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OSW EGO LEDGER KendallCountyNow.com OFFICE 109 W. Veterans Parkway (U.S. Route 34), second floor Yorkville, IL 60560 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday 630-553-7034

NEWSROOM 630-553-7034 Fax: 630-553-7085 News@KendallCountyNow.com SUBSCRIBER SERVICES 866-445-6258 Circulation@KendallCountyNow.com 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday 7 to 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday SUBSCRIPTIONS 866-445-6258 CLASSIFIED SALES 877-264-2527 Fax: 815-477-8898 classified@shawsuburban.com LEGAL NOTICES 877-264-2527 PublicNotice@KendallCountyNow.com RETAIL ADVERTISING 630-553-7034 OBITUARIES 877-264-2527 Obits@KendallCountyNow.com General Manager Steve Vanisko 815-280-4103 svanisko@shawmedia.com Editor John Etheredge 630-553-7034 jetheredge@shawmedia.com POSTMASTER: Please send change of address forms to The Oswego Ledger, c/o Shaw Media, P.O. Box 250, Crystal Lake, IL 60039-0250.

Effective Feb. 4, the Oswego Ledger is the successor newspaper to the Ledger-Sentinel, as contemplated by 715 ILCS 5/5 (e), which was a consolidation of the Oswego Ledger and the Fox Valley Sentinel, published every Thursday in Oswego, Illinois, in Kendall County

by Shaw Media. Periodicals postage paid at Oswego, Illinois, 60543.

Subscription rates: One year, $28 in Kendall County; $36 elsewhere in Illinois and $47 outside Illinois The Oswego Ledger and KendallCountyNow.com are a division of Shaw Media.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2017

Ledger expanding local coverage We’re pleased to announce with this edition of the Oswego Ledger we are expanding our local news coverage by adding news and feature stories from the popular OnlyOswego.com website.

OnlyOswego.com was launched three years ago by Steven Jack, a village resident and an award-winning, 25-year veteran of the community news business.

Jack will serve as our primary village correspondent and we will publish his articles for OnlyOswego.com in the Ledger and on

our website at KendallCountyNow.com.

Like all of us here at the Ledger, Jack has a passion for covering local news and we’re excited to be able to publish his articles and feature stories Steven Jack beginning with this edition of the paper.

The addition of Jack to our roster of correspondents is part of our continuing effort to provide you, our loyal readers,

with more local news and information about the growing Oswego/Montgomery/ Boulder Hill community in both print and online.

As always, we invite our readers to help us tell the story of our community by passing along news tips and other information at news@kendallcountynow.com.

We look forward to hearing from you!

John Etheredge Editor Oswego Ledger

Oswego crime rate drops again Double-digit declines seen in both tracked categories of offenses in village over 2016

By JOHN ETHEREDGE jetheredge@shawmedia.com The village of Oswego’s overall crime rate has declined for the second consecutive year, according to a report issued by Police Chief Jeff Burgner on Feb. 2.

Village police and police departments across Illinois determine their crime rates based on number of crimes committed each year in eight categories called “Part 1” crimes. Those crimes are: murder, sex crimes, robbery, aggravated battery/assault, burglary, theft, vehicle theft and arson.

The village’s Part 1 crimes for 2016 show a 19 percent reduction in the overall crime rate based on the number of reported crimes.

Police reported they responded to a

total of 414 Part 1 crimes in 2016, 94 fewer than the 508 Part 1 crimes reported in 2015.

Here is a comparison of the Part 1 crimes police responded to in 2016 by category with 2015 totals listed in parenthesis: • Murder: 0 (0) • Sex Crimes: 8 (14) • Robbery: 5 (3) • Aggravated battery/assault: 12 (10) • Burglary: 27 (34) • Theft: 350 (439) • Vehicle theft: 9 (8) • Arson: 3 (1) The report shows that Part 1 crimes have been on the decrease over the last few years and 2016 saw the third lower reported number since 2004.

In addition, Part 2 crimes show an overall decrease of 25 percent, accord-

ing to the report. Classified by the state as Part 2 crimes are: battery/domestic battery, fraud, criminal damage to property, weapons offenses, drug offenses, sex offender registration, and alcohol to minors/driving under the influence/alcohol offenses.

The report notes that “In particular, weapons and domestic battery offenses as well as certain offenses related to alcohol and drugs, such as possession of cannabis or paraphernalia, DUIs and illegal possession or consumption of alcohol, had the most marked declines.”

The report adds, “These decreases illustrate the success of the partnerships that exist in Oswego, most notably between the police department and the citizens and businesses in the community that work together towards the goal of enhancing the quality of life in the village.”

The department’s annual reports dating back to 2004 can be found online at oswegopoliceil.org.

Tuesday, 10 a.m.: Oswego Public Library District Board Personnel Committee, Oswego Campus Library.

Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.: Kendall County Board Planning Building and Zoning Committee, County Office Building, Yorkville.

Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.: Oswego Township Board, Town Hall, Oswego.

Tuesday, 6:55 p.m.: Oswego Township Plan Commission, Town Hall, Oswego.

Wednesday, 2 p.m.: KenCom Operations Board, Oswego Fire Protection District

Station One, Oswego.

Wednesday, 2:30 p.m.: KenCom Executive Board Special Meeting, Oswego Fire Protection District Station One, Oswego.

Wednesday, 4 p.m.: Oswego Public Library District Board Technology Committee, Oswego Campus Library.

Wednesday, 7 p.m.: Kendall County Historic Preservation Commission, County Office Building, Yorkville.

Thursday, 5:30 p.m.: Oswegoland Park District Board, South Point Center, Oswego.

CIVIC MEETINGS • Relevant information • Marketing Solutions • Community Advocates

ON THE COVER Kendall County Sheriff Dwight Baird takes a look at a new collage installed at the Kendall County State’s Attorney’s Office as a recognition of the car crash in February 2007 that killed five Oswego teens. State’s Attorney Eric Weis said he wants it to be a reminder to those entering the waiting room of his office of the consequences of bad decisions.

Baird was Oswego police chief at the time of the accident.

See story on page 3.

Photo by Tony Scott - tscott@kendallcountynow.com

WEEK OF FEB. 13-17 Monday, 6 p.m.: Fox Valley Park District Board, Prisco Community Center, Aurora.

Monday, 6 p.m.: Oswego Fire Protection District Board, Station One, Oswego.

Monday, 6:30 p.m.: Oswego ECO Commission, Oswego Village Hall.

Monday, 7 p.m.: Montgomery Village Board, Montgomery Village Hall.

Monday, 7 p.m.: School District 308 Board, Oswego East High School Community Room.

WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW: Get local news sent right to you. Sign up for KendallCountyNow.com text alerts at shawurl.com/kcntexts. Message and data rates may apply.

Wintery mix Tues day coul impact K d en http://sh dall County: awurl.com /2ft1

COVER STORY

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Driver Vasquez sent to prison after 5 teen passengers died in Feb. 2007

By TONY SCOTT tscott@kendallcountynow.com Ten years ago this Saturday, in the early morning hours of Feb. 11, 2007, an Infiniti sedan packed with eight teens and a drunk driver named Sandra Vasquez slammed into a utility pole along Ill. Route 31 in Oswego.

Five of Vasquez’s passengers died: Matthew Frank, 17, Tiffany Urso, 16, Jessica Nutoni, 15, and Katherine “Katie” Merkel, 14, died at the scene and James McGee, 14, died of his injuries a week later. The other three passengers, all teenagers, suffered injuries but survived, and testified at Vasquez’s trial.

Vasquez, now 33, was found guilty in 2010 of multiple counts of aggravated DUI and reckless homicide, and sentenced to 15 years in state prison.

A state appellate court upheld the sentence in 2012.

Vasquez currently resides in Logan Correctional Center in downstate Lincoln, Illinois. Her projected parole date is March 28, 2023, and her projected release date is March 28, 2025, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

According to testimony and court documents, Vasquez had consumed alcohol – one beer and a “Jagerbomb” – before traveling to her aunt’s house in Boulder Hill to pick up her sister, whom she dropped off at the house earlier.

When she got to the house to pick up her sister, she encountered a drinking party. Vasquez testified that when she went to leave, she agreed to drive some of the teens home but others piled into the car.

Kathleen Colton, the Geneva-based attorney who defended Vasquez in

court, said she will occasionally hear from her former client via a Christmas card, but has not contacted her recently. She said Vasquez’s family had been regularly visiting her in prison.

Colton is a seasoned defense attorney, having worked trials involving murders, rapes, and other horrific crimes, but said Vasquez stood out for her as a client.

“She was just a very good person, very sweet-natured, and easy to deal with as a client,” she said.

Sandra Colton said she is Vasquez still convinced that something happened in the vehicle to cause Vasquez to crash.

