Sentinel 1-24-18

JA N UA R Y 2 4 , 2 0 1 8 V O L . 2 3 I S S U E 7 #shorewoodsentinel SHOREWOODSENTINEL.COM

Check out the upcoming Events in your area SEE PAGE 14

FORUM

Celebrating IL Illinois’ Underground Railroad SEE PAGE 4

SPORTS

Rivals Clash Central takes this season’s edition of the battle of Joliet SEE PAGE 7

BUSINESS Dave Says 15-year fixed mortgage is only debt worth getting SEE PAGE 7

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

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VILLAGE NEWS

Chocolate Ball celebrates HUGS’ 10th anniversary Over 600 wishes granted in decade of service

BY MEGANN HORSTEAD For the Bugle @BugleNewspapers sweditor@buglenewspapers.com

It’s been a decade of Shorewood HUGS, and its organizational mission, affecting change in the lives of others in the community.

To help commemorate this milestone, Shorewood HUGS is hosting its annual Hugs & Wishes Chocolate Ball, 7-11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, 411 S. Larkin Ave., in Joliet.

“Ten years, it’s definitely a wonderful achievement,” said Molly Babyak, a current board member and past president of Shorewood HUGS. “I started a year after the organization started. When it began, they weren’t sure what direction to go or path to choose. In 2008, it was a time of great economic stress.

They chose to help people who are deserving, disabled, or in need. To see that we can raise the funds that are needed, it means a lot to continue the tradition.”

This year’s theme, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” will take Hugs & Wishes Chocolate Ball guests back in time to revel in Manhattan’s socialite life depicted in the 1961 film of the same name.

Guests can expect much of the same at the fundraiser, though a champagne toast will be held this time around to commemorate

Shorewood HUGS and its 10th anniversary.

Between raffle drawings and chocolate tastings to the Audrey Hepburn look-alike contest and silent auction, this year’s Hugs & Wishes Chocolate Ball is shaping up to be a success.

“The last three to four years, it sold out,” Babyak said. “It sold out a week earlier than it did last year.”

This year’s Hugs & Wishes Chocolate Ball has 10 chocolate sponsors, and one of them, Covered in Chocolate, is new to the list.

Chocolate judges for the evening will be Joe Baltz, Sandra Fleck, Lynne Lichtenauer, Mary Lancaster and Natalie Manley, and they will work on naming the “Best Chocolate Creation.”

Shorewood HUGS prides itself on its ability to raise money to support its mission.

The fundraiser typically aims to help about 100 families who reside within a 20-mile radius of Shorewood.

The goal, Babyak said, is to raise the money needed to grant wishes for 2018.

To date, Shorewood HUGS has fulfilled 638 wishes.

Past recipients have been granted the benefits of anything from iPads and car repairs to groceries and gas station gift cards.

“A lot of the time, it’s a surprise for them,” Babyak said. “A lot of times they’ve not heard of us, so we explain. We talk to them, and they’re so touched.”

Shorewood HUGS has evolved over the years.

“Every year our organization has

grown,” Babyak said. “The founders started with nine members, and we’re up to 50 now. The more our name is out there, the more wishes we fulfill, the more people come to the Chocolate Ball. We have followers who come year after year.”

Babyak said the work of Shorewood HUGS remains constant, even as the organization’s membership changes every year.

“The mission rings true for everyone,” she said. “Whenever you add people, members express what they’re passionate about and we do what we can to support those interests.”

In the past, for example, members of Shorewood HUGS have participated Multiple Sclerosis Walks, Relay for Life and other community events in the area to complement the organization’s work.

While the Hugs & Wishes Chocolate Ball is Shorewood HUGS’ biggest fundraiser, members of the board strive to make an impact in the community in additional ways.

They support several scholarship programs and make donations to other causes.

Babyak said the biggest challenge to carrying out the organization’s mission is keeping the name out there.

“We do well with fundraising,” she said. “The people who know about us are supportive. It’s reminding people we’re here to help.

Even though we’ve been around 10 years, it’s reminding people we’re here to help. “ The hope, Babyak said, is that

TROY TOWNSHIP NEWS

AARP tax help Township Supervisor Joseph D. Baltz is announcing that Troy Township will once again partner with the Senior Services Center of Will County to be a site for the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program. The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is available free to taxpayers with low and moderate income, with special attention to those 60 and older.

The program is staffed by trained volunteer tax preparers who are provided by Senior Services Center of Will County. Troy Township seniors and low to moderate income taxpayers can have their income taxes prepared and filed electronically for free. The program is geared towards simple income tax returns and not for complicated or business returns. Appointments will be available starting Tuesday, February 6, 2018, and will be offered each Tuesday through April 10, 2018. Appointments are REQUIRED and are

offered on a first come first served basis. Call 815744-1968 or 815-744-1963 to schedule your appointment or to get additional information.

