Community members look to make cupcakes as part of Breakfast Santa on Dec. 3.

Megann Horstead | For the Bugle

Christmas came early for those on hand for Joliet Central High School’s Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 3.

Highlights at the event, which got underway at 8:30 a.m., included a breakfast, letter writing to Santa and reindeer food making. Santa and his wife, Mrs. Clause, arrived at 9:15 a.m. to visit with children and their families.

Mickey Vanderhyden, a district business clerk organizing the event, said Breakfast with Santa is hoped to please.

“I want to bring this community in,” she said. “We want to show off the new building. There (are) not very many Breakfasts with Santa on this side of town.”

The event in part is aimed at raising funds to support the scholarship in the name of former Joliet Central High School student-athlete Ryan McCarroll.

McCarroll died in a car accident in 2002.

Community members fill up their plates at Joliet Central High School High School’s Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 3.

Vanderhyden said the McCarroll family hopes to raise $8,000 to fund the scholarship.

“The family started a scholarship every year, so they asked me if I could help raise money for the scholarship,” she said.

Diana Thompson, of Joliet, was one of many parents in attendance for Breakfast with Santa. She said she’s glad that she and her daughter, Tiarra, decided to drop in.

“We wanted to support the athletics,” she said. “My brother-in-law is the head varsity basketball coach this year, so we wanted to (be) supportive of the teams.”

Thompson said she heard about the event through social media.

“I follow the (Joliet Township High School District 204’s) Twitter, so I found it on there,” she said.

Thompson said Breakfast with Santa serves as a great way for her family to get into the holiday season spirit.

“You get to meet Santa, huh?” she asked her daughter. “And, write Santa a letter, that’s nice, huh? Food was good, too, huh?”

Joliet resident Tanja Kucinic and her son Michael Kucinic, 7, were waiting in line for pictures with Santa. Tanja said she’s glad they dropped in for Breakfast with Santa.

“I like the different activities they have, and of course, Santa,” she said.

Michael agreed.

“Making something,” he said, pointing out that he created a cupcake decorated like a reindeer.

Kucinic said her older son goes to Joliet Central High School and that’s how she heard they were holding the event. The holidays are a big deal in her family, she said.

“(The holidays are huge in my family) because it brings us together to do something together in the home,” Kucinic said, noting how nice it is getting a chance to celebrate early.

Children and their families huddle in the galleria at Joliet Central High School for cupcake decorating and reindeer food making on Dec. 3.

Trinity Services’ Horticulture Program, in Joliet, has prepared a variety of plants for its 2016 Holiday Sale, including poinsettias.

Trinity Services’ Horticulture Program has a variety of holiday plants and poinsettias available for purchase during its 2016 Holiday Sale now through Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 100 N. Gougar Road in Joliet.

The men and women who participate in the program have grown and prepared a variety of poinsettias, wreaths, Christmas cacti, Norfolk Island pine trees and more for the sale.

Items can be viewed and purchased by visiting the program anytime during normal hours of operation 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Also, this Saturday, Dec. 17, the program will be open special hours for the sale 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Those who would like to set up a time outside of regular business hours to shop the program’s available items can contact the Horticulture Program directly at (815) 485-8146.

To view a full list of the items available for sale, order forms are available at www.TrinityGreenhouse.com.

Horticulture Program participants who are served by Trinity Services spend time cleaning and organizing the greenhouse, and trim, arrange, water and carry out plants for customers.

Independent Living Coaches June Bass and Valerie Woodkirk organize the program and explained that it teaches both gardening and business skills.

For additional information about the Trinity Services Horticulture Program 2016 Holiday Sale, visit www.trinity-services.org or call (815) 485-8146.

The Horticulture Program is an Adult Learning Program operated by Trinity Services, Inc. All proceeds from sales benefit the people served by Trinity, a 66-year-old, nonsectarian, nonprofit organization that serves 3,500 children and adults with developmental/intellectual disabilities and mental illness in 31 communities in Will, Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Peoria, Jackson, Madison and St. Clair counties, and Reno, Nevada. To learn more, visit www.trinity-services.org.

Megann Horstead | For The Bugle

To generate a buzz for local restaurants, the Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitor’s Bureau is looking to launch its first Joliet Area Restaurant Week early next year.

The Feb. 17-26 event will feature special deals for restaurants located from Morris to Lockport.

Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitor’s Bureau marketing manager Dan Mulka said holding the event makes sense for the Joliet area.

“What we’re trying to do is highlight the restaurants,” he said. “There’s many different restaurants in the Joliet area that we want Chicagoland to kind of think about where they’re looking to eat.”

The CVB has announced that 14 restaurants are slated to participate in the 2017 event and that includes: Truth Restaurant (Joliet), Jitters Coffee House (Joliet), Al’s Steakhouse (Joliet), Big Fish Bar & Grille (Wilmington), Chicago Street Pub (Joliet), Cross Street Grill (Joliet), Embers Tap House (Lockport), Flavors: The Buffet (Joliet), Juliet’s (Joliet), Little Saigon (Shorewood), Morris Chop Shop (Morris), Public Landing Restaurant (Lockport), The Reserve (Joliet) and Tin Roof (Joliet).

Restaurant Week will allow Joliet to join the ranks of a number of communities across the nation to hold the event.

“We have restaurants going as far as Morris and Lockport,” Mulka said. “We’re trying our best to showcase that there’s a lot of culinary opportunities and new places to try.”

Mulka said the event is hoped to draw a lot of people to the area.

“It’s a way to help out restaurants that are seeing the winter doldrums,” he said.

Mulka said it’s important for people to support local restaurants.

“It’s a very crucial part of the economy,” he said. “You have a lot of people who work at the restaurants. You want to keep those businesses up and running.”

The hope, according to Mulka, is that Joliet Area Restaurant Week can be held annually. The CVB will evaluate the event and its participating restaurants to gauge whether to hold another one the following year, he said.

If a restaurant is looking to participate or interested in learning more about the event, visit jolietrestaurantweek.com

The CVB works with communities and counties located along the historic I & M Canal National Heritage Corridor to shape the visitor’s experience through tourism partnerships.

Megann Horstead | For the Bugle

In response to supporters’ cries to save the Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet City Manager Jim Hock suggested that officials consider his funding proposal.

During a recent meeting, Hock proposed an idea that would allow the city to takeover the Rialto and its operations to keep the doors open.

“What I propose is adopting a resolution asking our senators, state senators and representatives to introduce legislation that transfers ownership of the Rialto Theatre and their properties to the city,” Hock said. “The city will sell the office buildings that aren’t part of the theatre to the private sector. We’ll pay off all the bills that the Rialto board has approved for payment but have not paid, and we’ll assume the renovation loan obligation of approximately $2.4 million.”

