Jake Kaminski
Palos South friends, classmates miss Jake’s laughter
By Bob Bong
The halls at Palos South Middle School are not as loud as they used to be.
That’s because Jake Kaminski isn’t around to make the other kids laugh.
Jake died earlier this month in a skiing accident in Wisconsin. His family was trying to take advantage of the long Pulaski Day weekend when tragedy struck on March 5.
“He was the one who made everyone laugh,” recalled Kimberly Rodgers, whose son, Justin, was Jake’s best friend in their tight-knit neighborhood in Palos Hills. “They walked to school every day.”
“Jake always was the funny one. He had some of the best one-liners,” Rodgers recalled when talking about the 13-year-old boy who was part of a tight group of boys in The Riviera neighborhood. “They did everything together.”
Rodgers said Jake would often go on family vacations with them. “He was always willing to help out,” she said.
Rodgers established a Go Fund Me account for Jake’s family. As of Tuesday, it had raised $15,555 toward a goal of $18,000.
“The response has been great,” Rodgers said. “I started the fund at $1,000 and it just keeps growing.”
Palos South Principal Stuart Wrzesinski also fondly recalled Jake as the jokester.
“Jake had a group of friends and he was always making them laugh,” Wrzesinski said.
He added that when school resumed after the Pulaski Day holiday, everyone was aware of what had happened to the happy-go-lucky seventh-grader.
“We brought in three social workers,” he said. “We tried to be as prepared as possible for the other kids.”
Wrzesinski said Jake’s classmates paid tribute to him by putting pink hearts on the school’s exterior windows.
“Pink was his favorite color,” Rodgers said. “Everyone decorated the neighborhood in pink when word got out.”
Wrzesinski said the school sold pink bracelets in Jake’s honor with all of the proceeds going to his family.
“We have a couple of other events planned to honor Jake,” he said.
As for his family? Rodgers said it best, “They will make it through it.”
Survivors include his parents Melissa and Donald and siblings Mikayla and Jordan.
Local News
Palos Area Chamber dedicated to promoting area
By Kelly White Dedicated to helping local area businesses strive is the Palos Area Chamber of Commerce. The chamber was formed in 1949 when a small group of merchants joined together for the purpose of advancing economic, industrial, professional, cultural, and civic welfare of the Palos Heights area. For 68 years, the Palos Area Chamber…
We need real solutions to crime
By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 Crime and safety concerns are the number one topic of all the calls and texts I receive. It seems that many politicians offer no solutions except the usual lists of ways to keep safe. I think everyone knows about locking their cars…
Icy spill yielded plenty of good will
By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 284-7394 Here is a giant shout out to our first responders in the community. On Jan. 9, when a sheet of ice descended on Chicago, I was walking the dog. Walking around Peck School was great. Their snow…
It’s a busy January in Gage Park
By Joan Hadac Neighborhood correspondent at large Greetings, Gage Parkers! I’m pleased to be filling in this week for Karen Sala. It’s fun for me to report on Gage Park, the neighborhood where I lived for the first 26 years of my life. There’s always something happening in this big, exciting part of Chicago, so…
You can bank on good service here
By Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 In this world of corporate takeovers, it is kind of hard to feel safe in the hands of big business. First, we have to supply some of our personal information to the automated system. Then there’s the seemingly…
Palos Park police to hold active shooter drill
From staff reports Palos Park Police will fine tune their strategies for dealing with an active shooter to ensure the safety of both officers and citizens later this month. The end goal of the January 30 drlll is to test the department’s active shooter response plans and fine tune them. “Palos Park effective preventive measures…
Richards’ Principal walks 24 hours for a cause
By Kelly White Most people spend New Year’s Day relaxing. Richards High School Principal Dr. Mike Jacobson spent it on the treadmill. For the second year in a row, Jacobson inspired generous donations of more than $20,000 on New Year’s Day by walking 24 hours on a treadmill without stopping. All of the money raised goes directly to benefit…
Victress Women’s Wellness Center sets goals for 2022
By Kelly White Empowering women in the new year is Victress, a wellness center for women, in Palos Heights. The center opened in October at 7120 W. 127th St. and welcomed in the new year with a goal-setting seminar open to women in the local community called, Achieve 2022: This year set goals, not resolutions.…
Broadcast news — Palos Heights’ Channel 4 has big 2021
