Dressed in Hawaiian shirts and leis, students and staff Shepard High School in Palos Heights lined up, and with no hesitation raced in pairs to the two icy pools set up at the 50-yard line of the football stadium during a recent Polar Plunge fundraiser for Special Olympics of Illinois.
They plunged, leaping out of the pools with shocked smiles, laughing at their discomfort. With a strong and steady breeze, the air temperature was in the teens.
The team of nearly 60 raised more than $13,000. In its six years participating in this event Shepard students and staff have raised more than $80,000.
Teachers Ashley Lythberg and Scott Richardson organized the plunge. They team teach the popular class Power PE, where students become mentors for peers with special needs.
Southland ponds stocked for trout season
More than 4,000 pounds of fish will be added to trout fishing lakes in the Forest Preserves of Cook County, including Sag Quarry East in Lemont, Horsetail Lake in Palos Park and Green Lake Calumet City.
The 2022 spring inland trout fishing season, opens April 2. As part of the Illinois Department of Natural Resource’s stocking program, fishing for and possession of any trout is illegal until 5 a.m. on April 2. In addition, the Forest Preserves’ trout lakes will be closed to all fishing from March 28, until sunrise on April 2, to allow the trout to disperse throughout the lakes prior to opening.
Other Cook County Forest Preserves trout lakes are Axehead Lake and Belleau Lake, both in Park Ridge.
The Forest Preserves is stocking approximately 500 pounds of rainbow trout at Sag Quarry East, 1,250 pounds at Axehead Lake and 1,250 pounds at Belleau Lake, while the IDNR is stocking 700 pounds at Green Lake and 600 pounds at Horsetail Lake. These are catchable sized rainbow trout, in the 0.5-1 pound size range.
Once the season opens, there is a five trout per day creel limit with no size restrictions. No more than two lines per person with no more than two hooks per line may be used.
A valid Illinois sport fishing license with an Inland Trout Stamp is required for anglers 16 years of age and older. More information is at fpdcc.com/fishing/.
Frankfort Cheetahs Special Olympics team brings home medals
The Frankfort Cheetahs Special Olympics team, made up of athletes from Frankfort 157-C, Lincoln-Way High School District 210 and other area districts, recently won medals at the Illinois Gymnastics Regionals at Palatine High School.
Members of the Frankfort Cheetahs rhythmic gymnastics team include Mia Bond, Madalynn Kawa, Reilly Murray, Morgan Woodward, Landon Fregeau, and Dominic Steinhauser. Team coaches include Frankfort School District 157-C staff Cari Clousing, Lori Stanevicius and Mitch Stein.
Mia, Madalynn, Reilly, Morgan, and Dominic earned gold medals and Landon earned a silver medal. Gold medal winners are eligible to advance to the state level competition June 17 and 18 at Illinois State University.
The Frankfort Cheetahs are now preparing for the Special Olympics Illinois Spring Games Regionals on April 30 and May 1 at Marmion Academy in Aurora.
African American experience in Park Forest highlighted in video
The Park Forest Historical Society recently launching a program available online called “Reflections and Accomplishments of African Americans.” The video was part of the 50th Anniversary of Park Forest programming and was filmed in 1999 at Freedom Hall.
The program includes panels and speakers on different aspects of African American life in Park Forest featuring people who were prominent in the village’s history.
In combination with the program, a committee worked on “Park Forest African-American Pioneers When and How We Entered 1958-1968,” a book of documents on early integration in Park Forest. The book became part of the Park Forest Public Library archival collection, now maintained by the Park Forest Historical Society at 227 Monee Road. The original is in the library and a copy is in the Park Forest Local History Files with the Society. More information is at www.parkforesthistory.org
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.Will County Emergency Management Agency gets new director
Allison Anderson was appointed director of the Will County Emergency Management Agency, succeeding Harold Damron, who retired this month after a 31-year career with the agency. Anderson’s appointment was confirmed by the Will County Board.
Anderson joined the county in September 2013 as an emergency response specialist with the Health Department. She joined the Emergency Management Agency in December 2014, where she continued to coordinate and develop strategic, operational, and tactical plans for the county’s response to emergencies, according to a news release. The agency’s deputy director since June 2018, Anderson has managed the training and exercise programs.
Live burn training set in Mokena
The New Lenox Fire Protection District will be conducting live burn training from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 24, 25 and 26 at a donated house in the 14000 block of West Maple Road in Mokena.
Residents in the vicinity may see smoke in the area during this time, according to a news release. and U.S. 6 west of Blodgett Road will have a heavy presence of fire apparatus during the training.
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