For more information about Troy Township visit www.troytownship.com or call Supervisor Joseph D. Baltz’s office at 815-744-1968.

Bingo & Bagels Feb. 8 Township Supervisor Joseph D. Baltz, is happy to announce that Troy Township’s game day is back for 2018. The first game of 2018 will be “Bingo & Bagels” on Thursday, February 8 at 1:30 p.m. All Troy Township seniors are invited to come and enjoy a fun afternoon with friends and meet some new ones playing bingo and enjoying some bagels. Prizes and refreshments are sponsored by Linda Howicz, Seniors Real Estate Services Realtor of Crosstown Realtors.

Shorewood HUGS strives to keep making a difference in the years to come. “[We want to] continue to do what we do and find other avenues to support the community we serve. Everything we do is to help the community. If there’s something else they’re in need of, we’d be happy do that, too.”

If unable to attend the fundraiser and interested in making a donation toward the Hugs & Wishes

program, visit www.shorewoodhugs.org or send it via U.S. Mail to Shorewood HUGS: 1147 Brook Forest Ave., #174, Shorewood, Ill 60404.

This year’s Hugs & Wishes Chocolate Ball is co-chaired by Heidi Serena and Susan Underwood.

Shorewood HUGS was founded in 2008 by Rita Guenther, Laura Charland, Lorayne Wright, Heidi Serena and Sue Coyle.

FORUM

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GUEST COLUMN

Illinois’ Underground Railroad

BY JAKE GRIFFIN Of the Daily Herald Despite Illinois’ status as a free state, runaway slaves and free blacks did not find the state accommodating in its earliest days.

Slave owners in southern Illinois were allowed to keep their slaves when Illinois joined the union in 1818.

Then, they were permitted to commit newer generations of freed black residents to indentured servitude for decades. Illinois’ early years are also littered with laws subverting black residents’ freedoms, the welcoming of slave catchers and on at least one occasion an attempt to change the state Constitution to allow slavery statewide.

Yet, throughout much of the early 1800s, Illinois served as a path to freedom for fugitive slaves traveling between safe houses as they sought asylum in Canada.

“I think Illinois can be proud of its history on racial justice, not so much at how the government reacted and what the laws were, but many individuals in the central, northern and western parts of the state have a proven history of helping slaves avoid capture,” said Owen Muelder, an author and director of the Underground Railroad Center at Knox College in Galesburg. “Illinois can be proud, for the most part at least, that there were many of its people who were on the right side of history.”

Recognized stops on the Underground Railroad dot the landscape of the state, mainly starting at the convergence of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers at Grafton and continuing between the two waterways to Wisconsin. But just how many slaves found assistance and who was providing it is nearly impossible to know, according to historians. Some conductors never sought acknowledgment of their participation in the Underground Railroad, while others might have received too much credit.

“It’s been a long argument of how organized the Underground Railroad was,” said Dennis Naglich, an archaeologist at the Illinois State Museum. “There can’t be that much public knowledge (back then) or the other side would catch on.”

Only a smattering of outspoken abolitionists openly admitted to assisting fugitive slaves, risking legal action, ostracizing or death because of their defiance of federal and state laws.

“But keep in mind, many of these slaves escaped by their sheer wit and guile, and their own determination,” Muelder said. “While they might have gotten some help, much of the time they would have been traveling on their own and a lot of it was just chance.”

Perhaps the most famous Underground Railroad stop in Illinois is in Princeton, a few miles northwest of where the Illinois River takes a sharp downstream turn south from the east.

Owen Lovejoy was a preacher whose older brother Elijah was murdered in 1837 by a proslavery mob that was angered by the elder Lovejoy’s abolitionist views printed in an Alton newspaper he ran. Owen Lovejoy moved to Princeton following his brother’s murder and made ending slavery his calling.

“He was an unabashed abolitionist,” said Lois Peterson, a docent at the Owen Lovejoy House in Princeton, a National Park Service landmark. “People left his church because of

his strong beliefs.”

Lovejoy made no secret that his home was a haven for fugitive slaves, even after being arrested on charges of the crime in 1843. After his election to Congress, his 1859 speech denouncing slavery made national headlines when he declared he “aids every fugitive that comes to his door and asks it. Proclaim it then from the housetops. Write it on every leaf that trembles in the forest, make it blaze from the sun at high noon,” according to the National Park Service’s website.

