palos Twp. Health Services A variety of health screenings will be offered this month through the Palos Township Health Services at 10802 S. Roberts Road, Palos Hills.

A free melanoma program will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 17. Free hearing screenings will be presented from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 23. A free spine program will be presented at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 21.

Free hearing screenings will also be offered from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 27.

Residents who would like to register for a program or need more information can call (708) 598-2441.

Palos Township to hold resource fair The Palos Township Health and Resource Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday, June 28 at 10842 S. Roberts Road, Palos Hills. More information is available on the website at www. palostownship.org/hs. More information can be obtained by calling (708) 598-2441.

WORTH

St. Mark Church members to honor vets with luncheon at AL Post Members of St. Mark Lutheran Church are inviting veterans and guests for a special luncheon honoring them for their services from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 20 at the Marrs-Meyer American Legion Post 191, 11001 S. Depot, Worth.

The event is open to current servicemen and women who are stationed at home or abroad. Veterans who have previously served are also welcome.

Lunch, free drawings and door prizes will all be part of the festivities. More information can be obtained by contacting Vivian, (708) 444-1720, or St. Mark Church, (708) 448-6555.

Worth Cruisers Car Club schedules weekly Cruise Nights The Worth Cruisers Car Club will hold their Cruise Nights from 6 to 9 p.m. every Monday through Oct. 6 in the parking lot of the Water’s Edge golf course, 11500 S. Harlem Ave., Worth.

Memorial Day observance A Memorial Day observance will be held beginning at 11 a.m. Sunday, May 21 at Veterans Memorial Park, 111th Street and Harlem Avenue, Worth. The observance will be held at the Veteran’s Memorial Eternal Flame. Worth public officials will take part in the event, as well as the Marrs-American Legion Post 991.

LEGAL NOTICE

The Chicago Feis 2017 (Irish Step Dancing Competition) will be held Sunday, May 28 and Monday, May 29 at Gaelic Park, 6119 W. 147th St., Oak Forest.

The event is being held in conjunction with Irish Fest. Registration begins each day at 7 a.m. with the competition being held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Over 500 dancers are expected to participate in the two-day competition.

Categories for dancers are beginner, advanced beginner, novice, open and adult beginner. Competitors in the prize-winning category must win a first place in all five dances in order to progress to preliminary championships. Preliminary championship dancers must win two first places in order to qualify for the open championship category.

Online registration is open at www.quickfeis and will close on Sunday, May 14 unless the cap is reached before then. More information on the Chicago Feis event can also be obtained by calling Gaelic Park, (708) 687-9323, or visit chicagogaelicparkirishfest. org

LEGAL NOTICE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, DOING BUSINESS AS CHRISTIANA TRUST, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR BCAT 2015-14ATT Plaintiff, -v.LESLIE MEJIA, PULASKI ROAD CONDOMINIUMS Defendants 2016 CH 02763 10016 S. PULASKI UNIT 9 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 March 28, 2017, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on June 27, 2017, 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: UNIT NUMBER 9 AND P9 IN THE PULASKI ROAD CONDOMINIUM, AS DELINEATED ON A SURVEY OF THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED TRACT OF LAND: LOT 7 (EXCEPT THE NORTH 3 1/2 FEET THEREOF), ALL OF LOTS 8 AND 9 AND THE NORTH 3 1/2 FEET OF LOT 10, TOGETHER WITH THE EAST 1/2 OF THE VACATED ALLEY LYING WEST OF AND ADJOINING SAID LOTS AND PARTS OF LOTS IN BLOCK 1 IN THE CHARLES WADSWORTH SUBDIVISION OF THE EAST 661.05 FEET OF THE SOUTH 120 ACRES OF THE SOUTHEAST 1/4 OF SECTION 10, TOWNSHIP 37 NORTH, RANGE 13, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. WHICH SURVEY IS ATTACHED AS EXHIBIT ‘’A’’ TO THE DECLARATION OF CONDOMINIUM RECORDED AS DOCUMENT NUMBER 0533239037; TOGETHER WITH ITS UNDIVIDED PERCENTAGE INTEREST IN THE COMMON ELEMENTS IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. Commonly known as 10016 S. PULASKI UNIT 9, Oak Lawn, IL 60453 Property Index No. 24-10-407-0591009; 24-10-407-059-1021.

The real estate is improved with a condominium.

The judgment amount was $192,223.36.

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 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, contact Plaintiff s attorney: MARINOSCI LAW GROUP, P.C., 134 N LaSalle St., STE 1900, Chicago, IL 60602, (312) 9408580 Please refer to file number 16-03371.

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.

MARINOSCI LAW GROUP, P.C. 134 N LaSalle St., STE 1900 Chicago, IL 60602 (312) 940-8580 E-Mail: mlgil@mlg-defaultlaw.com Attorney File No. 16-03371 Attorney Code. 59049 Case Number: 2016 CH 02763 TJSC#: 37-3473 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.

CONSUMER NEWS

Thursday, May 18, 2017

COMINGS & GOINGS

A

Jewel looks to acquire Strack & Van Til stores

Sprint to open 105 new stores in Chicago area Sprint announced Monday it will hire 500 employees to staff more than 100 new stores in the Chicago area by 2018.

The company plans to open 105 Sprint and Boost Mobile stores in south suburban locations that include Oak Lawn and Summit.

and so on — you may ay is National reduce the impact of Physical a downturn on your Fitness and portfolio. Keep in mind, Sports Month. If you though, that this type can exercise regularly, of diversification can’t you’ll help yourself guarantee profits or help feel better, control you avoid all losses. your weight and even While exercise is reduce the chances essential to maintaining of developing certain Scott good health, it isn’t the diseases. But why not Johnson only factor involved. extend the concept of You should also get reg“fitness” to other areas ular checkups with a medical of your life — such as your professional, who can run variinvestment portfolio? ous tests to measure changes And to help maintain a healthy portfolio, you can draw in cholesterol, blood pressure, on some of the same principles heart function and other areas.

To help ensure your portfolio is that apply to keeping your healthy, you also need to chart body in good shape. its progress over time.

Consider, for example, one And that doesn’t just mean of the things that happen when determining if you’re getting you exercise — namely, your the growth you need, though body uses more oxygen. As that’s obviously of great interan investor, you may need est to you. You also need to your portfolio to get “oxygen” evaluate whether your portfoin the form of infusions of lio has gotten out of balance, new investment dollars. If you which can occur without your stop putting money into your portfolio, you’ll need to rely on doing anything at all. To illustrate: If you start out with a your existing investments to certain percentage of one type grow enough to help you meet your long-term goals, such as a of investment, such as stocks, and these stocks grow to a comfortable retirement. Could point where they now take up that happen? Maybe, but you a bigger share of your portfowill likely be better off by inlio, you may be taking on more vesting consistently, year after risk than you had intended. year. And by spreading your Consequently, you should contributions over a period review your portfolio at least of decades, you don’t have to once a year to evaluate both come up with large sums at its performance and its balany one time. ance. Once you’ve compared Another element important where you are today with to exercise is the need to where you were a year ago, avoid injury. That’s why all you’ll be in a better position sorts of athletes, both comto make appropriate changes if petitive and casual, stretch needed. before they swing into action.

Do what it takes to keep Many of them also take other yourself physically fit — but injury-avoidance steps, such also take steps to ensure your as strengthening their “core” investment portfolio is in good through abdominal work shape. It’s vitally important to and increasing their flexibilyour future — and you can do ity through yoga. When you invest, you can be “injured” if the work without even breaking a sweat. your portfolio takes a hit during a market downturn. HowScott Johnson, CFP, is a ever, this type of injury will financial advisor with Edward likely be much more severe if Jones, 8146 W. 111th St., Palos your portfolio is over-concenHills, (708) 974-1965. Edward trated in just one asset class Jones does not provide legal and the downturn primarily advice. This article was writaffects those exact assets. ten by Edward Jones for use But if you own many difby your local Edward Jones ferent types of assets – stocks, financial advisor. bonds, government securities,

M

p.m. on Sundays.

Markella’s joins a short list of south suburban restaurants in the Hall of Fame. Others include Burbank’s Dugout, Peppo’s in Palos Hills, Casciani’s Pizzeria in Hodgkins, Gold Coast Dogs at Midway Airport, and Little Joe’s Beef in Countryside.

You can find the complete list of Hall of Fame members at www.viennabeef.com.

Jewel-Osco has submitted an offer of $100 million to buy 19 Strack & Van Til and Town & Country grocery stores in Indiana and “certain other assets” of Joliet-based Central Grocers, the companies said this week.

Jewel, a subsidiary of Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons, made the offer two weeks after Central Grocers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, announced it would lay off hundreds of workers at its Joliet warehouse, sell up to 22 Strack locations and close nine Ultra discount stores including locations in Lansing, Crestwood, Wheaton, Joliet, Chicago Heights, Calumet Park and Forest Park.

The offer includes $70 million for the stores and $30 million for inventory.

Central Grocers, a cooperative that serves as a wholesaler for some 400 independent grocers in the Chicago area, is the parent company of Strack & Van Til and Ultra Foods stores in Indiana and Illinois.

Under terms of Jewel’s proposed purchase, Jewel has agreed to retain most employees in the 19 stores it plans to acquire.

9

Investors should have a ‘healthy’ portfolio

Markella’s in Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame nother south suburban restaurant recently entered Vienna Beef’s Hot Dog Hall of Fame.

Markella’s Gyros, which opened in 1994 at 15500 S. Cicero Ave. in Oak Forest, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in April.

The restaurant was opened by Robert and Miriam Sarantopulos who Bob named it after daughter, Bong their Markella.

“I have been taking orders since I was 10,” said Markella. “We all work there.”

The family-owned and operated eatery has become an iconic neighborhood favorite and is known for awardwinning burgers, Vienna Beef hot dogs, Ditka “monster” 1/3 pound Polish sausages, and, of course, their gyros.

“We have dine-in, carryout and drive-through,” said Markella.

In addition to the food, Markella’s also has free Wi-Fi, a TV and outdoor dining. The owners recently added five video slot machines.

They also are civic-minded and are active with Oak Forest Cheerleading, VFW Ladies Auxiliary and other community service projects. Markella’s helps sponsor Down in the Southland, which supports Down Syndrome children events.

“These are some of the reasons why Vienna Beef feels so strongly about acknowledging these deserving foodservice businesses,” the company said. “Therefore, it is with great pride that we thank and welcome Markella’s Gyros into the Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame. From all of us at Vienna, we wish Robert, Miriam and Markella much continued success.”

Hours are from 10:30 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 10:30 a.m. to 9

The Reporter

Photo by Bob Bong

Markella’s Gyros is the latest restaurant to join the Vienna Beef Hall of Fame.

County offers tax incentive to Bedford business Cook County commissioners last week approved three proposals from President Toni Preckwinkle’s Bureau of Economic Development that will provide tax incentives to businesses in Cook County.

The incentives, which will either create new or save existing jobs, were approved for Bedford Park, Elk Grove Village and Franklin Park.

As a result of redevelopment activities, these incentives should support the creation of an estimated 15 new private sector full-time jobs, retain an estimated 35 full-time jobs and support 66 construction jobs.

“The companies receiving these incentives have demonstrated their commitment to our communities and residents,” Preckwinkle said in a release. “I’m pleased that we are able to use our tax incentive tools to either keep or expand businesses in Cook

County.”

Chicago Pallet Service, 5133 W. 66th St., will sell a property it owns in either Elk Grove Village or Maywood and move manufacturing and recycling of pallets to the Bedford Park site. It will receive a Class 6b incentive and is expected to create 10 full-time jobs, retain 15 full-time jobs and support 22 construction jobs.

Dugout to hold First Responders Appreciation Day The Dugout restaurant, 6300 W. 79th St. in Burbank, will hold a First Responders Appreciation Day for all military personnel, police officers and firefighters on Saturday, May 20.

Owner Mike DeStefano said first responders will eat free all day on Saturday.

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

House passes Secretary of State White’s legislation to modernize state’s mandatory insurance program Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White commended the Illinois House for passing legislation his office initiated that he said will modernize the state’s mandatory insurance verification program while adhering to national standards designed to streamline the process.

“My office has led the effort to establish and implement an electronic vehicle insurance policy verification

program,” said White. “This program will better ensure that registered motorists have and maintain automobile insurance policies.”

House Bill 2610, sponsored by state Rep. John D’Amico (D-15th), establishes an electronic motor vehicle liability insurance policy verification program that follows national standards established by the Insurance Industry Committee

on Motor Vehicle Administration. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Beginning in 2019, vehicle owners’ automobile insurance will be verified at least twice a calendar year at random intervals in order to ensure that vehicle owners are complying with the state’s mandatory auto liability insurance laws.

W

e think of wine as a drink of the French and the Italians, and there is no question the people of France and Italy love their wine. We may also associate wine as an American or Australian beverage. Much of the wine here is produced in either California or the Land Down Under.

Wine’s origins, however, go back as far as 4,000 years and likely longer, to the Far East and Middle East.

Legend has it that 4,000 years ago in China, Yu the Great – the founder and first ruler of the Xia Dynasty – discovered the healing properties of wine.

After an eight-year war, disastrous floods and pestilence, Yu was in such distress he could no longer eat or sleep. His doctor disappeared, but a maid known as Ti Tieh served him some wine she had made.

In ancient Persia, present day Iran, which many historians credit as the birthplace of wine, a king noted the healing abilities of wine nearly 2,000 years before Christ.

The king found this out by accident. After commanding the juice of grapes be pressed and brought to him, he had it blessed and placed in a touchstone, where he drank it daily. After a while, the juice became bitter, and believing it had been poisoned, he put it aside.

Later that day one of the king’s slaves became very ill and, believing he was going to die, tried to end his misery by drinking the “poison” juice. After drinking just a little, however, he felt better.

After drinking a little bit more, he fell asleep. When he woke up, his illness was gone. The king heard this story and drank some of the juice himself. He then ordered it as “the king’s medicine.”

Following are the property transfers in the area, according to the latest report, as received from the Cook County Recorder of Deeds Office.

The Reporter Newspaper does not attempt to correct errors made by that office.

Chicago Ridge

Wine played a significant role in ancient Palestine, beginning in the 2nd century, B.C. The Old Testament has more than 500 references to wine and discusses its healing properties, but not until the Last Supper in the New Testament does wine attain the highest praise it has every received. It became the symbol of the blood of Jesus Christ.

One thing is for sure: Wine has been healing people for years and continues to do so today. The moderate consumption of this wonderful drink can boost your immune system, help keep your heart healthy and kills the harmful bacteria in your digestive system that leads to sickness and disease.

It is a true wonder drug and one that will not cause the host of side effects produced by the prescription pharmaceuticals rampantly consumed these days by a desperate public.

Anthony Scarano is not a doctor.

He is an Evergreen Park resident, winemaker and certified naturopath. Suggestions in this space are his opinions based on years of independent study and personal experience. Wine should be consumed in moderation. Overindulgence may be harmful to your health.

registration.

White’s office chaired the Uninsured Motorist Verification Advisory Committee that worked in concert with insurance companies, traffic safety advocates and members of the General Assembly.

The task force reviewed best practices and helped provide the guidelines used to establish legislation and program requirements.

