The Weekly Reporter 7/9/2009 Issue

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Jol iet | Bol ingb rook | Romeovi l le | Home r Glen | Crest H i l l | Lock po r t | Pla in f ield | Sho rewood

w w w.t h ewe e k l y re p o r te r.co m

T h e We e k l y Re p o r te r

B re a k s T h e S i l e n ce !

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Cappas’ Series Begins With a Trip To Lewisburg Toughest of the tough-the big house! .................................................... John Gabriel, Award Winning Writer jgabriel@theweeklyreporter.com

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The Weekly Reporter opens the first of a series of articles based on the true life experiences of former drug kingpin John Cappas who received a federal prison sentence of 45 years for his drug activities that infected Chicago’s southwestern suburbs. Cappas story

begins on the inside but before you go there you will want a glimpse of what it’s like to be sent to a federal prison. The facts are from the life experiences of John Cappas while inside Lewisburg. Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary houses an inmate population filled with anger, hatred, and sentences that will keep many of those men behind bars

forever. Men who know there is no hope of seeing the outside world again become so hateful, so mean only the most skilled prison staffers can contain them. Disputes inside prison stem from a variety of causes. Maybe someone woke up hating the world and just decides to kill

someone for revenge. It could be a dispute over possessions, drugs, or over an inmate who has been tagged a sissy after being raped and turned into a male whore to be used time

and time again by whomever wants him. Many killings, stabbings and other attacks are over sex. Those who will never be released to see beyond those 30 foot tall walls take what they want. For them there are no consequences. Late in the night the huge cellhouse is silent. The correctional officers have strolled the galleries, peered into the cells, and have passed out of sight. They may be far below the upper galleries making reports or speaking with a superior. That is when the vicious animals among the cons strike. From far up on the highest gallery a scream is heard; an inmate is being attacked. Maybe two, maybe three men have pinned him down, stripped him and are now raping him. Others in cells down the gallery in each direction watch through makeshift mirrors to alert the attack-

Guest Editorial By State Senator A.J. Wilhelmi Story on

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Prison Gate

Hey Buddy! You Work For Us! .................................................... John Gabriel, Award Winning Writer jgabriel@theweeklyreporter.com

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cial, when they are naked they are naked, when they smell they stink just as anyone else might stink under stinky conditions. Only one thing sets them apart—they work for you. Although their inflated egos may make them believe they are the smartest, most powerful, greatest people in the world, they remain—and they will be as long as they hold their jobs—servants—servants

who work for the people. Hello! You are not kings! Good public servants should be respected. Those who choose careers in public service and who can serve without becoming pigheaded should be held in high esteem because they have earned the respect they receive. On the other hand, those who get a job, whether elected or hired, who work for the people, who

FORMER DRUG KINGPIN The people in public works, street sweepers, are public servants; so are mayors and trustees! They have one thing in common the public put them there, the public can remove them, they are paid by public tax dollars. They are not spe-

TELLS HIS STORY

are paid with public tax dollars, and who therefore believe they are somebody special are ignorantly mistaken. They are lowly little creatures who are satisfying an inferiority complex that makes them mistakenly believe they are important—special! There was a village board meeting recently in BolingContinued on

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Dreaming of a Career in Education? Federal Grants May Help Story on

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John Cappas

Sentenced to 45 Years In Prison Now He’s Out And Telling His Story The Untold Story Only In The Weekly Reporter.

A Story You Want Your Kids To Read.

news Inside this Week ASK Lindsey................................................................. 13 CLASSIFIED ADS............................................................ 15 Noticias/Spanish Section...................................... 16 CROSSWORD PUZZLE & SUDOKU.............................. 13 COMPANION CORNER................................................. 11 EDUCATION MATTERS.................................................... 7 Fall out for ReveilLe (HONOR VETS)...................... 6 FINANCE - HEADS UP ON.............................................. 6 HEALTH & WELLNESS...................................................... 5 SENIORS ONLY .............................................................. 4 SOMETHIN COOKIN.................................................... 10 TEEN TALK..................................................................... 12

The Weekly Reporter is a free newspaper published weekly in Joliet, Illinois by John Gabriel who is also the Executive Editor. The Weekly Reporter Office is located at 9 East Jefferson Street in downtown Joliet, IL 60433. Telephone number is (815) 726-6500 Fax (815) 726-6549 General Emails should be sent to editor@theweeklyreporter.com Advertising ads@theweeklyreporter.com Shirley Sciarratti artdept@theweeklyreporter.com Ralph LaPorte/WR rlaporte@theweeklyreporter.com Andrea Sala/WR asala@theweeklyreporter.com

Guest Editorial By State

Senator A.J. Wilhelmi ......................................... Senator A.J. Wilhelmi guests@theweeklyreporter.com

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Miles Goodson/WR mgoodson@theweeklyreporter.com Kenny Holmes/WR Kenny@theweeklyreporter.com Lindsey/WR Lindsey@theweeklyreporter.com Lisandra Bernadet /WR teentalk@theweeklyreporter.com Info info@theweeklyreporter.com Guest writers guests@theweeklyreporter.com

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This Spring session, we in the Illinois Senate vowed to put partisan politics aside and to address the concerns of Illinois citizens in a bipartisan manner. The Governor and members of the House and Senate all agreed that we must focus on restoring faith in government, balancing the budget, and passing a capital bill that creates thousands of jobs. I joined my colleagues in the Senate Democratic Caucus and passed legislation addressing all three of these critical issues by the original May 31st adjournment date. After years of frustration and inac-

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tion, Democrats and Republicans in both chambers joined forces to pass a comprehensive capital plan worth roughly $30 billion. This is certainly the most telling example of our renewed bipartisanship in the General Assembly. This capital bill that would create hundreds of thousands of jobs and address infrastructure needs in every community across the State sits waiting for Governor Quinn’s signature. Unfortunately, the Governor has decided to use the comprehensive capital program as a political tool, refusing to sign the bill until a budget solution has been passed. And while he waits, the state’s unemployment rate continues to climb. Simply put, the capital bill must be signed now. By now, it is widely known that Illinois is facing an unprecedented budget deficit crisis. As has been reported, if a solution is not found regarding the Fiscal Year 2010 budget, draconian cuts by the Governor will need to be made: ending child care assistance and daycare services for thousands of children; slashing all state funding for Child Advocacy Centers that serve abused children; eliminating

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healthcare for thousands of children, seniors and people with disabilities; reducing services to women and children who are the victims of domestic violence and sexual assault; cutting tens of thousands of teacher positions across the state; forcing thousands of young men and women to drop out of college due to huge reductions in the MAP grant program; and cutting funding for The Autism Program of Illinois, leaving thousands of families without quality care. The list of cuts goes on and on. There is no question that if we fail to pass a balanced budget, the resulting cuts will pose an extreme hardship on adults and children across our state. To avoid this “Doomsday,� the Senate Democratic Caucus in late May passed the only balanced budget solution to pass either chamber. House Bill 174 generates over $5 billion in new revenue, doubles the state’s property tax credit providing real property tax relief, allows for the full funding of our state pensions, and includes important education reforms. The plan still requires that we find responsible, strategic cuts totaling more than $1 billion. This was not an easy vote to take, but it was the right vote. The Senate Democratic Caucus exercised true leadership in providing an answer to the budget deficit crisis, and we ask the House of Representatives and the Governor to join us in supporting this responsible solution. I am proud that the Senate Democratic Caucus has demonstrated leadership throughout this legislative session. While we certainly don’t have a Continued on

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2009 Summer Concert list

BABYFACE, AFTER 7*.............................JUNE 13 SMV THUNDER TOUR FEATURING STANLEY CLARKE, MARCUS MILLER & VICTOR WOOTEN..............JUNE 20

4116 W.183rd St. Country Club Hills Illinois 60478

MORRIS DAY & THE TIME, SLAVE REVUE FEATURING DRAC.................................JUNE 27

For Tickets & Info Call 708-798-8133

KEM, VIVIAN GREEN*........ JULY 11

Visit us on-line at countryclubhills.org

WILL DOWNING, LALAH HATHAWAY............ JULY 25

ENTERTAINMENT & FIREWORKS.......................... JULY 4 AVERAGE WHITE BAND, WAR.................................... JULY 18

WAYMAN TISDALE, RACHELLE FERRELL.............. AUG. 1 ATLANTIC STARR, AL HUDSON FEATURING ONE WAY........ AUG. 8 ANGIE STONE, GEORGE WILLBORN.......... AUG. 15 BELL BIV DEVOE, JON B................................ AUG. 22 TEENA MARIE, HOWARD HEWETT*............ AUG. 29 *PREMIUM NIGHTS

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Interpol And First Join Hands To Fight Cyber Crime ....................................................