Towns like Galesburg and Geneseo were known for their collective anti-slavery views, historians said. When slave catchers would ride into town looking for runaways, many of the towns’ men would gather together and escort the slave catchers out of town, Muelder said.

“They also used imaginative ruses to trick slave trackers,” Muelder said. “They’d send a carriage off from a barn in one direction to lead the trackers away so they could send the slaves off in the opposite direction a few minutes later.”

In northern Illinois, Graue Mill in Oak Brook was often used to house fugitive slaves, as was Blanchard Hall at Wheaton College. Lake County had several Underground Railroad stops including the Mother Rudd Home in Gurnee and the Kuhn Cabin site in Newport Township.

Lake County Forest Preserve historian and museum curator Diana Dretske said the county was an important way station for slaves fleeing to Canada via the Great Lakes, but it was made tougher because of the state’s notorious Black Laws.

“Most people aren’t very aware of Illinois’ history and how these laws were intended to control and regulate the movement and amount of the state’s black population,” Dretske said.

Even Abraham Lincoln — the Great Emancipator — once defended a Kentucky slave owner in Illinois over the freedom of a black family staying at the slave owner’s Illinois estate near Oakland. He had taken the case over the objection of an abolitionist friend, Dr. Hiram Rutherford, who’d helped the family escape from the slave owner. Lincoln lost the case, and apparently lost a friend, too.

“Dr. Rutherford was very upset that Lincoln took the case and wrote to him expressing his disappointment saying he thought they were ‘like-minded’ on the issue of slavery,” said Kathy Pardi, overseer of the history museum that is now Rutherford’s home in Oakland.

There is no record of the two friends speaking or corresponding ever again.

Jake Griffin of the Daily Herald can be reached at jgriffin@ dailyherald.com. Editor’s note: The weekly Illinois Bicentennial series is brought to you by the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors and Illinois Press Association. More than 20 newspapers are creating stories about the state’s history, places and key moments in advance of the Bicentennial on Dec. 3, 2018. Stories published up to this date can be found at 200illinois.com.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK 2018

Celebrating Catholic Schools Week 2018 Inspiration and Ideas •

• • •

• • •

• •

Visit a local nursing home and play bingo or challenge residents to a friendly competition such as a Wii bowling match.

Hold a baby shower for a pro-life group.

Invite a missionary to speak to the classes.

Host a dress-down day fundraiser, asking students to donate $1 toward Catholic Charities to earn an out-ofuniform pass.

Host an after-Mass pancake feast in parish hall.

Host a parish clean-up day with students.

Donate educational materials for students in under-served communities.

Sponsor a Walk-a-thon or Dance-athon.

Hold a community service fair.

•

•

•

• •

Host an awards assembly recognizing students and teachers who have demonstrated outstanding community service.

Have students put together care packages to send to active duty military.

Write notes, make posters or decorate treat baskets and deliver them to community leaders.

Have students visit military or veterans’ hospitals.

Write to lawmakers to thank them for supporting Catholic Schools.

National Day of Service Join NCEA and its partners, Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Charities USA, to Celebrate the National Day of Service on Monday, January 30.

C E L E B R AT I N G C AT H O L I C S C H O O L S W E E K WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

5

6

TAKE 5

FOR WHEN YOU NEED 5 MINUTES FOR YOURSELF! WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

ARIES

MARCH 21 TO APRIL 20

Plan to exercise poise. A significant other might surprise you with a touch of the exotic or a friend may present a sudden change of plans. In the week ahead work behind the scenes to enhance your reputation.

GEMINI

M AY 2 2 T O J U N E 2 1

Practice makes perfect. Put extra effort into fulfilling existing obligations in the week to come. Pass up invitations to community events so that there is more time to tend to family based goals and activities.

LEO

J U LY 2 3 T O A U G U S T 2 1

Push the envelope not the paperwork. You may prefer to be an entrepreneur rather than a traditionalist. If you show you know “what’s what” others will quickly develop confidence in your abilities in the week ahead.