AREA PROPERTY TRANSFERS

THE BEST OF THE WINE GUY

A centuries-old cure is still healing

Insurance companies will work in conjunction with the secretary of state’s office to electronically verify that motorists in question have insurance. If electronic verification is unsuccessful, the secretary of state’s office will follow up with a written request to the vehicle owner giving them the opportunity to prove they have insurance before suspending the vehicle owner’s

Juszczak Allan J to Izurieta E Geovanni, 6139 Marshall Ave, Unit #201, $62,500; Gorowski Mariusz J to Martinez Hector Jr, 10912 S Central Ave, Unit #303, $82,000; Kresal Diane Tr to Saleh Arwah, 7000 Oconnell Dr, Unit #104, $52,000.

Evergreen Park Three Point Properties LLC to London Karen M, 3105 W 100th St, $219,000; Davis John Walter Tr to Fitzgerald James B, 9849 S Trumbull Ave, $247,000; Kirtley Melody Ann to First Midwest Bk Tr, 9541 S Kedzie Ave, Unit #2H, $26,000; Corporation Rehab Grp LLC to Morales Lakesha, 9119 S Avers Ave, $247,000; Mustari Rose Marie Tr to Bird John J, 3730 W 97th St, $179,000; Bank Amer to Accel Cap LLC, 8737 S Mozart St, $75,000.

Hickory Hills Musa Holding Grp to Jbara Izzeddin, 8814 S Oakwood Dr, $247,500; Hintz Kenneth A to Hammad Tahani, 8012 W Baldwin Trl, $258,500; Lanowski Branislaw to Misztal Mateusz, 9240 S 88th Ave, $375,000.

Oak Lawn Duran Sharon A to Dillon Shawn, 5376 W 89th St, $205,000; JIG LLC to Montoya Diego, 4347

Fairfax St, $210,000; Szczepaniak Catherine Tr to Hamlin Grp Inc, 10612 Laramie Ave, $145,000; Perez Rodolfo Jr to JIG LLC, 10832 Laporte Ave, $175,000; Judicial Sales Corp to Cirrus Inv Grp LLC, 9215 Melvina Ave, $264,500; Bank New York Mellon to NMZ Prop LLC, 9127 S Komensky Ave, $183,000; Juciene Lijana to Auspaugh Carlene E, 10625 S Kenton Ave, $269,000; Ciechna Terrence C to Louie Albert K, 10935 S Komensky Ave, $143,000; Lauder Christine to First Midwest Bk Tr, 4858 Wick Dr, $120,000; First Midwest Bk Tr to Reidy Timothy P, 5116 105th Pl, $210,000; Judicial Sales Corp to N Holdings LLC, 5404 Otto Pl, $117,500; Flanagan Rosemarie to Mikulski John, 9736 Mansfield Ave, $96,000; Perez Debra M to Tarasovas Eimantas, 8817 55th Ct, $153,000; Strimel Anthony W to Galvin Patrick, 4016 106th St, $225,000; Brady Mary Tr to Chesna Nathaniel, 10524 S Keating Ave, Unit #1043, $107,000; Marquette Bk Tr to Kopeikin Richard, 10308 S Circle Dr, Unit #104, $46,000; Nienhaus Joseph W Tr to Forrest Thomas E, 5045 Oak Center Dr, $125,000; Holloway John H to Edward Gal Rentals Inc, 6101 W 94th St, Unit #C5, $70,000; Fannie Mae to Koziol Suzanne, 9217 Meade Ave, $162,500; US Bank to Musa Hldg Grp LLC, 9740 S Keeler Ave, $152,500; Shaban Balqees to Ibrahim Sonya H, 10933 Kolmar Ave, $185,000; Bialik Rasa A Tr to Gul Shabnum, 5840 104th St, Unit #418, $90,000.

$147,000; Bockos Harry to Poskus David J, 11042 Theresa Cir, Unit #1D, $112,000; Ryan Carol Jean to Argiropoulos Nikoloas, 11352 Moraine Dr, Unit D, $115,000; Kasperski Joseph E to SLH Const Inc, 10108 S 87th Ave, $175,000; Vaci Sandra A Tr to Vaci Nicholas F,

11331 S Roberts Rd, Unit J, $94,000.

Worth

Marquette Bk Tr to Kieta Marcin, 7523 W 109th St, $176,500; Fannie Mae to Dickerson Sonia, 10932 S Ridgeland Ave, $133,000; Parlich Patrick H to Santilli George R, 7227 W 114th Pl, $140,000; Battista James to Holmes Michael Tr, 11532 S Worth Ave, $135,000.

Mortgage Rates Around the Area First Midwest Bank (as of May 15) 30-year fi ed

RATES 4.125

APR 4.160

POINTS 0

15-year fi ed

3.250

3.305

0

30-year fi ed Jumbo

4.000

4.045

0

United Trust Bank (as of May 15) 30-year fi ed

RATES 4.060

APR 4.028

POINTS 0

15-year fi ed

3.375

3.367

0

10-year fi ed

3.250

3.260

0

Prospect Savings Bank (as of May 16) 30-year fi ed

RATES 4.000

APR 4.114

POINTS .25

20-year fi ed

3.875

4.032

.25

Palos Hills

15-year fi ed

3.250

3.449

.25

Jaronczyk Jakub S to Losoya Robert D, 9174 South Rd, Unit #9174B,

All rates subject to change daily. Equal opportunity lenders.

10 The Reporter

Thursday, May 18, 2017

WHATIZIT?

Oak Lawn resident shares memories of Riverview Park

By Joe Boyle

Photo by Joe Boyle

The clue for this week’s Whatizit photo (above) is: Pleasant waters.

Send your responses with your name and hometown by noon Monday to thereporter@comcast.net.

Carol and Jerry Janicki, of Worth, knew the correct answer to last week’s photo quiz. It was Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens, 7402 Lake Katherine Drive, in Palos Heights. The 85-acre non-profit park includes woodlands, prairie, wetlands, gardens and a 10-acre lake.

Visitors come to the park to hike, jog, walk, walk their dogs, or just to enjoy nature. Lake Katherine also has canoes and kayaks to rent. A children’s play area is available, along with a children’s forest.

SUDOKU

Oak Lawn resident Larry Bergnach took about 50 people on a nostalgic journey of sorts that included memories of the Bobs, the Tunnel of Love and Aladdin’s Castle.

Bergnach, who provides presentations linked to Chicago’s past, showed a half-hour film and discussed a “Nostalgic Trip to Riverview and White City Amusement Parks” on May 10 at the Oak Lawn Library. The movie portion was specifically about Riverview, Chicago’s iconic amusement park, located at Belmont and Western Avenue on the city’s North Side.

“Riverview was our Disneyland,” Bergnach told the audience members, many of whom were older and remembered the park vividly.

Bergnach recalled many of the popular rides at the amusement park that also included the Flying Turns, the Chutes, miniature hot rods and a train ride that went around the park.

“They had a Ferris wheel, a showboat ride, a wild mouse rollercoaster and a merry-go-round that had 70 horses,” Bergnach said. “After Riverview closed, the merry-go-round was sold to a Six Flags in Georgia. It is still there today.”

That merry-go-round from Riverview was included in the film and shown in its new location.

The one image that stands out for residents who went to the park was that of Aladdin’s Castle. The figure of Aladdin peered over the park and was the one image that everyone that went to Riverview would remember.

Bergnach said that when people would enter Aladdin’s Castle they would be greeted by a rush of air that was rigged by a worker. This would usually startle the guests as they entered Aladdin’s Castle.

Bergnach claimed that the device was also frequently used to blow up the dresses that women frequently wore in the 1940s and 1950s. Aladdin’s Castle was a fun house of trick mirrors and darkened rooms.

Photo by Joe Boyle

Larry Bergnach holds up a photo of the entrance of Riverview at Roscoe and Western avenues during his presentation on the old amusement park on May 10 at the Oak Lawn Library.

Besides the Bobs, other popular rides of note were the Pair-oChutes, the Big Dipper and the Jack Rabbit.

“In ‘Believe It or Not” in the comics it was said that over 62,000 earrings were found from people who were on the Bobs,” Bergnach said. “And they also said that none of them matched.”

Besides having a variety of rides, Riverview was an amusement park from the past, including a freak show that featured the fourlegged girl, the Armless Wonder and the Mule-Faced Woman. Monkey races featured little primates in miniature cars that zipped around a track. The animal anti-cruelty groups were not pleased with the monkey races.

The most controversial event at Riverview was the African Dip, where black men would taunt the park visitors into throwing balls at a target that would knock them off a plank and would drop them into a vat of water. The NAACP pressured Riverview into closing the attraction in the late 1950s.

Bergnach admitted that Riverview had an unseemly side and it was best not to take part in many of the contests and games, many of which were rigged.

“Shirley Temple visited River-

view. This was the place to be in the city,” Bergnach said. “Even the infamous would come. Al Capone would often bring his family.”

Riverview was 74 acres and was also bordered by the Chicago River and Lane Tech High School.

Bergnach said that Riverview was once known as German Sharpshooter Park in the late 1800s and was a shooting range and picnic grounds owned by the wealthy Schmidt family.

“One visitor to the park was a young boy who said he was going to start his own amusement park.” Bergnach said. “That boy was Walt Disney, who lived on Chicago’s North Side and would come to Riverview with his father.

He said that he got a lot of his ideas from Riverview and Coney Island for the first Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., back in 1954.”

The closing of Riverview after the 1967 season came as a shock to many people, Bergnach said.

“There were signs at and near the park that said ‘See you for the 1968 season,’ ” Bergnach said. “But when employees picked up their paychecks after Labor Day, they were told this would be their last one.”

Riverview would normally open about May 15 and close after Labor Day. After it closed in 1967,

many people kept thinking it would reopen. Bergnach told the audience the land was valuable and the Chicago Police Department wanted to build a station there. He believes Mayor Richard J. Daley was orchestrating this move behind the scenes.

However, reports from the time pointed out that members of the Schmidt family were eager to sell despite the fact that Riverview was still profitable, bringing in as much at 65,000 customers on a good day.

But upkeep on aging rides was expensive and the Schmidt family sold for an estimated $6.5 million.

“Within a week, they had cranes out there to tear down the rides,” Bergnach said.

A show of hands by members of the audience indicated that few of them knew much about White City, which opened in 1903 on a cornfield at what was then 63rd Street and South Park Avenue (now King Drive). The park was built

by Aaron Jones, who was inspired by the midway strip at the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893.

The park had a roller rink, a ballroom, an ice palace, a beer garden, penny arcades and a boardwalk.

William Cody, better known as Buffalo Bill, performed there and at Riverview often. In the center of the grounds was a steel tower covered with electric lights that could be seen from more than 15 miles away.

The most unusual attraction of White City was that several buildings would be lit on fire while actors jumped out of windows and into nets. Fire trucks would come and perform mock rescues, Bergnach said.

But Bergnach, a graduate of Tilden Tech High and St. Gall Elementary School, still remembers his time at Riverview like it was yesterday.

“I would take the streetcar from 55th and Kedzie,” Bergnach said.

“We would be there for nine hours with some friends. When I would come home late that night, my mom would just say, ‘Did you have a good time?’

“It was just a different time,” Bergnach concluded.

Answers on Page 11

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

High school diplomas can be earned at Green Hills Library Qualified community members will have the opportunity to earn accredited high school diplomas and credentialed career certificates through Career Online High School that is being offered at Green Hills Library, 10331 S. Interlochen Drive, Palos Hills.

Career Online High School is a program brought to public libraries by Gale, a Cengage company. Part of the world’s first accredited, private online school district, Career Online High School is specifically designed to bring adults into the education system and prepare them for entry into post-secondary career education or the workforce.

“We’re very excited to be able to offer this opportunity to our residents. This is a second chance for prospective students with barriers to

continuing their education or furthering their career. The support each student will receive throughout the program is tremendous,” said Sara Kennedy, assistant director of Public Services at Green Hills Public Library District.

Green Hills Public Library District will award scholarships for Career Online High School to qualified learners looking to earn a high school diploma and advance their careers. Once enrolled, Career Online High School pairs each student with an academic coach, who assists with developing an individual career plan, offers ongoing guidance and encouragement, evaluates performance, and connects the learner with the resources needed to demonstrate mastery of the course material.

Classes are supported by board-certified instructors and students have 24/7 access to the online learning platform. Coursework begins in one of eight high-growth, high-demand career fields (across a spectrum from child care and education to certified transportation), before progressing to the core academic subjects.

Students are able to graduate in as few as six months by transferring in previously earned high school credits but are given up to 18 months to complete the program. Residents can learn more about Career Online High School at Green Hills Public Library District or by visiting the library’s website at greenhillslibrary.org/COHS. For more information about the program, email COHS@greenhillslibrary.org.

LIBRARY HAPPENINGS

CHICAGO RIDGE Lego Club meets on Saturdays

ACROSS

DOWN

1 Negotiated agreements 6 Coagulate 10 Cry of disbelief 14 Wake-up call alternative 15 Talk wildly 16 Dance that tells a story 17 Arm bones 18 Sign of things to come 19 Wild goat with recurved horns 20 Outgoing sort 23 Spews 24 Sets upright 28 Danger color 29 Body shop fig 31 Feel remorse over 32 Chop (off) 33 Extra-earnest entreaty 36 Crate component 39 Multivolume ref. work 40 Common diagnosis for distracted kids: Abbr.

41 KP duty need 46 Back in time 47 Black __: spy doings 48 Critic Reed 49 Punching tool 52 Sales enticement 54 National park on the Maine coast 56 Clerical worker, facetiously 60 April honoree?

63 German automaker 64 Occupy, as one’s time 65 Bridges in Hollywood 66 TMZ twosome 67 Creepy 68 Vexes 69 Gather in the fields 70 Expression of disdain

1 Prince’s lookalike, in a Twain novel 2 Assert without proof 3 Enjoyed a ride in a birchbark 4 Police stings, e.g.

5 Metal refinery 6 Edit for size, as a photo 7 __ duck 8 “Back to you,” in CBspeak 9 Stiffen in fear 10 Moan and groan 11 Center of activity 12 Draft pick 13 Price add-on 21 Latin 101 infinitive 22 Sports analyst Hershiser 25 Unlike Lady Godiva 26 Poppycock, to a Brit 27 Made tracks 30 Car roofs with removable panels 31 Golf’s __ Cup 33 Class-conscious gp.?

34 Golf ball support 35 Musical gift 36 Box for practice 37 Theater section 38 Get from __: make slow progress 42 Carryall bag 43 Outdoor 44 Spring 45 Reasons that may be flimsy or lame 49 Cling 50 Dog at a roast 51 Kitchen storage area 53 Top grade 55 Colorado skiing mecca 57 Baby-faced 58 Invention beginning 59 Like overcooked pasta 60 Justice Dept. agency 61 On top of, in an ode 62 Furniture wood

Answers on Page 11

The Lego Club will meet at 11 a.m. Saturdays through May 20 at the Chicago Ridge Library, 10400 S. Oxford Ave. Library staff members will supply Legos and kids will supply the imagination. Children from kindergarten through eighth grade can build Legos. More information can be obtained by calling the library, (708) 423-7753, or visit the website at www.chicagoridgelibrary.org.

