Joliet 8-22-18

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EVENTS

Calendar Events Upcoming events in your area SEE PAGE 3

SPORTS

PIGSKIN PREVIEW Football season kicks off Friday SEE PAGE 5

BUSINESS Dave Says Work together to raise ямБnancially responsible children SEE PAGE 8

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OUR GUIDE TO FALL EVENTS INSIDE THIS ISSUE!

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

COMMUNITY

Ballpark building up for development City steps up to the plate for another swing at development

BY MARNEY SIMON Enterprise Staff @PlainfieldNews news@enterprisepublications.com

The city of Joliet will take another swing at a redevelopment plan for a prominent downtown property next to the Route 66 Stadium.

On Aug. 16, the Economic Development Committee head a proposal from Ball Park Commons, LLC, to revamp the 18,000 square foot building at 141 E. Jefferson St., adjacent to the Route 66 Stadium.

In May, the city initiated a statement of interest and development vision/request for qualifications (RFQ) to seek a developer at the site, after a previous proposal fell through.

After two “strong proposals” were reviewed by staff, a plan submitted from Ball Park Commons, LLC was brought to the committee.

The proposal offers a redevelopment that will include 10 to 11 upscale, multi-family units on the upper two floors of the building, with commercial use on the first floor.

Ball Park Commons submitted an estimated 12-month project schedule, budget, bank statements, conceptual drawings, and

Ball Park Commons, LLC has also indicated they will post a $25,000 performance bond, upon execution of a development agreement and returned to only after the project is completed in the timeframe allotted.

The estimated price tag to rehab the structure is $1.7 million.

The building is owned by the city of Joliet, however, the economic development team noted that selling the structure, versus making plans for redevelopment, would likely result in the building being torn down. That’s why the city has taken the lead in the redevelopment process.

“Staff is very supportive of this use for the building,” said Economic Development Specialist Derek Conley. “This is a building that was built in the 1920s. There’s a lot of investment that would have to go into the building to make it viable.

It’s also been vacant for decades now, so, there’s a lot of wear and tear. There’s asbestos in the building that needs to be abated, the roof is caving in. So, it needs a lot of work So, we don’t think that we could sell this building to a developer that would look at it as viable.”

The committee briefly discussed market value of the structure versus rehab costs, but, Committee Chair Larry Hug suggested the group take it one step at a time.

“I think we’re slightly getting ahead of ourselves. Really, what you’re here for is approval of the conclusion of the search and then the right to move forward,” Hug said. “Right now, I don’t think we need to get that deep in the weeds for the details.”

The building has a seamless connection to the Route 66 Stadium, so public access would be addressed so there is no free flow of tenants into the stadium.

A sculpture of steel workers built

along the side of the building will stay in place.

The building needs some serious upgrades, including a new roof, tuckpointing, removal of lead-based paint, and removal and relocation of the elevator and stairwells.

The ground floor will be divided into three, 1,000-square foot retail spaces. A signed letter of intent from an Italian restaurant to use a portion of that commercial space was also submitted with the packet to the economic development committee. That letter of intent and evidence to support the developer’s financial capability were also viewed as significant positives of

the proposal.

Ball Park Commons, LLC’s managing member is Jeff Thompson.

Thompson has been involved in a number of local redevelopment deals, including restoration of homes and historic buildings in Naperville, Lockport, Plainfield, and Chicago.

The committee voted unanimously to accept the proposal from Ball Park Commons, LLC, and advance the firm to the negotiation phase.

This is the second time that the city has taken a serious look at redevelopment of the site.

Plans to develop the property as the ‘Stadium Club” were abandoned last spring, after the developer told the city that the project was unable to proceed as originally planned.

In 2017, the city approved a $300,000 TIF grant for the previous developer. While TIF funding for this proposal is still being negotiated, staff noted that the new developer will likely look to utilize around the same amount.

The plan will move forward in the development phase, and then come again before the economic development committee once more before it gets forwarded to the city council for approval.

VILLAGE NEWS

Walsh delivers 2018 State of the County Address Highlights include capital projects, transportation plans, and strong economy

BY MARNEY SIMON Enterprise Staff @PlainfieldNews news@enterprisepublications.com

Will County Executive Larry Walsh gave a rundown on what’s happening in Will County on Aug. 16, delivering the annual State of the County address to the Will County Board.

