fpcb_091521_b_comm_01_c.pdf - Free Press Newspapers

WILMINGTON, IL | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 | A FREE PRESS NEWSPAPER

WILDCAT SPORTS

Wildcats, Coalersshow respect

$1.00Vol. 47, Issue 37

1 section • 14 pages Not over 75% advertising

www.freepressadvocate.com

INSIDE THIS EDITION

Meet the new teachers of 209-U

Photo by Eric Fisher

IT WAS STANDING ROOM only Thursday at the Wilmington City Hall when state officials with the Illinois Department of NaturalResources presented options for removing or modifying the Kankakee river dam, and how it would affect the millrace. There wereabout 100 concerned residents who attended.

BY MARNEY SIMONEDITOR

A two hour session at CityHall produced an abundanceof information about theKankakee River dam. But aplan for how the city ofWilmington should handleissues at the dam remains elu-sive.

On Thursday, Sept. 9, apacked house at WilmingtonCity Hall listened to a lengthypresentation from membersof the Illinois Department ofNatural Resources, Office ofWater Resources (IDNR OWR)on options for removing ormodifying the dam, and how itwould affect the river andmillrace.

But when it comes toremoval, answers aren’t quiteas clear as the water that flowsover the dam itself.

Representatives from thestate presented those in atten-dance with three options forthe dam, the same threeoptions that were posed toresidents in 2020 through asurvey and based off a 2017draft report completed by thestate.

Those options includeremoval, adding a rock ramp,and adding a rock ramp withriffles which would allow forkayak and canoe passage.

According to the repre-sentatives from the state, fullremoval would result in waterlevels dropping roughly fivefeet in the river for a distanceof about one mile upstreamduring average conditions.

But in the millrace,removal would cause a sub-stantial impact. Those levelswould change significantly,dropping between four andseven feet throughout thealready shallow channel,where current levels arebetween four and 11 feet inaverage river conditions.

Such a drop would likelycause significant drying of themillrace, with several boat

docks ending up over dry landand the millrace itself possiblybecoming a muddy messinstead of a waterway.

The rock ramp optionshowed a drop in the millraceof only about one foot, and anegligible drop in water levelupstream. The rock ramp withriffles option showed a negli-gible drop in the river as well,and was the best option forimproved flow through themillrace.

Funding for changes atthe dam would come througha dam removal initiative. Thestate would foot the entire billfor the full removal, but modi-fications would be mostly onthe city of Wilmington and itstaxpayers.

A rock ramp, based oncurrent estimations providedby the state, would cost anestimated $4.8 million, ofwhich the city would beresponsible for $3.4 million.

A rock ramp with riffleswould come with a total costof $4.9 million, and $3.1 mil-lion would be the responsibil-

ity of the city.The state would pay for a

portion of either option, 40%for a rock ramp and 50% for aramp with riffles.

The IDNR also noted thatif the city opts for either rockramp option, future mainte-nance, including mainte-nance should any of the rockadded to the scour hole at thebase of the dam to eliminatethe hydraulic action of thedam—the very action respon-sible for deaths at the site—come loose.

The IDNR pointed outreasons why the state wouldprefer total removal.

“Make it a safe environ-ment, remove that public safe-ty hazard,” said Rick Pohlman,Division Manager for IDNROWR. “The Wilmington dam isvery likely the most dangerousdam in the state. There havebeen a significant number ofdeaths... so obviously, we don’twant anymore.”

The IDNR said in additionto safety, removal of the damwould also allow for free

movement of aquatic species,eliminate negative impacts onaquatic ecosystems, improverecreation, and remove theneed for future maintenanceat the dam.

But, the IDNR didn’t havea solid answer for what wouldhappen to homeownersupstream should the dam beremoved.

“It depends on the day,how much flow is in the river,”Wes Cattoor, Section Chief forIDNR OWR, said in responseto a what will happen to thoseresidents upstream in the milelong area where the river willbe most affected. “If you askus for a specific flow, we caneasily provide that informa-tion, we can tell you howmuch it drops based on ourmodeling. It’s not 100% accu-rate but it gets us in the ball-park that allows us to under-stand how much that waterwill drop for given flow condi-tions. If that flow condition

“It depends”Session provides information, but not solutions, for the dam


Four downtown propertyowners have gotten approvalfrom the Wilmington CityCouncil to participate in thecity’s facade improvementgrant program.

On Sept. 7, the CityCouncil approved grant appli-cations from four Water Streetbusinesses/property owners—Blue Horse, ThayerManagement Company,Mimi’s Cafe, and The WatchShop.

The facade grant program,first enacted in 2005 and mostrecently updated in 2018, pro-vides matching funds up to$5,000 for buildings located inthe downtown business dis-trict for building updates andimprovements that aim toupgrade and prevent blight,dilapidation, and deteriora-tion of those structures.

The approvals went to thefollowing businesses/businessowners:

• Blue Horse, 115 N. WaterSt. — The application wassubmitted by business owner

Adriana Martinez and buildingowner Bob Hoover. The appli-cants are planning $5,500 inupgrades, including painting,fixing brick work, and addingan awning.

• Thayer Management,204. N. Water St. — Owner andcontractor John Thayer plansto remodel the vacant build-ing—the former Flower Loft—to remove the existing store-front and replace the roof. Theestimated total cost of theremodel is $15,000.

• Mimi’s Cafe, 209 N.Water St. — Owner Kathy Grayis planning on $7,000 worth ofupgrades at her building,including paint, replacementof the front door, replacementof a broken window, and theaddition of a new awning.

• The Watch Shop, 208 N.Water St. — Owner PatrickBaron is seeking to make$12,300 worth of improve-ments on the building, whichwill include removal andreplacement of six windowsand the entry door.

Property owners can only

Facade grants approved forWater Street businesses


When the Wilmington School District 209-U Board ofEducation voted to make masks optional back in August, boardmembers were hoping that decision would stick.

But an executive order issued by Gov. JB Pritzker, plus guid-ance from the Illinois State Board of Education and the IllinoisDepartment of Pubic Health, forced those members to approvea mask mandate for all school buildings, an effort to help miti-gate the spread of COVID-19.

On Monday, Superintendent Dr. Matt Swick told thoseboard members that while it wasn’t the start to the school yearthat the district had hoped for, four weeks into the return toschool and things are going well.

“We’ve had four very successful weeks of school,” Swicktold the board during their regular monthly meeting on Sept.13.

Swick told the board that for the weeks ending on Sept. 3and Sept. 10, the district had a total of 11 positive cases ofCOVID-19 among both students and staff. He said the district’smitigation efforts are working.

Start of school a success sofar for Wilmington 209-U

Photo by Marney Simon

A GREAT BLUE HERON PERCHES on a large branch caught on the dam along the Kankakee Riveron Saturday, Sept. 11. Some residents who oppose removal of the dam said they didn’t want to seethe habitat of birds disrupted should be dam be taken out.

SEE DAM, PAGE 2

SEE GRANT, PAGE 2

SEE SCHOOL, PAGE 2


The city of Wilmingtonhas a new administrative offi-cer in charge of hearing casesof local ordinance violations.

On Sept. 7, the councilapproved the hire of attorneyScott Dillner as AdministrativeHearing Officer.

Mayor Ben Dietzexplained that the position willhelp prosecute those local vio-lations where the hearingtakes place in Wilmington.

Dietz said that recently,the city had not been takingadvantage of the opportunityto collect all the fees associat-ed with those local ordinanceviolations, and that the newhearing officer would help inthat regard.

“The city ordinance tick-

ets that we write out, they needto come once a month -thefourth Thursday of the month- and we bring a [hearing offi-cer] in to provide rulingsagainst tickets like parkingtickets or whatever ordinancetickets that we get,” Dietz said.“But, we had some issues, wewere writing all of these ticketsand upwards of 80% of themwere getting washed out withno revenue source. So, we’repaying for the officers to writethose tickets, we’re paying forthe administrative court tocome here which is two policeofficers plus the administra-

City hires new officer forlocal ordinance violations

SEE COUNCIL, PAGE 2

The Free Press Advocate, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, page 2 WWW.FREEPRESSNEWSPAPERS.COM

changes, that number willchange as well.”

Cattoor said essentiallythe more dry the weather, thelower the river levels.

Members of the publicexpressed multiple concernsduring the question andanswer portion of the meet-ing, including the loss of waterfowl, wetland birds, and rap-tors often spotted near thedam. During back and forth,some of which became con-tentious, those in attendanceasked about the possibility ofadding a fence around thedam.

Additional concerns wererelated to low water levels,negative effects for fishermen,possible effects on the city’swater plant, possible lawsuits

against the city shouldlandowners lose their water-fronts on the river or the mill-race, and the affect of damremoval to those who live onthe river but do not live withinthe city limits.

Some members of thepublic were hostile to theIDNR representatives duringthe presentation, yelling outquestions about deaths relat-ed to other issues such as traf-fic incidents and how theycompare to deaths at the dam,noting that those who havebeen killed at the dam areoften not local, and producingboos when the IDNR mem-bers spoke of habitat issues asrelated to global warming.

“Who are the superiorspecies, humans or fish?” oneperson yelled out after theIDNR discussed the impor-tance of maintaining fishhabitats.

But ultimately, the IDNRreps said their only positioncurrently was to provide thepublic with information afterbeing invited by the city.

“We’re not here to do any-thing to you,” Cattoor said.“We were asked to come hereto present an opportunity tothe city of Wilmington. This isyour city and your decisionwith your aldermen, we’re notforcing anything upon you,this is an opportunity, you cantake it or you can leave it.”

The city of Wilmingtonhas legal ownership of thedam, and therefore what to dowith it ultimately is a decisionof the City Council. The coun-cil could take a vote on thedam, put the issue on the bal-lot as a referendum issue, orleave it alone.

Local elected state repre-sentatives and members oftheir offices who were in

attendance did not have anycomment during the discus-sion. State Senator PatrickJoyce (D-Essex) said that likethe local residents, he wasthere to hear the information,not to comment on changes tothe dam.

At least 15 people havebeen killed at the dam since1982.

The city’s liability cover-age related to incidents at thedam was limited to $500,000in 2018.

The city has taken someaction to improve safety at thedam by adding an exclusionzone along the west bank ofthe South Island, prohibitingpeople from entering thewater, adding signage, andadding Jersey barriers to helpkeep people away from thedam.

Dam

“We monitor these, weare going to send them out[to parents] regularly,” hesaid. “We’re going to keepdoing what we’re doing,and it’s working, whetherthat’s distancing, masking,whether that be cleaningour surfaces. We’re inschool, kids are safe, kidsare well.”

The district’s publiccomment portion of themeeting had to be movedto the high school gymnasi-um to accommodate theroughly 40 residents andconcerned parents whoattended. During that 45-minute public commentsession, four parents spoketo the board to continue toexpress their frustrationwith the mask mandate.

One issue that parentssaid produced a new areaof concern was the poten-tial for a future vaccinemandate for students. As ofnext week, teachers inIllinois will be required toeither have their first doseof vaccine, or submit totesting at least once a week.

Currently, only onev a c c i n e — P f i z e r — h a semergency use authoriza-tion for children aged 12and older.

“Right now, all I cansay is this, we’ve got no hintof a required children’s vac-cination,” Swick told the

parents. “I’m not going topromise you it’s not goingto come, I don’t know. But Ican tell you that we havenot had one from IDPH,from the CDC, from theWill County HealthDepartment, from anyoneelse.”

Parents asked if therewas anything they could docurrently in an effort tostop a vaccine mandate forstudents. But, Swick saidthat should a vaccine man-date ever come about, thedistrict does not have theauthority to refuse to coop-erate.

“The honest answer isthis: What we can do, whatwe all can do, is lobby hard-er,” Swick said, urging par-ents to call and email theirstate and federal represen-tatives. “There’s nothinglegal we can do to avoid amandate.”

Swick also noted thatrefusal to cooperate withthe current mask mandatecould result in the removalof accreditation from thestate, loss of the state andfederal funding that allowsthe doors to stay open, andloss of participation inactivities for students.

The superintendenturged parents and resi-dents to take their con-cerns to a higher level,since local boards lack theability to simply ignorestatewide or federal man-dates without conse-quence.

apply for the grant once every five years.The funding for the facade grant pro-

gram comes from the city’s general fund,but is not budgeted annually as a lineitem. The council last week briefly dis-cussed the possibility of creating a lineitem, but noted that doing so could inad-vertently put an annual cap on the pro-gram each year, which is not the intentionof the ordinance.

“It’s such a little amount of money,and it’s also unpredictable, the amountthat people will use,” said finance directorMatt Hoffman.

Mayor Ben Dietz also noted that thecity’s financial obligations cease if work isnot completed by the applicant.

“They don’t get the money until theimprovement is done and the city signsoff on it,” Dietz said. “So, it’s not like wegive them the money and they can gomake the improvement or not. They haveto make the improvement and then wegive them the [approved funds]."

Alderman Jonanthan Mietzner said

that while he was in favor of approvingthe current applications based on thecurrent ordinance, it might be a good ideafor the city to make some tweaks forfuture applications.

Specifically, Mietzner said he wasinterested in limiting the scope of work tochanges that are long lasting. The ThirdWard alderman said that he wasn’t surethat adding an awning, which was includ-ed in two of the four applications, shouldbe considered as a facade improvement.

“I think we as a council need to lookat… what we consider true facades,”Mietzner said. “I think we need to look atthis for future items and consider, do wewant to be in the business of buyingawnings for downtown businesses? I getthat it looks good, but if that business[closes], then if we’re going to do awnings,what do we want around those awnings?Do we want to let them put their name onit, do we want them to have straight col-ors, something of that nature that makesthe front end of that building look good. Ifwe’re going to pay for it, we should have alittle bit of say to it, I believe.”

Mietzner said if a business puts theirname on an awning only to close, then

the city has helped to pay for an awningthat will ultimately need to be removed orreplaced.

“The ordinance does require thatthey get design approval, and have itapproved by the city council,” attorneyBryan Wellner told the board.

Per the ordinance, design approvaland review of the project are requiredprior to payment, as well as documenta-tion of all items related to the improve-ment costs.

“I’m just saying, do we as a council,as a city, do we want to be paying forsomething that’s not a permanent typething,” Mietzner said. “One [application]is replacing windows and doors, that’s amore permanent thing than an awningthat could be gone next week. It’s justsomething down the road to think about.”

The council agreed to discuss thepossibility of addressing making changesto the ordinance during the nextCommittee of the Whole meeting.

The council approved all four grantapplications with six yes votes. AldermanRyan Jeffries passed on the vote.Alderman Kevin Kirwin was absent.

Grant

School

tive staff and a judge, so it wascosting us a ton of money andthey were throwing them allout.”

Dillner, who is based outof South Holland and hasworked with several othersuburban municipalities, willbe paid a billing rate of $175per hour with a two-hour min-imum for court appearances.

In other business beforethe full council on Sept. 9:

• The council approvedtwo measures regarding theintersection improvements atRoute 53 and Wilmington-Peotone Road.

The first was a changeorder with ESI Consultants,

the engineer on the project,for a total addition of $22,000for removal of materials. Thetotal contract amount is now$2.4 million, below the origi-nal contract amount to $2.6million.

The council alsoapproved the engineer’s payestimate #4 for that project forwork completed through July21 in the amount of $203,375.

• Finance director MattHoffman told members of thecouncil that the city’s financesremain on track with thebudget for the current fiscalyear.

“Revenues are in line withprojections,” Hoffman said.“Since the spike in covid, Ihaven’t seen anything changebut I’m keeping a close eye onit. Expenses are around wherewe should be, I’m projectingthat we’ll spend less than wethink we’re going to, but that’shard to say at this point.”

As of Aug. 31, the city hasreceived $455,861 in state

sales tax earmarked for thegeneral fund, 43% of theexpected $1.05 million the cityis budgeted to receive this fis-cal year.

• The council approvedmultiple public works pur-chases, specifically for thewater department.

The city will pay to modi-fy the booster pump controlsystem for the water treat-ment plant in an amount notto exceed $3,500, fromAutomatic Control Services ofNaperville.

At the sewer plant, thecity will pay for aeration blow-er repair/replacement in anamount not to exceed $15,621.That service will be providedby LAI, Ltd. of RollingMeadows. Also for the recla-mation plant, the cityapproved a quote from GEMDS, LLC for four replace-ment SCADA radios for a totalof $4,750.

• The council approvedthe appointment of Gary VanDuyne to the police pensionboard.

• The council approvedthe accounting reports in theamount of $539,898. Thosepayments include $147,151 inpayroll for administration,water, sewer, and ESDAdepartments, and $4,772 inMotor Fuel Tax (MFT) spend-ing.

The Free Press AdvocateUSPS No. 307-450

Published weekly, 52 times a year, onWednesdays by

G-W COMMUNICATIONS, INC., 111 S. Water St., Box 327

Wilmington, IL 60481Periodicals postage paid at Wilmington, Illinois

POSTMASTER: Send address changesto the Free Press Advocate,

Box 327, Wilmington, IL 60481.

Subscription rates: $40 Grundy & Will coun-ties; $48 other Illinois counties and $54 out of state

G.W. Communications, Inc publishes theweekly subscription newspapers named The Free

Press Advocate, The Braidwood Journal, and TheCoal City Courant, and an advertising shopperknown as the Prairie Shopper.

