Reporter 5 4 17

10th Anniversary Special Section Inside

Jeff Vorva’s memories of previous half marathons

Celebrating Mothers

REPORTER IN SPORTS

A Mother’s Day Special Section Inside

THE Volume LVIII, No. 8

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

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Thursday, May 4, 2017

Local officials welcome Tri-State expansion

By Dermot Connolly

The Illinois Tollway Board of Directors last Thursday agreed to move forward with plans for a $4 billion rebuilding project on the Central Tri-State Tollway (Interstate 294) between Balmoral Avenue and 95th Street.

It was good news to people like Chicago Ridge Mayor Chuck Tokar, who sat on the Central Tri-State Tollway Planning Council last year, as did Justice Mayor Kris Wasowicz.

“The two things we thought were the most important were improving traffic flow on I-294, and ingress and egress to the expressway, and those are on top of this project,” Tokar said.

He said the 95th Street entrance and exit ramps west of Harlem Avenue “are convoluted, the way it was set up. It is like a zoo there, whether you are getting on or off the expressway.”

He added that “even the mile-long bridge is bad” over the UPS facility near Willow Springs.

The stated goal is to increase capacity, reduce congestion and improve travel reliability on the 22-mile stretch of roadway. The board also agreed to expand the Tollway’s Move Illinois Program commitment to more than $14 billion in spending over 15 years, without requiring an increase in toll rates.

Plans call for building additional lanes, including integrating a Flex Lane through the full length of the corridor, which is a wide inside shoulder with access controlled through the use of SmartRoad

technology. Additional noisewalls, aesthetics and quality-of-life improvements such as local park enhancements, tree plantings and bike and pedestrian connections are also to be considered.

Tokar said members of his committee asked about possibly moving or adding interchanges at 103rd, 105th or 107th Street, which are all going to be under review by engineers in the next couple of years.

“I think it is encouraging and gratifying for the Tollway Board to be in favor

of increasing the scope of the project.

Instead of just looking ahead 20 years, they are looking to have it be 40 or 50 years,” said Tokar.

He noted that the Hinsdale and O’Hare oases will likely have to be removed, due to the planned widening of the expressway to six lanes in each direction.

“The planners of those didn’t think far enough ahead,” Tokar said, adding that Illinois is one of only a few states See TRI-STATE, Page 10

He’s in step for a perfect 10th Former area resident has competed in every Southwest Half Marathon

By Dermot Connolly

Photo by Joe Boyle

Roberto Ortega gives the No. 1 sign as he races in as the winner of the second annual Our Lady of the Ridge School 5K run on Saturday morning. Ortega, who recently competed in the Boston Marathon, won the inaugural Our Lady of the Ridge run in 2016.

Our Lady of the Ridge enjoys victory lap

By Joe Boyle

She was referring to the fact that the administration, faculty, students and parents of Our Lady of the Ridge School, 10810 S. Oxford Ave., Chicago Ridge, were informed in January that they had to increase enrollment and raise more funds or the Chicago Archdiocese would have no alternative but to close the school in June.

School officials were told that they had to raise more than $250,000 by the end of February. After getting over the initial shock, the community and even residents who did not attend Our Lady of

Sara Aldworth was hoping more people would come out for the second annual Our Lady of the Ridge 5K run/walk fundraiser Saturday morning despite the crisp temperatures and the expected rain.

But Aldworth, who is a member of the Our Lady of the Ridge School Board, was not complaining. She was just happy that the school was celebrating another run.

“We consider this as a victory lap,” Aldworth said with a smile.

the Ridge began to lobby businesses and began spreading the word about the school that Sr. Stephanie Kondik, the longtime principal, described as a “little gem.”

Alumni board members raised more than $100,000 a couple of weeks later. A fundraiser was held in February at 115 Bourbon Street in Merrionette Park. Mary Grisolano, media relations volunteer and graduate of Our Lady of the Ridge, said the school was able to raise $321,500.

See OUR LADY, Page 10

CHICAGO RIDGE

Mayor, new trustees are sworn in

By Dermot Connolly

Three newly elected Chicago Ridge trustees and village clerk were sworn into office, along with Mayor Chuck Tokar, who won a second term, during a special village board meeting on April 25.

Cook County Judge Denise Filan swore in Debby Pyznarski, Edmund Kowalski and Lisel Kwartnik. They took the seats vacated by Bruce Quintos, Sally Durkin and Amanda Cardin. Quintos and Cardin lost their bids for re-election, while Durkin, whose term was up as trustee,

lost her bid to unseat Tokar.

Barb Harrison, who bested incumbent George Schleyer in the April 4 election, was sworn in to her first term in office. Family members held the Bible for all the new officeholders as they took the oath.

“I gave that oath of office many times in my 24 years as village clerk, and it never seemed so long (as when I said it)” Tokar joked afterward.

“It’s a very serious oath and we’re honored to be your public servants.

We appreciate your support through the coming years.”

Chicago Ridge Village Board

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meetings are usually held at 7 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of each month, but Tokar said last Thursday’s meeting was necessary to accommodate Filan’s schedule.

The only trustee missing was Frances Coglianese, who informed the mayor that she was unable to attend.

She came in second to Tokar in the three-way mayoral race with Durkin, but has two years remaining on her term as trustee.

After everyone took their seats, the board met briefly in executive

Submitted photo

Steven Rice is seen here running in the Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon last July. He is planning to run for the 10th Annual Southwest Half Marathon on Sunday in Palos Heights, just as he has done every year since it started.

two men still organize the annual event, with help from many volunteers, and Diab serves as race director.

“I thought the race was a great idea, and I started running in it to help support Mel’s efforts,” said Rice. “I keep doing it because the race is well put-together, and wellsupported with first-aid, snacks and water.”

See 10 RACES, Page 10

Chicago Ridge Mayor Chuck Tokar shakes hands with newly elected Trustee Edmund Kowalski following their swearing-in ceremony before the Village Board meeting last Thursday. Trustees Debbie Pyznarski and Lisel Kwartnik were also sworn in to their first terms in officer, along with Village Clerk Barb Harrison.

Photo by Dermot Connolly

See CHICAGO RIDGE, Page 10

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The 10th Annual Southwest Half Marathon kicks off at 7:30 a.m. Sunday, beginning at 7600 W. Route 83 in Palos Heights, and Steven Rice will be running in it — as he has every year.

“I’m sure I am not the only one who has run it every year.

I’ve been told there are at least three of us, and I have to think there are a lot more. But no one makes a big deal about it,” said Rice, 49, who grew up in Palos Hills and Hickory Hills, and owns Southwest Painting & Decorating Inc. He lived in Oak Lawn until a recent move to Chicago.

As usual, in addition to the half marathon is the 10K run/walk, which starts at 7:40 a.m., followed by the Southwest Special Recreation Association’s Run/Walk/ Roll. For the first time this year, there will also be a free Kids’ Dash fun run for children up to 10 years old, which will be held at 10:30 a.m., after all the races are completed. More than 1,300 people have registered for the main races this year.

Rice is a longtime member of the Yankee Runners, one of several running groups he belongs to.

The Yankee Runners, with more than 500 members, are named after Yankee Woods in Oak Forest, where they train on Saturday mornings.

He learned about the race through his friendship with Mel Diab, the owner of Running for Kicks in Palos Heights, and cofounder of the half marathon and 10K with Jeff Prestinario. The

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Thursday, May 4, 2017

POLICE REPORTS Chicago Ridge Domestic battery

Dameion Jett, 23, of the 11600 block of South Watkins Avenue, Chicago, was charged with aggravated domestic battery following a disturbance at 103rd Street and McVicker Avenue. Police said they responded to a disturbance call, and found that Jett had allegedly battered and choked a woman in his car. The female victim said Jett refused to let her out of the vehicle, and continued to drive around. She texted a friend with her location, and the police were contacted, they said. Jett was also charged with unlawful restraint and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

He was held for a bond hearing.

License charges

Spring gardening

• Andreas A. Ruiz, 31, of the 4800 block of South Long Avenue, Central Stickney, was charged with driving with a suspended license following a traffic stop at 103rd Street and Nashville Avenue at 11:25 p.m.

April 24. Police said he was also cited for driving without insurance, speeding and improper use of registration. He is due in court on June 9.

• Zaid Khatatbeh, 23, of the 7300 block of West 107th Street, Worth, was charged without a valid license following a traffic stop at 2:50 a.m. Monday at 110th Street and Harlem Avenue. Police said he was also cited for driving with no insurance and expired license plates. He is due in court on June 20.

• Ahmed Zedan, 20, of the 8500 block of South Cicero Avenue, Chicago, was charged with driving without a valid license at 1:55 p.m. Saturday in the 9800 block of South Ridgeland Avenue. Police said he was also cited for failure to signal when required. He is due in court on June 5.

Photo by Kelly White

Brayden Sheehan, 4, of Oak Lawn, rakes the soil to prepare for spring gardening at the Oak Lawn Community Garden at 104th and Cook Avenue on April 22.

Legislation on expanding organ/tissue donor registry passes state Senate 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 last week.

SB Bill 868, sponsored by state Sen. Mattie Hunter (D-3rd),

passed the Senate by a margin of 56-0. It now goes to the House for consideration.

“Our goal is always to save lives,” White said. “Thousands of Illinoisans are waiting for an organ. ... 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.”

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• Emily A. Moore, 18, of Chicago, was charged with retail theft at 7:45 p.m. last Thursday at Meijer, 9200 S. Western Ave. Police said she took miscellaneous women’s items worth a total of $141. She was also cited for obstructing identification for alleg-

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edly providing a false name and other information.

• Orville J. Cochran, 67, of Waterman, Ill., was charged with retail theft at Meijer, 9200 S. Western Ave., at 6 p.m. April 23. Police said he took merchandise worth $60. He was also charged with obstruction for providing false identification, and was held on an outstanding federal warrant for felony charges.

• Thomas B. Stevens, 43, of Chicago, was charged with retail theft at Walmart, 2500 W. 95th St., at 8 p.m. April 23. Police said he took alcoholic beverages and miscellaneous merchandise worth $48.83 in total.

• Wynton D. Wells, 47, of Chicago, was charged with retail theft at 12:30 p.m. April 26 at Walmart.

Police said he took gum, fried chicken and razors worth $48.16.

• Christopher E. Robinson, 33, of Chicago, was charged with retail theft at Carson’s, 9700 S. Western Ave., at 7:30 p.m. April 21. Police said he took T-shirts and underwear worth $79. He was also charged with felony possession of a controlled substance after he was found to be carrying suboxone, a narcotic medication.

Hickory Hills

Suspended license • William E. Pinder, 37, of the 6100 block of North Winthrop Avenue, was charged with driving with a suspended license following a traffic stop at 5:22 p.m. April 22 in the 9400 block of South Roberts Road. Police said he was also cited for not wearing a seatbelt. He is due in court on June 8.

• Mustafa Abdallah Ramzon, 19, of the 7100 block of West 103rd Street, Chicago Ridge, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for driving with a suspended license at 9:36 p.m. April 23. Police said he was taken into custody when Bridgeview police brought him into the station. He was held for a bond hearing.

• Robert S. Jordan, 22, of the 8300 block of West 99th Place, Palos Hills, was charged with driving with a suspended license following a traffic stop at 11:47 a.m. Monday in the 9500 block of South 76th Avenue. Police said he was also cited for driving without a front license plate. He is due in court on June 9.

Revoked license Roberta J. Schultz, 56, of the 10000 block of South 87th Avenue, Palos Hills, was charged with driving on a revoked license following a traffic stop at 9:19 a.m. April 26 in the 9600 block of South 78th Court. Police said she was also charged with obstructing identification, because she initially gave her sister’s name when she was asked for her own. She was also cited for speeding and driving without insurance. Court information was not available.

Cannabis possession Amira Kattab, 22, of the 8700 block of South Mobile Avenue, Oak Lawn, was issued a local ordinance violation for possession of cannabis after police responded to a report of suspicious activity in Martin Park, 7800 W. 89th Place, at 9:23 p.m. last Thursday.

Police said he and a friend told them they were just talking in a car, but police said a search of the vehicle turned up 24.2 grams of marijuana in a bag. He is due at a hearing on June 6 at City Hall.

Oak Lawn DUI charges

• Wilfred Velez Jr., 27, of Chicago, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs at 2:10 a.m. April 18 in the 9700 block of Cicero Avenue. Police said he was also cited for speeding, driving without improper lane usage, driving without headlights when required, possession of cannabis, illegal transportation of alcohol by the driver, and no driver’s license on person. He is due in court on May 22.

• Shane D. Kiaulakis, 28, of Worth, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol following a traffic stop at 6:33 p.m.

April 21 at Southwest Highway and Parkside Avenue. Police said he registered a .166 blood-alcohol count on a preliminary blood test.

He was also cited for fleeing a police officer, and was cited for stopping on a roadway. He is due in court on May 12.

Theft charge Jose L. Sierra, 39, of Oak Lawn, was charged with theft and several driving offenses following an incident that occurred at 5:33 a.m. April 24 in the 4300 block of West 99th Place. Police were called to the scene by a resident who reported seeing a man later identified as Sierra taking a tow hook off her car, causing her car to roll back into his. He returned the hook and fled, police said, but his vehicle was traced to his house. Sierra was also cited for hit-and-run, driving with a revoked license, and driving without insurance. He is due in court on June 5.

Retail theft • Brad A. Wnek, 42, of Oak Lawn, was charged with retail theft at 11:55 a.m. April 24 at 7-Eleven, 10220 S. Central Ave. Police said a store manager had detained Wnek because he allegedly stole two bottles of wine worth $16 from the store the day before, and was acting suspiciously again. He had no money or form of payment with him, but claimed he was there to buy chips, police said. He was held for a bond hearing.

• Jevon L. McIntosh, 24, of Chicago, was charged with retail theft at 6:09 p.m. April 24 at Kmart,

4101 W. 95th St. Police said he fled from a store employee who stopped him as he left with a bag containing clothing and electronics worth $158.92. He was apprehended a few blocks away at a gas station at 95th Street and Avers Avenue in Evergreen Park.

He was held pending bond.

Suspended license • Lanell Lee Ware, 22, of Chicago, was charged with driving with a suspended license at 12:05 a.m. April 20 at 98th Street and Cicero Avenue. Police said he was also cited for possession of a fictitious driver’s license and improper lane usage. He is due in court on May 30.

• Brian Parente, 31, of Palos Heights, was charged with driving with a suspended license following a traffic stop at 7:55 p.m. April 24 in the 10200 block of South Pulaski Road. He was also cited for unlawful use of an electronic communications device while driving. He is due in court on May 26.

Palos Hills Fatal collision

Traffic investigators from the Palos Hills Police Department and the Cook County Sheriff’s Police are investigating a fatal two carcollision that occurred at 6 p.m. last Thursday in the 10100 block of South Roberts Road. Police said Timothy Budzius, 51, of Oak Lawn, died at 7:25 p.m. of injuries suffered in the crash. He had to be extracted from his vehicle, of which he was the only occupant.

There were four people in the other vehicle, including two children who were treated for minor injuries at the scene and released.

Police said the two adults in the car were treated at a hospital for their injuries and released.

Battery charge Saul Alvarado, 20, of Chicago Ridge, was charged with battery following an incident at El Gallo restaurant, 10164 S. Roberts Road, at 3 a.m. Sunday. Police said Alvarado allegedly headbutted another person several times. He is due in court on May 18.

Attempted fraud At 4 p.m. Friday, an attempted fraud was reported by staff of Taco Bell, 7601 W. 111th St. They told police that a former employee tried to cash a payroll check multiple times in order to steal from the company.

Harassment report A resident of the 11100 block of Helena Drive reported a case of harassment by electronic device at 11 p.m. Saturday. The victim said an ex-partner had sent several harassing and threatening messages related to child custody.

Theft reports • A resident of the 8200 block of West 106th Street reported a theft at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. The person said his brother’s friend had taken his phone without permission.

• Police are investigating a reported phone theft outside Alsufara Meat & Grill, 7217 W. 103rd St., at 12:29 a.m. Saturday.

After a person reported losing a phone at the restaurant, a review of surveillance video showed that the phone was dropped outside, and an unknown person picked it up and left.

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.

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SW Widows and Widowers Club to meet Friday The Southwest Suburban Widows and Widowers Social Club will hold their next monthly meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 5 at Zion Lutheran Church, 17100 S. 69th Ave., Tinley Park.

The club offers support for all faiths and ages. Besides the monthly general meetings, the club holds organized restaurant outings, dances, trips, theater outings, discussion sessions and interactive meetings. Newcomer get-acquainted sessions are also held.

More information can be obtained by calling Danell Chmura, (630) 728-9368, or Bill Dolehide, (708) 342-6820.

Thursday, May 4, 2017

The Reporter

Earth Day gift for Oak Lawn Employees of the Oak Lawn Park District shovel dirt and position a planted tree Saturday during the Earth Day Faire festivities at the Wolfe Wildlife Refuge Center in Oak Lawn. The swamp white oak tree was planted at the site because the conditions are best for it to grow.

An Oak Lawn Park District official said the tree could grow as high as 75 to 80 feet.

Photo by Joe Boyle

EVERGREEN PARK VILLAGE BOARD MEETING

Three restaurants receive outdoor seating permits at the new Plaza

By Sharon L. Filkins Construction of the new Evergreen Plaza, at 95th and Western Avenue, continues moving smoothly. That is evidenced by action at the Evergreen Park Board meeting Monday, as trustees approved special-use permits for outdoor seating at three restaurants planned for the site.

Following a brief public hearing on the issue, as required by ordinance, the trustees granted approval for outdoor seating to Potbelly Sandwich Restaurant, Raising Cane’s and Mod Pizza.

Village Attorney Vince Cainkar explained that requests for special-use permits are required to be reviewed by the village’s Zoning Commission and presented in a public hearing before an ordinance can be established.

Trustee Mark Mazullo asked if the new ordinance covered any other restaurants that might want outdoor seating in the plaza, or if each restaurant would have to submit an individual request.

Cainkar replied that each new restaurant would have to submit an individual request,

but a public hearing would not be required since an ordinance is now in place to address the issue.

Also approved was an ordinance for the NET3 Evergreen Park II subdivision of property located at 8900 S. Troy Ave. The property is the site of the former Aqua Center.

Mayor James Sexton reminded the trustees that the village does not own the property and the ordinance approval was for the NET3 developers of the site, which presently includes a building housing a dialysis center.

“The site will also have a parking lot, a detention pond and open space,” he said.

Besides being approved for a special-use permit for outdoor seating, Potbelly Sandwich Restaurant, 9544 S. Western Ave., was the recipient of a business certificate.

Three other business approved for business certificates were Weight Watchers, 2540 W. 94th St.; PetCo, 9670 S. Western Ave.; and Sports Traveler, LLC, 3100 W. 95th St. On another matter, Sexton asked the trustees to consider a topic that had been tabled at the last board meeting regarding the selection of a low bid on a roofing project at the Bliss

building, 3300 W. 93rd St..

The subject was tabled because Sexton had questions about the company selected, Malcor Roofing of Illinois, which had submitted a low bid of $196,000. He said his questions had been satisfactorily answered so the bid could be considered.

The board then approved the bid, but Sexton stated that he wanted to be kept informed on how the work was progressing.

Sexton also proclaimed May 21-27 as National Public Works Week.

“We honor our other departments and it is time to recognize our public works team.

They have done exceptional work for the village and sometimes in very trying situations,” Sexton said.

At the close of the meeting, Sexton recognized Trustee Dan McKeown, who is stepping down after choosing not to run in the recent election. Sexton thanked him for his four years of service as a trustee and for the many years he spent on the Police Pension Board.

A reception was held for McKeown after the meeting was adjourned.

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Four new businesses coming to Hickory Hills

By Sharon L. Filkins

The Hickory Hills Council was provided with information on four new businesses during last Thursday’s meeting.

Ald. Brian Waight (1st Ward), who oversees laws and ordinances proposed to the city, presented the information on the businesses.

Waight announced that Pita Land, 7831 W. 95th St., is now under new ownership. The new owner is Eyad Aliwadi.

Mayor Mike Howley asked if the menu

was going to be changed and Waight assured him that it would remain the same.

“Oh, thank God,” said Howley. “The food there is delicious,” Shorouq Odeh is opening a jewelry and design store at 9525 S. 79th Ave. (located behind Dunkin Donuts). A tentative opening is scheduled for May 1.

Paul Kellett, from Crosslink Wireless, is opening a warehouse at 9831 S. 78th Ave. for a telecommunication construction business. Waight explained that the business is a subcontractor for Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile

and Sprint.

May’s Place, a video gaming café at 7612 W. 95th St., has scheduled a tentative opening date on July 1. The owners are Naim J. Elias II and Zachary Heidner.

Board action approved a resolution for participation in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund for the elected officials in the city.

Before the council adjourned for an executive session, a proclamation was also approved designating May 7 through May 12 as Municipal Clerk Week.

