Joliet 1-11-17

Ja n ua r y 11 , 2 0 1 7 v o l . 9 i s s u e 19

Your Guide to Winter Fun & Activites! #jolietbugle

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Special Voices Reimagining special needs for better opportunities See Page 4

SPORTS

Nation’s best USF women are top ranked See Page 7

business Dave Says Where were you at this point last year?

See Page 12

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Wednesday, January 11, 2017 | buglenewspapers.com

features >> city council

Young candidate looks to bring change 23-year-old Joliet City Council candidate Alex Rodriguez hopes to bring focus back to downtown

By Megann horstead For the Bugle @BugleNewspapers sweditor@buglenewspapers.com

Joliet resident Alex Rodriguez envisions bringing change if elected to serve as an at-large Joliet City Council member in 2017.

The 23-year-old candidate said is ready to make an early impact on the state of the city by refocusing on the downtown.

“I’m going to work from Day One, even before I swear-in when elected in April,” he said.

Rodriguez, who currently manages a Starbucks coffee shop in Aurora, refutes the notion that having a plethora of experience in politics equates to success in the general election.

“Our government was designed for the people to be represented by the people,” Rodriguez said.

“That’s something I really think is important.”

If elected, Rodriguez could serve as the youngest city council member to work alongside the current board of elected officials. He said bringing diversity to Joliet is important.

“It’s diverse when it comes race, when it comes to background, when it comes social status,” Rodriguez said. “We have a council primarily of an older generation, which is fine. But, where is the younger representation? It’s not in any branch of government whether it’s Joliet or throughout the state.

It’s very rare that younger people

Photo Courtesy of “Alex Rodriguez - ARod for Joliet” Facebook Page

The 23-year-old candidate Alex Rodriguez said he is ready to make an early impact on the state of the city by refocusing on the downtown. get involved. I want to represent the young generation because we are the future of Joliet.”

Rodriguez, noting that writing Joliet’s future begins now, said decisions are changing the course of the city and future generations must get involved.

“We have the river walk; we have our historic buildings; we have the ball park; we have all the perfect ingredients to have something really special here,” he said.

“But unfortunately, city council hasn’t been able to do it.”

Long before Rodriguez made his intent to run for Joliet City Council known, a passion to bring change

“It’s diverse when it comes race, when it comes to background, when it comes social status,” Rodriguez said. “We have a council primarily of an older generation, which is fine. But, where is the younger representation? It’s not in any branch of government whether it’s Joliet or throughout the state.”

- Alex Rodriguez, joliet city council candidate

brewed.

Rodriguez said he and his family moved around quite a bit in his early life.

He settled in Joliet when he entered third grade, at which time his parents divorced.

Rodriguez said times were tough for he and his family as they strug-

gled to secure permanent housing.

Rodriguez said with help from Cornerstone Services, his mother received the support needed to turn over a new leaf.

The journey to rise above his circumstances stirs a number of emotions, he said.

“It’s definitely something to re-

ally own a home just miles from Daybreak and Guardian Angels and to know that we once were there with nothing,” he said. “Now, I’m blessed enough to have a wife and have my first home here in Joliet. I care about people and I remember those days that we had to sleep in a group with many other people.”

Rodriguez said his experiences in early life translate well in driving his campaign.

“I want to see people succeed here, and Joliet has helped me to succeed,” he said. “It all happened here, and I know that we can do that for a lot of people.”

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Wednesday, January 11, 2017 | buglenewspapers.com

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county news

Council looks to end Rialto drama In a 6-1 vote, officials worked out an arrangement with Rialto board

By Megann horstead For the Bugle @BugleNewspapers sweditor@buglenewspapers.com

The Joliet City Council recently sought to close the curtain on talks regarding the Rialto Square Theatre by securing an agreement and approving the adoption of a 2017 budget with a $500,000 allotment.

In a 6-1 vote, officials worked out an arrangement with the Rialto board that establishes a set of conditions and they are outlined as follows: One-half payment is to be conveyed to the Rialto upon approval of the intergovernmental agreement.

The remainder of the allotment is to be paid to the theatre on July 1, given that a minimum of 30 live performances are booked and/or performed.

The Rialto must pay for both its 2017 payroll taxes and 2016 audit on time.

The theatre cannot request additional funds from city for 2017.

Recent revelations in the city’s effort to work toward an agreement were met with a change in circumstance when members of the Rialto Board resigned.

Mayor Bob O’DeKirk said the city continues to look at ways to keep the theatre moving forward.

“I have four appointments that are made by the Mayor’s Office that will be voted on by the council,” he said. “Because of the resignation of the board, the theatre’s unable to do any business currently. So, I think it’s imperative that we fill not only our four appointments, but at least one governor’s slot needs to get filled for the board to have a quorum to vote to do anything, including to make any payments.

O’DeKirk intends to present four names to the city council at their Jan. 17 meeting, at which time they will look to vote.

O’DeKirk said he would like anyone whose interested in serving the Rialto board to reach out to his office or send in a resume.

“I’ve already received dozens of people who want to apply for this position,” he said.

O’DeKirk suggested that be-

sides making four appointments, the city should look to create a blue ribbon panel for the Rialto.

“One thing I’ve been consistent on through this entire process— and I’m going to stay consistent on—is I was never interested in a temporary solution to the problem,” he said. “We held people’s feet to the fire as a council because we’re not just going write another check and send it over to the theatre. Having said that, we’ve approved the intergovernmental agreement. We need to, I believe, continue on the road and look for a long-term solution. There are significant problems with the theatre with the finances.”

