[AUG. 24, 2000]  It’s rare to find a high school senior who takes an interest in flower and vegetable gardening. It’s even more unique to see a young man who has worked side by side with his grandparents to establish a business centered around gardening. Yet for Zac Tibbs of New Holland, producing flowers, fruits and vegetables is a labor of love.

Zac was one of the 54 Logan County 4-H’ers who showed off their projects at the Illinois State Fair. It wasn’t a plate of cauliflower, carrots and cucumbers that Zac was discussing with a judge. (He’s won most of the awards ever established in the horticulture divisions.) Instead, he competed in the Leadership project area. Zac is discovering his leadership skills by teaching other youth the fine points of gardening.

[Zac Tibbs conferences with the 4-H leadership judge about how he is transferring his knowledge
to younger gardeners.]

Zac’s leadership skills have already emerged through his mature attitude about being a champion gardener. "I’m not out there to win, only to do my best," says Zac of his long-held status as a top 4-H trophy winner. The nine-year member of the Middletown 4-H Club knows that his dominance in the 4-H horticulture project is nearing the end. "I’d be happy if someone else beats me," declares Zac, "because then I know that someone else is there to carry on."

Although he did not compete in 4-H division horticulture projects at the state fair, Zac did earn several top ratings for his vegetables in the open horticulture class at the 2000 Illinois State Fair.

So how did a personable young man like Zac Tibbs ever catch the fever for gardening? Zac believes the passion started when he was just a little boy and he helped his mom in the flower garden. Then he started helping his grandparents, Clarence and Virginia Spurgin, with their large garden. The Spurgins and their grandson were some of the original vendors when the Lincoln farmers’ market started up six years ago.

Zac soon found out that big-time gardening is hard work. The initial planting of a garden is a big task, but weeding and harvesting a garden are tasks that last all summer long. 

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Zac devotes his Tuesdays and Fridays to picking and washing fresh produce for the Wednesday and Saturday markets. He can be found in Latham Park on those days greeting customers and discussing the finer points of his trade. However, if the market day yields a low turnout, Zac and his grandparents pack up their produce and sell the remaining perishables along a Sherman roadside.

Pumpkin blossoms are a unique offering on the Tibbs/Spurgin display table. Zac has cornered the market with these Logan County delicacies meant to be dipped in egg and saltine crackers and fried. These high-maintenance edibles require picking every morning of the week.

Zac calculates that his half-acre garden yields $1,300 in profit a season. Of course, that does not include what his personal labor has cost. "You’ve gotta like what you do to work that hard for that little profit," says Zac.

Having already achieved many of his 4-H goals, Zac admits it would be nice to win a 4-H scholarship. He doesn’t yet know where he will attend college or what he will study. But Zac does know that he wants a job where he can work outside, perhaps in landscaping.

[Zac Tibbs has extensive knowledge about growing all vegetables. His okra display was awarded top honors in the state fair's open horticulture competition.]

Not only has Zac gained a wealth of knowledge through his extensive 4-H horticulture and floriculture projects, but the modest son of Bev and Dennis Tibbs has learned a lot about hard, backbreaking work. Those are qualities that will certainly take him far beyond his Logan County garden patch and into a successful life.

[Marty Ahrends]

Click here for more articles about 4-H'ers at the state fair.

Rubber Duckie to float in Lincoln skies

[AUG. 24, 2000]  Rubber Duckie will float in the skies—not the bathtub—during the upcoming Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival. The event, sponsored by the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce, will be Aug. 25-27.

"The excitement is building," says Bobbi Abbott, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. "We’ll be seeing our perennial favorites, such as the Rubber Duckie and Fred B. Rabbit, and we have a couple of appealing new special-shape balloons as well."

The 12th annual Balloon Festival will feature 48 hot air balloons launching from the Logan County Fairgrounds infield on Friday evening, Saturday morning and Saturday evening. Pilots will test their skills as they compete in the popular "fly-in" over the fairgrounds infield on Sunday morning. Night glows, a simultaneous lighting of the balloons, will be featured on Friday and Saturday nights at dusk "Oggy" the Dragon, new to the Lincoln festival, will inflate between the launches and glows.

The Lincoln Art Fair returns for its 27th year, with 90 juried artists in downtown Lincoln’s Latham Park. "This is a favored art fair with artists and patrons alike," says Deb Short, volunteer Art Fair coordinator. "The advance patron purchases help us attract the highest quality of artists. The beautiful, shady park setting and the artist-patron party all contribute to its success."

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The art and balloons are just the beginning of a weekend of fun and excitement for the entire family. Traditional festival activities include a craft fair, Big M Amusements carnival rides, food concessions, grandstand entertainment, children’s activities and more. The U.S. Navy Band, The Zoot and other musical entertainment will perform in the grandstand. Additional activities include an antique and flea market in downtown Lincoln’s Scully Park, Classic Car Show, the Public Library’s used book sale, a 5K run, and Early American craft demonstrations featured in downtown Lincoln.

Lincoln is located in central Illinois on Interstate 55. For a brochure, map or more information about the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival, contact the Chamber of Commerce, 303 S. Kickapoo St., Lincoln, Illinois 62656, 217-735-2385 or chamber@lincolnillinois.com.