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Our Neighborhood

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Moraine Valley staff, children plant tree to mark college’s 50th anniversary Members of the staff at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, along with kids from the Children’s Learning Center, took part in a 50th anniversary tree planting ceremony held Friday morning on campus.

Faculty members and kids from the Children’s Learning Center shoveled dirt on the recently planted tree adjacent to Building B on the Moraine Valley campus. The tree planting also marks the 50th year of the Moraine Valley

Community College campus. The tree planting is a symbol of “rock solid” foundation the college has provided the community.

Staff and kids from the Learning Center took turns in shoveling dirt

on the planted tree. To celebrate the Month of the Young Child, kids from the Learning Center also helped by hanging birdfeeders on the branches of the tree. The children made the birdfeeders.

Dr. Pamela Haney, vice president for academic affairs at Moraine Valley, spoke at the ceremony. Also in attendance was Stephenie Pressler, sustainability manager at Moraine Valley. The event was also held to mark Arbor Day.

Above: Kids from the Children’s Learning Center also toss some dirt on the planted tree Friday at Moraine Valley Community College to mark the 50th anniversary of the college.

Kids from the Children’s Learning Center on the campus of Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills take off the tarp that covered the stone that mentions the 50th anniversary of Moraine.

Left: The stone that is in front of the planted tree at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills mentions the 50th anniversary of the institution.

Photos by Joe Boyle

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Historian recalls mistakes made during WWI

By Kelly White

Life is no mystery when you know your history.

The phrase was coined by local historian Jim Gibbons in reference to the world following what he referred to as the mistakes made in World War I. To understand the war’s significance, Gibbons led a presentation called “World War I: A World Gone Mad” recently at the Worth Public Library.

Gibbons highlighted noteworthy events that thrust the U.S. into war.

“It is important for people to learn about World War I because history repeats itself,” Gibbons said. “There were many mistakes that were made in World War I which caused World War II.” “The older I get, the more I like learning about history,” said attendee Arlene Maisells, of Palos Park, whose grandfather served in World War I. On April 6, 1917, the U.S. joined its allies — Britain, France and Russia — to fight in World War I. Under the command of Major General John J. Pershing, more than two million U.S. soldiers fought on battlefields in France.

This year marked the 100th year anniversary of the U.S. entry into war on April 6, 2017.

“I take my audience from the beginning of the war, its mistakes, its innovations and the lessons we have learned,” Gibbons said.

“I show how World War I led to Hitler taking power and eventually led to World War II. Finally, I reveal that if we heed these warnings from the past, mankind stands to have a brighter future.

I use the title, ‘A World Gone Mad’ because so much life was lost due to lack of negotiations.

The countries didn’t talk, they fought. People must never fear to negotiate.”

The free event drew 25 people, including Worth resident Ron Scholten and his son, Jordan, 29, of Crestwood.

“My grandfather served in World War I, so my son and I have always shared an active interest in history and especially enjoy learning about World War I,” Scholten said.

Scholten’s grandfather survived a mustard gas attack during the war and eventually regained his eyesight, something Scholten takes great pride in.

“He was an extraordinary man,” he said.

“I believe that it’s important to know our history,” said Tim White, head of Adult Services at the Worth Public Library. “The world today is a result of World War I.” When World War I erupted in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson pledged neutrality for the U.S., a position that the vast majority of Americans favored.

Disagreements in Europe over territory and boundaries came to a head with the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria by a Serbian zealot on June 28, 1914.

Exactly one month later, war broke out. In 1915, the British passenger liner the Lusitania was

sunk by a German submarine, killing 128 Americans. By the end of 1915, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany and the Ottoman Empire were battling the allied powers of Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Belgium, Serbia, Montenegro and Japan. In 1917, the U.S. entered the war.

“Woodrow Wilson told the citizens that the U.S. had entered the war so as to make the world safe for democracy,” White said. “The U.S. foreign policy had been the same since. We were in war for only 20 months. We were late comers. Other countries lost many more soldiers and civilians than the U.S.” Before the war, the U.S. Army had about 113,000 soldiers. However, because of the war, the U.S. created the selective service, also known as the draft, which increased the number of servicemen. Over 116,000 U.S. soldiers and sailors were lost

Historian Jim Gibbons led a presentation called, “World War I: A World Gone Mad” at the Worth Public Library.

Photo by Kelly White

during the war.

Germany formally surrendered on Nov. 11, 1918, and all nations agreed to stop fighting while the terms of peace were negotiated.

“People were led to believe this was to be a glorious short war,” Gibbons said. “They were told they would arrive home by Christmas and be praised as the conquering heroes. Instead, the war dragged on for four years.”

The war brought about change in America. One huge benefit was women gaining the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Gibbons said the lack of negotiations during the war resulted in The League of Nations and The United Nations.

“World War I was the real beginning of warfare as we know it to be today,” Gibbons added.

Compiled by Joe Boyle

News and events from our archives Trailers set up in Oak Lawn to help victims of tornado • 50 years ago

From the May 4, 1967 issue The story: An emergency trailer has been established at 93rd Street and Tripp Avenue in Oak Lawn to aid the victims of the April 21 tornado.

The village has purchased 40 trailers that it will rent to those whose homes were demolished.

Space in the area has also been provided for trailers housing residents of Hometown who have lost their homes. Hometown has placed an additional 18 trailers on individual lots for their use while rebuilding.

Chicago Ridge Mayor Joseph Coglianese said this week that temporary housing is the only thing needed by residents of his community.

The quote: “We have been in touch with Cong. Edward Derwinski, who is trying to speed up some aid which would enable us to get some trailers in here for our people.”

Student overcomes transplant setbacks, performs on stage • 25 years ago

From the April 30, 1992 issue The story: Oak Lawn resident RoseLilia Climaco, 21, remembers how depressed she was a year ago when her second transplant surgery failed.

This year, Climaco said that if she is lucky enough that another chance for a kidney comes her way, she would try it all again. She underwent surgery near the end of eighth grade for her first transplant. One year later, her body rejected the donor organ. But despite daily dialysis, Climaco is focusing on being on stage as a singer and actress.

The quote: “Sometimes I forget about my condition,” said Climaco, a sophomore at St. Xavier University. “The dialysis gets to feel so normal. When I am on stage, it’s not me anymore. I can be someone else. I love to perform.”

Man apologizes after robbing Oak Lawn bank • 10 years ago

From the May 3, 2007 issue The story: An unidentified man stole $22,000 from a TCF Bank in Oak Lawn and later apologized to the bank employees for doing so.

The offender put a plastic bag containing a small box on the counter and told the employees to open the bank vault and its drawers, police said. While in the vault, he displayed an automatic handgun and told the employees to put the money in the plastic bag.

The robber then tied up the employees with rope and apologized to them. He reportedly told the workers he needed the money because his father was in the hospital without insurance and needed cash to pay medical bills.

The quote: The robber told the employees that “when the police arrived they should call a bomb squad.” The Cook County Sheriff’s Police Bomb Squad later said no bomb was found.

Thursday, May 4, 2017

The Reporter

Former Worth trustee turns the page for new adventures

By Sharon L. Filkins

Colleen McElroy, who spent eight years as trustee for Worth, contemplated a new beginning for her life after deciding not to run for another term.

An 18-year resident of Worth, McElroy shared her knowledge of the community in “The History of Worth,” which she authored for the Centennial Celebration of the village in 2014. The publication is available at the Worth Public Library.

In closing the door on her political life, McElroy is beginning a new chapter. She is now working full-time at The Flower Firm in Chicago. She will soon be moving to the North Side of the city.

“It is a bittersweet decision,” she said. “I have wonderful memories and have met amazing people in my involvement with Worth. There has been a real sense of community here.

There are relationships I will never forget. I loved this town from the beginning.”

She related the story of how she and her husband, Mike, discovered Worth.

“We had been out looking for a home in the southern suburbs nearly 20 years ago,” she said.

“We were traveling north on Harlem Avenue when our car broke down just as we approached the ‘Welcome to Worth’ sign. We were able to pull into the parking lot at the waterfall area where we waited for a repair truck. As I looked around and saw the village sign and park district signs announcing events, I thought this would be a good place to raise our four children.”

They purchased a home shortly after that just two blocks from the Worth Park District building. McElroy said two days after moving in, she was at the park district to get her youngest children signed up for some of the activities.

“I am all about family and I wanted my children to be involved,” she said.

Involvement is a key word for McElroy. Not only did her children become involved but so did she. Prior to becoming a trustee, she worked at the park

Submitted photo

Former trustee Colleen McElroy holds up her book, “The History of Worth.” McElroy did not run for another term and will be soon moving to Chicago.

district for 11 years. Six of those years she served as curator of the Worth Historical Museum.

She also served six years on the library board.

As her term was coming to an end on the library board, she transitioned to the village board.

There was a vacancy on the board at the time and she was elected trustee in an uncontested election.

“I wasn’t here to change the world. My goal was to make Worth a better place to live and raise a family, and to make it a true community. I wanted to get people involved in the parks and community organizations. Creating a community cannot be done by one individual, it takes strong

leadership,” she said.

McElroy said she loved her six years as the curator of the Worth Historical Museum at the park district’s Terrace Centre, where many memorabilia items, photos and historical documents were on display. She was saddened when the museum recently closed.

“I won’t miss being involved with politics, but I will miss being a part of people’s stories,” McElroy said. “So many residents shared their stories with me about their lives in Worth. I was really honored to be a part of something that was so important in the history of a town. People demonstrated a trust in me that I can never repay.”

She cited fellow trustees Rich Dziedzic and Pete Kats, who she ran with in her first election, as strong leaders. She described them as being “pillars of the community” and she said she learned a great deal from them “I have always enjoyed learning things. Guess I am a nerd in that regard,” she said, laughing.

She said she felt it was important as a trustee to learn everything she could about Worth.

“I wanted to know the how and why of everything,” McElroy said. “I even tagged along with the public works department in a street-replacing program and investigation of the water treatment stations. I just wanted to learn how everything worked. I probably drove Wayne Demonbrewn, our public works director, crazy.”

As a trustee, McElroy enjoyed her role as the chair of the economic development committee.

“I am just a planner by nature, with a vision for the future,” she said. “I had a great committee which put their heart and soul into their volunteer work for the village.”

Heart and soul could also describe McElroy’s efforts as she participated in many village events such as the 2010 Census and the “Worth Days” festivals, which began in 2001. However, her favorite event was the celebration of the Centennial, which she described as a “true legacy.”

McElroy was especially touched by the completion of the mural designed for the Centennial celebration. It is mounted on the east side of the village hall, commemorating the 100th year of the village.

“Seeing the residents coming together to make the clay tiles, which are included in the mural, was wonderful,” she said.

The opportunity to do video interviews with people whose families were Worth pioneers were special, she said.

“It was amazing to hear their stories and their memories,” said McElroy, who included some of that information in her book.

She is looking forward to her new adventure in Chicago.

“I enjoy the work I am doing.

I help create magical floral displays for large events around the city,” McElroy said. “It is giving me time to enjoy the simple things in life; my family, riding my bike to work, having time to enjoy things I used to do, such as singing and playing the piano.

5

It will be wonderful to get back to my music.”

McElroy added she is taking a break from history.

“I am excited to start a new chapter. It was a good chapter in Worth, but it is time to turn the page.”

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6 The Reporter

COMMENTARY

THE

Thursday, May 4, 2017

REPORTER

An Independent Newspaper Published Weekly Founded March 16, 1960

Ray Hanania

Rauner-Madigan meeting is a start

Wives should start with the lawn to understand husbands

I

n normal times, a 40-minute, late-April meeting to talk about the budget between a governor and the house speaker would be so routine that it would likely go unnoticed by pretty much everyone under the Statehouse dome.

But these ain’t normal times.

A funded, full-year state budget has not passed during a spring legislative session since 2013, almost exactly four years ago. We’ve had partial-year or “stopgap” budgets ever since.

And House Speaker Michael J. Madigan hasn’t formally met with the governor since Dec. 6 of last year, about five months ago. Gov. Bruce Rauner announced at the time there would be no more such meetings until the Democrats were prepared to offer up a balanced budget with specific reforms — something the governor hasn’t done since, either.

Rich So, it was definitely news when Speaker Madigan Miller requested a private, one-on-one sit-down with Gov. Rauner last week and then the two actually met.

Speaker Madigan issued a statement saying that he had urged the governor “to turn his focus to the budget.” Gov. Rauner’s office then claimed that Madigan “hinted that he may be willing to enact a truly balanced budget with changes that will help create jobs, properly fund our schools and lower property taxes.”

Did they really make progress?

Well, we all know that the governor is prone to exaggeration.

He said repeatedly during the two-week spring break that the grand bargain negotiations were close to being wrapped up. He even claimed at one whistle stop that negotiations were going on between the two caucuses as he spoke, with another scheduled for the following day. None of that was true.

The House Speaker has his own issues. He doesn’t say much except to repeat what he’s been saying over and over for two years: The governor should focus on passing a budget. Madigan himself, meanwhile, has been completely focused on denying the governor any wins on Rauner’s terms. All wins must instead be on Madigan’s terms.

Madigan’s spokesman reacted to the governor’s statement by pointing to a bill the House passed last week to make workers’ compensation insurance “more affordable.” That bill (HB 2622), however, sets up a state-run workers’ comp insurance company to compete with existing private insurers. Trial lawyers and unions insist that the hundreds of workers’ comp insurers in Illinois are colluding to keep prices high. Hey, maybe such a thing could work. But creating a government insurance company is not exactly the sort of reform that our Milton Friedman-worshipping governor will ever accept as a “win.”

Even so, I choose, for the millionth time, to look at the bright side. At least they met. At least there was apparently a mention (no matter how brief) of non-budgetary reforms. At least they didn’t full-on whack each other after their meeting ended.

You gotta crawl before you can walk, so I’ll take it, no matter how pathetically tiny or how temporary that microscopic bit of progress may have been.

It’s been Madigan’s habit over the years to send the Senate a budget and then announce that the House has completed its work.

He did it again last year and was ultimately stymied when the Senate refused to pass it.

But Madigan likely can’t even pass another budget bill out of his own chamber this year, mainly because a group of 10 or so independent Democratic women in his caucus are sick and tired of these impasse games. They have enough votes to block him if they stick together.

And if the Senate ever does send Madigan its grand bargain, those 10 House members and several more will demand that he take some action. This impasse is killing them back in their districts, along with the blame that the governor has so successfully pinned on Madigan with tens of millions of dollars. A deal would take an enormous amount of heat off Madigan’s members; and, by extension, him.

Rauner, for his part, is dangerously close to being permanently labeled as a failed governor. Everything he’s tried has failed. Sure, he can point to minor administrative successes, but he wasn’t elected to save a few bucks on data processing. And constantly awarding himself an “A” grade by pointing to these little administrative successes comes close to making him look dangerously separated from the reality that his state is rapidly going down the drain.

Both men have good reasons to find a way out of this mess.

But they’re also the most stubborn men on the planet. Let’s hope they keep talking.

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

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W INSIDE THE FIRST AMENDMENT

When it comes to our freedoms, is a “C+” grade good enough?

By Gene Policinski

A new “First Amendment Report Card,” released by the First Amendment Center of the Newseum Institute, gives our First Amendment freedoms — religion, speech, press, assembly and petition — a barely passing grade.

The grades were assigned by 15 panelists from across the political spectrum, some of them experts on First Amendment issues overall, and some who focus on specific areas such as religion or press.

Assembly and petition — the rights to gather peaceably with like-minded people without government restriction or prosecution, and ask the government for changes in policies and practices — received the highest marks, at a “B-.” Religion and speech were graded at a “C+,” while press was given a “C.” On press, for example, panelists pointed to President Trump’s campaign threat to “open up” libel laws in order to more easily sue media outlets; the administration blocking certain news organizations from attending White House briefings; the “fake news” phenomenon; and the president’s general enmity for the press.

Assembly and petition received the highest grades, with panelists noting that recent protests and political marches were classic demonstrations of both freedoms, and that the government took no action to crack down on them or the resulting media coverage.

Perhaps you — or I, since I didn’t participate in the grading — might have rated the freedoms differently. Good. That would mean we were thinking critically about those basic freedoms, which define us as citizens and enable our democracy to function as such.

But I’ll admit that a “C+” leaves me uneasy.

For too long, too many of us have either taken those freedoms for granted, assuming that they will always be there, or considered them in narrow ways (believing, for example, that freedom of speech is not for those with whom we disagree, or that so-called fringe faiths are not really covered by freedom of religion).

Many more of us live in ignorance of the freedoms that were so dearly won.

Each year, when results of the First Amendment Center’s State of the First Amendment survey are released, the survey consistently finds that large numbers of Americans — sometimes more than one-third — cannot name a single freedom provided by the 225-year old amendment.

The report card, titled “The First Amendment in the Age of Trump,” nonetheless reflects issues that are not limited to the president’s first 100 days, or to the time he spends in office.

Some of those issues have been simmering for years. The Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street movements raised issues around speech, assembly and petition to new levels of awareness. The “culture wars” around matters of faith — from the silly, such as whether to call them “Christmas” or “Holiday” trees, to the very serious, such as federal policies that may discriminate against Muslims — have raged for decades, and show no signs of abating.

Surveys dating well back into the 1990s chart a growing public apprehension about the credibility, motives and bias of the news media, and a worrisome erosion of support for the press’s role as a “watchdog on government.” Amidst worsening public opinion, journalists have also had to contend with shrinking resources as they attempt to track government officials’ performance and measure government effectiveness.

The quarterly report card is not intended, and could not be, the final word on our First Amendment freedoms — the issues are too complex and the disputes too numerous, and filled with far too many twists and turns.

But the grading system will serve to call our attention, particularly over time, to a need to defend one or more freedoms from momentary threats and longer-term assaults on our free expression and religious liberty rights.

Gene Policinski is chief operating officer of the Newseum Institute. He can be reached at gpolicinski@newseum.org. Follow him on Twitter: @genefac.

Begging in America too often turns into harassment

By Dr. Glenn Mollette My wife and I visited New York City recently. We were walking through Times Square and masses of people on a Saturday night when someone called out to us for money.

“Will you please give me a couple of dollars; I am hungry,” came the first plea.

I barely heard this out of my right ear, as we were moving forward with the crowds.

I hadn’t really noticed this guy as I was trying to watch where we were going, not trip on someone or on the sidewalk while trying to enjoy the lights and sounds of Times Square.

People begging for money have become a common sight in America. I see it in Cincinnati, Nashville, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Baltimore, Seattle, Portland and, well, you get the picture. Begging is everywhere in America to some extent.

There is no American that can hand money to every beggar he or she passes on the street. My wife and I try on occasions to help people. We’ve seen mothers with their babies on the street begging. We’ve seen families on the street begging. We’ve seen veterans on the street begging. We have passed people and then gone back with a few dollars if we had it to give.

While in New York City, I was more attuned to walking with my wife. For some reason, a beggar tuned in on me when I did not turn my head and look at him or respond. He moved toward me, got in my face and yelled, “You are an S.O.B. and I hope that you choke on your food tonight!”

I looked at him for just a moment.

I understand that people get desperate and hungry. I understand poverty is rampant in this nation. I understand people are victims of unfortunate circumstances. I do believe we should help people and I’ve tried throughout my life to always be involved

in charitable projects. I don’t feel sorry for people who feel they are entitled to harass, accost and literally try to rob people.

What I am seeing more and more in America’s cities is what I’ve seen in Africa, Turkey and other foreign countries, which is harassment, begging and pleading. Our tour group was warned about leaving the ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey back in 2005. Our guide told us the people would beg vehemently for anything you have. Do not even make eye contact with them, we were told.

Sure enough, it was a mob that did everything but try to take our wallet and purses. They literally got in our faces and begged, pled and cried for anything we might give them. I’ve seen this same demeanor in other parts of the world.

More and more of these people are coming to America and more of them will end up on our streets and prowling our neighborhoods. Taking a carefree, delightful stroll down Michigan Avenue in Chicago, a leisurely walk through Times Square or most any major American city has changed.

Finally, everywhere I go in America people are working from every nationality around the world. They do seem to work hard and seem to be happy to be in America. I am happy for these people if they are legal.

If you run into a guy in Times Square calling you an S.O.B. and wishing for you to choke on your food, please do what I did not have the presence of mind to do.

Remember, hindsight is always 20/20. Tell him about all the Internationals working all over America. Tell him he can work a real job too. If he doesn’t want to do that, please do us all a favor and go back to where he came from.

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

ives just don’t get why lawns are so important to men.

Honestly, I am not sure why lawns are so important to men, either. But I do know that the lawn is the front line in manhood. Machismo. Masculinity. Gallantry.

I remember the first time my dad showed me how to mow the lawn. Of course, back in the early 1960s, we didn’t use a gas mower.

That was too costly. We used a push mower, with blades attached to the wheels that turned when you pushed and the wheels turned.

