Past champions battle at OrlandTownship Spelling Bee
The Lincoln-Way Marching Band was named 2018 grand champion of the State of Illinois Marching Band Championships on Saturday at Illinois State University in Normal, beating a field of 50 of the finest marching bands in Illinois. The Lincoln-Way Marching Band also took first place in Class 6A and earned awards for outstanding music performance, outstanding visual performance and crowd appeal. The Lincoln-WayMarching Band is composed of students from all three Lincoln-Way high schools and is directed by Chris Mroczek, Justin Barnish, Cary Ruklic and Bert Johnson. The band will compete this weekend at the Bands of America Super Regional at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis and then start preparing for its performance in the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day. The school district is hosting a reception to celebrate the band’s accomplishments at 6 p.m. Oct. 28 at LincolnWay East High School in Frankfort.
Two words closed the 40th anniversary Orland Park Open Spelling Bee — “queue” and “chandelier”— with a past winner emerging victorious. Judy Rice, of Frankfort, was named 2018 champion after spelling “queue” correctly, followed by “chandelier.” Rice last won the competition in 2014. The bee is sponsored by the Presbyterian Church of Orland Park and the village. Second place went to Patricia Kurz, also of Frankfort, with Orland Park’s Brian Sullivan and Carol Gianoli, both past champions, claiming third and fourth, respectively. Sullivan is a five-time winner, and Gianoliwas the 1990 champion.
“Spelling bees have always held a special place in my heart and even more so the history downs and geography downs in school because Iwas better at history and geography than spelling,” said Bill Smith, the retired school superintendent who has spearheaded spelling contests for more than 40 years.
Brendon Born, a student at Lincoln-Way Central High School, won the high school division. Honors in the junior high division went to Carter Stiglia, of Oster-Oakview School in New Lenox; second place to Ava Kronenberger, of Orland Park’s Jerling Junior High School; and third place to Palos South’sKevin Budz. Winners among 8- to 10-year-olds included Kenda Mishal, of Palos Park, a student at Universal School; Orland Park’s Jack Hovey of High Point School; and Ella Restivo, a student at Navajo Hills School in PalosHeights.
About 60 students fromWorth Junior High worked with members of the Worth Lions Club earlier this month during the Worth Lions Club annual Porch Light Parade. The students and Lions Club members collected money from residents who left their porch lights on to signal they were willing to donate. The effort raised $1600 that will go toward helping families in need throughout theWorth community.
he New Lenox Fire Protection District is collecting donations to sponsor wreaths to be placed at gravesites of veterans at the Abraham Lincoln Cemetery in Elwood The pumpkin event Nov. 3 at Plum Creek Nature Center should be a smash hit for everyone except the pumpkins.