The update included highlights of major capital projects and major transportation efforts.

“Will County continues to prosper with steady population growth and many new construction projects,” Walsh said. “County government is working hard to maintain a high quality of life while growing our regional economy.”

Walsh noted a number of significant projects throughout the county.

“Will County government is in the midst of the largest capital campaign in our 182-year history,” Walsh said. “This is a very exciting time, as we have hosted many ribbon cuttings and ground breakings for new buildings over the last several years. Since conducting comprehensive space needs assessment and master plans process nearly 10 years ago, we have been taking many steps to consolidate the functions of county government, streamline operational costs, and provide services to our residents in a convenient and efficient manner.”

Walsh said the smaller projects have laid the foundation for larger projects, like the $33 million Will County Sheriff’s communication center and the now under construction 10-story Will County Courthouse.

The new courthouse has a price tag of $210 million and will house 38 courtrooms. Completion is expected by fall 2020.

“This modern courthouse will accommodate the needs of our county for many years to come. We are also working closely with the City of Joliet on reopening Chicago Street and looking forward to the new revitalized city plaza across from the Rialto Theater. These projects are an important part of the renaissance of downtown Joliet… We are proud to be part of this renewal of our county seat.”

Walsh also said plans to update the health department facilities and centralizing of offices will make government more efficient and provide better services to the community.

“A new health department building will enable our employees continue to offer superior services and protect the health of our residents.

The existing building has long outlived its functional life and our residents and staff deserve better,”

Walsh said.

The Executive added that the county plans to embrace technology, implementing a new IT system and bringing government services via online permitting and inspection scheduling system in the Land Use department and a new case management system to support operations of the States Attorney, Public Defender and other law enSEE WALSH PAGE 11

FORUM

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GUEST COLUMN

CALENDAR

Chuck Sweeny of the Rockford Register Star can be reached at csweeny@rrstar.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.

U P CO M I N G E V E N T S I N YO U R A R E A

The Cathedral of Saint Raymond Nonnatus is proud to present the first installment of its 2018-2019 Cathedral Music Series. On Sunday, September 16, 2018 at 3 p.m., Cathedral Vocal Showcase features Cathedral singers Tom Cameron, Michelle Gliottoni Rodriguez, Rachel Mallette, Nicole Marzano, and Kyle Minett in an afternoon of sacred arias, duets, and trios to begin an exciting season of sacred music programming at the Cathedral.

They will be joined on piano and organ by the Cathedral’s Director of Music, James Grzadzinski. The program includes selections by composers such as Vivaldi, Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Berlioz, Saint-Saëns, and Puccini, as well as music by contemporary composers.

In addition to the Sunday, September 16th program, please mark your calendars for additional 2018-2019 Ca-

thedral Music Series dates include: Sunday, December 2, 2018 at 3:00pm - Advent Vespers - Featuring the Cathedral Choirs - Organ and Choral Prelude at 3:00pm; Vespers immediately following at 3:15pm; Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 7:00pm - Christmastide Choral Concert - Featuring the Cathedral Choirs under the direction of James Grzadzinski, Cathedral Director of Music; assisted by Richard Siegel, Cathedral Associate Organist; Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at 7:00pm - Tenebrae - Sung by the Cathedral Choral Scholars; Sunday, June 2, 2019 at 3:00pm - Organ and Saxophone Recital -Featuring James Grzadzinski and Richard Siegel, Cathedral Organists; and Joshua Rodriguez, Saxophone A free will offering benefits the Cathedral Music Program.

Ample free parking is available. The Cathedral is located at 604 N. Raynor Avenue in Joliet, Illinois.

E D I TO R I a l

Navy for decades. The firm also built a $50 million testing facility for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and has been a key subcontractor for Boeing. It employs nearly 2,000 people in Rockford.

Boeing , one of the world’s largest corporations, moved its corporate headquarters from Seattle to Chicago in 2001.

The company is in a 36-story building at 100 North Riverside Plaza in the West Loop.

In 2016, Wood Dale-based AAR Corp. opened a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at Chicago Rockford International Airport, which is now servicing aircraft from major airlines.

Rockford also boasts UPS’ secondlargest air hub for parcel sorting.

In addition to aviation manufacturing, Illinois’ airports provide jobs for 337,419 people, either directly or indirectly, according to an Illinois Department of Transportation study. Altogether they earn $12.8 billion.