Hock said as many in the city know, a constant mantra they hear is save the Rialto, and officials have done that in a number of ways throughout the last year.

The city advanced a quarterly budgeted amount, valued at $150,000, to the Rialto Theatre in March. That action allowed $110,000 of that to be paid directly to the state and federal government for unpaid payroll taxes.

In April, Joliet officials asked the Rialto board for access to their financial information before any additional funds could be released; they refused. The city took action later that month to save the Rialto by paying for two scheduled performers that would’ve canceled their shows and left ticket holders without a refund.

In August, the Rialto board selected a third party vendor, VenuWorks, to run the theatre knowing that their proposed operational model had a deficit.

When the city highlighted a proposed a 2017 budget last month, no funding for the Rialto was shown. A number of supporters of the theatre were in attendance during that meeting to plea their case for the theatre. The council is expected to pass a budget later this month.

“Last week, council received a proposed intergovernmental (agreement) from the Rialto requesting us to commit funding for four years,” Hock said.

That agreement calls for a $500,000 allotment.

Hock’s proposal suggests that an alternative funding solution is necessary.

Hock said the city would manage non-concert events—like weddings and recitals— and enter into contracts with Harrah’s and other entertainment vendors to put on concerts and performances. The Rialto buildings would also be added to the city’s engineering consultant facilities evaluation contract, which is currently underway, to evaluate physical conditions and determine what capital improvements are required, he said.

“We want the foundation to continue and work closely with them because they qualify for grants that local governments may not qualify for,” Hock said. “This proposal seems to me, like, a natural progression of the commitment the city has made to the downtown. We own the baseball stadium, the building in right field, Union Station, soon a new train station and a new bus station, along with the (Joliet Area) Historical Museum.”

Hock said if the city is looking to continue with investments to implement the downtown development plan, they must ensure that concerts and other performances are scheduled at the Rialto.

Hock emphasized that doors to the theatre must remain open for all community events held in the downtown.

After the meeting, Hock said it was unclear when the council would look to consider his proposal.

After a veteran and a Gold Star mother approached the city council last month voicing their concern for Joliet’s flag displays and lighting, officials have been working on another project to recognize and honor veterans.

Joliet resident Denise Meehan provided testimony at the council’s Dec. 6 meeting, saying she’s been pleased by the city’s willingness to get involved with a project she’s spearheading to commemorate Illinois’ fallen heroes.

Meehan said the Flags of Valor Project is looking to have a ceremony performed for Illinois’ fallen heroes and donate the unclaimed flags. In some cases, Illinois’ fallen heroes do not have families who can participate and retrieve them, she said.

“We would like to have a veteran preferably from one of the older generations as well as a current (Operation Iraqi Freedom) veteran to stand and receive that flag after it has been flown in honor, and then take the flags of those who do not have family, or whose family cannot participate, and have the city of Joliet send them to their hometown—wherever in Illinois it is—so that their hometown or their library or their school can have that remembrance of their hometown and local hero,” Meehan said. “For Joliet to be able to participate in this level in this incredible project is just astounding to me.”

The Gold Star mother said she’d been in contact with city officials off and on since the council’s Nov. 15 meeting, where she called on Joliet to take action to fix American flag displays and provide them with proper lighting. The project has its challenges, she said.

“Most of the flags were claimed by the individual family members in honor of their fallen hero,” Meehan said. “But, there are some that the families were not aware, they were not available and sometimes aren’t necessarily involved enough to want to do this kind of thing. As a result, there are 28 flags of Illinois’ fallen soldiers that have been unclaimed as (of) yet by the families. I am involved with this project, and one of my jobs with this project is reaching out to those 28 families, tracking them down.”

Meehan explained that this information is not exactly made available to the public, but there are ways to accomplish this feat.

“My job is reaching out to them and asking them if they would like to participate in a very special opportunity Flags of Valor would like to extend,” she said. “As a couple council members are aware, Flags of Valor would like to donate the 28 flags from Illinois’ fallen heroes to the city of Joliet to display. This is a huge honor. Now, Councilmen [Larry] Hug and [Brooke] Hernandez Brewer both were a little bit overwhelmed as was I. This is an incredibly generous offer.”

Meehan said these flags are not your average American flags not only because they were flown in honor with the name and face of one of Illinois’ fallen, but because they’re made by a company called Annin Flag Company.

“It’s the oldest flag company in America,” she said. “The Annin flag is the one that was raised in Iwo Jima. Annin Flag is the one company that made the flag that went to the moon. An Annin flag is what draped Abraham’s Lincoln’s casket as he was brought back to Illinois. So, the significance of these individual flags (rests) on every level—what they stand for, where they come from and what they mean.”

Councilwoman Brooke Hernandez Brewer said Meehan’s work on this project has been beyond what the council expected.

“We’re glad to be able to do something (to help),” she said. “It’s not just one person, everybody’s got their say and their input in this and tried to help.”

The flags had not yet been shipped to Joliet as of the council’s Dec. 6 meeting.

Hernandez Brewer questioned if there’s a way for the city to provide further assistance with the project.

“There has to be a way for us to be able pay for the shipping for these flags,” she said. “(The Flags of Valor Project is) trying to raise the money to ship them to us and they refuse to charge us for them. We offered and they won’t charge.”

Mayor Bob O’DeKirk said there is a way they can help with the shipping of the flags, and they’ll work on it.

“Councilman Hug and Councilman Brewer, they’ve been kind of on top of this,” he said, adding that he would like for them to keep the council updated.

Powers, duties of inspector general amended

To ensure residents that city functions and programs are performing well, Joliet is looking to amend the powers of the inspector general.

In a 7-1 vote, the Joliet City Council moved forward with plans to extend the powers and duties allotted under the position to charitable organizations and other governmental bodies that look for financial or other forms of support.

Councilman Pat Mudron cast the lone dissenting vote.

“I feel the inspector general has enough power now, and we are are the elected officials that can give money out or take money back from any of the organizations,” he said. “I feel that too much government is always bad.”

The Land Use and Legislative committee last reviewed the matter on Nov. 28.

The Office of the Inspector General was created in part to investigate for misconduct, inefficiency and waste within the confines of city government.

Fines for illegal possession, sale of fireworks increased

Joliet officials are looking to crack down on illegal possession and sale of fireworks by increasing the city’s fine from $150 to a $500 minimum.

In a unanimous vote, the Joliet City Council amended city rules for illegal firework offenses.

