Joliet 2-25-15

Feb ruary 25, 2015 vol. 7 issue 25

Matter tabled indefinitely

see page 8

news Local legislators weigh in on Rauner’s inaugural state budget Social services take a hit

see page 2

hot air

Plainfield artist competing on SyFy’s ‘FaceOff’ Jordin Althaus/SyFy Network

Sometimes, everyone can use a Hug see page 4

opinion

Unions need a lot of damage control see page 7

sports

State Champs Lockport wins fourth girls bowling state title

see page 11

ome people know what they want to do for a career at an early age; some need four years of college, and others don’t figure it out until adulthood. Stephanie Masco used her talent and the training she received at the Statesville Haunted Prison at Siegel’s Cottonwood Farm in Crest Hill to help propel her into a nationwide monster mask making completion on the SyFy Network.

See how she got there with Mark Gregory’s story on Page 5

News

Council postpones decision on appointment to Rialto board

Wednesday, February 25, 2015 | joli etbug le.com

government > budget address

Local legislators weigh in on Rauner’s inaugural state budget Responses to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s first budget address given Feb. 18: State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris: “Governor Rauner’s Budget Address today was a cold dose of reality. Our budget crisis is what happens when you have one party rule for more than a decade. It’s no surprise the budget decisions that will have to be made to get our state back on its fiscal track are difficult. The solutions to our fiscal problems are deep, so fixing them requires bold reforms, very tough decisions, and the courage to make it happen.

“Pain will be felt, but the opportunities that lie ahead for us from these tough decisions will be rewarding. States around us have faced fiscal problems. They made the tough decisions, and now they are reaping the benefits.

I believe Illinois can do the same, but it will take time, and it will take everyone coming together to make it happen. Illinois doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a

spending problem. I look forward to working with Governor Rauner and all legislators in restoring fiscal sanity to our state and making Illinois great again.”

State Sen. Jennifer BertinoTarrant, D-Shorewood: “The governor’s proposals and ideas were harsh. It is not just about making tough decisions, but making the right decisions. The governor made a commitment to make education funding a priority; he delivered this today. However, educators are compassionate individuals who do not like to see their gain at the expense of other needed and important services.

I am committed to working in a bipartisan manner to ensure that this year’s budget protects essential services.”

State Sen. Pat McGuire, D-Crest Hill “The Governor’s apparent inclusion of $6.8 million in state

governor bruce rauner

State Rep. Larry Walsh Jr., D-Elwood

funds to repurpose Illinois Youth Center-Joliet bodes well for our local economy and the safety of all Illinoisans. The Governor also indicated he’s listening to parents and providers and edging toward solving the child-care assistance funding crisis.

“Other proposals left me shaking my head. For instance, it appears the Governor wants to cut funds for the treatment of heroin users.

Stepping Stones in Joliet already is beset with a growing waiting list and insufficient state help.

“I also worry what the Governor means by ‘employment flexibility.’

Collective bargaining is the American way. I hope he isn’t

State Sen. Pat McGuire, D-Crest Hill

State Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, D-Shorewood:

aiming to end it in Illinois.

“The Governor called for a ‘balanced budget we craft together.’ Let’s get down to the details, roll up our sleeves, and work toward a budget that protects our most vulnerable and grows the middle class.”

State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet: Said she plans to meet with constituents over the next several weeks to discuss the budget and to listen to their ideas for what can

State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris

State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet

Pain will be felt, but the opportunities that lie ahead for us from these tough decisions will be rewarding. States around us have faced fiscal problems. They made the tough decisions, and now they are reaping the benefits. be done to protect state programs and prioritize spending.

“The state budget should protect our most vulnerable citizens and the middle-class by reducing unnecessary government spending while also maintaining services,” said Manley. “Since it is the residents of the state who will be the ones who feel the full effects of the decisions that are made, I plan on meeting with my constituents to discuss with them what they believe should be done.

“While I agree with the governor that we need to watch our expenses

see budget | page 3

Wedn esday, February 25, 2015 | joli etbug le.com

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county news > transportation

County OKs temporary 92,000-lb. weight limit on Arsenal Road Officials still hope state will take over fees and maintenance of that stretch By nick reiher

managing editor

nreiher@buglenewspapers.com @JolietILNews

State and regional haulers were happy when the Will County Board unanimously approved increasing the weight limit on the Arsenal Road entrance to the CenterPoint Intermodal Center for 90 days.

But county officials also asked their help in convincing the state to take over the nearly 2-mile section of Arsenal Road from the Interstate 55 interchange to the Baseline Road entrance to the two intermodals.

During a public hearing on the weight limit increase to 92,000 pounds, Randy Thomas of the Illinois Trucking Association thanked Will County officials for the consideration.

He also asked that the county consider requesting the state take over that stretch of Arsenal Road so that truckers could just go to the state for that overweight permit, instead of having to get another one

budget | from page 2 and make cuts where cuts are due, I think that we also need to realize that there are millions people who are dependent upon these programs.”

State Rep. Larry Walsh Jr., D-Elwood: “(The) budget is just a proposal.

In the coming weeks and months, I will speak to people in my district about what kind of budget is best for Illinois.

“The budget proposed by Governor Rauner will not make it any easier for middle class families who are barely getting by. Essential services provided for children and senior citizens would be decimated, with many programs being completely eliminated.

“Reducing state assistance to local governments will cause property taxes to skyrocket for

from the county each day. The state issues one overweight permit a year for $1,000. Will County Executive Larry Walsh said the count already has been working with the Illinois Department of Transportation on a request to take over Arsenal Road.

But he and County Board Speaker Jim Moustis, R-Frankfort, said it would help for his association and several others who testified at the hearing to lobby IDOT as well.

In the meantime, the Arsenal Road weight limit resolution approved at the meeting also carries a temporary change in the county’s overweight permit fees.

County Highway Superintendent Bruce Gould said instead of issuing only one-day permits for $20 each, there will be daily permits for $50, weekly permits for $250 and monthly permits for $500.

Gould said after the meeting it was good the representatives from the haulers came to testify, but he hopes they will weigh in with the state on taking over that stretch of

homeowners across Illinois.

This will leave fewer dollars for area families to spend and lead to further economic heartache for communities already struggling. Higher property taxes will undoubtedly lead to more foreclosures, driving down home values and causing further harm to those who can’t afford it.

“The pathway to creating a more prosperous Illinois is by having an educated workforce.

The governor’s proposal to slash funding to state universities will cause tuition to skyrocket and leave many middle class families unable to afford a college education. This will leave our state unable to compete in a 21st century economy and leave future generations deprived of the opportunity to achieve the American dream.”

The Illinois Commerce Commission closed this intersection at Illinois 53 and Walter Strawn Drive due to safety concerns. If the ICC doesn’t grant an extension, it will close by Jan. 28. (Bugle File Photo)

Arsenal Road. Otherwise, he said, Will County taxpayers get stuck for the wear and tear from trucks.

“None of them live in Will County,” he said of the hauler reps.

“None of them pays taxes here.”

But representatives of Continental Grain and Barge out of Princeton, Illinois, said the county’s overweight fees add enough to the cost of grain loads to be a detriment to doing business at the intermodals in Will County.

There are two on the CenterPoint property: the BNSF yard in Elwood, and the UP yard a few miles north in Joliet.