ACROSS 1 SHARP AS A TACK 6 FAVE TEXTING PALS 10 “2 BROKE GIRLS” NETWORK 13 CHAIN KNOWN FOR FRESH-BAKED BREAD 15 COUNT (ON) 16 “BLESSED __ THE MEEK ... “ 17 IMAGINATIVE 18 LACKING SCENTS 20 “MY PARENTS ARE GONNA KILL ME!” 22 PAGE WITH VIEWS 23 COUGH SYRUP MEAS. 26 COWPOKE’S PAL 27 LIKE THE FLASH 29 TENNIS PERIOD SINCE 1968 31 LEGENDARY SOUL SELLER 32 TAG LINE? 33 WOODWORKING DEVICE 35 FRYOLATOR SOUND 38 CENTRAL PARTS 39 HIGH BALL 40 PIECE OF A PANSY 42 PUB PINT 43 MORE THAN A LITTLE PLUMP 45 PUT A LITTLE EXTRA INTO THE PART 46 MAPMYWALK STATISTIC 48 DILAPIDATED PLACE 50 VEGETABLE CONTAINER 52 SEE 31-DOWN 53 TOLKIEN CREATURE 54 VIOLA’S CLEF 55 ITALIAN RELATIVE OF GRITS 58 HARD-TO-PASS DRIVERS 60 CATWOMAN PORTRAYER KITT 64 SEAFARER 65 TROPICAL GETAWAY 66 RISE TO THE CHALLENGE ...

AND A HINT TO A

HIDDEN WORD IN 5-, 10-, 25- AND 28-DOWN 67 “__ TAKERS?” 68 SOME FR. MARTYRS 69 RELAXES

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5

PLACE FOR LOSERS? SCRATCH OR DENT LITTLE SIX-FOOTER LOWER-APR DEAL ARMSTRONG IMPROVISATION 6 FAR-REACHING 7 GOVT. AGENTS 8 BOBBING WRECKAGE 9 COUNTRY W OF IRAQ 10 STOP ON A REDECORATING SPREE 11 MAKE MORE TOYS? 12 FAR FROM POSH 14 WEDDING SITE 19 ONES ON EITHER SIDE OF A “V.” 21 CONDUITS FOR GODS’ WISDOM 23 SOUTH PACIFIC MONARCHY 24 RUIN 25 KING NOVEL SET IN A GRAVEYARD

28 NOMINALLY SOVEREIGN COUNTRY 30 MINOR PEEVE 31 WITH 52-ACROSS, JEWELED CREATIONS MADE FOR RUSSIAN CZARS 34 ROCK’S __ LOBOS 36 BUYER OF 31-ACROSS’ SOUL 37 SACKED OUT 41 CPR PROVIDER 44 CANOPY SUPPORT 47 APPLE MP3 PLAYER 49 ANNE BRONT’’S “__ GREY” 50 MEDICARE CARD SPECIFICATION 51 BIG NAME IN ONLINE FINANCIAL SERVICES 52 “IT’S SOMEBODY __ PROBLEM” 56 CHECK OUT RUDELY 57 GEOMETRIC FIGURE 59 TOWEL WORD 61 PULLS A YARD PRANK ON, BRIEFLY 62 COLOR NUANCE 63 COLLEGE-LEVEL H.S. CLASSES

LIBRA

SEPTEMBER 24 TO OCTOBER 23

Achieving goals should be at the top of your list in the week ahead. You are sometimes so challenged by unexpected expenses and financial outlays that you forget the real reason you have so much overhead.

SAGITTARIUS

NOVEMBER 23 TO DECEMBER 22

You may brim with ideas, but someone may dampen your ardor by asking detailed questions. Your creative urges could be bogged down when you must deal with practical considerations in the week ahead.

AQUARIUS

JANUARY 21 TO FEBRUARY 19

Too much of a good thing can be good for you. Money may slip through your fingers in generous amounts, but for some reason the expenditures will prove to be for a good cause. Pamper a partner this week.

SUDOKU

TAURUS

A P R I L 2 1 T O M AY 2 1

Drift along with the crowd as a sightseer. The urge to be outrageous and shocking will fade as you get back into regular routines. As this week unfolds you may want to be pampered but practical at the same time.

CANCER

J U N E 2 2 T O J U LY 2 2

The road to pennilessness is paved with good intentions. Follow through on financial commitments and don’t waste your resources by overpaying for luxury items.

You can be creative without being extravagant.

VIRGO

AUGUST 22 TO SEPTEMBER 23

Play by the rules. Problems that appear may reflect a lack of foresight in the past. Take pains to make corrections immediately so that you won’t be held accountable in the future. Focus on joint financial security.

SCORPIO

OCTOBER 24 TO NOVEMBER 22

Going overboard by showering someone with presents might do your heart good, but won’t do much for your wallet. In the week to come you must try to be sensible when dealing with business and financial affairs.

CAPRICORN

DECEMBER 23 TO JANUARY 20

Focus on following advice obtained from partners and elders in the week ahead. Any small impulsive changes you make now could affect your finances or your relationships in an unexpected manner.

PISCES

FEBRUARY 20 TO MARCH 20

Produce the product. You could be riding high on a wave of popularity this week, but people may be unwilling to take your promises at face value. Concentrate on important projects while energy levels are high.