From commercial airlines that serve 11 Illinois airports to the variety of general aviation services found throughout the state, the aviation industry creates more than $40 billion in economic activity, according to IDOT. Illinois also boasts one of the world’s busiest airports, Chicago O’Hare, which in 2016 handled 867,635 flights, according to the FAA. Chicago Midway handled 253,046 flights during the same year.

DESIgN

Many Illinoisans don’t realize it, but our state is a center of aerospace and aviation technology.

Illinois’ aerospace cluster is centered around the northern and northeastern portion of the state. The Rockford area alone has more than 70 companies in the aerospace supply chain employing 7,000 people, says the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

If you include Chicago and southeastern Wisconsin, “there are more than 200 companies in the aerospace cluster, including giants such as AAR Corp., Northrop Grumman and Boeing,” DCEO says.

Illinois is home to prime contractors and subcontractors that together supply the U.S. military, NASA, Boeing, Airbus and smaller airplane manufacturers with numerous systems and components.

In fact, it’s been estimated that there’s no commercial jet in the air today (apart from those made in Russia) that does not have Illinois-made parts and systems on it.

Why northern Illinois? Sagar Patel, president of aircraft turbines at Woodward Inc. in Loves Park, explains.

“Over time we have built the ecosystem here, with companies that planted their roots here long ago and have adapted to the changing technologies successfully,” says Patel.

In 2016 Woodward, founded 147 years ago in Rockford, built a $300 million factory to manufacture jet engine fuel systems that can be found on most jets. The

new, 440,000-squarefoot plant, which is gearing up to employ more than 1,000 people, is the company’s second in Loves Park. The first one, built in 1941, continues to operate.

The northern Illinois aerospace ecosystem of companies is recognized as having “solid research and development, staying ahead of the competition from around the world,” Patel said. “If you continue doing that, you’ll continue to be relevant and strong,” he said, adding, “as long as we don’t get complacent.

“Customers are looking for continued innovation, quality improvement and cost reduction. If you rest on success, you begin to decline.”

Illinois parts are in outer space, too.

Precision gears made by Roscoe’s Forest City Gear are working today on the surface of Mars.

In 2013, NASA’s $2.5 billion Mars Curiosity Rover was the first robot to drill into the surface Mars, to find evidence of wet environmental conditions in the distant past.

According to Forest City Gear’s website, “More than 70 gears produced and manufactured by Forest City Gear helped actuate Curiosity’s mobility systems and the robotic arm responsible for all critical drilling operations.”

Forest City Gear also produced gears for the Spirit and Opportunity Rovers that landed on Mars in 2004. The firm’s parts are also on the International Space Station.

Rockford’s UTC Aerospace helped design and build the space shuttle for NASA, and has made torpedoes for the

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COUNTY

NEWS

FROM THE SURROUNDING COUNTY AREA

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

VILLAGE NEWS

PHOTO BY MARNEY SIMON | BUGLE STAFF

The Market Street business park in Shorewood has several vacant lots. The park’s northwest corner will now be developed into a new daycare center, following a unanimous approval by the Village Board this month.

New life for Shorewood shopping center Board says yes to daycare facility

BY MARNEY SIMON Enterprise Staff @PlainfieldNews news@enterprisepublications.com

One of Shorewood’s major shopping centers waiting for occupants will get a new tenant on one vacant space.

On Aug. 14, the Village Board approved the site plan and a conditional use permit for a new day care facility in the Shorewood Market Street subdivision. The new facility will sit in the northern corner of the lot anchored by Home Depot.

The 10,000 square foot building will be placed on 1.59 acres of land, and house “The Learning Experience” day care and early childhood facility.

“The site already has its storm water management provided in the existing pond for the Home Depot Center. They will have no

direct access on Black Road, so they will access from the internal driveway within the shopping center,” explained village planner Rod Tonelli. “There is a six-foot privacy fence around the outdoor paly area for the children, and that’s segmented by an internal four-foot fence that segments them into different age groups.”

The site will hold a capacity of 183 children.

It’s an important development to the center, village officials said, adding some new life to a development that has multiple empty lots that have stood vacant for years.

