Thank you Bill McLean for writing such a good piece about the Glenbrook South tennis doubles team of Sebby DesRoberts and Rohan Gupta. It’s always nice to see support for high school tennis.

A better reporter can not be found in Bill McLean. He truly understands the sport and writes beautifully about it.

Please continue your excellent reporting, Bill!

Thank you!

Bill Lange
Evanston

Editor’s note: Letters to the Editor represent the writers’ opinions and not necessarily those of Daily North Shore. We encourage readers to post Letters to the Editor — please use this link to do so.

Highland Park’s Jacob Edelchik. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER

Highland Park High School tennis player Jacob Edelchik and Glenbrook North volleyball player Danny Voronov have been named DailyNorthShore.com Athletes of the Month.

Edelchik joined an exclusive club at the recent Class 2A state tournament, when the senior standount claimed the singles title. The Lehigh University recruit, seeded No. 1, defeated Maine South junior Danilo Kovacevic 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the final. Edelchik became the first Giant to capture a state singles title since 1993 — and only the fifth in program history.

Voronov, meanwhile, has been a setting sensational for the Spartans, amassing 841 assists this season. However, his excellence on the court doesn’t end there. The Juniata College recruit, Tri-Player of the Year in the CSL North, is the complete package. He’s served 42 aces to go along with 156 digs, 60 kills and 31 blocks.

“Danny can deliver it from anywhere on the court,” says GBN head coach Chris Cooper.

For their sensational efforts, Edelchik and Voronov will receive special gifts from @properties.

Glenbrook North’s Danny Voronov. PHOTOGRAPHY BY GEORGE PFOERTNER

THE LATEST 

Tyler Esplin, seen here posing at his old baseball field — Troyer Field — in Lake Bluff, has been drafted by the Boston Red Sox. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER

No doubt, he’s on Cloud Nine.

Or, should we say he’s in Seventh Heaven?

Tyler Esplin has been picked by the Boston Red Sox in the seventh round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He was the 221^st overall selection on June 13.

The Lake Bluff native, who attended Lake Forest Academy for two years before enrolling in the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, is a left-handed hitting outfielder.

Wearing jersey No. 7, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Esplin batted .432 during his senior season as a member of the IMG Academy Black team. His OPS was a lofty 1.151.

The 17-year-old Esplin recently played in the 39^th Annual Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) all-star game at Joker Marchant Stadium in Tiger Town in Lakeland and was named the MVP.

He went into the draft ranked 51^st in the state of Florida by the Prep Baseball Report. He was rated as the 11^th best player in the state of Illinois by Perfect Game.

In addition to playing the outfield, Esplin was the closer for two seasons with his IMG team. A right-hander, he has been clocked at 93 miles per hour.

Esplin, who played club baseball with Lake Bluff Baseball, Coyote Select, Highwood Heat and the Lakeside Legends, was coached by ex-Major Leaguer Chris Sabo at IMG. He is committed to play college baseball at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

He is the son of Danny and Kristen Esplin. His dad played for Hall of Fame coach Tommy Myers at Lake Forest High School. He was a pitcher-outfielder for the Scouts and played at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

Charlie Radtke of Lester Bison Farms from Salem, WI helps Jenny Simpson and Carrie Minorini of Lake Bluff with some Bison Bacon at Lake Bluff Farmers Market. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER/JWC MEDIA

LAKE BLUFF — Produce picked less than the day before and fish caught off Scotland swimming three days prior were part of the fare as the Lake Bluff Farmers Market opened its 24^th season June 9 in downtown Lake Bluff.

The market will operate from 7 a.m. to noon each Friday through October 13, according to Gridley Swanton, the market manager. The Lake Bluff resident is starting her seventh year in that role.

Rows of containers of strawberries picked June 8 lined the table at the K & K Farms’ booth. Linda Koenigshof, whose husband grows the berries at their Coloma, Mich., farm, said they have been coming to the market since it opened.

“This is a very friendly market,” said Koenigshof. “There is a lot of community support. It’s so local. Everything is right here downtown.”

Just to the west of K & K was Six Generations Farmin’ Local, with a variety of fruits and vegetables. Sue White, who was running the booth, said most of the produce was picked the day before on one of the company’s southern Illinois farms. There was plenty of asparagus, lettuce, green beans, radishes and more.

Produce was not the only thing fresh at the market. The Aspiring Kitchen based in Cary had a variety of fresh fish, which owner Bob De Palma said was flown to his location packed in ice and displayed at the market. He said the salmon was caught off the Faroe Islands June 6.

Along with K & K, Pleasant Prairie Farm from Wisconsin is returning to the market for the 24^th straight year, according to Swanton. New this year are European Homemade Goodies offering Serbian and Italian pastries, Lake Forest-based Marvalhas selling olive oil, tomato cream and cheese stuffed chili, Tastebudz and Swirl Café.

Swirl Café is one of two food trucks operating at the market. It sells coffee and baked goods. The other truck is Taste of Paris, with French pastries.

Tastebudz is operated by Tiffiny Kovin-Timmeney. She said she operated the Grill as a full service restaurant in Highwood but is now running a catering business out of Highland Park. At the market, she was selling hummus, barbeque pulled pork and frozen soups.

As shoppers browsed the booths lining Scranton and Center Avenues along the Village Green, live music was coming from the gazebo in the park, and a group of children were sitting there listening to stories.

“They walk over from the library every week,” said Swanton. “They’re just adorable.”

Swanton said the live music is all local, with Spencer Schmid, Terry Moran and Austin McGreevy alternating each week. The music is intended as a background for the rest of the activities.

The market began 24 years ago as a business development idea for downtown Lake Bluff, according to Pony Swanton, Gridley Swanton’s husband. He said it was started to bring foot traffic to the village’s core.

“There are more vendors now than there were people here then,” said Pony Swanton. “Now look at it. It’s an alive and vibrant business district.”

Gridley said the market has become a meeting place for people from Lake Bluff, Lake Forest and beyond. She said the volunteer help from the community is one of the key reasons for the market’s continued success as well as the location.

“It’s right here in downtown Lake Bluff,” said Gridley Swanton. “We’re on the grass in a park. The gazebo is the center of town. People come here to see each other.”

Vendors also offer vegetable and fruit spreads, waffle pastries, cheeses, cookies, cakes, pies, fresh cut flowers, honey, garlic, made- to-order crepes, potted plants, gluten-free breads, meat, eggs, pickled products, dog treats, kettle corn and knife sharpening.

Kirk Cashmore, of Cashmore Produce in Harvard, IL, serves some customers at Lake Bluff Farmers Market in Lake Bluff on June 9, 2017. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER/JWC MEDIA

Jim Carmical of the Flower Garden does some inventory at Lake Bluff Farmers Market

Bison bacon from Lester Bison Farms from Salem, WI at opening day of the Lake Bluff Farmers Market

Summer is here

Lake Bluff Farmers Market manager Gridley Swanton and her husband, Pony Swanton

Dr. Elizabeth Perez Robertson

When Dr. Elizabeth Perez Robertson returns to Highland Park High School in her new role as principal on July 1, she has one very important goal.