JUMBLE

Tribune Content Agency, LLC. 2018

PREVIOUS PUZZLE’S ANSWERS

PREVIOUS PUZZLE’S ANSWERS

PREVIOUS PUZZLE’S ANSWERS

JUMBLES:

• DROLL • ABIDE • LAGOON • FATHOM

ANSWER:

THE FLEET OF GIANT OCTOPUSSES WAS AN -ARMADA

PAGE 7

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

>> INSIDE: JOLIET’S BERCICH A VOICE IN MINNESOTA PAGE 9

BASKETBALL

RIVALS

CLASH Central takes this season’s edition of the battle of Joliet

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

When Joliet Central traveled to Joliet West Friday for the annual cross-town battle, the two teams on the floor were in two different places.

West (8-10) is coming off a season that saw several key seniors graduate and the top returning player transfer amid some controversy during summer league.

Central (15-3), while also losing key players off last season’s roster, has a nucleus back that has been performing at a high level this season.

While the Tigers played hard in front of the home crowd and fought their way back several times, it was the Steelmen that came out with the 67-54 win.

“It’s fun and it’s a big one for us,” said Central coach Lawrence Thompson, Jr. “It was bigger because we just lost to Bolingbrook and we had a get back and keep playing and try to execute better against another team that is very

17

POINTS FROM WEST’S SMITH TO LEAD SCORING

quick and has some guys that can score. (West) is well coached and the kids all know everybody so we know it’s going to be a very competitive game and we needed it and we were just blessed to get the win.

“So, it was important for that matter to just be able to get back against a team that is quick and on top of that it’s the cross town rivalry and be able execute better than we did against Bolingbrook and that is the key. We still have a long way to go defensively and rebounding but we handled the ball better today and finished around the basket.”

West would not go away all night, as the Tigers battled back every time it looked as if Central had put the game away.

“In the second half today, I was proud our guys,” said West coach Nick DiForti. “We showed a lot of heart. That is something I never question with this team.

We cut it to six and just didn’t have the fire power to get over SEE RIVALS PAGE 9

16

POINTS FOR CENTRAL’S JOACHIM

PHOTO BY MARK GREGORY

Cameron Blackmon and Joliet Central defeated West in the cross-town battle.

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SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

9

FEATURE

Joliet’s Bercich a voice for the Vikings

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

While most Chicago-area football fans knew the now famous NFC Semifinal game between Minnesota and New Orleans January 14 had a local flare with Vikings’ head coach being a Lockport Township graduate and Saints’ coach Sean Payton an alum of Naperville Central.

What many may not have known is that there was another local angle in the game now dubbed as the ‘Minneapolis Miracle’ was Pete Bercich, a Joliet native and Providence Catholic graduate, who is now the game day analyst aside playby-play broadcaster Paul Allen.

Unfortunately, after a 38-7 loss to the Eagles in the NFC Championship game, Bercich will not get to make more history and call the first ever Super Bowl with a team playing in its home stadium. Instead, he and the Vikings will welcome the Eagles and Patriots to Minnesota for the game.

Bercich has been part of the Viking family since he was drafted in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL draft out of Notre Dame. He spent five seasons as a linebacker for the Vikings until he retired in 2000, He then spent another five years as a Vikings’ defensive assistant coach before taking over the color commentator duties in 2007.

His long tenure in Minneapolis made the Case Keenum to Stefon Diggs 61-yard touch-

RIVALS FROM PAGE 7 that hump. “We have been talking little things all year and then at times they the guys forget about it.

“With experience comes maturity level in the game and we are just hoping it continues. All we really expect from them is not to give up – and they won’t.

We just have to fine tune some things on the defensive end and work on layups like we do every day.”

Central was paced by 16 points from Don Joachim, followed by

down on the final play of the game to beat the Saints 29-24 in the NFC semifinal made it more memorable – but so did his history growing up a Bear fan in Joliet.

“To properly explain that, you have to go through history, I grew up, obviously, a Bears fan and I know what it was like in 1985 to have your team get it done and it stays with you. That year, you just knew the Bears were going to win and it was fantastic,” Bercich said. “I came here in 1994 as a rookie and the people here, for those that remember, have been to the Super Bowl four times and lost each one.

“As a player, I played on the 1998 team NFC championship game that we lost (to Atlanta, 30-27 in overtime), I was on the field in 2000 when we got beat 41-0 (to the New York Giants), I was in the booth in 2009 when we lost to the Saints (31-28 in overtime). Two years ago, we miss a chip shot field goal to get into the playoffs, I was coaching in 2003 when the Cardinals beat us on the last play of the game and knocked us out of the playoffs – the heartbreak has been how things have gone here.”