“This corner, because it’s the furthest away spot from Route 59, is really like a second or third tier commercial corner,” Tonelli said. “So, it lends itself more to be something in the office or service area as opposed to retail. But, with lots available and inline space out there, getting anything happening out there is a good thing. So, this could be a catalyst.”

Trustees noted that their first impression was that a daycare cen-

ter may not belong in a shopping center, however, trustees said they were satisfied with the plans as laid out.

“When I first saw this I thought, a daycare center out there? I thought about it for a little bit, and that corner is probably the best place up in that area for a day care center. It’s good to see a little something happening up there,” said Trustee Dan Anderson.

Regarding buffering between the entire business park and neighboring homes on Parkshore Drive, the village contacted Home Depot to address some maintenance issues, including spots where plants have died, or part of the berm has sunk or fallen away.

Village officials said Home Depot would be investing a significant amount of money to get the back side of the berm back to the way it was intended.

The board waived the second read on the ordinance and approved the conditional use permit and the site plan by unanimous vote.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

PAGE 5

FOOTBALL > PIGSKIN PREVIEW

ARE YOU

READY? Local teams are ready to begin a new season as high school football kicks off Friday night

FROM STAFF REPORTS www.buglenewspapers.com

With the start of the new school year comes a new football season and new expectations for all teams.

Every team will enter Friday night with the same 0-0 record, and all of them will have the same ultimate goal — to make the playoffs and win a state championship.

That is no different for the teams in the Voyager Media coverage area.

MINOOKA The Indians come in on paper with their second new head coach in as many years, but that is only on paper.

As (new coach) John (Belskis) said “the only thing that has changed is who goes out for the coin flip.”

McCombs lead Minooka to a

9-3 season last year with fellow Hall-of-Famers Belskis and Bob Williams on his staff. McCombs was then hospitalized with some heart issues following the season and stepped aside as head coach, but remains on the staff.

Belskis was head coach at Downers Grove South from 1989 to 2012, posting a 201-62 record with 22 playoff appearances.

“In my feeling, Johnny Belskis is the best head coach in the state of Illinois,” McCombs said at the WJOL kickoff show. “He gets more out of kids than anyone I have ever seen. He is A-plus.”

The Indians will have to replace several seniors, including hard-hitting defensive back Max Christiano.

Nick Daniel will move from starting outside linebacker to the secondary this year.

“The way we run our defense is SEE PREVIEW PAGE 6

FILE PHOTO

Keenan Hailey returns in the JCA backfield as the Hillmen look to battle in a tough ESCC.

TWITTER: For up -to-the-minute coverage of upcoming local sport events going on in your area, follow @VoyagerSport

6 SPORTS PREVIEW FROM PAGE 5

that we call it by the way the offense lines up,” McCombs said.

“We don’t know what we are going to run until our opponents line up. Nick is so good at getting us in the right spot. Maybe as good as every kid I have ever coached.”

Junior Jake Shipla will be a twoway starter on the offensive and defensive line this season, while 6-foot, 3-inch, 220-pounder Kyle Williamson returns from a knee injury to help anchor the line.

They will block for returning

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM running back Connor Etzkorn, who was injured in the summer after track, but is back.

The man handing the ball off is not decided yet, as junors Seth Lehr and Stevie Gonzalez battle for the spot.

Whoever earns the job will be throwing to Braden Vercler, the returning leading receiver.

JOLIET CATHOLIC ACADEMY Jake Jaworski is back for his second year at the helm and he is not the only one on the Hilltoppers that should benefit from a year of

experience.

JCA posted a 3-6 record last season, going 2-5 in the vaunted East Suburban Catholic Conference.

This year, Jaworski said the team goals are to “compete at the highest level each and every week. Win the ESCC and make a run in the playoffs. We had a good offseason and work to get better each and every day.”

At the skill positions, the Hilltopper running back trio of Keenan Hailey, Kenyetta Williams and Nick Iannantone will pose a threat to opponent’s defenses.

Jordan Alvarez comes in and replaces Aiden Tyrell at quarterback.

Protecting them upfront will be returning senior linemen Ryan Laule, Ty O’Janovac, Colin Cox and Dave Monnot, who are all listed as two-way linemen.

Seven starters return to the defensive side of the ball, including linebackers Fernando Chavez and Max Briscoe. The defensive secondary will be lead by Mundo Meyer and Kurt Weis.

Placekicker Tony Trabold returns for third varsity season.