PRWEB

info@theweeklyreporter.com

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Doc and Mrs. McCartan

Doc and Mrs. McCartan Celebrate 63rd Anniversary Congratulations to Romeoville Trustee Edward “Doc” McCartan and his wife Ruth on their 63rd wedding anniversary. Doc and Ruth were married on July 1, 1946 in Cicero, Illinois. The McCartan’s have seen Romeoville grow from cornfields to a thriving community and were one of the early families to become homeowners in a town that was named Hampton Park when they purchased their home in 1962. Doc reflected that the mortgage payment on his new home was about $104 per month. UHF TV stations were the newest craze, color TV was about two years off and it was just about that time when the FCC mandated that all TV sets had to be able to receive UHF stations without a converter box. Ten years later, in 1972, Doc was elected Trustee in Romeoville. He then did a ten year stint with Economic Development and finally once more became a Trustee, a position he continues to hold very ably. The McCartans love Romeoville and continue to live in the home they purchased in 1962. Ruth keeps it immaculate while Doc continues to do the routine upkeep. Ruth and Doc are super citizens who have loved and served their community well and continue to do so. Doc is also a Veteran of WWII and served on Iwo Jima in the Pacific Theater. He served with both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marines. During the Korean conflict he donned the uniform once again and served honorably in the U.S. Air Force. Quite a record, a tough one to beat. We wish the McCartans the very best and hope they enjoy 63 more happy years of marriage.

Kyoto, Japan (PRWEB) -- INTERPOL became the latest and biggest law enforcer to join FIRST, the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams, in the battle against cyber crime. The global police network’s membership of FIRST was announced at the Forum’s 21st annual conference in Kyoto. Noboru Nakatani, INTERPOL’s Director of Information Systems and Technology, hailed the move as “one of the most important bridges we’ve ever built” bringing the chance at last to close a gap between forensic techniques through which criminals have been able to escape justice. While computer emergency response teams almost always try to disable attacks immediately, without waiting to trace aggressors who can then move on to fresh targets, police forces have preferred to watch crimes develop, hoping to pick up a trail that will lead to detection and a successful prosecution. But, said Derrick Scholl, chairman of the FIRST steering committee, the problem of that approach is that “probably in no other area of criminal activity is it so easy to lay a false trail.”

He explained: “Criminals can remotely hijack innocent users’ PCs and deploy them to hack, steal and sabotage while the PCs owners carry on at the keyboard completely oblivious to what’s going on behind their screens. So the cops turn up at the wrong door only to find someone who’s not guilty, just bewildered. “Track the incident down finally to the criminals’ PCs and they can make it look as if they themselves

are the innocent victims of a hijacking by unknown villains in a remote hideaway.” Often the elusive nature of cyber felony and the geographical vagueness of its origins have deterred or prevented police from undertaking investigations. INTERPOL and FIRST agree that neither approach is working satisfactorily - but meanwhile some sources estimate that the perpetrators of just one version of Internet crime, “phishing” scams which purloin bank

details online, are now stealing upwards of US$2-trillion a year. Welcoming INTERPOL’s admission as a member of FIRST, Mr Scholl went on: “This is the best chance we have of closing the gap. Having the biggest law enforcer on the planet on board with us is a great move forward. “We’ve been wrestling with this problem now for three years, and at last here’s a real opportunity to combine our efforts, set an agenda, and work to find a solution that gets criminals out of the virtual world and into the dock.” V i n cent Danjean, INTERPOL Information Security Manager, addressed FIRST members today at their conference in the Hotel Granvia, Kyoto. He said: “INTERPOL provides the secure global police communication system which connects all its 187 member countries virtually with each other: now FIRST will be able to make use of this formidable network.” Meanwhile significant advances in the development of online detection programs were honored at the conference with awards jointly sponsored by FIRST and its affiliate and major conference sponsor CERT (computer emergency response team) CoorContinued on

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Roger Claar Got This One Right At the June 23rd Bolingbrook Village Board meeting a Bolingbrook resident, George Smith voiced concerns about multiple families residing within residences in his community. He questioned whether Code Enforcement was aware of the situation and encouraged other people to notify Code Enforcement of similar violations of the local ordinance that prohibits such sharing of homes. Mr. Smith was not directly critical of the village or its failure to enforce that particular law but, rather, he framed it in a fashion such that made it seem that, perhaps, officials were unaware of the situation. Further on in the meeting Mayor Roger Claar considered it appropri-

ate to comment on that matter. He noted that in light of the current difficult economic crisis many people were losing their homes. He noted that in some instances families must act to assist their relatives, often their parents, who have come upon hard times. The Mayor noted that in such cases it is a matter of necessity and the right thing to do. It seems that, at least during these current economic hard-times, Bolingbrook will not go out of its way to uncover situations in which more than one family is occupying a home. Hurray for you Mayor Claar! Decency and doing what is humane should always take precedent over ordinances that are well-intended but

Mayor Roger Claar

which, for the moment at least, are unconscionable.

news

The Senior Services Center Events And Trips A trip to Medieval Times in Schaumburg has been scheduled for Wednesday July 15th. Children age 8 and older will be allowed to on this trip.

Reservations must be made no later than Wednesday July 8, 2009. The cost for this event is $69.00 for members and $79.00 for non-members. You can join SSC for lunch and stay and watch a baseball game on Wednesday, July 29th (Cubs vs. Houston – 1:20 game time) and Thursday, August 6th (Sox vs. Los Angeles – 1:05 game time). Lunch begins at noon. Reservations are needed one week in advance. A donation of $2.00 is suggested. Please call (815) 723-9713 to make a reserva-

tion. The Senior Services Center Nutrition program presents “The Summer Dinner Series’. Come enjoy a catered dinner, the company of friends, and entertainment on Thursday, July 23rd; Thursday, August 27th; and Thursday, September 24th. Reservations are needed one week in advance. A donation of $2.00 is suggested. Please call (815) 723-9713 to make a reservation. The First Annual Senior Resource Expo will take place Saturday, August 8th at Richland Grade School located in Crest Hill from 9:00am – 2:00pm. The Expo will feature vendors that provide servcies or products to seniors, various types of health screenings, educational seminars, and much more. Exhibitors can reserve a 7 foot table with 2 chairs for $100.00. The fee is $50.00 for Not for profit organiza-

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................................................................. info@theweeklyreporter.com .................................................................

(ARA) - The aging population in the country is growing by the minute. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2030 the number of individuals ages 65 and up is expected to be twice as large as in 2000 -- growing to 71.5 million -- and representing nearly 20 percent of the population.

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great finds. If you would like to donate items to sell, please call us at 815-729-0930 ext 231. Please visit us at www.guardianangelhome.org. GACS is a Partner Agency of the United Way of Will and Grundy County.

Come & see what we did! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! New location !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1701 N. Larkin, Crest Hill Sunday July 12th 10:00am View 10:30am Sale

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Home to stay

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Guardian Angel Garage Sale Guardian Angel Community Services (GACS) and the Sisters of St Francis of Mary Immaculate are having a garage sale at the Dillard Harris Educational Centers’ Gym located at 1550 Plainfield Rd Joliet, IL on July 9th 10th and 11th from 9 am – 3 pm. Open to the public, so please join us for some

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With these burgeoning numbers, it’s becoming increasingly important to create a safe home to accommodate everyone’s wants and needs, and baby boomers are taking notice. According to a major home improvement center study, 60 percent of boomers plan to stay in their existing homes for some time. Remodeling and home improvement rank high on their to-do lists. Following are projects they can tackle themselves to ensure they are home to stay: Safe, secure and stylish in the bath As one of the most often used rooms in the home, the bathroom is a great place to undertake “home to stay” tasks. From projects such as custom closet configurations and adjusting mirror and toilet heights to installing rollunder sinks and angled mirrors, many product options exist for baby boomers to make their bathrooms safe yet stylish. To help prevent slipping, tub grips are essential in lending a stable,

helping hand getting in and out of the tub. The latest tub grip product designs feature an easy-locking lever to ensure a tight fit to most tubs without harming the tub surface. They offer easy, no-tool installation and removal in seconds. Shower chairs are another safe showering option for bathers that can be easily installed or removed as needed. Today’s consumer not only needs secure safety products for the home, but wants ones that blend and complement a variety of decors. Grab bars are a great addition to help assist with movement. SecureMount Grab Bars from Home Care by Moen are an ideal choice since they feature a unique anchor installation system that allows homeowners the ability to install quickly and easily anywhere on the wall -- without the need for a stud -- for the ultimate in safety and peace of mind. Plus, they are available in a variety of styles and finishes to beautifully coordinate with the rest of the bathroom. New home standards In addition to the bath, other areas of the home -- such as the kitchen -- rank high on the list for projects and safety updates that are quickly becoming new home standards for baby boomers. Ranging in cost, improvements such as expanding doorways and lowering countertops/sink areas help not only wheelchair-bound individuals, but also parents carrying groceries or pushing Continued on

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NEWS

Heading outside?

