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Amber does all that she can to provide
her family with a good life, and though it may be a struggle
sometimes, she gets along. But, there is one thing that she has not
been able to give her children -- a home they can call their own --
at least not until this week.
When Habitat for Humanity of Logan
County had its 18th groundbreaking ceremony, it was for a home that
will become a permanent place for Amber and her kids.
The groundbreaking ceremony was
Sunday afternoon at 705 N. Madison. Several friends and family as
well as Habitat volunteers came out to help turn the first shovels
of dirt on the home and offer a ceremony of blessing on the build.
The event began with a welcome from
Mike Irwin, Habitat president, who spoke about the agreement between
Senters and Habitat. The Habitat homes are not gifts; the homeowner
performs many hours of work for Habitat before the build begins.
There is also a mentor assigned to
the homeowner to guide them through understanding the
responsibilities of homeownership. When the house is built, the
homeowner enters into a purchase plan with Habitat and over the next
20 years makes mortgage payments to the organization.
They also take on the
responsibility of paying property tax to the county.
On Sunday, after Irwin spoke, city
council members Kathy Horn and David Wilmert, in whose ward the home
will be built, offered words of encouragement and congratulations to
Senters.
Horn first told Senters that as a
single mom herself, she understood fully the work it takes to
provide a home, and she is happy and proud that Senters has
accomplished this. Horn also noted that homeownership and a newly
constructed home are good for the city of Lincoln.
Wilmert also congratulated Senters
and talked about having construction for a new home in the city. He
went on to mention that one of the many ways Habitat makes this
possible is through fundraising efforts, such as the electronics
recycling program one Saturday each month at the Habitat warehouse.
Tiffany Worth has and will continue
to be Senters' mentor. After Wilmert finished speaking, Worth led
the group in the Litany of Purpose. Then Ron Otto, minister of
Lincoln Christian Church, offered words of encouragement through the
Scripture.
Tom Wachtel will be a leader in the
construction of the Senters home. He told the group there were a few
plans that Senters would have to choose from, and once that was
done, Habitat would be ready to commence construction. He invited
everyone in attendance to come out and get involved in the build.
The building of a Habitat home is
done by volunteers, which helps keep the construction costs down.
Wachtel also introduced Pastor Mark
Evans and Bob Chamberlain, Habitat treasurer. Pastor Evans is with
Trinity Episcopal Church in Lincoln. The church has an outreach
program and recently decided to donate funds to Habitat. The pastor
presented Chamberlain with a check for $1,250.
Next on the program, Karen Sams-Davis
of Habitat along with Senters and her three children led the reading
of the Litany of Hope. Then Horn and Wilmert led the Litany of
Faith.
Then it was time to break ground.
The first group up to the shovels consisted of the clergy in
attendance, Habitat board members and other program participants.
The second scoop of dirt was thrown out by Senters and her children.
And then everyone in attendance was invited to come up and also
throw out a shovel of dirt, if they wished.
The timeline on completion of the
home depends greatly on weather conditions and the manpower
available for the build, but it is expected that the house will be
ready for Amber and her children to move into later this fall or
early winter.
[By NILA SMITH]
 Peacekeepers ride includes stop in Mount
Pulaski
MOUNT PULASKI -- Over 200 motorcycles and 350
riders participated in the ninth annual Central Illinois Peacekeepers Ride &
Rally on Sunday. The ride began with opening ceremonies at Springfield's
Camp Lincoln, where Gen. Reeves had the Illinois State Historic Museum open
for riders to get an up-close view of some of the most sought-after military
artifacts in the country. At 12:29:59, the ride commenced to American Legion
Post 447 in Mount Pulaski, then on to Middletown and Athens. The
riders would then return to Springfield for an early evening of food
and live music.
This annual event helps fund two Illinois organizations, the
Illinois Law Enforcement Education Foundation and the Illinois
Military Family Relief Fund for deployed soldiers, according to ride
coordinator Mylas Copeland, general manager of Springfield's Green
Toyota, Scion, Volkswagen, Audi. Copeland said the ride was
developed several years ago to assist men and women who protect the
residents of Illinois. The Peacekeepers organization is dedicated to
serving law enforcement and military service personnel and their
families.
