Jim and Karen Kabat of Joliet came to Orland Park recently for Karen’s dentist appointment.

Rather than hanging out in the waiting room, Jim sought out the Orland Park Charter Fitness facility. The 66-year-old is a member of the Homer Glen facility but used the idle time in Orland Park to get his workout in.

“That’s one of the advantages,” he said. “I can go to any of them. The fact I can do that is really great.”

The last couple of months Charter Fitness has been making a big splash in the Chicago area.

Last September, the Orland Park-based company converted 38 local Cardinal Fitness facilities to Charter Fitness including gyms in Cary, Crystal Lake, Darien, McHenry, Mokena, New Lenox, Niles, Palos Heights, Park Ridge, Schaumburg, Tinley Park, West Chicago and Westmont. A new facility will open soon in Willowbrook.

Some of the existing gyms, including the facility in Orland Park, will expand and soon host grand re-openings. Officials expect the changes will bring in 200 new employees over a 12-month period. The company hosted four job fairs in January.

In a bad economy, the business is still able to expand.

Customers work the machines at the Orland Park Charter Fitness. (Jeff Vorva/Tribune)

“I think within the fitness industry, we are a great value,’’ Charter’s director of sales, Dan Collins, said. “We grew up in Chicagoland. We have a great presence here. So we have a good opportunity to expand our business. We’re growing and adapting to the times. We decided to step up the levels of our facilities and size.”

The Orland Park facility was at 7,400 square feet and is expanding another 3,500 square feet and will be able to put in more equipment and use it for more training space and bigger locker rooms.

To hear some customers talk about it, the key is the price of the place, which runs $10 a month for individuals to $19 per month for families.

Kabat, who has been a Cardinal/Charter customer for 10 years after the former New Lenox grade school teacher had quadruple bypass surgery, said he works out there three times a week.

“I can’t afford to not be a member,” Kabat said. “Yes they don’t have swimming pools and hot tubs and all of that kind of good stuff, but that’s OK. I can exist without those.”

Jim Faille, a two-year member from Orland Park who said he works out four times a week so he can keep up with his 14-year-old son, Trevor, who is a two-sport athlete at Jerling Junior High School.

“It’s a block away from my house and you can’t beat the price,” he said. “I couldn’t resist it. The only thing I wish they could change is the hours. I wish they would open earlier.”

Lawmakers said Tuesday that a legislative panel responsible for reviewing state facility closures will return to Tinley Park to continue a discussion on Gov. Pat Quinn’s plan to close the Tinley Park Mental Health Center.

The announcement came during a meeting of the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability in Springfield to discuss Quinn’s plan to close the Tinley Park center as well as the Jacksonville Developmental Center. The closures were announced in January as part of a long-term plan to serve those with developmental disabilities and mental health conditions more through community-based support and and less with institutional care .

During Tuesday’s hearing, the commission heard more detailed testimony from the Department of Human Services officials and the governor’s office about the plan, coined the Active Community Care Transition Plan. DHS Secretary Michelle Saddler said the plan is the same one presented during previous public hearings in the fall, but additional details about how the plan will work have since been developed.

“So what is new? Really, nothing,” Saddler said. “We have the same plan components that we had last fall and included the details you requested.”

Public hearings were held for facility closure proposals in the fall following an announcement by Quinn in September that he planned to close seven state facilities because of inadequate budget appropriations.

The commission previously voted not to recommend closures of all seven facilities, which included the Tinley Park and Jacksonville centers. In December,  lawmakers and Quinn approved a budget plan to keep them open through the fiscal year, but Quinn’s office said at that time that he still planned to close some state developmental and mental health centers as part of the long-term transition from institutions to community-based care. That plan was put forward in January.

Several commission members said Tuesday during the meeting that they felt ill-equipped to ask questions about the closures because they had only received 120 pages of information detailing the most recent plans on Monday.

“I voted in the fall in favor of closure for both JDC and Tinley Park,” said Sen. Jeff Schoenberg, D-Evanston, who co-chairs the commission. “But I have to say that I don’t feel like I can have an informed series of questions on the details that you provided because we only received them at the very end of the business day yesterday.”