Protect yourself from the sun ................................................................ info@theweeklyreporter.com

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(ARA) - Summertime heralds splashing in backyard pools, beach vacations and outdoor activities of all types. We like to think of it as a happy-go-lucky time when the whole family can enjoy reveling in the sunshine. Those happy

rays, though, carry invisible dangers in the form of ultraviolet rays. Protection from dangerous UV light is so important that both the National Weather Service and Environmental Protection Agency provide a daily UV index. To help ensure that everyone enjoys summer safely, Anthony James Petty, MLT, RMA, CMA and medical program chair at Brown Mackie College - Miami, shares helpful information on protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful effects. “Overexposure to the sun causes premature aging,” says Petty. “Ultraviolet light affects the outer skin layers, or epidermis, and is the primary agent responsible for sunburn. Long-term effects of the sun also include a higher risk of developing skin cancer.” The 2009 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency SunWise Program report, Health Effects of Overexposure to the Sun, states, “The incidence of skin cancer in the United States has reached epidemic proportions. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, and one American dies every hour from this devastating disease.” Petty describes the process of burning and its effects on the skin. “Everyone has melanocytes, or pigment-producing cells, in the skin. As exposure to UV light begins to burn the skin, melanocytes send a color-producing pigment called melanin to the surface for protection. This causes the tan color, but each time it happens, it dries the skin and robs the melanocytes of their ability to respond.” Petty recommends using sunscreen with SPF 15 protection or above, noth-

ing below. “SPF 15 filters 92 percent of UV rays. Without protection, a fairskinned person would begin to burn in just 10 minutes. Applying SPF 15 sunscreen lets that same person stay in the sun fifteen times longer before burning, or 150 minutes,” he continues. Petty notes it is important to reapply sunscreen every two hours, more often if you’re swimming. Chlorine from pools

and salt from the ocean break down sunscreen formulas and weaken their effectiveness. Another consideration is the specific time of day you spend in the sun. Rays are strongest between noon and 3 p.m. Apply sunscreen at least 15 minutes before going out into the sun. “The skin needs time to absorb the lotion,” says Petty. “The lotion is absorbed, but the chemicals in the sunscreen are rejected and form the protective layer.” While it is recommended to re-apply lotion periodically, it is equally recommended not to overuse sunscreen. “Overuse of sunscreen can enable toxins to enter the bloodstream. This is dangerous and can lead to liver damage,” he continues. How to treat sunburn If you do end up with sunburn, Petty offers tips on how to treat it. “First make sure you cover up. Don’t burn on top of burn,” he says. “It can be dangerous. Second-degree burns cause painful blisters on the skin. Popping the blisters raises the chances of infection. If blistering appears, see a doctor.” Advice for sunburn includes a cool shower, not hot, or an oatmeal bath. “A cool compress often helps,” says Petty. “Aloe is a natural emollient that is commonly used to keep skin moist.” Anyone suffering from sunburn should drink plenty of water. A headache that accompanies sunburn signals dehydration. “Nothing functions well without hydration. Drink water before you feel thirsty,” Petty says. “Colas and iced tea should be avoided, as caffeine will Continued on

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Letters to the Editor Greetings,

My name is Mike Phillips and I am a retired Chicago police officer, with 32 years of faithful service to the City of Chicago. Twenty four of those years were spent working narcotics throughout the south side of the city. My wife and I raised our five children in Mount Greenwood. So when you ask me if I know who John Cappas is, the answer is YES. While celebrating Independence Day this past weekend, with my family, my oldest daughter gave me a copy of the Weekly Reporter. She asked me to share my thoughts with my family. I’ve never been one to bite my tongue and anyone who knows me will tell you that. I recall how excited I would get when I read or had seen any news footage about John Cappas during his prosecution. I recall cursing him and praying that he would spend the rest of his life in prison. I especially remember telling my friends and family when I learned of Cappas’ release, that it wouldn’t be long before he landed up back in prison. Well he’s been out a couple of years now and he hasn’t even had a traffic ticket. As a matter of fact, the only prison gates that close behind Cappas now are from him visiting trouble youths destined for life in prison. John Cappas is truly making a tremendous difference by sharing his

experiences with troubled kids. The fact that he does this on his own time is something that your readers should take into great consideration. Let’s face it…. Cappas has done his time. He is under no obligation or court order to council teenagers as any kind of community service. He is doing this completely on his own! In the late 70’s and into the 80’s, I fought the war on drugs. I saw firsthand families ripped apart, lives shattered, the violence, and the child abuse. Let’s not forget that Chicago leads the nation in the most homicides among high school students. Television, movies, video games, clothing and jewelry have only promoted the violence and the desire for teenagers to want to join a gang and get rich selling drugs. I commend the Weekly Reporter for being courageous enough to tell John Cappas’ story in a time where people are so critical. I also support John Cappas; who let’s face it, was a dumb, clueless kid, no different than the kids that he is trying to get through to. I am encouraging your readers to render their support because if it saves one kid…... It was well worth it! Good Luck, Mike Phillips Retired Chicago Police Officer

The Weekly Reporter Relocates to Downtown Joliet The Weekly Reporter is in the process of moving into a new office located at 9 East Jefferson Street in downtown Joliet across from the Will County Courthouse. The move places The Weekly Reporter at the doorstep of important local and county offices to improve our access to news and information. As

always current issues of The Weekly Reporter will be available and ads can be placed right at the office using cash, check, or credit cards. Our new telephone numbers will be (815) 726-6500 and our fax line (815) 726-6549. We thank you for your patience during our move.

Due to our expansion we are

Now hir ing Experienced Sales Reps email: jobs@theweeklyreporter.com PHONE: 773.519.4069

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Ralph La Porte rlaporte@theweeklyreporter.com

Soldier in Iraq Sworn in As An Attorney Lansing Michigan—Army Reserve Major Miles Gengler of Grand Blanc Michigan is 6,000 miles from home serving in Iraq but he worked hard before his deployment to become an attorney.

Checkpoint Green Zone

Major Gengler, 35, graduated from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Auburn Hills. Afterward he learned of his deployment which meant he was not going to be able to take his bar exam to become a licensed attorney. Fortunately for him, the Army delayed his departure to give him an opportunity to take the exam before shipping out to Iraq. In May the Major learned that he had passed the

exam but there was yet one more hurdle to leap before he could become a bonafide attorney. News of his passing the exam reached the Michigan Supreme Court and Chief Justice Marilyn Kelly made arrangements for Major Gengler to be administered his oath via long-distance video between Lansing, Michigan, the state’s capital, and Bagdad’s green zone in Iraq. Chief Justice Kelly administered the oath on July 2nd from National Guard Joint Force Headquarters in Lansing. The video conferencing was provided by the National Guard. Mayor Gengler’s family was present with Chief Justice Kelly when she administered the oath to the Major. She says she believes this was the first instance in which such a swearing in ceremony took place in this manner. John Nausbaumer Dean of Cooley’s Auburn Campus began work on the long distance ceremony when he learned that Major Gengler passed his examination. “I promised Miles that if he passed the bar exam, I would find a way to get him sworn Continued on

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How Do Mutual Funds Compensate Investors? ............................... By Mary Jo Ardizzone Maryjo.ardizzone@edwardjones.com Edward Jones | edwardjones.com ...............................

As you probably know, a mutual fund may contain many different types of investments, such as stocks, bonds and government securities. But as an investor, you need to pay attention not only to what goes into your mutual fund, but also what comes out of it — namely, the three ways in which a fund can compensate you. Let’s take a look at these three avenues: • Dividends and interest — A mutual fund earns income from dividends on stocks and interest on bonds. The fund pays out nearly all the income it receives over the year, in the form of a distribution, to you and the other fund owners. Usually, you have the choice of taking the distribution check or reinvesting the earnings to purchase more shares. If you don’t actually need the income to boost your cash flow, you’ll certainly want to consider the reinvestment option, because it’s an easy and cost-efficient way of building your share ownership. Keep in mind, though, that whether you take the distribution as a check or reinvest it, you will still owe income tax on the dividends. • Capital gains distributions — You will receive your share of any net profits the fund makes from selling investments. Mutual funds usually make these capital gains distributions annually or semi-annually. You can choose to automatically reinvest these distributions back into your fund, thereby purchasing more shares. Even if you reinvest the proceeds, you’ll incur taxes, but as long as the gains are long-term, you’ll only have to pay the capital gains rate, which will likely be 15 percent for you.