“I want to make sure that I’m available and approachable to all students, and with my 32 years in education, I want people to understand that my door is always open,” said Perez Robertson. “I remember being the quiet child who was not heard, and I just tolerated it and did whatever was required of me. I don’t want any of our students to feel that way.”

Perez Robertson will replace beloved Principal Dr. Thomas Koulentes, who after a 22-year career at HPHS will become the principal of Libertyville High School.

Perez Robertson worked as an assistant principal at HPHS alongside Koulentes from 2008 to 2011. In 2011 she was appointed World Language department chair at Deerfield High School (DHS) after the district reduced the number of assistant principals in each high school.

Perez Robertson worked with Scott Russell, the current HPHS chair of the World Language Department, to bring the Seal of Biliteracy Program to Township High School District 113.

The State of Illinois offers an opportunity for students who want to show they’re literate in both English and another language by taking an assessment test. Two years ago, Russell and Perez Robertson decided to test applicable juniors and seniors, as stipulated by the state.

The Seal of Biliteracy Program is a way to test proficiency in all of the domains, which include reading, writing, speaking and listening. “Students may be able to speak at home, and understand what they’re hearing, but they may not be able to read or write,” she said.

Perez Robertson added that the seal is trying to show each student’s level of communication and understanding based on the results from the American Council of the Teaching of Foreign Language exam. “It means that if you’re at this level of communication, then you should be able to work at this level with that language,” she said.

Although DHS offers French and Spanish, Perez Robertson said there are no dual language students at DHS, because the middle schools don’t offer that as an option. “I think that’s primarily due to the fact that our community hasn’t asked for a dual language program,” she said.

Perez Robertson said the K-through-12 program in Highland Park has about 700 dual language students. Koulentes estimated that between 200 to 250 of those students are at HPHS.

Perez Robertson was the first person in her family who was born in the United States. Her family members came from Cuba as political refugees in the 1960s. They were educated in Cuba.

Although her older sisters had gone to American schools in Cuba, English was not their primary language.

“Even though we grew up in the same household, their experience was very different because they came when they were nine and seven and they were put in schools that did have early language programs,” she said.

Years later, when Perez Robertson went to school, she had a totally different experience, because even though she spoke Spanish at home, she realized that she appeared a different way at school.

“At home, I had a totally different world that I lived in with all of the traditions of my family,” she said. This inspired Perez Robertson to write: Hyphen Balancing on the Hybrid: The Images and Experiences of a First Generation Cuban American Educator.

“My autoethnographic study became a book when I realized that people who read it could see parallels with their own lives relating to their own family immigration stories,” she said.

Perez Robertson said she uses maiden name, Perez, as a middle name and Robertson As her married name, to demonstrate that “balancing my identity continues as I raise my own children.” Surprisingly, her name is not hyphenated.
“Hyphen Balancing on the Hybrid: The Images and Experiences of a First Generation Cuban American Educator,” published by Christian Faith Publishers, will be published later in June.
Perez Robertson lives in Buffalo Grove, and has two adult children.

Deer Path Middle School’s Isabella Marsico (front) competes in the IESA state girls track and field meet last month in East Peoria. PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYAN MICHALESKO

Isabella Marsico was 2 years old when a virus attacked her lungs.

It meant a one-month stay in the intensive care unit at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago — and it wasn’t the first extended stay at a hospital for the toddler from Lake Forest.

Marsico, a triplet, weighed a tad more than 2 pounds at birth. The former womb mate of Rocco and Olivia could not enjoy her first day at home until the fourth week of her life.

“Her body temperature reached 105 degrees, and it was like her lungs belonged to someone with full-blown emphysema,” Jenny Vacala, Marsico’s mother, says of Isabella’s second health scare.

“Our fear was that she would need a lung transplant.”

But Marsico’s condition improved steadily, to the delight and surprise of many. Her breathing would return to normal, coinciding with the end of her mother’s sighs of relief.

“I thought, when she was in that hospital,” Vacala says, No way would Isabella be able to play sports.

Fast forward to the spring of 2017. A fifth-grader and first-year track and field athlete at Deer Path Middle School in Lake Forest runs against mostly seventh- and eighth-graders in 800- and 1600-meter races at meets. Her very first clocking in the 1600 is a 6:14.

Her second time at the distance?

Faster.

She wins a race, then another, then a third.

The rookie runner begins to record sub-6-minute times — all the way down to a personal-best 5:44 at a sectional meet in May, a result that would have placed her 13th against high school milers at the Class 3A Loyola Academy Sectional in May.

Isabella Marsico’s lungs are functioning quite well these days.

“My friends at school convinced me to go out for track and field,” says Marsico, an 11-year-old who qualified to race in the 1600 (against 12- and 13-year-old girls in her heat) at the Class 7AA Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) state meet in East Peoria last month.

“My family, friends and teammates have been very supportive.”

Her race strategy is as uncomplicated as a thoroughbred’s typical plan is at the start of a derby at Churchill Downs.

“I just kind of go,” says the 4-foot-6 Marsico, who intends to try out for the DPMS cross country team as a sixth-grader in the fall.

Vacala liked to jog in front of her four bike-riding children (the triplets’ younger sister is Lola, 10), with most of the journeys around neighborhoods starting as early as 6 a.m.

Isabella no longer pedals behind her mother.

“She runs with me,” Vacala says. “At times I have to yell, ‘Slow down!’ ”

Marsico’s aunt, Kristy McCullough of Wilmette, has raced in seven marathons, including a couple of Boston Marathons. The upstart’s grandfather, Pat Vacala, has completed marathons, triathlons and Ironman competitions.

Grandpa Vacala couldn’t watch his granddaughter compete at the state meet, but he called her an hour before the start of the 1600 heats to offer some valuable tips and give her a pep talk.

“Isabella’s family members — they’re all into it, into what Isabella is doing as a runner,” say Deer Path Middle School distance track coach and cross country coach Martha Sostre, who ran for Hawkeyes teams at the University of Iowa and later coached varsity boys cross country teams at Mundelein High School from 1998-2001. “What an inspiration she is, what a fighter. Man, she is fast, with such an efficient stride, and her perseverance is out of this world. What she did in that last straightaway at the sectional, the determination she showed all of us … that got her to state.

“Isabella,” the coach adds, “has this joy about her that I love. And she never complains. At the beginning of the season, I told her, ‘These [800 and 1600] are your events.’ She looked at me and said, without hesitation, ‘OK.’ She’s coachable, humble, respectful and kind.”

She was nearly a two-time IESA state qualifier as a raw trackster, having missed a berth in the 800 meters by one second with her time of 2:39 at that sectional in May.

Marsico — a former soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, hockey, baseball, tennis and football (at recess) player — plans to train as a runner and attend a cross country camp at Lake Forest High School this summer.

Marsico had been encouraged by her mother, for years, to try any sport she thought she would enjoy. She flashed eye-popping speed — in all of them.

Competitive running entered Marsico’s life in March, and it certainly appears Marsico has no intention to escape it. Maybe she’ll stick with the distance events. Maybe a coach will give her a shot at taking on sprinters someday.

What Vacala knows for sure: Marsico loves to scorch track lanes.

“Her first meet, I’ll never forget it,” Vacala says. “She just … took off, never looked back. Everybody was way behind her. And it kept happening. After races, she’d run up to me with a huge smile, all excited — but in a contained way.”