Advertising and Business Offices:• 111 South Water St., Wilmington, IL 60481

(815) 476-7966; Fax: (815) 476-7002• 271 South Broadway, Coal City, IL 60416

(815) 634-0315; Fax: (815) 476-7002

Deadlines for the Prairie ShopperDisplay Advertising: Thursday, 2 p.m.

Classified & Public Notices: Thursday, 5 p.m.

Deadline for The Free Press Advocate, Braidwood Journal and Coal City Courant

News and Advertising: Monday, noon

E-mail: News & News Photos: [email protected] & Artwork: [email protected]

©2019 All news, photographs and advertising mate-rial used in this publication are the property of G.W.Communications, Inc. Use of the material without theconsent of G.W. Communications, Inc. is strictly prohibit-ed. Violators of this property right are subject to legalaction.

Eric D. Fisher, publisherMarney Simon, editor

Attorney Lynch filesCongleton estate claim

PUBLIC NOTICESTATE OF ILLINOIS

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THETWELFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

WILL COUNTY, ILLINOISIN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OFJEAN R. CONGLETON, Deceased; No. 21P 755

CLAIM NOTICENotice is given to creditors of the

death of Jean R. Congleton. Letters ofOffice were issued to Steven Leach whoseaddress is 2729 Lakeshore Dr., Joliet, IL60431 as Independent Executor, whoseattorney of record is June, Prodehl, Renzi& Lynch, L.L.C., 1861 Black Road, Joliet,Illinois 60435.

Claims against the estate may befiled in the Circuit Clerk’s Office, WillCounty Courthouse, 14 W. JeffersonStreet, Joliet, Illinois 60431, or with the rep-resentative, or both, on or before the 15thday of March, 2022, or if mailing or deliveryof a notice from the representative isrequired by Section 18-3 of the Probate Actof 1975, the date stated in that notice. Anyclaim not filed on or before that date isbarred. Copies of a claim filed with theclerk must be mailed or delivered byclaimant to the representative and to theattorney within ten (10) days after it hasbeen filed.Marilyn L. WysockiFor the Estate of Jean R. Congleton,Deceased

BY: Marilyn L. Wysocki1861 Black Road

Joliet, IL 60435815-725-8000

Atty No.: 06198698Published in the Free Press

Advocate, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 22 & 29,2021.

O’Shea petitionsfor name change


COUNTY OF WILL, SSIN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE

TWELFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUITWILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETI-TION TO CHANGE THE NAME OFMichael William O’Shea TO MichaelWilliam Kurkamp-O’Shea, Case No. 2021MR 002286

NOTICENotice is hereby given that the

undersigned on behalf of himself/herself,Michael William O’Shea, adult, shallappear in the Will County Court AnnexBuilding, 57 N. Ottawa St., Joliet, IL 60432courtroom A236 at 9:00 a.m. on the 29thday of October, 2021 before the judgeassigned to hear said matter, and thenthere present a petition requesting thename of Michael William O’Shea bechanged to Michael William Kurkamp-O’Shea.

Michael William O’SheaPetitioner

Published in the Free PressAdvocate on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 22 and29, 2021.

Attorney Lynch filesHopkins estate claim



WILL COUNTY, ILLINOISIN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OFMARILYN R. HOPKINS, Deceased; No.21P725


death of Marilyn R. Hopkins. Letters ofOffice were issued to Diane Lee HopkinsLoucks whose address is 2113 MidhurstLane, Joliet, Illinois 60435 as IndependentExecutor, whose attorney of record isJennifer M. Lynch of June, Prodehl, Renzi& Lynch, L.L.C., 1861 Black Road, Joliet,Illinois 60435.

Claims against the estate may befiled in the Circuit Clerk’s Office, WillCounty Courthouse, 14 W. JeffersonStreet, Joliet, Illinois 60431, or with the rep-resentative, or both, on or before the 8thday of March, 2022 if mailing or delivery ofa notice from the representative is requiredby Section 18-3 of the Probate Act of 1975,the date stated in that notice. Any claim notfiled on or before that date is barred.Copies of a claim filed with the clerk mustbe mailed or delivered by claimant to therepresentative and to the attorney withinten (10) days after it has been filed.Jennifer M. LynchFor the Estate of Marilyn R. Hopkins,Deceased

BY: Jennifer M. Lynch1861 Black Road

Joliet, IL 60435815-725-8000


Advocate, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 15 and 22,2021.

Attorney Lynch filesBarnes estate claim



WILL COUNTY, ILLINOISIN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OFHAROLD L. BARNES, JR., Deceased; No.21P802


death of Harold L. Barnes, Jr. Letters ofOffice were issued to Patricia A. Sefcikwhose address is 2533 Harbor Drive,Joliet, Illinois 60431 as IndependentExecutor, whose attorney of record isJennifer M. Lynch of June, Prodehl, Renzi& Lynch, L.L.C., 1861 Black Road, Joliet,Illinois 60435.

Claims against the estate may befiled in the Circuit Clerk’s Office, WillCounty Courthouse, 14 W. JeffersonStreet, Joliet, Illinois 60431, or with the rep-resentative, or both, on or before the 8thday of March, 2022 if mailing or delivery ofa notice from the representative is requiredby Section 18-3 of the Probate Act of 1975,the date stated in that notice. Any claim notfiled on or before that date is barred.Copies of a claim filed with the clerk mustbe mailed or delivered by claimant to therepresentative and to the attorney withinten (10) days after it has been filed.Jennifer M. LynchFor the Estate of Harold L. Barnes, Jr.Deceased

BY: Jennifer M. Lynch1861 Black Road

Joliet, IL 60435815-725-8000


Advocate, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 15 and 22,2021.

Main Street Storage todispose of property

LEGAL NOTICENotice of Lien

Notice is hereby given that pursuantto the State of Illinois Self-Service, StorageFacility Act, a sale or other disposition ofthe property of tenant William Naughtonoccupying Unit #4 will be held at MainStreet Storage, 201 North Main Street,Wilmington, IL 60481, (815-476-9510) onSeptember 24, 2021, at 9 a.m., if unpaidrental charges, late fees and charges asso-ciated with the attempt to collect this debtare not paid in full before that date.

Published in the Free PressAdvocate on Sept. 8 and 15, 2021.

Attorney Adler gives notice of Obert Estate

PUBLIC NOTICESTATE OF ILLINOISCOUNTY OF WILL


WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS - IN PRO-BATE

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OFDOROTHY J. OBERT, DECEASED NO.2021P000789

PUBLICATION NOTICE AND NOTICE OF CLAIMS

Notice is given to creditors of thedeath of Dorothy J. Obert. Letters of Officewere issued on August 23, 2021 to LisaMcDaniel and Linda Schneider, as Co-Independent Executors. The attorney forthe Independent Representative isDANIEL J. ADLER, 1616 W. JeffersonStreet, Joliet, Illinois 60435.

Notice is given to the, heirs or lega-tees who are named in a petition filed inthis proceeding to probate a will andwhose names or addresses are not statedin the petition, that an Order was enteredby the Court on August 23, 2021, admittingthe will to probate. Within 42 days after theeffective date of the original order ofadmission you may file a petition with theCourt to require proof of the Will by testi-mony of the witnesses to the Will in opencourt or other evidence, as provided in 6-21 of the Probate Act. You also have theright under 8-1 of the Probate Act to con-test the validity of the Will by filing a peti-tion with the Court within six (6) monthsafter admission of the Will to probate.

The estate will be administered with-out court supervision unless under 28-4 ofthe Probate Act any interested person ter-minates independent administration at anytime by mailing or delivering a petition toterminate to the clerk.

Claims against the estate may befiled with the representative or with theCircuit Clerk’s Office, Will CountyCourthouse, 100 West Jefferson St., Joliet,IL or with the representative, or both, on orbefore the 1st day of March, 2022. Anyclaim not filed on or before that date isbarred unless otherwise permitted by law.Copies of a claim filed with the clerk mustbe mailed or delivered to the representa-tive and to the attorney of record within ten(10) days after it has been filed.ADLER LAW FIRM, P.C.DANIEL J. ADLER #03123945Attorney for Co-Independent Executor1616 W. Jefferson StreetJoliet, Illinois 60435(815) 744-5300email: [email protected]


Papa’s Pickinsfiles as new business

PUBLIC NOTICEAssumed Name

Publication NoticeCertificate 34239 was filed in the

office of the County Clerk of Will County onAugust 25, 2021 wherein the business firmof Papa Pickins, located at 205 N. WaterSt., Wilmington, IL 60481 was registered;that the true or real name or names of theperson or persons owning the business,with their respective post office address, isas follows:

Owner Name: Marvin Joseph MackOwner Address: 599 S. Kankakee

St., Braceville, IL, 60407IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have

hereunto set my hand and Official Seal atthis 25th day of August, 2021.

Lauren Staley FerryWill County Clerk


Council

EASY TO REMEMBER

www.freepressnewspapers.com

To quote thegreat philosophersof the 20th century,the JeffersonAirplane, “life ischange, how it dif-fers from therocks.”

Life in 1908was changing fast;everywhere youturned there wasnew decisions tobe made. The old was meltingaway, the new was everywhereyou looked, not unlike todaywhen seniors are scratchingtheir head about using theirsmart phones.

To begin with, automo-biles shared the road withhorses. Would those noisycontraptions really catch onand replace old Dobbin? Eventhe learned men of town dis-agreed. Take doctors forinstance, in March we read,“Dr. M. Cassingham this weekreceived a fine new physician'scarriage. It is the latestimproved model and can beenclosed against the weather.”

But a week later we read,“Frightened by the noise of Dr.Good's automobile, the teamof horses attached to E. H.Sampson's mail wagon dasheddown Jackson Street about 10o'clock Monday morning, andturning north in the rear of thepost office upset the wagon,wrecking the vehicle.” It wasobvious which side of thequestion Dr. Good was on.

Then there was the saloon

question. April of1908 marked thedate when theentire state votedon whether or notalcohol wouldremain legal.Each Tuesday inApril a portion ofthe state voted onthe question.Most peopleagreed drinking

could be a problem, but a fewnow and then never hurt any-one.

When Rev. G. I. Larash ofthe Methodist Church wasasked if alcohol should bebanned, he took out an ad inthe Advocate: “Yes, says thechurch; yes, says the school;yes, says all clean, moraldecent citizens. No, says thesaloon; no, says the brewery;no, says the victim of the drinkhabit as they walk up to the barand pour down the liquiddamnation which at the last,biteth like a serpent andstingeth like an adder.”

But the question was,should even Aunt Margaret'selderberry wine be consideredas contraband as well?

Then there was the prob-lem with the school, which wason everyone's mind as well. Anew method of governing theschool district was being put inplace. And then came thedreadful news.

“Architect Julian Barnes, ofJoliet, was in our city Thursdayin conference with the Board

of Education and Fire MarshalA. Krause, Jr., he being calledhere to pass judgment on theschool building. The structurehas been found to be of weakand improper constructionand also a regular firetrap withonly one exit in case of fire.”

What to do? The papersays, “The voters will be given achance to vote for or againstthe erection of a new buildingsome time next month. Sameto cost in the neighborhood of$50,000 (about $1,461,000today). It is thought that theold building can be altered andmade safe at a cost of $15,000or $20,000 ($584,500 today).”

Was it worth fixing?Should a new one be built?

The talk across the fencewas all about the new electricinterurban railroad that wasbeing planned. According tothe promoters, “It is proposedto construct an electric linefrom Chicago through thecounties of Cook, Will andKankakee to the city ofKankakee. The company notonly intends to construct aninterurban railway betweenKankakee and Joliet, but willbuild two large dams down theriver which will furnish thenecessary power for the line.One dam will be built at Altorf,and another at what is knownas Little Canada, nearWilmington.”

All the promoters neededwas a little bit of cash, accord-ing to the papers, “The roadwill surely be built if our citi-

zens will subscribe for $50,000($1,461,000) of the Traction Co.bonds.” Some fellows thoughtit was a great idea, especiallythe Warners who lived nearRockville.

We read, “We learn thatWallie H. Warner was in ourcity Saturday last and deposit-ed in the First National Bank ofthis city the contracts for over-flowed land and right-of-wayconsisting of $160,000($4,675,000) worth of property

for the first dam for the newelectric railway betweenKankakee and Wilmington.”

But others said it would belike the old railway that wentbroke even before it was fin-ished leaving limestone pillarsto mark the spot.

And finally there was theplan we read of in March 1908,“A meeting of our citizens washeld at the City Hall in this citylast Wednesday evening for thepurpose of subscribing money

and donating 15 acres of landto a large printing establish-ment and school which wishesto locate here. The onlyinducement held out to themwas an agreement to give themthe 15 acres asked for.” Is get-ting a new school and businessworth giving away 15 acres?Again, citizens weren't sure.

All these questions wereup in the air in that spring of1908, next time we will look athow they were answered.

WWW.FREEPRESSNEWSPAPERS.COM The Free Press Advocate, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, page 3

The unsettled spring of 1908, which way to turn

A SCENE from “Deacon Giles”, a litho of demons in the distillery and despensing damnation byCharles Carleton Coffin (1882). For decades artists would draw lithos of against drinking the demonrum.

BY ELLA COOPERWHS STUDENT REPORTER

A new school year hasbegun in Wilmington andalong with it two new teach-ers.

Alyssa Lesh is now teach-ing a variety of music classes.She is teaching regular andadvanced choir atWilmington Middle Schoolwhile at the high school she isteaching Showcats, MixedChoir, Contemporary music,and directing the springmusical.

Lesh is the youngest offour siblings, coming from arather musically inclinedfamily. She sings alongsideher mother in her father’srock band. She spends afterschool hours leading a showchoir at Olivet NazareneUniversity in Bourbonnais,called Apollo.

Lesh also enjoys travel-ing, dancing, figure skatingand roller coasters.

Lesh graduated fromClifton Central High Schoolbefore attendng Olivet

University where she studiedmusical education, vocal per-formance, and musical the-ater. She taught choir atWatskea and Kankakeeschools while maintaining asimple teaching philosophy,“Everyone has the capabilityto sing, the only difference isexperience and motivation.”

She currently has hersights set on having a suc-cessful musical and educat-

ing her students on the sci-ence behind their voices, for-mally known as vocal peda-gogy.

The other addition to the209-U district is Tori Ruffattoa new Kindergarten teacherat Bruning ElementarySchool. She previously taughtat St. Rose Catholic Schoolhere in Wilmington for twoyears and got to partake in e-learning last year at Bruning

with the first graders. Ruffatto knew she was

going to be a teacher sinceshe was a young girl.

“I love being able to seesomeone learn somethingnew and how excited theywould become,” she com-mented.

Ruffatto studied at LewisUniversity in Romeovillebefore seeking out a positionat Wilmington due to theenvironment and connectionwith staff. She has an amaz-ing family that she spendslots of time with, but herfavorite is her 3- year-oldniece. Ruffatto also lovesspending time outdoors withher two dogs.

“I feel it is very importantto guide each individual stu-dent with that means that arebest for their individual selfto become successful,” sheresponded when asked hertheory to favorable teaching.She hopes to equip her stu-dents with the proper knowl-edge to thrive in the firstgrade.

New teachers arrive at Wilmington 209-U schools

ALYSSA LESH TORI RUFFATTO

The Wilmington Water Department will be flushinghydrants Monday through Firday for the next three weeks.Flushing will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Hydrant flushing signs will be displayed near major roads inareas where water department personnel will be flushing.

Flushing may loosen rust particles in the water lines.Residents and businesses that experience rust-colored water areadvised to run their cold water taps until the water runs clear.

Do not use hot water until the rusty water has been flushedfrom your plumbing system.

City hydrants to be flushed

The Custer Fire ProtectionDistrict will host a Family Dayat the station at 21750Highway 113 in Custer Park onSaturday, Sept. 18.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.Custer firefighters, para-medics and EMTs will meetwith the general public follow-ing the dedition of the muralon the west wall, painted bythe Reed-Custer High Schoolart class.

There will be activities forkids throughout the dayincluding tours of “Tankzilla”,the district’s tanker truck,automobile extrication demo(1 p.m.), a drone and search &rescue dog demo by the

Wilmington ESDA, stopsinside a Riverside Ambulance,Superior Ambulance Medevachelicopter, Limestone F.P.Dairboat and other agenciesoffering giveaways.

Child passenger safetyseat inspections will be offeredfrom 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Famlies can sign-up forsmoke detectors for theirhome. The Wilmington LionsClub food trailer will be sellingcheeseburgers, hot dogs andbeverages. There will be rafflebaskets, 50/50 split the pot, asilent auction (drawings startat 3:30 p.m.)

So bring the family andhave some fun.

Custer Fire plansFamily Day for Sept. 18

MMoonn..,, SSeepptt.. 2200:: Trix, animal crackers, fruit punch andchoice of milk

TTuueess..,, SSeepptt.. 2211:: parfait and choice of milkWWeedd..,, SSeepptt.. 2222:: cinnamon pop tart, keebler grahams, grape

juice and choice of milkThurs., SSeepptt.. 2233: chocolate muffin, french toast goldfish,

apple juice and choice of milkFFrrii..,, SSeepptt.. 2244:: frosted flakes, grahams, apple juice and

choice of milkDaily milk choices are fat free chocolate or 1% white milk.

