KANKAKEE County, ILLINOIS

2012 | livability.Com/KanKaKee/il ® KanKaKee CoUnty, illinois Hearts oF Gold County mentors provide opportunities for local kids Perfectly all dressed UP Frank and ready to Go Bradley House designed Small towns boast big by Frank Lloyd Wright improvements sPonsored by tHe KanKaKee reGional CHamber oF CommerCe and tHe manteno CHamber oF CommerCe Kankakee The Hilton Garden Inn and RiverStone Conference Center is located directly off of Exit 308 on I-57 in Kankakee. At Hilton Garden Inn hotels you’ll find everything you need right where you need it. Focusing on what guests have said they need and want most while traveling, our property will offer quality accommodations, amenities, and services in a comfortable atmosphere designed for both the business and leisure traveler. Hilton Garden Inn hotels deliver the highest degree of service and cost savings without sacrificing the quality associated with the Hilton name. This is the difference between limited service hotels and the “focused-service” Hilton Garden Inn. Our focused-service is anything but limited service. The Hilton Garden Inn – Kankakee features: • 110 beautifully appointed spacious guest rooms, including eight suites • Indoor pool and hot tub • On-site fitness center • Complimentary high-speed Internet in all guest rooms • Full service restaurant on property – The Great American Grill open daily for breakfast and dinner • Room service • HHonors benefits and rewards • 24-hour Pavilion Pantry Convenience Mart • Pavilion lounge open nightly Attached to our magnificent hotel is the Riverstone Conference Center. Boasting 9,000 square feet of divisible meeting/banquet space, we can accommodate up to 994 guests. Full catering selections are available for breaks, breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktails. All food served within the Riverstone Conference Center is prepared in our own fully equipped kitchen. The Riverstone Conference Center is completely state-of-the-art, and we can accommodate any special needs. 455 Riverstone Pkwy. • Kankakee, IL 60901 (815) 932-4444 • www.kankakee.gardeninn.com 2012 edition | volUme 9 ® KanKaKee CoUnty, illinois contents Features 6 PerFeCtly FranK Bradley House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright 18 10 All dressed UP and ready to Go Small towns boast big improvements 12 Hearts oF Gold County mentors provide opportunities for local kids dePartments 4 Almanac 14 Biz briefs 16 Chamber report 17 Economic Profile 18 Local Flavor 20 Health & Wellness 22 Arts & Culture 24 Sports & recreation 27 Education 28 Community Profile 29 Through the lens on tHe Cover The Bradley House Photo by Jeff Adkins All or part of this magazine is printed with soy ink on recycled paper containing 10% post-consumer waste. 12 Please recycle this magazine Livab i Lit y.Co m/k An k Ak e e /i L 1 ® ® KanKaKee CoUnty, illinois editorial ProjeCt manaGer mitch KLine Content direCtor Lisa battleS ProoFreadinG manaGer RAven PeTTy Content Coordinator Jessica WalkeR staFF Writer Kevin LiTWin CoPy editor JiLL Wyatt ContribUtinG Writers LAuRA HiLL, JessiCA mozo, BRAxTon SHooP senior GraPHiC desiGners LAuRA GallagheR, JAnine mARyLAnd, KRiS SexTon, viKKi WiLLiAmS GraPHiC desiGners RachaeL GeRRinGeR, TAyLoR nunLey Digital Edition senior PHotoGraPHers JeFF AdKinS, BRiAn mcCoRd staFF PHotoGraPHers Todd BenneTT, AnTony BoSHieR Color imaGinG teCHniCian ALiSon HunTeR inteGrated media manaGer matt mcWHorteR ad ProdUCtion manaGer Katie middendoRF ad traFFiC assistants KRystin Lemmon, PatriCiA moisan Business CHairman GReG THuRmAn President/PUblisHer BoB SchwartzmAn STORY BY JESSICA MOZO | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF ADKINS exeCUtive viCe President RAy LAnGen Hearts f one thing can be said about the citizens of “They didn’t come because I was the best player – KanKaKee CoUnty mentors Kankakee County, it’s that they care deeply they came because I had gone to their schools and senior v.P./sales Todd PoTTeR Provide rare oPPortUnities for children. Several Kankakee residents spent time with them,” he says. “Now I want my Ihave turned their compassion for youth into players to have a positive influence on young people, of Gold For loCal CHildren unusual opportunities to help kids learn and succeed. because they are the future of our society.” senior v.P./oPerations Casey HesteR The Soldiers have worked with more than 7,000 Band Director Jerry Luzeniecki students, and Bradford says some experiences have Kankakee County mentor Jerry Luzeniecki has brought them to tears. senior v.P./Client develoPment JeFF HeeFneR enriched thousands of students’ lives by bringing “When we do an anti-bullying assembly, we break music into their worlds. Luzeniecki has been a band the ice by giving kids raffle tickets and calling them senior v.P./bUsiness develoPment SCoTT TemPLeTon director since 1979, directing bands in Downers Grove, out randomly to try to shoot three hoops in a row to Momence and the Bourbonnais Elementary School win a prize,” he says. “At one school, there was a kid District, where he has been employed since 1994. named Harvey who had been bullied for years. We