More heartbreak was what Bercich was mentally preparing for after the Saints’ Will Lutz kicked a go-ahead 43-yard-field goal with 29 seconds left and more so when the Vikings were penalized 5-yards on the first play of the final series with 25 seconds remaining.

Four plays later, Diggs was running down the Minnesota

11 from Ryan Saunders and 10 from Johnny Fuller.

West’s Michael Smith led all scorers with 17.

“It is really special,” Saunders said of the win. “We get the community together every time we have the rivalries between our schools and they have been going on for the longest time and we enjoy it more because everybody in the crowd gets into the game just like we do.

We are trying to let every team in Illinois that we are a team to be reckoned with. Coach Thompson wants us to work together

sideline for the game-winning touchdown.

“Watching that last drive and you get a false start and in the back of my mind, I am thinking, I will have 30 seconds or a minute to sum up the season and I was going through that in my head and then it happened,” Bercich said. “So, the emotion part of it was a combination of all of that happening in a split second because our booth is right there on the 25-yard line on the Vikings’ sideline, so it happened right there in front of us.

“I have been part of the organization for 23 seasons and I am lucky to be able to do what I do and I am lucky to be able to bring the games to the fans.

As an analyst, your job is to tell the people what is going on and you don’t always get the chance to come unhinged emotionally.

It was great to just let it all loose – it felt pretty damn good, I can tell you that.”

It wasn’t only fans in Minnesota cheering for the Vikings as a lot Chicagoland fans adopted the Vikings in the play-

offs – some because they represent the NFC Central and some because of Zimmer, who was a three-sport star at Lockport, playing football for his late father Bill Zimmer, who coached the Porters from 1960-1994.

“I have had many people like (former Providence coaches) Matt Senffner and Butch Markelz and a couple of other guys from Providence that knew Mike’s Dad and Butch Markelz actually worked with him at Lockport, so there is a hometown connection there, no question.”

The NFL connection to the Joliet area is not the first this football season as 2018 started with Providence graduate Miles Boykin’s amazing catch gave Notre Dame a 21-17 Citrus Bowl win over LSU. Bercich said locals on the big stage in football is more than just happenstance.

“I think it is more than just coincidence that all of us from that area are involved,” he said.

“I have been around the field a long time and I coach high school football now and I look back at the Joliet area and it is just a fabulous sports area and it has produced so many great players and coaches. And I will be willing to bet you Joliet has produced more game day analysts for pro football than any other town, because you have Tom Thayer with the Bears. I honestly think it has to do with how much people in that area who just love the game and how we were coached and the people that coached us and how important football was to everyone

when I was growing up.”

There was another reason Bercich thinks that local fans supported the Vikings and why they will likely pull for the Eagles in the Super Bowl.

“You look at the Vikings and the Eagles and they are the same in a lot of respects. They are two teams you would like to root for,” he said. “Everyone loves an underdog. There is no big name, no one that is always in the camera and that is why we have never been a media favorite and this is a true team effort and it resonates with people.

And I don’t say this flippantly, but it resonates with the people in Chicago who know a lot more about football than most.”

And while the Vikings fell one game short this season, a season that was still a success after losing starting quarterback Sam Bradford in week one of the season and rookie starting running back Dalvin Cook in week three.

Bercich has watched a lot of heartbreak in Minnesota, but remembers the words from one legendary Viking figure.

“When I was playing, Dennis Green was my coach and God rest his soul, he was one of my favorite people of all time. He would always say, ‘just keep knocking on the door, keep knocking on the door and when it’s your year, it’s your year.’

Sometimes things don’t go your way and unfortunately for us, it has been that way for a long time,” he said. “When people say never give up, it’s not just a cliché. There is a reason for it, a reason behind it.”

and everything is as a team. He loves defense and he loves when we work together on defense to lead to offensive points.”

The win was big for the Steelmen players because West has owned the rivalry as of late.

“This is always a big one, especially against a big rival,” Joachim said. “It felt amazing especially after the last couple years - it’s been a rough. To get this win our senior year, it was a great experience.”

Up next for Central is a game Friday against Romeoville for what could determine the

Southwest Prairie Conference title.

“We just have to get ready and get focused and be ready to play and try and win conference,” Joachim said. “I feel like we are still the underdogs. I think a lot of teams don’t think we are as good as we are, but all we have to do to keep working and exceeding.”

Getting better is all Thompson wants too. He is not worried about where Central is ranked in the polls.