OAK LAWN Cajun Vagabonds will perform The Cajun Vagabonds will perform beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 21 at the Oak Lawn Library. The performance is held as part of the Sunday with Friends Concert Series, sponsored by the Friends of the Oak Lawn Library, The Cajun Vagabonds will perform traditional Cajun and Zydeco music, with some occasional rock, funk and swing music. Registration is not required.

Free screenings of ‘La La Land’ Free moving screenings of “La La Land” will be offered at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 22 at the Oak Lawn Library. “La La Land” was nominated for 14 Academy Awards. The Hollywood musical is about Sebastian and Mia who are drawn together by their common bond to succeed in what they love to do. But as success mounts, the pressure begins to fray their love affair. The movie stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. The movie is PG-13 and runs 128 minutes. Registration is not required.

‘Internet Safety’ discussion “Internet Safety” will be the topic of a discussion from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 24 at the Oak Lawn Library. The session will be held in the Computer Training Center.

Registration is not required.

Author will discuss ‘Lillian Boxfish’ book and sign copies Author Kathleen Rooney will discuss her book “Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk” at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, May 24 at the Oak Lawn Library.

Rooney’s new novel paints a portrait of a remarkable ad executive when there is none across the landscape of a changing America.

The event includes readings of the novel and a question-and-answer with the author. She

will be available for a book signing. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.

Register for the session by calling the Adult Services Desk, (708) 422-4990, or visit online at www.olpl.org. Refreshments will be served.

Library sponsors ‘Refreshing Reads’ group session The Oak Lawn Library will sponsor a “Refreshing Reads” book discussion group that will meet at 7:30 p.m. May 23 at the Avenue Flower Shops and Wine Bar, 10632 S. Cicero Ave, Oak Lawn.

Shannon Kazmierczak is the moderator of the discussion group, which meets the fourth Tuesday of every month. More information can be obtained by calling Kazmierczak at (708) 422-4990, ext. 515.

Genealogy Club hosts session on Union Solider Records The Genealogy Club will hold a session on the “Union Soldier Records from the Civil War” at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 25 at the Oak Lawn Library. Tina Beaird, librarian and Illinois State Genealogical Society board member, will discuss Billy Yank, the Union Solider Records from the Civil War. Registration will be held by calling (708) 422-4990 or visit www.olpl.org.

‘Kennedys in Chicago’ A presentation on “The Kennedys in Chicago” will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 25 at the Oak Lawn Library. Historian and entertainer Clarence Goodman highlights the meaning of the Kennedy family in Chicago, as well as John F. Kennedy’s 100th birthday (May 29). Register online at the Adult Services Desk at the library or call (708) 422-4990.

PALOS HILLS

Lunch will be served along with history lesson on Kennedys Lunch will be provided from the Corner Bakery for a session on “One Brief Shining Moment: The Kennedys in Chicago” to mark the 100th birthday of President John Kennedy at 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 19 at Green Hills Library, 10331 S. Interlochen Drive, Palos Hills.

The program will focus on Kennedy’s birthday (May 29) and his family’s legacy. The history of the Kennedys extend through the country, including Chicago. Join historian and musician Clarence Goodman to learn more.

Registration is limited to 45. This event is

for adults only. Registration is limited to 45.

Register online at greenhillslibrary.org.

Patrons can learn how to make beautiful garden Patrons can learn how to make a beautiful garden during a session scheduled at 7 p.m.

Monday, May 22 at the Green Hills Library.

All supplies will be provided. Registration is limited to 35. The event is for adults only.

Registration is limited to 30. Register online at greenhillslibrary.org.

Youths can learn how to make Instagram slime Youths ages 10 to 17 can learn how to make three types of slime from Instagram that can be taken home after the session that will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 23 at the Green Hills Library. Guests will learn how to make the trendiest slime straight from their Instagram feed. Registration is limited to 30. Register online at greenhillslibrary.org.

‘Hidden Figures’ is latest Afternoon Movie “Hidden Figures” is the next Afternoon Movie that will be screened at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 24 at the Green Hills Library. The event is for adults only. One person will have an opportunity to win a copy of the movie.

Refreshments will be served. Register online at greenhillslibrary.org.

Kids Trivia Night Kids Trivia Night will be held at 6 p.m.

Thursday, May 25 at the Green Hills Library.

Trivia night will consist of four rounds of questions that will take place in a group setting. Refreshments and prizes will be offered.

The program is for children ages 7 and up.

Register online at greenhillslibrary.org.

Family Movie Time Family Movie Time will be held at 4:30 p.m.

Friday, May 26 at the Green Hills Library. The free movie, popcorn and juice will be provided for the whole family. All ages are welcome.

Register online at greenhillslibrary.org.

Youth Book Club discussion Miss Natalie will hold a fun book discussion club for kids from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 31 at the Green Hills Library. Craft snacks will be provided. The program is for kids ages 10 to 17. Copies of the book will be available at the Youth Services Desk. Register online at greenhillslibrary.org.

The Reporter

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Volunteer Continued from Page 1

Neat Repeats store in the fall of 1988 at a different location down the street in Worth. In those days, there were just three or four volunteers who assisted shoppers who wanted to purchase items or were dropping off clothing to be used for resale.

The first store was considerably smaller than the current location, Doran said. In the early days she might just have a couple of shoppers come in the store. Today there are shoppers coming in all day, while other people are dropping off items.

“We have not only benefited the Crisis Center but we have benefited the community,” Doran said.

She mentioned that the shop had previously participated in job fairs at Moraine Valley. Members of the store would offer suggestions to people who would shop at Neat Repeats, many of whom were the victims of domestic abuse and were struggling financially.

“We would give them tips on how to dress conservatively for interviews,” Doran said. “And we would help them with the clothes they could wear.

You don’t realize that often these people have been abused and often just don’t know how to go to an interview.”

Doran said that often the people who attended the job fairs would come back to Neat Repeats to inform her that they had a couple of job interviews.

“We believed in them and supported them,” Doran said. “I appreciated what the shop did for the community. It really grew. The people who volunteer are truly amazing people.”

Doran grew up in Chicago’s Auburn-Gresham neighborhood and attended St. Sabina School. Her family later moved to Oak Lawn. Doran is a graduate of Queen of Peace High School. She and her husband, Jerry, have two children. The couple has lived in Oak Forest for 27 years.

“We now have 175 volunteers,” said Doreen Holford, who serves as the operations manager at the Neat Repeats Resale store in Worth. “Everything is based on the volunteers. Chris trained me. I could not be trained by a better person.”

Holford, who is a longtime Worth resident, said that Doran is a last of a breed of volunteers who have worked at Neat Repeats.

“Because of the economy and raising families, a lot of women have to work and don’t have time to volunteer,” Holford said. “We won’t have anyone

anymore like Chris who will volunteer for 29 years.

That’s why we have a lot of seniors as volunteers who are retired and have more time. We are community based. The stores keep going through the work of the volunteers. We have been blessed to have these seniors volunteer for us.”

Joyce Athey serves as the store director at the Neat Repeat shop in Worth. She also plans to retire in June after working as a volunteer for 21 years. She said that Doran was a dedicated volunteer.

“In the beginning, she would often work late and have her kids here with her,” Athey said. “She really cared for the people and would talk to them and share their concerns. It’s more than just the clothes, it’s the people.”

Doran also applauded the efforts of Joni Rusco, a former longtime volunteer who surprised her by attending the retirement party. Doran said she was one of the original managers and was one of the many volunteers that have worked at Neat Repeats over the years.

“You know a lot of the women who volunteer have lost husbands and we become like family,” Doran said. “We really care for each other. I go out to dinner with many of these people. We enjoy each other’s company.”

Current and former volunteers stopped by to visit Doran last Thursday. One longtime customer dropped by specifically to see Doran.

“We have come such a long way,” Doran said.

“We are now a boutique. People love coming here and we see many of these customers all the time.

They are appreciative of what we do here because retail is not doing that well since the economy went bad. This is a place they can come to where they feel comfortable, and the prices are affordable.”

Doran was asked what she is going to miss most about Neat Repeats.

“I’m going to just say the friendships I’ve developed,” Doran said. “I’ve been with some amazing volunteers. A lot of people stay because they say it’s very comfortable, a great group of people.”

Doran said she was fortunate to put in many hours in the beginning because her husband owned a Popeye’s chicken franchise in which he put in a lot of hours. Her son, Jerry, 31, now lives in New York, and son Matt, 26, lives in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood. She and her husband have decided to move to Chicago’s South Loop.

“I guess it’s time for a new adventure,” Doran said. “I told everyone I’m going to miss it. They have been like family.”

Photo by Joe Boyle

Chris Doran (right) greets current and former volunteers at the Neat Repeats Resale in Worth during her retirement party last week at the shop.

Poppy Day Continued from Page 1

who are currently serving in the war on terror.”

The poppy also honors the hospitalized and disabled veterans who assemble by hand the small red flowers as a rehabilitation project each year. The poppy continues to provide a financial and therapeutic benefit to those veterans who construct them, as well as benefiting thousands of other veterans and their families by the revenues collected from poppy distributions, Lode said.

In the battlefields of France during World War I, poppies grew wild amid the ravages of war.

The overturned soils of battle enabled the poppy seeds to be covered, allowing them to flourish and forever serve as a reminder of the bloodshed of war.

The field poppy is an annual

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Answers

plant that flowers each year between about May and August.

The seeds are disseminated on the wind and can lie dormant in the ground for a long time. If the ground is disturbed from the early spring, the seeds will germinate and the poppy flowers will grow.

This is what happened in parts of the front lines in Belgium and France. Once the ground was disturbed by the fighting, the poppy seeds lying in the ground began to germinate and grow during the warm weather in the spring and summer months of 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1918.

Lode, 53, who grew up in Worth, said she has assisted the auxiliary on Poppy Day for 33 years. She also plays a major role for the auxiliary by helping to organize clothing and food drives for the poor during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“I helped my mother, who did this for 25 years,” Lode said. “I

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would help pack bags and boxes.

Most of my family would help out.”

Poppy Day was inspired by the observations of a Canadian solider named John McCrae, who noticed the vibrant red flowers growing in Belgium and France in the midst of World War I. He composed a poem, “In Flanders Field” after the death of a friend about the phenomenon of the poppies growing in war-torn areas.

Today, Lode receives ample support from nieces and nephews. She said the money raised on Poppy Day is vital to assist veterans.

“This is the flagship fundraiser for our veterans,” said Lode.

“Without this huge fundraiser it would be difficult to provide for the veterans.”

Lode said funds purchased from Poppy Days can help provide medical equipment and clothing for the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago, the Edward Hines VA Hospital and the Illinois Veterans Home in Manteno.

Funding is also provided for the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy, Lode said.

She reminded residents to wear their poppies on Friday, May 26 on National Poppy Day to highlight the sacrifice of U.S. veterans of our past and today.

“We raised just under $14,000 last year and that was a big boost,” Lode said. “When we raise that amount of money, we can buy the veterans clothes, candy and toiletries. This a great help to the veterans.”

11

Photo by Joe Boyle

Down on the farm

Josh Dotson, of Dotson’s Farms in Beecher, waits for some customers at the opening day of the Farmer’s Market in Evergreen Park on May 4. Dotson said he has been working at the Evergreen Park Farmer’s Market for about 10 years.

OLCHS students shine in World Irish Dancing Championship Two students who attend Oak Lawn Community High School earned honors competing in the 2017 World Irish Dancing Championship held in Dublin, Ireland.

Freshmen Tadgh Spillane and Sydney Rozhon made the trip to Ireland. Spillane competed in the 15-16 boys competition against 51 other competitors and placed second. This was Spillane’s fourth year finishing in

the top two. He had previously earned two world championships and a second place finish.

Spillane continues to train and hopes to attend the 2018 tournament in Glasgow, Scotland.

Rozhon earned a team championship title for the under age 16 category. Rozhon’s team consisted of eight members from the Lavin Cassidy School of Irish Dance in Worth.

Tadgh Spillane placed second in the 15-16 boys competition at the World Irish Dancing Championship in Dublin, Ireland.

Submitted photo

Hickory Hills Continued from Page 1

way from that area,” Zimmerman said. “What are the hours planned for this? Is there going to be music?

Ald. Debbie Ferrero (2nd Ward) asked about the purpose of the tent.

“Are there going to be tables and chairs set up? Is this going to be considered an expansion of the banquet hall?”

As ElSahfei attempted to answer the barrage of questions, McAvoy intervened with comments about his meeting with the owner of the plaza.

“The Aladdin facility has been a tenant in the 87th Street Plaza in the past four years without a single violation. It is family-run and a wellrespected business in the community.”

Tension in the room continued to escalate, prompting Building Commissioner Joe Moirano to speak up in defense of Layal ElSahfei.

“Before this goes any further, I want to state that I have worked with this young lady since the business has been opened and I have had nothing but cooperation from her,” Moirano said.

“She complies with any requests from the city, she runs a very solid business, the establishment is exceptionally clean —meeting all health requirements — and I think we should consider this request for a temporary tent at the facility.

I agree with the mayor that it can be evaluated through the month they have requested to see if it is a viable decision.”

Howley then called for a vote. It was 7-1 in favor of allowing the tent to be used. Ald. John Szeszycki (1st Ward) cast the opposing vote.

A second agenda item also prompted a series of questions when Village Engineer Mike Spolar presented a request to award a contract in the amount of $88,524 to A.C. Paving Striping for the 2017 Micro-Surfacing Street Program. Ald. Brian Waight (1st Ward) said he would approve it only if the work included a second layer of paving on 94th Street.

Public Works Director Len Boettcher stated that putting down a second layer would result in a change to the bid amount. Szeszyck and McAvoy also questioned why the street could not receive a second layer of paving. Boettcher replied that it is a dead-end street and was not on the priority list.

The request was approved in a 6-2 vote, with McHugh and Szeszycki voting nay.

In other business, four newly elected aldermen were installed with City Clerk D’Lorah Catizone administering the oaths of office. Returning to office were Waight, Fonte and Joseph Stachnik (4th Ward).

On another matter, the council heard a presentation from Bryan Farr, executive director of The Historic US Route 20 Association Inc. Farr had spent the day traveling through Hickory Hills

Fire chief Continued from Page 1

Schmelzer also acknowledged in the letter that union members did not initially welcome Sheets.

“To say he wasn’t welcomed with open arms would be an understatement of the grandest kind,” said the union president.

“I don’t have a problem admitting when I made a mistake, and this was one of them,” he added.

“As an officer of the department I can say that he gives the managerial staff the latitude to perform their duties without undue interference. Micromanagement does not seem to be in his vocabulary,” Schmelzer said. “He has dealt with adversity better than anyone.”

Schmelzer added that Sheets’ style of leadership has resulted in all grievances being settled

Submitted photo

Bryan Farr, from the Historic US Route 20 Association Inc., makes his presentation to the Hickory Hills City Council last Thursday about the importance of the thoroughfare, which is 95th Street.

on US Route 20, which is also 95th Street, with McAvoy. They visited various restaurants and sights along the way in the city.

“Our purpose is to encourage travel and tourism along America’s longest highway, which spans the continent through 12 states from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. It is 3,365 miles of highway, from Boston to Oregon,” he said.