By Jeff Vorva The first Palos Heights city council meeting of 2022 featured a few minutes of bragging about Channel 4’s success in 2021. The local cable channel had a record-breaking year and Alderman Jerry McGovern was more than happy to run down the happy totals at Tuesday’s board meeting at City Hall. There were…
Obituaries for Jan. 20, 2022
THERESA M. BALDWIN Theresa M. Baldwin (nee Boxlietner), age 76, passed away December 12, 2021. Beloved wife of Richard Baldwin; loving mother of Michael Kresch, Kenneth Kresch, Crystal Nelson and Denise Baldwin; dear grandmother of Samantha Peters, Dennis Nelson, Devorie Nelson, Korin Leeth, Kayla Nelson, Kaylee Nelson, Travis Spagnola, Kyle Kresch, Sydney Kresch, Jonathan Kresch,…
Neighbors
Illinois American Water will increase water rates
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO — The state’s largest private water utility, Illinois American Water, will increase customer bills in the new year. The move comes after state regulators at the Illinois Commerce Commission approved the requested increase on Thursday. The five-member board approved a $110 million increase for the company, a 30% reduction from the…
Jurors see list of Madigan’s job recommendations given to newly elected Gov. Pritzker
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO – In the weeks following now-Gov. JB Pritzker’s November 2018 victory over one-term Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan busied himself preparing for a brand new administration after years of conflict with governors of both parties. One of his first priorities was finding jobs for his political…
How RFK Jr.’s health proposals could affect Illinois
Capitol News Illinois Every new presidential administration comes with policy changes, but the incoming second administration of President-elect Donald Trump and his proposed secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., could dramatically reshape the public health landscape. Kennedy, a former political rival of Trump, became a close ally of Trump over the…
‘You won’t spend a day in jail’: Madigan attorney hammers Solis’ agreement with feds
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO – The day after Christmas 2018, then-Chicago Ald. Danny Solis signed an agreement with federal prosecutors, with whom he’d spent the last 2 ½ years working as a secret cooperating witness in a sprawling corruption investigation. Solis’ undercover work helped bring down two of Illinois’ biggest and longest-serving Democratic powerbrokers. Former…
Pritkzer education policy advisor named to head new Department of Early Childhood
Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday appointed Teresa Ramos to be the first permanent secretary of the newly-formed Illinois Department of Early Childhood. “I’m eager to get started working with an incredible team of state employees, parents and families, advocates, and early childhood providers to create something exceptional that will give…
Semi driver involved in fatal crash of deputy had previous unreported DUI conviction, prompting call for federal audit
Capitol News Illinois Four years before police said he caused a crash that killed a DeKalb County sheriff’s deputy, Nathan Sweeney pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and having 44 grams of heroin in his car – an offense that, if properly reported to the secretary of state, should have led to the revocation…
Madigan attorney accuses Solis of not telling feds ‘all the crimes you committed’
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO – Former Chicago Ald. Danny Solis spent more than 2 ½ years living a double life as an FBI cooperating witness after agents approached him in 2016, asking him to wear a wire on his colleagues or risk being charged for multiple bribes he’d taken while in office. Solis’ extraordinary cooperation…
State Board of Elections certifies election results showing decline in turnout
Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD — Vice President Kamala Harris won Illinois by nearly 11 points as turnout dipped in 2024, according to official election results certified by the State Board of Elections. The board met Monday to certify the results of the 2024 election and released final vote totals for races around the state, including…
Appellate Court finds former Sangamon County deputy Sean Grayson should be released until trial
Capitol News Illinois Prosecutors will ask the Illinois Supreme Court to review an appellate court ruling that found former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson should be released from jail pending trial on charges related to the July 6 shooting death of Sonya Massey. On Wednesday, Nov. 27, the 4th District Court of Appeals ordered…
Illinois rolls out first phase of plan to modernize professional licensing
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation launched a new online licensing system this fall, the first phase in a plan to modernize the management and licensing process for service providers across the state. The system improvements are part of efforts to make doing business easier and more efficient…
