A P R I L 11, 2 0 1 8 V O L . 1 0 I S S U E 19
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EVENTS
Calendar Events Upcoming events in your area SEE PAGE 2
SPORTS
Cinderella story Pair of locals help Loyola to Final Four SEE PAGE 5
BUSINESS Dave Says Mom’s theft leaves son holding student debt
SEE PAGE 8
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JOHN LOONEY WAS THE PROTOTYPE FOR GANGSTERS WHO WOULD FOLLOW SEE PAGE 4
FORUM SPOTLIGHT
ORIGINAL GANGSTER
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM
SCHOOL NEWS >> DISTRICT 99
Special Olympics basketball team wins State D99 Hoops, with only 5 players, scores 4th state title in six years
District 99 Special Olympics basketball team (D99 Hoops) won the state championship on March 17 at Illinois State Uni-
versity in Bloomington. This is the fourth state championship in six years for D99 Hoops. D99 Hoops won two games at the District Tournament in order to qualify for the state tournament. In Bloomington, the team won two games to secure their state championship title against Cove (49-40) and Thorton (57-46). D99 Hoops includes four teams in different divisions, which includes a mix of students from North High, South High and District 99’s Transition Center. Only one team qualified for the state tournament and joined nearly 1,600 other Special Olympics athletes from across the state, representing 135 teams. “We’re incredibly proud of the team and their efforts competing this year, especially since we only had five players at the state tournament so there was no room for error,” said Kevin Ahrens, South High special ser-
CALENDAR
vices teacher and D99 Hoops coach. “We truly appreciate the support from District 99 to our players. Five buses of students attended the state tournament and made it feel like a home game.” South High organized a D99 Hoops team celebration in honor of their achievement. Peers, teachers, principals and deans at South High came together to congratulate the players and coaches. Special Olympics Illinois is a not-for-profit organization offering year-round training and competition in 19 sports for nearly 22,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities and nearly 21,000 young athletes ages 2-7 with and without intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics programs enhance physical fitness, motor skills, self-confidence, social skills and encourage family and community support. See www.soill.org for more information.
U P CO M I N G E V E N T S I N YO U R A R E A
Until AUGUST 11 “Are We There Yet?” Exhibit at Downers Grove Museum, 831 Maple Ave.,
Downers Grove. Take a trip through the history of vacations, tourism and leisure from the Industrial Revolution to the present day. This exhibit explores how Downers Grove residents and tourists who visited the village planned, enjoyed and remembered their travels. 630-963-1300 or visit dgparks.org.
APRIL 13 Senior Spring Festival. 8:30-11:30 a.m. at Westmont Senior Center, 55 E.
Richmond St, Westmont. This free event is all about seniors. Celebrate the positive aspects of aging today. Stop by for some refreshments and learn about the various services and companies that serve more mature residents: screenings, raffle prizes and speakers on timely topics as well. Register and learn more at www.WestmontChamber.com.
APRIL 14 32nd Annual Road Rally. 3:30 p.m. Grab your neighbors and friends to cre-
ate a team of 4 to 6 adults per vehicle. You get a map and bag of clues; you’ll need teamwork, logic and luck to stay on track. Some clues are helpful while others are designed to throw you off course. This event is coordinated with the Bolingbrook, Lisle, Naperville and Woodridge park districts. Space is limited. Registration deadline is April 11. Captain’s letters are emailed the week prior to the event. An email address is required upon registration. www.dgparks.org.
APRIL 15 Bites with the Bunny. 9:15 a.m. Westmont Park District, 55 East Richmond
St., Westmont Let’s have some Bunny fun as you begin your morning alongside your family eating a fabulous breakfast buffet of muffins, bagels, granola bars, doughnut holes, assorted cakes, fruit, milk, water, juice and coffee. Little hands will be busy when they decorate their own egg and color an Easter picture to try to win a prize. Take all the pictures you want with the special guest – the Easter Bunny. Then, it’s just a hop away to the Babe Ruth Field for the annual Easter Egg Hunt to collect eggs with candy and prizes. Doors open promptly at 9:15 a.m. You must pre-register. westmontparks.org. Concert: StringFusion. 2 p.m. at Downers Grove Public Library, 1050 Curtiss Street, Downers Grove. An exciting Jazz-fusion ensemble from Chicago. Former Cirque du Soleil electric violinist Edgar Gabriel leads rock, classical, and world music elements into an intelligent entertaining character. Sponsored by the DG Music Club.
