Romeoville 5-3-18

M AY 3 , 2 0 18 V O L . 1 2 I S S U E 43

#romeovillebugle

FORUM

Reagan’s Illinois Place of honor, integrity, kindness SEE PAGE 4

SPORTS

Sixer success Local athlete winning in the NBA SEE PAGE 7

BUSINESS Dave Says Why not short-term disability?

SEE PAGE 11

ROMEOVILLEBUGLE.COM

NEWS

THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

VILLAGE NEWS >> BOLINGBROOK

American Water announces grant recipients Bolingbrook Park District, Woodridge Dist. 68 projects receiving share of $22K

Illinois American Water announced April 30 that 10 watershed initiatives across the state will receive funding through the company’s 2018 Environmental Grant Program. The recipients will receive a share of grant funds totaling $22,750 for community projects that improve, restore or protect watersheds.

This announcement is being made in conjunction with Earth Week to remind consumers of the vital need to protect our precious resource every day for future generations. “At Illinois American Water, Earth Day is every day. Our team works hard to not only pro-

vide clean water for life, but for our communities to thrive,” said Bruce Hauk, president of Illinois American Water.

ILLINOIS AMERICAN WATER IS AWARDING THE 2018 ENVIRONMENTAL GRANTS AS FOLLOWS: » Bolingbrook Park District will receive a $4,000 grant for DuPage River Ecological Improvements that focus on removing invasive species from along the DuPage River and restoring the natural landscape. The project will reduce the occurrence of invasive species to less than 10 percent

in the area. In addition, native planting will restore the natural landscape. » Woodridge School District #68 will receive a $2,000 grant for their permeable paver parking lot at Meadowview Elementary School. The project will decrease storm water runoff. » Lincoln College will receive a $3,645 grant to increase watershed awareness, specifically stream-bank erosion along Sugar Creek. The funding will be used to install a boardwalk to make the area handicap accessible. » Nature at the Confluence, Inc. in South Beloit will receive a $3,000 grant for the Kelly Creek CleanUp. The project will engage community volunteers to clean

up Kelly Creek, a major water asset on the Nature At The Confluence, Inc. property. Stream monitoring and water quality testing before and after the clean-up with measure results to educate about the impact of watershed clean ups. » Pekin Park District will receive a $2,000 grant for the continued Lick Creek Watershed Invasive Species Control and Restoration project to eliminate invasive species along the Lick Creek corridor. Funds will be used to restore native plants to improve forest quality and help to control creek-side erosion. » Peoria Park District will receive two grants for two different projects. A $730 grant will support the Heal the Hill Prairie at Forest Park Nature Center. Volunteers will remove invasive species and restore the bluffs, decreasing erosion and sedimentation of the river. An $875 grant will support the Illinois River Sweep.

Funds will help supply gloves, trash bags, bins and tire recycling. » Peoria Playhouse Children’s Museum will receive a $2,000 grant for the Journey to Sea project.

The project is a collaboration between the Peoria PlayHouse, Bradley University and The Sun Foundation. Together they will create a PlayHouse art exhibit to illustrate the devastating impact of plastic pollution on water.

» Senior Services Plus, Inc. in Godfrey will receive a $3,500 grant to construct a detention/ infiltration bioswale and rain garden. This project is an extension of their initiative to grow their own food to feed local senior citizens. » Foundation for Ohio River Education will receive a $1,000 grant to fund the Ohio River Sweep.

The funds will supply gloves and other materials to volunteers cleaning up the Ohio River.

ILLINOIS AMERICAN WATER ANNOUNCES 2018 ENVIRONMENTAL GRANT PROGRAM RECIPIENTS Customers can make a difference by getting involved in these projects as well as using water wisely. Customers can help protect our precious resources through the following actions: • Be conscious of daily water use and take the necessary steps to be water smart.

• Be sure that leaking pipes and faucets — indoors and outdoors — are repaired.

• Take care in garden, lawn, garage or other home product use and ensure they do not impact groundwater.

• Dispose of chemicals or other potentially harmful products properly by not pouring them directly into home drains, the sewer, street drains or the lawn.

CALENDAR U P CO M I N G E V E N T S I N YO U R A R E A APRIL 22-27 Week of the Young Child.

Bolingbrook Park District celebrates children and their families a series of free, week-long events. Visit www. bolingbrookparks.org for more information.

MAY 6 Senior Prom — A Night in Paris. 3-5 p.m. at Prairie Bluff Golf

Club,19433 Renwick Road, Lockport.

Flash back to your high school years for “A Night in Paris” filled with dancing to live entertainment sponsored

by AARP! This event will feature door prizes, a photo booth, P.B. Mulligan’s classic pot roast dinner, s’mores station and cash bar. Best dressed will be crowned “King” and “Queen.”