Breakfast at school

MMoonn..,, SSeepptt.. 2200:: hot dogon a bun, nachos and cheese,baby carrots, mixed fruit andchoice of milk

TTuueess..,, SSeepptt.. 2211:: pizza,romaine salad, scooby snacks,applesauce and choice of milk

WWeedd..,, SSeepptt.. 2222:: lasagnabake, green beans, garlic toast,peach cup and choice of milk

TThhuurrss..,, SSeepptt.. 2233:: tacowedges, refried beans, salsa,pears and choice of milk

FFrrii..,, SSeepptt.. 2244:: cheese-burger on bun, tater tots,mixed berries and choice ofmilk

Daily milk choices are fatfree milk and 1% white milk.

209U Lunch this weekA motorcycle crash

claimed the life of a Gardnerman early Sunday morning inunincorporated GrundyCounty.

Tyler E. O’Neill, 32, waspronounced dead at the sceneof the crash at 9 a.m. on Sept.12.

The motorcycle was dis-covered in a grassy area offBerta Road north of BracevilleRoad.

Preliminary investigationappears the driver wasapproaching a curve in theroad when he failed to negoti-ate the curve and wentthrough a ditch and into alarge grass area on the west-side of the roadway.

The accident is underinvestigation by the offices ofthe Grundy County Coronerand Sheriff.

Services for O’Neill areunder the direction of HagerMemorial Home in Dwight

Gardner mankilled in crash

The Free Press Advocate, The Braidwood Journal, The Coal City Courant, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, page 4 WWW.FREEPRESSNEWSPAPERS.COM

Time to stand togetherSHADOW LAKES—Comment to

Comment…People wake up! This is no longerTrump vs. Biden, Republican vs. Democrat, leftvs. right, mask vs. unmask, vaccinated vs.unvaccinated. This is us fighting amongst eachother and allowing our government to causedivision. It is about the American peoplewatching as our nation is destroyed. This isabout our soldiers getting killed! This is ourleaders not standing behind our soldiers. Thisis our leaders being cowards and taking ordersfrom the Taliban. This is heartbreaking. Weneed to stand together. Stand firm, and fight forour nation. America is stronger together.Always, Margot Lane

About the absurdWILMINGTON—The position of anti-

choice yet pro-death describes the absurdity ofTexas' Governor Abbot especially consideringhis anti-mask mandates. Abbott also opposescommon sense by allowing anybody andeverybody in Texas to purchase a gun withoutproper training in the use of a deadly weapon.Health care in Texas is nearly the worst in thenation and Texas' horrible energy systemforced many people to burn their furniture inorder to stay warm during the winter of 2020.Recently Abbott signed unconstitutional legis-lation which not only makes it more difficultfor people to vote, which is un-American, butalso unleashes vigilantes against women whoget an abortion as well as against those whohelp the women in any way regardless of rapeand incest. Abbott will find that the courts willbe messing with Texas in short order. Irene D.

The bribery bailoutMORRIS—This is plain out bribery. So

ComEd wants $800 million to keep Byron andDresden open. This is bribery. Our electric rateswill go up, for property tax owners about $3.50to $4.00 a month. Why don’t the taxpayers inIllinois get a property tax break? We cannot geta property tax break but we can go give all thesebig companies money and tax incentives tostay in the state. The property tax owners inIllinois should stop paying their property taxes.Maybe then these school board memberswould stop giving out these big pay raises andraising property taxes. I don’t care if the nuclearplants shut down, let them shut down. Like Isaid before this is plain bribery. Do not vote forthe bailout for Dresden and Byron.

The violent LeftMORRIS—My name is Jack L. I’m watching

Fox news where a leftist mob attacks LarryElder who is a Conservative news host possiblyrunning for governor. Yes he was somewhatrebel but BLM and the leftist rebels haveattacked more people in this country thanQAnon ever did. Why is it leftist are so violentwhen rightist are not. Can anybody out thereanswer me? I would love to hear your answer,because the only answer you can give is youwant socialism in this country. Thank you.

Let’s rideWILMINGTON—Is anybody going to the

capitol on the 18th? I might need a ride.

They’re irrelevantWILMINGTON—A frequent caller refer-

enced the Ten Commandments and I’d like toremind the readers unless you are a Jew or aChristian the Commandments are irrelevant.Or to quote a famous pirate movie “they aremore like guidelines.” Glad I could clear thatup, Benny Lane.

Please explainWILMINGTON—Hi, Penny Lane here and

I’d like to address the caller who said I had indi-rectly insulted them. Please call back andexplain what I said that set you off. Thanks foryour compliment on my use of words. I takepride in my vocabulary and writing and I gotstraight A’s in my college English class. It’s niceto be noticed. As far as the rest of your sound-off regarding voting and not voting, I got lost inthe rambling incoherent gibberish. So maybeyou could explain that too. Again, Penny Lane,Wilmington.

The dam meetingWILMINGTON—Calling about the recent

meeting at city hall regarding the removal orkeeping of the dam. It’s clear to see that ournewly elected mayor is not the captain of theship when IDNR personnel had to get controlof the meeting with people speaking out ofturn. I would think that would be the charge ofthe mayor and not a guest speaker. Thank you.

Segregate our kidsWILMINGTON—To ease parent concerns,

I suggest we bring segregation back into theschools. Masked kids will learn together in onesection of the school. Unmasked kids will learn

together in another part of the school. At notime will these two groups interact with eachother. Happy now??

Ungrateful couch warriors

MORRIS—There was an article in thesound-off column on Sept. 1, 2021 about some-one that wanted to know if Dan Hill was draft-ed or enlisted in the US army. And no matterwhat the answer, there would be somethingnasty said. So did the caller that wanted theanswer ever serve in any branch of the military?It does not matter if he was drafted or enlistedhe served in a war zone to protect your free-dom and what have you couch potato warriorsever done except to degrade the military andthe veterans ever since the Vietnam war. Nowclaiming that the goal of the military was to killpeople in their own country, which means thatyou are saying the veterans and all military per-sonnel are hired guns to kill people in the USAfor money. You cancel culture people are a dis-grace to humanity and you have about as manybrains as an empty tea bag. You are an insult tothis nation with all the bigotry and lack of com-mon sense and you seem to some veryungrateful people about your life in America.So why do you move to Afghanistan and seehow much freedom you will have under theTaliban rule.

His son’s rosaryWILMINGTON—President Joe Biden

wears his dead son Beau’s rosary around hiswrist next to his watch. Right wing parrotsclaim he was checking his watch at the DoverAirbase when he was actually praying for thedead Marines. And remember Trump calleddead soldiers suckers and losers.

Ignoring the shameWILMINGTON—The problem with

Republicans is there is no shaming them.

Pushing their ideasCOAL CITY—The cancel culture people

have tried to push some of the most idioticideas on people that have common-sense andthe ability to see that the cancel culture peopleappeared to have the mind of a floating cloudthat has no substance to hold a common-sensethought while whatever blows in the winddrifts right through their brains and we couldclassify them as air heads. Without the ability torealize the truth but instead they accept thepropaganda of the communistic agendainstead of being an independent thinkinghuman being that is capable of being able toenjoy freedom instead of having our govern-ment employees dictating how another humanbeing should live their life. They continue todestroy the sovereignty of the USA with noobjections by the airheads.

Mar-A-Lago NorthWILMINGTON—Are Democrats and liber-

als allowed to live in Mar-A-Lago North, I meanthe gated community of Shadow Lakes?

Singling out golf catsWILMINGTON—I read in the Free Press

this past week that the topic of golf carts madethe paper again. So I ask this question again.Are motorized bicycles and motorized skate-boards allowed to cross 53 legally? For thatmatter, how is riding a regular bicycle or walk-ing across 53 safer? I would like clarification onthis topic as it seems golf carts and ATVs arebeing singled out. The Free Press article madereference that the only legal intersection is atKahler Road and 102. I disagree. There is onemore legal intersection but I'm sure the citywould argue this. I contend there is anotherlegal intersection at 53 and Water Street lights.By looking at a street sign traveling north on102, 102 ends at the intersection of JeffersonStreet. So a golf cart could legally cross 53 trav-eling south and take a left hand turn into theFree Press alley, the Grundy Bank parking lot,or at Jefferson Street and be legal. Most every-one assumes 102 ends at 53 but, again, that'snot what the sign says. Is this picky? Of courseit is but there are more serious issues in townthan a golf cart crossing 53. Personally, I wouldlove the state to put in a 4-way stop sign some-where near the Launching Pad or anywherebefore the 4-way stoplights if nothing morethan to slow traffic down a bit. I think theWilmington police have done a fantastic jobnot ticketing every violator with a golf cart andI thank them for their understanding.

Signs, signs, signsWILMINGTON—Please take down those

old political signs and enforce the current signordinances. Just like the house with grass a foothigh, nobody wants it in their neighborhood.Place your signs up a few months then downafter an election. Most of us are sick of politics.Let’s not see anymore signs until April Fools.

Garage sale lady

Love the damWILMINGTON—We are

the Island city. If it wasn't forthe lay of the land, Wilmingtonwould not exist as we know ittoday. This is the treasure ourgreat-great grandfathers andgreat-great-grandmothersshared with the public for over150 years. It is so sad to thinkthat a handful of people canwipe out our proud town's richhistory with a stroke of a penor a yes vote. Why keep ourdam? Our town makes thou-sands of dollars off visitors.Has anyone conducted a studyon Yorkville's revenues yearsprior to dam removal andafter? They were a big fishingtown, but not no more. ThenAsian carp will easily assessour upper Kankakee River withabundant numbers. Over thelast 10 years several Asian carphave been caught by CusterPark even with the dam intact.Where are the DucksUnlimited to protect our hunt-ing grounds. The dam hasbeen a wildlife viewing area

and a great food source for many generations.Let’s not change that. DNR will not remove thedam with citizen opposing the removal. Persist.

Take your pickCOAL CITY—We are ordered to obey speed

limits on highways. We are ordered to carryvehicle insurance. We are ordered to smokeoutdoors in public. We are ordered to preventour sewage from running onto our neighbor'sproperty. Thank heavens for these laws whichprotect us. The same way vaccines have beenprotecting us since George Washingtonordered smallpox vaccinations for his troopsduring the Revolutionary War. If not for vac-cines, we might still be under British rule andthere would be no USA. The point is, get vacci-nated and slap a mask over your face. Or wouldyou prefer 20 years of quarantine that typhoidMary was forced to endure a hundred years agobecause she refused to wash her hands afterusing the toilet? Take your pick. Mark

Barefoot and pregnantBRAIDWOOD—When Texas Governor

Abbot was asked why he denies abortions torape victims, he dodged the question withsome real jaw-droppers. He said rape is illegalin Texas and will be stamped out entirely.Really? Does Abbott know that every 68 sec-onds a rape occurs in America and Texas usual-ly has more rapes annually than any otherstate? All I can say is, if Abbott believes rape canbe eliminated entirely in Texas, he must besmoking some strange and powerful stuff. Andif Abbot thinks it's so easy to stop all rape, whyhasn't he tried to stop it already? Records showthat Texas law enforcement has an excess ofunused rape kits and those that are being usedand processed result in few convictions. Maybeit's because Texas is a land of macho gun-slingers where the preferred role for women isto be barefoot and pregnant. Ann S.

Gates of hellBRAIDWOOD—When South Carolina

Governor McMaster says he will fight the vac-cine mandate "to the gates of hell," maybethat's where he will end up. How manyAmericans have died due to Covid? So far660,000 overall and lately about a thousand perday. If Governor McMaster fights the vaccines,he will be responsible for thousands of deaths.Why would he want people to die and theirfamilies to grieve? He should strive to be hisbrother's keeper both as a Christian and as agovernor. Perhaps McMaster is a bad governorand not a true Christian. The gates of hell maybe beckoning for Governor McMaster of SouthCarolina. R.K.

Here’s my voteWILMINGTON—If such a thing really

existed I would vote for Democrat Communistover any Republican with the exception of LizCheney and Adam Kinzinger.

Asian carp invasionWILMINGTON—Concerning the removal

of the dam. A wise person once said if weremove the dam we may be the Asian Carpcapitol of the world. Number 2: I thought thestate of Illinois was short on money. Number 3:If you can’t read, don’t go by it.

It’s still a liabilityWILMINGTON—Regarding the dam meet-

ing, I thought it was very interesting andinformative. I also thought more interestingwas the majority of people that I knew werethere don’t even live in the city limits. They livenorth of the dam. Now to me, if you don’t haveany skin in the game such as property taxesand liability for the dam it’s easy to say to keepit. I don’t think those people should have a sayin the decision on a dam that they don’t live by.If they want to be annexed into the city and beliable for the cost of any future lawsuitsbecause of that which is coming then get in thegame. Sooner or later someone is going to goover the dam again floating down, God forbid.Put a special taxing district for along the rivernorth of the dam and pay for the liability insur-ance the city can’t get. In thecity of Chicago if the policebreak into the wrong apart-ment and the plaintiff is given$4-$5 million. What do youthink is going to happen ifsomeone goes over the damand down the river and Godforbid gets killed and you havethe most dangerous damknown in the state of Illinoisand you didn’t do a thingabout it? Give the dam to thestate. Get rid of the liability.The river is not going to dryup. It’s flow is safe. Maybe thepeople upstream won’t like itbut it’s still the flow.

Their land taken awaySHADOW LAKES—I watch a lot of

American history and read about it and onething, even though I fought in Vietnam, is whydoesn’t this country stick their nose in otherpeople’s business? A prime example is theAmerican Indian. This was the AmericanIndian’s land and we came here and took itfrom them. Why did we destroy them whenthey were only defending their own land? Isthat any different than us defending our landand governments from Russia or China? No, it’snot. The American Indian owned this land andI am sorry to say that the European, Africanand Asian took that land from them.

Dan Hill

$85 billion left behindThank President Biden and the generals.

The U.S. left behind $85 billion of taxpayermoney in planes, Humvees, guns, specialequipment in Afghanistan after we pulled outof the country. Now the enemy has it all for freeto use against us. What a disaster. We will neverknow the true number of Afghans who helpedAmericans during the 20-year war and were leftbehind and probably will die.

SS drying upI read the Social Security Trust Fund bene-

fits decline 24% unless Congress intervenes by2033. That’s 12 short years away. Far too manyare living far too long. When the Social SecurityFund was set up most elderly died between 65-70 years old. Now, with the huge baby boomersclass going into retirement the fund has prob-lems.

The step down optionWILMINGTON—I attended the meeting to

listen to the people of Wilmington talk aboutthe dam removal. It was interesting and some-what informative. One thing I find interesting isthat the Braidwood Nuke Plant was not there tolet us know their future plan. Will they contin-ue and take the rest of the water? They, too,depend on the river for their cooling processbecause they came to Wilmington at somepoint and said “We will help the KankakeeRiver Water. It will be cleaner which will helpvegetation grow for the fish.” Tell that to myneighbors in Resthaven who now have anisland of sludge in front of their homes. Yes,there is more vegetation and if you take a rideyou will see that is closing up the river banks.That is every day, not on drought summer days.They did not help our waterway. The sludge infront of the Mill Race looks terrible. This makesour city look terrible. This is 2021, the businesspeople of Wilmington are trying hard to makeour city look nice since we also have Route 66Corridor coming through. Wilmington is sittingon a gold mine but not using the resources wehave been blessed with. So now the govern-ment is coming back to you Wilmington andsaying “We will help you” by paying the entireprice of taking out the dam. They, too, willdestroy this beautiful waterway. The KankakeeRiver was a creek and still is in Indiana. TheArmy Corps of Engineers came and built thisdam to help the city of Wilmington. Do youreally want just a trickle of water going throughour town? The design was done so many yearsago. Now, with the new knowledge and tech-nology, which the step down option is so muchsafer than the circular, pull back motion thatwe now have. I also found interesting that thepeople that live on the river have no say in thisdecision. But we can vote and remove the peo-ple that will be making this decision on thebasis of free money and from the fear of law-suits from families that were told to stay awayfrom the dam. Please consider the step downoption so we can keep the dam and the river,yet keep our families and friends safe. Help ourbusiness people and the homes that are affect-ed get rid of that sludge. I say we don’t needtheir help. Our city council will do the rightthing. Keep people out of the water at the damarea. Remember anybody can drown, any-where. Thanks for listening.

Free Press Newspapers readers

To voice your opinion 24 hours a day, go towww.freepressnewspapers.com or call 815-634-0317

Sound-Off is a 24-hour phone lineprovided to give readers a chance tovoice their opinions. Calls may beanonymous.

The Free Press Newspapers reservesthe right to edit remarks for taste, length,personal attacks, calls for boycotts andlibel. In cases where the publisher selectsnot to publish these remarks the news-

paper makes every effort to forwardunpublished comments to the parties towhom they are directed.

The comments stated are the opin-ions and ideas of the callers and not thatof the newspaper. Information may notconstitute the actual events or facts of aparticular topic.

To voice your opinion, please go to

www.freepressnewspapers.com, ->Submit Sound-off or call 815-634-0317.Please state the town in which you arecalling from or in regards to. If mailingcomments please direct them to Sound-Off, 271 S. Broadway, Coal City, IL 60416or 111 S. Water St., Wilmington, IL60481.

