VPR090723

Willowbrook High School’s girls volleyball team won five straight matches to win the championship of its own eight-team invitational, which took place on Friday and Saturday. The Warriors are pictured after they defeated Metea Valley in Saturday morning’s championship contest. Willowbrook improved its overall season record to 8-0 with its five victories at the invite. Earlier in the week, the Warriors

Play at the plate

posted road victories at Fenwick and Lyons Township. After losing the opening game of the Aug. 30 match at Lyons Township, the Warriors rallied for a 21-25, 2624, 25-19 win. Willowbrook opened its West Suburban Gold Conference schedule earlier this week with a match at Addison Trail.

Warriors surge to 8-0 after winning the title at their own invite

Graduation day at Willowbrook

Team posted a thrilling three-game victory at Lyons Township earlier in the week

The Willowbrook girls volleyball team improved its overall season record to 8-0 with seven victories last week. The Warriors began the week

Freshman Lindsey Rugg of the Willowbrook softball team is pictured while attempting to score a run during Friday’s game at Downers Grove South. Rugg tried to score from second base on a single by sophomore Katelyn Cox in the top of the second inning, when the game was tied at 2-2. Downers Grove South’s catcher tagged Rugg out at home plate for the third out of the inning. The Mustangs went on to defeat the Warriors 7-3 in the West Suburban Gold Conference contest. Wil-

with road victories at Fenwick and Lyons Township. Willowbrook then won five matches and claimed the title at its own eight-team invite.

Willowbrook High School’s Class of 2021 celebrated its commencement with two separate ceremonies in the school’s main gymnasium on Sunday morning. The entire class includes over 470 students. About half of those students attended the

InsIde:

lowbrook rebounded from Friday’s loss to post an 11-2 win in Saturday’s game at Hinsdale Central. The Warriors bashed three home runs in the second inning of Saturday’s non-conference battle against the Red Devils of the West Suburban Silver Conference. Senior Annemarie Knudtson, freshman Isabella Dugo and sophomore Kayleigh Dennison provided the home runs. Dennison (No. 5) is pictured in the background of the above photo. For more about the Warriors, see page 14.

Arbor Day in Villa Park

The Warriors defeated Metea Valley 25-19, 25-13 in Saturday’s championship match at the invitational.

ceremony that began at 9 a.m. The others participated in the ceremony that started at 11 a.m. The photo shows members of the Willowbrook Senior Choir performing during the day’s first service. For more photos, see Page 4.

day’s semifinal matches at the invite. The Warriors then beat Metea Valley 25-19, 25-13 in the title contest.

Willowbrook opened its successful week with a 25-21, 25-10 win at Fenwick on Aug. 28. Two days later, the Warriors edged Lyons Township in a three-game battle. After losing the first game, Willowbrook rallied to beat the Lions 21-25, 26-24, 2519.

Calli Kenny piled up 20 kills, eight assists, seven digs and four aces during her team’s Aug. 30 win at Lyons Township. Hannah Kenny delivered 10 kills, 14 assists and 11 digs in the match. Junior Anna Marinier added four kills, eight digs and two aces. Senior Elisa Chivilo had 11 digs and five assists.

Calli Kenny had 10 kills, nine assists, three digs and three aces in Saturday’s championship match.

Memorial Day in Villa Park

Senior Calli Kenny provided 11 kills and 10 assists for the Warriors in last week’s win at Fenwick. Junior Hannah Kenny contributed six kills, 10 assists and three aces. Senior Eliza Ramey supplied five kills and four blocks.

Willowbrook began its own invitational with three wins on Friday. The Warriors began the event with a 25-18, 25-10 win over Trinity. Willowbrook then beat Coal City 25-16, 25-11. The Warriors finished the day with a 25-11, 25-16 win over Glenbard North.

Hannah Kenny provided five kills, 12 assists and four digs against Metea Valley. Ramey hit five kills in the title contest. Marinier and senior Elle Bruschuk connected for two kills each. Chivilo and senior Keri Ostrowski contributed four digs each.

630-514-9961

at the village’s Franklin Park, located at 218 N. Third Ave., are: Villa Park Village Trustee Christine Murphy, Justin Shlensky—chair of the Villa Park Environmental Concerns Commission, Margaret Schiefer—a member of the Villa Park Environmental Concerns Commission, Villa Park Village Trustee Cheryl Tucker, Villa Park Village President Albert Bulthuis, Villa Park Village Trustee (and Village President-Elect) Nick Cuzzone and Leslie Allison-Seei—chair of the Villa Park Community Pride Commission. Arbor Day is observed on the last Friday of each April. The National Arbor Day Foundation has recognized Villa Park with Tree City USA designation for 36 straight years. To receive that recognition, a community must have a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program and an Arbor Day observance.

kdrury@atproperties.com

Willowbrook defeated West Chicago 25-17, 25-14 in one of Satur-

Earlier this week, the Warriors opened their West Suburban Gold Conference season with a match at Addison Trail. The Warriors will play at Leyden’s Eagle Invite this Saturday.

Villa Park Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2801 held its Memorial Day service on Monday morning at Cortesi Veterans Memorial Park. Post Commander Jim Blankshain is pictured bowing his head as Willowbrook High School students Lily Hendrickson and Anna Seelbach sound taps at the end of the ceremony. The post’s 2020 Memorial Day event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s observance included a reading of the names of the Post 2801 members who have recently died. That list included World War II veteran Charles “Sid” Bergh, who served as the master of ceremonies of the post’s annual Memorial Day service for several years. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Bergh died in October 2020. He was 94 years old. Bergh was the post’s last surviving World War II veteran.

CHRIS FOX PHOTO Villa Park Review

CHRIS FOX PHOTO Villa Park Review

SUBMITTED PHOTO Villa Park Review

Ribbon cutting at Lilac Station

The Lombard Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as Holladay Properties, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Aug. 29, for the new Lilac Station development at 101 S. Main St., Lombard, which includes 118 luxury apartments and retail space. T. Drew Mitchell, partner and senior vice presidentdevelopment, said, “We’ve been really focused on this Lilac Station project for several years.” Groundbreaking took place on June 17, 2021. Pictured here (with scissors), Lori Kappel, Holladay Properties senior project designer, prepares to cut the ribbon, as village officials and chamber members look on. Rick Galfano (center, holding ribbon), chamber president and CEO, commented, “This is very surreal … to be at this piece of property in 2023,” after having visited the DuPage Theatre and local hobby shop while growing up. He said now others are “starting their lives” in this spot, adding that he is excited “to see a rebirth of this corner.”

Lombard Historical Society Executive Director Alison Costanzo (above left) spoke at the Lilac Station ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 29, pointing out how the historical society and Holladay Properties worked together to recreate the “Eat” sign and building “medallions” that graced the former property, as T. Drew Mitchell, Holladay partner and senior vice president-development, looks on. Village President Keith Giagnorio praised the development, saying that Holladay Properties was “so

mindful to keep our history,” and also told the developer, “Thank you for choosing Lombard. Look what’s going on at this entire corner … a builder who really cares what they’re doing. That’s super important.” Mitchell later said, “Lombard chose us.” In the above right photo, also attending the event were (left to right) business owner Anna Weselak, Lombard chamber President and CEO Rick Galfano, business owner Art Frerichs and business owner Brooke Bingaman.

Bond set for Cook County man charged with stealing more than $8,500 in items from Villa Park tobacco store Subject reportedly led police on a high-speed chase

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Villa Park Chief of Police Michael Rivas announced last week that bond had been set for a Cook County man accused of leading police on a high-speed chase after allegedly stealing approximately $8,550 worth of merchandise from a Villa Park tobacco store.

Michael Soria, 34, of Blue Island, appeared at a bond hearing on Aug. 30, where Judge Mia McPherson set bond at $25,000 with 10 percent to apply. The state had asked for a bond of $150,000 with 10 percent to apply. Soria is charged with one count of

burglary (Class 2 felony), one count of possession of burglary tools (Class 4 felony) and one count of aggravated fleeing and eluding (Class 4 felony).

On Aug. 29, at approximately 4:30 a.m., officers with the Villa Park Police Department responded to a call of a burglary that had just occurred at Roosevelt Tobacco, located at 133 W. Roosevelt Road. Upon their arrival, officers observed the front window of the business had been shattered. Officers reportedly observed an individual, later identified as Soria, exiting the store with a bag full of merchandise.

It is alleged that when officers flashed a spotlight on Soria, he dropped the bag of merchandise, ran to a minivan and fled the scene.

As officers pursued Soria, it is alleged that he led police on a high-speed

chase reaching speeds of approximately 80 mph on eastbound Roosevelt Road. It is further alleged that when police officers successfully deployed spike strips at Roosevelt and I-290, Soria fled the scene on foot, running across I-290.

Through the course of their investigation, officers located Soria at approximately 10:42 a.m. that morning, walking near his home. He was taken into custody at that time.

Upon searching the van allegedly driven by Soria, authorities found 53 cartons of cigarettes allegedly taken from the tobacco store, along with burglary tools including black gloves, a hammer, a pry bar, a drill and a large breaker bar. “It is alleged that Mr. Soria not only stole more than $8,500 from a local business, but he then led

police on a high-speed chase, putting innocent motorists at risk, in an effort to avoid apprehension and responsibility for his actions,” Berlin said.

“Law enforcement in DuPage County however, is extremely well-trained and even though Mr. Soria allegedly ran across I-290 on foot to avoid immediate arrest, officers took him into custody just six hours later without putting their lives or the lives of innocent motorists at risk by engaging in a foot pursuit across a busy expressway.

I applaud the Villa Park Police Department for their quick response to the initial call, which ultimately led to the defendant’s arrest, as well as for their continued efforts in keeping our businesses and neighborhoods safe.”

“The alleged actions of the accused threatened to take away the dream of

owning a business and providing goods and services for the community,” Rivas said. “The Villa Park Police Department is vigilant and will do all we can to combat violent crimes as well as property crimes. We will travel great distances, approximately 27 miles in this case, and work together with surrounding law enforcement agencies to bring all who commit crimes to justice. We ask all who see lights, and hear a siren, to yield and/or stop for first responders. We thank the Villa Park officers for their brave actions as well as the numerous police departments, particularly the Oak Brook Police Department, who assisted in bringing the incident to a successful conclusion.”

Soria’s next court appearance is scheduled Sept. 27, for arraignment in front of Judge McPherson.

JANE CHARMELO PHOTOS Rock Valley Publishing

Michael Soria

Bond set for Texas man charged with robbing a Bensenville bank

After allegedly taking about $38,000 in cash, suspect then led police on high-speed chase into Lombard; Villa Park officers took the suspect into custody; another suspect escaped

Villa Park reView

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Bensenville Chief of Police Daniel Schulze announced on Saturday that bond had been set for a Texas man accused of robbing a Bensenville bank ATM technician last week, then leading police on a high-speed chase before crashing his car in Lombard.

nician. It is alleged that the men, who were both wearing masks, ordered the technician to leave. It is further alleged that after the technician left, Hudson and his accomplice took the ATM containers containing cash and checks, got back in their vehicle and fled the scene westbound on Grand Avenue. A bank employee called 911 at this time.

seeing an individual matching the description of the subject at about 9:20 p.m. Another update from the evening stated the suspect was seen running eastbound from the area of Pleasant Lane and Kramer Avenue in Lombard. That location is about one block north of Vista Pond Park.