• Increased share value — Generally speaking, you invest in a mutual fund because you are hoping its price will rise over time. When its price per share — its net asset value — does rise, you can sell your shares for a profit. As long as you’ve held them for more than a year, you’ll just pay the capital gains rate, rather than your normal income tax rate. Of course, there are no guarantees when it comes to earning a profit from mutual funds; some funds decline in value and never recover. So, when choosing a mutual fund, you’ll need to carefully evaluate a number of factors, including these: What are the fund’s overall objectives? Has its management team been in place long? Does it have a good track record? While past performance can’t guarantee future results, you can get a sense of how a fund has done in different economic environments by looking at its history over five or ten years. To sum up: You’ll need discipline and patience when investing in mutual funds. You’ll need the discipline to continually reinvest your dividends and capital gains distributions so that you can accumulate more and more shares. And you’ll need patience to wait for an increase in share value, which is not guaranteed, and which, in any case, may take years to develop. But if you have this patience and discipline, you may find that mutual funds can help you make progress toward your financial goals. So, look for quality funds that are appropriate for your situation and risk tolerance. Your search may well be worth the effort. Mutual funds are offered and sold by prospectus. You should consider the investment objective, risks, and charges and expenses carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information. Your Edward Jones financial advisor can provide a prospectus, which should be read carefully before investing.

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Dreaming of a Career in Education? Federal Grants May Help (ARA) - Do you picture yourself one day standing in front of 26 or more pairs of eyes, filling the brains of students of various ages with the information they will need to graduate from high school and go on to a fulfilling life? If molding young minds is your dream, you may be able to get federal help in fulfilling it. Jobs will always be available in the field of The satisfaction of teaching. education, and the progteacher for four years at a low-income nosis for the next several years is that demand for teachers will school in a high-need field once they’re grow an estimated 12 percent through finished with school. 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of “Teaching is a perfect second career for me,” says Chastity McGraw, 35, of Labor Statistics. The BLS goes on to report that most Charleston, W.Va. McGraw received job openings will result from the need a TEACH grant through Grand Canto replace the large number of teachers yon University in Phoenix, where she’s expected to retire during the next seven pursing a master’s degree in elementary years. Subject areas with the highest education. demand include elementary education, TEACH grants require applicants to math, science, bilingual education, be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen reading, special education and foreign and enrolled as an undergraduate, postbaccalaureate or graduate student in an languages. In order to help fill the need for new educational institution that is particiteachers, the federal government cre- pating in the TEACH grant program. ated the Teacher Education Assistance GCU has seen a dramatic surge in for College and Higher Education students applying for the grant money. (TEACH) grant program offering un- “This grant only became available dergraduate and graduate students up this academic year, and we already have to $4,000 per year for tuition. Students 267 students taking advantage of it,” who receive the TEACH grants sign says Dr. Cindy Knott, dean of GCU’s an agreement to serve as a full-time College of Education. “The students

Plainfield Township Democratic Organization Meeting The next meeting of the Plainfield Township Democratic Organization will be on Wednesday, July 15th beginning at 7pm at the Bice residence located in Plainfield Township at 2571 Golfview (listed as a Joliet address) off Caton Farm just east of Essington Rd (between Essington Rd and Rt. 30/ Plainfield Rd). If there are any questions please contact Chairman Anthony Howard @ 815/342-6702 or email info@plainfielddemocrats.org.

Candidates and Elected Officials, please contact Chairman Howard at 815/342-6702 or Vice-Chair Elaine Bice at 815/436-7491 if you plan on attending. The Plainfield Township Democratic Organization meets regularly on the 3rd Wednesday of each month (provisions are made for holidays). Visit the Plainfield Township Democratic Organization at www.plainfielddemocrats.org.

are high quality and committed to their careers -- there’s no doubt that this program is going to have a major impact on the quality of teachers over the next decade.” In addition to the TEACH grants of $2,000 per semester, GCU offers scholarships for high academic achievers attending classes on campus. Other financial aid may be available for online students. Once she graduates, McGraw will be required to serve four out of eight years -- not necessarily consecutively -- at a public or private elementary or secondary school designated as a high-needs area. But she isn’t concerned about the commitment. “Our entire state is full of eligible schools, so there’s no worry of not being able to serve in a high-needs area,” she says. For more information about GCU and the TEACH grants, visit www. gcu.edu or call (877) 860-3951.

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Enforcement 2009 Manage Your Risk ....................................................

An Open Letter to Employers by Mark K. Reed, CEO/Border Management Strategies, LLC info@theweeklyreporter.com

....................................................

Tucson, AZ (PRWEB) –How many workers will you lose when DHS serves you a Notice of Inspection? Will you be fined? The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this week that have made sweeping changes in their worksite enforcement tactics to target employers. Although they have stated that they will focus on employers rather than workers, it is clear that they will ratchet up their efforts to reduce the number of unauthorized workers at the the workplace as well. Raids will be replaced with a more effective approach to enforcement that will strategically touch thousands of companies in the nation rather than just a few. The drama and trauma of raids will be replaced by “Notices of Inspection� ordering you to provide Forms I-9 relating to your employees to DHS for their review. Those forms will be examined by analysts and special agents to identify any indicators of identity fraud (unauthorized workers) as well as technical compliance. Where deficiencies are discovered, you should expect DHS to follow up repeatedly with additional Notices until there is a satisfactory resolution. Where errors are found relating to the form, you will be served with a Notice of Intent to Fine articulating

each error as well as the fine for each violation. Fines are expected to be “substantial�. Traditional auditing and electronic Form I-9 services should do a relatively good job protecting you from this liability. However, where indicators of identity fraud are discovered, you will be served with a notice to resolve the discrepancy with your employee and report back the results within a short period of time. Failure to resolve the issue to DHS’ satisfaction will result in a direct intervention by them to resolve the discrepancy at the worksite. DHS will identify virtually all of your unauthorized workers through this process who will either be terminated or arrested. Note: Although we advocate participation in E-Verify, it does not effectively identify unauthorized workers claiming to be U.S. citizens. DHS has not accepted that their notification of authorized employment through this process relieves the employer of their responsibility, within reason, to independently determine authorization to work. E-Verify will not protect you from fines and/or the removal of unauthorized workers from the workplace. Border Management Strategies, LLC (BMS), a niche consulting firm, was established in 2001 to help employers manage risk of misconduct, fines, and operational disruptions associated with unauthorized workers. We can help you assess and manage your risk Act now to prepare for a DHS inspection of your workforce. Contact us at 520 529 8750.

news

Indiana Supreme Court Rules On Sex Offender Issue .................................................... info@theweeklyreporter.com

....................................................

The State of Indiana enacted a law in 2006 that prohibits convicted sex offenders from living in close proximity to schools and other places frequented by children. That law posed a serious problem for one such sex offender Anthony W. Pollard who resides in Blackford County. Pollard purchased a home in about 1987 and resided there when he was convicted of a sex offense against a child in 1997. In 2007, ten years later, he was charged with violating the law that prohibits convicted sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a public park, a school, or a youth center. Pollard’s charge was heard by Blackford County Superior Court Judge John Forcum. Judge Forcum after hearing the case dismissed the charge. He ruled that the charge as it applied to Anthony W. Pollard was unconstitutional because it was passed at a time after he owned and had lived in his home long before the law was enacted. The State of Indiana appealed his decision but the Indiana Supreme

Court affirmed the lower court’s decision. The Court noted that, “Although the statute does not affect ownership of property, it does affect one’s freedom to live on one’s own property.” Indiana Justice Robert Rucker said, “A sex offender is subject to constant eviction because there is no way for him or her to find a permanent home in that there are no guarantees a school or youth program center will not open within 1,000 feet of any given location.” The Attorney General’s office interpreted the law ruling to apply only to offenders who were charged, convicted, and sentenced before the law was enacted. The Indiana Constitution like the Federal Constitution prohibits the enactment of ex post facto laws, that is laws that are passed and intended to be applied to conditions that existed prior to the enactment of the law. If such laws were allowed they could lead to abuses by people who for one reason or another wanted to inflict hardship on another or to impose the will of the state after a man thought he had complied with the law at the time he did something.

Book Says Judge Framed an Innocent Man ....................................................

Vocus/PRWEB

info@theweeklyreporter.com

....................................................