WWW.FREEPRESSNEWSPAPERS.COM The Free Press Advocate, The Braidwood Journal, The Coal City Courant, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, page 5

STAFF REPORT

The true tale of a voyagethat broke a man down andbuilt him back up, with thehelp of one special horse isbeing told in the newlyreleased book “On the Hoof.”

At 37, Jesse McNeil—attimes carpenter, commercialfisherman, dabbler in realestate—decided to buy anuntrained horse, make himselfinto a horseman, and ride allthe way across the UnitedStates, from the Pacific to theAtlantic Ocean.

His 3,800-mile routepassed through Grundy andWill Counties including a stopin Wilmington where he metbarber Bert Niehls who offeredhis yard for the horse to grazeand a haircut and shave.

A fiercely independenttraveler, McNeil had navigatedprevious coast-to-coast tripssolo journeys by moped, bicy-cle, and small airplane. Thistime, however, he had a part-ner: a five-year-old TennesseeWalking Horse named Pepper.

An inexperienced horse-man with an equally inexperi-enced mount, McNeil wouldquickly discover the immensechallenges of his new under-taking. Over the course of eightmonths and 14 states, begin-ning in Oregon and ending ona beach in New Hampshire, hewould be tested many timesover as he learned not onlywhat it took to keep Pepper

safe and healthy, but the truevalue of qualities that he hadonce easily dismissed:patience and companionship.

The generosity ofstrangers, from helpful ranch-ers and storekeepers to subur-ban families, shaped the pair’sjourney east. And while atsome points the miles didn’tunfold as Jesse hoped, othersyielded unexpected events thatchanged his perspective—andquite possibly, his future.

Written with honesty, grit,and grace, “On the Hoof” cap-tures an arduous voyage thatbroke a man down and builthim back up, with the help ofone special horse.

After years crafting woodas a carpenter, he’s now shapedwords into his first book,”Onthe Hoof, Pacific to Atlantic,”chronicling his journey acrossthe country with Pepper.

The author and Pepperlive in the San Juan Islands ofWashington State where theycontinue to explore hills andfields and daydream of newjourneys ahead.

The book is available nowfrom Trafalgar Square Books.

3,800-mile journey includes local stops in book

File photo

THEY STAYED in Wilmington eight years ago and now Jesse AlexMcNeil has written a book about his 3,800-mile journey across theU.S. with his horse Pepper. The author is pictured taking a breakin the yard owned by Bert and Charlene Niehls on South KankakeeStreet.

Illinois gas prices have fallen 5.2 cents pergallon in the past week, averaging $3.23/gMonday, according to GasBuddy's daily surveyof 4,378 stations in Illinois.

Gas prices in Illinois are 7.2 cents per gal-lon lower than a month ago and stand $1.01/ghigher than a year ago.

According to GasBuddy price reports, thecheapest station in Illinois is priced at $2.55/gwhile the most expensive is $3.89/g, a differ-ence of $1.34/g.

The national average price of gasoline hasfallen 1.9 cents per gallon in the last week, aver-aging $3.15/g. The national average is down 2.8cents per gallon from a month ago and stands97.7 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

"Sagging U.S. gasoline demand along withcontinued recovery after Hurricane Ida havehelped gas prices edge slightly lower in most

states from where they were a week ago. Butwith Tropical Storm Nicholas threateninganother key area of refineries in Houston withsignificant rain, we could see the decline inprices hit the pause button," said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis forGasBuddy.

"While Nicholas would appear to be aminor storm, we could see a deluge of water -the same issue that caused some significantdamage in Ida's wake to refineries in Louisiana.Combined with the earlier storm, Nicholascould make things more challenging.

“However, as gasoline demand has nowfallen for four straight weeks, there is morebreathing room even if some capacity doestemporarily go offline. It's too early to tell,clearly, but motorists should be aware."

Gas prices fall as demand weakens

You may be surprised atwhich professional sportsteam has the most loyal fanswhen it comes to cruising theroads of Illinois.

Not the Chicago Cubs.Not the Chicago Bears.Try the Chicago White SoxWhite Sox fans have pur-

chased the most license platesin the sports team seriesoffered through the IllinoisSecretary of State’s office.

More than 71,000 sportsteam license plates have beenpurchased since its inceptionin 2002, raising more than $13million for Illinois publicschools.

"I am thrilled to reportthat this program has generat-ed $13,011,300 million for ourpublic schools throughoutIllinois. It is a win, win situa-tion for our students, teachersand sports fans," commentedSecretary of State Jesse White.

The White Sox plate leadsall others with 21,890 sold.Second most popular is theChicago Blackhawks platewith 19,848. Chicago Cubs fanplates sold is at 13,970, fol-lowed by the Chicago Bears:8,620; St. Louis Cardinals:3,555; and Chicago Bulls:3,416.

The public may order theSports Team Series licenseplates by visiting www.ilsos.gov. Fans may order randomnumber, personalized or vani-ty plates. It will take approxi-mately six weeks to receivelicense plates in the mail afterordering. Each license platesale and renewal raises $25 forthe Professional Sports TeamsEducation Fund and is ear-marked for the CommonSchool Fund, which supportspublic schools throughoutIllinois.

The cost to purchase a

random number sports platefor a currently titled vehiclewith valid Illinois registrationwill be $69. Pricing varies forvanity and personalizedlicense plates.

White noted that the St.Louis Cardinals Illinois licenseplates purchases have alreadysurpassed the number of St.Louis Cardinals specialtyplates sold in the state ofMissouri. There are 1,214 St.Louis Cardinal license platesregistered in the state ofMissouri, according to theMissouri Department ofRevenue.

"The Cardinals have builta strong legacy in the MetroEast and throughout Illinois,"said White. "Fans haveexpressed their pride for theMissouri team here in ourgreat state, and the sales ofthese license plates benefitsIllinois public schools."

Who has the most loyal fansdriving the roads of Illinois?


The 2021 NFLseason has begun!This season fansare back in thestands, and possi-bly in your livingroom as well.

What are youserving at yourgame day gather-ing? Game daycocktails arealways nice, butsomeone alwaysends up playingbartender all day instead ofspending quality time withfriends. One solution to thisproblem is to prepare largebatches of cocktails to beserved in a punch bowl, and inrecent years the most populargame day punch is theMoscow Mule Punch.

There are tons of optionswhen it comes to punches andbatched cocktails, why theMoscow Mule? The Mule isone of the best “all around”cocktails, in every sense.

It is not overly heavy like aMartini or Manhattan, but ithas more kick than a Mimosa.It is a popular afternoon drinkwhich is when most footballgames or tailgate parties takeplace, and the Moscow Mulehas fans from sea to shiningsea.

The signature flavor of theMule is easily replicated in alarge batch, which is difficultto accomplish with othercocktails. Even with a bit ofdilution from melting ice in apunch bowl, the Mule stillmaintains its classic flavorprofile of ginger and lime.

The Moscow Mule Punchis identical to the MoscowMule cocktail, but with a twist.Mint leaves are a commonlyused garnish for a single-serveMoscow Mule, but in thepunch adaptation mint is usedin the actual drink. I realizethat a cup of mint leaves (plusmore for garnish) is quite a lotof mint, but it's absolutelyworth it. The crisp, clean mintflavor is a perfect complementto the ginger and lime.

As is the casewith nearly allmixology applica-tions, a sweet mintis the best optionwhen mixingdrinks. Spearmintis not ideal for usein cocktails as thementhol flavor willoverpower nearlyany drink.

The shoppinglist for the gameday Moscow Mule

Punch is straightforward, withone caveat. When it comes toginger beer, not all is createdequal. There is “regular” gin-ger beer, and diet or “light”ginger beer. In almost everycase, the Moscow Mulesserved in commercial bars usethe traditional ginger beerunless otherwise specified.

If you want your home-made Moscow Mules to tastelike the Mules from yourfavorite bar, use the standardginger beer. The light gingerbeer maintains a ginger flavorin the same way that Diet Coketastes like cola, but to manyfans of the Moscow Mule thelighter or diet ginger beertastes a bit watered down.

That's not to say there isnot a wonderful diet gingerbeer out there. If you have afavorite ginger beer, use it, butknow that the ginger beer isthe “make or break” ingredi-ent. If you do not have a gin-ger beer preference, search forFever Tree, Goslings, Reeds, orCock'n Bull.

Don't break the bank on apremium vodka for any largebatch cocktail or punch, stickwith the standard Smirnoff,Tito's, Svedka, or Ketel One.

Fresh is always best whenit comes to the mint and lime,if you have a juicer, you shouldbe able to produce a cup offresh lime juice with ease. Atypical lime will yield nearly 1oz. of juice, add a few extra tothe shopping list for garnish. Ifyou have mint in your herbgarden, here's your chance toput it to good use.

When it comes to serving,presentation matters! Havesome fun with this one.Moscow Mules are traditional-ly served in copper mugs, pickup a dozen or so wherever youcan find them. Many localsupermarkets and spiritsretailers are carrying Mulemugs, they are also availableonline. If you have a restau-rant supply store nearby, youmay be able to pick up a box ofmugs at a reasonable price.

A standard punch bowland ladle will work, make surethe bowl has enough volumeto hold the recipe below.

Next to your punch bowl,arrange your mugs. You know,in such a way that your guestswill snap a pic and post to theirsocial media. Also, set out twosmaller bowls with the gar-nishes of mint and limewheels. An ice bucket of extrabar ice is also helpful for thedesignated driver's ginger beeron ice. Ginger beer, by theway, is non-alcoholic.

One note on keeping yoursliced lime garnishes fresh:

always keep your sliced limesin a cup or bowl of club soda.This will keep them from dry-ing out and will not change theflavor or nose of the lime.

Looks like the Bears arestarting the 2021 campaign 0-1. They will have a chance toget back in the “W” columnnext week vs. Cincinnati atSoldier Field, noon kick onSunday.

Moscow Mule Punch isbuilt in a punch bowl, servedin copper Mule mugs.

Combine in punch bowl:4 cups of ice3 cups of vodka4 cups of ginger beer1 cup of fresh lime juice1 cup of mint leaves

(optional)2 limes, sliced into wheelsCombine ingredients in

bowl, ladle into copper Mulemugs

Garnish with lime wheelsand mint sprigs.

Until next week, enjoyresponsibly.

Serve up this favorite to game day guests

THE MOSCOW MULE is a popular game day drink when it’s servedfrom a punch bowl into copper mugs.

THE SUNDAYCOCKTAIL

Brian Rung

The USDA Forest Service’sMidewin National TallgrassPrairie announces updatesand safety reminders for the2021-2022 hunting seasons.

There are separate timesidentified based on the type ofhunt. Dates for 2021-2022hunting at Midewin NTP are asfollows:

• Deer ArcheryOct. 1, 2021 through Jan.

16, 2022• ShotgunNov. 19-22, 2021• ShotgunDec. 2-5, 2021• MuzzleloaderDec. 10-12, 2021Licenses for shotgun and

muzzleloader hunting areawarded through the IllinoisDepartment of NaturalResources (I-DNR) lottery sys-

tem. The I-DNR lottery isalready complete for the 2021-2022 hunting seasons.

Hunting at MidewinNational Tallgrass Prairie isavailable on all lands open tothe public with some excep-tions.

Midewin NTP is managedby the USDA Forest Serviceand is a federal facility. Statehunting laws as outlined in theIllinois Digest of Hunting andTrapping Regulations areenforced at Midewin NTP withthe additions specified in theSpecial Hunt Area Rules.

Additional rules havebeen developed for all huntingat Midewin NTP consistentwith USDA-FS policies andguidelines for recreation, pub-lic access and use. All of theseconditions combine to providea unique recreational experi-ence at Midewin NTP for allvisitors.

Hunters can go directly totrailheads and sign in nearwhere they park. Additionally,there is no longer an introduc-tory video. This updatedprocess was introduced in2019 and will remain in placeat Midewin NTP for forthcom-ing hunting seasons until fur-ther notice.

As in previous years, eachtrailhead serves as a sign-inlocation specific to a huntingarea at Midewin NTP. Now,hunters can go directly to a

trailhead parking area and signin at the seedbed kiosk at theRiver Road Trailhead. (“P3” –River Road & BoathouseRoad); at the Explosives RoadTrailhead (“P5”- IL State Route53 & Explosives Road); at theIron Bridge Trailhead (IL StateRoute 53, just south of HoffRoad); and at the Hoff RoadTrailhead (Hoff Road &Chicago Road). Please refer-ence the trail map:https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd551074.pdf.

Hunters must be at least150 yards away from parkinglots and trails while hunting.

Safety for Hunters• Check weather reports

before your visit.• Tell someone where you

will be hunting and when youwill return.

• Be familiar with the area.• Dress properly and be

prepared for the worst possi-ble conditions.

• Check hunting equip-ment before and after eachouting and maintain it proper-ly. Familiarize yourself with itsoperation before using it in thefield.

• Carry a spare set of dryclothing. Use layering tech-niques to prevent moisturewhile retaining body warmth.Always bring rain gear.

• Carry a first aid kit.• Clearly identify your tar-

get before shooting.• Put hunting plans in

writing (dates, times, locationand expected time of return).

• Be alert when huntingnear developed areas andtrails.

• Wear hunter orange oranother highly visible color.

Safety for Non-hunters• Make yourself more visi-

ble: Wear colors that stand out,like red or orange, and avoidwhite, blacks, browns, earth-toned greens and animal-col-ored clothing.

• Don’t forget to protect“Fido”; consider bright colorsfor dogs.

• Make noise. Whistle, singor carry on a conversation asyou walk to alert hunters toyour presence.

• Hunters should be lis-tening for any sounds of ani-mal movement.

• Be courteous. Once ahunter is aware of your pres-ence, don’t make unnecessarynoise to disturb wildlife. Avoidconfrontations.

• Make yourself known. Ifyou do hear shooting, raiseyour voice and let huntersknow that you are in the vicin-ity.

• Know when hunting sea-sons are. Continue to hike, butlearn about where and whenhunting is taking place.

Midewin Tallgrass Prairie announceshunting season updates, safety reminders

DEER ARCHERY HUNTERS can harvest deer at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie near Wilmington.Dates for hunting at Midewin have been established and hunters can go directly to trailhead parkingarea to sign in when they hunt.


After skipping a year due to the pandem-ic, the Wilmington High class of 1961 is get-ting together for a 60th-year reunion onSaturday, Oct. 1, at Wilmington’s South Islandpavilion.

The city rents the pavilion from noon todusk, so plan to eat around 1 p.m. Cost is $5per person. There will be meat provided andeveryone is asked to bring a dish to share.Anyone with questions can call Sharon at(815)-861-6534.

Class of 1961reunion

Learn all about the pelicans that gather in Will County during fall migration from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.Saturday, Sept. 25, at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center. Guided hikes and pelican presen-tations will be offered from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1p.m. to 3 p.m. Pelican presentations are sched-uled for noon-12:30 p.m. and 1-1:30 p.m. Lil Deb’s Mobile Eats will be serving food from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.Register online by Sept. 24 for the guided hikes and presentations or call 815-722-9470.

Forest Preserve hosts Pelican Watch

Grace Luthern Church is now holding a sui-cide support group on the second Tuesday ofeach month at 6 p.m. at the church at 907 LutherDr., in Wilmingon. The next meeting will be onOct. 12.

If you have lost a family member or friend tosuicide, please come and join us as a way to heal.Bring a picture of your loved one with you.

Grace Luthern startssuicide support group

The Braidwood LionsClub will be holding their finalJunk-In-The-Trunk & FarmersMarket of the year on Sunday,Sept. 19 from noon to 6 p.m. inthe north end of theBraidwood City Park.

Farmers, vendors,crafters, bakers and more areinvited to participate with a15ft x 15ft space costing just$10. Pre-registration is not

mandatory but is highlyencouraged.

To pre-register, pleaseemail [email protected] or call (815) 791-8093. There will be other fam-ily activities taking placethroughout the park duringthe day. More information isavailable by visitingwww.braidwoodlionsclub.org

Junk-in-the-trunk,farmers market vendors wanted The Illinois Valley Area of

Narcotics Anonymous holdsmeetings Tuesdays,Wednesdays and Saturdays foranyone who needs help cop-ing with drug abuse.

On Tuesdays, “Fight forlife” meeting can be found inCoal City at the UnitedMethodist Church on 6805 E.McArdle Rd., from 6:30 p.m. to8 p.m.

On Wednesdays,“Working the steps” meetingis in Channahon at the UnitedMethodist Church, on 24751W. Eames St. The meeting isfrom 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday’s meeting is“Making amends” and will belocated at the UnitedMethodist Church in CoalCity. Meeting times are 6 p.m.to 7:30 p.m.

Illinois ValleyArea of NA tohost meetings

Are you living large or justtreading water? As a wise manonce said, "To know how togrow old is the masterwork ofwisdom and one of the mostdifficult chapters in the greatart of living.

The senior years can bevery challenging, even daunt-ing. The First PresbyterianChurch of Wilmington is offer-ing a four-part seminar toexplore these challenges and

suggest ways of meeting them.The meetings will be in

the Fellowship Room of theFirst Presbyterian Church ofWilmington at Van Buren andKankakee streets.