O’DeKirk noted they need to bring together qualified, educated and motivated individuals and community leaders and work together to solve the problem.

Plans to establish the blue ribbon panel will be brought up at the council’s next meeting.

Councilman Larry Hug was the lone dissenting vote. Councilwoman Jan Quillman was not present at the meeting.

Public hearing held for hospital-area TIF District The city of Joliet is looking to advance the effort to create a tax increment finance district for the commercial area adjacent to, and including Presence–Saint Joseph Medical Center.

Joliet is looking to stabilize the neighborhood by using the economic development tool that freezes the tax base to allow new monies to encourage redevelopment.

Officials held a public hearing on the project to allow the public time to come forward with questions or comments. Also at that meeting, a consultant for S.B. Friedman gave a presentation regarding the project.

The city first looked into creating the proposed TIF for properties located on Republic and Springfield avenues in 2015, only to add Hammes Avenue and parcels owned by Presence-Saint Joseph Medical Center.

Officials will vote on the TIF District at a later date.

South Ridgewood Sanitary District is no more The Joliet council sought to dissolve the South Ridgewood Sanitary District formed by Joliet Township to eliminate human waste pollution in Will County.

Approving the agreement allows the city to become the operator of the district.

In 2016, a dispute arose between Joliet and South Ridgewood Sanitary District regarding sanitary sewerage. The city said they learned that flow meters of the district have not been recording accurately the amount of sewage flow without repeated “blowouts”, and is creating costs that deter Joliet’s economic ability.

The court entered an order in late December 2016 dissolving the district.

Easements for county’s sheriff’s new facility Joliet officials took steps to accept a grant of easement from Will County to allow for the extension of a water main to provide service to the new Will County Sheriff’s facility.

Council action allows the coun-

ty to continue its effort to construct the project located at the southeast corner of Route 52 and Laraway Road.

A portion of the improvements which will be owned and main-

tained by Joliet are located on county property, and it will allow water to extend to land outside city limits.

The matter was resolved at no cost to Joliet or Will County.

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column >> special voices

Reimagining special needs for better opportunities

Today we can point to examples of the progress that bring people together

By Daniel Smrokowski Bugle Columnist

Many self-advocates in our special needs community, myself included, are redefining what it means to have special needs. This week, as we begin a new year, let us reflect on what it means to have special needs and what redefinition of special needs can mean to the mainstream community. Together, as we look at the state of special needs, we can redefine new opportunities, and enhance current ones, helping to bring full inclusion to our community. Eliminating division and decreasing challenges within our community will mean the ability for us to dream and to support each other’s dreams.

Twenty-eight years ago was a different time filled with much frustration for those of us with special needs. In my early years, I had lots of developmental therapies that helped me develop and, to some degree, avoid frustration in my communication. I, like others my age, didn’t have access to as many resources as are available today to help us with communication. One therapy that I had included taught me a small amount of American Sign Language (ASL). According to my mom, there seemed to be only a few professionals that were using ASL at the time with hearing children. They were signing only minimally and not encouraging the families to embrace ASL fully.

In my early years, “we didn’t realize that, had we as parents used sign language with you, even though you could hear, we could have helped you avoid much frustration and helped you develop faster,” said my mom Linda.

If only 28 years ago there had been an innovation such as Signing Time, then my family could have learned ASL alongside me and thus helped me avoid so much frustration with communication. Signing Time, a video series promoting ASL to eliminate communication barriers, was created 15-years ago

by Emmy-nominated host Rachel Coleman.

Today, after a quarter-century since my early years, times are slowly making some progress. As many parents receive a diagnosis of a disability when their

special voices

By Daniel Smrokowski

baby is born, doctors tend to present this as tragic. It is, of course, a very scary time for families. Many times, families within our special needs community spend months or more in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), or the “Baby ER” as Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward Humes says in his book of the same name.

Often in the special needs community we end up divided among all the various types of disability diagnoses: from the deaf community to the Down syndrome community and everything in between.

This division within our community can originate from a lack of understanding.

This misunderstanding of those of us with special needs can then lead to a lack of acceptance and exclusion within society. In my early years I dealt with tons of frustration in communicating my wants and needs and personality.

Today we can point to examples of the progress that bring people together.

Through the work done by nonprofits like my own Special Chronicles, nationally like Signing Time and Miss Amazing, and, internationally like Special Olympics, positive change in the disability community is redefining what it means to be diagnosed with special needs. Today, we are seeing those of us with special needs in the workplace; at your local grocery store, coffee shop, and even as a newspaper columnist. Through movements like Special Olympics and Special Chronicles, we create a culture of understanding that leads to acceptance and inclusion for people of all abilities.

As future families have children with special needs, “it is going to be different,” said Diane Compton, mother to a daughter with Down syndrome. “Maybe hard times, but it doesn’t have to be a tragedy.”

An innovation that has made a tremendous impact and eliminated communication barriers for Diane’s daughter, Erin, was Signing Time.

“What I love about our Signing Time events, they’re unlike anything any-

where else,” said Coleman. “Because even as families who have children with special needs, we divide ourselves up like ‘oh I’m going to the deaf stuff or we’re going to the Down syndrome Buddy Walk’ but we still divide ourselves up.”

This year, we must redefine opportunities for people with special needs.

One can do so in innovative and creative ways. In redefining opportunities we create a culture where diversity is not just appreciated, it’s celebrated. Amy Wright, in Wilmington, N.C., started Bitty & Beau’s Coffee, a coffee shop that employs over 40 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This unique coffee shop is “pouring it forward” as their advertising says and is evident by the over 10-million views video produced by Southern Living magazine and posted on Facebook.