He added that unlike Route 66, Historic US Route 20 is drivable from coast to coast and follows much of its original 1926 alignment through small town America. Many malls, shops, diners, historical sites and museums await exploration, Farr said.

Farr said there is a preconception that this particular portion of Route 20 through Hickory Hills is crowded and congested.

“I wanted to visit it myself to encourage people to drive it rather than bypassing it on the expressways,” Farr said. “I found it to be a very friendly community. Today, we visited a number of interesting neighborhood restaurants that were great as well as some other historical places. It was truly enjoyable.”

He said the Historical Association provides signs 24-by-36 inches than can be displayed along the route in the various cities at a cost of $100.

Howley thanked Farr for his presentation and information and thanked McAvoy for hosting the tour.

“in house” without involving committees or the Village Board.

In his letter to the mayor, Schmelzer also said Sheets’ management style, and realignment of the chain of command, has improved the department mindset.

“In my 21 years with this department, morale has never been higher. We have gone from a stagnant, disgruntled group of employees that a lot of other departments looked down upon, to a proud, active team that is a model of success,” Schmelzer said.

“I’m having a fantastic time with the shared arrangement.

Today I realized that I’ve been in the profession for 36 years, with 21 of those years as a career fire chief,” Sheets said Tuesday.

Last year, there was talk that he might leave the Chicago Ridge role after seeing projects through to completion, including the part-

time program and the opening of the Lombard Avenue station.

“At this time, I have no intentions of retirement. I enjoy what I’m doing and I am having fun doing it,” said Sheets, who described the shared arrangement as “fantastic.”

He splits his days between the two villages, and their close proximity allows him to travel between his offices quickly.

“What started out as an experiment in regionalism has proven to be extremely successful,” he said. “Of course, I would not be as successful if not for the trust and confidence of Mayor Tokar, and the assistance of President Schmelzer and the buy-in from the membership.

“Chris is certainly a master at negotiating, but equally as important, he is an exceptional leader in labor/management relations.”

12 The Reporter

SCHOOL NEWS

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Stagg Culinary Club and Key Club assist in providing for the less fortunate A group from the Stagg High School Culinary Club and Key Club students assisted the Feed My Starving Children organization in Schaumburg for several hours providing for those who are less fortunate.

These students worked together in teams, met other volunteers packed boxes of food for Jamaica. The group was able to pack a total of 138 boxes. This amount translates to 29,808 meals that will be used to feed 81 children for a year.

Feed My Staving Children allows volunteers of all ages to hand-pack meals specifically formulated for malnourished children. These packed meals have reached nearly 70 countries

Stagg High School Culinary Club and Key Club members packed meals at the Feed My Starving Children center. Taking part in the event were (back row, from left) Megan Sarli, Anastasia Otrembiak, Michelle Kampert, Jacob Baburich, Amanda Davenport, Dania Barham, Mica Domingo, Kotryna Saprunova, Julia Bryja, Jessica Florek, (front row, from left) Salma Kamni, Minnat Elhannouny, Ethar Hussein, Kamila Bucko, Hanin Rabee, Leen Abdulqader and Alexis Giffin.

around the world. The students were enthusiastic and helpful and are looking forward to taking part in this activity again, according to school officials.

The Culinary Club is open to all students at Stagg who are interested in learning more about culinary arts. The club offers an opportunity for students to meet new friends and enjoy old friends in an environment that includes cooking, fundraising and trips to Foodlife at Water Tower Place and Christkindlmarket.

The Stagg Key Club is a community service club at Stagg. Any student interested in serving others at Stagg and in the community can join the Key Club.

Submitted photo

Moraine Valley honors Illinois Student Employee of the Year Jordan Murray

Submitted photo

The prize winners of the Stagg High School French program display their certificates after participating in the American Association of Teachers of French last month at Elmhurst College. The winners of the Blue Ribbon of Excellence are (from left) Linda Mansour, Level 1 Persuasive Speech; Isabel Rocha, Level 3 Reader’s Theater; Karina Marquez, Level 3 Reader’s Theater; Tyler Smith, Level 3 Poetry; and Gia Pappas, Level 3 Music. Not present for the photo were Blue Ribbon of Excellence winner Lana Aldos, Level 4 Poetry, and White Ribbon (Good Performance) winner Zayna Ghouleh, Level 2-Persuasive Speech.

Stagg students participate in French speech competition Stagg High School’s French program made its mark at the 2017 Champions d’expression French speech competition, hosted by the American Association of Teachers of French at Elmhurst College on April 29.

Students participated in a variety of forensics events in French: poetry recitation, impromptu conversation, persuasive speech, musical performance, reader’s theater, and skits. Seven students in Stagg’s French program participated, and all walked away with honors. This is the first year that Stagg students participated in the annual event.

“We have hard-working, capable students in the French program here at Stagg, and with effort and dedication, they are achieving great things” said Stagg French teacher Nitya Viswanath. “If we want our students to be resilient and skilled members of our society, we need to encourage them now, as young people, to take on challenges,

especially in a second language.”

The winners of the Blue Ribbon of Excellence were Linda Mansour, Level 1 Persuasive Speech; Isabel Rocha, Level 3 Reader’s Theater; Karina Marquez, Level 3 Reader’s Theater; Tyler Smith, Level 3 Poetry; and Gia Pappas, Level 3 Music.

Other winners include Lana Aldos, Blue Ribbon of Excellence, Level 4 Poetry; and White Ribbon (Good Performance) winner Zayna Ghouleh, Level 2-Persuasive Speech.

Along with the French comprehension contest, le Grand Concours, that took place in March, the Champions d’Expression offers students a chance to build and show off their French skills, gain experience that is measured outside of the classroom, and push themselves -- creating unique opportunities and perspectives that they can discuss in college, job and scholarship applications and resumes.

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Moraine Valley Community College student Jordan Murray has been named the college’s 2017 Student Employee of the Year and earned the distinction of being named the Illinois Student Employee of the Year.

“We are the only community college to be recognized at the state level,” said Dr. Pamela Payne, director of the Job Resource Center, the department that oversees the student employee program. “Eric Wordlow, president of the Midwest Association of Student Employment Administrators, came to our luncheon to surprise Jordan and present him with the award. It was such an honor, and Jordan is so deserving of these awards.”

Murray, who grew up in downstate Monticello and relocated to Burbank to attend Moraine Valley, said he was excited to win these awards.

“This is a huge honor to be recognized like this.

When I went to the luncheon and heard my name called, I don’t think I was really processing what was happening. It was pretty incredible,” he said.

Through Moraine Valley’s Job Resource Center Student Employment program, Murray worked in the college’s computer integrated technology department under the direction of Chuck Bales, associate professor/coordinator, mechanical design and drafting/ computer aided design; and Neil Barker, instructor/ coordinator of integrated systems technology.

As part of his student employment, Murray maintained four industrial labs for 10 staff members and 21 courses.

“He reorganized the technician lab to improve usability; redesigned classroom layout to improve capacity, repaired damaged equipment, and added dual monitors to instructor stations,” Barker said.

“He is a perfectionist in the best possible way.

When he sees a problem, he jumps in and solves it. He intuitively understands what is required and determines the best solution.”

Bales said Jordan is one of the most committed lab aides to work in the CAD program.

“Because he is so reliable, he often helps out in other programs, such as electronics and networking,” Bales said. “Jordan’s work is exemplary, and he pays exceptional attention to detail. He is acutely aware of the image that students get from the material,

Submitted photo

Moraine Valley Community College student Jordan Murray (left) has been named the college’s Student Employee of the Year and the Illinois Student of the Year.

Presenting the awards were Dr. Pamela Payne, director of the Job Resource Center; and Eric Wordlow, president of the Midwest Association of Student Employment Administrators.

documents and classroom spaces, and he actively maintains all at a high level so students have a positive sense of the department.”

Murray came to Moraine Valley upon a recommendation from his high school drafting teacher, Kevin Rumple.

“He was my mentor all through my years at Monticello High School. He took some classes at Moraine Valley and told me that’s where I needed to continue my education. I took a tour of the college and knew immediately this was the place for me.”

Murray will graduate in December with an associate degree in mechanical design and complementing certificates in AutoCAD Specialist, Inventor Specialist, 3-D CAD specialist, and mechanical drafting; and an associate degree in mechatronics with complementing certificates in mechanical and fluid power maintenance, industrial controls technician, PLC technician, mechanical drive technician, and electronic controls technician certificates. He also earned AutoCAD professional, inventor professional, and the certified in engineering graphics industry certifications.

Submitted photo

Marist President Br. Hank Hammer poses with 2017 Chick Evans Scholars (from left) Keagan Lenz, Mackenzie Lim and Michael Martino. The three will attend college in the fall on the four-year scholarship.

Marist students awarded Chick Evans Scholarships Three seniors at Marist High School are the recipients of Chick Evans Caddie Scholarships.

Marist High School has 173 Chick Evans Scholars in its school history. The Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship provides full tuition and college housing for golf caddies, and is renewable for up to four years. Receiving Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship this year are Keagan Lenz, an Oak Lawn resident; Mackenzie Lim and Michael Martino.

Lenz has been a caddy at Beverly Country Club for five years. He will attend Marquette University in the fall and plans to major in criminal justice. At Marist, he was a member of the lacrosse program

and the Marist Youth service group.

Lim has caddied at Midlothian Country Club for the past three years. She will attend Northwestern University this fall majoring in neuroscience. While at Marist, she was a member of the student council, art club, Spanish Club, and the National and Spanish Honor Society. She did all of this while beating acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Martino has been a caddy at Midlothian Country Club for five years. He will attend University of Kansas in the fall and major in business. During his time at Marist, he was a four-year member of the soccer program.

Worth Junior High team excels at declamation event The Worth Junior High School excelled at the first South Suburban Junior High School Conference’s Declamation event that was held last month at Richards High School.

Worth had outstanding performances from Hanadie Tulemat, Anella Moore and Esma Tantawi. All three students qualified for finals completion, where Tulemat earned a third place overall finish in the seventh grade declamation bracket. Tantawi placed fourth in the eighth grade poetry bracket, along with a sixth place finish in the eighth grade declamation bracket. Moore placed seventh in the seventh grade poetry bracket.

All three students combined to place second overall as a team. They competed against other teams in the conference that had as many as 12 members competing in the event.

Submitted photo

Worth Junior High School students (from left) Hanadie Tulemat, Anella Moore and Esma Tantawi turned in solid performances at the first South Suburban Junior High School Conference declamation event.

SPORTS The Regional News • The Reporter

Ken Karrson, Sports Editor • sports@regionalpublishing.com Jeff Vorva, Sports Editor • sports@regionalpublishing.com

Southwest Section Southwest • Section•2, Page 1 2, Page 1

Thursday, May 5, 18,2015 2017 Thursday, March

EP, area track stars try to raise the bar

By Jeff Vorva

AREA SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS

Sports Editor

After a three-year break, Evergreen Park’s girls track and field team brought home its third sectional championship and will send 13 athletes to the Illinois High School Association state meet Friday and Saturday at O’Brien Field at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

EP easily won the University High Class 2A Sectional title with 158 points — 72 points ahead of runner-up University High on Thursday at Concordia University in River Forest.

Chicago Christian finished second in the Class 1A Seneca Sectional and qualified nine athletes to state. A handful of Class 3A athletes from the area will also head to Charleston.

Evergreen Park won Class 2A sectionals in 2012 and 2013, but in those two years did not score a point at the state meet. Since the state increased the state meet from two to three classes in 2009, the Mustangs have not put an athlete into the second day of competition.

They hope that can change this year with the army of athletes they will bring, including two-time sectional champion Lily Sader, a junior who won the

CLASS 3A

Shepard: Hayley Goebel, discus, 113-01

CLASS 2A

Evergreen Park • Lily Sader, 100 high hurdles (:16.33) and 300 low hurdles (:48.34) • Kayley Burke, 1600 (5:43.56) • Tiera Robinson-Jones, 200 (:25.30) • Deanna Stewart, shot (37-2 ½) • 4x800 relay (Grace Huneck, Burke, Lilly Gozum, Taylor Jones), 4:19.71.

• 4x400 relay (Tyra Pickett, Alexus Clark, Sader, Jones), 4:19.71.

CLASS 1A

Chicago Christian • Rylei Jackson, 100 (:12.57) and 200 (:26.94) • Jill VanDyk, high jump, 5-1 • 4x800 relay (April VanRyn, Allie Boss, Rebecca Falb, VanDyk), 9:57.72

Photo by Jeff Vorva

Evergreen Park sophomore Briana Parker took second in the high jump and helped her team to the only girls track sectional championship by an area team this year.

100-meter high hurdles (16.33 seconds) and 300 low hurdles (:48.34).

Other sectional champs were sophomore Kayley Burke in the 1600 (5:43.56), freshman

Tiera Robinson-Jones in the 200 (:25.30), senior Deanna Stewart in the shot put (37-2 ½), the 4x800 relay team of sophomore Grace Huneck, Burke, junior Lilly Gozum and sophomore

Taylor Jones (10:26.58) and the 4x400 relay team of sophomore Tyra Pickett, junior Alexus Clark, Sader and Jones (4:19.71).

Senior Meleah Tines took second in the long jump with a

16-0 effort, sophomore Briana Parker took second in the high jump (4-10), Lizzie O’Dwyer claimed second in the discus with an 84-0, and Gozum was a runner-up in the 800 (2:39.24)

Freshman Tia Walker took third in the 100 (:12.72), and the 4x200 relay team of Walker, Robinson Jones, Tines and sophomore Kayla Carpenter also qualified for state.

Chicago Christian claimed second in the Class 1A Seneca Sectional with 132 points — 44 points behind the hosts.

See TRACK, Page 3

Season on the Brink(man) Strus hopes he can help DePaul return to glory four decades after his mother’s Hall of Fame career

By Jason Maholy Correspondent

Photo by Jeff Vorva

Members of Mother McAuley’s water polo team rejoice at the final buzzer after gutting out a 7-6 victory over Lyons to win a sectional title.

‘Big-headed’ Macs back in Elite Eight sophomores. We had to make everyone’s head big.

You have to have a big head to play this game.

Not being cocky. You have to know what you are No seniors? doing. You have to have your head in the game.’’

No problem.

Last year the team finished fourth, and while The way Mother McAuley goalie MaryKate coach Vanessa Carroll might be in a great position McKendry sees it, as long as her senior-less team having so many players gaining state experience continues to have players with big heads, to set up a super season in 2018, she wants the team will be OK. her team to eye the top prize this weekend.

The Mighty Macs survived a wild 8-7 “We want it this year,” she said. “Many victory over Lyons to win the Lyons of these girls watched last year and wanted Sectional Saturday morning in Western to prove that they could do it, too. They did Springs and advance to the state’s Elite STATEMENT an amazing job.’’

Eight, which begins with a game against Paulina Correa, a Chicago West Lawn GAMES Lincoln-Way Central at 8:15 p.m. tonight, resident, scored four goals, including what Thursday, at Stevenson High School in turned out to be the game winner with 1 Lincolnshire. It’s the 13th time in school minute, 53 seconds left to break a 7-7 tie. history the team qualified for state and “I was so happy — I was like ‘yes!’ ’’ McAuley brought home 11 top-four troshe said. “That brought up our confidence. phies, including state championships in 2002, The other team was hungry but we were starv2003 and 2007. Last year, the Macs finished fourth ing.’’ and lost a host of seniors.

