New managers warm up to Worth golf course
By Joe Boyle
Even snow flurries in April cannot alter the mood of the new management team at the Water’s Edge Golf Course in Worth.
Matt Roberts and Kevin Bollinger, representatives of Orion Management Solutions, based out of suburban Kansas City, Mo., told the members of the Worth Village Board Tuesday night that plans for the golf course are heading in the right direction.
“You didn’t bring the snow in with you,” joked Worth Mayor Mary Werner.
Both Roberts and Bollinger laughed. Roberts quickly added that the weather was going to be warmer later in the week.
“We are training some new people and working with the current staff,” Roberts said. “We had a few hiccups along the way but everything is going well.”
Orion became the official managers of Water’s Edge on Feb. 1. This is the third company to run the Worth golf course.
Board members have been impressed in what they have seen so far from Orion, which includes ownership installing a new computer system with improvements to the course and driving range.
Roberts said that all department managers are in place. Some new employees have been hired for the pro shop, Roberts added.
“The course conditions are pretty good, too,” Roberts said. “We are pleased at how it has come through the winter.”
The new management team is also introducing golf scooters to Water’s Edge. The device will allow golfers to insert their clubs in a two-wheeled scooter that they can drive through the course instead of utilizing golf carts. At this time, eight of the scooters will be made available each day for golfers, Bollinger said.
Roberts and Bollinger said they are determining a fee for golfers who want to use the scooters. The fee will be less for golfers who play nine holes.
The scooters were scheduled to arrive at Water’s Edge this week, Roberts said. Trustee Laura Packwood, who is the head of the golf committee, said they are the only golf course in Chicago and the suburbs that will have the scooters.
Trustee Brad Urban asked that if someone who has paid for nine holes with the scooter suddenly decided to play 18 holes without paying more, what would happen?
“They would just stop running by the 12th hole,” Robert said with a laugh. “If someone would call us when it stopped running, we would just check our file and inform them they can continue if they pay for 18 holes.”
Roberts further explained that the scooters are designed to only work when they are on the course. If someone tried to take one to the driving range, for instance, the device would just shut off.
The scooters are paid for by using an app. They will be activated through the app, Roberts said.
Roberts said the fish frys have been doing very well and will continue through Friday, April 29. He also said the senior league, which had about 12 participants last year, is now at 24.
The women’s league has drawn the interest of 12 participants. Roberts believes that total will reach as high as 20 in the future.
“With a little luck with the weather, I’m expecting a good April and May,” Roberts said.
Cruise Nights
Trustee Rich Dziedzic also mentioned that Cruise Nights, which features classic cars that are lined up in the Water’s Edge Golf Course parking lot, will return on Monday, May 2. The Cruise Nights will begin at 5 p.m. and will be held every Monday night into the fall.
The board voted against approving two ordinances to allow Wholesale Establishments from operating at 6856 W. 111th St. by a 5-0 vote. Trustee Tedd Muersch Jr. did not attend the meeting. The Real Estate Development Board had earlier voted against Wholesale Establishments from operating in the village.
Spring rummage sale
Items can be dropped off for the annual spring rummage sale at the Marrs-Meyer American Legion Post 991, 11001 S. Depot St., on Thursday, April 28, and Friday, April 29.
Items that are in good condition that can be donated include toys, kitchenware, furniture, electronics (no tube TVs), small appliances, tools, books, DVDs, videos and clothing. More information can be obtained by calling the post, 708-448-6699.
Local News
Oak Lawn officials rip governor, legislators over crime
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Two Oak Lawn officials are calling for Gov. J.B. Pritzker and local legislators to re-evaluate a police reform law that they say has resulted in a rise in crime. Trustee Alex Olejniczak (2nd) served as mayor pro-tem during the Oak Lawn Village Board meeting Tuesday night in place of Mayor Terry Vorderer,…
Troop 1441 Scout earns Eagle rank
Spread the loveFrom staff reports A journey that began years ago for Adrian Ayala recently culminated in Boy Scouting’s highest honor. Ayala, a member of Boy Scout Troop 1441 (sponsored by the St. Mary Star of the Sea Holy Name Society) was honored at an Eagle ceremony at Duggan Hall on Jan. 13. The Eagle rank…
Hog Wild to open Monday in Oak Lawn
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Dining choices will get a boost in Oak Lawn with the arrival of Hog Wild. The restaurant is scheduled to open Monday, January 17, at 4040 W. 111th St. That’s a week later than originally scheduled. “We are very fortunate here in Oak Lawn to have attracted Hog Wild,” Oak…
Home security cameras could be big help to Orland cops
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Residents of Orland Park could have a hand in solving crime in the village. The board of trustees unanimously approved to move forward with a voluntary security camera registration program at its Jan. 4 meeting. It’s expected to start on Feb. 1. This program gives citizens and businesses a chance…
Ailing eagle on the mend
Spread the loveSeveral blocks northwest of Garfield Ridge—just west of 47th and Harlem–motorists late last month noticed an eagle flying low and acting erratically. The Villa Park-based Chicago Bird Collision Monitors was contacted, and its volunteers found and captured the majestic bird. It was transported to a facility owned and operated by Glen Ellyn-based Willowbrook…
Can’t we just fast-forward to spring?
