Looking for Lincoln in Lincoln will celebrate the birthday of the city with a christening ceremony re-enactment on Aug. 27 at 10 a.m. The event will mark the 147th birthday of Lincoln, Ill.

As the story goes, at 10 a.m. on Aug. 27 in 1853, the first lots were sold in the new town of Lincoln. At the request of the railroad, Abraham Lincoln was in attendance to look after their interests. The promoter also asked Lincoln to officially "christen the town" and name it in his honor.

Though quipping, "nothing with the name of Lincoln has ever amounted to much," he nonetheless obliged by picking a melon from a pile that a local farmer had stacked on the ground nearby. He opened the melon with his pocket knife, cut the core and squeezed the juice into a tin cup saying, "Gentlemen, I am requested by the proprietors of the town site to christen it. I have selected the juice of a melon for that purpose, pouring it on the ground. Therefore, in your presence and hearing, I now christen this town site. Its name is Lincoln and soon to be named the permanent capital of Logan County. I have also prepared a feast for the occasion." With that, he shared the christening melon with the youngest in attendance, and, pointing at the remaining pile, said, "Gentlemen, help yourself."

This re-enactment will take place at the christening site, near the corner of Broadway and Chicago streets in downtown Lincoln. The site is adjacent to the Lincoln Depot. Re-enacting the ceremony will be the same group of local actors that have given the program at the Railsplitter Festival in previous years.

Watermelon slices will be available at the celebration, and audience members are encouraged to come in historic costume.

A special feature will be the wagon holding the watermelons. The "runabout," owned by John Gehlbach, was originally purchased by Mary Todd Lincoln from a Springfield wagon maker. It was intended to be used by Abraham Lincoln when he returned home from the White House. However, with the death of the president, Mrs. Lincoln never took possession of the wagon.

The Looking for Lincoln in Lincoln program is part of the regional heritage tourism program introduced by DCCA and is being administered locally by Main Street Lincoln. For further information or to volunteer, please call (217) 732-2929.

[Wendy Bell, Main Street Lincoln program manager]

From Roy Logan, program coordinator 

Softball

Men’s and women’s softball regular season has come to an end, followed by tournament play. Our many thanks to the people who worked as umpires for all of our leagues. Your dedication and commitment only made a great season better.

It wouldn’t be Park District softball without Ace Hinman. A big round of applause for him. Ace Hinman did a tremendous job organizing all of our officials. Our own Brandy Mullenbach was the official ball retriever. Every time someone hit a ball into the weeds or bean fields, Brando had to go get it. Brando is really glad to see the season end! Thanks much Brandy.

Much of the success of any of our programs, especially the ones that involve the kids, depends on our sponsors and volunteers who act as coaches or officials. The support we receive from these businesses and individuals goes far beyond their financial contributions and the donation of their time and talent.

Lincoln Park District’s girls’ softball swim party was scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 10, from 5 to 9 p.m., with coaches presenting awards during the evening.

Bus trip

We are on the bus again! This time it’s to St. Louis as we watch the Cardinals take on the Cubs. We’re guaranteeing a fun time. Sunday, Sept. 17, at 9 a.m. we depart the Rec. Center. Our plans are to return at 8:30 p.m. Cost for the charter coach and game ticket is $40.

Annual 5K run

The Lincoln Park District, in conjunction with the Lincoln Art and Balloon Fest, will be having the 12th annual 5K run Saturday, Aug. 26. T-shirts are given to all participants, and awards are given to the top three finishers in each age category. The run begins and ends at the Park District. Refreshments are provided. Registration forms are available at both the Rec. Center and the Lincoln Chamber offices. The race is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m.

Flag football

One of our more successful programs for young boys and girls has been flag football. Randy Turley has organized this league for the past few years and has done a very good job with seeing this grow in the numbers of participants each year. However, due to expanding family commitments, Mr. Turley is no longer available to us. First of all, our heartfelt thanks to Randy for a job well done.

Now we have to approach the community and ask that one or more of them that have children involved come forward and chair the league. Our goal is to keep the league operative and to follow many of the same goals that Mr. Turley founded the program on. The continuation of a great program lies in the willingness of parents to become involved and dedicate a couple nights a week to teaching the fundamentals of football.

Cheerleading volunteer needed

We already have a volunteer to co-chair the cheerleading for the girls, but we need to have another co-chair to work with her.

We believe that if enough people get involved in coaching and teaching that this can be a manageable task. If you are interested in chairing or have questions, please call Roy at 732-8770. People who have worked in these capacities in the past will testify that it is very rewarding and creates bonds that last a lifetime.

First Lady Lura Lynn Ryan presented the first "Youth Making a Difference" Awards on Aug. 9 at the Futures for Kids REACHing Youth Through Community Involvement Conference at the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago. Stephie Humble of Lincoln was among the winners.

The "Youth Making a Difference" Awards honor the outstanding efforts of Illinois youth who help improve their communities through volunteer activities.

"Illinois is blessed with so many young people who volunteer their time and dedicate themselves to helping others," said Mrs. Ryan. "The seven young people we honor here today are to be specially commended. Their actions have made an outstanding difference in their communities."

The nominees were judged on how their service activities best addressed the needs and concerns of their communities and how their efforts improved the given situation. Seven young people between the ages of 6 and 17 were selected by the Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service as the first award recipients.

Winners besides Stephie Humble were Natalie Jacobowski of Orland Park, Emily Dray of Wilmette, Elizabeth Feste of Byron, Colleen Lange of Gibson City, Brandi Bertelli of Laomi and Lauren Everette of Olney.