Beginning Sunday, Sept.12, the seminar will start at9:30 a.m. and last 45 minutes.All are welcome. There is nofee and reservations are notrequired.

Owning your ageseminar offered

Planning acommunity event?

Invited the public byplacing an ad here.Call 815-476-7966


MORRIS—Timothy J.Hanley, 40, of Morris, passedaway Wednesday, Sept. 8,2021.

Born June 19, 1981 in Joliet,Timothy James was the son of KennethJames and Mary Carroll (Davidson)Hanley, of Morris. He was raised inMorris; graduated from Morris HighSchool with the class of 1999 and wenton to serve in the United States Army.

Tim was most recently employed withCostco until his declining health forced him toleave. In years past he took pleasure in dirt bik-ing and four wheeling, however music wasalways his passion. Tim was a self-taught musi-cian, loved to play the guitar, and played in aband. He enjoyed movies and will most beremembered for the love he had for his daugh-ter, who was the drive and inspiration, in whichhe lived for each day.

Survivors include his parents, daughter,Lani Hanley, of Morris; sister, Erin Hanley, ofOttawa; aunts and uncles: Roger (Donna)Hanley, of Tampa, FL and Judi (Craig)Nettleingham, of Ottawa; niece and nephew, Ty

Muffler and Libby Muffler, both of Ottawaand several cousins, as well as the moth-

er of his daughter, Dawn (Zach)Misener, of Morris.

Tim was preceded in death by hismaternal grandparents, Maurice“Buck” and Anne Davidson andpaternal grandparents, Francis andLouise Hanley.

Private family services will be heldand Tim will be laid to rest with military

honors in Abraham Lincoln NationalCemetery in Elwood.

Preferred memorials in lieu of flowers maybe made as gifts in Tim’s memory to OperationSt. Nick or to Immaculate Conception School inMorris.

Family and friends are encouraged to signthe guest book, upload photographs and shareTim’s memorial page online through socialmedia by logging onto: www.ReevesFuneral.com/obituary/Timothy-Hanley

Services and arrangements have beenmade under the direction and care of ReevesFuneral Homes, Ltd. in Morris.

Timothy J. Hanley

FLORIDA—Christopher S. Kavanaugh,47, passed away on Aug. 21, 2021 atMelbourne Regional Hospital in Floridadue to Covid.

He was born July 3, 1974 in Joliet.He married Rachelle Maquiniana inFebruary 2019 in the Philippines andshe joined him in the United States onJuly 4, 2021. Chris opened his business,Dockside Marine Inc., in 2002. He alsoowned CK Transporting Inc. business in2014.

Chris is survived by his parents, Diane andTim Thomas, of Palm Bay, FL and Kevin andDawna Kavanaugh of Wilmington andGrandfather, Jack (Louise) DeWalt, of Palm Bay,FL; siblings: Amber (Shawn) Ingram, children,Alexia and Bradley, of Portland, TN; Jeana(Maickon) Carrico, children, Aislynn and Logan,

of Wilmington; Chad (Shelby) Kavanaugh,children Conner and Corvin, of Loudon,

TN and Lora Kavanaugh, of Tacoma,WA.

Chris was preceded in death byhis grandparents, Helen DeWalt,Norma Jean and George Kavanaugh.

A celebration of Chris' life will beheld at a later date this year.

In lieu of flowers, the familyrequests that donations be made to the

family,Anyone wanting to send the family a mes-

sage or share a story is asked to visit Chris' pageat www.davisseawinds.com.

A go fund me page has been set up forChris' family at www.gofundme.com/f/Donations-for-Christopher-Kavanaughs-Family.

Christopher Kavanaugh

FLORIDA—Sharon Kay Lacy, 78, ofSeminole, FL passed away Feb. 14, 2021 in LasVegas, NV. She was born March 3, 1942 in Jolietto Kenneth Lacy and Ione Harter Lacy.

Sharon is survived by one son, KennyTuran, of Washington, formerly of Wilmington;brothers, Kenneth Larry Lacy and Michael Lacy,of Wilmington, seven grandchildren and a spe-

cial niece, Shannon Wujek, of Channahon.She was preceded in death by her parents,

daughter, Tammy Alloe and grandson, KyleAlloe.

Graveside services will be held at OakwoodCemetery in Wilmington on Saturday, Sept. 25,2021 at 11 a.m.

Sharon Kay Lacy

GARDNER— Candi R. Steinhilber, 55,passed away peacefully on Thursday,Sept. 9, 2021 at Regency Care in Morris.

She was born in Morris toTheodore and Linda (nee Kociss)Christensen. She was fun and outgo-ing with an enthusiasm for life. Candihad a love for Harley-DavidsonMotorcycles. She was a good cook.

Candi is survived by her son, AaronPaquette of Gardner; her grandson,Braxton Paquette; and her father, TheodoreChristensen.

She was preceded in death by her mother,

Linda Christensen.Visitation will be on Saturday, Sept.

18th, 2021 from 9:00 am to 10:30 am atthe Ferrari Funeral Chapel, 1044Ferrari Drive, Coal City, Il. 60416 withfuneral service beginning at 10:30 am,also at Ferrari’s. Burial will follow atBraceville Gardner Cemetery.

Family and friends are encour-aged to sign the online guestbook at

www.ferrarifuneral.comFerrari Funeral Services of Coal City

are entrusted with arrangements.

Candi R. Steinhilber

COAL CITY—Linda Yott-Wills, 62, ofCoal City, passed away Thursday, Sept.10, 2021 at OSF Saint Francis MedicalCenter in Peoria.

Born April 14, 1959 in Chicago,Linda Sue was a daughter of Ronaldand June (Fiene) Yott. She was raisedand educated in the Bridgeport neigh-borhood of Chicago, and in 1997 shemoved with her family to Coal City.Linda was a hard worker and held severaljobs over her years, making sure she wasable to help support and raise her family. Shewas a member of the Coal City Area Club andfounded a Grandparents Support Group devot-ed to helping grandparents who were responsi-ble for raising their grandchildren. This causewas near and dear to Linda’s heart, and she wasproud to have impacted so many other grand-parents’ lives and make life-long friends alongthe way. In her free time, she loved solving jig-saw and online puzzles, as well as playingonline bingo and spending time on Facebook.Linda devoted her life to being the best wife,mother and grandmother she could be, andcherished any time that she could spend withher loved ones.

Survivors include her husband, Roger Wills,

who she married on May 3, 2008; two chil-dren, Keith Loher, of Dwight and

Heather (Richard) Harwood, of KansasCity, MO; four grandchildren: JohnWills, of Coal City, who she raised andadopted as her own son in 2008 andJoseph, Nicole and Lilli Harwood, allof Kansas City; one brother and onesister, Carol (Mickey) Niemczyk, of

Saint John, IN and Ronald Yott, ofMinneapolis, MN and several nieces

and nephews.Linda was preceded in death by her par-

ents.Funeral services were held Monday, Sept.

13, 2021 at Reeves Funeral Home in Coal City.Burial followed at Braceville-Gardner

Cemetery in Braceviile.Preferred memorials may be made as gifts

in Linda’s memory to a charity of the donor’schoosing.

Family and friends are encouraged to signthe online guest book, upload photographs, andshare Linda’s memorial page by logging onto:www.ReevesFuneral.com.

Funeral services and arrangements weremade under the direction and care of ReevesFuneral Homes, Ltd. In Coal City.

Linda Yott-Wills

GOOSE LAKE— Todd T. Sula, 49, ofGoose Lake Twp. passed at his home onSept. 6, 2021.

He was born on July 22, 1972 inBerwyn, IL. to Thomas and Judith (neeCada)Sula. He attended Coal CitySchools, graduating from Coal CityHigh School. He married LindaKratochvil and together they raisedtheir two sons in Goose Lake. Todd was asheet metal worker with Local # 265. Hewas a hard working man who was alwayswilling to lend a hand to his family and friends.When he had some spare time, he enjoyed golf-ing with his buddies. Todd was a Coal City HighSchool football player who continued on tocoach the Miners. He was so proud of his youngmen and his Super Bowl winning team. Toddloved his family more than anything. He had aheart of gold and will be forever in his lovedones hearts.

He is survived by his loving wife,Linda Sula and their two sons, Trent

and Dane Sula, all of Goose Lake; hisparents, Thomas and Judith Sula; hisbrother, Trevor ( Amy) Sula; hisnieces and nephews, Tanner Sula,Carolynn Nowak, Paul (Ashley)Kratochvil, Nicole (Doug) Sparks,

Holly (Josh) Brown, BethanyKratochvil, Hannah Kratochvil, Renee

Kratochvil and his great-nieces andgreat-nephews, Lianna, Natalie, William,

Raelyn, Mason and Morgan.Cremation rites will be accorded. A memo-

rial service will be held at a later date.Family and friends are encouraged to sign

the online guestbook at www.ferrarifuneral.com

Ferrari Funeral Services of Coal City areentrusted with arrangements.

Todd T. Sula

BY KEVIN BESSLERTHE CENTER SQUARE

They call them “PandemicPuppies,” pets that wereadopted during the height ofthe COVID-19 pandemic thatare now being returned toIllinois animal shelters.

An estimated 23 millionpeople around the countryadopted pets in 2020.

Jane Kahman, manager ofof the Humane Society ofCentral Illinois, said county-run shelters all over the areaare seeing a spike in returnedpets.

“We take in a lot of petsfrom all over Central Illinois,all the different animal con-trols, and they are just stuffedto the gills,” Kahman said.

The central Illinois branchhas taken in nearly 500 ani-mals this year, she said. Someowners explained that theycan’t care for the pet becausethey are heading back to theoffice, Kahman said.

“I have this puppy. I’mback to work and I have notime for training,” Kahmansaid she has been told. “Sothey will ask to relinquish thepet.”

Erin Buckmaster, directorof the Knox County HumaneSociety, reports they are full aswell, but are taking a proactiveapproach for adoptions ontheir Facebook page.

In other areas, there does-n’t appear to be a surge in sur-rendered pets.

“Last year, when COVIDwas more impactful, the num-

bers of animals entering shel-ters fell quite a bit. This year,we are higher than last year,but still not back to the intakenumbers that we had seen inyears prior to COVID,” saidBecky Spencer, director of thePeoria County AnimalProtection Services.

At DuPage County AnimalServices, operations managerLaura Flamion said intake issteady for dogs and cats, butthey have seen a significantincrease in the number ofunwanted pet rabbits.

Buckmaster has areminder for those who adopt-ed pets last year.

“They were there for youduring the pandemic. Now it istime for you to be there forthem,” Buckmaster said.

As pandemic winds down, animalshelters fear a rise of pets


"This is whatdecentralized, col-lective leadershiplooks like,"declared HouseSpeaker ChrisWelch's spokesper-son Jaclyn Driscollnot long after thechamber approvedthe climate/energybill on an unex-pectedly lopsided83-33 roll call onThursday.

The vote waswithout a doubt a spectacularvictory, especially consideringthe Senate was unable to puttogether its own package thatcould pass both chambers andbe signed into law.

Not only did all but oneHouse Democrat vote for thebill after starting the day milesfrom that point, but 11 HouseRepublicans ended up onboard even though HouseRepublican leadership hadsaid the day before that therewas "nearly zero" support for itand only two SenateRepublicans had voted fortheir chamber's version.

The House Black Caucushas for years specialized inblowing up important bills inorder to pry concessions loosefor their constituency. So,Speaker Welch put Assistant

Majority LeaderMarcus Evans, anAfrican-AmericanSouth Sider, intothe lead negotia-tor's role after theSenate punted theissue to his cham-ber.

And when theBlack Caucuse x p e c t e d l ydemanded morec o n c e s s i o n s ,Leader Evans wasable to make

some changes and then con-vincingly explain to the caucushow Black folks were getting adecent deal.

Speaker Welch probablycould've tried to strong-armthe climate/energy billthrough the House with theabsolute bare minimum of 71votes (a three-fifths majority),and he might have been suc-cessful.

Instead, Welch told Gov. JBPritzker that he had to finallycome to terms with AssistantHouse Majority Leader JayHoffman, who had beenrelentlessly advocating for anapproach that would bring thestate's two municipally ownedcoal-fired electricity plants to aneutral bargaining position.Hoffman was one of Pritzker'searliest supporters in the 2018

campaign, but the Metro EastDemocrat's strong advocacyfor coal-related jobs had puthim on the outs.

Hoffman had made hispitch to Welch, but his causewas aided by HouseRepublican Leader Jim Durkin.Welch needed votes and heasked Durkin for help but wasturned down because Durkinopposed the bill. TheRepublican did, however, saythat coal was a big issue for hiscaucus.

At Welch's behest, Pritzkerimmediately dispatched hispoint-person, Deputy Gov.Christian Mitchell, to Rep.Hoffman's office. The SenateDemocrats claimed for monthsthat Mitchell was the mainobstacle to closing a deal, butMitchell and Hoffman wereable to fairly quickly work outan arrangement.

Assistant House MajorityLeader Robyn Gabel, Welch'sthird point-person on the cli-mate/energy bill and the mostliberal of the bunch, listenedclosely to the enviros andeffectively communicatedtheir wants and had the politi-cal savvy to turn those wantsinto a doable reality. Her strongcredibility also ensured thatthe enviros stayed in line whena deal was cut that was notclose to everything the greens

wanted. Leader Gabel's rolecannot be understated. Thissimply doesn't happen with-out her.

So, yeah, Driscoll wasright. This was a collective win.But Welch still deserves anenormous amount of credit formasterminding this thingacross the finish line. And,frankly, for all the moaningabout how Mike Madiganwould've sealed the deal earli-er, I don't think there's any waythe former House Speakercould've ever gotte˙n thatmany votes on a bill like this.It's a new day and a new way.

The governor, too, playedhis cards right in the end. Aswe all know, Pritzker andSenate President Don Harmonstill have, um, issues, so thetwo men apparently couldn'tbring themselves to make adeal with one another whenthe bill was in the Senate.

Harmon finally acceptedthat reality and agreed to kickthe ball to the House, wherePritzker was obviously morecomfortable and willing to dowhatever it took to work withWelch, including taking a dealthat he might possibly haverejected if it had been made bythe Senate (some insist theHouse bill wasn't as strong asHarmon's best effort lastmonth).

Also, in retrospect, it wasprobably a good thing for thegovernor that talks with theSenate broke down at the endof May. If the bill had passedback then, the entire focuswould've been on the hugebailout for Exelon's nukeplants. Instead, the public con-versation shifted to coal andclimate change, which is a farmore politically advantageous

spot for Pritzker.Whatever. It's over now.

Harmon graciously acceptedthe terms, and we won't haveto deal with this issue againuntil the inevitable "cleanup"bills surface.

Rich Miller also publishesCapitol Fax, a daily politicalnewsletter, and CapitolFax.com.

Energy bill proves there’s a new way in Springfield


Attorney Berardi filesGerace estate notice

PUBLIC NOTICELEGAL NOTICE

STATE OF ILLINOISIN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE

TWELFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS -

IN PROBATEIn the Matter of the Estate of KAREN S.GERACE, Deceased. Case No.: 21P517

CLAIM NOTICENotice is given of the death of Karen

S. Gerace of Shorewood, Illinois. Letters ofOffice were issued on September 1, 2021to Robert Petrouski as IndependentExecutor.

The estate will be administered with-out court supervision, unless under Section28-4 of the Probate Act any interested per-son terminates independent administrationat any time by mailing or delivering a peti-tion to terminate to the clerk.

Claims against the estate may befiled in the Office of the Clerk of the Courtat Will County Court House, 14 WestJefferson Street, Joliet, Illinois 60432, orwith the representative, or both, within 6months from the first publication date of thisNotice, which is on or before March 15,2022, or if mailing or delivery of this noticefrom the personal representative isrequired by Sec. 18.3 of the Probate Act of1995, the date stated in that Notice. Anyclaim not filed on or before that date isbarred. Copies of a claim filed with theClerk must be mailed or delivered to therepresentative and to the attorney within 10days after it has been filed.

E-filing is now mandatory for docu-ments in civil cases with limited exemp-tions. To e-file, you must first create anaccount with an e-filing service provider.

Visit https://efile.illinoiscourts.gov/service-providers.htm to learn more and to select a service provider.

If you need additional help or have trouble e-filing, visit http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/FAQ/gethelp.asp, or talk withyour local circuit clerk's office.

Dated: September 1, 2021. Robert Petrouski, Independent

Executor Mark M. Berardi, Attorney at Law,

Attorney No.: 6305463, 14919 FoundersCrossing, Homer Glen, IL 60491. (708)942-8030 Email: [email protected]


Attorney Berardi filesCalt estate notice

PUBLIC NOTICELEGAL NOTICE

STATE OF ILLINOISIN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE

TWELFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS -

IN PROBATEIn the Matter of the Estate of JOHN CALTDeceased. Case No.: 2021 P 655

CLAIM NOTICENotice is given of the death of John

Calt of Mokena, Illinois. Letters of Officewere issued on August 20, 2021 to TimothyCalt as Independent Administrator

The estate will be administered with-out court supervision, unless under Section28-4 of the Probate Act any interested per-son terminates independent administrationat any time by mailing or delivering a peti-tion to terminate to the clerk.

