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lockportlegend.com sound off<br />

the Lockport Legend | February 16, 2017 | 17<br />

Social snapshot<br />

Top Web Stories<br />

From LockportLegend.com from<br />

Monday, Feb. 13.<br />

from the assistant editor<br />

The centenarian edition<br />

1. Youth theater performs ‘The Lion King Jr.’ at<br />

LTHS<br />

2. Cheerleading: Porters place in Top 10 at state<br />

competition<br />

3. Girls Bowling: Historic performance gives<br />

Porters regional win<br />

4. Park district’s Daddy Daughter Royal Ball<br />

sells out<br />

5. Wrestling: Porters steamroll way to regional<br />

title at home<br />

Become a member: LockportLegend.com/plus<br />

“Don’t miss the chance to bid on this birdhouse<br />

hand carved by Lockport’s own John<br />

Lamb... only the 1836 Event.. get tickets at<br />

www.visitlockport.com”<br />

Main Street Lockport from Feb. 6.<br />

Like The Lockport Legend: facebook.com/LockportLegend<br />

“Excellent job to all of our Spelling Bee<br />

finalists! Congratulations to our Spelling Bee<br />

Champion, Molly! #stjoelockport”<br />

@msboba8 from Feb. 7.<br />

Follow The Lockport Legend: @LockportLegend<br />

Erin Redmond<br />

e.redmond@22ndcenturymedia.com<br />

Not too long ago, I<br />

was playing with my<br />

niece. I was asking<br />

her — as you do — how<br />

old she is and how old her<br />

siblings are, all questions<br />

she answered with pinpoint<br />

accuracy.<br />

Then she looked at me<br />

with her big blue eyes, raised<br />

one tiny eyebrow and asked<br />

“How old are you, Auntie<br />

Erin?”<br />

“How old do you think I<br />

am, Mairead?,” I replied.<br />

“100!” she exclaimed,<br />

beaming with certainty.<br />

OK, I hadn’t slept much<br />

the night before, but I don’t<br />

think that added 70-plus<br />

years to my age. So at the<br />

time her answer was not<br />

what I was hoping for, but<br />

she’s not quite 3 yet, so I<br />

forgive her.<br />

This week, however, I<br />

realized just how lucky I<br />

would be if I ever met this<br />

milestone.<br />

I had the opportunity to<br />

interview Genie Lenc, a<br />

Homer Glen resident, during<br />

the Feb. 8 Homer Glen Village<br />

Board meeting. Born in<br />

1917, Lenc will celebrate her<br />

100th birthday on Feb. 20<br />

and she’s still as sharp as a<br />

tack. She’s lived through two<br />

World Wars and 17 different<br />

presidents. She survived the<br />

Great Depression, watched<br />

the first Space Shuttle launch<br />

and remembers when the<br />

internet was just a fantasy.<br />

And that’s just the cliff<br />

notes. I can’t even begin to<br />

imagine what else she’s seen.<br />

We also have a story memorializing<br />

the life of Lockport<br />

legend Marie Cook,<br />

who passed away on Jan.<br />

22, just a few days after her<br />

103rd birthday. Her friends<br />

credit her curiosity, her<br />

hunger to always know what<br />

was going to happen next, as<br />

her secret to a long life.<br />

As I was writing her story,<br />

I couldn’t help but feel a<br />

pang of regret that I didn’t<br />

get to speak with her before<br />

she died. She lived her life to<br />

the fullest.<br />

Cook owned and operated<br />

businesses in Lockport for<br />

65 years and didn’t retire until<br />

she was 91 years old. That<br />

is unfathomable to me.<br />

She was a committed<br />

woman. Her curiosity to see<br />

things through to the end led<br />

to her serving on the Lockport<br />

Planning and Zoning<br />

Commission for 42 years,<br />

during which she helped<br />

shape the fabric of what is<br />

modern day Lockport and<br />

Homer Glen.<br />

She lived through two<br />

World Wars during which<br />

her own husband, like many<br />

other men during that era,<br />

was called off to serve.<br />

She stepped up to help her<br />

friends raise their children<br />

and stayed in touch with<br />

them until the very end.<br />

There is a reason they<br />

call this group the Greatest<br />

Generation.<br />

I’ve only been on this<br />

earth a short time compared<br />

to these two women, but I<br />

am honored to be able to tell<br />

their stories. In doing so, it<br />

makes me think about my<br />

own life and what sort of<br />

legacy I’ll leave behind.<br />

Furthermore, I can’t wait<br />

to see what the future holds.<br />

We’re right in the middle<br />

of history right now. All the<br />

decisions being made at the<br />

top levels of government —<br />

whether I agree with them<br />

or not — will undoubtedly<br />

shape our future. Like Cook,<br />

I’m just curious to see what<br />

impact it will all have.<br />

One hundred years.<br />

It’s hard to fathom. But I<br />

promise if I’m lucky enough<br />

to stick around that long, I<br />

Sherry Ranieri<br />

won’t waste a single second<br />

of it. That’s a lesson we can<br />

all learn from these two<br />

remarkable women.<br />

Are you reaching 90,000 subscribers?<br />

NO<br />

Contact Sherry Ranieri!<br />

Sound Off Policy<br />

Editorials and columns are the<br />

opinions of the author. Pieces<br />

from 22nd Century Media are<br />

the thoughts of the company<br />

as a whole. The Lockport Legend<br />

encourages readers to write letters<br />

to Sound Off. All letters must be<br />

signed, and names and hometowns<br />

will be published. We also ask that<br />

writers include their address and<br />

phone number for verification,<br />

not publication. Letters should be<br />

limited to 400 words. The Lockport<br />

Legend reserves the right to edit<br />

letters. Letters become property of<br />

The Lockport Legend. Letters that<br />

are published do not reflect the<br />

thoughts and views of The Lockport<br />

Legend. Letters can be mailed<br />

to: The Lockport Legend, 11516<br />

West 183rd Street, Unit SW<br />

Office Condo #3, Orland Park,<br />

Illinois, 60467. Fax letters to (708)<br />

326-9179 or e-mail to max@<br />

lockportlegend.com.<br />

www.lockportlegend.com.<br />

YES<br />

You’re one of our<br />

valued clients!<br />

Sales Director for The Homer Horizon & The Lockport Legend<br />

s.ranieri@22ndcenturymedia.com • 708.326.9170 ext.21<br />

visit us online at WWW.lockportlegend.com

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