My dad would point to the neighbors. The homes with neatly cut lawns were respectful. The ones that looked like prairies were where trouble would always be.

And you know what? It was true.

The kids in the neatly managed lawns were nicer, more polite and respectful. The homes with “distressed lawns” had troubled kids.

I can see those kids sitting in jail wondering what caused their lives to go so wrong.

I bought a push mower a few years ago and sure enough, “Afib” nailed me. I had a mitral valve repair, and the push mower got all the blame. It could have been the dozens of Diet Cokes I drank daily.

Nawwww! It was the push mower.

But my dad told me that your home is your castle, and the lawn is the front sign that reflects that home to the world. Since then, I have always planned my spring, summer and fall schedules around mowing the lawn, making time to get it done.

And you just don’t “mow” the lawn, either. It’s a science. You divide the lawn into square or rectangular sections. You cut each group meticulously.

If you have a good mower, you can edge the lawn without Step 2, using the edger.

You have to fertilize at least three times a year, spring, summer and fall. And the height of the grass cut changes. You cut higher in the beginning of the mowing season and low at the very end.

Get rid of the dandelions. Pull the weeds. It doesn’t matter if you cut straight or believe that the diagonal cut looks better.

There is nothing like a freshly cut lawn with its rows of light and dark cuts (caused by the direction of the mower), and that fresh smell of grass cuttings.

I use a mulcher — a lawn mower that not only cuts the lawn but dices up the cuttings as you push over the grass. I don’t do that because it’s easier than raking and bagging the clippings. I do that because the grass mulching left on the lawn serves to keep nutrients in the lawn.

A good lawn mower lasts about six to seven years. The back wheels should be larger than those in the front. Last week, I went to Menards and purchased a mulcher with all-wheel drive.

My wife chided me and asked why I haven’t spent any time looking for an AWD SUV to replace the main car?

Little do you know, woman!

(Don’t tell her I said that. She will get really mad.)

Lawn mowers are dangerous, though. You have to watch the blades. Years ago my cousin came from Venezuela to visit and he was obsessed with the lawn mower, watching me mow the lawn each week.

He wanted to do it and I said yes. He was at my mom’s home insisting on mowing the lawn, and when the grass bunched up he bent down to pull the grass out. Fortunately, the staff at Christ Hospital put both fingers back and they worked great.

I walk the lawn before mowing just to make sure there are no baby rabbits or fallen birds in the grass. I managed to spot a frog and a garter snake, saving their lives.

Mowing the lawn is good exercise, too. It is more than 6,500 steps, according to my Fitbit watch.

Mowing the lawn. It’s a man thing. I enjoy it.

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

Thursday, May 4, 2017

The Reporter

Programs, projects help Dist. 218 teachers to become ‘Whole’

By Kelly White Stress at work exists for everyone, no matter the occupation. For many teachers, there’s no question stress is on the rise.

Forty-six percent of teachers report a high level of daily stress, which compromises their health, sleep, quality of life and teaching performance, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The foundation, based out of New Jersey, is the United States’ largest philanthropy focused solely on health. During studies, the foundation determined that teaching is one of the most stressful occupations in the country, but introducing organizational and individual interventions can help minimize the negative effects of teacher stress.

Community High School District 218 agrees with the theory, and since 2012, the district has been instituting Resource Hour once a week for teachers to unwind and focus on curriculum development, professional development, assessment and other student-centered work for teachers.

Resource Hour takes place from 8 to 8:50 a.m. on Tuesdays at Richards, Wednesdays at Eisenhower, and Thursdays at Shepard, with class beginning at 9 a.m.

Last Thursday morning at Shepard High School in Palos Heights, programs were offered to teachers for mentoring, workplace wellness, social emotional learning and mindfulness. These programs are all proven to improve teacher well-being and student outcomes, said district officials.

The program originated in the hands of Jen Pollack, associate principal at Shepard, and Dan Cronin, curriculum director for health, physical education and driver education at Shepard.

“Ms. Pollack mentioned that some of her teachers were experiencing undue stress and I merely suggested that instead of a traditional Resource Hour of curriculum and assessments, perhaps they might benefit more from a yoga or meditative practice session,” Cronin said. “Interestingly, our data has supported the notion that for those who participate in any of these activities, student discipline referrals often go down on those days.

“The thinking is, and of course, it’s not that simple, but the better the teachers feel, the better they might relate with our kids, and the better the kids will learn.”

Four times a year, Resource Hour is transformed into what the district refers to as Whole Teacher Resource Hour, where all 400 teachers within the district participate in programs and activities to benefit their own well-being, focusing on a holistic experience.

Teachers have a chance to unwind by joining in on a yoga, cooking, fitness, financial planning or art classes. All of the hour-long sessions are taught mostly by district teachers as well.

“I enjoy the Whole Teacher resource hours because they give us a chance to get to know other colleagues around the building while engaging in activities we enjoy to help us relax and unwind a bit,” said Jennifer Fischer, a German teacher at Shepard.

The name choice of Whole Teacher derives from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development’s Whole Child concept — an approach to teaching that

DEATH NOTICES

Hugh Gallagher Hugh Gallagher, 84, died April 19 at his Palos Hills home.

Mr. Gallagher, who was born in Torries Arranmore Island County Donegal in Ireland, was a retired engineer. He was also active for 40 years in organizations at St. Patricia Parish.

Survivors include daughters, Grace Bowen, Imelda McEneany and Carmel Buchly; son, Emmet; sisters, Mary and Bella; five grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

Services were Friday from Hills Funeral Home to St. Patricia Church. Interment will be held in Ireland.

Elizabeth Gonzalez

Photos by Kelly White

Above: Teachers paint inspirational quotes during Whole Teacher Hour at Shepard High School last Thursday morning in Palos Heights. Below: Shepard math teachers took on a project of taking used plastic grocery bags and crocheting them to create sleeping mats.

Elizabeth “Lisa” Gonzales, 48, a Chicago Ridge resident, died April 13 in San Antonio, Texas.

Mrs. Gonzalez had worked for Family Health Network.

Survivors include daughters, Vanessa and Lydia; sons, Francisco and Leonardo; parents, Vincenta Mena and Israel Gonzalez; sisters, Jacqueline Hernandez, Herminia Luna, Jennie Umar and Romelia Mena; brothers, Vincent Mena and Israel Gonzalez; half-sister, Michelle Perez; Francisco Hernandez and the entire Hernandez family; Corpus family; and the All About Pink Support Group.

Services were April 21 at Becvar & Son Funeral Home. Interment followed at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

Raymond Lenz Raymond E. Lenz, 84, died April 26 at his Oak Lawn home.

Mr. Lenz, a U.S. Marine Corps Korean War veteran, was the coowner of J. Lenz Sons Co. Coal, Oil and Heating.

Survivors include his wife, Ethel (nee Newberg); 19 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and many greatnieces and great-nephews.

Services were Monday from Curley Funeral Home to St. Germaine Church. Interment followed at St. Mary Cemetery.

Charles Nygaard Charles J. Nygaard, 69, an Evergreen Park resident, died April 27 in Lockport.

Mr. Nygaard, a U.S. Navy veteran, was employed for 39 years at glazier for Schaaf Window, retiring in 2009.

Survivors include sons, James, Thomas and Robert; sister, Sylvia Moran; brother, Otto Norman Nygaard; and three grandchildren.

Services were Wednesday at Colonial Chapel. Interment took place at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.

Al Skinky ensures that each student is healthy and safe.

“Administration realized that if teachers are happy, they can better serve our students and community, and thus, Whole Teacher was born,” said Jeff Vazzana, an English teacher at Shepard. “I think that taking an hour once a quarter to reflect, re-center, or strategize is a really good opportunity for our staff. As an English teacher, I usually take that hour to become more familiar with some of the latest young adult texts — to become more aware of what my students are reading for fun.”

Last Thursday morning, the teachers also had the opportunity to participate in service projects. Sara Gavin, from Almost Home, spoke with teachers on the importance of her project — a non-for-profit organization located in Hometown that is dedicated to helping the poor, needy, homeless and broken. Almost Home provides a place where families and those in need can come and pick up much needed provisions, from toothpaste, to diapers, to pet food and everything in between. Teachers were able to donate

necessities to this organization.

Shepard math teacher Angie Ochoa and colleagues took on a project of taking used plastic grocery bags and crocheting them to create sleeping mats. Almost Home plans to donate the mats to a local church that will provide them for a homeless shelter.

“A woman that I go to church with is constantly offering ideas for serving our community,” Ochoa said. “She introduced this project of making plastic mats for the homeless. I was telling my co-workers about it, and we decided to take it on this semester because it was a recycling project as well as something that may help someone in need. Through this project I learned more about Almost Home and the services they do for the people in our community in need.

I think that it is awesome to see Almost Home helping those in our community with great needs.”

“It’s very tedious to make these sleeping mats but they are so useful to people in need,” Gavin said. “They are made with love and it is an incredible project.”

Al Skinky, 76, died April 9 at his Oak Lawn home.

Mr. Skinky, a U.S. Army veteran, was employed as an electrician.

He was a longtime member of IBEW Local 134. He was born in Lithuania.

Survivors include his daughter, Kimberly Kubiak; four grandchildren; and many relatives and friends.

Services were April 18 from Palos-Gaidas Funeral Home to Sacred Heart Church. Interment took place at St. Casimir Cemetery.

Frank Venturella Frank P. “Chico” Venturella, 81, died April 26 at his Worth home.

Mr. Venturella was self-employed as a masonry. He was also a stock car owner at Santa Fe Speedway and enjoyed hanging out with his fellow car enthusiasts at Ron’s Toy Box. He also loved horses, classic cars and street rods. He also enjoyed traveling in his motor home with his grandchildren.

Survivors include his wife, Sharon Walsh (nee Klingkamer); daughters, Anna Marie Avalos and Marijo Christie; sons, Joseph and Michael; stepson, Rory Walsh; sister, Rosemary Kemper; brothers, Anthony and Joe; 10 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Services were Monday from Schmaedeke Funeral Home to St. Gerald Church. Entombment took place at Resurrection Cemetery.

Patchouli offers more than just a pleasant fragrance

I

remember 1960s hippies wearing patchouli oil as a perfume. It actually had a very natural and pretty pleasant fragrance, if not used too liberally. I liked it too, although I wasn’t in the hippie movement. I have even used patchouli oil in my fragrance diffuser and mixed it with bergamot oil.

Bergamot, too, is an essential oil and the base of many popular perfumes.

Bergamot is an oil with healing properties when used as a fragrance. Essential oils are not for human consumption. They are used for fragrance only, but even with those limitations as oils, they are very healing.

One of the studies I cited last November was a 1992 study performed at Vienna and Berlin universities. Researchers found a natural compound in oils known as sesquiterpenes could actually increase oxygen levels in the brain by more than 20 percent. The therapeutic essential oils noted were vetiver, patchouli, cedarwood, sandalwood and frankincense.

According to the article, this increase in brain oxygen levels may lead to a heightened level of activity in the hypothalamus and limbic systems of the brain that can have positive effects on learn-

ing, attitude, emotions and other physical processes including hormone balance and energy.

Just last week I found an article by Dr. Joseph Mercola explaining the background of Patchouli and more about its healing properties aside from its fragrance. Patchouli is also used as a perfume base. It has been used in Asia, especially Malaysia, China and Japan for skin and hair problems. It was used to treat skin disorders such as eczema and acne, chapped skin and dandruff.

Mercola writes that Patchouli oil was used for wound healing and scar reduction. It supposedly even behaves as pheromones to attract the opposite sex. I don’t know about that; I just love it as a fragrance. It was used in the 19th century to treat fabric with a fragrance and supposedly is a moth repellent for exported

fabric. Mercola says it was used as an indicator to assure fabric was authentic.

Patchouli oil is used in aromatherapy to relieve anxiety, stress and depression.

Mercola states it is effective for relaxation and mediation and can be added to diffusers or vaporizers. I use it in a diffuser and feel it is very relaxing and calming.

He said it can even be added to bathwater and mixed into shampoos. Among the helpful uses of patchouli is to have it diluted with a light carrier oil and applied to help prevent wrinkles and cellulite.

Patchouli can even be used to soothe minor cuts and mosquito bites. I would rather it be used as a preventive to avoid mosquitoes but apparently it doesn’t do that. Mercola also writes it can be applied to the wrists as I do, and applied with cotton balls to eliminate underarm odor.

It is one of those amazing oils that actually becomes better with age.

At any rate, I think it’s time to kick back, add some healthy essential oils to your diffuser and relax to prepare for the beautiful spring and coming summer in the Chicago area.

Dee Woods can be reached at deewoods10@cloud.com

Motorcycle ride and music fest to benefit Park Lawn The 20th annual Big Bikes Big Hearts Charity Motorcycle Ride and Music Fest to benefit Park Lawn will be held Saturday, May 20.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. the day of the event at the Office Sports Bar and Grill, 4901 Cal Sag Road, Crestwood, with the first bikes to go out at 10 a.m. The last bikes will leave at 11 a.m. Breakfast will be served from 8 to 9 a.m. The cost is $5 per person.

The registration fee is $25 per ride and an extra $5 for a passenger. The event includes raffles, door prizes, free bike show, run pins to the first 700 bikers, and entrance to the

post run party featuring live music and food.

Walk-ins and non-run participants are invited to attend the post run party at Cheers (formally Sullivan’s), 4460 W. 147th St., Midlothian, starting at 1:30 p.m. with a $15 entry fee donated to Park Lawn from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, the post run party will not be canceled.

The music fest features Maiden Chicago, Velvet Temple, Wicked World, Timing’s Everything, and Sybil. The music fest begins at 2 p.m. at Cheers. The cost is $15 before 4:30 p.m. and $10 after 4:30 p.m.

Tickets are available for Park Lawn’s Big Bikes Big Hearts Split the Pot Raffle,

with half going to Park Lawn and the other half split with two winners. Tickets are $5 each and a book of five tickets is $20.

The drawing will be held at the post run party at Sullivan’s. Winners need not be present to win.

Proceeds from the event will support Park Lawn’s mission to provide services that promote independence, choice and access to community living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

To register for the ride or to purchase raffle tickets visit www.parklawn.com/events or call the Development Office at (708) 425-6867. For more information, visit www.parklawn.com.

Neat Repeats Resale shops holding volunteer recruitment week Volunteer recruitment week will be held Sunday, May 7 through Saturday, May 13 for Neat Repeats Resale shops in Worth and Orland Park.

All sales at Neat Repeats Resale benefit the clients served by the Crisis Center for

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South Suburbia. The Crisis Center for South Suburbia is a non-profit community organization that provides emergency shelter and other services for individuals and families victimized by domestic violence.

Neat Repeats Resale shops are located at

7026 W. 111th St., Worth, and 9028 W. 159th St., Orland Park. Both are open seven days a week. Volunteers would work five hours a week.

More information can be obtained by calling the Worth store, (708) 361-6860, or Orland Park, (708) 364-7605.

Funeral Directory Palos-Gaidas FUNERAL HOME

708-974-4410 FUNERAL HOME David Gaidas, Jr. Director

11028 Southwest Highway Palos Hills, IL 60465

“THE NEXT GENERATION TO CARE FOR YOU”

Owned and Operated by the Mintle Family

10701 S. Harlem Ave. Worth, IL 708.448.6000 “Your Neighborhood Funeral Home”

8 The Reporter

Thursday, May 4, 2017

WHATIZIT?

Photo by Joe Boyle

The clue for this week’s Whatizit photo (above) is: Parish center.

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

We had several readers respond to last week’s quiz and three provided the right answer: The Homestead Barr, 9306 S. Central Ave., Oak Lawn. This local tavern’s history dates back to the early 20th century when it was a farm. The building was purchased by the Adomaitis family in 1951. It has been a fixture at the corner of Southwest Highway and Central Avenue ever since. The bar was recognized as a historic landmark in 1998 by the Oak Lawn Preservation Committee.

Crystine Busch, a Palos Heights resident, and Mike Sutko, of Oak Lawn, knew it was the Homestead Barr. John Schikora, an Evergreen Park resident, also knew it was the popular bar.

SUDOKU

Sister provides smiles through her handiwork and generosity Sister Maura Lowery, RSM, a resident of Mercy Circle, makes visitors smile with her handicrafts.

She has a talent for knitting and crocheting, which was dormant for years. She said her talents were hidden, even from herself.

She had no idea how good she was. It wasn’t until after she retired in 1998 as a hospital technician that she found the time to pursue her hobby.

Sr. Maura now had the time to make a miniature menagerie of dinosaurs, elephants, pandas, mice and giraffes. She also made nativity sets (with and without crèche buildout). Seasonal hits include hearts and shamrocks, along with St. Valentine and St. Patrick figures that are in demand.

The Larkin family, with three members already employed at Mercy Circle, 3659 W. 99th Place, Chicago, and another on deck, run to Sr. Maura’s closet to show off her work.

“She has an awesome talent,” said Erin, the oldest of four Larkin children. Erin and her younger brother, Mickey, met Sr. Maura when they started working in their first-ever jobs in food service at Mercy Circle, a senior living community.

“We always knew she was a sports fanatic and our number one fan,” Erin said. “She does amazing things with plastic canvas.”

Sr. Maura knows her student friends enjoy her work with new materials, like synthetic yarn made of thin cloth-like plastic that is durable and easy to clean. And she also admitted that she is a big sports fan.

“I go to every Mother McAuley home game,” she said. “Basketball, volleyball, water polo and now we have softball.”

Since she no longer drives, Sr. Maura does not attend away games. But there is an upside.

Sr. Maura has more time to create adorable little animal friends and baby clothes for special people.

“I have been lucky enough to get adopted

Photo courtesy of Robert Knapp

Sister Maura Lowery, RSM is surrounded by (from left) Maeve McGowan, Brigid Larkin and Reighan Day, all sixth-grade students at St. Christina School in Chicago, during a visit to see her at Mercy Circle.

into remarkable families,” she said.

Sr. Maura said she helped two brothers when they were babies born after a devastating house fire near Highland Park.

The mother sustained severe injuries so Sr. Maura cared for the boys during the mom’s convalescence.

Even though she was burned over more than 80 percent of her body, the mom recovered and returned to work after a short time. Sr. Maura remained involved with the boys daily during their years in preschool and grade school.

“Those boys were so creative. I taught them how to crochet with plastic canvas and they made a piano with a candelabra,” Sr. Maura said.

Now Sr. Maura is making a baby sweater set in anticipation of the arrival of the first child of one of those boys, now 30 years old, because his wife is pregnant.

Sr. Maura said she did not do anything special last month after working on those shamrocks in March. But she added that she has deadlines that will keep her busy until at least Memorial Day. Though her work is high quality, she keeps prices amazingly low, in the single-dollardigit range.

“I do this in the hope of making one person happy and putting a smile on someone’s face,” Sr. Maura said. “If a little thing that I make delights somebody — that is good enough for me.”

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

CHICAGO RIDGE

Moms and sons can go bowling

Answers on Page 10

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

The Chicago Ridge Park District is sponsoring a night out for moms and their sons to bowl from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 5 at the Palos Lanes, 11025 Southwest Highway, Palos Hills.

For resident moms and sons, the fee is $30.

The fee for non-resident moms and sons is $40. The fees will include unlimited bowling, shoes, food, pop, a picture and a gift for mom. The fee is an extra $8 for an additional son. More information can be obtained by calling (708) 636-4900.

Trip to Navy Pier The Chicago Ridge Park District is also sponsoring a trip to Navy Pier on Saturday, May 6.

The bus will leave the Freedom Activity Center, 6252 W. Birmingham St., Chicago Ridge, at 9 a.m. with the scheduled return at 4 p.m. The fee is $7 for residents and $12 for non-residents. The family deal (four family members are included in the deal) is $25 for residents and $35 for non-residents.

More information can be obtained by calling (708) 636-4900.

EVERGREEN PARK

Evergreen Park Seniors to provide ‘Memories to Go’

Lawn, will be holding their annual Poppy Days, today (Thursday, May 4); Friday, May 5; and Saturday, May 6.

Post and auxiliary members will be handing out the “Little Red Flowers” that are assembled by hospitalized veterans to support veterans in need. Members can be found at various locations in Oak Lawn.

More information can be obtained by calling (708) 423-5220 or visit http://www. oaklawnvfw.com.

Annual flower sale to be held at Pilgrim Faith Church

The annual flower sale will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Friday, May 5 at the Pilgrim Faith United Church of Christ, 9411 S. 51st Ave., Oak Lawn.

The flower sale will also be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 6 and 10:30 a.m. to noon Sunday, May 7. The annual sale features plantings for gardens hanging basket arrangements for Mother’s Day. The large assortment of flowers includes geraniums, impatiens, begonias, marigolds and many other varieties. Both large and small hanging flower baskets are in full bloom. Quality vegetable plants and herbs are also offered. All proceeds support the ministries of Pilgrim Faith Church. For more information, contact the church office at (708) 422-4200.

