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Traffic Study and Planning Dominate Village Discussion
By Stephanie Irvine Traffic studies and a comprehensive plan for the village dominated discussion at the Manhattan Village board meeting. The board was set to approve an updated boundary agreement with the Village of Frankfort that would extend the boundary agreement another 20 years, which is typical of boundary agreement durations. “Previously, the boundary agreement…
Vedette Sports Report
By Jeff Vorva Playing in an independent league ballpark agreed with Crete-Monee’s baseball team and pitcher Michael Leonard. Leonard threw a shutout and struck out 13 batters to help the Warriors top Thornton Fractional South 5-0 on April 20 at Railcat Stadium in Gary, Indiana. Leonard’s record was just 1-3 after the win, but he…
Crete Community to Host Clean Up Day
By Karen Haave The Crete Police Department, Trinity Lutheran Church, and Crete Park District will join forces on Saturday, April 27, to sponsor a Community Clean-up Day and luncheon to mark Earth Day Week. Residents can sign up for the clean-up event at Trinity Lutheran, 1393 Elizabeth Street, at 8:30 a.m. Participants will be given…
No More Potholes on Blue Devil Drive
By Andrea Arens The meme is there’s two seasons in Illinois – winter and construction. That also will hold true for the Peotone School District but, unlike Chicago, many will appreciate the improvements. Blue Devil Drive, the street in front of the junior high that also provides access to the football field, baseball fields, and…
Dangerous Intersection A Topic at Board Meeting
By Jeff Vorva The outcry was heard. Manteno Village Board Trustee Diane Dole reported at the April 15 board meeting that there have been a few safety changes at the intersection of 12000 North Road and Illinois Rt. 50, which is north of Manteno but not in the village. “Everyone is thankful to all of…
No Golf Carts For Crete
By Karen Haave Last week, Crete officials voted down a proposed ordinance that would have allowed operating golf carts on village streets. The proposal had been discussed repeatedly and at length for months and met with unwavering opposition from Police Chief Scott Pieritz. His opposition, he said, was based on public safety, golf cart safety,…
Beecher School Board Tosses Around Idea of a Referendum
By Jeff Vorva Members of the District 200U board are weighing their options on a possible referendum regarding the makeup of the seven-member board. For decades, the rules for the makeup of the board has consisted of at least two members coming from unincorporated areas and no more than five from incorporated areas. At the…
Beecher Board and Lions Club Hash Out Bike and Burnout Show
By Jeff Vorva Beecher Lions Club officials and the village board hashed out some preliminary ideas regarding the organization’s car, bike and burnout fundraiser. At the April 8 board meeting, members of the Lions Club outlined an idea in which the show will take place Aug. 24 on Gould Street and add a military theme…
Peotone Hires New Officer
By Andrea Arens In a time when municipalities are struggling to fill their rosters, the Village of Peotone was lucky enough to swear in a new officer at the April 8 board meeting. Officer Daniel Napoli, a lifetime resident of Peotone, graduated from the police academy recently and was sworn in with his family present.…
VEDETTE SPORTS REPORT
By Jeff Vorva When Beecher’s softball team beat Donovan by a combined score of 30-0 on April 9, it also marked coach Kevin Hayhurst’s 600thcareer victory. Hayhurst, who opened his career as Bobcats coach in 2003, joins some elite company. According to the Illinois High School Association record book, only 21 coaches have topped the…
Project Fire Buddies Holds Spa Day for Peotone Girl Amid Father’s Cancer Battle
By Stephanie Irvine The Manhattan Chapter of Project Fire Buddies came through for a local Peotone girl, Dixie Mae Barclay, with the gift of a spa day, but the family needs help from the community now that Dixie’s dad and sole income provider for the family, Tony, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Dixie lives…
Manhattan Honors Veterans with Banner Program
By Stephanie Irvine Manhattan American Legion Post 935, in cooperation with the Village of Manhattan, will honor Manhattan veterans with the Hometown Heroes banner program. Applications for a limited number of banners are being accepted through April 30. The banner program, which is new to the village this year, will feature a photo of the…
Angel’s Helping Hands Now an Alternative
By Karen Haave The Crete Police Department and Crete-Monee School officials have joined forces with Angel’s Helping Hands to offer at-risk youth an alternative to school discipline or arrest. “Angel’s Helping Hands is a pilot diversion program tailored for at-risk youth,” CPD Chief Scott Pieritz explained. “We partnered with them through the Crete-Monee High School…
Streetscape to Start in Peotone
By Karen Haave A $3.5 million beautification project slated for Peotone’s downtown historic district is underway, culminating four years of planning, revisions, talks, and meetings. It was scheduled to begin on April 11 but was postponed due to rain. Village officials hosted an open house earlier this month to present details of the improvement plan…