Readers' Choice: Best Place for an Oil Change

We want to know what Plainfield business you patronize when it's time to get your oil changed.

This week's Readers' Choice question isn't very sexy but it is practical: What business in Plainfield gives you the best service and bang for your buck when it's time to get your auto's oil changed. There are three ways to vote: Leave us a comment in box below, post something on our Patch Facebook page (www.facebook.com/PlainfieldPatch) or give the business a five-star rating by clicking on the entry below and giving it your score. Here are the choices: Bartel's Auto Clinic Crossroads Auto Spa Just Tires Tuffy Auto Services Firestone Complete Auto Care Absolute Automotive Service Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop, 14120 U.S 30 Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop, 16007 Route 59 Walmart Supercenter 59 Auto Repair

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Corry Leracey

3:31 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Why is "Last Chance Auto Repair" not listed here? Servicing Plainfield, Naperville, Bolingbrook, Illinois residents since 1978. They've been doing business with Plainfield residents longer than most of the auto repair shops in Plainfield, IL.   more ›

Have You Voted Yet? PEHS Needs Your Help

Time to vote -- Plainfield East needs your help if it's to beat Warren Township High School in the first round of Comcast's 2012 Battle of the Fans Madness contest.

Update: As of 12:45 a.m. Wednesday, the vote count was Warrenville 69.1 percent and Plainfield 17.4 percent. Have you voted yet? C'mon! Click HERE.   You don't have to like March Madness. You don't even have to like basketball. But if you like Plainfield -- and especially like when it gets publicity for being the No. 1 suburb -- you must vote in Comcast's 2012 Battle of the Fans Madness contest. Plainfield East High School is one of just 16 schools chosen for the competition, based on the excitement and enthusiasm shown by the student cheering section when the Plainfield East-Naperville North game was shown as Comcast's CN100 Game of the Week on Feb. 11. Just like in March Madness, the field will be narrowed from 16 to eight by the end of …

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Contest Voting Starts Wednesday for Amanda's Cleats for Kids

The 14-year-old Plainfield girl's nonprofit organization is one of 11 finalists in a competition in which the one who gets the most votes goes to the 2012 Olympics to London this summer.

When Amanda Christianson was challenged two years ago to dream up a service project to help others, her mind went back the images she'd seen at church of people struggling in Haiti. Life is hard in the impoverished Caribbean country, which was devastated by an earthquake in 2010 from which it is still recovering. Things people take for granted in this country have become luxuries in Haiti, said Amanda, 14, of Plainfield. "You see a lot of kids running around without shoes there, and I thought that doesn't seem like something that's right," she said. "I thought I could help them." Amanda's Cleats for Kids was born out of that service project. She's shipped 300 pairs of cleats and sneakers so far, with the help of a grant from the Julie …

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Without a Miracle, Plainfield's Out of TV Contest Contention

Our school district is more than 3,500 votes behind the closest competitor, with only an hour left to vote.

Update/10:50 a.m. Wednesday: Unless a miracle happens, Plainfield appears to be out of the running for TV honors this week given that we're more than 3,500 votes behind Wheaton, which is running neck-and-neck with Libertyville Lake Forest. Here's the vote count, with an hour and 10 minutes remaining for ballots to be cast: Libertyville/Lake Forest -- 6,469 Wheaton -- 6,432 Plainfield -- 2,885 Update/10:45 a.m. Tuesday: We are woefully behind. Where are all those high school kids and their parents! Vote tally: Plainfield -- 1,357; Wheaton -- 2,224; Libertyville/Lake Forest -- 2,512 Update/just after midnight Tuesday: This is just plain embarrassing. As of 12:30 a.m. today, Plainfield was in third place out of three, chalking up just 1,097 …

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About Town

Close but No Cigar for PNHS in Bid to Win Fan Battle

Warren Township High School's "Blue Crew" has won this year's Comcast Battle of the Fans Madness tournament.

There’s no shame in being second best. While the Crimson Crazies of Plainfield North High School put up a good fight, it was the Warren Township High School's Blue Devils who emerged victorious when the votes in the Comcast Battle of the Fans Madness tournament were added up Sunday night. The "Blue Crew" outlasted 15 others schools through four rounds of voting over the last month. As a result, it is they who have secured the Battle of the Fans banner, which will be hung in the Gurnee high school's gymnasium. Initially, there were two Plainfield schools in the running, but Plainfield East fell short two weeks ago while Plainfield North made it all the way to the final championship round. Charging strong in the early going and fizzling in …

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No Mrs. America Crown for Plainfield's Mrs. Illiniois

While the Plainfield woman may not have gone all the way, she won friends from around the country and looks forward to a year of being Mrs. Illinois, friends say.