July 2, 2009 --Author John Molt claims he was framed by a judge in Hyde Park, N.Y. in July of 1970. Later in life, John was going to school for a license to be a security guard. He noticed a poster on the wall with a young man in jail, holding onto the bars with the caption: “I was framed”. John was inspired to write his story. Now the truth is finally revealed in the pages of his new book: “Framed by a Judge”. John started writing about three years ago with the intent of bringing the truth to light regarding what this judge did with a hope that some how his name will be cleared. The book was written in about three months after collecting information and interviewing all the people involved to piece together the entire story. It was

important to John to present a story based on facts and his personal experience. John has a unique way of expressing himself which is evident in the book. Inspired by authors like Jim Stovall and Andy Andrews, John has completed his second soon to be released book “So Who Can You Trust?” and is working on a third. Now a resident of Tulsa, OK, John encourages writers not to wait as long as he did to get the story within them on paper. “I like to think that in some small way I will make a positive impact on someone’s life through my book. Many have asked how I keep a smile on my face considering all I have been through. I smile and say, ‘It’s a choice’” - John Molt For more information visit www. johnmolt.com. To schedule an interview contact: John Molt - johndavidmolt@gmail.com.

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Tennessee Court of Appeals Rules For Police Officers Columbia, TN—It has taken nearly ten years for their case to work its way through the courts but there may be light at the end of the tunnel for two Columbia, Tennessee police officers who sued the city over the methods used by the city to make pay increases. The lawsuit was expanded at one point to include other city employees who were affected by the city’s wage policy. The multi-million dollar lawsuit could affect as many as 500 employees and former employees. The Tennessee Circuit Court of Appeals refused to hear an appeal of the case and unless the Tennessee Supreme

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Court agrees to hear it the city of Columbia will have exhausted its legal options. The dispute arose out of a disagreement as to how pay increases were supposed to be paid by the city. According to the police officers a city manual mandates that pay increases be made on the basis of merit, but the city made those raises based on cost of living increases and seniority. Columbia has not put money aside to pay in the event they lost the case and are now scrambling to find money to pay the award. The city says it may have to raise taxes to do so.

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Your Life

Marinate Your Grilled Fare For Taste And Safety POURING COFFEE DAILY 7AM - 3PM

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(ARA) - Literally soaked in flavor, marinated foods are undeniably delicious. But did you know that marinating also makes your grilled foods safer? Anyone who loves the delectable flavor of hot-off-the-grill foods has probably heard that cancer-causing substances -- such as heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs or HCAs) -form when the proteins in red meat, pork, poultry and fish react to the high heat of grilling and when fat drips off the meat and produces smoke. Chemists at Kansas State University found that marinating meat for an hour in spice blends can reduce the formation of HCAs by 80 percent or more. They credit the antioxidant properties of spices with this change. Other researchers suggest that marinades may buffer the heat that causes the problematic chemical reaction, or that a combination of sugar, oil, and acidic ingredients decreases the carcinogenic compounds. Savvy grillers know marinating improves flavor and the process isn’t labor-intensive. You can make your own signature marinades, or rely on the guaranteed results of quality mixes. If you’re looking for a healthy choice, Simply Organic offers a flavor-rich line of organic marinade mixes that include Zesty Herb Marinade, Steak Marinade and Garlic and Herb Marinade. They even offer the smoky flavor of mesquite -- minus the hazards of grilling smoke -- in their Mesquite BBQ Marinade. For safe and delicious grilling with marinades: * Choose lean cuts of meat, which will drip less and produce less smoke. Trim excess fat. * Prick the surfaces of meats with a fork before marinating to allow flavors to penetrate. * Marinate foods in the refrigerator -- not on the counter -- in a glass, plastic, or stainless steel pan. * Keep in mind that marinades that have been used for raw meat, poultry or seafood need to be cooked thoroughly before eating. So don’t baste with them during the last few minutes, don’t dip your finger in the pan to taste and don’t use the leftover marinade for sauce without cooking it first. * Consider cooking meats in the microwave for a minute or so before placing them on the grill. Discard any juice that’s produced during microwaving. Use tongs or a spatula, rather than forks, to reduce drips when turning foods on the grill. * Cook over medium (rather than high) heat to avoid charring foods. Let flames settle down before cooking over coals or wood, and turn the temperature down to medium on a gas grill. If you do char a portion of the food, cut off that section before serving.

* Flip those burgers. Again. They’ll cook faster (and produce fewer HCAs) if you turn them often. * Consider other options, too, like soy burgers and soy hot dogs, portobello mushrooms and other vegetables. These foods don’t have the same potential to produce harmful substances that can result from unsafe cooking procedures -- but they’re delicious when marinated nonetheless! Here’s a favorite recipe so simple, yet so delicious, from the kitchen of Chef Kendall McFarland, research and development manager at Simply Organic:

Mediterranean Pasta Salad Ingredients: 4 cups cooked pasta 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 package of Simply Organic Steak Marinade Mix

Directions: In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the olive oil and the Steak Marinade Mix. Serve as a warm or cold side dish. Add olives, cheese or other vegetables if desired. Staying with the same marinade for the complete meal, Chef Kendall also has this tasty recipe:

Tarragon Encrusted Salmon Ingredients: 4 tablespoons softened butter 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 package Simply Organic Steak Marinade Mix 1 to 1 1/2 pounds salmon steak -minimum of 1-inch thick

Directions: Preheat grill. In a small bowl blend butter, lemon juice and Steak Marinade. Lay salmon on grill using a fish grill plate, skin side down. Spread a thin layer of butter mixture on steaks. Grill eight to 10 minutes or until salmon is just flaky. Serve with sliced fresh tomatoes as a garnish. For an online Summer Grilling Guide with many more useful tips and delectable grilling recipes, go to www. frontiercoop.com/grillingtips.

Your Life

Don’t forget your pets in a disaster ...............................................................

ARAcontent

info@theweeklyreporter.com ...............................................................

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, Richard Colar’s neighborhood was flooded with 13 feet of water. He lost his home and lived in

a FEMA trailer for over three years following the storm. Even more devastating for Colar was that he was forced to flee without his beloved pet, a Siberian husky named Princess. Miraculously, veterinarians located his lost dog weeks after the storm. The dog had been evacuated to Delaware. Due to the work of many volunteers, Colar and his family were among the lucky Katrina survivors who had their pets returned to them. “It was so important to me to get my dog back, and I was so thankful,� he says. “Veterinarians saved my dog. I never knew that there were so many animal lovers in the world.� Colar’s story illustrates why it’s so important for people to be prepared for natural disasters. This means planning an evacuation, not just for you and your family, but also your pets, livestock and horses. The American Veterinary Medical Association offers a brochure on the subject, Saving the Whole Family, as well as an informative video with helpful instructions to help people evacuate with their pets in a disaster. “During disasters it’s not unusual for hundreds of thousands of pets and livestock to be displaced. Many times this is the result of the fact that the owners have not made a thorough evacuation plan,� explains Dr. Heather Case, head of disaster preparation at the AVMA. “That’s why we urge everybody to make

disaster plans today that include every member of the family, including those with four legs or wings, fur, scales or feathers.� Case explains that in order to evacuate with an animal, pet and livestock owners need to have something in which to carry the animal. With pets, this would be a pet carrier that is large enough

for the animal to spend a few days in comfortably. Even if you relocated to an emergency shelter that is willing to accept a pet, the animal will have to spend most of its time in that carrier or cage. For cats, the cage will have to be big enough for a small litter box. If you are a livestock or horse owner, you’ll need access to a livestock carrier that can be towed by truck. Many times, farms will form cooperative evacuation networks as a cost effective way of ensuring that everybody’s animals are evacuated. The AVMA also recommends that pet and livestock owners put together emergency kits. These kits should include enough food to last a week, any medications the animal requires, written prescriptions and other documentation, a photograph and identification information for the animal and, most importantly, a telephone list of feed suppliers, family members and veterinarians in the area where you expect to end up. Proper identification is another important consideration. Consider preparing disaster tags for your pet’s collar. These should include your cell phone number, but also the telephone number for an out-oftown family member or friend, and perhaps the name of a hotel where you expect to evacuate. With this Continued on

14 >

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Frankfort Township Republican Organization (Ftro) Meeting FRANKFORT, ILLINOIS (JULY 2, 2009): The Frankfort Township Republican Organization (FTRO) has scheduled a meeting on Tuesday, July 28 at 7:00 p.m. at the Frankfort Township Building, located at 11000 W. Lincoln Highway in Frankfort. At the July 28th meeting, the featured speakers will be: Dan Proft, running for governor; Henry Meers, running for U.S. Representative; Ray Rossi, running for Will County judge, as well as other Republican candidates. At the June FTRO meeting, Adam Andrzejewski, who is running as a Republican candidate for governor, was featured. The FTRO welcomes participation in an open forum for all citizens to exchange new ideas to promote civic

pride and responsibility in our community, and we welcome new members. The FTRO encourages citizen participation in the political process and works to elect honest candidates who are fiscally conservative, supports Constitutional rights, and stands for the values and principles which elevated our nation to greatness. Please join us to express your views. For further information, please contact Ed Ronkowski, FTRO Chairman at 708-479-2302, Nella Piccolin, FTRO Vice-Chairman, at 815-4694996, or visit HYPERLINK “http:// www.frankfortrepublicans.org� www. frankfortrepublicans.org.