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com Hi everyone. Is it spring yet? Is the pandemic over yet? Not that I’m impatient or anything. I want to move forward past all the negative COVID-19 has brought to my life and everyone else’s life. I want to see…
Scavenger Sale different this year, Pappas says
Spread the loveFrom staff reports Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ 2022 Scavenger Sale will look different, as the Treasurer’s Office takes steps to help small developers, homeowners and investors rebuild neighborhoods and create generational wealth. Under Illinois law, the Treasurer’s Office is required to conduct a Scavenger Sale every two years, offering at auction the…
Give poor countries a break, Chuy says
Spread the loveFrom staff reports U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-4th) is one of 18 Members of Congress who recently sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, urging her to use the voice and vote of the United States at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to abolish the IMF’s surcharge policy, which requires countries…
Neighbors
Illinois launches summer food assistance program
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The state is launching a new program to provide food assistance during the summer for families with children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals at school. Gov. JB Pritzker joined other state officials and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Thursday to announce that Illinois will…
Lawmakers consider tax break for news publishers, state-sponsored journalism scholarships
By ALEX ABBEDUTO & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A new measure being debated in the Illinois General Assembly would create a tax credit for certain news publishers based on the number of reporters they employ. The proposal from Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, is part of a package of policies that he…
House gives OK to new state agency focused on early childhood programs
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House gave final passage Thursday to a bill establishing a new cabinet-level state agency whose mission will be to provide a kind of one-stop shop for services focusing on early childhood development and education. By the time it’s fully operational in 2026, the new…
As vacated Centralia funeral home prepares for new tenant, owner makes a startling find
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com In the basement of a Centralia funeral home in a dark hallway off the embalming room, tucked inside a nook behind two steel plates and a door, a visitor found three disembodied, neatly wrapped human legs, two of them marked with names and dated to the 1960s. The…
Illinois Supreme Court considers expectation of privacy in hospitals
By DILPREET RAJU & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – While Cortez Turner was in a hospital room being treated for a gunshot wound to his leg in 2016, police took his clothes. Now, the Illinois Supreme Court is weighing whether that action violated Turner’s expectation of privacy under the Fourth Amendment. The…
Capitol Briefs: House OKs program for student teacher stipends – but not the funding for it
By PETER HANCOCK & ANDREW CAMPBELL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House approved a bill Tuesday to allow student teachers to receive stipends while earning their education degree, even though the money needed to fund those stipends is unlikely to be included in next year’s budget. House Bill 4652, by Rep. Barbara…
As Medicaid redeterminations restart, about 73% of state’s recipients remain enrolled
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com About 73 percent of Illinois’ Medicaid recipients remain on the rolls after the first redetermination cycle following the COVID-19 pandemic, while approximately 660,000 recipients have been disenrolled. Speaking at a news conference in Chicago, Gov. JB Pritzker celebrated the fact that 2.6 million Illinoisans remained on the rolls…
Capitol Briefs: Republicans sue over law banning legislative candidate slating
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com One week after Gov. JB Pritzker signed an elections-related measure that his fellow Democrats quickly muscled through the General Assembly, Republicans sued over the new law, alleging the majority party is blocking ballot access to would-be legislative candidates. The law , passed early this month as the legislature’s…
For Many Illinoisans in Flood-Prone Areas, Buyouts Are the Only Way Out
By Laura Stewart, Illinois Answers Project April 23, 2024 DIETERICH, Ill. – Every day, Berdeena Leturno checks her email for an update on when the state of Illinois will finally pay her $80,000. It’s been over two months since she signed the paperwork to sell her flood-damaged home as part of a buyout program, and…
Capitol Briefs: Senate advances elections bill, measure targeting ‘predatory’ lending
By PETER HANCOCK & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would put more controls on certain kinds of high-cost loans to small businesses cleared the Illinois Senate Thursday. Senate Bill 2234, known as the Small Business Financial Transparency Act, targets a relatively new kind of nontraditional lender in the credit…