Correa scored the game’s first two goals and Jill Coming back to state is huge for a young team. Mueller added one to give the Macs a 3-0 lead two “It means a lot for the McAuley community,” minutes into the game. The Lions responded with McKendry said. “We have no seniors at all. The juniors had to be the leaders for the freshmen and See WATER POLO, Page 3

By Jeff Vorva Sports Editor

Forty years after his mother, then known as Debbie Brinkman, began what would be a Hall of Fame volleyball career at DePaul University, Max Strus is planning to take the court for the first time as a member of the Blue Demons men’s basketball team later this year.

And he plans to do whatever is necessary to help bring winning basketball back to a program that, during his mom’s college years, was the toast of the town.

Strus, who grew up in Hickory Hills and was a standout player at Stagg High School, was the Regional/Reporter 2014 Boys Basketball Player of the Year and is finishing his first year at DePaul after transferring to the Chicago school from Division II Lewis University. After redshirting his junior season, per NCAA transfer rules, the 6-foot-6, 217-pound guard is excited to get back on the hardwood.

“I can’t wait,” Strus said. “I mean, it’s going to be different than the opponents we had at Lewis, but I’m ready to go to that next level and play against those high-level teams.”

Those teams will include fellow Big East members Villanova, Xavier, Butler and Marquette, just to name four of the seven conference squads that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season. DePaul finished the 2016-17 campaign 9-23, and were 2-16 in conference play, but Strus sees brighter days ahead for the Blue Demons “Obviously, we had a rough year last year,” he said. “Hopefully (those schools) can think about DePaul next year or the year after that. I want to leave a big mark at DePaul like I did at Lewis.”

Strus earned myriad accolades during his two years at Lewis, among them Great Lakes Valley Conference Freshman of the Year, and being named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-American Team as a sophomore.

He averaged 20.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a sophomore, and that season set the Flyers’ single-game (52 points) and season (666 points) scoring marks.

Strus’ success made him confident he could play at a higher level, and Lewis granted him his request to be released from his scholarship. Pac12 power Oregon — which was coming off a run to the Elite Eight in the 2016 NCAA Tournament — and perennial Big East title contenders Xavier and Butler were among the schools that inquired about Strus’ services, but he chose to say close to home.

Photo by Jeff Vorva (above); supplied photo (below)

After starring at Stagg (above) and Division II Lewis University (below), Max Strus will wear a new uniform when he debuts at Division I DePaul this season after sitting out for a year.

The opportunity to be a big part of rebuilding a program was a major factor in Strus going to DePaul. He also built a strong relationship with Blue Demons assistant coach Fred Carter, who sold him on the program and head coach Dave Leitao. He also doesn’t mind that DePaul will begin playing in the fall at the new Wintrust Arena, which is under construction near McCormick Place.

“We’re trying to get back to where DePaul’s been in the past,” he said. “I really believed in them and they believed in me, and we want to turn this program around.”

See STRUS, Page 3

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2

Section 2 Thursday, May 18, 2017

The Regional News - The Reporter

Fire win was great, but confetti?

I

penalize the Chicago Fire for excessive celebration.

The Fire played great on Saturday night with a 4-1 victory over defending Major League Soccer champion Seattle at Toyota Park.

Chicago looked like an elite team in front of a sold-out announced crowd of 20,153 as well as a large TV audience on ESPN2.

After the game, the Fire players, as they usually do, went to the stands to thank their adoring fans for the support. It was a fine, happy moment.

And then, on the east side of the stadium, confetti fell.

Confetti?

Really?

Did the Fire just win an MLS championship? Did I miss something?

Making the Confetti?

Look, this was one of the Extra Point biggest wins in the Veljko Paunovic era, and general manager Nelson Rodriguez and the officials behind the scenes deserve a tip of the cap and pats on the back for turning a two-time last-place team into an exciting entity.

But let’s get real, here.

Confetti is for championships. Not for a team that won its fourth game out of 10. Not for a regularseason match in May. Not for a team that rolled over a team that came into the match with a 2-3-4 record.

Not for a team that earned three points to stay in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

If knocking off a defending champion deserves confetti, Major League Baseball teams would lose money with all the squads beating the Cubs.

You celebrate your baby’s first steps, not first burps.

You celebrate your kid’s graduation, not for surviving the 153rd day of school.

Personally, I think Fire officials should bring a Mack truck full of confetti on the road and let it loose the next time the team wins a road game, because that is much more of a rare accomplishment.

OK, enough about the mess they made on the field after the game; let’s talk about the mess the Fire players made of the Sounders on the field during the game.

T

JEFF VORVA

Photo by Jeff Vorva

Chicago Fire player Drew Connor jogs through the confetti after the Fire’s win over Seattle Saturday night. Sports editor/columnist Jeff Vorva questions a confetti celebration for a regular-season match against a defending MLS champ with a losing record.

After spending the first five minutes or so on the Fire’s side of the field, the boys decided that they could actually cross the line and kick the ball around on the north side of the field, too.

Nemanja Nikolic is building up a resume for being an MLS MVP candidate as he scored for the Fire on a penalty kick in the 25th minute, but that was negated three minutes late when Seattle’s Clint Dempsey returned the favor.

In the second half, David Accam, Luis Solignac and Nikolic scored in a 16-minute span and Seattle had no answer while the Fire defense and goalie Matt Lampson (making his second straight start of the year) played a clean second half.

“The team is growing, the team is growing,’’ Paunovic said and repeated. “The smiles are back in Bridgeview finally and it’s not only one game, this is the general feeling our team has inside the locker room and outside the locker room, when we are downtown in the city, wherever we are, we can feel there is a passion about the team’s expectations, positive expectations.

“The people can see good results, can see great games like today, can see the overall improve-

CHICAGO FIRE AT D.C. UNITED WHEN: 3 p.m., Saturday WHERE: RFK Stadium, Washington FIRE RECORD (as of Sunday): 4-3-3 D.C. UNITED RECORD: 3-5-2 NOTEWORTHY: The Fire, which was scheduled to play Colorado Wednesday night, looks for its first road victory on Saturday. D.C. United lost its last two matches at home, to Montreal and Philadelphia, by a combined score of 5-0.

ment of our team, depth and the mentality where the team now feels confident and are capable of managing difficult games against difficult opponents, champions like Seattle. So, I would say the mentality changed with the consistency in believing and working hard and addressing things, fixing things on a daily basis, and wins like today help our chance to build on top of the confidence and good things we did in the past.”

It was a big win for a franchise hoping to turn things around and it was a magical night.

But it didn’t deserve confetti.

PRO SOCCER NOTEBOOK

Not a surprise: Niko scores goals

By Jeff Vorva Sports Editor

In 2015, the Chicago Fire’s leading goal scorer was David Accam with 10.

Last year, he led the team with nine.

In just 10 matches in 2017, new Fire player Nemanja Nikolic already has eight goals in 10 games, including two in a 4-1 victory over defending Major League Soccer champion Seattle on Saturday night at Toyota Park in Bridgeview.

This should be no surprise The 29-year-old Nikolic came to the Fire via transfer from Legia, Warsaw and signed as a Designated Player on Dec. 20.

Nikolic led the Ekstraklasa with 12 goals through the first half of their season in 2016. He added two assists in 19 matches and left with six goals in his final three regular-season matches, including a hat trick against Gornik Leczna two days before inking his deal with the Fire.

In 2015-16, he led the

Ekstraklasa with 28 goals, and was third in assists with 10.

Nikolic opened the season on a tear with five goals in the club’s first three games. He had 15 goals through the team’s first 12 games, and recorded seven multi-goal games during the campaign, helping Legia Warsaw to its 11th league title in club history.

In 2014-15, he led the Hungarian first division with 21 goals in 25 games.

“Yes, many times I have started like this — in Hungary and Poland,’’ he said after Saturday’s game. “For me, it’s not something new; for the people here, for the media, maybe it is. I have teammates that help me a lot day by day to improve my game, to adapt faster to the league.

They helped me score two goals, and I’m happy to win against the team that won the championship last year.’’

Red Stars tie Boston

In her first three seasons with the Chicago Red Stars, world-class player Christen

he Lunkers Unlimited Bass Fishing Club meets at the VFW Hall in Mokena and tries to hold fishing outings within a 200-mile radius on various bodies of water. The club is family oriented and members don’t have to own a boat.

The club is always looking for new members who must be 18 years or older. If you’re just getting into bass fishing, the club will help you get started. In OUTDOORS addition to fishing outings, the club has picWITH and raises funds JIM KIRBY nics for the Wounded Warriors organization.

For information on the club you can call Jim McCarthy at 708-807-1764 or go to www.lunkersunlimited.net.

The Lunkers hosted a recent successful tournament on Pool 13 of the Mississippi River. Steve Pearson was first with catches of 14 pounds, five ounces, followed

by Mark Urba (10 pounds, 5 ounces) and Jimmie Griffiths (9 pounds). Brian Frank caught the biggest fish at 3 pounds, 8 ounces.

Mushroom picking update

Apparently I’m not the only one who reads this column. I was called out for failing to mention in a May 4 column an important aspect of mushroom picking: I was told: “Do not pluck the mushroom. Cut it off at the stem as close to the ground as possible. This will allow it to grow back again. If possible, carry your mushrooms in a mesh bag and shake it as you’re walking. This spreads the spores for starting new mushroom patches.”

State-record crappie caught The previous Illinois record black crappie was caught in 1976 on Rend Lake.

More than 40 years later, on March 28, Ryan Povolish of Carbondale broke the record while fishing on Lake Kinkaid in Jackson County, in Southern Illinois. The fish was weighed in on a certified scale and authenticated by an Illinois Department of Natural Resources biologist at 4 pounds, 8.8 ounces. You can bet that this fish never made it to the frying pan, but will wind up hanging on Ryan’s wall! According to reports, he was trying to keep the fish alive and publicly display it in an aquarium.

Outdoor calendar

Photo by Jeff Vorva

The Fire’s Nemanja Nikolic is about to launch a first-half penalty kick to put his team on the board against Seattle on Saturday.

Press scored 24 goals in 37 games. But this year, she hit a rare dry spell in scoring as she was kept off the board four straight matches.

But that changed on Sunday. Her header in the 89th minute not only broke her scoreless streak but gave the Red Stars a dramatic 1-1 tie Sunday in front of an an-

nounced crowd of 1,827 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview.

Both Chicago and Boston, along with Sky Blue, headed into this week’s action with 2-2-1 marks, tied for fourth in the National Women’s Soccer League standings.

Boston grabbed the lead in the 69th minute on a goal from Rose Lavelle before

Press’s last-minute heroics.

The Red Stars, who have four goals in five matches, could use an offensive powderkeg such as Press to get hot. They have a 3 p.m. road game at NWSL-leading North Carolina (4-0-1) on Sunday and host the Courage at 3 p.m.

May 27 at Toyota Park in a rare back-to-back series.

FOCUS ON AREA COLLEGES

Moraine tennis stars have rough ride in nationals

By Jeff Vorva

College’s Essence Green and Agustina Grimolizzi.

Both Cyclones athletes qualified for the nationals in October.

Moraine Valley Community College sent a pair of women’s tennis players to the National Junior College Athletic Association nationals at the Reffkin Tennis Center in Tucson, Ariz., recently, but neither could come up with a victory.

In singles play, Alexis Kasper (a Reavis graduate) was beaten by Beth Owen of Jones County Junior College, 6-3, 6-0, and lost to Central Alabama’s Ashley Coots, 8-2, in the consolation round.

In doubles play, Kasper and Ana Karen Lagunas (Bremen) dropped an opening-round decision to Broward’s Konomi Shida and Kiah Turner, and dropped an 8-1 decision to North Central Texas

Trinity Christian College

Sports Editor

Hunker down and learn about the Lunkers

Women’s track: Ashley Jourdan earned AllAmerican honors after winning the 800-meter event in the National Christian College Athletic Association Championships over the weekend at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee Oklahoma. Jourdan set a school record with a time of 2 minutes, 12.81 seconds in the event.

St. Xavier University Baseball: The Cougars advanced to the championship of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic

Conference tournament for the second year in a row, but this year they could not pull off a championship.

The fifth-seeded Cougars dropped a 2-0 decision to third-seeded St. Ambrose on May 9 at Hoffer Field in Elgin.

Earlier in the day, SXU knocked off No. 7 St. Francis 8-4 to get into the title game as pitcher Tyler Hebel had a perfect game through six innings to record the win.

Senior center fielder Alex Neufeld and freshman catcher Matt Bunetta each had two RBI for SXU in the win.

The Cougars mustered just four hits against the Fighting Bees but couldn’t score and the Cougars finished the season 28-29.

May 18: Tonight, Fish Tales Fishing Club meeting, www.fishtalesfishingclub. com.

May 19: Endangered Species Day. May 20-26: National Safe Boating Week…”Let’s be careful out there, consider taking a boating safety course.” Go to: www.dnr.illinois.gov/safety.

May 24: Palos Chapter of Ducks Unlimited Dinner, Palos Country Club. Event includes open bar, a sit down dinner, silent and live auctions, raffles and chances to bid on guns and other sporting goods, For tickets and information call Jim Mayer at 708-557-1300. I have tickets and two seats available at my table if you are unfamiliar with DU.

Let’s register those boats The Illinois Department of Natural Resources reminds boat owners in Illinois to check their three-year boat registration decal and renew their registration if it expires on June 30.

Renewing boat registration can be done online through the IDNR website at www. dnr.illinois.gov or by calling 1-866-8673542.

Non-motorized watercraft including canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, or sail boards are no longer required to be title/registered in Illinois, unless the vessels have a motor or sail. Non-motorized watercraft owners are required to purchase an Illinois Water Usage Stamp for $6 per calendar year.

Think about it

When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to your youth, think of Algebra.

E-mail Jim Kirby: kirbyoutdoors@sbcglobal.net.

Jim Kirby’s column runs every first and third Thursday each month.

FOCUS ON THE WINDY CITY THUNDERBOLTS

Wood has a three-hit game in T-Bolts’ lone victory

By Jeff Vorva Sports Editor

The Windy City Thunderbolts opened the season dropping two of their first three games to Washington, but local product Kyle Wood was strong in the victory.

Wood, an Orland Park resident who graduated from St. Laurence High School, belted three hits and drove in three runs in the T-Bolts’ 5-2 victory on Saturday night at Standard Bank Stadium.

Zac Westcott pitched the victory and gave up one hit in eight innings, retiring 13 of the final 14 hitters he faced.

The season opener didn’t go as well for Windy City. After scoring the first run of the game Friday, the T-Bolts gave up nine straight runs in a 9-1 loss.

Bridgeview native and former Oak Lawn Community High School star Chris Chigas was saddled with the loss, as he gave up three unearned runs in the sixth.

The Bolts also dropped Sunday’s game, 5-0.

Coming up The T-Bolts are on the road for three games at Washington and return home Tuesday through Thursday against Normal. Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s games are at 10:35 a.m. and Thursday’s game is at 7:05 p.m.

