Page 951 – The Lansing Journal

Annual CAP drill competition held at Heritage Middle School

Community

January 19, 2018

Annual CAP drill competition held at Heritage Middle School

information provided by Civil Air Patrol

LANSING, Ill. (January 17, 2018) – Cadet squadrons from Civil Air Patrol Illinois Wing Group 2 held their Annual Group 2 Cadet Drill Competition on January 6 at Heritage Middle School in Lansing with about 50 cadets participating. The competition consisted of a uniform inspection, drill, one-mile run, and written test. The first place traveling trophy was awarded to the Shorty Powers Composite Squadron based at Clow Airport in Bolingbrook. Lansing’s Thunder Composite Squadron placed first in the drill portion and second overall. Also participating in the event were cadets from Coffey Composite Squadron, Lewis Composite Squadron and Magnus Composite Squadron.

Thunder Composite Squadron — Cadets line up for the uniform inspection portion of the competition. (Photo provided by Carrie Steinweg)

Another portion of the event was a drill “knockout” round with about 40 cadets competing individually. In the competition, cadets are eliminated gradually following an error in commands until one cadet is left standing. The winner of the knockout competition was Tech. Sgt. John Morgan from Lansing’s Thunder Composite Squadron.

Drill competition winners were recognized at the Civil Air Patrol Illinois Wing Group 2’s Annual Winter Ball held in Orland Park.

Thunder Composite Squadron meets every Wednesday from 6:30–9:00pm at Heritage Middle School in Lansing, Illinois. Membership includes Lansing residents as well as individuals from throughout the south suburbs and Northwest Indiana, including Calumet City, Mokena, Lynwood, Dyer, Munster, and Schererville. For more information on membership in the Thunder Composite Squadron, contact Major Zalud with the Civil Air Patrol at 630-779-9313.

Businesses can learn to optimize their social media presence

Education

South Suburban College

January 19, 2018

Class offered at South Suburban College February 7

information provided by South Suburban College

SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill. (January 18, 2018) – There is a difference between posting on a personal Facebook page and posting on behalf of a company’s Facebook page. The Business and Career Institute of South Suburban College is offering a class to help businesses articulate and navigate those differences.

The “Optimize Your Business’ Social Media Presence” workshop will be offered on Wednesday, February 7, 8:00am–12:00pm in the MB Financial Suite at South Suburban College’s main campus in South Holland. The class will be offered a second time on Wednesday, April 25, 12:00–4:00pm.

Participants will learn how to express ideas on social media while staying within the boundaries of business etiquette. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram will be discussed, as well as creative marketing strategies.

The cost for the class is $75 per individual. Discounts are available for groups of three or more. Registrations are accepted online or over the phone.

For more information contact Mike Schoettle, Client Solutions Specialist, at [email protected], or call 708-596-2000, x3253.

South Suburban College is located at 15800 South State Street in South Holland. The class will be held in the MB Financial Suite, on the first floor.

Marching for life

Community

Melanie Jongsma

January 18, 2018

Jeff White says Right to Life and Civil Rights go hand in hand

by Melanie Jongsma

LANSING, Ill. (January 18, 2018) – To Jeff White, being “pro-life” is not just about preventing abortion. It’s about being for life, a good life, for everyone—even for people who aren’t yet born.

White is vice president of the Illiana Right to Life Committee, which is associated with the National Right to Life movement.

On the bus ride from Lansing, Illinois, to Washington, DC, each year, White talks to his 70-plus passengers about civil rights, and he draws comparisons between the march that they’ll participate in and the 1963 march that culminated with Martin Luther King Jr’s historic “I have a dream” speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial. During last year’s bus ride, he showed the film The Blind Side.

He remembers, “I had people ask me, ‘What does The Blind Side have to do with the Right to Life movement?’ Well, it’s the story of a young man that everyone gave up on—but one family believed in him. That’s the heart of being pro-life. And when you think about it, Black Lives Matter, the Women’s March, all these movements are pro-life. We’re all about making sure people have a chance for a good life.”

This year’s bus trip left Thursday evening from Bethel Christian Reformed Church. Riders included Lansing residents as well as pro-lifers from South Holland, Munster, and other towns throughout the Illiana region.

They will drive through the night, arriving at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Arlington, Virginia, early Friday morning. The March for Life—which typically involves up to 250,000 people—begins with a rally at the Washington Monument at 12:00pm and usually finishes by 3:00pm.

White says the Marchers for Life are intentional about not being an inconvenience for residents and visitors in Washington DC. They schedule the March in the afternoon to minimize traffic problems, and they enlist hundreds of volunteers at the back of the throng to pick up litter. They don’t want their presence to have a negative impact on their message.

“Anytime there’s been a successful movement, it needs to gain respectability,” says White.

White’s group will spend Saturday sightseeing, and they will re-board the buses at 6:30pm Saturday, driving through the night again to return to Lansing Sunday morning.

