Earlier this week, I was driving through downtown Frankfort, when a house on Oak Street caught my eye. I had never seen anything so delightfully ghoulish. The house was decorated to the nines for Halloween! I pulled my car over to get a closer look, and decided that I just had to share this house and its startling seasonal decor with the readers of Frankfort Patch. You can get a closer look at the front yard gravestones, army of skeletons and creepy Jack O'Lantern in the gallery above. Get news alerts and Facebook updates from these Lincoln-Way Patch sites: Frankfort newsletter and Frankfort …

For years, my parents have participated in an annual activity they refer to as "leaf peeping."  Every October, they drive from their home in rural Minnesota to Wisconsin to take in the stunning autumn leaves. Since arriving in Illinois a few weeks ago, I've noticed that the south suburbs have a pretty impressive showing of fall colors as well. So, I want to know: where are the most beautiful autumn leaves in the area? Post your leaf peeping recommendations in the comments and help make everyone's October a bit more beautiful. Get news alerts and Facebook updates from these Lincoln-Way Patch …

Hello Frankfort Patch Readers! My name is Anna Schier, and I’m thrilled to be joining the Southland Patch team as the new local editor of Frankfort Patch. As I’m sure many of you know, Joe Vince, Frankfort Patch editor of two years, was recently offered a job editing Tinley Park Patch, which he accepted. No one could ever replace Joe. Nevertheless, I intend to continue to deliver accurate, relevant reporting to the Frankfort community as the editor of Frankfort Patch. I may be new to the Southland, but I’m not new to Patch. For the past year, I worked as an assistant editor with Patch in the …

If you're a regular Frankfort Patch reader, you probably know that I've been harboring the worst-kept secret around town since just after Labor Day. That's largely because it wasn't really a secret. More of an unannouced fact or a professional matter that no one drew attention to yet. But now it can be told. My secret is this: I have a new job that's taking me out of Frankfort. Just before Labor Day, I was asked to take over the Tinley Park Patch site (that editor had been asked to start new Patch sites in the area), and I agreed to it just after Fall Fest. Since then I've been working double…

Now that the series has premiered, the big question is: Did you watch? If you didn't catch the first episode, you missed out on seeing Devyn Mangin, 9, make her TV series debut. You also missed clips from a future episode that showcased Old Plank Trail Tavern.  If you did watch, tell everyone what you thought in the comments section of the article. You can give your review of the show or just point out all the places you've visited that were featured in the show.   The story below originally ran Monday, Sept. 17 The Mob Doctor is a new TV drama that premieres Monday, Sept. 17, but there's a …

The first time Bernard Queneau rolled through Frankfort along the Lincoln Highway, he did it as a passenger, sitting on a wood bench in an old REO Speed Wagon, accompanied by three other fellow Eagle Scouts. On his most recent trip to the area, he drove the local stretch of U.S. Route 30 in a Buick sedan outfitted with cushioned seats, air-conditioning and an OnStar navigation system. This time his second wife, Esther, joined him, splitting the driving duties. That last visit was this past week, Thursday, Sept. 6. The first visit, however, was in June of 1928. Bernie, as his wife calls him, …

It's not the Hatfields and McCoys. Heck, it's not even a contentious episode of Family Feud. READ: Fall Fest Hits Single-Day Attendance Record; 'Fright Fest' Is Theme for '13 But for the past 11 years or so, the day of the Frankfort Fall Festival turns into all-out war for North sider Terry Waldron and South sider Veva Doogan, who live across the street from on another at the intersection of Walnut and Nebraska streets. Well, it's all-out war for the five minutes or so that it takes both sides to fling all their water balloons after the parade end. Patch was on hand again to capture this …

As 11 p.m. approached, Harry D'Ercole requested the handful of remaining customers and the staff—past and present—to gather in the lounge of his restaurant, Enrico's Italian Dining, on Wednesday, Aug. 15. A steady crowd of diners kept the restaurant filled and kept D'Ercole floating from table to table to visit with loyal diners and friends. He didn't work the room like a restaurateur trying to ensure repeat business. Instead, he glided through this building that's been sizable part of his life since 1974 like the host of a family dinner party, making sure everyone was enjoying themselves. …

The rupture and shutdown of a Wisconsin pipeline, as well as issues at Illinois and Indiana refineries have caused state gas prices to soar, the Associated Press reports. Those prices, which were as high as $4.15 in Frankfort as of Saturday, Aug. 4, are the highest in Great Lakes region, and the state average jumped from $3.61 a week ago to $4.05 on Friday, the report stated. That jump also was the highest in the region. READ: Have You Hit Your Mad-As-Hell Breaking Point Over Gas Prices? The price increase, however, should be temporary, with prices dropping in the next few weeks as the …

"I don't have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad." A resident called me this week to talk about local gas prices in Frankfort and Mokena. He wasn't simply upset about the see-saw nature of prices but also how high the cost of filling up a tank has become compared to nearby communities, such as Monee, Manhattan and Manteno. To his mind, this was a clear case of oil companies gouging Frankfort and other Lincoln-Way area residents. READ: How Do Gas Stations Set Their Prices? This man's call reminded me of a similar email I received about the exact time last year, asking …