“I always will believe up to today and afterwards that something happened in the passenger compartment of that car to cause the crash,” she said. “The problem was that the person or persons who knew that, knew what happened, wouldn’t admit it in court. And that was very frustrating. I don’t believe the full truth ever came out at that trial.”

Colton said “everything was blamed on” Vasquez.

Citing the raw emotions around the anniversary, Donna Dwyer, the mother of Matthew Frank, declined to speak about the tragedy, but posted a statement on social media that she agreed to have published here.

“When asked to speak about the crash 10 years later I declined,” she wrote. “I’m completely numb and have begun to shut down again. My thoughts are all over and I just can’t grasp onto one and stay there. It still feels unreal and I wish someone

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she thought she was doing the right thing by trying to take the kids home, and because of her impairment, that was the bad decision,” he said. “The kids made bad decisions by sneaking out and not being honest with their parents, and then she’s trying to do something good by getting the kids home. Obviously, she’s probably looked back at that night more than anyone in this room and said what could I have done differently.”

Baird recalled getting the call to go A reminder of bad decisions out to the scene, and quickly checkState’s Attorney Eric Weis said ing on his son and friends who were the office decided to place a frame in his son’s bedroom, playing video featuring photos of the games. He knew that crash victims, a photo teens would some“It resonated through times sneak out and of the car at the crash our community very do things they weren’t scene, and the date of to be doing. the crash, in the ofstrongly for years. Even supposed fice’s waiting room “They were in the in Yorkville. It serves today, people still talk room, but I gotta tell as a reminder of the you, I questioned, consequences of one’s about this incident, this maybe my son snuck decisions, he said. The because I was crash, and it still has out, office’s victim/witasleep,” he said. a presence within the ness coordinator, HolWeis said the case ly Mann, organized affected him deeply. community.” the piece, Weis said.

“I remember just “We had been going through the Jeff Burgner working on something whole case and the Oswego police chief little to do as sort of trial itself and being a reminder for those emotionally drained,” that come through this office of what Weis said. “You don’t ever celebrate; happens sometimes with split-second I don’t think there’s a celebration decisions, how they change people’s when the trial’s over and the verdicts lives,” he said. “We didn’t want to sin- come back. Obviously you want to gle out this case ... we didn’t want to prevail, you want to make sure jussingle out one victim over another, tice was done, and in this case justice to say you’re more important or less was done. The families had a substantial burden lifted off them when the important.”

Weis said he thought it was appro- case was over.” priate “to put that out there as a dedHe continued, “By the time you’re ication to all the victims that come done, [you’re] just like, I just want to through this office.” go home and see my family and tell Kendall County Sheriff Dwight them I love them and put them in a Baird said Vasquez was trying to do a bubble and sit there for a little while.” good thing by giving the teens a ride But Weis said in his line of work home. they “don’t get that lull.”

“These kids sought her out and See CRASH page 14 they were trying to get home, and would wake me and tell me it was just a bad dream. For 10 years my family runs from each other at this time, as it’s still too much to deal with our own pain, much less look at the pain of each other. In the beginning I regretted ever having Matt because the pain was too much to bear, but 10 years later I wouldn’t have missed a minute of being Matt’s mom and I cherish every moment I was given with him.”

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Oswego Ledger / KendallCountyNow.com • Thursday, February 9, 2017

Effects of fatal crash still felt

Oswego Ledger / KendallCountyNow.com • Thursday, February 9, 2017

4

OPINIONS OUR VIEW

School forums gave info on difficult topics School District 308 and Yorkville School District 115 have hosted special forums over the past two weeks to present information on important, yet extremely difficult topics affecting today’s students and parents.

A program on youth suicide and depression was presented by Northbrook-based Elyssa’s Mission on Jan. 26 at Yorkville Middle School. School officials noted that program was especially important due to the loss of a YMS student to suicide last October.

Katie Baker, program director with Elyssa’s Mission, said the organization uses the S.O.S. or “Signs of Suicide” national program when they teach suicide prevention and they will be bringing the program to eighth-grade classrooms at Yorkville Middle School later this spring. Over at Oswego High School, sexual assault, sexual harassment and

social media use by teens were among the topics addressed Jan. 30 by representatives from a social service agency (Mutual Ground), a licensed clinical psychologist, and the district’s two high school resource officers from the Oswego Police Department.

Rhonda Annala, Mutual Ground’s prevention education coordinator, said educators from Mutual Ground give age-appropriate prevention education to the district’s students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Annala noted that sexual abuse crosses all demographic boundaries. “It doesn’t matter how much money you make, it doesn’t matter what color your skin is, where you go to church. None of that matters. It crosses every single solitary boundary,” she said. Dr. Lorna London, a psychologist based in Naperville, suggested parents should keep an eye on their kids’ social media presence, and let them know

that they are protecting them as parents. Perhaps even more importantly, London said parents should model good behavior themselves when they are online.

Unfortunately – but not surprisingly in today’s hectic world of working parents – both forums were sparsely attended. Despite the light turnout, the school districts should be commended for hosting the forums and attempting to inform parents and the community at large about how they are helping students deal with these extremely difficult issues.

From our perspective, the overriding message from both forums is that parents should strive every day to be fully engaged and involved in their children’s lives, and if that is not enough they should not hesitate to reach out to school officials for help and/or a referral.

Black History Month a good time for reflection REFLECTIONS Roger Matile I suspect that most of us really would like to believe that race doesn’t matter as much as it used to. And in some ways, that’s a fair statement.

Until Jan. 20, a black man sat in the Oval Office in the White House, a black man has been chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, two black women in both Republican and Democratic administrations have served as National Security Advisors, and we’ve become used to seeing all manner of black celebrities, from sports heroes to TV stars.

But the legacy of slavery and the pernicious effects of Jim Crow still persist, as we see in those all-too-frequent headlines.

On the positive side, it’s been a while since we had our last major race riot. The most recent disturbances, with residents of black neighborhoods rioting, were caused by real and perceived unfairness, bias and prejudice in the justice system.

In fact, I suspect many of us tend to think of riots concerning race and racial issues as relatively recent things. The ones that stick in the minds of most of us Baby Boomers, for instance, are those that occurred after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in the late 1960s, during which large portions of several major cities were destroyed.

But race riots have a much longer

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The failure of authorities to protect innocent black citizens during the 1917 St. Louis riot prompted protests across the nation, such as this one in New York City where 10,000 people marched down Fifth Avenue in a Silent Parade of support for the riot victims and their families. and more complex and violent history. Most all of those earlier riots, including those in New York City and Chicago during the Civil War, involved whites attacking blacks.

One of the most violent race riots in U.S. history happened here in Illi-

nois in East St. Louis in 1917. At least 50 persons were killed (the actual toll was probably much higher) and 240 people were reported injured. Damage was set at $1,400,000 ($26 million in 2016 dollars).

Trouble had been brewing in East

St. Louis for months, inflamed when 470 black workers were hired to replace whites who had gone on strike against the Aluminum Ore Company.

On July 1, citing a need to maintain

See REFLECTIONS, page 5

FORUM

5

To the Editor: Letters policy The left just can’t get over the election The Forum provides our readers with results. Trump’s cabinet choices are a weekly opportunity to express their stalled by Democrats despite the fact opinions on topics of community interthat the up and down vote will approve est. Here are our guidelines: all of them.

• Letters must be no longer than 400 Immigration was a keynote issue words. during the campaign. Trump is following • Letters must be accompanied by the through and the left is upset. They want writer’s full name, address and home everyone who enters the country to be phone number. Only the author’s name able to stay. Really? Any goof or terrorist and city of residence will be printed. can enter, set up shop and do whatever • All letters must be signed by the mischief they desire. letter writer. Anonymous letters will not be accepted.

Doesn’t the left understand that you • Letters must be written by the cannot have a country if you don’t have individual whose name appears as the an enforceable border? author. Second party letters or letters Democrats, the election is over. copied off the Internet or from other Hollywood is irrelevant. The Russians did sources will be discarded. not rig the election. Hillary was a poor • We reserve the right to edit all letters candidate who thought she had it won for brevity and fairness, and to withand didn’t campaign to the finish line. hold from publication letters that we She screwed up. I hated that Obama won determine to be either libelous, obscene, twice. I accepted the results and moved on. I guess when you’re a Democrat, if you don’t think and feel their way you are reform for all of our citizens. His dozens wrong and should be ostracized. of votes against “Obamacare” clearly prove this point. To date I know of no Don Lass solid plans he has presented to lower Oswego costs, guarantee affordable coverage for all Americans and not allowing insurTime to deliver ance companies to discriminate against To the Editor: people with pre-existing conditions or Congressman Randy Hultgren was their gender. elected in 2010 to represent all of the I have sat through two town hall people in our district. Since then, he has repeatedly been against health care meetings by our congressman that Randy

rarely does anymore. There he stated his “improved” plan is to offer private insurance across state lines, tort reform and enhanced digital record keeping.