The Thursday contest will be the first pro wrestling promotion of the season as Cody Rhodes takes on Abyss in a main event match after the game.

There will be other matches from Pro Wrestling Blitz on the card.

Photo by Warren Stidolph

Lunkers Unlimited’s Jim McCarthy of Palos Heights shows a nice largemouth bass taken during a recent tournament using a Zoom Brush Hog lure rigged Texas Style.

The Regional News - The Reporter

Thursday, May 18, 2017 Section 2

3

POSTSEASON BASEBALL

POSTSEASON SOFTBALL

Unpredictable playoffs are coming right up for area teams

Sandburg and Wood like the look of 2010 blueprint

By Randy Whalen Correspondent

By Jeff Vorva

Photo by Jeff Vorva

Sports Editor

The baseball seedings came out last week and St. Laurence was seeded No. 1 while Brother Rice was No. 2 in the St. Laurence Class 4A Sectional.

Oh, and the teams also played a couple of games last week and… you guessed it — they split. St. Laurence, which was ranked No. 1 in the state by the Prep Baseball Report website, beat Brother Rice 5-4 in Chicago on May 10. Rice returned the favor in Burbank by winning 6-1.

In the first game, Vikings pitcher Angel Sandoval fired the win with some clutch relief pitching from Gage Olszak. Olszak was a member of the Senior Little League World Series champion Clear Ridge squad last summer. Tommy Farrell drove in two runs for the Vikings.

In the rematch, Ryan Kutt drove in three runs for the Crusaders to help winning pitcher Shane Gorman, who improved to 7-0.

Brother Rice’s Ryan King tags out St. Laurence’s Matt Dombros in a game Thursday. St. Laurence is seeded first in its own Class 4A sectional and Brother Rice is second.

On Saturday, the Crusaders clinched the Chicago Catholic League Blue title for the second year in a row with a 15-11 victory over Mt. Carmel, while St. Laurence lost 10-5 to St. Rita.

So when the baseball postseason opens up in Class 3A and 4A on Monday, there is going to be a lot of unpredictability not only in this sectional, but in sectionals all across the state. The single-elimination format already makes this tricky to predict. Mandated pitch counts this year are going to reward teams with deep rotations… unless they run into a buzzsaw opposing pitcher early on.

But coaches from all over tried their best to come up with fair seeds, and this is what coaches from the area came up with:

Mt. Carmel are the top four seeds respectively. Any one of those four could win this sectional, but don’t forget that No. 5 Lyons knocked off Brother Rice the first game of the season in March. Oak Lawn is seeded 10th.

St. Laurence Sectional

Evergreen Park is seeded third in this Class 3A sectional behind Simeon and Solorio Academy.

St. Laurence, Brother Rice, St. Rita and

Homewood-Flossmoor Sectional Sandburg is seeded fourth, Richards sixth, Stagg ninth, Marist 12th and Shepard 14th in the Class 4A sectional.

Three-time defending champion Providence Catholic is seeded seventh. Could one of the local teams end that state-record reign?

Stagg has the first crack at it on May 25.

St. Ignatius Sectional

Marist hosts the most when it comes to spring sports

By Jeff Vorva Sports Editor

Marist is not hosting every postseason event in the state next week. It just seems like it.

Athletic director Steve Smithers and his staff will be busy and likely praying that rain stays away as the Mt. Greenwood school will host a ton of postseason activities. A rundown: Monday: In baseball, Thornwood, seeded 21st, takes on 12thseeded Marist in the opening round of the T.F. North Regional at 4:30 p.m.

The school will also host a boys volleyball match between 15thseeded St. Laurence against 19th-seeded Goode STEM Academy at 6 p.m.

Tuesday: There will be a boys volleyball doubleheader as secondseeded Marist takes on the St. Laurence/Goode STEM winner at 5 p.m. and seventh-seeded Oak Lawn tangles with 10th-seeded Homewood-Flossmoor at 6 p.m. H-F is coached by former Marist coach Bob St. Leger, who helped lead the RedHawks to a state title in 2010.

Marist’s softball team, seeded first in the Hinsdale South Sectional, hosts Chicago Kelly or Proviso West in the regional semifinals at 4:30 p.m.

The Redhawks will also host two Class 2A soccer sectional matches as the Lemont Regional winner takes on the Rich East Regional champ at 5 p.m., while the Evergreen Park champ takes on the Brooks survivor at 7 p.m.

Wednesday: The boys volleyball regional title game takes place at 6 p.m.

Eighth-seeded Oak Lawn faces ninth-seeded Argo in softball at 4:30 p.m. in a regional semifinal.

Thursday: Nothing scheduled. How did that happen?

Photo by Jeff Vorva Friday: The girls soccer sectional championship gets rolling at 5 Marist and third baseman Alexis Rogers, earned the No. 1 seed in the Hinsdale South Sectional and will be among several teams participating in p.m.

Saturday: The softball regional title game is at 11 a.m. postseason action at the Mt. Greenwood school as it hosts regional play.

STATE/POSTSEASON ROUNDUP

Sandburg’s Ko finishes 1-2 at state badminton

By Jeff Vorva Sports Editor

Sandburg senior Mia Ko, the lone area badminton player to qualify for the Illinois High School Association State Tournament, finished 1-2 and was eliminated after the second consolation round.

Ko opened play with a 21-14, 21-10 triumph over Maine South’s Liza Henn Friday at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. But in the second round, Ko she fell to Hinsdale Central’s Cindy Tang, 21-8, 21-12.

She was eliminated by Naperville Central’s Melissa Chen, 21-10, 21-18.

Stevenson won the state title with 18.5 points and the Patriots’ Esther Shi won the singles title, while Neuqua Valley’s Joyce Chen-Shrinithi Venkatesan won the state doubles

championship.

Boys bass fishing state finals postponed The Illinois High School Association postponed the state finals for bass fishing. The finals were supposed to be held Friday and Saturday at Carlyle Lake in Carlyle, but it has been postponed indefinitely due to potentially dangerous water levels.

The IHSA Board of Directors made the decision to postpone the finals based upon discussions with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who oversee Carlyle Lake. IHSA staff members also visited the lake to assess the situation.

The IHSA was forced to postpone the state final tournament in 2011 and 2013 when Southern Illinois was hit by a series of storms that produced high water levels. At that time, the tournament was held in early May, but was later moved back two weeks, in part to help with weather-related situations.

“This is a unique tournament with

Evergreen Park’s girls track team won the Class 2A University High Sectional title on Thursday.

Continued from Page 1 Strus’ mom, Brinkman, was at DePaul from 1977-81, and Blue Demons men’s basketball was in the late 1970s and early 1980s among the most popular and successful teams in Chicago.

Led by coach Ray Meyer and future NBA stars including Mark Aguirre and

Knights win their own soccer regional

Water polo

Continued from Page 1 with the next four to take a lead.

“It was a nice little cushion, but I told them they couldn’t get comfortable with three,” Carroll said. “You can’t get comfortable with 20. Anything can happen. I knew being up 3-0 wasn’t anything.’’

The lead ping-ponged a little until Correa’s final goal. The defense and McKendry held down Lyons (which averaged 18 goals in its first two postseason games).

Lincoln-Way Central is making its fourth state appearance and finished second in the state in 2012. The Knights beat Bremen, 18-7, Richards, 12-3, and Lincoln-Way East, 11-10, to

Hinsdale South Sectional Marist, which won Class 4A state titles in 2012 and 2015, drew the top seed while Sandburg was second, Mother McAuley third, Shepard fifth, Richards seventh, Oak Lawn eighth and Stagg 10th.

Nazareth Academy Sectional Evergreen Park, which opened this week with 19 victories, is seeded third behind Nazareth and Lemont while Queen of Peace drew the fifth seed. This is Queen of Peace’s final season as the school is scheduled to close in June.

Boys water polo Brother Rice and Sandburg reached their respective sectional final games but were beaten Saturday.

Brother Rice gave up six straight goals and lost to host Lyons, 18-6.

Patrick Murphy scored three goals for the Crusaders.

Sandburg led 3-2 against LincolnWay East at the Lincoln-Way Central Sectional but fell 6-4. It marked hallof-fame coach Jim Caliendo’s final game for Sandburg as he is retiring.

Photo by Jeff Vorva

Knights’ champs were senior Jill VanDyk in the high jump (5-1), junior Rylei Jackson in the 100 (:12.57) and 200 (:26.94), and the 4x800 relay team of April VanRyn, Allie Boss, Rebecca Falb and VanDyk (9:57.72).

Taking second were the 4x100 relay team of Jackson, Carissa Simon, Sara Cahill and Emily Woods (:52.70), VanRyn in the get out there and help your teammates,” he said. “It’s extremely difficult. After having a year like I had at Lewis and then coming here and having to sit out and watch games, and not being able to play…I had a hard time with it.”

But those days are over, Strus added, and he is now as focused as ever on improving every aspect of his game, and playing basketball again. While no one is looking for him to be any sort

Way East and Lockport recently and haven’t won a conference title since 2011, no area team can match what they have done in the postseason. The past 29 years have brought 26 regional titles, 17 sectional titles, nine state trophies and only one losing season for Sandburg.

In 2014, despite 15 regularseason losses, Sandburg was back in the state championship game, taking second. Last year, the Eagles reached the supersectional at Benedictine University but lost to Downers Grove South, 5-3.

In addition to Wood, there’s plenty of other firepower in the Sandburg lineup. Senior center fielder Sam Coffel, senior first baseman Nikki Horvath and junior left fielder Bri Johnson all have multi-homer games this season.

Here is a look at area softball seedings in Class 3A and 4A:

Mother McAuley’s Paulina Correa pumps her fists after scoring what turned out to be the winning goal in an 8-7 sectional title victory over Lyons.

Continued from Page 1

Terry Cummings, DePaul advanced to the Final Four in 1979 and earned Regional No. 1 seeds the following three seasons. Between 1976 and 1992, the Demons qualified for the NCAA Tournament 14 times; however, they have not had a winning season since 2007.

Strus admitted that being relegated to the role of observer as his team struggled last season was challenging.

“It’s hard to sit out when you want to

Photo by Jeff Vorva

Sandburg and slugger Ashley Wood hope to make it to the supersectional, which the school is hosting this year.

win their own sectional.

While the home crowd at Lyons was vocal, McKendry warns that the atmosphere at Stevenson will be ratcheted up.

“This is loud, but state is out-of-itsmind loud,’’ she said.

Chicago Christian knocked off Universal 4-1 Friday to win its own Class 1A girls soccer regional. It’s the sixth regional crown in eight seasons for the Knights.

The Knights were scheduled to face Joliet Catholic Academy Tuesday at the Manteno Sectional with the winner earning a spot in the sectional final, which takes place at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.

Track

Supplied photo

Strus

unique obstacles,” said IHSA Associate Executive Director and Bass Fishing Administrator Kurt Gibson. “Carlyle Lake has begun to release water to lower its levels, so we think we will have a new date scheduled soon.

We have navigated similar situations in the past and managed to conduct great state final tournaments. I have no doubt that will happen again in the coming weeks.”

Marist had a boat qualify for this year’s finals.

Being a superstitious guy, Sandburg softball coach Jim Fabianski didn’t want to be reminded that if his team wins another sectional title this season, they Eagles will play on their home field as they host a Class 4A supersectional June 5.

The last time Sandburg hosted a softball supersectional?

That was 2010. The Eagles won the Illinois High School Association Class 4A state championship.

So while Fabianski doesn’t want to mention that, his team is certainly aware of it.

“Yes, it’s going to be nice (if we get there),” Sandburg shortstop Ashley Wood said.

“Home-field advantage, that’s a big goal of ours.”

Wood, a junior, is one of the veteran players on this season’s Eagles squad. She made her mark when she secured the starting shortstop position as a freshman. As a sophomore she batted .439 with 19 doubles, eight homers and 32 RBI, while only striking out five times in 145 plate appearances. She also had a .964 fielding percentage and not many around have a stronger arm.

This season she’s belted four homers and has had numerous multi-hit games.

A huge influence on her has been her brothers. Her oldest brother, Kyle, recently opened his second season as first baseman/designated hitter for the Windy City ThunderBolts. He played baseball and graduated from Purdue and serves as an assistant coach at his high school alma mater, St. Laurence. Brad Wood, also a St. Laurence graduate, is currently a junior middle infielder in his third season starting at Northern Illinois University.

“They’re the ones that taught me the game,” Wood said of her brothers. “I learned a lot just by watching them. They always gave me tips and helped make me into a player.”

But Eagles fans need not worry. Wood said she is happy at Sandburg and has no plans to go to St. Laurence when the school opens to girls in the fall.

While the Eagles lost to SouthWest Suburban Conference Blue opponents Lincoln-

3200 (16:47), junior Brooklyn Seiber in the 100 high hurdles (:16.47) and 300 low hurdles (:49.92), VanDyk in the 800 (2:28.29), and the 4x400 relay team of Seiber, Boss, VanRyn, VanDyk (4:18.51).

VanRyn was third in the 1600 (5:29.86) In the Class 3A Reavis Sectional, senior Ashley Bryja took third in the 800 with a 2:18.21, and the 4x400 team of Bryja, Kelly Gallagher Ciara Nelligan and Colleen Flood took third

of savior, he doesn’t mind the pressure of being counted on to lead and carry a team.

“If I have to be ‘the guy,’ you know, I’ll be that guy, but everybody wants to be the guy, of course,” he said. “I just want to win — ultimately we all just want to win — so I’m going to do whatever it takes to help the team. Whether that’s defense, rebounding, scoring; whatever they want me to do, I’m going

with a 4:00.05 to qualify.

Stagg junior Allyson Mussallem took third in the 400 with a :58.81 to qualify.

At Downers Grove South, Shepard’s Hayley Goebel was a sectional champion in the discus with a 113-01 while teammate Kellie Callahan was second in the 1600 with a 5:07.88.

Sandburg’s 4x200 team of Chibueze Obia, Hannah Sullivan, Tina Siebenaler and Julia Gary took fifth with a 1:45.32 and made it to state.

to do to the best of my ability. I’m just looking forward to actually playing in a game this year and getting back on the court.”

Can he replicate what he did his sophomore year at Lewis?

“If I could do that again I’d be very happy,” he said. “I’m hoping I can keep playing like I did at Lewis, keep doing what I was doing and be that guy again.

So, we’ll see what happens.”

4

Section 2 Thursday, May 18, 2017

The Regional News - The Reporter

Some leftover images from an exciting May

Supplied photo

Shepard’s badminton team won the South Suburban Conference Red title and celebrated by posing on top of the bleachers at the school’s stadium.

Emotions have been riding high this month, as Brother Rice coach John McCarthy (left photo) argues a call on Thursday in a victory over St. Laurence, and Seattle Sounders goalie Stefan Frei (right photo) gives the referee an earful Saturday in his team’s loss to the Chicago Fire.

A rare sight: Cars fill the west parking lot at Toyota Park for a Chicago Fire game as the hosts beat defending MSL champ Seattle 4-1.

Patrick Flickinger of Burr Ridge picks up his 5-year-old daughter, Stella, after competing in the Southwest Half Marathon on May 7 in Palos Heights.

