Pulse: Grosskopf says he won’t run for second term as Dems chair

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Dennis Grosskopf, chairman of the Will County Democratic Party

Updated: March 14, 2012 8:06AM

Change in education

Dennis Grosskopf said he won’t run for a second term as chairman of the Will County Democratic Party.

The Minooka Community High School social studies teacher said a lot has changed in education in the two years since he was elected and he needs to keep up.

Also, by not running again, Grosskopf of Shorewood said he won’t be subjected to any backlash from his pick to fill the 43rd District state Senate vacancy about to be created by the resignation of A.J. Wilhelmi.

“It frees me up to make a great decision without any pressure,” he said. “If 20 apply, 19 will not be happy with me.”

A new chairman will be elected on April 18.

Ribbon cutting
with ‘teeth’

The media weren’t invited or allowed inside Home Depot’s warehouse ribbon cutting earlier this month in Joliet because it was an employee-oriented event, a spokeswoman said.

But it really wasn’t a “ribbon cutting” for the 657,000-square-foot distribution center, reported Mayor Tom Giarrante, who attended the event.

“It was a two-by-four cutting,” he said. “Each of us took a couple of whacks with a saw.”

Church news

It was August when a developer told the Joliet City Council Land Use Committee that he wanted to redevelop St. Mary Carmelite Church into senior housing. The proposal has not come back since, but the project is in the works.

“It’s still going forward,” said Doug Delaney, spokesman for the Diocese of Joliet, which owns the church and had been considering demolition.

The diocese plans to give the church to the developer and that transaction could be completed soon, Delaney said.

Union Station

Union Station will be one of the topics of discussion at a Joliet City Council Land Use Committee meets at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

The last time Union Station was on the committee agenda was September, when Bonnie Horne from the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission gave an overview of the station’s condition that included the word “shabby.”

But two city workers have been assigned to Union Station since then. Councilman Michael Turk noted that people have been impressed with their work.

“It’s cleaner. It’s brighter,” Turk said at last week’s city council meeting. “It needed some tender loving care, and it’s getting that.”

Hold the phone

Cellphones can be a real pain at graduation. Witness winter graduation ceremonies at Joliet Job Corps on Friday.

Speaker Raymond Bolden, a retired circuit judge, was speaking when a cellphone went off. It was his. Kudos for not taking that call, Judge!

“In my court, I would hold you in contempt for that!” he said as he turned off the phone.

STARS Coordinator Jan Larsen, a former Herald-News employee, then gave winter coats back to the wrong honored guests. County Executive Larry Walsh was given the judge’s coat. And the judge was given Walsh’s coat.

Bolden was first to figure out the switch. But by then, Walsh was on his way to lunch with the University Park mayor.

Cindy Cain and Bob Okon contributed to Pulse.