2021 Year In Review: Frankfort Shines On Biggest Stages

FRANKFORT, IL — The Village of Frankfort's star shone brightly in 2021. The town's people, places and things were the subject of plenty of talk throughout the year. Frankfort was the site for filming of part of an upcoming TV series, its residents showed how much talent and compassion they have, and its legends were the stuff of, well, legends.

So, without further ado, let's look back at some of the best stories Frankfort had to offer before bidding 2021 adieu.

Downtown Frankfort Site For Upcoming TV Series

When it comes to small-town charm, the Village of Frankfort appears to be light-years ahead of other towns. Or, at least Frankfort can make that claim thanks to filming there of an upcoming Amazon Prime series titled "Lightyears."

Filming for the show — starring Oscar-winning actors J.K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek — started Monday and is scheduled to wrap up Wednesday. Some residents might have noticed limited parking in the downtown area while filming took place.

"'Lightyears' follows Franklin and Irene York, played by [Simmons] and Spacek, a couple who years ago discovered a chamber buried in their backyard which inexplicably leads to a strange, deserted planet," according to a synopsis of the show sent to Patch by a member of the production crew. "They've carefully guarded their secret ever since, but when an enigmatic young man enters their lives, the Yorks' quiet existence is quickly upended… and the mysterious chamber they thought they knew so well turns out to be much more than they could ever have imagined."

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Wow House: Ghosts And Hollywood Combine In This Frankfort Home

Halloween may be over, but that doesn't mean the ghosts stop haunting. And for those looking to possibly do a little ghost hunting year round, this home in downtown Frankfort recently listed on Redfin is the perfect spot for something paranormal and exquisite. The home, built in 1909, is at 207 Center Road.

Legend has it that two girls, Sarah and Sadie, died in the home in the early 20th century. One of the home's previous owners, Kevin Ziegler, told Patch back in 2012 how he learned about the fates of the girls from a mysterious old man named Sam. Sam showed up one day and told the tale of how his wife grew up in the home.

Sam told Ziegler about Sarah, an English immigrant who contracted a fever while crossing the Atlantic and died in the house in 1909 at the age of 10, according to the lore. Sadie came to Frankfort via Boston to escape her abusive parents. She took a job as a maid in the home, which operated as a bordello at the time, but was mistaken for a prostitute and met a very gory end at just 12 years old in 1901. Both girls died in the same third-floor bedroom, according to the tale.

O Say Can You See: LW East Student Sings National Anthem For Sox

The lights were up and the crowd was ready when Gianna Smyth took the mic to lead the Chicago White Sox faithful in the singing of the national anthem July 20 at Guaranteed Rate Field as the Sox hosted the Minnesota Twins.

Her performance went down without a hitch, but the journey that would eventually land Smyth behind home plate hit an unexpected detour along the way. Former White Sox player Mike Huff saw Smyth perform at a Swing for a Cure charity event in Crestwood, Illinois in 2019. Her rendition impressed him enough to get her a chance to sing in the major leagues. The 16-year-old junior at Lincoln-Way East was originally supposed to sing the national anthem on May 1, 2020, but the pandemic kept Major League Baseball stadiums closed for most of last season, and no one was certain what the policies for fans would be entering this current season.

The White Sox kept in contact with Smyth, and when restrictions were lifted, and fans were allowed back in the ballparks, and when live performances of the national anthem were back on the table, Smyth got her moment to shine.

And so, at 6:57 p.m. July 20, Smyth was introduced over the public address system and belted out the national anthem, which drew thunderous applause from the crowd.
"I was so excited that it drowned out all the nerves," Smyth said of her performance. "I saw all the seats in the stadium, and I thought, 'Wow. All these seats are going to be filled, people are going to be sitting in those seats hearing me sing.'"

Bald Eagle Spotted In Frankfort: Watch Video

A Frankfort resident recently spotted a bald eagle flying in Frankfort. Resident Joe McCormick said he was driving home and saw the bald eagle eating in a field near Wolf and Laraway roads, near the Frankfort Fire Station No. 5.

"I've heard of them nesting at Tampier Lake [in Cook County] but never around Frankfort," McCormick told Patch.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the bald eagle was listed as endangered in 1967. It was removed from that list in 2007 after a growth in population.

Frankfort Village President: Ogle Projected Winner

Keith Ogle is the projected winner of the race for Frankfort Village President, according to Tuesday's unofficial results. Ogle faced fellow village trustee John Clavio in the election.

Last year, current mayor Jim Holland announced he would not seek re-election. Holland has served as mayor for 16 years. This opened up the field to mayoral candidates John Clavio and Keith Ogle. Both Clavio and Ogle announced their intentions to run last fall, shortly after Holland's announcement.

On his campaign Facebook page, Ogle thanked his supporters for their help in supporting fundraisers, calling friends and knocking on doors.