Earnest Hudson

Officers from the Villa Park Police Department took the suspect into custody in Lombard following a brief pursuit that took place after the crash.

Earnest Hudson, 23, of Houston, appeared at a bond hearing on Friday, where Judge Daniel Guerin set bond at $1.5 million with 10 percent to apply. Hudson is charged with one count of financial institution robbery (Class 1 felony), one count of robbery (Class 2 felony), one count of aggravated fleeing and eluding (Class 4 felony) and multiple misdemeanor and petty traffic offenses. Judge Guerin also granted the state’s motion for a source of funds hearing at which the defendant must prove that any funds used to post bond are not the result of illegal activity.

On Wednesday, Aug. 30, at approximately 4:34 p.m., a technician was servicing an automated teller machine (ATM) at the Chase Bank located in the 100 block of W. Grand Ave. in Bensenville. It is alleged that while the technician was working, two men, one of whom was later identified as Hudson, pulled into another bank lane near the technician, exited their vehicle, a Nissan Murano, and ran toward the tech-

At about 4:50 p.m., officers with the Elmhurst Police Department observed the offending vehicle traveling southbound on Route 83. Officers activated their emergency lights and sirens and initiated a pursuit. It is alleged that the vehicle, which was driven by Hudson, did not stop for officers and fled, driving in and out of traffic until turning right on to St. Charles Road. It is further alleged that Hudson continued to flee police, reaching speeds of more than 100 mph on St. Charles Road before crashing the car in Lombard, near St. Charles Road and Chase Avenue.

Both men fled the car on foot and Hudson was taken into custody after a brief pursuit. According to the Villa Park Police Department, Villa Park officers apprehended Hudson. It is alleged that approximately $38,000 in cash was recovered from the defendant and the vehicle.

Updates from the Villa Park and Lombard police departments stated that while Hudson was quickly apprehended, the second suspect was able to elude officers despite an extensive search of the area. The suspect was described as a black male with dreadlocks, wearing a white athletic shirt and black pants.

A few hours after the vehicle crashed, a resident in the area of Vista Pond Park in Lombard advised of

Officers from several mutual aid agencies assisted in the search for the subject who fled the scene. A police helicopter, K-9 units and a drone were deployed during the search.

Inbound and outbound Metra Union Pacific-West trains were stopped in the area while police searched for the missing suspect. Metra Union Pacific-West issued its first Twitter alert regarding the incident at 5:13 p.m. As the evening progressed, Metra reported that several inbound and outbound trains were operating with extensive delays due to police activity. Additionally, multiple Metra Union Pacific-West inbound and outbound trains between Chicago and Elburn did not operate during the evening.

At 10:30 p.m., the Lombard Police Department reported that the scene had been cleared, and that the suspect was no longer believed to be in the area. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call 911 immediately.

“It is alleged that in the middle of the afternoon, Mr. Hudson and his

accomplice, both wearing masks, approached an innocent man who was working on an ATM, ordered him to leave and then robbed the bank ATM of approximately $38,000,” Berlin said. “To make matters worse, it is further alleged that Mr. Hudson then led police on a 100-mph chase during rush hour before crashing his car. This type of brazen behavior will not be tolerated in DuPage County and will be met with the full force of the law. We are all thankful that no innocent motorists or pedestrians were injured or killed.

I thank the Bensenville Police Department for their efforts on this case as well as the Lombard and Elmhurst police departments for their work on apprehending the defendant.”

“Mr. Hudson thought that by renting a car and allegedly putting stolen plates on it, he and his accomplice could outsmart law enforcement,” Schulze said. “They underestimated the cooperative efforts of DuPage County police departments and the State’s Attorney’s Office working closely together. He was quickly apprehended and charged. I would like to thank the police departments that helped with this case, including but not limited to Elmhurst, Villa Park and Lombard as well as the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office.”

Hudson’s next court appearance is scheduled Sept. 28, for arraignment in front of Judge Guerin.

O’Brochta receives 88’s Best honor for August

Villa Park resident has excelled in the classroom and on the stage at Willowbrook

Willowbrook High School senior

Sean O’Brochta was recently named his school’s recipient of the 88’s Best award for the month of August.

O’Brochta, who is a Villa Park resident, received the award at the District 88 Board of Education meeting on Aug. 28.

Your Hometown Newspaper 240 N. West Avenue Elmhurst, IL. 60126

Main Phone 630.834-8244 Fax 630.834-0900

The Villa Park Review is published every Thursday by Rock Valley Publishing, LLC, 240 N. West Avenue, Elmhurst, IL. 60126.

Display Advertising: 630.834-8355

Classified Advertising: 630.834-8244

News: 630.834-8244

General Information: 630.834-8244

E-mail:

Advertising Department: ads1@rvpublishing.com

News Department: CFox@rvpublishing.com

Classified Department: Classifieds@rvpublishing.com

Administration: Chris Fox News Coordinator

Debra Hamilton Advertising Director

Pete Cruger Publisher

Advertising: Brenda Garcia Kate McCarty

Subscriptions:

STAFF REPORT

The winner’s share of Villa Park Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2801’s current Queen of Hearts contest is about $32,600—before taxes.

The contest’s next ticket drawing will be held at 8 p.m. this Friday, Sept. 8. The drawing will take place at the post, which is located at 39 E. St. Charles Road.

The post is open to the public. The Friday-night ticket drawing/reveal takes place in the post’s downstairs bar—the VFW Post 2801 Bunker.

A five-pack of tickets in the Queen of Hearts drawing costs $5. Contestants do not need to be present at the Friday-night drawing. Tickets are on sale at the post throughout the week, up until a few minutes before the ticket drawing.

The contest features a board of 54 spaces that represent a full deck of cards, including two jokers. Each card on the board is numbered and concealed. The ticket drum is cleared after each week’s drawing. Each Friday, the contest tickets that were sold during the week are spun in the rotating drum, and one ticket is selected. That ticket includes a number representing one of the spaces in which the card has not yet been revealed. If the card on that space contains the Queen of Hearts, the owner of the selected ticket claims the winner’s share.

In the drawing of Friday, Sept. 1, the winner’s share was approximately $31,000, before taxes. The owner of the ticket that was pulled from the drum on Friday evening filled out No. 25 on that ticket. The card behind that space turned out to be the 8 of Hearts. The owner of that ticket did win $25. The owner of the ticket that’s chosen from the drum each Friday wins at least $25.

The Queen of Hearts is still hiding behind one of the four covered spaces (26, 39, 48 and 53) remaining on the contest board. She can’t hide much longer. She will show her face sometime this month.

The 88’s Best award recognizes students for their achievements in and out of the classroom. The award honors nine students from Willowbrook High School and nine students from Addison Trail High School during each school year. Each recipient of the award receives an 88’s Best glass sculpture and a certificate to a local restaurant.

O’Brochta is an academic standout in Willowbrook’s Class of 2024. He is an inductee of the National Honor Society, as well as the National English Honor Society, the Math Honor Society, the World Language Honor Society, Tri-M (Modern Music Masters) and Willowbrook’s social studies honor society—Civitas.

O’Brochta has earned Distinction Honor Roll status in each semester of his high school career. He’s involved in the New Beginnings program, a program in which upperclassmen mentor freshmen and assist them in adjusting to high school. He’s also a co-captain of Willowbrook’s speech team, and the president of the school’s Thespian Honor Society.

To date, O’Brochta has been a

cast member in nine theatrical productions at Willowbrook. He has received two Illinois High School Association (IHSA) All-State Drama Competition Cast honors. He’s a member of Willowbrook’s concert choir, as well as CenterStage—the school’s vocal jazz ensemble. He has earned All-District recognition from the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA).

O’Brochta plans to study engineering after he graduates from Willowbrook next year. Purdue University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are his top choices to continue his education.

The Villa Park Review is mailed to the 60181 zip code areas for $45.00 yearly. Out-of-area mail subscriptions are $50.00 yearly. For home delivery information call 630.834-8244.

Reprints:

Content appearing in the Villa Park Review may not be reprinted without permission of the publisher or editor. Requests should be directed to Independent@rvpublishing.com or 630.834-8244.

Postmaster: Please send address changes to:

THE VILLA PARK REVIEW 240 N. West Avenue, Elmhurst, IL. 60126

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 11am-3pm

SUBMITTED PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing Willowbrook High School senior Sean O’Brochta received the 88’s Best award for the month of August. He is pictured (right) with Willowbrook Principal Dan Krause (left).

The Queen of Hearts continues to hide in VFW Post 2801’s contest

Winner’s share is nearly $33,000, before taxes; next drawing takes place this Friday

Slices of life I guess that’s a win

Each of us will experience deep grief at one time or another. No one wants it, but we also don’t want the alternative—for those we love to grieve after us.

Talk about a conundrum.

I know this isn’t a pleasant subject. But it is a real one, and one that none of us can avoid. At least not forever.

I got to the front of the queue in 2020—November to be exact— and have learned a few things since then about deep grief.

When most of us think about a queue we associate the thought with long lines and roller coasters.

Grief is most certainly a roller coaster. The most terrifying of them. The roughest ride in the park; I’ll attest to that.

Here I am, more than 2½ years out and it is still terrifying, but maybe not as much. The ride has become a bit smoother, a bit more habitable. The sudden, gravitydefying descents aren’t quite as deep anymore. Grief isn’t what it used to be.

I guess that’s a win. Thank goodness.

It used to be so intensely raw. Like walking barefoot on broken glass raw. Like swallowing acid raw. Like being bit by a thousand fire ants raw. Like staring at the sun and burning your eyes raw.

Grief doesn’t end. I don’t think it does. But it changes. It becomes less raw. Less minute by minute and more hour by hour. Maybe even day by day, but I haven’t gotten there quite yet.

When my husband first left this world, I felt the pain in every action, every breath, every minute, every day. That has changed.

I no longer have a panic attack when seeing the men’s sock aisle at the local superstore. I remember pulling my cart into an obscure space and trying to catch my breath and avoid a panic attackbecause I couldn’t breathe at the thought of never having to shop in the men’s sock aisle ever again.

Now I can walk through the men’s clothing section - socks, underwear, T-shirts, the whole lot—while continuing to breathe normally.

Coming event

By JILL PERTLER Columnist

I guess that’s a win.

I no longer die inside when I brown the hamburger. My husband always browned the hamburger. He was much better at it than I. In those first days of grief, browning the hamburger was painful. It burned deeper than I ever could have imagined.

Now I brown the hamburger and make the coffee (another of his responsibilities) without tears or turmoil.

I guess that’s a win.

I took my family on vacation— to Mickey’s favorite place. It was also my husband’s favorite place. He was literally like a kid at a candy store, except his candy store was amusement parks. We’d have to get up too early to get to the entrance before the park opened so we could run to the best ride and get on first without much of a wait.

I couldn’t imagine the place without him. But I did it. I took the kids and we ran to the best rides and posed in front of the castle, just like he would have wanted us to do.

I guess that’s a win.

I sold a house. I bought a house. I sold a car. I bought a car. I learned to install flooring and paint cabinets and do a backsplash in the kitchen. All wins.

Today’s win involves removing and replacing a toilet. I’m learning and stretching and doing new things. I’m not afraid of them anymore.

And I know fully and absolutely he is proud.