Claims against the estate may befiled in the Office of the Clerk of the Courtat Will County Court House, 14 WestJefferson Street, Joliet, Illinois 60432, orwith the representative, or both, within 6months from the first publication date of thisNotice, which is on or before March 15,2022, or if mailing or delivery of this noticefrom the personal representative isrequired by Sec. 18.3 of the Probate Act of1995, the date stated in that Notice. Anyclaim not filed on or before that date isbarred. Copies of a claim filed with theClerk must be mailed or delivered to therepresentative and to the attorney within 10days after it has been filed.

E-filing is now mandatory for docu-ments in civil cases with limited exemp-tions. To e-file, you must first create anaccount with an e-filing service provider.

Visit https://efile.illinoiscourts.gov/service-providers.htm to learn more and to select a service provider.

If you need additional help or have trouble e-filing, visit http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/FAQ/gethelp.asp, or talk withyour local circuit clerk's office.

Dated: August 20, 2021. Timothy Calt, Independent

Administrator Mark M. Berardi, Attorney at Law,

Attorney No.: 6305463, 14919 FoundersCrossing, Homer Glen, IL 60491. (708)942-8030 Email: [email protected]

Published in the Free PressAdvocate on Wednesday, September 15,22 and 29, 2021.

Dear EarthTalk: What arethe environmental implica-tions of the current droughtacross the American West andhow does it compare with pastdry spells?

S. Diamond, Methuen, MA

The National Oceanicand AtmosphericAssociation's U.S. DroughtMonitor (USDM) database,found on Drought.gov, reportsthat as of Aug. 31, 39 percent ofthe U.S. is in drought, with 30states experiencing moderatedrought or worse.

The USDM uses a five-cat-egory system to classifydrought severity, from abnor-mally dry to exceptionaldrought. The percent area ofthe western U.S. in extreme toexceptional drought peaked at59.5 percent on July 20, 2021,while the percent in moderateto exceptional drought peakedat 90.3 percent on July 27, 2021.

This value exceeded theprevious peak in the 21-yearUSDM record that occurred inAugust and September of 2003.

These significant droughtconditions have dropped sev-eral bodies of water in theWestern United States torecord-breaking lows. On July23, the Great Salt Lake in Utah,one of the largest bodies ofwater in the U.S., reached itslowest water level since theU.S. Geological Survey begantaking measurements in 1875.

The previous low was setin 1963. Additionally, as ofAugust 22, Nevada andArizona's Lake Mead reservoir

had dropped to just 35 percentof its capacity, and the LakePowell reservoir that spansacross Utah and Arizona isnow at just 31 percent of itscapacity.

This current lake elevationdata comes from the U.S.Bureau of Reclamation, whichmanages the Lake Mead andLake Powell reservoirs, andother portions of the ColoradoRiver watershed. The U.S.Bureau of Reclamation recent-ly decided that, given the his-toric drought, the Lake Meadreservoir will operate in what iscalled a Level One shortagecondition for the first time everin 2022. This will meanreduced water throughout2022 to Arizona, Nevada andMexico.

As water levels drop andbecome hotter during drought,cyanobacteria in algae bloomsthrive. These toxic algaeblooms, which can appearblue-green in color, or some-times a reddish-brown color,can harm the nervous systemand liver, and can be fatal ifingested.

The 2015 study “Drought-Induced Water-Level

Reduction FavorsCyanobacteria Blooms inTropical Shallow Lakes” pro-jected a warmer and drier cli-mate in the future will reducewater quantity and quality,increasing the risks ofcyanobacteria blooms.

The Idaho ConservationLeague reported in August2021 that heat waves, drought,and excessive pollution arecontributing to what could bethe worst year ever for toxicalgae in Idaho.

This summer's droughtconditions are also contribut-ing to poorer air quality and aspike in aggravating adverseallergy and respiratory symp-toms. According to the Centersfor Disease Control and

Prevention, the dusty, dry con-ditions that accompanydrought increase the numberof particulates suspended inthe air, irritating bronchialpassages and lungs.

Increased air pollutionmay potentially play a part insurging mortality rates fromCOVID-19, according to recentstudies out of Harvard. A sepa-rate study out of StanfordUniversity in 2014 warned ofthe rise of amplified air pollu-tant accumulations due todrought and increased difficul-ty in meeting air quality goals.

EarthTalk® is a 501(c)3nonprofit. See more athttps://emagazine.com. Sendquestions to: question@ earth-talk.org

Nearly 40% of U.S. suffering from drought

THE DROUGHT IS at its worse in the Western states where lakebeds have turned dry. Just two years ago this dog would be swim-ming in this lake. Today it is bone dry.


Fall armyworm caterpil-lars are getting fat at theexpense of farmers and home-owners in Illinois.

The pest is found in theMidwest nearly every year, butthis year multiple generationscame up from the southernstates and Central and SouthAmerica to mate and lay eggs.

“This just happens to beone of the worst outbreakyears for the fall armywormthat we have seen in the east-ern U.S. really in many, manyyears,” said Nick Seiter,University of Illinois Extensionfield cops entomologist.

The caterpillars appearbrown, green or black in color,with light colored lines run-ning along its back from headto tail.

They get the name “army-worm” because they march inlarge numbers before devour-ing a field in a few days. Theyare known to eat alfalfa, pas-tures, corn and small grainsand can infest lawns and gar-dens. In hayfields or lawns, theaffected area often appears asbrown or burned out patches,resembling drought damage.

Seiter said the fact thatthe pests arrived late this yearis good news for soybeangrowers.

“These insects do like tofeed on tender, growing plant

tissue, and a lot of our soy-beans in Illinois right now aresort of past that point,” Seitersaid.

It is a different story fordouble-crop soybeans thatwere planted following wheat.Those fields that were plantedlate are in particular peril.

Fall armyworm infesta-tion is best controlled whenthe caterpillars are a half inchor smaller. Seiter said insecti-cide failure has been reportedin parts of Illinois and in thesouth.

Illinois continues to leadthe nation in soybean produc-tion, according to 2019 USDAestimates. Illinois soybeanfarmers raised over 532 mil-lion bushels of soybeans in2019 on nearly 10 million har-vested acres with an averageyield of 54 bushels per acre.

Armyworminvasion marchingacross Illinois


Illinois has a new economic recoveryprogram aimed at revitalizing commer-cial corridors that were hit hard by theCOVID-19 pandemic.

The Illinois Department ofCommerce and Economic Opportunityannounced last week a $50 million capitalprogram designed to spur investments inmain street areas statewide. The latestinstallment of the Rebuild Illinois capitalprogram will leverage funds from theAmerican Rescue Plan Act to providegrants for construction, repair and mod-ernization of public infrastructure andamenities.

“We are inviting cities, towns, cham-bers of commerce, private developers justto name a few, to apply for these fundsthat will revitalize their communities andthe local economy,” said DCEOspokesperson Aly Grady.

Projects eligible for the grants mustbe located in a commercial center ordowntown area. They could include road-ways, parking and public way improve-ments, parks and plazas for public use,and transit-oriented development.

Project awards will range from$250,000 to $3 million in funding. Theprogram incentivizes local match withprivate businesses or organizationsrequired to provide a minimum 50%match. Public projects will receive higher

priority if they include a local matchcomponent.

Smaller towns and their businessesin downstate Illinois have been hit hardby the pandemic, and attracting morepeople to live there will be a challenge ina state that is losing residents. The totalpopulation in Illinois is about 12.8 mil-lion, a decline of over 18,000 since the lastcensus count. Only two other states, WestVirginia and Mississippi, lost residents.

“While Illinois has made significantprogress in combatting COVID-19 andreopening our communities, we knowthat more work is needed to restore eco-nomic activity to the places hit hardestduring the pandemic,” said DCEO ActingDirector Sylvia Garcia.

Capital program aimed at revitalizing main streets


APARTMENTSFOR RENT

Braidwood, 344 Oak St., upstairs apartment, 1 bedroom. No Pets, $500/mo. plus security deposit and utilities. Stove and refrigerator furnished. 815-458-6861.

Wilmington, upstairs, 3 BR apartment. $1,000/month and $1,500 security de-posit. No Pets. Lease, credit check, refer-ences. Call 815-365-2829and leave message.

BOATS

1986 Lund 16.5 ft. fish-ing boat, 50hp Evinrude motor, Minn/Kota Maxxum 55/sc trolling motor, 2 depth finders, 2 live wells, on board battery charger, new tarp, garage kept, $6,500, 815-258-1399.

FOR FREE

Fish tank, 72” long, 22” high, 19” wide, holds 130gallons. Two Eneim fil-ters, Call 815-573-1647 or 815-458-2467. fr37b-39a

GARAGE SALES

141 S. Office St. Braid-wood, Fri., 9/24 & Sat. 9/25 from 9am–3pm. Household items (end tables, plant stand, costal mirror & more) plus a large 3,000 car+ (new in the packages) Hot Wheel/Matchbox collection. cc37b-38b

19581 W. Ballou Rd., Wilmington, Fri., Sept. 17 & Sat., Sept. 18, 10am-3pm. Two bicy-cles, a portable sewing machine, a portable outdoor fire pit, furni-ture, decorative items, dog ramp and steps. Much miscellaneous. No baby items or toys. cc37b

2 family garage sale - 23027 W. Kankakee River Dr., Wilmington. Wed., Thur., & Fri., Sept. 15, 16 & 17, 9am-4pm. Books, clothes, wheelchair, an-tiques, kitchen wares, small appliances, new sheets, new comforters. cc37ab

6555 N. Will Rd./off of Lorenzo Rd. end of road across from Har-borside Marina. Fri., Sept. 17 & Sat., Sept. 18, 9am-4pm; Sun., Sept. 19, 9am-2pm. Too much to list. Sale also Oct. 1, 2, 3 same times.ca 37b

2555 Sterling Ct, Dia-mond, Thurs.-Sat., Sept 16-18, 8:30am-4:30pm, name brand clothes; boys 8-10, girls 8-12, juniors xs-med, women’s XL-XXL, men’s LG-XL, wood counter stools, futon, weight bench with weights, lighting, holi-day, household, bed-ding, Halloween cos-tumes and much more. cc37ab

5 family garage sale - 175 Harbor Landing, Braidwood, Thursday & Friday, Sept., 16-17 from 8am-5pm and Sat-urday, Sept., 18 from 9am-noon. Books, vari-ety of sizes of clothing, housewares. ca37ab

680 W. 3rd St., Braid-wood, Friday, Sept. 17, 8am-3pm. Household goods, coffee table, toys, kitchen items, craft items, sewing ma-chine, landscape equip-ment, garage items. cc37ab

713 Trotter Dr., Coal City, Thurs., Sept. 16th, 3pm-6pm, Fri., Sept. 17 8am-4pm. Household items; decor including some Fall/Halloween and Christmas decor; boys clothing, mostly Under Armour size me-dium to large; boys win-ter coat; men's clothing XL-XXL; women's clothing small to me-dium. Lots of miscella-neous. Cleaned out basement and shed. Adding more items daily! cc37ab

HELP WANTED

Applications are being taken for one, part time-9 month, 4 hours per day Custodial /Maintnance position. Please con-tact Jim Habing at [email protected] or phone 815-926-1725Resumes should be sent to: Mr. Jim HabingWilmington High School209U Wildcat CourtWilmington, IL 60481 Wilmington Community Unit School District No. 209U is in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which states that no person in the United State shall, on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex or handicap-ping condition be ex-cluded from participa-tion in, be denied the benefits of or otherwise be subjected to dis-crimination under any program or activity in which District 209U re-ceives federal assis-tance. ch37b-39a

HELP WANTED

Applications are being taken for one, full time 12 month , 8 hours per day Custodial/Mainte-nance position. Please contact Jim Habing at [email protected] or phone 815-926-1725Resumes should be sent to: Mr. Jim HabingWilmington High School209U Wildcat CourtWilmington, IL 60481Wilmington Community Unit School District No. 209U is in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which states that no person in the United State shall, on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex or handicap-ping condition be ex-cluded from participa-tion in, be denied the benefits of or otherwise be subjected to dis-crimination under any program or activity in which District 209U re-ceives federal assis-tance. ch37b-39a

City Pizza and Sub Co., 300 E. Baltimore St., Wilmington, seeking a driver and cook. Apply within. ck36b-40a

Goose Lake Associa-tion is looking to hire a Bar manager and Bar-tenders. Contact office at 815-942-4879. cc37a-40b

Hiring fry cook & cash-iers. Apply in person at Nelly’s, 140 Bridge St., Wilmington. ck32b-40a

I will baby-sit full-time in your home. I am 59 years old and have no criminal background.Non-smoker. Great withchildren. Rate 13.00/hr.Kimberly 815-302-8482.

Optometric Vision & Eye Health Care, Joliet Practice seeks experi-enced Optometric As-sistant leading to Man-agement. Wages* are negotiable to Creden-tialed applicants with experience. Position re-quires at least two af-ternoons/evenings (7 or 8pm) and Saturdays (3 or 4pm). NO SUN-DAYS. Optometric Vi-sion and Eye Health Care experienced; cus-tomer service, E.H.R, professional office skills, internet, Micro-soft Word, Excel, soft-ware use, etc. ordering glasses, with basic bill-ing experience, etc. *Wages commensurate with experience and confirmed resume. Semi-Retirees Wel-come. Submit resume with references. [email protected] cc35b-39a

HELP WANTED

The Coal City School District is currently hir-ing for cafeteria em-ployees. There are mul-tiple positions open. If you want to work with a great team & have ex-cellent hours, please apply at www.coalcity-schools.org & click the district tab Employment Opportunities or e-mail Amanda Herrera-Ford at [email protected] 37b-39a

VanDuyne Motel is looking for part-time maintenance man/ handy man, working up to 25 hrs/week. Please call 815-476-2801 or stop by VanDuyne Mo-tel at 107 Bridge St., Wilmington, IL. Come to office and fill out ap-plication. cc34a-37b

HOMES FOR SALE

House for sale in Es-sex. 1,840 sq. ft., $259,900 or rent. First, last, damage. Call 815-252-8517. Rain-bow friendly. cc

MISCELLANEOUS

4,000 # PSI power washer with 12’ ext. wand. Lincoln 220 arc welder. 815-476-2805.

Hall Rental - Available for parties, showers & meetings. Seats 100 people, full kitchen available. If interested call New Hope Presby-terian Church in Coal City, 815-634-8332.

SHOP YOUR LOCAL

BUSINESSES!

Thetford port-a-potty #92306, Alpicool 21qt portable refrigerator/ freezer, Clam quick set traveler screenroom, Outland portable pro-pane firepit 19”, Re-nogy suitcase 100w so-lar panel and flexible 100w solar panel. Karen 815-386-0378, leave message. ca37b-38a

MOBILE HOMESFOR RENT

1, 2 or 3 BR mobile homes available for rent or sale. Rent from $709-$909. Includes water, sewer & trash re-moval. Please call & talk to Eric about fi-nancing options. Call 815-237-2290 for more information. cc37a-40b

PETS

Large Selection of Dog and Cat Food, treats, accessories, health aids, clothing, Birthday treats, wall art, jewelry, gifts, greeting cards and Home of Fritters for Critters Pet Treats. New! Brew and Chew Dog Treats. Trinity Barkery 240 W. Balti-more Wilmington., Il 60481 815-476-5104 s l e w i s @ t r i n i t y -services.org. ch22b-tfn

BRAIDWOOD

SHERIFF'S SALE OF REAL ESTATE of 712 W. Eureka Street, Braid-wood, IL 60408 (Single Family Home). On the 7thday of October, 2021 to be held at 12:00 noon, at the Will County Courthouse Annex, 57 N. Ottawa Street, Room 201, Joliet, IL 60432, under Case Title: PHH Mortgage Corpora-tion Plaintiff V. Lynne Lessman; et. al. Defen-dant. Case No. 21 CH 0133 in the Circuit Court of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, Will County, Illinois. Terms of Sale: ten percent (10%) at the time of sale and the balance within twenty-four (24) hours. No judicial sale fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pur-suant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the resi-dential real estate whose rights in and to the residen-tial real estate arose prior to the sale. All payments shall be made in cash or certified funds payable to the Sheriff of Will County. In the event the property is a condominium, in accor-dance with 735 ILCS 5/15-1507(c)(1)(H-1) and (H-2), 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(5), and 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1), you are hereby notified that the purchaser of the unit, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and

REAL ESTATE

legal fees required by sub-divisions (g)(1) and (g)(4) of Section 9 and the as-sessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Illinois Condo-minium Property Act. Pur-suant to Local Court Rule 11.03 (J) if there is a sur-plus following application of the proceeds of sale, then the plaintiff shall send written notice pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/15-1512(d) to all parties to the proceed-ing advising them of the amount of the surplus and that the surplus will be held until a party obtains a court order for its distribution or, in the absence of an order, until the surplus is forfeited to the State. For Informa-tion Please Contact:Codilis & Associates, P.C.15W030 N. Frontage Road Suite 100Burr Ridge, Illinois 60527P: 630-794-5300F: 630-794-9090PURSUANT TO THE FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT YOU ARE ADVISED THAT THIS LAW FIRM IS DEEMED TO BE A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPT-ING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFOR-MATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Published in the Free Press Newspa-pers on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 22 & 29, 2021.

