Grand Opening Celebration
I-355 Tollway South Extension (Veterans Memorial Tollway
Sunday - November 11, 2007
Sponsored by the Illinois Tollway Authority and
The Villages of Homer Glen, Lemont, Lockport, and New Lenox
For information about Homer Glen's portion of the celebration, read the section below,
Schedule of Homer Glen Celebration Activities, or call 708-301-0632.
Grand Opening Celebration Schedule of Events - Tollway Website
Schedule of Homer Glen Celebration Activities
Parking Map (PDF)
Print "About Homer Glen Celebration Activities" (PDF)
Veterans Day 2007 will soon hold special significance for the Village of
Homer Glen as the town plans its final stages for the I-355 Veterans Memorial
Tollway Celebration. The thoroughfare's grand opening celebration will be held
on Veterans Day, Sunday, November 11 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Towns along the new extension are each planning their own celebrations. Homer Glen's portion will be held at the 159th Street ramp, on the roadway. Shuttle service from remote parking locations will transport attendees to the ramp. A trolley service will be on the highway to transport attendees to different event son the road.
"We're looking forward to a great celebration, both for our portion of the event and for all of the other towns that are participating," said Homer Glen Mayor Jim Daley.
Homer Glen's event will begin at 10:00 a.m. with the presentation of colors and the national anthem, followed by a speech by Major David McGuire, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"We are doing our part to salute those who bravely serve our country," Daley explained. The town has enlisted the support of the Northern Illinois Chapter of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association to have representation from different wars from throughout American history. Mitch Atkinson, founder of Fallen Heroes Memorial, is coordinating this portion of the event. "My goal is to have all of the wars represented --- from the Revolutionary War up until now," Atkinson explained, adding that the representation will be vehicles, soldiers or re-enactors. The entire display will cover 600 feet of roadway.
Homer Glen's portion of the celebration will highlight local businesses and include a food court, kids' area, safety town, classic car show, Homer Glen vehicles and community demonstrations.
For more information about Homer Glen's portion of the celebration, read the
section below or call 708-301-0632.
Schedule of Homer Glen Celebration Activities
Parking Map (PDF)
Join Us on the Highway!
Sunday - November 11, 2007
10:00 am to 3:00 pm
159th Street and I-355
Print "Schedule of Homer Glen Celebration Activities" (PDF)
Parking Map (PDF)
Shuttle Service
What do you normally do on the highway? Drive to work, change an occasional flat tire and hope you do not run out of gas. What can you do on the I-355 highway Sunday November 11, 2007? Run in a 5K race, watch 5000 bikers cruise 20 miles, jump in a Dino Jump, participate in a Safety Town, eat a pulled pork sandwich or drink a cup of Cream of Chicken soup, watch dancers and martial art demonstration, view 38 military vehicles, see a classic car show or visit 20 businesses of Homer Glen.
The Village of Homer Glen will offer these options on the I-355 extension Sunday, November 11 between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM as a part of the Veterans Memorial Highway Dedication. The line up for the day will be:
10:00 AM
| Welcome: |
Mayor Jim Daley |
| Presentation of Colors: |
Military Personnel |
| National Anthem: |
Daniel Bochlas |
| Speakers: |
Brigadier General Doug P. Anson |
|
Major David McGuire |
|
Corporal Dustin Fritschel |
|
Veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom |
|
Jim Valtman and Cindy Bennett |
| Civil War Rifle Salute: |
26th N. Carolina Brigade |
10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Business Row:
Highlighting businesses of Homer Glen:
American Dream Home Improvements, Eclipse Travel, Elite Dance Academy, Exclusive Bath, First Community Bank/Old Oak, Harris Bank N.A.,Home Design Center, Homer Founders Club, Homer Township, Homer Township Chamber of Commerce, Homer Township Library, Homer Township Professional Firefighters, K.C. Floral, Kempa Group Realty, Megaplex and Elite Fitness, National City, Sports Clips, Super Cuts , The UPS Store, Total Flooring , Village of Homer Glen, and Woodbine Golf and Banquets.
Military Displays:
Depicting all wars to include
38 vehicles, personnel or re-enactors for the American Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War and Iraq War. Presented by the Fallen Heroes Memorial.
Food Court:
Serving pizza, beef sandwiches, pulled pork sandwiches, cream of chicken soup, tacos, hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, chicken, full coffee station, popcorn, taffy apples, pop, water, chips and salsa. Featuring: Big Jims Pizza/Steamers, Boy Scout Pack #63, Chesdan?s Pizzeria and Grille, Homer Athletic Club, Pelican Harry?s, Pepe?s Mexican Restaurant, Pizza Mia, and Purple Onion Restaurant.
Homer Township Library Kids Tent:
Featuring family trivia, tattoos, and pumpkin painting. Courtesy of Homer Township Library and Konow's Farm.
Kids Area:
Big Run Wolf Ranch, Dino Jump interactive inflatables, Cold Blooded Creatures, reptiles to see and touch, Sports Clips. Courtesy of Big Run Wolf Farm, Cold Blooded Creatures, Dino Jump, and Sports Clips.
Safety Town:
John Deere tricycles will be used as the children learn safety through this miniature town. Courtesy of Konow?s Farm and the Village of Orland Park Recreation Department.
Vehicles of Homer Glen:
Touch and see farm implements, emergency vehicles and more. Special thanks to: AT&T, Homer Township Fire Protections District, Homer Township, Konow?s Farm, Northwest Homer Fire Protection District, and Will County Sheriffs Department.