LOCKPORT The Porters are coming off a 2-7 season overall and 1-5 in the SouthWest Suburban Conference a tear ago – this year, coach Dan Starkey and Lockport are looking to challenge for a conference title.

“To achieve that goal, we have to play great defense, special teams and be balanced offensively while not turning the ball over,” he said.

The Porters are returning three starters on the offensive line as far as seniors Ray Pustelnik and OL Chris Walus as well as junior Payton Collins.

A group of junior linemen with significant size, including junior Billy Doyle, will join the returners.

The skill positions, including quarterback, will be inexperienced.

Juniors Marcos Voulgaris and Bryan Mane are in competition for the quarterback position, while senior Leslie Nartey will look to have an impact in the backfield.

Junior receiver Malik Makhlouf and senior tight end Joe Edwards will look to solidify the passing game.

On the defensive side of the football Lockport has many first year starters and will need to be disciplined and play with great effort.

Returning is senior linebacker Will Cichowski. Senior Jake Janeczko will return to the defense as well as senior Ronald Tucker who did not play last season.

Junior Colin Schmutzler will look to have an impact in the defensive backfield.

Ryan Barth is back as kicker and punter for the Porters.

JOLIET CENTRAL Brett Boyter’s Steelman will look to bounce back after another 0-9 campaign in 2017, while also trying to replace four year starting quarterback Zach Wisneski.

“Almost every offense you look at starts with the quarterback,” Boyter said. “Jared King will be stepping in and replacing Zach Wisneski, but we’re very high on Jared because he understands the details and intricacies of this offense, and he’s a great leader.”

In Boyter’s 10th season as head football coach, the Steelman will be led by their ground attack with junior running back Ke’andre Wiley and sophomore running

back Elijah Smith.

Through the air, Jared King will look to the 5-foot, 5-inch speed burning junior wide receiver Jaylin Berry as the number one option.

Defensively, Central will be anchored by the 6-foot, 4-inch, 240-pound senior defensive tackle German Gonzalez to disrupt opposing offensive lines.

Behind German will be junior outside linebacker Jaren Smith leading the attack for the Steelman.

“We have some differences in our scheme this year on the defensive side of the ball, but these guys have played enough together where they can trust themselves and their teammates around them to make the right plays,” Boyter said.

JOLIET WEST The Tigers will head into the season with a new coach as Jason Aubry resigned at the end of last season.

He is now at Larkin High School in Elgin and he took with him his son Jaxson, who was on varsity all three seasons at West.

This season, West will be coached by Bill Lech.

Lech returns to Joliet after serving as an assistant under Bill Wienke for three years on the Joliet Township combined program beginning in 1996.

Lech has spent the last six seasons as assistant athletic director at West Chicago He previously coached football at York posting a record of 51-23 in seven seaosns with six playoff appearances Before York, Lech was head football coach at Dixon for two seasons and at Leyden for three seasons. His career record is 7349 in 12 years.

2a Locals invited to break-in Old Joliet Prison On Saturday, Aug. 25, the first fundraiser will be held to alleviate some of the costs of the rehab

BY MARK GREGORY

F PHOTOS BY MARK GREGORY

From the chapel to the cell blocks, the Joliet Correctional Center houses a lot of local history.

or years residents of Joliet and surrounding communities have driven down Collins Street on Joliet’s east side and past the massive limestone walls capped off with barbed wire that is the former Joliet Correctional Center.

Many a passerby has wondered what was beyond those walls — now is their chance to find out.

Open in 1858, the correctional center was constructed to replace Illinois’ first prison, which was located in downstate Alton.

Inmates from Alton built Joliet from limestone that was quarried on site. Over the years, Joliet grew to become one of the nation’s largest prisons and by 1872 held more inmates than any prison in the country, housing 1,239 criminals.

The facility housed prisoners of war during the Civil War, serial killer John Wayne Gacy spent time on Collins Street before being sent to Stateville and murderers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were also incarcerated there.

In May of 1924, Leopold and Loeb kidnapped and murdered 14-year-old Robert Franks in Chicago. The crime was characterized at the time as “the crime of the century.”

The two friends were sent to Joliet and on January 28, 1936, Loeb was killed by former cellmate James E. Day with a straight razor in a shower room.