He also noted that the plan is still missing details on how much it will cost the state to make the transitions and from where the money will come.

“There’s no breakdown of what upfront costs might be necessary, and there’s really no detail…on what this is going to cost over the next several years and how we’re going to pay for it,” he said.

Debra Ferguson, senior deputy and chief of clinical operations for DHS Division of Mental Health, said the department is currently working with community-based providers and hospitals to develop service plans that can replace those currently provided at the Tinley Park center.

Ferguson said DHS has received working proposals from St. Bernard’s, Loretto, and St. Mary’s and Elizabeth’s Hospitals in Chicago, and from Riverside Hospital in Kankakee. Exploratory meetings have been held with St. Joseph’s Hospital in Joliet and St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee.

Substance abuse care proposals or letters of intent have been submitted by Haymarket and HealthCare Alternatives Inc., both of Chicago, and Cornell Interventions is in the process of submitting a proposal, she said.

The Will County Behavioral Health program, Thresholds and the Helen Wheeler MHC in Kankakee have also expressed interest in reviewing possible plans for the transition. Ferguson said other providers are also in discussions with the department but have asked that their names not be released.

Rep. Al Riley, D-Hazel Crest, said he is concerned that the providers located near the Tinley Park center are not listed as being part of the discussions. Ferguson said all providers in the area have been contacted by the department and that work to develop the plan is ongoing.

“We will continue that engagement process in the hopes of filling that hole that you were talking about,” she said.

The commission heard about 15 minutes of public comment from those both in support and against the facility closures. Additional comments will be allowed at the subsequent public hearings. Schoenberg said hearings will be scheduled in both Tinley Park and Jacksonville in the near future.

Documents submitted by DHS to the commission on Tinley Park’s facility closure can be found on the commission’s website.

Enter before noon on Wednesday, February 8 to be eligible for the $5,000 TribLocal Restaurant Gift Card Giveaway Sweepstakes.

75 TribLocal readers have already won $50 Restaurant.com gift cards and 25 more winners remain. Enter today at contests.triblocal.com/dine. Here are the previous winners.

Week Three – Ann Freier, Betty Tomei, Bonnie Jurkowski, Cherie Knitter, Christine O’Connor, Diann Kohley, Heather Sprinkle, Jay Twery, Jo Ann Mahoney, John Kella, John Kerlin, Julius C. Borchert, Karen Wootton, Lauren Olvera, Leonora Richards, Linda Berta, Lorinda Anderson, Mark Gillespie, Michele Eich, Paul Ciszewski, Richard Gentry, Robert Mikulec, Sandi Haynes, Steve Weiss, Willie Lara

Click here for the contest rules.

Fifth Third Bank is celebrating Black History Month and the significant contributions by African-Americans to Chicago’s civic, social, philanthropic and business development, by honoring three notable Chicagoans and giving away free tickets to the public to the DuSable Museum of African American History.

The DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Street, Chicago, is the oldest museum of its kind in the U.S. dedicated to collecting, preserving and displaying artifacts and objects that promote understanding and inspire appreciation of the achievements, contributions, and experiences of African Americans through history, culture and art.

The public is encouraged to stop into any Fifth Third Bank to get up to four free tickets per household. Visit www.53.com for a list of Fifth Third Bank locations. Additional information about the DuSable Museum can be found online at www.dusablemuseum.org.

Fifth Third Bank will also honor three well-known African-American leaders from Chicago recognizing their vast contributions to community, philanthropy and the empowerment of youth. Those being honored (photo'd above) include Merri Dee, broadcast legend and AARP-IL President, Israel Idonije, Chicago Bears Defensive Tackle, and Melody Spann-Cooper, President, WVON-AM Radio. In addition to receiving crystal awards, each honoree will receive a $5300 scholarship in his/her name that will be awarded to a local high school senior to help with the first year of college.

