100 Years Young, Rogue Bison: Stories That Made Us Smile In 2022

ACROSS ILLINOIS — There's been some pretty amazing acts of kindness to celebrate in 2022. And as we wind down this year, and look ahead to 2023, it's a good time to reminisce on some of the stories that made us smile from this past year.

Some have just been odd, like the still-intact 1950s McDonald's hamburgers wrappers and French fries found during a demo project or the nuptials shared by a couple who became the first ever to get married at Aldi.

And up until his capture in May, Billy the Bison did provide some entertainment for many in the northwest suburbs as the massive animal, who escaped last year, spent eight months making surprise visits in backyards and stopping traffic as he meandered across roadways.

Others have been tear jerkers, including the story of a young child who is fighting cancer, and the effort to put up an amazing Christmas light display at her home for her to enjoy when she returns from the hospital.

And, of course, we love to hear from our eldest readers, who shared snippets from their life stories as they celebrated 100th birthdays in 2022, including Josephine Rendell of Oak Lawn.

She shared her secret to making it to 100 years old with Patch editor Lorraine Swanson.

“Everybody asks me that,” Rendell said. “I do a lot of praying. I read my Bible all the time. God is good. His word is a lamp on to our feet and a light unto our path. I love people. I just give them what the Lord told me to say.”

Let's keep the smiles going through the holidays and as we head into 2023.

Top Stories That Made Us Smile In 2022

60-Year-Old McDonald's Fries Unearthed During Crystal Lake DIY Project

Grace Jones’ memories of trips to McDonald’s go back to her childhood growing up in the Chicago suburbs, but she never expected her connection to the iconic fast-food chain to hit home the way it did earlier this.

A renovation project led to an interesting discovery for Jones and her husband, Rob, when they found a bag with two 1950s-era hamburger wrappers and — more remarkably — some French fries that somehow survived the test of time while buried inside their bathroom wall.

Grace, who teaches in the Huntley school district, figured the McDonald’s fries and wrappers had been buried inside the home’s wall for some 60 years, given the old-time logo on the bag. The couple was amazed and perplexed at the same time.

“We wondered, how on earth are these fries still in this bag and how are they preserved so well?” Grace said. “It was wild. ... My thoughts are that it was likely the salt that dried out and preserved the fries, not actual preservatives. Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself.”

Grayslake Rallies Around The Vine After Years Of Community Support

Mike Pruitt has always been a firm believer that it is better to work together than on your own, and that has led him to establish a business model for his Grayslake martini and wine bar that is built around supporting his community. But after 16 years in business, the owner of the The Vine found himself instead receiving help from the community he grew up in.

Pruitt’s business took about a $50,000 hit in September after a 1970s-era 1,000-gallon oil tank that was filled to the brim was found buried on The Vine's property by construction workers for a project that will expand the restaurant’s footprint. Shortly after that, Pruitt learned the restaurant’s main sewer line was broken, which forced The Vine to close temporarily.

But the community stepped up to help the business that, over the years, has hosted community fundraisers like rib cooking contests, car shows, and bourbon and beer festivals and raises hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for local not-for-profit organizations.

A GoFundMe set up in September to bring in much-needed funds for The Vine has since raised more than $19,000 of its $30,000 goal to help support the business that's been hit with some lofty financial struggles this past year. (And the online fundraiser is still accepting money if you'd like to donate here).

“It’s humbling,” Pruitt told Patch. “It’s hard because having your feet in those shoes is tough, and it makes you tear up a little bit. But it definitely gives you hope to keep going.”

Adored Orland Park Girl In Cancer Fight Gets Christmas Lights Delight

While Isla Dorsey is hospitalized, her 3-year-old body fighting hard to fend off an infection, hundreds of hands got to work at her Orland Park home earlier this month, setting it aglow with Christmas lights to delight her when she returns from the hospital.

Danielle Dorsey, Isla's mother, was near tears as she watched the bustling crew disperse across her lawn, all on a mission to deck the walls—and roof, and lawn. The Lights and Ladders Brigade, joined by Project Fire Buddies, pulled up to the home, cranked some Christmas tunes, and got started. Firefighters from dozens of departments volunteered to be part of the effort.