The city said it is common practice for the Joliet Police Department to confiscate illegal fireworks for destruction.

Councilwoman Jan Quillman said she would like to reiterate what was said at the committee meeting level.

“This fine seems steep, but there’s been so many fireworks, and they’re not fireworks, they’re have been horror … of dynamite that just is ridiculous,” she said. “It’s like a warzone anytime there is a holiday or a celebration. We said there would zero tolerance if they’re caught with dynamite, and we would leave it to the hearing officer whether they wanted to impose a $500 or $750 fine depending on the offense of the fireworks that they use.”

Paratransit pact with PACE OK’d, grant funding sought

Joliet officials took action last week to secure a local share agreement with PACE, the Suburban Bus Division of the Regional Transportation Authority, to allow for continuing paratransit services for persons with disabilities and persons who are age 60 or older and who cannot drive.

City action allows PACE to sub-contract for curb-to-curb advance reservation bus services for eligible riders residing in Joliet.

The program is subsidized by PACE and the communities receiving the service on a 60 percent city and 40 percent township formula, as fare box revenue hasn’t shown sufficient funding to cover the entire operation, officials said.

Joliet is billed a portion of the cost for the transit program in the amount of $142,270, and is looking to offset the cost by applying for available monies under the Title XX grant. Funds are available in the city’s 2016 budget.

-By Megann Horstead for The Bugle

Information in Police Reports is obtained from Joliet, Shorewood and Lockport police departments and the Will County Sheriff’s Office. Individuals listed in Police Reports who have been charged with a crime have not been proven guilty in court. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.

JOLIET

Nov. 29

Luis Juarez-Tobar, age 41, of Joliet was cited near E. Cass and Youngs streets for improper lighting and driving while license suspended.

Julisa Ortiz-Silva, 33, of Joliet was cited near E. Cass and Henderson streets for no valid driver’s license, no registration light and obstructed windows near

Nov. 30

Shani L. Brass, age 23, of Joliet, was cited near N. Larkin and W. Jefferson streets for no registration light and driving while license suspended.

Dec. 1

Ramon Cadenas-Cano, 20, of Joliet was cited near E. Jackson and Collins streets for improper lane usage, failure to signal, no registration lights, obstructed registration, driving while license suspended and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

Meleka Davis, 46, of Joliet, was cited near Houbolt Road and McDonough Street for driving while license suspended and speeding.

Jada S. Travis, 19, of Lockport, was cited near W. Jefferson St. and Barney Drive for driving while license suspended, obstructed windows and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

Anthony R. Walker, 29, of Crest Hill, was cited at E. Jefferson and I55 for speeding and driving while license suspended.

Larry Dickerson, 48, of Joliet, was cited near W. Jefferson and N. William streets for driving while license suspended.

Dec. 2

Terrence A. Ford, 32, of Joliet, was cited near W. Jefferson and Catherine streets for no valid driver’s license.

Dec. 3

Oscar Sanchez, 27, Shorewood was cited near DeKalb St. and S. Ottawa for driving while license suspended and disobeying a traffic control device.

Eric Hamilton, 36, of Crest Hill was cited near Colorado and Ingalls streets for speeding, following too closely, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, illegal transportation of alcohol and driving while license revoked.

Dec. 4

Unknown person/s stole a Western snow plow from the driveway of a residence 100 block of Reichman.

Zachary P. Andersen, 24, of Plainfield was arrested near Plainfield Rd. and I55 for DUI, aggravated speeding and improper lane usage.

Dec. 5

Aaron Lee Whitfield, age 46, of Joliet was cited near Osgood Street and S. Chicago for driving while license suspended.

Carl N. Corlew, 30, of Joliet was cited near S. Weber and Randich roads for operating an uninsured motor vehicle and driving while license suspended.

Erasmo Cruz-Lopez, 45, of Joliet was cited near Henderson and E. Jackson streets for no valid driver’s license and no registration light.

Juvenile, 17, was arrested on two counts of domestic battery on the 1100 block of Alann Drive.

Erick Mazariegos, 39, of Joliet was arrested for domestic battery 200 block of Collins St.

Kevin M, Hotuyec, 38, of Joliet, was arrested for aggravated domestic battery 1100 block of Plainfield Road.

Jose Martin Sanchez-Garcia, 27, of Joliet was arrested for in-state warrant near Scott/Jefferson streets.

Kylina M, Verbeck, 20 of Braidwood, was arrested for possession of controlled substance, possession of drug equipment on the 1800 block of W. Jefferson Street.

Charles Jones, 58, of Joliet, was arrested for an in-state warrant on the 1800 block W. Jefferson Street.

Mark Oscar Stegner , 53, of Joliet, was arrested for domestic battery and an in-state warrant on the 200 block N. Center Street.

Michael Jaksinick, 45, of Minooka, was arrested for criminal trespass to property on the 100 block N. Joliet

LOCKPORT

Dec. 2

Unknown person/s broke into a residence on the 700 block of Green Garden Place and stole a 50″ and 40″ TV.

Dec. 3

Howard Thompson, 27, of Chicago, was cited near I55 and W. Coal City Roadfor driving while license suspended.

Shore wood

Nov. 16

Tracy Roth, 47, of Channahon, was arrested for battery near Buckingham Court/Buckingham Place.

Nov. 27

James M. Slivka, 21, of Plainfield, was charged with aggravated battery, criminal damage to property on the 700 block of W Jefferson Street.

Aaron J Burket, 20, of Shorewood was charged with domestic battery on the 100 block of Parkside Drive.

Nov. 30

Earl M Pugh, 46, of Joliet, was charged near Rt 52/SW Frontage Road for DWLR, no insurance, no valid registration.

Nov. 26

Lester E Bowen, 47, of Lyons was arrested for DWLR, no insurance with near E J

Joliet Township High School band director Don Stinson leads students in song during the winter band concert on Dec. 15.

Megann Horstead | For the Bugle

Members of the Joliet Central High School band were in sync for bringing holiday season cheer to the campus community at their winter concert on Dec. 15.

Joliet Township High School band director Don Stinson said the event is hoped to please.

“This concert kicks off our 105^th concert series as a band,” he said. “Not many band programs can say they’ve been around as long as the Joliet bands, and that is a testament to the students, faculty and administration involved with the support of these great kids.”

Stinson is in the middle of his first year as director of bands at Joliet Township High School District 204. He previously taught at Naperville North High School.

Stinson said the event strives to be in tune with the spirit of the season.

The concert band performed selections from “The Nutcracker” ballet, “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers”, “The Polar Express” and a holiday arrangement of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”.

