Interested in gardening?
Extension offers horticulture training

[JULY 24, 2000]  Are you interested in gardening...landscaping...fruit trees? Do you want to learn more but don't know where to go? University of Illinois Extension is the place to call. The Master Gardener Volunteer program offers over 60 hours of horticultural training.

Master gardeners are a vital link in getting horticulture information to the public. They provide quick answers to a variety of home gardening questions. The 60-plus hours of in-depth training from University of Illinois educators and specialists is presented practically, yet making sure it's unbiased and research-based. Basic botany, vegetables, tree fruits, small fruits, insects, diseases, soils, fertilizers and ornamentals such as trees and flowers are a sampling of the topics taught.

Master gardeners are ordinary people with two special qualities – a love of gardening and nature, and the desire to share that knowledge with others. There are no special requirements other than filling out the application at your local University of Illinois Extension office. Class size is limited to 30 people in Lincoln this year. Local classes start in September and are offered one day a week for a series of 10 sessions. The actual cost to you is minimal; the cost of the manual will be about $80.

 

 

As a trained master gardener volunteer, you will be asked to volunteer at least 60 hours of service, mostly during the weekdays. Volunteering can take the form of answering gardeners' questions at the local extension office, or it may entail manning an exhibit at a local store or park. Some master gardeners speak at local programs or do media work. Community service projects such as youth gardening and horticultural therapy are possible. All volunteer projects must be approved by local extension staff.

 

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Training session dates scheduled for our site are Sept. 12 and 26, Oct. 3, 10, 24 and 31, and Nov. 7, 14 and 28. Count on sessions taking most of the day (about 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.). Training will be conducted by University of Illinois personnel, including extension educators and extension specialists. This truly is a great opportunity to increase your knowledge of horticulture.

Helping others put knowledge to work is our ultimate goal. If interested, contact the University of Illinois Extension office at 732-8289 for more information or application blanks. You may also stop by the office, located at the northwest corner of the fairgrounds, for materials. There will be a limit of 30 participants for this first program in Logan County. The deadline for application is Aug. 18.

 

 

[John Fulton]

 


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A promise made, a promise kept

Lincoln’s IGA reopens

[JULY 22, 2000]  Bill Campbell and Charlie Lee, owners of Lincoln’s IGA, said, "We’ll be back as soon as we can. We’ll be better and stronger." This was as they watched smoke billow from the roof of their grocery store on Jan. 19 of this year, after cardboard boxes placed near a waste incinerator accidentally caught fire and severely damaged the store. What they first thought would be two weeks grew into seven months, but Lincoln’s only downtown grocery story will reopen for business Monday, July 24.

Click here to view more images of the new Lincoln IGA.

The new year started in disaster, but the hope that was carried into the new millennium by its owners, longtime staff and customers brought IGA through like a phoenix coming out of the fire. The store, located at 713 Pulaski St., now glistens and sparkles with all new fixtures, shiny floors, colorful walls and bright lights. The upstairs offices have been remodeled. Even the parking lot has been resurfaced, and additional outdoor lighting has been added. Bill Campbell said, "Everything from the glue under the tiles to the rubber roof is new.

"Because of this we can honestly say that we have the newest equipment and the freshest products in town," he said.

"There are many new food items and the same friendly service that everyone is used to getting from us. Everyone is a preferred customer. You don’t have to have a card to benefit from our sales," Campbell continued.

Monday will kick off a scheduled four-week grand opening. Gift certificates worth $1,000 will be given away during the month, and prices on selected items will be reduced to a 10-year low, according to Campbell.

Following the opening, IGA will have its annual auction. It will feature items such as toys and household items that can be used as Christmas gifts.

 

 

"The most difficult thing about reopening is the long time frame in which it took to reopen," Campbell said. "Being down so long was hard."

Although it was a strain, a couple of weeks after fire IGA restarted its free delivery service for those customers who needed it. Campbell explained that four or five employees were sent to the IGA in Williamsville every Monday until it closed and then to the IGA in Clinton to fill 30 orders each week. Deliveries were made to customers on Tuesdays.

Many of the full-time employees were kept on throughout the remodeling, while others were rehired recently. In addition, 10 to 15 part-time workers have been hired to restock and help run the store. Since everything is new, there is a lot of training that needs to be done on the new equipment, such as the cash register system.

The grocers said the cost of the remodeling project was about $2 million dollars. They estimated that the actual damage caused by the fire was $1 million dollars. "We started repairing one thing and it kept growing from there," Campbell said.

 

 

"We have 20 years’ worth of options on leasing this building, so we plan on being here for some time," Campbell commented.

 

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The bulk of the damage was caused by smoke. Soon after the fire, a Rock Island salvage company came in and bought all of the inventory that was canned or double sealed. The state mandates that all salvageable items must be cleaned and dated before they can be sold to the public at a resale shop. Campbell said, "We wanted to give this food to the local food pantry, but state regulations are stringent and we couldn’t take the risk."

The layout of the store has remained the same to make things easier for customers. The frozen food section has doubled, and every department has expanded. The new equipment will help to make everything better, according to Campbell. "Our service at the meat counter will continue to be as good as it gets. It’s good stuff. We’re very excited," he said.

Joy Blair, IGA’s deli and bakery manager, has been employed with the store since its inception. She feels that her corner of the store is its prettiest section, with its self- serving hot case so that customers can help themselves, expanded sandwich and salad case, and freezer case for cakes and brownies. The deli is already booked for two large catering events next week.

A wheelchair with a basket has been added for customers’ use.

The store’s fund-raising efforts will also be put into full swing. Charlie Lee asks that any organization that had a cookout scheduled or would like to have one call the store. The grocers estimate that in the past 10 years they have helped not-for-profit groups raise approximately $100,000. This doesn’t include the cost of repairing the clock on top of Lincoln’s courthouse. "We’ve tried to be as locally involved as we could be. We work and live in the community with our families," Lee said, "We’re back and ready to serve."

 

 

Leslie Duncan, a longtime patron of IGA, is happy to see the store reopen. She has missed its proximity to her home and its convenience. "IGA is the only store that carries many of my favorite products," she says. She has also missed the friendly and personal atmosphere.

The store hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days per week.

"Lincoln, thank you for your patience. Sorry it took so long. We hope that having the freshest products will make it worth the wait," Campbell concluded.

[Kym C. Ammons-Scott]