Flags were flying at the Fire game Saturday night — a rare sellout at Toyota Park in Bridgeview.

Mother McAuley water polo goalie MaryKate McKendry looks for an open teammate Saturday in the Mighty Macs’ sectional title victory over Lyons.

Photos by Jeff Vorva except where noted

The Regional News - The Reporter

448-6161

5

Thursday, May 18, 2017 Section 2

For Sale

For Sale

For Sale

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION FEDERAL NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION (‘’FANNIE MAE’’), A CORPORATION ORGANIZED AND EXISTING UNDER THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Plaintiff, -v.MARGUERITA D. GRZESZCZUK, 11273-77-81 ROBERTS ROAD CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION A/K/A 11273-77-81 ROBERTS ROAD MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 16 CH 13633 11281 S. ROBERTS ROAD, UNIT L Palos Hills, IL 60465 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on February 23, 2017, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on June 27, 2017, 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 11281 S. ROBERTS ROAD, UNIT L, Palos Hills, IL 60465 Property Index No. 23-24-100-122-1012 Vol. 152.

The real estate is improved with a condominium.

The judgment amount was $87,639.76.

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, contact Plaintiff’s attorney: JOHNSON, BLUMBERG & ASSOCIATES, LLC, 230 W. Monroe Street, Suite #1125, Chicago, IL 60606, (312) 541-9710 Please refer to file number 16-4073.

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.

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.

I718852

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR NRZ PASS-THROUGH TRUST V Plaintiff, -v.MICHAEL MITCHELL A/K/A J. MICHAEL MITCHELL,FELICIA HERNANDEZ, RICHARD MITCHELL, JULIE FOX, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DECEASED MORTGAGOR, JOSEPHINE MITCHELL A/K/A JOSEPHINE A. MITCHELL A/K/A JOSEPHINE ANN MITCHELL Defendants 14 CH 15723 8133 UXBRIDGE DRIVE Orland Park, IL 60462 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on April 18, 2017, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on June 15, 2017, 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 8133 UXBRIDGE DRIVE, Orland Park, IL 60462 Property Index No. 27-02-411-004-0000.

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 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: Visit our website at service.atty-pierce.com. between the hours of 3 and 5pm. McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC, Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60602. Tel No. (312) 416-5500.

Please refer to file number 255505.

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.

McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200 Chicago, IL 60602 (312) 416-5500 E-Mail: pleadings@mccalla.com Attorney File No. 255505 Attorney Code. 61256 Case Number: 14 CH 15723 TJSC#: 37-4436 I721686

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION FEDERAL NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION (FANNIE MAE); Plaintiff, vs.

MILAN POPOVIC; DOBRILA POPOVIC AKA DOBRILLA POPOVIC; CAPITAL ONE BANK (USA), N.A.; CITIBANK (SOUTH DAKOTA), N.A.; HANMI BANK S/B/M UNITED CENTRAL BANK; LAS FUENTES CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 15 CH 15103 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 Wednesday, June 14, 2017 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: P.I.N. 23-10-209-013-1090.

Commonly known as 9086 Del Prado Drive, Unit 2E, Palos Hills, Illinois 60465.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g) (1) and (g)(4) of Section 9 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 605631890. (630) 453-6960. For Bidding instructions visit www.alolawgroup.com 24 hours prior to sale.

F15090223 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I720936

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34

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PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All Real Estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination.� Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis.

To complain of discrimination call HUD toll-free at 1 (800) 669-9777. The toll-free telephone number for the hearing impaired is: 1 (800) 927-9275.

6

Section 2 Thursday, May 18, 2017

448-6161

The Regional News - The Reporter

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Garage Sale

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Garage Sale

Asphalt Paving

PALOS PINES COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE Saturday, May 20th 8 AM to 4 PM Enter at 76th Ave. & 128th St. Or 131st & Cypress Ln. Palos Heights

2 Family Garage Sale 6204 W. 93rd Place Fri. & Sat. May 19th & 20th 9am-4pm Household items, clothes, shoes, furniture & more

Multi-Family Friday and Saturday May 19 and 20 9 AM to 3 PM Too much to list!

Something for everyone!

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LAWN MOWER & RIDING LAWN MOWERS, small engines, bicycles.

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

OUT & ABOUT

The Regional News • The Reporter

Thursday, May 18, 2017

BROADEN YOUR HORIZONS The Center sets event slate

The Center, 12700 Southwest Highway, Palos Park, is offering several events in the days ahead. Many classes will be held outdoors, or in The Log Cabin Center for the Arts, part of The Center. For more information, or to register for a program, call (708) 361-3650.

• “Family Service Sunday” starts at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 21. Participants will gather outdoors behind the Lodge (on the west side of Southwest Highway) for the service.

• “Spirituality 101: Embracing an Alternative Orthodoxy: Richard Rohr on the Legacy of St. Francis” is set for Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. or Thursdays from 10 to 11:30 a.m.. beginning May 23 and 25. From the DVD course description: “Fr. Richard will invite all to explore a Christian faith informed by contemplation, mysticism, justice and centuries of rich, Christian history. The topics to be discussed are: Atonement theology, Eco-Spirituality, The Cosmic Christ, Orthodoxy vs. Orthopraxy and Mysticism over Moralism.” Registration is requested. Each class fee is $7.

• Actress/historian Leslie Goddard portrays suffragist Alice Paul at a luncheon set for noon to 2 p.m.

Tuesday May 23. Goddard has been portraying famous women in history for more than 10 years. In addition to both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in theater, she has a Ph.D. from Northwestern University and currently works

full-time as a historical interpreter and public speaker. For this luncheon, Leslie is going to take the audience back to the 1910s to meet Alice Paul, one of the most determined leaders of the fight to win suffrage for women.

Luncheon costs $22, and reservations are necessary.

• “Mommy & Me Art: Whimsical Character Tree Ornaments Wednesday” is set for 11 a.m. to noon Wednesday, May 24. Instructor Karen Signore will help students use recycled cans, paint, beads, buttons and other creative materials to create a decoration to hang on a backyard tree or patio.

The class is designed for mothers or grandmothers with children ages 3-6, but the instructor is open to family members of all ages attending “Mommy and Me.” Workshop fee is $10 per person.

Bridge Teen Center provides free events

The Bridge Teen Center, 15555 S. 71st Ct., Orland Park, is offering several free events for teens in seventh through 12th grade during the upcoming week. For more information, call (708) 532-0500.

• “Staff vs. Students Night and Mega Jump Rope Challenge” runs from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, May 19. Students are invited go head-to-head with their favorite staff, volunteers and interns and see if they can be tops in air hockey, pool, Connect 4 or other games throughout the night. There will also be a live performance by R&B artist Christal Luster and free

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:

“XXX: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE’’: Fifteen years after he launched the franchise, Vin Diesel is reasonably fast and somewhat furious in this action sequel that finds the title spy using his extreme-sports skills again as an enemy faction starts manipulating military satellites for its own purposes. Samuel L. Jackson also returns as Cage’s handler, but particularly welcome are such colorful newcomers to the saga as Toni Collette, Ruby Rose (“Orange Is the New Black’’) and Nina Dobrev (“The Vampire Diaries’’). Donnie Yen also is effective as the chief villain, but the real stars of the movie are the stunt experts whose services are called upon frequently over the course of the story. *** (PG-13: AS, P, V) (Also on Bluray and On Demand) “THE SPACE BETWEEN US’’: Sort of an intergalactic twist on “The Fault in Our Stars,’’ this young-adult drama gives sci-fi twists to familiar themes of the genre. Asa Butterfield, no stranger to screen fantasy (“Ender’s Game,’’ “Hugo’’), plays a young man born on Mars but longing to see Earth — especially so he can meet his pen pal (Britt Robertson, “Tomorrowland’’) from terra firma face-to-face. Once he gets his wish of making the trip and finding her, he goes on the lam with her, though doing so could endanger his life. Gary Oldman,

Carla Gugino and Janet Montgomery (“Salem’’) also appear in the tale. DVD extras: “making-of’’ documentary; audio commentary by director Peter Chelsom; deleted scenes, alternate ending. *** (PG13: AS, P) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand) “RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER’’: If this is indeed the final stand of the franchise, it goes out with a bang - and most of the typical trademarks of writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson. Milla Jovovich is back one more time as heroine Alice, the lone survivor of mankind’s all-out offensive against the undead in the preceding chapter, “Resident Evil: Retribution.’’ It’s up to her to make a last strike against the sinister Hive by doing so from within.

Ali Larter, Shawn Roberts and Iain Glen (“Game of Thrones’’) also are back from earlier installments, with Ruby Rose (having a big sequel week on home video) and Eoin Macken (“The Night Shift’’) joining the action here.

DVD extras: two “making-of’’ documentaries. *** (R: P, GV) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand) “THE KENNEDYS: AFTER CAMELOT’’: Recently televised by Reelz and based on J. Randy Taraborrelli’s book “After Camelot: A Personal History of the Kennedy Family — 1968 to the Present,’’ this sequel to the Emmy-winning drama “The Kennedys’’ examines events in the political family’s lives during the years indicated. Katie Holmes (who also shares directing credit with Jon Cassar here) reprises her portrayal of the widowed Jacqueline Kennedy, whose relationship with Aristotle Onassis (Alexander Siddig) gets major attention. Also considered: the fatal Chappaquiddick Island, Mass., car accident

VARIETY

WOLFGANG PUCK’S KITCHEN

Supplied photo

Leslie Goddard as Alice Paul.

food samples from White Castle.

• “High School Study Lounge with Snack Mix Station” will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 23 and Wednesday, May 24. Students are invited to make The Bridge their study spot on finals week. There will be energy-boosting snacks, tutors, whiteboards and study supplies available.

Dreamstime.com • “DIY Painted Flower Pots” Bake for about 25 minutes until the muffins are golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. is a session set for 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 23. Students will paint a simple or intricate design on their favorite flowerpot.

• “Project Serve: Litter Pick” is set for 4 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, Students are invited to give back to The Bridge by helping keep the surrounding area free of trash and debris.

• “BBQ & Bros (guys only)” incredibly easy — maybe 10 to orange juice runs from 4 to 5 p.m. Thursday, By Wolfgang Puck 15 minutes total of measuring and • 2 large eggs, lightly May 25. Students are invited to beaten Everything I learned about good simple mixing, followed by less spend some time with just the guys • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla and enjoy an outdoor barbecue. home cooking I learned from my than half an hour of baking. Yet, extract mother and grandmother. Both the results are as delicious as you • 1 cup (250 mL) fresh of them ruled the kitchen of our might find in the brunch muffin blueberries, rinsed, family’s cottage in the town of basket of a fine restaurant. In fact, patted dry, any stems St. Veit in southern Austria, and years ago we used to serve this removed the meals that they produced with recipe to weekend brunch guests • 1 1/2 tablespoons grated involving Ted Kennedy (played by basic equipment and humble in- at Spago Las Vegas.

One thing I especially like about orange zest Matthew Perry, who also gets an gredients proved every day that executive-producer credit on the food cooked with a combination of this recipe as a Mother’s Day treat Set the oven rack on the center project, as does Holmes), and the knowledge, skill and love can be is that even a young child can plane-tragedy-ended marriage of delicious and nourishing beyond participate in making it — espe- level and preheat the oven to 350 cially stirring together the batter F (175 C). With nonstick cooking John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn compare.

Bessette (Brett Donahue, Erica There were so many lessons and spooning it into the muffin spray, spray the inside of the cups Cox). *** (Not rated: AS, P) they taught me. I learned the im- pan — with Dad’s supervision, of a 12-cup muffin pan with cups portance of always having staple of course. And a grownup, or a that are 2 3/4 inches (about 70 ingredients like flour, eggs, but- responsible older child, must su- mm) wide by 1 1/4 inches (about COMING SOON: ter, sugar, milk, oil, vinegar, root pervise working with the oven and 32 mm) deep. Set the pan aside.

“GET OUT’’ (May 23): Writ- vegetables and basic seasonings handling the hot pan and muffins.

Holding a flour sifter or a fineer-director Jordan Peele’s melo- on hand, ready to help prepare Once the muffins have cooled a meshed sieve over a bowl, sift drama puts twists in an interracial simple meals at a moment’s notice. bit, transfer them to a napkin-lined together the flour, baking soda, couple’s (Daniel Kaluuya, Allison I learned to use all my senses basket or a pretty plate, place on a salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set Williams) weekend getaway. (R: — sight, touch, sound, smell and tray, and bring them to Mom with the mixture aside.

AS, P, V) In a medium saucepan over especially taste — continually as I some fresh fruit and a cup of her “THE GREAT WALL’’ (May cook to ensure the results I want. I favorite morning beverage. It’s a medium-low heat, melt the but23): Matt Damon plays a merce- could go on and on. But most im- wonderful way to start learning the ter. Raise the heat to medium, add nary who’s among the warriors portant of all, they demonstrated lessons of good home cooking. the granulated and brown sugars, battling fearsome creatures at the every day that meals cooked with and stir with a wooden spoon Chinese structure. (PG-13: V) until blended. Remove the pan love will convey a message direct BLUEBERRY SPICE “LOGAN’’ (May 23): Hugh from your heart for the dearest from the heat. Stir in the orange MUFFINS Jackman has his last turn (appar- people in your life. juice, eggs and vanilla. Stir in the Makes 12 large muffins ently) as the “X-Men’’ character, flour mixture. Finally, fold in the That’s why I feel it’s imporwho gets his claws out again to tant to cook for your mother, blueberries and the orange zest.

• 2 cups (500 mL) allhelp a super-powered youngster the mother of your children or Spoon the batter evenly into purpose flour (Dafne Keen) evade villains. (R: the mother figure in your life on the prepared muffin cups, filling • 1 teaspoon baking soda AS, P, V) them almost to the top. Bake in Mother’s Day. Of course, what • 1/2 teaspoon salt “FIST FIGHT’’ (May 30): many people will make is a resthe preheated oven until the muf• 1/2 teaspoon ground After one teacher (Charlie Day) ervation at a restaurant. But even fins are golden brown and a cake cinnamon causes the firing of another (Ice the simplest little bit of cooking, tester, gently inserted into 1 or 2 • 1/8 teaspoon ground Cube), an after-school bout be- done to start the day wonderfully muffins, comes out clean, about nutmeg tween them is in the offing. (R: for Mom while she’s allowed a 25 minutes.

• 4 ounces (125 g), 1 AS, N, P) Remove the pan from the oven few extra minutes in bed, will stick, unsalted butter, “HART TO HART: THE make her special day all the more and leave the muffins to rest in cut into small pieces COMPLETE SERIES’’ (May memorable. the pan for about 5 minutes. Then, • 1/2 cup (125 mL) 30): The entire five-season run of So I’d like to suggest my recipe one muffin at a time and protecting granulated sugar the Robert Wagner-Stefanie Pow- for blueberry spice muffins. You’ll your hand with a clean kitchen • 1/2 cup (125 mL) ers mystery show is compiled in a find that it uses ingredients that towel, gently lift the muffins out packed dark brown new boxed set. (Not rated: AS, V) you’ll probably already have and transfer to a rack to cool. Serve sugar “A CURE FOR WELLNESS’’ available, and the preparation is warm or at room temperature.