The symphonic band showcased a number of pieces they’d been studying in class this year, including John Philip Sousa’s “Manhattan Beach March”, Peter Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Jesters”, Steven Bryant’s tonal piece “Dusk” and Alfred Reed’s “The Hounds of Spring”.

“Picking the correct literature for a group is the most important and most difficult job of a music director,” Stinson said. “This is music education, so we want the students to learn and discover how to succeed on the technical demands of a piece, achieving good balance and intonation, and understanding the cultural significance of composers and works. A director should select pieces that are challenging yet attainable for every member in the ensemble, from beginners to those that hope to major in music.”

Stinson added that it’s important to organize a program that is balanced.

“Too many slower pieces and the student and audiences can easily lose interest, while a large amount of big and bombastic pieces can overwhelm them,” he said.

LaTonya Young, of Joliet, said she enjoyed this year’s show.

“The last (song) they did, I really liked it,” she said. “It was kind of like a complicated piece. It wasn’t just one tempo.”

Young’s son is a junior in one of Joliet Central High School’s bands. She said he’d been talking about the concert practically every day.

Young said it was amazing to see her son performing with his classmates.

“I’m still not used to it,” she said. “This is his third year.”

Vicki Middleton, of Joliet, said she’s glad she came out to see the concert.

“Mr. Stinson actually picks a nice variety of music and different difficulties also within each of the bands, and I find that to be very refreshing,” she said. “So, it’s not all easy songs for the concert band and all hard songs for the symphonic band. The concert band gets some hard songs, too. I find that very nice.”

Middleton’s son Skyler is a sophomore in the concert band at Joliet Central High School. She said he’d been practicing at home quite a bit in the time leading up to the event.

She said of all the songs performed by the group, one piece stood out to her.

“Actually, the ‘Polar Express’ was (my favorite) because my son warned me about it coming and he made me watch the movie,” she said. “He dug it up out of the archives and made me watch it.”

Stinson said the band concert serves as a nice culmination of the students’ hard work this year.

“I hope that they are proud, and that they feel like they created a significant moment for themselves or an audience member,” he said. “I hope that they are satisfied with their results, but that they are also inspired to continue working hard to achieve even more.”

This past spring, Camp Fire Illinois Prairie’s Camp Kata Kani in Bolingbrook celebrated 60 years of serving local Camp Fire youth and now plans to expand are in the works.

The site of the council’s popular summer day camp, Kata Kani has been a local area destination for Camp Fire youth since before Bolingbrook was incorporated as a village. Now the council is upgrading the existing camp building and facilities as it plans to expand the programs it offers at Kata Kani, creating a site for Camp Fire’s educational programs and youth clubs.

“We have always had a strong presence in Bolingbrook primarily through our summer day camp,” said CEO Jennifer Fair Margraf. Using the camp as a program and club site, we will soon be able to bring our unique programming to even more Will County youth.”

In its first step, the camp building’s roof was replaced in November, and plans are in place to upgrade bathrooms and other interior facilities in spring 2017. These repairs and upgrades have been made possible in part by a generous grant from the Community Foundation of Will County, supplemented by the council’s own funds.

The Camp Fire mission is to help young people find their spark—the passion, values and sense of self-worth that will enable them to become confident adults and contributing members of their communities. Camp Fire programs provide a nurturing, constructive and fun environment for youth to discover their sparks and adopt a growth mindset. They learn to chart their own course towards healthy habits, leadership, and a connection to nature.

Non-discriminatory since its founding, Camp Fire helps youth discover what exceptional people they and those around them are, whatever their race, color, gender or religion.

Camp Fire began as Camp Fire Girls in New England in 1910, and established its first council in Northern Illinois in 1912. It evolved into Camp Fire Boys and Girls in 1975 and later to Camp Fire when it began to include the families of the youth it served.

Camp Fire Illinois Prairie has served boys and girls in the five counties of Northern Illinois surrounding Chicago, from Bolingbrook to Arlington Heights and from Oak Park to Elgin and Aurora.

For more information about Camp Fire programs and volunteer opportunities, contact Jennifer Fair Margraf, CEO at 630-629-5160, e-mail her at executive@campfireusa-illinois.org or visit www.campfireusa-illinois.org.

The 2016 Senior Citizen of the Year Award winners are: Tom Ballard, Lemont; Dolores Barnes, Palos Park; Phyllis Churulo, Romeoville; John Coleman, Burbank; Rich Davis, Lockport; Mary DeMarco, Chicago (Canaryville); Bruce Haugen, Willow Springs; Anita Kieca, Hickory Hills; Sharon Skala, Chicago (Archer Heights); Arlene Norton-White, Chicago (Garfield Ridge); Robert Wilcox, Oak Lawn; and Joyce Wisniowicz of Orland Park.

Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-3) announced this week the winners of the 2016 Senior Citizen of the Year Award during a special program in Hickory Hills.  The winners were chosen based on their contributions to their communities in the Third Congressional District.

“I am honored to recognize these seniors who have selflessly donated their time and energy to causes and pursuits that teach us all the value of service.  They have truly made our neighborhoods and communities a better place to live.”

To be eligible for this award, a senior must be nominated by the leader of an organization or an official from their community.  Only a select few are chosen to receive this honor.

Photo by Marney Simon | Enterprise Staff
Those familiar snow piles are back, as the village has now faced its first two snow events of the winter. Village leaders said the public works department has done a good job keeping up with the snow so far this winter.

Village fends off first winter weather

There are still a few more days before the official start of winter, but the village of Plainfield has already faced its first two tests of managing Old Man Winter.

The first measurable snowfalls came down on Sunday, Dec. 4 and again Saturday, Dec. 10.

Village officials said they were pleased with the response from public works when it comes to keeping roadways clear.

“I want to commend the street department and the personnel who work there for getting rid of…. that snow,” Mayor Michael Collins said after the first snowfall. “I got up this morning and the streets looked wonderful. We actually got three or four ‘good jobs’ on Facebook, and that’s appreciated.”

Public Works Director Allen Persons said the effort to keep the village streets clear and safe falls to more than just the public works department.

“It’s not only the street division, the wastewater division and also the engineering division all work together in a snow emergency,”

“We work as a team, we work very well, and we all look forward to more successful operations in the future.”

The wet and heavy snow that fell in the evening hours of Dec. 10 did cause some problems.

“There were several crashes and cars in the ditch over the weekend,” Police Chief John Koponek told members of the village board on Dec. 12.

Board members asked village police if there was a way to reach out to county officials to keep up to date on plowing and salting operations on Plainfield roads that actually fall within the county’s jurisdiction.