“We are so proud to honor these notable Chicagoans by presenting scholarships in their names that will help someone achieve their academic dreams and follow in the footsteps of our honorees,” said Nicole Johnson-Scales, SVP, Community Development, Fifth Third Bank.

When you're six, 100 days might as well be an eternity.
But for a group of first graders at Dorn School in Hickory Hills, the first 100 days of school went pretty, well, quick.
Students in Karen Sladek's first-grade class celebrated the 100th day of school by drawing festive hats and participating in activities that centered around the number 100.
The students had a great time counting to 100.

Come out and enjoy Fat Tuesday while benefitting Mount Assisi Academy. Pompei Little Italy prides themselves on serving hot, gourmet-quality Italian dishes including hand rolled pizzas and hand cut pastas made from 3 generations of Sicilian family recipes. They only use the freshest ingredients to prepare the made-to-order salads, soups built from scratch, hand-rolled pizza, signature pizza strudels, and classic Italian pastas, with all sauces and dressing made daily by their talented chefs.

Pompei of Orland Park has graciously opened their doors to Mount Assisi Academy’s family and friends on Fat Tuesday! If you mention MAA, Pompei will donate 10% of your total bar/dine-in bill to Mount Assisi Academy. We are grateful for their hospitality and we look forward to Pompei’s delicious food. Mount Assisi Academy is excited to be apart of a family operation. We pride our MAA community as also being a family and we couldn’t imagine spending our Fat Tuesday anywhere else!

Whether you are apart of MAA or not Pompei Little Italy is the place to be on Fat Tuesday! Have a great time and remember to say, “I’m here for M.A.A.” Mangiare felice (Happy Eating)!

A 22-year-old Chicago Ridge woman caught driving a car without a front registration plate also lacked a driver’s license, according to an Orland Park Police report released Monday.

But what really got officers’ attention was the $20,000 in her satchel.

Asked where she got the money, the woman reportedly said a man in Chicago gave it to her as a gift for “hanging out with him” and being “like his girlfriend” for the next few months.

Police learned of the cash when the woman declined to leave the container in her car after the 2:50 a.m. Jan. 27 traffic stop on the 14300 block of Southwest Highway.

During questioning at the police station, the woman said she had a four-year relationship with a Chicago Ridge man, but had come to Orland Park from downtown to visit her “side boyfriend” at a specific address in the Brook Hills West subdivision, according to the report.

The woman reportedly said she doesn’t live with her Chicago Ridge boyfriend, and he is unaware of her other “friends.”

Police released the woman after determining that nothing she had said or anything on her cell phone indicated she was involved in prostitution.

A portion of Sen. Mark Kirk’s skull that was removed following a stroke last month was reattached this morning, Kirk’s doctor said in a statement.

The reattachment was possible because the swelling in Kirk’s brain had subsided, according to the statement.

Read more: The Chicago Tribune. 

With Valentine’s Day coming up, the TribLocal staff wanted to offer up some musical suggestions for those that are in love and those that are not so in love.

Have your own suggestions? Leave a comment to the right.

For those in love – playlist on YouTube
1. “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
2. “Heard it in a Love Song” by Marshall Tucker Band
3. “Fool For You” by The John Butler Trio
4. “Please Forgive Me” by David Gray
5. “Your Body is a Wonderland” by John Mayer
6. “Sugar and Honey” by Duffy
7. “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers
8. “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith
9. “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton
10. “Is This Love” by Bob Marley
11. “Something” by the Beatles
12. “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston
13. “Everybody Here Wants You” by Jeff Buckley
14. “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele
15. “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz
16. “We Belong Together” by Gavin DeGraw
17. “Just a Kiss” by Lady Antebellum
18. “Falling Slowly” by the Swell Season

