My Kankakee ... whole bunch of stuff

Daily Journal newspaper story on the Holiday Mart

Several thousands of dollars were spent this past Saturday at the Kankakee Public Library at the first ever Kankakee Holiday Mart at the Library. For one day local people and organizations had the opportunity to offer great holiday gifts with a local flavor.

A lot of thanks go to my father, Dennis Yohnka, Allison Beasley, the Journal, Kankakee Chamber of Commerce helpers, all of our Kankakee vendors and the Kankakee Public Library staff for making the idea a reality.

There was a time when I started being more vocal about making Kankakee better and doing somewhat goofy things like making bunches of t-shirts that I thought I was one of the only ones who had this sort of passion for where I live. Saturday's event was a great reminder of how wrong I was. Not only are there plenty of people who share that enthusiasm but they also wanted to express it by purchasing Kankakee themed gifts to share at Christmas.

Some of those items included were:
- Ken Stark books
- Vic Johnson books
- Riverview Historic District items
- Kankakee High School sweatshirts
- McNamara sweatshirts
- The Stable Shop and Museum items
- Kankakee Rail Road Museum items
- Junior League cookbooks
- Kankakee Public Library items
- Miniature Courthouses sold by Prairie State Legal Services

Plans are being hatched for next winter and perhaps a special date at the Farmer's Market in the summer.

Going to where?

Update: This letter has now appeared in the Daily Journal


This was in the Sunday Journal here in Kankakee.

Journal story

Here is my reaction to the article ... It should be published in the Journal soon.

I noticed the following quote as I opened my Sunday Journal and had my first spoonfuls of Cheerios on October 19th:

"I would never, never in my life live in Kankakee," said Francis Longtin who lives just outside of the city limits. "I don't care for the politics and the way the town is going to hell," he continued.

My first instinct as someone who was bothered by the comment was to flip to the comics and get a more pleasant start to my day. But, I quickly realized that just wouldn't be in keeping with my mindset and the passions of all the people who are working to make Kankakee better.

It is easier to flip to the comics. Just as it would be easier to not get involved in a neighborhood organization or rebuild an old home or mentor students or help to clean up street corners and plant flowers. After a little reflection … my frustration turned to gratefulness for so many in Kankakee, and the surrounding areas, who, when presented with challenges and some of the unpleasant realities of our city don't, "flip to the comics" but rather, get involved.

I don't know Mr. Longtin. I am sure he and many other Limestone advocates are good natured community-minded people. I don't even want to get into the annexation debate, but instead my hope is that folks in the Limestone area who share Mr. Longtin's views might be open to a shift in thinking that is behind a lot of this.

The idea in Limestone seems to be that people feel there is a need to protect an area from a city and its crime, aging neighborhoods and people who in some cases are not as well off economically. This is all wrapped up into fears, property value concerns and a desire to keep the area "rural".

The reality for people who live in Limestone or other neighboring communities is that you are tied to Kankakee no matter what you do. Kids may go to school elsewhere and you may not do all the shopping in Kankakee the way most did many years ago but a good portion of jobs reside in the city and you are still tied, in a number of ways, to the success or the failure of Kankakee.

My shift in thinking goes like this: "Join us." Not by being annexed, but by realizing that we are all connected. I would be happy to help facilitate introducing people to one another and help people to see the value in efforts being made in Kankakee. My hope is that folks in Limestone might do the same. Sure it may seem naive but the idea is that we should really avoid these awkward Sunday breakfasts where we are insulted by what we read and more importantly people should understand each other better.

Kankakee is Alwright

I just could not help myself. I made this Kankakee shirt variation to play on our city's side-by-side Frank Lloyd Wright homes. The new shirt design was inspired by having guests from Ithaca. To get a new shirt email me at kankakeechamber@gmail.com

My story ... and other parts not as much about me

In November of 1999 I had no intention of moving home to Kankakee, Illinois. The Places Rated Almanac that year had listed the Kankakee metropolitan area as number 354 - out of 354 places to live in the U.S. As a result Kankakee became the butt of more than a few jokes. The most notable was from Late Night host David Letterman. Letterman went so far as to send the city of Kankakee matching gazebos in a somewhat sarcastic attempt at bolstering morale and providing tourism appeal.

