The Best Prom Money Can Buy: South Suburban Spending Habits

We called on our Facebook fans from across the south suburbs to share their experiences dealing with the expenses of a modern-day prom.

For some, prom is the apex of the high school experience—a magical night to be looked back on with nostalgia for years to come.  Others will recount it as a well-dressed ten-ton credit-munching beast with an insatiable appetite. Like Matt L., our Tinley Park Patch Facebook friend who needed several years to pay his parents off his parents for a prom loan. Or Angie S. from Oak Lawn, who budgeted $1,000 for her daughters’ proms (and she’s not the exception). Now that we’re in the heart of prom season, we were curious to hear about the financial impact prom has on the typical south suburban family. How much does the average local family spend on a prom, and who foots the bill? Mom and dad, or the teens? We asked our Facebook fans across the …

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Photo Gallery: Lincoln-Way North Homecoming Parade

Lincoln-Way North High School continued its Homecoming Week tradition with its annual parade through the community on Sunday.

Lincoln-Way North High School kicked off its annual Homecoming Week on Sunday afternoon with a parade through the Frankfort Square community. Hundreds of student athletes, academic teams, marching bands, elected officials and community organizations marched. Other participants were the Frankfort Square Wildcats Football Association, the Summit Hill Junior High School Marching Band, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops and the Frankfort Jaycees. The Phoenix will play Thornridge High School in the Homecoming game Friday night.   Get News Alerts and Facebook Updates From These Patch Sites:

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DeVry University Tinley Park Campus-Community Outreach

9:06 am on Monday, October 1, 2012

Nice Job L-W North!   more ›

Ajani Leads Lincoln-Way to Gymnastics Sectional Crown

The Lincoln-Way co-op boys gymnastics team won Thursday's Lincoln-Way East sectional convincingly with a 160.8, as Ajani Cargle claimed the all-around title.

Even a so-so day for Lincoln-Way co-op's Ajani Cargle pushed him well ahead of the rest of the pack of high school gymnasts on Thursday. Cargle was far from ecstatic about his performance during the Lincoln-Way East Sectional, but the standout junior still won pommel horse, parallel bars and high bar, and placed second on floor and vault. He also cruised to the all-around title with a 55.6, well ahead of the 51.7 posted by runner-up Billy Suta of Naperville North. "I didn't like my performance," Cargle said. "I didn't get a 10 everywhere, so I can always do better. I didn't hit everything. Still rings didn't go too well. I could've done better on vault, but the other events besides high bar were OK." Lincoln-Way won the sectional with a …

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What 'Anything Goes' Tunes Give L-W East Performers That De-Lovely Feeling?

The high school cast members of the Cole Porter musical talk about their favorite songs in the Lincoln-Way East production, which opens Thursday.

This spring, Lincoln-Way East High School choral director Alysia Lambert thought it was time to lighten things up. "We have been doing dramas for several years. It was time for a laugh," she said. "Anything Goes is almost a farcical comedy. The students are really having fun with it." "The energy with the cast is so much different than the past three years," added senior Jacob Koonce, who plays Billy Crocker, one of the male leads. "It's (the storyline) is very easy to follow and keeps the audience interested and entertained throughout," agreed junior Ryan Smetana, a.k.a. Moonface Martin, a.k.a. Public Enemy No. 13. But hilarious hijinks and ditzy disguises aside, it's the much-loved music in this classic comedy that engages not only the …

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What's Ahead

A Look at the Next Five Days: Feb. 7-11

Orchesis dancers perform, a photography exhibit at Monkey Mind begins, and L-W co-op gymnasts compete in sectionals.

When: Runs through March 12  Where: Monkey Mind Art Studio & Gallery, 3 W. Nebraska St.   Joliet artist Stuart Pearson will display his photography at Monkey Mind starting today, and there will be a gallery reception Feb. 13. Check Frankfort Patch later in the week for a feature on the artist. When: 4:30-5:30 p.m. Where: Frankfort Public Library, 21119 Pfeiffer Road Have you read The Lightning Thief graphic novel? If so--and if you're in grades 4-8--head over to the Frankfort Public Library to discuss it. Go here for more details. When: 6:30-7:45 p.m. for ages 6-8; 7:45-9 p.m. for ages 9-11 Where: Lincoln-Way East High School, 201 Colorado Ave. Get ready for baseball season with this hitting clinic. Lessons take a step-by-step …

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EduNation: A Patch Report on Local Schools

Despite Budget Cuts, Lincoln-Way Parents Relatively Confident in District's Financial Situation

Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 cut $3.8 million from the 2010-11 budget and anticipates shaving another $2 million next year. While administrators are worried about the future, parents so far seem content with the state of district finance

The night before Thanksgiving, parents, students and staff gathered at Lincoln-Way North High School for the "Pheast of the Phoenix" basketball classic, an annual tournament that pits the Lincoln-Way North Phoenix against the rival Lincoln-Way East Griffins. In the crowded stands, basketball fans cheered when their team scored a point and frowned when their players missed a shot. Cheerleaders loitered on the edges of the court, waiting for a break in the play. The sweet anticipation of a long weekend hung in the air. It was a perfectly normal game night, and the looming problem of massive cuts to the Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 budget did not appear to worry those in attendance. "I don't think it's affecting us yet…

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Griffins Share the Wealth in First Conference Win

Lincoln-Way East's boys basketball team has three players with 14 or more points in a 62-56 win over Joliet West.

Lincoln-Way East's triple threat was too much for visiting Joliet West on Friday night. Senior forward Jaelan Jones scored 18 points, junior guard Jelani Yancy had 17 and junior guard Joel Magrum added 14 in the Griffins' 62-56 Southwest Suburban Conference Blue victory in Frankfort. "It's our first conference win," Griffins head coach Rich Kolimas said. "We've been troubled by pressure in the past. We showed a sign of maturity today. We still showed signs of turning the ball over, but I thought we played a little better tonight and handled the ball better." Yancy hit a 3-pointer to give the Griffins (3-5, 1-2) an 11-4 lead in the first quarter, but the Tigers (3-5, 0-3) clawed their way back to take a 14-11 lead at quarter's end. Magrum …

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