Reporter(2 sections) 5 1 14

Page 1

Snackville Junction to take its final ride on Saturday, See page 10

R E P O R T E R REPORTER

THE THE 3 SECTIONS 26 PAGES Volume LV No. 8

Serving Chicago Ridge, Evergreen Park, Hickory Hills, Oak Lawn, Palos Hills and Worth

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Thursday, May 1, 2014

The home stretch GIFT IDEAS R E POR T ER Mother’s Day

First Midwest’s THEseventh half marathon just days away 2 SECTIONS

22 PAGES Section 2-A, Pages 9 & 14

Volume XLVII No. 50

Vorva writes about how the winter has messed up attendance for Sunday’s half marathon on page 3 and Rakow rails on irresponsible parents on page 6 Kelly White reports on a spring tradition that has city officials peeved See page 5

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By Tim Hadac Staff Reporter While Mother Nature has been Thursday, March 1, 2007 cruel to theServing 2014 FirstChicago Midwest Ridge, Evergreen Park, Hickory Hills, Oak Lawn, Palos Hills and Worth Bank Half Marathon in recent months, she is expected to smile on the popular annual event this Sunday, May 4. The big race takes place the day after Saturday’s Community and Health Expo organized by the Palos Area Chamber of Commerce at Moraine Valley Church. “This past winter has been wicked, and it has kept numbers down at races everywhere, as runners haven’t had chances to train,” said race co-founder and co-director Mel Diab, owner of the Running for Kicks specialty running shop, 7158 W. 127th St., Palos Heights. “But the forecast for race day is 63 degrees and only a 10 percent chance of rain. So we’re looking good.” Diab made his observation at Photo by Jeff Vorva an organizing committee meeting held last Friday at the Palos Scott Franklin of Lemont stretches his limbs before last year’s half marathon. The seventh running of the First Midwest Bank Half Heights Recreation Center, 6601 Marathon and 10K Run starts at 7:30 a.m. near Village Hall in Palos Heights and goes through portions of Palos Park and Palos Hills. W. 127th St. Race registration numbers reflect the record-setting chill. time high at 56, nearly doubling members in advance for their pens. Remember to smile and information and free services from 50 local health care proDiab noted that between the half last year’s final total of 32 par- race-day service. “As we come think safety, safety, safety.” down the home stretch, it’s goviders and other businesses, as marathon and the newly added ticipants. Chamber Expo The ranks of volunteers ing to be hectic,” Prestinario well as government agencies. 10K race, “not quite 1,300” runAdding to the buzz is a health “Everyone is invited to this ners have signed up this year, have swelled, with more than said to the group. “Before you well below the 1,800-plus run- 100 signed up and additional know it, it’s going to be boom, and community expo set for 9 fun and informative event,” said ners who competed in the half assistance expected this week. boom, boom—so much so that a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Mo- Chamber President Stephen Last-minute volunteers are wel- you can feel the electricity in raine Valley Church, 6300 W. Georgiou, owner of Computer marathon in 2013. Greeks, 12222 S. Harlem Ave., One bright spot is registra- come and are encouraged to visit the air. So let’s all remember 127th St., Palos Heights. Sponsored by the Palos Area Palos Heights. tion for the Run, Walk or Roll firstmidwesthalfmarathon.com that there are always curveballs that come into play, so thank Chamber of Commerce, the anThe expo will also feature a race, headed by the South West for details. Both Diab and co-director Jeff you for remaining cool, calm nual event typically attracts sevSpecial Recreation Association (Continued on page 3) (SWSRA), which has hit an all- Prestinario thanked committee and collected when that hap- eral thousand people and offers

Case closed? Cops rule Brittany’s death accidental but her supporters vow ‘it’s not over’

Richards students receive prom warnings from Oak Lawn Hometown Middle School students See page 9

By Bob Rakow Staff Reporter Rebecca Tully has struggled with myriad emotions during the six months since the death of her daughter, Britanny Wawrzyniak, but anger is not among them, she said. Anger is the second of the five stages of loss grief outlined in Elisabeth Kübler-Ross 1969 book “On Death and Dying.” “I still haven’t hit that anger part in any of this,” Tully said Tuesday as she talked about the Worth Police Department’s decision last week to close the investi-

gation into her daughter’s death. Tully has experienced a gamut of other emotions ranging from

ANALYSIS shock and sadness to disbelief and disappointment since Nov. 8, the day he daughter died after being ejected for a moving car near the Worth boat launch, near 115th Street and Beloit. She’s come close to venting her rage at the police department and elected officials who she believes treated her daughter more like a criminal than victim.

She’s also upset that she and her family did not receive more respect during the investigation, although she understood that the details of the probe could not be shared. But last week’s news, delivered to Tully at a meeting at the Worth police department, threw her for a loop. Just a few weeks earlier, Worth Mayor Mary Werner said that it would be months before DNA results would be final and the investigation complete. She defended the work of the police department and said when a formal report was (Continued on page 5)

INDEX Police News........................2 Our Neighborhood.............4 Sudoku.............................4 Commentary.....................6 Death Notices......................7 Crossword.........................7 School...........................8 & 9 Calendar..........................10 Consumer.........................11

COLUMNISTS Jeff Vorva...........................3 Bob Rakow..........................6 Dee Woods.......................12 Wine Guy..........................12

Photos by Jeff Vorva

Creative forces

District 218 artists, performers and chefs had their chance to shine at the fifth annual Arts Extravaganza Saturday night at Shepard High School. The top photo is a mixed media piece from Shepard’s Shenaya Hopkins titled “Beauty From the Inside.” The bottom photo is an oil painting self-portrait from Richards student Alicia Jacklin. For more photos from the event, see page 4.

Photo by Jeff Vorva

A memorial for Brittany Wawrzyniak still stood in April in the parking lot in Worth close to where she died in November. Police last week ruled her death as accidental.


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