Established 1930

The Oak Lawn Park District is proud to announce that Horticulturist Dolly Foster recently won the Parks and Natural Resource Management (PNRM) Section’s Distinguished Member of the Year Award. This award is presented through the Illinois Park & Recreation Association (IPRA).

Dolly heads the Horticulture Committee in the PNRM Section and has facilitated educational opportunities for IPRA members for the past several years. The award criteria, all of which Dolly has satisfied, is as follows: must be an active member of IPRA , must be an active member of a section (PNRM), attend section/committee meetings throughout the year, volunteer for an event, provide useful resources to fellow members of a section (PNRM), and make a major contribution, past or present.

Winners must first be nominated by a peer and are then selected by the Section’s Awards & Recognition Committee as the overall winner. 

To view Park District gardening or nature programs, visit www.olparks.com or call 708-857-2225 for more information.

Full story available in the Oak Lawn Independent

For the first time since mid-October, students returned to in-person instruction at Richards High School and all of District 218 last week.

Teachers smiled broadly behind their facemasks as they welcomed students. With modified space utilization, hourly cleaning of high-touch surfaces, divided hallways and other safety protocols in place staff worked to ensure the well-being of everyone.

Parents play a role as well.  They must verify the health of their children daily through Skyward, the student data management application. Students must show the verification before boarding buses or entering school. 

Half of students attend on Monday, the other half on Tuesday. Wednesday remains an independent learning day. The blended format repeats on Thursdays and Fridays.

Parents also could choose to have their children continue remote learning full time.

Full story available in the Oak Lawn Independent

He is affectionately known by former teammates and basketball fans everywhere as “Bo”, but from now on he will be known as Hall of Famer Jim Bocinsky. The Oak Lawn Community High School alumnus and co-captain of the 1971 Illinois High School Association State Runner-up team has received plenty of accolades for his play on the court, but this latest one is pretty special.

The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association recently announced its Class of 2021, and Bo is deservedly on that esteemed list of basketball greats. This is the 50th anniversary of the Spartans’ trip to the State Finals in 1971, and now Bocinsky will be honored for all of his accomplishments on the hardcourt.

Full story available in the Oak Lawn Independent

Richards High School Principal Dr. Mike Jacobson (pictured) inspired donations of more than $16,000 on New Year’s Day by walking 24 hours without stopping. The remarkable feat, which streamed live on Facebook, supported the school college scholarship fund.

Richards teachers, students and parents walked or ran with him from home. Superintendent Dr. Paul Enderle of Oak Lawn-Hometown District 123 and Superintendent Adam Thorns from Chicago Ridge District 127 ½ also walked with him.

Full story available in the Oak Lawn Independent