I guess that’s a win. No, I know it is.

Jill Pertler is an award-winning syndicated columnist, published playwright and author. Don’t miss a slice; follow the Slices of Life page on Facebook.

‘Guide yourself to wellness’ program at Villa Park Library

Join the Villa Park Public Library on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 6:30 p.m. to understand how to guide yourself through barriers by leaning on your strengths, using previous successes and identifying confidence. Learn how to develop a wellness vision, how to set realistic short- and long-term SMART goals that are attainable and sustainable, and how to assess your goals for continued success. Registration is required. For more information, visit the website at www.vppl.info, or call 630-834-1164.

Village of Addison gets federal funding to repair College Boulevard

By U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi

On Aug. 27, I presented the Village of Addison with a ceremonial check commemorating the $600,000 in federal funding that I secured for local road and infrastructure improvements as part of December’s government spending package.

More than two decades of sustained damage have made College Boulevard in Addison increasingly treacherous for local drivers and pedestrians to travel on , and its drainage issues continue to contribute to the flooding of the surrounding area.

The funding I secured will be used to repair College Boulevard’s road surface, replace its sidewalks, improve community access, and end the drainage issues the street’s flooding causes for the local residents.

I am proud to have secured this grant for Addison and I look forward to continuing to partner with local officials across our region to improve the safety and quality of life for all our communities.

Reintroducing the STOP Bullying Act to tackle bullying in our schools

Last week, I was proud to join with U.S. Delegate Jenniffer GonzálezColón of Puerto Rico to reintroduce the bipartisan State Taskforce Opportunity Program (STOP) Bullying Act.

Bullying is still a major problem in our communities, and bullying not only harms students’ ability to learn and focus on school, but increases risks of mental and physical health issues. Our legislation encourages the establishment of statewide anti-bullying taskforces to study and address bullying in schools.

Specifically, this bill would establish federal grant programs to support states that create anti-bullying taskforces comprising of educators and community leaders. These taskforces would present their reports to

their state governments and the U.S. Department of Education to share findings and collaborate on best practices.

It is critical that anti-bullying taskforces are established to tackle this growing bullying epidemic so that all students, regardless of their actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion can grow and learn in a safe and healthy environment.

Upcoming mobile office hours

If you are unable to make it to our district office in Schaumburg, our staff is available at mobile office

hours throughout the district. Share your concerns, questions, issues and get help navigating federal agencies at convenient locations across the district.

Our next Wood Dale office hours: Tuesday, Sept. 19 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Wood Dale Public Library at 520 N Wood Dale Road. We will continue to hold additional office hours in Wood Dale on the third Tuesday of each month: Oct. 13, Nov. 21 and Dec. 19.

U.S. Rep Raja Krishnamoorthi represents the 8th Congressional District of Illinois, which includes Addison and Wood Dale.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi presents Addison Mayor Rich Veenstra with a check commemorating the $600,000 in federal funding Krishnamoorthi secured for road repairs and drainage improvements for College Boulevard in Addison.

These days road rage doesn’t just involve hand gestures or “brake checking,” but increasingly the firing of a weapon and potentially injuring or killing someone. First of all, why are all these people carrying weapons in their vehicles? We can’t all have concealed-carry permits. That alone is of great concern to me. I think the consequences for firing a weapon— or for initiating any road rage incident—should be as severe as the law allows. And I am all for having as many cameras along the major highways in and out of the city as possible. It is getting so I, and am sure others, have to learn a new way of “defensive” driving to make sure I don’t end up getting shot for something as simple as making a lane change. And it is surely hurting tourism dollars going into the city.

I’m usually on I-355 a few times every week and normally drive around 70 mph. More often than not, there are motorcyclists riding on these cycles that are called crotch rockets. I would guess they are going at speeds upwards of 90 mph. Commercials and bumper stickers want us to start seeing motorcycles. I get it, but that’s tough to do when they come up out of nowhere, and you often don’t see them until they’ve cut in front of you or have sped past you. I have seen state police stop cars and trucks for traffic violations on I-355. I have never seen them stop one of these reckless crotch-rocket bikers. *

Hi, Lombard calling. The person who called Speak Out (Aug. 24) regarding the ill-kept homes in Lombard is absolutely right. It’s a shame because basic upkeep, such as mowing your lawn and trimming hedges, is the responsibility of the resident of the house. The streets bordering our downtown, for example, are viewed

by a lot of visitors and inhabitants and should be well kept. Not cutting hedges and bushes and allowing the grass to grow to 7 to 10 plus inches is not being responsible a home dweller. There are many churches in Lombard, plus York Township, and neighbors; they’re all available to help if someone is unable to upkeep their yards. Lombard is a prideful place to live and I hope it can stay that way. And also, too, hedges that line a driveway cannot be over 4 feet tall, according to village ordinance. And many people ignore that and it could be dangerous. Thank you very much.

* * *

Arresting people for saying the 2020 election was rigged seems like a terrible way to convince people that the 2020 election wasn’t rigged.

* * *

The fire in Maui is getting relatively little media coverage. There are reportedly hundreds of people missing, including many children. You would think the media would be providing wall-to-wall coverage, not just of the tragic event, but of the many missteps from the electric company and the local government. But as some have pointed out, the state is entirely run by Democrats, so I’m sure the media will do its best to minimize the story. If Republicans were in charge in Hawaii, the media TV stations would keep the death toll on the bottom of the screen. Other members of the media would be badgering the government for answers.

* * *

A raging wall of fire consumed an entire neighborhood in Maui, causing horrific death and destruction. Biden makes a quick visit and shares the story of a small kitchen fire in his house, nearly 20 years ago, that was under control within minutes. Imagine being someone in the audience

How Speak Out works

• Speak Out is a forum in which readers can express their opinion anonymously concerning local, state, national and international topics. Each call is limited to 200 words whether the caller calls 630-629TALK or emails their opinion to speakout@rvpublishing.com.

• The views expressed by callers are their own.

• All calls are checked by four editors. If a consensus of editors believes a particular call is deemed to be in poor taste, erroneous, inaccurate, libelous, doesn’t make sense, or if claims stated in a call cannot be verified, the call will not be published.

• With regard to calls of a political nature, it is not possible to have an equal balance of calls with liberal and conservative viewpoints during any given week. The editors of Speak Out don’t have control of who calls in, what their political leanings happen to be, and the topic(s) they want to discuss.

• If you have further questions about Speak Out, email: news1@ rvpublishing.com.

who just lost family members, a home or a business, and listening to Biden talk about himself. To be kind, Biden was foolish to bring that up. He is a disgraceful egomaniac.

* * *

We live in a country of 332 million people. We can’t find two decent Americans under the age of 77 years who want to be president? I am tired of Trump and Biden. They are both corrupt and untruthful with the voters. I have no doubt that Biden and his family made money from foreign governments; what did they do to earn it? Trump was wrong and will hopefully be going to jail; he deserves it. The media need to be independent, unbiased and objective, like they used to be. How many people have crossed the border illegally? What about foreigners who have been waiting for years and went through the proper channels to be U.S. citizens? We have homeless veterans, but illegal immigrants get free housing, healthcare and cell phones? We also need term limits at every level of government. Serving in an elected position was never meant to be a career. You can’t be in office for

30-plus years and not be crooked. They get elected as middle-class people and leave office as multi-millionaires; explain that one? This country is broken and in need of some serious soul-searching before we destroy ourselves. Wake up, people.

* * *

Politics versus substance and reality is the game a lot of us will be playing in the next election. Now is the time to start picking the players you want on your political team for America and your future. Is there a difference between global warming and nuclear fallout?

* * *

Hello Lombard. I’m concerned about Mr. library-lights-out person; that person is going off the deep end. Between the lights and the library and people wearing a mask, these people need a hobby. Or maybe an intervention. Whoever you are, we will pray for you. Bye-bye.

* * *

Lombard calling. The pharmaceutical industry is a corrupt, globalist, connected industry, determined to crush American independent spirit and will; and the reintroduction of

mask mandates will be the result of crazed Democratic Party policies, as they are going to be hedging their bets that they know this is the only way they can win—through political confusion, mass balloting and fear mongering. And this is what the Democratic Party does and how their playbook was in 2020. We cannot continue to let the Democratic Party in Illinois destroy our independence and our constitutional rights with their crazed COVID lockdowns, regulations and mask mandates. * * *

I laughed when I heard JB Pritzker say that Ron DeSantis isn’t smart enough to be president. If DeSantis is so stupid, then why have so many people and big-name companies left Illinois for Florida? If the blowhard running this state has been so successful, then why is Illinois ranked 50th, or dead last, in both short term and long-term financial stability among all states by U.S. News and World Report, while Florida is ranked 13th? I hope this genius Pritzker runs for president someday so the rest of the country can see how he’s run Illinois into the ground.

Senior Suburban Orchestra seeks musicians for the 2023-2024 season

The Senior Suburban Orchestra (SSO) is looking for musicians to join their ranks. The orchestra currently has openings for all strings, trumpet, French horn, and percussion/drums.

The orchestra rehearses on Tuesday afternoons (from 1-3:15 p.m.) at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ (5739 Dunham Road, Downers Grove) from September through May.

It performs for churches, social or-

ganizations, schools and retirement communities, and our concerts are typically during the daytime hours on weekdays.

The orchestra’s current musicians have a wide range of experience, with some having had a lifetime of performing opportunities, and some who are presently taking lessons to improve their skills.

The SSO is a volunteer community orchestra, with 40 members, established in 2000. There is no fee to join

or tickets to sell. The only requirement is that you love music and want to work to create beautiful music. Additional information about the Senior Suburban Orchestra, along with links to some of its performances can be found on its website at https://seniorsuburbanorchestra.org.

If you or someone you know would like to inquire about joining our orchestra, contact Personnel Manager Lori Davis at (630) 9357103 or lsd542000@yahoo.com.

‘Skip-the-Line’ now available at Lombard DMV

In an effort to improve customer service and eliminate the unpredictability of wait times at the Lombard Driver and Motor Vehicle Facility (DMV), Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias began implementing a Skip-the-Line program as of Sept. 1.

The Skip-the-Line program for Lombard-area residents includes:

Simplified online services—Customers are encouraged to take advantage of the many services offered online at our revamped and improved website–ilsos.gov–including renewing driver’s licenses or ID cards and license plate stickers.

Appointment scheduling—Customers will be required to make appointments for in-person visits for

REAL ID, driver’s license and ID card services, and in-car driving tests at the Lombard DMV, located at 837 S. Westmore.

Those seeking vehicle-related services, such as title and registration or renewing their license plate sticker, do not need to make an appointment and can just walk in.

Upon arrival, customers will check in with DMV staff and “Skip the Line,” eliminating lines and unpredictable wait times. Customers may visit ilsos.gov or call 844-817-4649 to schedule an appointment. The call center opens at 7 a.m. New extended hours of operation

All DMVs will extend their hours

of operation to Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. The Lombard DMV will also be open Saturday, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

“Customers in Lombard will save time by skipping the line,” said Giannoulias. “Our goal is to eliminate the Time Tax that has plagued Illinoisans for years, forcing them to stand in long lines wasting time— just to conduct basic services. Requiring appointments, as well as extending hours, is the most efficient way to get the services you need quickly and without the headache of unpredictable wait times.”