Special Chronicles, a nonprofit, new media network that I created to give respect and voice to people with special needs, has redefined what it means to have special needs. In creating a media platform that reaches over 38,000 viewers in over 85 countries, I am redefining opportunities not just for myself but many others across our nation as contributors and on-air personalities.

“Full inclusion means the ability to dream and to support each other’s dreams and to dream big,” said Compton about Special Chronicles.

Although we had come a long way before the Americans with Disabilities Act when those with special needs were hidden away and institutionalized, our work must continue. This is especially true in light of news of possible attitudes of President-Elect Trump. We must create more understanding and education about what it means to be diagnosed with disabilities which will lead to more employment of those of us with disabilities.

Join me and let’s redefine what it means to have special needs. Together, we can create full inclusion by supporting the ability to dream big.

Daniel Smrokowski was born three-and-a-third months premature and was diagnosed with learning disabilities and a severe language disorder. He is an award-winning columnist covering special needs stories. Daniel is the founder of Special Chronicles, a pioneering nonprofit new media network that gives respect and voice to people with special needs.

Daniel is also involved as an athlete and global messenger with Special Olympics Illinois.

Come join us at www.SpecialChronicles.com.

police Information in Police Blotter is obtained from Joliet, Shorewood and Lockport police departments and the Will County Sheriff’s Office.

Individuals listed in Police Reports who have been charged with a crime have not been proven guilty in court. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

JOLIET December 20 Two unknown Hispanic-looking males broke into a residence on the 400 block of Fairbanks and stole a kitchen blender and a 60” TV. They left the area in a white Pontiac.

Laura Ochoa-Felix, 28, of Joliet, was cited near S. Chicago and I80 for improper lane usage and driving while license suspended.

Enrique Olmos, 67, of Joliet, was cited near E. Jackson and Landau, for failure to yield at intersection, driving while license revoked, no registration light and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

Efrain Gonzalez Jr., 31, of Joliet, was cited near Plainfield Road and Kellogg for driving while license revoked, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and speeding.

A 20-year-old female reported to deputies that while delivering a pizza to a residence on the 200 block of Colburn, two male subjects jumped her, robbed her, and beat her up.

The subjects got away with a small amount of cash and a pizza from Papa John’s.

Thurmond Leon Lurry III, 40, of Joliet was arrested near 4200 W. Jefferson St. for possession of a firearm and no FOID card. He was taken into custody on several active Will County warrants.

December 21 Fermin Leon, 57, of Joliet was cited near Cass and Henderson for no valid license and no

registration lights.

Phil Blendowski, 67, of New Lenox, was arrested near S. Briggs and New Lenox Road for DUI, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, improper lane usage, failure to signal and improper display of registration.

December 22 An unknown male was observed stealing a FedEx package off the front porch of a residence on the 900 block of Gael Drive.

Kamilla Marshall, 27, Country Club Hills was cited near S. Chicago and I80for improper lane usage and no valid driver’s license.

Lisa L. Cummins, 49, of Joliet, was cited near E. Cass and Grinton for improper lane usage, driving while license suspended and no registration light.

Taylor Stricklin, 19, of Joliet was cited near S. Briggs and I80for no registration light, failure to signal and no valid driver’s license.

Crysta Lyon Halbert, 45, of Park Forest was cited near Cass and Eastern for failure to signal, improper lane usage and driving while license suspended.

Adrian Martinez, 36, of Joliet was cited near New Lenox Road and S. Briggs for driving while license suspended, disobeying a traffic control device and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

December 23 Rickia Dominguez, 33, of Joliet, was cited near N. Larkin and Ingalls for no seat belt, illegal use of cell phone, no proof of insurance, improper use of registration, and driving while license revoked. She was held on two active FTA warrants.

Michelle Mackins, 33, of Joliet was arrested for battery on the 500 block of Seneca.

William L. Hinton, 55, of Lockport was charged with criminal damage to government property at the Will County Adult Detention Facility December 24

Wednesday, January 11, 2017 | buglenewspapers.com Jalen Terrell Washington, 22, of Joliet was cited near Ridgewood and Walnut for no working headlights, no valid driver’s license and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

James Minyo, 30, of Safety Harbor, Fla., was arrested near E. Jefferson and Cottage for DUI, speeding, disobeying a traffic control device and failure to signal.

December 26 Danielle Guajardo, 32, of 730 Greenway Court in Mosinee, Wis., was arrested on the 2400 block of Chestnut for possession of a controlled substance and manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance.

Oscar Camacho-Perez, 29, of Shorewood was cited near Brookforest and Vertin Blvd. for improper display of registration and no valid driver’s license.

LOCKPORT December 27 Laura E. Caruso, 52, of Plainfield was cited for driving while license suspended and speeding at Caton Farm and Essington roads.

Yolanda R. Smith, 46, of Joliet, was cited for improper lane usage, failure to signal and driving while license suspended near Collins and E. Cass.

Francisco Martinez-Rodriguez, 46, of Joliet, was cited near Davison and Mabel for driving while license suspended.

Justin Q. Hall, 29, of Joliet, was arrested on the 700 block of Sugar Creek Drive for resisting a peace officer and possession of cannabis under 10 grams.

December 28 Monika Avila, 22, of Joliet, was cited for operating an uninsured motor vehicle and driving while license suspended near Irving and Collins.

Dawana Hays, 28, of Elwood, was cited near Larkin and McDonough for driving while license suspended, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and expired registration .