Trucking companies and their

drivers, along with local business officials, have been concerned about the 80,000-pound weight limit on Arsenal Road. Many trucks, especially those carrying local grain for shipment west, are getting pulled over on Arsenal Road off Interstate 55 and weighed on portable scales by Will County Police.

The number of trucks using Arsenal Road has increased since the Illinois Commerce Commission ordered Walter Strawn Drive, the eastern access to the CenterPoint intermodal yards, closed Jan. 28 due to safety concerns. Those include frequent gate accidents at

the nearby Union Pacific tracks and truck traffic mixing with funeral processions to the nearby Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.

Gould said he issued more than 7,300 overweight permits for Arsenal Road between Jan. 21 and the beginning of February.

He said Arsenal Road is rated for 80,000-pound loads, but the county had been allowing grain trucks to haul up to 88,000 pounds.

Gould told the hauler reps after the meeting that the temporary weight increase is just for that section of Arsenal Road, from I-55 to Baseline Road. It affects no other county roads.

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column

Sometimes, everyone can use a Hug Someone finally said it.

And it was Joliet Councilman Larry Hug’s brother.

During the Feb. 17 Joliet City Council meeting, Tom Hug told the members of the council to stop bickering.

“All you do is spend your time pointing the finger at one another,” he said. “Shame on you.”

He’d come to the meeting to talk about the monster snowstorm of Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. Although the

cul-de-sacs were plowed near his home at 2604 Bayberry Court, no one could drive out of the subdivision, Tom Hug said.

“Instead of pointing fingers and making robo calls (urging people to vote for Councilman Bob O’Dekirk in the mayoral election) and blaming it on the mayor -- who then comes up with a plan and says, ‘We will look at subcontractors,’ and people say he is exceeding his authority -so either it is the mayor’s fault or it

is not, but the fighting amongst all of you has got to stop,” Tom Hug said.

He then took O’Dekirk to task over the lack of a stop sign in his neighborhood. At his councilman’s request, Tom Hug submitted a petition in May with 120 signatures urging the city to install a stop sign at Bayberry Court and Wake Island Drive, but the sign never went up.

see hot air | page 18

city council

Joliet seeking better solutions for heavy snowstorms City staffers with commercial drivers licenses could be tapped to plow

By Stewart Warren staff reporter

stewartwarren509@yahoo.com @stewartwarren

Nobody seems to be happy with the way the city handled the monster snowstorm that began Jan. 31 and continued until Feb. 2.

Residents complained bitterly about the snow-clogged streets and the amount of time it took to plow. So the members of the Joliet City Council directed City Manager Jim Hock to develop a better plan for cleaning up the mess of future storms. During the City Council meeting on Feb. 17, Hock went over two reports related to the issue. One was a debriefing, a review of the storm and the city’s response to it.

“Several factors combined together to produce a particularly challenging demand for public services,” Hock wrote, citing the fact that the snow was wet, heavy and fell for two days straight, the fifth biggest snow storm to hit the

area since 1880.

The second report focused on snow plowing, detailing how the city actually cleared the snow: There are currently 33 snowplow drivers in the roadways division, and the city is in the process of hiring four more.

There are 517 miles of “center line” roads in Joliet, and the city clears snow from 192 of those miles during a storm. The city’s roadways employees worked 40 to 45 hours in a row until all the streets had been plowed at least one time.

There were 31 snowplows on the road, and that means that each truck handled 16.7 miles of road.

By contrast, there is a standard in the public works industry recommending that a single truck should handle just 10 miles of road, Hock wrote in the snow plowing report. “The other concern we have with these major snow events is the employee and public safety when employees are plowing an excessive amount of time without any time off for rest away from the job,” Hock wrote in the report.

The solution seems pretty clear: during a huge snowstorm, the city needs more snow plow drivers and trucks. But how are they going to get them? Staff has determined

that 11.5 miles of road per truck is an acceptable number. That means the city would need to add 11 more snow plow drivers to the staff to hit that level. With a salary of $65,000 and benefits for each new employee, that would cost $965,250 per year, according to Hock’s report. The additional 11 trucks would be $2.87 million. During the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Councilman Bob O’Dekirk said it was time to revisit the budget and begin looking for ways to make adjustments. “I don’t think it is feasible or wise to buy 11 new trucks in the next few months,” O’Dekirk said.

Councilman Larry Hug suggested that city employees outside the roadways department who have a commercial drivers license might be tapped to plow snow too.

“I agree with Larry Hug,” Hock said, adding that snowplow drivers should not work more than 16 hours at a time. But will the city’s organized labor agree? John Dillon, a roadways employee and president of the American Federal of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 440, would not say if the union members would agree to have their work done by other employees or not. He did say that Hug’s idea would said not work.

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cover story

Plainfield artist competing on SyFy’s ‘FaceOff’ Stephanie Masco got her start at Siegel’s Statesville Haunted Prison

By Mark Gregory sports reporter

mark@buglenewspapers.com @Hear_The_Beard

Some people know what they want to do for a career at an early age; some need four years of college, and others don’t figure it out until adulthood.

For Stephanie Masco, her future was made apparent to her after 127-plus minutes in front of the television.

Masco, a 2011 graduate of Plainfield South, was watching behind-the-scenes footage after one of her favorite movies and decided what she wanted to make her living at.

“I saw the movie ‘Silent Hill,’ and on the DVD, there was a making of the monsters behind the scenes,” she said. “I watched and couldn’t believe it was really a job and that people do that for a living.”

Not knowing how to get started in the business, Masco sought out the avenue to take.

“I looked to see where I could go to do that, and Statesville Haunted Prison (at Siegel’s Cottonwood Farm in Crest Hill) was right by my house.

I gave it a try, and it escalated from there,” she said. “A lot of the artists there helped me.”

That is part of what the crew at Statesville Haunted Prison sets out to do, while also providing a scary experience for patrons.

“When we started our program, we wanted a place for kids have to learn,” said John LaFlamboy, owner of Zombie Army Productions and director/producer of Statesville.

“One of our core missions over there is to offer constructive education and experience to these kids to see that they can do other things. We try and inspire their creativity. We want to show them they can be an artist and make a career.”

After getting her feet wet at Statesville, Masco had met a producer for the SyFy television series “FaceOff” at the TransWorld Halloween and Attractions Show in St. Louis in 2012.

Masco tried out for Season 5 of

Jordin Althaus/Syfy network

Special effects legend Michael Westmore and team coach Laura Tyler look over a face sculpted by Plainfield’s Stephanie Masco during Season 8 of SyFy’s “FaceOff.” the show in 2013, did not attempt Season 6, but in 2014, tried out for Season 7 and made it to the final cuts.

“They told me they liked me, and I was so close and to keep trying,” the 21-year-old Masco said.

She did and made the show during Season 8, which currently runs on Tuesday nights on the SyFy Channel.

The taping of the show is over, and Masco is back in Illinois studying illustration at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. After her time in college, Masco said she plans to pursue a career in makeup.

“I can draw and paint at any time,” she said. “But able to flesh it out and make it real, it is really cool.”

Although she knows the outcome of the season, Masco cannot talk about the end results or how far she went in the season.

Most people, she said, understand that – even her friends from years ago who want to reconnect.

“Most of my friends understand I can’t talk about it, but some want to know what happened and who won,” she said. “And then there are friends coming out of the woodwork that I haven’t talked to in years.”

What Masco can talk about is her competition win in Episode 5 “Sounding Off” where she and cast mate Kelly Harris were the top makeup team for their adaptation of an automated 1950’s style housewife that was made by a clockmaker to resemble his deceased wife. The

creation was inspired by a ticking sound assigned to the pair.

