Hodgkins DARE officer ends 12-year run

Hodgkins Police Chief Ernest Millsap presents Sgt. Michael Cimino with a statue honoring his years of service as the DARE officer for the police department.

From Staff Reports
Desplaines Valley News

Hodgkins police Sgt. Michael Cimino recently ended his 12-year stint as the police department's DARE officer.

Cimino addressed the 2013 DARE graduates on April 24 in his last official act as the coordinator of the anti-drug program.

“It’s helped me to look at law enforcement through the eyes of sixth-graders, and how they view police officers,” Cimino said. “It’s made me more mindful and aware of our image in the community. 

"I’m proud that, as a DARE officer, I was able to be a positive adult figure, and in particular a positive law enforcement figure, in so many children’s lives.  Often, because I taught multiple siblings in succession over several years, and interacted with their parents and siblings over and over, I had the feeling of being a part of their family.”

Cimino will now assume other police duties as Officer Matthew Hosteny takes over as DARE officer.

“I think what I will miss most is seeing the enthusiasm of the kids when I would walk in.  Kids get very excited about DARE activities," Cimino said.

"I’m sure [Hosteny] will do a great job, as he’s young and he already has a good relationship with the kids,” said Cimino.

The Hodgkins DARE program was started in January 1991 by former Chief Phil Kringlie, who was then a youth officer, at the behest of Chief Rich Stewart.

A year later, Sgt. Chris Milojevich was invited to run the program, and did so for nine years. 

During his tenure as DARE officer, Milojevich started the practice of taking the kids on field trips and doing community service projects, such as raking leaves for the elderly and fundraising for flood victims and a children’s home for the abused.

He first contacted Cimino, who had already been a juvenile officer for two years at that time, about DARE in 2000, to see if he would be interested in becoming the new DARE officer.  He turned the program completely over to Cimino in 2001.

“I wanted him to run DARE as he saw fit, to make the program his own,” Milojevich said.  “I didn’t want to intrude on his ideas.  I was given free reign, and I wanted him to have the same opportunity.” 

Milojevich was pleased with the results. 

“I think Mike did a wonderful job,” Milojevich said.  “He was committed to making the program work, sacrificing a lot of time away from his family.  And the kids really loved him.”

Hodgkins Police Chief Ernest Millsap, who taught DARE in Countryside for 12 years, had modeled his own program in the much the same way as Milojevich, taking the kids on field trips, doing fundraisers, and participating in various community service projects. 

In addition, he started doing end-of-year video slideshows to highlight the activities of each graduating DARE class, and that was something Cimino incorporated as well. 

At the recent graduation, Millsap gave a public recognition of Cimino and expressed both his personal appreciation of the hard work Cimino has done, as well as the appreciation of the department for the many years of service given.

Millsap also relates to the sentiments Cimino expressed.  “The bonds you make with students are always there, as well as with parents,” he said. 

The Hodgkins Police Department is now at work developing further school-interaction programs, which Millsap will unveil in the coming months.

“We are in the process of developing DARE-type programs for some of the lower grades, which will cover anti-bullying, avoiding bad situations, and knowing who to call if help is needed,” Millsap said.

Fireworks, festivals on tap for 4th of July

By Bob Rakow
Desplaines Valley News

There’s no shortage of  4th of July celebrations in the area next week as several communities host parades, fireworks shows and festivals to mark Independence Day.

The Bridgeview Park District will host its annual fireworks show at dusk on July 3 at Commissioners Park, 8100 S. Beloit Ave.

The show will be preceded by the inaugural Art in the Park Expo from 3-7 p.m.

Artists and budding artists 18 years old and younger are invited to submit their work for display. Participants are asked to label their work with their name, age, school and phone number. Only one submission per person is allowed. Artists must drop off their work by 5 p.m. July 2 at park district office, 8100 S. Beloit Ave.

In Summit, the Summit Park District will host an Independence Day celebration July 3 at the park district offices at 5700 S. Archer Road.

The event will include children’s games from 6-7 p.m. as well as free throw shooting and bean bag throwing contests at 6 p.m. Interested participants must sign up before the events. 

A concert of patriotic music performed by the West Suburban Concert Band will begin at 7:30 p.m. followed by the fireworks display at 9 p.m.

The village of Lyons will celebrate its quasquicentennial during the town’s annual Independence Day parade, which steps off at 1 p.m. July 4 on Joliet Avenue. The theme of the parade is the village’s 125^th anniversary.

The village will host a kid’s party at 7 p.m. at Veterans Park, Ogden and Lawndale avenues, and Smith Park, which is located across the street. The family-friendly event is designed for younger children and will feature music, games and face painting.

The annual fireworks show will begin at dusk at Smith and Veterans parks. Organizers encourage people to walk rather than drive to the event, which drew nearly 10,000 cars last year. The show’s grand finale will be longer than usual this year in celebration of the village’s 125^th anniversary.

Brookfield also will celebrate the 4th of July with a parade, which begins at 10 a.m. at Washington and Cleveland avenues and proceeds down Grand Boulevard to Brookfield Avenue and ends at the Village Hall.

The parade will be followed by music, food and fun beginning at noon at Kiwanis Park, 8820 Brookfield Ave. The Neverly Brothers are expected to perform from 12:30-2:15 p.m. followed by Deja Vu from 2:45-4:30 p.m. Battle of the Bands winners Far Sighted and Something's Not Right are expected to take the stage from 5-6 p.m.

The Pleasant Dale Park District will hold its annual fireworks show on July 3 at dusk at Walker Park, 7425 S. Wolf Road, Burr Ridge.

The following day, Boy Scout Troop 69 will hold its 14^th annual 4^th of July Pancake Breakfast. The event will take place from 7:30-11:30 a.m. at Walker Park.

Breakfast will feature pancakes, eggs, sausage, egg strata, fruit, orange juice and Starbucks coffee. There will be raffles, door prizes and a bake sale at the event. The cost is $5.

Those who’d rather see tomatoes than fireworks explode can take part in the Tomato Battle on July 6 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview.

Some 5,000 participants are expected at the event, which will feature dancing, beverages and a food fight involving 300,000 pounds of over ripe tomatoes being tossed at each other. 

Organizers describe the event as a combination of a German Oktoberfest and Spain’s La Tomatina tomato-throwing festival.

Festivities begin at noon with live entertainment and costume contest. The tomato battle commences at 4 p.m. when bathing suit-clad participants converge on a giant pile of tomatoes and pelt them at one another for three hours.

Eye protection, shoes with good tread and a change of clothes are highly recommended. Participants must be at least 14 years old. The cost is $50. Register at www.tomatobattle.com.

Bedford Park police seek public’s help in finding hit-and-run suspect

Police sketch

From Staff Reports
Desplaines Valley News

Cook County Sheriff’s Police released a sketch last week of a man wanted for a hit-and-run crash that left a man critically injured in Bedford Park.

Sheriff’s Police, South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force and the Bedford Park Police Department are seeking the public’s help in finding the driver of the car.

A dark gray Jeep Grand Cherokee struck a man in his 30s about 10:15 p.m. on June 13 in the 5800 block of 73rd Street in Bedford Park, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Police. The victim was left critically injured.

The motorist was described as a 5-foot-6, 150-pound Hispanic man with short hair, sheriff’s police said. He was driving the Grand Cherokee, which has front-end damage.

Calls to the Bedford Park Police Department for more information were not returned.

Anyone with information should call Bedford Park police at 708-458-3388.