View complete statewide list of appointment-only facilities at www. ilsos.gov/skip_the_line/facilitylist. pdf.

Guidelines for writing, submitting a letter to the editor

Rock Valley Publishing encourages our readers to reach out to the community by writing a letter to the editor.

Letters are limited to 400 words; if a letter exceeds 400 words, it will be sent back to the author to reduce the length of the letter. Authors must include their first and last name, the city or village in which they reside, and a phone number where they can be reached in case of questions. E-mail letters to:

news1@rvpublishing.com. Letter-writers will be limited to one letter per month except for locally elected officials, or individuals specifically associated with local village governments or entities such as school districts, park districts or library districts. No letters directed to a third party will be accepted for publication.

We reserve the right to edit a letter for reasons of clarity, space restrictions and libel.

out& about

Library director moving on to next ‘chapter’

Claudia Krauspe’s Plum Library career spans over 20 years

To hear Claudia Krauspe tell it, when she was growing up, “I never imagined being a librarian,” yet the soon-to-retire Helen Plum Library executive director ended up changing careers to do just that—begin a new career in library science.

“I loved books as a child and read voraciously,” Krauspe related, and as examples, recalled reading through three “Nancy Drew” books on “one snowy winter night,” and reading “Gone With the Wind” the summer after sixth grade.

At the same time, “I also loved math,” Krauspe explained, and went on to earn a degree in economics

from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

She went to work for IBM as a systems engineer and marketing representative for over a decade, before taking time off to be with her young children.

“I started volunteering at their school library,” the director highlighted, and ended up working there as well, after which “a new career path unfolded.”

After getting a part-time job in Youth Services at Helen Plum Library in 2001, she went back to college and earned a Master of Library and Information Science degree from

Dominican University in 2007.

However, Krauspe quipped, she still enjoys math, adding that “spreadsheets are my happy place now.”

In 2010, Krauspe was named head of the Youth Services Department, and in 2018 became the library’s assistant director. She served as the acting/interim director in 2020 and was named executive director in 2021.

When asked about some of the changes throughout her library career, she responded that “A significant change has been in the expansion of content delivered digitally—including books, audiobooks, streaming video—available on smart phones and tablets.”

Krauspe shared how she has seen her share of challenges, among them, in particular, the COVID-19 pandemic, including “services to patrons, staff protocols and concurrently, building project planning [with so much of the planning sessions virtual instead of in-person].”

“It was tough for everyone,” she continued. “We asked a lot of our staff; we asked a lot of ourselves.”

Krauspe said that definitely “opening the doors at the new library” has been a highlight of her career, as well as being able to offer the “Elephant and Piggie” books. See a cute village-wide video that combines the two highlights (“Waiting is Not Easy!”) at www.instagram.com/reel/ CrTXjjarrzb.

Another accomplishment, close to her heart, has been how the Robin’s Nest at the new library has opened up a world of play for young patrons.

She was grateful for the memorial donation from the Carole Anne Robbins Trust, which helped the Maple Street library expand its children’s space, but she believes the Robin’s Nest at the new Main Street library is even more significant.

“There was a point in time, decades ago, the expectation was children should be quiet in the library,” Krauspe recounted with a chuckle, but conversely, she added, it is well-documented that “Children’s early literacy skills are built on their narrative play.”

At the old library, space and quiet were “a challenge,” she added, so the new Robin’s Nest is “near and dear to my heart … to carry that over to the new library.”

She said she will miss “meeting

Coming event

GPS program on emotional lives of teens Sept. 13

The Glenbard Parent Series: (GPS) Navigating Healthy Families will present “The Emotional Lives of Teens: How to Navigate the Bumpy Ride of Adolescence” with best-selling author and clinical psychologist Lisa Damour

new people, seeing the people who regularly visit the library, working with amazing colleagues and community members.”

And, she added, “Early dinners at Babcock’s on board meeting dates.”

Krauspe said she plans to visit with family and friends, make time for outdoor activities and attend local music and theater events more often.

“It’s been my privilege” to serve the community in her roles at the library, she said, noting that when she decided to enter into library science all those years ago, it was “like I put on a pair of shoes that really fit.”

Krauspe’s last day is Sept. 15, and current Assistant Director Anne Luzeniecki will become the interim director, according to the library.

in two Zoom webinars: at noon and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13. Go to glenbardgps.org for further information and the link to these webinars. To be placed on a reminder list for GPS events or submit a question in advance, contact Gilda Ross, Glenbard District 87 student and community projects co-

ordinator, at gilda_ross@glenbard.org or at 630-942-7668. There is no one-size-fits-all approach on an individual’s wellness journey. Learn how to take control of your desired changes and how to quickly establish these changes into permanent habits.

Retiring Executive Director Claudia Krauspe has worked at the Helen Plum Library for over 20 years, starting out in the Youth Services Department. She is especially proud of the new library, and of the “Elephant and Piggie” books. She is shown here in a screenshot of a video that depicts village-wide excitement over the opening of the new library. Watch it at www.instagram.com/reel/CrTXjjarrzb.

Helen Plum Library Executive Director Claudia Krauspe (right) was already at work stocking shelves, with help from Patron Services Assistant Adrienne Mohline, when the new library facility opened its doors on April 22-23.

JANE CHARMELO PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

PLUM LIBRARY IMAGE Rock Valley Publishing

Montini Catholic holds 34th annual Bronco Classic Golf Outing

Montini Catholic High School recently hosted its 34th annual Bronco Classic Golf Outing. The tradition began in 1989 and has grown to become one of the Lasallian high school’s most anticipated events, linking alumni, parents, faculty and friends during a day of bogeys, backswings and mulligans. Over 250 golfers celebrated the day at St. Andrews Golf and Country Club in West Chicago. The day is sponsored every year by the Montini Catholic Alumni Association. The Bronco Classic helps fund scholarships that are provided each year to deserving students seeking a Lasallian education at Montini Catholic.

Hunger Action Month recruiting volunteers

This September, Northern Illinois Food Bank, the leading hunger relief organization serving 13 counties in rural and suburban Northern Illinois and member of the Feeding America Network, will recognize Hunger Action Month with several initiatives to educate the public about the issue of hunger and ways to get involved.

The Food Bank’s month-long campaign will include a National Day of Service with special volunteer shifts at all four centers, Go Orange Day, “Triple it Up: Advocate-Motivate-Donate” matching gift challenge, poverty simulation event, and dedicated Hunger Action Month webpage with ways the community can take action throughout the month.

Northern Illinois Food Bank’s mission is to provide nutritious food and resources for neighbors, with dignity, equity and convenience through partnerships and innovation with a vision of everyone in Northern Illinois having the food they need to thrive.

Today, Northern Illinois Food Bank works with a network of more than 900 food pantries, soup kitchens and feeding programs to serve 490,000 neighbors every month and 80 million meals a year in Northern Illinois.

“The need for food assistance is up 30 percent from last year and 70 percent pre-pandemic due to reasons including inflation, rising food prices, gas and the decrease in emergency government benefits including SNAP and Medicaid,” said Julie Yurko, president and CEO of Northern Illinois Food Bank.

“Solving hunger is a community wide effort and we can’t do it alone. Hunger Action Month is a great way for the community to get involved and join us in the fight against hunger.”

From left to right: Montini teachers Don Krystof and Alexxis Johnson, Principal Chris Tiritilli, Assistant Principal of Curriculum Sara Lhotka and President Kevin Beirne.

The Growing Place celebrating 50th anniversary Sept. 17

Community Presbyterian Church and its preschool, The Growing Place, are celebrating The Growing Place’s 50 years of service to the community with an Anniversary party on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 1111 E. Madison in Lombard.

The event is free and starts at 11:15 a.m. after the 10 a.m. worship service which is also open to all.

Many alumni, both teachers and students, are anticipated to return to see what has changed, and to see old friends. Food, a bouncy house,

games, a children’s concert and face painting will be available. The free event is open to all in our community.

The Growing Place preschool is well known in the communities of Villa Park, Lombard and the surrounding areas. It started in the 1970s as part of the mission of the Community Presbyterian Church.

In the beginning, it was a child care service for members attending morning meetings at the church. It quickly grew into a preschool program with

classes serving 2-year-olds through pre-kindergarten age. On average, the school has served over 100 students in its classes. Thousands of children have attended.

The Growing Place has always striven to provide high quality curriculum for social, emotional and academic growth.

The Growing Place is DCFS certified and seeks to meet the highest of standards of care. The preschool has a wonderful reputation with kindergarten teachers who have noted that

children coming from The Growing Place preschool are especially well prepared to start classes. And, the children have a wonderful experience; they make good friends as they play, create and learn together.

The Growing Place is a mission of the Community Presbyterian Church and receives much support from congregation members. Because of

church support, TGP families are offered activity opportunities like pumpkin carving, Wednesday evening programs, Easter egg hunts, movie nights, Parents Nights Out, and Vacation Bible school.

Serving children has long been at the heart of the church and no fees are charged for these additional opportunities.

Dance camp at Montini

Montini Catholic High School’s dance team—the Broncettes—recently held the 19th annual Dance Upon a Star Summer Camp at the school. The young campers concluded the three-session camp by performing the routines they learned for an audience of family and friends. Each camper received a T-shirt and a set of poms. The campers were invited to perform with the Broncettes during halftime of the Aug. 25 Montini varsity football home game.

The Growing Place preschool has been serving children

munities since the early 1970s.

Police Reports

The Villa Park Police Department recently reported the following arrests and citations. Readers are reminded that an arrest does not constitute a conviction, and that suspects are considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Persons charged with domestic battery are not named in order to protect the privacy of victims. Juveniles age 17 or younger are not named.

Aug. 26

Oliver M. Kacirek, 18, of Homer Glen, was charged with two counts of improper lane usage, two counts of failure to signal when required, speeding, no insurance, squealing or screeching tires and reckless driving near E. North and N. Villa at 10:22 p.m.

A complainant in the 300 block of N. Ardmore reported at 8:40 a.m. that a suspect removed property from their home.

Aug. 24

Akwasi Adjei, 63, of Glen Ellyn, was charged with criminal trespass to a building and disorderly conduct/ breach of peace in the 400 block of W. Division at 8:16 p.m.

Monica M. Hernandez, 19, of Glendale Heights, was charged with four counts of burglary without causing damage and three counts of identity theft in the 200 block of S. Villa at 1:30 a.m.

A complainant at a hair salon in the 300 block of E. St. Charles reported that an unknown suspect removed several pairs of shears that were left behind inadvertently.

A complainant at a hotel in the 1-100 block of W. Roosevelt reported at 2:33 a.m. that a suspect battered them. No complaints are to be signed.

Aug. 23

Jose G. Garcia Garcia, 27, of Bensenville, was charged with DUI, speeding 21-25 mph over the limit, disobeying a traffic control device and no insurance near S. Addison and E. Fullerton at 11;04 p.m.

Aug. 22

Roberto Alcala, 52, of Villa Park, was charged with criminal damage to property in the 400 block of W. Division at 9:26 p.m.

Police said Aaron H. Guallpa, 22, of Villa Park, was arrested on a failure to appear warrant out of DuPage County near W. Vermont and N. Westmore at 11:25 p.m.

Police said Anthony L. Ray, 35, of Broadview, was arrested on an original complaint and warrant for identity theft for an alleged incident that occurred Nov. 16, 2022.

