southtownstar.suntimes.com

St. Michael varsity cheerleading captures national championship

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:35:43 -0500

The varsity cheerleading team at St. Michael School in Orland Park captured the national championship at Jamfest Super Cheer Nationals in Indianapolis. St. Michael had the highest score of any junior high team in all divisions. Staff reports …

Orland Park Area Chamber of seeks golfers, sponsors

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:12:00 -0500

The 2013 Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce golf outing will take place on June 20 at Silver Lake Country Club. The chamber is looking for golfers and sponsors for the event. Information or a registration form: orlandparkchamber.org, (708) 349-2972. Staff reports …

Orland Park Area Chamber ceremony for Pro Sports Performance

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:08:00 -0500

Pro Sports Performance owners Steve Purvin, John Binkowski and Scott Hejna and the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce were part of the fitness facility’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for its grand opening. The business is at 10649 W. 163rd Place, Orland Park. The chamber performs ribbon-cutting celebrations for chamber members at no cost. Chamber members Paul Novak, of Waddell & Reed; Rob Wehmeier, of Wehmeier Portraits; and Susan Byrne, of Coldwell Banker, participated in the Pro Sports Performance ceremony. Pro Sports Performance offers training programs for adult fitness, sports performance and weight loss. Personal programs also can be designed for teams …

Lockport names valedictorian, salutatorians

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:29:11 -0500

The Lockport Township High School Class of 2013 will have three salutatorians, a situation believed to be a first in the 100-plus years of school history. Alyssa Brehm, Karolina Gogola and Kimberly Johnson have tied for salutatorian honors, each with a grade-point average of 4.763 on a weighted 5.0 scale. Brehm and Johnson, both of Homer Glen, are graduates of Homer Community Consolidated School District 33C. Gogola, of Lockport, is a graduate of Will County District 92. Ryan Biggs, of Lockport, earned class valedictorian honors with a 4.789 GPA. He is a graduate of Will County District 92. Staff report …

Community Sports Calendar (Central) for May 19, 2013

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:42:27 -0500

Here is a look at sporting events in the SouthtownStar’s Central region, which includes Crestwood, Frankfort, Homer Glen, Manhattan, Midlothian, Mokena, New Lenox, Oak Forest, Orland Hills, Orland Park, and Tinley Park.

Vickroy: Guiding knight: Lab gets woman where she needs to go

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:13 -0500

Up concrete stairs, around giant flowerpots and through throngs of bustling commuters, Kathy Austin makes her way to work each morning. Though she is virtually blind, only able to distinguish contrasts of light and dark, she makes getting from her home in the leafy suburb of Homewood to her office on the 10th floor of a Loop high rise look easy, partly because she has Solomon to guide her, partly because she doesn’t let much stop her from pursuing her dreams. “Going blind is the only horrible thing that’s ever happened to me,” she says. “It’s just one of those …

District 135 celebrates Arbor Day

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:03:26 -0500

The schools of Orland School District 135 were budding with pride in celebration of Arbor Day. The village of Orland Park’s Recreation & Parks Department collaborated with the students and staff of eight district schools to plant elm trees at the schools and educate students on the meaning of Arbor Day, the importance of planting new trees and the proper way to plant and care for newly planted trees. The village also donated seedlings to District 135’s second-, third- and fourth-grade students to plant in their yards at home. Staff reports …

Homer Glen, Orland Park police blotter

Thu, 16 May 2013 20:48:00 -0500

HOMER GLEN DUI ARREST: Taylor Lode, 18, 15956 Oak Valley Trail, Homer Glen, was charged with drunken driving and improper lane use after a stop May 3 at 159th Street and Crystal Creek Drive, police said. SUSPENDED LICENSE: Ramon Castillo-Sebillag, 23, 13728 Bell Road, Homer Glen, was charged with driving on a suspended license and speeding after a May 4 stop at Bell Road and Founders Crossing, police said. SUSPENDED LICENSE: Flavio Martinez, 43, of Bolingbrook, was charged with driving on a suspended license after being stopped May 4 in the 13000 block of 159th Street, police said. DUI CASE: …