Construction is now complete on Route 30 between Renwick and I-55, with all four lanes finally open

Construction complete

After months of closures and headaches, the two lanes in both direction of Route 30 are now open and clear.

The construction is now complete between Renwick Road and I-55, and per the village, the contractor has removed most of the barrels and barricades along the route.

Safety devices on side roads, including Renwick, Lily Cache, Spangler, McClellan, and the Frontage Road, are scheduled to be removed as soon as pavement mar) will be removed as soon as pavement markings are complete.

Meanwhile, the detour for 127th Street has been removed, and the roadway has been reopened to traffic.

Construction of that area will continue periodically over the winter, with work set to begin again in the spring.

Appointments

The board unanimously approved the re-appointments of Debra Olsen, David Schmidt, George Rapp, and David Hagen to the Historic Preservation Commission. Each of the appointees will serve a three-year term, expiring on Oct. 18, 2019.

-Marney Simon | Enterprise Staff

Joliet Township High School band director Don Stinson leads students in song during the winter band concert on Dec. 15.

Megann Horstead | For the Bugle 

Members of the Joliet Central High School band were in sync for bringing holiday season cheer to the campus community at their winter concert on Dec. 15.

Joliet Township High School band director Don Stinson said the event is hoped to please.

“This concert kicks off our 105^th concert series as a band,” he said. “Not many band programs can say they’ve been around as long as the Joliet bands, and that is a testament to the students, faculty and administration involved with the support of these great kids.”

Stinson is in the middle of his first year as director of bands at Joliet Township High School District 204. He previously taught at Naperville North High School.

Stinson said the event strives to be in tune with the spirit of the season.

The concert band performed selections from “The Nutcracker” ballet, “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers”, “The Polar Express” and a holiday arrangement of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”.

The symphonic band showcased a number of pieces they’d been studying in class this year, including John Philip Sousa’s “Manhattan Beach March”, Peter Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Jesters”, Steven Bryant’s tonal piece “Dusk” and Alfred Reed’s “The Hounds of Spring”.

“Picking the correct literature for a group is the most important and most difficult job of a music director,” Stinson said. “This is music education, so we want the students to learn and discover how to succeed on the technical demands of a piece, achieving good balance and intonation, and understanding the cultural significance of composers and works. A director should select pieces that are challenging yet attainable for every member in the ensemble, from beginners to those that hope to major in music.”

Stinson added that it’s important to organize a program that is balanced.

“Too many slower pieces and the student and audiences can easily lose interest, while a large amount of big and bombastic pieces can overwhelm them,” he said.

LaTonya Young, of Joliet, said she enjoyed this year’s show.

“The last (song) they did, I really liked it,” she said. “It was kind of like a complicated piece. It wasn’t just one tempo.”

Young’s son is a junior in one of Joliet Central High School’s bands. She said he’d been talking about the concert practically every day.

Young said it was amazing to see her son performing with his classmates.

“I’m still not used to it,” she said. “This is his third year.”

Vicki Middleton, of Joliet, said she’s glad she came out to see the concert.

“Mr. Stinson actually picks a nice variety of music and different difficulties also within each of the bands, and I find that to be very refreshing,” she said. “So, it’s not all easy songs for the concert band and all hard songs for the symphonic band. The concert band gets some hard songs, too. I find that very nice.”

Middleton’s son Skyler is a sophomore in the concert band at Joliet Central High School. She said he’d been practicing at home quite a bit in the time leading up to the event.

She said of all the songs performed by the group, one piece stood out to her.

“Actually, the ‘Polar Express’ was (my favorite) because my son warned me about it coming and he made me watch the movie,” she said. “He dug it up out of the archives and made me watch it.”

Stinson said the band concert serves as a nice culmination of the students’ hard work this year.

“I hope that they are proud, and that they feel like they created a significant moment for themselves or an audience member,” he said. “I hope that they are satisfied with their results, but that they are also inspired to continue working hard to achieve even more.”

Cap1

Joliet Township High School band director Don Stinson leads students in song during the winter band concert on Dec. 15.

Cap2

The Joliet Central High School symphonic band takes a bow after performing their closing number at the winter band concert on Dec. 15.

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Megann Horstead | For the Bugle

In Will County, 2016 was the year of Women for Family Farms.

The group, which is celebrating five years, was created as an extension of the Will County Farm Bureau, an organization that intends to serve the agricultural community.

Women for Family Farms president Anne Soucic said the group came first together with a specific mission in mind.

“We help with the farm bureau events as a committee,” she said. “We host seminars and plan trips, more stuff that women do.”

Soucic said it is important to fellow members to keep the group active, especially considering how the agriculture industry is often deemed as male-dominated.

“It’s nice to have girls on the committee,” she said. “When you think of farming, you think of guys.”

Long before Women for Family Farms formed, there was another women’s committee that was created but didn’t last.

The hope, according to Soucic, is that Women for Family Farms can continue to serve the needs of its members and the community.

Soucic said in reviewing the last five years, the group accomplished a number of feats.

The Illinois Farm Bureau awarded the committee a bronze award in 2011 for their service to the community. Since that time, Women for Family Farms annually earned gold awards from the state-level organization.

Soucic said the group has shown a commitment to serving the community in a number of ways.

“We’ve continued to donate,” she said. “Our profits from both our spring and fall flower sales go toward phone cards for troops. But starting this year, we’re switching over to wreaths for Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.”

Soucic explained that it is Women for Family Farms’ intention to “keep it local” whenever they look to give back to the community.

Soucic said some members of the group have talked to others in the farming community about agricultural procedures and practices.

“We do our best to put farm knowledge out there for others,” she said.

Soucic said she thinks the contributions of Women for Family Farms the community serve as one reason why Will County Farm Bureau received a grant 18 months ago.

“We got a grant from the Illinois Corn Marketing Board to purchase grain tube and auger for grain bin extraction,” she said. “If a farmer was working in their bin and got caught, we have the tools needed to save their lives.”

That equipment is stationed for use at the Channahon Fire Protection District.

Women for Family Farms currently has over 25 members.

Soucic said the group’s goals essentially remain the same moving forward.

“I’d have to say pretty much we’re just trying to get out [the message that] women do have farm knowledge,” she said.

Megann Horstead | For the Sentinel

To spread some holiday season cheer, The Timbers of Shorewood hosted its annual Santa and the Timbers’ Elves Christmas Party on Dec. 17.

Highlights at the event included treats, horse-drawn wagon rides and a petting zoo.

The Timbers of Shorewood Executive Director Faith Ann Varga said bringing the community together to ring in the holiday season is important.