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) (June 6): A company man (Dane DeHaan) heads for the Swiss Alps to retrieve his boss from a spa that isn’t what it seems. (R: AS, N, P, V) FAMILY-VIEWING GUIDE complished after the middle of wrong move at the wrong time.

KEY: AS, adult situations; N, nu- By Jeraldine Saunders SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22the week is past. dity; P, profanity; V, violence; GV, Dec. 21): As this week unfolds LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Use ARIES (March 21-April 19): particularly graphic violence.

While you are busy barking up tortoise tactics to triumph at the remember to cross your “T”s and the wrong tree, you might ignore races. Remember that the tortoise dot your “I”s. You may need to all the other trees in the forest. beat the hare through sheer te- be more careful and more perfect Suspicions could get the worst of nacity. You may find that forc- than usual. There is a danger of you or you may be distracted by ing any key issue or initiating a being the subject of disapproval unrealistic goals in the upcoming confrontation can cause trouble or causing offense.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. in the week ahead. week.

19): If you tell it “like it is” you VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept.

22): TAURUS (April 20-May 20): may be considered a Wiz. Your Keep your friends close and enPractice being practical. In the fact checking methods and a high emies closer.

You could be in for week to come don’t take on extra an unwanted surprise in the week degree of accuracy may highlight duties or volunteer for more reahead if you ignore problems close your genius. Pursue friendships sponsibilities than you can handle. to home. A partner may give you rather than amorous hookups in You may have enough on your a head’s up about a beneficial fi- the week to come.

‘Once Upon a Time’ is indelible. plate to do properly without invit- nancial situation.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. She will always be a part of the LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): 18): Pay attention to criticisms. show and its heart and soul. That ing criticism.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Touch base with the most trust- Accept the necessity of a few said, just because Jennifer won’t Anchor your feet firmly on the worthy advisors. Ask for advice negatives as a positive step in be back every week doesn’t mean we won’t see our savior again.” ground and keep your head out on troubling matters before you your road to perfection. Be tolPrior to joining the series, Mor- of the clouds. You may not be make a move. You may find inspi- erant of other people’s opinions rison starred in the hit Fox medi- adept at business affairs and could ration right in your own backyard in the week to come and keep the cal drama “House” opposite Hugh easily be confused by unrealistic and grow closer to a friend in the lines of communication fully open.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Laurie, and has also appeared on strategies. Watch the clock and be week ahead.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): If it isn’t broken don’t fix it. In the “How I Met Your Mother” and on time this week.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): There is a time and place for week ahead your faulty intuitions the 2009 “Star Trek” reboot. She You only get past something if everything. A desire to be seen may tell you it is time for drasshared a message to fans on Instagram regarding her decision to you wait until the coast is clear. as dependable or a preoccupa- tic changes. Assess key situations You might run into a roadblock tion with popularity could be a at leisure and you will realize it exit the ABC series. or frustrations in the first half of prime motivating factor in the would be foolish to change what See TITLE, Page # the week. You will get more ac- week ahead. You risk making the is working well.

‘Once Upon a Time’ star Jennifer Morrison to exit series after 6 seasons

By Joe Otterson “Once Upon a Time” star Jennifer Morrison will exit the series at the conclusion of the current season, Variety has confirmed.

Morrison has been with the show since its launch, playing the role of Emma Swan in 134 episodes in total. Her exit comes as the ABC series is said to be a lock for another season. As Variety previously reported, offers have already been made to the writing staff, which will be tasked with taking the show in a new direction with

the loss of some original characters in Season 7.

“The past six years of collaborating with Jennifer as Emma Swan have been truly magical,” said series co-creators and showrunners Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis. “Watching her breathe life into Emma, she accomplished more than we could have dreamed possible — she gave life to a brandnew Disney Princess, filled with strength and intelligence and an incredible closet full of red leather jackets. We’ll miss seeing her every day, but her imprint upon

Southwest • Section 2, Page 7

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OUT & ABOUT

The Regional News • The Reporter

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Southwest • Section 2, Page 8

LIZ SMITH

RICK STEVES’ EUROPE

Glenn Close and Chita Rivera light up Manhattan in May!

By Liz Smith

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli, Rick Steves’ Europe

It’s easy to see why Neuschwanstein Castle, dramatically situated atop a hill in the Bavarian countryside, inspired Walt Disney.

A tale of two medieval castles

By Rick Steves When I was 18, I took my first independent trip to Europe. During that trip, I toured “Mad” King Ludwig’s Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany — a medieval castle dream. Then, just over the border in Austria, I found the Ehrenberg ruins — a medieval castle reality.

Decades later, I’m still enthralled by the striking contrast between these two castles — so close in distance (just 30 minutes by car) but offering worlds-apart experiences.

Neuschwanstein, the ultimate fairy tale castle, seems to be on every tourist’s list. In the foothills of the Alps, about a two-hour drive from Munich, it’s the most lavish of three extravagant castles belonging to Ludwig II, who ruled Bavaria for 22 years, until his death in 1886.

Rather than deal with politics in Munich, Ludwig retreated to the countryside. He lived at his family’s hunting palace, Hohenschwangau (another impressive castle that’s well worth visiting) while devoting himself to the Neuschwanstein’s construction nearby. Although Ludwig spent 17 years building Neuschwanstein, he lived in it only 172 days. Soon after he moved in, Ludwig was declared mentally unfit to rule Bavaria. Days later, he was found dead in a lake (it’s still debated whether he was murdered or committed suicide).

Ludwig was a true romantic living in a Romantic age. His best friends were artists, poets and composers, such as Richard Wagner. Longing for the natural beauty and emotion of an earlier time, he built his medieval fantasy on a hilltop not for defensive reasons, but because he liked the view.

His palace is wallpapered with misty medieval themes — brave knights, fair maidens and scenes from Wagnerian operas. But even as he strove to evoke medieval grandeur, he embraced Industrial Age technology. Neuschwanstein — only about as old as the Eiffel Tower — had electricity, running water and a telephone.

To visit the castle, travelers must buy tickets for the 30-minute guided tour. Advance reservations are strongly recommended, especially in summer, when long lines plague the castle and tickets can sell out.

A highlight of the tour is Ludwig’s extravagant throne room, based on the plan of a Byzantine church. A 1-ton chandelier in the shape of a Byzantine crown hangs above the exquisite mosaic floor consisting of 2 million stones — a visual encyclopedia of animals and plant life. Another memorable stop is the king’s Neo-Gothic bedroom, featuring an elaborately carved canopy bed topped with a forest of Gothic church spires, “Tristan and Isolde” wall paintings, and a personal chapel.

A great complement to the crowds and commercialism of Neuschwanstein is a hike up to the stark and brooding ruins of the Ehrenberg Castle ensemble, above the town of Reutte, Austria. Ehrenberg is an especially fine example of the countless castle ruins rotting away on hilltops all over Europe.

It offers lots of medieval wonder to anyone hardy enough to hike up to the top where, amid sword ferns and broken ramparts, you’re practically alone in your own private castle ruins in the Alps. It’s an excellent contrast to Ludwig’s touristy fantasy castle just down the road.

In Roman times, the Via Claudia — the road below Ehrenberg — was the main route between Italy and Germany. About 10,000 tons of precious salt passed through this valley each year, so locals built this complex of fortresses and castles to control traffic and levy tolls on all who passed. The complex consists of four parts from different periods: the old toll buildings on the valley floor; the 13th-century Ehrenberg Castle, built on the hilltop directly above the valley; Schlosskopf, a mightier 18th-century castle on a higher peak; and Fort Claudia, a smaller fortification across the valley.

When I first hiked up to the ruins, it was overgrown with trees and entirely desolate. Ehrenberg Castle crowned its mountain like

an ornery barnacle. The others were lost in a thick forest. I hiked up into the misty mountain of meaningless chunks of castle wall pinned down by Pixy Stix trees and mossy with sword ferns.

It inspired yet confused me.

Today, thanks to the work of local archaeologist Armin Walch, the hungry forest has been cut away, and the castle ensemble has been revealed and renovated. Hiking paths wind through the ruins, signs help orient visitors, and a recently built 1,300-foot-long pedestrian bridge hangs more than 300 feet above the valley floor, connecting Ehrenberg with Fort Claudia. An interactive, kid-friendly museum gives visitors the chance to try on a set of armor, lift replica weapons, and experience the limited vision knights had to put up with when wearing helmets.

It’s fun to balance the over-thetop opulence of Neuschwanstein Castle with the peaceful, ramshackle ruins of Ehrenberg. This mix of famous must-sees and intimate back-door sights - located within each other’s backyards - is, to me, what makes travel in Europe so special.

Rick Steves (www.ricksteves. com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.

“The practice of people owning other people is called slavery. The owned people are called slaves.

They have to work for the owners, doing whatever the owners ask them to do. In the past, many societies had slavery. Now almost all societies consider slavery to be wrong. They consider personal freedom to be a basic human right.”

That is the definition of slavery in the Britannica Encyclopedia for Kids.

Now I’m sure all my readers know the definition of slavery, and they don’t need to have it defined for them as if they were children.

But some people, some adults, still need help with history.

Just the other day, a very powerful man who works in our nation’s capital, wondered why the Civil War couldn’t be stopped. Couldn’t somebody have made a deal? Apparently nobody ever explained to this powerful man that the horror of slavery is what caused the Civil War, and no “deals” could be made on the trafficking, ownership and abuse of human beings. It seems simple enough, but we must not judge this man — who holds the fate of the world in his hands on a daily basis — too harshly. He is, after all, very busy praising dictators around the non-free world. He was impressed that one of them gained power so young — “a smart cookie” he called this man who likes to execute his enemies with massive machine guns. Or poison.

So, to not know American history, to not understand why something as horrible as the Civil War happened — we can’t expect busy adult men to know everything.

Thank goodness for the Encyclopedia Britannica for Kids.

You’re welcome, Mr. President.

THE LAST I heard, the current smash-hit revival of “Sunset Boulevard” is set to close on June 25 — unless there is another extension. I still hope to see this show, starring the great Glenn Close, before that date, or perhaps most excitingly, on that date. As thrilling as opening nights can be — we are still coming off the high of Bette Midler in “Hello, Dolly!” — closing nights can be even more thrilling.

But for fans of Miss Close, and we are legion, if you work fast, you can see the star, and her “Sunset” cast on May 22 at New York City’s Birdland (315 West 44th

Street). This will be a one-nightonly concert titled “Vintage Hollywood” — a musical celebration of the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals. It will be directed by Michael Patrick Walker.

Miss Close is not doing this just for the heck of it. “Vintage Hollywood” is a benefit for Bring Change 2 Mind, which works to end the stigma surrounding mental illness. In fact, this organization was co-founded in 2009 by Close’s family, after a sister and nephew were diagnosed with bipolar and schizoaffective disorders.

So, in all ways, this is an important evening in Manhattan; a good, glamorous and exciting deed in a naughty, needy world. For ticket info visit www.birdlandjazz.com, or call 212-581-3080.

BUT BEFORE you decide on whether or not you want to be a part of Glenn’s special night, why not consider 11 special nights with the one and only, legendary, iconic, words-always-fail-me Chita Rivera, as she returns to NYC’s Cafe Carlyle (May 9 through May 20). Chita received raves and SRO crowds last year at this spot, so she’s back, doing that voodoo that she does so well.

The excitement and humanity that Chita carries within her and conveys to her audience has only been burnished by time. She is an artist (and a human being) nonpareil. Speaking as we were above about great opening and closing nights, Chita’s for “The Visit,” a little over a year ago, remains in the top five most thrilling experiences I’ve ever had in a Broadway theater. I mean, just the ovations.

Then she performed!

For reservations call 212-7441600.

MOST OF you who read this space have followed for weeks our ongoing critique of Ryan Murphy’s “Feud: Bette and Joan.” It purported to tells the tale of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, working together in “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” and “Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte” (the latter film Crawford withdrew from after several weeks of shooting, replaced

by Olivia de Havilland.)

Susan Sarandon, who played Bette, and Mr. Murphy’s muse, Jessica Lange, as Joan, gave brilliant Emmy-worthy performances.

Still, right from the start, despite the fine work of the ladies, (not to mention Stanley Tucci as Jack Warner, Kathy Bates as Joan

Demi’s

Blondell and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Olivia de Havilland) the series couldn’t help but fall into inaccuracies, exaggerations and a rather grisly camp mentality. This was exemplified most vividly when Murphy set up a scene between Joan and her William Morris agents. It was staged almost exactly as was Faye Dunaway’s famous “Don’t f!@* with me, fellas” moment in “Mommie Dearest” with Crawford facing off with Pepsi-Cola execs. (Indeed, Jessica had to utter that profanity as she raged at her agents.) One has to assume Jessica Lange was unaware of this. She said she’d never seen the controversial “Mommie” and would never do so, in fact.

Her goal — and that of Mr. Murphy, supposedly — was to “rehabilitate” Crawford’s reputation and to show what both women had to contend with, in a Hollywood not kind to aging women. “Feud” certainly had its moments, and much was made of Crawford’s insecurities stemming from a terrible childhood, but the exploitation aspects seemed at times to overwhelm the “good intentions.”

Last week we received this note from Rick Gould, who writes the very smart movie blog, “Rick’s Real/Reel Life.” I’m going to give Mr. Gould the last word: “I watched ‘Feud’ with mixed feelings. What always amazes me about Ryan Murphy is how he can provide a genuinely moving scene one moment, followed by one that feels false and sensationalistic.

“The scenes with Joan’s increasingly lonely way of life were touching and ones that many of us with aging family could relate to,” said Gould. “But the opening scenes, depicting Joan bombed and bumbling around on the ‘Trog’ set, even trying on the Trog mask ... egads! Plus, didn’t producer Herman Cohen of ‘Trog’ and ‘Berserk’ debunk these myths? So, why show this if you claim to be ‘rehabilitating’ Crawford’s image?

“And the same with Bette,” he continued. “I do not believe she ever made the infamous ‘Crawford dead ... good’ quote. Did this come from Charles Pierce’s nightclub impersonation of Davis? Then it became a meme. Now it’s been depicted on ‘Feud.’

“And now accepted as truth.”

E-mail Liz Smith at MES3838@ aol.com.

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VARIETY Continued from page 7 “As I reached the end of my 6 year contract on ONCE UPON A TIME, I was faced with a significant decision. ABC, Eddy Kitsis, and Adam Horowitz very generously invited me to continue as a series regular. After very careful consideration, I have decided that creatively and personally, it is time for me to move on,” she wrote.

“As I move on to other creative endeavors, I will continue to attend the fan conventions whenever my professional schedule allows,” she continued. “I always look forward meeting the fans. If ABC Network does in fact order a season 7, I have agreed to appear in one episode, and I will most certainly continue to watch ONCE UPON A TIME. The creativity of the show runners has always inspired me, and I cannot wait to see the ways that they continue to develop and reinvent the show.”

The series has seen a dramatic drop in live ratings over the course

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Jennifer Morrison attends the FOX Fall Eco-Casino Party in West Hollywood, California, September 24, 2007.

of its run, currently averaging a 1.0 rating in adults 18-49 and 3.2 million total viewers, down approximately thirty percent in both measures from Season 5.

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