Learon K. Pierce, 29, of Joliet,

was cited near E. Cass and N. Briggs for driving while license revoked and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

Elizabeth Kocian, 45, of Joliet was arrested near N. Raynor and Plainfield Rd.for speeding, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, failure to yield to emergency vehicle, DUI. Dandre D. Young, 19, of Joliet, was arrested near N. Larkin and W. Jefferson for possession of cannabis over 30 grams, possession of cannabis over 30 grams with intent to deliver and improper lane usage.

James E. Askew, 60, of Joliet, was cited near New Lenox Road and Logan for a muffler violation and driving while license revoked.

Courtney L. Bertucci, 25, of Joliet, was arrested near Sterling and N. Briggs for possession of a controlled substance and resisting a peace officer.

She was held on an active failure-to-appear warrant.

December 30 Gheorghe Dunca, 39, Brooklyn, N.Y., was cited for improper lighting and no valid driver’s license near S. Larkin and I80.

Karrie L. Green, 39, of Joliet, was arrested near I80 and S. Chicago St. for two counts of improper lane usage, following too closely, no registration lights, two counts of changing lanes without signaling, disregarding a traffic control device, reckless driving, fleeing the police, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, DUI, and possession of a stolen vehicle.

December 31 Yvonne Acevedo, 31, of Joliet was cited near E. Jackson and Collins for no registration lights, improper lane usage, driving while license suspended, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

January 1 Patrick L. Taylor, 34, of Lockport was arrested near Rosalind and Arthur for improper lane usage, expired registration, driving

5

while license suspended, resisting/obstructing a peace officer and possession of a controlled substance.

January 2 Elijah Watson, 21, of Joliet, was arrested for two counts of battery near E. Washington and N.W. Circle Drive.

A 40-year-old female victim stated to deputies that she used the website “Let-Go” in order to sell her Galaxy Note 4. She agreed to meet a buyer named “Jake” on the 200 block of Hawthorne Drive for the transaction. The victim, along with her husband, went to the location and met a young male black subject who identified himself as Jake. Jake asked to see the Galaxy Note and once he was handed the device he took off running without paying the victim.

LoCKPORT December 22 Person(s) unknown broke into a vacant residence on the 300 block of MacGregor and stole an air conditioning unit, a water heater, furnace, and a coil unit.

December 28 Person(s) unknown broke into a residence in the 300 block of Princeton. Nothing was reported missing.

January 2 Person(s) unknown shot an arrow at a residential garage on the 16000 block of Aberdeen.

The arrow was found stuck in the roof of the garage. No one was injured.

SHOREWOOD December 28 Deandre Holman-Carter, 22, of Joliet, was arrested and charged with driving while license suspended, no insurance, no valid registration after he was stopped for a registration violation near Brookforest Avenue and Meadow Drive.

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take 5

F o r w h e n y o u n e e d 5 m i n u t e s f o r y o u rs e l f !

Wednesday, January 11, 2017 | buglenewspapers.com

Wednesday, January 11, 2017 | buglenewspapers.com

page 7

>> INSIDE: The Lockport wrestling team in No. 1 in the state page 11

basketball

nation’s

best

University of St. Francis women’s basketball team is ranked No. 1 in NAIA Division II coaches poll By mark gregory Sports Editor @Hear_The_Beard mark@buglenewspapers.com

As if being the No. 1 women’s basketball team in NAIA Division II isn’t impressive enough, the way that University of St. Francis coach Sam Quigley-Smith has built her program may be even more amazing.

Of the 18 players that currently make up the Fighting Saints’ roster, 10 of them come from hometowns within 30 miles of the university, 16 are within 100 miles and all but one are natives of Illinois.

Seven of the athletes, in fact, went to schools in the greater Will County area with three players on the USF roster from Joliet Catholic Academy, one from Providence, one from Romeoville and one from Joliet Central.

“This is fun,” Quigley-Smith said. “From a coaching perspective, I have been watching some of these kids since they were in seventh and eighth grade. It is cool when you see them develop in high school and you are close enough to go watch them and then to get them on the team.

These are girls I have been watching for eight or nine years and now I get to coach them.”

Currently, the Saints sit 16-0 overall and 9-0 in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference

play after defeating conference foe and the No. 3 ranked team in the nation St. Xavier in Chicago.

“When you go on the road, you are going to get the other team’s best basketball,” Quigley-Smith said after the game. “They practice in here every day and when they are as good of a three-point shooting team as they are, I thought we did a great job for the most part on their perimeter players and that is hard to do.

“We are trying to lead up to be playing our best basketball in February and March and I think we are playing good basketball right now, but it is really important to play our best at the end. In the last few weeks, with our opponents getting tougher, we have to elevate our play, so coming here and beating them in their gym is nice.”

Offensively, the Saints were paced by Charnelle Reed and Bolingbrook graduate Kamari Jordan, who tallied 20 points apiece.

Jordan scored 14 points in the opening quarter, knocking down all four of her three-point attempts.

“My teammates got me pumped before the game and just told be to shoot the ball,” Jordan said.

“There have been a few games where I didn’t shoot or I didn’t think I was shooting as well. They just told me throw it up there and see best page 10

photo by mark gregory

Joliet Catholic Academy graduate Christina Ekhomu has helped the University of St. Francis reach the No. 1 ranking in the nation in NAIA Division II.

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

8 sports

Wednesday, January 11, 2017 | buglenewspapers.com

BASKETBALL

West captures important SPC victory By randy whalen For the Bugle www.buglenewspapers.com

The Joliet West girls basketball team knew that last week was important if it was going to remain in the Southwest Prairie

Conference race.

