Organizations,  Events,  Milestones,

Good Neighbors,  Fund-raisers,  A Day in the Life...,

Diaspora,  Reunions,  Reminiscence

October 2001

Tuesday, Oct. 30
SPONSOR: Maple Ridge Care Centre
WHO: Lincoln youngsters
WHAT: Trick or treat and visit residents
WHERE: Maple Ridge Care Centre, 2202 N. Kickapoo
WHEN: 4-6 pm

SPONSORSHIP: Lincoln Park District, Maple Ridge Care Centre, with donations from Lincoln businesses
WHO: Lincoln youngsters
WHAT: Halloween party with costume contest, carved pumpkin judging, games, treats
WHERE: Recreation Center, Primm Road
WHEN: 6:30-8:30 pm

Wednesday, Oct. 31
SPONSOR: Advance America
WHO: Lincoln youngsters
WHAT: Treats; see Engine 8 from Lincoln Rural Fire Protection District
WHERE: Heritage Plaza
WHEN: 4-6 pm

WHO: Lincoln youngsters
WHAT: Official trick or treat time
WHEN: 5-8 pm

SPONSOR: Lincoln Police Department
WHO: Lincoln youngsters
WHAT: Treats; see McGruff the Crime Dog
WHERE: Back parking lot at safety complex
WHEN: 6-8 pm

November 2001

Saturday, Nov. 3
SPONSOR: Beta Sigma Phi
WHO: Public
WHAT: Craft fair
WHERE: Lincoln Recreation Center, 1400 Primm Road
WHEN: 8 am - 3 pm

Sunday, Nov. 4
SPONSOR: Zonta Club
WHO: Public
WHAT: Turkey dinner to benefit health career scholarships
WHERE: Lincoln Community High School, 1000 Primm Road
WHEN: 11 am - 1:30 pm

Monday, Nov. 5
SPONSOR: Lincoln Public Library
WHO: Public
WHAT: "Archaeology and Primitive Technology Roadshow," with Larry Kinsella, president of the Illinois Association for the Advancement of Archaeology
WHERE: Lincoln Public Library, 725 Pekin St.
WHEN: 7 pm

Tuesday, Nov. 6
SPONSOR: Lincoln Writers' Club
WHO: Area people interested in writing
WHAT: Monthly meeting
WHERE: Pegram Room of Lincoln Public Library
WHEN: 6 pm

SPONSOR: U of I Extension
WHO: Public, by preregistration
WHAT: “Holiday Happenings” program: information on holiday plant care and Christmas tree safety, presented by David Robson; tips and recipes for healthy holiday cooking, presented by Jananne Finck; "Appliances — What’s Hot and What’s Not," presented by Jennifer Hunt
WHERE: Extension office, 980 N. Postville Drive
WHEN: 6:30-8:30 pm

Wednesday, Nov. 7
SPONSOR: Lincoln Elementary School District 27
WHO: Public
WHAT: Red Cross blood drive
WHERE: Lincoln Sports Complex
WHEN: noon - 5 pm

SPONSOR: San Jose United Methodist Women
WHO: Public
WHAT: Bazaar and turkey supper
WHERE: San Jose United Methodist Church
WHEN: Bazaar opens at 3:30 pm; supper starts at 4:30 pm

Thursday, Nov. 8
SPONSOR: Oasis senior center
WHO: Public
WHAT: Christmas bazaar and open house
WHERE: Oasis, 501 Pulaski
WHEN: 9 am - 4 pm

Friday, Nov. 9
SPONSOR: Oasis senior center
WHO: Public
WHAT: Christmas bazaar and open house
WHERE: Oasis, 501 Pulaski
WHEN: 9 am - 4 pm

Saturday, Nov. 10
SPONSOR: Oasis senior center
WHO: Public
WHAT: Christmas bazaar and open house
WHERE: Oasis, 501 Pulaski
WHEN: 10 am - 2 pm

REGULAR POSTINGS FOR ORGANIZATIONS:  Girl Scouts,  Oasis,  U of I Extension

Halloween event at Heritage Plaza

Advance America, 1228 Woodlawn Road, is sponsoring a Halloween trick-or-treat fest at Heritage Plaza from 4 to 6 p.m. on Oct. 31.