“We do it every year and we hold it for the community,” she said. “And, of course, we started this for family members so they would bring their grandkids … and then it just started to mushroom.”

Santa, a magician and a live reindeer were also on hand for the holiday event.

Varga said the festivities are designed to please.

“Our residents love it, as you can see they’re all sitting around,” she said. “It’s for them too. For them to enjoy, for them to see the kids, and for them to have their families come and bring their kids with, too. It’s all about making people happy and letting people know what we’re about.”

Christina Gomez, of Joliet, was in attendance for the event with her two daughters.

“It’s really nice,” she said. ‘They like the animals best.”

This year was Gomez’s first time attending the holiday party at The Timbers of Shorewood.

“I Googled it trying to find events for Santa because today’s my day off,” she said.

Gomez said the holiday season is a “big deal” in her family.

“We try to get out as much and enjoy the holidays as much as we can,” she said.

Gomez said it’s nice getting a chance to celebrate the holiday season with family, and she looks forward to coming back to The Timbers of Shorewood for its annual event next year.

Patrick Leaf, 18, of Joliet, was one of many volunteers helping out at Christmas party.

“It’s around Christmas time, so I figured I’d do something to help out,” he said. “This is a good event to help out.”

Leaf said his favorite part was seeing the cheer brought to all of the children who were in attendance.

“Everybody seems to be enjoying themselves and having a good time loving what we’ve put on,” he said.

Leaf said he’s glad he chose to assist The Timbers of Shorewood at its annual holiday party.

“It’s always nice to see how they take care of everybody that lives here,” he said. “It’s a nice environment, so being able to help out here and being able to put on (an event) is a good thing to be a part of.”

This year’s event drew in between 200 and 300 people.

Varga said the hope is people recognize what The Timbers of Shorewood does for the community.

“We’re independent and assisted living,” she said. “We do a lot of short-term stays and respite stays. So, we want people to understand and know that, too. So, by coming into to the building and seeing us, (they’ll notice) we’re different.”

Varga explained that The Timbers of Shorewood is different in how they have a lot of common area, a licensed restaurant and a lot of space for events.

“These people, you want them to live like they’ve lived a life,” she said.

Varga said bringing back the holiday event for a 13th year made sense on many levels.

“It’s bringing joy to people and seeing kids smile and watching the families and residents and how the joy comes out,” she said. “It’s a beautiful time of the year.”

Each quarter, Lockport Township High School teachers nominate exceptional students to be the recipients of the district’s Porter Pride award, which recognizes students who bring their best each and every day to school.

On Dec. 20, Porter Pride recipients and their families were invited to attend a recognition breakfast, where they received a certificate commemorating the honor. Students are nominated by teachers in each department.

Porter Pride winners include Tyler C. Nobis and Alyssa Longanecker, activities; Karlee Stortz, athletics; Mashal F. Hassan, career tech; Skyelar E. Aguilar, English; Laurel Kucharski, guidance; Senene T. Jones, guidance; Crystal Montoya, math; nareen M. Bustami, MIS; Nathaniel G. Villacres, physical education; Giancarlo J. Garnica, ROTC; Grace M. Miller, science; Katherine E. Fritz, social studies; Madelyn G. Alvarado, visual and performing arts; and Mia S. Gomora, world languages.

Garbage and recycling collection will be delayed one day the weeks of December 26, and January 2, due to the Christmas and New Year’s Day holiday. The normal collection schedule will resume the week of January 9.

City Hall is closed, Monday, December 26, in observance of the Christmas holiday and Monday, January 2, in observance of the New Year’s Day holiday. On December 26 and January 2 the parking decks will be free and there will be no enforcement of the parking meters.

For those who will have a real Christmas tree, set it out in one piece if it’s five feet in length or less, and cut in half if it measures more than five feet tall, after Christmas at your normal pick-up location (curb or alley) on your regular trash day for pick up. Christmas trees will be collected until January 31.

The sports year of 2016 was filled with several memorable moments, but some stood out above all the others.

Here are a few of those stories:

High Rollers

The Tigers accomplished the rare feat of holding the lead for the final 10 games to win the state girls bowling title with a 12,613.

West had taken 10th the past two years at state and with its neighboring rival Lockport looking for its second-straight title after beating them by 500 pins at the sectional, few thought the Tigers had a chance at the state title.

But with three girls in their third year at state (Gracie Plese, Melissa March), one of them in their fourth state appearance (Taylor Bailey), the Tigers used their teamwork and experience to hold off a host of contenders in the strongest and deepest field in state history.

Leading the way was Plese, who finished second in the state individually and earned her second All-State medal with a 2,736 12-game total.

Next in line was Bailey, who also medaled for the second time, finishing 11th with a 2,618.

Tiger Pride

Ten years ago, competitive cheerleading was in its first season as being recognized as a sport by the Illinois High School Association.

On the anniversary of these athletes being honored as IHSA state champions, Joliet West earned a Large Class state title by defeating Providence with a score of 94.7 in the finals.

Cheerleading is set apart by many things from other sanctioned sports and one of the things it shares with only a few others is the fact that there is no scoreboard, no predetermined end of competition and no immediate winner.

TENNIS TITLE

When Maddie Bauer and McCoy Hutchison were in eighth grade, the friends decided they wanted to play high school tennis together.

That decision made in junior high school culminated last weekend with an IHSA Class 1A doubles state championship.

The duo defeated the Benet team of Katie Telford and Pauline Neubert 6-4, 6-1 for the title – the only team that had handed the Angels a set loss all season.

Bauer and Hutchison opened their state run with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Candy Leti and Erin Wright of Urbana. They then defeated Sarah Diederich and Nicole Plumley of Marion 6-0, 6-2 before beating Kelly Rentfrow and Claire Wortman of Effingham St. Anthony’s.

In the matches leading up to the finals, JCA beat Eleanor Ruscitti and Maya Seymore of Chicago Latin 6-1, 6-3 and Emma Melichar and Madelyn Skinner of Belleville Althoff 6-1, 6-3.

The perfect run at state capped off an undefeated season for the Angel pair.

The title also helped JCA take second place in state with 21 points, falling to Benet by one.

The doubles team was not the only ones that helped JCA to the state trophy as freshman Mia Bertino went 4-2 at the state meet.

Bertino opened with three wins in a row, starting with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Laurynn Mize of Sycamore.

She then defeated Emilee Mossman of St. Anthony’s, 6-0, 6-1 and Haley Fakouri of Fenwick 6-3, 6-2.

