Wounded Warriors 5K Returns to Plainfield May 25

Held the Saturday before Memorial Day, the race will support wounded veterans in Illinois.

Wounded Warriors 5K Returns to Plainfield

Held the Saturday before Memorial Day, the race will support wounded veterans in Illinois.

In its first year, it drew nearly 500 participants and raised more than $9,000 to help injured veterans. Now, organizers are hoping the second annual Wounded Warriors 5K will have an even bigger turnout. Like the first Wounded Warriors 5K, this year’s event will take place in and around Plainfield’s Settlers’ Park on May 25, the Saturday before Memorial Day. “We had 477 last year,” said Judi Stapleton, a volunteer with event organizer Operation Welcome You Home. “We’re hoping to double that.” Get Plainfield news delivered straight to your inbox — sign up for the Patch newsletter Operation Welcome You Home works to honor Illinois servicemen and women by hosting warm welcomes for returning vets. Now, the organization is branching out by …

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Board Approves New Sidewalk Near Plainfield Pace Bus Stop

Project is needed due to increased foot traffic, officials said.

Thanks to the popularity of the Plainfield Pace bus stop, the village will pay $15,000 to install a sidewalk along Van Dyke Road near Settlers’ Park. Director of Public Works Allen Persons said the 450-foot-long sidewalk is needed due to increased pedestrian traffic near the bus stop. It could also help encourage commuters to park along Van Dyke Road. “We think [the lack of a sidewalk] is a deterrent to people parking in that area,” Person said. Two Pace routes, Route 855/Plainfield-East Loop Express and Route 755/Plainfield-Illinois Medical District Express, make stops in Plainfield. The sidewalk, approved March 4 by village trustees, will be done as part of an existing contract with Lorusso Cement Contractors. The project could be done …

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Driver Unhurt as Van Ends Up in Settlers' Park Pond

Douglas Muldoon of Darien is charged with DUI in the incident, according to Plainfield police.

Updated 9:45 a.m. Sept. 15: A Darien man is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after losing control of his van and ending up in a pond in Settlers' Park, police said Saturday. Douglas W. Muldoon, 41, was arrested shortly after the early-morning incident, said Officer Tracy Caliendo. "It looks like he was traveling down Village Center [Drive] and decided to go through the trees," Caliendo said.  Muldoon's van entered the pond, and Caliendo said he was getting out of the vehicle as police and fire crews arrived on the scene. No one was hurt in the incident, Caliendo said. Original story 8:12 a.m. Sept. 15: Plainfield firefighters responding to a call about a submerged vehicle found the driver unharmed when they arrived at …

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FiremanFred's Nightmare

3:20 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012

Hey "Fred", property taxes are dropping. Now, the fun part about dealing with ignorant "taxpayers". Tell me how much money the Vehicle Tech has saved the PFD through proper preventive maintenance. And...compare that number to comparable sized departments in the area. I think, no, I know you will find that the increase in his salary is justified and perhaps under what would be a fair wage. Here is…   more ›

'Tom’s Walk-a-Thon' Benefits Therapy Dog Organization

June 23 event held in memory of lifelong Plainfield resident Thomas Marciniec. The pet walk-a-thon kicks off at 9 a.m. in Settlers’ Park.

Diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer at age 20, Tom Marciniec battled the disease for four years. He graduated from from Augustana College even as he fought the cancer that would claim his life. Through his fight, he was comforted by the companionship of his dogs: Web, Ivy and puppy Gus. Now, in his memory, mom Pat is training Gus to become a therapy dog. Through the Thomas Marciniec Memorial Foundation, his family has also established Tom’s Dogs, an organization dedicated to providing therapy dogs for brain surgery patients. On Saturday, people and pets off all kinds are invited to take part in Tom’s Walk-a-Thon. The event will raise money for the Canine Therapy Corps, providing trained therapy dogs for patients at the …

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Free Concerts, Movies to Kick Off in Settlers’ Park

Movies start June 8; concerts begin June 14.

