Students, staff and family catch an unsuspecting Violet Tantillo, principal of Jefferson School, with a surprise assembly in her honor. Tantillo gets high-fives from students as she walks to the front of the gym. She is retiring at the end of the school year. Photo by Bill Ackerman
Calvin Herion, 13, cracks up his dad, Brock, when he tells a reporter one of his “sayings” in the family’s Westmont home. Calvin, who has scoliosis, arthrogryposis and needs a respirator to breathe, hopes that a taco dinner fundraiser held by his dad’s colleagues in the Addison Fire Department, might pay for a power wheelchair that would make him a little more independent. Photo by Bill Ackerman
Tom (left) and Tony Bezouska, former paratroopers, as well as former combat medics, were recently recognized at Distinguished Members of the Regiment. They served as paratroopers with the 187th Airborne Regiment and later as combat medics in the Korean War. Both were injured with shrapnel in a combat zone in Korea on the same day in 1953. Photo by Bill Ackerman
Danny Scholz, 17, a senior at Glenbard East High School recently won second place for improvisation in the Illinois Music Education Association State Competition contest and was named an All-State Composer. He composes and plays in a practice space in his family’s Lombard home. Photo by Bill Ackerman
Pat Gwozdz, of Western Springs, makes friends with Chester at Cat Nap from the Heart. Gwozdz is recently retired from The British Home. She was instrumental in bringing pet therapy to their assisted living center. Photo by Bill Ackerman
Joe Adkins will be entering this 1,000 pound pumpkin from his Wheaton pumpkin patch into competition. Photo by Bill Ackerman
George Valenti transforms a spare bedroom in his Bolingbrook home into a miniature Santa’s village with running trains and various workshops for Santa’s elves. Valenti holds a tiny Santa driving a crayon car, one of the many small details in his village. Photo by Bill Ackerman
Matt Schademann is a local photographer with an interest in historic preservation, including his Berwyn studio. His piano is found-art that he rolled down the street for nearly half a mile to get it to his studio. Photo by Bill Ackerman
Sisters Julia (from left), Sophia and Tessa Pate were sorting wristbands for the Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease fundraiser that their family is organizing to support research when silliness and mayhem set in and wristbands fly. Tessa has CMT, an inherited nerve disorder affecting sensory and motor nerves. Photo by Bill Ackerman
Jay Stamatis (left) and his dad, Steve, co-authors of the recently released novel, “Scroll Back,” talk about a screenplay in Steve’s home office in Addison. Photo by Bill Ackerman
Berwyn’s Ted Polashek is the new 6th ward alderman. He has coached at Sokol Tabor for 16 years and is on their executive board and can still hold an “L” on the parallel bars. Sokol Tabor is in his ward. Photo by Bill Ackerman