Active Shooter Awareness training for Lansing businesses

Police and Fire

Melanie Jongsma

January 18, 2018

Wednesday, January 31, 9:00am

by Melanie Jongsma

LANSING, Ill. (January 17, 2018) – The Lansing Police Department will host a class specifically for businesses who have a physical building located in Lansing. The class will be led by Sgt. Gabe Barajas of LPD’s Support Services.

“The ways you’ll respond to an active shooter in a school setting are different than the ways you’ll respond as adults in businesses,” explains Barajas, who also does drills in schools twice a year. “It’s a little different mentality.” Barajas also hopes to set up a similar training specifically for churches, where other factors might affect appropriate response.

Training will take place at the Lansing Police Department, 2710 170th Street in Lansing. Space is limited, so interested participants should enroll early.

For more information or to enroll, contact:

Sgt. Gabe Barajas

708-895-7163
[email protected]

or Lt. Scott Bailey

708-895-7130
[email protected]

New series:
Understanding Lansing

Local government

Melanie Jongsma

January 18, 2018

by Melanie Jongsma

LANSING, Ill. (January 2018) – If you’ve ever wondered why Lansing has an airport, or what a Trustee does, or how many people work at Village Hall, you are not alone. Though Lansing has maintained a small-town atmosphere in our neighborhoods and businesses, there is a complex network of people and positions who are involved in day-to-day operations.

The Lansing Journal is beginning this “Understanding Lansing” series as a guide for residents who want to see the key roles and how they work together.

Org chart

In the January 3 print version of The Lansing Journal, we presented an org chart showing the names and positions that are most familiar to most Lansing residents. That chart is difficult to recreate online in a way that is easy to view on devices of all sizes and still legible.

We’ve resized the chart into a two-page PDF that can be printed on 8.5×11″ paper, for those who would like to print their own copy at home:

Understanding Lansing, two-page PDF (8.5×11″)

And here’s a smaller version of the chart without the details included in the larger version:
Our goal is to provide information about each of these positions, and make the individual parts linkable, so you can always find the information you’re interested in.

Let us know

We are hoping to make this series as useful as possible, so if there’s something particular you want to know about Lansing, please let us know!

Email Melanie Jongsma

Study confirms Lansing’s dog park is following best practices

Parks and nature

Melanie Jongsma

January 17, 2018

Design and placement meet national standards

by Melanie Jongsma

LANSING, Ill. (January 15, 2018) – Though having a dog park is new to Lansing, the concept has been around long enough to warrant research such as that done by the Park Advisory Commission Dog Park Subcommittee of Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 2014 they released a 31-page document detailing their recommendations for a new dog park in Ann Arbor. As it turns out, their findings confirm that the Lan-Oak Park District is on the right track with their dog park plans for Lansing.

Placement recommendations

For example, the Ann Arbor study recommends that a dog park be at least a half acre in size. Lansing’s dog park will be a full acre.

The Ann Arbor study considers it “crucial” to provide a buffer between the dog park and any residential homes. Lan-Oak Park District specifically located the new dog park on the side of Bock Park farthest from the homes along Lorenz Avenue.

Lansing’s dog park will have accessible water (for dogs and humans), plenty of parking, and adequate shade—all features recommended in the study.

Design recommendations

Even the design details of Lansing’s dog park are in alignment with the study’s best practices:

Fencing will be four feet high.
Landscaping will provide aesthetic benefits as well as help reduce noise.
The entrance area will allow dog owners to safely unleash their dogs before releasing them into the main dog park.
A separate area for small dogs will help prevent stress and accidents.
Clearly posted signs will inform dog owners of the rules, hours, and requirements for entry.
Trash containers and waste removal bag holders will help dog owners maintain the cleanliness of the park.
Benches will allow dog owners to rest and socialize in the dog park area.

Budgeting details

Before they can finalize the dog park budget, the Park Board is waiting for answers from the Village about existing ordinances, permit fees, and the existing water source. With that information in place, and with no spring weather surprises, plans are to break ground for Lansing’s dog park by April 1.

Related:

Lansing gets a dog park

Illinois Smart Street Lighting master contract could benefit Lansing

Community

Melanie Jongsma

January 17, 2018

Efficient LED street lights save money and provide other benefits

by Melanie Jongsma

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (January 17, 2018) – Two years ago, in January 2016, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner issued Executive Order 2016-01, which consolidated various technology functions and departments into a single Department of Innovation and Technology. This set the stage for Illinois to become “nationally recognized as the first U.S. state to have a vision and roadmap for becoming a smarter state,” said Hardik Bhatt, Secretary Designate and state CIO of the Department of Innovation and Technology.

In January of 2017, Governor Rauner announced another step in his strategy for transforming Illinois into a Smart State through technology enhancements. The Department of Innovation and Technology released a request for companies to bid on a statewide master contract of Smart Street Lighting for Illinois Municipalities, to help bring LED technology with adaptive controls to communities like Lansing.

This January, the State of Illinois announced its intent to enter into a state master contract for Smart Street Lighting.

As Village Engineer Jeff Pintar explained, it’s beneficial for Lansing to have the state perform the bidding process and award the master contract. The state is able to get a lower price than individual municipalities would be able to get.