In order to do that the Tigers also knew they had to win a pair of road games. That’s exactly what they did, capturing the second of the road games with a 46-40 victory over Plainfield

North in a conference matchup on Friday, Jan. 6 in Plainfield.

The guard combo of freshman Jazz Evans (15 points) an junior Sara Gersch (12 points) led the way in scoring, while senior forward Raven Reed (7 points, 8 rebounds) paced the game with a 42-to-31 rebounding edge for Joliet West (11-5, 4-2).

Plainfield North (12-5, 3-2), which is also nicknamed the Tigers, was led by junior forward Kelle Knopp (14 points, 10 rebounds).

“We had a victory at Romeoville on Tuesday and we knew we knew we had to get two wins on the road,” said Joliet West coach John Placher, who’s team defeated Romeoville 49-44 on Jan. 3. “The girls did well and our bigs battled on the boards.”

Those “bigs” were Reed, along with fellow senior forwards Gloria Choate and Nicole Gal, and junior forward Alyssa Betlejeski (4 points, 6 rebounds) combined to give Joliet West 18 offensive rebounds.

“We didn’t take care of the ball that well,” said Plainfield North coach Reggie Lemon, who saw his team commit 24 turnovers.

“Kelle Knopp can’t do it by herself. They had 18 offensive rebounds. You’re not going to win when you give up 18 offensive rebounds.

“But as bad as we played at times, we were still in the game.

We have to take care of the ball and rebound.”

Plainfield North trailed by nine when Evans hit a 3-pointer with 3:05 to play in the third quarter to make it 30-21. Joliet West led 34-29 after three.

Senior guard Mariah Collins (6 points) scored on a nice coastto-coast layup with 6:35 left in the game to cut the lead to 3432. Joliet West then missed two free throws, but Plainfield North did the same with an opportunity to tie the game with 5:10 remaining.

Gersch then made a short bank shot to restore the Joliet West lead to four points.

Plainfield North cut the lead down to three on a trio of occasions, the last one at 42-39 on a free throw by Knopp with 1:35 to play. But Gersch converted a pair of free throws 15 seconds later to up the lead to five and Plainfield North never

photo by mark gregory

Jazzpher Evans and Joliet West defeated Plainfield North. got closer than four points the rest of the way. The free throws

by Gersch were the only time that Joliet West hit back-to-back shots from the line in the fourth quarter as it was 5-of-12 in the period. Plainfield North wasn’t much better at 5-for-11 from the line in the quarter.

“I was a little nervous on the free throws, but I got them,” said Gersch of her pair down the stretch. “Our coach [Placher] said that we had to win on the road. We just wanted it more.”

Leading by four in the final 31 seconds, senior guard Shena

Best (4 points) and Evans each split a pair of free throws to account for the final margin. Evans had 10 points in the second half.

“Sometimes it’s hard to come in as a freshman,” Evans said.

“But in the end you can’t think you’re a freshman. You’re out there for a reason.”

Joliet West scored the first four points of the game. Senior guard Tierrah Farris (5 points) hit a 3-pointer three minutes into the game to get Plainfield North on the board. Plainfield North led see west page 10

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Wednesday, January 11, 2017 | buglenewspapers.com

9

WRESTLING

No. 1 Porters have success out of state By randy whalen For the Bugle www.buglenewspapers.com

It’s not too often that a team gets a No. 1 ranking in the state, but is disappointed with its performance during the same time it got that top ranking.

But that says volumes about the Lockport Township wrestling team.

When the Class 3A state wrestling rankings came out on Jan. 3, the Porters sat in the top spot.

They were coming off a third place showing at one of the toughest tournaments in the nation.

That was the the POWERade Tournament, held on Dec. 29 and 30 at Canon-McMillan High School in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.

Lockport (128 points), finished just one point shy of the second-place team, Kiski Prep (PA). Wyoming Seminary, Pa (161) won the championship there.

“We knew our ability and we didn’t reach it,” Lockport coach Josh Oster said of the POWERade Tournament. “We still have stuff to work on.”

Although they were disappointed in their placement, the Porters had every wrestler get at least one win and five of them placed. Sophomore Ronald Tucker, Jr., who was the defending heavyweight tournament champion, once again got back to the championship finals for the second year in a row.

There, however, he lost by fall in the second period to Brandon Furman, a senior who is ranked 17th in the nation by FloWrestling, and hails from the host, Canon-McMillan. Still, Tucker was the only Lockport wrestler in the finals and placed highest on the team for the second straight year.

“I had never wrestled him before, but I’ve seen him and he got a whole lot better,” Tucker said of Furman. “I should have been prepared more.

“But POWERade is a big test.

It helps get us ready for the state tournament. It’s the the second hardest tournament in the country, so it’s good preparation. It also shows how strong we are.”

Matt Ramos, enjoyed his first competing trip to the POW-

ERade tournament. The sophomore posted a 5-1 record, including a fall, technical fall, and a major decision, on his way to a 3rd place finish at 106 pounds.

“Last year I came to watch and videotape,” said Ramos of his experience at the POWERade tournament and watching the Porters place sixth the season before. “That was a good experience, but now I got to wrestle and that went pretty good.”

Ramos, who is the younger brother of senior teammate Brandon Ramos, was seeded fifth. He knows the Porters have to continue working hard to maintain the top state ranking and ultimately win it.

“It’s going to be hard work,” he said. “We have to practice our butts off coming up in order to move up.”

Someone who has moved up is Lockport freshman James Pierandozzi at 120 pounds. He came into POWERade unranked and very unknown, but had a series of upsets and took fourth place.