A complainant near E. North and N. Ardmore reported that an unknown suspect threw an object at the complainant’s vehicle causing damage to the rear driver’s side door.

A complainant in the 100 block of N. Euclid reported that a suspect was harassing them via phone.

Aug. 21

Irene Alcala, 27, of Villa Park, was charged with obstructing identification near N. Addison and W. Sunset at 5:25 p.m. Police said Alcala also

was arrested on a failure to appear warrant out of DuPage County.

A complainant at a restaurant in the 100 block of W. Roosevelt reported at 2:20 a.m. that a suspect attempted to enter the restaurant through the drive-thru window. Officers spoke with the suspect, who left the area.

A complainant at a pharmacy in the 200 block of E. Roosevelt reported that an unknown suspect removed two packs of cigarettes and left the store without paying.

Aug. 20

A complainant in the 400 block of N. Princeton reported at 4:57 p.m. that a suspect battered them, but is not pressing charges.

A complainant in the 600 block of N. Iowa reported that a suspect was harassing them by phone.

Aug. 19

A complainant at a store in the 1-100 block of reported two unknown suspects removed a KitchenAid from a display shelf and left the store without paying.

Aug. 15

A complainant in the 300 block of N. Princeton reported at 2:44 p.m. that an unknown suspect removed a package that was delivered to their front porch.

Fraud, identity theft

According to information provided by the Villa Park Police Department, police reported two incidents of residents being a victim of fraud or identity theft.

‘Take a Hike!’ challenge Sept. 1 to Oct. 27

This fall, Edward-Elmhurst Health is joining a group of local organizations to invite community residents to get outside and stay healthy with the fourth annual Healthy Driven Take a Hike! Challenge.

As participants discovered over the last two years of the Challenge, hiking is a great way for people of all ages to spend time outdoors and stay active. This year’s Take a Hike! Challenge co-sponsors include The Conservation Foundation, Elmhurst Park District, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County and Naperville Park District.

The challenge, which runs from Sept. 1 to Oct. 27, provides hiking insights, special programs and tips to improve and get the most out of each hike. Participation is free but registration is required to earn awards.

“Spending time in our area’s beautiful trails and forest preserves provides a solid foundation for mental and physical health and well-being, so integral to a prevention lifestyle,” says Joe Dant, President, South Region, NorthShore–Edward-Elmhurst Health.

“Time spent in nature has been shown to produce health benefits like

reduced stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure and improved relationships with family and friends. Physical activity can lower cardiovascular and cancer risk, while improving balance and bone density. We are grateful to our sponsor-partners for helping us bring this impactful program to our communities.”

Participation is easy with 3 simple steps: 1.) Sign up online. 2.) Get out and hike from Sept. 1 to Oct. 27. 3.) Turn in the Take a Hike! Tracker with six completed hikes to earn the Take a Hike! Trail Blaze Award.

Note: Hikes can be completed anywhere. Trails listed online are suggestions only. The Take a Hike! Trail Blaze Award includes either a commemorative pin, medallion or, for first time participants, a walking stick with a commemorative medallion. Start a collection—there will be a new design each year!

To register, sign up for weekly emails about special events, see an interactive hiking map and more, visit the Take a Hike! Challenge website at www.EEHealth.org/healthy-driven/ take-a-hike.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

in Lombard, Villa Park and surrounding com-

SUBMITTED PHOTOS Rock Valley Publishing

Joe’s Tailor Shop

Coming events

Susan Eisenhower to speak at Cantigny Sept. 14

The First Division Museum at Cantigny Park resumes its acclaimed Date with History series on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m. Susan Eisenhower will discuss her

book, “How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower’s Biggest Decisions.” All are welcome to the free program inside the Cantigny Visitors Center, which will also stream online. Registration for both in-person and Zoom viewers is required at FDMuseum.org. For

those attending in person, parking is complimentary. Eisenhower’s acclaimed book, published in 2020, is a retrospective of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s wartime and presidential leadership.

“How Ike Led” is part leadership book, part history and part memoir with new insights on the man that only a family member could offer. Copies of “How Ike Led” will be available for purchase and signing by the author.

Plum Library programs

Senior Housing 101 Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m. Rick Graffagna of Senior Solutions discusses the types of housing available to senior citizens, what to look for when touring a potential residence, and how to pay for it. Great for seniors, their caregivers, or anyone looking ahead to their retirement years. Registration is required. Register at helenplum.org or call 630-6270316.

Volunteen Squad Thursday, Sept. 14, at 5 p.m. Make a difference at your library. Volunteen Squad is an opportunity to give back to the community and earn service hours. This month we will be decorating bookmarks to be distributed to children who visit the Youth Services Department at the Library. Registration is required. Register at helenplum.org or call 630-627-0316.

National Coloring Day Thursday, Sept. 14, during library hours. Drop-in event.

Celebrate National Coloring Day with coloring activities for all ages.

Dr. Kelly talks straight about sciatica

Are you suffering from back pain or sciatica? Then it’s likely your biggest problem is pain. But there’s another major problem: bad information.

To end sciatica misery you must have the right information. Pay close attention because local doctor Kelly Synowiec-Moroney DC is going to destroy sciatica myths and give you the facts.

MYTH: Sciatica will just “go away” with some rest.

FACT: If you are dealing with back pain, buttock pain or leg pain, then you must seek help from a doctor who is knowledgeable in sciatica immediately. Left untreated, sciatica can lead to permanent nerve damage - and lifelong pain.

MYTH: Pain is the only problem associated with sciatica.

FACT: In severe cases, sciatica can lead to the inability to control your bowels or bladder - leading to embarrassing situations.

MYTH: You must take pain medications to deal with sciatica.

FACT: Drugs like muscle relaxants, pain killers, narcotics, antidepressants, and anti-seizure medications have serious potential side-effects and do not cure the root cause of sciatica.

MYTH: “I must have done something wrong to get sciatica.”

FACT: Physical work or simply sitting at a desk for long periods can lead to sciatica. Accidents and trauma can also be the culprits. Pregnancy can cause sciatica.

Sciatica can affect anyone - including super-fit celebrities like Tiger Woods, Sylvester Stallone, and British Olympic medallist Ian Wynne.

MYTH: Stop exercising and get several weeks of bed rest to overcome sciatica.

FACT: Staying active can help to relieve sciatic pain and prevent the pain getting worse. Staying inactive in bed could be the worst advice - based on a recent study in the Netherlands.

MYTH: Sciatica requires surgery.

FACT: NO! There’s been a huge breakthrough in the treatment of sciatica and lower back pain. It’s a new procedure called Non-Surgical ReConstructive Spinal Care. The excellent results from this treatment have been published in major medical journals. Success rates are up to 88%.

MYTH: “There’s nothing anyone can really do. I’m just stuck with this for the rest of my life.”

FACT: With the correct treatment from a healthcare professional who specialises in sciatica, you can find relief from the core cause - and the symptoms.

MYTH: Getting Sciatica properly diagnosed is expensive.

FACT: Not true. We are currently offering an initial consultation right here in Elmhurst for Just $43.

We have helped over 1,483 patients find relief from agonising back pain and sciatica. We are one of the first places to use Non-Surgical Re-

Constructive Spinal Care. This procedure does not require a hospital stay. The focus is on finding - and correcting - the original cause of the back pain and sciatica.

According to Dr. Kelly, “We use a combination of ultra-advanced technology, not found elsewhere in the region, for precisely diagnosing the cause of your low back pain and sciatica. This means superior long-term results for most people.”

Because the treatment is non-surgical, safe, and easy, most patients report an almost immediately relief from their back pain.

Patient Jeff P. from Berwyn wrote, “My back pain was unbearable but the worst thing was the searing burning pain I felt in my buttock and leg... my wife insisted I see doctor Dr. Kelly. I’m 95% better in just a couple of weeks.”

Take the Next Step - END the Suffering... Initial Consultation Just $43 Call 630-941-8733 to schedule your appointment. Mention this article (CODE: IND43SCS12)

Only 100 reader consultations are available at this exclusively discounted rate.

Call her office now and get a full and thorough examination to pinpoint the cause of your problem for just $43.

You can even call on the weekend as there is always a staff member ready to assist you. During the week they are very busy, so if they don’t pick up straight away do leave a message.

Puzzle page

ADVERTISEMENT

APPLY

ATMOSPHERE

ATTIRE BENEFITS COMPANY

COVER LETTER

EMPLOYMENT

EXPERIENCE

FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEW JOB

KEYWORDS

LISTING MATCH

NEGOTIATE OFFER RECRUIT RESUME

SUDOKU

Fun by the Numbers

Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test! Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

CLUES ACROSS

1. Second sight

4. Standard electrode potential

7. Type of gibbon

8. John Joseph __: American industrialist

10. Manning and Whitney are two

12. Abrupt

13. Baroque musical instrument

14. Post-burning residue

16. When you hope to arrive

17. Sign up (Brit. Eng.)

19. Sun up in New York

20. Employee stock ownership plan

21. Where people live

25. Method to record an electrogram

26. Angry

27. No longer living

29. Simple

30. Swiss river

31. Portion of a play

32. It’s under the tree

39. Wood sorrels

41. No (Scottish)

42. Dialect of English

43. Former Steelers’ QB

44. Popular beer

45. It can make you sick

46. Tropical tree and fruit

48. Company officer

49. Contact lens term

50. Your consciousness of your own identity

51. “Ghetto Superstar” singer

52. Piece of turf

CLUES DOWN

1. Number of players on each side in a football game

2. Containing salt

3. Reasoning or knowledge: a __

4. Car mechanics group

5. Leave a place

6. Southern Colombian capital

8. Old English letter

9. Tide

11. Walk heavily

14. Chemical compound (abbr.)

15. Artificial openings

18. Luteinizing hormone

19. Unit of energy

20. Circular movement of water

22. A way of holding

23. Popular book of words (abbr.)

24. States’ group

27. Dashes

28. Body part

29. Electronic countermeasures

31. Consumed

32. Small bird

33. Unhappy

34. Football’s big game (abbr.)

35. Valued object offered in good faith

36. Wild goats

37. Precede in place

38. Small edible fish

39. Notice of death

40. Body cavity of a metazoan

44. Partner to cheese

47. Not around

Cheering on the Rams

Members of the Glenbard East cheerleading team are pictured while posing for a photo during Friday night’s football game against South Elgin. The visiting Storm defeated the Rams 17-14 in Lombard.

Your hometown newspaper is now available in both print and online versions.

The printed newspaper is delivered by the post office every Thursday for only $45 for a full year. A digital eSubscription will also be available for only $35 per year and can be read on a computer, laptop, or tablet. The eSubscription is a PDF copy of the print version that will be available online every Thursday. A link to the online newspaper will be emailed to you every week.

To order an online eSubscription or print home delivery by mail, please call 630.834-8244 or mail the coupon below.

___ Yes. Please send the print version of the newspaper by mail at the special rate of $45 for a full year. ___ Yes. Please send me an eSubscription with a weekly email link for only $35 per year. Enclosed is my check for $35.