On the website for the Peacekeepers, Gov. Pat Quinn is quoted:
"It is the duty of all those on the home front to support the
families of those who bear the battle. When the brave men and women
of Illinois answer the call to duty, they should not have to worry
that their families are suffering financially at home. All of us in
the Land of Lincoln can help our military families by donating to
the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund."
The Illinois Military Family Relief Fund was established in 2003
to assist Illinois National Guard members and reservists who were
called to active duty in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks. Four out of 10 service members activated suffered a salary
cut in order to serve their country. The fund has distributed almost
$14 million to more than 26,200 military families.
IMFRF grants are intended to help service members and their
families defray the costs of food, housing, utilities, medical
services and other expenses that become difficult to afford when a
wage-earner has temporarily left civilian employment to be placed on
active military duty.
Beginning in 2004, there has been a voluntary checkoff on
Illinois individual income tax forms for donations to the fund.
Quinn signed Senate Bill 2148 into law effective Nov. 23, 2009, that
increased the casualty-based grant from $2,000 to $5,000 and added
eligibility to active-duty service members who are Illinois
residents. This is not retroactive; therefore, injuries on or after
Nov. 23, 2009, are eligible for consideration for the $5,000
casualty-based grant.
The treasurer of the Springfield Area Peacekeepers chapter, David Wesselman, remarked that never before have over 200 cycles been able
to congregate at one time in one central place. He praised the
American Legion for their huge parking lot. Wesselman was also
impressed with all the preparation. Hosts and hostesses were set up
to serve outside and at a full bar inside. The Legion also has four
restrooms. The group's first 45-minute stop was a very pleasant and
restful one.
As the group left the Legion, host and hostesses, all members of
the Mount Pulaski American Legion, Auxiliary and Sons of American
Legion, rushed out to give a standing ovation to the departing
Peacekeepers.
[By PHIL BERTONI]
HSLC
biannual membership meeting Wednesday
There will be a general membership meeting of
the Humane Society of Logan County on Wednesday, July 24, at 6:30 p.m. in
the Steinfort Room at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, 200 Stahlhut Drive
in Lincoln.
At this biannual meeting, the board of directors will report to the
membership on the first six months of the year and the animals the
organization has helped. Information on the pet cemetery will be
available.
All members and the public are encouraged to attend.
Latham
United Methodist Church garage sale
LATHAM -- The Latham United
Methodist Church will host a huge garage sale Aug. 1-3. The times
are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Aug. 1-2, and 8-noon
Saturday, Aug. 3.
There are more than 50 coats priced
to go. Lots of petite sizes are available. Many items are 25 cents
and 50 cents. On Saturday, there will be a buck-a-bag sale.
Lunch will be available on Thursday
and Friday, Aug. 1 and 2.
The church is at 241 Walnut St. in
Latham.
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Logan
County Herb Guild meeting July 30
Visitors and prospective members are invited to attend the next meeting of
the Logan County Herb Guild, on Tuesday, July 30, at 7 p.m. at Faith
Lutheran Church, 2320 N. Kickapoo in Lincoln. The program and cooking demonstration
"Spice Up Your Life" will be presented by Janette Bauer. "Herb of
the Month" will be given by Nina Gleason.
Hostesses will be Becky Blake and Judy
Lumpp.
Farmers
market coupons to be distributed Tuesday at Oasis
The Area Agency on Aging
for Lincolnland has announced that people 60 years of age and older who meet
income guidelines are eligible for free coupons to be used to purchase a
total of $21 worth of fresh fruits and vegetables at the Latham Park and
Scully Park farmers markets. Coupon booklets may be obtained at the
Oasis Senior Center's temporary location at St. John United Church
of Christ, 204 Seventh St. in Lincoln, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on
Tuesday, July 23.
Coupons are
available while supplies last and are limited to one booklet per
person per season. Participants are required to complete an
application to receive the coupons.
Maximum annual income is $21,257
for a single-person household and $28,694 for a household of two.
For each additional household member, $7,437 is added.
This popular program is made
available by the United States Department of Agriculture and the
Illinois Department of Human Services.
For more information, call the Area
Agency on Aging at 787-9234 or 1-800-252-2918.