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NEWS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM
SCHOOL NEWS >> DISTRICT 58
Before, after school program offers students engaging activities Link program, at Lincoln Center for K-6th graders, includes transportation The Link Before and After School Program enter its second year this fall. The Link is a recreation-based before and after school program for Downers Grove District 58 students in grades K-6 and is hosted in a newly remodeled wing of the historic Lincoln Center at 935 Maple Ave. in Downers Grove. The Link provides students fun and engaging enrichment activities including nature, fitness, arts and crafts, science and cultural arts. The weekly schedule features age-based activities in addition to daily homework time and a healthy snack. Bus transportation is provided to and from participat-
ing schools. Parents can choose to enroll for mornings, afternoons or both for 3, 4 or 5 days per week. The program delivers an extended-day schedule starting at 6:30 a.m. and ending at 6:30 p.m. each day. Fees start as low as $98 per month per child and a 10 percent multiple child discount is offered. Recreation Supervisor Colleen McGavock said that The Link program is unlike any other schoolage childcare option in Downers Grove. “The Downers Grove Park District not only provides safe transportation between participating District 58 schools and the Lincoln Center, but also connects participants to specific programs offered throughout the District. If a Link participant is enrolled in another program at the Lincoln Center during The Link program time, our experienced staff will ensure a safe
drop off.” While registration is open to students at all District 58 elementary schools, the determination of which schools will be served by Park District transportation will be made based on demand and enrollment at each school. Final determination of which schools will be provided Park District transportation will be made on May 1. To encourage friends to enroll in The Link, the District is offering a Refer-A-Friend program. Families can receive a $50 credit applied to their first month’s tuition of the 2018-19 school year by having their referred family complete and return the referral form to the Lincoln Center. Referral forms are located on our website at www.dgparks.org/link. For more information about The Link Before and After School Program, please call 630.963.1300 or visit www.dgparks.org/link.
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WESTMONT SENIOR NEWS
Spring Senior Festival FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 8:30 11:30 A.M., WESTMONT PARK DISTRICT SENIOR CENTER, LINDEN ROOM This event is all about you. Let’s celebrate the positive aspects of aging today. Stop in for some refreshments and learn about the various services and companies that are here to help our more mature residents of Westmont and surrounding towns. Step up and take charge of your well being for a better quality of life! Family, caregivers and neighbors are welcome.
Westmont and the Burlington Railroad SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 1-2 P.M. WESTMONT PARK DISTRICT SENIOR CENTER, LINDEN ROOM The CB & Q Railroad was the lifeline and center of news for
Westmont and it’s citizens. This railroad served our industries, brought the coal and oil to heat our buildings, brought the mails and newspapers, the products for our stores, and even the new bicycle ordered from the catalog. Here is your chance to hear Leo Phillipp of the Burlington Route Historical Society share the history of the railroad in and around Westmont. We’ll look at the growth of the suburban train service, the “dinkies”, and learn how our businesses were able to grow because of the railroad service. This photographic presentation is one you won’t want to miss! Reserve your seat by calling 630-969-8080. Leo Phillipp, has spent over 40 years working in various aspects of the railroad Industry. He is a 35 year member of the Burlington Route Historical Society, a member of its Board of Directors and Vice President of Projects. He is an established author and speaker on the history of the Burlington Route and railroads in Northern Illinois.
