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[JUNE 6, 2001]  The number of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren is on the rise. In Illinois, about 70,000 children are raised in homes where a grandparent is the sole caregiver.

Do you know of grandparents who are feeling overwhelmed as they care for their grandchildren? Tell them about the free newsletter Parenting Again.

This monthly newsletter offers practical tips on issues like finding support groups and resources, helping grandchildren succeed in school, effective discipline, holiday gift-giving, summer activities, unique challenges for second-time parents and taking care of your own health.

To subscribe to Parenting Again, contact the U of I Extension office by phone, (217) 732-8289; fax, (217) 735-5837; or e-mail, lock@mail.aces.uiuc.edu.

Cooperation between the Oasis and University of Illinois Extension is resulting in the creation of a local support group for grandparents raising grandchildren or others who find themselves parenting again. The newsletter is another opportunity to receive practical ideas to help in this difficult, yet rewarding task.

[Extension news release]

Animals for Adoption

These animals and more are available to good homes from the Logan County Animal Control at 1515 N. Kickapoo, phone 735-3232.

Fees for animal adoption: dogs, $60/male, $65/female; cats, $35/male, $44/female. The fees include neutering and spaying.

Logan County Animal Control's hours of operation:

Sunday  –  closed

Monday  –  8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Tuesday  –  8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Wednesday  –  8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Thursday  –  8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Friday  –  8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Saturday  –  closed

Warden: Sheila Farmer
Assistant:  Michelle Mote
In-house veterinarian:  Dr. Lester Thompson

[JUNE 16, 2001]  Metropolis is worth a weekend visit just to see Superman, or at least a larger-than-life bronze statue, but he’s not the only attraction. You can also try the excitement of a riverboat casino, visit one of the nation’s northernmost cypress swamps and tour the site of a historic fort.

[Click here for Part 1]

Fort Massac State Park

The oldest state park in Illinois features a re-creation of the fort used in 1757 during the French and Indian War. Abandoned by the French, the fort was later burned and then rebuilt in 1794 to protect the U.S. military and commercial interests in the Ohio Valley. The last time U.S. troops were stationed at the site was during the Civil War, when the fort briefly served as a training camp. The park now offers fishing, hiking, camping and playground facilities in addition to special events.

One of the best times to visit the park is during October, when the annual Fort Massac Encampment re-creates the lifestyles and atmosphere of the late 1700s and attracts more than 100,000 people during the two-day event. The encampment pays tribute to the state’s rich frontier heritage. Visitors can watch realistic re-enactments of maneuvers by French, British and American troops that occupied the fort. Set among military camps, buckskin lodges, craft and food displays are people demonstrating their skills turning wood, clay, leather and fabric into practical and decorative items. The sounds of bagpipes, fifes and drums fill the air as squads of soldiers march. But there are softer sounds, too: the scrape of a carpenter’s chisel, the crackle of a campfire, the laughter of children playing with handmade toys.

The encampment — the largest tourism event in southern Illinois — is educational and entertaining even if watching military battles isn’t your cup of tea. You can shop for homemade jams, fresh dried herbs and crafts while munching on fire-cooked food and looking out at voyageur canoes on the river. An on-site museum features actual artifacts from the period and video presentations.

(For more information on Fort Massac State Park, click here: http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/
parks/ftmassac/frtmass.htm.)

Cache River State Natural Area

I have visited southern Illinois many times, but only recently took the time to explore some of its natural beauty. If you’re like me and didn’t realize there was an Illinois bayou, make sure to visit this endangered wetland and rich swamp which is home to 250 species of birds, ancient cypress trees and a state-champion cherrybark oak tree.

[to top of second column in this section]

The Cache River State Natural Area in Belknap is situated in a flood plain carved out by glacial floodwater of the Ohio River. Among the outstanding natural features of the area today are massive cypress trees — many are 1,000 years old — sporting flared bases with a circumference of 40 feet. This region of the state is where north meets south and east meets west. The diversity of soils, bedrock and landforms is why this unique river valley contains four distinct ecological regions.

There are two National Natural Landmarks within the borders of the area, Buttonland Swamp and Heron Pond. There are also three state nature preserves, with a majority of the area’s 12,000 acres registered with the state’s land and water reserve program. There are more than 18 miles of designated foot trails within the area and most are easy to walk.

On a recent visit, my in-laws took my husband and me to see the area. I was amazed at the swamp — eerie and surreal, carpeted with a thick layer of emerald duckweed spiked with protruding, massive brown cypress trunks.

We walked a short trail that took us over the burbling Cache River and then to a floating boardwalk into the middle of the cypress swamp. The boardwalk, which winds its way into the heart of the forested swamp, gave us a chance to observe wetland and aquatic ecosystems that have remained relatively undisturbed for thousands of years.

A word of warning: Bring your mosquito repellent, because tree frogs and snakes aren’t the only creatures that make their presence known rather quickly. When we walked the trail in early spring, the pesky insects were out in full force.