Participating merchants that will be handing out candy include:

Big R

Haas Bakery

Advance America

World Finance

Hairtastics

Payless ShoeSource

Animal Nutrition Warehouse

Salvation Army

Dollar General

AutoZone

Pizza Hut

R&H Farm Supply

McDonald’s

Additionally, Lincoln Rural Fire Protection District will have their new truck, Engine 8, there and firefighters will be handing out treats as well.

Parents are encouraged to bring their children to Heritage Plaza between 4 and 6 p.m. for a safe alternative to door-to-door trick-or-treating.

For further information, please contact Ron or Rhonda at Advance America at 732-4212.

The Lincoln Writers’ Club will meet in the Pegram Room at the Lincoln Public Library on Tuesday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m. Anyone in the Logan County area who is interested in writing is invited to attend. For further information, call Rebecca Johnson at 732-2723.

Orchestra needs musicians for December concerts

Wanted:  Musicians

For:  Lincoln Area Music Society orchestra

Who:  Adult and high school volunteers

Performances:  Saturday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 16, at 2 p.m.

Rehearsals:  Sunday afternoons, 2-3:30 p.m., in the band room at Lincoln Community High School

For more information:  Call Julie Kasa at 732-3118

Christmas bazaar and open house at Oasis

The Oasis senior center will host a Christmas bazaar and open house Nov. 8-10. Beautiful handmade crafts will be available for great decorating ideas or gifts for everyone on your shopping list.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Nov. 8 and 9, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10.

Cookies and punch will be served each day from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m.

Upcoming craft fair

The fourth annual craft fair sponsored by Beta Sigma Phi will be Saturday, Nov. 3, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will be at the Lincoln Recreation Center, 1400 Primm Road. Currently 20 crafters plan to participate. Lunch will be available. 

Organizers of the Festival of Trees are seeking businesses, organizations and individuals interested in sponsoring trees, wreaths and swags for this year’s dazzling display at the Logan County Courthouse. The festival will be Nov. 23 - Dec. 2.

Items are sponsored to provide visibility for businesses and organizations or in memory of someone. Sponsors are responsible for decorating their items or arranging for someone else to decorate them.

Sponsorship fees are $200 for 7½-foot trees, $100 for 4½-foot trees and $50 for wreaths or swags.

Trees, wreaths and swags will be auctioned at the Festival of Trees Gala on Nov. 24. Proceeds will be used by the Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation in improving the quality of health care in Logan County and Main Street Lincoln in revitalizing downtown Lincoln.

For more information or a sponsorship form, contact Jan Schumacher, festival chairman, at 732-7101 or the Main Street Lincoln office at 732-2929.

Lincoln Land Communications, a Cingular wireless authorized agent, is premier sponsor for the festival.

The Lincoln Public Library has four adult programs remaining on the schedule for this year. The presentations are in the Pegram Community Room at the library, 725 Pekin St., and begin at 7 p.m. Admission is free. Seating is on a first-come basis.

Schedule

Nov. 5 — "Archaeology and Primitive Technology Roadshow," with Larry Kinsella, president of the Illinois Association for the Advancement of Archaeology. Larry will do artifact identification for several lucky participants.

Nov. 20 — "Herbal Seasons," with Tracy Kirby. How to grow, harvest and store herbs.

Dec. 11 — "Herbal Holidays," with Tracy Kirby. Holiday cooking, decorating and making gifts with herbs.

Donations to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund can be made at the CEFCU Member Center, 341 Fifth St. in Lincoln.  CEFCU is proud to help support the Red Cross in efforts to cope with the Sept. 11 national tragedy.