SHERIFF'S SALE OF REAL ESTATE of 35025 Cemetery Rd, Braid-wood, IL 60408 (Residen-tial). On the 7th day of Oc-tober, 2021 to be held at 12:00 noon, at the Will County Courthouse Annex, 57 N. Ottawa Street, Room 201, Joliet, IL 60432, under Case Title: The Bank of New York Mellon, F/K/A The Bank of New York as trustee for registered Holders of CWABS, Inc., Asset-Backed Certifi-cates, Series 2005-13Plaintiff V. Lowell E. Lide; et. al. Defendant. Case No. 19 CH 1926 in the Cir-cuit Court of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, Will County, Illinois. Terms of Sale: ten percent (10%) at the time of sale and the balance within twenty-four (24) hours. No judicial sale fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pur-suant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the resi-dential real estate whose rights in and to the residen-tial real estate arose prior to the sale. All payments shall be made in cash or certified funds payable to the Sheriff of Will County. In the event the property is a condominium, in accor-dance with 735 ILCS 5/15-1507(c)(1)(H-1) and (H-2), 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(5), and 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1), you are hereby notified that the

REAL ESTATE

purchaser of the unit, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and legal fees required by sub-divisions (g)(1) and (g)(4) of Section 9 and the as-sessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Illinois Condo-minium Property Act. Pur-suant to Local Court Rule 11.03 (J) if there is a sur-plus following application of the proceeds of sale, then the plaintiff shall send written notice pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/15-1512(d) to all parties to the proceed-ing advising them of the amount of the surplus and that the surplus will be held until a party obtains a court order for its distribution or, in the absence of an order, until the surplus is forfeited to the State. For Informa-tion Please Contact:Codilis & Associates, P.C.15W030 N. Frontage Road Suite 100Burr Ridge, Illinois 60527P: 630-794-5300F: 630-794-9090PURSUANT TO THE FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT YOU ARE ADVISED THAT THIS LAW FIRM IS DEEMED TO BE A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPT-ING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFOR-MATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Published in the Free Press Newspa-pers on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 22 & 29, 2021.

SHERIFF'S SALE OF REAL ESTATE of 916 N. English Street, Braid-wood, IL 60408 (single family). On the 30th day of September, 2021 to be held at 12:00 noon, at the Will County Courthouse Annex, 57 N. Ottawa Street, Room 201, Joliet, IL 60432, under Case Title: U.S. Bank National Asso-ciation, as Trustee for Structured Asset Invest-ment Loan Trust Mort-gage Pass-Through Cer-tificates, Series 2006-BNC3 Plaintiff V. Roy E. Mack; Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc, as Mortga-gee as Nominee for Leh-man Brothers, FSB, its Successors and As-signs; Townes of Braid-wood Homeowner's As-sociation Defendant. Case No. 20 CH 0687 in the Circuit Court of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, Will County, Illinois. Terms of Sale: ten percent (10%) at the time of sale and the balance within twenty-four (24) hours. No judicial sale fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pur-suant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the resi-dential real estate whose rights in and to the residen-tial real estate arose prior to the sale. All payments shall be made in cash or certified funds payable to the Sheriff of Will County. In the event the property is a condominium, in accor-dance with 735 ILCS 5/15-1507(c)(1)(H-1) and (H-2), 765 ILCS

REAL ESTATE

605/9(g)(5), and 765 ILCS605/18.5(g-1), you arehereby notified that thepurchaser of the unit, otherthan a mortgagee, shallpay the assessments andlegal fees required by sub-divisions (g)(1) and (g)(4)of Section 9 and the as-sessments required bysubsection (g-1) of Section18.5 of the Illinois Condo-minium Property Act. Pur-suant to Local Court Rule11.03 (J) if there is a sur-plus following applicationof the proceeds of sale,then the plaintiff shall send written notice pursuant to735 ILCS 5/15-1512(d) toall parties to the proceed-ing advising them of theamount of the surplus and that the surplus will be held until a party obtains a courtorder for its distribution or, in the absence of an order,until the surplus is forfeited to the State. For Informa-tion Please Contact:POTESTIVO AND ASSO-CIATES811 E. South Blvd.Rochester Hill, Michigan48307P: 248-853-4400F: 248-853-0404PURSUANT TO THE FAIRDEBT COLLECTIONPRACTICES ACT YOUARE ADVISED THATTHIS LAW FIRM ISDEEMED TO BE A DEBTCOLLECTOR ATTEMPT-ING TO COLLECT ADEBT AND ANY INFOR-MATION OBTAINED WILLBE USED FOR THATPURPOSE. Published inthe Free Press Newspa-pers Wednesday, Sept. 8,15 and 22, 2021

SERVICE &REPAIRS

Bradley Pest ControlTermite/PestSpecialist.

Real estate inspectionRodent Control and Exclusion

Call Phil at 815-405-5020

cc42a-42a

D&N LAWNCARE Braidwood

Mowing, trimming, edg-ing, no job too small, af-fordable rates. Call 815-341-8564. ca35b-39a

Gas Fireplace Repair. 38 years experience. Licensed, insured & bonded. Call Margo at 708-712-5012 to sched-ule an appointment. Can repair most brands. Weekends available. Thank you. cc31a-30b

GOT GRASSLawn CareJim Baudino815-342-6394

cc 26a-41b

Handyman service, small jobs wanted. Electric: replace electric switches & plugs, ceil-ing fans or broken lights. Plumbing: leaky faucets or running toi-lets, no problem. Repair decks. Call Richard, 219-407-1356. cc 36a-39b

SERVICE &REPAIRS

Julie’s RemodelingSiding, soffit, roof re-pairs, painting,weldingrepairs, seamless gut-ters, fencing, tree re-moval, lawn care, Com-plete Handyman serv-ice! Bonded and In-sured, 20 yrs., call815-791-5731.

Mike Collins Roofing,re-shingles and modi-fied rubber and guttercleaning, aluminum gut-ter screen, no repair to small or too big. INSULATION. Keepyour house cooler insummertime andwarmer in the winter.Free estimate for blownin insulation for atticsfrom Mike Collins Roof-ing. lic # 104.007296.Ask for Mike at 815-730-1303. cc17a-16b

Now taking orders for our NEW line of Flake Floors, multiple colors & sizes, NEW pigments & Metallics. A floor to fit your budget. All com-mercial grade Epoxy Resin. Call Chicago Crew, Inc., 815-634- 0150. ca 36a-39b

PAINTINGInterior only,

20 years experience, referrals available.

looking for 1-3 rooms Call 815-585-0904.

STORAGE

WANTED

Free - 2 small abandoneddogs need a home, nosmall children, needssomeone to be perma-nent owners. Call 815-476-6481.

DIAMOND

COAL CITY

WILMINGTON

FOR INFO TO PLACE AGARAGE SALE CALL

815-476-7966!

A Thousand Words

Photography385 N. Second Ave.

Coal CityMandy Eaton815-791-2913


Local residents with questions, concerns orfeedback on state issues are welcome to attendany of three upcoming coffees hosted by StateRepresentative David Allen Welter to be held inYorkville, Sheridan and Morris.

Representative Welter is hosting coffees toupdate constituents on recent legislative actiontaken in Springfield and to give local residentsan opportunity to share their priorities andquestions directly with him.

The Morris event will be held Tuesday,Sept. 21 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. at Weits Cafe, 213Liberty St.

Constituents who are unable to attend thecoffee but still wish to provide feedback toRepresentative Welter can do so online by visit-ing repwelter.com and clicking Contact on thehomepage. For questions or more information,please call Representative Welter’s office at 815-416-1475.

Welter to host coffee with constituents

The Alzheimer'sAssociation, Greater IllinoisChapter would like to invitethose that are caring for aloved one with Alzheimer's ordementia to a monthlyCaregiver's Support Groupheld the first Tuesday of everymonth at 7 p.m. at the FirstBaptist Church of Coal City,4470 E. Rt. 113 in Coal City.The church is located one milewest of Coal City on Highway113.

Fore more information,contact Becky Haldorson at815-791-2658.

Support forAlzheimer’scaregivers

Illinois Attorney GeneralKwame Raoul launched aninvestigation into possiblepatterns or practices of uncon-stitutional or unlawful polic-ing by the Joliet PoliceDepartment. The civil investi-gation follows requests madeby the Joliet mayor and mem-bers of the Joliet City Council.

The Attorney General’soffice will examine the JolietPolice Department’s policies,training, practices and super-vision as they relate to trafficand pedestrian stops, search-es, arrests, and uses of force.

Career attorneys fromRaoul’s Civil Rights and SpecialLitigation bureaus will reviewof the department’s policies,reports, documents and train-ings. In addition, the investiga-tive team will conduct inter-views and meetings with Jolietlaw enforcement officers, citygovernment officials, Joliet

residents, advocates, andother stakeholders.

“It is clear that a formalinvestigation is needed to lookat whether the department hasengaged in patterns or prac-tices of unlawful or unconsti-tutional policing,” Raoul said.“In the coming weeks, theAttorney General’s office willconduct a thorough, impartialand independent review ofwhether reforms are neededunder the law.”

Attorney General Raoul’sinvestigation follows a requestby Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirkand members of the Joliet CityCouncil in June 2020 to con-duct an investigation. Inresponse to this request, theAttorney General’s officerequested information fromthe city of Joliet and the JolietPolice Department.

The Attorney General’soffice will take specific inci-

dents into account during theinvestigation; however, theinvestigation’s questions, find-ings and conclusions will befocused on whether systemicproblems exist within theJoliet Police Department. Theinvestigation is civil in natureand will not reconsider crimi-nal charging decisions withinthe jurisdiction of local prose-cutors.

A review of the JolietPolice Department’s policiesand training will be done.Raoul’s office will also inspectdepartment reports resultingfrom traffic and pedestrianstops, searches and arrests. Ofparticular interest will be theJoliet Police Department’spolicies and practices relatedto the use of force and supervi-sory and department reviewsof these incidents. In addition,Raoul’s attorneys and expertswill investigate the depart-

ment’s handling of miscon-duct allegations against offi-cers by reviewing complaintsfrom the public, the depart-ment’s investigations intothose complaints, as well asany resulting corrective or dis-ciplinary action.

Attorney General Raoul’sstaff will seek input from thepublic on their interactionswith Joliet law enforcement inpublic and private meetings.Raoul’s office will convene avirtual town hall meeting inthe coming weeks, and addi-tional information will bereleased to the public at a laterdate.

Raoul is encouraging indi-viduals who have informationrelevant to the investigation toemail [email protected]@ilag.gov orcall the Attorney General’soffice at 833-243-1498.

Attorney General seeks public input on Joliet Police

Due to the increased COVID inci-dence in the community, the MorrisHospital Auxiliary has changed its 26thAnnual Golf Tournament that was origi-nally scheduled for Sept. 20 to an all virtu-al event running from Sept. 20-Oct. 22.Proceeds support Patient Transportationand Lifeline®, two very important MorrisHospital programs that serve a vital rolein the community.

The auxiliary has been supportingthese programs through its annual golfouting for more than two decades. ThePatient Transportation program providescommunity members free rides to med-ical appointments, while Lifeline® is anemergency response system that providesinstant access to emergency assistanceand peace-of-mind for individuals wholive alone.

Those participating in the tourna-ment can play golf at a course of theirchoice from Sept. 20-Oct. 22. Golfers will

keep track of their own score and thentake a picture with their scorecard andsubmit it electronically to the MorrisHospital Auxiliary office or in-person tothe Morris Country Club Pro Shop if play-ing at Morris Country Club or The Creek.

The cost to enter the 18-hole virtualtournament is $50 per person and doesnot include greens fees at the golf coursechosen by the participant. While golfersmay play at any course of their choosing,as golf course sponsors of the event,Morris Country Club and The Creek inMorris are extending non-members theopportunity to play on either course for a$50 greens fee, which includes a cart.Weekends are excluded at the MorrisCountry Club. Participants should men-tion the Morris Hospital Virtual GolfTournament when scheduling tee times.

The golfer with the best score willreceive a $500 cash prize, second place is$250, and third place is $100. Golf results

and winners will be posted online on Oct.25.

Anyone 18 years of age or older cansupport the event by entering a chance towin a $1,000 cash prize in the Golf BallRaffle. Chances are $20 for once chance,$50 for three chances, or $100 for sevenchances. Outright donations to thePatient Transportation and Lifeline pro-grams are also accepted.

The deadline for submitting score-cards and pictures for the Auxiliary VirtualGolf Tournament is Oct. 22 at 5 p.m.Sponsorships are still available. To regis-ter, view sponsorship opportunities, orpurchase Golf Ball Raffle chances, go towww.morrishospital.org/golf. For moreinformation, contact the Morris HospitalAuxiliary & Foundation office at 815-705-7002.

Morris Hospital Auxiliary golf tournament will be virtual

The Class of 1970 is hav-ing its 50th (51) Reunion onWHS Homecoming weekendat the Wilmington MooseFamily Center on Saturday,Oct. 2 from 1-4 p.m.

Organizers are still look-ing for seven classmates: MarkEnz, Judy Favero, DennisHeatherly, Danny Hogan,Cathy Morrison, Mike Stroleand Beth West.

Anyone with any informa-

tion on them is asked to con-tact any of the committeemembers: (all 815) Kathy BockHill 739-1634, Sandy GordonCarley 530-0037, Greg Hansen931-3783, Patti Proffit Meents210-1071, Diane Prosser Aros530-9898, Skip Tarran 245-7443 or Bonnie (Bambic)Tarran 245-7444.

We look forward to seeingall of our friends (even if it is inmasks).

Class of ‘70 planningOct. 2 reunion

MEET FORREST, affectionate,smart, loyal and playful. Theseare just a few traits our hand-some blue-eyed boy, Forrest, isknown for by staff and volun-teers. To set our love bug up forsuccess we are looking for apotential adopter to haveShepherd/Husky experience.He is a little over 1 yr. old andweighs 80lbs. Adoption feei n c l u d e s n e u t e r , r a b i e sshot, distemper, microchip andfecal exam. Please contactHopeful Tails Animal Rescue ifyou are interested todayat [email protected].

Forrest is upfor adoption

Junk In The Trunk or JITTflea market will take place the3rd Sunday, Sept. 19th, 2021 at100 Commercial Dr. in Morris.This location is just west of Rt.47 behind the BP AMOCO sta-tion.

Set up time is 8:30 am,sale is from 10-4. This is acharity flea market and alldonations and vendor fees aregiven to a different charityeach month.

Participants will need toread and agree with the rulespertaining to attending the

event. The fee per spot is $20.This is a fun, family ori-

ented, event where manytreasures are found. This is agood place to find that specialantique, gift, toy, decoration,collectable or tool.

No commercial or homebased businesses or mass pro-duced imported items areallowed at this flea market.

For more informationcontact Ken at [email protected] or call 815-942-2032,no texts on this number. Allparticipants do so at own risk.

Junk in the trunk flea market in Morris

The Workforce Center ofWill County (WCWC) offers awide variety of services toassist both job seekers andemployers with employmentneeds. These services includeclasses on resume writing,practicing interview skills, andupdating computer proficien-cy. The center also providesinformation about careerscholarships and on the jobtraining. These services areavailable from 8:30 a.m. until4:30 p.m., Monday throughFriday in the center's ResourceRoom.

“Our Resource Room isfilled with state of the art com-puters and copy/fax machinesto help connect our residentswith local employers,” saidMichelle Stiff, director of theWCWC. “We also have certifiedstaff on site who can assist ourcustomers update their

resume, participate in a mockinterview, and learn new com-puter skills. There are manygood job opportunities in ourcounty and we want to helpprepare our customers forthese jobs.”

The center offers On theJob Training at 10 a.m. onMondays in September tooffer job seekers new skillstraining for a wide range ofhigh demand industries. Thesesessions are offered virtuallyor in person. Contact TianaGriffin for more informationor to register [email protected].

From 8:30 a.m. until 4:30p.m., each Wednesday, jobseekers can pick up a “Job Fairin a Bag” filled with job listingswith Will County employersand resources for a job searchincluding sample resumes,interviewing tips and more.

For job seekers who wantin person training, a variety ofservices are available in theResource Room includingthese special workshops:

Successful Interviewing, 2p.m., Thursday, Sept. 16.

Video Conferencing, 2p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 21.

Transferrable Skills, 2p.m., Thursday, Sept. 23.

LinkedIn Lab, 10 a.m.,Wednesday, Sept. 29.

All of these workshops areavailable on the WCWCFacebook Page:WorkforceCenterofWillCounty. The center also offers tradi-tional computer skills trainingin Microsoft PowerPoint, Wordand Excel.

For more informationabout the services available atthe Workforce Center of WillCounty, visit www.will.works.

Get help finding a job

The Wilmington PublicLibrary District will offer a funafternoon of Bingo for adultson Wednesday, Sept 15, at 1p.m.

Adult services has beenoffering many make and takecrafts when in person pro-gramming hasn't been possi-ble throughout all of therestrictions, but the staff islooking forward to seeingpatrons come out for an after-noon of fun and prizes.

Please register for thisprogram by stopping by thelibrary, 201 S. Kankakee St. orcalling the library at (815) 476-2834.

