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filler@godaddy.com
Last year, Frank and Cyndi Grobmeier sat down with me and shared the story that started the Maddog Strong Foundation. In memory of their daughter, Maddie "Maddog" Grobmeier, they host a Friday evening tree dedication and touching ceremony, where the names of donor hero's is read and memorials are laid in a beautiful park. Saturday morning is race day at Lincolnway North, where Maddog Strong continues to show the real impact of what they are doing and how important it is to be an organ donor. It was a real honor to be part of this weekend as well as be able to record and share it here.
This is our second visit with the Butterfly Ladies, Linda and Kate. When the Chamber of Commerce Garden Walk was cancelled this year, they organized a pollinators tour of a few gardens around town. It was a small group and I (Israel) was lucky enough to be a part of it! The wildflower gardens in town are looking amazing! Thanks to Linda and Kate for including me and for organizing this awesome tour of beautiful Mokena! Enjoy!
Since moving to Mokena in 1977, the Fleischer's have been an active part of the Mokena community. Mayor Fleischer and Mrs. Fleischer sat down with Israel and talked about their lives before Mokena, how they came to Mokena and they impact they have both made since. We discuss Mayor Fleischer's political future and what changes he would like to see for Mokena. Enjoy Israel's conversation with Mayor Frank and Laurie Fleischer.
Matt and Israel talk about the recent storm that came through town and did significant damage down Front Street as well as the collapse of a beloved historic barn, built by the Erickson family in the early 1900's. We also discuss the building that sits on the south east corner of First and Mokena Street. Today the home of Audiologic and the newest addition to Front Street, Hustle & Heart, this site holds a long history as a center of town for generations. Matt shares some great stories of this site that has a long, and at times, troubling, past. This episode is based on Matt's blog post from May 1, 2022 titled, Down on The Corner." You can find that episode here: https://oldmokena.blogspot.com/2022/0...
Retired Mokena Fire Chief (21'), Howard Stephens, joins Israel for a conversation on the front porch. He talks about growing up in Mokena and joining the fire department, as well as how he continues to give back to our community. Enjoy my conversation with, fellow Mokena Lion, Chief Howard Stephens.
George Metanias has been a Mokena Village Trustee since 2005. Before he took his seat in the boardroom, he was local football coach and a business owner. George and I (Israel) took a walk around Main Park and talked about how he ended up in Mokena, his path to public life and his future in Village politics.
Israel and Matt continue their walk down Front Street, starting where part 1 left off, at the corner of Mokena and Front Streets. This stretch of Front Street contains some of Mokena's oldest buildings along with one of Mokena's newest businesses! These episodes give a walking history of the places many of us go by on a daily basis without knowing its rich history! We hope you enjoy this and look for future episodes as we make our way towards Schoolhouse Road! Enjoy our walk! Israel & Matt Mokena's Front Porch Podcast
Mokena is growing as a welcoming place for butterflies, as well as other pollinators like bees and hummingbirds, thanks in large part to the work of Linda Malmborg and her very knowledgeable sidekick, Kate Wojtulewicz. Formed as "Butterflies R Us", they are sharing the good news about milkweed! Theses ladies, along with Andrea, Chuck and Gigi gave me (Israel) a tour of the Wolf Road wildflower garden, that has been upgraded BIG TIME this year! Pretty soon we will see those tall yellow sunflowers waving as we drive down Wolf Road! This was a great start to a Sunday morning and I am looking forward to going back to follow the progress!
Wednesday, May 29th, 2024, was the grand opening of the long awaited Mokena Police Station. This was about 15 years in the making and this high tech facility does not disappoint! With high tech virtual reality training, an indoor gun range, and a beautiful fitness center for the officers, this station is a significant upgrade of services for the community. Israel and Matt get to speak with Police Chief Benton and Deputy Chief Stumpf, a couple Village Trustees, police officers and staff. Everyone shared a similar excitement about this facility and what it will contribute to our community safety as well as the ability to attract the best and brightest. Congratulations to the Mokena Police Department and the Village of Mokena, for a job well done on a beautiful facility!
Israel and Matt met up with The Dock restaurant owner, Rick Trafton, to get to know him and his restaurant, which will be making its home on Front Street in the near future! This is the second tour of the property and there have been major changes since our first visit! There will be more updates to come as this historical treasure on Front Street is brought back to life after so many years.
Gigi On The Scene and her late brother, Levi Pitboxer, share through their humans, Andrea and Chuck, some of the most beautiful areas of Mokena with their followers near and far. Chuck and Andrea met and were married because of their dogs and they clear love their pups! It was great to hear their stories of coming to Mokena and finding each other here. They tell us some of their favorite parks and places to explore. I really enjoyed taking a walk with Gigi, Andrea and Chuck and I hope you will enjoy hearing some of their story too! You can find Gigi On The Scene on Facebook and Instagram!
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