Of the two, Masco earned the individual win, mainly for her sculpt and paint job, but partly because of her added detail to sketch a portrait of the clockmaker and his wife for a prop.

“It was a really good feeling,” she said. “Even when I was watching it, I was reliving it. When I was there, and they say the winners were Stephanie and Kelly, you are excited and then you pause like a deer in headlights, because only one of us wins, and who is it? When (Judge) Glenn (Hetrick) said my name, I almost fainted because that was so cool. It was an insane feeling.”

The win was no surprise to LaFlamboy “That challenge was a perfect representation of the depth of what Stephanie has to offer,” he said. “She is not just a good face painter, she is not just a good sculptor. There was a bunch of us watching together, and once we realized she was doing the doll character, we lost it.

“It was 15 minutes into the show, and we all knew how it was going to end. We all knew that was her jam.

That is the type of makeup she does incredibly well, so we knew she was going to win the minute we saw the character she was creating.

“That portrait she made, that is what she does. Some people have the attention to the little details that others just don’t see.”

How far will her talent and attention to detail get Masco this season? Stay tuned.

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www.crimestoppersofwillcounty.org • 800.323.734 Wedn es day, February 25, 2015 | bug lenewspapers.com

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12 The following items were compiled from the official reports of the Joliet Police Department. Appearing in the police blotter does not constitute a finding of guilt, only a court of law can make that determination.

SHOREWOOD Adam C. Mitchell, 32, 1704 Alma Drive, Crest Hill, was arrested at 1 a.m. Feb. 8 at 700 W. Jefferson St. for battery, resisting/ obstructing a peace office and on a Will County warrant for nonsupport. Benjamin G. Mitchell, 25, 1943 Twilight Drive, Morris, was arrested for battery. Kevin P. Mitchell, 28, 1004 Wilcox, Joliet, was arrested for resisting/obstructing a peace officer.

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Christopher J. Beach, 35, 1003 Lois Place, Joliet, was arrested at 2:37 a.m. Feb. 14 in the 100 block of East Jefferson Street for possession of controlled substance.

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Ernesto J. Ortiz Del-Rio, 37, 3213 W. Cermak, Chicago, was arrested at 10:37 a.m. Feb. 17 at Interstate 55 and Jefferson Street for driving with no valid driver’s license, no insurance and illegal use of cell phone.

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JOLIET 4

Thomas B. Tincher Jr., 26, 5 W. Jackson St., was arrested at

1:36 a.m. Feb. 13 at 2798 W. Jefferson St. for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Hwa S. Rider, 47, 859 W. Jackson, Morris, was arrested at 2:19 a.m. Feb. 13 at 777 Hollywood Blvd. for domestic battery.

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and possession of a controlled substance.

Emina Lepuzanovic, 34, 1105 N. Mitchell, Arlington Heights, was arrested at 12:20 a.m. Feb. 15 at 2701 Campbell St. for DUI and operation of an uninsured motor vehicle.

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Blaque P. Morgan, 18, 1702 Houston Ave., was arrested at 3:04 p.m. Feb. 13 at 201 W. Jefferson St. for aggravated battery to a police officer and resisting and obstructing a police officer.

Maleeyam R. Williams, 20, 3009 Prairie Path Lane, was arrested at 3:15 p.m. Feb. 15 at 3013 Prairie Path Lane for having a dog running at large.

Todd A. Harman, 44, 332 Aster Drive, Minooka, was arrested at 2:15 a.m. Feb. 13 at 2407 Twin Fountain Court for DUI, aggravated DUI, hit and run and driving without a valid driver’s license.

Troy I. Simpson, 33, 1330 Pioneer Road, Crest Hill, was arrested at 5:30 a.m. Feb. 15 at Campbell Street and Larkin Avenue for aggravated DUI and resisting and obstructing a police officer.

Sara L. Friedrich, 26, 1209 Raintree Court, was arrested at 4:46 p.m. Feb. 15 at Glenwood and Larkin avenues for aggravated DUI.

Tiffany L. Greene, 27, 1311 Kelly Ave., and Demetrius D. Greene, 30, 712 Chase Ave., were arrested at 11:15 am. Feb. 15 at the Chase Avenue residence for domestic battery.

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Melinda M. Cervencik, 30, 109 Meadow Ave., Rockdale, was arrested at 4:48 p.m. Feb. 15 at 2424 W. Jefferson St. for retail theft and aggravated battery.

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Dale Dodge Baldridge, 37, of Eureka, California, was arrested at 9:07 p.m. Feb. 15 at 2219 W. Jefferson St. for possession of cannabis, obstructing identification

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Sterling S. Barnett, 21, 205 Reichman St., was arrested at 1:45 p.m. Feb. 15 at 201 N. Bluff St. for possession of cannabis. A 16-year-old also was arrested for possession of a stolen firearm, unlawful use of a weapon and possession of ammunition without a firearm owner’s identification card.

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Brandon A. Curry, 22, 2216 Root St., Crest Hill, was arrested at 3:50 a.m. Feb. 15 at Ingalls and Winthrop avenues for DUI, resisting or obstructing a police officer and possession of cannabis.

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Ronda M. Price, 31, 1513 Arthur Ave., was arrested at 10:32 a.m. Feb. 15 at 1512 Arthur Ave. for having a dog running at large.

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Jorge A. Alcantar, 22, 1916 S. Argonaut St., Stockton, Calif., was arrested at 5:45 p.m. Feb. 15 at Raynor Avenue and Hutchins Street for fleeing and attempting to elude police.

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Craig M. Koch, 35, and Christopher D. Zabel, 38, of 600 N. Broadway, were arrested at 10 a.m. Feb. 16 at the residence for being a registered sex offender and failing to register, failing to register new employment, failure to register vehicle information and providing false information to law enforcement.

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Brittany M. Gaston, 25, 105 Bowen Place, was arrested at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at the residence for battery and aggravated assault.

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Gregory L. Estes, 44, 309 Herkimer St., was arrested at 8:02 p.m. Feb. 16 at the residence for

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criminal damage to property and aggravated domestic battery.

Juan Damian, 33, 315 Herkimer, was arrested at 10:36 a.m.

Feb. 16 at 3340 Mall Loop Drive for theft.

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Shania J. Brown, 18, 115 S. Joliet St., and John W. Duke, 33, 352 Stevens St., were arrested at 10:26 p.m. Feb. 16 in the 300 block of South Ottawa Street for possession of cannabis.

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Donald E. Whiteledge, 56, 6513 Benich, Plainfield, was arrested at 7:49 p.m. Feb. 16 at 2300 Route 59 for cruelty to an animal.

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Rogelio Barrera, 37, 611 E. Cass St., was arrested at 8:08 p.m.

Feb. 17 at the residence for violating an order of protection.

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Laparish P. Phillips-Harrell, 23, 362 N. Broadway, was arrested at 9:37 p.m. Feb. 17 at 503 N. Bluff St. for resisting or obstructing a police officer and possession of cannabis.

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Alexander O. Benes, 24, 14751 S. Cricketwood Drive, Homer Glen, was arrested at 1:45 p.m. Feb. 18 at 333 Madison St. for forgery.