“I beat the fourth, fifth and sixth seeds,” Pierandozzi said.

“I almost lost my first match, so that made me mad and refocused me more.

“We got third, but most of us lost in the place matches. We were pretty mad about that. We need to learn to bounce back and win the matches we need to win.”

Also placing fourth was senior Trevell Timmons, who improved on his sixth-place finish last year. Timmons, seeded third this year, won his first three matches handily, but lost his semifinal bout to the No. 2 seed out of Belle Vernon (PA), Zachary Hartman. Timmons dropped that bout 3-2 in ultimate tiebreaker, as Hartman was able to ride Timmons out in the final 30 second period to earn the rideout point and the win. Timmons bounced back in his consolation semifinal match, but struggled to score in his third place match, losing 5-1 to Christopher Foca of Bergen Catholic (NJ), whom Timmons had previously defeated by an 8-3 score in the quarterfinals.

Chandler Proszek was Lockport’s other placewinner. The see Porters page xx

photo by melissa tamez

Abdullah Assaf and the Porters are the No. 1 ranked team in Illinois.

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Wednesday, January 11, 2017 | buglenewspapers.com best from page 7 they will get the rebound – but they didn’t need to.”

Jordan said the win over the Cougars vindicated the Saints’ position atop the national rankings.

“This solidifies everything that we have been working for. For the three years, we have been working hard and we wanted to be No. 1 and a lot of people, I think, doubted that the No. 1 team was us, but I think we proved it,” she said.

Working hard is nothing new to Jordan, who played for Tony Smith at Bolingbrook.

“I know about hard work. He pushed me hard early and I remember those things in times like this where I am tired or I am not shooting too well, I push through,” she said. “If you can get through one of Tony’s practices, you can get through this.”

St. Francis also got 16 points from Kaitlin Aylward and 14 from Bolingbrook native and JCA graduate Christina Ekhomu.

While the Saints had four players in double digits, the real win may have been on the defensive side, as USF held St. Xavier’s Kara Krolicki to 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting and only 1-of-3 from three-point land.

Krolicki came in averaging 20.88 points per game and was one of only six players in the nation averaging more than 20 points per contest. She was guarded most of the game by Romeoville graduate Angelica Osusky.

“We did a great job defensively limiting one of the best scorers in the nation – if not the best scorer in the nation,” said QuigleySmith. “We limited her touches and she was a focus of ours. Angelica Osusky is really our unsung hero. She busts her butt on the defensive end and that is something that gets lost on the stat sheet. To West from page 8 9-5 after the first quarter.

Plainfield North led 15-9 midway through the second quarter, but Gersch hit a 3-pointer and Evans had an old-fashioned 3-point play in an 8-0 Joliet West run. A layup by junior guard Krystina Wayne (5 points) tied

hold one of the best scorers in the nation under her average or even if she gets her 20, to make her not shoot well is important.”

Even though the win will make sure St. Francis retains its No. 1 ranking another week, it is not something the players look at too much.

“Every time we try and look at that, our coaches bring us down a level,” Jordan said. “We have to stay humble because Sam keeps us humble. She is a humble person herself and that reflects on us. If we do try and look up, she reminds us, that yeah, we are No. 1, but people are coming for us.”

This season Osusky, Jordan and Ekuomu have started all 16 games for the Saints and aided in the success.

Ekhumo is second of the team in scoring, averaging 11.9 points per game and is first on the team with 65 assists. Jordan is fourth on the Saints in scoring with 10.7 points per game, while Osusky averages 4.9 points per contest.

However, even the players that come off the bench understand what it means to be part of the successful group of local athletes.

“Being a freshman, I have watched Christine, Ang(elica) and Kamari growing up and I have played against some of them in high school and now having the chance to play with them is a big honor and having Sam as our coach is great,” said freshman Ashley Hare, a Joliet Central graduate that is averaging 2.4 points per game. “And now, we are No. (1) in the nation and this is cool. There is so much talent in the Joliet area that people miss because they are always concerned about what is going on outside the area. But there is a lot going on at schools like West, Central, Bolingbrook, JCA and Providence and there is a ton of talent there.”

Quigley-Smith says the reason for the success of the program is not only the talent of the local players, but their character and upbringing.

“Our girls do a great job once they get here of working. They are not satisfied with a scholarship or part scholarship. They want to be better players and better people.

We try and find great people from great families and I think that is what makes this all something special,” said Quigley-Smith, a JCA and DePaul graduate. “We have families that can come to games and come out and watch them. I was a kid that stayed home and I thought it was great that I could go out to dinner with my parents after the game and a lot of these girls get to do that.”

Not only do the players get to spend time with family after a game, they get to play in front of them and that is something Osusky says she feels has helped the success.

“It is great because we get the fan base out and I personally think it changes the game to have fans that can come to drive and support us,” she said. “It really means a lot to us.”

The one thing that could be a downfall to merging a lot of local talent on one team is trying to make a team out of former rivals.

That, however, has not been the case at USF. “It is a lot more fun with all these local kids. To be able to play at home in front of friends and family is a good feeling,” Ekhomu said. “It is great how we come together. With me coming from Joliet Catholic, we didn’t really like Providence too much because we were rivals and now I have a Providence player on my team and we just come together and it is a great community feeling. It is great to stay home and just represent.”

the game at 17-17, but Gersch hit a long 3-pointer with 39 seconds left in the first half to put Joliet West ahead 20-17 and that was the halftime score.

Joliet West then put on the pressure to open the second half as Plainfield North committed eight third quarter turnovers.

That allowed Joliet West to open

the quarter with a 10-4 burst for the 30-21 advantage, which was the largest lead of the game.