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GUEST COLUMN
John Looney was the prototype for gangsters who would follow BY ROGER RUTHHART ROCK ISLAND ARGUS John Looney was the original QuadCities vice lord and also one of the nation’s earliest organized crime leaders. Looney was a thin, cold, gaunt, sort of dour-looking man with haunting eyes. He wore the same baggy, dirty suit every day and ate raw liver on toast. He ran for the Illinois state House as a Democrat and lost. His bitterness over the defeat launched his career as the undisputed godfather of the underworld. He controlled a vast and unmatched empire of extortion, bribery, booze, gambling and prostitution. There were downtown shootings, political graft and bombings and behind it all a scandal sheet newspaper. His influence reached into Wisconsin, Missouri, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and the East Coast. His power in Rock Island grew almost absolute because he was able to control portions of two key elements of society – politicians and the press. Member of his organization controlled elements of his crime business. Looney published the Rock Island News from about 1905 to 1923. The papers of that era said “no filthier, more libelous newspaper has ever been printed in the United States. All of the stories were written in the foulest of language.” The News and The Rock Island Argus waged a vicious newspaper war for years. While John Looney had several homes, his mansion overlooking the Rock River called Bel Air was famous
for its weeklong parties, drunken orgies, nude swimming in the Rock River, and cock fights, boxing and bulldog fights. In 1912, Looney got mad at Rock Island Mayor Harry Schriver when he pressed for prosecution of Looney’s henchman Anthony Billburg on gambling charges. He attacked the mayor in a series of articles in The News. Schriver had Looney brought to the police station where he beat him as officers watched. Looney was hospitalized. The next night, March 27, 1912, Looney’s gang convened a meeting in Market Square. The crowd grew to more than 2,000 and the angry mob stormed the police station and police fired back, killing two bystanders, wounding eight others. Martial law was declared and the governor sent in 600 troops to quell the riot. Looney left town to recuperate at his 25,000-acre ranch in New Mexico, but returned in March 1921, revived The News and re-established his control over local vice. Looney controlled almost all gambling and prostitution houses – about 150 over a vast region – run by Helen Van Dale, known as “Queen of the Prostitutes.” This time around he added corrupt police, judges and city officials to the list of things he controlled. While John Looney rose to power by blackmail and gunfire, it was also his downfall. When Looney raised the “protection fee” charged to Bill Gabel, a former police officer who owned one of the city’s largest bootleg saloons, Gabel refused to pay. Instead he turned over 12 canceled checks made out to John Looney to a federal investigators. Gabel met with agents at the Como Hotel July 31, 1922. He was getting out of his car just after midnight when shots were fired. One bullet hit him in the head and he died instantly. Drive-by shootings had become com-
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monplace. On Oct. 6, 1922, John Looney’s one-time lieutenant, Dan Drost, joined forces with Anthony Billburg, another former lieutenant turned enemy. With two other men they ambushed Looney and his son and bodyguard outside the Sherman Hotel. John Looney fled to the hotel, while his son, Connor, 21, returned fire before he slumped to the ground. He died the next day. The four men were sent to prison for the murder. By Oct. 26, 1922, all of Looney’s saloons and brothels were closed. Six stills were destroyed. One of Looney’s homes was raided and its arms cache seized. With its influence gone, The News ceased publication. A federal investigation revealed that 170 or more illegal businesses had been paying for protection from Looney. After his son’s funeral, John Looney fled to New Mexico. Federal conspiracy charges were filed against him. Federal prohibition authorities joined state, county and city law-enforcement officers in an anti-vice campaign aimed at cleaning up the community. John Looney was captured in Belen, N.M., on Nov. 30, 1923 and returned to Rock Island. He was sentenced to prison for conspiracy and the murder of Bill Gabel. Looney was released from prison in ill health April 7, 1934, at age 68 and never heard from again. He died March 4, 1942. Roger Ruthhart is co-author of the book “Citadel of Sin: The John Looney Story.” He can be reached at roger. ruthhart@gmail.com. Editor’s note: The weekly Illinois Bicentennial series is brought to you by the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors and Illinois Press Association. More than 20 newspapers are creating stories about the state’s history, places and key moments in advance of the Bicentennial on Dec. 3, 2018. Stories published up to this date can be found at 200illinois.com.
