2012 Village of Phoenix Newsletters

VOLUME 11 No. 1 | 2012-2013 Visit us online at villageofphoenix.com

Phoenix celebrates

40th Anniversary of The Thornridge High School

Championship Basketball Teams! Story on page 28

THE FINAL YEAR OF PHOENIX FEST?You can help keep it going.-See how on pages 4 & 17

Dr. Teresa Hill takes over as new

superintendent

Dr. Douglas C. Hamilton retires as Superintendent of School District 151

Congratulations are in order!

Page 13

Story on page 28

GRAND OPENING OFBarack Obama

Learning CenterLearning Center

VOLUME 11 No. 1 | 2012-2013 Visit us online at villageofphoenix.com

Phoenix celebrates

40th Anniversary of The Thornridge High School

Championship Basketball Teams! Story on page 28

THE FINAL YEAR OF PHOENIX FEST?You can help keep it going.-See how on pages 4 & 17

Dr. Teresa Hill takes over as new

superintendent

Dr. Douglas C. Hamilton retires as Superintendent of School District 151

Congratulations are in order!

Page 13

Story on page 28

GRAND OPENING OFBarack Obama

Learning CenterLearning Center

2 PHOENIX RISING | 2012-2013

The clerk’s O�ce and Water Department’s O�ce Hours are as follows:MONDAY: 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.TUESDAY: 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.WEDNESDAY: 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.THURSDAY: 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.FRIDAY: 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.O�ce is open the third Saturday of each Month: 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.

Vehicle StickersThe deadline to purchase vehicle stickers

did not change. The deadline remains Feb-ruary 15th. A late fee of $20.00 is added to the regular price if you purchase your vehicle sticker late. The fee to purchase stickers is as follows: Regular price $30.00, senior citizens and disabled $15.00 (with proof of age and or disability). Truck stickers are priced accord-ing to size. $30.00, $35.00 and $40.00.

Please note: All returned checks will be assessed a $25 fee. No exceptions.

Door-to-door Sales PeopleThe Village is still experiencing door-to-

door salespeople, attempting to have you change your utility service, such as gas and electricity. You as a homeowner have the right to deny anyone access to your home. If you experience a problem with door-to-door sales people please don’t hesitate to call the Police Department at (708) 0331-2192 or the Village Hall at (708) 331-2636.

E�ective July 15, 2012, all Lawn Care Contractors are required to purchase a Li-cense for cutting grass in the community. Please advise your contractor of the new re-quirement and advise them to contact the Village Hall for more information.

Dog License RequirementEvery dog owner who harbors or keeps a

dog within the Village of Phoenix is required to purchase a dog tag and show proof of ra-bies inoculation. The fee to purchase a dog tag is $5.00, and can be purchased from the Village Clerk’s O�ce.

Garbage Pick up DayGarbage is picked up every Tuesday. The

only time this changes is, if the scavenger service observes a holiday that falls on Mon-day. In that case, our garbage will be picked up on Wednesday. Our scavenger observes the following holidays.

•New Years Day•Memorial Day•Independence Day (4th of July)•Labor Day•Thanksgiving day•Christmas Day Every home is allowed to place out one large item per week for pick up. Please adhere to this rule. The large items consist of furni-ture, mattresses, couches etc. Items such as refrigerators, washers and dryers, hot water tanks, TV’s and microwaves can be placed out for scrap trucks to pick up. These in-dividuals who scrap usually pick up these items early. Please do not place your gar-bage out for pick up before Monday evening. Citations will be issued for those citizens who disregard this requirement. The Village has experienced a rash of citizens loosing their garage containers. Therefore, please remove your garbage can back to the rear of your home, once it has been emptied. Citi-zens are encouraged to dispose of tree limbs, branches and shrubbery by cutting them in lengths no longer than 4 feet, tying bundling and placing them out with your regular gar-bage. All residents are required to obtain a dumpster for disposing of construction ma-terial. All contractors performing construc-tion work in the Village are required to have a license and building permit. If the home-owner is performing work, he/she too, must apply for a permit and let the building in-spector make a decision as to whether a per-mit is required. Some contractors have had their license revoked by the State of Illinois. The Attorney General ¦les those complaints with the Village and therefore the Village can pass that information along to its citizens.

Hunting and Fishing License The Village Clerk sells hunting and ¦sh-ing license. The fee to purchase license is set by the Department of Conservation. The fees are posted in the Village Hall.

Board Meetings Regular Board meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the council room of the Village Hall, 633 E. 151st Street. During the sum-mer months, the Board will hold one regular board meeting per month. If you have a con-cern and plan to attend a meeting, please call the Village Hall for date of the next meeting.

THE PHOENIX RISING Published by Village of Phoenix

633 East 151st StreetPhoenix, IL 60426

(708) 331-1455

Editor-In-Chief Mayor Terry Wells

Editorial Assistants Felicia S. KhalisJannie Beasley

Johnnie M. LaneDarnell H. Sanford

Editorial BoardAlbert Kirklin

Martina Lane-MahaffeyElizabeth LogginsWillie Mae Smith

Ernestine Proctor-HarrisMelvin Kimbrough

Pictures byLucille Barr

Darnell Sanford

Layout & DesignBenny Williams

1-888-757-0007

FROM THE VILLAGE CLERK //// 2012-2013

2012-2013 | PHOENIX RISING 3

FROM THE MAYOR’S DESK //// 2012-2013

Greetings Residents!

Mayor Terry Wells

Even though times are di�cult the Village has been able to continue to provide quality

services to our residents.

“”

THORNRIDGE CHAMPIONS 1971-72This year will celebrate what many feel is the most memorable event in the

history of the Village of Phoenix. It is hard to believe that this is the 40th an-niversary of the Thornridge Basketball team winning the state championship. In fact the Falcons won back to back championships in 1971 and ‘72. The 1972 team is generally regarded as the greatest team in state history. Where were you 40 years ago when a group of athletes from Phoenix captivated basketball fans all over the state?

BARACK OBAMA LEARNING CENTERThis is also the 20th anniversary of Phoenix Fest. It started out as an idea to

have a picnic in the park and has turned into one of the largest festivals in the South Suburbs. We hope that you will join us in August as we celebrate these two historic events.

We will celebrate the past but the future as well. That future is the open-ing of the Barack Obama Learning Center. Phoenix will have the distinction of having the ¦rst Public Building in the United States named a«er the 44th President. At this point the building is about 95% complete, we are planning an open house in late August or early September.

WELCOME ABOARDI would like to take this opportunity to welcome two new faces to our sta�.

Darnell Sanford is our new Village Administrator and George Johnson is our new Police Chief. Both men bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our Village.

I trust that things are well with you and your loved ones. Even though times are di�cult the Village has been able to maintain adequate sta�-ing levels and continue to provide quality services to our residents. This year will mark the anniver-

sary of several historic events in the Village, but also pro-vide a glimpse of a bright future.

Phoenix will have the distinction of having the first Public Building in the United States named after the 44th President.


Mayoral Rendezvous

FROM THE MAYOR’S DESK //// 2012-2013BEST WISHES DR. HAMILTON

On a personal note I would like to congratu-late Dr. Douglas Hamilton on his retirement from School District 151. Dr. Hamilton served as principal at Coolidge for seven years before tak-ing over as Superintendent. Dr. Hamilton will be missed, but will forever be a part of the Village of Phoenix.

PHOENIX FEST 2012The Fest this year is going to have several chal-

lenges. If you visit the site you will see a great deal of construction going on. That is because Coolidge is completing a massive reconstruction project. The project is due to be completed in Au-gust of 2013 and will use much of the area that we normally use for the festival. We will work around the construction, things may be a little tight but we will make it work. Unfortunately, this is the price we all have to pay for progress.

As all of you prepare for the 20th celebration of Phoenix Fest, there is a possibility that this may be our last festival. If that is the case it’s been a great run. The only way we will be able to continue is with more community participation. If Phoenix Fest means as much to you as we, the fest committee believe it does, then we will see you at our next meeting on August 15, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at the MPSC Building.

This promises to be a very busy summer. We thank you for your support and may God contin-ue to bless this community. -Terry Wells

“

”

I would like to con-gratulate Dr. Douglas Hamilton on his retirement from School District 151.

While in town recently, Former Mayor January Belmont stopped by to pay us a visit.

Dr. Douglas Hamilton and Mrs. Hamilton.

We welcome longtime Village resident Darnell H. Sanford as our new Village Administrator. Darnell graduated from both Coolidge and Thornton High School. He attended Thornton

Jr. College, State College of Iowa and Illinois State University. Mr.

Sanford served in the U.S. Army from 1956 to 1959. He was pre-

viously employed at Thornton Township High School and

Kennedy King College. Mr. Sanford attends Covenant

United Church of Christ in South Holland. Wel-come aboard Mr. San-ford!

Phoenix Welcomes Aboard Darnell Sanford as

Village Administrator!


LIBRARY BOARD NEWS //// 2012-2013

DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE

For some residents, it’s a dream come true, while other’s never dared to dream. Yet, the residents of the

Village of Phoenix will soon be able to cross the threshold into a library all their own. The Barack Obama Learning Center will o� cially open its doors Sunday, August 19th, 2012.

In April 1987, the residents of the Village of Phoenix vot-ed to establish the Phoenix Public Library Board of Trust-ees. The purpose of the Board was to provide library ser-vices to all residents of the Village. Soon a« er, in 1988, the Library Board entered into a contract with the Harvey Pub-lic Library which allowed village residents to obtain a library card and have full access to Harvey’s library and its services.

Even though the goal of providing library services to the residents of the village was ful¦ lled, board members still longed for “our own.” A library room was established in the William Hawkins Multi Purpose Center where students could come and check out books. With the help of the Vil-lage of Phoenix, two computer labs were established, one for students and one for adults, providing internet access and computer training.

Board members continued to dream and our discussions changed to, why can’t we have our own library? About 4 years ago, library trustees began to spend their Saturday mornings visiting di� erent libraries throughout the state, gathering ideas and support. Following these trips, the foundation of a tri-partnership library came to be.

Twenty-¦ ve years later, the Barack Obama Learning Center will open its doors. The learning center is a Tri-partnership with the Phoenix Public Library Board of Trustees, the Village of Phoenix and School District 151. The new library will be a welcome addition to the commu-nity as well as to the students of School District 151.

Initially, our goal was to provide library services to the residents of the Village of Phoenix. Soon we will proudly provide those library services at the Barack Obama Learn-ing Center, located at 155th Street and 8th Avenue, Phoe-nix, Illinois.

History will be made when the ribbon is cut and the doors to the library are opened on August 19th, 2012. Yet, all the hard work and meeting hours that brought us to this point were well worth it when a student said to me, “I am so excited that I can go to the library where I live.” So yes, dreams really do come true!

MARTINA MAHAFFEY The Phoenix Public Library would like to encourage you

to participate in our coming events. We o� er something for everyone

Barack Obama Learning Center Grand Opening Sunday, August 19th, 2012Time: 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m

Annual Back to School – The Safeway Fair Saturday, August 25th, 2012Hawkins Multi-Purpose Center Parking Lot 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon

Monthly Book Club Resumes Thursday, September 6th, 2012Barack Obama Learning Center 7:00 p.m.

Annual Family Reading Night Saturday, November 10th, 2012Barack Obama Learning Center 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Jessica Buckner – PresidentLoretta Wells – Vice-PresidentErnestine Proctor-Harris – TreasurerMartina Maha� ey – Recording SecretaryDorothy Carter – Finance SecretaryElizabeth Loggins – Public RelationsGloria Dudley – Publicity

Jessica Buckner – President

Phoenix Library Board Members


Working toward a better community!

Phoenix Pom Pon Girls put on car wash “fun”-raiser

Watch our Phoenix Pom Pon Girls perform at Phoenix Family Festival 2012!

The village is excitedas always to submit ap-

plications to receive fund-ing for projects in our com-munity. Our current grant awards are as follows:

$150,000.00 for Sidewalk Replacement - Village Wide

$800,000.00 for Water Main/Sewer Replacement & Demolition Project (CDBG “IKE”)

$100,000.00 for Energy E� cient Street Lighting - Village Wide Project

The village is very ap-preciative of all grants fund-ing that we have received and we hope that you are too. We continue to strive to make our village a safe, clean and healthy place to live. Should you have any questions, concerns, com-ments or even some sugges-tions please give me a call at (708) 331-1456 or email me at: [email protected].

-Linda Mitchell-Cole

and we hope that you are too. We continue to strive to make our village a safe, clean and healthy place to live. Should you have any

tions please give me a call at (708) 331-1456 or email

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN PHOENIX //// 2012-2013


BEYOND THE BADGE


BEYOND THE BADGE

POLICE DEPARTMENT NEWS //// 2012-2013

The Phoenix Police is committed to enhancing the quality of life for our citizens. We also value and protect the

quiet, family oriented lifestyle that our Vil-lage residents enjoy. As Chief of Police, I am proud of the fact that the Village of Phoenix is an oasis of family living in the south sub-urbs. Our leadership is committed to ¦ nding new and creative ways to involve our o� cers in the community and our community mem-bers in a productive exchange with the police. Community Policing is at the core of every-thing we do.

Over the next year, expect to see many positive changes in the police department. We are currently seeking to broaden the community programs the police department leads.

SENIOR SITE Most of our residents are familiar with

our Senior Site and I-Watch programs. The Senior Site program keeps us in touch with the needs of our most treasured citizens, our seniors. This year, we will again partner with Sheri� Tom Dart to bring the Sheri� ’s Senior Academy to our citizens. Through this pro-gram, our seniors learn about police proce-dure and how to keep themselves safe from all sorts of threats, including scams that tar-get the elderly.

I-WATCHThe Phoenix Police I-Watch program con-

tinues to provide for the safety of our citizens and their property. By involving our resi-dents in crime prevention and detection, we can then see what you see and hear what you hear.

POLICE CADET PROGRAMWe look forward to building a new Po-

lice Cadet program within the next twelve months. This program will provide produc-tive, worthwhile distraction for the young

men and women of our village. Open to youth ages 12-19, our cadet program will help guide our young people in the right direction and create the future men and women who will serve as police o� cers.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENTPartnering with the Phoenix Fire Depart-

ment, we will work to create an Emergency Management Agency to better serve our com-munity. The o� shoot of public safety will ex-tend our reach in the case of any disaster or other public need. It is yet another way we will work side-by-side with our community, for the bene¦ t of our community.

We don’t have all the answers… we don’t have all the solutions. By partnering police and community, we have it all.

Would you like to be involved in any of these programs? Contact our Community Liaison, Deputy Chief George Bowman at 708.331.2193 or visit our website at: www.phoenixpd.net.