Library to hold Bingo

3BY ERIC FISHERPUBLISHER

During the Middle Ages it washighly improbable the Saxons andVikings stood around embracingeach other once the battle wasthrough.

But that was the case Friday afterthe Coalers and Wildcats clashed onthe football field. Several seniors onboth sides embraced their oppo-nents out of respect. Both teams hadtheir big hits, it just happened thatWilmington walked away 10-7 vic-tors.

Old school football at its best,Coal City coach Francis Loughranagreed. “It was your typical Coal Cityvs. Wilmington clash in a nutshell.But unfortunately we ended up onthe wrong end,” he commented.

“We had a couple of opportuni-ties from their miscues, but we justcouldn’t finish those drives. Wecouldn’t really get any momentumgoing other than the drive before thehalf. That was frustrating.”

Trailing 10-7, the Coalers weregifted the ball to start the third quar-ter. The Wildcats were on their own24-yard line when the ball poppedfree and senior Coaler AydanMurphey sprung on it at the 19-yardline.

Coal City was backed up a yardon the first play so they elected topass on second down and it wasincomplete. On fourth-and-11 theyattempted a field goal to tie things upbut the ball sailed wide left.

Coal City missed out on anotheropportunity in the fourth quarter.The Wildcats were just beyond mid-field facing fourth-and-six when theylined up to punt. The ball was hikedover the head of Wilmington punterAllan Richards who chased it down20 yards away. Miraculously,Richards still got off a kick but it did-n’t go far. Just when it looked like theCoalers had some momentum, theyfumbled the ball away.

“That was a tough one, a self-

inflicted wound we talked about afterthe game. Penalties and turnovers, ifwe can get those things cleaned upwe can definitely turn things aroundhere,” the coach said.

Credit the Coaler defense forprotecting their turf in the final min-utes. Twice the visitors were drivingthe ball when they turned theWildcats away. They got as close atthe 30-yard line but the boys in greenstopped them on fourth down.

With 1:28 left Wilmington linedup to punt on fourth-and-four nearthe 50. Again the hike went over theWilmington punter’s head and a seaof green chased after him. Richardsgot off a hurry-up kick that went outof bounds. The Coalers found them-selves only 28 yards from the goal forone more final drive.

But good intentions were inter-rupted on second-and-7 when CoalCity quarterback Braden Reilly firedthe ball over the middle and waspicked off by Richards. AllWilmington had to do then was takea knee and let time tick away toimprove to 3-0 while the Coalers fallto 1-2.

“My hat's off to Coal City as youguys saw, a lot of effort was left on thefield tonight,” commented WHScoach Jeff Reents. “That's whatWilmington vs. Coal City football isall about. That's our rival, and theirkids played hard. It was a great gamefor us in a playoff- type atmosphere.It came down to big time playersstepping up at big times for us andwe’re fortunate to get out of here witha win.”

It was Richards who stepped upfrom the start, kicking the ball for atouchback to set up Coal City deepinto their own territory. After a fourand out the Coalers were punting theball away.

The Wildcats got the ball andburned up 9:00 of the clock by withrunning plays that would get them 76yards to as close as the 1-yard line.On 4th-and-1 the ‘Cats were flaggedfor a false start forcing them to settle

for a field goal. Allan’s kick of 23 yardsgave Wilmington a 3-0 lead.

“We knew coming in the gamewould be won by who best controlledthe like of scrimmage,” said seniorWildcat Dominick Dingillo. “Theirline was hard to move, I didn't expectthat at all. Some of their juniorsstepped up big time on that openingdrive and I give them a lot of respectfor that. They took a stand and heldus at bay.”

Wilmington hit pay dirt with 5minutes left before half-time. JacobFriddle had his longest run of thenight when he broke for 21 yards. Hefollowed that with another 9-yardjaunt before two plays later scamper-ing 10 yards to pull ahead 10-0.

But the Wildcats paid a priceduring the series when starting quar-terback Kaden Humphries was takenout due to a knee injury.

“That kinda hurt us mentallywhen Kaden left for good,” Friddleadmitted. “But our line reallystepped up and helped with somenice holes. There was a lot a heavy-hitting on both sides of the line andwe were the ones with an edge.”

He credited backup quarterbackRyder Meents, a junior, for steppingup too.

“He took over in the secondquarter against the toughest oppo-nents we’ve played so far and got thejob done. Not everyone can handlethe situation we were put in but hedid.”

Coal City answered before thebreak with an 80-yard, 17-play drivethat included a two-yard plunge bysenior Ashton Harvey with :52 sec-onds left before the half. AydanMurphey’s PAT kick was true makingit 10-7, and what would become thefinal score of the night.

“Who knew it was going to besuch a dog fight in the second half?”Dingillo said. “That’s Wildcat vs. CoalCity football, we tend to keep it inter-esting.”

Wilmington finished with 252yards of offense, all from rushing.

Coal City tallied 131 yards overall, 76yards passing, 55 on the ground.

Reilly was 12 for 23 passing andone interception with main targetsbeing Nick Seplak (five catches for 40yards), Brady Best (five for 24) andsingle catches by Murphey (7 yards)and Nolan Berger (5 yards).

Friddle led all rushers with 136yards in 23 attempts while WildcatColin James had 116 yards in 20 tries.

For the Coalers Harvey had 14carries for 37 yards while Seplak had

19 yards in six attempts.Wilmington was led by Richards

with 11 tackles while Colin James andKarsen Hansen were in on eightstops each.

The Coaler defense wasanchored by Brady Best with ninetackles while Zach Finch had sixtackles and Ashton Harvey five.

Coal City plays at HerscherFriday while Wilmington hosts unde-feated Peotone.

WWW.FREEPRESSNEWSPAPERS.COM The Free Press Advocate, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, page 13

A game of respect

Photo by Alyssa Ohlund

MUTUAL RESPECT - Wilmington lineman Dominick Dingillo embraces CoalCity’s Ashton Harvey (44) and Nick Seplak (11) after Friday’s game to tell themnot to hang their heads after a tough 10-7 loss.

BY SHAWN LONGSPORTS WRITER

Are the Wildcats unstop-pable? They’ve won their firstthree games of the season andonly last week it was close, a10-7 defensive showdown withthe Coalers.

But they’ve lost their start-ing quarterback KadenHumphries for the rest of theseason and his replacement isjunior Ryder Meents who’sslighter in frame.

Wilmington was held tounder 300 yards rushing for thefirst time this year so they’llneed to ramp that back up in aphysical battle with undefeat-ed Peotone.

The Blue Devils are com-ing off of a 35-21 shootout overManteno. They’ve beatenPeoria Manual (24-20) andNorth Central (34-8) during

their undefeated stretch. Inthat time, they’ve been able tomanhandle teams at the line ofscrimmage, rushing for over300 in every single game.

“They’re a very good foot-ball team,” said WHS footballcoach Jeff Reents. “We’ve gotour hands full and it’s beenquite the season for us. We’refortunate to also be undefeat-ed. It’s been a pretty good grindfor us. Big game. I’m glad we’reat home and it’ll be the secondgame of conference so we wantto stay on top of the confer-ence and we’ve got a tough taskplaying the Devils but we’relooking forward to the oppor-tunity.”

Peotone is coached byApostolos Tsiamas, who ledthem to a 3-2 spring. Theymade the playoffs in 2019 witha 6-4 record, falling out in a 20-0 loss to Spring Valley Hall.

They return a 30-man ros-

ter with 13 seniors and 17 jun-iors.

They run a similar DoubleWing offense as the ‘Cats.

“We’re both very similarteams,” added Reents. “We runthe same offense. I think theother thing is it’s going to be avery fast game. And no doubtabout it, the team that can stopthe run the fastest is probablygoing to be the team thatcomes out on top.”

The Blue Devils have aone-two punch at tailback likethe ‘Cats do.

First, there’s Dylan Sroka,who is the quicker back. Sroka(#27) has run for 434 yards withfour touchdowns already.When he gets in the open field,he makes quick cuts and canturn on the jets. Between thetackles, he’s a hard-nosed run-ner, breaking for 6.7 yards perpop.

Their other running back

is Derek Knauer, the biggerfullback type that is a little big-ger at 5-11 175 pounds and willhit defenders with all of thatsize. Knauer (#25) already has270 yards on 44 carries withfour touchdowns. He ran for111 with three touchdownsagainst Manteno.

“They’ve got some prettygood running backs. I’m veryimpressed with their offensiveline. They’re bigger kids andthey’re going to be bigger thanwe are. Dylan Sroka has done agood job for them at runningback and offensive line-wise,I’m very impressed by them.”

The big threat on thedefensive side of the ball issenior Tyler Hendricker, who issimply a monster on the defen-sive line at 6-5 230 pounds.Hendricker (#89) will use quickswim moves to get outside onoffensive tackles. After that,he’s very quick to make the

play. The ‘Cats should try toestablish their ground gamebut not to his side. He madebigger offensive linemen looklike rag dolls. He also plays theoffensive side of the ball andcan make big blocks.

The ‘Cats are led by a com-mittee in the backfield withJacob Friddle and Colin Jamesemerging as the lead backs.

Friddle (13) is a hard-nosed runner that also doeshave some good speed whenhe gets in the open field. He’llbe tough to stop at the line.

James (19) is a speedyslasher back that runs hard.Both of their main runningbacks ran for over 100 yards asFriddle had 136 yards with atouchdown while James had116 with a touchdown.

The ‘Cats also use KarsenHansen (22), the fullback, toget those tough yards thoughhe only had one carry for no

yards agaist the Coalers.The Wildcats hold the

homefield advantage and a 24-0 shutout during the springseason as well as a 13-1 recordagainst the Devils.

When it comes down to it,it’s going to be a physical battleup front and whoever can stopthe run and establish their owncan come out on top. They alsoneed to be able to protect thefootball.

“I think for us, we have tobe able to stop the run, we’vegot to sure up our specialteams and then also theturnover game. You can’t havefumbles and we had fumblesthe other night against CoalCity so that’s something thatwe definitely need to improveon because if you don’t you’regoing to put yourself behindthe eight ball.”

Undefeated Blue Devils will give Wildcats a run


STOPPING COALER Brady Best from gaining extra yardage are Wildcats Hunter Hayes (34) and Ryan

Banas (14). Wilmington (3-0) will host Peotone, who is also undefeated, on Friday.


THREE ‘CATS ATTACK - Wilmington limited Coal City to 55 yards rushing Friday thanks to its swarm-

ing defense. Making the stop on Coal City’s Ashton Harvey are (from left) Dominick Dingillo (59), Allan

Richards (20) and Jacob Friddle (13).

The Free Press Advocate, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, page 14 WWW.FREEPRESSNEWSPAPERS.COM


The Wilmington soccerteam fell 4-3 to Westmont onMonday.

The Wildcats 0-7 (0-3) gotkicking as they started scoring

with two breakaway goals fromsophomore Talin Yakima.

Westmont tied the scorewith two of their own to makethe first half even, 2-2.

Senior Josh Girot chippedin another goal to make it 3-2before the Sentinels added two

more of their own to take thisgame. Girot also assisted withtwo goals while Eric Ostheimalso had an assist.

Isaac Chavez has foundhis spot as he saved 17 would-be goals.

The defense for the ‘Catswas also good as they swiped20 team steals. AndrewLawrence led them with fivewhile Yakima had four andCarsen Rogers had three. ReidWaldon and Gabe Cravenschipped in two steals whileJeremiah Senter, ConnorCieszkiewicz and Ostheim alsostole one.

The Wildcat kickers areback in action today(Wednesday) when they hostPlano. They’ll have theirSurvivor’s Cup/Stand Up toCancer game with Reed-Custeron Thursday before heading toGibson City Fisher High Schoolon Saturday.

Wilmington 1, Serena 8The ‘Cats scored just one

time in a loss to Serena onSaturday.

The ‘Cats scored one goalearly thanks to Girot on anassist from Yakima.

Serena knocked in three inthe first half and five more inthe second to steal the game.

Cravens saved 10 in goaland the Wilmington defensecollected 12 team steals.Yakima had three whileOstheim, Girot and Senter hadtwo. Waldon, Chavez andLawrence added another steal.

Wilmington 0, St. Anne 7The Wildcats fell to St.

Anne on Friday.The Cardinals scored three

in the first and four more in thesecond to seal the game.

The Wildcats had 19 stealson defense. Rogers, Waldonand Senter led with three whileYakima, Chavez, Lawrence,and Girot had two. MarcoRodriguez and Ostheim addedanother. Cravens saved 11 ingoal.Wilmington 0, Herscher 8

The ‘Cats allowed eightfirst half goals in a loss toHerscher on Wednesday.

Despite the loss, the ‘Catscollected 27 team steals.

Lawrence had eight while Girothad six. Yakima added four

while Rodriguez, Senter,Ostheim and Rogers had two.

Waldon added another whileCravens had 10 saves.

Wildcat kickers close in loss to Westmont


WILDCAT KICKER Marco Rodriguez boots the ball down the fieldduring a home game.


WILMINGTON’S Carson Rogers fights for possession of the ball during a home match last week.

Photo by Shawn Long

WILMINGTON’S Bella Reyes hammers a kill during a home game.


The Wilmington volley-ball team upended Herscher19-25, 26-24, 25-18 to remainundefeated in conferenceplay.

The ‘Cats had a greatgame from their outside hit-ters that totaled 25 kills.

They were led by JayleeMills who had seven kills,three aces and three digs.

Jenna Jackson hammeredfive kills with five digs and anace while both Jessica Castleand Kate McCann fired threekills. McCann had two digswhile Castle added another.

Neve VanDuyne and BellaReyes chipped in two kills. VanDuyne added nine settingassists with two digs and anace while Reyes led the teamwith five aces, and added fivedigs.Anna Liaromatis, AbbieRampa and Leah Talley eachadded an additional kill.Liaromatis led the team with12 assists while addded three

digs. Talley led the team indigs with 11 adding an acewhile Rampa chipped in a dig.

The Wildcats are back onthe court today (Wednesday)when they host Romeoville.

Wilmington 25, 25Streator 10, 8

The Lady ‘Cats sweptStreator in all three levels onTuesday.

They picked up 11 killswith Castle leading the chargewith three. She laos added twodigs and one block. Mills,Rampa and Reyes chipped intwo kills while Mills added ablock and dug out one. Rampahad two blocks while Reyeschipped in three digs andthree aces.

Jackson and McCannadded a kill each. Van Duyneled all setters with eight assistswhile Liaromatis followedwith three and a dig. She alsoled the team serving up sixaces.

Breanna Horton was thedig leader with four and an acewhile Talley added three.

Lady ‘Cats remainundefeated in ICE

Photo by Shawn Long

WILDCAT SETTER Anna Liaromatis bumps the ball during a com-petitive game with Coal City last week.

Courtesy Photo

A FRIENDLY RIVALRY – A Wilmington Soccer Club U6 team iseager to get started against Reed-Custer.

The Wilmington SoccerClub had some excitinggames over the weekend.

In the U6 Division, theU6-1 team tied 4-4 withReed-Custer. Picking up thegoals were G.Cary, N. Austin,B.Olson and C. Welsh.

In their second game,they lost to the #1 Reed-Custer team, 3-1. G. Caryscored the lone goal.

The U6-2 team tied 2-2with the #2 team for Reed-Custer. M. Campbell pickedup both goals.

U8At the eight and under

level, the U8-1 team beatReed-Custer 1-0 withN.Machalak picking up thegoal.

The U8-2 team scoredseven goals to slide by Reed-Custer 7-4. U. Sanchez had ahat trick while E. Grygiel andB. VanDuyne added two

more goals, a piece. U10

In 10 and under action,the U10-1 team shut Reed-Custer out 4-0.

O. Lillis collected a hattrick while S. Cravenschipped in the other goal.

The U10-2 team tied 3-3with Reed-Custer.C.Cavenaile scored two goalswhile M. Pace had another.

U12/14In the 12 and under divi-

sion, it was U12-2 who pum-meled Reed-Custer 10-0.

Coleman Cavenaile hada hat trick while CadenCavenaile, C. Hincherick andP. Pet added two goals. Q. Petchipped in another.

The U12-1 team flewpast Reed-Custer 6-0. C.Hincherick, J. Mitchell andC. Rabideau all had twogoals.

Wilmington SoccerClub results

The Wilmington youthfootball Bobcats picked up afour-level sweep of Sandwichon Sunday.

The superlights beat theIndians 26-13 to improve to 1-3. The lightweights followedthat with an 18-0 win over theIndians to advance to 2-2.

The JV Bobcats shutoutthe Indians 28-0 to stay unde-feated at 4-0 and the varsityBobcats flew past the Indians28-13 to complete the sweep,

and keep their undefeatedstretch going.

The superlight Bobcatshave scored 37 points in fourgames while allowing 71.

The lightweight Bobcatshave scored 72 and haveallowed 58.

The JV Bobcats have notbeen scored on yet and haveput up 98 points in four weeks.

And the varsity Bobcatshave scored 103 and have onlygiven up 21 points.

Bobcats completesweep of Indians

fpcb_091521_b_comm_01_c.pdf - Free Press Newspapers

Documents

Transcript of fpcb_091521_b_comm_01_c.pdf - Free Press Newspapers