In those town halls I held up numerous articles of people in our community who had community fundraisers to pay for medical bills. I asked Randy directly: how will your plan help these people, sir? He quietly said, “It won’t.”

Randy Hultgren’s political party won

Free Bridge and cross the Mississippi to St. Louis, Missouri. Many made it to safety, but many more did not, and were hung, shot or burned to death by the mob.

Among those who did make it was Daisy Westbrook. Westbrook was the director of music and drawing at Lincoln High School in East St. Louis. She described her experiences in a letter written on July 19, just 17 days after the riot, recounting the terror of the city’s black residents: “It started early in the afternoon.

We kept receiving calls over the ‘phone to pack our trunks and leave, because it was going to be awful that night. We did not heed the calls, but sent grandma and the baby on to St. Louis and said we should ‘stick’ no matter what happened. At first when the fires started, we stood on Broadway and watched it.

“As they neared our house we went in and went to the basement. It was too late to run then. They shot and yelled some thing awful. Finally they reached our house. At first, they did

not bother us (we watched from the basement window), they remarked that ‘white people live in that house, that is not a nigger house.’ Later, someone must have tipped them that it was a ‘nigger’ house, because, after leaving us for about 20 min. they returned and started shooting in the house, throwing bricks and yelling like mad ‘kill the nigger, burn that house.’

“It seemed the whole house was falling in on us. Then some one said, ‘they must not be there; if they are they are certainly dead.’ Then some one shouted ‘they are in the basement.

Surround them and burn it down.’

Then they ran down our steps. Only prayer saved us, we were under tubs and any thing we could find, praying and keeping as quiet as possible, because if they had seen one face, we would have been shot or burned to death. Sister tipped to the door to see if the house was on fire. She saw the reflection of a soldier on the front door and pulled it open quickly and called for help.

• REFLECTIONS

Continued from page 4 public order, city police and National Guardsmen visited homes of black families to demand their weapons.

Most families complied, even though throughout the day, black residents received warnings that rioting would begin that night.

According to the testimony of a white woman, the actual riot started about noon, when a black man came to her house to deliver gasoline. Whites attacked the man, but the woman held the mob at bay with a revolver while the man attempted to escape through the back door. The mob pursued him and killed him.

Not all the mobs were comprised of men. Scott Clark, a black teamster who was next to be killed, was stoned to death by women in the mob as he was dragged through the streets by a rope around his neck.

Most black families decided their only hope was to get to the Municipal

untrue, invade personal privacy, or are personal attacks.

• Letters withheld from publication will not be accepted as copy for paid advertisements.

• Elected and appointed public officials who write letters will be identified with their titles listed under their names.

Officials who wish to write letters that are not necessarily representative of their agency’s view should preface their letters accordingly.

• Letters containing poetry will not be considered for publication.

• The deadline for letters to the editor is 5 p.m. Friday for the next week’s edition.

Here’s how to send your letter: By email: letters@kendallcountynow.com By mail: Record Newspapers, 109 W. Veterans Parkway, Yorkville, IL 60560

the election in November 2016 and that is a fact I have no dispute with. Regardless of our opinions, political beliefs and if we want to debate if health care is a right or privilege, the changes Randy and his caucus wishes to make are now fully their responsibility since Jan. 20, 2017.

We have been told they will offer lower premiums, expanded coverage and the uninsured rates will continue to drop.

I hope Randy and his party are successful on this issue and the many other issues at hand that we all face together.

If these plans do not materialize and succeed quickly as we have heard for the past six years now, we will clearly hold you accountable, congressman.

This issue alone is not a cheap political argument. Disease, accidents and illness do not care what your politics are and neither do the medical bill collectors. I hope we see our congressman out in our district and listening to the many that need an improved solution on this issue.

All we heard in this last election cycle was about the Washington, D.C., “Elite” not listening to everyday people. Here is your chance to prove you are not insulated from your constituents, congressman.

Six years is a long time to think about anything, let alone something that Randy repeatedly said he has a better plan on.

Your free time is up, sir, it’s time to govern and deliver on your promises.

David R. Edelman Oswego

“All of us ran out then and was taken to the city hall for the night. The next morning, we learned our house was not burned, so we tried to get protection to go out and get our clothes and have the rest of the things put in storage. We could not, but were sent on to St. Louis. Had to walk across the bridge with a line of soldiers on each side in the hot sun, no hats and scarcely no clothing.

“On Tuesday evening [July 3] at 6 o’clock our house was burned with two soldiers on guard. So the papers stated. We were told that they looted the house before burning it.”

Riots of any kind, especially those with racial connotations, are horrible things. During this year’s Black History Month, it might be useful to contemplate the bitter racial history of our nation and why it’s so hard for us to, as Rodney King once put it, to just get along.

• Looking for more local history?

Visit http://historyonthefox.wordpress.com.

Oswego Ledger / KendallCountyNow.com • Thursday, February 9, 2017

Can’t get over it

Continued from page 3 “She was sentenced on a Friday, and Friday night we were out at a shooting,” he said. “So when I think I can sit down and relax for a little bit, something else happens. And in our line of work, that’s just going to happen.”

Oswego Police Chief Jeff Burgner, who was a sergeant at the time, wasn’t working the night of the crash but was involved in the investigation afterward, and interviewed Vasquez.

Burgner spoke of the impact the crash had on the community.

“It resonated through our community very strongly for years,” he said.

“Even today, people still talk about this incident, this crash, and it still has a presence within the community. So many officers in our department had an involvement in that in some way, shape, or form. It had an impact on all of them in a way that, I don’t think any of them had probably ever seen anything like that and probably will never see anything like that again in their career.”

Operation Impact teaches consequences

To make some kind of positive change out of an awful situation, Brian Caldwell and Jennifer Jones Sinnot of the Rotary Club of Oswego put together

Operation Impact, a program that educates kids about vehicle safety, including the consequences of drunk driving.

“We collectively gathered a group of community leaders,” Caldwell said.

“Rotary was kind of the catalyst of getting this program started.”

The Oswego Police Department, School District 308, the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office, the Kendall County Coroner’s Office, and Rush-Copley Medical Center are among the partners that participate in the program, Caldwell said.

“The whole idea of the program, and the concept, is, if you make a bad decision you’re going to wind up at the police department,” he said. “If your bad decision caused injury, you’re going to go to the ER, and if it’s extremely significant you’re going to wind up in the coroner’s office.”

Sinnot teaches the impact of such decisions on students’ insurance bills, Caldwell said.

“For each and every decision, there’s a consequence,” Caldwell said. “From an insurance standpoint, there’s an increase or decrease of premiums, based on driving experience.”

Burgner said the fact that the school district continues to use the Operation Impact program since 2008 “shows the value in the program.”

“To have them step up and see the need and move this program forward, and still have that program in our

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BRIEF Aurora woman charged in heroin death of Oswego man

An Aurora resident, Stevi Myerscough, 29, has been charged with drug-induced homicide, a Class X felony, in connection with the death of an Oswego man last summer.

According to the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to a home in the 0-50 block of West Anchor Drive in Oswego Stevi Township Aug. 24 on a Myerscough report of an unresponsive man who was later identified as Chester Secor, 44, of Oswego.

Police said Secor was pronounced dead at the scene and an autopsy later determined that he died of a heroin overdose. Police said they determined Myerscough, an acquaintance of Secor, had provided him with the fatal dose of heroin. Members of the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force took Myerscough into custody without incident Feb. 1 and transported her to the Kendall County Jail in Yorkville, where she remains in custody.

Her bond was set at $100,000.

– John Etheredge

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schools today, shows that it is a sustainable program,” he said.

Burgner said that over the past 10 years as Oswego’s population has grown, the proportion of teens involved in crashes has remained the same. He said his department also saw a slight reduction in the number of crashes where teens living in the Oswego ZIP code were at-fault drivers.

“To me, even though it’s not a monumental number in the grand scheme of things, it’s still a reduction,” he said.

“To me, that’s a success.”

Baird praised the Operation Impact program.

Baird said Oswego saw a more than 20 percent decrease of accidents from 16- to 20-year-olds for five years following the crash, but it’s unknown whether it’s related to the crash or Operation Impact.

“That could be a positive,” he said.

“There’s a positive interaction because the sheriff’s office, Oswego police, and local business people have more interaction with the youth of the community.”

Weis said it’s difficult to quantify whether programs like Operation Impact, or the lasting effect of the crash, affect young people’s thinking about drinking and driving.

“If it stopped one person from getting behind the wheel or one person made that decision, we’ll never know that that actually happened,” Weis said. “I like to think it does.”

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extensive record of community involvement. She is the former village of Oswego clerk, and is a member of the Oswego Senior Center Board.

When asked during the forum about the lack of available downtown parking, Sollinger said that a parking deck should be a part of any development of the old Alexander Lumber lot.

