THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2008

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Warriors To The Rescue

Alexander Rodriguez and Maine West football teammates carry a door to the curb out of the Des Plaines History Center Thursday. (Tom Wessell/The Journal)

By TODD WESSELL

Journal & Topics Editor

Calling "fabulous" the help provided by about 20 "big and strong" members of the Maine West High School football team, Des Plaines Historical Society President John Burke said the flooded basement of the organization's History Center was cleaned out in what appeared to be record time last Thursday afternoon.

"You wouldn't believe it," Burke told the Journal & Topics Newspapers Monday. "It was fabulous. About 20 guys from Maine West cleaned the basement by forming an assembly line. It would have taken our staff a week to do it."

Working as a well-oiled machine, the Maine West student athletes filled a 20 cubic yard dumpster with junk and debris that had to be hauled up from the building's basement. The History Center is located on Pearson Street north of Prairie Avenue and next to the Historical Society's Kinder House museum. Four feet of water had backed up into the basement during the recent weekend rainstorm leaving the area and its contents in ruin.

"No valuable artifacts were destroyed," said Burke. "Only supplies and things used in the Des Plaines Kiwanis Club Peanut Day drive." Burke said he and museum curator Joy Matthiessen are local Kiwanians.

"It was just a mess," added Burke who said Society board members have been working in recent says to sanitize the basement. "The water is out now."

Added Burke, "The teamwork and enthusiasm of the high school students was enough to bring some of our board members to tears."