St. Charles East graduate poses for firefighter calendar

Jordan Stallman knew things were a little different in South Carolina than they were in St. Charles - at least in terms of the number of stray animals running around.

The 2011 graduate of St. Charles East is currently a member of the Mount Pleasant Fire Department near Charleston, South Carolina, - and he loves dogs. When given an opportunity to help animals, he puts everything into it.

This included being asked to pose for a spot on the Charleston Animal Society's firefighter calendar.

Money raised from the calendar sales goes toward "Toby's Fund" in honor of the first dog to be taken into the state's first no-kill animal shelter.

"It was a big deal to have a no-kill shelter down there," Stallman said. "The firefighter calendar raises over $30,000 a year, and all of the money goes to Toby's Fund, where it is used to treat animals when they come to the center so they don't have to be put down."

In many cases, an abused or lost animal may need a surgery, and the money the firefighters raise helps pay for that type of medical care.

If you truly love animals, you may want to skip reading the next paragraph or two. It does anger you, but has a happy ending.

Stallman said another fund was established to honor a pit bull named Caitlyn, who made national news because she was found abandoned with electric tape wrapped around her snout.

One might say whoever left this dog loose like this was thinking that, with a taped mouth, it would not bite whoever found her. Still, it would have been the cruelest of all deaths had she not been found and saved.

"She is such a sweet dog, too," Stallman said. "It is crazy that anyone would do that to her, but it did start a new fund for abused animals so they could prosecute people who do this."

Stallman, who went to the Fox Valley Career Center at Kaneland High School for half days to attend firefighting classes when he was a senior, also earned an associate degree in fire science at Waubonsee Community College. He has been with the Mount Pleasant department since 2015.

His mother, Judy Stallman, owner of Valley Lock in St. Charles, has been selling the firefighter calendars at her store like a proud mother who, well, has a son prominently portrayed in the calendar.

"My mom has been amazing in helping me, putting the calendars right out in the front of her store," said the 25-year-old Stallman, a newlywed.

He and his wife rescued a dog from Missouri, saying it was definitely worth it.

"A lot of these dogs are really great, but some have been abused a lot and they are skittish and a little harder to work with," Stallman said. "But these dogs are so sweet, it is worth it."

A score in his honor:

Friends and family of Nick Hanson want to make sure the 2016 graduate of Geneva High School isn't forgotten in the community.

It was a tough pill to swallow when this former prep athlete and student was killed in a car accident last October.

Mike Davis of Geneva, whose sons played baseball with Nick in high school, is a friend of the family and approached the high school about raising money to erect a new baseball scoreboard at the high school field in Hanson's honor.

"The current scoreboard really needs to be replaced, and my request was recently approved," Davis said. "I launched a gofundme page where donations can be made."

Those interested in donating just need to search for "GoFundMe Nick Hanson scoreboard." The process just started and about a week ago the site had raised more than $2,000 of the $18,000 it is hoping to reach.

But Davis informed me that a generous donor was offering to match the donations when they reach $9,000, and others planned to step forward with donations as well.

So, the target is in sight, but Davis is hoping others hop on board to allow the school and community to remember this young man.

Donations can also be made to the Geneva All-Sports Boosters, with a reference to the scoreboard project on the check's memo line.

"It was pretty devastating to the community" when Hanson was killed, Davis said. "The Hanson family is well known and loved in Geneva."

Focus on families:

The opioid addiction crisis is in full bloom across the nation, and no city is immune from its grip. That means many families and friends are dealing with someone addicted to narcotics.

The organizers of the Nar-Anon support group meetings in Naperville have moved to Geneva and are doing the same for those in the Tri-Cities area.

The meetings that focus solely on family members and friends of addicts will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the TriCity Family Services building at 1120 Randall Court in Geneva.

Nar-Anon is not affiliated with TriCity Family Services, but rather just taking up the agency's offer of a weekly meeting room.

Nar-Anon, a worldwide fellowship, operates through a 12-step program to help family members get through the experience of having a loved one addicted. It does not focus on helping the addict.

It's about sharing experiences and reinforcing each other in getting through the difficult task at hand.

The group had its first meeting last Tuesday. Information is available by reaching group organizers at river2011@yahoo.com, or by calling (800) 477-6291.

They were bad news:

So, exactly how bad were the Chicago Bears this past season?

This bad: I turned them off at halftime during the debacle against Minnesota and instead watched "The Parent Trap," starring Hayley Mills, Maureen O'Hara and Brian Keith.

You read that correctly. "The Parent Trap" - and guess what? It was relaxing and amusing, which is a far better combination than angry and frustrated.

dheun@sbcglobal.net