Last week, I wrote a story about how the Village of Frankfort's well system allowed it to avoid the threat of water restrictions during this dry summer. This was at a time when neighboring communities that rely on water from Lake Michigan through an agreement with Chicago weren't just limiting watering times, they were outright banning them. READ: Water Restrictions Everywhere, But Why Not in Frankfort? Given all that upside—convenience and financial savings—conventional wisdom would dictate that residents should be pretty content with their water. But that's not the case, given the online …

Six months have been crossed off the calendar. That's half a year put into the history books. With six months left (minus a few days) in 2012, I've decided to look back on the year and compile the top five Frankfort stories and events that had readers talking … so far. To put the list together, I considered factors such as overall community effect, long-term repercussions and reader views and comments. The list itself is in no particular order. Summit Hill School District 161 budget cuts: The district's more than $2 million budget deficit over the next three years was revealed toward the end …

It's no secret that summer is my favorite season. I can't get enough of the weather (the hotter the better) and that atmosphere that fun could break out around every corner. And I don't think I'm alone in feeling that way about the summer months, either. PHOTOS: Students With Disabilities Learn to 'Lose the Training Wheels' That's why I want to document all the excitement and enjoyment the summer of 2012 can bring, especially in a place like Frankfort, with its mix of planned events (Country Market, activities on Breidert Green) and places just made for summer (Old Plank Road Trail, the …

With all of the parks, Breidert Green and all those miles of Old Plank Road Trail, Frankfort is filled with some great outdoor areas where you can enjoy a beautiful summer day. But when the heat gets to be too much, options start to dwindle if you're looking for a place to cool down and still be able to stay outside. Commissioner's Park, run by the Frankfort Park District, and Frankfort Square Park District's Community Centers have designated Splash Parks, where residents can find some relief by running through their water sprays. READ: Five Cool Spots to Beat the Heat in Frankfort After that…

It's an undeniable fact of the universe: If you're someone who's really into the kind of music you enjoy, someone who needs to be in charge of the stereo every time you're in the car, someone who just doesn't listen to the sounds commercial radio says are popular, then you're someone who's always had a desire—secret or otherwise—to be DJ. And if that sounds like you, then the small, informal survey question that the people at Francesca's Fortunato asked on their Facebook page is a dream come true: What local musicians would you be interested coming to see perform on our patio this summer?? …

There's something about watching a movie outside that's doubly enjoyable. You get to indulge in an entertaining flick without sacrificing a beautiful summer's evening. VOTE: What's Your Favorite Village Summertime Event? Frankfort kicks off its free outdoor summer film series Wednesday, June 6, on Breidert Green with Zookeeper. Movies start at dusk (about 8:30 p.m.) with a preview and a cartoon screening beforehand (starting around 7:45 p.m.). Free popcorn will be available from Kernel Sweetooth, and flim-goers can bring blankets and lawn chairs (large, view-obstructing hats, however, are …

UPDATE (4:31 a.m. Thursday, June 7): Comments by Village Administrator Jerry Ducay on how Frankfort officials decided to try to fix the confusion. Recently, a new sign was put up in the middle of the cross walk on White Street, across from Breidert Green, right before Kansas Street, reminding motorists that they need to stop and yield the right of way to any crossing pedestrians. And that's all the sign is: a reminder of what a good driver should already know. However, some drivers are being—how should I put this?—overly cautious, stopping whether there's someone in the cross walk or not. And…

Purists will quibble and tell you that summer doesn't begin until next month, but if you ask most Americans, they'll agree that the Memorial Day weekend is the beginning of the summer season. (Remember when the Memorial Day weekend also marked the beginning of the summer movie season? Oh, those were the days. Now, the big blockbusters open in middle April. Is The Avengers even still in theaters?) Since we can all sensibly agree that summer is upon us, let's take a look at this year's lineup of Frankfort's traditional—and in some cases, new—events. Of course, the season culminates in the …

According to the 2012 presidential proclamation declaring National Small Business Week, the observance is an opportunity to "celebrate the generations of entrepreneurs who have given their all to realize a dream." The Small Business Administration defines a small business as one that's privately owned with fewer than 500 employees. Look around Frankfort, and from restaurants to boutiques to curio shops, those are pretty much the types of businesses that populate the village. READ: Check Out Our Section of Local Business Features And behind each of those successful businesses is an owner who …

For the past 25 years, Illinois has designated May as Motorcycle Awareness Month. At this month's first Frankfort Village Board meeting, Mayor Jim Holland followed suit, proclaiming the same for the village. Now that the weather is nicer, more riders are taking out their bikes and hitting the roadways. Because of their smaller size, motorcycles can hide in cars' blind spots, and drivers need to pay special attention for them, according to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. READ: A Look at Traffic Tickets in the Rt. 30 Construction Zone While safety is an important concern, some Frankfort …