News Briefs
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The Markham Journal
Markham Man, NIU Student, shot near his home.
Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Patrick
Stokes.
The Chicago Tribune reported that Patrick Stokes, 22, a
senior at Northern Illinois University, was killed by a gunshot
in the back in a neighborhood near his house.
You can read the entire Tribune article here.
His mother, Maesue Stokes, said "He had so much to offer,"
she said. "My God, I just don't understand."
Patrick Stokes was studying social services and wanted to
use his degree to work with at-risk youths in after-school
programs, his mother said. He would have been the first in
his family to graduate from college.
Patrick studied hard and earned excellent grades. He
recently quit a part-time job at a Target distribution center
because his new hours would interfere with school.
His girlfriend, Jamira Owokoniran, told the Tribune that the
two became friends in 2000 and began dating on
Valentine's Day 2002.
Owokoniran said they talked of getting married and having
children.
"He used to bring me home flowers every week,"
Owokoniran said.
It is possible he was caught in gang crossfire. Meanwhile,
gangs keep growing, keep recruiting, and keep selling a
line to children that they are the only family worth having. If
this is what a gang has to offer a young person, then please,
young people, learn how to say no. This is no way to live,
and this poor family now has to cope with the loss of a
shining star in their lives.
Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Patrick
Stokes.
The Chicago Tribune reported that Patrick Stokes, 22, a
senior at Northern Illinois University, was killed by a gunshot
in the back in a neighborhood near his house.
You can read the entire Tribune article here.
His mother, Maesue Stokes, said "He had so much to offer,"
she said. "My God, I just don't understand."
Patrick Stokes was studying social services and wanted to
use his degree to work with at-risk youths in after-school
programs, his mother said. He would have been the first in
his family to graduate from college.
Patrick studied hard and earned excellent grades. He
recently quit a part-time job at a Target distribution center
because his new hours would interfere with school.
His girlfriend, Jamira Owokoniran, told the Tribune that the
two became friends in 2000 and began dating on
Valentine's Day 2002.
Owokoniran said they talked of getting married and having
children.
"He used to bring me home flowers every week,"
Owokoniran said.
It is possible he was caught in gang crossfire. Meanwhile,
gangs keep growing, keep recruiting, and keep selling a
line to children that they are the only family worth having. If
this is what a gang has to offer a young person, then please,
young people, learn how to say no. This is no way to live,
and this poor family now has to cope with the loss of a
shining star in their lives.
Mailboxes target of pre-Halloween Pranks
On Sunday night, October 29, apparently some people
felt some mailbox rearrangement was in order. Several
mailboxes were damaged, knocked down and
otherwise messed with that evening.
From personal experience, by the time I noticed the
damage, it was Monday evening, and police were still
answering reports of mailbox problems that night. My
mailbox was off the post, on the ground and its door
was missing.
Pranks are only funny for the pranksters. It's time like
these, in a weak moment, that I would like to mess up
the perpetrators stuff - something that means
something to them, something that inconveniences
them.
But, that would be revenge, and in a world where I
have seen karma work, I find that revenge is totally
unnecessary.
But still, sometimes as a citizen who asks to have their
stuff left alone, I sure wish that I could give some
pranksters at least a piece of my mind. Something
about being inconvenienced, having to replace the
mailbox with something more sturdy, etc. Time is
valuable to me, and they used up some of mine. That's
time I won't get back.
I can only hope that karma has some fine things in store
- like, twenty years from now, when they have homes
and mailboxes.....
On Sunday night, October 29, apparently some people
felt some mailbox rearrangement was in order. Several
mailboxes were damaged, knocked down and
otherwise messed with that evening.
From personal experience, by the time I noticed the
damage, it was Monday evening, and police were still
answering reports of mailbox problems that night. My
mailbox was off the post, on the ground and its door
was missing.
Pranks are only funny for the pranksters. It's time like
these, in a weak moment, that I would like to mess up
the perpetrators stuff - something that means
something to them, something that inconveniences
them.
But, that would be revenge, and in a world where I
have seen karma work, I find that revenge is totally
unnecessary.
But still, sometimes as a citizen who asks to have their
stuff left alone, I sure wish that I could give some
pranksters at least a piece of my mind. Something
about being inconvenienced, having to replace the
mailbox with something more sturdy, etc. Time is
valuable to me, and they used up some of mine. That's
time I won't get back.
I can only hope that karma has some fine things in store
- like, twenty years from now, when they have homes
and mailboxes.....