BY CHIEF GEORGE JOHNSON

We value and protect the quiet,

family oriented lifestyle that our village residents enjoy.


PARK DISTRICT NEWS //// 2012-2013

Park District holds fi rst annual Car and Bike Show!

The Phoenix Park Districtembraces the diversity of our community and our goal is to

o� er recreational programs that cater to all of our citizens.

With childhood obesity being a signi¦ cant public health problem in the United States, one of our major initiatives is to o� er programs that are geared toward promoting the health and well being of our youth. So, we ask that you support the Park District by regular participation in sponsored activities.

We want to work with you, our community to provide activities, and o� er tips and tools that will help you and your family improve your health.

Our website will highlight:• sample eating plans • ideas on physical activity • fun nutritious recipes

Board of CommissionersMildred Garcia, President

Lori Hagler, Vice-PresidentRoosevelt Thomas, Treasurer

Sharmin (Debbie) Bartholomew, Executive Director

BROOME PAVILION IS NOW OPEN FOR RENTAL MON-SUN (7AM-8PM). DOWNLOAD APPLI-CATION FROM OUR WEBSITE OR PICK ONE UP FROM THE VIL-LAGE HALL 633 E. 151ST ST. PHOE-NIX, IL

Phoenix Park District Beauti¡ cation Club

The Phoenix Park District com-missioners would like to encourage our community members to support our community Beauti¦ cation Club. A neighborhood which is clean, safe, healthy, and a pleasure to view im-proves the quality of life of every citi-zen in the community. More clubs are forming now more than ever around the nation. Join Today! Enter your pictures of landscaping (Á owers, brick, etc.). Three winners will be an-nounced on August 16th 2012 at our regular board meeting and December 20th 2012 for Holiday decorations. Winners will be on our website, Face-book, and Flicker page. Email: [email protected]

A neighborhood which is clean, safe, healthy, and a pleasure to view improves the quality of life of every

citizen in the community.


FIRE DEPARTMENT NEWS //// 2012-2013

BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE BY CHIEF HOWARD FISHER

The Phoenix Fire Department clearly un-derstands how important it is to maintain a level of ¦ re protection for our community and resi-dents. As Chief, I have put into place a Business Strategy Plan that outlines our department goals and focus points for the next 5 years. With this plan, a higher standard has been set for our department and services that we provide to our residents.

GRANTS and AWARDSIn November of 2011, our ¦ re department

received a $12,000.00 grant to upgrade our lighting system in the ¦ re station. The grant was to replace all the old light ¦ xtures with new high energy e� cient ballast, light holders and bulbs. These changes enhance the brightness of our station and reduce the amount of watts previously used. We will continue to make our ¦ re station into a green energy e� cient station.

Recently, the Phoenix Fire Department ap-plied for $45,000.00 through the Federal Emer-gency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide each household with a ¦ re extinguisher. This will help us reduce the amount of damage to your property that comes from kitchen ¦ res. We will keep you posted if awarded. If we miss you or you do not have a Carbon Monoxide Detector, please call the ¦ re station at (708) 331-2182.

TRAINING FOR YOU SAFETYI cannot stress how proud I am of my per-

sonnel. They continue to make our community and residents safer by continuing to train at the level of the Illinois State Fire Marshall, ISO and the Department of Labor. We have a total of 3,200 documented training hours for 2012. We have personnel who have attended training in New Mexico, Dallas and New Orleans for arson and leadership classes.

As Fire Chief of this wonderful organization and community, I will continue to lead our de-partment in the direction and will strive to pro-vide the best service. We will also continue to ed-ucate our residents in safety and ¦ re prevention. Our department is always open to the public, so if you have a chance, stop by and see us!

Members of the Phoenix Fire Department on Residents Appreciation Day handed out smoke detectors and CL2 detectors.


PUBLIC WORKS NEWS //// 2012-2013

Hats o�to our Public Works Department

Ernestine P. Harris, TrusteeMelvin Davis Sr.Johnny StewartJohnnie E. ProctorPete RialsArthur WilliamsEarl Rucker Albert Kirklin, Trustee

The Public Works Department is responsible for the daily operation, maintenance, and upkeep of the Vil-

lage of Phoenix. They will also continue to provide safe, e�ective, and reliable services for the residents. Many of their responsibili-

ties vary from maintaining the water system, storm drainage system, cleaning the vacant lots and keeping the streets clear of ice, snow and debris. This department has had and continues to make a noteworthy impact on the day to day maintenance of our village in

keeping it clean and safe for our residents. The Public Works department will also strive to quickly address and resolves citizen complaints and emergencies. Please contin-ue to be supportive and help keep our village clean.

The summer weather is here and the Mayor and the Board of Trust-ees want to remind our residents of a few ordinances:

Lawn ServiceAny landscaping service must register at the Village Hall. The permit must be displayed whenever the landscaper is in the Village.

Car RepairIt is prohibited to repair cars in front of homes

Basketball HoopsBasketball Hoops are not allowed in the street – they must be kept in your private driveway.

Dog OwnersIt is your responsibility to remove and discard any dog waste from our vacant lots, parkways, playgrounds and buildings. Licenses are required for each dog you own and proof of rabies inoculation. Dog tags can be purchased from the Village Hall.Enjoy the summer and be safe!

VILLAGE ORDINANCES //// 2012-2013 Congratulations to William Pete Beard who retired from the department

a�er thirty years of service. Thank you Pete!

William Pete Beard


A Pictorial Review ofThe Obama Learning Center & Coolidge Renovations

Coolidge junior high is undergoing a major face li«, the ad-ditions will double the size of the current school and will provide our children with the best learning environment possible. The renovations are due to be completed by August 2013.

PICTURED:1. Construction of the New Obama Learning Center.2. Artist rendering of Coolidge completed renovations.3. Groundbreaking for the New Obama Learning Center. 4. Artist rendering of Coolidge new addition.5. Site of Coolidge 7th/8th grade new addition.

4 5

2

1

3


Phoenix Salutes Our Residents Achievements

Thornton H.S. Freshman Basketball team ¦ nished the season UNDEFEATED; 23-0!

Undefeated!

DeAnna Maha� ey Freshman Student of

the Year at Thornton H.S

Jeanine Ragland � nished Number 2 in

her graduating class at Thornton H.S.

with a 4.5 GPA

Mike Berry a former Village of Phoenix Resident. He has appeared several times on

the TV-Show, “The Game”

Dr. Joyce Ester

Dr. Joyce Ester, a product of the Village of Phoe-nix was named President of Kennedy-King Col-lege, one of the City Colleges of Chicago. Dr. Ester, a former resident of the Village, attended Coolidge Middle School and Thornridge High School. Needless to say, we are very proud of Dr. Ester!

Ernestine Proctor-Harris recently passed the School Administrator’s Type 75 Test! With this accomplishment, she is quali¦ ed to serve in the capacity of a School Administrator. Congratulations!

James B. Ferrell is a life-long resident of the Village of Phoenix. He attended Coolidge Middle School and Thornridge High School. James is a gradu-ate of North Park Univer-sity with a degree in Com-munications. His most recent ¦ lm and televi-sion credits are Super-man - Man of Steel and 42 (The Jackie Robin-son Story), Boss, MTV Underemployed, an Allstate Print AD and a Kyocera Cell phone commercial. We are Very PROUD to call him OURS!

Ernestine Proctor-Harris


On April 16, 2012 the South Holland School District 151 Board of Education hired Dr. Teresa Hill as the new superin-tendent. Dr. Hill will officially begin her role on July 1, 2012 as Dr. Douglas C. Hamilton re-tires on June 29, 2012. Dr. Hill was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Dolton, Illinois where she attended Dolton West School District 148, Franklin Elementary and Lincoln Junior High Schools. She is an alumna of Thornton Township High School District 205, Thornridge. Dr. Hill re-ceived her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education; Mas-ters of Science in Educational Administration & Foundations; and Doctor of Education de-grees from Illinois State Uni-versity. Dr. Hill’s current posi-tion is Assistant Superinten-

dent for Curriculum, Instruc-tion and Staff Development at Barrington Community Unit School District 220. Prior to that, Dr. Hill held the position of Assistant Superintendent of Bloomington Public Schools District 87. During her career, Dr. Hill has served as Classroom Teach-er; Support Services Teacher; Assistant Principal; Principal; and Assistant Superintendent. She is also a published author of Every Closed Eye Ain’t Sleep: African American Perspective on the Achievement Gap. Dr. Hill’s specialties in-clude: Curriculum Develop-ment; Literacy; Professional Development; School & District Improvement Planning; Goal Setting & Strategic Planning; Closing Achievement Gaps; Education Policy and Teacher Supervision & Evaluation.

MILESTONES //////

Dr. Teresa Hill Chosen as New School District 151 Board of Education Superintendent

Dr. Douglas Hamilton retires as Superintendent of School District 151A tough act to follow:

RIGHT: Dr. Teresa Hill, Bishop Anthony Hill & David Hill.

BELOW: South Holland SD 151 Board of Education &Dr. Teresa Hill

The Village of Phoenix would like to thank Dr. Hamilton for his dedicated service to the children of the Village of Phoenix. Dr. Hamil-ton served 10 years as principal at Coolidge and for the past 10 years as Superintendent of District 151.

Last year we honored Dr. Hamil-ton as an Honorary Phoenix resi-dent, but anyone that knows him can tell you that his heart is and always will be with Phoenix. Dr. Hamilton, we wish you the best, enjoy your retirement!



Phoenix joined Thornton Township in celebration of Women’s History Month

A Walk to Read

Talk show host Val Warner (right) meets Phoenix First Lady Loretta Wells (center) and Trustee Ernistine Harris

Friends of The Phoenix Library sponsored a walk to raise money for the Obama Library.



A Political PalMayor Wells and our new State Senator Elect, Napoleon Harris.

Career Day at Coolidge Middle School proved to be a great day for students

Honoring Barry Bonds

Right: State Representative William “Will” Davis was the guest speaker at Coolidge for Career Day.

Below left: State Representative William “Will” Davis poses for picture with Phoenix Trustee Ernestine Proctor-Harris during Coolidge Career Day.

Below right: Channel 5 news anchor Art Norman (2nd from right) visits Coolidge School for Career Day..

Area Mayors joined the City of Harvey for the street dedication for baseball’s All-Time Homerun leader, Barry Bonds.


~ PHOENIX FEST MemorIES ~

Let’s keep the memories alive!

AUGUST 2012 | PHOENIX RISING 17

As all of you prepare for the 20th anniversary of Phoenix Fest, we are faced with the di� cult decision of whether or not to continue this summer tradition. While many communities have either cancelled

or seriously scaled back on festivals, Phoenix Fest has continued to grow. But we are experiencing problems that may be too di� cult to overcome. Our problem is that we are lacking the manpower needed to continue the quality programs that many of you have become accustomed to. You see, most villages rely on paid workers to operate their festivals, so when bud-gets are tight, these are the ¦ rst programs slated for the chopping block. Phoenix Fest is unique in that all of our workers are volunteers. When the fest begins, we have people lined up asking for jobs, when we tell them that we are all volunteers, they have a di� cult time believing it. That is why we have been so successful. It is this small group that simply does this for the love of Phoenix, not money!

The volunteers do not just show up during the 1st weekend of August, they raise money all year round that culminates in the big summer party. Some fundraisers are successful and some are not. The group members put on at least 10 events per year and in all cases end up spending large amounts of their own money. The problem is that this group is getting older and does not have the energy that it once had. It has been a long time since we’ve added a new member, in fact, that last new member was three years ago and she was actually an old member that came back. So what you have is a group that is su� ering from burn-out. People always say that they will help, but very few actually do, most of it is just lip service. Others show up thinking that the work is easy only to ¦ nd out that it is not and they soon disappear.

So is this our ¦ nal year? We can truly say that it has been a great run, and that we all have memories that will last a lifetime. Just imagine some young person that is 25 years old now, telling his grandchildren in 2058 about the fond memories of that Fest that Phoenix once had, MAN DID WE HAVE FUN BACK IN THE DAY!

Let us never forget the

of The Phoenix Festival

FAMILYFRIENDS

FOOD&FUN

IS THIS THE LAST YEAR OF THE PHOENIX FEST?

PHOENIX FEST COMMITTEE

Phoenix Fest 2012

Entertainment Line-up

FRIDAY, AUGUST 3• Big Gerald & The Just Kick-in it Band• Sky Line Band• Roshawn Lyles (formerly of Kwiet Storm) SATURDAY, AUGUST 4Matt Lloyd (MC)

• Parade (Line-up @9:00am Phoenix Fire Station/ 10:00am kick-off time)• Opening ceremony• Local R & B, Rap and Hip-Hop Groups• Carlos Cannon (R&B and Smooth Urban Jazz)• The Casanova Kings• Curtis Clark and Co.• Family Reunion Band• The Voices• J-Artist• Greg Rose

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 Debbie Crosslin (MC)

• Line Dancing Demonstration Instructor: Dawn Avery (the dancindeeva)• New Direction• One 4 Christ• N’tegri-t• Lonnie Harris• Melodies of Praise• Odis Webster & Co.• Christ Miracle & Healing Center Church• RDM Praise Dancers• Mt Zion MB Unity Choir• The Family• More Local Choirs




Mrs. Anna Gatlin recently celebrated her 80th birthday.

Mr. Herbert Boykin recently celebrated his 87th birthday! Happy Birthday to Mrs. Barr on her 90th birthday!

WW2 HeroesMayor Wells and Thornton Township Clerk Jacki Riveria, meet a couple of real life WW2 heroes members of the famed Tuskegee Airmen 99th Squadron.

Phoenix continue to celebrate our seniorsWHAT’S HAPPENING IN PHOENIX //// 2012-2013

Mrs. Anna Gatlin recently

80!

Golden Agers Club members

Happy Birthday to Mrs. Barr

90!Mr. Herbert Boykin recently celebrated his 87th birthday!

87!

Mayor Wells and the Entire Vil-

lage of Phoenix wishes long time resident and village employee Deirdre Johnson “Best Wishes” on her retire-ment. Dee served as Village Water Clerk for 22 years (July 1990 - May, 2012.) GOD BLESS YOU DEE!

Best wishes to Ms. Deirdre Johnson


HOUSES of WORSHIPin PHOENIX

EVANS COMMUNITY CHURCH 723 E. 153rd Street, Phoenix, IL. 60426Rev. Tyrone W. ColemanPhone 708-339-0469

Sunday School: 9:15 a.m.Worship Service: Sun. 11 a.m.

MT. ZION MISSIONARYBAPTIST CHURCH 15354 Eight Avenue P. O. Box 2545Phoenix, IL. 60426Rev. Dr. Edward L. JonesPhone 708-339-1026Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.Worship Service: Sun. 11 a.m.