Exchange Club of Joliet Installs 2009-2010 officers Joliet- The Exchange Club of Joliet installed its slate of officers for the 2009-2010 club year on Tuesday, June 23, 2009. The annual installation banquet was held at Al’s Steakhouse in Joliet, and featured keynote speaker Ted Kluck, a sports author. Kluk’s books include “Facing Tyson: Fifteen Fighters, Fifteen stories,� and “Paper Tiger: One Athlete’s Journey to the Underbelly of Pro Football.� Outgoing president Jim McFarland presented Laurie McPhillips-Weglarz with “Exchangite of theYear,� Kathleen Fulton with “Rookie of the Year,� and Bill Lipsey with “All-American Volunteer of the Year.� Exchangite Mike Noon installed the

new officers which include: PresidentLaurie McPhillipsWeglarz; President-elect- Gail Perkins; Secretary- Kathleen Fulton; TreasurerDon “Duke� Williams. Board Members: Janet Contos, Mary Dyer, Bill Ferguson, Dan Ivanich, Linda Erickson, Nick Reiher, Howard Schneider and Nancy Nowacki The new officers and board will take effect on Wednesday, July 1, 2009. The Exchange Club of Joliet was chartered in 1947, upon the four pillars of Americanism, Service to Community, Service to Youth and its national mission, the prevention of child abuse. The Exchange Club locally sponsors the Fireman of the Year and Policeman of the Year award banquets.

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YOUR LIFE

The Summer Adventure

–Part 5

(continued from last week) .................................................... John Gabriel, Award Winning Writer jgabriel@theweeklyreporter.com

....................................................

Mother was standing, brushing dirt and leaves from her hiking suit when Father reached her. He broke into a happy grin when he realized that she was a bit shaken, a little dirty but otherwise unscathed. “Well! You certainly gave us a scare,” he chuckled, but it was a chuckle of relief. “We were afraid you might have been seriously injured. You did take quite a tumble.” “I can laugh about it now,” Mother smiled, “But when I finally came to a stop after falling I was scared to death. I’m okay though. Nothing is hurt except my pride and I’m sure that will mend itself quickly.” By then Grandfather joined them after carefully making his way down the steep incline over which Aura had rolled and tumbled. “That was some stunt I’ll tell you,” he joked. Grandfather had been close enough to hear Mother saying she was uninjured so he was satisfied that she was fine except for some minor scrapes on her forearms. She had pulled her head tightly against her chest when she fell and then covered it by holding her arms in front of her. That probably helped protect her from a serious head or neck injury. After making their way back to the top by walking diagonally and holding on to tree trucks and stout undergrowth they rejoined the children. The hike was resumed almost immediately and it was not very long

before Grandfather pointed down and ahead of them to a clearing where several large pieces of equipment was scattered about. “If you look straight on you’ll see the entrance to that old mine I told you about. There’s still a couple of pieces of wood fixed across it to keep people out but over time most of the wood has been pulled away so people could go inside. That’s not wise though. That mine could be dangerous after so long and you never know when it just might collapse. No sirreee, that’s no place to go exploring. “Dad,” Father said to Grandfather, “let’s go on to the mine. There’s a lot for us to explore there. The entrance to the mine was not very far ahead but the path leading down the hill to it was rocky and not easy to walk on. It was steep and it was difficult to remain balanced as it wound down to the base where the mine grounds were situated. Stepping carefully, always looking fully around Father led the way. He did his best to make his way close to trees and underbrush that was strong enough to grasp if they needed to pr event themselves from tumbling forward and down to the bottom. Grrraawwww! Grraawwww! Everyone stopped suddenly looking fearfully about them. The loud growling, the snarling, came again. Shielding his eyes from the sun Grandfather gazed upward and slightly behind them. At some distance he spied a mountain lion. They were not common to the area but there were a few left from a time when they abounded. Now, since people seldom trekked this way they were beginning to make a come back. The big cat growled again. “Don’t make a sound just move forward slowly and she won’t do a thing,” Grandfather instructed them. “She’s might be guarding her young ones and as long as we are not a threat to them she’ll keep her distance.” They moved cautiously just as Grandfather told them to do. Little by little they moved down the slope but it was difficult to make any progress because the large stones beneath their feet were not stable when they stepped on them. They could easily lose their footing, Grandfather knew that if one of them fell and make a sudden loud noise the cat might sense that as danger and attack.

The Doggie Diaries ................................................... Christine Carroll Piech Christine@theweeklyreporter.com ...................................................

Christine Carroll Piech Is On Vacation,

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Where All the Tough Guys End Up - Part 1 “It was loud in the bus, really loud. Forty bad-asses all bragging how tough they were. It was really noisy and some guy asks me what I know about Lewisburg. “I don’t know! I’m from Chicago. All I know is somebody said that’s where John Gotti did his bit.” That was John Cappas in a more civil moment. John Cappas, 22 year old former Millionaire Drug Kingpin, now sentenced to 45 years, who began his drug career in Oaklawn, Illinois, was partly right; Lewisburg is known for some of its notorious guests, John Gotti, Mafia Don, Henry Hill, mobster, Alger Hiss, Soviet spy. The bus rolled on, the noise, the boisterous threatening, the clamoring for tough-guy status continued while the miles ticked-off. Forty men all headed to Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary at Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, 200 miles north from Washington D.C., 170 miles west of Philadelphia. Lewisburg was known for housing federal prisoners who needed maximum security confinement. The prison staff was prepared for them, it was routine. They knew how to deal with the worst of the worst. They had dealt with them before. They had seen them die lying in their own blood and guts. John Cappas, as smart as he was mean, noticed something. As the miles fell away the almost unbearable noise lessened. Then they were on the winding road to the prison with the high guard towers in sight. Suddenly the bad-asses were not so bad, suddenly there was silence. Lewisburg was a reality looming ominously ahead of them in the dark of night. The sight of the prison, its intimidating 30 foot high walls, the guard towers coming closer and closer, shook the most arrogant among them. It was not a game. It was reality in its most stark form. This was Lewisburg prison. There was one prominent tower in the middle. It seemed taller than the others. It had a penetrating red spotlight on it that shown down. “I don’t know it seemed like a kind of strobe light or something. That night was a gloomy night to begin with and as the red light was shining down into the

Lewisburg federal prison.

dark it made it look like a castle out of a Dracula movie.” There was silence. The talking stopped. Intimidation took over; maybe it was fear of the unknown. I looked around, I was John Cappas, I would continue to be John Cappas period! “We were shackled, handcuffed; the handcuffs were secured to a blackbox I call it that went around us. We walked down these stairs to a room to be processed. We were asked three questions by the first cop that talked to us.” [Federal prisoners refer to correctional officers as cops]. “Can you go into the general population?” “Of course! Where else am I going to go with 45 years?” Cappas cocky as ever, even sentenced to 45 years in prison was not backing down. He still had to be tough. The Officer unmoved asked him, “Did you ever testify against anybody?” “No, why you asking?” “Well government informants don’t do so well in here.” The corrections officer was nonchalant and unfazed by Cappas’ attitude. He had yet another question for Cappas. “Are you afraid for your life?” “No, I can handle myself. I’m a pretty good fighter, I’ll be fine.” Cappas held a Black Belt and was a competent martial arts fighter. “Listen tough-guy. We’ve wheeled a lot of guys outta here who were tough, who were built, who were martial artists. Nobody fights with their hands here, everybody has shanks (knives).” Most of the new arrivals checked into protective custody—few chose the general population. Each of those who believed he needed protection had his own reasons; some of them had come face to face with themselves for the first time. Some would become prison punks.

your life

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Dear Lindsey: My grandfather said men used to sell fish house to house. That sounds far out. Do you think it is -XO\ true? He said his father told him about it. That doesn’t sound right to me, is it true? Dear Sound Right: Sorry, I’m nowhere near old enough to remember something like that so I asked an expert, my grandfather. He laughed when I told him about your letter. He said it is true. He remembers a man coming every Friday to his parents’ home to sell fish when he was a boy. One religion ate only fish on Friday so there was a good market for such peddlers. Grandpa said the fishman would give him a fish for his birthday each year. He also mentioned how ice was delivered to the house to keep food cold, wagons on the street, delivering milk, selling fruit, and vegetables. Later there were trucks that brought fresh Danish and donuts into the neighborhood and sold them right from the truck. He mentioned one other thing that was interesting. Men drove a horse and wagon thru the allies searching for metal items, paper, and anything they could resell at the junkyard. They would buy old newspaper and other items for pennies. As they travelled they called out, “Rags, old iron�. So, I guess selling fish from door to door was not unusual at all at that time. I wonder how people would react today if there was a knock on the door and instead of hearing “Avon� they heard “Fish for sale.�

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Dear Think I’m Right: I think you are right and I think your aunts may be partly right too. Your brother is going to be a very busy guy mingling with all the people who come to see him. Attaching a girl to him that he doesn’t even know would be awkward for him and the girl. That is not the best way for a guy and a girl to become acquainted. She is very likely to feel like he is not paying attention to her because he will be occupied with his guests. If your aunts want to introduce them, fine. They can invite her and just let her be part of the party. If she makes sure she is in view and close to him often without becoming obvious he will notice her if there is a connection. If he is drawn to her whether by her looks, or whatever he will act on his emotions. He is a soldier coming home from wartime duty he will probably not be bashful. Your aunts should not push the girl on him. Let nature take its course.