Zara Johnson won’t come home wearing the Mrs. America sash. Johnson, the Plainfield grandma who wowed judges to win Mrs. Illinois in February, did not make the top 15 cut in Thursday night’s Mrs. America finals. Kathy Cicero, a friend of Johnson’s for 20 years, called with the news while Johnson was still backstage. “I know her pretty well and I think she’s feeling happy for the wonderful time she’s had out here and all the new people she met,” Cicero said of pageant held at the Greenbriar Resort in West Virginia. “I know she’ll enjoy being Mrs. Illinois the whole rest of the year.” Johnson, who had never entered a beauty pageant before seeking the Mrs. Illinois title earlier this year, was up against women from 49 other states and the …

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About Town

Time to Vote -- Comcast's Fan Battle Down to PNHS, Challenger

Ballots being cast now will determine if Plainfield North's Crimson Crazies defeat Warren Township High School for the "madness" crown.

Way to be a winner, Plainfield.  The fans have come through for Plainfield North High School in Comcast's Battle of the Fans Madness tournament. Only two schools are still standing the championship round of tournament – and Plainfield North is one of them.  On Monday, the final four results were announced, with the Plainfield North "Crimson Crazies" taking 40 percent of the vote, followed by Warren Township High School, with 35 percent, St. Patrick High School in Chicago, with about 22 percent of the vote, and Benet Academy in Lisle, with about 2 percent. The final battle is now between Plainfield North and Warren Township, and you can cast your vote anytime between now and April 17 at www.cn100.tv/battle_of_the_fans.aspx. As of 11:15 a.m…

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About Town

What Are You Waiting For? Time to Show Your Plainfield

Plainfield North has made it into the Final Four of Comcast's School Spirit Contest.

OK, Plainfield – we still have one more shot to prove our March Madness prowess. Sure, we’re still recovering from our resounding defeat at the hands of Mokena in Eric and Kathy’s 101.9 - The Mix's Battle of the Burbs. And, true, Plainfield East got left behind on the brackets in the Comcast 100 Battle of the Fans Madness Championship. But we can stiill move on to steal victory from the arms of defeat. Our last chance at March Madness mastery comes thanks to the super school spirit of Plainfield North High School and the "Crimson Crazies," who routed competitors to make the Final Four of Comcast’s first-ever Battle of the Fans Madness tournament. Plainfield North  scored 62 percent of last week's vote, leaving St. Patrick High School in …

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About Town

Time to Rally the Troops in Comcast's School Spirit Contest

Plainfield North is poised to advance to the second round of Comcast's Battle of the Fans Madness tournament, but Plainfield East needs a rally.

Come on Plainfield. Cast your vote. Don’t go down On a sour note! YAAAAY! RAAAAH! Plainfield North and East High Schools need your vote in Comcast’s Battle of the Fans Madness tournament. With just two days left in the first week of voting, Plainfield North High School is poised to advance to the second round of the tournament thanks to its fourth-place standing, but Plainfield East may be slipping off the screen without a weekend rally. The two schools made the roster of 16 Chicago area schools tapped to compete in this year’s first-ever Battle of the Fans Madness Tournament after showing contest-worthy “ excitement and enthusiasm” during their recent appearance on the CN100 Game of the Week during the 2010-11 basketball season. This is …

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We're No. 1! But the Battle of the Burbs Not Over Yet

Plainfield beat Oak Forest today in the first round of Eric and Kathy's annual contest; next week we face off against Palatine.

Pfew! Plainfield has made it through round one of 101.9-FM/The Mix's annual Suburban Madness Battle of the Burbs, handily beating Oak Forest in the online vote conducted this morning. The contest is radio personalities Eric and Kathy's answer to March Madness. Sixteen finalist towns -- as determined by listeners -- face off against each other for the title of best suburb. Last year's winner was Bartlett. Every day, two sets of towns compete for votes to make it to the next round of competition. Also winning today was Palatine, which knocked off Burbank and will face Plainfield next week. To see the bracket lineups, go to http://www.wtmx.com/pdf/battle_of_the_burbs_11.pdf. If you want to vote for other towns that competing this week, go to …

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