Some Kankakeeans laughed it off and disregarded the rating. But as I worked on my first job out of college halfway across the country -- I was bothered by the jokes and the ranking. But what bothered me most was that more than a few people in, and from, the Kankakee area seemed to believe in it all as if it were some sort of validation for a long-held negative community self image. Away from home I found myself defending Kankakee as I was introduced in social settings jokingly with a dig that would go something like, "This is my friend Bill - he's from the worst city in America."

This was at a stage in my life when I was searching for a place I wanted to call home. It seemed that the more I spoke up in defense of our beautiful river, our breathtaking Frank Lloyd Wright homes, the authentic feel of a small multicultural city the more I realized where home for me needed to be. Five years ago when my wife was offered a job near Kankakee I convinced her that I would find something to do, and I did. I taught grade school P.E., was a substitute high school teacher, wrote for the newspaper, read the news and obituaries on a local radio station and was the announcer for the stock car races at the Kankakee County Fairgrounds dirt track. Eventually, I moved into more stable jobs marketing the community college and a local business but all along my passion was promoting Kankakee and correcting those who said there were not opportunities here. Perhaps there are not some of the opportunities here a young person might have in a larger city but as a couple in our 20's we were able to buy the home across the street from the former governor of Illinois for less than the price of a one bedroom condo in Chicago. Only in Kankakee could all of those things come together. Sure, some will say that I wanted to be a big fish in a small pond. I would contend that I want to be in a pond where I can make an impact.

In the last year I went from someone who wrote letters in the local paper and printed Kankakee t-shirts as the self-titled "Unofficial Ambassador of Kankakeee" to landing a couple of titles with the city that make my status more official.

I was reminded of the twin gazebos recently when I was told that one of them needed a new coat of paint. The gazebos are still in use and the care for one of them is part of my responsibilities as Kankakee Chamber of Commerce Dir ector, Kankakee Development Corporation Executive and Downtown Farmers' Market Manager. Until recently, I never liked the gazebos much. Besides from being small, cheap, prefabricated structures they were also a reminder of our dubious status. But I have realized that there was something about having Kankakee insulted that helped make me become a more vocal advocate for the city. As someone who inherited the Cub fan gene I am drawn to the underdog and causes others have given up on.

While in the past nine years since Letterman's flatbed truck arrived at City Hall with a pair of gazebos the community has made some huge strides. But in many ways Kankakee is still something of an underdog. While our crime rate has plummeted since the 1990's, Kankakee's aging housing has taken a hit as foreclosures have become all too common across the country. We work at bringing more life in to our City's historic core in an age when a suburban mindset wants the ability to fall out of the SUV door into the destination. We are helping people see the potential in old buildings and streets and in an old city in need of people who can see that potential. While Kankakee had the unique dishonor of being number 354 out of 354, our challenges are not different from other small cities that have struggled compared to bigger sexier cities and newer suburban development.

While I have realized that Kankakee is not the only small city facing challenges, I am also now very aware that I am not alone in my civic pride here. The passion for our city is obvious in the mayor's office, at the circulation desk at the library, and in neighborhood organization meetings across the city.

In the past nine years new businesses and residents have made Kankakee their home. The Chicago Bears have moved training camp to nearby Olivet Nazarene University. Kankakee has its own minor league basketball team, and has maintained an outstanding theatre program and symphony. Downtown now features restaurants and coffee shops that were not there when the gazebos first came to town. Also renovated is the historic Illinois Central Depot where you can still ride the City of New Orleans line made famous in the folk song Steve Goodman penned of the same name, and Arlo Guthrie made famous.