Brian Thomas

Thomas said the Oswego Village Board is in need of a conservative among its ranks. He claimed the board Village Trustee has engaged in spending too much taxpayer money, and pointed to the Pam Parr planned new $32 million Oswego police Parr is seeking her second term as station, downtown TIF district and the Steven Jack for Shaw Media village trustee. She was previously a recent village purchase of the Alexanmember of the Kendall County Board, Brian LeClercq speaks at a candidate forum der lot. Thomas said his first obligaand said she has a 30-year history as hosted by the Oswego Chamber of Com- tion will be to taxpayers. a community volunteer. She said she merce Monday night. LeClercq is running Trustee candidate Donnie Soard did believes the village needs to continue for Oswego Township supervisor. not attend or return a questionnaire. the progress made on the economic development front and the village cannot said one of his biggest priorities will Oswego Township Supervisor return to a “philosophy of no.” be to help manage Oswego’s continued growth in a smart way, and continue to Luis Perez help the village continue its record of Michael Becker Perez was appointed to the Oswego recent “wins.”

Becker is retired with 35 years of experience in the financial services field.

Village Board and is seeking his first He served for two years on the School elected term. He is a longtime commu- Judy Sollinger nity volunteer, who served in many Fellow incumbent Sollinger is a capacities in School District 308. Perez 50-year resident of Oswego with an See CANDIDATE FORUM, page 8

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Thursday, February 9, 2017

The word transparency was on the lips of many of the candidates who participated in a candidate forum hosted by the Oswego Chamber of Commerce Monday night.

Candidates for positions open in the April 4 Oswego Township election promised to provide more open government, saying a more robust township website should be a top priority for the next crop of elected township officials.

All elected township positions will be open in April, and a series of controversies starting with the 2015 residency question of Township Highway Commissioner Gary Grosskopf have brought out a plethora of candidates for the offices of supervisor, highway commissioner, clerk and trustee.

Candidates for Oswego village trustee also spoke at the forum. Incumbents Luis Perez, Pam Parr and Judy Sollinger touted their records of recent progress on several fronts in the village, including downtown redevelopment and successfully managing growth.

Trustee candidate Brian Thomas, who ran for the office in 2015, said he’s

a fiscal conservative who hopes to curtail what he said is out-of-control village spending.

In the interest of fairness to all the candidates who either attended Monday night’s forum or completed a chamber candidate questionnaire, the following is a summary of each candidate with information from either their forum or questionnaire responses.

7

LOCAL NEWS | Oswego Ledger / KendallCountyNow.com •

Candidates talk up transparency at forum

Oswego Ledger / KendallCountyNow.com • Thursday, February 9, 2017

| LOCAL NEWS

8

Oswego Community Bank and currently is employed at Allied First Bank. He said open communication between residents and the township office is the most important in the race.

• CANDIDATE FORUM Continued from page 7

District 308 board, and has volunteered his time with numerous community organizations. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Army. If elected as township supervisor, Becker said he will commission a financial audit to ensure all township funds are being spent appropriately.

Stephen Youhanaie

Youhanaie is a U.S. Army veteran who has served as a Naperville Township trustee. He said while he was in office, Naperville Township trustees cut taxes for four consecutive years. In the role of clerk, Youhanaie said he plans to make upgrading the township website and ensuring the township follows information transparency standards his top priorities.

Dan Koukol

Koukol previously served as a member of the Kendall County Board, and was the chairman of both the county’s Highway and Economic Development Commissions. He’s a lifelong resident of the township. He said as the owner of DK Tractor & Trailer and Midwest Lender Services, he has all the relevant experience for the position. He said one of his top priorities will be to make township government open and accessible to its constituents.

Brian LeClercq

LeClercq is a fifth-generation Oswego resident, who previously served for eight years as Oswego village president. He currently is working with volunteer organizations to bring clean drinking water and housing for orphans in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He said the most important issue in the election is the need for government bodies, including the town-

Steven Jack for Shaw Media

Oswego Township Highway

tracting company. He currently serves on the board of directors for the National Electrical Contractors Association. He also said he’s running for highway commissioner to bring professionalism back to the office.

Aaron Grosskopf

Grosskopf is a 10-year employee of the Township Highway Department who has lived in the area his entire life. He said his first-hand experience in the office will allow him to continue to bring the high quality service that residents of the township have come to expect. When asked if he would agree to consolidating township services with other local units like the village of Oswego or Kendall County, Grosskopf said because Oswego Township is such a large area, that proposal may be a difficult job for another entity to take on.

Dan Koukol speaks at a candidate forum Commissioner hosted by the Oswego Chamber of Commerce on Monday. Koukol is running for Claude Ainsworth Oswego Township supervisor in the April Ainsworth is a 40-year resident who 4 election. is retired. He worked as both a high Terry Olson

school coach and civil engineer. He ship, to work together efficiently for said his biggest priority will be to rethe benefit of taxpayers without the store integrity and professionalism to need to raise taxes. the office of highway commissioner.

When asked his opinion of the eventuOswego Township Clerk al widening of Wolf’s Crossing Road, he said he likes the way things are toKen Holstrom day; however, he understands the need Holstrom is a current member and couldn’t see standing in the way of of the Oswego Planning and Zoning progress.

Commission who also has served on the Oswegoland Park District Board Tom Cook and on the board of the Susan M. Kiley Cook is a longtime resident of the Foundation. He worked for 18 years at area, and owns his own electrical con-

Olson is a heavy-equipment operator with over 35 years of experience in the construction field. He currently manages a demolition/excavation/ trucking company, and can operate all the equipment owned by the Township Highway Department. He said it’s time for the commissioner’s office to move into the 21st century, and he pledged to bring transparency, operating efficiencies and accountability back to the office.

See CANDIDATE FORUM, page 9

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possible there may now be room in the budget to pay for an improved website, he said. Small also said the township needs to push for legislation at the state level that would allow the board to discipline elected employees like the highway commissioner.

venience of residents and additional revenue. Plainfield Township offers passport services, which brings in revenue of $25 per passport.

Tom Yackley

Yackley has been a township trustee since 1991. He said he is running to Donna Stanley provide historical perspective to new Stanley is the former executive as- members that will be seated on the sistant/office manager for House Re- board in April. His top priority will be publican Leader Tom Cross. Stanley to “address inaccurate and false infortouted her experience in township gov- mation” provided to residents on townernment as the Plainfield Township ship law and activities. assistant administrator for the past Township trustee candidate Diane two and a half years. She said Oswego Township needs to consider updating Selmer did not attend or return a quesand expanding its services for the con- tionnaire.

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LOCAL NEWS | Oswego Ledger / KendallCountyNow.com •

Jacobsen has lived in the area for 11 Continued from page 8 years, and has worked for 10 years as an office manager, managing a $2 million Bob Rogerson budget. She said the township needs to Rogerson is a lifelong resident of re-evaluate the programs and services Kendall County, and has owned two lo- it offers to its constituents; however, cal businesses. He currently is the own- she agreed that senior services should er of Rogerson Drywall Inc. He said he continue to be a top township priority. plans to treat the office like a full-time position. When asked about consolidat- Leah Philpot ing the office with a local municipality, Philpot has worked as a business Rogerson said he would be open to any- analyst for Abbott Labs. She also has thing that would help save taxpayers worked for the last 18 months reviewmoney. ing the finances of the township. Philpot said as a township trustee she will Highway commissioner candidate work to lower taxes, improve transparJeffrey S. Christiansen did not attend ency and eliminate “antiquated busior return a questionnaire. ness practices.” As a mother of two young children, Philpot said she would Oswego Township Trustee also be interested in providing more services for the younger generation in Jan Alexander addition to continued services to area Alexander is retired with over 25 seniors. years in the rail transportation industry and as a small business owner. She Bill Small said she has attended many of the townSmall is a six-time incumbent township meetings in the past two years, ship trustee who moved to Boulder Hill and has developed a knowledge of how in 1976. Small said the township has the taxing body operates. Alexander avoided upgrading its website in order said the township needs a more infor- to keep taxes low for constituents. Howmative website and more open bidding ever, after decreasing the salary of the on major township projects. highway commissioner by $40,000, it’s

Oswego Ledger / KendallCountyNow.com • Thursday, February 9, 2017

| OSWEGO LEDGER

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MONTGOMERY POLICE REPORTS

Deer Run Drive damage An estimated $750 in damage was done to a vehicle parked at a residence in the 1700 block of Deer Run Drive Feb. 4, according to Montgomery police.