The master contract will enable any Illinois unit of local government, qualified under the Illinois joint purchasing program, to upgrade their street lights to light emitting diode (LED) light fixtures. The state says this initiative provides smaller communities like Lansing with the resources needed to manage, maintain, and monitor their street lighting systems to improve efficiencies.

Smart Street Lighting is an emerging area that brings the opportunity for savings in energy and maintenance costs, as well as improved services such as air quality monitoring, traffic management, smart parking, gunshot detection, and electric vehicle charging. Municipalities across Illinois have shown a strong interest in exploring the benefits of Smart Street Lighting.

Village Engineer Jeff Pintar noted that Lansing has already been upgrading certain street lights to LED, along with using LED lighting on new roadway and parking lot improvements. “The Village continually looks at infrastructure improvement projects each year, both through the budget process or when funding opportunities present themselves,” said Pintar. He plans to discuss LED street light conversion with the administration the next time they discuss infrastructure improvements.

South Suburban Humane Society offers special deal to Lansing pet owners

Community

Melanie Jongsma

January 16, 2018

by Melanie Jongsma

LANSING, Ill. (January 16, 2018) – At tonight’s Village Board meeting, Mayor Patty Eidam read a statement from Emily Klehm, CEO of South Suburban Humane Society: “We are thrilled to announce an amazing opportunity for Lansing residents to obtain low-cost spay/neuter services for their dogs. The surgery also includes a rabies vaccine, microchip, and other vaccines and services. The cost to Lansing residents will be $20.”

In Hammond, Indiana, the same offer is being made through Humane Indiana.

This special deal is possible because of a grant from PetSmart Charities. Their goal is to spay/neuter 1,000 dogs in Lansing and Hammond. “When two organizations come together, a lot can be achieved,” says a Facebook post by the South Suburban Humane Society.

To get a dog fixed, microchipped, and vaccinated for a $20 co-pay, residents of Lansing should call the SSHS Spay/Neuter Clinic at 708-755-1110 to book an appointment. Hammond, Indiana, residents can call the HI Estelle Marcus Animal Clinic at 219-922-3811.

The South Suburban Humane Society Clinic is located at 137 W. Joe Orr Road in Chicago Heights. (This is a different address from the shelter itself.)

To make sure you get notified as Lansing news like this happens, subscribe to the online version of The Lansing Journal. You’ll get an email each morning with links to fresh headlines—

Subscribe

Rare photos of Chicago Freedom Movement on display at South Suburban College

Arts and entertainment
Education

South Suburban College

January 16, 2018

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott-King, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Al Raby, Ralph Abernathy, and others included in exhibit

information provided by South Suburban College

SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill. (January 16, 2018) – South Suburban College’s Office of Student Life, along with the South Suburban Housing Center, will present an exhibit of photographs by Bernard J. Kleina entitled, “The Chicago Freedom Movement 1965–1966” from January 15–24. The exhibit, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, will be located in the college’s first floor MB Financial Bank Room.

Included in the exhibit are rare color images of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott-King, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Al Raby, and Ralph Abernathy, as well as images of people who attempted to disrupt the peaceful marches.

Mr. Kleina’s photos has been shown in more than 35 cities as well as at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, Alabama, the Illinois State Capital Building, the Cincinnati Museum Center, a permanent exhibit at the University of Washington School of Law, Seattle, and the Toledo Museum of Art.

Dr. King was instrumental in the fight for open and fair housing both nationally and locally in the City of Chicago. Upon his assassination and the public reaction that followed, advocates gained the momentum necessary to pass the Fair Housing Act just 7 days later. This exhibit captures the devotion of King and marchers despite opposition, devotion that achieved significant civil rights advances.

Admission is free. South Suburban College is located at 15800 S. State Street. For more information about SSC’s programs, admissions, and registration, visit www.ssc.edu or contact the Admissions Office at 708-210-5718.

Granderson signs with Toronto

Sports

Melanie Jongsma

January 16, 2018

Curtis Granderson at First United Methodist Church in Lansing, Illinois.

Ten days after Lansing visit, hometown hero gets a contract

by Melanie Jongsma

LANSING, Ill. (January 16) – When TF South alum Curtis Granderson took questions from the crowd gathered at First United Methodist Church on January 6, the first question came from Josuah Breitenreiter of Lansing: “Since you’re a free agent this year, where would you like to go?”

After 14 years in Major League Baseball, Granderson made it clear that he was eager to keep playing, joking that if his phone rang during the presentation, he would definitely take the call. “I want to go somewhere I can win,” he told the crowd, having made it to three World Series without earning a ring.

Now he’ll return to the American League, having signed a contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. According to MLB.com, the deal has not yet been officially announced by Toronto, but it has been confirmed by MLB officials.

Related:

Blue Jays to sign outfielder Curtis Granderson (story by Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com)
Curtis Granderson returns home to give back (story by Carrie Steinweg)
Granderson holds winter baseball camp in Lynwood, Illinois (story by Carrie Steinweg)

1...950951952...977 Page 951 of 977