Girl Scouts announcements

• Girl Scout leader meetings:  the first Thursday of each month, at the usual time and place.

• Girl Scout Jamboree Railsplitter event:  weekend of Logan County Railsplitter Festival; Janice Greer, event coordinator.

Websites with lots of ideas that Girl Scout leaders, families or kids can use:

makingfriends.com

crayola.com

elmers.com 

See the website for Girl Scouts, Land of Lincoln Council, at http://www.girlscoutsllc.org/.

You can send questions and suggestions to the council by clicking here: gsllc@girlscoutsllc.org.

Also, see the national Girl Scouts site at http://www.girlscouts.org/.

Oasis update

The Oasis, Logan County’s senior citizen center, at 501 Pulaski St. in Lincoln, is open weekdays (except holidays) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center also is open on Friday and Sunday nights for table games. Dominic Dalpoas is the executive director. Activities are open to all Logan County senior citizens,  regardless of membership.

Veterans Administration

The VA representative will be at the Oasis on Oct. 30.

Special drawing for Nov. 1 bingo

Maple Ridge Care Centre, sponsor of the bingo games on Nov. 1, will have a special drawing for a turkey dinner in addition to the monthly luncheon drawing. Be sure to sign up when you stop by the Oasis to visit or enjoy the many activities and services being offered this month.

Seating is now available for the Nov. 7 trip to Morning Star Mercantile & Craft. The cost is $6, and the van departs at 10:15 a.m.

You may sign up for "Cut That Out," a tribute to Jack Benny, which will be Nov. 11 at the Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan. The cost is $24, and the van departs at noon.

We are sorry to announce that this support group will no longer meet on the second Monday of the month. Due to minimal participation, the Greater Illinois Chapter has had to cancel the meetings at the Oasis senior center.

Game winners

The daytime pinochle winner for Oct. 12 was Henry Warnisher, and Easter Behrends won on Oct. 16. The Friday night pinochle winner was Helen Opperman. The Five in One winners were Betty Burger, Ken McCray and Bernie DePuy. Alice Thornton and Harley Heath tied for honors as pool winner. Alice Thornton was the pool winner Sunday night.

Friends of the Oasis members receive bimonthly newsletters by mail. For more information, people can call the Oasis at 732-6132 or 732-5844.

November and December are hectic months for everyone. The time slips by with many tasks to complete. Holiday shopping, holiday plant care and holiday cooking are all on our minds.

To help keep the holiday frenzy at a minimum, University of Illinois Extension — Logan County is offering a workshop, "Holiday Happenings," from 6:30 to 8:30 pm on Nov. 6 at the Extension office in Lincoln.

David Robson, educator in horticulture with University of Illinois Extension, will speak on holiday plant care and Christmas tree safety and care. Highlights will include poinsettia, Christmas cactus, amaryllis, and fresh arrangement and greenery care, as well as answering questions on other indoor plants.

Healthy holiday cooking will be the topic of the presentation made by Jananne Finck, nutrition and wellness educator with University of Illinois Extension. Finck will give tips on how to cut the fat and calories from holiday favorites and will demonstrate some of her favorite recipes. She will also answer questions on how to keep holiday food safe and healthy.

Jennifer Hunt, consumer and family economic educator with University of Illinois Extension, will present "Appliances — What’s Hot and What’s Not." Hunt will discuss what is new from appliance manufacturers. She will also share safety features and give tips for safe toy selection.

At the end of the two-hour presentation, participants will sample foods prepared, and door prizes will be awarded to lucky registrants. Preregistration is required. To preregister and also if you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, call Logan County Extension office at 732-8289 by Nov. 2.

Extension program schedule

The local office of the University of Illinos Extension will host a series of educational presentations from September through May. Anyone and everyone is welcome. Programs will be at the Extension office at the northwest corner of the fairgrounds, 980 N. Postville Drive.