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM
FEATURE
CINDERELLA
STORY Pair of local coaches lead LoyolaChicago to NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four
BY MARK GREGORY Sports Editor @Hear_The_Beard mark@buglenewspapers.com
While the NCAA tournament ended a few weeks ago, it will be a long time before anyone forgets _the unlikely run of No. 11 seed — and tournament Cinderella — Loyola-Chicago. The Ramblers were the fourth No. 11 seed to reach the Final Four since the NCAA Tournament was expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The tournament darling is headed up by 1986 Benet Academy graduate Porter Moser. Moser, who was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame as a player in 2017, was a three-year varsity starter under head coach Bill Geist. Moser helped Benet to a 7014 varsity record and was part of the Redwings’ state-record 102game home winning streak. As a senior, he was named Most Valuable Player in the West Suburban Catholic Conference. After Benet, Moser attended Creighton and was a two-year starter, helping the Bluejays to the 1989 Missouri Valley Conference title and a NCAA Tournament berth. A year after graduating, Moser joined the coaching staff at his alma mater as a graduate assistant coach. He then spent four
seasons as an assistant coach at Texas A&M University before moving to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for one season. He then returned to Texas A&M for two more seasons before spending a pair of seasons as an assistant at University of Alabama-Little Rock. In 2000, he got his first head coaching job at UALR, piloting the Trojans to a 54-34 record in three seasons. He was then the head coach at Illinois State for four years before leaving after the 2007 season to take an assistant job under legendary coach Rick Majerus at Saint Louis University. Moser was named associate head coach after spending one season as an assistant coach and remained with the Bilikins until taking the job at Loyola in 2011. Moser, the 2018 Midwest Valley Conference coach of the Year, is now in his seventh season at Loyola and has a record of 121110 with the Ramblers and will compete Saturday in his first Final Four. Overall, he has a head coaching record of 226-211. A member of Moser’s staff is Bryan Mullins, who is in his fifth year on the Ramblers’ staff. It is his third season as assistant coach after two-years as the di-
SEE STORY | PAGE 6
PHOTO BY STEVE WOLTMANN/LOYOLA ATHLETICS
Benet graduate Porter Moser led Loyola-Chicago to the Final Four.
TWITTER: For up -to-the-minute coverage of upcoming local sport events going on in your area, follow @VoyagerSport
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rector of basketball operations. Mullins works primarily with the team’s backcourt in addition to scouting and recruiting duties. “It was unbelievable,” Mullins said of the run to the Final Four. “Some really good coaches spend a lifetime trying to have an opportunity to coach on in the Final Four.” During his senior season in 2004-05, Mullins averaged 16.6 points, 5.6 assists, 5.3 steals and 3.5 rebounds per game as the Mustangs claimed a school-best 30-4 record and the program’s only state trophy. South defeated top-ranked Thornton in the state quarterfinals behind Mullins’ team-high 15 points. The Mustangs then lost to Carbondale in the semifinals, but defeated Rockford Jefferson in the third- game behind 19 points, eight assists and six steals from Mullins. That season, he was named first-team All-State. He was third team All-State his junior year, averaging 12 points and seven assists per game. “I try and separate my playing days from what I am doing now as a coach,” Mullins said. “As a player, you invest so much, it is different. I know how much our
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM kids out in this year and what it meant to them.” Loyola was eliminated from the tournament by the University of Michigan, who had another local tie. Former Joliet West head coach Luke Yaklich will be on the sideline opposite of Moser in the national semifinal as he is a first-year assistant under John Beilein. “Luke was destined to be a college coach,” said Joliet West Athletics Director Steve Millsaps. “When I sat and talked with him when he told me he was offered (a job at Illinois State University), he was struggling with the decision, you just knew he would be putting in the work – and look at him now.” Yaklich made the jump from high school to the college ranks in 2013, getting hired at his alma mater Illinois State as an assistant under current head coach and college roommate Dan Muller. Before the start of the 2016-17 season, Yaklich was promoted to associate head coach and helped the Redbirds to a share of the Missouri Valley regular-season title as ISU set program records for overall victories (28), regularseason wins (25) and conference wins (17). In four years at ISU, Yaklich
helped Illinois State to an 8650 record and two berths in the National Invitation Tournament and one College Basketball Invitational. In addition to his coaching duties with the Redbirds, Yaklich was in charge of ISU men’s basketball academics along with assisting in recruiting, scouting and working on skill development. In the fall of 2014, ISU established a team grade-point average record with a 2.99 GPA, breaking the previous mark by 0.13 points. “At the end of last season, coach Muller and I sat down and he asked where I would like to be in three years and in five years and I talked about the possibility of being a D-II head coach or a D-III coach and keep learning and we discussed the possibility of being a high major assistant coach and once that process started – I will never forget that conversation – we were in the office and (coach Muller) said he heard Michigan had some openings and would I like him to call coach Beilein. At the time, coach B said he was not looking to hire anyone he really didn’t know. I respected that, although I was hoping to get an interview and get some experience. “About a week later, he called back and said a couple things
didn’t work and he wanted to talk to me. I talked to coach B that night for about an hour and we talked about family and coaching, philosophy and teaching and it was a great conversation and I quickly realized he was someone that what everybody writes about him is real and someone I would like to work for.” Yaklich said he and Beilein met in Atlanta and we met for about an hour at the Delta Club at the airport and continued to talk after that set up a meeting again two weeks after that in Las Vegas. “We met at the South Point Hotel in a deli and oyster bar and about an hour into the conversation, he slapped his hand on the table and said he was going to recommend me for the job,” Yaklich said. “My jaw hit the table as well as the tears. I was really happy to have this opportunity and I was very fortunate to have this opportunity and very thankful coach B took a chance on me. “What coach was looking for is someone who is a teacher and a learner and someone who is genuine, which is kind of who I will always be as a person and a coach. We had a connection there because he was a high school teacher and he is a family guy and is humble and wants to keep learning and growing.”