CHRIS FOX PHOTO Rock Valley

Coming events

Annual Food Truck Social Sept. 16

The Lombard Historical Society (LHS) invites everyone to the LHS second annual Food Truck Social Fundraiser, Saturday, Sept. 16, from 4-9 p.m. at 23 W. Maple St. in Lombard. Admission tickets are $10 for Early Eater Tickets from 4-9 pm, and $5 for General Admission tickets from 5-9 p.m. Early Eater tickets are only $5 if purchased before 11:30 p.m. Sept. 10. Children ages 12 and under are free. Purchase food and drinks tickets separately. Part of ticket proceeds benefit the LHS Carriage House Project. This is an outdoor event and guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs. And, please, no pets, smoking or outside food or beverages. For more information about this event, please visit lombardhistory.org, email info@lombardhistory.org, or phone 630.629.1885; or contact Brew Avenue Events atbrewavenueevents. com. There will be eight premier food trucks, a beer tent, two bands and several free activities that the children will love, including two face painters; a super-fun candy themed photo booth; and Jason Kollum, a stilt walker/juggler and bubble maker supreme.

Elmhurst University Lecture Sept. 13

The Chicagolandia Oral History Project documents the lives, work and culture of Latinx suburban communities around Chicago while exploring the impact of those communities on the changing nature of

Chicago and its suburbs. Antonio Ramirez, director of the Chicagolandia Oral History Project and an associate professor of Latino history at Elgin Community College, will talk about the project on Sept. 13 at this year’s César Chavéz Intercultural Lecture at Elmhurst University. The César Chavéz Intercultural Lecture begins at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 13, in the Founders Lounge of the Frick Center (190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst, elmhurst.edu/campusmap). Admission is free and all are welcome. For more information, email marketing@elmhurst.edu.

GPS, FUSE program Sept. 14 FUSE: Families United in Support of Excellence for all, especially students that identify as African American or Black and the Glenbard Parent Series will host an in-person program titled “Valuing and Celebrating Our Students’ Success” with Rev. Dr. Derrick B. Wells. The program will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, at Glenbard West High School, 670 Crescent Blvd. in Glen Ellyn. To be placed on a reminder list for GPS events or submit a question in advance, contact Gilda Ross, Glenbard District 87 student and community projects coordinator, at gilda_ross@ glenbard.org or 630-942-7668.

LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE

CERTIFICATE NO. 79187 was filed in the office of the County Clerk of DuPage County on August 22, 2023, wherein the business firm of IMA NOTARY, 2020 SAINT REGIS DRIVE, LOMBARD, IL 60148 was registered; that the true or real name or names of the person or persons owning the business, with their respective post office address(es), is/ are as follows:

ARTURO D. PADILLA, 2020 SAINT REGIS DRIVE, UNIT 208, LOMBARD, IL 60148.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and Official Seal at my office in Wheaton, Illinois, this 22ND day of August, A.D. 2023.

Jean Kaczmarek DuPage County Clerk (Published in The Lombardian

Aug. 31 and Sept. 7 & 14, 2023) 442862

NOTICE

CERTIFICATE NO. 79183 was filed in the office of the County Clerk of DuPage County on August 14, 2023, wherein the business firm of GREAT GUTTERS & EXTERIORS, 189 OAKWOOD DRIVE, WOOD DALE, IL 60191 was registered; that the true or real name or names of the person or persons owning the business, with their respective post office address(es), is/are as follows:

MIREK LOZINSKI, 189 OAKWOOD DRIVE, WOOD DALE, IL 60191

ANYA LOZINSKI, 189 OAKWOOD DRIVE, WOOD DALE, IL 60191.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and Official Seal at my office in Wheaton, Illinois, this 14TH day of August, A.D. 2023.

Jean Kaczmarek

DuPage County Clerk

(Published in The Lombardian

Aug. 31 and Sept. 7 & 14, 2023) 442863

NOTICE

CERTIFICATE NO. 79188 was filed in the office of the County Clerk of DuPage County on August 23, 2023, wherein the business firm of NOVEL APPROACH, 151 NORTH OTT AVENUE, GLEN ELLYN, IL 60137 was registered; that the true or real name or names of the person or persons owning the business, with their respective post office address(es), is/are as follows:

DAVID S. RODEMANN, 151 NORTH OTT AVENUE, GLEN ELLYN, IL 60137

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and Official Seal at my office in Wheaton, Illinois, this 23RD day of AUGUST, A.D. 2023.

Jean Kaczmarek

DuPage County Clerk (Published in The Lombardian Aug. 31 and Sept. 7 & 14, 2023) 443073

NOTICE

CERTIFICATE NO. 79193 was filed in the office of the County Clerk of DuPage County on AUGUST 28, 2023 wherein the business firm of THE INDIAN KNOT, 1288 ESTLING CT., AURORA, IL 60502 was registered; that the true or real name or names of the person or persons owning the business, with their respective post office address(es), is/ are as follows:

Latika Tanna, 1288 Estling Ct., Aurora, IL 60502.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and Official Seal at my office in Wheaton, Illinois, this 28TH day of AUGUST, A.D. 2023.

Jean Kaczmarek DuPage County Clerk

(Published in The Lombardian Sept. 7, 14 & 21, 2023) 443447

SUNDAYS

Come Play Games on the

PRIVATE GAMING ROOM

HDAILY DINE IN ONLY SPECIALS H

50¢ Boneless Wings LIMIT 12 (with side purchase)

$5 Sausage & Peppers ‘Wich (with side purchase)

$9 Pasta Marinara (add $2 for Vodka, Meat, Carbonara or Alfredo)

$10 Bacon Wrapped Pickle Spears

$10 Vegan Pasta Marinara

$4 Mimosa - $6 Tito’s Bloody Mary

$4.50 Miller Lite or $6 Import 22 oz. Drafts

$17 Bottles of Woodbridge House Wine

H H H

TUESDAYS

$2 Beef/Pulled Pork Taco

$3 Chicken - Fish - Pork Belly - Steak

$4 Vegan Tacos - Impossible Meat - Chicken - Pork

$4 Cilantro Lime Rice or Seasoned Black Beans

$10 BACON Nachos

$4 Modelo Draft

$6 Don Julio Margaritas

$7 Don Julio Frozen Margaritas

$20 Any Mexican Beer Buckets

WEDNESDAYS

FREE Bar Bingo/Kids eat free

10 and Under - Ask server for more details

$5 Gourmet Cheeseburger (with side purchase)

$10 BACON Wrapped Mushrooms

$8 Impossible Burger (with side purchase)

$5 U Call Its $8 and Under Wine/Liquor ONLY

H H H

THURSDAYS

$5 Pulled Pork ‘Wich (with side purchase)

$10 BACON Wrapped Mozzarella Sticks

$8 Vegan Chicken Parmesan ‘Wich (with side purchase)

$4 Drafts $8 and Under

Half Price Bottles of Wine $25 or More

1/2 Off any $20 or More Bourbon, Scotch or Whiskey

FRIDAYS

$5 Pepper & Egg ‘Wich (with side purchase)

$15 Fish & Chips (1/2 Pound Alaskan White Fish)

$10 Bacon Stuffed Avocado

$8 Vegan Burrito (with side purchase)

$5 Stella Draft

$5 Crown or Titos

$25 High Noon Buckets

H H H

SATURDAYS/UFC

$5 1/2 Lb BLT ‘Wich (with side purchase)

$10 BACON Croquettes

$8 Vegan Buffalo Chicken ‘Wich (with side purchase)

$5 Sam Seasonal Draft

$5 Proper Twelve Shot

$5 Absolut or Jameson

$22 Modelo Buckets

CLOSED - MONDAYS

36 Drafts

HHH

350 Bourbons, Scotches & Whiskeys

99¢ Chicken Tenders

~ SLIDERS ~

$2 Grilled Chicken - Meatball - Pulled Pork

$3 Burger - Fish - Pork Belly

$4 Vegan Chicken or Impossible Slider

$5 Italian Beef ‘Wich

$8 Medium Cheese Pizza - $3 Full Toppings

$12 XL Cheese Pizza - $4 Full Toppings

$4 Well Gin, Rum, Tequila, Vodka & Whiskey

$4 House Wine (Woodbridge)

$5 Blue Moon Drafts

$15 Domestic Buckets - $20 Import Buckets

$8 Jefferson Old Fashioned

$5 Jefferson 1.25 oz. Pour

HAPPY HOUR ~ Tuesday-Friday 3pm-6pm Watch

Watch

* ITEMS COLLECTED:

Oral Care- Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Mouthwash (16 oz. or smaller) & Dental Floss

Medical - Eye Drops, Lens Wipes, Nasal Spray, Anti-itch Cream, Pain reliever, Hand Wipes (individual), Travel Tissue, Tums/Rolaids/Antacids (96 count or less), Feminine Products (Tampons preferred), Sun Block (lotion), Bug Repellent (lotion or wipes), First Aid Kit & Sewing Kit (both Dollar Store)

Candy (non-chocolate) - Gum, Mints, Lifesavers, Hard candy, M&M's, Lifesavers, Payday, Twizzlers, Skittles

Grooming- Shampoo/Conditioner/Body Wash (16 oz. or smaller), Razors, Shaving Gel, Deodorant, Hand Sanitizer, Chapstick, Bar Soap

Entertainment-Search A Word/Crossword/Sudoku Books, Pens, Cards, Dice, Games (travel size), Amazon Gift Cards, Gaming Gift Cards

Snacks- Grab & Go Protein Bars, Beef Jerky, Trail Mix, & Nuts.

Cards/Letters of encouragement - Please label the envelope Hero (Active Duty), Veteran or Hometown Hero (First Responder). News from home always puts a smile on their face.

Sports

Rams lose tight battle against South Elgin

Storm scores winning touchdown with 11.1 seconds to play

Glenbard East’s football team suffered a heartbreaking 17-14 Upstate Eight Conference loss to South Elgin on Friday in Lombard.

The Rams led the visiting Storm 14-10 at halftime. Glenbard East maintained that lead until the closing seconds of the game. South Elgin pulled out the victory with an 80-yard scoring drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown pass with 11.1 seconds to play.

South Elgin improved to 2-0, while Glenbard East dropped to 1-1. The Rams’ season continues with this Friday’s conference game at West Chicago (1-1).

“We needed to execute a little bit better offensively tonight,” said Glenbard East coach John Walters after Friday’s battle against South Elgin, which has dominated the Upstate Eight Conference in recent years. The Storm went 9-0 in conference play last season, while Glenbard East went 8-1. South Elgin went undefeated in conference action in 2021. The Storm, Glenbard East and Bartlett each posted Upstate Eight records of 8-1 during the 2019 season.

South Elgin scored on the game’s opening drive to take an early 7-0 lead in Friday’s game, which was played in ideal weather conditions.

The Storm completed an 80-yard drive

on its opening series with an 18-yard touchdown pass with 8:10 left in the first quarter. South Elgin added the extra-point kick to boost its lead to 7-0.

The Rams scored on their second offensive series of the night. Senior Matt Larson finished Glenbard East’s 81yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown run on the opening play of the second quarter. Senior Ryan Snell made the extra-point kick to tie the score at 7-7 with 11:54 left in the first half.

Glenbard East senior Quami Stanton intercepted a South Elgin pass to end a Storm drive in the middle of the second quarter. Stanton made the interception at the Rams’ 23-yard line and returned the ball 28 yards to the Storm’s 49-yard line. Glenbard East’s offense then drove 49 yards for a touchdown—an 11-yard scoring pass from senior quarterback Blake Salvino to junior receiver Amonte Cook. Snell’s extra-point kick gave the Rams a 14-7 lead with 5:18 remaining in the first half.