Marsico’s favorite class in the 2016-17 academic year was Language Arts. She wants to be either a doctor or a full-time athlete when she grows up.

Near the end of an interview, Marsico is given a hypothetical: What would you do with your free time if you were ordered not to run for a week?

Marsico smiles briefly and then turns serious.

“I’d run,” she says.

Isabella Marsico takes a early lead in the 1600-meter run at the IESA state meet. PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYAN MICHALESKO

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Glenbrook South’s Jack Sullivan goes all out during action against New Trier in a sectional semifinal last month. PHOTOGRAPHY BY GEORGE PFOERTNER

Days after playing in the final match of his competitive volleyball career last month, Glenbrook South senior outside hitter Jack Sullivan continued to search for a way to cope without volleyball in his life.

The former Titan had decided not to sign up for club volleyball this summer because he would not play it at a higher level as an industrial engineering/politics and philosophy double major at the University of Pittsburgh.

Sullivan was sorrowful and a bit forlorn at school on May 30 — four days removed from Glenbrook South’s tough-to-stomach 24-26, 27-25, 25-19 loss to host New Trier in a sectional semifinal.

The 6-foot-3, 170-pounder — a third-year varsity member and the 2017 Central Suburban League South Player of the Year — needed to talk, needed to be with a good listener.

Sullivan entered the office of his coach, Tim Monahan.

“Jack,” Monahan recalls, “sat down and told me, ‘Coach Monahan, I don’t know what to do now.’ For six years he had put so much of his energy into volleyball, and there he was, looking at me and wondering what he had to do to fill a sudden void in his life.

“Quintessential Jack Sullivan,” the coach adds. “I told him, ‘Jack, you know what to do. You’re smart, you’re a leader, you’ll move on and realize volleyball will be a part of you forever. From now on you’ll get to play it without pressure.’ ”

But guess what the competitive Sullivan will miss the most about competitive volleyball?

“The pressure,” Sullivan says.

About a week after his visit to Monahan’s office, Sullivan arrived at a local field to play in a co-ed softball game. Many players in the league are 40-year-old mothers and fathers, Sullivan notes.

During pregame, while his teammates took practice swings and played catch, Sullivan, all by himself, spiked — yes, spiked — a softball against a fence, again and again and again.

“Wrong sport!” one of Sullivan’s softball teammates shouted.

“Had I known months ago how I’d feel now, I might have looked into playing college volleyball at a Division III school,” says Sullivan, named Team MVP after the Titans’ 25-12 season this spring. “But you know what? I’m comfortable with my decision to go to Pitt and give club volleyball a try and sign up for intramurals. My talk with coach after the season helped a lot. Volleyball was a big part of Coach Monahan’s life in high school, and it’s still a part of his life as an adult.

“I’ll probably sign up for beach volleyball this summer.”

Sullivan had a memorable final spring at Glenbrook South, pacing the Titans in kills (270, 3.7 per set) with an impressive hitting percentage of .343 — a year after finishing with a hitting percentage in the .240s.

Sullivan had added 15 pounds to his frame by hitting the weights in the offseason, and last summer was his second with Division 1, a volleyball club based in Skokie. Sullivan — along with classmates Myles Engel, a libero, and Nick Cavallaro, an outside hitter — played on a D1 17U squad (Open Division) that placed in the top 15 at Nationals in Dallas. Sullivan began his club career with Lake Zurich-based Rolling Thunder as a seventh-grader and served and spiked for Deerfield-based Bounce during his freshman and sophomore years.

Bounce coach John Krejczyk — a 6-foot-8 Andrew High School graduate who helped Lewis University’s men’s volleyball team reached the NCAA Final Four in 1996 — shifted Sullivan from middle to outside hitter in October 2013.

“Jack wasn’t the tallest, wasn’t the flashiest outside hitter, but he worked harder than others did and knew how to score points for us,” Monahan says. “He didn’t make a ton of mistakes. Coaches in our league said Jack stood out; their players couldn’t stop him from scoring points.”

Monahan, also a PE teacher at the school, never hesitates to pitch his volleyball program to tall freshmen each school year. Sullivan wasn’t super tall as a ninth-grader, checking in at 5-11. But Monahan approached him anyway.

The coach, it turned out, didn’t have to say a word.

“Jack said, ‘I know the season starts in March,’ ” Monahan recalls. “Then he asked, ‘When is the first team meeting?’ He couldn’t wait to play volleyball for Glenbrook South.

“It was a pleasure to have him on our teams.”

In his sophomore season, Sullivan played for a regional finalist. New Trier topped Glenbrook South in a regional final in 2016. Glenbrook South returned home with a regional championship plaque this past spring after beating host Loyola Academy in three sets.

“Hugging that plaque was a fantastic feeling,” says Sullivan, whose father, Terry, was a high school forward/center in basketball, and whose mother, Carol, was a prep outside hitter.

“The sport of volleyball,” he adds, “instilled in me the value of hard work. It also helped me communicate better with teammates and with people outside of volleyball. Through volleyball I formed many meaningful relationships.”

Volleyball wasn’t his entire life for the past six years. The young man with the 34 ACT score and 4.4 grade-point average also somehow found the time to serve as a passionate commissioner of a fantasy football league. One of the pressing issues he faces this summer — while working as an intern for a process management company, Big Red Rooster Flow in Northfield — is getting the players in his league to select a doable draft date for all before he heads to Pitt.

“I love the NFL,” Sullivan says. “I listen to NFL podcasts every morning, and everybody I follow on Twitter is an NFL expert. Our league has a 10-page constitution, and you should see our spreadsheet — it’s incredibly complex.

“I even wrote my college [application] essay about fantasy football.”

But Pitt will get more than a volleyball lifer who knows everything there is to know about NFL running backs and wide receivers and why one veteran back has more upside than the wideout with the potential to lead the league in receptions.

The university will welcome a student with a knack for rising and nailing any kind of challenge.

“I have a feeling he’s going to give his all as an engineer, just like he did for our volleyball program,” Monahan says. “If I ask him to design something for me, he’d do it, and it would turn out great.”

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Delaney Williams (No. 11) was an all-sectional performer this spring for Lake Forest High School. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER

In her varsity basketball debut as a freshman at Lake Forest High School in 2013, Delaney Williams—with the ball in her possession — took four steps on the court.

One problem: The point guard did not dribble the ball at any point during the brief journey.

The sound of a whistle made her stop.

“The referee,” a chuckling Williams recalls, “finally called me for traveling. I was confused at the beginning of that season, and I didn’t know what I was doing. All I knew how to do back then was use my speed to get back on defense.”

Call Williams — a 2017 LFHS graduate with four varsity letters in basketball and four more in soccer — a super-quick study in basketball. All she did was become the program’s all-time leader in career assists (391) and steals (314), as well as a three-time all-North Suburban Conference (NSC) player and a one-time all-stater (a Special Mention selectee, after a senior season in which she averaged 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.8 steals per game for the Scouts).

“I was fortunate enough to have her in one of my classes in her freshman year,” says Scouts varsity basketball coach Kyle Wilhelm, also a math teacher at the school. “I knew Delaney was a very good soccer player, and I’d seen her play some feeder basketball [at the middle-school level]. I got her to go to an open-gym session.

