Ron Jankowski was in his 60s when he retired from NBC5 in Chicago and helped start up a cable access channel in Palos Heights.
That was 25 years ago.
Now in his late 80s, Jankowski and Channel 4 are still going strong and he was honored at the March 3 Palos Heights Village Council meeting.
“For those of you who have been around for 25 years, we started Channel 4 and it was basically a Power Point presentation with musical tapes – only if they had some,” Mayor Bob Straz said. “Sometimes we didn’t have any music. They forgot to bring them and we didn’t have anything other than the Power Point.
“Ron’s taken it to one of the most impressive operations in the Chicago area.”
Jankowski praised his staff as well as his wife, Sue, and the late Carol Stefan, who died in January, for getting the project off the ground in 1999.
“This is not a one-man band,” Jankowski said. “It cannot be done by one person. I had the best group to take us to where we are now.
“We’re a premium cable access station.”
The station can be found on Comcast and AT&T as well as YouTube. Hundreds of shows are produced each year including parades, board meetings and shows about surrounding communities.
Former Sandburg teacher and football coach Dave Wierzel is a producer and on-air personality and Chris Buresh is also on the roster as a producer.
“Mayor Straz has been supporting me for 25 years,” Jankowski said. “He’s always there trying to find some way to help me either by getting interviews, finding cameras or doing whatever needed to be done.”
Casten is million dollar man
Ald. Dan Brennan praised Cong. Sean Casten and the Environmental Protection Agency for securing more than $1 million for work on the 80th Avenue pump station project.
“This investment will provide the City of Palos Heights and Northwestern Palos Hospital with a reliable secondary water source,” Brennan said. “It will also fund key infrastructure upgrades including electrical improvements, installation of a new generator and an upgrade to our water treatment system.
“The city extends its sincere thanks to Congressman Sean Casten for supporting and securing this vital funding for our community’s infrastructure program.”
Wait ‘til next meeting
Palos East fifth-grade student Amelia Jensen was scheduled to be honored at the meeting for winning the city’s vehicle sticker contest but Straz said she could not attend because she had a 102-degree temperature.
She is scheduled to be honored at the March 17 meeting.