A couple years ago Arlo came to Kankakee and sang the line, "On my southbound odyssey the train pulled out of Kankakee." Today as the train pulls out of Kankakee before it "rolls along past houses farms and fields" you may be able to catch a glimpse of one of those "David Letterman gazebos" in the new Depot Park downtown. The new park, fountain and railroad museum now overshadows the gazebo that was meant to be our tongue-in-cheek tourism hook.

Kankakee isn't perfect but I think we have moved beyond the need for twin gazebos. Maybe next fall to celebrate 10 years of having the pair perhaps we could plan a celebration that would include loading the gazebos on a flatbed truck and shipping them back to the Letterman estate. I don't know about anyone else but I would want to include a short note which would not be witty and may never even be read: "Mr. Letterman, sending Kankakee these things sort of ticked me off, but more than anything it inspired me and others to make our city better …so I guess I am saying thank you."

David Sedaris not in Kankakee

Recently, I visited with author David Sedaris on WKAN AM 1320. I talked to him over the phone. You can hear it for yourself on the Kankakee Public Library's podcast: http://www.lions-online.org/podcasts/sedaris.html

As you can see from the postcard. He would like to visit if only for a handshake. He will recieve one of the first redesigned shirts.

New Kankakee Shirts

New Kankakee shirts are on the way. Check into mykankakeeshirt or Unity Skateshop (on Court St. Downtown Kankakee) to see the new styles.

Kankakee in Eastern Europe

Chad Miller at the Kiev Chamber of Commerce


Odessa Ukraine

Chad Miller is the Director of the Kankakee County Farm Bureau. Is is part of a University of Illinois agricultural leadership academy that travels to better understand the world ag marketplace.

Chad used this most recent trip to learn some fascinating things but also to spread goodwill from Kankakee.

Pride in Kankakee

I was recently asked by the Daily Journal in Kankakee to list 10 reasons I was proud to call Kankakee my home. This should appear in the paper within the next week.

Please email kankakeechamber@gmail.com to share your thoughts.

- My job as the Executive Director of the Kankakee Chamber of Commerce is largely focused on the business community, but I find pride in the many steeples that peak above the downtown rooftops. There is something inspiring about worshipping in a building built of stones taken from the ground here. Or maybe it was wood brought to the site by a great-grandfather. But the materials were used to construct sacred places where Kankakeeans have gathered for generations. I take pride in knowing that churches, both new and old, help to make lives whole.

- I am proud of the spirit that Gaines and Sharon Hall have shown in Kankakee. The Halls’ have let us experience what people here in 1901 must have gone through when they first saw Frank Lloyd Wright’s original prairie-style home completed.

I have almost driven off the road at the corner of Eagle and Harrison just thinking about how they turned a sad reminder of days past into an inspiring symbol of what could be for our city.

Sure, I realize not everyone can rehabilitate a Frank Lloyd Wright home, but people are doing their part in hundreds of other homes and it is visible all over the city. As a resident of the Riverview district, I can see that the work the Halls did extends far beyond their property. The spirit I am proud of is alive in the work done on the Dominguez home on Greenwood and the welcome given at the Greys’ home on Chicago.

- Sadly, in Kankakee racial tensions make headlines, but there is another side to the story that I am proud of. It is a side of the story of race in Kankakee that really isn’t all that much of a story.

The story goes like this: In my life in Kankakee I am surrounded by situations in which people of a variety of ethnic backgrounds do better than simply co-exist… they thrive, they form friendships and mutual respect. I am proud that my son is growing up here.

- I am proud of the ambitious people who are investing, rehabilitating and rebuilding Kankakee. These are people with vision who are putting their money and reputation on the line. They take a risk on the continued resurgence of Kankakee. I want to do everything I can to remind them that they have made the right move.