Classic Car Show:
Over 40 classic cars will be on display.
Special thanks to the Lemont Car Club.
Main Stage Demonstrations:
| 10:00 a.m. |
Welcome |
| 10:30 a.m. |
The Dance Studio |
| 11:00 a.m. |
11th month, 11th day, 11th hour
A moment of silence for all Veterans.
Led by Captain William A. Ott |
| 11:15 a.m. |
MegaPlex ? Elite Fitness |
| 12:00 p.m. |
Cold Blooded Creatures |
| 12:45 p.m. |
Elite Dance Academy |
| 1:30 p.m. |
Tao Martial Arts, Ltd. |
Special Thanks to our Sponsors
- 26th North Carolina
- 36th Illinois
- Alexander Hamilton Artillery Co. 1776 and Joseph Bowman Company 1978
- American Legion Post #1080
- American Military Time Line Re-Enactors
- BretMar Landscaping
- Buglers Across America
- Dominick's
- Fallen Heroes Memorial
- First Mississippi Lite Artillery
- IL National Guard
- IL Veterans of the American Revolution
- Jewel-Osco
- K. C. Floral
- Konow Farm
- Northern IL Chapter of Military Vehicle Preservation Association
- Pepe's Mexican Restaurant
- The Sons and Daughters in the Service
- White Castle
Village of Homer Glen Officials
- Mayor Jim Daley
- Clerk Gale Skrobuton
- Trustee Marcia De Vivo
- Trustee Russell Knaack
- Trustee Chris Locacius
- Trustee Mary Niemiec
- Trustee Margaret Sabo
- Trustee Laurel Ward
- Interim Village Manager, Paula Wallrich, AICP
Homer Township Officials
- Supervisor Bud Fazio
- Clerk Evelyn Walano
- Trustee Steve Balich
- Trustee Michael Costa
- Trustee Pam Meyers
- Trustee Nancy Strack
- Assessor Karen Szynkowski
- Highway Commissioner Mike De Vivo
Print "Schedule of Homer Glen Celebration Activities" (PDF)
Shuttle service will be available from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm
Shuttle service will run every 15 minutes from surrounding locations to take you to the 159th Street ramp to descent to the celebration.
A trolley will run on the highway to transport you from one celebration to the next.
Parking Locations:
- Oak Prairie Junior High School
- Lockport High School
- Luther J. Schilling School
- Hadley School
- Homer Junior High School
School Addresses
Schedule of Homer Glen Celebration Activities
Parking Map (PDF)
No pets are allowed on the highway.
Print "Schedule of Homer Glen Celebration Activities" (PDF)
Parking Map (PDF)
To honor our nation's veterans, the Village of Homer
Glen will celebrate Veterans Day like it never has before or will again. The celebration is not at the village hall or at the park, but on the I-355 Toll Road. Beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 11, just down the 159th street ramp, the honor to our veterans will commence.
The stage is located north of the 159th Street ramp in the Village of Homer Glen's I-355 Celebration, The ceremony opens with a warm welcome from Mayor Jim Daley, followed by the presentation of colors, involving several military personnel. The singing of the National Anthem, by Homer Glen resident Daniel Bochals, will lead to the introduction of Major David McGuire and Corporal Dustin Fritschel, both Veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom, with special appearance from Brigadier General P. Anson. Dueling Taps will be played by Buglers Across America with a rifle salute by members of the Civil War re-enactor companies.
Fallen Heroes Memorial founder Mitch Atkinson has worked closely with the Northern Illinois Chapter of Military Vehicle Preservation Association bringing vehicles from several of the nation's conflicts to display. Atkinson, of Homer Glen said, ?My initial thought was to secure the military vehicles, then the idea to find representation for all wars from the American Revolution to the Iraqi conflict came to light."
Re-enactors from American Military Time Line Re-enactors and The Sons and Daughters in the Service will join the Illinois Veterans of the American Revolution Joseph Brown Company 1778, Alexander Hamilton Company 1776 and Civil War re-enactors from the First Mississippi Lite Artillery, 26th North Carolina, 45th Illinois Infantry, all portraying their conflicts.
Thirty-eight war vehicles between the years of 1941 and 2007 will be on hand for viewing, including a '43 WLA Harley, '68 M274A4 mule, '86 Humvee, M5a1 Stuart Tank, and a '76 M886 Ambulance and several vehicles from the National Guard representing our current conflict. The Fallen Heroes Memorial 25? banner listing all those lost in the Iraqi war will be on display.
Everyone is invited to join the Village of Homer Glen to honor those who have and are giving their lives for our freedom. For more information on the Village of Homer Glen?s I-355 Celebration activities call 708-301-0632. For more information about Veteran Memorial Tollway Dedication visit
www.illinoistollway.com and the Fallen Heroes Memorial visit
www.fallenheroesmemorial.org.
Print "Schedule of Homer Glen Celebration Activities" (PDF)
Parking Map (PDF)
Information Meeting (Historical 2005)
The public is invited to attend an informational meeting held in Homer Glen to update the progress of the I-355 Tollway Extension. Representatives from the Tollway will be present to answer questions from the community. Included in the meeting will be a Power Point presentation on the Extension and the associated bike trail.
Saturday, October 1, 2005
10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon
Homer Glen Council Chambers
Old Oak Shopping Center
14331 S. Golden Oak Drive
Homer Glen
If you have any questions, please leave your name and phone number at Village Hall at 708-301-0632, and a representative will get back to you or you can e-mail hgi355@aol.com.