For Those Not in Love — playlist on YouTube
1.”You Oughta Know” By Alanis Morissette
2. “Rolling In the Deep” by Adele
3. “Creep” by Radiohead
4. “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd
5. “Just Feel Better” by Carlos Santana ft. Steven Tyler
6. “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson
7. “High Horses” by The Swell Season
8. “So What” by P!nk
9. “Black Swan” by Thom Yorke
10. “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye ft. Kimbra
11. “Hey Joe” by Jimi Hendrix
12. “Hit the Road Jack” by Ray Charles
13. “My Immortal” by Evanescence
14. “Misery” by Maroon 5
15. “Against All Odds” by Phil Collins
16. “Forget You” by Cee Lo Green
17. “Piece of My Heart” by Janis Joplin
18. “Love Stinks” by Adam Sandler from “The Wedding Singer”

Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin promised Monday that contract negotiations between the village and Metropolitan Alliance of Police Local 159 would not end up in arbitration at the end of February.

McLaughlin told Local 159 President Ron Ahrendt, “I’m very confident you will bargain in good faith — both sides,” McLaughlin said at Monday’s Village Board meeting.

Ahrendt had told the village board negotiations between union representatives and the municipality have been “at a standstill” since Sept. 29, and were headed to arbitration Feb. 29.

Ahrendt said a major sticking point has been the village’s insistence on contract language taken from an unspecified eastern municipality. The union wants contract language similar to what is found in contracts for police officers in Tinley Park, Oak Lawn and other nearby communities, he said.

In an apparent reference to the two sides’ differences about pay rates, Ahrendt also cited a presentation about Orland Park’s “good financial shape” by Village Manager Paul Grimes, who is representing the municipality in negotiations.

Both sides previously agreed to expand the length of the police union contract from the current three years to four years to make it consistent with the village’s other contracts with unionized employees.

But Ahrendt, with the Orland Park Police Department for the past 11 of his 15 years as a sworn police officer, stressed the 75 officers he represents aren’t typical municipal employees.

“No one has more ‘skin in the game’ than Orland Park Police officers,” he said, citing the physical and emotional dangers and hazards of front-line law enforcement.

McLaughlin assured Ahrendt he believes “we do have the best police department in the state. The board knows and supports the job you do.”

Ahrendt later told reporters the current contract would expire May 12. The contract doesn’t cover police sergeants, who are represented by a different union.

There was a wide range of emotions during the closing minutes of the final day of business at the Orland Park Bakery’s Orland Plaza location.

For more then 40 years, there has been a bakery at that spot.

But Sunday’s closing didn’t have the same feel as the July closing of longtime grocery store Randy’s Market next door. Randy’s closed with uncertainty of if, when and where it will open again. Orland Park Bakery customers have the knowledge that the business will open again at 14850 LaGrange Rd. and there will be a grand opening celebration Friday.

But the last couple of days at the Orland Plaza provided some sentimental customers a chance for one more look at the place. The plaza will eventually be torn down as the village of Orland Park starts a redevelopment project in that area.

Orland Park Bakery co-owner Kathleen Major is joined by her workers as she locks the door for her business at the Orland Plaza location for the last time on Sunday.

“It’s a sad day because people came in here and told me how they used to come here and buy doughnuts after church with their grandparents and now they are bringing their kids in here,” said Kathleen Major, who owns the business with her son, Tom. “They are looking at these counters and they are looking at these walls saying ‘this is Orland Bakery.’ I tell them ‘please let the next place be Orland Bakery.’’

Mary Lou Norwell of Orland Park said she has been a customer for 18 years. She agreed that it was a “very sad” day and isn’t happy about the plaza closing. She said her son used to sell Boy Scout candy in front of Randy’s and that she would buy groceries, bakery goods and get her hair done at the plaza.

“This area has a homey feel,” she said. “People were neighborly and friendly and said ‘hello.’ I really hope they can capture that same feeling with the new location.”

Palos Heights’ Theresa Fortuna, who was another of the customers who got in one more look at the place during the closing minutes, had a different take.

“It’s actually a success story,” she said. “In this economy, a bakery is superfluous in my opinion. But not only are they doing well, they are making a move.”

Monica Wrzesinski of Orland Park turned out to be the final customer at the old place as she bought a variety of cupcakes. She said she’s been coming to the bakery for five years and that everything is “over-the-top” good.