South Elgin converted a 23-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the first half to trim the Rams’ halftime lead to 14-10.

South Elgin had the ball deep in Glenbard East territory early in the fourth quarter. That drive ended when the Storm fumbled the football and

senior Aaron Dotson of the Rams recovered the loose ball at his team’s 13yard line with 9:32 to play.

A few minutes later, Larson ran the ball across the goal line for what appeared to be a touchdown, but a Glenbard East holding penalty negated the play. Moments later, Snell attempted a 35-yard field goal. The Storm blocked the kick. South Elgin then took possession of the ball at its own 20-yard line with five minutes to play.

The Storm kept its final offensive drive of the game alive by completing a pass for a first down on a fourth-andnine play with about two minutes left in the game. A few plays later, South Elgin ran for a first down on a thirdand-eight play.

The Storm had the ball at the Rams’ 21-yard line with about 30 seconds remaining. A completed pass put the ball inside the 10-yard line. South Elgin scored the go-ahead touchdown on a pass into the side of the end zone with 11.1 seconds on the clock.

The Rams returned the ensuing kickoff to their own 25-yard line. Glenbard East then completed a pass to midfield, but the Rams were flagged for illegal motion on the play, which marked the end of the game.

“Our defense played their hearts out,” said Walters. “This was every

Rams earn third-place honors in Hoffman Estates

Glenbard East’s girls volleyball team won three of five matches and finished third in the 16-team Peggy Scholten Classic, which took place Friday and Saturday in Hoffman Estates.

The Rams defeated Machesney Park’s Harlem High School (25-14, 25-14) and Lake Park (25-13, 25-21) while losing to Fremd (27-25, 25-17) and Joliet West (25-16, 25-17 during the tournament in Hoffman Estates. Glenbard East lost to Joliet West in a semifinal contest. The Rams finished the event with a 25-23, 21-25, 2521 victory over Maine South in the third-place match.

Glenbard East’s overall season record stood at 7-5 after its win over Maine South.

Senior Sophia Sommesi amassed 49 kills, 31 digs, five aces, four blocks and four assists for the Rams during their five tournament matches. Senior Hannah Meyer provided 88 assists, 21 digs, four aces and two blocks for Glenbard East. Junior Grace Johnson contributed 35 kills, 22 digs, nine aces and three blocks.

Senior Lauren Bradley supplied 37 digs, seven assists and four aces, while senior Gabby Walton hit 13 kills and made two blocks.

Sommesi and Meyer were named to the all-tournament team at the Peggy Scholten Classic, which is named after the former coach at Conant High School.

Glenbard East opened its Upstate Eight Conference season with last week’s 25-7, 25-15 win over Larkin

in Elgin on Aug. 29. Bradley made 11 digs in the victory over the Royals. Johnson provided five digs, three kills and two aces. Senior Emma Iwaniszyn connected for four kills,

while freshman Belle McDermott hit three kills and made five digs. The Rams’ season continues with this week’s home matches against South Elgin and Wheaton North.

bit a physical, tough battle royal out there.”

Moments before Friday’s game, both teams met at the middle of the field and knelt together to remember the two South Elgin students who died in a traffic accident near their school one morning earlier. Everyone in attendance observed a brief moment of silence before the game. Glenbard East’s marching band also faced the Storm’s sideline and played South Elgin’s fight song before Friday’s kickoff.

The Upstate Eight Conference will add four more teams in the 2024-25 school year. The addition will give the conference a total of 14 teams. The conference will be divided into two

seven-team divisions. Instead of playing all of its regular-season football games against conference opponents, Glenbard East will play the six opponents in its conference division. The Rams will also play a crossover game against an opponent from the conference’s other division. Glenbard East’s football team will play two non-conference games during its 2024 regular season. The Rams will play one of those contests against nearby rival Willowbrook. Next year’s meeting will take place in Villa Park. Glenbard East and the Warriors will renew a rivalry that has been on hold for nearly a decade. The two teams last squared off in the opening game of the 2015 season.

Chris Fox photos Rock Valley Publishing

Glenbard East’s football team fell to 1-1 following Friday’s 17-14 Upstate Eight Conference loss to South Elgin in Lombard. The Rams led the Storm 14-10 at halftime. Glenbard East still held a 14-10 lead with five minutes left in the game. South Elgin delivered an 80-yard scoring drive in the closing minutes. The Storm took the lead on a 5-yard touchdown pass with 11.1 seconds to play. One photo from Friday’s game shows Glenbard East senior Matt Larson (above - No. 1) during his 10-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. Larson rushed for 129 yards on 20 carries during the contest. Another photo shows senior Aaron Dotson (below - No. 11) of the Rams diving to recover a South Elgin fumble in the fourth quarter.

submitted photo Rock Valley Publishing Glenbard East’s girls volleyball team won three of five matches on its way to a third-place finish in the 16-team Peggy Scholten Volleyball Classic in Hoffman Estates. The Rams are pictured after they beat Maine South 25-23, 21-25, 25-21 in Saturday’s third-place match. Pictured left to right are: (front row) senior Lia DiPasquale, senior Hannah Meyer, senior Lauren Bradley, junior Marley Szeluga and senior Jenna Paradis; (back row) freshman Belle McDermott, senior Sophia Sommesi, senior Gabby Walton, senior Emma Iwaniszyn, junior Grace Johnson and senior Livia Robbins. Not pictured are senior Stephany Sulari, junior Harmonee Hallman, junior Jenna Pitts and junior Veronica Witt. Meyer and Sommesi were both named to the event’s all-tournament team.

Warriors even their record at 1-1 with a home victory

Willowbrook scores 27 unanswered points in 27-14 win over the Panthers

Willowbrook’s football team rallied to beat Glenbard North 27-14 in Friday night’s non-conference game in Villa Park. The Warriors improved to 1-1 after winning their 2023 home opener.

Willowbrook will begin its West Suburban Gold Conference season with this Friday’s battle at District 88 rival Addison Trail (2-0). The Blazers, who started their season with non-conference wins over Maine East and North Chicago, are the only West Suburban Gold Conference team with an unblemished 2023 record.

Glenbard North, which fell to 0-2 after its loss to Willowbrook, led the Warriors 14-0 in the middle of the second quarter. Willowbrook fought back to even the score at 14-14 by halftime. The Warriors scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns on their way to picking up their first victory of the season.

Willowbrook delivered its fourth-quarter success one week after allowing a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 15-12 loss at Notre Dame College Prep in Niles on Aug. 25. The Warriors led Notre Dame 12-0 through three quarters of the season opener.

The Dons scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns on their way to a narrow victory.

Glenbard North’s first offensive drive against Willowbrook yielded a touchdown—a 3-yard scoring run with a little more than five minutes left in the first quarter. The Panthers’ opening drive covered 59 yards and included a 48-yard pass play.

Glenbard North scored its second touchdown of the night on a 2-yard run on a fourth-and-goal play with 7:46 remaining in the second quarter. The touchdown run completed a 67-yard drive.

The Warriors responded with a 72-yard scoring drive that concluded with a 35-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Arthur Palicki to junior K.J. Rhodes. Palicki looked to his right and lofted a high pass on the play. Rhodes made the catch near the goal line.

Junior Brandon Lopez added the extra-point kick to cut Glenbard North’s lead to 14-7 with about five minutes left in the first half.

Willowbrook raced 93 yards for a

touchdown on its next offensive series. The Warriors began the drive after a Glenbard North punt. Willowbrook took possession of the ball at its own 7-yard line with less than one minute to play in the first half.

Palicki began the drive by completing two passes to Rhodes. Palicki then connected with senior Carter Ferguson on a 49-yard pass play that advanced the ball to the Panthers’ 22-yard line.

A few plays later, Palicki completed another pass to Ferguson, who was tackled near the 3-yard line. Palicki threw the ball to the turf on the next play to stop the clock. He then fired a short touchdown pass to junior Jesus Gomez with less than 10 seconds to play in the half. Lopez made the ensuing extra-point kick to deadlock the score at 14-14.

Willowbrook’s defense stopped the Panthers short of a first down on a fourth-and-two run in the third quarter. The Warriors then took possession of the ball at their own 25-yard line.

A Glenbard North interception ended a Willowbrook scoring threat later in the third quarter. The Panthers be-

gan their ensuing drive at their own 10yard line following the turnover.

After an very short punt by the Panthers early in the fourth quarter, Willowbrook began an offensive series at Glenbard North’s 28-yard line. The Warriors capitalized on the good field position. Palicki closed out a 28-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run that gave the Warriors their first lead of the evening. Lopez’s extra-point kick raised Willowbrook’s lead to 21-14 with 10:46 left in the game.

Minutes later, Glenbard North faked a punt and threw a pass on a fourthdown play. The Panthers completed the pass, but the Warriors stopped the receiver short of a first down. Glenbard North was flagged for a penalty on the play. The Warriors declined the penalty and took possession at the Panthers’ 42-yard line.

Once again, Willowbrook took advantage of its good field position. Shortly after a holding penalty sent the Warriors back to where their drive began, Palicki fired to Ferguson, who caught the ball in the middle of the field, near the 20-yard line, and raced

into the end zone for a 42-yard touchdown reception that pushed Willowbrook’s lead to 27-14 with 7:20 left in the game.

The Warriors couldn’t convert the ensuing extra-point kick after they were unable to cleanly execute the snap to the holder.

Willowbrook’s defense delivered two more fourth-down stops in the game’s closing minutes. One of those stops came on a fourth-and-one run at midfield with about five minutes to play. The next fourth-down stop came with about one minute remaining. The Panthers completed a pass on that play, but the Warriors tackled the receiver short of the first-down marker.

The Warriors and Glenbard East recently confirmed that the two schools will renew their football rivalry in 2024.

Willowbrook and the Rams met in the season opener for several years, but the two area schools haven’t squared off on the gridiron since 2015. Next year’s matchup between the neighboring schools will take place in Villa Park.

Warriors’ boys and girls teams race at Lyons Township

Willowbrook’s Amelie Ojeda finishes 14th in the girls race

Willowbrook’s boys and girls cross-country teams ran in Saturday’s Mike Kuharic Invite at Lyons

Township High School’s south campus. The Warriors finished 13th out of

16 teams in the girls race. Willowbrook landed in 14th place in the 19team boys event.

Both teams competed on the same 5-kilometer (3.1 mile course). The boys race began a few minutes after the end of the girls race.

Junior Amelie Ojeda delivered the Willowbrook girls team’s best finish in Saturday’s event by completing the race in a 14th-place time of 19 minutes, 52.5 seconds.

Junior Malin Meeker (22:42; 68th), junior Molly Brown (23:00; 73rd), junior Rosemary Kling (24:55.7; 93rd) and senior Lillian Caron (24:58.6; 94th) rounded out the Warriors’ scoring lineup. Junior Sophia Stasch (30:37.6; 108th) also competed in the

race for Willowbrook.

Downers Grove North won the team title in the girls race with its total of 26 points. Five Trojans ran to top-10 finishes in the invite’s individual standings. Lyons Township placed second with 55 points, while Sandburg claimed third place with 71 points. Willowbrook posted a team score of 333 points in its 13th-place finish.