This is a cooperative event held in conjunction with Lockport Township Park District. romeoville.org.

MAY 12 Community Wide Garage Sale.

8 a.m. - 4 p.m. in Romeoville. Houses throughout the village are doing their springcleaning and the village provides a printed listing forthose seeking bargains. The publication of homes will be available to pick up at the Recreation Center and Village Hall beginning Wednesday, May 9.

Bolingbrook Lions Club Meat Raffle. 2-5 p.m. at Tailgaters

Sports-Bar, 431 W Boughton Rd, Bolingbrook. The Wheel of Meat, where the Lions Club raffles off meat along with other goodies. Proceeds from this Meat Raffle will fund the 17th Annual Bolingbrook Beep Baseball Bash (Blind Baseball Tournament) June 9 and 10 at Volunteer Park.

INSTAGRAM: Readers, attending a game in your area? Take a photo and tag @buglenewspapers for a chance to be featured!

NEWS

THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

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VALLEY VIEW SCHOOL DISTRICT

Schools to change middle school schedule 4-period block instead of 7-period day should allow deeper learning

By Laura Katauskas Bugle Staff @BugleNewspapers sweditor@buglenewspapers.com

In an effort to increase instruction time and collaboration, the Valley View School District is opt-

ing to switch to a block schedule for its middle school students.

During the 2018-2019 school year, all five Valley View middle schools will be moving from a seven-period daily schedule to a fourperiod “block” schedule. Start and

end times will not change, but the length of each class period will change to 82 minute blocks of time.

According to the district students’ schedules will rotate in between an “A Day” and a “B Day and will have four classes each day. All students will have Math and Language Arts every day and will have STEM, Social Studies,

and PE every other day. In addition students will have the choice between Band or Careers/WIN for their final course, which will also meet every other day.

WIN is a course that will include 20 minutes of advisory time, which focuses on social/emotional needs, 20 minutes of conferencing with a staff member to identify academic and social/emotional

needs, and 40 minutes of time for students to work on targeted skills identified during conferencing to ensure academic and social/emotional success.

The district believes that this type of schedule with fewer transitions throughout the day, allows for more uninterrupted learning time in each class for deeper learning.

VILLAGE NEWS >> BOLINGBROOK

Community concerns, passions wanted for forum 3rd annual “On The Table” seeks to connect causes, people

By Grace Tucker Managing Editor @BugleNewspapers nweditor@buglenewspapers.com

Hoping to connect individuals with a passion for their community and area concerns, Dr. Nadia and Michael Carpanzano are again hosting “On The Table” Community Forum & Workshop at The Promenade Bolingbrook.

In association with The Community Foundation of Will County, for the third year in a row, the two are inviting Bolingbrook and area residents to bring their passions and concerns and discuss them faceto-face on May 8 starting at 8:30 a.m.

“The purpose of ‘On The Table’ is to connect people,” said Michael

Carpanzano.

“I felt this platform was beneficial. In an age of social media we can have, at times, a divisive world and I feel we need to come together and speak with each other respectfully,” he said The couple seeks to facilitate conversations that hopefully result in initiatives of action.

“Get together, face-to-face, at a table with other thinkers and doers in our community to find common ground and common cause,” said Carpanzano. “Then, we hope that positive and forward-thinking individuals in our community will move ideas from the table into action.”

“My goal is to meet with people and say ‘How are you involved and how can I connect you more;’ that’s my personal motivation,” said Carpanzano.

The Carpanzanos are a couple passionate about community involvement.

Nadia, owner of Maplebrook

Chiropractic in Naperville, sits on the board for The Community Foundation of Will County. Michael, Regional Director of Sales for PT Solutions Physical Therapy, is the treasurer for Heart Haven OutReach (H2O) and Crime Stoppers of Bolingbrook, the president of Midwest Christian Montessori Academy and is the Live360 Community Ambassador for The Promenade Bolingbrook.

Michael says he and his wife

“have made community a part of who we are as a family.”

“This is our third year hosting this for the community, we keep on growing it,” he said.

“We invite people to be engaged in a movement of thousands of Chicago-area residents who are building relationships and taking action to benefit our neighborhoods,” he said.

In 2017 100,000 participated in On The Table events across the Chi-

cago area.

Carpanzano said attendees use paper notebooks to write down the highlights and main points from their table’s discussions. Data from the notebooks is collected and sent to The Chicago Community Trust (CCT) and they compile a report on the top concerns in the region, in a community. Subsequently, through the Acting Up awards, the CCT has distributed $195,000+ to help more than 130 creative ideas come to fruition, he said.

“I also take the information from our local attendees and pitch it to appropriate groups or non-profit organizations,” Carpanzano said.

