Council praises hero coach

Captured armed Waukegan High School student

WAUKEGAN -- The City Council added its own accolades Monday to the honors for Waukegan High School baseball coach Craig DeLost, who apprehended an armed student on the Washington Street campus on Oct. 21.

"Waukegan has been blessed over the years to have many (great) baseball teams and great coaches," 8th Ward Ald. Rick Larsen said Monday. "However, I doubt any of them went to the lengths (DeLost) did to make Waukegan High School a safer place for all of its students."

Larsen presented DeLost with a baseball signed by the entire council. "Maybe it won't ever have the value of a Mickey Mantle rookie card, but hopefully in your heart it will," he said.

Last week, DeLost was also feted by the Waukegan School Board, which presented him with a resolution stating that he "demonstrated his level of commitment and fearless dedication" in apprehending the student, who was subsequently charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

Third Ward Ald. Gregory Moisio, one of DeLost's colleagues at Waukegan High, said, "What he did was amazing." Moisio added that the incident shows "how important it is to be teaching these kids every day, (and) how they have to be disciplined every day" to avoid similar trouble,

Also on Monday, the council paid respects to longtime North Avenue resident Paul Eagon, a World War II veteran and civic booster who died late last month.

Mayor Robert Sabonjian described Eagon as "a dear friend of the community of Waukegan (whose) heart was in making Waukegan a better place to live."

Seventh Ward Ald. Patrick Needham called on the city to honor Eagon with a formal resolution, which will be read at a future council meeting.