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For more Joliet Police Blotter, visit www. buglenewspapers.com/policeblotter

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editorial

illustrated opinions

Laura KatausKas stewart warren • Mark GreGory • Mike Sandrolini

column

production

unions need a lot of damage control Let me ask you something: You ask me to hold some money for you, managing editor an increasing amount over the years. nreiher@buglenewspapers.com @JolietILNews Then you learn I have spent much of it to pay my own bills. Who is the bad You might remember about 10 years guy here? Well, if you’re the unions, ago, medical malpractice reform was all and the state – or some municipalities the rage, primarily led by local doctors – spent a good chunk of your money without your permission, it’s obviously who said they were going broke. the unions.

Those of us who don’t With this type of logic, it’s pay medical malpractice no wonder we wound up insurance initially were fighting Iraq after 9/11. skeptical: Does this mean The problem for the you have to downsize from a unions – or others who have Jaguar to a Mercedes. Or, God pensions – is that even before forbid, a domestic car? the recession, there were a The problem was that growing trend of businesses in the initial stages of the niCk ReiheR not offering pensions. In fact, discussion, doctors were not MANAGiNG eDitoR the faster they could get rid of very good at explaining just you, the better. The recession how bad the situation was and why they were going broke, if not exacerbated that to the point where more people than in a long time were being forced out of practice entirely.

It turned out medical malpractice without work, let alone a pension.

So what you have had in the past insurance premiums were rising faster than globally warmed oceans because several years is a growing number of the dwindling number of insurance people who want to retire, but the companies offering such coverage money is not there, and an equally was spooked into settling claims growing number of people who don’t rather than taking a gamble in front of feel sorry for them a bit. In fact, sometimes, they blame the whole lack a “jackpot jury.”

Although some still scoffed, of business coming back on them.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker used physicians – especially the specialists such as obstetricians and neurologists that public sentiment as a mandate to – did, indeed, move to states where severely reduce the power of unions premiums were lower. Or they went in that state. He survived challenges, out of business, leaving for a while a including a recall vote. And now noticeable gap in local and regional Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner is heading down the same path. medical offerings.

Now would be a good time for As that issue smolders in the undercurrents of insurance reform, unions to remind the general public there is another group that has done they are the victims here; Not the ones a lousy job of defending what is who took the money. The state took their money. Money guaranteed in rightfully theirs: contracts.

Unions.

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facebook.com/thebuglenewspapers twitter.com/buglenewspapers instagram.com/buglenewspapers EDITOR’S NOTE: The opinions expressed in guest columns, editorial cartoons and letters to the editor belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the The Bugle or its staff.

It also would be a good time for unions to acknowledge economic times have changed. We cannot afford the same things we did 10 years ago.

There Middle Class is disappearing.

Wages and benefits agreed to in future contracts can’t be far out of line with what taxpayers can pay. Businesses are surviving with fewer employees and by offering no benefits, unless they are ordered to.

Too often during the past 10 years or so, unions have chosen to fight for increasingly higher wages and benefits, only to see the management trim hundreds of jobs they can no longer afford.

During tough times, there needs to be a spirit of compromise, on both sides. There needs to be management offering what they can as a fair wage to allow a person to support a family, keep food on the table, a roof over their heads and help with coverage in case of, or to prevent, illness.

That, in turn, will help employees to be able to afford the higher prices other businesses likely will have to charge to offset said fair wages and benefits.

I was proud to be a union member and president of a union that represented nearly 600 newspaper people. I was proud when we stood our ground and got what we felt we needed.

I was less proud when I was outvoted and had to do things because they were in the best interest of the union, and not the employees and their customers.

I hope it’s not too late for unions and the state to work out their issues.

But considering Gov. Rauner’s volley so far, it looks like it might be.

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city council

Council postpones decision on appointment to Rialto board Matter tabled indefinitely

Auditorium Authority during the City Council meeting on Tuesday, the issue was tabled indefinitely by a vote of 7-2.

It happened at the beginning of

By Stewart Warren the meeting. Giarrante announced staff reporter stewartwarren509@yahoo.com that Macris, a resident who has @stewartwarren worked for Exelon and the University of St. Francis The Rialto’s board and is well known for his will continue to have six efforts as a volunteer, was members – at least for his choice for the position. now.

Councilman Jim McFarland By law, it’s supposed then asked to have the issue to have seven. Three of tabled. them are appointed by “I don’t think we should the governor, and four Mayor Tom be making political by the mayor of Joliet. Giarrante appointments with this But a seat has been empty since Dave Hacker died late near of an election taking place,” McFarland said. “It is my personal last year.

Mayor Tom Giarrante tried to add belief we should wait until the April Nicholas Macris to the Will County election. We saw what happened at Metropolitan Exposition and the state level with outgoing Gov.

Quinn.”

Aftersomediscussion,thecouncil members voted. Councilwoman Jan Quillman seemed reluctant to cast her “no” vote, noting that the measure would pass no matter how she cast her ballot. Councilwoman Bettye Gavin also voted to table the issue but said she was hesitant.

Giarrante and Councilman Mike Turk were voted against tabling the issue.

Jim Smith, the president of the Rialto’s board, was at the meeting.

He said that Macris would have been a good choice.

“He is just a fine gentleman and a real great volunteer,” Smith said.

But life would go on at the Rialto.

“We will get by,” Smith said. “In the short term, it is not going to greatly affect us.”

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9

county news

Peterson murder-for-hire trial could begin in July Randolph County officials glad to have input from Kaupases on what to expect Drew Peterson’s trial on charges of trying to hire someone to kill Will County State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow could begin in July, one of the prosecutors said last week.

Randolph County State’s Attorney Jeremy Walker said Peterson’s court-appointed defense attorney, Lucas Liefer, filed a speedy trial demand on Feb. 18.

“His attorney has filed a speedy trial demand, which means we have to try the case within 160 days of the filing,” Walker said. “We have a jury availability in July, and we’re going to try for a July trial unless the defendant moves off his speedy trial demand.”

Randolph County has jury availability five times per year, with the next coming at the end of

March.

“At this point, we are planning for July,” Walker said. “Will defense be ready at that point? I can’t comment on that.”

Walker said the speedy trial demand isn’t an unusual filing.

“It’s a matter of due course in some cases,” he said.

Peterson, 61, made his initial appearance at the Randolph County Courthouse on Feb. 9 on charges of one count of solicitation of murder for hire and one count of solicitation of murder, both Class X felonies.

The charges are related to an alleged plot to kill Glasgow, who prosecuted Peterson’s murder case.

According to the Attorney General’s office, Peterson allegedly tried

to orchestrate the plot between September 2013 and December 2014.

The next hearing is set for March 3, and with that fast approaching, Randolph County officials held a meeting Feb. 20 to discuss plans on how to handle the event. They invited former Will County Sheriff Paul Kaupas and his cousin, Ken Kaupas, a retired sheriff’s department chief and Illinois State Police captain, since both have experience dealing with the media from Peterson’s initial trial.

“Ken Kaupas was a big part of the planning for the original Peterson trial,” Randolph County Sheriff ShannonWolff said. “They provided us with a lot of useful information to put our plan together for our court proceedings.”

“Honestly, the majority of the talk was how to handle and deal with the media,” said Randolph County Commissioner Ronnie White, who attended the meeting on behalf of

the county board. “The courtroom isn’t big enough to handle them all, so there will be a lottery.”

