Southtown Star from Tinley Park, Illinois • 3

SOUTHTOWNSTAR SATURDAY, MAY 9 2009 A3 news Jailed Peterson still full of wisecracks Drews plea postponed 10 days because his lawyer is on vacation BY JOEHOSEY SI TIMES NWS OROI i Drews girlfriend packs up some things, leaves The woman with whom former Bolingbrook Police Sgt. Drew Peterson has been involved in an on-again, off-again relationship is taking some of her things from his Joliet home. On Friday, a day after Peterson was charged with first-degree murder in the 2004 death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, Christina Raines loaded some belongings into a vehicle and left. Raines has been linked romantically to Peterson for several weeks. In February, she told the media she hoped to marry him.

Until Thursday, authorities had declined to identify him as a suspect in the death of Savio, whose body was found in her bathtub. AP son as their sole suspect. Peterson and Savio, 40, had a rocky marriage and were in the midst of a contentious divorce when she was found dead. Police have documented at least 18 disputes between the couple. Savio was arrested twice but acquitted both times regarding the domestic disputes.

Peterson was not charged in connection with any of the police calls. Its my opinion they didnt do anything because he was a police officer," Melissa Doman said. Pat Barry, spokesman for the county sheriffs department, said Peterson was placed in protective custody at the jail because he is a high-profile inmate and a former police officer. The classification people will look at it over the weekend, Barry said. Savios niece and nephew were not amused by Petersons antics as he was led into the courthouse.

Hes just being Drew, making a joke of everything, Melissa Doman said. "Sometimes the joke's just not appropriate, which has been the case for a while." $20 million bail reduced. Brodsky didnt make it to Petersons court hearing Friday as he was vacationing in New York. The arraignment was postponed for 10 days to accommodate Brodsky. Peterson faces first-degree murder charges in connection with the March 2004 death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, who was found dead in a bathtub in her Bolingbrook home.

After Petersons brief court appearance Friday, Savios niece and nephew, Charlie and Melissa Doman, spoke of their long quest to seek justice. It is so satisfying to see him where he should have been five years ago," Melissa Doman said. Illinois State Police, who arrested Peterson on Thursday during 1 Even after a night in jail and with the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison, Drew Peterson shouted jokes as he was led into court Friday and repeated his one-liners just in case someone hadnt heard him. Look at this bling, look at this bling," Peterson cracked as he held up his shackled wrists. Dressed in red jail scrubs after a night in Will County Jail, Peterson said of his new digs and attire, Three squares and this spiffy outfit.

How can I complain?" But Peterson, 55, a former Bolingbrook police sergeant, cannot be too happy in the county jail his attorney, Joel Brodsky, faxed in a motion to got Petersons Drew Peterson Is led out of the Will County Courthouse In Joliet after his first court appearance on charges that he murdered his third wife, Kathleen Savlo. rich hein sun-times news group a traffic stop near his home, found nothing suspicious when they fust investigated Savios drowning. Her death was ruled an accident but came under new scrutiny when Petersons fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, then 23, vanished in October 2007. After exhuming Savio's body and re-examining her death, authorities reclassified it as a homicide. State police believe Stacy Peterson may have been killed and are focusing on Drew Peter Drew arrest gives hope to family of Lisa Stebic Hearsay law could help in case of Plainfield woman BY JANET LUNDQUIST SUN TIMFS NEWS GROUP The S.S.

Minnow team, with senior Zak Koronkiewlcz as Gilllgan and Ben Albarranas as The Professor, shove off In their cardboard boat Friday to paddle through the pool at Evergreen Park High School. The team was one of two boats to stay afloat during the Whatever Floats Your Boat competition organized by physics teacher Joe Sparacino. photos by Joseph meier southtownstar SWIMMING IN SCIENCE Drew Petersons arrest Friday was good news for more than just the families of Kathleen Savio and Stacy Peterson. It also gave renewed hope to the family of Lisa Stebic, a Plainfield woman who has been missing for more than two years. At this moment of accountability, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Kathleen Savio and Stacy Peterson as the time for justice is now within sight," said Lisas family in a written statement.

We, too, steadfastly await our moment of justice for Lisa Ruttenberg Stebic." Stebic, then 37, vanished April 30, 2007. No trace of her has been found. She was reportedly last seen by her husband, Craig, at their home. Police have called Craig the sole suspect in his wifes disappearance. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Melanie Greenberg, a spokeswoman for Lisas family, pointed out that Will County States Attorney James Glasgow said a new hearsay law would play a role in the Peterson prosecution. The law allows a judge to let into evidence statements by a murder victim if certain conditions are met by the prosecution. "That law would apply for our case as well," Greenberg said. There may be a court challenge (to the law). But this definitely will be a test case of that new law, and that will have direct bearing on our case as well.