Wrzesinski made her purchase at 2 p.m. and the staff closed the doors right after that. She said she is looking forward to shopping in the new location.

“It will be a lot more inconvenient for some people,” she said. “But there will be better parking and traffic flow at the new location. Much better. So I’m looking forward to that. We’ll still come and see them at the new location. They need more space – it’s long overdue.”

After the doors closed, Tom Major had mixed emotions.

“I’m happy to leave as long as the other place works out,” he said. “If it works out, I’ll be as happy as can be.”

Sen. Mark Kirk has been upgraded to good condition and was able to watch the Super Bowl last night with family, according to Dr. Richard Fessler, who operated on Kirk following a stroke last month.

Fessler anticipated that Kirk, who is at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, will be able to start rehabilitation soon.

Read more: Chicago Tribune.

Last year, Sandburg’s cheerleading team made news at the Illinois High School Association state competitive cheerleading meet when freshman Kathleen Schofield took an elbow to the face during a routine and the wound needed 40 stitches to close.
This year, the Eagles squad instead made news for winning a state championship.
Sandburg won Large Team Division while St. Viator won the title in the Medium Team Division to lead TribLocal area teams Saturday at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington. It’s Sandburg’s third IHSA state title and St. Viator’s first.
Sandburg, a school in Orland Park which won titles in 2006 and 2009, scored a 94.84 to edge out Lockport (93.10), Marist (92.60), Providence Catholic (92.50) and Conant (92.38). Lincoln-Way East took fifth, Joliet West sixth, Neuqua Valley eighth, Plainfield Central ninth and Stevenson 10th.
Members of the Sandburg roster include Caitlyn Aguirre, Natalie Alfano, Mary Carol Barkowski, Isabella Berardelli, Grace Call, Katie Cardinal, Courtney Conway, Peyten Cronin, Taylor Crump, Kellie Dominick, Sammie Frank, Karissa Kouchis, Alyssa Martinez, Molly McGuire, Samantha Misheck, Hollie Mulcahey, Taylor Nietfeldt, Natalie Noonan, Gabby Papierski, Lindsay Probasco, Nina Ramos, Jackie Randolph, Zoe Ruff, Meaghan Ryan, Schofield, Apryl Tomala and Jade Welgat.

St. Viator won its first IHSA state title Saturday. (Photo courtesy of St. Viator High School)

St. Viator

St. Viator, located in Arlington Heights, scored an 89.04 to take the crown in the Medium Team Division over Oak Forest (88.28) while Lemont took third (88.18), Vernon Hills fourth (86.98), Wauconda sixth (85.64), Antioch eighth (85.16) and Grayslake North ninth (83.66).
Members of the varsity roster include Maggie Dickey, Isabelle Rooney, Breanna St. Piere, Elizabeth Reilly, Jenna Shaxted, Nicole Marino, Anna Cirone, Sarah Tietz, Allison Stepuszek, Suzanna Faycurry, Tara Kane, Megan McCollum, Katie Holsworth, Lauren Luthringshausen, Kathleen Darling, Anna Malapanes, Colleen Donahue, Kathaleen Murphy and MaryAnn McAndrews.
In the Coed Team division, Rich Central took first with a 91 followed by Barrington (89.06), Buffalo Grove (88.22), Downers Drove South (87.54) and Grant (86.76). Mundelein took sixth and Downers Grove North was ninth.
In the Small Team division, Timothy Christian was the top TribLocal placer with a second-place finish, scoring 85.16 behind Columbia’s 88.56,

Students in Gale Dobes' fifth-grade classroom put a whole new twist on their U.S. History lesson this year.
This year, the Oak Ridge School students decided to personally thank the veterans for their bravery and service.
More than 150 letters were written to sick and injured soldiers. The letters were then sent to a Veterans Hospital in Missouri.
The letter-writing campaign began in Mrs. Dobes' classroom but gained momentum when the rest of the fifth-grade classes asked to participate.
The letters were hand-delivered to the veterans by the sister of Patricia Cerven, a fifth-grade teacher at Oak Ridge.
Cerven's sister is a nurse at the VA hospital.
Cerven said the veterans were appreciative of the letters, which brought smiles to their faces, especially those that were in the hospital during the holidays.
The students were happy to know that a simple act of kindness brought happiness to so many deserving veterans.