Stephie has been president of Lincoln’s HYPE (Helping Youth in a Positive Environment) group for the past year. Thanks to HYPE’s efforts with Habitat for Humanity, a family was able to move into their home for Thanksgiving. Stephie also filled balloons with drug-free pledges for the Junior High Balloon Launch, organized the group to collect food for the Logan County Food Pantry, and made posters during Alcohol Awareness Month. She worked diligently with HYPE’s Prevention Theater. She was selected to attend the Governor’s Teen Summit and, as a result of her commitment and dedication, was named HYPE of the year by her peers.

More than 1,200 people attended the Futures for Kids Conference, which provided participants with skills to increase their understanding of prevention services for Illinois’ youth. The goal of the conference was to support young people as they develop the skills, confidence and commitment to community necessary to lead successful lives.

Futures for Kids is an umbrella for the programs and policies that make a significant contribution to the health and well-being of children. The Teen REACH program, administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services, is part of this initiative. The Futures for Kids Conference included five workshops that focused on the Teen REACH themes of responsibility, education, achievement, caring and hope.

Through mid-September, Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital (ALMH) is providing free colorectal cancer screening kits and lab testing to assist you in identifying indicators of possible cancer in the colon or rectum. Colorectal cancer is one of the most curable of all cancers when it is detected early and treated promptly.

Because colorectal cancer develops over a period of time, it is possible to detect it by testing stool samples long before physical symptoms appear. The majority of people who develop colorectal cancer are over age 50. Over 75 percent of all cases can be cured, and patients can resume normal lives. The American Cancer Society recommends yearly stool blood tests after the age of 50.

The simple at-home test kit provided by ALMH will help the laboratory check your stool samples for hidden blood, which can be a sign of cancer or other internal disorders. The kit lists dietary suggestions of what to eat and what to avoid two days prior to the test. Following these few suggestions can reduce the chances of a "false positive" test result and increase probability of a more accurate test. The kit also provides all materials and directions needed for collecting stool samples and preparing slides for testing, and includes a pre-addressed envelope to mail the sample and information back to the ALMH lab. The lab will notify you of your results within two weeks after receiving the test. It is important to remember that the screening does not provide a complete cancer detection examination. Regardless of test results, you should see your physician whenever you experience changes in your bowel habits.

To take advantage of this opportunity, all tests must be received at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital no later than Sept. 15.

Test kits are available at local physician offices, pharmacies, senior living centers, the Logan County Health Department, and the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital Laboratory. In rural locations it is also available on the Rural Health Partnership’s mobile health unit. You may pick up your free kit at the following locations:

Abe Lincoln Pharmacy

Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital Laboratory

The Christian Village

CVS Pharmacy

Family Medical Center

Friendship Manor

Graue Pharmacy

Lincoln Health Care Specialists (Drs. Carroll, Harmon, Sagins and Sielaff)

Logan County Health Department

Logan County Highrise

Maple Ridge Retirement Center

Medicap Pharmacy

Oasis Senior Center

Wal-Mart Pharmacy

Sherman’s Pharmacy

Mobile health unit of Rural Health Partnership

Family Medical Center

Mason City Pharmacy

Dr. Borgerson’s office

Dr. Schmidt’s office

The Mount Pulaski Pharmacy

Mobile health unit of Rural Health Partnership

In Beason, Broadwell, Chestnut, Cornland, Elkhart, Emden, Greenview, Hartsburg, Lake Fork, Latham, Middletown, New Holland and San Jose, kits are available on the Rural Health Partnership’s mobile health unit.

The San Jose Police Committee and San Jose Police Department will be sponsoring a "Get to Know Your Neighbor" day on Sunday, Aug. 27, from 2 until 6:30 p.m. The event will be held at the playground and ball field north of the old high school. This invitation is for Delavan, Green Valley, Mason City, Emden, New Holland, Hartsburg and Easton, and any other neighboring towns are welcome.

The committee will host a butterfly pork chop and chicken breast dinner with potato salad, baked beans and more. Dinner tickets are $5 for adults and $2.50 for children, with youngsters under age 7 eating free.

There will be raffles for a new camping package valued at $200; gift certificates from Dixon Fisheries, San Jose Craft Co-op and others; games and prizes for the children; music; crafts booth; a D.A.R.E. program; and more.

All proceeds will go toward the general fund for the Police Department. Donations are welcome.

People wishing to set up a booth are asked to contact Ray Satchfield at the Village Hall, 247-3332. Please leave your name and phone number by Aug. 23.

A rain date is to be announced.

"So, come one, come all and meet your neighbors," the committee says. "Join us for a fun-filled day."

[San Jose Police Committee and Police Department]

Library's announces annual book sale

The Lincoln Public Library District will have its annual book sale during the 2000 Lincoln Art and Balloon Festival. The schedule for the book sale will be Saturday, Aug. 26, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The sale will be in the Pegram Community Room in the Carnegie building at 725 Pekin St. In addition to the usual assortment of books, magazines, records and other items, the sale will feature books weeded from the library’s collection. These items will include mysteries, westerns, science fiction, general fiction and children’s books. The sale will be a buck-a-bag sale with some specially priced items. For more information contact the library at 217-732-8878.

Logan County Red Cross will be having class sessions Aug. 23 and 24 in Community First Aid and Safety. This class will be from 6 to 10 p.m. the first evening and will be completed on the following evening, with hours from 5 until 10 p.m. It will cover adult CPR, infant and child CPR, and first aid.

On Saturday, Aug. 26, a CPR Challenge class will be from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

These classes will be at 125 S. Kickapoo St. For further information or to preregister, you may come in any weekday from noon to 4 p.m. You may also call 732-2134.

Complete contest information is below.

Contest deadline: In-hand by Sept. 15.