DANIEL CHAPEL A.M.E. ZION CHURCH 15250 Third Avenue, Rev. Derrick Simmons, PastorPhone 708-339-1990.Contemporary Service: Sunday 8:00 a.m. Sunday School: Sunday 9:15 a.m.Worship Service and Children’s Morning Worship: Sunday 10:50 a.m.Monday Prayer Service: 11:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.Wednesday Bible Study: 11:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

PEACE AND GOODWILL CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST 15311 Third Avenue, Phoenix, IL. 60426Elder Fisher Cook, PastorPhone 708-339-0440

Sunday School: Sunday 9:00 a.m.Worship Service : Sunday 10:15 a.m

FAITH FELLOWSHIP AND LOVE COGIC 701 East 151st Street, Phoenix, IL. 60426Rev. Parthenia Stegall, Pastor Phone 708-342-1887

Bible Class and Deliverance Prayer Service: Thurs. 6 p.m.Sunday School: 10 a.m

WELCOME MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH 15110 Ninth Avenue, Phoenix, IL. 60426Rev. S. L. Dudley, PastorPhone 708-225-1788

Sunday School: Sunday 10 a.m.Worship Service : Sunday 11 a.m

NEW COVENANT MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH15213 Fifth Avenue P. O. Box 1358Phoenix, IL. 60426Rev. Dr. Richard D. McCreary II, PastorPhone 708-331-3661

Worship Service: Sunday 11:30 a.m.Midweek Service and Bible study:Wednesday 7:00 p.m

Congratulations to Mt. Zion on the building of their new church. The church will be completed later this year.

Mount Zion Missionary Baptist ChurchBuilds New Church

Epiphany Hair Studio Profi les II Barber Shop Unity Cafe Home Day Care Phoenix Laundry Mat 507 E. 153rd Street 503 E. 153rd Street 15417 Vincennes Road 832 E. 153rd Street 515 E. 153rd StreetPhoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426(708) 825-9151 (708) 331-3010 (708) 969-9951 (708) 257-2022 (708) 935-2600

Smiling Faces Daycare Center D. Anderson Contracting, Inc. Whisperwood Funeral Chapel Eternity Funeral Services Smitty’s Lounge15113 Halsted Street 625 E. 154th Place 15261 Vincennes Road 15261 Vincennes Road 15101 Halsted StreetPhoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426(708) 331-9133 (708) 596-0120 (708) 339-0210 (708) 333-9144 (708) 331-4472

Citgo Gibson’s Quick Mart Rudy’s Auto Repair D&D Construction Moses Wills Trucking Treasure Tours, Inc. 15221 Halsted Street 15305 Halsted Street 15223 S. Vincennes Road 645 155th Place 900 E. 153rd Street

Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426(708) 596-5085 (708) 339-2306 (708) 596-3959 (708) 333-6561 (708) 333-9640

SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES //// 2012-2013


Remembering our

LOVED ONES Village of Phoenix joins the families in remembrance of their loved ones

Thomas R. ChildsCharles Lancelot ClarkErma Jean Davis Katie M. Foxworth Melvin GholsonClara Halbert

Pamela Joyce HerringGeneva HowellEthel HumesWilliam Johnson, Jr. Edmond Junior Lee KingJudy Rose McCullar

Blanche M. Reed George Phillip RossDenise Delores Smith Annie Mae StrongInez Talley Ethel L. VanHorn-Wells

Minerva Wade Frances WilsonGammon Trimuel. Sr.

Nancy Elizabeth ByrdlongThe Village of Phoenix gives our heartfelt condolences to Corporal Cory Byrdlong and Family. We con-tinue to keep you in our prayers.

William E. Elston, Jr.The Village of Phoenix would like to extend our condolences to the family of William Elston. William Elston served as village attorney from 1980-2000.

Josephine Baker Alma Lawrence Althea Mae Mason James OliverStella M. Boykin

Special Thanks to “Dragon” and the Renegade Riders, every year for the past 15 years, this orga-nization donates hundreds of dollars in toys to the children of our community during the holidays

Village of PhoenixGives a Special ThanksTo The Renagade Riders


September of 2012 will be my 25th anniversary as Village Treasurer. In the

many years that I’ve held this po-sition, I have seen how revenue that we receive from various tax-ing venues has a�ected our vil-lage as well as surrounding com-munities.

My concern is how we as citi-zens can help increase our in-coming revenue by participating in questionnaires that a�ect us in many ways, for example, the 2010 Census. When I started working for the Village in 1987, the population was 2,850 accord-

ing to the 1980 census statistics. In 1990 the count was 2,217, in 2000 it was 2,157 and in 2010 the population total was 1,964. This caused a decrease in revenue that we receive from various govern-ment agencies. What happened? I don’t believe that our popula-tion dropped, I believe that we as citizens and village residents did not do what we were supposed to do, complete the census informa-tion so that we would be properly counted.

Why am I writing this article today? I want us to be mindful of how a decrease in revenue af-

fects our community. This makes it di�cult to employ more police o�cers, ¦re ¦ghters and village public workers who maintain the

upkeep of our community. A«er school activities and many other projects have to be cut back be-cause our funding is cut due to the drop in our population. Ev-ery part of revenue that we re-ceive is based on a percentage as a whole. This a�ects everything that we do. The year 2020 may seem a long way o�, but eight years is just around the corner. I hope that we will see a great in-crease in our village. The time is now to educate your family and friends on the importance of par-ticipating in the Census.

Thank you, Melba Ferrell

Phoenix Treasurer marks 25-year MilestoneWHAT’S HAPPENING IN PHOENIX //// 2012-2013

Scott Cohen (center) pictured with (L-R) Village Clerk Johnnie Lane, Trustee Ernestine Proctor-Harris, Trustee Martina Lane-Mahaffey and Mayor Terry Wells.

Lending a helping hand!Scott Cohen’s 4th-Year

Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway

Happy 40th Wedding Anniversaryto Jerome & Melba N. Ferrell!

August 20, 2012




WHAT’S HAPPENING IN PHOENIX //// 2012-2013Village of Phoenix Leaders

of the Future Basketball Team!

Village of Phoenix gives recognition to Mr. Mario Moody and the Coolidge Middle school Bands

Pictured is Coach Lar-ry Lashley, Village Trust-ees, Melvin Kimbrough and Ernestine Proctor-Harris with the Leaders of the Future Basketball Team.

The team had its Awards Banquet on Mon-day, July 30, 2012. The guest speaker was Senator Elect, Napoleon Harris.

The Phoenix Rising Newspaper

wants your input! If you would like to include informa-tion like birthdays, new births, new resi-dents, weddings etc. or have another idea for the paper, we want to know.

Contact us at: (708) 331-1455 or (708) 331-2641


Phoenix Facts! //

4In 1962, a part of Phoenix deannexed to become a part of Harvey. This is the only documented case in history in the State of Illinois of a section of a community deannexing into a neighboring community.

4 The city’s ¦rst sewer and streets were built in 1925.

4A Phoenix mayor placed himself in jail because he refused a judge’s order to raise the city’s taxes to pay for the increased price of streets and sewers. He claimed that he made a promise to the citizens that he would not raise taxes. That was Mayor Smudzinski in 1927.

4 The ¦rst families to live in Phoenix were Dutch, Irish, Polish and German ancestry.

4 Melvin Van Peebles, famous actor and ¦lm director of the movie “Sweetback” grew up in Phoenix. He is the father of actor and director Mario Van Peebles.

4 In the 1950s, Phoenix had a policeman who could not read or write if he stopped you for a tra�c violation, he would make you write out your own ticket.

4 Johnnie Lane has served longer as a village o�cial than any other person in the history of the Village of Phoenix.

4Jessica Buckner was the ¦rst African American Principal of Coolidge School. She was later selected as the ¦rst Black Superin-tendent of School District 151.

4John Henry Styles was the ¦rst black police o�cer in Phoenix.

4Phoenix once had a semi-pro baseball team. The team was called the Tigers and they played on the ¦eld that was the west side of Hal-sted and 153rd Street.

4In 1900, Battling Nelson, who later became the lightweight cham-pion of the world, fought his ¦rst four bouts in McLatchy’s Bar at 155th and Halsted in Phoenix. Nel-son held the championship from 1904-1907. He eventually was de-feated by the ¦rst Black champion of the world, Joe Gaines in 1907.

4The 1972 state basketball team

from Thornridge High School is regarded as the greatest team in Illinois history. The team usually relied on six players, ¦ve of them from Phoenix.

4The USA Today rated the 1972 Thornridge team as number 5 on its list of greatest high school teams of all time. The Falcons are rated ahead of teams led by Wilt Chamberlin and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

4Kevin Duckworth played 12 years in the NBA which includ-ed two all star games and playing in the NBA ¦nals with Portland against the Chicago Bulls. He was a graduate of Thornridge High School.

4Quinn Buckner played for 12 years in the NBA. He won a title with the Boston Celtics in 1984 and later coached the Dallas Mavericks. He also played with the Milwaukee Bucks.

4Phoenix is the only town to have three high school players named as the Sun Times High School player of the year. Lloyd Batts was hon-ored in 1970 while playing for Thornton. In 1972, Quinn Buckner won the award as he led Thornridge High School to a state champi-onship. Kim McQuarter won the honor in 1984 as she led Marshall High School to a state championship.

4Coolidge Jr. High won the boys state championship in basketball in 1983 and 1984.

4The Coolidge girls won the state title in basketball in 1991 and 1992.

Did You Know?? ? ? 444

Coolidge Tigers. Girls 1992 Championship Basketball Team.

Melvin Van Peebles


40th Anniversaryof The Thornridge High School Basketball Champs!

Phoenix celebrates the

HOW GOOD WERE THE FALCONS?

• The team averaged 88 points per game

• Finished the season 33-0

• The 1972 state championship team from Thornridge is generally regarded as the greatest team in Illinois High School Bas-ketball history.

• Quinn Buckner was named National Play-er of the Year.

• In the championship game against Quincy, Thornridge won by a ¦ nal score of 104-69. It is the only time in history that a team has scored more than 100 points in a ¦ nal game.

• In that game, Boyd Batts scored 25 points in the ¦ rst half, Quincy only had 26.

• In 1972, no team came within 14 points of Thornridge. The team that came closest was district rival Thornton, which had as its star players, two residents from Phoenix.

• The USA Today rated the 1972 team as the fourth best team in high school history. The Falcons are rated ahead of teams led by Wilt Chamberlin, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and even Derrick Rose.

• In 1972 there was no 3 point shot, just imag-ine Boyd Batts shooting three pointers, how many points would the team have scored?

• In 1972 teams could not dunk the basket-ball, imagine Greg Rose with a 40 inch verti-cal dunking the ball against the opposition.

• The team usually relied on six players, fi ve of them from Phoenix.

• “The Thornridge full court press was so devastating that even the guys without the ball had di� culty getting past the half court line.” -Wes Mason, Coach - Bloom High School


PART 1The Football Champions

It was 45 years ago when 106 students le« the friendly con¦ nes of Coolidge School and embarked on a journey that would go down in history. Little did these students know what awaited them. The Thornridge Falcons, who were they? All these students knew was that they were “supposed” to be headed to “Wildcat” country! That is - Thornton Township High School Wildcats.

Well, sometime during the course of the school year of 1967, or even before then, it was decided that this would be the class that would integrate Thornridge High School and become the ¦ rst black students to at-tend. Wow, this came as a complete shock, but we were up for the task. It was not easy. However, our teachers did a tremendous job preparing us mentally, emotionally, as well as academically to compete in any class-room at any school.

Kudos to Mrs. Buckner, Mrs. Piernas, Mrs. Madgett, Mr. Dennison, Mrs. Long, Mr. Davis, Mrs. Feltus, school secretary Mrs. Farmer, our principal Mr.Billups and all the other sta� members. Thank you all for the encouragement, the tireless e� orts you instilled in us, making the Class of 1967, the “Best.” We won’t ever forget you!

This class would go on to take Thorn-ridge by storm. By the time we were se-niors, we were con¦ dent, and convinced that Champions, we were going to be! The football team led by “Big” Arthur Riley, Ty-rone Lawrence, Michael “Buzz” Payne, Ed-gar Snoddy, a sensational junior Quinn “Q” Buckner, Jimmy Davis, and James “Flash” Lashley. Failure was not an option. We were willing to do whatever necessary to succeed! This group was destined and determined to win. This team would go on to have an unde-feated season, and bring Thornridge High School their ¦ rst “Mythical” State Cham-pionship. It was called mythical, because back then there were no playo� s. The state championship was awarded to the team with the best record and statistics. That team posted a 9-0 record, with 3 shutouts; averaged 32pts on o� ense, while only allow-ing opponents an average of 4.0 points!

PART 2: The Basketball Champions

The football team “kicked o� ” one of the greatest athletic experiences that would go down in high school history. Now it was

time for some “hoops.” What you must un-derstand, being from the Village of Phoe-nix, and being a Coolidge Tiger, losing was just not an option! The fact of the matter is we REALLY never learned how to lose, be-cause we hardly ever did! At Coolidge, our baseball team only lost one game (5-4), and our basketball team was undefeated. Now I don’t know if we as players put pressure on ourselves, or if the teachers had us afraid “to lose,” either way winning was what they did!

The competition from within was ¦ erce. Practices were very competitive to say the least. Led by Michael “Duck” Henry, James “Puke” Loggins, and Capt. Tony “Grubbs” Jackson, the Falcons were set to take on all comers. Be the best, #1, you bet. (There were some other ex-tigers that made this team successful; “Q” Buckner, Boyd Batts, and super sophomore in the person of Greg Rose). This team was focused, especially af-ter a defeat in the Christmas holiday tour-nament to Mounds Meridian. These guys got together and decided the buck stops here. They were determined to do whatever necessary to ensure victory….Period! This team would go on to run the table in the regular, and post season tournament. For the ¦ rst time in history, the Thornridge Fal-cons were headed downstate. The air on the Thornridge bus was absolutely electric. Par-ents, students, everyone was excited. For the ¦ rst time we as athletes felt “acceptance.”

It was just 4 years earlier that this group of students walked into Thornridge as the ¦ rst Black students. Now 4 years later the Thornridge Falcons were playing for an Il-linois State Basketball Championship!! To God be the glory!

All the tournament games were relative-ly close some even ‘nail biters.’ When all was said and done, the Thornridge Falcons led by some Coolidge Tigers captured their ¦ rst state basketball championship!! Little did people know this was not the end; it was only the beginning. The ‘Best Team’ was yet to come.