There were no references to Dr. Seuss or to any felines.
But there were scores of hats on parade inside Mary Beth Patrick and Lynn Crain's pre-kindergarten classrooms at Dorn School.
The students participated in a "Hat Parade" event that allowed students to share their favorite hats with their classmates after they finished reading "The Hat" by Jan Brett.
Once the story was finished, students paraded through the halls of Dorn School with their favorite hats and carrying instruments to celebrate the story.

Dr. Vernon O. Crawley, president of Moraine Valley (right) and Terry McCollom, Illinois director of Military Outreach for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), sign a Statement of Support on January 31 in recognition of the community college’s support of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. Applauding the signing are from left Andrew Duren, executive vice president for Administrative Services at Moraine Valley; Jonathan Mireles, Illinois Yellow Ribbon support specialist I; Capt. Jeremy Dugena, Illinois Army National Guard; Carolyn Murray, support technician for the Illinois ESGR; Barton Kuchner, president of the Moraine Valley Combat2College organization; and Jeremy Kingery, C2C sponsor.

Now in its second year, General Motors once again wants to honor, recognize and reward local Illinois heroes with the Our Town, Our Heroes program. Teachers, coaches, veterans, parents, friends and everyone in between who inspire others and drive positive change will be spotlighted by the program in 2012.

Beginning now and continuing through November, Illinois residents can visit DrivingtheMidwest.com and nominate someone who inspires them and is making a difference in their community. Finalists will be chosen once per month, and the public can log on and vote for their favorite hero. The hero with the most votes, and the person who nominated him or her, will each receive a one-week loan of an all-new Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac vehicle and a special vehicle delivery with their family and friends. New to the program this year, the winning hero will also receive $500 in gift cards, and the second place hero and his or her nominator will each receive a one-week vehicle loan.

For more information on the Our Town, Our Heroes program, to read about the 2011 hero winners, and to nominate heroes in your neighborhood, visit DrivingtheMidwest.com and follow on Twitter @DrivingMidwest.

Federal legislation that would bar mass-transit projects from getting gasoline tax revenue is “financially perilous” to Chicago’s public transit system, state and local transportation officials say.

The measure would jeopardize about $450 million worth of capital projects annually, including Metra’s purchase of new cars for the Electric District line and the UP North bridge-rebuilding project, Regional Transportation Authority Executive Director Joe Costello said.

The bill approved Friday by a U.S. House committee would cut off a reliable stream of federal funding for these long-term, big-ticket projects, Costello said.

“You need to be able to rely on that funding. (The bill) throws all that out the window,” Costello said.

Read more at the Chicago Tribune.

Jason Wepsiec spent Sunday evening watching the Superbowl and wishing his beloved Bears were on the field.

After the game, he left his home in Sauk Village and headed to his fiance’s place in Plainfield, which was closer to the unemployment office he planned to visit in the morning.  He never made it.

Wepsiec, 34, was driving his Ford Escort down Interstate 80 when an Infiniti going the wrong way plowed into him in a fiery collision near Hazel Crest around 2:15 a.m. Wepsiec was killed, along with three of the four people in the other car.

“He was just trying to come out and be with me,” said Kelli Minger, 23. “I can’t believe this happened.”

Wepsiec was nearing Kedzie Avenue when he was hit by the Infiniti, driven by Gustavo Vargas of Berwyn and carrying three of his buddies after a stop at the Skybox gentlemen’s club in south suburban Harvey.

Read more at the Chicago Tribune.

Andres DeLeon’s adventurous dog Bodhi, photographed here enjoying the recent snow, won the TribLocal weekly photo contest. As the contest winner, DeLeon’s photograph will appear in all 21 print issues of TribLocal later this week. To have your photo considered for our weekly contest, just post a photo to your TribLocal town site.