Lisas friend and neighbor, Laur-rie Bingenheimer, said lisa once told her that Craig threatened to kill her. She also said Lisa asked if she could send her children to the Bingen-heimers house if anything hapjiened al her home. In court documents, Lisa's family said they believe the Stebic children may have heard Craig allegedly say he would cut Lisa Stebic into pieces and no one would ever find her" and that Lisas face would be on the back of a milk carton someday. While Petersons case will be a test of the new law his lawyers have said the law is "outrageous" and that they plan to attack it Glasgow has said he plans to use it aggressively." I think especially our family can understand the pain and the anguish (the Savios) have felt, watching the man they felt killed their relative walk free," Greenberg said. Anyone with information on Ste-bics whereabouts is asked to contact Plainfield police at (815) 2G7-7217 or Will County Crime Stoppers at (800) 323-6734.

Evergreen Park High School students test their skills in boat-making competition BY STEVE METSCH RTAF1 WRITER Seniors John McDonlel and Steve Moran paddle their boat through the final lap of the competition. Koronkiewlcz, who paddled 75 feet in a speedy 34 seconds. I couldn't believe how fast we were going," Anne said. She, her sister, and friend Fernando Rocha needed about two hours to build the boat, Anne said. Theirtrophy, topped with ayellow rubber duck, will be on display in a case at the school, 9901 S.

Kcdie Evergreen Park. While the races thrilled several hundred onlookers, they probably resulted in a heated discussion across a Friday night dinner table in Evergreen Park. Zak Koronkiewicz, one-third of triplets with Anne and Kate, played the Gilllgan role on the Minnow. He wore a red shirt and floppy white hat like the TV character. They won, but weve got bragging rights," said Zak, noting the Minnow never did sink, hile his sisters' boat eventually did after inning the race It took three weeks for Zak, Casey Skipper" Quinn, Kyle Ginger" Symanski, and Ben Professor Albar-ran to design and build their boat.

I just thought it was a clever idea," said Kyle, who wore a red wig, green skirt and coconut shell bikini top. For his own vessel Sparacino attached a cardboard keel on the bottom, thinking it would lower the center of gravity and make it less likely to tip over. For his crew he drafted Anna Wilson and Kathy Augtistyn, science teachers at the school, because they This time, the S.S. Minnow completed its tour. It did not spring a leak, or deposit its occupants on an uncharted desert isle.

This sturdy, seven-foot-long cardboard boat needed 1 minute and 12 seconds to finish sailing" from one end of the Evergreen Park High School pool to the other in the first-ever Whatever Floats Your Boat competition on Friday. The competition was the brainchild of physics teacher Joe Sparacino, who wank'd to incorporate fun with learning for seniors in science classes. His students divided Into teams and designed boats out of cardboard that they then tried to race across the pool. "I got the idea from the Illinois Math and Science Academy out in Aurora This teaches students about buoyancy, center of gravity and water displacement, Sparacino said. Only two of the eight boats, the Minnow and Super Freak, proved buoyant enough to avoided sinking during the race.

But this Minnow, much like the ill-fated ship on the 1900s TV sitcom Gilligans Island," still went out a loser. Friday's winner was decided by which boat was the fastest. That honor fell to the Honolulu Hooligans, aka Anne and Kate weighed less than him, giving the boat a better chance for survival. Were gonna whip them. They're going down," Augustyn predicted before the race.

Oops. The teachers boat was one of the quickest to sink. The sides were weak.They just raved in on us. I was surprised, a chagrined and drenched Augustyn said. Boat builders ere allowed to use heavy cardboard boxes found at grocery or retail stores.

Boats could not be longer Hum seven feet. Clear mailing tape was the only tape allowed to cover Joints and prevent leaks, but six bouts still sunk. Glancing over the soggy remnants of those once-proud vessels, Evergreen Park High School District 231 Supt. Beth Hart smiled. "I was extremely impressed with the enthusiasm, and I give a lot of credit to these teachers for promoting applications of science in a fun way," Hart said.

Friday was fun, but school is school. All the competitors will write reports on what they learned in the prcxcss of building and racing their boats, Sparacino said. I Steve Metsch can be contacted at smetschOsouthtownstarcom or (708) 633-5996. CORRECTION A story in Friday's sports section Incorrectly reported the second-place finishers In the doubles competition at the Lincoln-Way Central badminton sectional. Samantha Chevalier and Nikki Pelletier, of the host school, were the runners up.

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