PART 3: The Recognition

There were a lot of ¦ rsts with THIS class; I’d like to recognize them at this time:A) Lenita Gri� s; National Honor SocietyB) Kathy Calhoun; National Honor Soci-ety; Voted ‘Outstanding’ SeniorC) Sheila Moore; Cheerleader; Homecom-ing Court; Voted ‘Outstanding’ SeniorD) Rowena ‘Princess’ Henry; Gymnas-tics; CheerleaderE) James ‘Puke’ Loggins; Voted Senior Class President; Homecoming CourtF) Anthony ‘Grubbs’ Jackson; Captain State Champion Basketball G) Jimmy Davis; 5th place State Wrestling @ 112lbs.H) Arthur Riley; All State Football; State champion in the shot and disc.; Voted ‘Out-standing’ SeniorI) Tyrone Lawrence; All Conference Foot-ballJ) Alexander Lawrence; SwimmingK) Tyrone Smith; President, Boys ClubL) Michael ‘Buzz’ Payne; All Conference FootballM) James ‘Flash’ Lashley; Co-captain Track; Homecoming Court; Voted ‘Out-standing’ Senior; Student Council Special Advisor

It has been 45 years since we le« Tiger country & started our journey as Falcons. Times have surely changed, we’ve lost some along the way; but through it all we survived and we’re STILL soaring! TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

Our hearts and prayers are continually with the families of our classmates, that are no longer with us; Sheila Moore, Rowena ‘Princess’ Henry, Michael ‘Buzz’ Payne, An-thony ‘Grubbs’ Jackson, ‘Big’ Arthur Riley, William ‘Whistle’ Lewis, and Otelius ‘T-Bone’ Gatlin.

When Tigers Became FalconsThe story of the Coolidge class of 1967 becoming the Thornridge Championship class of 1971By James “Flash” Lashley

time for some “hoops.” What you must un-

of students walked into Thornridge as the ¦ rst Black students. Now 4 years later the Thornridge Falcons were playing for an Il-linois State Basketball Championship!! To God be the glory!

ly close some even ‘nail biters.’ When all was said and done, the Thornridge Falcons led by some Coolidge Tigers captured their ¦ rst state basketball championship!! Little did people know this was not the end; it was only the beginning. The ‘Best Team’ was yet to come.

class; I’d like to recognize them at this time:A) Lenita Gri� s;B) Kathy Calhoun;ety; Voted ‘Outstanding’ SeniorC) Sheila Moore;ing Court; Voted ‘Outstanding’ SeniorD) Rowena ‘Princess’ Henry

30 PHOENIX RISING | 2012-201330 PHOENIX RISING | 2012-2013

~ Memory Lane ~ DO YOU RECOGNIZE ANYONE IN THIS PHOTO?

2012-2013 | PHOENIX RISING 312012-2013 | PHOENIX RISING 31



SCHOOL NEWS 2012TAFT SCHOOL

393 East 163rd Street • Harvey, IL. 60426 • Anthony Palomo, Principal

~ MEMORY LANE ~ DO YOU RECOGNIZE ANYONE IN THESE PHOTOS?




2011 Phoenix Family Reading Contest winners

1st Place 2nd Place 3rd PlaceMadison Beard-Baker Sinae Celmer Nathalie Galvan

Pre K

Kornaelius Minder Isabel Cyrnek Lauren Reynolds Alexandra BarajasKadarius Minder ReJae Gueringer Jeremiah Sutherland Marcos NazarioVanessa Ruiz Alex Jackson Naomi Zuniga Rykia FredrickMichael Byrd Justin Pleitez Oscar Cruz Katelyn GluthBrook Ford Cynthia Espinoza Victor Leon Andrea HuertaLayla Glass Cassandra Fernandez-Ortiz Andrea RamirezFernando Zuniga Larnell Palmer Dyamend Archibald Elijah PriceLovette Barjebo Alexo Rasgado

Kindergarten

Randy Ackerman Vanessa Angulo DaNateja Archibald Joshua ZunigaKenya Clark Rihanna Cole Adolfo Cervantes Daniel BanksTai Crump Anthony Cortes Alexander Lopez Jamir BrownAbigail Diaz Jalen Gresham Ezequiel Perez Melissa ZunigaEligha Hammond Jazmyn Robertson Caleb Steele Yolonda HoskinsScott Jackson Giada Vergara Angela Ceron Demya JacksonBailey Palmer Samuel Villalobos Jordon Cox Ajayne LongShawn Phillips Nathalia Zambrano Kelsey Engel Jennifer MejiaLestee Roddy Ixchel Alvarez Diamond foster Jasmine ReynoldsHarlem Adams Alonso Sepulveda

1st Grade

Diego Alvarado Abraham Sookdeosingh Cayla Robinson Nia MooreIsaiah Hoofe Ana Zambrano Tavian Travis Stephanie NosikeBrianna McCorkle Jose Barajas Jasmine Chavez Jada RuckerDaZhire Naudain Miguel Cano James Crump Princess AlexanderBrooklyn Rimes Alondra Diaz Kameara Kurns David ArambulaAniyah Stephens Michelle Esquivel DaZaia Naudain Shayatta FosterTaylor Stevenson Andrew Mack John Sepulveda Miguel GalvanBria Williams Leslie Leon Aldo Solorio John GoreLorenzo Wilson Daniel Morales Damiya Terry Raziyah KarimCedrick Adams Eric Rossetti Najaa Terry Jayla LesserNovial Adams Juliana Salazar Amber Brooks Uleses ReyesDestiny Dillard Christopher Vergara Richard Fredrick Jor’ Dan SmithElise Jones Jadyn Amos Jacob Gluth Azariya HillKamila Sandoval Da’Ja Edmondson Cory Lesser

34 PHOENIX RISING | AUGUST 2011

SCHOOL NEWS 2012

MADISON SCHOOL15700 Orchjod Drive • South Holland, IL 60473 •Mrs. Regina Davis-Bridges, Ed,D, Principal

FOURTH GRADEA’s Only Honor RollGross-Roberts, AlaniPlascenia, LizethSandoval, AlmaVillegas, KevinWilliams, DerrickZambrano, Carla

FOURTH GRADEA/B Only Honor RollAli, JadeAllen, JasmineBotley, MarsalisBridgemon, JaylaBrown, AniyahCatron, MiltonDaniels, JalenEdwards, ReginaldEstrada, MariannaFagan, KaiFisher, JeremiahFoster, DavidGills, Curtis

Kidd, NiyaKnox, DiamondKurns, KasyusLandingham, EricLopez, AnaMa-Nwokenkwo, MarkowOduwole, TemidayoOgletree, MichaelaPerkins, CourtneyRasgado, CarlosReed, DonteRuiz, DiegoSolorio, ArmandoStapleton, MauriceStevenson, KarleyTorres, AndreaUnger, DemayaVasquez, AlejandraWalker, KirstenWilliams, AngeliqueWilliams, KennethYoung, AmirZambrano, Fabiola

FOURTH GRADE SUPER CITIZENSAna CortezJeremiah Fisher Marilyn Mata Andrea Torres Alejandra Vaszuez Carla Zambrano

FIFTH GRADEA’s Only Honor RollByrd, JasonCoupet, FraneseGonzalez, StephanieNeri, JulioNugin, AlyssiaPerez, Jesus

FIFTH GRADEA/B Only Honor RollAgwomoh, MarvinAngulo, JoseBoyd, SamanthaCholico, Daisy

Cortez, ElviaCruz, AbrahamDe La Torre, OscarDiaz, FatimaEll, EddieFaniyi, Sheri� Footman, DaniellahGilbert, LindolaGordon, CourtneyGray, BrianHarris, MalikHernandez, RubiHolman, A’JahHoskins, RonaldIhejrika, StedmonJohnson, PaulJones, NicholasLogan, Da’QuwayMacias, JulieMartin, DiondreaMartinez, GerardoMcMiller, JohnMercado, GabrielMonterroso, Eddie

Moore, CaitlinMoore, TaheedMurillo, JoannaNazario, EdgarRangel, LizbethRodriguez, AlexandraRush, MichaelSalazar, GabrielaThornton, JamilaNwokenkwo, EmmanuellaWilliams, Khaliyah Williams, KyemaZaragonza, Lisette

FIFTH GRADE SUPER CITIZENSJordan Boyd, Malik Harris, Nayeli Munoz, Edgar Nazario, Julio Neri

SCHOOL NEWS 2012

EISENHOWER SCHOOL16001 S. Minerva • South Holland, IL. 60473 • Dr. Ronda Towner, Principal

SECOND GRADEHonor Roll Aguirre, MiguelAlbaran, FranciscoAlvardo, NicolasArroyo, VincenteBarjebo, SueBartholomew, ArriannaBejarano, NayileaBobo, BarbrajeBrown, NaomiBrown, SimoneBurgess, SinyghaBurks, BruceBurns, AjaniByrd, DarrenCaldwell, MyracleCervantes, JaelCo� ey, DakotaCremer, Je� reyDavila, Jovanni

Davis, AndjuleEwing, KiylaFord, LandonGary, NionaGiron, AlanHarbaugh, KatiaHernandez, AlezaHill, LaurenIfebueme, RyanJames, KennethJordan, JaydenMans¦ eld, KamikoMejia, YairMiles, JusticeOsunde, UkieneboPhillips, KylaPleitez, KaterinPrado, FrancoRasgado, ValeriaSanders, MikaylaSims, Lyric

Taylor, KristinTurner, KendrickVega, BrandaWhitaker, ReeseWiley, Trinity

THIRD GRADEHonor RollBaker, DashawnBass, DaShaunBlanco, DanielBolling, AlexanderBooth, MiaBotley, DariusBoyd, CarolBryant, PatrickByrd, JuliusCole, DylanCole, KennediCowyin, AronaeCraig, Jadyn

Craig, JessicaDiaz, EmilyDiaz, KimberlyFootman-Stove, DyamondGomez, JasmineHarvey, LaurynHerrera, LesliKuyoro, BenjaminLiese, RobertLouissaint, MatthewMartinez, RamonMcKinney, JamesMendoza, AlexiaMiller, AamiyahNavarro, LizbethNosike, ChristineObichere, KahariOduwole, AyomideOjeda, JoshuaPeralez, DestinyPhifer, AiYanna

Purry, JheneQuiroz, AdrianaRamirez, KassandraRamos, AlexReyes, EmirethRichardson, JonathanRobertson, JaylaRockett, BrianRodgers, LundynRodriguez, FernandaSefah, LaliaSepulveda, JulissaSlater, YasmineStapleton, MatthewStevenson, ChaseVery, GiovanniWilson, DariusYoung-Perry, ChristinaZambrano, Joshlyn







FIRST QUARTER

Bartholomew, Aaron Honor RollBrown-Hooker, Katrina Honor RollBryant, Deshawn Honor RollCook, Tyteanna Honor RollDavenport, Nicholas High Honor RollEpps, Desiree High Honor RollHammett, Raven Honor RollHill, Ricky Honor RollHill, Wanya Honor RollHu� , Devin Honor RollIkner, Mikal High Honor RollJohnson, Lashuan Distinguished ScholarKing, Sasha Honor RollMaha� ey, DeAnna Distinguished ScholarMaha� ey, Destiny High Honor RollMajors, Malcolm Honor RollMcHerron, Antaun High Honor RollMontgomery, Justin Honor RollOzoude, Dorian High Honor RollParr, Karlos Honor RollRosas, Diana High Honor RollWatkins, Paul High Honor RollWatkins, Taylor High Honor RollWheatley, Diamond Distinguished ScholarWheatley, Ryan Anthony High Honor RollWilliams, Marrion High Honor Roll

SECOND QUARTER

EAllen, Bridgette High Honor RollBarbee, Shawn Honor RollBrown-Hooker, Katrina High Honor RollDavenport, Nicholas Honor RollEpps, Desiree Distinguished ScholarHammett, Raven High Honor RollHill, Wanya Honor RollHu� , Devin Honor RollIkner, Mikal High Honor RollJohnson, Lashuan Distinguished ScholarMaha� ey, DeAnna High Honor RollMaha� ey, Destiny High Honor RollMajors, Malcolm Honor RollMcHerron, Antaun Distinguished ScholarOzoude, Dorian Distinguished ScholarRosas, Diana High Honor RollWatkins, Paul Distinguished ScholarWatkins, Taylor High Honor RollWheatley, Diamond High Honor RollWheatley, Ryan Anthony High Honor RollWilliams, Marrion Honor Roll

FOURTH QUARTER Epps, Desiree 4.0000 Distinguished ScholarIkner, Mikal V 4.0000 Distinguished ScholarJohnson, Lashuan 4.0000 Distinguished ScholarMaha� ey, Destiny 4.0000 Distinguished ScholarMcHerron, Antaun D 4.0000 Distinguished ScholarOzoude, Dorian 4.0000 Distinguished ScholarRagland, Janine 4.5000 Distinguished ScholarBarbee, Tyler 3.6667 High Honor RollDavenport, Nicholas 3.7143 High Honor RollHu� , Devin 3.7143 High Honor RollMaha� ey, DeAnna 3.8333 High Honor RollMajors, Malcolm 3.5714 High Honor RollMcByrd, Dasia 3.5714 High Honor RollWatkins, Taylor 3.5000 High Honor RollWheatley, Diamond 3.5714 High Honor RollWheatley, Ryan Anthony 3.5714 High Honor RollBarbosa, Diego 3.2000 Honor RollBartholomew, Aaron 3.2000 Honor RollClark, Benjamin 3.0000 Honor RollDrummer, Jasmine 3.2000 Honor RollHammett, Raven N 3.0000 Honor RollParr, Karlos D 3.0000 Honor RollWatkins, Paul 3.2000 Honor RollWilliams, Marrion 3.3333 Honor Roll

THIRD QUARTER

Alexander, Ariel L Honor RollAllen, Bridgette High Honor RollBarbee, Tyler High Honor RollDavenport, Nicholas Honor RollHammett, Raven N Honor RollHu� , Devin Honor RollIkner, Mikal V Honor RollJohnson, Lashuan Distinguished ScholarMaha� ey, DeAnna Distinguished ScholarMaha� ey, Destiny High Honor RollMcHerron, Antaun D Distinguished ScholarOzoude, Dorian Distinguished ScholarSalazar, Johnathan Honor RollStates, Tyolis C High Honor RollWatkins, Taylor High Honor RollWheatley, Diamond High Honor RollWheatley, Ryan Anthony High Honor Roll

SCHOOL NEWS 2012


THORNTON TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL15001 Broadway • Harvey, IL. 60426 • Principal, Tony Ratliff

SCHOOL NEWS 2012


COLLEGE GRADUATES!MAYOR TERRY WELLS & THE VILLAGE OF PHOENIX CONGRATULATES OUR

Aisha Burton Aisha Burton is a graduate of the University of Illinois’ Honors

College. She graduated with Honors in May, 2012 and was selected as a PREP Scholar for the University of Missouri’s Post-Baccalau-reate Program in Research. Aisha plans to eventually work toward her Ph.D. in Cancer Research and is looking forward to attending the University of Missouri.