Warrant arrest Montgomery police arrested Victor Gomez-Gomez of Montgomery while investigating a domestic disturbance in the 1300 block of Carol Place Feb. 5 at 12:08 a.m. Police said they determined Gomez-Gomez was wanted on a Kendall County warrant for failure to appear in court on a prior driving on a suspended license charge.

charge of retail theft at a store in the 2000 block of Orchard Road Feb. 1 at Theft under investigation 4:11 p.m. Police said Young concealed Montgomery police reported that tools valued at $31 and then attemptmultiple teenagers entered a busied to leave the store without paying ness in the 1900 block of Route 30 for them. Police said due to a prior and stole approximately $5 worth of retail theft conviction Young was merchandise Feb 5 at 8:38 a.m. Police charged with a Class 4 felony. said the teens had left the business prior to their arrival and they are Multiple citations continuing to investigate.

Montgomery police ticketed Siara Benard of the 800 block of Victoria Conduct arrest Drive, Montgomery after stopping her Montgomery police arrested Mullen vehicle on Countryside Drive at MulJames, 33, of Aurora, on a charge of berry Drive Feb. 2 at 12:27 a.m. Police disorderly conduct in the parking lot said Benard was cited for having at a business in the 1300 block of suspended license plates, driving on Douglas Road Feb. 6 at 12:50 p.m. a suspended license, failure to signal and expired registration.

Trespass citations Montgomery police issued citations Warrant arrest for criminal trespass to Michael Montgomery police arrested Nardella, 19, of Plainfield, and Reed Bartholomew Hanson of the 800 Martin, 18, of Naperville, Feb. 6 at 2:13 block of Victoria Drive, Montgomery, p.m. on Waubansia Avenue at Watson at his residence Feb. 2 at 4:41 p.m.

Street. Police said Nardella and Mar- on three outstanding warrants, one tin were observed riding dirt bikes from Kendall County and the other and an ATV on property that was two from Kane County. Police said posted with “no trespassing” signs. the two Kane County warrants were for prior domestic battery charges.

Yorkville man arrested Police said Hanson was transported Montgomery police arrested to the Kendall County Jail in Yorkville Nicholas Young of the 100 bock of • Continued on page 12 Stage Coach Trail, Yorkville, on a

Students kept indoors during search for man

By STEVEN JACK news@kendallcountynow.com Students at St. Luke’s Lutheran School, Boulder Hill and Long Beach Elementary schools in Boulder Hill were kept indoors Monday as Kane and Kendall County sheriff’s deputies searched for a man wanted for questioning in an incident that occurred earlier in the day in Aurora.

According to Pat Gengler, Kane County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, deputies were called at about 10 a.m. to a home in the 1100 block of Watson Avenue, Aurora, for a report of a man causing a disturbance.

The man ran from the home before deputies arrived, and they were unable to locate him, Gengler said.

Later in the morning, deputies checked the man’s home on Harrison Street in Montgomery. Again, he fled on foot and was chased to

the area of Route 30 and Briarcliff in Boulder Hill.

After calling in search dogs and Kendall County sheriff’s deputies, the search for the man ended at about 1:30 p.m. without success, Gengler said.

Gengler said the Kane County Sheriff’s Office has identified the man and is continuing to investigate why he fled from both houses.

They do not believe he was armed at any time during their searches.

District 308 spokesman Brian Graves said Tuesday that Boulder Hill and Long Beach schools were not placed on lockdown as police searched for the suspect.

Graves said recess at the two schools was over at the time of the incident, but officials at both schools kept students indoors.

“It was not a lockdown situation,” Graves said.

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Thursday, February 9, 2017

Gas theft reported Gas was reported stolen from a gas station in the 1900 block of Route 30 Feb. 5 at 8:38 a.m., according to Montgomery police. Police said the offenders entered the business, distracted the clerk, and then drove off without paying for gas and other

merchandise.

LOCAL NEWS | Oswego Ledger / KendallCountyNow.com •

Pointed loaded handgun Montgomery police arrested Michael Van Garsse of the 200 block of Glen Ellyn Road, Bloomingdale, in the 2700 block of Providence Lane Feb. 3 at 1 a.m. Police said Van Garsse pointed a loaded handgun at a female.

Oswego Ledger / KendallCountyNow.com • Thursday, February 9, 2017

| LOCAL NEWS

12

OSWEGO POLICE REPORTS Downtown defacement Oswego police took a report of criminal defacement in the village’s downtown Feb. 6 at 3 p.m.

Police said three male subjects spray-painted the sidewalk on Monroe Street at Jackson Street.

One hurt in crash An Aurora resident, Eimiliana Rodriguez De Chevere, 46, of the 400 block of North Union Street, was injured in a three-vehicle crash on Route 34 at Route 30 on Feb. 6 at 10:02 p.m., Oswego police reported.

Police said Rodriguez De Chevere was transported to Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora. The other two drivers involved in the crash were not hurt, police said.

Injured in Rt. 34 accident A resident of Lyons, Francisco Olvera, 61, of the 4500 block of Abbott Street, was injured in a two-vehicle crash on Route 34 at Douglas Road Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m., according to Oswego police. Police said Olvera was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police said the driver of the other vehicle involved in the crash was not hurt.

BRIEFS area hospital.

Possible theft reported Oswego police took a report of a possible retail theft that occurred Jan. 12 at 1 p.m. at a store in the 2300 block of Route 34 in the village.

Hit-and-run A Warrenville resident told Oswego police that another motorist hit her vehicle while it was parked in the 600 block of Belmont Avenue Feb. 5 between 5:15 p.m. and 9:40 p.m. Police said the offending vehicle left the scene. Damage to the victim’s vehicle was estimated at less than $500.

Cannabis citation Oswego police cited Keith I. Williams Jr., 22, of the 200 block of Lizka Drive, Oswego with unlawful possession of cannabis on Washington Street at Grove Road at 12:25 a.m. Feb. 2.

Minor injury in crash A Montgomery resident, James R. Heafer, 72, of the 2400 block of Hillsboro Lane, was treated at an area hospital for a minor injury after the vehicle he was driving was involved in a crash with two other vehicles Feb. 3 at 12:25 p.m. on Route 34 near Route 71, Oswego police reported.

Domestic battery reported A Montgomery resident told Oswego police she was the victim of a domestic battery that occurred in the 300 block of Fifth Street on Feb. 3 at 1:15 p.m. Police said the victim Clothing theft reported reported receiving minor injuries in Oswego police took a report of the incident and drove herself to an clothing being stolen from a store

in the 2500 block of Route 34 on Feb. 1.

DUI arrest Oswego police arrested Andrew J. Pruneta, 22, of the 1000 block of LeGrande Boulevard, Aurora, after stopping his vehicle on Route 30 at Route 34 Feb. 2 at 3 a.m. Police said Pruneta has been charged with driving under the influence.

Checks, forged cashed Oswego police are investigating an incident in which someone forged and cashed two checks totaling $300 at a business in the 2800 block of Route 34 in the village Feb. 2.

Unlawful use of debit card Oswego police took a report of the unlawful use of a debit card at a store in the 2300 block of Route 34 Jan. Feb. 2.

Traffic violations • Jilaina J.Taylor, 36, of the 2200 block of Gallant Fox Circle, Montgomery, driving on a suspended license, no valid registration.

• Monica I. Avelar, 25, of the 1300 block of Eagle Ridge Court, Plainfield, driving on a suspended license.

• Jevon M. Pitts, 19, of the 100 block of Springbrook Trail South, Oswego, driving on a suspended license and speeding.

• Mark E. Graziano, 55, of the 600 bock of Waterside Drive, South Elgin, driving on a suspended license.

Info sought on overnight shooting incident

The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information on a case involving the reckless discharge of a firearm that occurred in the 15000 block of County Line Road in NaAuSay Township south of Oswego at approximately 1:50 a.m. on Feb. 1. Police said unknown subjects fired shots from a firearm during the incident.

Anyone with information on this or other crimes is urged to call Kendall County Crime Stoppers at 630-553-5999. Callers remain anonymous and are eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the offenders. The sheriff’s office report number for the case is 2017-0396.

Firefighters put out small fire in Boulder Hill home

Oswego Fire Protection District firefighters extinguished a small fire in a Boulder Hill home Feb. 6. The fire district reported that firefighters were summoned to the fire at 10:18 a.m. in a home on Sonora Road. Upon arrival, firefighters found the fire in the wall of an attached garage. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire with minimal damage to the residence.

Firefighters determined the cause of the fire was an overloaded circuit and estimated the damage to the home at $3,000. No one was hurt, according to the fire district.

– Oswego Ledger

MONTGOMERY POLICE REPORTS • Continued from page 11 pending court proceedings.

was transported to the Kendall County Jail in Yorkville pending court proceedings.

Warrant arrest Montgomery police arrested Jeffery Neidorowski of the 100 block of Bertram Drive, Oswego, on an outstanding Kendall County warrant for possession of marijuana after they stopped his vehicle in the 1700 block of Douglas Road Feb. 3 at 6:53 p.m. Police said Neidorowski

Suspended license Montgomery police arrested Yvonne Toney of Montgomery Feb. 5 at 1:54 a.m. after stopping her vehicle for an expired registration on Oakmont Drive at Lakewood Creek Drive. Police said Toney has been charged with driving on a suspended license.