“We came out in the second half and changed things up,” Placher said. “We came out with more pressure and the girls responded. We knew that Kelle Knopp was a good player and we had to stop her.”

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story from page 9 senior finished in eighth place at 170 pounds. But he dropped his final two matches by a 1-0 margin in each.

Just over a week later, on Friday, Jan. 6 and Saturday, Jan. 7 Lockport was at the Cheesehead Tournament in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. There the Porters scored 456.5 points to place fifth.

Montini beat Mount Carmel 526.5-506.5 for the title in the 31-team meet.

The Porters, however, were without Proszek and Tucker.

Both ere battling some nagging injuries, but both are expected back no later than next week.

“Tucker was seeded third,” Oster said. “If he would have wrestled and placed his seed, we would have got 60 more points.

They both could have wrestled, but it’s better to have them healthy for the end of the season.”

The top finisher for the Porters was senior Abdullah Assaf (13-2), who won 10-6 over Mon-

Wednesday, January 11, 2017 | buglenewspapers.com tini’s Fidel Mayora for the 132 pound championship. Assaf, who placed third at 113 pounds in 2015 and fifth at 120 last season, suffered a partial tare in the ligament of his right thumb on the opening day of practice on Nov. 7. He returned to the lineup right before Christmas and has a quest to win an individual title this season.

Also placing at Cheesehead for Lockport was Matt Ramos (29-4), who was fourth at 106.

Taking fifth was Timmons (234) at 160 and senior Payton Fernandes (27-4) at 182. A trio of Porters placed sixth. They were sophomore Anthony Molton (24-7) at 113, Pierandozzi (248) at 120 and sophomore Baylor Fernandes (22-7) at 145 pounds.

Lockport also got an eighth place finish from Brandon Ramos (21-6) at 138, a ninth from junior Yousif Salah (23-6) at 195 and an 11th from senior Nicholas Dado (20-6) at 170 pounds.

Also at the Cheesehead, St. Rita senior Austin O’Connor (33-

0), who lives in Lockport, won the championship at 145 with a 5-3 victory over Montini junior Will Lewan.

The Porters (21-0) in dual meets) resumed that portion of their schedule this week with a 5:30 p.m. matchup on Thursday, Jan. 12 at SouthWest Suburban Conference foe Lincoln-Way East.

“We wrestle nearly our entire dual schedule in November and December,” Oster said. “Then it’s a lot of tournaments. Most of that is by design.”

Heading into the final three weeks of the regular season, the Porters have obviously been very good. But with Lockport hosting regionals on Saturday, Feb. 4, Oster knows there’s still work to be done if they want to hoist the big trophy later in February.

“Some of our guys have to return to their basics,” said Oster, who led Lockport to fourth and third place in Class 3A the past two seasons. “They just have to win with what they’re good at and not try to get too cute.”

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business + real estate

News about local businesses in your community Wednesday, January 11, 2017 | buglenewspapers.com

column >> dave says

Where were you at this point last year?

It’s that time again …

Some people will sign up for gym memberships and then stop going by mid-January. Others will promise to clean up their debt — until the first credit card bill from Christmas comes in. Still more will pledge to get a new job, and never search online or look through the want ads.

If you made a New Year’s resolution in 2016 and didn’t follow through, think about how you would feel if you had stuck to it.

You wouldn’t still be feeling tired

from those times you got up early this summer to run. You wouldn’t still be hungry from that time you didn’t order a pizza, because you were sticking to a budget. Your health and money situation would be better, you would feel better, and you would have accomplished your goal.

What if we told you that accomplishing a goal wasn’t as hard as you thought? The secret to making a goal into a reality is getting started and taking small, consistent steps. Most people hear “losing 20 pounds” and think it has to happen in a week. It doesn’t. It’s something that will require a little sacrifice each day over a period of time, not a crash course in pain and discipline.

Getting started on something is always the hardest part. But once you’ve done it a few times, it becomes part of your daily routine.

It doesn’t become an extra chore; it

becomes something that is already in your schedule.

Making a budget is the same way.

When you first make a money plan, it won’t work.

It will barely work the second month, but that is because you are getting used to doing it. By the third month, you’ll have a much better feel for it, and your stress level will go way down. It just takes the determination to get through the rough patches that go with getting started.

deadline for classifieds: friday at noon Wednesday, January 11, 2017 | buglenewspapers.com

Business & Private Party Classified Ads: $16 per week, 20 words or less. Weddings, Births & Engagements: Black & White - $25, Color - $35. Obituaries: $35.

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Phone: 815.436.2431 web: buglenewspapers.com/classifieds email: classifieds@buglenewspapers.com

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Wednesday, January 11, 2017 | buglenewspapers.com

Phone: 815.436.2431 >> Mon. - Fri. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. FAX: 815.439.2548 email: classifieds@enterprisepublications.com IN PERSON: Enterprise Publications >> 23856 Andrew Rd. >> Plainfield, IL

CALENDAR ONGOING

Birthing Center Tours. Tuesdays.

7 p.m. Silver Cross Hospital will offer free Birthing Center Tours for expectant families at 1900 Silver Cross Blvd., New Lenox. The hour-long tour will be offered Saturday and Sunday afternoons and on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in December to help parents prepare and expect the best from their birthing experience in the hospital’s luxurious birthing suites.

J A N U ARY 1 4 Musher Mania. Noon-4 p.m., at

Monee Reservoir. Held in partnership with the Siberian Husky Club, the day includes watching sled dog teams in action, playing on snowshoes, roasting s’mores by the fire, ice-sculpting demonstrations and more. For more information visit ReconnectWithNature.org.