Aisha credits her ¦ ne schooling from District 151 and District 205 with preparing her for a career in science and research.

Nathan Majors Nathan R. Majors, a graduate of Thornton H.S., graduated

7th in his class from the University of Illinois, Urbana with a degree in Communications. He is the second oldest child in the Majors family and has always been a mentor for his sib-lings. He is employed with J.P. Morgan Chase in the call cen-ter in Elgin, Illinois.

Tamika JacksonTamika Jackson is a Graduate of ITT Tech with an ADN De-

gree in Nursing. She is currently employed at Ingalls Memorial Hospital. CONGRATS TAMIKA!

Brandon HerringBrandon graduated this year with a degree from the Univer-sity of Illinois. In his senior year at Thornton H.S., Brandon

was selected as a National Scholar for the Horatio Alger Asso-ciation of Distinguished Scholars. We congratulate Brandon

on his Academic Excellence and Achievements!

Brittany Brooks Brittany Brooks graduated from Illinois State University

with a degree in Sociology. She is currently employed with Thornton Township H.S. and she is attending Governors State

University working on her Master’s degree.

Kudos to Coolidge Middle School Honor Roll Fourth Quarter Honor Roll

Sixth GradeBoyd, LeahMoore, MarcelMuhammad, Rashad

Seventh GradeAskew, DejaGri� n, DestinyJohnson, TrianaMuhammed, HassanWardell, ZionWatkins, Temple

Eighth GradeEzell, Cheyenne


The clerk’s O�ce and Water Department’s O�ce Hours are as follows:MONDAY: 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.TUESDAY: 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.WEDNESDAY: 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.THURSDAY: 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.FRIDAY: 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.O�ce is open the third Saturday of each Month: 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.

Vehicle StickersThe deadline to purchase vehicle stickers

did not change. The deadline remains Feb-ruary 15th. A late fee of $20.00 is added to the regular price if you purchase your vehicle sticker late. The fee to purchase stickers is as follows: Regular price $30.00, senior citizens and disabled $15.00 (with proof of age and or disability). Truck stickers are priced accord-ing to size. $30.00, $35.00 and $40.00.

Please note: All returned checks will be assessed a $25 fee. No exceptions.

Door-to-door Sales PeopleThe Village is still experiencing door-to-

door salespeople, attempting to have you change your utility service, such as gas and electricity. You as a homeowner have the right to deny anyone access to your home. If you experience a problem with door-to-door sales people please don’t hesitate to call the Police Department at (708) 0331-2192 or the Village Hall at (708) 331-2636.

E�ective July 15, 2012, all Lawn Care Contractors are required to purchase a Li-cense for cutting grass in the community. Please advise your contractor of the new re-quirement and advise them to contact the Village Hall for more information.

Dog License RequirementEvery dog owner who harbors or keeps a

dog within the Village of Phoenix is required to purchase a dog tag and show proof of ra-bies inoculation. The fee to purchase a dog tag is $5.00, and can be purchased from the Village Clerk’s O�ce.

Garbage Pick up DayGarbage is picked up every Tuesday. The

only time this changes is, if the scavenger service observes a holiday that falls on Mon-day. In that case, our garbage will be picked up on Wednesday. Our scavenger observes the following holidays.

•New Years Day•Memorial Day•Independence Day (4th of July)•Labor Day•Thanksgiving day•Christmas Day Every home is allowed to place out one large item per week for pick up. Please adhere to this rule. The large items consist of furni-ture, mattresses, couches etc. Items such as refrigerators, washers and dryers, hot water tanks, TV’s and microwaves can be placed out for scrap trucks to pick up. These in-dividuals who scrap usually pick up these items early. Please do not place your gar-bage out for pick up before Monday evening. Citations will be issued for those citizens who disregard this requirement. The Village has experienced a rash of citizens loosing their garage containers. Therefore, please remove your garbage can back to the rear of your home, once it has been emptied. Citi-zens are encouraged to dispose of tree limbs, branches and shrubbery by cutting them in lengths no longer than 4 feet, tying bundling and placing them out with your regular gar-bage. All residents are required to obtain a dumpster for disposing of construction ma-terial. All contractors performing construc-tion work in the Village are required to have a license and building permit. If the home-owner is performing work, he/she too, must apply for a permit and let the building in-spector make a decision as to whether a per-mit is required. Some contractors have had their license revoked by the State of Illinois. The Attorney General ¦les those complaints with the Village and therefore the Village can pass that information along to its citizens.

Hunting and Fishing License The Village Clerk sells hunting and ¦sh-ing license. The fee to purchase license is set by the Department of Conservation. The fees are posted in the Village Hall.

Board Meetings Regular Board meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the council room of the Village Hall, 633 E. 151st Street. During the sum-mer months, the Board will hold one regular board meeting per month. If you have a con-cern and plan to attend a meeting, please call the Village Hall for date of the next meeting.

THE PHOENIX RISING Published by Village of Phoenix

633 East 151st StreetPhoenix, IL 60426

(708) 331-1455

Editor-In-Chief Mayor Terry Wells

Editorial Assistants Felicia S. KhalisJannie Beasley

Johnnie M. LaneDarnell H. Sanford

Editorial BoardAlbert Kirklin

Martina Lane-MahaffeyElizabeth LogginsWillie Mae Smith

Ernestine Proctor-HarrisMelvin Kimbrough

Pictures byLucille Barr

Darnell Sanford

Layout & DesignBenny Williams

1-888-757-0007

FROM THE VILLAGE CLERK //// 2012-2013


FROM THE MAYOR’S DESK //// 2012-2013

Greetings Residents!

Mayor Terry Wells

Even though times are di�cult the Village has been able to continue to provide quality

services to our residents.

“”

THORNRIDGE CHAMPIONS 1971-72This year will celebrate what many feel is the most memorable event in the

history of the Village of Phoenix. It is hard to believe that this is the 40th an-niversary of the Thornridge Basketball team winning the state championship. In fact the Falcons won back to back championships in 1971 and ‘72. The 1972 team is generally regarded as the greatest team in state history. Where were you 40 years ago when a group of athletes from Phoenix captivated basketball fans all over the state?

BARACK OBAMA LEARNING CENTERThis is also the 20th anniversary of Phoenix Fest. It started out as an idea to

have a picnic in the park and has turned into one of the largest festivals in the South Suburbs. We hope that you will join us in August as we celebrate these two historic events.

We will celebrate the past but the future as well. That future is the open-ing of the Barack Obama Learning Center. Phoenix will have the distinction of having the ¦rst Public Building in the United States named a«er the 44th President. At this point the building is about 95% complete, we are planning an open house in late August or early September.

WELCOME ABOARDI would like to take this opportunity to welcome two new faces to our sta�.

Darnell Sanford is our new Village Administrator and George Johnson is our new Police Chief. Both men bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our Village.

I trust that things are well with you and your loved ones. Even though times are di�cult the Village has been able to maintain adequate sta�-ing levels and continue to provide quality services to our residents. This year will mark the anniver-

sary of several historic events in the Village, but also pro-vide a glimpse of a bright future.

Phoenix will have the distinction of having the first Public Building in the United States named after the 44th President.


Mayoral Rendezvous

FROM THE MAYOR’S DESK //// 2012-2013BEST WISHES DR. HAMILTON

On a personal note I would like to congratu-late Dr. Douglas Hamilton on his retirement from School District 151. Dr. Hamilton served as principal at Coolidge for seven years before tak-ing over as Superintendent. Dr. Hamilton will be missed, but will forever be a part of the Village of Phoenix.

PHOENIX FEST 2012The Fest this year is going to have several chal-

lenges. If you visit the site you will see a great deal of construction going on. That is because Coolidge is completing a massive reconstruction project. The project is due to be completed in Au-gust of 2013 and will use much of the area that we normally use for the festival. We will work around the construction, things may be a little tight but we will make it work. Unfortunately, this is the price we all have to pay for progress.

As all of you prepare for the 20th celebration of Phoenix Fest, there is a possibility that this may be our last festival. If that is the case it’s been a great run. The only way we will be able to continue is with more community participation. If Phoenix Fest means as much to you as we, the fest committee believe it does, then we will see you at our next meeting on August 15, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at the MPSC Building.

This promises to be a very busy summer. We thank you for your support and may God contin-ue to bless this community. -Terry Wells

“

”

I would like to con-gratulate Dr. Douglas Hamilton on his retirement from School District 151.

While in town recently, Former Mayor January Belmont stopped by to pay us a visit.

Dr. Douglas Hamilton and Mrs. Hamilton.

We welcome longtime Village resident Darnell H. Sanford as our new Village Administrator. Darnell graduated from both Coolidge and Thornton High School. He attended Thornton

Jr. College, State College of Iowa and Illinois State University. Mr.

Sanford served in the U.S. Army from 1956 to 1959. He was pre-

viously employed at Thornton Township High School and

Kennedy King College. Mr. Sanford attends Covenant

United Church of Christ in South Holland. Wel-come aboard Mr. San-ford!

Phoenix Welcomes Aboard Darnell Sanford as

Village Administrator!


LIBRARY BOARD NEWS //// 2012-2013

DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE

For some residents, it’s a dream come true, while other’s never dared to dream. Yet, the residents of the

Village of Phoenix will soon be able to cross the threshold into a library all their own. The Barack Obama Learning Center will o� cially open its doors Sunday, August 19th, 2012.

In April 1987, the residents of the Village of Phoenix vot-ed to establish the Phoenix Public Library Board of Trust-ees. The purpose of the Board was to provide library ser-vices to all residents of the Village. Soon a« er, in 1988, the Library Board entered into a contract with the Harvey Pub-lic Library which allowed village residents to obtain a library card and have full access to Harvey’s library and its services.

Even though the goal of providing library services to the residents of the village was ful¦ lled, board members still longed for “our own.” A library room was established in the William Hawkins Multi Purpose Center where students could come and check out books. With the help of the Vil-lage of Phoenix, two computer labs were established, one for students and one for adults, providing internet access and computer training.

Board members continued to dream and our discussions changed to, why can’t we have our own library? About 4 years ago, library trustees began to spend their Saturday mornings visiting di� erent libraries throughout the state, gathering ideas and support. Following these trips, the foundation of a tri-partnership library came to be.

Twenty-¦ ve years later, the Barack Obama Learning Center will open its doors. The learning center is a Tri-partnership with the Phoenix Public Library Board of Trustees, the Village of Phoenix and School District 151. The new library will be a welcome addition to the commu-nity as well as to the students of School District 151.

Initially, our goal was to provide library services to the residents of the Village of Phoenix. Soon we will proudly provide those library services at the Barack Obama Learn-ing Center, located at 155th Street and 8th Avenue, Phoe-nix, Illinois.

History will be made when the ribbon is cut and the doors to the library are opened on August 19th, 2012. Yet, all the hard work and meeting hours that brought us to this point were well worth it when a student said to me, “I am so excited that I can go to the library where I live.” So yes, dreams really do come true!

MARTINA MAHAFFEY The Phoenix Public Library would like to encourage you

to participate in our coming events. We o� er something for everyone

Barack Obama Learning Center Grand Opening Sunday, August 19th, 2012Time: 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m

Annual Back to School – The Safeway Fair Saturday, August 25th, 2012Hawkins Multi-Purpose Center Parking Lot 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon

Monthly Book Club Resumes Thursday, September 6th, 2012Barack Obama Learning Center 7:00 p.m.

Annual Family Reading Night Saturday, November 10th, 2012Barack Obama Learning Center 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Jessica Buckner – PresidentLoretta Wells – Vice-PresidentErnestine Proctor-Harris – TreasurerMartina Maha� ey – Recording SecretaryDorothy Carter – Finance SecretaryElizabeth Loggins – Public RelationsGloria Dudley – Publicity

Jessica Buckner – President

Phoenix Library Board Members


Working toward a better community!


Watch our Phoenix Pom Pon Girls perform at Phoenix Family Festival 2012!

The village is excitedas always to submit ap-

plications to receive fund-ing for projects in our com-munity. Our current grant awards are as follows:

$150,000.00 for Sidewalk Replacement - Village Wide

$800,000.00 for Water Main/Sewer Replacement & Demolition Project (CDBG “IKE”)

$100,000.00 for Energy E� cient Street Lighting - Village Wide Project

The village is very ap-preciative of all grants fund-ing that we have received and we hope that you are too. We continue to strive to make our village a safe, clean and healthy place to live. Should you have any questions, concerns, com-ments or even some sugges-tions please give me a call at (708) 331-1456 or email me at: [email protected].

-Linda Mitchell-Cole

and we hope that you are too. We continue to strive to make our village a safe, clean and healthy place to live. Should you have any

tions please give me a call at (708) 331-1456 or email



BEYOND THE BADGE


BEYOND THE BADGE

POLICE DEPARTMENT NEWS //// 2012-2013

The Phoenix Police is committed to enhancing the quality of life for our citizens. We also value and protect the

quiet, family oriented lifestyle that our Vil-lage residents enjoy. As Chief of Police, I am proud of the fact that the Village of Phoenix is an oasis of family living in the south sub-urbs. Our leadership is committed to ¦ nding new and creative ways to involve our o� cers in the community and our community mem-bers in a productive exchange with the police. Community Policing is at the core of every-thing we do.

Over the next year, expect to see many positive changes in the police department. We are currently seeking to broaden the community programs the police department leads.

SENIOR SITE Most of our residents are familiar with

our Senior Site and I-Watch programs. The Senior Site program keeps us in touch with the needs of our most treasured citizens, our seniors. This year, we will again partner with Sheri� Tom Dart to bring the Sheri� ’s Senior Academy to our citizens. Through this pro-gram, our seniors learn about police proce-dure and how to keep themselves safe from all sorts of threats, including scams that tar-get the elderly.

I-WATCHThe Phoenix Police I-Watch program con-

tinues to provide for the safety of our citizens and their property. By involving our resi-dents in crime prevention and detection, we can then see what you see and hear what you hear.

POLICE CADET PROGRAMWe look forward to building a new Po-

lice Cadet program within the next twelve months. This program will provide produc-tive, worthwhile distraction for the young

men and women of our village. Open to youth ages 12-19, our cadet program will help guide our young people in the right direction and create the future men and women who will serve as police o� cers.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENTPartnering with the Phoenix Fire Depart-

ment, we will work to create an Emergency Management Agency to better serve our com-munity. The o� shoot of public safety will ex-tend our reach in the case of any disaster or other public need. It is yet another way we will work side-by-side with our community, for the bene¦ t of our community.

