Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, June 30 through July 12

This week, I'd like to draw your attention to two stories.

One is a feature about the founder of a Plainfield animal rescue written by The Herald-News' summer intern Rachel Barks. It's Barks' first feature story, and she did a GREAT job! The rescue also has its annual pet fest and car show Sunday, so please check it out.

The other is a column I wrote two Sundays ago seeking information about Highland Park in Joliet. It's lesser known than Pilcher Park and not much exists in the way of photos, facts, etc. If you any of those, please message me.

Have a great weekend, readers, writers, and BryonySeries fans! :)

Non-bylined features:

Monday through Saturday I assembled my non-bylined works - brief posts and calendar listings - into one convenient file and posting them on Facebook in the evening, so readers can easily choose the ones they want to read.

One can also find those event listings, the Gotta Do It calendar, as well as the pets, health, faith, and arts and entertainment calendars, under the sections tab on the left hand side of http://www.theherald-news.com/. Click on "features" and the topics drop down.  Gotta Do It runs under "people."

Community news? Again, under the sections tab, under features, and by topic. Updates are posted on these days in print and web (and some only on web on other days as I have the time): 

 Social media:

Daily updates: I do post the briefs and calendars on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries at @BryonySeries. And assorted related content at www.facebook.com/BryonySeries. And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to jon WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/writeonminooka/?ref=bookmarks. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

Upcoming events:

Once Timothy Baran is done updating this page, these will listed here: https://www.bryonyseries.com/fetes-and-feasts.

Check out the progress he has made so far. Each square is hand-built. And be sure to "hover" your hand over the first square. Note: this only works (so far) with the desktop version.

But he's also made A LOT of changes to the website. So be sure to roam around a bit.

Books and Such

Information on my books (including where to buy) along with upcoming events is at www.bryonyseries.com. Again, Timothy is in the process of updating the website, so all titles may not appear. If you have any questions, email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News. And for reading this blog. And if you've read (or plan to read) any of my books. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Seeking information/photos for Joliet park

When I share my memories about Highland Park – even to longtime Joliet residents – I often receive one of two responses.

The first is "Really? I don't remember that." The second is, "I vaguely remember that."

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/06/30/seeking-informationphotos-for-joliet-park/a1qstno/

An Extraordinary Life Joliet man was known as 'The Protector of St. Mary Nativity'

“Johnny said, ‘I lit the candle so he’s being prayed for,’ ” Pat Bosi said. “ ‘Any time you’re not there, that candle will be lit for the person who has cancer.’ ”

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/06/20/an-extraordinary-life-joliet-man-was-known-as-the-protector-of-st-mary-nativity/ajtxony/

An Extraordinary Life: Joliet couple's passion for culture enriched lives

Patricia Pedersen said her parents had high expectations for the children in terms of school grades and behavior. She recalled the story William liked to tell about a particular restaurant meal when the family was in Europe.

"The table nearby had kids that were misbehaving," Patricia said. "The parents looked over at our table and made an announcement: 'Why can't the kids behave like the Americans?'"

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/07/02/ca605ba4d77a4dfdaf78ae44203725df/index.xml

Joliet cancer survivor has 4 reasons to live
'If you keep praying to God, everything will turn out all right.'

"I'm not sad. I'm a happy woman," Carolyn Tucker said. "I've got a team working with me and they pray with me. What more can I say? I'm thankful for what they've done for me and what they continue to do for me."

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/06/21/3a1b2ceb80ff4f5992fbb3f2510ed7b8/index.xml

Celebrate Historic John Lane Days
Lockport farm hosting fundraising to help preserve local history

Sylvia Zielke-Kuffel and Joe Kuffel are in a race against time to preserve a bit of Lockport history for the community.

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/07/09/77e6e983624242cfab3a38eb32f74ed3/index.xml


Changing pets' lives one rescue at a time

“I have a love for animals and when I learned about rescue over 10 years ago, it was a no-brainer,” Terri Crotty said. “I wanted to help the animals.”

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/07/11/9fd2ef3489fa4fb099364f69a0d94a40/index.xml


Artworks: Hot Wheels Legends Tour comes to Romeoville 

"It's having your creation, something you built with your own hands, being turned into a Hot Wheels," Ricardo Briceno, brand manager of Hot Wheels said about the tour's contest. "That's such a big honor."

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/07/09/9830b26ca3f047349a5280f40e28e5de/index.xml?page=1

Actor Noel G to host comedy show Saturday at Joliet theater

“I did four years in prison. That messed me up a little bit,” Noel Guglielmi said. “When I came out, I realized enough was enough. I was facing 15 years in prison for attempted murder that happened with some gang activities. That was my wake-up call. That’s when I started taking acting more seriously.”

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/07/02/actor-noel-g-to-host-comedy-show-saturday-at-joliet-theater/aot0wdc/

LocalLit spotlight: Cyd Notter of Wilmington

Notter said: My book titled “The ‘Plan A’ Diet: Combining Whole Food, Plant Based Nutrition with the Timeless Wisdom of Scripture” will be released this year (the e-book was released Tuesday, and the paperback will be released Oct. 1). The book is available wherever books are sold, but signed copies are available now on my website along with a special prelaunch offer.

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/07/01/locallit-spotlight-cyd-notter-of-wilmington/aj5tpp0/

LocalLit book spotlight: 'Emmet's Storm' by Ann Rubino of Shorewood

A Best STEM Book by a retired teacher. And it takes place in the nineteenth century.

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/07/12/84046a6b3b534dd094d13d74227c504d/index.xml 

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage." Follow him at www.facebook.com/artbymattcoundiff

Woods, Water & Michigan, Part 1

The pull of childhood impressions must be very strong within me, because, even today, woods and water mark the epitome of serenity and romance. Perhaps that’s why Simons Woods and Lake Munson were two of Bryony’s earliest settings.

I grew up in Joliet in a brand-new subdivision that was still underdeveloped enough to contain fields of prairie grasses and tiny, raspberry-sized wild strawberries that my sister and I picked on June mornings until they disappeared with the July heat. We could spend an entire morning crawling on the ground, the weeds scratching our bare legs, moving aside green thatches to find the reddest berries. When our plastic, old butter tub containers were full, we ran home to remove the green tops and toss them into a colander to rinse them clean. They topped our Cheerios the next morning, just like a cereal’s box’s cover photo.

Our three-bedroom ranch house backed up into Highland Park, so before my father installed a six-foot, wooden, privacy fence, you could see the within walking-distance athletic club pavilion. However, the strawberries grew less abundantly there than behind my friend’s house across the street.

Beyond Highland Park was Pilcher Park, with its winding roads, famous flowing well, nature museum and walking trails, and a creek that featured paddle boats in summer and ice skating in winter. I remember being pulled away from an afternoon showing of “Munster Go Home,” on the little rabbit-eared, black and white television in the basement to instead go ice skating. I had outgrown my ice skates and wobbled on a pair, two sizes too large, that had once belonged to my mother. I detested ice skating from that day forward.

We moved to New Lenox in 1974, again to a wooded area near a much smaller creek. That body of water was the perfect spot to watch dragonflies and entertain random musings. I took woods for granted, until I had children of my own and lived in an area that had none.