Logan
County Democrats to host Jesse White at annual dinner
Logan County Democrats will host Illinois
Secretary of State Jesse White as the headline speaker at their annual fried
chicken dinner on Friday, July 26. State Sen. Mike Frerichs, of Champaign,
will also speak. Frerichs is a candidate for state treasurer.
Serving for the dinner with all the
fixings will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the K of C, 217 Limit St.,
Route 121, in Lincoln. Speakers will begin at 6 p.m.
Live music will be provided by Matt
and Jenn Hobler from Champaign.
There will be a 50-50 drawing and
drawings for gift baskets. Tickets for the Democrats’ raffle for an
Apple 16 GB iPad will also be available. The drawing for the iPad
will be on Aug. 3 at the Logan County Fair.
Dinner tickets and raffle tickets
will be available at the door on July 26.
For more information, contact
Rebecca Drake, Logan County Democrat chair, at 217-796-3519.
Upcoming
blood drives in Logan County
To help ensure an adequate
blood supply for the region, the Central Illinois Community Blood Center is
offering opportunities to donate blood in Logan County:
-
Thursday, July 25
Elkhart Christian Church
113 S. Gillett, Elkhart
3-6 p.m.
-
Friday, July 26
Lincoln VFW, Freedom Hall Event Center
915 Fifth St.
Noon-3 p.m.
For your convenience, call Alexis
toll-free at 1-866-GIVE-BLD (1-866-448-3253), ext. 5158, to sign up,
or schedule an appointment online at
www.bloodcenterimpact.org.
Walk-ins are also welcome and truly appreciated.
Central Illinois Community Blood
Center, a not-for-profit organization, is the provider of lifesaving
blood for 14 hospitals throughout central Illinois, including
Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln and Memorial Medical
Center and St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. CICBC is a division
of the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, which collects over
180,000 units of blood annually and serves 87 hospitals in Illinois,
Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin.
Saturday
social in Latham benefits community all year
LATHAM -- A gorgeous Saturday afternoon
brought a large crowd to the 64th annual ice cream social hosted by the
Latham Fire Department. According to Chief Kenny Crosier, "the fundraiser is
a community event meant to bring the 400 residents of Latham together."
In addition to cake and ice cream, the daylong event included
antique tractor and car shows, activities for kids, and live
entertainment.
While the tax base of the Latham Fire Protection
District pays for the 3-year-old fire department building and the
trucks, the department raises money at the ice cream social to pay
for community events it sponsors.
"The money raised at the ice cream social goes right back into
the village," Crosier said. "The fire department sponsors a
communitywide Halloween party for the kids and brings Santa to the
firehouse during the Christmas holiday so that the village children
can visit with him. We also sponsor baseball and softball teams."
In addition, the fire department provides bags of candy at
Christmas for kids and shut-ins.
The Latham Fire Protection District
encompasses 56 square miles in two counties, Macon and Logan.
Besides taking care of its own area, the department offers mutual
aid to other communities. The Latham Fire Department was one of the
first companies from outside Lincoln to be called upon to fight the
recent fire at the Oasis.
Make no mistake, the all-volunteer
force from Latham, comprising 24 active volunteer firefighters and
eight auxiliary volunteers, is a professional and well-trained
organization, with two firefighting exercises each month and two
rescue practices every month.
"Our calls are equally split
between structural fires and rescue or medical calls," Crosier said.
[By CURT FOX]
Atlanta
United Methodist Women plan summertime fundraisers
ATLANTA -- The Atlanta
United Methodist Women have planned a schedule of events to sponsor their
ongoing mission work.
On July 26 and 27 they will have a
sale of rummage and homemade goodies. The sale will be in the church
basement, which is handicapped-accessible. The Friday hours are 8
a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The church is
at the corner of Second and Race streets in Atlanta.
Many rummage sale items will be priced
at only 50 cents. Saturday will feature "bag" deals, as well as a
"free hour." During the rummage sale, there will also be a bake sale
with lots of homemade goodies to choose from.
On Aug. 10 the group will host a
craft sale in downtown Atlanta during the cruise-in.
There will be a winter wear
giveaway in the church basement on Oct. 5.
Proceeds from all the fundraising
events will be used for both local and other missions supported by
the Atlanta United Methodist Women.
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