Dear Lindsey: My brother will be coming home from the army pretty soon. When he comes home my family wants to make a big party for him. I think that’s awesome cause we’ll probably have about fifty friends and relatives there. Two of my aunts want to invite this girl they want to fix him up with. They think they would make the perfect couple. I said they shouldn’t be forcing anyone one on my brother. First of all I am sure there will be lots of things he wants to do and he’ll have lots of time to find a girlfriend. I don’t think the girl should be invited. Do you think I’m right?

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> From Front

Cappas’ Series Begins With a Trip To Lewisburg Toughest of the tough-the big house! ers of approaching officers. No one comes because no one can determine from where the scream came. By now his screams have been muffled with a pillow or filthy socks stuffed in his mouth. The powerful attackers have pinned his arms, his legs, his entire body down, and now he is theirs. Theirs to misuse as they wish. The night will be a night in hell that will haunt him for the rest of his life—if he survives. If he snitches he is dead. He probably won’t dare seek the medical attention for his torn body because that could lead to an investigation and that could mean death or worse. Men sentenced to prison in the District of Columbia,

Washington, D.C. are often sent to Lewisburg because of it is close to Washington. They are known as D.C. prisoners and they are hated, despised, and feared. They are known as the most treacherous group of cons in the federal system. In the 1980s DC inmates ruined a local prison and were distributed throughout the federal system. The DC prisoners have a reputation, a bad reputation for doing as they please, for being ruthless, deadly, unpredictable, sometimes killing for no reason other than to kill. No one wants to do time with them. To be noticed by one of them might mean becoming a lady for them. They are a pack

so they attack in a pack. They take what they please and very frequently that means some other cons body and self respect. How can it happen? Where are the guards? What do authorities do about it? For the most part, much of what occurs never comes to the attention of the administrators because the cons have their own underworld of silence and deception. While some attacks are done so as to conceal the identity of the killer many are carried out in places where there are large gatherings of inmates such as in the dining room, watching a movie or on the yard. Someone may grab an inmate in a choke

hold from behind and plunge a homemade shank (knife) into them. Both the shank and the killer quickly disappear from sight. There is a certain respect among cons for one another. They only respect tough. If you have a proven reputation for being tough, likely to kill, likely to cripple or maim, you will probably be let alone to do as you please. Those who are average, those who are weak, those who do not have the killer instinct in them are very likely to become someone’s sexual slave whether they like it or not. Some cons who are forced into sex ultimately become their abuser’s cellmate. From

that time forward the victim will be the woman of the cell doing whatever his abuser tells him to do. It is hell within hell, a hell from which there is no escape other than death or the expiration of his sentence. Those who fancy the drug life as something enriching, something to provide them with good times, women, money, cars, such as John Cappas filled his life with, might want to consider the consequences of going to prison. The sentence given by the court may be the most lenient sentence of all—the sentence you get as a victim on the inside may be the greatest price you will pay.

> From Front

Hey Buddy! You Work For Us! brook. A public worker, who has a job as a trustee, did not like the fact that some citizens chose to speak out in criticism of some village business. It annoyed him that one man voiced his concerns that the Village Trustees are a “rubber stamp” for the Mayor. The people who did speak up to voice their concerns, 3 people out of 70,000, were performing a democratic duty for those who may have concerns but fear retaliation for speaking up. The public worker/trustee remarked that those who spoke up made “fools of themselves.” Only a dunce would not know that even the local government in Bolingbrook is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Perhaps Boling-

brook ought to purchase some American History books so their trustees and learn about freedom, democracy and what a government of the people really means. The boss may not always be right but he is always the boss. American citizens who want and deserve answers from those who work for them do not make fools of themselves when they voice their opinions. They happen to be heroes who are preserving democracy by their willingness to make public servants do the jobs they were hired to do for the people. Those who dislike public opinion, those who do not want to hear public criticisms of their on the job performance, are often likely to be hiding

something they do not want uncovered. When one citizen criticized the hefty borrowing the village has done by issuing bonds for projects of which he was skeptical he was not making a fool of himself. Perhaps he made the official who criticized him feel foolish for having shackled the village with such a heavy burden of debt. Criticisms have often been leveled at the golf course and the airport, two projects that have been called money losing projects. Those criticisms correct or not, are legitimate; the people have a major interest in those projects—they are saddled with the debt for them. The people pay for the fancy bar at which the mayor tilts his glass although he may like to

think of it as his own. To every bigmouthed trustee who walks along with one foot in the gutter wondering why he is limping—here is a reminder. You work for the people—you are a common worker paid by

public taxes. Your funds come from the same tax dollars from which unfortunate public aid recipients are paid. And don’t you forget it!

washer or dryer allow easy access for any family member. By making these improvements, you’ll create a safe and stylish home -- one you’ll want to stay in and enjoy for years to

come. For additional tips and home improvement projects for baby boomers, visit ageinplace.com. For more information about stylish bath safety products

from Home Care by Moen, visit homecare.moen.com or call (800) 882-0116.

> From 4

Home to stay strollers. Installing a pulldown kitchen faucet helps access hard-to-reach areas of the sink and also aids in everyday tasks such as watering plants or filling large pots and pans.

Consolidating essential appliances and living areas in one space in the home is another trend for boomers. Adding a first floor bathroom, installing a first floor water turnoff and

> From 11

Don’t forget your pets in a disaster information, rescue responders will have a better chance of locating you if they rescue your pet. The best kind of identifica-

tion is imbedded microchip identification. Even if you put an informative tag on your pets collar or your horse’s halter, if it becomes separated from

your animal the results can be disastrous. Microchips are embedded under the skin of an animal between the shoulder blades or on the neck and can

be read with a scanner, ensuring the animal is never without ID. For more information on this and other issues, visit www.

avma.org or www.avmatv.org for a disaster preparation video.

NEWS

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> From 5

Morrison

Heading outside?

Protect yourself from the sun actually cause further dehydration. Sports drinks, however, will replenish electrolytes and hydrate faster.� A little knowledge can go a long way to help ensure you stay safe in the summer sun. Protection from UV light now

can lower the risks of documented health problems proven to result from overexposure to the sun’s harmful rays. AllergiCare™ Relief Centers has more than 75 centers located throughout the U.S. AllergiCare™ Relief Centers of

Northbrook is now open and located at 1535 Lake Cook Road, Suite 204. For more information call 1-877-9-SNEEZE (877-9763393) or visit www.AllergiCare. com.

> From 2

Guest Editorial By State Senator A.J. Wilhelmi monopoly on solutions for our state’s problems, we urge other leaders to either join with us in our responsible approach or provide solutions of their own. If we don’t work together toward a real budget solution, the

result will be budget cuts that hurt people across the state, and increased costs in the long run from cutting essential programs and human services. In times of crisis, we must come together in a spirit of

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shared sacrifice to ensure that our state remains fiscally sound and is able to provide the ser-XO\ vices that our citizens need and deserve.

Interpol And First Join Hands To Fight Cyber Crime (computer security incident response team) who devised the groundbreaking Netflow system for incident detection. Details and reports from both winners can be found at CERT CC’s website, http:// www.cert.org/csirts/national/ contest_2009.html and on the FIRST website at http://www. first.org/global/practices/ Founded in 1990, FIRST consists of internet emergency

License # 117-001455

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dination Centre, the Software Engineering Institute CERT program in Pittsburgh, PA. Thomas Grenman and his fellow team-members at CERT-FI (Finland) were awarded US$2500 for their pioneering creation of Autoreporter, which keeps the Finnish network space secure, and US$5000 was presented to Michael Scheck and fellow team members at Cisco CSIRT

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response teams from more than 200 corporations, government 6ROXWLRQ bodies, universities and< $ 7 ' 4 * 7 ; ; 7 & 1 ) 7 2 6 6 % & other institutions from the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. It 7 ( ( 2 7 $ $ < $ 7 ' leads the world’s fight-back against cyber-crime, sabotage &RS\ULJKW ‹ and terrorism, and promotes co-operation between response teams and law enforcement agencies.