•  Tuesday, Nov. 6, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. — "Holiday Happenings" program: information on holiday plant care and Christmas tree safety, presented by David Robson; tips and recipes for healthy holiday cooking, presented by Jananne Finck; "Appliances — What’s Hot and What’s Not," presented by Jennifer Hunt

Milestones

[OCT. 22, 2001]  Whether it’s on the ground or in the air, aviation careers participant, mentor and aspiring pilot Ryan Wells loves aviation. The 16-year-old LCHS sophomore spends all of his free time working and volunteering out at the airport for Logan County and Heritage in Flight museum. His mother, Dawn, says, "Ryan never complains about going to work. He’s out there every weekend." How many high school kids do you know who never complain and love to go to work?

Wells has his driver’s license and is working toward getting his pilot’s license in two to three years. Wells says he really appreciates his flight instructor, Larry Whitbeck, who mentors and helps him in whatever way he can. It takes a lot of money and consistent effort to get a pilot’s license, but Wells is accumulating flight time, planning and saving for it. He hopes to have it when he enters college. With enthusiasm he says, "I’ll be one step ahead if I can do that!"

Then he’ll work on attaining more difficult affiliated licenses: ground instructor’s license, instrument rating, commercial rating... More licenses and higher ratings mean you can fly more, better and different airplanes. While in college he intends to join the Air National Guard and hopefully, following that, join the Air Force. Then he plans to go on to become a commercial pilot.

Wells recently received special recognition for his efforts restoring and presenting information about a historic modern-day military aircraft, the F-4 Phantom II fighter plane that is on display out at Heritage in Flight museum. Retired Air Force Lt. Col. John J. Harty from Brighton, Mo. presented an award to Wells, quipping, "Anybody who would actually want to work on and paint something that big and that ugly deserves something for it."

Wells listened closely as Harty, who worked on the plane primarily as an engineering supervisor for McDonnell-Douglas, shared some of his expertise on the aircraft. Harty told Wells that when he was first introduced to the F-4 he thought it was an ugly aircraft. He didn’t think they’d sell any. He pointed out that they were built tough and not for beauty, and they could fight a lot in battles. One of the problems they had was that in dogfights they couldn’t turn very well. Harty worked on ways to make them turn better, take more G’s and maneuver faster. "It is a strong craft, taking battle damage unlike other airplanes, [noted for] bringing pilots home safely," he said.

Harty once had opportunity to fly in an F-4 when he was invited on a trip to Washington, D.C. to discuss plans to incorporate the then "newly developed inch-thick, impact-resistant Plexiglas as a windshield for it."

Wells, Jack Burke and John Holmes worked on painting and fixing up the museum’s F-4 all summer. Originally a U.S. Navy airplane, it is now painted camouflage in the Air Force colors.

With the painting and details nearly complete, Wells says, "We’re now looking ahead to painting and touching up other military planes and vehicles: the T-36, the A-7 and maybe even the firetruck."

Wells recognizes the importance keeping the displays looking good. He holds to the model set forth, "Nobody comes to see a junkyard. They come to see a museum." He and other members are always working to "touch stuff up, making it look better." The inside of the museum has also recently been repainted, and Wells helped move in some of the new display cases that have been reorganized with expanded displays.

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One of Wells’ favorite experiences was this last summer when North American Top Gun came to town. He was given two hours of flight training in their SNJ World War II trainer (more commonly known as the T-6) for assisting them with loading passengers during their weekend program here. He was allowed to do the startup and taxi in this historic aircraft. In flight they did figure eights and aileron rolls. "That’s something that really excites me," he says.

Wells began working out at the airport in August 2000. He is paid by Logan County to work at the airport on weekends, mowing, doing office work and pumping fuel. He also volunteers regularly for Heritage in Flight, filling in wherever he is needed.