Also bring your camera, because you will feel like you’ve stepped back in time (or at least another region of the country) and will want to capture the moment. Early settlers drained swamps to convert the land into residential and agricultural use, and as a result, about 90 percent of the wetland area was drained and destroyed. This natural landmark is definitely a treasure worth discovering.

(For more information on the Cache River State Natural Area, click here: http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/
landmgt/parks/cachervr.htm.)

(To be continued)

[Penny Zimmerman-Wills]

[Click here for Part 3]

[JUNE 15, 2001]  You’ve heard of Metropolis. You know — the big city where a mild-mannered reporter named Clark Kent moonlights as Superman. It’s one of the most famous fictional cities in history. But it’s also real.

Metropolis facts

* Located along the Ohio River at the southernmost tip of Illinois, halfway between Nashville, Tenn., and St. Louis, Mo.

*Founded in 1839 by William A. McBane and J.H G. Wilcox

*The hometown of Superman since 1972, when "The Man of Steel" was officially adopted. Superman was the first comic-book character to be adopted by a city.

*Population: 7,200

*Home to Illinois’ first state park, Fort Massac State Park, which encompasses 1,450 acres

*Metropolis Area Chamber of Commerce, Tourism and Economic Development Office: 607 Market St., Metropolis. Website: www.metropolischamber.com. Phone: (618) 524-2714 or (800) 949-5740.

The actual Metropolis lies at the far southern tip of Illinois, along the Ohio River. Because my husband grew up there and his father still edits the paper (yes, it’s called the Planet, but it’s a weekly instead of a daily), I have grown used to visiting Superman’s hometown. But many people are shocked to learn that it exists outside the pages of comic books and movie screens.

Metropolis is worth a weekend visit just to see Superman, or at least a larger-than-life bronze statue, but he’s not the only attraction. You can also try the excitement of a riverboat casino, visit one of the nation’s northernmost cypress swamps and tour the site of a historic fort.

History

Native Americans, of course, were the area’s first inhabitants. Spanish explorers may have visited as early as 1540. According to historians, a French trading post was likely established in 1702 to service the buffalo-hunting and hide-tanning trade that flourished at the time.

In 1757, Massac County began its documented history when the French raised Fort De L’Ascension during the French and Indian War. The fort was soon rebuilt and named Massiac in tribute to France’s Minister of the Marine.

The original mapping of the town of Metropolis was in 1839. One of the founders was a merchant who transported goods on the Ohio River and chose the site because of its location high above the river. The river, from the early days of being used by mills and steamboats to its current use to transport coal, has been important to the city.

Superman attractions

It’s hard to miss "The Man of Steel." At 15 feet tall and 4,000 pounds, the imposing bronze statue of the comic-book hero in blue tights and flowing red cape dominates the north side of Superman Square, next to the county courthouse. The statue was erected in 1993 after a fund-raising effort by area citizens and business leaders made it possible to replace a smaller, less-impressive fiberglass figure of the hero. There’s something about the statue that makes people of all ages want to have their picture taken next to it. On my most recent visit, an elderly couple from California were gleefully snapping photos of each other by the statue.

[The Superman statue]

For nearly 30 years, Metropolis has called itself the Home of Superman, and the decision to adopt the comic-book hero has brought the town worldwide attention. The community is very proud of its link to the fictional hero and promotes it well but also has a sense of humor about the connection. One small road in town was even renamed Lois Lane.

[to top of second column in this section]

[The Super Museum]

On the corner across the street from the looming, muscle-bound giant in tights, the Super Museum is home to one of the largest collections of Superman and comic-book memorabilia in the world. Packed inside the timeworn building are many items actually used for various movies and television shows, including old Superman costumes, props, publicity photos and posters. Besides the impressive pieces of history and trivia, there are also plenty of tacky tourist items, including breakfast cereal and underwear sporting the Superman symbol. The museum, named by AAA Auto Travel as the No. 1 small-town tourist attraction in America, is jampacked with everything Superman. More than 50,000 Superman items are on display, which is only a fraction of owner Jim Hambrick’s collection.

And if the museum doesn’t have what you’re looking for, stop by the Chamber of Commerce office on Market Street, which offers an impressive display of information, souvenirs and even a telephone booth in the corner, like the one Clark Kent used to turn into Superman.

In addition to the statue and museum, nearby there is also a large green kryptonite "meteorite" located on the southwest corner of Third and Ferry streets and a hand-painted two-story mural of an Action Comics cover from the 1930s at 317 Ferry St.

If you have the chance and want to see just how big a deal Superman really is, visit the Superman Celebration during the second weekend of June, when the town rolls out the red carpet for its mythical adopted son. The annual event features classic car shows, music, garden tours, celebrity autograph sessions and a road race. Several celebrities who have acted in Superman movies or television shows have visited the event.

And don’t forget to have your picture taken behind the wooden cut-out figure of Superman, so your head shows above the superhero’s body. Located just behind the Superman Museum, it’s one of the most frequented spots in town.

(To be continued)

[Penny Zimmerman-Wills]

[Click here for Part 2]

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