“Hopefully individuals [from On The Table] will do; if they don’t, I can take the information and bring it to those who can.”

For more information visit the Facebook event page: https:// www.facebook.com/ events/357517138084491/ Or RSVP: http://bit.ly/onthetable2018

WILL COUNTY STATE’S ATTORNEY

Officials to provide updates on opioid crisis 2018 HERO HELPS Summit lated for Friday, May 11 at the Edward Hospital Athletic and Event Center The 2018 Hero Helps Community Summit, slated for Friday, May 11 at the Edward Hospital Athletic and Event Center in Romeoville, will feature Maria Bruni, assistant secretary of programs for the Illinois Department of Human Services, and Dr. Nirav

Shah, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, both of whom will share the Governor’s new Task Force Recommendations.

The Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Alcoholism and Substance (IDHS-DASA)

was awarded a federal grant for more than $16 million to fight Illinois’ opioid crisis. The grant is funded through the 21st Century Cures Act which includes an estimated $1 billion to states over the next two years to combat the nation’s opioid crisis. Investment plans for these dollars will be presented.

“Thanks to the efforts of these agencies, Illinois and Will County will receive critical resources to our community to fight the opioid

epidemic,” said Paul Lauridsen, event co-chairman.

The State of Illinois Opioid Action Plan is the result of a collaboration with Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti, the Department of Human Services, (IDHS/DASA), the Department of Public Health, state agency officials, stakeholders, and other advocates resulting in a strategic framework that outlines approaches to address the opioid crisis in Illinois and its importance. The goal of the plan

is to reduce the anticipated number of opioid-related deaths by 33 percent over the next three years.

The event is free and open to the public. A resource fair with 40 vendors and Narcan training will also be part of the summit. Up to four free continuing education credits will be offered. Pre-registration is required for the Narcan training. For more information or to register for the Narcan training, visit the website: www.HeroHelpsSWC.org.

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FORUM

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COLUMN

Reagan’s Illinois: Place of honor, integrity, kindness Ronald Reagan the only president born in Illinois

BY JIM DUNN OF SAUK VALLEY MEDIA On Feb. 6, 1984, President Ronald Reagan was riding high as he celebrated his 73rd birthday in Dixon, Illinois, the county seat of Lee County and the town where he lived as a youth for a dozen years starting in 1920.

More than half a century earlier, Reagan had ventured forth from his hometown to earn a bachelor’s degree at Eureka College, class of 1932 – not an easy feat during the Great Depression.

Then he became a radio sports announcer in Iowa, an actor in about 50 Hollywood movies, president of the Screen Actors Guild, a television personality, and spokesman for General Electric.

Turning to politics in the 1960s, he served as governor of California for two terms and, on his third try, was elected 40th president of the United States.

His hometown birthday bash in 1984 found Reagan – tall, handsome and known for his sense of humor – in good spirits as he addressed a crowd that packed Dixon High School’s Lancaster Gymnasium.

His speech came after he and his wife, Nancy, rode in a parade and lunched at his boyhood home, which local residents had rushed to renovate in time for the big day.

“Birthdays are special moments, and you’ve given me one today,” Reagan said. “But I must tell you, even though this is the 34th anniversary of my 39th birthday (the crowd laughs), those numbers don’t faze me at all. I believe Moses was 80 when God first commissioned him for public service.”

After more audience chuckles, Reagan continued: “And I also remember something that Thomas Jefferson once said. He said, ‘We should never judge a president by his age, only by his works.’ And ever since he told me that – (laughter) – I’ve stopped wor-

rying. There are those who say I’ve stopped working.” (More laughter) Reagan, known as The Great Communicator for his TV addresses to the nation from the Oval Office, could afford to poke fun at himself.

He was feeling healthy and fit, nearly three years after being shot by John Hinckley in March 1981, barely two months after his inauguration.

The economy was growing again after a tough 1982 recession.

And his re-election chances looked good.

Reagan, a Republican, would go on to receive 59 percent of the vote that fall and carry 49 states in a defeat of Democratic nominee Walter Mondale. The former vice president had served under the man Reagan more narrowly defeated in 1980, President Jimmy Carter.

It was quite an accomplishment for the only president born in Illinois.

The son of Jack and Nelle Reagan, Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on Feb. 6, 1911, in a second-floor Main Street apartment in the Whiteside County village of Tampico.

A conservative icon to many, a proponent of leaner government and a stronger national defense, Reagan served from 1981 to 1989 amid trying times.

Among them: Reagan’s firing in 1981 of 11,000 striking air traffic controllers; the 1983 explosion at a U.S. barracks in Beirut that killed 241 Marines and sailors; the 1986 space shuttle Columbia disaster; and the Iran-Contra scandal where arms were traded for hostages.