We don’t have all the answers… we don’t have all the solutions. By partnering police and community, we have it all.

Would you like to be involved in any of these programs? Contact our Community Liaison, Deputy Chief George Bowman at 708.331.2193 or visit our website at: www.phoenixpd.net.

BY CHIEF GEORGE JOHNSON

We value and protect the quiet,

family oriented lifestyle that our village residents enjoy.


PARK DISTRICT NEWS //// 2012-2013

Park District holds fi rst annual Car and Bike Show!

The Phoenix Park Districtembraces the diversity of our community and our goal is to

o� er recreational programs that cater to all of our citizens.

With childhood obesity being a signi¦ cant public health problem in the United States, one of our major initiatives is to o� er programs that are geared toward promoting the health and well being of our youth. So, we ask that you support the Park District by regular participation in sponsored activities.

We want to work with you, our community to provide activities, and o� er tips and tools that will help you and your family improve your health.

Our website will highlight:• sample eating plans • ideas on physical activity • fun nutritious recipes

Board of CommissionersMildred Garcia, President

Lori Hagler, Vice-PresidentRoosevelt Thomas, Treasurer

Sharmin (Debbie) Bartholomew, Executive Director

BROOME PAVILION IS NOW OPEN FOR RENTAL MON-SUN (7AM-8PM). DOWNLOAD APPLI-CATION FROM OUR WEBSITE OR PICK ONE UP FROM THE VIL-LAGE HALL 633 E. 151ST ST. PHOE-NIX, IL

Phoenix Park District Beauti¡ cation Club

The Phoenix Park District com-missioners would like to encourage our community members to support our community Beauti¦ cation Club. A neighborhood which is clean, safe, healthy, and a pleasure to view im-proves the quality of life of every citi-zen in the community. More clubs are forming now more than ever around the nation. Join Today! Enter your pictures of landscaping (Á owers, brick, etc.). Three winners will be an-nounced on August 16th 2012 at our regular board meeting and December 20th 2012 for Holiday decorations. Winners will be on our website, Face-book, and Flicker page. Email: [email protected]

A neighborhood which is clean, safe, healthy, and a pleasure to view improves the quality of life of every

citizen in the community.


FIRE DEPARTMENT NEWS //// 2012-2013

BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE BY CHIEF HOWARD FISHER

The Phoenix Fire Department clearly un-derstands how important it is to maintain a level of ¦ re protection for our community and resi-dents. As Chief, I have put into place a Business Strategy Plan that outlines our department goals and focus points for the next 5 years. With this plan, a higher standard has been set for our department and services that we provide to our residents.

GRANTS and AWARDSIn November of 2011, our ¦ re department

received a $12,000.00 grant to upgrade our lighting system in the ¦ re station. The grant was to replace all the old light ¦ xtures with new high energy e� cient ballast, light holders and bulbs. These changes enhance the brightness of our station and reduce the amount of watts previously used. We will continue to make our ¦ re station into a green energy e� cient station.

Recently, the Phoenix Fire Department ap-plied for $45,000.00 through the Federal Emer-gency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide each household with a ¦ re extinguisher. This will help us reduce the amount of damage to your property that comes from kitchen ¦ res. We will keep you posted if awarded. If we miss you or you do not have a Carbon Monoxide Detector, please call the ¦ re station at (708) 331-2182.

TRAINING FOR YOU SAFETYI cannot stress how proud I am of my per-

sonnel. They continue to make our community and residents safer by continuing to train at the level of the Illinois State Fire Marshall, ISO and the Department of Labor. We have a total of 3,200 documented training hours for 2012. We have personnel who have attended training in New Mexico, Dallas and New Orleans for arson and leadership classes.

As Fire Chief of this wonderful organization and community, I will continue to lead our de-partment in the direction and will strive to pro-vide the best service. We will also continue to ed-ucate our residents in safety and ¦ re prevention. Our department is always open to the public, so if you have a chance, stop by and see us!

Members of the Phoenix Fire Department on Residents Appreciation Day handed out smoke detectors and CL2 detectors.


PUBLIC WORKS NEWS //// 2012-2013

Hats o�to our Public Works Department

Ernestine P. Harris, TrusteeMelvin Davis Sr.Johnny StewartJohnnie E. ProctorPete RialsArthur WilliamsEarl Rucker Albert Kirklin, Trustee

The Public Works Department is responsible for the daily operation, maintenance, and upkeep of the Vil-

lage of Phoenix. They will also continue to provide safe, e�ective, and reliable services for the residents. Many of their responsibili-

ties vary from maintaining the water system, storm drainage system, cleaning the vacant lots and keeping the streets clear of ice, snow and debris. This department has had and continues to make a noteworthy impact on the day to day maintenance of our village in

keeping it clean and safe for our residents. The Public Works department will also strive to quickly address and resolves citizen complaints and emergencies. Please contin-ue to be supportive and help keep our village clean.

The summer weather is here and the Mayor and the Board of Trust-ees want to remind our residents of a few ordinances:

Lawn ServiceAny landscaping service must register at the Village Hall. The permit must be displayed whenever the landscaper is in the Village.

Car RepairIt is prohibited to repair cars in front of homes

Basketball HoopsBasketball Hoops are not allowed in the street – they must be kept in your private driveway.

Dog OwnersIt is your responsibility to remove and discard any dog waste from our vacant lots, parkways, playgrounds and buildings. Licenses are required for each dog you own and proof of rabies inoculation. Dog tags can be purchased from the Village Hall.Enjoy the summer and be safe!

VILLAGE ORDINANCES //// 2012-2013 Congratulations to William Pete Beard who retired from the department

a�er thirty years of service. Thank you Pete!

William Pete Beard


A Pictorial Review ofThe Obama Learning Center & Coolidge Renovations

Coolidge junior high is undergoing a major face li«, the ad-ditions will double the size of the current school and will provide our children with the best learning environment possible. The renovations are due to be completed by August 2013.

PICTURED:1. Construction of the New Obama Learning Center.2. Artist rendering of Coolidge completed renovations.3. Groundbreaking for the New Obama Learning Center. 4. Artist rendering of Coolidge new addition.5. Site of Coolidge 7th/8th grade new addition.

4 5

2

1

3


Phoenix Salutes Our Residents Achievements

Thornton H.S. Freshman Basketball team ¦ nished the season UNDEFEATED; 23-0!

Undefeated!

DeAnna Maha� ey Freshman Student of

the Year at Thornton H.S

Jeanine Ragland � nished Number 2 in

her graduating class at Thornton H.S.

with a 4.5 GPA

Mike Berry a former Village of Phoenix Resident. He has appeared several times on

the TV-Show, “The Game”

Dr. Joyce Ester

Dr. Joyce Ester, a product of the Village of Phoe-nix was named President of Kennedy-King Col-lege, one of the City Colleges of Chicago. Dr. Ester, a former resident of the Village, attended Coolidge Middle School and Thornridge High School. Needless to say, we are very proud of Dr. Ester!

Ernestine Proctor-Harris recently passed the School Administrator’s Type 75 Test! With this accomplishment, she is quali¦ ed to serve in the capacity of a School Administrator. Congratulations!

James B. Ferrell is a life-long resident of the Village of Phoenix. He attended Coolidge Middle School and Thornridge High School. James is a gradu-ate of North Park Univer-sity with a degree in Com-munications. His most recent ¦ lm and televi-sion credits are Super-man - Man of Steel and 42 (The Jackie Robin-son Story), Boss, MTV Underemployed, an Allstate Print AD and a Kyocera Cell phone commercial. We are Very PROUD to call him OURS!

Ernestine Proctor-Harris


On April 16, 2012 the South Holland School District 151 Board of Education hired Dr. Teresa Hill as the new superin-tendent. Dr. Hill will officially begin her role on July 1, 2012 as Dr. Douglas C. Hamilton re-tires on June 29, 2012. Dr. Hill was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Dolton, Illinois where she attended Dolton West School District 148, Franklin Elementary and Lincoln Junior High Schools. She is an alumna of Thornton Township High School District 205, Thornridge. Dr. Hill re-ceived her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education; Mas-ters of Science in Educational Administration & Foundations; and Doctor of Education de-grees from Illinois State Uni-versity. Dr. Hill’s current posi-tion is Assistant Superinten-

dent for Curriculum, Instruc-tion and Staff Development at Barrington Community Unit School District 220. Prior to that, Dr. Hill held the position of Assistant Superintendent of Bloomington Public Schools District 87. During her career, Dr. Hill has served as Classroom Teach-er; Support Services Teacher; Assistant Principal; Principal; and Assistant Superintendent. She is also a published author of Every Closed Eye Ain’t Sleep: African American Perspective on the Achievement Gap. Dr. Hill’s specialties in-clude: Curriculum Develop-ment; Literacy; Professional Development; School & District Improvement Planning; Goal Setting & Strategic Planning; Closing Achievement Gaps; Education Policy and Teacher Supervision & Evaluation.

MILESTONES //////

Dr. Teresa Hill Chosen as New School District 151 Board of Education Superintendent

Dr. Douglas Hamilton retires as Superintendent of School District 151A tough act to follow:

RIGHT: Dr. Teresa Hill, Bishop Anthony Hill & David Hill.

BELOW: South Holland SD 151 Board of Education &Dr. Teresa Hill

The Village of Phoenix would like to thank Dr. Hamilton for his dedicated service to the children of the Village of Phoenix. Dr. Hamil-ton served 10 years as principal at Coolidge and for the past 10 years as Superintendent of District 151.

Last year we honored Dr. Hamil-ton as an Honorary Phoenix resi-dent, but anyone that knows him can tell you that his heart is and always will be with Phoenix. Dr. Hamilton, we wish you the best, enjoy your retirement!



Phoenix joined Thornton Township in celebration of Women’s History Month

A Walk to Read

Talk show host Val Warner (right) meets Phoenix First Lady Loretta Wells (center) and Trustee Ernistine Harris

Friends of The Phoenix Library sponsored a walk to raise money for the Obama Library.



A Political PalMayor Wells and our new State Senator Elect, Napoleon Harris.

Career Day at Coolidge Middle School proved to be a great day for students

Honoring Barry Bonds

Right: State Representative William “Will” Davis was the guest speaker at Coolidge for Career Day.

Below left: State Representative William “Will” Davis poses for picture with Phoenix Trustee Ernestine Proctor-Harris during Coolidge Career Day.

Below right: Channel 5 news anchor Art Norman (2nd from right) visits Coolidge School for Career Day..

Area Mayors joined the City of Harvey for the street dedication for baseball’s All-Time Homerun leader, Barry Bonds.



Let’s keep the memories alive!

AUGUST 2012 | PHOENIX RISING 17

As all of you prepare for the 20th anniversary of Phoenix Fest, we are faced with the di� cult decision of whether or not to continue this summer tradition. While many communities have either cancelled

or seriously scaled back on festivals, Phoenix Fest has continued to grow. But we are experiencing problems that may be too di� cult to overcome. Our problem is that we are lacking the manpower needed to continue the quality programs that many of you have become accustomed to. You see, most villages rely on paid workers to operate their festivals, so when bud-gets are tight, these are the ¦ rst programs slated for the chopping block. Phoenix Fest is unique in that all of our workers are volunteers. When the fest begins, we have people lined up asking for jobs, when we tell them that we are all volunteers, they have a di� cult time believing it. That is why we have been so successful. It is this small group that simply does this for the love of Phoenix, not money!

The volunteers do not just show up during the 1st weekend of August, they raise money all year round that culminates in the big summer party. Some fundraisers are successful and some are not. The group members put on at least 10 events per year and in all cases end up spending large amounts of their own money. The problem is that this group is getting older and does not have the energy that it once had. It has been a long time since we’ve added a new member, in fact, that last new member was three years ago and she was actually an old member that came back. So what you have is a group that is su� ering from burn-out. People always say that they will help, but very few actually do, most of it is just lip service. Others show up thinking that the work is easy only to ¦ nd out that it is not and they soon disappear.

So is this our ¦ nal year? We can truly say that it has been a great run, and that we all have memories that will last a lifetime. Just imagine some young person that is 25 years old now, telling his grandchildren in 2058 about the fond memories of that Fest that Phoenix once had, MAN DID WE HAVE FUN BACK IN THE DAY!

Let us never forget the

of The Phoenix Festival

FAMILYFRIENDS

FOOD&FUN

IS THIS THE LAST YEAR OF THE PHOENIX FEST?

PHOENIX FEST COMMITTEE

Phoenix Fest 2012

Entertainment Line-up

FRIDAY, AUGUST 3• Big Gerald & The Just Kick-in it Band• Sky Line Band• Roshawn Lyles (formerly of Kwiet Storm) SATURDAY, AUGUST 4Matt Lloyd (MC)

• Parade (Line-up @9:00am Phoenix Fire Station/ 10:00am kick-off time)• Opening ceremony• Local R & B, Rap and Hip-Hop Groups• Carlos Cannon (R&B and Smooth Urban Jazz)• The Casanova Kings• Curtis Clark and Co.• Family Reunion Band• The Voices• J-Artist• Greg Rose

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 Debbie Crosslin (MC)

• Line Dancing Demonstration Instructor: Dawn Avery (the dancindeeva)• New Direction• One 4 Christ• N’tegri-t• Lonnie Harris• Melodies of Praise• Odis Webster & Co.• Christ Miracle & Healing Center Church• RDM Praise Dancers• Mt Zion MB Unity Choir• The Family• More Local Choirs




Mrs. Anna Gatlin recently celebrated her 80th birthday.

Mr. Herbert Boykin recently celebrated his 87th birthday! Happy Birthday to Mrs. Barr on her 90th birthday!

WW2 HeroesMayor Wells and Thornton Township Clerk Jacki Riveria, meet a couple of real life WW2 heroes members of the famed Tuskegee Airmen 99th Squadron.

Phoenix continue to celebrate our seniorsWHAT’S HAPPENING IN PHOENIX //// 2012-2013

Mrs. Anna Gatlin recently

80!

Golden Agers Club members

Happy Birthday to Mrs. Barr

90!Mr. Herbert Boykin recently celebrated his 87th birthday!

87!

Mayor Wells and the Entire Vil-

lage of Phoenix wishes long time resident and village employee Deirdre Johnson “Best Wishes” on her retire-ment. Dee served as Village Water Clerk for 22 years (July 1990 - May, 2012.) GOD BLESS YOU DEE!