senior v.P./AgribUsiness PUblisHinG Kim HoLmBeRG He directs the seventh and eighth grade bands at the randomly drew his number, and he came down to Upper Grade Center and the Jazz Band, and teaches the court and made the first shot. All the kids started v.P./bUsiness develoPment CharleS FiTzGibbon fourth grade music at Shabbona Elementary School. chanting his name.” “Some of the most important lessons learned in the Harvey then made the second shot – and the third. band room have nothing to do with music,” Luzeniecki “I told him no student had ever made three in a row, v.P./external CommUniCations TeRee CARuTHeRS says. “Bands help students develop fine motor skills, and the kids started going crazy. He became hero for hand-eye coordination, self-discipline, citizenship the day,” Bradford says. “Teachers on the sidelines were and teamwork skills. My students have to follow crying, and we all teared up on the bus afterward. We v.P./visUal Content mARK FoResteR multiple-step, sequential instructions. Rhythm counting talk to the kids about treating each other with respect, is related to fractions. Music also offers the opportunity because you never know who will grow up to be what.” v.P./Content oPerations Natasha LoRenS to learn to handle frustration and develop perseverance.” Luzeniecki jokingly refers to himself as a “proud band Tyjuan Hagler Foundation Football Camp geek” who has developed lifelong friendships through Kankakee native and NFL player Tyjuan Hagler, v.P./travel PUblisHinG Susan CHAPPeLL music. He and his wife have lived in Bradley for 30 years. formerly with the Indianapolis Colts, is also dedicated “As a band director, I’ve met students who have to helping kids succeed. In 2007, Hagler started the v.P./sales HeRB HARPeR, JareK SWeKosky grown up to be soldiers, doctors, educators, pilots, police annual Tyjuan Hagler Foundation Football Camp officers, firefighters and musicians, as well as great moms to help give kids ages 6 to 18 the tools they need and dads,” Luzeniecki says. “Their parents give of their to become better athletes – and better people. Controller CHRiS dudLey time and offer kind words of encouragement. The band “All my favorite memories are of my childhood directors in the Kankakee area are an extended family. in Kankakee playing backyard football,” Hagler says. senior AccoUntant Lisa OwenS We call on each other when there’s a need. It just doesn’t “I started the camp because when I was a kid, I wished there get much better than that.” was someone to mentor me. Now I have the opportunity to give back to the community I loved growing up in.” AccoUnts Payable Coordinator mARiA mcFARLAnd Kankakee County Soldiers The one-day camp happens the first Saturday in Members of the Kankakee County Soldiers, a June and is free of charge. It includes sessions on the professional basketball team, touch the lives of fundamentals of football, character building and AccoUnts reCeivable Coordinator diAnA GuzmAn Kankakee County students every week by doing safety skills, and awards and autographs with programs in local schools on everything from reading Hagler and other NFL players. sales sUPPort Coordinator ALex marks and developing life skills to anti-bullying. The Soldiers “The community helps out so much. It feels good have been mentoring elementary and junior high to help the kids, and the best part is seeing the smiles students for six years, ever since team owner Barry on their faces,” Hagler says. “These kids are gonna be our sales sUPPort ProjeCt manaGer sara quinT Bradford made youth one of the team’s top priorities. future. And everybody wants our future in good hands.” “I grew up in inner-city Chicago, and I was one of system administrator dAnieL CAnTReLL the few who made it out and got to play professional basketball and see the world,” Bradford says. “A lot For More Information of people were there for me and stuck their necks database manaGer/it sUPPort CHAndRA BRAdshaw out for me. In 2001, when Michael Jordan came KANKAKEE COUNTY SOLDIERS back to the NBA, I had some discussions with www.kcsoldiers.com Web Creative direCtor ALLiSon dAviS him that made me realize the impact a person can have on someone else’s life.” TYJUAN HAGLER FOUNDATION Early in his basketball career, Bradford noticed tyjuanhaglerfoundation.org Web Content manaGer JoHn Hood A holiday concert at the Bourbonnais upper Grade Center that kids he mentored would come watch his games. Web ProjeCt manaGer noy FonGnALy 12 kAnkAkee County LIVABILITY.COM/KANKAKEE/ILLivABiLity.Com/kAnkAkee/iL 13 Web desiGner ii RiCHARd stevenS Web develoPment lead YameL HALL Web develoPer i neLS noSeWorthy Web AccoUnt manaGer LAuRen euBAnK PHotoGraPHy direCtor JeFFRey S. Otto Creative serviCes direCtor CHRistinA CARden Creative teCHnoloGy analyst Becca ARy aUdienCe develoPment direCtor deAnnA neLSon Share with a friend distribUtion direCtor GARy SmiTH exeCUtive seCretary KRisty dunCAn easily share an interesting article, stunning photo or HUman resoUrCes manaGer PeGGy BLAKe reCePtionist LindA BiSHoP advertisement of your business on facebook, twitter or via email.

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