Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Leo Alumni and Friends: How To Get to the Football 1-A Semi-Finals at Lena-Winslow HS! Practice and Win a Bunch of Games



It's a two and half hour drive; bring some snacks.

Here are some directions from the South Side, using Leo High School as a starting point, to Lena-Winslow HS for Saturday's IHSA Football SemiFinals.

Here is Google Map:

Driving directions to Lena-Winslow School District
This route has tolls.
7901 S Sangamon St
Chicago, IL 60620
1. Head north on S Sangamon St toward W 79th St
79 ft
2. Take the 1st right onto W 79th St
1.2 mi
3. Turn left onto S State St
207 ft
4. Slight left onto the Interstate 94 W ramp
0.2 mi
5. Keep left at the fork and merge onto I-94 W
1.6 mi
6. Merge onto I-90 W/I-94 W
15.6 mi
7. Keep left to stay on I-90 W, follow signs for Interstate 90 W/Kennedy Expressway/O'Hare/Rockford
Partial toll road
67.0 mi
8. Take the Interstate 39 S/U.S. 51 S exit toward Rockford/U.S. 20
0.5 mi
9. Merge onto I-39 S/US-51 S
2.7 mi
10. Continue onto Hwy 20 W/US-20 W
46.3 mi
11. Turn right onto W Galena Rd
1.5 mi
12. Continue onto E Lena St
0.3 mi
13. Turn right onto Fremont St
Destination will be on the right
410 ft
Lena-Winslow School District
401 Fremont St
Lena, IL 61048

Here's Directions from Morgan Park, over by 107th & Rockwell what's my house.-

Driving directions to Lena-Winslow School District
This route has tolls.
107$% S Rockwell St
Chicago, IL 60655
1. Head south on S Rockwell St toward W 108th St
0.4 mi
2. Turn right onto W 111th St
2.8 mi
3. Turn left onto S Cicero Ave
1.7 mi
4. Merge onto I-294 N via the ramp to W Suburbs
Toll road
18.7 mi
5. Take the Interstate 290 W exit towardRockford/U.S. 20/Illinois 64
Partial toll road
1.4 mi
6. Merge onto I-290 W
14.5 mi
7. Take the I-90/IL-62 exit toward Algonquin Rd/IL-53 N
0.6 mi
8. Keep left at the fork, follow signs forIllinois 62/Algonquin Rd/Interstate 90 W/Rockford
0.4 mi
9. Keep right at the fork, follow signs for I-90 W/Rockford
Partial toll road
0.5 mi
10. Keep left at the fork and merge onto I-90 W
Toll road
50.4 mi
11. Take the Interstate 39 S/U.S. 51 S exit toward Rockford/U.S. 20
0.5 mi
12. Merge onto I-39 S/US-51 S
2.7 mi
13. Continue onto Hwy 20 W/US-20 W
46.3 mi
14. Turn right onto W Galena Rd
1.5 mi
15. Continue onto E Lena St
0.3 mi
16. Turn right onto Fremont St
Destination will be on the right
410 ft
Lena-Winslow School District
401 Fremont St
Lena, IL 61048
Here's What Jack Farnan '63 has to say about avoiding construction.

" . . .  been thru Lena several times on way to Galena....
taking I-90 with the construction can get you stuck on the road for an hour if there is an accident.
It is better to take I-88 to I-39 and then the US 20 Bypass around Rockford and US 20 Bypass around Freeport
Also if you check the aerial photo of their stadium using the IHSA bracket link you’ll see there are very few seats out there."

N.B. Remember -Behave on the sidelines !  Leo is already playing the Lena Panthers, the clock and the Referees. 

Monday, November 18, 2013

The Pride of Lions - A Team of Extraordinary Gentlemen



Leo High School defeated the undefeated Crusaders of Ottawa Marquette 32-27

Up Next: CLASS 1A
Leo at Lena-Winslow
Maroa-Forsyth at Downs Tri-Valley

I am overwhelmed by the selfless commitment of the young men of Leo High School.   There is not one Super-star on this hard-scrabble score and half of teenagers suited and sometimes squeezed into Black and Orange; there is a collection of kids with heart and the tools to make a difference on the football field, the classroom and on the streets.

Leo High School may very well capture the Class 1A Football Championship, perhaps not, but I have pretty good idea of how they got here so far.

The Leo High School varsity is dominated by the Class of 2014.  These are the guys who began their freshman as the Leo Academy.   The Academy was the product of Mr. Frank Wilson - The Gunny.  The Gunny spent ten years as a United States Marine and the last ten years as Leo High School's Vice Principal.  Frank Wilson is  recruiting poster tall, lean and self-confident.  The Leo Academy that he envisioned pulled the incoming class of Leo freshmen together as a unit with a daily task and group accountability.  They formed a squad, a band of brothers.  It worked.  The Freshmen Class of 2014 amassed a GPA that set the standard for the next four years.  As a group these current seniors owe their success to the rigors of Gunny Wilson's discipline and command presence. The 2014 ACT is the highest in years and 2 full points above the Illinois Charter School scores.

Frank Wilson handles all curriculum and student accountability matters - all the tedious and attention to detail jobs, as well as serves as a powerful mentor to young men.  The Gunny exudes command-presence and never raises his voice.  It is near impossible to find photos of Frank Wilson on the Leo websites,because it is tough to catch him standing still.
Frank "Gunny" Wison, Ms. Silva and the Lady Lion Ms. Latifi.
When our seniors were summer session freshmen, Frank Wilson gave them a sense of team, personal accountability and selfless dedication to task that is clearly evident on the football field and so obvious in the halls everyday.

The Leo student body has followed the lead of the Leo Academy 2014 for respect of self and the traditions that are Leo -Facta Non Verba.

The game against Ottawa Marquette reminded me of an other Leo teams - the 1942 City Champs.  The team coached by Whitey Cronin featured no end of great athletes and Leo heroes - Jimmy Arneberg, Bob Hanlon, Bob Kelly, Tony Kelly and on and on.  There were no stand-out heroes; rather a team of extraordinary men.

There are so many impact players on the 2014 Leo Varsity that it is hard to say who stands out any one game.  Like the 1942 City Champs, Leo is the star,

We can thank Mr. Frank Wilson, Leo Vice Principal for making this year's leadership and talent heavy varsity football team, almost as much Coach Holmes, for making 2013-2014 Varsity Football a team of extraordinary gentlemen.




Thursday, November 14, 2013

Forrest Contemplates His Next Government Appointment Amid Outcry -" Ventra is ObamaCare for CTA Riders

CTA President Forrest Claypool listens to complaints about Ventra during a budget hearing in Chicago.CTA President Forrest Claypool listens to complaints about Ventra during a budget hearing in Chicago.

Well, Ventra Cards are sure not doing much for Forrest Claypool's future CTA pay days.  The chinless job-hopper who has made a career of making his sandy eye-brows spike into Isosceles triangles when cameras roll aping genuine concern and attention has got to be thinking about the next appointment.

Let's see - Quinn already picked Paul Vallas for Guv Lite, dang. This accountability in the workplace is so not cool.

How about State of Illinois Chairman for Blue Ribbon Commission Appointments?  Knock down $ 185,000 per annum with all of the requisite perquisites.

Or, how about a County Gig - Forrest Preserve Commissioner - preserving a Claypool paycheck anywhere in the county.

City Hall might not be too happy. No.  Better let Rahm simmer down after 15,000 helots got free bus rides yesterday.

The Feds????  You bet.  There's three good years of Obama Czar Search Possibilities!!!!! Give Val Jarrett a jingle.

Hope and Change, Forrest!  Hope and Change, My Boy!