But in Reagan’s Illinois, folks remember the positives: a new spirit of optimism; economic expansion; the invasion of Grenada to oust leftist revolutionaries; and nuclear arms reduction treaties with the Soviet Union.

At the Ronald Reagan Birthplace, Tampico residents still serve cake every year on Reagan’s birthday. A few years ago, they erected a statue of Reagan as a boy playing on a cannon in the town park.

In Dixon, they’re fixing up Reagan’s boyhood home again. Numerous rehab projects were undertaken in 2017 to repair deteriorated parts of

the house, built in 1891.

Down the street in a restored three-story brick school building, the Northwest Territory Historic Center preserves Reagan’s grade-school classroom and has a display of his movie posters.

Two statues commemorate Reagan: one portrays him wearing a suit outside the boyhood home, and the other, in the city’s downtown riverfront park, shows him, clad in riding clothes, astride a stallion – just as he appeared in a local parade in 1950.

An effort to erect a statue of young Reagan as a lifeguard at Dixon’s Lowell Park has yet to bear fruit. Over seven summers, he rescued 77 struggling swimmers from the Rock River.

Reagan’s tough stance against communism is recalled in Dixon’s downtown, where a replica of the Berlin Wall stands. Less than a year after he left office, the Cold War-era wall fell.

Reagan’s name would be preserved on everything from a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, to an airport, government buildings and roads, to Dixon’s own Reagan Middle School.

His post-presidency, which included publishing his memoir, “An American Life,” in 1990 and dedicating his presidential library in Simi Valley, California, in 1991, was dominated by his bout with Alzheimer’s disease.

He bore the illness for nearly 10 years until his death in California on June 5, 2004. He was 93.

All that still lay ahead as Reagan stood at the Dixon High School podium on Feb. 6, 1984, and thanked “everyone who made this terrific day possible.”

The president praised the spirit of small-town America that had the nation “back on her feet and moving forward with confidence.”

And he said: “So, you see, the reason I came home today was not to celebrate my birthday, but to celebrate Dixon and America. Honor, integrity and kindness do exist all across our land.”

Honor, integrity and kindness are qualities that inspired a president.

He learned to appreciate them in small-town Illinois – Reagan’s Illinois.

Jim Dunn can be reached at jdunn@ saukvalley.com.

METRO COUNTY NEWS

Romeoville man arrested on sex charges Detectives began an online investigation regarding a suspicious Craigslist posting Will County Sheriff Mike Kelley announced the April 26 arrest of Raul Orona, Jr, 34, of Romeoville for soliciting sex from a minor.

In February, Will County Sheriff’s detectives began an online investigation regarding a suspicious Craigslist posting.

During the investigation it was determined that the owner of the posting, later identified as Raul Orona, Jr., was interested in meeting up with the 14-year-old (fictitious) girl to engage in sex.

Numerous emails were exchanged that were sexual in nature throughout the course of the investigation.

On April 26, 2018, Sheriff’s detectives arranged a meeting with

MORE INFO During the investigation it was determined that the owner of the posting, later identified as Raul Orona, Jr., was interested in meeting up with the 14-year-old (fictitious) girl to engage in sex.

Orona in a pre-determined location in Frankfort Township.

Orona arrived at the location believing he was going to meet up with the 14-year-old girl. Detectives immediately took him into custody.

He was transported to the Investigations Division where he made several statements incriminating himself.

He was charged with traveling to meet a minor, grooming, and indecent solicitation of a child.

He is being held at the Adult Detention Facility and will appear in bond court today.

THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

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POLICE BLOTTER Note to readers: Information in Police Blotter is obtained from Bolingbrook and Romeoville police departments and the Will County Sheriff’s Office.

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

BOLINGBROOK APRIL 4 » An iPhone 8 was taken from a counter on the 200 block of S. Bolingbrook Dr. at 5:53 p.m. Loss valued at $700.

APRIL 5 » The window to a residence was broken on the 300 block of Woodcreek Dr. at 6:39 p.m. A log was located nearby. » Damien Smith, 22, of Dolton, was charged with an in-state warrant, following a patrol stop on the 1400 block of Lily Cache Ln. at 2:39 p.m.

APRIL 6 » Lee Armstrong. 37, of Bolingbrook, was charged with improper lane usage, illegal transportation of alcohol, driving a suspended license and two counts of DUI, following a traffic stop at Boughton Rd. and Monroe Rd. at 1:28 a.m. » Quarneius Perkins, 28, of Bolingbrook, was charged with an in-state warrant, driving on a suspended license and no insurance, following a traffic stop at Bolingbrook Dr. and Frontage Rd. at 8:52 pm » Unknown subject placed numerous over the counter medications in a cart at Meijer, 755 E.

Boughton Rd., and exited the store at 6:55 a.m.

