New Lenox man wins refurbished iPad in photo contest

Composting photo judged best in America Recycles Day competition

WILL COUNTY – After 15 years in a small Rogers Park condo that offered essentially “no outside space at all,” Jason Holicky decided he needed something larger that also offered space for gardening.

Holicky and his husband, Ethan Shebesh, looked around Chicago before deciding to move to New Lenox.

Holicky said the pair have friends in Will County and Holicky’s business partner lives in Joliet. Holicky and his business partner do work that includes web design, online marketing and graphic design. Shebesh, who teaches at a Chicago Public School, is looking for a job in the area, too.

Growing up in Northwestern Indiana, Holicky’s family lived across the street from his grandparents and often spent time working with his grandpa in his garden. “He always had a real passion for gardening.”

The tutelage he received from his grandpa took root and helped him win Will County’s 2016 America Recycles Day photo contest. He received a refurbished iPad for the photo of him composting, an activity he used to help his grandpa with. He was presented his prize by Will County Executive Larry Walsh on Dec. 6.

The contest, open to Will County residents, asked residents to submit a photo relevant to one of six categories: recycling; reuse; gardening or composting; energy efficiency; waste reduction; or water conservation. The photo had to include a person who lives or works in the county.

Marta Keane, Recycling Program Specialist with the Will County Land Use Department’s Resource Recovery and Energy Division, said that this is the fifth time the County has given away a refurbished iPad in honor of the Nov. 15 holiday.

Contest entries featured yard waste composting, reuse, food scrap composting and gardening. The winner was chosen by a panel of judges from the Land Use Department.

Keane said, “This photo is special because it exemplifies enjoying the environment, conserving the nutrients in the leaves on your property to be used as a natural fertilizer in the spring in gardens, flower beds or simply on trees and bushes.”

Since Holicky and Shebesh moved to New Lenox in August, it was too late to do any gardening this year. “We’re prepping for next year.”

Now he has another tool in his gardening arsenal. “I’m going to do all my gardening research on (the iPad).”

For additional information about the Will County Land Use -RRE, go to www.willcountygreen.com. Look for information on future contests there, as well.

The Land Use Department is under the County Executive’s office and is led by Director Curt Paddock.