KENDALL COUNTY SHERIFF’S REPORTS Shots fired incident County sheriff’s deputies were summoned to the 100 block of Harbor Drive in Oswego Township on a report of shots fired Feb. 5 at 11:59 p.m. Police said they are investigating.

Warrant arrest County sheriff’s deputies arrested Laura Ashley Tinsley, 21, of the 100 block of Beauwick Road, Boulder Hill, at her residence while responding to a reported domestic situation Feb. 6 at 10:41 a.m. Police said Tinsley was taken into custody after they determined she was wanted on a warrant for failure to appear in court on a prior charge of child endangerment.

DUI charge in crash Two motorists received non-life-threatening injuries in a head-on crash on Ridge Road south of Wheeler Road in NaAuSay Township Feb. 5 at 10:37 p.m., according to the county sheriff’s office. Police identified the injured as Margaret M. Szczepanik, 38, of the 5400 block of South Komensky Avenue, Chicago,

and Quovadis Nabor, 51, of the 3000 block of West Evergreen Street, Chicago. Both drivers were transported to Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet.

Police said their investigation determined that Szczepanik was traveling northbound in the southbound lane of Ridge Road at the time of the crash. She was cited for driving under the influence, driving in the wrong lane, illegal transportation of alcohol, failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash and no proof of insurance.

charges of criminal trespass to real property in the 8000 block of Galena Road in Bristol Township Feb. 3 at 10:11 p.m. Police said they were summoned to the area by a burglar alarm.

Vehicle burglary A vehicle parked in the 1000 block of St. George Street in Oswego Township was burglarized Jan. 31, according to the county sheriff’s office. Police said they are investigating.

Warrant arrest Sheriff’s police arrested Landon Christopher Perry, 27, of the 8000 block of Van Emmon Road in Bristol Township at his residence Feb. 1. Police said Perry was wanted on a warrant issued by authorities in Rockford.

Traffic violations • Daniel M. Quinn, 33, of the 1000 block of East Fifth Street, Sandwich, driving on a revoked license.

• Alexis Licandro Tecaxco, 17, of the 700 block of Gates Street, Aurora, driving on a suspended license.

Respond to domestic Boulder Hill theft • Chester A. Graham, 58, of the 1000 block Sheriff’s deputies investigated an alleged Sheriff’s deputies took a theft report at a battery between two individuals at a resiresidence in the 0-10 block of Hampton Road of Route 30, Oswego, no valid driver’s license.

• Mariano Guadalupe Garcia Ascencia, 35, dence in the 0-20th block of Park Drive North in Boulder Hill Feb. 3. of the 200 block of Forest Avenue, Aurora, in Bristol Township Feb. 5 at 1 a.m. Police said driving on a suspended license. no complaints were signed in the incident.

• Tremaine M. Givens, 38, of the 300 Domestic investigation Arrest two for trespassing County sheriff’s deputies responded to a re- block of Spruce Street, Aurora, driving on a Deputies arrested Richard J. Debenedetport of domestic battery and criminal damage suspended license.

• Chelsey J. Weathersby, 26, of the 800 ti, 30, of the 100 block of Bertram Drive, to property at a residence in the 5700 block block of Victoria Drive, Montgomery, driving Yorkville, and Taylor L. Baker, 21, of the 400 of Route 34 in Oswego Township Jan. 31 at on a suspended license. block of North Center Avenue, Bradley, on 9:34 a.m.

BRIEFS

Wolves, Panthers advance

Oswego Township Republican candidate kicked off ballot

East bounces back after shaky start in regionals

By JOSHUA WELGE jwelge@kendallcountynow.com It wasn’t the start to regionals that Oswego East’s girls bowling team envisioned.

The Wolves had four opens in their first frame.

They bowled a collective 860 the first game, 830 the second.

“It probably took us about four frames to settle in,” Wolves coach Jeremy Hillman said. “We came out very nervous. We put ourselves in a position that we had to have some good games to advance.”

Advance they did.

Oswego East, ending up second at the Plainfield South Regional at Town and Country Lanes on Feb. 4, advanced to this Saturday’s sectional meet at Orland Bowl. The Wolves will be joined by Oswego, who finished third in regionals.

Advancing teams were Lockport (6,381), Oswego East (5,736), Oswego (5,662) and Yorkville (5,465).

Kiana Krahulik bowled Oswego East’s top series of 1,221. She was joined by teammates Samantha Perez (1,210), Samantha Mattern (1,170), Sarah Raschke

(536), Kassy Krahulik (533), Kyleigh Rogers (572) and Ashley Smith (494).

Oswego East, which usually bowls around a 950975 collective average, came back with a 1,090 in its third game at regionals.

“After the first couple games we got our feet on the ground,” Hillman said. “It was an eye-opening experience. Sam Perez is one of the top bowlers in the state and she struggled the first two games, 160 and 140, but she bounced back in a big way.”

Oswego was led by Taylor Kies, who bowled a 1,203 series. She was joined by teammates Megan Douglas (1,174), Rachel Clifton (1,139), Alyssa Lang (1,127) and Shannon Torrez (1,019).

“We were solid one through five. We didn’t do anything too crazy,” Oswego coach Dan Okoren said.

“The scores were a little low in that first game, but we put that first game behind us and moved on. The girls from a mental standpoint stayed tough and poised.”

Neither Oswego nor Oswego East have bowled at Orland Bowl in a few years, but the consensus is that it’s a high-scoring house. There will be familiar opponents in Tinley Park, namely Minooka – which won its own regional.

“It’s a house that if you don’t let the situation get too big, you can score,” Hillman said. “There is no question that we can compete with all the teams there. It might be tough to catch a Lockport, but the key is to remember that four teams advance.”

Sneed, Oswego rally past Steelmen 12 Panthers sign letters of intent to continue careers in college

(Wisconsin Eau Clair). Signing for baseball were Nathan Willig (Monmouth) and Cole Aughenbaugh (St. Ambrose). Softball player Natalie Etheridge signed with Rock Valley College. Signing for girls soccer were Madison Lockard (Ball State), Megan Rasmussen (Western Illinois), Abby Grzetic (Ashland) and OSWEGO LEDGER Jessica Sendef (Carthage). Signing for boys soccer GIRLS BASKETBALL were Nick Kearns (Aurora) and Riley Martin (LorOswego varsity: Kira Sneed scored 13 points and as). Stephen Holpuch signed with Hope for lacrosse.

Kacie Moran and Gillian O’Neil each added 11 for Oswego, who outscored Joliet Central 20-9 in the fourth BOYS BASKETBALL quarter for a 40-32 win on Tuesday. The Panthers Oswego East sophomores: In a 61-53 win over Joliet previously lost to Romeoville 54-39 on Feb. 3. Sneed Central on Jan. 27, Kamron Battle scored 16 points, and O’Neil scored 12 points apiece. while Jordan Williams added 14 and Julian Holland Oswego sophomores: Julie Henrikson’s 18 points 10 for the Wolves. led Oswego to a 39-38 win over Yorkville on Saturday.

Danielle Dorilio added nine points and five steals, GYMNASTICS Samara Bosman six points and Ashea Lake nine reOswego Park District: Team Oswego’s boys competbounds. On Tuesday, Oswego lost to Oswego East ed at the Vacation Classic in the Wisconsin Dells.

35-31 despite Janessa Martinez’s 15 points. Bosman At Level 6, Oswego’s Kaleb Pope took second in added eight points. the all-around.

Oswego freshmen: Oswego beat Oswego East 46-26 At Level 7, Oswego’s Evan Reichert won the allon Tuesday in the “A” game behind Jennelle Rogers’ around, floor exercise and parallel bars; Gannett 19 points. Lulu Juozeviciute added 11 points. In the Bishop was third in the all-around, third floor, sec“B” game Melody Gonzalez’s 3-pointer as time ex- ond pommel horse, second rings and first high bar; pired in overtime gave Oswego a 20-17 win.

Jacob Porrey was fourth all-around, third on rings, second parallel bar and second high bar; Nicholas COLLEGE SIGNINGS Townsend was fifth all-around and second on vault; Oswego: Oswego High School had 12 senior ath- and Sam Petasnick was seventh all-around, third letes sign letters of intent on Feb. 1. Signing for foot- pommel horse and fourth vault, parallel bar and high ball were Elliot Pipkin (St. Xavier) and Joe Bostic bar.

An Aurora man recently slated as a candidate for Oswego Township trustee by the Oswego Township Republican organization was kicked off the ballot by an electoral board Monday.

The Oswego Township Electoral Board, consisting of Supervisor Jim Detzler, Clerk George Hettrich and Trustee Terry Hoch, met Monday morning to hear the case of Kevin J. Schramek of Aurora.