Loss valued at $884.

APRIL 7 » Mauricio Meja-Ugalde, 33, of Romeoville, was charged with an in-state warrant, following a patrol stop on the 700 block off N. Bolingbrook Dr. at 8:30 a.m.

APRIL 8 » Officers responded to a park on the 500 block of Gary Dr. for the report of a small fire. Playground equipment was melted and burned. » Officers responded to the 200 block of Rockhurst Rd. for the report of a subject displaying a gun and threatening the homeowner at 12:50 a.m. » Officers responded to the 500 block of Remington Blvd. for the report of an aggravated battery. The victim was kicked at 2 p.m. Ruben Chavez, 19, kof Romeoville was charged with aggravated battery. » Ryan Lewthwaite, 34, of Bolingbrook, was charged with no insurance, illegal transportation of alcohol, driving with suspended license, disobeying traffic control device and an in-state warrant, following a traffic stop at 5:43 a.m.

APRIL 9 » Two bullet holes were found in a rear bay window of a residence on the 500 block of Thomas Rd. at 10 p.m. » Two exterior windows were damaged to a building on the 100 block N Schmidt Rd. » Frankie Colley, 24, of Bolingbrook, was charged with an in-state warrant on the 300 block of W. Briarcliff Rd. at 10:44 a.m.

NEWS BRIEFS

The Promenade Bolingbrook announces Eleventh Annual Sunset Concert Series The Promenade Bolingbrook has hosted the popular sunset concerts since 2007 and it’s provided a perfect opportunity for couples of all ages and families to enjoy summer evenings in Bolingbrook.

This summer kicks off with a rockin’, head-bouncin’ evening when LAVA Rock hits The Row as part of the mall’s Live 360° programming. LAVA Rock conjures the sights, sounds and energy of four legendary monsters of classic rock fans of Led Zeppelin (L), Aerosmith (A), Van Halen (V) and AC/DC (A) will thrill to the sights and sounds from the high-flying antics of Steven Tyler and David Lee Roth, the guitar fireworks of Jimmy Page and Eddie Van Halen, and the unmistakable thunder of Brian Johnson’s vocals and John Bonham’s drums.

The concert series is sponsored

by Rock Bottom Brewery, which will have food and beverages available for purchase on site.

Rock Bottom Sunset Concert Series is every Thursday, from 7 to 9 p.m., from June 7 to September 6 at The Row LAVA Rock, the mega-tribute band for fans of Led Zeppelin (L), Aerosmith (A), Van Halen (V) and AC/DC (A) will conjure the sights, sounds and music of these monster rock bands for our community’s entertainment and enjoyment on Thursdays, June 7 - September 6. For the best seating, arrive early. Lawn chairs are allowed. Rock Bottom Brewery, which is sponsoring the series, will have food and beverages for sale.

For more information, visit ShoppingPromenade.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Romeoville Fire Department utilizes drone, receives grant Earlier in the year, the Romeoville

Fire Department was one of 40 police and fire departments in the country to receive a Public Safety Drone Training Grant from DARTdrones, the nation’s leading drone pilot school. This grant, of $3,500 in free drone training, is being put to good use. Anyone who operates a drone for professional purposes (like the fire department), is required to undergo training and be licensed by the FAA. Fire Chief Kent Adams is a fully licensed drone pilot. This is not the first drone based grant the department has benefitted from either. They actually purchased their drone using money they received from a previous grant.

“We use drones for a variety of operations,” explains Adams. “The list gets longer and longer every day. Pretty much any type of incident we have, we can use the drone to give us some aerial perspective of what’s going on.” Adams detailed a few of these incidents, including using thermal imaging to find hot spots and advancing blazes, fire investigation, search and rescue, and finding victims along the waterways. “In the past we’d need to have Chicago’s helicopter come out and

fly the waterway for us because we didn’t have any aerial way of looking. Now we have the ability to do that with our drones.”

Adams says more fire and police departments are moving towards using drones, but it’s still sporadic right now. “I definitely would say we’re on the cutting edge in using drones. We’re involved in MABAS, which is our mutual aid association, with drones and we also work with Lewis University on drones.”

Lewis themselves are a leader in drone technology, becoming the first to deliver acceptance letters to students via drone when they did so in November.

“If you’re in the community and you see us out flying our drones and you’ve got questions, stop by and talk to us,” says Adams. “I’ve had a lot of people come up and I explain the whole drone, what we’re doing, and the technology and people usually like it when they see it.” Keep in mind that even if you are flying a drone for personal enjoyment, there are still rules that need to be followed.

In addition to safety, drones have provided some breathtaking images and video of Romeoville. Keep

an eye on the village’s social media channels for a bird’s-eye-view of the community.