Back home Saturday, Paul

Kaupas said the lottery system helped in Will County, to a certain

see trial | page 18

FoR WHEN you WaNT To TaKE 5 MiNuTES FoR youRSElF Wedn esday, February 25, 2015 | bug leneW spapers.com

Aries

MARcH 21 To ApRIl 20

Take the time to test relationships. Those you admire may bring a smile to your face, but don’t fall recklessly in love. Don’t push for a commitment or make irrevocable decisions in the first half of the week.

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This too shall pass. You may be tempted to fold like a tent when faced with adversity or someone’s cold shoulder. By the middle of the week, however, things will be looking up, so just remain patient.

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wednesday, feBruary 25, 2015

page 11

>> inside: oster claims state title at 138 pounds page 12

girls bowling

state CHAMPIONS Lockport girls claim fourth state bowling championship

by sCott tayloR sports editor

staylor@enterprisepublications.com @Taylor_sports

ROCKFORD - Lockport came into the second day of the state tournament at Cherry Bowl sitting in fourth place, behind three of the top teams in the state, 169 pins out of the lead.

By the end of the morning Saturday, the Porters were in first place.

One game later, it was theirs to lose. Instead, they held on to their lead tightly, winning their second state title in six years with a staterecord total of 12,689.

“It is a huge accomplishment, especially coming from where we

1

BaiLey DeLrose haD Her 1st 300 GaMe at state

did to where we are now,” senior Kierstin Vandenburg said. “A lot of the girls were really hoping for this and we felt we deserved this.”

“We came in and we knew we could do it,” junior Nikki Mendez said. “We’re so happy that we did.

We all pulled together and we all struck out at least one point in time. We kept our cheering up and that helped us. We’re happy that we fulfilled what we came here for.”

It was a Saturday for the ages for Lockport, who had an incredible total of 6,548, far and away a state tournament record.

see champs | page 13

4

nUMBer oF state titLes For the porters

photo By sCott tayLor

lockport hoists the 2015 state championship trophy.

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12

Wedn esday, February 25, 2015 | bug lenewspapers.com

wrestling

Lockport’s Oster earns state wrestling title Junior leads host of local medalists

By Mark Gregory sports reporter

mark@buglenewspapers.com @Hear_The_Beard

CHAMPAIGN - It took six years, but the first family of Lockport wrestling crowned its latest champion.

That happened Saturday at the Class 3A state wrestling tournament in the State Farm Center on the campus of the University of Illinois.

Junior Shayne Oster became the third member of the family to claim a state title, as he defeated

Anthony Cheloni of Marmion Academy 5-4 at 138 pounds.

“This feels great, it is hard to describe the feeling when you win it,” Shayne said. “You can tell it is exciting when you watch it from the stands, but when it happens to you, the feeling is even more than you thought it would be.

Shayne joins brothers Jake (2004) and Jameson (2009) as state champions. Brother Josh is the current head coach of the Porters.

Lockport has four state titles not won by an Oster, but Josh was on staff for all of them, serving as head coach for all but one.

It is great to have people like that who are so close to you helping you through this. They are a big reason why I made it here.”

It was the second time this season the two had wrestled.

“I knew he was really good,” Shayne said. “I just won in overtime at the Dvorak. I knew I just wanted to go out there and

see oster | page 15

photo by mark gregory

Shayne Oster won the 138-pound state title last weekend in Champaign.

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Wedn esday, February 25, 2015 | bug lenewspapers.com champs | from page 11 Their morning of 3,343 was also a three-game state record.

“Our mindset (heading into Saturday) was to not give up,” Mendez said. “We wanted to throw every ball like it was our last. It is great. It is amazing. We didn’t know we shot a state record until coach told us and that just gave us more fire for the rest of the day. I can’t explain how happy I am.”

“We had the mindset of this was a regular Saturday tournament,” Vandenburg added. “We had to stay positive and take it one ball, one frame, one game at a time.

We knew what we were doing and we went out to perform. We all executed very well and I’m proud of everyone.”

The day started off great as the Porters shot a 1,105 to vault to second as freshman Bailey Delrose rolled her first 300.

“It was so overwhelming and amazing,” Delrose said. “It really kept the team positive and everyone was so proud.”

“We started off 160 behind and Bailey comes out and shoots a 300,” Lockport coach Art Cwudzinski said. “That got us up

high and we never slowed down.”

Instead of coming down from an emotional high, the team got stronger. They rolled a 1,068 in the second game and took control of the lead after a 1,170.

“It was a key that we stayed positive because everyone thought the wheels were going to fall off,” Delrose said. “This was just the start. We wanted to go up from there. We had the mental attitude. It is so overwhelming right now.”

“We warned them about a let up and told them the job was not done,” Cwudzinski said. “We had five games to go and we were still behind. The last month we’ve been bowling great.”

Individually, Vandenburg finished second in the state with a 2,663 12-game total.

“It’s a huge accomplishment,” Vandenburg said. “I was really proud of myself and I feel like I deserved what I got today. I put in a lot of time over the summer to get here. It is great to be here.”

Mendez was 22nd with a 2,557, Delrose was 29th with a 2,530 and Danielle Mensik finished 39th with a 2,474.

Abby Turnbough (1,455)

and Paige Reiter (1,010) also contributed.

It marked the second state title for Cwudzinski.

“There are a lot of similar traits between the two teams,” Cwudzinski said. “They both got hot after conference. They are both great teams.”

•Joliet West improved its position from a year ago, finishing in eighth place with an 11,876 total.

“I’m really happy with the team,” West’s Gracie Plese said.

“We came in here hoping to get top 10. To get eighth is great and hopefully we can improve on that again next year.”

Plese finished just short of being a back-to-back all-state member (top 12), finishing 15th with a 2,596, one pin off of a three-way tie for 12th.

“Yesterday I felt like I had a stronger day than today,” Plese said. “Today I came in trying to step up my game and it didn’t pay off. It was a little rocky. Next year I hope I can improve.”

Taylor Bailey (2,397), Kayla Kurowski (2,343), Melissa March (2,342) and Sarah Heffron (2,198) also contributed for the Tigers.

13

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14

Wedn esday, February 25, 2015 | bug lenewspapers.com

joliet catholic academy

JCA announces inductees for Hall of Champions JOLIET – Dan Sharp mentioned respect and reverence, history and tradition, passion and purpose.

At Thursday night’s Hilltopper Banquet, Sharp announced Joliet Catholic Academy’s inductees for the Hall of Champions: Mike Alstott, Terry Gannon, Mark Grant, Tippy Madarik and Liz Tortorello-Nelson.

This second group, touted as second to none, will be honored as the Class of 2015. Last fall, Gordie Gillespie, Bill Gullickson, Allie Quigley, Jim Stefanich and Tom Thayer were named the inaugural class.

Sharp also mentioned another

word: excellence.

“It’s an outstanding class,” said Sharp, JCA’s athletic director and chairman of the Hall of Champions committee.

“The names truly speak for themselves. We could not be more proud of this class, our inaugural class, and the many that will follow. They represent the best of our four great schools.”

In fact, Alstott, Gannon, Grant, Madarik and TortorelloNelson represent graduates from Joliet Catholic, St. Francis Academy and JCA. De La Salle preceded Joliet Catholic. The

see jca | page 16

photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Former NFL fullback Mike Alstott leads the 2015 class of inductees of the Hall of Champions.

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Wedn esday, February 25, 2015 | bug lenewspapers.com oster | from page 12 get the lead so I didn’t have to scramble at the end.”