Since Gov. George Ryan closed the prison in 2002, the building has sat vacant, other than Hollywood, city and state officials and deviants, no one has been in the building – until now.

The City of Joliet and the Joliet Area Historical Museum are bringing the building and grounds back to life after 15 years of neglect.

“The way we are looking at it at City Hall is that has been urban blight for a long time. It has sat vacant since 2002, it has been vandalized and we are really happy that there is progress being made,” said Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk. “You are seeing all the excitement – not just with the actual prison facility, but the businesses that want to come in across the street, the park district and forest preserve that is looking at the hundreds of acres of land behind it, so we think this is a step in a really good direction.”

On Saturday, Aug. 25, the first fundraiser will be held to alleviate some of the costs of the rehab.

The goal is to stabilize the Prison in order to make it accessible for public tours and educational programs.

The “Great Prison Break-In,” as it is dubbed, will be an evening of music, food and beverages — all in the prison yard.

The event will go from 5 – 11 p.m. and feature The Blooze Brothers, M&R Rush, PettyCash and Hot Mess.

The event is a 21 and over event and will go on rain or shine.

Parking for the event will be at Azteca De Oro (1013 Collins St.) and Sator Sanchez School (1101 Williamson). Overflow parking will be on the grassy area north of Illinois State Police Crime Lab at 515 Woodruff Road.

ADA parking will be in the lot directly south of Old Joliet Prison at 1125 Collins St. Ticketholders will be limited to the prison yard and no buildings will be open for tour, as the money will be used to upgrade the structural integrity of each of the prison buildings.

“The money from this event will help us do that,” said Gregory Peerbolte, Executive Director of the Joliet Area Historical Museum. “We are looking at securing and stabilizing the buildings, we are not looking to full on remodel any of the places.

We want to have it so people can safely do tours. We are happy with the sponsorships that have come in as well as the ticket sale response, so we are hoping for this to be at least an annual event. The leadership from the City and the Museum Board and the Prison Coalition has been so supportive.

“We have some ideas for some other programmatic events as well. It all benefits the site. Our challenge was to raise money to do work in here. This will help us get everything done.”

Not only will there be music, food and drinks on hand, patrons are encouraged to check out the “Beyond the Cell Door” Art Showcase.

These artists are known as the Old Joliet Prison Burnt District Artists.

Ten or more of these artists will be showcasing a variety of small to large art pieces created using materials extracted from the buildings damaged by arson over the years. The pieces will be on full showcase, with artists present as well.

“We had four acts of arson in the same area of the prison and SEE ‘PRISON’ PAGE 3A

3a Joliet Correctional Center’s spot in Hollywood

BY MARK GREGORY

A

ny fan of the ‘Blues Brothers’ cannot drive down Collins Street in Joliet and not recall Elwood Blues, played by Dan Akroyd, pulling up in front of the east gate of the Joliet Correctional Center as his brother Jake, played by John Belushi, walks out and is released from incarceration.

The Old Joliet Prison plays a huge part in the opening scene of the 1980 John Landis classic, that is not the only time the correctional center has been featured in pop culture.

• The Joliet Correctional is featured

‘PRISON’ FROM PAGE 2A we challenged the artists to go in and take stuff from those buildings and repurpose them into art and they have been doing some really cool stuff,” Peerbolte said.

“We are excited to continue to work with the artists on more.”

The groups are not only tasked with preserving what they can of the prison itself, but the artifacts found inside, which ranges from records to evidence.

“In a lot of places, it looks as if people just got up and walked away,” Peerbolte said. “We are trying to preserve all that and warehouse it and developing it as a plan.”

prominently in the 2005 first season of the Fox show “Prison Break” as the fictional level one maximum-security prison Fox River State Penitentiary.

Joliet prison makes a brief comeback in the second and fifth season of the show.

• Also in 2005, portions of “Dertailed” staring Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston in a movie is about an advertising executive whose life turns upside down after he misses his train to work, was shot in the prison.

• The 2006 movie, “Let’s Go to Prison” starring Dax Shepard, Will Arnett and Chi McBride was filmed

The interest is there and Peerbolte said the more time he has spent working on the grounds, the more he has witnessed it. “[One day] there was a group of 20 people from Italy here and we let them come in and snap a few pictures and they were so thankful,” he said. “There were two couples from New Zealand that were here when we were working and we let them poke their heads in and they were so happy they gave us $60. They want to follow the project on Facebook. So, we are poised to do big things. I think we have a huge winning formula. There are busses that come by — we had busses from China and Germany and that was in three hours while we were working.