Village of Romeoville offers help to first-time home buyers For the last 13 years, the Village of Romeoville, joining with 75 other municipalities and counties, has participated in the Assist First Time Home Buyers Program, which helps first time homebuyers who have a low to moderate income.

The program provides them with a below-market, fixed-rate mortgage and a cash gift (4.25 percent of the loan amount) which is used to offset closing costs and as part of the down payment.

“Owning a home is a milestone in life,” said Mayor John Noak.

“We’re thrilled that we as a community have been able to help people achieve that goal. This program could be the difference between a family moving to Romeoville or choosing a different community to live in.”

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TAKE 5

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FEATURE

SIXER

SUCCES In only his third year in the league, Lockport grad Holmes is winning while proving he belongs in the NBA

BY MARK GREGORY Sports Editor @Hear_The_Beard mark@buglenewspapers.com

The Joliet area has been one to produce a plethora of talented high school and major college basketball players.

That has not, however, resulted in sending players to the professional ranks in the National Basketball Association.

Sure, several have found success in the professional ranks overseas, but the NBA is the pinnacle of any player’s career and few have broken through.

Three years ago – as a second round draft choice of the Philadelphia 76ers – Lockport High School graduate Richaun Holmes entered into that sacred fraternity.

Holmes started off on one of the worst teams in the NBA, but now the Sixers and the 24-yearold former Porter is placing his name among the Will County greats.

Holmes is only the seventh player born in the Joliet area to play in the NBA and only the sixth that attended a local school.

“I am tremendously blessed,” Holmes said. “There are so many talented players to come from that area and God has been so good to me. When you put the work in and see where the game can take you and you never know. I just keep my head on straight and keep that tunnel vision.”

Bulbs Ehlers, the first-ever draft pick of the Boston Celtics, was born in Joliet, but attended high school at South Bend Central in South Bend, Indiana.

With 156 games currently played in the NBA, Holmes is second only to Hall of Famer George Mikan as far as games played in the league for players in the Joliet area.

SEE HOLMES PAGE 8

PHOTO BY KEVIN C. COX/GETTY IMAGES SPORT

Lockport Township High School grad Richaun Holmes is one of very few area players to make it to the NBA.

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

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THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM HOLMES FROM PAGE 7 When he was drafted, he joined Mikan, George Munroe (80 games), Roger Powell, Jr. (3 games) and fellow Lockport graduate Alando Tucker (51 games) as the only area players.

Bolingbrook’s Ben Moore was called up from the G-League and saw action in a pair of games this year for the Indiana Pacers.

With a four games to one series win over the Miami Heat, Holmes became the first Jolietarea player to be part of a playoff-winning team since Mikan won the 1954 NBA title with the Minneapolis Lakers.

“This has been a pretty good run and we are just trying to do the best we can to extend it,” Holmes said. “It has been an exciting time for the city and for us – especially the guys that went

through that 10-win season. To see the fruits of your labor and to see all the hard work you put in turn around and put us in a position we are in now, it has been great. I can’t really explain it.”

The Sixers were not the talented team they are now when Holmes joined the squad in the 2015-16 season.

His rookie year, Philly earned only 10 wins, while increasing the total to 28 last season before posting a 55-27 record this year.

“For me, it was tough going through that time. I was trying to prove I belonged in the NBA and trying to secure a spot in the NBA while going through a 10-win season,” Holmes. “It was more about trusting the work that we all put in. I had to go through the grind those first couple years, but this turn-

around has been great.

“We all love each other on this team. We are a very close knit group and I think that has a lot to do with us being so close in age and going through the same experiences. We have really leaned on each other. We have very competitive practices and everyone is trying to prove themselves and we are all getting better and it is a great thing to be competitive.”

While the team was going through rough spots, Holmes was able to get more floor time than he would have if selected by a winning team.

“Philly gave me the opportunity to show what I have and to get better in games and I had all the experiences you need as a young NBA player and going through those rough times, it gave me a chance to get better and to see what I had to do to stay in the league,” he said.

Having to prove himself is nothing new to Holmes.

As a Porter, he played behind Landon Gamble and Ed Ward.

As a senior, the scholarship offers did not pour in from the schools he had hoped, forcing Holmes to attend Moraine Valley Community College for one year.

All that, he said, taught him lessons and made him better.

“Since I have been playing basketball, this has been my path and I am in a similar situation now where I have to continue to prove myself to get minutes on the floor,” he said. “But, it is what I am built for and what I am made of and what I have been doing what I’ve done since I have been playing. My goal was to always make it to the NBA. I always wanted to give myself that motivation. Landon and Ed helped me out tremendously while I was at Lockport and just learning from those who are ahead of you and trying to get better was always my mindset.

