Homer Glen Awards 'Community And Nature In Harmony' Winners

HOMER GLEN, IL — At its Sept. 25 board meeting, the village board recognized the winners of the 2019 Community and Nature in Harmony Awards. The village said the awards are given to an individual or group who, through the preservation, restoration, and/or beautification of land within the village of Homer Glen and/or unincorporated Homer Township, has demonstrated a commitment to the environment and in the process has contributed to community pride.

11 projects received awards this year, including:

• Atho Bastas, for planning, organizing and installing a 70-foot boardwalk over marshy terrain at Messenger Woods forest preserve.
• Nick Martin, for designing and building 'Buddy Benches' at Reed School for students to relax and enjoy being outside.
• Homer Glen Junior Woman's Club, for raising funds to donate to the village for the construction of a gazebo at Heritage Park's Active Core.
• Adam and Amanda Buglio, for demonstrating how flowers, herbs and vegetables can blend together in a backyard setting and showcasing their garden on the garden walk.
• Mike and Nancy Eleder, for creating a nature sanctuary filled with a variety of gardens and "fairy nooks," and showcasing their garden on numerous garden walks.
• Debbie Haslinger, for creating a habitat for wildlife, including a pond and waterfall, as well as a landscape featuring perennials, shrubs and trees on her property.
• Walt Konow, for preserving and relocating the New Lenox train station and adding more than 300 trees on his property.
• William and Lori Kopesky, for beautifying their property with a new landscape featuring stone flowers, native grasses and perennials
• Glen and Kathy Kudla, for creating a landscape with a backyard sanctuary and wildlife habitat featuring a variety of flowers, perennials and trees on their property.
• Lorenzo and Lisa Quintana, for demonstrating how to transform a drainage problem into an attractive rain garden and showing how to recycle ordinary objects into a garden setting, as well as showcasing their garden on the garden walk.
• Tom and Eileen Roll, for creating a "perennial paradise" in their yard and showcasing their garden on the garden walk.