- While I am proud of the core leaders Kankakee has counted on. I am also proud of the people in Kankakee who do the less noticeable work in neighborhoods. Part of the pride I have comes from those who have never given up on their neighborhood. These are authentic community-minded people. These are the individuals who organize neighborhood groups, plant flowers on street corners, welcome newcomers and confront those who need to be confronted. This is many times thankless work … it should not be.

- I have never been wrongly convicted of a capital crime. Regrettably, others in Illinois have experienced that injustice. I am proud to live in the hometown of a man who saw that injustice and made sure that innocent people were not put to death for crimes they didn’t commit.

Sure, opinions on Governor George Ryan’s character and on his death penalty moratorium vary, to say the least. And there are plenty of headlines and TV images I would like to forget. Still, I am proud that it was someone from Kankakee who saw that something was very wrong and did something about it.

- I am proud of our city leaders who have approached the job of directing Kankakee with level heads. While Kankakee’s current leaders have not been perfect, our next leaders will be in a better position when they take over the city because of the sober governing done and hard decisions made by this administration.

- I am proud of our hospitals and the amazing people that comfort us, ease our minds and make us better. Maybe we see a competitive nature at work here, but the benefactors of those efforts are the accident victims, the new parents, the elderly and the community at large.

- I don’t like to paint with too broad of a brush, but in general there is one word that describes many of the people I have known in Kankakee: resilient. Resilience is a character trait that has served Kankakee well. I might be too young to realize how rough Kankakee’s toughest times were, but I am smart enough to notice, appreciate and take pride in the stubborn nature of people who dig in and work at making the place where they live a better place to be. Resilient people aren’t disheartened when they read or hear negative things about their hometown. Instead they are inspired to work at making the situation better. These people should not be underestimated.

- I am proud of Kankakee’s history. This is a source of pride for many in the community who work to preserve historic buildings and gather the relics and stories of our past.

While I am proud of our history I am more proud of what lies ahead for Kankakee. Sure, it might sound strange to be proud of the future, but it is something I am just that sure of. What Kankakee is becoming will be something to take pride in.

A New Team in Kankakee

One of the exciting new developments going on in Kankakee is Windy City Soldiers Basketball. While minor league baseball is popular in many small to mid-sizeed cities around the country the minor leagues of basketball also can bring a fun attraction to town.

As I have gotten to know the Windy City Soldiers I have realized that there is more to this than just playing basketball. I have attached Toby Olszewski's article from the Herald because she really hits it right on the head as far as the impact the Soldiers are having.

I had the chance to suit up with the Soldiers last Friday night for a celebrity game. It was not pretty. While they are nice guys off the court they are not above knocking the glasses off the local Chamber of Commerce director should he make a move to the hole. While I was impressed I was not scared. I will make that move to the hoop again the next chance I get.