Oak Lawn film group to view, The Evergreen Park Senior Citizens Coun- discuss ‘Gone Girl’

ACROSS

DOWN

1 “You’re kidding, right? ” 9 Will matter 15 “I give up” 16 Onomatopoeic dance 17 Criminology concerns 18 Weapons used on mounts 19 “Out of the Blue” band 20 Beyond harmful 22 Pabst brand originally brewed in Washington, familiarly 23 They’re slow to pick things up 26 Weaken 27 Runner’s distance 28 Fall deliveries?

30 Play or school follower 31 Alouette 1 satellite launcher 34 Catch 36 “Good __!”

37 Oakland’s county 39 Like some beaches 41 Gimlet flavor 42 2011 World Golf Hall of Fame inductee 44 By the fire, say 45 Sediment 46 Programming language named for a comedy group 48 “The world’s an __”: Dryden 49 Mexican painter Frida 51 Teamsters president James 55 Gp. with carriers 56 Like old timers?

58 Word in many Mexican place names 59 Egg, perhaps 61 More than one can handle 64 Stuck at a chalet, maybe 65 French for “stick” 66 Fit one within another 67 “There was a point here somewhere”

1 Babies”R”Us buys 2 Even a little 3 Half a playground exchange 4 Stuff that goes kablooey 5 Trouble 6 Give a good toss 7 Equally close 8 1996 treaty subject 9 Panache 10 Fissile rock 11 Light shade ... or avoid the shade?

12 Praise 13 Gossip’s stock-in-trade 14 “Piece of cake” 21 Goes after 24 Holds accountable 25 Perspective 29 Ordered 30 Pepperidge Farm treat 31 Joining the radio show 32 The Na’vi in “Avatar,” for one 33 Rat 35 “Ice cream or cake? ” response, perhaps 38 Highest-ranking 40 Bear with a “thotful spot” 43 Educational outlines 47 “Poor baby!”

49 Holmes of “Touched With Fire” 50 Words spoken after coming to?

52 High wind?

53 They can be hard to face 54 Grill leftovers 57 1951 title role for Audrey 60 Abbr. on a Miami itinerary 62 Pull 63 Marseille sight

Answers on Page 10

cil is looking for vendors and crafters for their village-wide garage sale that will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 6 at Yukich Field, 8900 S. Kedzie Ave., Evergreen Park.

Items may be sold inside the covered ice rink (a 10×10 foot area) for $50 or an outside space (a 9×17 feet area) for $35. For those returning vendors, the early bird deadline has been extended.

The event will take place, rain or shine.

No rain date or refunds will be given. For more information, call Office of Citizens’ Service (708) 422-8776.

United Methodist Women plan Spring Banquet The United Methodist Women’s Spring banquet will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, May 12 at the First United Methodist Church, 9358 S. Homan Ave., Evergreen Park.

The event brings women of all ages together, including mothers, daughters, grandmas and friends. Appetizers, dinner and dessert will be served.

The fees are $12 for adults and $10 for children ages 5 to 12. Children under age 5 can attend for $8. Ticket reservation fees can be obtained by calling the church office, (708) 422-8451.

HICKORY HILLS

Hickory Hills Park District to hold free fishing derby The Hickory Hills Park District will hold its annual free fishing derby from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 5 at the Martin Park Pond, 89th Place and 78th Avenue.

Awards will be given for the longest fish caught in each age division and a free raffle will be held for all participants. Participants are required to bring their own pole and bait.

A one pole limit will be enforced. Kids must catch their own fish.

The event is also for kids ages 6 and up (children under age 12 must be accompanied by an adult). Participants ages 17 and older must have a valid fishing license.

OAK LAWN

Johnson-Phelps VFW and Auxiliary will hold Poppy Days Members of the Johnson-Phelps VFW and Auxiliary Post 5220, 9514 S. 52nd Ave., Oak

CineVerse, the Oak Lawn Park District’s weekly film discussion group open to anyone age 17 and older, will screen and discuss the 2014 movie “Gone Girl” from 7 to 10 p.m.

Wednesday, May 10 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) 5299028 or visit cineversegroup.blogspot.com.

St. Gerald HNS to host first Cinco de Mayo Fiesta The St. Gerald Holy Name Society will hold its first Cinco de Mayo Fiesta from 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday, May 6 at the parish’s Chapel Hall, 9310 S. 55th Court, Oak Lawn.

The $30 fee includes food, soft drinks, beer, a DJ, a mariachi band and folkloric dancers.

Margaritas, pina coladas and other favorites can be purchased for $3 each. Tickets and additional information can be obtained by calling Sal Alvarado, (708) 507-1971; Morris Prieto, (773) 269-0289; or Bob Crosby, (708) 299-9813.

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., Oak Lawn.

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.

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.

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.

Oak Lawn Park District to host trip to Tulip Festival The Oak Lawn Park District will sponsor a trip to see the Tulip Festival in Holland, Mich., on Tuesday, May 10.

Guests will tour the Veldheer Tulip Garden.

Residents will have an opportunity to watch the carving of wooden shoes at the Wooden Shoe Factory, and take a stroll through Windmill Island and their shops.

Departure is at 7 a.m. from the Oak View Center, 4625 W. 110th St., Oak Lawn. The scheduled return is at 8 p.m. The fee is $110 for residents and $120 for non-residents.

Lunch will not be provided. However, dinner will be included at the Queen’s Inn. More information can be obtained by calling (708) 857-2200.

PALOS HILLS

Palos Township plans 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 Marrs-Meyer 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. To attend the event, contact Vivian, (708) 444-1720, or St. Mark Church, (708) 448-6555, by Friday, May 12.

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.

Cruise Nights will not be held if it rains.

More information can be obtained by calling Dan Knight, (312) 231-2599, or Mike Kallis, (708) 407-3388. More information can also be obtained at worthcruiseknights@yahoo.com.

CONSUMER NEWS

Thursday, May 4, 2017

COMINGS & GOINGS

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T

Indian restaurant opens in Tinley Park An Indian restaurant opened last month in a retail strip at 167th Street and 80th Avenue in Tinley Park.

Chak De Fuzyon Indian Bistro opened at 7982 W. 167th St. in the former Fat Italian location. It had previously been a Kismet restaurant.

Calls were not returned, but the restaurant says on social media that it is an Asian fusion restaurant that offers “traditional Indian cuisine with an Indo-Chinese twist.” The name of the restaurant comes from a famous Bollywood movie “Chak De India” and in Hindi means “Let’s go fusion.”

Chef Sandeep Joshi hails from India and won an International Chef competition and worked at some of the finest hotels in India.

The restaurant offers dine-in service as well as carry-out and delivery. There is free Wi-Fi, but no alcohol.

It operates on a split shift and is open for lunch before closing and reopening for dinner. Lunch hours are from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday to Sunday.

Dinner hours are from 5-10 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, from 5-midnight Thursday to Saturday and from 5-9 p.m. on Sunday.

For information, call 708-689-4591 or visit their website at chakdefuzyon.com.

Chipotle opens in Ford City The renovation continues at Ford City Mall at 7601 S. Cicero Ave. on Chicago’s Southwest Side and the newest tenant to move in as part of the face-lift is Chipotle Mexican Grill, which opened last month.

Photo by Anthony Caciopo

Kefi Greek Cuisine and Bar is now open at 12200 S. Harlem in Palos Heights.

Dunkin Donuts opens in Bridgeview Walmart shoppers in Bridgeview can now enjoy Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and doughnuts while browsing the aisles at the store at 10261 S. Harlem Ave. The coffee and doughnut shop held its grand opening last week.

Hoyne, Prospect banks complete merger Hoyne Savings Banks announced last week that it had completed a merger with Prospect Federal Savings Bank.

Prospect’s banking business will now be operated as a division of Hoyne Savings Bank. With the completion of the merger, the combined institution has consolidated assets of approximately $500 million, $86 million in equity, and operates a network of eight branches throughout the Chicagoland area.

Steven F. Rosenbaum, the president of Prospect Federal Savings Bank, will join Hoyne as the president and chief operating officer and will become a member of the boards of directors of Hoyne Savings Bank, Hoyne Savings, MHC and Hoyne Financial Corp.

Founded in 1887, Hoyne Savings Bank has offices in Chicago, Worth, Oak Lawn, Wheeling and Woodstock.

Mega Flea Market open for the season Mega Flea Market is back for another season at Toyota Park in Bridgeview. The flea market is open Sundays through Oct. 8 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. except July 16.

Admission is free and seller spaces are $10.

For more information, call (708) 3780102.

Northwestern College to host career fair Northwestern College’s Bridgeview and Chicago campuses will be hosting a joint Career Fair for students and the community on Thursday, May 18, from 9:30 a.m. until noon at its Bridgeview Campus, 7725 S. Harlem Ave. An estimated 28 businesses and employers have confirmed their attendance

House passes transportation bill authored by Lipinski and Duckworth The House last week passed the Senate companion of a bill first introduced by Cong. Dan Lipinski (D-3rd) that nullifies a recent U.S. Department of Transportation rule that would have delayed transportation projects.

Lipinski said the rule would have also undermined local control and hurt job growth. The rule, finalized in January, would have had a negative impact locally by requiring the governors and the other leaders in Indiana and Wisconsin to approve transportation projects in northeastern Illinois, the congressman said.

The DOT’s rule would have required Metropolitan Planning Organizations ‒ groups, such as the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, that are charged with administering federal transportation funding based on a regional long-term planning process ‒ to consolidate with nearby MPOs or develop a single, unified longrange plan.

“Forcing MPOs to merge with other MPOs in the vicinity, even across state lines, would cause significant delays and disruptions in getting important transporta-

tion projects done,” Lipinski stated. “Mayors, planners, and transit agencies from across the country have reached out to me over the past few months to express their opposition to this rule, and it’s opposed by every major trade association representing the professionals who staff MPOs around the country.”

Lipinski’s bill was approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee last month. The bill passed in the House is an identical bill authored

by U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) that passed the Senate last month. This action allows the bill to go directly to the president’s desk, where it is expected to be signed into law.

“I want to thank Sen. Duckworth and my colleagues who co-sponsored this bill,” said Lipinski. “With so many local transportation projects that need to get done, it would have made no sense to put another obstacle in the way. I am hopeful that this bipartisan action will pave the way for more cooperation when it comes to fixing our infrastructure.”

Hurley supports bills with mandates for buying American and buying local State Rep. Fran Hurley (D-35th) said she wants to keep more tax dollars in Illinois by investing in local jobs and is supporting two pieces of legislation that will address those issues.

“Shopping locally has a profound effect on local economies. More money goes back into the local economy, it supports good-paying local jobs and it allows more small businesses to succeed,” Hurley said.

“These bills ensure that the state of Illinois is putting its money where its mouth is, and supporting local businesses and communities.”

Hurley is backing House Bill 137, which mandates that state agencies must purchase American made products when making any type of purchase of goods.

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Smart investing can help you keep moving toward your goals

Kefi opens in Palos Heights he former Bon A Pit barbecue restaurant reopened last month in its latest incarnation as Kefi Greek Cuisine and Bar at 12200 S. Harlem Ave. in Palos Heights. It now features Greek and Mediterranean cuisine.

The restaurant has had a few names over the years and had been known as Bon A Pit until March 5, when it closed and the owners announced it would be evolving into Kefi. There was no reason Bob for the closure or Bong given transition.

Gift cards from Bon A Pit will be honored at the new restaurant, which opened April 19.

Hours are 4-10 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 4-11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m.

Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday.

For more information and reservations, call (708) 361-9610 or visit its website at kefi.restaurant.

The Reporter

Hurley is also supporting a companion bill, House Bill 138, which mandates that state agencies must purchase Illinois manufactured goods when making any type of purchase of goods, if possible. If no plausible source is found, they are then required to purchase products made in America. The bills state that the products must be made up of more than 50 percent American or Illinois components. Certain restrictions are included, for items such as pharmaceutical drugs or when the price or quality does not meet the standards sought.

House Bill 137 and 138 passed out of State Government Administration committee, and now head to the House floor.

thus far, with several additional employers expressing significant interest.

The college is urging interested employers to please contact Northwestern College’s Office of Career Development at 708-237-5050 or to register their organization to participate at https://www.nc.edu/ employers-2/careerfair and someone will contact them with further details. Employers will have the ability to recruit, screen, and interview candidates right on the spot, with participants being urged to arrive in professional attire and with prepared resumes to present. Exhibitor spaces are filling up quickly, with this year’s confirmed employers to date exceeding last year’s.

Northwestern College finds it imperative to do everything it can to assist its students in obtaining employment. As a good neighbor in the community, the College continues to open up this event to the public, Free of charge. Last year approximately 300 job seekers attended the 2016 event, including students, alumni, and numerous members of the public.

Already confirmed for this year’s Career Fair include: Mercy Hospital & Medical Center; TCF Bank; Palos Health; All STAT Portable XRay; JIL Medical Consultancy LTD; Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago; BrightStar Care of Tinley Park/ Oak Lawn; G4S Secure Solutions (USA) Inc.; Edward-Elmhurst Health; United Parcel Service; Addison Group; Midwest Neurological & Rehab Center; Advocate Health Care; Homewatch Care Givers; Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office; West Suburban Nursing & Rehab; Uro Partners LLC; Lexington Health Network; Heartland Blood Center; SECURATEX LTD; Extended Care Clinical; US Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA); Premier Staffing Source Inc.; LifeWatch; Norwood Senior Network; Shay Health Care Services, Inc.; Clearbrook; and Keys Medical Staffing.

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

For example, threet’s Kentucky time Kentucky Derby Derby time winner Calvin Borel’s again. Even if strategy usually inyou’re not much of a horse racing fan, volves riding his horse you might apprecion the rail at the inside of the track – so much ate all the Derby’s so that his nickname is pageantry – the mint “Bo’rail.” As an invesjuleps, the women’s Scott beautiful hats, the tor, you need a strategy singing of “My Old Johnson that’s appropriate for Kentucky Home,” your goals, risk tolerand so on. But if ance and time horizon. you look beyond the hoopla, Such a strategy will involve you’ll realize just how much choosing a suitable mix of work it takes to put on such investments, reviewing your an event. And the efforts of portfolio’s progress at regular one group in particular — intervals, and making changes the jockeys — may be able as necessary. to provide you with some Finally, jockeys need lessons in life — and in knowledge. Is the track in investing. good shape? How has the For starters, consider the horse been behaving lately? stamina the jockeys show as What’s the weather going they steer 1,000-pound thorto be at post time? To be a good investor, you also need oughbreds around the track plenty of knowledge. You’ll at Churchill Downs. Riding a racehorse is difficult, demand- need to pose some questions about individual investments ing and dangerous, requiring you’re considering: How will enormous endurance on the this investment perform unpart of the jockey. And in many areas of life, you too der different market environwill need to show some stayments? Will this investment fit well into my portfolio, ing power. That’s certainly or do I already have othtrue when you invest. You need the fortitude to keep on ers similar to it? Is this an investing, in good markets investment I can hold for the and bad ones, and during all long term? And you’ll also the phases of your life – even need to learn about yourself after you’ve retired. It might as an investor: What is my not always be easy — during tolerance for risk? Am I fully turbulent markets, you may be considering all my goals, tempted to take a “time out” such as college for my kids, — but the most successful my own retirement and the investors are usually the most type of legacy I’d like to persistent ones. leave? There’s no shortage of Here’s another trait shown questions for active investors

by Kentucky Derby jockeys: to ask — and the best invesvision. Jockeys must be able tors never stop learning. to spot the spaces they need You can learn a lot from to go through to gain the Kentucky Derby jockeys. By position they want. In other applying some of their skills words, they see where they and habits to your investment want to go. As an investor, activities, you can keep movyou need this same ability. ing toward your goals – and To illustrate: What do you you won’t even have to run in want your retirement to look circles. like? Will you stay close to home and volunteer? Will Scott Johnson, CFP, is a you travel the world? Will financial advisor with Edyou even open a small busiward Jones, 8146 W. 111th St., ness? You need to envision Palos Hills, (708) 974-1965. your goals if you’re going to Edward Jones does not proachieve them. vide legal advice. This article Strategy is also important was written

by Edward Jones to jockeys. They all want for use by your local Edward to win the race, but they Jones financial advisor. employ different methods.

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

Chicago Ridge Skafish William R to Geever Brian, 10813 Mcvicker Ave, $148,000; Zambrano Osvaldo to Martinez Marybel, 10647 Princess Ave, $154,000; Mollinedo Melissa to Chodorowicz Czeslaw, 10504 Southwest Hwy, Unit #34D, $69,000; Smith Jack L to Randal Freddie, 11035 Massasoit Ave, $190,000; Hoekstra Jeffrey to Urquizo Marco, 5812 W 109th St, $165,000; US Bank Trust to Vizgirda Jolanta, 10415 Moody Ave, $100,000; Ryan Patricia to Safi Adnan, 7030 98th St, Unit #3B7030, $69,000; Juodikis Peter Tr to Macionis Kastytis, 10626 S Ridgeland Ave, Unit #106261C, $88,000.

Evergreen Park Munoz Jesus to Allen Arttice S, 9224 S Sawyer Ave, $187,500; Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr to B-Rocks 2 LLC, 3705 W 95th St, $300,000; Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr to Ordaz Ricardo Sr, 9226 S Mozart St, $130,000; Azran Miami 2 LLC to Woodfork Sheena N, 2948 W 101st Pl, $220,000; US Bank to Akers David M Tr, 9302 S Albany Ave, $91,500; Chicago Trust Co Tr to Van Schaik Jason, 9526 S Homan Ave, $127,500; Nolan Kevin to Novotney Thomas E Tr, 3533 W 96th St, $339,000; Pinto Humberto to Wallock Scott E, 9611 S Albany Ave, $138,000; Flagstar Bk to 9561 S Mozart EGP Inc, 9561 S Mozart St, $94,500; Walker Salinda to Howard Andre L, 2400 West 95th St, Unit #103, $90,000; PNC Bk to Mrozek Andrzej, 3101 W 95th St, Unit #C5, $44,500.

Oak Lawn Hanigan Brian J to Little Alfred W, 10324 Linus Ln, $580,000; Mahoney Robert A Tr to Mahoney Robert A, 9713 S Kenton Ave, $175,000; Koh Young Ja to Sanchez Claudia, 9627 Kedvale Ave, Unit #205, $87,000; Cotto Iris to Waters Scott A, 4853 96th St, $225,000; Live Well Fin Inc to Cedar Equity LLC, 10731 Lavergne Ave, $156,500; Lee William R Tr to Rodgers Francine L, 9725 Karlov Ave, Unit #9725204, $61,000; Sullivan Louise M Tr to Quezada Felipe D, 10920 S Kenton Ave, $220,000; Keating Maureen A to Gast Diana E, 5730 W 90th St, $134,500; Stoneway Homes Inc to Hamman Christine, 10223 S Kolin Ave, $285,000; Foster Anthony to Wilde Felisa C, 9720 Pulaski Rd, Unit #9720102, $48,000; Pier Alex Tr to Delgadillo Margarita, 4612 100th Pl, $162,000; Cusack Brian to Sheehan Joseph, 4045 Grant St, $190,000; Huddleston Kevin L to Willer Michael A, 9643 Normandy Ave, $180,000; Cira Elsie M Tr to Hanigan Brian J, 4349 107th St, $135,000; Duffy Mary Eileen Tr to Mainczyk Matthew R, 10737 S Kolmar Ave, $212,000; Welsh Richard to Mattran Todd M, 9727 S Kostner Ave, $195,000; Slugocki Joan J to Filipiak Jennifer A, 10440 51st Ct, $220,000; Scisson David P to Tapa Javier, 9228 S Major Ave, $150,000; Kardokas Laima to Devlin James, 5740 W 99th St, $207,000; Ramadani Mialim to Chicago Title Land Trust, 6502 W 93rd St, $300,000; Fernandez Guadalupe to Jaser Samira, 9321 53rd Ct, $262,000; Bucher Michael to KPL Hldgs LLC 10510 Parkside, 9436 S Kolmar Ave, Unit #94362A, $78,000;

Cornerstone Cap LLC to Renteria Sonia, 9237 Tulley Ave, $193,000; August James Tr to Bartyczak Dariusz, 5308 Otto Pl, $125,000; Khan Kimberly J to Mostafa Rosemary, 9128 Pulaski Rd, Unit #2E9128, $72,000; Prospect Fed Sav Bk to Unknown, 5840 104th St, Unit #304, $52,000; Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr to Pocius Ingrida, 4929 Oak Center Dr, $124,000; US Bk Tr to NMZ Prop LLC, 9233 S Keeler Ave, $157,500; Fannie Mae to American Revival Co NFP, 9813 Keeler Ave, Units #4&4G, $69,000; Decker Stacey L Tr to Padilla Wilfredo, 5340 Avery Pl, $232,000; Weaver Kris E Sr Tr to Beglin Dorothy, 4921 105th Pl, $176,000;

Nazimek Christine M Tr to Navarro Pedro, 6432 W 89th Pl, $270,000.