“It is a never satisfied attitude for me. I always want to push myself to see how far I can get.

It all motivates you. Success motivates you because you want more of that, failure motivates you because you want less of it.

It is all about constantly improving and constantly get better and show this is what you want to do. This game is everything for me, so I try and put everything I have in it and it rewards me.”

Holmes and the 76ers take on Boston in the second round of the NBA playoffs, which opened Monday in Boston.

INSTAGRAM: Readers, attending a game in your area? Take a photo and tag @buglenewspapers for a chance to be featured!

SPORTS

THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

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LEWIS

Baseball wins series vs. Oakland The Lewis University baseball team rallied from a two-run deficit in the seventh inning to defeat Oakland City 5-3 and earn the series win Sunday (April 29) in a nonconference game at Pinnick Field.

Lewis fell behind 1-0 in the second inning, but evened the score in the fourth on an Austin Tittle (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) RBI. The Mighty Oaks added to their lead in the sixth as Caleb Wagner drove home his second and third runs of the game to make the score 3-1.

In the top the seventh Jermaine Terry (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South) hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Tittle and Neal Tyrell (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) doubled down the left field line to drive in the tying run. A wild pitch scored Connor Rutherford (DePere, Wis./DePere) to give the Flyers a 5-4 lead.

Another Tyrell double in the ninth inning added an insurance run as Rutherford scored.

Brady Kostecki (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic) came on in relief with runners on the corners and one out in the ninth.

He was able to force a line out to second base and got the final batter to look at strike three to end the game, picking up his seventh save of the year.

Tyrell had a two-hit, twoRBI game for the Flyers, while Rutherford walked three times and scored twice.

Charlie Wright (Lemont, Ill./ Lemont) started the game and went four innings, allowing four hits and one earned run, striking out three.

Dalton Hottle (Monmouth, Ill./Monmouth-Roseville) (3-0) earned the win, going two innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs. Matt Verdun (Homer Glen, Ill./St. Rita) pitched 2.1 innings in relief, allowing two hits and no runs.

Lewis travels to face Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division leader Illinois Springfield (18-1 GLVC) for the final four games of the regular season next weekend. The first two games are scheduled to be played Friday (May 4), beginning at 12 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)

announced on Monday (April 30) that Lewis University’s Ryan Coenen (Franklin, WI/Franklin), Michael Simmons (Aurora, IL/Waubonsie Valley) and Matt Yoshimoto (Ventura, CA/Adolfo Camarillo) were named to the AVCA All-American team.

Coenen earned second team honors while Simmons and Yoshimoto were named to the honorable mention team.

“Congrats to all the guys and the team,” Lewis men’s volleyball head coach Dan Friend said.

“Having multiple All-Americans is a byproduct of the entire team’s work ethic throughout the season.”

Coenen, a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball First Team selection and AVCA Second Team All-Amercian in 2017, averaged 3.79 kills-per-set and led the team in kills (349).

He is the seventh different Flyer (out of 16) to garner All-American honors more than once.

Coenen recorded double-digit kills in 20 of 29 matches and had two matches with at least 20 kills including a season-high 21 against Ohio State on Feb. 22.

Against ranked teams, he finished with a team-best 259 kills and averaged 4.05 kills-per-set, while hitting .288 (259 kills, 97 errors, 563 attacks) in 19 matches.

“Ryan carried a big load for us all year and was exceptional and consistent throughout the season,” Friend said. “Going into your second year it can always be a little tough because teams are better prepared for you but there were numerous matches were Ryan dominated and was instrumental in those wins. Ryan relished the competition the entire year.”

Simmons earns his second straight AVCA Honorable Mention All-America award after being named to the All-MIVA First Team. He finished the season with 202 digs and averaged 2.40 digs-per-set which was second best in the conference. He recorded double-digit digs in nine matches this season, highlighted by a 14-dig performance against McKendree (Feb. 24).

“Michael had his best year yet for us,” Friend stated. “He continued to get better and better as the season went on. Directing

PHOTO BY KSTEVE WOLTMANN

Brady Kostecki earned his seventh save of the season against Oakland City. guys both in serve receive and defense. The team itself voted him MVP, which attests to what he brought to practice everyday.”

Yoshimoto also earns his second straight AVCA Honorable Mention All-America award after being named to the All-MIVA Second Team.

He guided Lewis to a team hit-

ting percentage of .312 (1187377-2593). That mark is the seventh best hitting percentage in school-history for a single-season in the rally scoring era.

Yoshimoto recorded 30 or more assists in 18 contests, highlighted by 51 helpers at McKendree (March 29).

“Matt took a really good step

for us in the setter role this year guiding the offensive at a high level and incorporating the freshman middles,” Friend said.

“He was also dominating from the serving line creating multiple point scoring opportunities for us.”