“I remember watching Delaney play on that day and thinking, ‘She has what it takes to be our starting point guard.’ All I had to do from that point was convince her to come out for basketball.”

Wilhelm was persuasive enough, and Williams — after initially thinking basketball was “just a fun thing to do” — ended up willing to do whatever it took to go from raw hoopster to college basketball recruit. The 5-foot-5 Williams intends to play basketball at Wittenberg (Ohio) University in her freshman year and might become a two-sport athlete (basketball and soccer) during her sophomore year.

“Delaney was a player who pretty much led without words in her first two seasons,” Wilhelm says. “She demanded a high level of play from her teammates with the way she played. It was like her passion, her intensity on the court, said to everybody around her, ‘You had better step up your game, because anything less would be a disservice to our team.’

“She became a gym rat,” the coach adds. “There were times, after a practice or a game, when she’d work on her shooting with me in our gym, and I’d have to say to her, ‘Delaney, we have to stop now because I have to go home.’ ”

Williams felt right at home on soccer pitches from the moment she played in her first varsity match as a freshman. An offensive-minded midfielder with a penchant for wearing out defenders and goalkeepers, Williams played for Lake Forest High School’s Class 2A state championship squad in 2014 and struck for four goals — in a mere 10 minutes — in the first half of a 5-0 victory at Lake Forest Academy this past April.

In between those feats?

Williams earned all-NSC and team Most Valuable Player honors as the Scouts’ Gold Boot winner (most goals) in her junior season. (Williams was named all-sectional in 2017 and repeated as the team’s Gold Boot recipient with a 13-goal, six-assist season).

“That she doesn’t play soccer year-round, and with how successful she has been every season, is a testament to Delaney’s athleticism,” says Scouts varsity soccer coach Ty Stuckslager, whose 2017 edition reached a Class 3A regional final and finished with a 12-4-1 record. “Three of those goals [in that four-goal match] were scored with her [non-dominant] left foot, after she had one-touched the ball each time to control it.

“Growth … that showed me growth; her shot has improved considerably from the start of her junior season.”

Delaney Williams today is nothing like Delaney Williams circa 2013. The older teen sang songs at the top of her lungs on bus rides to road soccer matches. The younger teen barely spoke around her varsity teammates more than three years ago.

“I said two words my freshman year,” admits Williams, who plans to major in either sports medicine or exercise science. “Before the start of my sophomore year, [Wilhelm] told me I had to start talking more, had to be more vocal as a point guard. I understood that.

“My senior season [in soccer], I liked to jam out on the bus before games and try to get my teammates motivated through music.”

Her sure-fire way to inspire teammates throughout her final prep basketball season — when the Scouts won 23 games and captured a Class 4A regional championship — involved courage and hustle. Two or three times per game, Williams established her ground on hardwood on the defensive end of the court and took a charge.

Most collisions left her with either a floor burn or a bruise.

“But she always popped right back up and gave a fist pump,” Wilhelm says. “I got goosebumps each time she did that. Those moments were often game-changers. You could see how her abilities in each sport helped her compete and succeed in the other; both basketball and soccer require you to jockey for position and have the awareness of knowing when it’s best to deliver a pass.

“But what made Delaney such a wonderful teammate in our program was her constant energy and positivity — both are infectious qualities. I consider myself beyond lucky to have been able to coach Delaney.”

Delaney Williams celebrates a goal with teammate ingrid Falls. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER

Delaney Williams drives to the bucket in a game against Vernon Hills. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER

Delaney Williams celebrates with a regional basketball title with Audrey Kaus and Tori Salanty. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER

From left, Lake County Bar Association immediate Past President Donald J. Morrison (Morrison & Morrison, Waukegan), 2017-2018 LCBA President Jennifer J. Howe (Lesser Lutrey Pasquesi & Howe, Lake Forest) and First Vice President Brian J. Lewis (Gibson & Lewis, Waukegan) on their new leadership roles.

Lake Bluff attorney Jennifer Howe was installed as the 106th President of the Lake County Bar Association on Friday, June 9, 2017 in front of more than 120 members, friends and family at Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park, Illinois. Howe’s one-year term follows four years of service to the organization as First Vice President, Second Vice President and as Secretary. She succeeds attorney Don Morrison of Morrison & Morrison.

Jennifer Howe is a partner at Lesser Lutrey Pasquesi & Howe LLP (LLPH), the largest estate planning law firm in Lake County, located in Lake Forest. Howe is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and received her J.D. from University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Howe is also an Adjunct Professor at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

The Lake County Bar Association has more than 1,000 members. Its mission is to provide professional support, education and networking opportunities to lawyers, judges, other legal professionals and the public. Howe will lead the LCBA in developing policy, sponsoring continuing legal education and social events for attorney and associate members and the public.

“Winston Churchill once advised that, ‘We make a living by what we do; we make a life by what we give,’” Howe said. “I feel so privileged to be able to practice law and to make a living doing so, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our members this year.”

Howe is particularly motivated to provide expanded service to the public. “Many of our membership already work hand in hand with Prairie State Legal Services to raise money and provide volunteers to serve their clients who are in need of legal services but cannot afford them. But we could do more,” she said. To that end, Howe hopes to expand “Ask a Lawyer Drop In Clinics” to be held monthly at the soon-to-be-completed LCBA office located at 300-A Grand Avenue in Waukegan.

In other areas of community outreach, the LCBA will continue to sponsor mock trials for groups of high school students, volunteer days in classrooms on important topics like explaining the Magna Carta, and supporting ad hoc events for Scouting groups and others.

“Everyone benefits from better relationships between the community, judges and attorneys,” Howe said. “I hope to contribute to a new and productive chapter of our organization.”

Submitted by Lesser Lutrey Pasquesi & Howe, Lake Forest

Know anyone facing depression, anxiety or hopelessness?

There is a wonderful resource for individuals, families and friends who face mental health concerns: Faith, Hope & Recovery (FHR).

FHR offers a new way of engaging the difficult times by focusing on hope. Meetings take place on the third Tuesday of each month.

The next program is scheduled for June 20, 7-8:30 p.m., at The Winnetka Presbyterian Church, 1255 Willow Road, Winntka.

This monthly support group consist of sharing, listening and focused activities. Attendees are encouraged to draw from their own life experience to gain insights and inspiration.

Led by Rev. Kathy Dale McNiar, s peer support specialist in the field of mental health, FHR welcomes all people, regardless of race, religion or background. Professionals are also welcome to attend. There is no charge.

For questions, call Rev. Kathy Dale McNair, 847-302-6017.

Annie Fick proudly displays a fistful of hair during her eight and a half inch haircut.

HIGHLAND PARK – Nearly 20 local girls recently donated their hair and raised money for the Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation, a local organization that supports gastrointestinal cancer research. The hair will be made into wigs for cancer patients.

Sixteen of girls donated at least eight and a half inches of hair on June 5 at Cut for the Cure, an event held at Blue Orchid Salon and Spa, while three others provided locks from earlier haircuts, said Lesley Kiferbaum, Eisenberg’s daughter. The oldest girl who donated was only 9 years old.

Cut for the Cure benefitted Pantene Beautiful Lengths, which supplies real-hair wigs to women who have hair loss from cancer treatments.

The Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation began in 1999, when Eisenberg passed away at age 53, just two weeks after he was diagnosed with liver cancer. In 1999, the foundation had its first dinner with about 75 people; this year more than 500 people attended the annual event.

Kiferbaum explained that the foundation has been focusing on gastrointestinal cancer at Northwestern University, and soon after started an associate board with people in their 20s and 30s.

Last year Kiferbaum founded a junior board comprising 20 to 25 children and teenagers between the ages of eight to 18, to raise awareness for gastrointestinal cancer research. The junior board planned Cut for the Cure, which raised more than $24,000.

“It was such an incredible day that was so emotional,” said Kiferbaum. “Some of the little girls had never had a major haircut before, while others have grown their hair out for over two years in order to be able to donate it.”

Kiferbaum was touched by the level of support exhibited by the girls and the hair stylists at Blue Orchid Salon and Spa.

“All of the girls were cheering each other on while they were getting their haircuts and supporting them,” she said. “It was children supporting children, gastrointestinal cancer research and cancer patients.”

Kiferbaum was thrilled that the junior board came out to help kids make beaded bracelets and necklaces to raise additional money at the Cut for the Cure event. The girls who donated hair were asked to write notes to people who were potentially getting a wig.

Kiferbaum has an eight-year-old daughter and three younger boys. Her daughter donated her hair last year to help someone in need, before Cut for the Cure even existed.

“The Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation helps us still remember our dad by honoring his legacy and memory and hopefully making significant changes in young people’s lives through real estate education and gastrointestinal cancer research,” she said.

Kiferbaum said her dad was a real estate developer who did a lot of work in Highland Park, and her family has lived here since she can remember. Her two brothers, Peter and Scott Eisenberg, as well as her mom, Shelia Eisenberg, founded the organization and continue to be very active.

“The most wonderful thing was that my dad’s family, friends and colleagues wanted to do something to remember my dad by,” she said. “Some of his colleagues are still part of the Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation, and have devoted countless hours and energy into making the organization what it is today, and we hope it will continue for many generations.”

Kiferbaum has enjoyed working with her childhood friend Stephanie Fick, who helped organize the event and whose daughters are founding members of the junior board.

Fick explained that she and her daughters, Avery and Annie, became involved in the Eisenberg Foundation after a close friend was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

“Both of my kids are starting to understand that many people lose their hair, so they decided to help raise money and donate hair for Cut for the Cure,” said Fick.

The friends’ children attend Braeside Elementary School in Highland Park together.

“My daughter Avery and Lesley’s daughter Sophie took it upon themselves to go from classroom to classroom to talk about the upcoming events: Shoot for the Cure and Cut for the Cure,” said Fick. “They’re gaining leadership skills and that’s great.”

Another fundraising effort, Shoot for the Cure, took place on April 30 at the Highwood Recreation Center. Fick’s daughters also participated in that event.

Fick explained that the junior board thinks of creative ways to get kids involved in raising money, and learning about the foundation.

“I think the best thing that we’re able to do is educate the kids about helping others, and this fall the Junior Board will meet with the doctors who are going to be doing the cancer research,” she said. “The kids can see where the money that they’ve raised will be put into action, and realize what a difference they’re making.”

For more information about the Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation visit: eisenbergfoundation.org

Avery Fick is still smiling after she donated her hair at Cut for the Cure.

Tony, Annie, Stephanie & Avery Fick at Blue Orchid Salon & Spa Highland Park; all Fick family photos courtesy of Stephanie Fick.

Harold, Lesley, Scott, Peter & Shelia Eisenberg in 1999; photo courtesy of the Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation.

Dreams can come true, or at least that was the case for Jasper Bickers, an eighth grade graduate of Carlton Washburn Middle School in Winnetka, whose original musical Someday was performed in a musical theater class at Washburne in May.

Someday is about a princess whose father dies and she is forced to make a decision that changes the lives of everyone in the kingdom, Jasper told DailyNorthShore.

The musical takes place in a fantasy kingdom, where dragons and princesses live, according to Jasper. While the musical isn’t necessarily sad, Jasper describes the ending as melancholy, because the princess and her true love are exiled from the kingdom and nobody knows they are alive.

While the musical may have been melancholy, for Jasper the experience of bringing his own musical to production was overwhelming joyful. “I love playwriting and composition. Combining the two was kind of a dream come true,” he said.

Jasper began writing the musical at the beginning of seventh grade, which includes some dialogue and 25 original songs. “It was the first major project I have ever created in my life,” Jasper said.

In preparation, Jasper listened to many musicals and read scripts. He was particularly influenced by the musicals Wicked and Into the Woods. From Wicked Jasper learned how captivating a story can be even if it is tragic, through amazing music, acting and writing. Into the Woods focused on one of his favorite literary genres — fairytales.

Jasper had worked on his first draft for about three months, when he asked his theater teacher  Amy Markos if it could be performed at school. Markos was receptive to the idea, as long as Jasper could complete the project before the musical theatre class.

Jasper said he spent a lot of time writing the musical, which originally was 40 pages too long. But he worked with Markos on revisions, ultimately editing the musical down to an hour and fifteen minute production.

“It was definitely challenging but it is something I plan on doing multiple times in my life,” he said. Next year Jasper will be heading to New Trier High School, where he intends to pursue his passion for musical theater.

Computer software programs were used to pre-record much of the music, while some songs were accompanied by a piano or other string instruments. As for composing the music, Jasper said that he is largely self-taught, relying on his experience playing the violin and what he has learned from reading books.

While he professes a love for writing, his passion is music composition. “Writing music is a little bit bigger for me than playwriting,” he said.

The musical was entirely produced by students, including the set, costumes, lighting, sound, acting, and of course the writing itself. In addition to the experience of bringing a musical to stage, Jasper’s favorite part was working with the students and teachers at Washburne. “I couldn’t have had a better group of students and teachers. The students were just as supportive as the teachers and I am very grateful for that,” he said.

He advises other kids interested in writing musicals to just write down their ideas and get it produced. “I don’t think that there is anything that can improve a show as well as a production can,” he said.

The entire experience was a teaching moment for Jasper, who feels like he learned so many things. “The experience of being able to produce my own show at my school has been priceless,” Jasper said.

Jasper Bickers (center), with his chorus teacher Hillary Schroer (left) and drama teacher Amy Markos (right).

Brian McCaskey spent time talking with Chamber members at the event. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF C. SEVILLE PHOTOGRAPHY

LAKE FOREST/LAKE BLUFF — Brian McCaskey devotes his time as a Chicago Bears vice president to ensuring fans’ experiences and public perceptions of the organization achieve a high level of excellence.

McCaskey, a Lake Bluff resident and Bears’ vice president, talked about the “business of the Bears” at a meeting of the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Chamber of Commerce on June 14 at the Lake Forest Club. About 75 people attended the event.

“There are so many pieces,” said McCaskey. “It’s the person who welcomes you when you walk into Soldier Field. It’s the person who sells you a beer or a soda. It’s the person who says goodbye when you leave. They’re all part of the team.”

When Bears’ General Manger Ryan Pace selected University of North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky with the second overall pick of the NFL draft in April it made national headlines. When Pace explained his reasoning to a group of 40 Bears’ business staffers, he helped them all believe more strongly in the organization. Many of them were part of the sales staff.