For the open house on Sunday, Oct. 8, he was out at the static displays explaining the A-7. He has gained much of his knowledge from pilots who have flown those aircraft. Visiting pilots share their personal experiences. He listens and takes notes. He also studies forms and manuals, learning all the instruments and gathering the details of each aircraft. He then makes it his task to relay that information with interest to his audience, recognizing, "Younger kids want to know what the levers and buttons do and where the weapons and their controls are located. So I explain the basics and try to keep them interested. You start getting too specific with them, you’ll lose them."

Wells speaks with enthusiasm about the new aviation careers program at Heritage in Flight. As part of his volunteer work he goes to schools and speaks to the subject-related mathematics and science teachers, recruiting for the program.

Fifth-grade through high school youth interested in aviation are invited to participate in the program. It meets the first Sunday of every month from 2 to 4 p.m. at the airport. Advanced registration is all that is required. Many members of the HIF help support the program, producing charts, flyers, teaching about gravity, thrust, lift, drag and aviation career opportunities.

A special one-week aviation careers program is planned for this summer, when there will be workshops providing more in-depth exposure to the aviation field, including field trips to other airports and museums. This program will be limited in enrollment, with qualification and selection based on aviation knowledge or past attendance at sessions offered during the school year.

Although Wells is the first official cadet in the aviation careers program hosted by Heritage in Flight, he follows in the footsteps of many predecessors. In recent years Nick Fleshman, Aaron Gray and Brad Boss have been mentored and are currently participating full-time in aviation.

Twice coated with 10-year paint, the F-4 will need a new Ryan Wells to care for her in the future, someone who will go on teaching others about aeronautics and history with his same enthusiasm and commitment.

[Jan Youngquist]

[OCT. 19, 2001]  At its Oct. 13 meeting, Eagles Auxiliary 2708 of Lincoln presented a $500 check to Richard Sumrall of Lincoln Public Library for the purchase of large-print books.

The donation represents the Eagle Auxiliary’s continued commitment to providing funds for books to aid vision-impaired readers. Since 1991 the Eagles Auxiliary 2708 has contributed over $5,000 to the library’s large-print program.

For more information on this library service, call 732-8878 or visit the library at 725 Pekin St.

Fund-raisers

People all across this country and, in fact, around the world, claim roots in Logan County. They have very interesting stories to tell, and some of them like to connect with those of us who stayed at home. Logan County Diaspora publishes the stories of former Logan County residents. With their permission, we also include their e-mail addresses so that old friends might be reunited.  If you wish to be part of the Logan County Diaspora, e-mail ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com.  

Diaspora correspondents

Click on names to see letters and stories.

v Indicates LDN sponsors

• Wanda Whitson Aue

• Brad Boss

• Charles Brainard

• James 'Doc' Chandler

• Brad Dye

• Wayne and Nancy (Hatfield) Eichelberger

• Wayne Franz

• Philip Gehlbach

• Leigh Henson  v

• Bill Horn  v

• Dale A. Lowe

• George A. McKinney

• Len and Rita Remmert

• Tom Renner

• Tom Rippon

• Traycee Ritchhart-Pirkle

• Greg Schriber

• Stan Stringer

• Donald Weindorf  v

• Denise Radcliffe Wood

• Tom and Kristy (Smith) Yarcho

Reunions

Ongoing class reunion in cyberspace for 1960 graduates of LCHS

http://www.geocities.com/lincolnhigh1960/

Reminiscence

• "Lincoln Lakes beach," by Stan Stringer, posted July 10, 2001, in LDN

• "Stan Stringer tells story of Mark Holland’s buzzing of Lincoln," posted May 11, 2001

• "Leigh Henson, now a college teacher in Missouri, remembers Miss Jones, Jefferson School principal," posted March 29, 2001

• "Foreign Service officer recalls infamous Valentine's Day '79 in Tehran," by George McKinney, posted Feb. 15, 2001

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