Yaklich has been a defensive voice for the Wolverines this season has been a defensive eye for Beilein and aiding in the defensive game play as well as scouting alongside the other assistant coaches. Before ISU, Yaklich was the head boys’ basketball coach in Joliet – coaching the combined Township program for three seasons and three at Joliet West. He also coached in the AAU ranks with the Joliet Pride and Illinois Wolves. In his six years in the Joliet high school ranks, Yaklich posted a 104-62 record. In his final season with West in 2013, he led the Tigers to a 19-8 record and the IHSA Class 4A Lockport Regional title. His 2009-10 Joliet Township team posted a 24-8 mark and won the Homewood-Flossmoor Sectional. That year, he was tabbed as District 9 IBCA Coach of the Year. “You have to get into that coaching fraternity – either in the pros or college, they ask for recommendations,” Millsaps said. “Luke was lucky to have his college roommate as head coach at ISU, somewhere he felt comfortable. What a great thing for him. He will be a head coach soon – you just know that is going to happen.”
BUSINESS + REAL ESTATE COLUMN >> DAVE SAYS
Mom’s theft leaves son holding debt Try to get her some help, and get her under control DEAR DAVE, I’m about to graduate from college, and while I’ve been in school my mom has been handling most of my finances. Recently, I discovered she’s been taking my student loan money and spending it on herself. So far, it looks like she’s taken around $12,000, and I have a total of $25,000 in student loan debt. Since I realized this was happening, I’ve been reading your books and learning how to manage my own money. I don’t know how to deal with this situation with her, though. She admits she did wrong, but says she can’t pay it back. Can you help? ALAN DEAR ALAN, I hate hearing this. There’s no easy way to deal with these kinds of situations. The first thing you need to do is take over complete and total control of all your finances. Shut down any accounts that have her name on them, and anything else financially-related that she can access. I know this sounds harsh, but she has proven she’s just not trustworthy. It’s a hard thing to hear about a parent, but at this point you’ve got to take steps to protect yourself. What she has been doing is theft, and financial child abuse. One extreme is to press criminal charges. The other extreme is to just forget it, and pay it. In be-
tween is a promise from her to repay everything she has taken, but she’s already out of control. That’s a promise that wouldn’t be kept. The problem with prosecuting someone criminally for this type of action — other than the emotional toll, because she’s your mom — is the money’s already gone. It’s doesn’t make them magically have the money to repay you. On top of all this, you’d have a really hard time legally getting the student loans removed from your name due to theft. Honestly, under the circumstances I think you’re probably going to end up eating this. But sit down, and try to have a calm, clear discussion about what has happened, and why it happened. Let her know first, without a doubt, that you will criminally prosecute her if she ever uses your name to put money into her own pocket again. Second, tell her you’re prepared to forgive her and forget about it — and she pays you back at some point, if she can — if she agrees to get some financial and emotional counseling. Try to get her some help, and get her under control, Alan. If you don’t, I’m afraid things are only going downhill from here.
NEWS ABOUT LOCAL BUSINESSES IN YOUR COMMUNITY WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM
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BUSINESS & PRIVATE PARTY CLASSIFIED ADS: $16 PER WEEK, 20 WORDS OR LESS. WEDDINGS, BIRTHS & ENGAGEMENTS: BLACK & WHITE - $25, COLOR - $35. OBITUARIES: $35.