Shayne opened the tournament with a 5-1 win over Jon Cullen of Cary Grove, followed by a pin in 5 minutes, 11 seconds over Naperville Central’s Ben Williams and a 7-2 decision over Wheaton Warrenville South’s Qarin Johnic.

Lockport sophomore Abdullah Assaf had a bye in the first round after a wrestler at 113 was unable to compete and no alternate was available. He then defeated Niles Notre Dame’s Jimmy Gallardo, who injury defaulted the match with one second remaining in regulation.

In the semifinal match, Assaf was defeated by a 16-6 major decision by Glenbard North’s Austin Gomez.

Assaf then went on to win two straight matches, defeating Kaleb Guizor of Mt. Carmel 13-8 to get into the third-place match.

For the medal, Asaaf went into sudden victory overtime with Robbie Precin of Sandburg.

Assaf got a takedown and won the match 3-1.

“I knew I had to keep pushing,” Assaf said. “He had good defense, I saw it all tournament. I knew I just had to keep pushing and I would get in.”

Assaf is already looking to build off this season.

I think I had a pretty solid year.

The first thing was knowing that I could hang with these kids and now I know I can,” Assaf said. “I wasn’t even a sectional qualifier last year and to come down here

in one year and take third, you better watch out because you guys are going to see me in a year on that podium taking first place.”

Minooka junior Carson Oughton opened the tournament at 170 with a pair of pins, pinning Mt. Carmel’s Cameron Lopez in 1 minute, 19 seconds and then pinned Deerfield’s Brady Glantz in 2:52.

In the semifinals, Oughton lost 3-2 to Riley DeMoss of Marmion Academy.

Oughton bounced back with a pair of wins, defeating Brian Krasowski of Sandburg 3-2 in ultimate tie breaker. He then went on to claim third place with a 6-3 win over Matt Wroblewski of Prospect.

“This was a big accomplishment,” Oughton said.

“Not where I wanted to finish – I wanted to be on top – but I fell a little short in the semifinals, but I came back and took home a third-place medal, so I can’t complain too much.”

The mental aspect of coming back was what helped Oughton claim third.

“I was pretty down in the dumps (after the loss),” he said.

“But I slept on it, did a little soul searching and came out and won the wrestleback match and then dominated. Ending the season with a win feels good and I will be back chasing that title next year.”

Joliet West’s Darvell Flagg opened the tournament with a pair of wins at 103 pounds, defeating Deerfield’s Dylan Utterback 7-4 and then beating Kirk Johansen 4-3 in ultimate tie

breaker.

Flagg fell in the semifinals 5-3 to Sandburg’s Louie Hayes.

Flagg then defeated McHenry’s Ian Mullen 9-4 to advance to the third-place match.

In that match, Flagg again met up with Johansen, who this time defeated Flagg 3-0.

“I am proud of what I did,” Flagg said. “I think I wrestled well. I think I outwrestled him, the one takedown I thought I had, but the call didn’t go my way.”

Flagg knows the work he put in to get to this point and with another year left, he plans to work harder.

“I know the work I put in during the offseason to do from not placing last year to taking fourth this year,” he said. “Next year, I can do better than that.”

Lockport’s Trevell Timmons won a pair of matches to open the meet, beating Grant’s Michael Kouvelis 7-2 at 152 and then he defeated Wheaton North’s Devin Donovan 7-1 in the quarterfinals before falling in the semifinals to Walter White of Oak Park-River Forest 19-7.

In the wrestleback semifinals, Timmons fell 8-5 to Juwan Edmond of Hinsdale Central.

Timmons was awarded fifth place when West Aurora’s Alex Gonzalez was forced to injury default.

Lockport senior Tyler Johnson suffered his first loss of the season in the semifinals of 195 when he fell 4-3 to Luke Greenberg of Glenbard North.

Johnson opened the tournament with pin in 45 seconds over Conant’s Andrew Zerfas. He then

15

beat Dru Walker of Mt. Carmel 4-3 in quarterfinals.

In the wrestlebacks, Johnson advanced to the third-place match via injury default when Neuqua Valley’s D.J. Warkenthien was unable to compete.

Johnson then lost again in the third-place match 8-2 to Christian Brunner of DundeeCrown.

Also at 195, Minooka’s Josh Bouie was pinned in 3:16

by Glenbard North’s Luke Greenberg. He then fell 10-2 to Waubonsie Valley’s Max Ihry in the wrestlebacks.

Lockport’s Chris Murino was pinned in the opening round in 37 seconds by Harlem’s Kailor Hecox at 220. Murino was then eliminated with a 5-2 loss to Chris Zhang of Naperville North.

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16 jca | from page 14 ties to the past resonate today.

Mike Alstott (‘92) led JCA to the Class 4A state football title in 1990, transformed himself into a fullback at Purdue University, then was drafted in the second round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played 12 years in the NFL, made six Pro Bowls, won the Super Bowl, and is now coaching high school in Florida.

“What you hear constantly about Mike is his tremendous work ethic,” Sharp said. “He set a goal to play professional football, and no one worked harder to achieve that goal. He worked harder than anyone else out there to be the best, and he’s teaching what it takes to be the very best to his players today.”

Terry Gannon (‘81), a standout basketball player, led the Hillmen to regional titles as a junior and as a senior, earning

Wedn esday, February 25, 2015 | bug lenewspapers.com a scholarship to the North Carolina State. He won the national championship under Jim Valvano in 1983, the same year he led the nation in 3-point shooting. He’s an announcer for ABC Sports.

“Terry’s a multitalented young man, and Valvano recruited him for his shooting ability, knowing the ACC was going to the threepoint line,” Sharp recalled. “He also was a tremendous pitcher in baseball. You combine his work ethic, preparation, personality and quick wit, and it makes him a great broadcaster.”

Mark Grant (‘81) was drafted in the first round, 10th overall, by the San Francisco Giants only days after leading Joliet Catholic to the second of backto-back state final appearances.

He pitched in the major leagues for San Diego, Atlanta, Colorado, Houston and Seattle. He’s a color analyst for Padre games.

“Mark pitched one of the greatest games I ever saw,” Sharp said. “It was at Joliet West, and he struck out 20 of 21 batters. Off the field, he’s one of the funniest, most enthusiastic, happiest people. He’s like a magnet — everybody wants to be around him. He has a strong passion for baseball, people, and JCA.” Elmer “Tippy” Madarik (‘40) played football at the University of Detroit-Mercy before enlisting to fight in World War II. He later played in the NFL for both the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins, and was noted for his versatility as a halfback, wingback or tailback in the single-wing offenses of that era.

“We have Coby Fleener playing in the NFL right now with the Colts, but Tippy was our first,” Sharp said. “His family, the

Madarik name, is woven in the fabric of our school. I’ve always heard about how great of player he was, and that says something that his legacy, from 1939 and 1940, still lasts to this day.”

Liz Tortorello-Nelson (‘88) was the first star of the volleyball program. She took consecutive Angel teams downstate, led Wisconsin to the Big Ten title and Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament, and coached at Loyola University for 11 years.

She’s an athletic director at Latin and works for the Big Ten Network.

“When you look at the history and the tremendous job Christine Scheibe is doing with the program, it all started with Liz getting things going as a player,” Sharp said of TortorelloNelson, JCA’s first female winner of the Paddy McGowan Award. “The Tortorello name is synonymous with Angel

volleyball.”