Palos Hills Bugal Raymond to Samra Hasan, 11118 S 84th Ave, Unit #111182B, $52,000; Doorhy Patrick J to Mohsin Mohamed, 10630 S 81st Ave, $500,000; Johler Lee Tr to Klimavicius Rigandas, 11018 Theresa Cir, Unit #2B, $136,000; Seckus Roxann M to Leonowicz Malgorzata, 9171 Del Prado Dr, Unit #91712E, $184,000; Huller Ramona M to Jenkins Charles T, 9119 Del Prado Dr, $288,000; Judicial Sales Corp to Greczek Jozef, 11317 S Westwood Dr, $104,000.

Mortgage Rates Around the Area First Midwest Bank (as of May 1) 30-year fi ed

RATES 4.000

APR 4.035

POINTS 0

15-year fi ed

3.250

3.305

0

30-year fi ed Jumbo

4.125

4.170

0

United Trust Bank (as of May 1) 30-year fi ed

RATES 4.060

APR 4.081

POINTS 0

15-year fi ed

3.375

3.411

0

10-year fi ed

3.250

3.303

0

Prospect Federal (as of May 1) 30-year fi ed

RATES 4.000

APR 4.069

POINTS .25

20-year fi ed

3.875

3.970

.25

15-year fi ed

3.250

3.370

.25

All rates subject to change daily. Equal opportunity lenders.

10 The Reporter

Thursday, May 4, 2017

10th Race Continued from Page 1

“This race is good for the community, too. It raises money for charity, and brings a lot of people in,” he added.

During the first four years of the event, Rice even did doubleduty, providing musical entertainment for the crowds after the race with “Defining Silence,” a local band that has since broken up.

“I would get there early and set up my drum kit, then run in the race. As soon as I was done, I would change clothes and join my bandmates,” said Rice.

Rice also noted that another good thing about the out-andback race, which starts at 76th Avenue and turns around at Archer Road, “is a flat course.”

“It is not that it is easy, but it is a good race to set your personal best time,” he explained.

He set his own personal best time on the course in 2011, at 1:32:42.

“I’m not expecting to beat it this year,” he said with a laugh.

“That was a long time ago and I was younger then.

Our Lady Continued from Page 1

Enrollment is now at 117, and Grisolano said that total traditionally rises in the spring, especially now that the school will remain open.

“We are ecstatic,” Grisolano said. “We were confident we could do this. Everybody helped out.”

Grisolano, who currently has a child who attends Our Lady of the Ridge and a toddler at home who will also be attending the school, was present at the second annual run. She said she would be there rain or shine.

“We have our ponchos ready,” Grisolano said.

The Rev. Wayne Svida, pastor of Our Lady of the Ridge, was also in attendance to cheer the runners and walkers. He took photos of the volunteers who assisted the participants. He also took shots of the runners and walkers. He said he was excited and relieved when he found out Our Lady of the Ridge would remain open.

Svida told parishioners during a Prayer Service of Thanksgiving at the church after they received the good news that “this is about family. We will continue to educate young men and women.”

The annual run and walk stepped off at the school’s parking lot. Christina Lavin, a school board member, founded the event last year as a way to raise funds for the school and other ministries.

She added that the event brings families together for fellowship and fitness in Chicago Ridge, Worth and surrounding communities.

“We were so excited to have more than 300 people participate (last year),” Lavin said. “Whether

SUDOKU

Answers

“But it is run at a good time of year to kick off the season,” said Rice, who likes to run two or three half marathons each year, and at least one marathon.

He has run the Chicago Marathon more than 14 times, and the Boston Marathon twice.

Rice trains with the Yankee Runners every Saturday, in all weather, running on paved paths in Yankee Woods for most of the year. When the paths become snow-covered and icy during the winter, they run on trails through forest preserves in Palos Park, near McCarthy Road. He runs with other groups on weeknights.

Although it is the 10th anniversary of the race, and his 10th time running it, Rice doesn’t expect anything other than the usual celebrations afterward.

“The Yankee Runners always have a little cookout afterwards, and we’ll just have some hamburgers and enjoy the atmosphere,” he said. “It’s always a good time.”

Registration and more information about the Southwest Half Marathon and 10K may be obtained at www.southwesthalfmarathon.com. they ran or walked, it was fun to see so many people come together to support Our Lady of the Ridge. This year, we’re confident that we will be just as successful and we can’t wait to welcome our runners and walkers to a great family event.”

Aldworth wore a coat but was positioned at the starting line to cheer on the runners and walkers. She said that despite the cold, the turnout was better than expected.

“We wished the weather could have been better,” Aldworth said.

“Sometimes people wait to the last minute on a day like this.

We will end up with a lot of people.”

Roberto Ortega, 34, a Chicago Ridge resident, was the winner of the race, clocking in at 20:01 — well ahead of the pack. Ortega, who won the Southwest Half Marathon race in Palos Heights a year ago, also won the inaugural event at Our Lady of the Ridge in 2016. He promised organizers he would be back.

He also competed in the recent Boston Marathon, which he described as a thrilling experience, even though the temperatures were hot and humid. Those conditions made it difficult to finish, he said.

“This is perfect for running,” Ortega said about the Our Lady of the Ridge run. “Temperatures in the 40s and 50s are perfect.

It helps you stay strong.”

The crowd became larger at the end of the race as participants and spectators moved to the gym to later watch the winners receive their medals. Food was available and a bounce house for the kids was being utilized.

“One thing is for sure: This will not be our last 5K race,” Aldworth said.

CROSSWORD

Answers

Half Marathon is in need of more volunteers

By Dermot Connolly

Preparations are nearing completion for the 10th Annual Southwest Half Marathon and 10K being held Sunday morning, with organizers saying they are only lacking volunteers.

“The number of volunteers is down this year,” said Bob Grossart, co-chair of the volunteer committee.

There is still time to sign up, and he encourages any area students in need of community service hours to do so. As of last Friday, he said 102 people had registered as volunteers,

compared to 144 at the same time last year.

“This event wouldn’t be possible without all the volunteers,” said race director Mel Diab, thanking those who help year-round as well as those who work on race day.

Many volunteers come from local high schools and colleges, and Palos Health, CNB Bank & Trust, and other sponsoring businesses. But this year, organizers said, some of the schools and businesses are dealing with conflicting events.

“We really would like to have 200 people signed up, expecting that 150 will actually

Photos by Dermot Connolly

Cook County Circuit Court Judge Denise Filan administers the oath of Cook County Circuit Court Judge Denise Filan administers the oath of office to new Chicago Ridge Village Clerk Barb Harrison, as her husband, office to Chicago Ridge Mayor Chuck Tokar as his fiancée, Denise Ridley, Shane, holds the Bible, before the Village Board meeting last Thursday. holds the Bible.

Three new trustees and Mayor Chuck Tokar were also sworn in.

Chicago Ridge Continued from Page 1

session to discuss the sale of the former Nicobee’s property at 10255 S. Harlem Ave., before resuming the public meeting, The board, including trustees Bill McFarland and Jack Lind, then voted unanimously to

Tri-State

Continued from Page 1

with overhead oases.

“Anything that improves traffic flow on 294 is going to help the economic conditions in the south and southwest suburbs,” said Jim Sweeney, a director on the Tollway Board and president and business manager of Operating Engineers Local 150.

According to the Tollway Board, I-294 connects four other interstates — I-80, I-55, I-290, I-88, and I-90 — with the new I-490 Tollway being built as part of the Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project, set to become the sixth interstate connection. It also provides connections to both O’Hare and Midway airports, and plays

approve an extension of the closing on the vacant village-owned site where a developer plans to build a small strip mall that will include a Starbucks restaurant. Plans for the Starbucks, which would be the first in Chicago Ridge, were announced at the March 7 meeting.

Tokar said last Thursday that the developer asked to extend the closing date to May 31 to give him time to come to agreement with

several other businesses interested in leasing space on the property. The sale price has not been made public yet, but Tokar said at the meeting in March that it would be “a lot more” than the $650,000 the village paid for it.

The board also voted to cancel the board meeting that had been scheduled for Tuesday, May 2. The board will hold its next regularly scheduled meeting in Village Hall at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, May 16.

an important role in Chicago’s freight economy, which supports more than 176,000 jobs and generates $12.3 billion in personal income.

“All of the ramps are going to be improved.

There are some real bottlenecks,” said Sweeney, citing the interchanges between Interstates 294 and 290 specifically, as well as those at 95th Street and Interstate 55.

“This will increase capacity, reduce congestion and improve travel reliability,” said Sweeney, noting that the Tollway system opened in 1958, “when Eisenhower was president.”

“There will be no increase in tolls. We will be able to do it with our present revenue capacity,” said Sweeney.

He said the cost of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway construction project came in under budget, so some of that money will go for the 294 improvements. Other revenue will

be generated from “chasing derelict consumers,” delinquent in paying tolls.

Sweeney said that for every billion dollars spent, 35,000 jobs will be generated, including many permanent jobs as well as construction jobs.

The Tollway’s analysis estimates improvements will reduce stop-and-go traffic and delays and will result in significant reductions in peak travel times, including a 55 percent reduction in time it would take to drive the full length of the Tollway.

“It is desperately needed,” said Sweeney.

“This is one of those rare things that really is a win-win for everybody.”

Project information along with the recent public presentations held in Justice and elsewhere are available online at illinoistollway. com/outreach.

LIBRARY HAPPENINGS

CHICAGO RIDGE Lego Club will meet on Saturdays 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) 4237753, or visit the website at www.chicagoridgelibrary.org.

Babies will hear stories and songs Babies and toddlers up to 2 years old and their caregivers will listen to stories and hear songs from 10 to 10:30 a.m. every Thursday at the Chicago Ridge Library. The program will continue until May 18. More information can be obtained by calling (708) 423-7753 or visit the website at www.chicagoridgelibrary.org.

Mad Libs Party to be held at library A Mad Libs Party will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. today (Thursday, May 4) at the Chicago Ridge Library. Kids in the first through eighth grade can take part in a variety of different games ranging from creating a self-portrait blindfolded, or getting tangled up in Twister. In addition, participants will play the traditional Mad Libs word game.

More information can be obtained by calling (708) 423-7753 or visit the website at www.chicagoridgelibrary.org.

Library to host Battle of the Books

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of Public Meeting On May 25, 2017 at 10 A.M. a meeting conducted by Worth School District 127 will take place at the Dr. Rosemary Lucas Administrative Center, 11218 S. Ridgeland Ave., Worth, Illinois.

The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the district’s plans for providing special education services to students with disabilities who attend private schools and home schools within the district for the 2017/2018 school year. If you are the parent of a homeschooled student who has been or may be identified with a disability and you reside within the boundaries of Worth School District 127 you are urged to attend. If you have further questions pertaining to this meeting, please contact Sinead Chambers, Director of Student Services, at (708) 671-3911.

LEGAL NOTICE

show up,” Grossart said.

Volunteers could be assigned to anything from stocking water stations along the route, to setting up tables around the Palos Heights City Hall grounds where participants and spectators can get refreshments and food.

“It is not too hard and it’s a fun event,” said Grossart.

Anyone age 14 and up is welcome to register as a volunteer at www.southwesthalfmarathon. com. Students will receive nine service hours for the day that typically runs from 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The 15th annual Battle of the Books will include students from Finley Junior High, Our Lady of the Ridge, Ridge Central and Ridge Lawn schools from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 9 at the Chicago Ridge Library, 10400 S. Oxford Ave. The students have been reading books from the Rebecca Caudill and Bluestem nominee award list throughout the school year. The students will compete to answer questions from this year’s 40 books.

This program is sponsored in part by the Friends of the Chicago Ridge Library. More information can be obtained by calling (708) 423-7753 or visit the website at www.chicagoridgelibrary.org.

OAK LAWN Take nostalgic ‘trip’ to Riverview, White City Guests can take a nostalgic journey to Riverview and White City amusement parks during a presentation to be held at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, May 10 at the Oak Lawn Library, 9427 S. Raymond Ave. Larry and Clare Bergnach will discuss Riverview, which was located on the city’s North Side, and White City, on the city’s South Side. They will discuss two and five cent days, Shoot-the-Chutes, the Bobs, Aladdin Castle and more. More information can be obtained by calling (708) 422-4990 or visit www.olpl.org.

‘Cosmic Quest’ Fan Fest to be held at Library The Oak Lawn Library’s “Cosmic Quest” will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 6 at the library. Performers will be on hand along with exhibitors and panels. This is an all-ages celebration of pop culture and free comic book day. An after-hours trivia session will be held at 7 p.m. at PD’s Place, 5407 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn, for ages 21 and over. More information can be obtained by calling (708) 422-4990 or visit www.olpl.org/fanfest.

online at the Adult Services Desk at the library or call (708) 422-4990.

PALOS HILLS Discussion will examine career of The Beatles A discussion on “You Say You Want an Evolution: The Short But Profound Career of The Beatles” will be held beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Monday, May 8 at the Green Hills Library, 10331 S. Interlochen Drive, Palos Hills.

The Beatles made their records over a brief seven-year period but nearly 50 years after they broke up, their music is the standard by which other bands are judged in their wake. Musician and historian Clarence Goodman will lead the discussion and explore from when John first met Paul, and to the last time the quartet crossed Abby Road.

The event is for adults only. Register online at greenhillslibrary.org.

Kids can learn how to make bead keychains Kids ages 10 to 17 can bead keychains from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 10 at the Green Hills Library. Participants will learn how to make keychains out of perler beads. Register online at greenhillslibrary.org.

Eco Club will play games and make crafts The Echo Club will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 10 at the Green Hills Library. Children ages 6 and up will join Miss Emily and will watch a video, play a game and make a craft all about a nature topic that was voted on. Registration is limited to 25. Register online at greenhillslibrary.org.

Playing games for prizes Family Bingo will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 11 at the Green Hills Library. Guests can play bingo for prizes and everyone is a winner. Children of all ages are welcome. Caregivers must register as well. Register online at greenhillslibrary.org.

Paper quilling workshop to be held at library Paper quilling workshops will be held from 12:30 to 2 p.m. or 2:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 13 at the Green Hills Library. Also known as paper filigree, paper quilling is the art of rolling strips of paper and pinching or arranging the coils or strips into shapes and designs. Learn the different quilling techniques to create fun designs. Registration is limited to 20 per workshop. Due to high demand, two sessions of this program are being offered. However, patrons are limited to registering for only one session. The event is for adults only. Register online at greenhillslibrary.org.

Exotic animals will take center stage at library The Flying Fox Conservation Fund will have 10 exotic animals to view and get close up to at 6 p.m. Monday, May 15 at the Green Hills Library. The creatures include a fennec fox and a slow-moving sloth. The event is open to children of all ages and caregivers.

This program is limited to the first 90 attendees. Register online at greenhillslibrary.org.

Tech Club to experiment with robotics The Tech Club will gather for a session at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 16 at the Green Hills Library. Children in the third through eighth grade will explore and tinker with technology and robotics. They will experiment with Makey Makeys, Squishy Circuits, the Mbot Robot and more. Registration is limited to 25. Register online at greenhillslibrary.org.

‘Kennedys in Chicago’ presentation at library

Science Lab is offered for kids

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

The next Science Lab session with Miss Emily will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 17 at the Green Hills Library. Children of all ages are welcome. However, kids under age 6 must be assisted by a caregiver. Register online at greenhillslibrary.org.

SCHOOL NEWS

Thursday, May 4, 2017

The Reporter

11

New superintendent appointed at Evergreen Park High School Dist. 123 Thomas O’Malley has been named the new superintendent of Evergreen Park High School District 231 following a vote of the Board of Education at its regularly scheduled meeting on April 25.

O’Malley comes to Evergreen Park Community High School from Bremen Community High School District 228 in Midlothian, where he has served since 1991.

At District 228, O’Malley has served as assistant superintendent for financial services since 2006. He maintained a $100 million budget and led the district to the Illinois State Board of Education’s Highest Financial Rating of Recognition for the past five years without

elimination of student programs or opportunities.

Most recently, he was instrumental in the district receiving a $50 million Qualified School Construction Bond grant from the federal government that will bring new classrooms, weight rooms/ fitness centers, artificial turf fields and field houses to all four high schools in the district.

In District 228, O’Malley has also held the positions of director of educational support services (2003-2006), Bremen High School’s assistant principal for student services (2001-2003), and business teacher at Hillcrest High School (19912001). Before that, O’Malley was also

a business teacher at Leo High School in Chicago.

“The Evergreen Park Community High School District 231 Board of Education is very excited to bring to our students and school community O’Malley a leader who will make students his Number 1 priority as they strive to reach their secondary education goals,” said Tom Sinon, board president .“Mr. O’Malley stood out for his focus on students, his leadership and

experience, and his character.”

“I am thrilled to have this wonderful opportunity to serve the Evergreen Park Community High School students, parents, community and Board of Education. Together we will continue the great things going on in this school district and will work to make it an even better place for all,” O’Malley said.

O’Malley was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. He has been married to his wife, Katie, for 23 years and has eight children: Courtney, Molly, Shea, Ryan, Tara, Brennan, Annie and Meg. O’Malley’s father is a retired teacher and coach from Evergreen Park High School.

His official employment will begin on July 1, though he will be spending time until then transitioning into the district.

He has a four-year contract that will run through June 30, 2021.

O’Malley is a doctoral candidate at Aurora University. He has a Superintendent’s Endorsement from Aurora University, a Chief School Business Officials Certificate and master of arts degree in Education Administration-Type 75 from Governors State University, a masters of arts degree in education from Chicago State University, and a bachelor of science degree in business education and a Type 09 certificate from Eastern Illinois University.

Queen of Peace senior receives Evans scholarship

Supplied photo

Marist High School’s gym was transformed into an assembly line for Feed My Starving Children with the school’s juniors packing more than 100,000 meals for the organization. The event was held as part of the Marist National Day of Service celebrating the Marist Brothers’ 200th anniversary.

in the fall and will live Haley Doyle, a in the Evans House. senior at Queen of Doyle has been a Peace High School, caddie at Ruth Lake has been named a Country Club in HinChick Evans Scholsdale for the last four ar. years. While attending Doyle will receive Queen of Peace, Doyle full tuition and houswas successful on the ing from the Evans court and in the classScholars Foundation, room. She also played renewable for up to volleyball all four years four years. Scholarwhile also participating ship recipients are in student government, golf caddies who Doyle the math team, Spanare selected based on ish Club and the Peace criteria that includes Ambassadors. caddie performance, She was recognized for her outstanding character, financial need and exemplary achieve- academic performance by being inducted into the National ment.

She will attend the University Honors Society and the Spanish of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign National Honors Society.

Marist junior class helps to feed starving children The junior class at Marist High School participated in a day-long service and team building program in honor of the Marist Brothers’ 200th anniversary.

The students exceeded the day’s goal by packing 108,864 meals that will feed 298 children for an entire year. Marist-sponsored schools across the U.S. also completed community service as part of the Brothers’ National Marist Day of Service.

The juniors began the day together with a brief prayer service. They then split into two large groups of just over 200 students each.

One group headed for the school’s main gym, where the students packed more than 53,000 meals for Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), a Christian non-profit organization called to feed starving children in body and spirit.

The students measured and mixed nutrient and protein rich non-perishable meals that will eventually be sent to more than 80 countries around the world, many of which the Marist Brothers serve through a variety of ministries.

“The opportunity for our kids to gather together and realize they are not only a part

of Marist Chicago but of the greater Marist world in the U.S. and across the globe is invaluable and goes to the core of our mission to serve the ‘least favored’,” explained Br. Hank Hammer, president of the school.

The second group of students gathered in the school’s Hynes Gym to participate in Champagnat Games named after the founder of the Marist Brothers. These contests included musical chairs and relay races to help the students have fun and form better bonds.

Both groups then gathered for lunch and then switched gyms and activities.

The cost of the food was covered by funds raised last October when Marist Chicago campus minister Patrick Meyer, Class of 2010, spent 36 straight hours on a playground swing installed at the school. Donations poured in totaling more than $25,000, which made the day free for junior students. All Marist students were encouraged to donate canned food items the day of the event. Those items were donated to St. Terrence food pantry in Alsip.

“The support that was shown during the fall was overwhelming, but seeing the outcome today and all of our students actually

Moraine Valley selects student artwork in anniversary contest A watercolor creation by Moraine Valley Community College student Joseanny Candelas, of Palos Hills, has been selected as the winning piece in the college’s 50th anniversary art contest.

“To win this contest is something I would never have imagined,” Candelas said. “I was really very excited.”

Candelas, who will graduate in May with an associate in fine arts degree, used ink and marker to create her watercolor tribute to Moraine Valley’s golden anniversary.

The characters represent students who help build the college’s foundation, which she depicts with rocks.

“If you look closely, the rocks form the number 50,” she said.