Work to start on Meijer

Thu, 16 May 2013 02:16:12 -0500

Construction is expected to begin soon on a Meijer store at 143rd Street and Bell Road in Homer Glen. The 191,000-square-foot store is expected to be the largest Meijer store in the southwest suburbs when it opens in 2014, Mayor Jim Daley said. The store is expected to generate about $800,000 in annual sales tax revenue for the village and create about 250 jobs, officials said. Homer Glen trustees approved the final design of the store Tuesday night, clearing the way for construction to start. Village officials have been eager to land a Meijer store and since 2008 have been …

Hinderman: May’s busy schedule leads us into summer

Sun, 12 May 2013 02:28:09 -0500

Welcome, May, a month that evokes visions of mums, moms, Mexico, memories and music — beginning with May Day and wrapping up with Memorial Day. The celebration of May Day historically was marked by a ritual in which small baskets are filled with flowers and treats and left anonymously on neighbors’ doorsteps. Akin to “ding, dong, ditch,” the doorbell is rung, the person leaves the basket and runs away. The recipient tries to catch the fleeing “giver” and, if caught, exchanges a kiss. Cinco de Mayo Cinco de Mayo, or the Fifth of May, is a Mexican holiday commemorating democracy, …

Emergency! Orland Park Scouts practice being prepared

Sun, 12 May 2013 02:26:50 -0500

Orland Park Boy Scout troop holds surprise mock emergency training.

Girl Scouts honor Moss’ dedication with badge

Wed, 08 May 2013 04:50:00 -0500

The Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana conducted a recognition luncheon at Georgios of Orland Park. Robin Moss received the Thanks Badge II in honor of her more than 30 years of dedication to the Girl Scouts of Chicago, Illinois and United States. Staff reports …

Homer Glen, Orland Park police blotter

Thu, 09 May 2013 21:46:00 -0500

HOMER GLEN VANDALISM: The rear side window of a Dodge van was broken April 25 in the 14000 block of Elizabeth Lane. TRUCK BURGLARY: Cash was stolen April 28 after a large rock was used to smash the driver’s side window of a Ford F-250 pickup truck in the 14000 block of Gatses Lane. BURGLARY: A wet saw, a tile cutter, a floor sander and a floor grinder were stolen between April 26 and 29 from a construction area at the Homer Township Library, 14320 W. 151st St. A lock and chain were cut to gain entry. ORLAND PARK MARIJUANA …

Vickroy: Pennies from an angel to help special-needs dancers

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:18:10 -0500

At face value, the penny is worth next to nothing. But for those who believe in the power of serendipity, the penny can be priceless. As her sister, Linda, lay dying in 2000, Cathy Epstein-Faxel and her mother wondered how they might honor the 29-year-old’s memory. Then a friend gave Epstein-Faxel a copy of the poem “Pennies From Heaven” by Charles Mashburn. The work is a reminder that loved ones who have passed often send messages of hope in the most unsuspecting ways. It was meant to be a comfort, to get her family through the difficult times ahead. Little …

Monitoring muskies: Garage is fish operating room for a day

Fri, 10 May 2013 11:11:48 -0500

Her operating room was a cold garage in Orland Township, with a few boat motors hanging on the wall, and Dr. Jennifer Langan’s patients tended to thrash around before the anesthesia finally took hold. Working with the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the veterinarian from Brookfield Zoo was inserting radio transmitters into muskies on Friday.

159th Street merchants fighting higher median

Sun, 12 May 2013 09:38:58 -0500

While the state aggressively tries to acquire the land needed to widen 159th Street in Homer Glen, business owners along the two-lane road have been equally aggressive in fighting the plan. For the past few years, merchants have voiced concerns about the loss of their property, parking, signs, access and, especially, customers. While a wider road is a key to the future of Homer Glen, the store owners are worried about their future. “Our livelihood depends on that road,” said Bob Schmidt, owner of Wheel-Go Camping, a camping equipment and recreational vehicle retailer at 159th Street and Parker Road for …