J A N U ARY 1 5 Sled Dogs Demo. 9:30 a.m. at

Starved Rock Lodge, Utica. Seminars take place in the LaSalle Room at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Free Spirit Siberian Rescue returns for outdoor demos along the sea wall (just southeast of the Starved Rock Visitor Center).

J A N U ARY 1 9 A Canal To Build On. 6:30-8 p.m.

at Isle a la Cache Museum, 501 E. Romeo Road (135th Street), Romeoville.

The Illinois & Michigan Canal was here before the Cubs, here before Portillo’s; and many Will County towns owe their beginnings to the

little waterway that could. Join Dennis Cremin, Ph.D., from Lewis University for an engaging illustrated talk as he shares the daily grind and political maneuvers that went into the I&M Canal project. He also will reveal the canal’s second life through the Civilian Conservation Corps and the National Heritage Corridor. For ages 16 or older Registration is required by calling 815-886-1467 by January 17.

J A N U ARY 2 1 Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser.

4-7:30 p.m. at Troy Middle School, 5800 W. Theodore Street, Plainfield.

Benefits Troy Community School District 30-C band program. To purchase tickets or for more information: Visit www.troybandboosters.org for tickets.Take-out orders will also available by calling (815) 302-4782 the day of the dinner.

J A N U ARY 2 8 - M ARCH 11 Water|Ways. Saturdays through

Saturday, March 11 at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, Channahon. This traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution examines the significance of water on the human experience ReconnectWithNature.org.

F EBR U ARY 2 Winter Nature Photography Hike. 8:30-10:30 a.m. at Plum Creek

Nature Center, 27064 S. Dutton Road, Beecher. This program begins indoors to learn quick tips in nature photography to help photograph

u p c o m i n g e v e n ts i n y o u r ar e a Wednesday, January 11, 2017 | buglenewspapers.com those fast moving critters; then a brief hike (half-mile to one mile) to Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve; then back indoors to practice photography techniques at the bird feeder area. A tripod is suggested, but not required. The program is recommended for beginners, and for technology ranging from smartphone cameras to digital SLRs. The program will focus on technique and composition, not camera operation.

Registration is required by calling 708.946.2216 by Thursday, February 2.

F EBR U ARY 4 Teddy Bear Tea. 2 p.m. at Starved

Rock Lodge, Utica. Grandmothers, mothers and children, grab your favorite teddy bear and join us for cookies and tea at the Lodge. Plus enjoy “bear stories” by Pam Rowe and Activities. Take home a complimentary specialty tea cup. $17 per person.

Reservation required, call 815-2207386.

F EBR U ARY 1 1 Snowshoe Under The Stars: Sweetheart Style. 6-9 p.m. at

Plum Creek Nature Center, 27064 S. Dutton Road, Beecher. Dinner and a movie is so passé! Impress your better half with an original night out on the town in a romantic winter wonderland. Come out with your sweetheart for a night full of romance, fun and snow! We’ll get your heart racing as we strap on some snowshoes and hike the trail under the stars.

Afterward, cuddle up next to your sweetie, relax by the fire and enjoy

some wine, fruit and beverages.

Participants may bring their own beer and wine to enjoy during the program. Registration is required by calling 708-946-2216 by Thursday, February 9.

F EBR U ARY 1 2 Living History Demonstration. Noon to 3 p.m. at Isle a la

Cache Museum, 501 E. Rome Road.

Volunteer Isle a la Cache Brigade reenactors portray cooks, seamstresses, voyageurs, soldiers and craftsmen from the 18th century fur trade era.

Registration is not required for this free, all-ages program. For more information on these programs and other Forest Preserve District offerings, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.

F EBR U ARY 2 0 Dueling Pianos. At 11:30 a.m.

Starved Rock Lodge, Utica. An experience like no other. Don’t miss this wildly entertaining music and comedy dueling piano show: $40 includes lunch and show. Make reservations by calling 815-220-7386.

F EBR U ARY 2 1 Bee A Beekeeper: Introduction To Successful Beekeeping. 6-8

p.m. at Plum Creek Nature Center, 27064 S. Dutton Road, Beecher. This six-session beekeeping course will build your confidence to make you a successful beekeeper. With more than 12 years of beekeeping experience, advanced beekeeper Mike Rusnak will lead you through the beekeeping process. This workshop series

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is presented in time for you to order your own supplies to get started with beekeeping this spring. For a preview of the workshop, read “The Backyard Beekeeper” by Kim Flottum.

Books may be purchased at Plum Creek Nature Center. Registration is required by calling 708.946.2216 by Friday, February 10.

M ARCH 1 2 Living History Demonstration. Noon to 3 p.m. at Isle a la

Cache Museum, 501 E. Rome Road.

Volunteer Isle a la Cache Brigade reenactors portray cooks, seamstresses, voyageurs, soldiers and craftsmen from the 18th century fur trade era.

Registration is not required for this free, all-ages program. For more information on these programs and other Forest Preserve District offerings, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.

M ARCH 1 8 Pioneer Festival and Pancake Breakfast. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at

Pilcher Park Nature Center, 2501 Highland Park Drive in Joliet. Enjoy pancakes, sausage and pure maple syrup for breakfast. There will be maple syrup making demonstrations, pioneer re-enactors, archery, wool spinning, hoop rolling, Native American demonstrations, a buckskin maker and more. Tickets are $9 for adults and $7 for children 12-andunder. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 815-741-7277 or email pilcherpark@jolietpark.org

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