Good News Sunday: How a group of Glen Ellyn fifth-graders saved a man from drowning
This is Good News Sunday, a compilation of some of the more upbeat and inspiring stories published recently by the Daily Herald:
Four close friends like to wander around the neighborhood lake in Glen Ellyn. They practically live there all summer long. One night this summer, they heard the distressing sounds of a man struggling in the water.
The four boys — Declan Devlin, his twin brother Tiernan, Tommy Nitti and Charlie Valerio — attend Forest Glen Elementary School. They are only in the fifth grade, but they are fearless in the face of a crisis.
The man had tried to swim out to a broken, radio-controlled boat and began to falter. He yelled for help.
Charlie heard the initial screams and alerted Tommy and Declan. They immediately ran to Tommy's nearby house and retrieved a kayak and life vests.
Declan and Tommy paddled out to the man in the lake. They gave him a life preserver and then took turns paddling the inflatable kayak back to shore while the man held on.
“We all worked together to be able to save him,” said Charlie, who stayed on shore to call 911.
Glen Ellyn Police Chief Philip Norton, Glen Ellyn Elementary District 41 school board members and Superintendent Melissa Kaczkowski recently honored the young men for stepping up to save a stranger.
“There is little doubt that but for the quick actions of these young men, tragedy was averted,” Norton said.
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St. Charles restaurateur credits staff, family for restaurant's longevity
On a recent Sunday night at Salerno's on the Fox, a popular Italian restaurant at 320 N. Second St. in St. Charles, the dining room was also quite busy. But the staff was working hard and fast, and each employee was as pleasant as if you were the only customer to serve.
To hear Salerno's owner, Joe Salerno, tell it, that's been the secret sauce behind keeping the restaurant going since his father, Adam, who opened the restaurant in St. Charles in 1975, passed away in early 2022.
“The staff I have now has been and will remain, whether they leave or not, the best staff that Salerno's on the Fox has ever seen,” Joe said. “What they do for me is unbelievable because they see me working just as hard as they are, and it has been a tremendous help — I would not be here today if not for the staff in the front and back (of the restaurant).”
Many Salerno patrons have pointed to the refurbishing of the bar and outdoor patio area next to the Fox River in the past year as big accomplishments for Joe, who has been managing the business since 2011.
For Joe, his father is pretty much looking over his shoulder daily — because photos of him “are all over the dining room,” he said.
“Even if I come in early in the morning and am cleaning, you know he's right by you saying, 'Hey, you missed a spot,'” Joe said. “We have a lot of laughs about that.”
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Civil War veteran who shook Lincoln's hand honored in Lake County
Silas Nichols died in 1945, but a special service recently culminated a long mission to find and honor him as the last Union Civil War veteran in Lake County.
A granite and bronze marker were dedicated at Nichols' grave at Hickory Union Cemetery in Antioch. Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War hosted the ceremony.
Nichols was from Ohio and moved to Lake County in 1889 and became involved in veterans' activities after his retirement. His military service was short and largely uneventful — except for meeting President Abraham Lincoln.
According to reports, Nichols saw Lincoln three times, once at the White House.
In a 1943 newspaper article, Nichols recounted he and several soldiers went to the White House and asked to see the president. A guard, according to the account, told Lincoln: “It's only some old soldiers.”
Nichols, in the article, said he heard Lincoln reply, “Never call them that,” and personally welcomed them.
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