We don’t worry about that,” he said. “We got into the top 25 but

that’s neither here nor there. We did an OK job at Christmas and finished third and did an OK job at the WJOL (Thanksgiving Tournament) and finished third but when you play some competition, you have to beat them or you are just another team that has some wins and there are a lot of teams out there like that, so we are just striving to get better so we play better than the last time.

“We just have to continue to work on our weaknesses and don’t get too high to get too low and be ready to go.”

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BUSINESS + REAL ESTATE

NEWS ABOUT LOCAL BUSINESSES IN YOUR COMMUNITY WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

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COLUMN >> DAVE SAYS

15-year fixed mortgage is only debt worth getting DEAR DAVE, Do you have a guideline ratio for mortgage debt to income?

LEVON DEAR LEVON, When it comes to buying a home, I always tell people to get a 15-year, fixed rate mortgage, with monthly payments that are no more than 25 percent of their take home pay. This type of mortgage is the only debt I don’t beat up people for having.

Still, I urge folks to pay off these loans in less than 15 years.

The average person following my plan pays off this type of loan in about seven or eight years. That’s a pretty big deal in terms of your financial security. And paying extra on your mortgage doesn’t have to be a strain. You can start by simply rounding up your payments. If the payment is $770, make it $800 instead, and apply the extra to the principal balance. If you want to get more intense, you could make an extra house payment each quarter, or go the route of bi-weekly payments. To do this, simply make

half a monthly payment every two weeks. By the end of the year you’ll have made 13 payments instead of 12. This will knock years off the length of your loan.

Remember, your income is your largest wealth-building tool. It’s so much easier to save, invest, and give when all your money isn’t flying out the door to make payments!

—DAVE DEAR DAVE, Do you recommend having gold and silver as part of your investment portfolio?

DON DEAR DON, No, I do not. I also don’t recommend oil or corn futures. All of these are examples of commodities, and the commodities market is extremely volatile.

In addition to the market being wildly volatile, the prices on commodities isn’t based on actual production. It’s based largely on a supply and demand curve. If there’s a shortage on one of them, the price

shoots up.

For example, when you’re talking about gold and silver, there’s more demand than supply when the economy is bad.

In this kind of scenario, people are fearful and lots of them run to buy gold. This drives up the price to unrealistically high levels.

Again, the price on a commodity isn’t based on anything other than fear or greed, and a supply and demand curve.

The prices aren’t based on an actual production of income, like it is with stocks or real estate. I don’t buy commodities at all, especially gold and silver. I don’t recommend you buy them, either.

—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 stations and multiple digital platforms. Follow Dave on the web at daveramsey.com and on Twitter at @DaveRamsey.

SHERIFF’S SALE OF REAL ESTATE of 2119 Graystone Drive, Joliet, IL 60431 (Residental). On the 8th day of February, 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: MTGLQ INVESTORS, L.P. Plaintiff V. JAMES A. MANNARELLI A/K/A JAMES MANNARELLI; MARGARET M. MANNARELLI; HEARTLAND BANK AND TRUST COMPANY; ILLINOIS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY; MIDLAND FUNDING LLC; PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOCIATES LLC; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS Defendant.

Case No. 17 CH 0670 in the Circuit Court of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, Will County, Illinois.

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

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 5/151512(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: JOHNSON, BLUMBERG AND ASSOCIATES 230 W. MONROE, SUITE 1125, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60606 P: 312 541-9710 F: 312 541-9711 PURSUANT TO THE FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT YOU ARE ADVISED THAT THIS LAW FIRM IS DEEMED TO BE A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Published 1/24, 1/31, 2/7

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DEADLINE FOR CLASSIFIEDS: FRIDAY AT NOON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

BUSINESS & PRIVATE PARTY CLASSIFIED ADS: $16 PER WEEK, 20 WORDS OR LESS. WEDDINGS, BIRTHS & ENGAGEMENTS: BLACK & WHITE - $25, COLOR - $35. OBITUARIES: $35.

PHONE: 815.436.2431 WEB: buglenewspapers.com/classifieds EMAIL: classifieds@buglenewspapers.com

13 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 | 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

THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED AUGUST 1, 1996, AS DOCUMENT NO. R96-68081 AND CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION RECORDED JUNE 27, 1997 AS DOCUMENT NO. R97-54290, IN WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS. Commonly known as: 2119 Graystone Drive, Joliet, IL 60431 Description of Improvements: Residental P.I.N.: 06-03-35-211-001-0000

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 TWELFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS

OF

THE

MTGLQ INVESTORS, L.P. Plaintiff, vs.