An avid art lover, Candelas said her fa-

Machine project Fourth-grade students at Southwest Chicago Christian School in Oak Lawn created simple machines as part of their Project Lead Launch STEM curriculum. Students worked together in groups to create a machine. Some of the students working on the project were (from left) Nelson Simmons, Dylan Bresinger and Gavin Triezenberg, a Palos Heights resident.

Supplied photo

vorite course was the drawing class.

“I especially liked the life drawing. We learned to draw humans, and that was the inspiration for the piece I did for the contest.”

She plans to use her $250 prize money to purchase new art equipment and supplies.

A graduate of Argo Community High School, Candelas plans to seek employment in the art field upon completion of her degree at Moraine Valley.

“I’m anxious to get started being a cartoonist,” she said. “I hope someday to write and draw my own graphic novel.”

The winning selection was made by Tyler Hewitt, professor of Studio Art: Photography and Design, and Lynn Peters, professor of Sculpture and Ceramics and Art Department coordinator.

doing this service is the payoff in all of this,” Meyer explained.

Around the country other Marist schools participated in environmental clean-ups, visited nursing homes, tutored grade school students, cleaned pet shelters and other events.

All Marist students across the country finished the day with a prayer service and by voting for the service project they want the Brothers to fund to the tune of $200,000.

These projects include helping refugees in Syria, Lebanon, and South Africa, rebuilding structures and schools in the Congo and Guatemala, and providing access to education in Bangladesh, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Voting was closely split among the three causes and each will receive funding.

“This was a great day for Marist,” fellow campus minister Colleen Pochyly said after the event. “This was such a positive experience and a wonderful way for our junior class to really become leaders for next year.”

The Marist Brothers and schools have honored the anniversary with events and programming throughout the 2016-17 school year.

A watercolor creation by Moraine Valley Community College student Joseanny Candelas, of Palos Hills, has been selected as the winning piece in the college’s 50th anniversary art contest.

Supplied photo

Supplied photo

Deborah Balentine (left), Northwestern College adjunct professor and CAHIMA president, and Andrea Erickson, CAHIMA education chairman and NCHIT program coordinator, welcome attendees to the college’s Bridgeview campus for the CAHIMA spring meeting.

Northwestern College hosts CAHIMA spring meeting Northwestern College, 7725 S. Harlem Ave., Bridgeview, served as the host location last month for the Chicago Area Healthy Information Assocation’s (CAHIMA) spring quarterly meeting.

This session, which was the Second Annual Student-Focused Meeting, yielded about 91 participants, including Health Information Technology (HIT) and coding students from at least six schools in Illinois, as well as professionals from throughout the Chicago area.

A total of nine students from Northwestern College’s Chicago and Bridgeview campuses and nearly all of its HIT Program faculty members attended in support of the students and the program.

Andrea Erickson, Northwestern College’s HIT and practicum coordinator, and Gaby Meza, adjunct HIT instructor, urged the CAHIMA Board to support their efforts to design the quarterly meeting with a focus on the needs and interests of the students in 13 accredited HIT Association in Applied Science (AAS) programs.

The 2016 meeting was considered a success with a large student turnout, according to Northwestern College officials. Based on last year’s success, Erickson enlisted the help of Northwestern College’s Adjunct online instructor Bernadette Guyton and ad-

junct instructor and CAHIMA President Deborah Balentine to plan the 2017 spring meeting to again include students.

As a result of this collaboration, CAHIMA’s Spring 2017 student-focused meeting included presenters on topics of student interest such as Resume Building, Emerging Roles in HIM, Networking, How to Break Into the Field and Start your Career.

The meeting was also designed to include numerous opportunities for students to get hands-on experience in connection with job seeking and interview skills.

In total, 40 students attended the CAHIMA quarterly meeting representing seven higher education institutions, including Resurrection University, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Rasmussen College of Naperville, the College of St. Scholastica’s online division of Minnesota, and Malcolm X College. This also included the students at Northwestern College.

“We are extremely pleased to have had a 14 percent increase in overall attendance this year over our 2016 meeting,” said Erickson. “We have built on the successes from last year, and both our students and HIM professionals have benefitted from the transition to a student-focus for this quarterly meeting.”

Marist plans reunion for Class of 2007 A 10-year reunion for the Class of 2007 for Marist High School will be celebrated from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 13 at Reilly’s Daughter, 4010 W. 111th St., Oak Lawn.

The event costs $30 per person and includes an open bar and appetizers. Graduates can register online at www.marist.net.

For more information, contact the Advancement Office at (773) 881-5333.

12 The Reporter

Thursday, May 4, 2017

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May

Calendar of Events

May 2 – Monthly Health Awareness Seminar.

Join us for our monthly health seminar with nurse Donna. Refreshments served.

May 5 – Cinco De Mayo celebration.

Come join us for our Cinco De Mayo celebration as we enjoy entertainment, tacos and Hanover’s famous margaritas & sangria.

May 18 – OPEN HOUSE. May is homeless animals awareness month and we will invite community to open house and ask for a food item to be donated.

Tours and refreshments will be given.

May 25 – Memorial Day celebration.

Come join the BBQ and kick back and relax after touring our community.

June

June 6 - Monthly Health Awareness Seminar.

Presented by our nurse Donna.

Refreshments will be served.

June 17 – OPEN HOUSE. Join us on June 17th for National Stewarts root beer day.

Root beer floats will be given after tours.

June 21 – Summerfest celebration – Join us for entertainment & appetizers.

June 29 – Come participate in our community Health Fair.

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SCHOOL NEWS

St. Xavier alumna is selected to Fulbright U.S. Student Program Kathy Rodriguez, a 2017 gradu- and diversity,” said Dr. Zepure ate of St. Xavier University, will Samawi, professor and associate participate in the largest U.S. dean for undergraduate nursing at SXU. “She will be exchange program that a great ambassador of offers opportunities for SXU alumni!” students and young proIn 2015, as a junior, fessionals.

Rodriguez was nomiRodriguez has been nated and accepted as selected to the Fulbright a Schmitt Scholar, which U.S. Student Program is funded by a grant after undergoing an apthrough the Arthur J. plication process where Schmitt Foundation, her various achievewith the goal to aid in the ments – both academic development of promisand community-based ing student leaders.

– excelled. She will be Rodriguez She also participated among 360,000 people from the U.S. and other countries in the Golden Apple Scholars who participate in the program. Program, which is dedicated to She will begin a new journey in preparing students who excel to the fall and fulfill her role in the become excellent teachers in difprogram as an English teaching ficult settings. In 2016, Rodriguez was a recipient of the Mother Pauassistant in South Korea.

Through the program, Rodri- lita Morris, RSM, Student Service guez will be living in a home- Award, which is given to a student stay and teaching conversational who exemplifies what it means to English in an elementary school. be a leader who practices service In an effort to meet her goal of in the community.

Rodriguez attributes her acengaging with the local community during the academic year, she ceptance into the program to the plans to offer English classes to opportunities afforded to her by Saint Xavier. her students’ parents.

“I feel as if St. Xavier has Rodriguez, a first-generation student, graduated from SXU been preparing me for this mowith bachelor’s degrees in el- ment since I began my journey ementary education and interna- as a freshman in 2012,” said Rotional studies. During her time driguez. “The Sisters of Mercy at SXU, she served her fellow and their critical concerns are the students in positions such as a core of why I decided to become transitions peer mentor and a involved on campus as a freshman peer minister, where she offered and continued to do so until the encouragement, knowledge, and end of my senior year. All of these experiences have helped shape me hospitality.

“Kathy demonstrates profes- into the individual I am today.”

To apply to the Fulbright U.S. sionalism, and embraces the SXU Sisters of Mercy core val- Student Program, visit http:// ues of excellence, compassion, us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants.

Worth Junior High wins Scholastic Bowl The Worth Junior High School Scholastic Bowl Team captured the 2017 Suth Suburban Junior High School title at Jack Hilden Middle School in Oak Forest on April 22.

Members of the Worth Junior High School team are Adriana

Cook, Abderrahmane Elhoumaidi, Megan Ruger-Smith, Jessica Marszalek, Omar Talaat, Ali Abdelrahman, Heba Rashid, Avalyn Krastin, Joe Egan, Noah Krastin, Natalia Kiernia and Lauren Gawel. The coach is Brad Dizonno.

SPORTS The Regional News • The Reporter

Vorva,Sports SportsEditor Editor••sports@regionalpublishing.com sports@regionalpublishing.com KenJeff Karrson,

Thursday, May5,4,2015 2017 Thursday, March

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

It’s a TEN-acious event From bandits to snipers to feel-good stories, here are some notable half marathon memories

Southwest Half Marathon will roll for the 10th time on Sunday

I

By Jeff Vorva

am about to go .500 when it comes to covering the Southwest Half Marathon event.

The 10th running of the event gets rolling on Sunday morning, and this will be the fifth time I have covered it either as a reporter for the Regional, an editor for the Reporter or as the sports editor of the Southwest Regional Publishing group.

I wrote this a few years ago, but the first six years of the race meant little to me except that it shut down streets that I needed to take to get my kid to out-of-town basketball tournaments, so I wasn’t a big fan.

When I got the job at Making the the Regional, editor Jack Extra Point Murray told me this was one of the biggest events his paper would cover each year. He said some reporters hated covering the event but with my background in sports, I might like it.

In January, 2013, I attended my first half marathon committee meeting. Four months later, I covered my first half marathon event.

And Murray was right – I liked it. A lot.

By that time, race founders and directors Jeff Prestinario and Mel Diab and the many volunteers had this thing nailed. Sure, every year there are problems and glitches, but for the most part it is run very well.

Since I make my living writing stories and taking photos, I have come away each year pumped up about something that happened at the event or someone I met. I have some great memories of the Southwest Half Marathon as well as the 10K race, which was introduced in 2014. Some are touching while some are funny.

In no particular order, here are some favorite memories from the past four years:

Sports Editor

JEFF VORVA

Above: Bob Chesna receives a medal for completing the Walk, Run or Roll event in 2016, months after he was told he might never walk again.

Left: Chicago Ridge’s Roberto Ortega is one of just two Regional-Reporter area runners to win a SW Half Marathon or 10K race.

Chesna’s walk OK, I said these would be in no particular order, but this is my No. 1 memory so far. It happened last year when Oak Lawn’s Bob Chesna crossed the finish line in the Walk, Run or Roll portion of the race.

Chesna’s wife, Lori, organized the WRR since the start of the half marathon event. She is the executive director of the South West Special Recreation Association and has done great things for athletes with special needs.

For the first eight years, special needs kids and adults either walk, run or are wheeled in their chairs for a half mile, the crowd goes crazy and the runners usually have huge smiles on their faces.

But race nine produced a new wrinkle when Lori’s husband, Bob, was in the race.

Bob, 56 when he walked the race, had suffered a massive stroke the previous August and was told he probably wouldn’t walk again.

A few months later, he was walking again and he took out a cane and slowly strolled the half mile with a wheelchair nearby just in case he needed to roll the rest of the way.

“I was determined not to use it,” he said. “I wanted to walk the whole way.’’

He crossed the finish line holding his cane in the air with Roy Orbison’s “You Got It” fittingly playing on the speakers. There were cheers, tears, hugs, a medal placed over his head and plenty of photos to be taken before he finally sat down in that wheelchair for a well-deserved rest.

Photos by Jeff Vorva

In recent winters, there were times when Jeff Prestinario and Mel Diab wondered if their brainchild of the Southwest Half Marathon would finally come to an end.

A bad economy and some “yesor-no?” moments with sponsors have caused some angst when snow was on the ground, but by May the race would still take place.

Look for And now it is our special celebrating its section 10th birthday. highThe 10th runlighting ning of the event, the half sponsored by marathon Palos Health and in this CNB Bank, takes edition. place Sunday and will start near City Hall and run along Route 83.

“I can’t believe it’s been 10 years,” Prestinario said. “It’s been a lot of work by a lot of great people over the years. I’m thrilled we’ve been able to run it this long.’’

The festivities start at 6:30 a.m.

Sunday with a 15-minute non-denominational service.

At 6:45, runners can go through a pre-race stretch with members of Palos Health Fitness.

At 7, master of ceremonies Prestinario, Palos Heights Mayor Bob Straz, Grand Marshal Dan Lipinski, Palos Park Mayor John Mahoney, Palos Hills Mayor Gerald Bennett, Palos Hospital’s Tim Brosnan and Lori Mazeika-Myre, Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison, State Senator Bill Cunningham, State Representative Fran Hurley and race director Mel Diab are scheduled to give speeches.

Christy Pace is slated to sing the National Anthem at 7:25, and the gunshot start for the half marathons is scheduled for 7:30.

The 10K race is scheduled to start at 7:40 followed by the introduction of mascots and the Walk, Run or Roll race with the mascots at 7:45.

The race is supposed to end at 10:30, and that is also the time the first kids’ dash takes place.

There will be an awards ceremony at 11 a.m.

Last year 642 runners finished the half marathon and 292 completed the 10K. Far left: Palos Hills’ Nitin Bhojraj carries his son, Nayan across the finish line in 2013 while wearing a shirt with a photo of him carrying his son in the 2012 race. Left: The Andrew High School mascot gets a stretch in before last year’s race.

Where was Green’s family?

OK, I lied again. I know I said these were in random order, but this is my second favorite story.

Chicago’s Kailey Green won the women’s division in the 2015 10K race, but her family was not there to cheer her on.

Her family was moving into a new house that weekend and just didn’t have time to come and watch Kailey run. The last time the Greens were in a house they called their own was Nov. 17, 2013, when a tornado ripped through their Washington, Illinois, home.

“They rented a house while they rebuilt it,” Green said after the race. “I was home for Easter and got to see the new house, and it looks awesome. They are really excited to move in.’’

Green raised $1,300 in pledges for the South West Special Recreation Association.

MEET THE CHAMPS Southwest Half Marathon champions MEN 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Cranking out history Orland Park’s John Cancialosi became the first cyclist to participate in the half marathon in 2015. The quadriplegic has had a rough life, but his optimism and sense of humor is something I will always remember.

The 6-foot-7 racer said he had only one bad day in his life. That was July 4, 1982, when he took a dive that changed his life forever.

“Just a tall guy in a short pool,” was how he succinctly described the accident.

See VORVA, Page 3

Matthew Chesang Japeth N O Joy Matthew Chesang Benson Cheruiyot Robert Wambua Dan Kremske Ryan Guiliano Kyle Brady Ryan Guiliano

Kenya Kenya Kenya Kenya Kenya Woodstock Oakwood Hills Warrenville Oakwood Hills

1:05.3 1:05.14 1:06.14 1:05.01 1:06.49 1:06.15 1:10.15 1:11.31 1:09.44

WOMEN Bridget Montgomery Alona Banai Jennifer Digiacomo Erin Moffett Doreen Kitaka Jacqui Giuliano Amanda Mirochna Kristen Heckert Wendy Jaehn

Chicago Oak Park Orland Park Chicago Kenya Oakwood Hills Naperville Bolingbrook Chicago

1:20.48 1:22.51 1:12.43 1:19.27 1:18.14 1:20.48 1:20.24 1:18.36 1:23.25

40:53 38:12 38:28

Pamela McLeod Kailey Green Veronica Laureano

Chicago Chicago Chicago

44:10 39:05 39:28

Southwest 10K Run champions A huge police presence — complete with machine guns — was a part of the 2013 SW Half Marathon, weeks after the bombing at the Boston Marathon.

2014 2015 2016

Adrian Campbell Mark Luttrell Roberto Ortega

Chicago Tinley Park Chicago Ridge

2

Section 2 Thursday, May 4, 2017

The Regional News - The Reporter

CHICAGO FIRE ANALYSIS

Fire can’t cash in against Red Bulls

By Jeff Vorva

CHICAGO FIRE AT L.A. GALAXY

Sports Editor

The bill just came for all of these Chicago Fire stars.

The Fire is fourth in Major League Soccer in spending with a player payroll of $12,272,624, according to the league’s player’s union. Chicago is slightly below third-place Orlando ($12.4 million) and way behind second-place New York City ($17.4 million) and Toronto ($20.2 million).

That’s a far cry from 20th, where the Fire was last year.

Now that the Fire is up there with the big boys, thanks in part to bringing stars such as Bastian Schweinsteiger ($5.4 million) and Nemanja Nikolic ($1.7 million) to town, expectations will be a little higher.

Make that a lot higher.

It’s one thing to have a payroll near the end of the pack and have a mediocre season, but Fire officials turned up the heat by opening up their pocketbooks and anything less than a playoff appearance will likely not cut it.

Six teams from the MLS Eastern Division will make the playoffs in the fall. Through eight games of the 34-game schedule, the Fire is 3-3-2, including Saturday night’s 2-1 road loss to the New York Red Bulls.

The Fire, Atlanta and D.C. United are in a three-way tie for that sixth spot.

The good news is that the Fire was active and some might argue outplayed the Red Bulls with a 14-10 shot advantage and a 5-3 shots-ontarget edge. The bad news is the Fire lost the game and is 0-3-1 away from Toyota Park, getting outscored 10-3 in those four games.

S

WHEN: 9:30 p.m., Saturday WHERE: Stubhub Center, Carson, Calif.

FIRE’S RECORD: 3-3-2 GALAXY’S RECORD: 2-5-1 NOTEWORTHY: Slumping Galaxy players thought they outplayed Philadelphia on Saturday but had only a 0-0 tie to show for it. Prior to that, the Galaxy gave up five goals in two losses.

This current three-game road trip is starting to undo all of the good of a 2-0-1 homestand that was started with the acquisition of Schweinsteiger.

The German superstar is trying to stay optimistic.

“I think Toronto (a 3-1 loss April 21) was a good game but I think today we deserved more,” he said after the match. “We had many opportunities to score goals; the last pass was not good enough. We didn’t use our chances. I think we had more shots, more possession. We were not sharp.

We need to improve to control the game more, and more passes to find the free man. Today he was on the other side, we need to be a little more quicker on those things.”

Nikolic scored in the 59th minute (his fifth goal in eight games) on a pass from Dax McCarty, who was making his first appearance at Red Bull Arena since he was traded to the Fire after six seasons in New York.

The guy who has been nicknamed “The Ginger Ninja” by his teammates in New York had mixed emotions about his return. He signed countless autographs after the match.

“I think I was really looking forward to it but now that it’s over it’s

Photo by Jeff Vorva

The Fire and Sebastian Schweinsteiger continue to get knocked down on the road.

even more of a relief, just to get it over with,’’ McCarty said. “Obviously, there was a lot of hoopla surrounding the game, a lot of stuff written, a lot of chatter. But I think you just have to go out on the field and try to get through it.

“It’s emotional, obviously, it’s frustrating to not win. That’s the thing that I’m most upset about. You have to stick around after the game and sign all these autographs and you’re really pissed off inside that

you didn’t win the game. So, that’s something that’ll bother me, but we lost to a pretty good team. I thought the performance actually merited more than a loss. That’s the most frustrating part for me, but overall being back here was a good experience.”

Bradley Weight-Phillips opened the scoring for the Red Bulls in the 37th minute and, after the Fire tied it up, Kemer Lawrence scored in the 71st minute for the winners.

PORTLAND 1, RED STARS 0

It’s not exactly the game of a Lifetime for the Red Stars

By Jeff Vorva Sports Editor

The Chicago Red Stars had a chance to show the nation what it has to offer and it didn’t offer much on offense.

The Red Stars couldn’t put the ball in the net in a 1-0 road loss to Portland on Saturday in a game televised nationally on the Lifetime Network. Chicago fell to 1-2-0 on

the campaign and has scored just one goal in those three games.

The defense did well as the lone score of the game came on a Nadia Nadim penalty kick in the 27th minute.

Chicago outshot Portland (2-1-0) 14-9 and had five shots on goal, but none of them could get by goalkeeper Adrianna Franch.

The Red Stars are tied for seventh in the 10-team NWSL with Kansas

City — the only team Chicago has beaten this year.

The Red Stars will be able to show the nation it can generate some goals as they host Houston and Boston on Saturday and May 14 respectively on the Lifetime Network. Later in the season, they have Lifetime games against Washington (June 17), Orlando (July 22), at Houston (Sept. 23) and back at Portland (Sept. 30).

HOUSTON DASH AT CHICAGO RED STARS WHEN: 3 p.m. Saturday WHERE: Toyota Park, Bridgeview RED STARS’ RECORD: 1-2-0 HOUSTON’S RECORD: 2-1-0 NOTEWORTHY: The Red Stars can quickly get some revenge on the Dash, which won a 2-0 season-opener over Chicago on April 15 in Houston.

WINDY CITY THUNDERBOLTS SPRING TRAINING

Lis is more: Former Richards star is T-Bolts coach

By Jeff Vorva Sports Editor

Former Richards standout Erik Lis has been named hitting coach of the Windy City Thunderbolts.

The three-time South Suburban Red all-conference player and a twotime all-state player hit .342 with 25 homers and 147 RBI in 165 games for the University of Evansville and was a ninth-round selection of the Minnesota Twins in 2005.