1980

1994

2005

2006

2017

Other movies and TV shows that have included the historic Joliet Correctional Center are:

• Kevin Bacon’s 1999 film Stir of Echoes • Natural Born Killers, the 1994 film starring Woody Harrelson and Juliet Lewis

• Weeds, the 1987 film with Nick Nolte, Ernie Hudson and Rita Taggart • The Netflix series “Mindhunter”

We would be foolish to not capture that revenue and encourage them to stay in Joliet and stay overnight or go to a restaurant or go to a show or the casinos.

We have plenty to do here. We think this has the power to change hours spent in Joliet to a day spent in Joliet. And that will benefit everyone.

“You try and stay out of the comments, but I did read one where someone said, ‘they need to tear that down and put up something that will economically help the neighborhood.’

So, you mean something like an internationally recognized tourist site? I would challenge anyone to come sit out here for an hour and just see how many

people come out.”

Locals sometimes forget that the prison sits on the most historic road in America. “A lot of people locally have taken it for granted or just don’t understand the draw of Route 66 and specifically the prison,” O’Dekirk said.

“Right now people are just coming to see the outside of it, so we are all pretty confident this is going to work out well.

The people that have been inside see the potential and this has been a great thing to be a part of.”

The whole project would never have been possible without the volunteers that helped clear the area of overgrown weeds and debris.

Some came out one time out of pure curiosity, but many came back time after time. “It is amazing how many people come back,” Peerbolte said. “The amount of people that want to come back and we are talking manual labor in July and August in 90 degree heat and they want to come back. This place has a strange way of just pulling people in.”

O’Dekirk echoes those thoughts.

“We have been overwhelmed at City Hall by the local volunteers and the businesses that have donated,” he said. “The trade unions that have sent free labor and a lot of people are really excited and want to get this project up and going.”

inside the walls of Joliet.

4a

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SPORTS COLLEGE

Saints earn first win of the season off goals from 3 transfers A trio of transfers powered a potent offensive attack for the University of St. Francis men’s soccer team in its 3-2 victory over Taylor University.

Newcomers Matio Dimov (Varna, Bulgaria), Kevin Sanchez (Malden, Ill./Illinois Valley CC), and Edgar Oropeza (Chicago, Ill./Truman College) all scored in their first game wearing USF brown and gold.

Joshua Yeaman (Doncaster, England), the Saints’ (1-0) top returning goal scorer, set up his team’s first tally of the new season.

In the 17th minute, he was fouled on a 50-50 ball near midfield and chose to restart quickly.

The sophomore beautifully threaded a low, penetrating ball to a sprinting Dimov who fired a right-footed shot inside the far post.

After Taylor (0-1) evened the game, USF reclaimed the advantage just before halftime.

The Trojans’ defense deflected a USF corner kick away, but Morgan McKenzie (Hull, England) hustled to keep the Saints’ attack alive.

McKenzie and Reuel ErastusObilo (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsee CC) both had their attempts blocked before Sanchez took a bouncing shot from straight on that found its way into the back of the net.

The Saints extended their advantage to 3-1 in the second half. In the 70th-minute, Oropeza sent a 15-yard shot into the upper left corner to give USF some insurance.

Taylor scored with less than two minutes remaining, but the Saints were able to hang on for the win.

The Trojans had one more shot (13-12) and one more shot on goal (7-6) than the Saints.

USF led 7-4 in corner kicks.

Carlos Ferrer Coto (La Fresnada, Spain) earned the victory in goal with five saves, while Taylor’s Luke Williams made three stops.

The Saints kick off USF’s 201819 home slate on Wednesday, August 22nd when they match up with Mount Mercy University at 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

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BUSINESS + REAL ESTATE

NEWS ABOUT LOCAL BUSINESSES IN YOUR COMMUNITY WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

DAVE SAYS

Work together to raise financially responsible children DEAR DAVE, My wife and I are not on the same page when it comes to money and our two teenage daughters.