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PHONE: 815.436.2431 >> Mon. - Fri. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. FAX: 815.439.2548 EMAIL: classifieds@enterprisepublications.com IN PERSON: Enterprise Publications >> 23856 Andrew Rd. >> Plainfield, IL
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LEGAL LISTINGS
S TAY I N F O R M E D W I T H L E G A L L I S T I N G S WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM
POLICE BLOTTER Information in Police Blotter is obtained from the Lisle, Woodridge and Westmont police departments. Individuals listed in Police Blotter charged with a crime have not been proven guilty in court. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
LISLE MARCH 3 » Danielius Raudys, 57, of Lisle, was arrested at 9:30 p.m. near Route 53 and 59th Street for driving under the influence/alcohol and having no valid driver’s license. MARCH 4 » Steven K. Stasiak, 29, of Lisle was arrested at 1:45 a.m. on the 5700 block of Route 53 for driving under the influence/alcohol. MARCH 10 » Alexander S. Wells, 28, of Naperville, was arrested at 4:34 a.m. on the 2800 block of Buckingham Drive for unlawful possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving under the influence/drugs. » Steven T. Walcott, 23, of Lisle, was arrested at 1:58 a.m. near Ogden and Yackley avenues for driving under the influence/ alcohol unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, illegal transportation of alcohol and disobeying a traffic signal. APRIL 8 » Julian J. Coss, 23, of Darien, was arrested at 8:59 p.m. near Warrenville Road and Route 53 for driving under the influence/ drugs, unlawful possession of cannabis, improper lane usage and a defective windshield. » Carter M. Phillips, 18, of Bolingbrook, was arrested at
3 a.m. near Abbeywood and Timberview drives for driving under the influence/drugs, unlawful possession of a fictitious or unlawfully altered driver’s license, unlawful possession of cannabis and improper lane usage.
WOODRIDGE MARCH 2 » At approximately 12:52 a.m., following a traffic stop Route 53 at Seven Bridges Drive, Christopher Hundt, 37, of Naperville was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. » At approximately 12 p.m., following the investigation of a suspicious vehicle in the 8100 block of Route 53, Jaylen Warfield, 19, of Woodridge was charged with possession of a controlled substance. MARCH 3 » At approximately 5:03 p.m., following the investigation of a disturbance in the parking lot of 1001 75th Street, Richard Herpich, 47, of Oak Lawn was charged with disorderly conduct. MARCH 5 » At approximately 6:51 p.m., after store personnel witnessed him attempting to leave Jewel, 2317 75th Street, with merchandise he had not paid for, David Hernandez, 30, of Des Plaines was charged with retail theft. » At approximately 11:28 p.m., following a traffic stop on a suspicious vehicle Janes Avenue at 75th Street, Martin Rajcan, 26, of Lisle was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle and possession of a stolen license plate.
HOME IMPROVEMENT SPRING CLEANING
3 ways to use your lawn to improve curb appeal Returns on home improvement projects vary. In its annual Cost vs. Value Report, Remodeling magazine notes the projects that yield the best returns on investment in a given year. But a host of factors, including the type of market (buyers’ or sellers’) and the region where the home is being sold, ultimately combine to determine if homeowners’ investments in home improvement projects will provide the returns they were hoping for. 1. MAINTAIN A LUSH GREEN LAWN. Lawns that fall into disrepair may not give buyers a correct impression about how homeowners maintained their homes. Lawns with multiple dead spots and grass that appears more brown than green may lead many buyers to assume that the home’s interior was equally ill-cared for. Maintaining lush green lawns is not as difficult as it may seem. Applying fertilizer and aerating at the appropriate times of year (this varies by region) can promote strong roots and healthy soil, making it easier for grass to survive harsh conditions like drought.
2. ADDRESS BROWN PATCH. Even well-maintained lawns can fall victims to brown spots. According to the lawn care professionals at TruGreen, lawns in regions with hot temperatures and high humidity can be infected with brown patch, a common lawn disease that is caused by fungus, which can produce circular areas of brown, dead grass surrounded by narrow, dark rings. 3. CONFINE DOGS TO CERTAIN AREAS. Dog owners may want to let their pets roam free in their yards. But homeowners about to put their properties up for sale may want to confine their four-legged friends to certain areas. That’s because dog urine can be high in nitrogen. Nitrogen itself is not harmful to lawns, but in high concentrations it can contribute to yellow or brown spots. Also, highly acidic dog urine may even adversely affect pH levels in the soil. Curb appeal can go a long way toward helping homeowners sell their homes, and a lush lawn can be used to catch the eye of prospective buyers.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM
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