"I want to congratulate Trustee John Clavio for a spirited campaign, and I wish him well in his future endeavors. Tonight, it is time to put aside differences and focus on what we have in common – our love of Frankfort. That is what makes our village the wonderful place it is. I respect this community and the people who live here and I look forward to being your next mayor," Ogle wrote on his Facebook.

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Frankfort Man To Throw 1st Pitch For White Sox's Lou Gehrig Day

Frankfort resident Mike Snedden will throw the ceremonial first pitch at Thursday's Chicago White Sox game as Major League Baseball celebrates its first Lou Gehrig Day to raise awareness and funds for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

"It's super exciting, it's quite the honor," Beth Snedden, Mike's wife, told Patch. The Sneddens have lived in Frankfort for 30 years.

The White Sox will welcome more than 100 friends and family of Mike's at Thursday's game against the Detroit Tigers.

Beth said she and Mike have been going to White Sox games for many years, and would often bring groups for fundraisers for different games or school sporting events.

Snedden was diagnosed with ALS in July 2020, after experiencing bulbar onset ALS, which impacted his speech and swallowing. Mike went to the doctor at the end of 2019, when his voice became raspy. Beth said Mike had had cancer in 2018, and they thought it may have returned.

Doctors found the cancer had not returned, but sent Mike to an ear, nose and throat specialist. That doctor then sent Mike to another specialist, where he eventually received a diagnosis of ALS.
"There's no blood test [for ALS], it's a process of elimination," Beth said.

Cache Creek Sends Out Urgent Call For Fosters

Cache Creek Animal Rescue is sending out an urgent call for temporary foster families to house an overflow of animals it has recently received. The Frankfort-based animal rescue posted on its Facebook page July 8 that shelters in the area are currently packed, including Cache Creek, and they are desperately seeking places to put the animals.

Barb Bartkowiak, fundraising coordinator for Cache Creek, told Patch that there has been a recent uptick in abandoned animals, both puppies and kittens, as well as adult dogs and cats. She said individual people and breeders have "just been dumping pups and kittens," sometimes in garbage bags, on the sides of roads.

The recent influx does not appear to be related to the recent trend of "pandemic puppies," where many families adopted puppies and kittens during the pandemic lockdown, she said.

"We just want to make sure the animals are safe," Bartkowiak said.

'When You Put Your Heart To Something, Anything Can Happen'

Tucked in a little corner of farmland off Laraway Road in Frankfort exists a place where all things nature thrive: fruits and vegetables, animals, and people.

As abundant as the acres of farm are the smiles on the faces of the visitors who go there.

The place is called Navarro Farm. It's a nonprofit organization, the mission of which is to provide a space for children with special needs to grow, to learn, to share in the enjoyment of each other's company and to spread that growth throughout the community.

Damion and Sherri Navarro purchased the 5-acre property in September. The original idea for the farm was to create a place to expand Navarro's family business, NES Environmental. But a friend, Brook Klawitter, suggested to them that the space could be used to teach children with special needs how to farm.

"We have a son (Carter Navarro) with Down syndrome, his best friend (Jack Klawitter) has Down syndrome, and we realized they don't have much of an outlet," Damion Navarro said. "A lot of places have rec centers where they go play and do activities, but we wanted to create a place where people can learn."

Jack Klawitter (left) and Cater Navarro take a break from farming at Navarro Farm in Frankfort to compete in a friendly dane-off in the farm's barn. (TJ Kremer III/Patch)Navarro said he was also inspired to create the farm because of the amount of negativity he routinely sees coming from others in the community.

"So many people are consumed with gossiping and what other people do," Navarro said. "And we're trying to be an example to our children and our community that it's not what people do, it's what we could be doing. That's our drive here: You can make a change, you can be an example by being the change."

"... We're trying to be an example, not only to our family but to our community."

'Win-Win': Borg Warner Property Rezoning Comes To Conclusion

After months of delays, the Village of Frankfort Board of Trustees unanimously approved at its Monday meeting to rezone the Borg Warner Property from I-1 Limited Industrial to R-4 Attached/Single Family Residential.

The move paves the way for Borg Warner to sell the property, located at 300 Maple St., and allows the Village to begin working with potential developers to bring "quality residential housing," as Frankfort Mayor Keith Ogle described it.

"It's a win-win for everybody," Ogle told Patch after Monday's meeting. "The negotiation was definitely a win for the residents of Frankfort. We avoided costly litigation that could've run in the millions of dollars, as initially indicated by Borg Warner."

Just prior to Monday's vote, Rod Carter, an attorney for Borg Warner, spoke to the board members publicly and informed them that Borg Warner had withdrawn its official objection to the rezoning.
After Carter's statement, Ogle told the board that "I truly believe, and continue to believe, that it's better to negotiate than litigate. And I'm pleased to report the Village and Borg Warner have reached an agreement."

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