Alstott, Gannon, Grant, Madarik and Tortorello-Nelson will be introduced at halftime of the first home football game on Friday, Sept. 4, against Wheaton North, and will take part in the Alumni Golf Outing that afternoon. An induction ceremony will be held in the Student Activity Center on Saturday, Sept. 5.

Contact Sue Bebar, JCA’s director of alumni relations and Hall of Champions co-chair, for more details.

“We’ve worked closely with Sue, who has done a tremendous job with our alumni relationship,” Sharp said. “We have the golf outing, and with such strong attendance at our football games, it makes a great introduction on a signature weekend. We feel the Hall of Champions is very prestigious, very deserving.”

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17

plainField

q & a with local athletes

feaTuring

aleX netZel Swimmer

are you more of a facebook or twitter person?

Twitter how many followers on twitter do you have? i’ve only got 100 or so. what do you like to do on twitter? i don’t do much on there. i kind of look at the news and see what my friends are up to and stuff like that. any humorous or interesting stories related to twitter? we’ve got a pretty good rivalry between us and oswego, and we just like to give it to each other every once in a while.

was little league right in revoking Jackie Robinson west us title?

yes

no

67% 33% nicole troha @nicoles_Way which boys basketball team will advance the furthest in the playoffs?

plainField nortH maine soutH bolingbrooK benet

“lockport is the best high school bowling team in the state. point blank. we are lp”

@taylor_Sports: lockport celebrates fourth state bowling title!

illinoisboWling @illinoisboWling “lockport is your state girls bowling champions!” reZ @mrreZ9 “congrats to the lockport girls bowling on winning state! impressive numbers! #ihsastatefinals”

News about local businesses in your community

18

Wedn esday, February 25, 2015 | bug lenewspapers.com trial | from page 9 point. He remembered people sleeping overnight in bushes around the courthouse to make sure they were among the first in line to get pick for one of the seats in the courtroom. “ Peterson is currently serving a 38-year sentence at Menard Correctional Center in Randolph County after being convicted in 2012 for the 2004 murder of his third wife, 40-year-old Kathleen Savio.

He is also a suspect in the 2007 disappearance of his fourth wife, 23-year-old Stacy Peterson. Drew Peterson’s original sentence has him behind bars until he is 93.

It is currently on appeal. The solicitation for murder charge carries a penalty of 15 to 30 years, while the solicitation of murder for hire carries a penalty of 20 to 40 years, according to Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

For the pretrial in the Savio murder trial, there were 81 media passes and 210 for the trial itself, White said. Randolph County officials are thinking about appointing one person to coordinate the media and to run the lottery.

Wolff said that person as well as one to handle the media would come from his office. “This amount of media attention will cause us to adjust our procedures a little bit. We

will be reaching out to the media and the public prior to the preliminary hearing to inform them of what the changes will be.”

Wolff said he hoped to release those changes soon.

“If anybody has any questions regarding parking procedures or security protocols, they can contact the Sheriff’s Office,” Wolff said. “We will get a plan out as soon as we can.

“We have limited space around the courthouse, and it’s better to have clear communication to the media as far as where they can be and what they can and can’t do,” he said. “It makes it easier on them and easier on us.”

Wolff stressed the only issues regarding the Peterson case his office is handling are security and logistics. “Questions regarding the case need to be directed to the Attorney General’s office,” he said.

Also present for the meeting were Chester Police Chief Ryan Coffey, a representative from the Attorney General’s office and several different office-holders, according to Wolff.

“It was a great meeting,” Wolff said. “It gave us the information we needed to start planning for this. It would have been difficult to know what to plan for if we didn’t have that meeting.”

White cautioned that plans

are still in the preliminary stages and “nothing is set in stone.”

The group is to meet again prior to Peterson’s March 3 court appearance. Paul Kaupas said they asked him to return for another meeting, but he said he would see how the March 3 hearing went before deciding if he was needed again.

“It sounds like it will be a combined effort between the RandolphCountySheriff’sOffice, Chester Police Department, Department of Corrections, the Attorney General’s office and the (Illinois) State Police have offered their help,” White said.

He added that officials haven’t ruled out charging the media for specific services in order to recoup some of the county’s expenses.

“We have to provide employee parking still, so (Will County officials) said they were charging because the media brought their tractor-trailers,” he said, referring to the original Peterson proceedings. “It was $500 a week for the media to park their semis.

“Media that was on the list to get a transcription of the proceedings paid a fee for that.”

Pete Spitler, Managing Editor of The (Randolph County) Herald Tribune, and Bugle Managing Editor Nick Reiher collaborated on this story.

hot air | from page 4 “I believe I was told the matter had been taken care of,” O’Dekirk said. “You never followed up with a phone call, but I never followed up by checking for the stop sign.”

And that fork in your pocket?

Does Joliet City Councilman Terry Morris have a dangerous habit?

O’Dekirk mentioned Tuesday that he recently had visited Cheesecake by James, 20 E. Cass St. While there, he spotted an invoice for Morris. It was for six cheesecakes.

“I thought maybe we needed a cheesecake intervention,” O’Dekirk said.

Morris explained they weren’t for him – at least not all of them.

“My wife sent me down there to pay for them.”

When Donkeys and Elephants fly …

The shock was palpable when ultra-right wing County Board Member Steve Balich, R-Homer Township, said he agreed with ultra-left wing colleague Jackie Traynere, D-Bolingbrook, in

defeating a resolution on residential lighting displays.

“When I see Jackie and Steve agreeing, it brings a tear to my eye,” said Chuck Maher, R-Naperville, the board’s Republican Caucus Chair. Board Speaker Jim Moustis, R-Frankfort, said it showed that most of the time, the board can act in a bi-partisan way for the good of the county.

Condolences …

To Moustis on the recent death of his mother Rose at age 90. “My Dad was a real SOB,” Moustis said in comments at the end of the Feb. 19 County Board meeting. “My Mom would say, ‘Oh, honey, your father loves you. That’s just the way he is.’ She was a real sweetheart.”

So long …

And congratulations to Sharon Lorenz who retires Feb. 27 after 18 years with the county, including the last 10 1/2 as Will County Executive Larry Walsh’s secretary. She’ll have more time to spend with that grandbaby now.

Reporter Stewart Warren and Managing Editor Nick Reiher contributed to this week’s article.

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Wednesday, February 25, 2015 | buglenewspapers.com

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W e d n e s d ay, F e b r ua r y 2 5 , 2 0 1 5 | b ug le ne ws pa pe r s .co m Business & Private Party Classified Ads: $16 per week, 20 words or less. Weddings, Births & Engagements: Black & White - $25, Color - $35. Obituaries: $35.

Stay informed with our legal listings Wedn esday, February 25, 2015 | bug lenewspapers.com

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IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE 12TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT WILL COUNTY - JOLIET, ILLINOIS STANDARD BANK & TRUST COMPANY PLAINTIFF vs.