For seven minor league seasons, he Lis hit .276 with 89 homers and 406 RBI in 672 games and was a postseason All-Star in 2006 and 2007.

Lis, 33, played three years of independent ball and hit .277 with 28 homers and 125 RBI in 198 games.

He was also a player/coach Joliet in 2012. He has also served as lead hitting instructor at the Baseball Institute.

The spring training portion of the season started for the T-Bolts on April 26 and the regular season opens at 7:05 p.m. May 12 against Washington at Standard Bank Park in Crestwood.

The roster is far from being finalized, but the T-Bolts will likely welcome a former top pick with the

White Sox. Keenyn Walker spent six years in the Sox organization.

He was the Sox’s first pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, the 47th selection overall. Walker was named a top 10 prospect in the White Sox organization in both 2012 and 2013 by Baseball America. He had the top-rated outfield arm in their system in 2014 and was named their fastest baserunner in 2012 and 2013.

He stole 204 bases in 605 career games, including a career-high 56 in 2012.

Last year, with Double A Birmingham, Walker hit .240 with a .330 on-base percentage and 21 steals 95 games.

A former Big Ten Player of the year will also likely be with the Windy City squad in 2017.

David Kerian joins the ThunderBolts after two years playing for the low-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. He was a ninth-round draft pick in 2015 out of the University of Illinois, where he hit .316 over four years. In his senior season, he was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and a First Team All-American when he hit .367 with 16 home runs and 52 RBI. There will also be a player trying out for the team who made his name in the Midwest in football.

Tyler Hunt returns to baseball this year after primarily playing football

Manager Ron Biga and Windy City will open its Frontier League Season on May 12.

Photo by Jeff Vorva

for four years at the University of Missouri. He ran for 195 yards in his career, an average of 5.0 per carry, and one touchdown. He appeared in one game for the Missouri baseball team in 2016. He pitched for the Toronto Rush in the California Winter League and posted a 3.60 ERA in seven games.

Fans may notice some improvements to the park as well.

Two wooden pavilions have been added. One replaced the white tent in the left field picnic pavilion. This will allow for bigger sized groups to have cover during their outing. The second roof is down the right field line where the hot tub used to be.

This new cover is part of the new

#WinCity Party Patio, which is an all-inclusive area with unlimited food, wine, and any beer in the ballpark.

The protective netting behind home plate has been extended. The old set-up provided protection only between sections F through L, which was between the dugouts. The new net will extend through the sections behind the dugouts. Now sections D through N have foul ball protection.

That is a total of 436 additional seats in the ballpark that will be protected from foul balls in the ballpark.

All of the railing and steel façade of the ballpark will be repainted in its current green and the parking lot is scheduled to be repaved this summer.

SXU 3K runners are A-OK at Lewis University event Sports Editor

St. Xavier University’s 3K runners were in fine form on April 25.

Three Cougars finished in the top four at the Lewis University Twilight event in Romeoville.

Senior Ellie Willging won with a time of 10:04.18, while senior Nicole Maier (a Reavis graduate) and junior Sierra Downey (a Morton West and Morton College grad) took third (11:03.07) and fourth (11:17.38), respectively.

Sophomore Jess Wittmayer won the 3,000-meter steeplechase (12:58.59), junior Rachal Brooks (Mother McAuley) claimed second in the 200-meter dash (26.08), sophomore Deandra Stokes took fourth in the 1500-meter run (5:03.77) and sophomore Alex Lambros was fifth and set a school

pring rains along with warming soils provide conditions ideal for producing the fungi we call mushrooms and toadstools.

These conditions are found in many places but generally favor wooded, shady and moist places. One would think that the loOUTDOORS cal Forest Preserves WITH of Cook JIM KIRBY County would be the ideal location for mushroom picking, and that is very true.

But forget it.

For some reason, mushroom picking is illegal in our forest preserves, something a group of us has been trying to change. What better way for a family to enjoy a day in the great outdoors than to forage for delicious takehome-to-eat mushrooms.

I have never set out to pick wild mushrooms and have done so as a side benefit when spring fishing, turkey hunting or grouse hunting in northern Wisconsin when puffballs are the choice mushroom in the fall.

I’m a natural born coward, not being able to tell the good mushrooms from the bad, poisonous ones. But I have gone along with friends who do know the difference.

On those occasions I have agreed never to return to those areas or tell anyone about them. Mushroom pickers are very secretive about their favorite mushroom picking locations.

No license is required for mushroom collecting in Illinois, but mushroom collectors always need landowner permission. On public sites, mushroom collectors must adhere to approved regulations and hours.

For those folks just starting out mushroom picking, Bob and Susan Maciulis have some advice. They are publishers of the monthly Outdoor Notebook magazine, which is available by subscription or free at local bait and tackle and other outdoor dealers. They also offer many handy outdoor books including four books on mushroom picking for beginners ranging in price from $9.95 to $11.95 that can be ordered by calling 630-257-6534 or go to rmaciulis@ameritech.net.

Ducks Unlimited dinner On Wednesday, May 24, the Palos Ducks Unlimited dinner will be held at the Palos Country Club, 13100 Southwest Highway, Orland Park.

Over the past 80 years Ducks Unlimited has conserved, restored and managed over 13.8 million acres of wetland habitat across our continent that benefits all wildlife, not just migratory fowl. DU continues to be the leader in wetland conservation.

The doors open at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7:30 p.m. The live and silent auctions start at 8:30 p.m. The event includes raffles; open bar, dinner and bids on guns, sporting goods and prizes. A ticket includes dinner, attendance, a one-year membership in DU, and DU Magazine.

For more information or to buy tickets online, visit http://IL.ducks.org or call Jim Rini at 708-558-5281 or Jim Mayer at 708-5571300. Hope to see you there. Incidentally, I’m the last survivor of the original founders of the chapter.

Outdoor Calendar

FOCUS ON AREA COLLEGES

By Jeff Vorva

Time for Cook Co. Forest Preserves to change thinking on mushroom picking

record and personal best in the triple jump (5.33 meters).

“This was a perfect team performance to help get us ready for the conference championships,” said SXU coach Lisa Ebel, referring the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference meet in Joliet starting Friday. “I feel like we have progressed nicely throughout the outdoor season and will be ready to showcase what our team is capable of at conference.”

The meet is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Joliet Memorial Stadium.

Women’s golf: Taylor Thompson, the SXU female Athlete of the Year, is finishing up her career in style as she carded 82-82 at the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship last week at the Flossmoor Country Club. She finished second in the conference and the team took third.

Trinity Christian College Track: Both the women’s and men’s track teams competed in the inaugural Grace College Lancer Invitational over the weekend, and the women took first while the men placer second.

Katie Moran had three first-place finished as she won in the long jump, triple jump and 4x100-meter relay team. Ashley Jourdan won the 1500-meter event. Nicole Syverson won the 5000.

For the men, Keegan Fitzsimmons won the 5000.

Moraine Valley Men’s baseball: The Cyclones split with Waubonsee Community College on April 22 and took the nightcap 6-4 as Jonathan Hodo drove in three runs.

Hunting, fishing and trapping licenses have expired, so it’s time to renew!

May 6: Spring bird count, statewide.

May 10-June 30: Wildlife biologists conduct upland bird counts to monitor breeding populations.

May 13: International Migratory Bird Day…DU will be following closely.

May 15-19: Bike to Work Week.

May 19: Endangered Species Day. May 20-26: National Safe Boating Week... let’s be careful out there!

May 24: Palos Ducks Unlimited Dinner, see details above!

Three…two…one

The three big box outdoor, retail, catalog and mail order stores are Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s and Gander Mountain. Gander Mountain has filed for bankruptcy and is seeking a buyer. This leaves Bass Pro and Cabela’s, and Bass Pro is rumored to have made an offer to buy Cabela’s but is having trouble due to something called a monopoly.

The three have played havoc with the local Ma-and-Pa bait and tackle and gun shops.

Our area has lost four such stores in the last 10 years that just couldn’t compete with the Big Three.

Education courses Register for Hunter Safety Education and Boating Safety Education courses from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Check the IDNR website for class dates and locations. The website link for all IDNR Safety Education course information is www. dnr.illinois.gov/safety.

Think about it “The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back into your pocket.”

— Will Rogers, Circa 1935.

Jim Kirby’s column runs every first and third Thursdays. E-mail him at kirbyoutdoors@ sbcglobal.net and share some of your outdoor experiences with or without photos. Comments, upcoming events and suggestions are welcome.

The Regional News - The Reporter

Thursday, May 4, 2017 Section 2

FOCUS ON AREA SPORTS

Line by line: Another Eagle has shot at NFL

Hansen switches positions and remains one of best in the nation

Sandburg’s Feeney picked by Chargers in 3rd round of draft

By Jeff Vorva

a unique time to join a school with such a storied history and exciting vision for the future.”

Last year, Oak Lawn native A resident of the Beverly Marc Hansen was named to the neighborhood and member of American Volleyball Coaches Christ the King parish, Nye Association All-America first also brings a strong coaching team as a junior. background to the Vikings This year, he made the sec- football team. ond team.

He served as the To outsiders, that offensive line coach may sound like a and run game coordownturn from 2016, dinator for Montini, but the former Oak which won the 2015 Lawn Community IHSA 6A championHigh School star ship and was a finalchanged positions ist in 2014. Nye was and spent a lot of Brother Rice’s head time in the front row football coach for 13 Hansen this year after three seasons until 2012. years of mostly back He led the team to a row work. He had just 31 kills state semifinal appearance, and seven blocks in 75 career three state quarterfinal apmatches before moving to out- pearances and 10 state playoff side hitter this season. appearances.

Hansen had 257 kills and “Coach Nye’s history of a .320 hitting percentage and winning football games comadded 32 blocks for Carthage plements our Viking tradition this season. He still found his well,” said St. Laurence coach way to make big plays in the Harold Blackmon. “As someback row as he racked up 147 one who knows the Chicago digs.

Catholic League, I am confiCarthage was one of the top dent that he will help us build teams in the country in NCAA on our recent success.”

Division III play but was Nye replaces coach Bobbie shocked in the semifinals of the Howard, who will coach at the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball sophomore level as he pursues League tournament and did not his master’s degree. receive a bid to the nationals, St. Laurence made it to the despite finishing 20-3. state semifinals two years in a row. The Vikings made it that Nye joins far in Class 5A in 2015 and St. Laurence staff Class 6A in 2017.

Another coach with heavy Brother Rice ties was added to Soccer seedings The last time an area girls St. Laurence’s staff.

Former Brother Rice foot- soccer team made it to the Illinois High School Asball coach Steve Nye sociation state tournawill serve as the Viment finals was 2010, kings’ defensive coorwhen Sandburg findinator and was hired ished second in Class as a dean of students.

3A. The move was anThe coaches around nounced shortly after the region are not conformer Brother Rice fident anyone will get basketball star Jim that far this year, if the Sexton was named as Nye seedings are any indithe Vikings’ basketcation. ball coach.

At the Sandburg sectional Nye brings more than a quarter century of high school in Class 3A, the hosts drew teaching and administrative the third seed behind Lincolnexperience to the Burbank Way East and Andrew. Stagg is school. He comes to St. Lau- sixth, Mother McAuley eighth, rence from Montini Catholic Shepard 10th and Oak Lawn High School, where he helped 17th in the 17-team tournament.

In Class 2A, Marist is hostrevamp the school’s disciplinary systems and procedures ing a sectional. The host Redas the school’s dean. He has Hawks are seeded third behind previously served as assis- Lemont and Tinley Park. Evtant athletic director and as- ergreen Park is seventh and sistant admissions director at Richards is eighth.

York High School and Brother In Class 1A, Chicago ChrisRice. tian is seeded third in the Man“I’m thrilled about the op- teno Sub-Sectional and Queen portunity to join the St. Lau- of Peace is fourth out of nine rence family,” Nye said. “It is teams.

Sports Editor

By Jeff Vorva Sports Editor

Former Sandburg football star Dan Feeney joined a list of former linemen at the Orland Park school who could play in the NFL. Feeney, a 6-foot-4, 308-pound offensive lineman, was taken in the third round (71st overall) by the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday, and some pre-draft speculation was that he could play in the NFL his rookie season.

Even though some experts thought he could go in the late first round, Feeney was still thrilled to get the phone call. It darn near killed him.

“Jeez — it’s like your heart stops for a second,” he told Chargers.com managing editor Ricky Henne. “It almost skips a beat and you’re awestruck because all this hard work you put in paid off.’’

He also joked that if he has to get star quarterback Philip Rivers water, he would do it.

The Chargers moving to Los Angeles from San Diego and the controversy that has come with it doesn’t dampen Feeney’s enthusiasm.

“I’m stoked,” Feeney told reporters.

“I’m definitely excited to go out to L.A. to be a Charger. It’s definitely a dream come true. Probably naturally, I’ll be an interior guy in the NFL. I think I showed my versatility where I showed I could go out and play tackle (his senior year at Indiana). I think it showed I’m adaptable, can adjust to changes and step up to the adversity.’’

Over the years, the Eagles have had a handful of offensive and defensive linemen play in the NFL, and currently Michael Schofield is an offensive lineman with Denver who started on the Broncos’ 2015-16 team. Former Eagles coach Dave Wierzal coached Schofield and Feeney.

At first, the coach didn’t see Feeney as NFL material, but he changed his mind quickly when Feeney started playing in Bloomington, Ind. “Dan was a great young man to work with because he was so coachable and hardworking. He’s a very likable person, friendly and easy-going, but very hard working and intense when training, in practice or on game day,’’ Wierzal said.

“I don’t think I thought the NFL was serious possibility until I went to a game his freshman year and saw how he looked as a starter in a Big Ten game. As a freshmen at IU, he was very good — not someone just trying to hang in there.’’

Feeney was an All-American by his junior year and there was a buzz that he could be drafted in 2016. But he opted to stay at Indiana one more year. He allowed one sack in 310 designed pass attempts this senior season after allowing none in 475 attempts his junior year.

Wierzal had a tough time comparing Schofield and Feeney.

3

Photo courtesy of Indiana University

Dan Feeney, a former Sandburg High School star, was taken third in the NFL draft.

“Comparing him to Mike is a tricky thing — their body types are so different,” the coach said. “Mike as a senior was 6-foot-7 and struggled to maintain his weight above 270. Dan, as a senior, was a shade over 6-3 and 303 pounds, and very solid. Mike was more athletic in some ways, but Dan had better footwork in some ways.

“The things they had in common were their relationships with their teammates, their work ethics and their congenial personalities.’’

While Feeney was the lone local player drafted, there were a few others who have played against area teams throughout the years.

Lemont’s Ethan Pocic (a center from LSU) went to Seattle in the second round (58th overall).

St. Rita’s Kennny Golladay (a wide receiver from Northern Illinois University) was selected by Detroit in the third round.

St. Rita’s Pat O’Connor (a defensive end from Michigan State) was selected

by Detroit in the seventh round.

THE LINE-UP Some former Sandburg linemen (and the year they graduated) who have played in the NFL: Tom Toth Jeff Alm Jeff Roehl Michael Schofield

1979 1986 1998 2009

Dolphins, Chargers Oilers Giants Broncos

Photo from denverbroncos.com

Former Sandburg standout Michael Schofield has a Super Bowl ring as a member of the Denver Broncos.

Photos by Jeff Vorva

Left: The start of the half marathon is always crowded and full of anticipation. Above: Over the past nine years, the Southwest Marathon event has brought out many smiles.

Vorva

Continued from Page 1

Snipers and dogs The 2013 half marathon came weeks after the bombing at the Boston Marathon — an event that Diab ran, but he was out of harm’s way during the explosions.

Thoughts of cancelling the Palos Heights race were briefly considered,

but organizers went ahead and held it with heavy police presence.

Several law enforcement organizations teamed up for a day that saw cops with machine guns milling around the thousands of kids, runners and spectators at the race. There were snipers on the roofs of buildings along the race course and bomb-sniffing dogs present. Shortly before the race started, a helicopter from the Chicago Police Department made an appearance and buzzed around for a little while,

checking things out.

cheat their way in.

Who is this guy?

Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie not welcome

A bandit entered the 10K race in 2015 and won it. The man claimed to be from Cicero and his name was Juan Munoz but he didn’t officially enter the race or pay the fee to run the race.

This was kind of a badge of honor and dishonor. Diab said bandits usually show up at bigger events, so the Palos Heights race achieved a certain amount of respect for someone to

The DJ who entertained the crowd in 2015 got a little too edgy with the rap music and played some songs with R-rated language. That didn’t go over too well with Prestinario, who was still mad about it 26 days later during a post-race meeting.

“I heard the ‘F’ word and some other

swear words,” Prestinario said. “It was bebop type of stuff and we were looking for higher-energy type of stuff. We can improve that for next year. Having swear words at a family event isn’t right.’’

What he meant to say was hip-hop and not bebop. But whatever “op” he meant to say, the next year I didn’t hear any swearing rap songs. Come to think of it, I didn’t hear any bebop music, either.

4

Section 2 Thursday, May 4, 2017

The Regional News - The Reporter

Images of SXU teams playing for their playoff lives

By Jeff Vorva Sports Editor

In recent years, St. Xavier University’s softball team easily was one of the eight teams to make the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament. The only drama was how high of a seed the Cougars would get.

Last year, the team finished second in the nation among NAIA Division II schools, but this year the Cougars are battling just to get into the conference tournament. It went down to the final four games including a doubleheader split with Cardinal Stritch on April 25 and a split with Calumet College of St. Joseph two days later.

The seventh-seeded Cougars (22-24 overall, 11-

13 in the CCAC) open CCAC Tournament play at 10 a.m. today (Thursday) at second-seeded Olivet Nazarene.

On the same day the softball team hosted Stritch, the baseball team was busy fighting for its postseason life as well. The Cougars split a doubleheader with neighbor rival Trinity Christian College. The first game was an 11-4 Cougars vic-

Pitcher Caroline Kuzel, a former Sandburg High School standout, picked up the firstgame victory against Cardinal Stritch on April 25.

St. Xavier’s Ryan Pellack bunts his way on in the nightcap of a doubleheader with Trinity Christian College on April 25.

St. Xavier hurler Matthew McKenzie delivers against the Trolls.

Cougars third baseman Michael O’Sullivan tags out Trinity’s Tyler Sroczynski after the Trolls leadoff hitter tried to stretch a double into a triple

tory and it gave them a 13th conference win and assured the team it would make it to the CCAC tournament.

Last year, the Cougars drew the fourth seed in the CCAC and won the tournament to earn an NAIA Division II World Series bid.

Here are some images from the Cougars’ doubleheaders: Cougars hitter Lexxie Lux hits a liner against Cardinal Stritch in the first game of a doubleheader on April 25.

Photos by Jeff Vorva

St. Xavier third baseman Savannah Kinsella fights of a small dust storm on the SXU field.

Between games of the doubleheader at St. Xavier, Trinity Christian’s Bryan Vanderlee and his teammates broke out the football for some catch.

St. Xavier’s Amanda Ruskowsky and an umpire are in step as the Cougars player heads into second base with a double.

The Regional News - The Reporter

448-6161

For Sale IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION

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.

LATIMER LEVAY FYOCK, LLC 55 W MONROE SUITE 1100 Chicago, IL 60603 (312) 422-8000 E-Mail: Judicialsales@llflegal.com Attorney File No. 96000-74 Attorney Code. 06204378 Case Number: 12 CH 38743 TJSC#: 37-3484 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.

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.

For Sale

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE WATERFALL OLYMPIC MASTER FUND GRANTBANK OF NEW YORK, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE OR TRUST, SERIES II S/I/I BYLINE BANK F/K/A CERTIFICATEHOLDERS OF THE CWABS, INC., NORTH COMMUNITY BANK SUCCESSOR ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-8

BY MERGER WITH METROBANK SUCCES- Plaintiff, SOR BY MERGER WITH METROPOLITAN -v.BANK AND TRUST COMPANY JOHN KAIM A/K/A JOHN A. KAIM, FIRSTSECURE

BANK AND TRUST CO., TRUST #1-138 DTD Plaintiff,

3/26/96, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RE CORD CLAIMANTS, UNKNOWN BENEFICIARIES -v.- OF FIRSTSECURE BANK AND TRUST CO., LAURMEG SERVICES, L.L.C., JOSEPH P. TRUST #1-138 DTD 3/26/96 DAVID, MARTIN VARASANEC, LOUIS MICELI, Defendants VILLAGE OF OAK LAWN, VILLAGE OF JUS14 CH 13588 TICE, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD 10749 SOUTH CHRISTA COURT PALOS HILLS, IL CLAIMANTS 60465

NOTICE OF SALE Defendants PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant

to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in 12 CH 38743 the above cause on January 10, 2017, an agent for 10114-16 S. PULASKI ROAD The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on Oak Lawn, IL 60453 May 30, 2017, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive - 24th Floor, CHICAGO, NOTICE OF SALE – COUNT I IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that real estate: pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale Commonly known as 10749 SOUTH CHRISTA entered in the above cause on April 11, 2017, an COURT, PALOS HILLS, IL 60465 agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at Property Index No. 23-14-400-076-0000.