“Pace told the story of what he did the night before he drafted Mitch Trubisky,” said McCaskey. “He decided to go for it. He wrote himself a memo about what he was going to do. He really put himself out there and everyone in the room appreciated it.”

More than once McCaskey referenced the Bears’ 3-13 record in 2016. He said there has been a lot of turnover among players, and he thinks there will be more stability this season leading to a more wins. He looks at what he calls the limousine factor.

McCaskey said Tuesday is usually the players’ day off during the season. Even then he sees signs of new arrivals because of the number of limousines parked in front of the Bears’ training facility, Halas Hall in Lake Forest. He considers it a bad sign when new athletes arrive regularly during the season.

“Things will start to gel when we don’t see so many limousines on Tuesday,” said McCaskey answering a question about team chemistry.

One of the things McCaskey said he enjoys is going through team archives to find old logos, uniforms and other equipment and bringing them back as newly designed merchandise to offer to fans.

Some of the time, there is a dual purpose to new merchandise. McCaskey talked about the time he asked race car driver Danica Patrick to wear a Bears jersey to help raise awareness of breast and cervical cancer.

“She taught me about the value of social media,” McCaskey said. “She wore the shirt and tweeted. It brought in $2 million to help women with breast and cervical cancer.”

Though McCaskey does not work with players as athletes, he said he does help them prepare for life after football. He said it is critical they learn how to manage money, since many of them will make a lot of it in a short period of time playing professional football.

Most NFL football players attend college, but McCaskey said few join a team with a college degree in hand. He tries to help them start working on completing their education while they are with the team. With the average NFL career lasting 3.5 years, he said they need to prepare while they are still playing for the rest of their lives.

“We use a guilt trip on them,” McCaskey said. “We ask them to promise their mother they will get their degree.”

McCaskey said he likes to have former Bears such as Brian Baschnagel talk to current players. Baschnagel was a star running back in college, played wide receiver for the Bears and got a Super Bowl ring for his involvement with the 1985 Bears. Then he went into the corporate world.

“He said, ‘now I sell toilet paper but I’m very good at selling toilet paper,’” said McCaskey. “He went to work for North American Corporation. They sell paper products including toilet paper.”

More than once McCaskey talked about his grandfather, George Halas, who started the Bears and co-founded the NFL in 1920. McCaskey said when different art designs were proposed for Halas Hall, he pushed for a picture of Halas with the quote “Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.”

“I see that every day when I walk in,” McCaskey said. “This is the essence of who he was and who we are.”

New Trier shortstop Kevin Donahue and Glenbrook North left-hander Tommy Gertner head up The North Shore Weekend Diamond Kings. Here’s our 2016-17 All-Area Baseball Team.

Photography by Joel Lerner, George Pfoertner and Ting Shen.

DIAMOND KINGS

Gold List

Player of the Year: Kevin Donahue (New Trier, Sr.)

Pitcher of the Year: Tommy Gertner (Glenbrook North, Sr.)

Rookie of the Year: Chris Karasinski (GBN, So.)

Newcomer of the Year: Cam Redding (NT, Jr.)

• First Team

First Baseman: Anthony Calarco (NT, Jr.)

Middle Infielder (SS): Kevin Donahue (NT, Sr.)

Middle Infielder (SS): Ryan Lin-Peistrup (Loyola Academy, Sr.)

Third Baseman: Cameron Pauly (Glenbrook South, Sr.)

Outfielder: Drew Bartholow (LA, Sr.)

Outfielder: Matt Kann (NT, Sr.)

Outfielder: Jimmy Karfis (GBN, Jr.)

Catcher: Brian Vance (LA, Sr.)

Designated Hitter: Cam Redding (NT, Jr.)

Pitcher: Tommy Gertner (GBN, Sr.)

Pitcher: Thomas Nugent (NT, Sr.)

Pitcher: Paul Turelli (LF, Sr.)

First Baseman: New Trier’s Anthony Calarco

Middle Infielder (SS): New Trier’s Kevin Donahue

Middle Infielder (SS): Loyola Academy’s Ryan Lin-Peistrup

Third Baseman: Glenbrook South’s Cam Pauly

Outfielder: Loyola Academy’s Andrew Bartholow

Oufielder: GBN’s Jimmy Karfis (bottom)

Catcher: Loyola Academy’s Brian Vance

Designated Hitter: New Trier’s Cam Redding

Pitcher: New Trier’s Thomas Nugent

Pitcher: Lake Forest High School’s Paul Turelli

• Second Team

First Baseman: Charlie Reinkemeyer (LF, Sr.)

Middle Infielder (SS): Caleb Durbin (LF, Jr.)

Middle Infielder (SS): Noah Shutan (Highland Park, Jr.)

Third Baseman: Thano Fourlas (HP, Sr.)

Outfielder: Kevin Burnside (GBN, Sr.)

Outfielder: Brad Czerniejewski (LF, Sr.)

Outfielder: Tyler Gussis (HP, Jr.)

Catcher: Dylan Horvitz (NT, Sr.)

Designated Hitter: Jake Cirame (LF Academy, Sr.)

Pitcher: Henry Haracz (LA, Jr.)

Pitcher: Jake Mandel (HP, Sr.)

Pitcher: Patrick McKermitt (LA, Jr.)

• Third Team

First Baseman: Drew Golde (LF, Jr.)

Middle Infielder (2B): Andrew Gough (LF, Jr.)

Middle Infielder (SS): Cam Judge (LFA, Sr.)

Third Baseman: David Rubin (GBN, Jr.)

Outfielder: Sean Douaire (NT, Sr.)

Outfielder: Eric Nicholas (NT, Sr.)

Outfielder: Henry Singer (HP, Sr.)

Catcher: Alex Gamache (LFA, Sr.)

Designated Hitter: Brandon Matias (GBS, So.)

Pitcher: Jack Arnstein (HP, Sr.)

Pitcher: Rich Campbell (LA, Sr.)

Pitcher: Logan Shaughnessy (LFA, Jr.)

• Fourth Team

First Baseman: Matthew Raymond (LA, Jr.)

Middle Infielder (SS): Chris Karasinski (GBN, So.)

Middle Infielder (2B): Mike Snow (GBS, Jr.)

Third Baseman: Matt Rozsypal (LFA, Jr.)

Outfielder: Jack Anderson (GBS, Jr.)

Outfielder: Trey Torain (LA, Jr.)

Outfielder: Sean Tully (LA, Sr.)

Catcher: Jack Kramer (HP, Jr.)

Designated Hitter: Andrew Athenson (LF, Sr.)

Pitcher: Evan Barnes (GBN, Jr.)

Pitcher: Peter Turelli (LF, So.)

Pitcher: Jack Zeidler (HP, Sr.) 