Lewis finished the 2018 campaign with a mark of 19-11.

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BUSINESS + REAL ESTATE

NEWS ABOUT LOCAL BUSINESSES IN YOUR COMMUNITY THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

COLUMN >> DAVE SAYS

Why not short-term disability?

DEAR DAVE, Why don’t you recommend having short-term disability insurance while doing the first three Baby Steps of your plan? It seems like a good time for it, when you’re in the beginning stages of getting your finances in order.

BOB DEAR BOB, You could certainly do that if you want, possibly even through your place of employment. I’m a big fan of folks having long-term disability insurance when they’re in their prime wage-earning years. But short-term disability is something I’ve always considered to be gimmick insurance, and that’s something I don’t recommend or buy.

I get the argument, too, that short-term disability coverage usually isn’t very expensive. But during the first two Baby Steps — getting a $1,000 beginner emergency fund set aside, and paying off everything but the house — you’re trying to limit expenses as much as possible.

Chances are you wouldn’t need it in Baby Step 3, because that covers your full emergency fund of three

to six months of expenses.

Hope that helps, Bob! —DAVE DEAR DAVE, My husband and I are trying to buy a house, but we both have low credit scores, so we’re having trouble securing a loan. We’ve heard you talk about getting a mortgage loan with no credit score. Is this the same as a low credit score?

LAURA DEAR LAURA, No, it is not. No credit score, means you don’t have any credit or your credit score is “indeterminable.” A low credit score indicates you’ve had — or still have — debt in your life, and you haven’t done

a good job of paying creditors on time.

Two things will help solve the problem of having a low credit score. One is time. If you’ve had instances of late payments from years ago, time will help heal that to a degree. The older late issues become, the less they count against you.

But my guess is you two probably have some bad debt. By bad debt, I mean things that were never paid, or accounts that are in collections.

If that’s the case, you need to contact those people, and settle those debts in full — and in writing — as quickly as possible. Officially close the accounts, too, before you try to buy a home.

When it comes to buying a home, Laura, I always advise folks to first be debt-free and have an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses set aside.

—DAVE * Dave Ramsey is CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored seven best-selling books, including The Total Money Makeover. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 13 million listeners each week on 585 radio

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Legal Listings SHERIFF’S SALE OF REAL ESTATE of 8 Arlington Drive, Romeoville, IL 60446 (Single Family). On the 10th day of May, 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: Specialized Loan Servicing LLC Plaintiff V. Christine L. Huffstutler aka Christine Lea Anderson aka Christine Bratton aka Christine Huffstutter aka Christine Huffstutler Defendant.

Case No. 17 CH 1388 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 resi-

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

dential real estate arose prior to the sale. All payments shall be made in cash or certified funds payable to the Sheriff of Will County.

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.

P: 630-453-6960 F: 630-428-4620

For Information Please Contact:

Pblished 4/19, 4/26, 5/3

ANSELMO LINDBERG OLIVER LLC. 1771 W. Diehl Rd. Suite 120 NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS 60563

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.

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LEGAL LISTINGS

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. STATE OF ILLINOIS )

) SS. COUNTY OF WILL ) IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE TWELFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS Specialized Loan Servicing LLC Plaintiff, vs.

Christine L. Huffstutler aka Christine Lea Anderson aka Christine Bratton aka Christine Huffstutter aka Christine Huffstutler Defendant. No. 17 CH 1388 NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE Public notice is hereby given that pursuant to a judgment entered in the above cause on the 16th day of February, 2018, MIKE KELLEY, Sheriff of Will County, Illinois, will on Thursday, the 10th day of May, 2018 , commencing at 12:00 o’clock noon, at the Will County Courthouse Annex, 57 N. Ottawa Street, Room 201, Joliet, IL 60432, sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder or bidders the following-described real estate: LOT 4, IN BLOCK 10 IN HAMPTON PARK SUBDIVISION NO 1. A SUBDIVISION OF PART OF THE NORTHEAST 1/4 OF SECTION 33, AND THE NORTHWEST 1/4 OF SECTION 34, TOWNSHIP 37 NORTH, RANGE 10, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN INCLUDING A PORTION OF ROGERS SUBDIVISION ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED JUNE 23, 1958, AS DOCUMENT NO.851430 IN WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS. Commonly known as: 8 Arlington Drive, Romeoville, IL 60446 Description of Improvements: Single Family P.I.N.: 12-02-34-102-016-0000 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.

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: ANSELMO LINDBERG OLIVER LLC. 1771 W. Diehl Rd. Suite 120 NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS 60563 P: 630-453-6960 F: 630-428-4620 MIKE KELLEY Plaintiff’s Attorney Sheriff of Will County Published 4/19, 4/26, 5/3

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