Free entertainment will be plentiful this summer in Plainfield. This week, the free movies series, presented by the Plainfield Park District and Village of Plainfield, will begin, and the free concert series will hit Settlers’ Park on June 14. Movies are screened under the stars in Settlers’ Park’s Richard A. Rock Amphitheater. The family friendly flicks will be shown at 8 p.m. every other Friday. Presented by BMO Harris Bank, the movie schedule is as follows: Concerts kick off June 14 The free concert series, also held in the Richard A. Rock Amphitheater, will begin June 14. Hosted by the Village of Plainfield and presented by Tim Stetenfeld and Edward Jones Investments, the concerts will be performed monthly. The band schedule is as …

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Nearly 500 Runners Take Part in First Wounded Warriors 5K

Held the Saturday before Memorial Day, the event raised money to help injured veterans.

As America prepared to pay tribute to its fallen heroes, hundreds gathered in Plainfield’s Setters’ Park in honor of servicemen and women injured in the line of duty. The first-ever Wounded Warriors 5K had an impressive turnout, according to Jeff Maliska, a volunteer with Operation Welcome You Home, the organization that coordinated the event. Maliska said organizers expected somewhere around 150 participants for the event, since it’s a brand-new outing. “We had 400 at the start of the day,” he said Saturday. By the time the race began at 8 a.m., there were 477. The $25 race fee plus donations from sponsors meant the event raised more than $5,000, Maliska said, adding it could grow to as much as $8,000 when all is said and done. “We’re …

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Memorial Day Parade Steps Off at 10:30 a.m. Monday

Police release road closures as American Legion prepares to host annual commemoration.

To some people, it’s about barbecues and an extra day off work. But on Monday, Plainfield American Legion Marne Post 13 will host its annual Memorial Day Parade, a reminder of the true meaning of the national holiday. In remembrance of the nation’s soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice, the parade will step off at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Plainfield Central High School, making its way to the Veteran’s Memorial in Settlers’ Park. A Memorial Day ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. at the Veteran's Memorial, featuring speakers including Mayor Mike Collins, according to Marilyn Pecoraro, wife Marne Post 13 Cmdr. Frank Pecoraro. The Plainfield Central, South and East high school bands will perform during the ceremonies, along with the Plainfield…

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Road Closures Announced for Wounded Warrior 5K

Closings will start at 7:45 a.m. Saturday to make way for the event in and around Settlers' Park.

On Saturday, runners will hit the trail to raise money to help wounded U.S. servicemen and women during the Wounded Warriors 5K at Settlers' Park in Plainfield. The event will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. With more than 300 participants, Plainfield police are warning residents and motorists to expect heavier traffic and delays due to road closures. The race starts at 8 a.m. near Village Hall, proceeds on Village Center Drive to Van Dyke Road, then on Ottawa Street to Ira Jones Middle School, winding around the school back to Ottawa Street. From there, the route will return to Van Dyke Road, heading south until it ends. After finishing the race, runners will return north on Van Dyke Road, ending up back near Village Hall. The …

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Plainfield 5K Race to Benefit Wounded Warriors

Scheduled for May 26 in Settlers’ Park, the event is organized by Operation Welcome You Home.

Usually, they’re in the business of staging heroes’ welcomes for returning U.S. servicemen and women. On May 26, Operation Welcome You Home will host a different kind of event in Plainfield, this time to help wounded warriors. So far, nearly 300 people have registered for the organization’s first-ever Wounded Warriors 5K Run/Walk, set to step off at 8 a.m. May 26 in Settlers’ Park. Operation Welcome You Home founder Donna Morsovillo said proceeds from the race will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. While Plainfield has hosted its share of 5K races in recent months, this one is special, according to village trustee Jim Racich. “This one is really going to be close to a lot of people’s hearts,” he said. “[The Wounded Warrior Project] is …

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