Best wishes to Ms. Deirdre Johnson


HOUSES of WORSHIPin PHOENIX

EVANS COMMUNITY CHURCH 723 E. 153rd Street, Phoenix, IL. 60426Rev. Tyrone W. ColemanPhone 708-339-0469

Sunday School: 9:15 a.m.Worship Service: Sun. 11 a.m.

MT. ZION MISSIONARYBAPTIST CHURCH 15354 Eight Avenue P. O. Box 2545Phoenix, IL. 60426Rev. Dr. Edward L. JonesPhone 708-339-1026Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.Worship Service: Sun. 11 a.m.

DANIEL CHAPEL A.M.E. ZION CHURCH 15250 Third Avenue, Rev. Derrick Simmons, PastorPhone 708-339-1990.Contemporary Service: Sunday 8:00 a.m. Sunday School: Sunday 9:15 a.m.Worship Service and Children’s Morning Worship: Sunday 10:50 a.m.Monday Prayer Service: 11:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.Wednesday Bible Study: 11:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

PEACE AND GOODWILL CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST 15311 Third Avenue, Phoenix, IL. 60426Elder Fisher Cook, PastorPhone 708-339-0440

Sunday School: Sunday 9:00 a.m.Worship Service : Sunday 10:15 a.m

FAITH FELLOWSHIP AND LOVE COGIC 701 East 151st Street, Phoenix, IL. 60426Rev. Parthenia Stegall, Pastor Phone 708-342-1887

Bible Class and Deliverance Prayer Service: Thurs. 6 p.m.Sunday School: 10 a.m

WELCOME MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH 15110 Ninth Avenue, Phoenix, IL. 60426Rev. S. L. Dudley, PastorPhone 708-225-1788

Sunday School: Sunday 10 a.m.Worship Service : Sunday 11 a.m

NEW COVENANT MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH15213 Fifth Avenue P. O. Box 1358Phoenix, IL. 60426Rev. Dr. Richard D. McCreary II, PastorPhone 708-331-3661

Worship Service: Sunday 11:30 a.m.Midweek Service and Bible study:Wednesday 7:00 p.m

Congratulations to Mt. Zion on the building of their new church. The church will be completed later this year.

Mount Zion Missionary Baptist ChurchBuilds New Church

Epiphany Hair Studio Profi les II Barber Shop Unity Cafe Home Day Care Phoenix Laundry Mat 507 E. 153rd Street 503 E. 153rd Street 15417 Vincennes Road 832 E. 153rd Street 515 E. 153rd StreetPhoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426(708) 825-9151 (708) 331-3010 (708) 969-9951 (708) 257-2022 (708) 935-2600

Smiling Faces Daycare Center D. Anderson Contracting, Inc. Whisperwood Funeral Chapel Eternity Funeral Services Smitty’s Lounge15113 Halsted Street 625 E. 154th Place 15261 Vincennes Road 15261 Vincennes Road 15101 Halsted StreetPhoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426(708) 331-9133 (708) 596-0120 (708) 339-0210 (708) 333-9144 (708) 331-4472

Citgo Gibson’s Quick Mart Rudy’s Auto Repair D&D Construction Moses Wills Trucking Treasure Tours, Inc. 15221 Halsted Street 15305 Halsted Street 15223 S. Vincennes Road 645 155th Place 900 E. 153rd Street

Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426 Phoenix, IL 60426(708) 596-5085 (708) 339-2306 (708) 596-3959 (708) 333-6561 (708) 333-9640

SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES //// 2012-2013


Remembering our

LOVED ONES Village of Phoenix joins the families in remembrance of their loved ones

Thomas R. ChildsCharles Lancelot ClarkErma Jean Davis Katie M. Foxworth Melvin GholsonClara Halbert

Pamela Joyce HerringGeneva HowellEthel HumesWilliam Johnson, Jr. Edmond Junior Lee KingJudy Rose McCullar

Blanche M. Reed George Phillip RossDenise Delores Smith Annie Mae StrongInez Talley Ethel L. VanHorn-Wells

Minerva Wade Frances WilsonGammon Trimuel. Sr.

Nancy Elizabeth ByrdlongThe Village of Phoenix gives our heartfelt condolences to Corporal Cory Byrdlong and Family. We con-tinue to keep you in our prayers.

William E. Elston, Jr.The Village of Phoenix would like to extend our condolences to the family of William Elston. William Elston served as village attorney from 1980-2000.

Josephine Baker Alma Lawrence Althea Mae Mason James OliverStella M. Boykin

Special Thanks to “Dragon” and the Renegade Riders, every year for the past 15 years, this orga-nization donates hundreds of dollars in toys to the children of our community during the holidays

Village of PhoenixGives a Special ThanksTo The Renagade Riders


September of 2012 will be my 25th anniversary as Village Treasurer. In the

many years that I’ve held this po-sition, I have seen how revenue that we receive from various tax-ing venues has a�ected our vil-lage as well as surrounding com-munities.

My concern is how we as citi-zens can help increase our in-coming revenue by participating in questionnaires that a�ect us in many ways, for example, the 2010 Census. When I started working for the Village in 1987, the population was 2,850 accord-

ing to the 1980 census statistics. In 1990 the count was 2,217, in 2000 it was 2,157 and in 2010 the population total was 1,964. This caused a decrease in revenue that we receive from various govern-ment agencies. What happened? I don’t believe that our popula-tion dropped, I believe that we as citizens and village residents did not do what we were supposed to do, complete the census informa-tion so that we would be properly counted.

Why am I writing this article today? I want us to be mindful of how a decrease in revenue af-

fects our community. This makes it di�cult to employ more police o�cers, ¦re ¦ghters and village public workers who maintain the

upkeep of our community. A«er school activities and many other projects have to be cut back be-cause our funding is cut due to the drop in our population. Ev-ery part of revenue that we re-ceive is based on a percentage as a whole. This a�ects everything that we do. The year 2020 may seem a long way o�, but eight years is just around the corner. I hope that we will see a great in-crease in our village. The time is now to educate your family and friends on the importance of par-ticipating in the Census.

Thank you, Melba Ferrell

Phoenix Treasurer marks 25-year MilestoneWHAT’S HAPPENING IN PHOENIX //// 2012-2013

Scott Cohen (center) pictured with (L-R) Village Clerk Johnnie Lane, Trustee Ernestine Proctor-Harris, Trustee Martina Lane-Mahaffey and Mayor Terry Wells.

Lending a helping hand!Scott Cohen’s 4th-Year

Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway

Happy 40th Wedding Anniversaryto Jerome & Melba N. Ferrell!

August 20, 2012




WHAT’S HAPPENING IN PHOENIX //// 2012-2013Village of Phoenix Leaders

of the Future Basketball Team!

Village of Phoenix gives recognition to Mr. Mario Moody and the Coolidge Middle school Bands

Pictured is Coach Lar-ry Lashley, Village Trust-ees, Melvin Kimbrough and Ernestine Proctor-Harris with the Leaders of the Future Basketball Team.

The team had its Awards Banquet on Mon-day, July 30, 2012. The guest speaker was Senator Elect, Napoleon Harris.

The Phoenix Rising Newspaper

wants your input!If you would like to include informa-

tion like birthdays, new births, new resi-dents, weddings etc. or have another idea for the paper, we want to know.

Contact us at: (708) 331-1455 or (708) 331-2641


Phoenix Facts! //

4In 1962, a part of Phoenix deannexed to become a part of Harvey. This is the only documented case in history in the State of Illinois of a section of a community deannexing into a neighboring community.

4 The city’s ¦rst sewer and streets were built in 1925.

4A Phoenix mayor placed himself in jail because he refused a judge’s order to raise the city’s taxes to pay for the increased price of streets and sewers. He claimed that he made a promise to the citizens that he would not raise taxes. That was Mayor Smudzinski in 1927.

4 The ¦rst families to live in Phoenix were Dutch, Irish, Polish and German ancestry.

4 Melvin Van Peebles, famous actor and ¦lm director of the movie “Sweetback” grew up in Phoenix. He is the father of actor and director Mario Van Peebles.

4 In the 1950s, Phoenix had a policeman who could not read or write if he stopped you for a tra�c violation, he would make you write out your own ticket.

4 Johnnie Lane has served longer as a village o�cial than any other person in the history of the Village of Phoenix.

4Jessica Buckner was the ¦rst African American Principal of Coolidge School. She was later selected as the ¦rst Black Superin-tendent of School District 151.

4John Henry Styles was the ¦rst black police o�cer in Phoenix.

4Phoenix once had a semi-pro baseball team. The team was called the Tigers and they played on the ¦eld that was the west side of Hal-sted and 153rd Street.

4In 1900, Battling Nelson, who later became the lightweight cham-pion of the world, fought his ¦rst four bouts in McLatchy’s Bar at 155th and Halsted in Phoenix. Nel-son held the championship from 1904-1907. He eventually was de-feated by the ¦rst Black champion of the world, Joe Gaines in 1907.

4The 1972 state basketball team

from Thornridge High School is regarded as the greatest team in Illinois history. The team usually relied on six players, ¦ve of them from Phoenix.

4The USA Today rated the 1972 Thornridge team as number 5 on its list of greatest high school teams of all time. The Falcons are rated ahead of teams led by Wilt Chamberlin and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

4Kevin Duckworth played 12 years in the NBA which includ-ed two all star games and playing in the NBA ¦nals with Portland against the Chicago Bulls. He was a graduate of Thornridge High School.

4Quinn Buckner played for 12 years in the NBA. He won a title with the Boston Celtics in 1984 and later coached the Dallas Mavericks. He also played with the Milwaukee Bucks.

4Phoenix is the only town to have three high school players named as the Sun Times High School player of the year. Lloyd Batts was hon-ored in 1970 while playing for Thornton. In 1972, Quinn Buckner won the award as he led Thornridge High School to a state champi-onship. Kim McQuarter won the honor in 1984 as she led Marshall High School to a state championship.

4Coolidge Jr. High won the boys state championship in basketball in 1983 and 1984.

4The Coolidge girls won the state title in basketball in 1991 and 1992.

Did You Know?? ? ? 444

Coolidge Tigers. Girls 1992 Championship Basketball Team.

Melvin Van Peebles


40th Anniversaryof The Thornridge High School Basketball Champs!

Phoenix celebrates the

HOW GOOD WERE THE FALCONS?

• The team averaged 88 points per game

• Finished the season 33-0

• The 1972 state championship team from Thornridge is generally regarded as the greatest team in Illinois High School Bas-ketball history.

• Quinn Buckner was named National Play-er of the Year.

• In the championship game against Quincy, Thornridge won by a ¦ nal score of 104-69. It is the only time in history that a team has scored more than 100 points in a ¦ nal game.

• In that game, Boyd Batts scored 25 points in the ¦ rst half, Quincy only had 26.

• In 1972, no team came within 14 points of Thornridge. The team that came closest was district rival Thornton, which had as its star players, two residents from Phoenix.

• The USA Today rated the 1972 team as the fourth best team in high school history. The Falcons are rated ahead of teams led by Wilt Chamberlin, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and even Derrick Rose.

• In 1972 there was no 3 point shot, just imag-ine Boyd Batts shooting three pointers, how many points would the team have scored?

• In 1972 teams could not dunk the basket-ball, imagine Greg Rose with a 40 inch verti-cal dunking the ball against the opposition.

• The team usually relied on six players, fi ve of them from Phoenix.

• “The Thornridge full court press was so devastating that even the guys without the ball had di� culty getting past the half court line.” -Wes Mason, Coach - Bloom High School


PART 1The Football Champions

It was 45 years ago when 106 students le« the friendly con¦ nes of Coolidge School and embarked on a journey that would go down in history. Little did these students know what awaited them. The Thornridge Falcons, who were they? All these students knew was that they were “supposed” to be headed to “Wildcat” country! That is - Thornton Township High School Wildcats.

Well, sometime during the course of the school year of 1967, or even before then, it was decided that this would be the class that would integrate Thornridge High School and become the ¦ rst black students to at-tend. Wow, this came as a complete shock, but we were up for the task. It was not easy. However, our teachers did a tremendous job preparing us mentally, emotionally, as well as academically to compete in any class-room at any school.

Kudos to Mrs. Buckner, Mrs. Piernas, Mrs. Madgett, Mr. Dennison, Mrs. Long, Mr. Davis, Mrs. Feltus, school secretary Mrs. Farmer, our principal Mr.Billups and all the other sta� members. Thank you all for the encouragement, the tireless e� orts you instilled in us, making the Class of 1967, the “Best.” We won’t ever forget you!

This class would go on to take Thorn-ridge by storm. By the time we were se-niors, we were con¦ dent, and convinced that Champions, we were going to be! The football team led by “Big” Arthur Riley, Ty-rone Lawrence, Michael “Buzz” Payne, Ed-gar Snoddy, a sensational junior Quinn “Q” Buckner, Jimmy Davis, and James “Flash” Lashley. Failure was not an option. We were willing to do whatever necessary to succeed! This group was destined and determined to win. This team would go on to have an unde-feated season, and bring Thornridge High School their ¦ rst “Mythical” State Cham-pionship. It was called mythical, because back then there were no playo� s. The state championship was awarded to the team with the best record and statistics. That team posted a 9-0 record, with 3 shutouts; averaged 32pts on o� ense, while only allow-ing opponents an average of 4.0 points!

PART 2: The Basketball Champions

The football team “kicked o� ” one of the greatest athletic experiences that would go down in high school history. Now it was

time for some “hoops.” What you must un-derstand, being from the Village of Phoe-nix, and being a Coolidge Tiger, losing was just not an option! The fact of the matter is we REALLY never learned how to lose, be-cause we hardly ever did! At Coolidge, our baseball team only lost one game (5-4), and our basketball team was undefeated. Now I don’t know if we as players put pressure on ourselves, or if the teachers had us afraid “to lose,” either way winning was what they did!

The competition from within was ¦ erce. Practices were very competitive to say the least. Led by Michael “Duck” Henry, James “Puke” Loggins, and Capt. Tony “Grubbs” Jackson, the Falcons were set to take on all comers. Be the best, #1, you bet. (There were some other ex-tigers that made this team successful; “Q” Buckner, Boyd Batts, and super sophomore in the person of Greg Rose). This team was focused, especially af-ter a defeat in the Christmas holiday tour-nament to Mounds Meridian. These guys got together and decided the buck stops here. They were determined to do whatever necessary to ensure victory….Period! This team would go on to run the table in the regular, and post season tournament. For the ¦ rst time in history, the Thornridge Fal-cons were headed downstate. The air on the Thornridge bus was absolutely electric. Par-ents, students, everyone was excited. For the ¦ rst time we as athletes felt “acceptance.”

It was just 4 years earlier that this group of students walked into Thornridge as the ¦ rst Black students. Now 4 years later the Thornridge Falcons were playing for an Il-linois State Basketball Championship!! To God be the glory!