According to Hettrich, Schramek had been nominated as a candidate by the township Republicans at a meeting held Jan. 21. However, resident Patrick Stiles filed an objection to Schramek’s candidacy petition on Jan. 30, Hettrich said.

Hettrich said Stiles, a Kendall County Republican precinct committeeman for the Oswego 13 precinct, objected to Schramek’s candidacy petitions because proper notice was not given to the GOP committeemen in the township for the township GOP organization meeting held on Jan. 21.

Hettrich said established parties are allowed to slate candidates for primary elections even though the filing period for independent candidates was already held in late December.

– Tony Scott

Montgomery’s ‘State of the Village’ to share highlights, accomplishments

Montgomery Village President Matt Brolley has scheduled his annual State of the Village address at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, at the Montgomery Village Hall, 200 N. River St. The event will begin with a light breakfast followed by the address. Brolley will review highlights and accomplishments of the past year as well as outline initiatives and goals for 2017 and beyond.

This event is open to the public and is handicapped accessible. Members of the business community and the press are particularly encouraged to attend.

For additional information, call the Montgomery Village Hall at 630-896-8080, ext. 9003.

Rotary Club to hear from youth exchange students at Feb. 23 meeting

The Montgomery Rotary Club will host an evening presentation by two of the Rotary Youth Exchange students at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 23 at Montgomery Village Hall, 200 N. River St. The students will speak about their home countries and their experiences in the USA. The event is open to the public and will be a great opportunity for other middle school and high school students to learn more about youth exchanges.

The club meets on the first and third Thursday mornings of each month from 7 to 8 a.m. Morning meetings are held at the Montgomery Village Hall. In addition, the group also meets for an evening social and networking hour on the fourth Thursday of each month from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the hall.

For more information on the Rotary Club of Montgomery, visit rotaryclubmontgomeryil.org.

– Oswego Ledger

Thursday, February 9, 2017

AREA ROUNDUP

13

LOCAL NEWS & SPORTS | Oswego Ledger / KendallCountyNow.com •

GIRLS BOWLING

Oswego Ledger / KendallCountyNow.com • Thursday, February 9, 2017

| SPORTS

14 GYMNASTICS

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Helping mold young squad Tough schedule has Wolves set for playoff run

By CHRIS WALKER sports@kendallcountynow.com After competing as a gymnast for most of her life, Morgan Giertz reached a personal crossroads with the sport a year ago.

She was tired of chronic injuries, but wanted to remain a part of a team.

While she would prefer to be showing off her long-acquired skills on all four events, she decided it was in her best interest to no longer do gymnastics. Instead, she’s found a way to exert her energy toward helping guide a young team that’s on the rise.

Coincidentally, Giertz isn’t the only one doing such for Oswego coop. Fellow senior Micah Carlson also chose not to compete this year but to serve as a team manager.

The duo has had the unique duty of helping mold a young squad that consists entirely of freshmen and sophomores.

“Our seniors are the glue that holds us together,” Oswego co-op coach Sarah Dugan said. “They understood what to expect coming into the season, as well as what it would take to get through it and come on top in the end. Sharing those experiences and knowledge with this team helped in so many ways.”

There’s no doubt that Giertz and Carlson took on coaching roles this winter.

“They helped to explain meet preparations, getting routines ready with the right requirements, helping communicate with coaches and teammates when there are important things to discuss, as well as demonstrate how to set personal goals, team goals, and vocalize all the big and very important small accomplishments.,” Dugan said “The list goes on, and we just about had a 1-to-1 coach to gymnast ratio. That helps get a lot accomplished in practices.”

Oswego co-op’s high score this season is 129.85. Its team season has been completed after scoring a 129.7 at the Downers Grove South regional, but failing to advance to sectional play.

“It’s funny because last year it seemed like the team was all seniors and we were the only two juniors,” Giertz said. “We knew coming in that we were going to be a young team and the girls wouldn’t know much about gymnastics. They might have a club background, but it’s different try-

By JOSHUA WELGE jwelge@kendallcountynow.com

Photo provided

Injuries led them to stop doing gymnastics, but Oswego co-op seniors Morgan Giertz (left) and Micah Carlson have played a key part this year as managers molding a team made up entirely of freshmen and sophomores. ing to get in the swing of things with practices and meets and time management.”

Giertz joined the team as a sophomore after competing as a club gymnast for seemingly as long as she can remember. After one injury after the other, she decided it was time to stop competing.

“I didn’t want to have another surgery and deal with any more injuries,” she said. “But I wanted the team legacy to continue here.

I’ve enjoyed being part of a team.

This was a way that I could come back and help.”

Carlson’s career took a similar path, although she spent her first three years as a regular in the team’s lineup. Mentally, though, she realized that the time was right to take a step back.

“Over the summer I was practicing and doing some weird stuff and I actually freaked myself out a bit,” she said. “I realized it was time for me to be done with gymnastics.”

Their impact has been felt.

Freshmen Alexis Salinas and Ellina Butolph not only qualified for the Oswego sectional as

all-arounders, but Salinas moved on in three events. Butolph qualified on vault and bars. Claire Barenie qualified on the floor exercise while fellow sophomore Kaylee Gatenby moved on with a strong beam effort.

“Without these two seniors, the team dynamics and overall season would have definitely been different,” Dugan said. “Not only do they do so much for their teammates, but for the coaches as well.

They never say no to a task that needs to be done.”

Next year Dugan will probably look to her left and her right for the two and undoubtedly miss them as both will be away at colleges yet to be determined.

“In the end, Morgan always wants what’s best for everyone, and what’s best for the future of this gymnastics program,” Dugan said. “She strongly believes in doing the right thing and supporting others along the way. Micah is always smiling, trying to keep everyone in a positive mood at all times, and wants to help in whatever way she can. Both of these ladies will be dearly missed.”

They’re ready for a run.

As Oswego East looks ahead to the start of the girls basketball playoffs next week, the Wolves do so knowing this: They’ll never be more prepared.

The Wolves, with three senior starters back from a sectional finalist, have toughened themselves with a difficult nonconference schedule. It started with a rematch against Benet in November, and continued all the way through to this week’s game at No. 1-ranked Montini.

Oswego East (22-3), seeded second behind Benet in the Class 4A East Aurora Sectional, opens regional play on Feb. 14 at Plainfield East against the Plainfield Central-Romeoville winner.

“I think our schedule has prepared us well,” said Missouri State-bound senior Sydney Schultz. “We have played good teams that have made us step our game up. I believe that we can play with anybody.”

Schultz is averaging 12.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, both second on the team to Indiana State recruit Ty Battle’s 16.7 and 6.9. Amaya Johns is third in scoring at 10.2.

The Wolves stubbed their toe in three close games against elite competition earlier this year.

They lost to Benet, Homewood-Flossmoor and Edwardsville by a combined five points, and led in the fourth quarter of all three.

Oswego East, though, got its signature win of the season in January, beating Geneva 52-49 at the Subway Classic.

“All of these tough games, they’ve been good for us,” Wolves coach Abe Carretto said. “I feel like we are much more prepared for the playoffs this year just because we’ve played in so many close games.

We know what it takes.”

Next week’s regional opponents should be familiar to the Wolves. Three of the four, Lockport the lone exception, hail from the Southwest Prairie.

Considering Oswego East hasn’t lost in conference the last two years there’s no reason to think they won’t roll to a second straight regional title. A date with another conference opponent, third-seeded Minooka, could await in a sectional semifinal.

“Regardless of the opponent we’re playing, we can’t look past anybody,” Wolves senior Jada Boatright said. “Whether we play the No. 1 seed or No. 22 seed, we still have go give everything we have.”

Boatright isn’t thinking about it, but unsaid is that this is the last run for a group that put Oswego East girls basketball on the map.

Schultz, Boatright and Jesinde Thomas have all been together on varsity for three years, Battle for two. Surpassing last year’s sectional final appearance would be a sweet finish to a great ride.

“It does make me sad, and happy,” Schultz said.

“I’ve had a great time playing with my team and enjoyed my high school career.”

BOYS BASKETBALL: AURORA CHRISTIAN 66, OSWEGO EAST 61

Oswego East keeps score close down to final minute

By CHRIS WALKER sports@kendallcountynow.com

Steven Buyansky for Shaw Media

Oswego East’s Stephon Harris (4) gets up and blocks a shot by Aurora Christian’s Tanner Dissell during an Ernie Kivisto Hoopfest varsity boys basketball game at East Aurora High School on Saturday.

I think having to exert all that energy caught up with us.”

Wolfe’s 3-pointer early in the second quarter put Aurora Christian up 19-10, which was its biggest lead of the game.

Andre Hughes hit a three of his own for the Wolves just before the halftime buzzer to pull the Wolves to within 29-25.

