Five Things to Know Today: Aug. 10

1. Bolingbrook Military Hero Named a Finalist for Chevy 'Our Town, Our Heroes' Contest

Richard Urban, a Bolingbrook-native, is one of five finalists in the Chevrolet 'Our Town, Our Heroes' contest, which celebrates local heroes that inspire and drive change in communities around the state. 

People can vote for Urban, who was nominated by Annmarie Coffey, by clicking HERE.

If Urban wins, he'll get week-long loan of a Chevrolet car as part of a special package fit for a military hero, the website said. 

Vote ends August 14.

From drivingthemidwest.com:

After Rich finished high school in 1987, he joined the US Army. For the better part of twenty years he was deployed all over the world working as a military police officer, investigator, to may other jobs he can’t talk about. He graduated in 2004 from Florida Atlantic University with honors. With his degree in History and Political Science he taught Social Studies at a Title I school in West Palm Beach Florida. Since moving back to Illinois in 2007, he has been a high school history teacher at an alternative high school on Chicago’s Southside. While at Lakeside Academy, Rich has helped students who have been forgotten by the system. He has worked countless hours over the past twenty-four years for not himself, but the United States and the youth of our country. 

2. Fountaindale to Hold Tips for Surviving Middle School and High School Forum

Just in time for school to start, the will hold an event designed to get teens better organized.

Professional organizer Beth Randall will give tips and ideas on how to handle time management, organize lockers, and keep work and papers in neat order.

Parents are encouraged to attend with their teens. Registration is required. For more information, click HERE.

3. We Want to Feature Your Whiz Kid!

School is starting back up and that means one thing, the revival of Bolingbrook Patch's Whiz Kid!

Know a great kid who made Eagle Scout or did your local soccer team take the championship? They may be our next Patch Whiz Kid honoree.

Each week, we'll seek suggestions from readers for individual  kids, youth groups, teens and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Patch Whiz Kid. Submit your nomination to Bolingbrook Patch editor Brian Feldt at brianf@patch.com.

Be sure to include all of the following information: 

• Nominator's Name
• Nominator's E-Mail
• Whiz Kid's Name
• Whiz Kid's Age
• Whiz Kid's School
• Whiz Kid's Accomplishment
• Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness (what made him/her successful?)
• A high-resolution JPG photo of your Whiz Kid

4. Today is National S'Mores Day

National S'mores Day is August 10. 

PRNewsWire.com offers some s'more making tips:

1. Family Activity S'mores – Make S'mores a family activity by getting everyone involved. Little ones can be in charge of assembling the graham crackers and Hershey's Milk Chocolate bars while adults and older children take care of roasting the marshmallows. Once your S'mores are ready, dig in and enjoy this tasty treat together.
2. Grilled S'mores – For a fun new way to enjoy S'mores, try making them on the grill! Simply wrap S'mores in aluminum foil and place on a medium-hot grill and cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side. When you're done you'll have S'mores that are grilled to perfection.
3. Party with S'mores –The next time you're invited to a summer party, bring S'mores ingredients as your contribution to the gathering. Guests will love making gooey S'mores and you'll be a hit at the party.
4. Summer Vacation S'mores – S'mores aren't only for camping! Many hotel chains offer fire pits or grilling areas which are perfect for making S'mores to help sweeten your trip and create a new family tradition.  Staying home this summer? You can also build S'mores at the park or playground in the designated picnic or grilling area.

5. Local Tea Party Pol Drawn Out of Contention?

Legislative maps are redrawn every 10 years by the majority party in the Illinois General Assembly to reflect population changes in the U.S. census. Gov. Pat Quinn  last month.

The new map pits 19 House Republicans and eight Senate Republicans against other GOP incumbents. No Democratic incumbents face a challenge from other sitting Democrats, a Chicago Tribune report said.

Republicans also say the Democratic majority used the remapping process as a political maneuver to enhance the likelihood of Democratic re-election, the report said.

But could this phenomenon be hitting closer to home then we think? Yes, according to another Tribune report:

Likewise with Republican Cedra Crenshaw, a tea party favorite from Bolingbrook. She finds herself in a northern finger of the new Senate district occupied by Sen. A.J. Wilhelmi, the Joliet Democrat who defeated her last year. "One thing's for sure: they want a Democrat," Crenshaw said.