More than just basketball
by Toby Olszewski
When Barry Bradford started talking about basing his professional basketball team, the Windy City Soldiers, in the Kankakee Resource Center, it soon became apparent that there was a lot more going on than a game.
Yes, Bradford, an Illinois native who graduated from Country Club Hills High School, wants his team to win the games they will play in the International Basketball League, but, as important to him is the model he and his men can set for the youngsters here.
“We are holding sessions with the young kids in the Kankakee schools, teaching the kids to do the right thing. Our team members will be good role models. Most have other jobs in addition to playing basketball. They are fathers and brothers to their own kids and know what they need,” said Bradford. He said his personal passion is kids. Stopping gang growth is a goal. “You don’t stop gangs by talking to existing gang members. You talk to the 4th, 5th and 6th graders. Get them on the right road and there will be no new members for the gangs and they will disappear,” said
Bradford.
The team talked about settling elsewhere, but, Bradford said, when he came to Kankakee, he felt welcome. Mayor Don Green said, “It is easy to welcome someone with Bradford’s ideas. I agree with his thoughts on the kids. The real winner will be
the community.”
Ron Jackson, director of the Resource Center which used to be the Armory in the 100 block of N. Schuyler, said the partnership with the Windy City Soldiers started about six months ago. “We are excited to have them as part of Kankakee and Kankakee County.”
Mikal Duilio, commission of the IBL, said his group has been in existence about five years and the 2008 season, which will begin in March 2008, has taken off well.
“It is well-structured and answers the problem facing NBA games. They are too long. With all the time-outs and other time wasting, a game can be three hours long, much too long for most families. We looked to make it better and shorten it a bit.
This season, the fourth, will feature those changes. Only one time out a quarter per team is allowed. Referees must inbound quickly. The result is an active, physical game that is fun to watch. Players play more than they wait around and the average scoring per game is 127 points per team.
Duilio acknowledged that the games are not watched by crowds of thousands, but the spectators who came loved the excitement. “The games flow and the fans are into it,” said Duilio. As one sportswriter said, “Welcome back to rock and roll basketball.”
The league has 22 teams and have added two teams from China. Teams are based all across the country and Canada. Duilio said that the Windy City Soldiers will be looking for sponsors and support. “They are a pro team and they are building. They will add luster to the community. I have a good feeling about the connection this team will have in the community,” said Duilio.
The team is a family affair. Bradford’s wife, Aisha, is president of operations. Brother Jay Bradford is the coach and his wife, Yoko, is his assistant. Eric Minor is an assistant coach and in charge of personnel. Brother-in-law Jamel Chavers is a player and in charge of image and finance. He is assisted by his wife, Nicole. Valencia Ballard is director of operations.
The team includes three Olivet Nazarene students, Zachary Birkey, Stan Chismark and Eric Rhinehart. All in all, the team definitely has a family feel. Their goal is
winning, but their ultimate aim is to help and entertain families. That’s something that is definitely needed in professional sports. You can check out the Windy City Soldiers at www.iblhoopsonline.com.
They will play a celebrity game at King Junior High School in Kankakee on Jan. 11, 2008 and a Kankakee County Police versus WCS at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School on Feb. 16. To find out about sponsorship opportunities, contact Bradford at
1-708-785-HOOP (4667).

New Roles

In the last couple months I have gone from being the "Unofficial Kankakee Ambassador" (a title I gave myself in a not-so-serious way) to someone who has official responsibilities and duties.

I am now wearing a few hats. Generally, I hate this sort of "hat" analogy, I like to consider it a hat, glove and scarf combo that go together pretty well.

I am in an Economic Development role with the City as well as being the Executive Director of the Kankakee Development Corporation. The role I am in that has gathered the most attention is the Executive Director of the new Kankakee Chamber of Commerce. This is a new organization that is focused on the City of Kankakee and Aroma Park. The new organization has come into being after the Kankakee Regional Chamber of Commerce left downtown Kankakee. The idea is to move beyond the initial frustrations that caused the group to form and focus on getting to work on Kankakee-oriented projects and building cooperation around the region.

This really is a dream job for me and in a way I wish it would have come to be in a way that was without controversy. In the end, I am confident that I have been true to myself in taking a stand for the City of Kankakee. My feelings on this were best summed up by my Dad's cousin Dawn. She sent me a letter after I had taken this position and had received press that wasn't always positive. She wrote: "When someone says something negative about Kankakee it is as if they are saying something about a family member."

I feel the same way. Kankakee is my home and in a way a part of my family. When someone is family you love them despite faults ... to me this City is the same way. Kankakee isn't perfect, but neither am I. One of the great things about this job is that people from all walks of life in our area have shared with the desire they have to make our City as great as it can be. There are so many good things happening here ... and so many more to come.

Kankakee Video

Click here to watch the video on the Kankakee Public Library site.

This video was put together by the creative minds (Nicholas Garcia, Vicki Stankewicz and Stephen Bertrand) at the Kankakee Public Library. The song "Kankakee" was written by Andrew Osenga and appears on his "Photographs" cd. The "Kankakee" video has proven quite popular. It really captures the City of Kankakee. If I didn't live here already I would want to after watching this.