BOYS BASKETBALL: OSWEGO 60, WEST AURORA 58

Young Oswego team peaking at the right time

By JOSHUA WELGE jwelge@kendallcountynow.com It’s been baptism by fire.

Oswego hasn’t used the collective young age of its roster as a reason to underschedule this season.

Far from it.

The Panthers have played six teams either among the top 25 in the Chicago area, or top 10 in statewide polls this season. Growing pains are understandable for a roster with three sophomores and a freshman getting significant minutes.

Oswego, though, appears to be peaking at the right time.

The Panthers ran their win streak to four on Saturday night, leading wire-to-wire in knocking off West Aurora 60-58 in Aurora.

That streak was snapped with a 4235 loss at Minooka Tuesday, but even there Oswego (8-14, 5-5 Southwest Prairie) made progress from an earlier 15-point defeat.

Oswego coach Matt Borrowman,

Limited tickets for crosstown classic available online The Oswego East athletic department office has announced that a limited number of tickets for this Friday’s Oswego East/Oswego girls/boys basketball doubleheader are available online.

Tickets are available at www.statechamps.com/oswegoeasthsil until noon Friday. Remaining tickets will be available at the door on Friday starting at 4:15 p.m. until they reach capacity. Tickets are part of the program for 17 years, believed it was the first time the Panthers had beaten West Aurora in his time here.

“The kids have been working hard and our schedule is finally paying off,” Borrowman said. “We’ve been on our kids quite a bit to not get caught up in wins and losses but in learning.

We walked into West with some really good momentum and we played well.”

Jaylen Jones scored 19 points and

$4 for adults, $2 for students and $1 for seniors.

For entry on Friday, Oswego fans must use door No. 47 (doors just west of main entrance) and Oswego East fans (athletic entrance, west end of building).

The varsity girls game tips off at 5 p.m., followed by the boys game at approximately 6:30 p.m.

– Oswego Ledger

Dylan Engler 18 for Oswego against West Aurora.

Engler, a sophomore guard, was 6-for-7 from 3-point range, hitting his first five attempts.

“Dylan was on fire and our guys were finding him,” Borrowman said.

“He hit five quick ones and set the tone.”

Oswego’s lead was at 15 early in the fourth quarter, and the Panthers just held on.

“We squeaked it out,” Borrowman said. “We’ve been in so many situations like that where we folded.”

Borrowman was complimentary of one of his other four sophomores, 6-foot Jamal Fomby.

“He’s defending and rebounding well, he knows his role and he’s finding his teammates,” Borrowman said.

“Our three seniors Jaylen Jones, Elijah Winston and Elliott Pipkin are really leading us.”

Jones scored 23 points for Oswego in a 60-48 win over Romeoville on Friday.

The Panthers do have a tough week ahead. They go to Joliet Central on Feb. 14. First up, though, they are at Oswego East in the only meeting this season between the crosstown rivals.

“The rivalry game, you throw the records out the door. It will be a dogfight,” Borrowman said. “If we can control the ball and the glass we’ll be OK. We have to limit our turnovers and in that atmosphere we can’t stray from the gameplan.”

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Oswego East knew that Aurora Christian would live and die by the 3-pointer.

The Wolves still didn’t do a good enough job defending it as the Eagles made 14 of them in a 66-61 win during Saturday’s seventh annual Ernie Kivisto Hoopfest at East Aurora.

“We knew that they could shoot it. We told the guys that they’re averaging 12 or 13 threes a game so we’ve got to do something about it,” Wolves coach Steve Szymanski said. “It’s ridiculous. You give up that many threes, you’re not going to win many basketball games.”

Despite that, Oswego East (12-9) went back and forth with the Eagles until the final minute.

Stephon Harris pulled the Wolves to within 62-61 with a layup with 44 seconds left, but the Wolves wouldn’t score again. Unable to induce turnovers, they were forced to foul and Aurora Christian’s Jake Wolfe went 4-of-4 from the free throw line in the final 35 seconds.

“The trend for us is we’re spotting teams with big leads in the first quarter and then when we’re down we’re forced to exert a lot of energy,” Szymanski said. “I thought we played really well in the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter, but

While Aurora Christian was firing away from long-range to do its scoring, Oswego East showed good ball movement to stay in the game. The Wolves used it to break a 36-36 tie, closing the third quarter on an 11-3 run.

The Wolves ended the quarter on an layup by Kijana Caldwell as the Wolves were finding ways to get the ball inside.

“I really liked how we moved the ball at times,” Szymanski said. “I thought Tahj Oliver came in and gave us a spark, but I still think we settled for the three at times, and it’s not our strength like it is theirs.”

Moving without the ball and making multiple passes is something Szymanski has been stressing.

“I Tweeted something to the guys while watching a Louisville game,” Szymanski said. “It was something like they were 2-of-14 when the ball moves only once on one side but they were 9-of-14 when it moved more than that. You hope the guys are getting it, but they’re high school kids. If I could figure them out I’d write a book and make a million.”

Caldwell led the Wolves with 17 points. Oliver and Hughes each had 13 and Harris added 11.

The Wolves on Friday beat Plainfield North 43-39 on a late 3-pointer by Trent Taylor. Harris, Caldwell and Hughes scored 10 points in the win. Oswego East, 3-6 since December, hosts Oswego Friday.

“Our goal was to come in here and get a win and get on a roll,” Szymanski said. “It didn’t happen, and since 2017 started we’ve been up and down like this.

It brings our record down one game, but we’ll put it behind us and try to get ready for the playoffs.”

SPORTS | Oswego Ledger / KendallCountyNow.com •

Wolves done in by Eagles’ 3-pointers

15

Oswego Ledger / KendallCountyNow.com • Thursday, February 9, 2017

16

SPORTS PREP WRESTLING

HIGH FIVE FOR OSWEGO

Torres leads 5 sectional qualifiers; O’Reilly advances for Wolves

By CURT HERRON cherron@shawmedia.com When a wrestling team competes in a regional with two of the five teams in the state, it figures to be difficult to advance to the sectional.

That proved to be the case for Oswego and Oswego East at Saturday’s Class 3A Lockport Regional. No. 1 Lockport, who won the team regional championship, and No. 5 Providence claimed half of the 42 spots that went to sectional qualifiers.

But Oswego turned in a third-place showing and qualified five for sectionals. Oswego East also advanced one individual to next week’s sectional at Normal Community.

Oswego’s Josh Torres won the 170-pound title at Lockport while Gannon Hughes (132) and Dan Majewski (160) placed second. Luke Pradel (120) and Allen Swanson (145) took third.

Sam Saravia (126), Joe Majewski (195) and Kevin Alvarez (220) finished in fourth place. The top three individuals in each weight class advance to sectionals.

“This is probably the toughest regional in the state, by far, and we knew that it was going to be a bloodbath,” Hughes said. “But we’re happy with what we did and are proud of ourselves.”

In Oswego’s lone win on the title mat, Torres (36-5) rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the third period to capture a 6-4 win over Lockport’s Nicholas Drado.

“This is my second time winning regionals,” said Torres, who came in ranked third in Class 3A at 170 by Illinois Matmen. “I went up against a real good kid who had perfect timing. But when it came down to the end, I just did what I do normally. I feel good and confident going into sectionals and I’ll try to tear it up there like I did here.”

Hughes (37-5) put up a good battle before dropping a 6-4 decision in the finals to Lockport’s Abdullah Assaf, who is ranked second in the state.

“I feel like I spent a lot of time game-planning for this match,” said Hughes, himself ranked seventh in Class 3A. “I thought that me and my coaches had it down, and now I know what I have to fix going into next week.

I’m just looking forward to next week, and the week after that and hoping to

Photos by Paul Bergstrom for Shaw Media

ABOVE: Oswego’s Josh Torres (left) wrestles Lockport’s Nicholas Drado in the 170-pound final at the Class 3A Lockport Regional on Saturday. Torres won a 6-4 decision. BELOW: Lockport’s Trevell Timmons wrestles Oswego’s Dan Majewski in the 160-pound final. Torres and Majewski are among five Panthers headed to the Class 3A sectionals. Oswego East has one wrestler moving on to sectionals. get my hand raised.”

Dan Majewski (33-9) also reached the title mat, but lost by technical fall to Lockport’s top-ranked Trevell Simmons. Swanson (35-11) lost in overtime in the semifinals but then won his next two matches, pinning Plainfield Central’s Noah Bogdan in the third-place match.

Pradel (31-10) fell in the semifinals to Plainfield East’s unbeaten and topranked Michael McGee, but bounced back with two wins to also place third.

For Oswego East, Jackson O’Reilly (27-10) bounced back from a quarterfinal loss to Dan Majewski at 160 with four wins to get third place. A 4-1 decision over Neuqua Valley’s Jacob Bourmans secured a sectional berth. Sean Clabots at 285 also tried to respond to a quarterfinal loss with four straight wins but he got pinned and settled for fourth place.