Junior Adriano Quintero turned in the Warriors’ fastest time in the boys race, which he completed in a 50th-place time of 17 minutes, 41.1 seconds. Senior Declan Abercrombie (17:47.2; 53rd) was the next Willowbrook runner to cross the finish line.

Junior Jake Skibbie (18:01.2;

67th), senior Evan Weder (18:42.4; 86th) and junior Kasen Blain (19:01.5; 97th) completed the Warriors’ scoring lineup in the boys race. Seniors Liam Moran (19:40.8; 109th) and Alex Perry (20:57.7; 119th) also represented Willowbrook in the boys race.

Lyons Township won the team title in the boys competition with its score of 76 points. West Aurora placed second with 80 points. The Warriors finished in 14th place in the team standings with 345 points. Niles West also finished with 345 points. The Warriors won the tiebreaker with Niles West because Willowbrook’s sixth-fastest runner (Moran) finished ahead of Niles West’s sixth-fastest runner (by 2.4 seconds).

Broncos jump to 2-0 with 44-24 win over Hillcrest

Marre scores three touchdowns in Montini’s road victory

Winning duo

Willowbrook’s girls tennis team faced Elk Grove in last week’s dual meet in Villa Park. The Warriors earned a 4-3 victory in the Aug. 30 event, which featured three singles matches and four doubles contests. Willowbrook prevailed in all four doubles matches. The Warriors’ tandem of seniors Lauren Carson (above left) and Jasmine Langston (above right) posted a 6-3, 7-5 victory in the No. 1 doubles match. Senior Brenda Martinez and junior Avery Solis delivered a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 2 doubles. Senior Natalie Bliss and sophomore Hannah Gawat provided a 6-2, 6-3 triumph in the No. 3 doubles match. Willowbrook’s No. 4 doubles team of sophomores Kiki Smalling and Zoey Evans sailed to a 6-0, 6-0 win. Junior Ella Lopez of the Warriors lost a 6-3, 6-4 decision in the meet’s No. 1 singles match. Willowbrook senior Lauren Schalk lost 6-1, 6-4 at No. 2 singles, while sophomore Shannon Freer suffered a 7-5, 6-2 loss at No. 3 singles.

The Montini Catholic football team raised its record to 2-0 with Friday’s 44-24 win over Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills.

The Broncos will continue their season with this Friday’s game against Nazareth Academy (0-2) in Lombard.

Montini led Hillcrest (1-1) 23-0 at halftime of Friday’s contest. The Broncos led the Hawks 37-8 with about eight minutes to play in the game.

Senior kicker Cole Stumbaugh gave Montini an early 3-0 lead when he kicked a 20-yard field goal in the first quarter.

The Broncos added to their lead later in the opening quarter, when junior quarterback Gaetano Carbonara

threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to junior Santino Florio.

Carbonara and Florio connected on a 36-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. Stumbaugh’s extra-point kick pushed the Broncos’ lead to 17-0.

Moments after the Hawks fumbled a punt, Montini senior Alex Marre raced 19 yards for a touchdown to push his team’s lead to 23-0 late in the second quarter.

Hillcrest scored its first touchdown of the game in the middle of the third quarter. The Hawks converted a two-point play to reduce Montini’s lead to 23-8.

Minutes later, Marre broke an 18-yard touchdown run. Stumbaugh added the extra-point kick to give

the Broncos a 30-8 lead with a little more than three minutes left in the third quarter.

Montini senior George Asay provided a 57-yard touchdown run with about eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. About two minutes later, Marre caught a 51-yard touchdown pass from Carbonara. Marre’s third touchdown of the night gave the Broncos a 43-16 lead. Stumbaugh made the extra-point kick to produce the team’s final point of the night. Marre rushed for 161 yards on 14 attempts and made three receptions for 84 yards during Friday’s victory. Carbonara completed 10 of 14 pass attempts for 192 yards and three touchdowns. He threw one interception.

Chris Fox photos Rock Valley Publishing

Elmhurst

APARTMENT FOR RENT

Windows

Gutters

Painting

Announcements

CLASSIFIED IN-COLUMN ADS cannot be credited or refunded after the ad has been placed. Ads canceled before deadline will be removed from the paper as a service to our customers, but no credit or refund will be issued to your account.

DISCLAIMER NOTICE This publication does not knowingly accept fraudulent or deceptive advertising. Readers are cautioned to thoroughly investigate all ads, especially those asking for money in advance.

Burial Needs

7 CEMETERY PLOTS Willing to sell as a group or individually. Located at Roselawn Memory Gardens 3045 WI-67, Lake Geneva, WI 53147. This is a private sale. Contact Randy, the seller at randy@slpublishers.com.

Misc. For Sale

SKI BOAT FOR SALE - $6500, STINGRAY MODEL SVB 175 SUPERSPORT, 17.5’ Bowridergreat family boat - hull fiberglass, red & cream - 170 HP outdrive merc. cruiser - good shape in and out. Call Jim - Elmhurst #630530-7596 home #630-915-8920 cell and leave message.

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familiar/ status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD toll-free at 1-900-669-9777. The toll-free tele phone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.

The Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra presents

Elgar’s Enigma

Saturday, September 30 7:00 PM

featuring internationally-acclaimed soprano

Amanda Majeski

and Elmhurst Symphony Music Director

Stephen Alltop

What You’ll Hear

Abels Outburst

Strauss Four Last Songs

Elgar Enigma Variations

Learn more and purchase tickets at ElmhurstSymphony.org

2023/2024 Season Concerts

Sept 30 | Elgar’s Enigma

Nov 12 | The Ukrainian Symphony

Jan 21 | Celebration of the Dance

Mar 10 | Majestic Bruckner

May 4 | La Mer

at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church

149 W Brush Hill Rd, Elmhurst

The mission of the Elmhurst Symphony Association is to entertain and enrich our community through live orchestral music. Learn more:

(630) 941-0202 ElmhurstSymphony.org

Rams run at Lyons Township’s Invite

Glenbard East’s boys and girls cross-country teams competed in Saturday morning’s Mike Kuharic Invite at Lyons Township High School’s south campus in Western Springs.

The Rams finished eighth out of 16 teams in the girls race. Glenbard East’s boys team placed ninth out of 19 teams. The girls and boys races both took place on the same 5-kilometer (3.1 mile) course.

A trio of Rams finished within a few seconds of each other in Saturday’s girls race. Junior Elena Kosorog of Glenbard East completed the race in a 43rd-place time of 21 minutes, 29.7 seconds. Senior Maya Reinheimer of the Rams (21:33.9; 44th) finished a few seconds later. Senior Sammy Kelly (21:37.9; 45th) was the third Ram to cross the finish line.

Junior Brissa Sarabia (21:54.6; 53rd) and sophomore Kathleen Nevels (22:04.8; 58th) rounded out Glenbard East’s scoring lineup. Senior Anabelle Stevenson (22:29.4; 63rd) posted the Rams’ sixth-best time in the race. Downers Grove North won the team title in the girls race with its score of 26 points. Five Trojans delivered top-10 finishes in the race. Lyons Township placed second with its total of

55 points, while Sandburg (71 points) claimed third. The Rams posted a team score of 236 points.

Glenbard East senior Ryan Van Dam ran to a 10th-place finish in Saturday morning’s boys race at Lyons Township. Van Dam completed the 5-kilometer race in 16 minutes, 15 seconds.

Sophomore Mason Hephner of the Rams crossed the finish line in a 20th-place time of 16 minutes, 34.6 seconds.

Senior Chris Hallerud (17:58.3; 65th), junior Leo Contreras (18:12.4; 74th) and senior Garin Ohanion (18:57.4; 93rd) completed the Rams’ scoring lineup.

Junior Emmett Cross (18:59.3; 95th) and freshman Alexander Hernandez (19:11.8; 104th) also represented Glenbard East’s varsity team in the race.

Lyons Township won the team title in Saturday’s boys race with its total of 76 points. A pair of Lions finished first and second in the individual standings. West Aurora (80 points) placed second, while Riverside-Brookfield (108 points) landed in third place. Glenbard East wound up with a team score of 256 points in its ninth-place finish.

Rams soccer earns first victory of the season

Glenbard East’s boys soccer team picked up its first win of the season when it earned a 1-0 victory over Wheaton Warrenville South in Saturday’s non-conference match in Wheaton.

The Rams improved their overall season record to 1-3 with Saturday’s win over the Tigers.

Glenbard East senior Josue Roman scored the lone goal of Saturday’s match during the second half.

Roman’s score was the Rams’ first goal of the season. Glenbard East opened its season with a 2-0 non-conference loss to Glenbard

North on Aug. 22. The Rams then dropped two Upstate Eight Conference battles. They lost 1-0 to Elgin in Lombard on Aug. 26. Four days later, Larkin edged the Rams 1-0 in Elgin.

Junior goalkeeper Cooper Wooldridge made four saves for Glenbard East during Saturday’s win in Wheaton. Wooldridge made five saves in last week’s conference loss to Larkin.

The Rams’ schedule this week includes a conference home match against South Elgin, along with this Saturday’s non-conference home contest against Downers Grove South.

Blazer makes an ace

Senior Zack Morris of the Addison Trail boys golf team fired a holein-one during Willowbrook High School’s John Hamann Invitational on Saturday morning. Morris recorded the ace at the par-3 second hole at Sugar Creek Golf Course in Villa Park. The invitational featured a scramble format.

Addison Trail’s team shot an 8-under-par score of 56 to finish fourth in the standings of the 12-team event.

NOTICE OF PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX INCREASE FOR THE BENSENVILLE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NO.1

A Public Hearing to approve a proposed property Tax levy increase for the Bensenville Fire Protection District No. 1 for 2023 will be held on September 13, 2023 at 6:45 p.m. at the Bensenville Park District 1000 W. Wood Street, Bensenville, Illinois. Any person desiring to appear at the Public Hearing and present testimony to the District may contact Jeff Agonath, Treasurer, P.O. Box 225, Bensenville, IL 60106. The corporate and special purpose property taxes extended for 2022 were $278,650. The proposed corporate and special purpose property taxes to be levied for 2023 are $412,350. This represents 47.9% increase over the previous year. The property taxes extended for debt service and public building commission leases for 2022 were $0 (Zero). The estimated property taxes to be levied for debt service and public building commission leases for 2023 are $0 (Zero). This represents no change over the previous year. The total taxes for 2022 were $278,650. The estimated total property taxes to be levied for 2023 are $412,350.

Published by Order of the Board of Trustees of Said District.

Receive

Receive a digital copy of your hometown newspaper every week with an eSubscription. The eSubscription is a PDF copy of the printed newspaper emailed to you every week for only $35 a year. There’s no waiting for your home delivery. Your link to the weekly newspaper will be emailed to you every Thursday. The digital version of the newspaper can be read on a computer, laptop or tablet.

For an eSubscription, visit rockvalleyenews.com or call 627-7010.

Testimonial: If you’re looking for an HVAC system, Steve is your guy. We recently had our 30-year-old A/C unit replaced by Steve at Wood Mechanical. After researching and getting several other estimates we found Steve to provide a quality product at competitive pricing. The professionalism, skill and communication he provides is unmatched. His explanation of our options and answers to our questions were thorough and detailed. Thank you, Steve, for a job well done!!

~Karen and Bob, Franklin Park, IL