I think they should be learning the value of work and money, but she doesn’t want them to work. She regularly hands them spending money and buys them expensive gifts. I want our girls to have some nice things, but this is starting to cause problems in our relation-

SHERIFF’S SALE OF REAL ESTATE of 1829 PARKSIDE DRIVE , SHOREWOOD, IL 60404 (Yellow vinyl siding, two story townhouse, attached two car garage). On the 6th day of September, 2018 to be held at 12:00 noon, at the Will County Courthouse Annex, 57 N. Ottawa Street, Room 201, Joliet, IL 60432, under Case Title: U.S BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION Plaintiff V. JOSEPH TOMAC; ILLINOIS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY; THE WALNUT TRAILS MASTER OPERATING ASSOCIATION; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS, Defendant.

Case No. 17 CH 2084 in the Circuit Court of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, Will County, Illinois.

Terms of Sale: ten percent (10%) at the time of sale and the balance within twenty-four (24) hours. No judicial sale fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. All payments shall be made in cash or certified funds payable to the Sheriff of Will County. Judgment amount is $123,270.32 plus interest, cost and post judgment advances, if any.

In the event the property is a condominium, in accordance with 735 ILCS 5/15-1507(c)(1) (H-1) and (H-2), 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(5), and 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1), you are hereby notified that the purchaser of the unit, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and legal fees required by subdivisions (g)(1) and (g)(4) of Section 9 and the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Illinois Condominium Property Act. Pursuant to Local Court Rule 11.03 (J) if there is a surplus following application of the proceeds of sale, then the plaintiff shall send written notice pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/15-1512(d) to all parties to the proceeding advising them of the amount of the surplus and that the surplus will be held until a party obtains a court order for its distribution or, in the absence of an order, until the surplus is forfeited to the State.

For Information Please Contact: PIERCE AND ASSOCIATES 1 N. Dearborn Suite 1300 Chicago, Illinois 60602 P: 312-346-9088 F: 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.

Published 8/16, 8/23, 8/30

ship. Do you have any advice?

STAN DEAR STAN, Kids should learn to work and make money at an early age. We’ve given nice gifts to our kids, but the difference is they also worked and made money for themselves. The gifts we gave them were for special occasions. Showering our kids with money and expensive toys all the time was not our way of life.

In this situation, your wife is

allowing them to be nothing but consumers. I know she loves them, but they’re not learning how to work, and they’re not learning how to save or give. This is setting them up for a lifetime of unrealistic expectations. If something doesn’t happen to change things, you’re going to end up with two spoiled little girls, who think they should be given everything their entire lives.

Still, I think the biggest problem

is you and your wife are experiencing a communication and marital breakdown. If the kids weren’t in the picture, I’ve got a feeling the same problems would exist. The difference is they would manifest themselves in other ways.

Obviously, your wife needs to stop being so impulsive where the kids are concerned. Try sitting down with her and gently explaining your feelings. Let your wife know you love her and how generTA K E 5 M I N U T E S FOR YOURSELF!

ous she is, but you’re worried this is having a negative impact on your children. Maybe you could try to establish some guidelines as to when really nice gifts are appropriate, too. There’s a middle ground you can reach, but it’s going to take some time and effort.

Most of all, it means the two of you are going to have to communicate and work together for the good of your kids.

—DAVE

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM WALSH FROM PAGE 2 forcement agencies. Will County is also implementing a new county finance system which will give both elected officials and staff better tools to monitor county financial work.

“In a world that continues to see major advances in technology in everyday life, people expect the availability of technology to conduct governmental business,” Walsh said. “Will County is very progressive in offering services our residents can access from any electronic device. We are continuing to use technology to further streamline our services.”

Walsh also said that the county is working on drainage problems in the Ridgewood and Fairmont neighborhoods with a proposed investment of $6 million, with those repairs expected to be completed by 2022.

The county still faces financial challenges, following significant funding decreases from the state of Illinois.

“With a reduction in our local distributive funds from the state of $2.4 million in 2017 and continued pressure caused by reduced state funding to local governments, we

are forced to make difficult decisions about operating expenses and investments,” Walsh said, adding that he plans to outline a new proposal in September’s budget

address.

Walsh also noted that Will County is a leader in green projects and solar standards.

Overall, Walsh said Will County is

on track for a positive future.

“The future remains bright and Will County is blessed with our strategic location, skilled workforce, and sound infrastructure,”

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Walsh said.

County initiatives can be found on the county’s website, at www. willcountyillinois.com.

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