Software company purchases
buildings in downtown Lincoln

[AUG. 23, 2000]  Integrity Data Inc., a technology consulting and computer programming organization, has purchased two buildings in downtown Lincoln. The two buildings, located at 604 Broadway and 108-114 N. Kickapoo, were previously occupied by Schick’s Clothing Store.

Integrity Data designs and develops custom computer software solutions to improve business management processes. A majority of Integrity Data’s clients are Great Plains Software users that are located in all regions of the United States. Integrity Data develops its products using the latest development tools from Microsoft and Great Plains.

Patrick Doolin, president of Integrity Data, says the company plans to renovate the interior of the buildings. The renovations will primarily focus on the Kickapoo Street building. Preliminary plans call for office space to be created on the first and second floors of the building. Integrity Data will locate to the Kickapoo Street building upon completion of the renovations.

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In addition to establishing its corporate office at the downtown location, Integrity Data has plans to develop a Technology Center on the premises. The purpose of the center will be to share technology information with the community and provide technology-based solutions to local businesses.

Doolin, born and raised in Lincoln, looks forward to making improvements and preserving the historical qualities of the downtown property as well as adding a technology-based organization to the Lincoln economy.

[AUG. 23, 2000]  Fifty-three Logan County 4-H’ers had their day at the Illinois State Fair on Thursday, Aug. 17. All were selected to compete on the state level because of their excellent ratings at the Logan County Fair. Superior ratings are awarded to those youth who are ranked among the top two in their respective project areas at the state fair. Following is a list of 17 Logan County 4-H’ers who achieved this honor.

(Click here for Logan County Junior Livestock winners at the state fair.)

Click here for Monday's article,
"Logan County 4-H’ers have their day at the fair."

Click here for 4-H pictures from the state fair.

Click here for more pictures from the state fair.

Rocketry project teaches
principles of physics

[AUG. 22, 2000]  Could you find the center of gravity of a model rocket? Chris Ackerman was challenged with that question during his judging session at the state fair.

He answered by gingerly running his thumb and forefinger along the horizontal length of the rocket. When the rocket balanced, he knew he had found the center.

[Chris and his judge investigate the gravitational center of his rocket.]

Chris listened intently as his very knowledgeable judge explained the importance of gravitational balance in building a model rocket.

The son of Debbie and Ron Ackerman of Lincoln, 12-year-old Chris is a seventh grader at Chester-East Lincoln and a four-year member of the Clovers 4-H Club.

This is only his second year in rocketry, and Chris says he has already learned a bunch from it. "4-H has introduced me to a lot of new stuff," boasts Chris of his experiences in the rocketry, entomology, electricity and forestry projects. He feels that his 4-H project participation has really given him an edge in school, especially when it comes to aerospace studies.

Future rocket scientists like Chris begin each project year by building a new rocket, installing an engine pack and launching it over and over.

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Although rockets generally shoot straight up, the wind determines how far the parachute will carry the rocket to its final landing spot. Chris and his brother Craig have learned the hard way how the fierce winds of the Logan County countryside can quickly blow a rocket off course. Craig lost his rocket in a cornfield the day before the Logan County Fair, while Chris’ state fair rocket hung around in a willow tree for a few days.

[Rocketry is a very fulfilling project for Chris
and other 4-H'ers.]

Each year of experience in rocketry means building a more complex and more powerful rocket than the year before. Instead of using a pre-cut rocket kit next year, Chris plans to design and cut out some of the wing pieces himself.

"These rockets are really fun, and they can be used over and over," exclaims Chris.

Chris plans to check out some of the rocketry websites recommended by his judge. "Someday, I hope to know as much as he does about rockets."

Chris will be able to advance that goal this October as he and other 4-H’ers from Illinois attend Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala.

[Marty Ahrends]

Click here for a list of Logan County 4-Her's who won awards at the state fair.

[AUG. 22, 2000]  ^"She said it was the best zucchini bread she’d ever tasted!" exclaimed Abrigail Sasse as she met up with her parents, David and Gail Apel-Sasse, following her judging session.

Although Abrigail is an experienced 4-H cook, she credits the judge’s compliments to her grandmother’s recipe that includes cinnamon as its secret ingredient.

[Abrigail Sasse's seven years of experience in 4-H foods brought rave reviews from the judge.]

This year, Abrigail has focused her 4-H foods studies on preparing fruits and vegetables as part of a meal. Yet the fair books list only a quick bread made with a fruit or vegetable as an acceptable project for competition.

The judge in this category asked Abrigail about the four food groups and what she does to keep her bread from burning on one corner. Then the loaf is cut open. The judge checks for an even texture with no air tunnels. The final test is for taste.

The seven-year member of the Beason Ag 4-H club is no stranger to picky questions from judges. Abrigail quickly points out that "judges are a lot pickier at the state fair because there is a lot more competition." This is her seventh year studying foods and her fourth year to exhibit at the state fair.

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The LCHS sophomore also works hard with her sewing, horse and rabbit projects. Her enjoyment of the livestock projects has encouraged her to pursue a future career involving animals.

Perhaps her commitment to animals is why Abby’s group of three Californian rabbits earned Junior Champion Meat Pen honors at the Logan County Fair. Californian rabbits are all white, except for their black feet, ears and noses. To determine the top place winner, judges examine how close the three are in size and weight at the time of showing.

Abrigail and her Californians were awarded 12^th place out of 32 entries in the state fair Junior Rabbit competition.

[Marty Ahrends]