Isla was diagnosed in May with rhabdomyosarcoma in her left sinuses, and it has spread to a lymph node on each side, and both of her lungs. Dorsey's daughter has been waging a big fight for a little girl.

"She has had a really rough last 7 months, complication after complication," Dorsey told Patch.

Couple Says 'I Do' After Walking Down Aldi Aisle In Batavia: Photos

Most people get married in a church. Some get adventurous and choose exotic locales to walk down the aisle. One Michigan couple has a story few others do: they said "I do" at Aldi.

In August, the company, whose U.S. headquarters are in Batavia, hosted its Happily Ever Aldi contest that gave participants a chance to get married at Aldi. All lovers had to do was share what makes their story special and why they deserve to be the first-ever couple to get married at Aldi.

Jessica Bojanowski and Michael Hurd, of Southgate, Michigan, were the "perfect" couple to win the contest because they embody "Aldi love," a company spokesperson said. For the couple, they knew it was meant to be when they realized the date of the proposed Aldi wedding, Nov. 9, was coincidentally the anniversary of their first date.

"Getting married at ALDI feels like a dream come true! ALDI has always been a key part of our relationship," Bojanowski and Hurd told Patch, per a company spokesperson. "We work opposite schedules, so weekends are the only time we get to really see each other. We've always cherished our Sunday morning shopping 'dates' at ALDI. It's something we look forward to doing together each week. As soon as we heard about the contest to get married in an ALDI, we both agreed it was fate."

From Mississippi to Chicago: Mother Rendell Celebrates 100th Birthday

Like the concentric circles of a tree, Josephine Rendell’s rings span across ten decades. She’s the matriarch of her family and the oldest member of the church her mother founded over 65 years ago. Her amazing life was celebrated in July at her 100th birthday party at Moraine Court Supportive Living in Bridgeview, where Rendell has lived since 2018.

Visibly moved by the pink tablecloths covering the folding tables in the activity room, the elegant “Mother Rendell” stepped off the elevator to the applause of her cousins, church friends and the “beautiful seniors” of Moraine Court who came to celebrate her century of life.

She shared her snippets from life story with Patch and her secret to making it to 100 years old.

“Everybody asks me that,” Rendell said. “I do a lot of praying. I read my Bible all the time. God is good. His word is a lamp on to our feet and a light unto our path. I love people. I just give them what the Lord told me to say.”

Tinley Park Christmas House Continues To Grow While Helping Community

Holiday displays have been in Dominic Kowalczyk’s blood since he was a child and first set up his first Christmas display that centered around a little plastic train at age 5 or 6 years old. What started as a normal-sized holiday decorative display grew each year until the display that now encompasses three full lots took shape.

Over the years, the house has picked up its share of media attention, including appearing on the Great Christmas Light Fight in 2013.

The episode on the Tinley Park resident drew 8 million viewers, Kowalczyk said. Since then, it has just gotten bigger and led Kowalczyk to purchase the homes on either side of his residence. He set up rent-to-own agreements with his brother and one of his friends – just to provide more real estate to continue to grow the display. But with all the hard work comes a major community payoff.

Each year, Kowalczyk makes a donation to Together We Cope, a Tinley Park not-for-profit. Last year, the Tinley Park Christmas House donated $35,000 to the organization and partnered with American Sale, which matched the first $10,000 in donations made to Together We Cope.

“The feeling is great, and Christmas decorations are one of the few things that appeal to everybody,” Kowalczyk told Patch. “You could be a 4-year-old kid, a grandma, or a biker dude, and it brings everybody into the (holiday) spirit.”

Trike Donation Helps Westmont Boy, 12, 'Be A Kid Again'

Braden Kubish hasn't been able take bike rides with his friends for nearly five years, but that all changed when community members surprised him with a new electronic tricycle from Pedego Bikes in Wheaton Saturday. The 12-year-old, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor at 5 and leukemia at 8, is blind in his right eye and deals with mobility issues. The tricycle will help him maintain balance and be easily seen by drivers, making it possible for him to finally ride with his buddies again.