Bertino’s first loss came at the hands of Madison Tattini of Bloomington Central Catholic 6-2, 6-0. She then defeated Kylie McCarthy of Troy Triad 6-2, 6-1, before being eliminated 7-6 (5), 6-2 in a second match with Fakouri.

RUNNING A DREAM

A state champion and a third place team trophy capped off successful 3A state cross country meet for the Minooka Indians on a perfect day for running on the famed Detweiller course.

Senior Soren Knudsen became the Indians first individual state champion in the sport covering the three-mile track in 14:02.

In addition, Knudsen joins his father, Jim, who won the title for Lockport in 1981, as the first father/son winning combination in meet history.

The first state cross country meet was in 1946.

On the girls side, four All-State performances helped Minooka capture third place with 134 points. Naperville North won with 111 points, while Yorkville was second with 130.

STREAK BREAKER

It was a playoff atmosphere Saturday in the game between Plainfield Central and Joliet Central.

Between the two teams, they had lost 89 straight games and knowing one of the teams would win brought out a large crowd for a Saturday afternoon game.

In what turned out to be a thrilling classic, Joliet Central put an end to its 57-game losing streak with a 38-35 win, sending the Wildcats to 33-straight losses.

Central’s JoJo McNair caught eight passes for 142 yards and three touchdowns and added six carries for 91 yards and a touchdown. It was McNair that scored the game-winning touchdown as McNair caught the tipped pass in the end zone for a 30-yard score with 29 seconds left.

SECOND BEST

Minooka fell in the Class 4A state finals 25-19, 19-25, 25-19 to Chicago’s Mother McAuley – the No. 1 ranked team in America by PrepVolleyball.com – earning the program its first-ever state trophy.

The Indians defeated the Macs in statistical categories, posting more blocks (13-4) and more digs (73-59), but also committed errors on its own side of the net that killed rallies and provided McAuley with points.

Rocky Perinar tallied 12 kills for Minooka, while Bachmann posted 31 assists and 14 digs.

To get to the state title match, Minooka defeated eventual third-place winner Stevenson 25-17, 25-13.

In that match, Perinar led the team with a match-high 10 kills, while Papesh and Holly Bonde had seven each. Bachmann tallied 22 assists to lead both teams and libero Taylor Baranski has 12 digs.

Olympic mettle

Joliet Catholic Academy graduate Kelly Murphy is one of the few players who is able to represent her country after she was selected to compete for the USA at the Rio Olympics in August.

The Olympics looked like a possibility for Murphy way back in her Joliet Catholic days where she was the 2007-08 Gatorade National High School Volleyball Player of the Year and was the nation’s top recruit by prepvolleyball.com.

She was the AVCA National Freshman of the Year at the University of Florida in 2008 and was a three-time All-American her final three years in college.

Her Team USA career began in 2013, where she competed in several tournaments and helped the U.S. win gold in the Pan American Cup and NORCECA Championship, where she was named MVP and Best Spiker.

Murphy led the team in scoring in both 2013 and 2014 and scored a team-best 157 points in the FIVB World Championships, where the USA took first place.

• It is rare that an athlete that had a hard time cracking the varsity lineup in their sport is inducted into the school’s athletic Hall of Fame.

But Haley Augello is a rare athlete.

The 2013 Lockport Township High School graduate didn’t place at the IHSA state wrestling meet. She never won a tournament and was a back-up most of her career, however, she made her Olympic debut in this past summer’s Rio De Janeiro games in the 48kg class of women’s freestyle wrestling – finishing ninth overall.

Augello opened her tournament with a dominant win over 2015 World bronze medalist Jessica Blaszka of Netherlands, 7-0. In her quarterfinal, Augello came close to defeating three-time World champion Eri Tosaka of Japan, but dropped the match, sending her to the repechage round, where she fell 3-2 to two-time World medalist Zhuidyz Eshimova of Kazakhstan.

Augello is the first Olympian from Lockport.

home in indiana

When the NFL draft was over, former Joliet Catholic Academy and University of Illinois running back Josh Ferguson was undrafted and was a player without a team.

His time without a home did not last long.

On May 5, just five days after the draft, Ferguson agreed to a contract with the Indianapolis Colts and has not looked back.

Ferguson follows former Hilltopper Coby Fleener into the NFL and to Indianapolis. The former Stanford tight end was a 2012 draft choice of the Colts, but signed with the New Orleans Saints this past offseason.

Ferguson will be the second JCA running back to play in the NFL, following former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Mike Alstott.

His senior year, he was the Fighting Illini offensive player of the year and was All-Big Ten third team after missing three games due to injury.

He tallied 708 yards and three rushing touchdowns on 129 carries and tallied a team-best 78.7 yards per game average. The multi-dimensional back was also fourth on the team in receptions and receiving yards, netting 37 catches for 280 yards and two receiving touchdowns.

Since 2012, only two Big Ten players had more catches than Ferguson.

He finished his senior season as the only active FBS player with at least 2,500 career rushing and 1,500 receiving yards.

Ferguson is second in Fighting Illini history with 4,474 all-purpose yards. Over his career, he tallied 505 carries for 2,586 yards and 18 touchdowns, 168 receptions for 1,507 yards and eight touchdowns, while posting 21 kickoff returns for 381 yards.

He holds the Illinois record for most career receptions and receiving yards by a running back. He ranks in the top 10 in school history in career receptions (3rd), rushing yards (6th) and touchdowns (T-7th).

Jolly Rodgers

As Derrius Rodgers leaves Lockport High School, he does so leaving his legacy on the school and the track and field program.

The senior claimed three medals in last weekend’s IHSA state finals at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium and by doing that, secured five medals in his career, making him the second most decorated Porter ever behind Nick Setta, who won six medals from 1995-98.

Rodgers does own the Lockport honors of the most individual medals with four, as Setta has three individual awards and was part of three relay teams.

He also joins Setta and Dan Schrock as the only Lockport athletes with three medals in one state final.

Rodgers earned a pair of second-place finishes, coming up just short of Galesburg’s Josh Eiker in both the 100-meter dash (10.66 seconds) and the 200 dash (22.13).

The only thing a Porter teammate could do to come close to bettering Rodgers’ performance at state was to claim a state title – and that was exactly what John Meyer did.

The sophomore won the shot put crown with a put of 61-feet, 2-inches.

He becomes the eighth track and field champion for the Porters and the first in the shot put. He joins only former NFL offensive lineman Tony Pashos (3rd, 1998) as shot medalists.

Megann Horstead | For the Bugle

In Will County, 2016 was the year of Women for Family Farms.

The group, which is celebrating five years, was created as an extension of the Will County Farm Bureau, an organization that intends to serve the agricultural community.

