MK_032620

10 | March 26, 2020 | the mokena messenger news
mokenamessengerdaily.com
FROM THE FRANKFORT STATION
Virtual gallery lets
residents appreciate area
artists from home
The Frankfort Arts Association’s
downtown
gallery may be temporarily
closed, but community
members can still enjoy
local artists’ work by visiting
the organization’s
newly-launched digital
gallery.
The association’s latest
exhibition, titled “Treasures,”
challenged artists
to create artwork with a focus
on something valuable
to them. Originally slated
to run March 8 through
April 25 at the physical
gallery, the exhibition has
since moved to an online
format at frankfortarts
association.org/treasuresexhibit.
Frankfort Arts Association
board member Katie
Stempniak said the organization’s
leadership opted
to create the digital gallery
in an effort to help “flatten
the curve” by reducing potential
community spread
of COVID-19.
“We just wanted to be
able to give the community
somewhere to go and
virtually appreciate some
of the art, and give them
the option to purchase it if
they wanted to,” Stempniak
explained. “We want
to be part of the community,
and whether it’s
in-person in the gallery,
a pop-up gallery or a virtual
gallery, we just want
to support local arts and
artists.”
Nearly three dozen artists
from Frankfort and
surrounding communities
contributed work to the
juried exhibition. The submissions
include photography,
sculptures, paintings,
pastels and jewelry,
Stempniak said.
Reporting by Nuria Mathog,
Editor. For more, visit Frank
fortStationDaily.com.
FROM THE TINLEY JUNCTION
Tinley police chief warns
residents at-home
coronavirus testing ‘does
not exist’
Some recent Facebook
postings surrounding coronavirus
concerns have
warned the public that
scammers are going doorto-door,
claiming they are
authorized to administer
at-home tests.
Tinley Park Police Chief
Matthew Walsh said the
police station has not received
any calls related to
it but that it is still important
to let residents know
“this does not exist.”
“Do not let people in
[your] house to be tested
for this virus because it
does not exist,” Walsh
said. “There’s not enough
kits available, and there’s
nobody that’s doing that.”
Assistant Village Manager
Pat Carr said in an
email to The Junction
that he also has not heard
of anything like this in
the area, but the Village
of Tinley Park is not testing
anyone. He added that
testings are to go through
an individual’s health care
provider.
Carr is involved in a new
volunteer initiative with
other residents to provide
assistance to those who are
at-risk individuals and the
elderly.
“What I was told was
any deliveries of food or
anything would be made
by people in uniform in a
Tinley Park marked vehicle,”
Walsh said. “Volunteers
would be making
phone calls to those that
might possibly be in need.”
Volunteers will have
proper credentials and
identification, Walsh added.
Reporting by Jacquelyn
Schlabach, Editor. For more,
visit TinleyJunctionDaily.
com.
FROM THE ORLAND PARK PRAIRIE
Joey’s donates roughly
500 pizzas to people
helping in Chicago area
Two Orland Park businesses
have been helping
those helping others
by making sure they are
well-fed — to the tune of
roughly 500 pizzas.
Joey’s locations in both
Orland Park and Morgan
Park teamed up with
Nick’s Painting & Decorating
Inc., of Orland Park,
to deliver the pizzas March
19 and 20 to first responders,
family shelters, city
workers, medical staff and
more in the Chicago area.
Nick Ipema, owner of
Nick’s Painting, said the
idea started with interior
designer Susan Devito,
who wanted to serve the
community during its response
to the coronavirus
pandemic. She wanted to
“be a light for those that
serve us daily,” Ipema
said.
The original plan was to
provide goods, doughnuts
and other items to people,
but Ipema started making
calls and found everyone
was short on food and had
limited supplies.
“We wanted to do something
big,” he said. “So,
I was conjuring up ways
that we could get a lot
of food, quickly and efficiently,
without taking
over a shop’s entire product
and workload.”
He turned to friends Anthony
Nardo and Nick Iozzo,
of Joey’s. And Joey’s
Pizza soon became the
topic of discussion.
“What an excellent way
to get food out to these
people,” Ipema said. “We
could stagger the deliveries
every three hours, and
I could have my guys use
our vans to deliver.”
Ipema said both Joey’s
and Nick’s are seeing a
slowdown in business, so
this effort became a way to
put their combined talents,
employees and business
tools to use.
Reporting by Bill Jones, Editor.
For more, visit OP
PrairieDaily.com.
FROM THE HOMER HORIZON
Neighborhood comes
together to provide safe,
fun activity for kids
As the world around
them stopped and people
sealed themselves inside of
their homes, one neighborhood
in Homer Glen found
a unique way to get out of
the house while practicing
social distancing.
On March 17, residents
of the Pebble Creek neighborhood
put shamrocks in
their front windows and
challenged local children
to find as many as they
can. Throughout the rest of
the week, it offered a way
Please see nfyn, 11
services
From Page 6
Carpenter St.
• While regular operating
hours continue to be
maintained, we encourage
you to conduct business
with us over the phone at
(708) 479-3900, or online
for the immediate term.
• Water shut-offs for
non-payment of Village
utility bills are being temporarily
halted.
Mokena Police Department
– 10907 Front St.
• Shift strength has been
increased during certain
times each day to offer
greater service to residents
and businesses.
• Public contact for nonemergency
service calls is
being limited. In practical
terms, this means a police
officer may respond to you
over the phone rather than
meeting with you in person.
• Emergency calls for
service (crime or a lifethreatening
medical situation)
will continue to be
answered promptly. Simply
dial 911.
• All on-site public services
(including public
fingerprinting, child safety
seat inspections and drug
take-backs) have been
temporarily suspended.
Precaution guidelines
While the current environment
presents significant
challenges, your
Mokena Village Board and
staff remain committed to
providing the best possible
service to you during this
difficult time.
Social distancing is a
necessary defense in the
battle against this novel
coronavirus; however, we
encourage you not to forget
about our local Mokena
businesses. They need
your support. Did you
know that many Mokena
restaurants have adapted to
Governor Pritzker’s recent
executive order (closing
bars and restaurant dining
areas) by providing carryout,
drive-thru, pick up/
take-out and/or delivery
services.
To be fair, these are
highly challenging times,
but together we will get
through this.
As we have previously,
we urge you to utilize the
following resources to inform
and protect yourself
against the possibility of
this disease:
• Illinois Coronavirus
Hotline: (80) 889-3931
• Centers for Disease
Control: cdc.gov/
coronavirus/2019-ncov/in
dex.html
• Illinois Department
of Public Health: dph.il
linois.gov/topics-services/
diseases-and-conditions/
diseases-a-z-list/coronavi
rus
• Will County Health
Department:will
countyillinois.com/Coun
ty-Offices/Public-Healthand-Safety
You should also continue
to practice the common
sense actions listed below:
• Wash your hands often
with soap and water for at
least 20 seconds. If soap
and water are not available,
use an alcohol-based
hand sanitizer with at least
60% alcohol.
• Avoid touching your
eyes, nose, and mouth with
unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact
with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you
are sick.
• Cover your cough or
sneeze with a tissue, then
throw the tissue in the
trash.
• Clean and disinfect
frequently touched objects
and surfaces.
Finally, be assured that
Mayor Frank Fleischer,
Clerk Melissa Martini, and
your Board of Trustees,
along with Village staff,
are working closely with
our partners at the federal,
state, and county levels regarding
developments and
additional resources that
may become available to
combat this public health
issue.
Stay healthy, stay safe,
and remain vigilant. We’re
all in this together.