Braden is the only person in the world to have been diagnosed with craniopharyngioma and T-cell leukemia, two conditions that are unrelated, his mother, Brittany, said.

An 'Angel In the Car' As Tinley Teen Saved Lives of Mom, Many Others

A Tinley Park teen showed poise most adults cannot muster as she faced a medical emergency while riding in a car driven by her mother. Tinley Park High School sophomore Reaghan Monahan was in the passenger seat headed home after a volleyball game when her mother, Elizabeth, suffered a seizure.

They were driving on Interstate 294 when her mother's foot locked on the gas pedal, which put 15-year-old Reaghan — who was still learning to drive — into a state of panic. But Reaghan acted fast, grabbing the steering wheel to make sure the car did not crash. She then reached over, slid the seat back and climbed on top of her mother to take control of the wheel and pedals.

As the incident unfolded, authorities were receiving calls of an erratic driver. Reaghan stuck her hand out a window and flagged down a fire department vehicle driven by a firefighter, who quickly tailed her and ensured they made it to safety. The car came to a stop between South Holland and Chicago Heights, and no one was injured.

Tinley Park Woman Turns 100, Has Her Cake And Eats It, Too

Pauline Cotrano wasn't initially thrilled when her granddaughters told her they'd planned her a surprise birthday party—and it was starting right then on Oct. 28 as her friends began to trickle into a tent and garage that was draped in decorations.

She wanted to change her outfit, she said—she didn't want to be wearing this, gesturing to a sparkly top with a beautiful gray shawl across her shoulders. She needed to change before more people arrived, she prodded them.

And when you've just turned 100 years old, you certainly have every right to change your mind—and your outfit. Cotrano's sassy response to their plan didn't surprise her granddaughters in the least—she might be slight at just 4-foot-11 and 90 pounds—but Pauline doesn't hold back. The freshly minted centenarian has never been shy about speaking her mind, and likes things just so, and her way.

"She's a very strong-willed woman, very, very stubborn, very set in her ways, but she has the biggest heart, and she would do anything for you," said her granddaughter Lisa Fishback. Her family estimates 120 people stopped out to celebrate Cotrano during her October birthday celebration.

Cotrano had a simple answer for what has helped her live this long.

"You wanna know my secret?" she asked, as I leaned forward to hear her. "No drinking, no smoking. What else you want? That's it!"

Her granddaughters say there have been other cornerstones to her well-lived life.

"... pray and keep God center, that's very big in her life," Fishback said.

Inseparable Duo Named Sandburg High School Homecoming King and Queen

Two high school seniors who have shared the purest of friendships since they were toddlers stood before their classmates in October and were crowned Sandburg High School homecoming king and queen.

Seniors Selena Schuster and Tim "Timmy" Matykiewicz were chosen as royalty from among 13 other couples, a gesture made more significant to their families, as both are in the school's special education program.

"When I saw 13, I thought, 'it’s a long shot,'" said Amy Matykiewicz, Tim's mom. But that didn't stop her from spreading the word on social media to help get the pair the win. And win, they did.

'An Easy Decision:' One Devoted Local Dad Donates Liver To Another

A husband and father to three children was given more time with his family, and a healthy organ to replace his ailing one, thanks to a generous donation from a fellow Kirby District 140 father. Dan Droszcz and his wife, Nancy, both of Tinley Park, learned in April 2021 that Dan, 52, had stage IV terminal liver cancer. The family began looking for an organ donor and were matched with Chris Staehlin, a 35-year-old Frankfort dad.

"I think when we first made the decision to look into it, we knew that Dan was a dad, and we really felt like if we were in their position, we would want someone to do it for us," said Chris's wife, Sarah Staehlin. "So that was a big motivator. We’ll often say to ourselves, we don’t have 'big problems,' we have little annoyances, and we should really do more. This was the ultimate ‘do more.’

"... We had some long talks ... We have two little kids ourselves. It came across our plate for a reason."