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The Senior Services Center Events And Trips

tions. Visit www.willcountyseniors.org/special-events.htm to download a registration form. Lunch will be available through the Senior Congregate Meal program. A $3.00

> From 6

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suggested donation. Meals pate call (815) 723-9713 for $ OLH GULSSLQJ ZLWK KRQH\ will be served from 11:30am more information. LV VWLOO D OLH – 1:00pm. Pre-registration for The Senior Services Centhe meal is required. Please ter is a United Way of Will & call the Center by Friday, July Grundy Counties agency. - 1 0 0 ' $ 7 5 0 & 8 ( 8 - 8 % ; : . $ & 0 ; 2 6ROXWLRQ 31st. If you wish to partici / , 0 $ : $ 6 + $ / 3 + $ , ' 2 / $ / 2 ( 6 $ / 2 1 . $ = 8 ; 7 : ( 1 % 8 2 = ( : ( $ $ & . % 1 : 6 ( / ) < $ : / , ' $ + 2 3 $ 7 5 2 / 6 3 + $ ( 7 2 1 ( 7 $ 0 , 1 1 + $ 6 7 < ' $ 1 7 : 2 She says she believes this ney, he will serve the Constitu 0 ( & & $ 5 $ 7 7 < 5 , % was the first instance in which tion in a different but no less such a swearing in ceremony important way: all attorneys $ 5 5 2 : ( . ( $ 1 , / ( took place in this manner. are called to uphold the Con 5 2 ( $ 7 / $ 6 5 ( 3 / < Chief Justice Kelly noted stitution’s promise of ordered & 1 6 ( $ 5 & 5 2 6 6 that the lawyer’s oath includes liberty and a nation governed : 5 $ 3 , 2 1 a promise to uphold the by laws. I feel privileged to take Constitutions of the Unit- part in his admission to the % 8 6 + ( / 6 8 3 : $ 5 ' 6 ed States and of the State of bar.� 2 1 7 2 3 , 7 & + 7 $ 5 ( Michigan. “In fact, Major Asked what he thought of 6 7 ( / $ 1 , / ( $ * 8 ( Gengler is already living that the event, Major Gengler said, promise through his military he is in awe that people made + 2 0 ( < * ( $ 5 / 8 0 3 service,� she said. “As an attor- this&URRNHG SROLW happen for him. LFLDQV EHORQJ

Soldier in Iraq Sworn in As An Attorney in even though he would still be in Iraq,� said Nussbaumer. “Miles is putting his life on the line for our country; arranging for his swearing-in is the least we can do to show our appreciation for his service.� Mayor Gengler’s family, his wife Heather, and their children Hayden, Carson and Amory, were present with Chief Justice Kelly when she administered the oath to the Major.

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Noticias/NEWS

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Guía Del Consumidor 2009

Llegó El Momento De Realizar Pequeños Proyectos De Remodelación Cortesía de ARAnet (ARA) – A pesar de que el ritmo de construcción de nuevas viviendas se ha detenido, los pequeños proyectos de renovación del hogar siguen siendo una opción viable para los dueños de casas. A propósito de esto, la Asociación Nacional de Constructores de Viviendas (National Association of Home Builders, NAHB) reportó recientemente “un ligero incremento” en pequeños proyectos de remodelación en su informe Remodeling Market Index correspondiente al tercer trimestre del 2008. ¿Qué significa esto para los propietarios de viviendas? Pues implica oportunidades. Y para aquellos que desean hacer una in-

versión en sus hogares, nada supera a las adiciones y remodelaciones de baños, que ocupan un lugar prominente en la lista de los trabajos de remodelación predominantes de NAHB. La actualización del baño sigue proporcionando una sólida recuperación de la inversión, incluso en la abrumada economía actual, según el informe “Cost vs. Value” (Costo vs. Valor) de la revista Remodeling Magazine correspondiente al 2008-2009. La publicación estima que un remozamiento de nivel medio en un baño recuperará aproximadamente el 75 por ciento de su costo, mientras que la adición de un baño implica una recuperación inferior al 65 por ciento.

Aproveche al máximo la inversión de su dinero. ¿Tiene en proyecto la construcción o mejoramiento de un baño? Si la respuesta es positiva, evite los altos costos y las presiones en la creación de conexiones subterráneas de plomería, uno de los aspectos más costosos en materia de finanzas y tiempo en cualquier proyecto de construcción o remodelación de baños. Para lograrlo, use la tecnología de maceración, consistente en un sistema de plomería sobre el suelo, que puede instalarse sobre el piso existente en cualquier parte de la vivienda en sólo medio día. En este tipo de instalación, los desechos y el agua se bombean desde los vertederos a través de tuberías de pequeño diámetro hacia el sistema de alcantarillado o el tanque séptico. Olvídese de las excavaciones para colocar líneas de drenaje. “Esta tecnología es más fácil, más conveniente y menos invasiva”, asegura Mike Sikorski, plomero de East Taunton, Mass., e instalador de productos de plomería de marca Saniflo. “Les ahorra a mis clientes un promedio de $1,000, haciendo un cálculo modesto”. Mike Coletto, otro instalador de Saniflo y contratista independiente de plomería, equipos de calefacción y aire acondicionado y electricidad de Illinois, concuerda con Sikorski: “Si en su lista de proyectos hay un baño, considere la plomería sobre el suelo, especialmente si tiene planes de remodelar el sótano”, aconseja. “Saniflo facilita la instalación de un baño en un sótano en muy poco tiempo”. Estas son algunas formas adicionales de mantener a bajo costo la remodelación del baño de su hogar: * Arreglos vs. Sustitución: En vez

de comprar nuevos botiquines o gabinetes, remodele su superficie o píntelos; cambie las manijas y los tiradores de las gavetas. Repare las paredes dañadas y cambie el enmasillado alrededor de los lavamanos. También puede colocar mosaicos hasta la mitad de la pared solamente. * Remozamiento vs. Expansión: En vez de demoler paredes, gane espacio sustituyendo una puerta de bisagras por una deslizante. También puede instalar un botiquín empotrado. Instale una cortina de baño curva para aumentar el espacio interior de la ducha. * Iluminación y claridad: Vuelva a pintar, utilizando colores neutros. Repare el suelo dañado, o instale mosaicos sobre el mismo. Instale luces sobre el tocador en vez de una ventana. * Proteja el medioambiente: Sustituya las ventanas viejas por modelos eficientes en ahorro de energía, que incluso le pueden dar elegibilidad para un descuento en los impuestos federales. Sustituya los grifos goteantes con modelos de bajo flujo. Para obtener más información acerca de los sistemas de baño sobre el suelo y de bajo costo, visite el sitio Web www.saniflo.com o llame al número telefónico gratuito (800) 571-8191.

Ya se encuentra disponible la segunda edición de la Guía del Consumidor 2009: Proteja a su familia. Esta guía es la versión en español de la publicación Consumer Action Handbook y ha sido creada para ayudarlo a protegerse de fraudes y a tomar mejores decisiones como consumidor. La Guía del Consumidor 2009 ofrece información sobre temas relevantes para la comunidad hispana. Por ejemplo, la sección de “Inmigración” brinda información sobre cómo identificar consultores de inmigración fraudulentos así como estafas relacionadas a la lotería de visas. La sección de “Estafas” le advierte sobre los diferentes tipos de fraudes que afectan a los hispanos: fraudes por afinidad (es decir, fraudes que están dirigidos a ciertos grupos), tarjetas de identificación y licencias falsas, y fraudes cometidos por agencias de envíos. En estos días de recesión económica, usted necesita el consejo de una fuente de información confiable. La Guía del Consumidor 2009 lo ayudará a convertirse en un comprador mejor informado. En estas páginas encontrará consejos útiles sobre cómo comprar un auto o una vivienda, prevenir el robo de identidad, entender qué es el crédito, resolver problemas u obtener un reembolso después de una compra y mucho más. Si usted prefiere consultar la Guía del Consumidor 2009 electrónicamente visite www.consumidor.gov. Este sitio web cuenta con un buscador para encontrar temas específicos de manera rápida y un botón que le permite alternar entre páginas en español e inglés. Además, el sitio le ofrece información sobre oficinas de protección al consumidor a nivel estatal o local, los últimos productos retirados del mercado y otras noticias y temas de actualidad para el consumidor. Para ordenar su copia gratis de la Guía del Consumidor 2009: • Envíe su nombre y dirección a: Guía del Consumidor, Pueblo, Colorado 81009. • Visite www.consumidor.gov y haga clic en “Ordene la Guía” en la parte superior de la pantalla o • Llame gratis al 1 (888) 8 PUEBLO, es decir al 1 (888) 878-3256, de lunes a viernes entre las 8 a.m. y las 8 p.m. hora del Este.

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