Women for Family Farms president Anne Soucic said the group came first together with a specific mission in mind.

“We help with the farm bureau events as a committee,” she said. “We host seminars and plan trips, more stuff that women do.”

Soucic said it is important to fellow members to keep the group active, especially considering how the agriculture industry is often deemed as male-dominated.

“It’s nice to have girls on the committee,” she said. “When you think of farming, you think of guys.”

Long before Women for Family Farms formed, there was another women’s committee that was created but didn’t last.

The hope, according to Soucic, is that Women for Family Farms can continue to serve the needs of its members and the community.

Soucic said in reviewing the last five years, the group accomplished a number of feats.

The Illinois Farm Bureau awarded the committee a bronze award in 2011 for their service to the community. Since that time, Women for Family Farms annually earned gold awards from the state-level organization.

Soucic said the group has shown a commitment to serving the community in a number of ways.

“We’ve continued to donate,” she said. “Our profits from both our spring and fall flower sales go toward phone cards for troops. But starting this year, we’re switching over to wreaths for Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.”

Soucic explained that it is Women for Family Farms’ intention to “keep it local” whenever they look to give back to the community.

Soucic said some members of the group have talked to others in the farming community about agricultural procedures and practices.

“We do our best to put farm knowledge out there for others,” she said.

Soucic said she thinks the contributions of Women for Family Farms the community serve as one reason why Will County Farm Bureau received a grant 18 months ago.

“We got a grant from the Illinois Corn Marketing Board to purchase grain tube and auger for grain bin extraction,” she said. “If a farmer was working in their bin and got caught, we have the tools needed to save their lives.”

That equipment is stationed for use at the Channahon Fire Protection District.

Women for Family Farms currently has over 25 members.

Soucic said the group’s goals essentially remain the same moving forward.

“I’d have to say pretty much we’re just trying to get out [the message that] women do have farm knowledge,” she said.

Megann Horstead | For the Bugle

 Medication? Check. Referral? Check. Safety? Check. These are some of the precautions volunteers at the Crisis Line of Will and Grundy Counties are taking when people in crisis call in for support.

Untold amounts of people will be served by the not-for-profit agency by the year’s end as it looks to cap off its 40^th year.

Crisis Line of Will and Grundy Counties executive director Michele Batara said reaching this milestone brings great meaning.

“As the director, it is a really big milestone especially in the not-for-profit world with funding always being an issue,” she said. “To be able to say, ‘you reached 40 years’ is actually a very amazing accomplishment and feeling because it’s getting harder and harder in today’s economy and world to be able do that.”

The Crisis Line of Will and Grundy Counties continues to support the community through a number of services, including telephone counseling, suicide prevention and intervention, reassurance calls and information and referral. Those supports are available at no cost to those in need.

The Crisis Line of Will and Grundy Counties is a member agency of United Way. That program funds the organization’s operations, minus grants and contracts.

Batara said the agency has responded well to change over time.

“We’ve been able to serve the same services that we’ve always have,” she said. “Over the years, it seems like less and less resources we’ve been able to do that. Even though, maybe technology has increased for us. We use computers now, before we didn’t.”

The organization has accomplished a number of feats in the last 40 years.

The Crisis Line of Will and Grundy Counties started utilizing a database for referrals within the last three years.

Batara said this offers another way of reaching individuals who might not otherwise call the crisis line, but still being able to help them.

The introduction of the online database referral system allows people to look for resources and find all of what they need in one central location.

“The fact that we’ve been there and been able to provide the same services to the same amount of people or more people throughout the year is some of our accomplishments,” Batara said. “To say that we celebrated 40 years is an accomplishment.”

While the Crisis Line of Will and Grundy Counties turned 40 in 2016, the agency still works to build community awareness for services and programs available to those in need.

“Our services are primarily over the phone,” Batara said. “However, we do outreach, we do expos, I do a suicide workshop. We go out and we try to educate whoever is interested about suicide warning signs, how can you help, what are things you can do.”

The Crisis Line of Will and Grundy Counties is an agency run, in part, by trained volunteers.

Batara said all those manning the crisis line phones understand the importance of serving as a listening ear.

“We’re people who care and want to be able to help as many people as we can the best that we can,” she said. “I know it’s limited, it’s over the phone but it really does make a difference in many people’s lives.”

For more information or to get involved, call the agency’s administration office at 815-744-5280 or visit their website at crisisline247.org

Members of the Joliet West Junior Class accompanied by two members of the Joliet West Key Club attended Wreaths Across America at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood.

Joliet West High School students joined hundreds, if not thousands, of people who embraced the cold on December 17 to remember our veterans at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in honor of the national event: Wreaths Across America.

Wreaths Across America is not only an event to remember our veterans, but it is a nationwide event where volunteers from across the nation attend one of the national cemetery’s in honor of a deceased veteran by placing a wreath upon the grave. However, this event is not to just place a wreath; it is about remembering the veteran who fought in the perils of war.

Members of the Joliet West Junior Class accompanied by two members of the Joliet West Key Club attended Wreaths Across America at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood. There are over 40,000 graves at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery and just over 15,000 wreaths were purchased. Joliet West Junior Class Committee not only helped to sponsor 100 wreaths but raised just over 200 wreaths to be placed. Class sponsor and teacher, Kristen Koppers, and senior student, Katie Thontlin, participated in their second year as a volunteers.

Although the weather was frigid, the event was one that could never be forgotten. Arriving at 9 a.m., there was a short line of people getting in for an early start as by 10 a.m., the line would be at least a mile down the road. Driving into the cemetery, there was a line of American flags held by the Civil Air Patrol, R.O.T.C. cadets, current enlisted, and veterans. Each of them was standing despite tall the cold. Additionally, local firefighters had a tent with hot chocolate and coffee for the early morning risers.

The day began with a ceremony to honor all the troops, past and present. After the ceremony, volunteers were to place wreaths on graves and fulfill the Wreaths Across America motto: “A person dies twice: once when they take their final breath, and later, the last time their name is spoken.” With this in mind, a volunteer who placed a wreath on the grave was to make sure the wreath was neat and as the wreath was placed, the volunteer bends down to say the veteran’s name. The event was a day to reflect on the freedoms that we have in life and remember those who fight to protect the country.

“Knowing that the cold would keep many from attending the event, I didn’t want to miss it. Placing a wreath on my dad’s grave and saying his name with about thirty others as I laid wreaths on their graves, really gave me an understanding of how important this event is,” said Joliet West High School teacher and club sponsor, Kristen Koppers.