JAMES A. MANNARELLI A/K/A JAMES MANNARELLI; MARGARET M. MANNARELLI; HEARTLAND BANK AND TRUST COMPANY; ILLINOIS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY; MIDLAND FUNDING LLC; PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOCIATES LLC; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS Defendant. No. 17 CH 0670 NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE Public notice is hereby given that pursuant to a judgment entered in the above cause on the 23rd day of October, 2017, MIKE KELLEY, Sheriff of Will County, Illinois, will on Thursday, the 8th day of February, 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 348, IN WEXFORD WEST SUBDIVISION UNIT 1, BEING A SUBDIVISION OF THE WEST HALF OF THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF SECTION 35, TOWNSHIP 36 NORTH, RANGE 9 EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, ACCORDING TO

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: JOHNSON, BLUMBERG AND ASSOCIATES 230 W. MONROE, SUITE 1125, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60606 P: 312 541-9710 F: 312 541-9711 MIKE KELLEY Plaintiff’s Attorney Sheriff of Will County Published 1/24, 1/31, 2/7

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CALENDAR

UPCOMING EVENTS IN YOUR AREA WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM

WORKFORCE SERVICES DIVISION OF WILL COUNTY

Schedule announced for Workshop Center Workforce Services Division of Will County has announced the Mobile Workforce Center’s February schedule, with stops in six communities.

The mobile unit travels throughout Will County to help residents with resume development, cover letters and job applications. The workforce center contains 11 computer stations, internet access, and offers keyboarding lessons, as well as resume and job search assistance using online listings including jobs4people.org and Illinois workNet. The Mobile Workforce Center will be at Fountaindale Public Library, 300 W. Briarcliff, Bolingbrook, from 9:30 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Mondays, Feb. 5, 12 and 26.

Plainfield Public Library, 15025 S. Illinois St., Plainfield, will host the Mobile Workforce Center from 9:30 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

MWC can be found at the

Wilmington Public Library District, 201 S. Kankakee St., Wilmington, from 9:30 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 3 p.m. on Thursdays.

It will be at Frankfort Public Library District, 21119 S. Pfeiffer Road, from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Fridays. It will be at Mokena Community Public Library, 11327 W. 195th St., Mokena, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Will County Executive Larry Walsh encourages job seekers to take advantage of the service, which is offered at no cost to County residents. Workforce Services is under the County Executive’s office and is led by Administrative Manager Susan Flessner.

For additional information about the Workforce Services Division of Will County or the Mobile Workforce Center, go to www. jobs4people.org.

New workshop

in February The Workforce Center of Will County February schedule includes a new workshop, Alison. com Orientation. Susan Flessner, manager of the WCWC, said Alison offers more than 1,000 free online courses in more than 300 categories. Orientation incudes an overview of the courses and categories and how to set up an Alison account. It will be offered at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13 Career Cafe will meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 6, 13 and 27.

Career Cafe is a networking event designed to connect people looking for work. In addition to sharing tips with other job seekers and learning job search techniques, participants will hear from guest speakers sharing their hiring expertise. To reserve a seat at Career Cafe, call (815) 727-5679.

At 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 6, 13 and 27, IDES will present Illinois JobLink, a workshop teaching users how to register on Il-

linois JobLink by creating and uploading resumes to the site, with tips on how to get the most views from employers. Also on the agenda will be how to search for jobs on the site and how to complete a work search record.

A workshop on Microsoft Word will be offered at 10:30 a.m. Thursdays, Feb. 8 and 15, and 1:30 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 26. The basics of how to use Microsoft Word in a job search and in creating a professional looking resume and cover letter will be taught. Basic Microsoft Excel will be offered at 10:30 a.m. Thursdays, Feb. 1 and 22, and 1:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5.

Microsoft PowerPoint will be offered at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28Learn how to create a professional presentation.

Job Readiness gives participants an overview of resources for job seekers, including networking, completing applications, resumes, interviewing and Illinois JobLink. It will be offered at 9:30

a.m. Wednesdays, Feb. 7 and 21.

Math Review will be offered at 2 p.m. every Tuesday. A review of basic math skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, percentages and integers will be covered.

Standout Resumes will be offered at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2.

Participants may then schedule one-on-one resume reviews with WSD staff.

Participants will learn job interviewing techniques at 2:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 8, in Successful Interviewing. Learn how to prepare for a job interview, be confident and make a positive impression.

Attendees may schedule an individual, digitally recorded mock interview after completing the workshop. LinkedIn Lab, which will be offered at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 9, will help job seekers make the most of their basic LinkedIn accounts. Participants may either set up a basic account ahead of time or staff will help them set one up during the workshop.

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