Local soldier awarded Purple Heart

U.S. Army Specialist Jaime O. Antolec was awarded a Purple Heart by United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Nov. 27, 2007, at a ceremony at Ft. Hood, TX. Antolec is a tank gunner assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood.

            His brigade was on a 15-month deployment in Iraq when he was injured. Antolec sustained two broken ankles and leg puncture wounds on the 4th of July when his tank rolled over an implanted explosive device while patrolling the streets in Amariyeh Province. Flown to San Antonio’s Brooke Army Medical Center for medical care, he completed rehabilitation at Darnell Medical Center at Ft. Hood. 

            Antolec is a 1997 graduate of St. Rita High School and attended Columbia College before he volunteered for the army in 2003. He and his wife, Megan, live off base in Copperas Cove, TX.

            Recently granted a leave, he will be visiting family in Chicago, including his parents, Ron and Cecilia Antolec of J&A Cleaning Service in the Heart of Chicago community.

 

Platinum opens Near South office

RE/MAX Platinum, the newest of 25 RE/MAX offices in Chicago, celebrated its grand opening recently. Located in ground-floor space at 1931 S. State St., it serves the Loop, South Loop/Near South Side, and Bridgeport. Brokers—and spouses—Sylvia Martinez-Johnson and Eric Johnson own the office, which employs 13 agents.

Martinez-Johnson, who serves as manager, anticipates adding more agents in the near future. "This is such a dynamic area, in terms of residential and commercial development, and agents want to be here for that reason, especially as the pace of sales in other areas has slowed," she said.

Martinez-Johnson said the office’s priorities include providing an environment that helps keep real estate agents energized and upbeat on new trends in a rapidly changing market.

"Our agents will have access to top quality equipment, including a choice of desktop or laptop computers, as well as a dedicated support staff," said Martinez-Johnson. "We are also going to help agents pay for advertising and offer sales incentives. Real estate agents today have to deliver a high level of service if they are going to succeed. To do that, they need a level of support that will let them do what they do best, which is to list and sell real estate. That's why we want to do all we can to keep them happy and productive."

Martinez-Johnson is an experienced real estate agent who chose to open an office in the Near South area after building a successful career in the northwest suburbs.

Eric Johnson noted, "The regional RE/MAX Web site, www.illinoisproperty.com, offers consumers unexcelled access to Chicago, Rockford, and Quad Cities homes and real estate and provides agents with a full complement of tools to serve their clients and attract new business from all over the world."

            For information, call (312) 842-2600.

 

Owls roost in South Loop

It used to be that parents had to take their kids out of the city or to the zoo to see wildlife, but not so anymore. City parks are filled with bunnies, falcons roost on skyscrapers, and last year there even was the adventurous coyote shopping at the South Loop Jewel.

Now, approximately ten long-eared owls have made the South Loop their winter home. Found throughout the northern hemisphere, these rare owls prefer dense thickets and dark forests for roosting and open spaces for hunting. While their current spot in a South Loop park is not typical, the owls seem quite at home in a group of pine trees.
Strictly nocturnal, these medium sized owls roost and nest by day and hunt at night. City living certainly has its advantages for feasting on small rodents. Bird watchers and enthusiasts are asked to use care when viewing so as not to disturb the newest residents of the South Loop.

--Dolly Duplantier