JBDOAK, LLC; DEREK E. BRENCZEWSKI; JAMES M. O’CONNELL; FIRST MIDWEST BANK; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; STATE OF ILLINOIS; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS DEFENDANTS FIRST MIDWEST BANK DEFENDANT/COUNTERPLAINTIFF Vs. MCBRODY’S INVESTMENT, LLC; JBDOAK, LLC; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; STATE OF ILLINOIS; and UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS COUNTER-DEFENDANTS 14 CH 02790 NOTICE BY PUBLICATION NOTICE IS GIVEN TO YOU: Unknown Owners and Nonrecord Claimants That this case has been commenced in this Court against you and other defendants, praying for the foreclosure of a certain Mortgage conveying the premises described as follows, to-wit: LOTS 8, 9, 20 AND 21, IN OSGOOD’S SUBDIVISION OF THE SOUTH 1/2 OF BLOCK 22, IN THE ORIGINAL TOWN OF JULIET, NOW JOLIET, IN SECTION 9, TOWNSHIP 35 NORTH, RANGE 10 EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN THE CITY OF JOLIET, IN WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS. PINs: 07-09-442-013-0000, 07-09-442014-0000, 07-09-442-019-0000 and 0709-442-020-0000 Commonly known as: 73 W. Jefferson St., Joliet, Illinois 60453 and which said Mortgage was made by: FIRST MIDWEST BANK, the Mortgagor(s), to MCBRODY’S INVESTMENTS, LLC, as Mortgagee, and recorded in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Will County, Illinois, as Document No. R2003020254; and for other relief; that summons was duly issued out of said Court against you as provided by law and that the said suit is now pending.

NOW, THEREFORE, UNLESS YOU file your answer or otherwise file your appearance in this case in the Office of the Clerk of this Court, Pamela McGuire Will County Clerk 57 N. Ottawa Street Joliet, IL 60432 on or before March 13, 2015, A DEFAULT MAY BE ENTERED AGAINST YOU AT ANY TIME AFTER THAT DAY AND A JUDGMENT MAY BE ENTERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRAYER OF SAID COMPLAINT. GARFIELD & MEREL, LTD. 180 N. STETSON, SUITE 1300 CHICAGO, IL 60601 312/583-1600 ATTORNEY NO. 26319 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act you are advised that this law firm is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

I644919 Published 2/11, 2/18, 2/25

News for you from around Will County

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Wedn esday, February 25, 2015 | bug lenewspapers.com

Joliet news

Committee approves cell tower School board recognizes for Knights of Columbus property students for activities Superintendent says activities may go away with pending legislation By jeannE millsap For the sentinel

sweditor@buglenewspapers.com @ShorewoodNews

The Troy District 30C school board meeting was moved from its normal location in the district office to the Troy Middle School auditorium this month to accommodate the many students and their families who were there for recognition of student academic achievement and activities.

After the recognitions, however, Superintendent Todd Koehl issued a caveat about the future of the activities in the district’s schools. If Illinois Senate Bill 16 continues on its progress through the legislature, he said, the schools’ programs may no longer be affordable to the district.

“Our school district will be in danger of not being able to offer these programs,” Koehl said.

According to the Illinois State Board of Education, the School Funding Reform Act would overhaul the way the state funds public schools by setting up a system where the vast majority of funds would be distributed based on the property wealth from residences and businesses in each school district.

More funding would also be given to districts with more English language learners, special education students, low income students, and gifted students. The bill aims to prioritize districts where there is seen to be greater student need.

The Troy district stands to lose some $4 million in funding should SB16 become law, according to Koehl’s calculations.

Koehl said that although his heart goes out to students in lower income districts, he would hate to see Troy’s programs cut should the bill pass.

The board and administrators were seated on the stage, with

board member David Talarico present by speaker phone.

The top Troy Spelling Bee champions were recognized and congratulated at the meeting.

First place went to Summit Kumar, who was not present; second place went to Sophia Delgadillo; and third place was earned by Clarissa Mason.

Summit will represent Troy in the Will County Spelling Bee in March.

January Students of the Month from William B. Orenic Intermediate School and Troy Middle School were also recognized and given certificates and coupons from the Troy Lions Club. The district’s poms and cheerleading teams were recognized for their performances at state competition.

Also at Wednesday’s meeting, William B. Orenic Principal Larry Piatek told the board how the school has been increasing instructional time. One was is by making announcements during lunch, rather than during class.

A feature called, “WBO News,” is also read to students during lunch period. Student volunteers read that news, Piatek said.

He showed a video of students Katelynn Munoz and Natalie Gehrig reading news of such items as school recycling, band spirit wear orders and a Yearbook Club meeting.

Making math classes double block in fifth and sixth grades also increases instructional time, Piatek said, as does making school days either “A” or “B” days to allow additional double block classes.

The school board also: Voted to keep school fees the same next year as they were this year.

Hired Julius Jackson and Carrie Miller as crossing guards, Carrie Miller as a lunch/recess aide and Lisa Petersen as parttime custodian.

Awarded a cash rent bid for the district’s Essington Road property to the highest bidder, Kulbartz Farm, of Lockport.

Approved a notice to remedy regarding a staff member, as presented in closed session.

Neighbors say tower ‘unsightly’

By Stewart Warren staff reporter

stewartwarren509@yahoo.com @stewartwarren

Verizon Wireless needs a new cell phone tower on the west side of Joliet.

The company’s cell phone service needs improvement near Infantry Drive and Jefferson Street.

“It is a weak spot,” said Eric Lennington of Ton 80 Realty Services, the company representingVerizon. He explained the project at the Feb. 19 meeting of Joliet’s Zoning Board of Appeals meeting. “There is a lot of activity out there, a lot of business, a lot of traffic. They need to be where the users are.”

After much searching and the rejection of two other locations because of logistical issues, Lennington found the right spot.

The company want to build the

115-foot structure on the Knights of Columbus’ property, 100 S. 129th Infantry Drive, just south of Jefferson Street. The Knights welcomes the project. A 50year lease for the tower means ongoing revenue for the struggling volunteer organization that does good works for disabled children.

“We look at this as a win-win,” said Bill Jenkins, president of the club. In this still-tough economy, the Knights are handling their financial matters one day at a time, he said.

But at least a few neighbors aren’t happy about it, and they came to the zoning meeting to complain.

“We are definitely not in favor of it,” said Denise Nieminc, manager of the nearby Golf View Estates, a condominium development that is between Caterpillar and Infantry drives. The pole is unsightly, she said.

Jackie Mass, who manages the Park Tower Apartments, the senior citizens’ high rise at 247 Caterpillar Drive, agreed.

“We are opposed to it because

police > crime

we think it is unsightly,” Mass said.

She suggested another location for the cell phone tower – the roof of the Park Tower Building. “We also have a roof that would not require another pole to be built that would be unsightly,” she said.

Jenkins urged the members of the zoning board to consider the Knights of Columbus’ role in the community. The group has done everything possible to minimize the impact of the tower on the nearby community, he said.

The members of the zoning board voted unanimously to approve the special use permit, a kind of permission to be exempt from existing zoning regulations.

“I don’t really see it as a problem where it is located,” said Ed Hennessy, the longtime chairman of the zoning board. “The towers themselves are all over the place.

There is one within a block of where I live, and I don’t even notice it.”

The Joliet City Council now will consider the matter and make the final decision about the cell phone tower.

Joliet man arrested on child pornography charges Michael T. Hughes, 35, 1607 Rickey Drive, Joliet, was arrested on Feb. 18 by Will County Sheriff’s Police for six counts of possession of child pornography.

The Will County Sherriff’s Investigations Division and the Will County Sheriff’s High

Tech Crime Unit found images of Michael T. child pornography Hughes was on Hughes’ cell charged with six counts phone. of child Hughes is being pornography held in the Will County Jail, and his bond was set at $200,000.

Pa ge 2 3 | W ednesday, February 25, 2015 | joli etbug le.com

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