After the successful transplant, the families finally got to meet.

"How's my liver treatin' ya?" Staehlin asked when meeting Droszcz.

"It's treating me good," Droszcz said. "I love you, man. You're family now."

Stranger Donates Kidney To Lake County Board Member

Longtime Lake County board member Bonnie Thompson Carter received the gift of life from a stranger this past year. In August 2019, Carter was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer. The aggressive cancer ended up injuring her kidneys, leading to kidney failure.

Carter, 65, of Ingleside, was placed on the deceased kidney transplant list. But since it typically takes between five and eight years to receive a kidney from a deceased donor, doctors told Carter, who spent 20 years on the Lake County Board, that she only had three to five years to live on dialysis. Her family and friends sprung into action to find a living donor, launching a website, putting up signs and scouring social media for possible matches.

The effort led to 64 potential donors, who were whittled down to eight candidates. Northwestern Memorial Hospital conducted tests on the candidates before Carter selected a 33-year-old father from Kirkland as the donor.

Billy The Bison Ends Eight Months On The Run, Captured In Lake County

It took eight months, but Billy the Bison was successfully captured in April after she spent late last year and the start of this one meandering about the northwest suburbs. After several surprise sightings of her crossing highways and wandering into backyards, Billy settled at Lakewood Forest Preserve in early April. And in late May, the Lake County Forest Preserve hired an animal capturer to woo Billy into a barn and then transport her off of the forest preserve district property. Billy escaped while being unloaded from a trailer at Milk and Honey Farmstead in Wauconda in September of 2021 and her adventures in the months following made headlines:

• Billy The Bison Spotted Near Her Farm, Being Lured With Food
• Billy The Bison Spotted Six Months After Her Escape
• Forest Preserve Officials Urge Caution Amid Bison Sightings
• Will Billy The Bison Make It Home For The Holidays?
• Elusive Bison Still Roaming Free

Chicago Bears Host Highland Park High School Football Team At Practice

Players from the Highland Park High School football team were among the attendees at the Chicago Bears first practice of the year this past summer at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. The Bears hosted players and coaches from the Highland Park High School Giants team along with nonprofit community organizations as part of the first of four scheduled community days during the team's training camp.

"It was a very special day for our program," Giants Head Coach Anthony Kopp told Patch.

The Bears organization also contributed $80,000 to the Highland Park Community Foundation, and the NFL Foundation provided a matching donation, according to team representatives.

Chicago Voted Best Big City By Conde Nast Readers

Readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine voted Chicago the "Best Big City in the U.S." for the sixth year in a row this past year. In the 35-year history of Condé Nast's Readers Choice Awards, no other U.S. city has taken the award more than three straight times, according to Chicago tourism officials. Mayor Lori Lightfoot cited the city's restaurants, hotels, meeting spaces, cultural institutions, entertainment venues and "vibrant, diverse neighborhoods," as some of the reasons why Chicago remained top of the luxury brand's tourism rankings.

Man Raps Case To Elmhurst Aldermen

The Elmhurst City Council hears from residents at most meetings. Some want to give a shoutout to charitable efforts in town. Others are frustrated with downtown parking or want to vent about a zoning controversy. During a meeting in August, the council had just one speaker signed up – Jim Hodapp, who lives on Stuart Court.

In July, he showed up at a council meeting to complain about being ticketed for having weeds and asked the council to declare his property a nature preserve. At the next meeting in July, he rapped about it for aldermen.

In August, he showed up to address the issue again, and shared this rap with councilors:

Save the wild bees by letting the dandelions grow and just saying no. No to herbicide. No to pesticide. And, yes, to a blessed new hour of wildflower power. Think about that. The hippies are back. My name's not Jack. It's Jim. I'm not that slim. I'm getting old, but my raps are still bold, and I live in E-town Elmhurst, Starburst.
This is where people rule the universe. Gentlemen, please don't curse. Ladies hold onto your purse. And I don't care if the president does declare an end to war in E-town Elmhurst," he said. "You better still lock your car door. Yo, wildflower power. Wildflower power. Wildflower power.