All the tournament games were relative-ly close some even ‘nail biters.’ When all was said and done, the Thornridge Falcons led by some Coolidge Tigers captured their ¦ rst state basketball championship!! Little did people know this was not the end; it was only the beginning. The ‘Best Team’ was yet to come.

PART 3: The Recognition

There were a lot of ¦ rsts with THIS class; I’d like to recognize them at this time:A) Lenita Gri� s; National Honor SocietyB) Kathy Calhoun; National Honor Soci-ety; Voted ‘Outstanding’ SeniorC) Sheila Moore; Cheerleader; Homecom-ing Court; Voted ‘Outstanding’ SeniorD) Rowena ‘Princess’ Henry; Gymnas-tics; CheerleaderE) James ‘Puke’ Loggins; Voted Senior Class President; Homecoming CourtF) Anthony ‘Grubbs’ Jackson; Captain State Champion Basketball G) Jimmy Davis; 5th place State Wrestling @ 112lbs.H) Arthur Riley; All State Football; State champion in the shot and disc.; Voted ‘Out-standing’ SeniorI) Tyrone Lawrence; All Conference Foot-ballJ) Alexander Lawrence; SwimmingK) Tyrone Smith; President, Boys ClubL) Michael ‘Buzz’ Payne; All Conference FootballM) James ‘Flash’ Lashley; Co-captain Track; Homecoming Court; Voted ‘Out-standing’ Senior; Student Council Special Advisor

It has been 45 years since we le« Tiger country & started our journey as Falcons. Times have surely changed, we’ve lost some along the way; but through it all we survived and we’re STILL soaring! TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

Our hearts and prayers are continually with the families of our classmates, that are no longer with us; Sheila Moore, Rowena ‘Princess’ Henry, Michael ‘Buzz’ Payne, An-thony ‘Grubbs’ Jackson, ‘Big’ Arthur Riley, William ‘Whistle’ Lewis, and Otelius ‘T-Bone’ Gatlin.

When Tigers Became FalconsThe story of the Coolidge class of 1967 becoming the Thornridge Championship class of 1971By James “Flash” Lashley

time for some “hoops.” What you must un-

of students walked into Thornridge as the ¦ rst Black students. Now 4 years later the Thornridge Falcons were playing for an Il-linois State Basketball Championship!! To God be the glory!

ly close some even ‘nail biters.’ When all was said and done, the Thornridge Falcons led by some Coolidge Tigers captured their ¦ rst state basketball championship!! Little did people know this was not the end; it was only the beginning. The ‘Best Team’ was yet to come.

class; I’d like to recognize them at this time:A) Lenita Gri� s;B) Kathy Calhoun;ety; Voted ‘Outstanding’ SeniorC) Sheila Moore;ing Court; Voted ‘Outstanding’ SeniorD) Rowena ‘Princess’ Henry

30 PHOENIX RISING | 2012-201330 PHOENIX RISING | 2012-2013


2012-2013 | PHOENIX RISING 312012-2013 | PHOENIX RISING 31





~ MEMORY LANE ~ DO YOU RECOGNIZE ANYONE IN THESE PHOTOS?




2011 Phoenix Family Reading Contest winners

1st Place 2nd Place 3rd PlaceMadison Beard-Baker Sinae Celmer Nathalie Galvan

Pre K

Kornaelius Minder Isabel Cyrnek Lauren Reynolds Alexandra BarajasKadarius Minder ReJae Gueringer Jeremiah Sutherland Marcos NazarioVanessa Ruiz Alex Jackson Naomi Zuniga Rykia FredrickMichael Byrd Justin Pleitez Oscar Cruz Katelyn GluthBrook Ford Cynthia Espinoza Victor Leon Andrea HuertaLayla Glass Cassandra Fernandez-Ortiz Andrea RamirezFernando Zuniga Larnell Palmer Dyamend Archibald Elijah PriceLovette Barjebo Alexo Rasgado

Kindergarten

Randy Ackerman Vanessa Angulo DaNateja Archibald Joshua ZunigaKenya Clark Rihanna Cole Adolfo Cervantes Daniel BanksTai Crump Anthony Cortes Alexander Lopez Jamir BrownAbigail Diaz Jalen Gresham Ezequiel Perez Melissa ZunigaEligha Hammond Jazmyn Robertson Caleb Steele Yolonda HoskinsScott Jackson Giada Vergara Angela Ceron Demya JacksonBailey Palmer Samuel Villalobos Jordon Cox Ajayne LongShawn Phillips Nathalia Zambrano Kelsey Engel Jennifer MejiaLestee Roddy Ixchel Alvarez Diamond foster Jasmine ReynoldsHarlem Adams Alonso Sepulveda

1st Grade

Diego Alvarado Abraham Sookdeosingh Cayla Robinson Nia MooreIsaiah Hoofe Ana Zambrano Tavian Travis Stephanie NosikeBrianna McCorkle Jose Barajas Jasmine Chavez Jada RuckerDaZhire Naudain Miguel Cano James Crump Princess AlexanderBrooklyn Rimes Alondra Diaz Kameara Kurns David ArambulaAniyah Stephens Michelle Esquivel DaZaia Naudain Shayatta FosterTaylor Stevenson Andrew Mack John Sepulveda Miguel GalvanBria Williams Leslie Leon Aldo Solorio John GoreLorenzo Wilson Daniel Morales Damiya Terry Raziyah KarimCedrick Adams Eric Rossetti Najaa Terry Jayla LesserNovial Adams Juliana Salazar Amber Brooks Uleses ReyesDestiny Dillard Christopher Vergara Richard Fredrick Jor’ Dan SmithElise Jones Jadyn Amos Jacob Gluth Azariya HillKamila Sandoval Da’Ja Edmondson Cory Lesser

34 PHOENIX RISING | AUGUST 2011

SCHOOL NEWS 2012


FOURTH GRADEA’s Only Honor RollGross-Roberts, AlaniPlascenia, LizethSandoval, AlmaVillegas, KevinWilliams, DerrickZambrano, Carla

FOURTH GRADEA/B Only Honor RollAli, JadeAllen, JasmineBotley, MarsalisBridgemon, JaylaBrown, AniyahCatron, MiltonDaniels, JalenEdwards, ReginaldEstrada, MariannaFagan, KaiFisher, JeremiahFoster, DavidGills, Curtis

Kidd, NiyaKnox, DiamondKurns, KasyusLandingham, EricLopez, AnaMa-Nwokenkwo, MarkowOduwole, TemidayoOgletree, MichaelaPerkins, CourtneyRasgado, CarlosReed, DonteRuiz, DiegoSolorio, ArmandoStapleton, MauriceStevenson, KarleyTorres, AndreaUnger, DemayaVasquez, AlejandraWalker, KirstenWilliams, AngeliqueWilliams, KennethYoung, AmirZambrano, Fabiola

FOURTH GRADE SUPER CITIZENSAna CortezJeremiah Fisher Marilyn Mata Andrea Torres Alejandra Vaszuez Carla Zambrano

FIFTH GRADEA’s Only Honor RollByrd, JasonCoupet, FraneseGonzalez, StephanieNeri, JulioNugin, AlyssiaPerez, Jesus

FIFTH GRADEA/B Only Honor RollAgwomoh, MarvinAngulo, JoseBoyd, SamanthaCholico, Daisy

Cortez, ElviaCruz, AbrahamDe La Torre, OscarDiaz, FatimaEll, EddieFaniyi, Sheri� Footman, DaniellahGilbert, LindolaGordon, CourtneyGray, BrianHarris, MalikHernandez, RubiHolman, A’JahHoskins, RonaldIhejrika, StedmonJohnson, PaulJones, NicholasLogan, Da’QuwayMacias, JulieMartin, DiondreaMartinez, GerardoMcMiller, JohnMercado, GabrielMonterroso, Eddie

Moore, CaitlinMoore, TaheedMurillo, JoannaNazario, EdgarRangel, LizbethRodriguez, AlexandraRush, MichaelSalazar, GabrielaThornton, JamilaNwokenkwo, EmmanuellaWilliams, Khaliyah Williams, KyemaZaragonza, Lisette

FIFTH GRADE SUPER CITIZENSJordan Boyd, Malik Harris, Nayeli Munoz, Edgar Nazario, Julio Neri

SCHOOL NEWS 2012






Craig, JessicaDiaz, EmilyDiaz, KimberlyFootman-Stove, DyamondGomez, JasmineHarvey, LaurynHerrera, LesliKuyoro, BenjaminLiese, RobertLouissaint, MatthewMartinez, RamonMcKinney, JamesMendoza, AlexiaMiller, AamiyahNavarro, LizbethNosike, ChristineObichere, KahariOduwole, AyomideOjeda, JoshuaPeralez, DestinyPhifer, AiYanna








FIRST QUARTER

Bartholomew, Aaron Honor RollBrown-Hooker, Katrina Honor RollBryant, Deshawn Honor RollCook, Tyteanna Honor RollDavenport, Nicholas High Honor RollEpps, Desiree High Honor RollHammett, Raven Honor RollHill, Ricky Honor RollHill, Wanya Honor RollHu� , Devin Honor RollIkner, Mikal High Honor RollJohnson, Lashuan Distinguished ScholarKing, Sasha Honor RollMaha� ey, DeAnna Distinguished ScholarMaha� ey, Destiny High Honor RollMajors, Malcolm Honor RollMcHerron, Antaun High Honor RollMontgomery, Justin Honor RollOzoude, Dorian High Honor RollParr, Karlos Honor RollRosas, Diana High Honor RollWatkins, Paul High Honor RollWatkins, Taylor High Honor RollWheatley, Diamond Distinguished ScholarWheatley, Ryan Anthony High Honor RollWilliams, Marrion High Honor Roll

SECOND QUARTER

EAllen, Bridgette High Honor RollBarbee, Shawn Honor RollBrown-Hooker, Katrina High Honor RollDavenport, Nicholas Honor RollEpps, Desiree Distinguished ScholarHammett, Raven High Honor RollHill, Wanya Honor RollHu� , Devin Honor RollIkner, Mikal High Honor RollJohnson, Lashuan Distinguished ScholarMaha� ey, DeAnna High Honor RollMaha� ey, Destiny High Honor RollMajors, Malcolm Honor RollMcHerron, Antaun Distinguished ScholarOzoude, Dorian Distinguished ScholarRosas, Diana High Honor RollWatkins, Paul Distinguished ScholarWatkins, Taylor High Honor RollWheatley, Diamond High Honor RollWheatley, Ryan Anthony High Honor RollWilliams, Marrion Honor Roll

FOURTH QUARTER Epps, Desiree 4.0000 Distinguished ScholarIkner, Mikal V 4.0000 Distinguished ScholarJohnson, Lashuan 4.0000 Distinguished ScholarMaha� ey, Destiny 4.0000 Distinguished ScholarMcHerron, Antaun D 4.0000 Distinguished ScholarOzoude, Dorian 4.0000 Distinguished ScholarRagland, Janine 4.5000 Distinguished ScholarBarbee, Tyler 3.6667 High Honor RollDavenport, Nicholas 3.7143 High Honor RollHu� , Devin 3.7143 High Honor RollMaha� ey, DeAnna 3.8333 High Honor RollMajors, Malcolm 3.5714 High Honor RollMcByrd, Dasia 3.5714 High Honor RollWatkins, Taylor 3.5000 High Honor RollWheatley, Diamond 3.5714 High Honor RollWheatley, Ryan Anthony 3.5714 High Honor RollBarbosa, Diego 3.2000 Honor RollBartholomew, Aaron 3.2000 Honor RollClark, Benjamin 3.0000 Honor RollDrummer, Jasmine 3.2000 Honor RollHammett, Raven N 3.0000 Honor RollParr, Karlos D 3.0000 Honor RollWatkins, Paul 3.2000 Honor RollWilliams, Marrion 3.3333 Honor Roll

THIRD QUARTER

Alexander, Ariel L Honor RollAllen, Bridgette High Honor RollBarbee, Tyler High Honor RollDavenport, Nicholas Honor RollHammett, Raven N Honor RollHu� , Devin Honor RollIkner, Mikal V Honor RollJohnson, Lashuan Distinguished ScholarMaha� ey, DeAnna Distinguished ScholarMaha� ey, Destiny High Honor RollMcHerron, Antaun D Distinguished ScholarOzoude, Dorian Distinguished ScholarSalazar, Johnathan Honor RollStates, Tyolis C High Honor RollWatkins, Taylor High Honor RollWheatley, Diamond High Honor RollWheatley, Ryan Anthony High Honor Roll

SCHOOL NEWS 2012


THORNTON TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL15001 Broadway • Harvey, IL. 60426 • Principal, Tony Ratliff

SCHOOL NEWS 2012


COLLEGE GRADUATES!MAYOR TERRY WELLS & THE VILLAGE OF PHOENIX CONGRATULATES OUR

Aisha Burton Aisha Burton is a graduate of the University of Illinois’ Honors

College. She graduated with Honors in May, 2012 and was selected as a PREP Scholar for the University of Missouri’s Post-Baccalau-reate Program in Research. Aisha plans to eventually work toward her Ph.D. in Cancer Research and is looking forward to attending the University of Missouri.

Aisha credits her ¦ ne schooling from District 151 and District 205 with preparing her for a career in science and research.

Nathan Majors Nathan R. Majors, a graduate of Thornton H.S., graduated

7th in his class from the University of Illinois, Urbana with a degree in Communications. He is the second oldest child in the Majors family and has always been a mentor for his sib-lings. He is employed with J.P. Morgan Chase in the call cen-ter in Elgin, Illinois.

Tamika JacksonTamika Jackson is a Graduate of ITT Tech with an ADN De-

gree in Nursing. She is currently employed at Ingalls Memorial Hospital. CONGRATS TAMIKA!

Brandon HerringBrandon graduated this year with a degree from the Univer-sity of Illinois. In his senior year at Thornton H.S., Brandon

was selected as a National Scholar for the Horatio Alger Asso-ciation of Distinguished Scholars. We congratulate Brandon

on his Academic Excellence and Achievements!

Brittany Brooks Brittany Brooks graduated from Illinois State University

with a degree in Sociology. She is currently employed with Thornton Township H.S. and she is attending Governors State

University working on her Master’s degree.

Kudos to Coolidge Middle School Honor Roll Fourth Quarter Honor Roll

Sixth GradeBoyd, LeahMoore, MarcelMuhammad, Rashad

Seventh GradeAskew, DejaGri� n, DestinyJohnson, TrianaMuhammed, HassanWardell, ZionWatkins, Temple

Eighth GradeEzell, Cheyenne

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2012 Village of Phoenix Newsletters

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