10:30 AM on May 17, 2017, at The Judicial Sales The real estate is improved with a white, brick, Corporation, One South Wacker Drive - 24th Floor, single family, two car attached garage.

CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certihighest bidder, as set forth below, the following fied funds at the close of the sale payable to The described real estate: Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance in certified funds/or Commonly known as 10114-16 S. PULASKI wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours.

ROAD, Oak Lawn, IL 60453 No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the Property Index No. 24-10-413-050-0000. sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose The real estate is improved with a multi-family rights in and to the residential real estate arose residence. prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by cerspecial taxes levied against said real estate and is tified funds at the close of the sale payable to The offered for sale without any representation as to Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks quality or quantity of title and without recourse to will be accepted. The balance in certified funds/or Plaintiff and in \�AS IS\� condition. The sale is further wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. subject to confirmation by the court.

No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purresidential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the chaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or othentitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate er lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose after confirmation of the sale. rights in and to the residential real estate arose The property will NOT be open for inspection and prior to the sale. The subject property is subject plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition to general real estate taxes, special assessments, of the property. Prospective bidders are admonor special taxes levied against said real estate and ished to check the court file to verify all information. is offered for sale without any representation as to If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser quality or quantity of title and without recourse to of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a Plaintiff and in “AS IS� condition. The sale is further mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the subject to confirmation by the court. legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the is a condominium unit which is part of a common purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay after confirmation of the sale. the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5 (g-1).

The property will NOT be open for inspection and IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNplaintiff makes no representation as to the condition ER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN of the property. Prospective bidders are admonPOSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF ished to check the court file to verify all information. AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortYou will need a photo identification issued by a govgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal ernment agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in fees required by The Condominium Property Act, order to gain entry into our building and the fore765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property closure sale room in Cook County and the same is a condominium unit which is part of a common identification for sales held at other county venues interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay foreclosure sales. the assessments required by The Condominium For information: Visit our website at service.

Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). atty-pierce.com. between the hours of 3 and 5 pm.

McCalla Raymer Pierce, LLC, Plaintiff’s Attorneys, IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOne North Dearborn Street Suite 1300, CHICAGO, OWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN IL 60602. Tel No. (312) 476-5500. Please refer to POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF file number 8564.

AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at You will need a photo identification issued by a www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending government agency (driver’s license, passport, sales. etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the I720010 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: LATIMER LEVAY FYOCK, LLC, 55 W MONROE SUITE 1100, Chicago, IL 60603, (312) 422-8000 Please refer to file number 96000-74.

5

Thursday, May 4, 2017 Section 2

For Sale IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. Plaintiff, -v.INGA WIKAR A/K/A INGA GRIGAITE, TIMBERS IN PALOS CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, RICHARD WIKAR A/K/A RICHARD WICKAR Defendants 15 CH 09191 8245 POPLAR LANE APT D 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 November 29, 2016, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on May 30, 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 8245 POPLAR LANE APT D, PALOS HILLS, IL 60465 Property Index No. 23-23-200-021-1244.

The real estate is improved with a red brick, condo, attached one car garage.

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 5 pm.

McCalla Raymer Pierce, LLC, Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street Suite 1300, CHICAGO, IL 60602. Tel No. (312) 476-5500. Please refer to file number 12186.

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.

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For Sale IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. Plaintiff, vs.

VALERIE L. BENNECKE-SLACK; EDWARD F. SLACK; STATE OF ILLINOIS Defendants, 17 CH 25 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 Tuesday, May 30, 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. 23-02-308-013-0000.

Commonly known as 8525 West 91st Street, Hickory Hills, IL 60457.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Manley Deas Kochalski, LLC, One East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (614) 220-5611.

16-034428 F2 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I720252

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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 4, 2017

BROADEN YOUR HORIZONS

Southwest • Section 2, Page 7

VARIETY

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.

• Saturday-morning bird watching begins on May 6, from 8 to 10 a.m. Avid birder Dan Morley will lead four Saturday mornings of bird watching at the height of the spring bird migration season. The Center woods serve as a stopover site for migrating warblers and songbirds on their way north to their summer breeding grounds.

In past springs, scarlet tanagers, orioles, grosbeaks and a multitude of warblers have been spotted near The Center. Participants should wear sturdy hiking shoes for spring mud. Program fee is $20 ($5 each Saturday).

• A nature photography session will be held on four Saturdays, beginning May 6, from 9 to 11 a.m. Photographer Rick Steffen will teach the basic tools and techniques of photography. Participants can bring in any type of camera, and he will demonstrate how to use it more easily and effectively. He will demonstrate and share his strategies for composing outdoor pictures, getting the right exposure on each shot and how to look for subject matter in nature. The class costs $68.

Students registered in the class are also invited as guests to attend the bird walks starting at 8 a.m. each Saturday. Those interested are asked to mention the bird walks when registering.

• A Mother’s Day card workshop is set for 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday May 6. Instructor Lauria Vargas will help students create “a special one-of-a-kind card for mom so beautiful it could be hung on the wall as a piece of art,” according to a publicity blurb. Workshop fee is $8.50 plus a $2 materials fee. The workshop is open to all ages, but children under age 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

• The Center Singers will perform their annual spring concert at both Vespers services at the Wayside Chapel at 12:30 and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, May 7. Music will include the languages of Italian, Spanish, Swahili, Hebrew, French and Latin.

• The Center’s 12th Annual Ladies Spring Tea is scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday May 7 in the Great Hall of The Center’s Lodge. Participants “will enjoy floral arrangements, a delicious assortment of teas and tea party foods, and actress Pat Hofmann presenting a tribute to the fancy hats and great works of ladies auxiliaries through the ages,” according to a publicity blurb.

Tickets are $32 each and must be purchased in advance.

• A “Shanta: Women of Spirit, Women of Power” luncheon runs from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 9. Shanta “encircles her audience in an unforgettable experience of creativity and culture. Her performances feature not only stories, but also poetry, chants and the spell-binding sound of African instruments,” according to a statement from The Center. Cost is $22.

• A lapidary workshop for teens is set for three Wednesday nights--5 to 6:30 p.m.--beginning May 10. Instructor Larry Rothenberg invites teens to learn to use the lapidary wheels to make smooth polished stones from rough pieces of rock, revealing colors and patterns to make oneof-a-kind jewelry pieces. Class fee is $45.

• “Laughter Circle” will start at 6 p.m. Wednesday May 10. Laughter leader Kathy O’Brien, R.N., brings laughter and all its benefits to the Laughter Circle, a group for people who want to laugh!

Beneficial laughs will come not from jokes or comedy routines but rather from laughter for the sake of laughter, reducing stress, alleviating pain, strengthening the immune system and even fostering interpersonal cooperation. The cost each month of participating in the Laughter Circle is $5, which Kathy donates to The Center.

• A “Bird’s Nest Charm Necklace Workshop” runs from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday May 12. Instructor Liz Credio will help students create handmade gifts in time for Mother’s Day. Students will make two organically shaped bird’s nest charm necklaces, using silver-plated copper wire and copper wire using a wire weaving technique.

Each person will choose different

Tamir Kalifa/Austin American-Statesman/TNS

Bill Nye, science educator and TV personality, signs autographs at Book People on March 12, 2017.

Bill Nye on New Netflix show’s subject matter: ‘Science Is Political’

By Joe Otterson Bill Nye has never been afraid to speak his mind. His new Netflix series, “Bill Nye Saves the World,” sees the popular scientist and performer tackle a wide range of hot-button issues, from climate change to alternative medicines.

“Science is political,” Nye told Variety. “It has always been political. Just don’t go thinking that politics is the same as partisan. What we have are laws and regulations informed and shaped by laws and facts we discover in nature. But what’s happened the last few years is people have gotten it in their heads that if you just believe something hard enough it’s as good as scientific facts or theories. In science, of course, a theory is something that allows Shanta will present “Women of Spirit, Women of Power” at a Center luncheon. you to make predictions.”

The series marks Nye’s longawaited return to his own TV series since first emerging as a Spring tea picture from the Lodge.

Supplied photos

household name in the 1990s as the creator and star of the Emmy Award-winning syndicated television show “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” which ran for five seasons and introduced millennial audiences to science and engineering.

“It’s always a good time to return to television,” he said. “I really like being on television, I like performing, and nowadays I have become an informal pundit.

People ask me questions about climate change and science at large and I really enjoy that.” The series is a talk show of sorts, with Nye doing science demonstrations in front of a studio audience along with taped segments and a live panel discussion with a range of experts.

“On my way to this point, I had done a lot of television and I had done stand up comedy,” he said. “And I think deep within us as stand-up comics, there is a desire to have a talk show. So when the opportunity presented

itself I was really excited. It’s the coolest thing ever. And you want to use your strengths. So we have science demonstrations as part of the monologue, then the panel, then comedy pieces or video pieces that are funny, or intended to be funny. Let’s go with that: intended to be funny. But everyone involved thought this was a cool idea so we hired half comedy writers and half science writers.”

The series also includes a segment called “Bill Needs a Minute,” in which Nye goes on an impassioned, science-based rant about whatever topic is being covered in a particular episode. “That happened a few times in the writers’ meeting,” he said. “I would stop and say, ‘Look guys, this is important,’ and I would just go off on a rant. And I’m not entirely sure who but someone said, ‘Bill, you need a minute.’ And the showrunner, Michael Naidus, thought that was fabulous and so we did that.”

OMARR’S WEEKLY ASTROLOGICAL FORECAST

By Jeraldine Saunders

A proud student displays her artwork from a lapidary class.

charms and little eggs (beads) to personalize creations. Workshop fee is $13 plus a $15 materials fee per person. The workshop is open to those age 10 and up.

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.

• A Cinco de Mayo celebration is set for 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, May 5. There will be music, games, and a live performance by The Magnifiers. Free food samples will be provided by Culver’s of Orland Park.

• “Journalism: Writing Feature Stories” is scheduled for 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 9. Students will hear from a journalist and editor about what it’s like to write for a mass audience.

• “Sock Craft” runs from 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 9. Students will make a unique sock craft.

• “Ultimate Frisbee” is set for 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 10. Students are invited to play a fast-paced combination of football and Frisbee with other ultimate players. Participants will travel in The Bridge Bus to Veterans Park, 7721 W. Wheeler Drive,

Orland Park.

• An antique car workshop will be held 4:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 10. Students will learn how to rebuild and reinstall engine parts from a 1928-1931 Ford.

• “Culinary: DIY Coffee Syrups” is scheduled for 4 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 11, Students will learn how to make DIY coffee syrups with ingredients that they already have at home.

• “Project Give: Moms in Need” is set for 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. Thursday, May 11. Students will find out how a local organization helps moms who are struggling; and then create gifts just for Mother’s Day. • “Soul Cafe: Being a 3rd Wheel with Zaborac Counseling” runs from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday, May 11. Students will learn how to handle being a “third wheel” when they are with friends.

• “Banana Bonanza” is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 12, Students are invited to a banana-themed night with games, karaoke and open mic. Free food samples will be provided by TruGurt. This is a “high school after hours night.” Students in seventh and eighth grades may stay until 10:30 p.m., but high school students are invited to stay until midnight.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Keep it clean to remain serene. In the week ahead you may excel at organizational duties. Exercise personal discipline to put things in order, straighten out closets, or finish up a hobby project so you can put it away.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Schemes and dreams may gnaw at the seams of your consciousness.

You may build up the momentum to begin something of great value by the end of the week. Don’t change your goals or alter objectives.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Force yourself to forgive those who disappoint or betray your trust.

You might yearn for excitement or a change of pace as this week unfolds, but your greatest pleasure may come from being with those you love.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You shouldn’t mix business with pleasure in the week ahead. Your fantasies might be fabulous but you shouldn’t share them with a co-worker, business contact, or

anyone you don’t know very well and trust completely.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Warm up your engines. By the end of the week your ambitions could be ready to take off like a race car.

New contacts and acquaintances could offer feasible ideas about investment strategies or add to your list of hobbies.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Snap judgments from the past could snap at your heels in the week ahead. Your assessment of people and situations could be slightly impaired. Your judgment about finances and purchases, however, could be better than usual.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Presenting a façade of sweetness and light might endear you to some.

Some people, however, may not be impressed. As the week unfolds show you have some solid experience and talents to go along with your social skills.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Do it by the book. If you bend the rules you might risk serious criticism. In the week ahead you may be able to get away from the grindstone if you hold up your part of a bargain, meet deadlines, or

exceed quotas.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Something borrowed, something new, might make you blue.

As this week begins you may have some great ideas but you should not impulsively try them on for size. Wait until the end of the week to make key changes.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): If you rub the lamp the genie may refuse to go back to the bottle. The ideas you make known to others could have unexpected or costly consequences early this week. Take your time about making irrevocable decisions.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t compare apples to oranges in the week ahead. By comparing yourself to others you may only be aware of what you lack. Unexpected demands on your piggy bank could cause you to act on an impulsive idea.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your week ahead might be enhanced by paying attention to lessons of the past. Avoiding complications might consist of something as minor as stopping at a red light and looking both ways after it turns green.

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:

“A DOG’S PURPOSE”: The subject of much discussion while it was in theaters because of a video that allegedly showed animal abuse on the set — but ultimately determined to have been edited — this seriocomic story, directed by Lasse Hallstrom (“The Cider House Rules”) and based on W. Bruce Cameron’s same-named novel, traces the multiple lives of a canine that is reincarnated several times in the path to finding its true place in the world. Josh Gad voices the dog, with KJ Apa (“Riverdale”) and Britt Robertson (“The Space

Between Us”) as the younger incarnations of two of the animal’s owners. Dennis Quaid and Peggy Lipton play those characters in later years, with Juliet Rylance, Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Pooch Hall also in the human cast. *** (PG: AS) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand) “THE COMEDIAN”: Though some may deem this Robert De Niro’s return to familiar turf, given his famous role in “The King of Comedy,” this Taylor Hackforddirected comedy-drama casts him not as a hopeful but as a veteran comic who’s struggling to stay relevant. After a run-in with an audience member, his sentence to perform community service introduces him to a woman (Leslie Mann) who might prove as much a salvation to him as he is to her.

The impressive cast also includes Danny DeVito, Patti LuPone, Edie Falco, Harvey Keitel, Billy Crystal and Cloris Leachman. Among

actual comedians who turn up in the film are Hannibal Buress, Jimmie Walker, Brett Butler, Richard Belzer and Gilbert Gottfried. DVD extras: “making-of” documentary; deleted scenes; AFI Fest panel session. *** (R: AS, P) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand) “GOLD”: Matthew McConaughey certainly effects a much different physical look in this fact-inspired story from Stephen Gaghan (the Oscar-winning screenwriter of “Traffic”) of a modern gold prospector who seeks his claim to riches in Indonesia.

In tandem with a geologist (Edgar Ramirez, “The Girl on the Train”), he leaves his girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) behind and sets off in search of wealth ... which the hunters actually find, but being able to hold onto it once they return to New York is another story. Corey Stoll (“House of Cards”), Bruce Greenwood and Continued on page 8

8 Section 2

Thursday, May 4, 2017

The Regional News • The Reporter

WOLFGANG PUCK’S KITCHEN

VIDEOVIEW BY JAY BOBBIN Continued from page 7 Stacy Leach also appear. DVD extras: three “making-of” documentaries; audio commentary

by Gaghan; deleted scene. ** (R: AS, N, P) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand) “RINGS”: Naomi Watts isn’t at the heart of this chapter, but the third thriller in the series that began with “The Ring” — and was adapted from a Japanese horror franchise — casts Matilda Lutz as one of the latest people affected by a lethal videotape (yes, a VCR still comes into play here). Johnny Galecki (“The Big Bang Theory”), Aimee Teegarden

This is a perfectly light main dish for a springtime supper.

Dreamstime.com

(“Friday Night Lights”), Alex Roe and Lizzie Brochere (“Falling Water”) play others who come to regret having seen what they view on the tape, with Bonnie Morgan as the human manifestation of the terrifying imagery. Vincent D’Onforio also is featured. *** (PG-13: AS, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand)

COMING SOON:

“FIFTY SHADES DARKER” (May 9): Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) has conditions for meeting Christian Grey’s (Jamie Dornan) desire to get back into her life. (R and unrated versions: AS, N, P)

“ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK: SEASON FOUR” (May 9): Piper (Taylor Schilling) finds herself in very direct peril from other Litchfield inmates in this round of the seriocomic Netflix series. (Not rated: AS, P, V) “RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER” (May 16): Milla Jovovich is back one more time as Alice, trying to prevent the undead from erasing the last vestiges of mankind. (R: P, GV) FAMILY-VIEWING GUIDE KEY: AS, adult situations; N, nudity; P, profanity; V, violence; GV, particularly graphic violence.

t Of The Bes

‘No spring chicken’: Make this seasonal poultry dish, pronto

By Wolfgang Puck Thinly pounded slices of meat or poultry can become one of the most versatile ingredients in your cooking repertoire. Probably the dish for which my native Austria is most famous, for example, is Wiener schnitzel, literally “Viennese slice” — a thinly pounded piece of meat that, in the style popular in the Austrian capital, is coated with breadcrumbs and deep-fried.

Other kinds of schnitzel might be sauteed, like the “Holsteiner” schnitzel, garnished with caper butter, anchovies and a fried egg.

Dishes based on cutting, pounding and cooking thin slices don’t end there. The French have various kinds of escalopes, the English their cutlets. And in Italy, similar dishes are referred to as scaloppini, a preparation of which I’ve long been a fan, growing up as I did not far from the northeastern Italian border.

This leads me at last to the following recipe. It’s a perfectly light main dish for a springtime supper: chicken scaloppini with lemon butter.

You’ll be surprised by how quickly you can put this elegant, delicious chicken dish on your dinner table. Prepping the scaloppini is surprisingly simple. Start by purchasing boneless, skinless chicken breast halves. Then, cut each one in half crosswise, with the knife blade at a 45-degree angle to help achieve as uniform a thickness as possible for each half; and, one piece at a time, place in a heavy-duty plastic bag and pound the chicken with a meat mallet or the bottom of a small, heavy pan until you’ve flattened it to a uniform 1/4- to1/3-inch (6-to-8-mm) thickness.

From that point on, the cooking of such thin pieces happens very quickly, and the rich, lemony pan sauce that finishes the dish couldn’t be easier to make. The preparation’s versatility doesn’t end there either.

You can simply change the deglazing liquid to Marsala or Sherry or another fortified or regular wine, or to a different kind of citrus juice, or to broth enriched with a touch of cream, and you’ll wind up with a wide range of other delicious dishes. Or change up the recipe even more by substituting pork, lamb, veal, or turkey breast.

The accompaniment offers yet another opportunity for variety too. Many people like to serve the scaloppini with rice or mashed potatoes to soak up every last drop of the sauce. Sauteed spinach, buttered noodles or a simple salad would be delicious too.

With one simple technique, you can dramatically expand your options for what to serve to for dinner. And whatever creative choices you make, your delicious meal will be ready to serve in less than half an hour, leaving you so much more time to enjoy the pleasures of springtime.

CHICKEN SCALOPPINI WITH LEMON BUTTER Serves 4 • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, each 5 to 6 ounces (150 to 185 g), cut crosswise and diagonally into 2 equal pieces • 4 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil, plus extra to coat chicken breasts • Kosher salt • Freshly ground white pepper • 1/2 cup (125 mL) allpurpose flour • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra as needed, chilled and cut into pieces • 3/4 cup (185 mL) dry white wine • 1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh lemon juice • 2 teaspoons honey • 2 1/2 tablespoons drained capers • Good-quality canned chicken broth, or water, if needed • Chopped fresh Italian parsley (optional garnish) Coat the chicken breasts with a little oil. Place 2 halves, spaced apart, in a large heavy-duty plastic bag. With a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy small saucepan, gently flatten the pieces to scaloppini 1/4 to 1/3 inch (6 to 8 mm) thick. Repeat with the remaining halves.

Arrange the scaloppini on parchment paper. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. Dust very lightly on both sides with flour.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat.

Add the scaloppini, working in batches to avoid overcrowding.

Cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once and adding a little butter as needed to prevent sticking. Transfer to a platter. Repeat with the remaining oil and chicken.

Spoon excess fat from the skillet. Add the wine, stir and scrape with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan deposits, and simmer until the liquid has reduced to a glaze.

Add the lemon juice, honey and capers. Bring to a boil and gradually whisk in 6 tablespoons of butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk in a little broth or water, if needed, to reach a thick but fluid sauce consistency.

Return the scaloppini to the pan and turn them to coat with the sauce. Transfer to a platter or individual plates, with a salad or another accompaniment of your choice. Spoon the sauce over and around the chicken and garnish with parsley.

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