SPECIAL AWARDS

Best Two-Way Player: Lake Forest’s Paul Turelli (Illinois State recruit hit .304 with 18 RBI as starting catcher. Despite never pitching in high school, turned into an ace, allowing 27 hits and amassing 52 strikeouts in 39.2 innings)

• Mound Aces

Best Left-hander: GBN’s Tommy Gertner (made 11 starts and went 9-1 with 1.56 ERA. Allowed 39 hits in 62.2 IP with 82 Ks and 16 walks)

Best Right-hander: NT’s Thomas Nugent (finished 12-2 with 0.92 ERA, walked 10 and allowed 48 hits in 68.2 IP)

Best out of the Bullpen: New Trier’s Sean Douaire (starred on the mound during playoffs, ended up 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA)

• Silver Bats

Best Power Swing: NT’s Kevin Donahue (a true power-hitting shortstop, smacked 15 doubles and hit .412)

Best Gap Hitter: NT’s Anthony Calarco (switch-hitter who uses all fields, finished with 13 doubles and 2 home runs)

Toughest Out: HP’s Noah Shutan (hit .386 with a state-best 48 walks. Had .618 on-base percentage)

• Gold Gloves

Best Defensive Infielder: Loyola’s Ryan Lin-Peistrup (slick-fielding shortstop with outstanding range is a University of Illinois-Chicago recruit)

Best Defensive Outfielder: Highland Park’s Henry Singer (covers a ton of ground with great instincts and speed — 23 steals)

Best Double Play Combination: Lake Forest’s Caleb Durbin (shortstop) and Andrew Gough (second baseman)

Best Behind the Plate: LA’s Brian Vance (St. Joseph University recruit excels at handling pitchers, throwing out runners and blocking pitches in the dirt)

LAKE FOREST – Lake Forest Open Lands Association is hosting Fête in the Forest on Saturday, June 24, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Mellody Farm Nature Preserve in Lake Forest. The evening will celebrate 50 years of milestones, including founding members’ focus to acquire open space and protect land from future development, and the debut of a short film highlighting the organization’s impact and lasting legacy throughout the community during the last half century.

In addition, the Jay Nash Trio will perform and guests will enjoy dinner and dancing under a canopy of trees.

Katie Belcher, Sage DePree and Kristin Ryan, all board members, are the chairs for the event. Proceeds from the evening will support Lake Forest Open Lands’ conservation efforts and environmental education programming.

The corporate Sponsors for Fête in the Forest include; Knauz, Mariani Landscape, Pasquesi Sheppard LLC and William Blair. Forest & Bluff magazine and The North Shore Weekend are this year’s media sponsors.

For questions about Fête in the Forest or, to inquire about tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please email events@lfola.org or call 847.234.3880 x17.

About Lake Forest Open Lands Association
Lake Forest Open Lands is an independently funded conservation and educational organization devoted to the acquisition and stewardship of our natural landscapes, and to ensuring all generations have a meaningful, lasting connection to nature and our land. Lake Forest Open Lands Association is the first land trust in Illinois to receive national accreditation with the Land Trust Alliance (LTA). In addition, the organization is an active member of Chicago Wilderness. Since its establishment in 1967, Lake Forest Open Lands has acquired, preserved, restored and maintained over 800 acres and 12 miles of walking trails encompassing native landscapes, prairies, savannas, woodlands, ravines and wetlands for the benefit and enjoyment of the local communities.

For more information about Lake Forest Open Lands, please visit www.LFOLA.org.

Mellody Farm Nature Preserve is located at Lake Forest Open Lands’ Conservation Campus and is otherwise known as the organization’s main office situated at 350 N. Waukegan Road in Lake Forest.

Submitted by Lake Forest Open Lands Association

Mada Ugolini-Hitchmough

GLENCOE – Coldwell Banker Glencoe is proud to announce it has named Highland Park resident Mada Ugolini-Hitchmough rookie of the year for 2016. The award recognizes brokers within their first year of service for sales in excess of $3 million.

Eve Bremen, Managing Broker Glencoe, is honored to have Mada on her North Shore team. “The Coldwell Banker Glencoe office was excited to name Mada Hitchmough the 2016 Rookie of the Year! Mada seems to exhibit a natural ability to be able to assist buyers and sellers complete the process of buying or selling their dream home. That combined with her lifelong residency and knowledge of the North Shore creates a winning combination for success.”

Starting February 2015, Mada rapidly infiltrated the market with sales in excess of close to $4 million. Born and raised on the North Shore, Mada has a deep connection and knowledge of the North Shore.
Attributing her success to her strong ties growing up in Highland Park, Mada is expert in North Shore neighborhood features, specializing in first homes, city to suburbs moves, and empty nesters.

“These past few years have been an amazing experience as a broker along the North Shore. Growing up here, it is where my roots are planted, so it is such a privilege to be able to work with clients in an area that holds my heart,” says Hitchmough. “Real estate is more than just buying and selling; it is an emotional process and it truly is an honor to be invited in during that time to help guide my clients. What can I say? I love my job!”

Mada resides in Highland Park with her husband and four kids.

For more info on how to list or purchase a property please contact Mada at 847-732-2970, email her at mada.hitchmough@cbexchange.com or visit her website at www.MadaHitchmough.cbintouch.com.

Submitted by Coldwell Banker Glencoe

Sacred Heart School Kindergarten graduating class

WINNETKA — Sacred Heart School’s graduating eighth graders were honored and blessed by the student body on June 8 in an all school assembly. In keeping with tradition, the eighth graders said goodbye to their younger schoolmates, faculty and staff at the Preschool through 8th grade school in Winnetka.

On June 1st, the student body, parents and faculty held their hands in a blessing over the 21 graduates, including 14-year-old Dylan Kerrane, who was the recipient of the Suzanne May Gerlits Award. The award is given in memory of Suzanne May Gerlits, a Sacred Heart student who passed away suddenly in 1981. This award is given to the graduating student who is sensitive to the needs of others, has the courage to meet those needs, and who is willing to befriend those who need a companion or an advocate.

Sacred Heart School 8th grade graduating class

After the assembly, eighth graders wove their way through the crowd, high-fiving and hugging siblings, friends, reading buddies and teachers. Patrick Adler, a Winnetka eighth grader who has attended Sacred Heart since Junior Kindergarten, had a mix of emotions leaving the school for the last time as a student. “On one hand, I am ready to start a new chapter in life at high
school, but I will miss the close relationships we all had at Sacred Heart in classes, sports, trips and theater.” Adler’s family has been a part of the Sacred Heart family for 17 years. As the youngest child, he is the last of his family to graduate, following brothers Aidan (Class of 2016) and Conor (Class of 2009). “It has been our boys second home,” said mom Kathy Adler.

“We will miss the closeness of the community.” The Adlers were honored at Sunday’s graduation Mass for being the family in the class with the most years at Sacred Heart.

The very next day, Sacred Heart celebrated another special graduation: the Kindergarten Class of 2017 held a program for families where the students sang songs and said prayers, showed off their artwork and demonstrated their speaking skills. Lynn and Mike Hanley, of Winnetka, had the special distinction of being the only parents who were celebrating BOTH graduations.
Their son Teddy is an 8th grade graduate, and their son John is a Kindergarten graduate.

“Having ended nine years at Sacred Heart with Teddy, it’s exciting knowing we get to do it all over again with our youngest, John,” said Lynn.

The Kindergarteners are excited to be moving on up to first grade, and the eighth graders feel ready to move onto high school. This year’s graduates will be attending Loyola Academy, New Trier High School, Woodlands Academy, Regina Dominican and Notre Dame High School.

Submitted by Sacred Heart School

HIGHLAND PARK – The City of Highland Park is looking for community feedback on a proposal to expand the Highland Park Library at 494 Laurel Avenue into a Community Center with senior and youth services.

The proposed services in the Community Center include a technology training center, a youth program room with stroller parking outside the room, a middle-school youth area, a multi-purpose room for 200 to 300 people that can be subdivided for smaller groups, a café/vending area, and an ADA-compliant elevator.

According to the City of Highland Park, “The (existing) Senior Center and Youth Center structures present space constraints, non-functional spaces, inaccessibility, and escalating capital and maintenance costs for upkeep.”

The city is hosting six open houses beginning Wednesday, June 21, at 8:30 a.m., in the conference room at City Hall.

Assistant City Manager Rob Sabo said each open house will begin with the same brief presentation followed by an opportunity for attendees to provide feedback regarding services and programs as well as facility use now and in the future.

Sabo added that attendees will be able to peruse informational boards pertaining to existing facilities, as well as building and functional features that could be incorporated into a possible library expansion and possible relocation of Senior and Youth Services.

After the attendees have reviewed the materials, they will be encouraged to share their opinions.

“Attendees will receive a feedback card to fill out and turn in along with stickers that they can affix to the informational boards denoting the features which they would like to see for the library, senior services, and youth services should the project move forward,” said Sabo. City and library staff will be available at each session to answer any questions.

Sabo emphasized that the project is exploratory at this time.

“Williams Architects is evaluating the current operations of the library, Senior Division and Youth Services Division, and is assessing new building needs and shared space opportunities,” said Sabo. “As part of the needs assessment being done by Williams Architects, the upcoming community engagement meetings will offer an opportunity to obtain public input on the project.”

The city and library will explore next steps after the completion of Williams Architects’ needs assessment and preliminary design work.

The City of Highland Park purchased the two properties east of the library, at 444 and 466 Laurel Avenue, to make a facility and/or parking expansion more feasible. The City Council approved the residential real estate contract at the October 24, 2016, City Council meeting for a total of $1.55 million.

Sabo said there is no timetable or plan to demolish 444 Laurel or 466 Laurel, since Williams Architects is currently conducting the needs assessment. Following the needs assessment, preliminary plans and options will be prepared for the possible expansion of the library and possible inclusion of senior and youth services with expanded on-site parking to accommodate all uses.

“This information will be reviewed by the city and library, who will explore the next steps of the project based on the deliverables from Williams Architects,” said Sabo. “Currently, the timeline for the project anticipates planning, final design, and zoning work to begin in 2019 with possible construction to occur in 2020.”

The six community engagement meetings will be held at City Hall in the Pre-Session Conference Room, 1707 St. Johns Avenue. The same material will be covered at each of the meetings.

Here is the schedule:

• Wednesday, June 21, 8:30 a.m.
• Wednesday, June 28, 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, July 11, 3 p.m.
• Thursday, July 13, 8:30 a.m.
• Monday, July 17, 7 p.m.
• Thursday, August 3, 3 p.m.

In addition, a community engagement survey will be available July 1 through July 15 on the city’s website at www.cityhpil.com/communitycampus. The feedback will be presented to the City Council in August at a Committee of the Whole meeting.

The houses east of the Highland Park Library at 466 Laurel Avenue and 444 Laurel Avenue were purchased by the City of Highland Park for the proposed Library Expansion Project.

State runners-up New Trier placed four players, including three first-teamers, on the 2017 boys water polo all-state team.

Seniors Henry Yavitt, Sam Yavitt and Mason McQuet were first-team selections, while fellow senior Danilo Scekic made the second team.

Loyola Academy junior John Merucci was a third-team pick.

Photography by George Pfoertner and Jon Durr

New Trier’s Henry Yavitt

New Trier’s Sam Yavitt

New Trier’s Mason McQuet

New Trier’s Danilo Scekic

Loyola Academy’s John Merucci

The other all-staters include:

First Team: Kent Emden (Naperville Central), Andrew Shashin (Stevenson), Dan Maleski (Stevenson), Armin Korsoa (Lyons), Payton Comstock (Fenwick), Matt Reagan (Naperville Central), Nolan Vaughn (Naperville Central)

Second Team: Collin Kapecki (Stevenson), John Fischer (Barrington), Andreas Christy (St. Ignatius), Shawn Shields (Lincoln-Way East), Cameron Cowan (Lyons), JonJon Pettinger (Naperville North), Cole Jacobs (Naperville North), Mitchell Gavars (Barrington), Nick Oleinik (Mundelein)

Third Team: Kyle Poland (Fenwick), Tommy Witek (Stagg), Victor Perez (Lyons), Shane Nagel (De La Salle), Alex Marlott (York), Justin Ginsberg (Stevenson), Brett Hofer (Andrew), Matt Hoban (Fenwick), Travis Tanner (Homewood-Flossmoor)

Fourth Team: Jacob Schoneman (Lyons), Bender Russo (Naperville Central), Jose Llamas (St. Patrick), Ben Mars (Sandburg), Harris Dibek (Conant), Patrick Murphy (Brother Rice), Alec Burke (Conant), Thomas Fies (Evanston), Albijon Purelku (Niles West), Noah Gross (Fenwick)

New Trier junior Megan Frentzel was one of five players from the DailyNorthShore.com area to earn all-state accolades in girls water polo this spring.

Seniors Elizabeth McKenna (third team) and Sarah Caywood (fourth team) also gained all-state recognition, along with Loyola Academy senior Sophia Brouwer (third team) and Lake Forest senior Grace Donahue (fourth team).

Photography by Joel Lerner, George Pfoertner and Jon Durr

New Trier’s Megan Frentzel

New Trier’s Elizabeth McKenna

Loyola Academy’s Sophia Brouwer

Lake Forest’s Grace Donahue

New Trier’s Sarah Caywood

The other selections include:

First Team: Claire Haas (Stevenson), Emily Westlove (Naperville Central), Kelly Frumkin (Fenwick), Eileen Hoang (Stevenson), Molly McGuire (Fenwick), Stephania Lopez (St. Ignatius), Jill Mueller (Mother McAuley), Alli Hansen (Naperville Central), Annika Moore (Lyons), Kaysie Stuba (Lyons).

Second Team: Nicole McCabe (Lincoln-Way Central), Riley Hughes (Evanston), Gracie Dix (Prospect), Tina McBride (Naperville North), Rylee Brower (Naperville Central), MaryKate McKendry (Mother McAuley), Eleanor Michaud (Stevenson), Sarah Lewand (York), Meredith Lohman (Jones)

Third Team: Abbie Lukas (Mundelein), Kristen Burger (Maine West), Caroline Heathcock (Lincoln-Way Central), Reis Parkinson (Lincoln-Way East), Paulina Chowaniec (Conant), Fiona Gaffney (Stevenson), Sara Campbell (Naperville Central), Taylor Wessle (Naperville North)

Fourth Team: Andrea Potgieter (Barrington), Erin Breakey (Mother McAuley), Becky Schofield (Mother McAuley), Harper Daniels (Fenwick), Ellie Kennedy-Wood (Oak Park-River Forest), Jazmin Rivera (Lane), Mary Clare McAleer (Prospect), Millie Sheean (Fenwick)