Organizations,
Events, Milestones,
Good
Neighbors, Fund-raisers,
A Day in the Life...,
Diaspora, Reunions,
Reminiscence
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October 2001
Thursday,
Oct. 4
SPONSOR:
Domestic
Abuse and Violence Task Force of the Healthy Communities Partnership
WHO:
Public
WHAT:
Second
annual candlelight procession and education event
WHERE:
Logan County Courthouse
WHEN:
beginning at 6:30 pm with candlelight walk
SPONSOR:
Lincoln Public Library
WHO:
Public
WHAT:
Program
entitled "The
Life of Lincoln," presented by Tom Townsend
WHERE:
Lincoln Public Library, 725 Pekin St.
WHEN:
7 pm
Sunday,
Oct. 7
SPONSOR:
Heritage in Flight Museum
WHO:
Public
WHAT:
Fall open
house, historic military displays and educational programs
WHERE:
Logan County Airport, 1315 Airport Road, Lincoln
WHEN:
1-4 pm
Friday,
Oct. 5
SPONSOR:
LCC
WHO:
Public, by admission
WHAT:
Fall
play, "A Company of Wayward Saints"
WHERE:
Earl C Hargrove Chapel on LCC campus
WHEN:
7:30 pm
Saturday,
Oct. 6
SPONSOR:
LCC
WHO:
Public, by admission
WHAT:
Fall
play, "A Company of Wayward Saints"
WHERE:
Earl C Hargrove Chapel on LCC campus
WHEN:
7:30 pm
Wednesday,
Oct. 17
SPONSOR:
Logan County Health Department
WHO:
Public
WHAT:
American Red Cross
blood drive
WHERE:
Lincoln Sports Complex
WHEN:
noon - 6 pm
Saturday,
Oct. 20
SPONSOR:
St. John United Church of Christ
WHO: Public
WHAT:
German Fest
WHERE:
St. John United Church of Christ, Seventh Street
WHEN:
11 am - 6 pm
WHO: Public
WHAT:
1850s open house
WHERE:
Mount Pulaski Courthouse
WHEN:
1-8 pm
SPONSOR:
Knapp/Chesnut/Becker Historical Society
WHO: Public
WHAT:
Turkey supper
WHERE:
New Holland-Middletown School, Middletown
WHEN:
4-7 pm
Monday,
Oct. 22
SPONSOR:
Lincoln Public Library
WHO:
Public
WHAT:
"On the Road with Antiques," featuring Rob and Joy Luke of
Luke Auctions
WHERE:
Lincoln Public Library, 725 Pekin St.
WHEN:
7 pm
Thursday, Oct. 25
SPONSOR:
U of I Extension
WHO:
Public
WHAT:
“Candy Making,” presented by Dick and Betty Applegate, Atlanta
WHERE:
Extension office, 980 N. Postville Drive
WHEN:
1 pm
Saturday,
Oct. 27
SPONSOR:
Lincoln Christian Church
WHO: Public
WHAT:
Harvest of Talents, benefiting the International Disaster Emergency
Service
WHERE:
204 N. McLean St.
WHEN:
Daylong activities
SPONSOR:
Eminence Christian Church
WHO: Public
WHAT:
Eminence Christian Church bazaar
WHERE:
Atlanta Community Building, city roads 2500 North and 1600 East
WHEN:
8 am - 2 pm
Tuesday,
Oct. 30
SPONSOR:
Lincoln Park District
WHO: Public
WHAT:
Halloween Funfest
WHERE:
Lincoln Park District ballroom, 900 Primm Road
WHEN:
6:30-8 pm
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SPECIAL EVENTS AND
ANNOUNCEMENTS: LCC
fall play, ‘A Company of Wayward Saints,’ Oct. 5-6, Cars,
crafts bring big crowds to Postville Courthouse, Lincoln
Public Library adult program schedule, Heritage in Flight
open house Oct. 7, Insurance
company will match relief donations, Historian Tom Townsend
presents ‘The
Life of Lincoln,’ CEFCU
accepts contributions to
Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, Ed
Madigan exhibit featured at Lincoln College Museum
REGULAR POSTINGS FOR
ORGANIZATIONS: Girl Scouts, Oasis,
U of I
Extension, Vineyard
Cafe
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SPECIAL
EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
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LCC
fall play, ‘A Company of Wayward Saints,’ Oct. 5-6
Lincoln
Christian College will present "A Company of Wayward
Saints," by George Herman, a play in which a group of people
wander by mistake into the eye of an allegory. This company of
wayward saints, far from home, seeks a means to return.
The
play will begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 5 and 6, in
the Earl C Hargrove Chapel.
The
director is Tim Searby, worship minister for Lincoln Christian
Church.
For
ticket prices, call the Earl C Hargrove Chapel office, (217)
732-3168, Ext. 2254.
Cars,
crafts bring big crowds to Postville Courthouse
From
Richard Schachtsiek, site manager
The
weekend of the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival, Aug. 25 and 26,
was the busiest period for the year at the Postville Courthouse.
This year the crowd was good: over 1,200 people for the weekend. It
was down a bit on Saturday because of the threat of storms.
What
drew people to the courthouse on Saturday, Aug. 25, was the
opportunity to see over a dozen Porsche cars, from a 1950s 356 to a
couple of current Boxsters. The cars were displayed by members of
the Lincoln Trail Porsche Club. Inside the courthouse was a display
of scale model Porsche street and race cars. This helped draw people
into the historic building.
Lincoln
Mayor Beth Davis stopped by to present three award plaques to club
members for their special Porsches. The plaques were donated by Neal
Tire & Auto Service, Lincoln NAPA store and Burwell Oil.
This
was the third time the Porsche club has had a charity car show at
the courthouse. Money raised by registration and donations for the
day is used to purchase new trees to be planted around the yard. The
previous two car shows have raised enough money to plant five trees,
oaks and maples, in the yard.
My
thanks to all the Lincoln Trail Porsche Club members who brought
their cars for the charity car show. I also thank Keith Leesman and
Jack Bartelmay, who served as volunteer interpreters during the day.
Their help was appreciated.
Sunday
was a busier day with the annual 1800s Craft Fair. This event is
always very popular, for there is something of interest for every
member of a family.
This
year we had several new artisans including a new flax-to-linen
demonstrator from near St. Louis and a Windsor chair maker from
Petersburg. Other crafts demonstrated were bobbin-lace making,
working the "Great Wheel" wood lathe, blacksmithing and an
herbalist.
In
addition to the craftspeople, several music groups performed,
including the local Prairie Aires. They
provided music for a group
of local dancers who did Civil
War-era dances. They also asked the
public to join in dancing.
New
this year was a special display by "Phineas Fairhead, practical
phrenologist," presented by Lee Slider of Decatur. Phrenology
was a popular "science" in the mid-1800s. It consisted of
reading the bumps on a person’s head to tell his or her
personality.
In
August the following Postville Courthouse volunteers gave 130 hours
to greet visitors to the historic courthouse: J. Bartelmay, B.
Behrends, J. Curtis, B. DePuy, D. Freeman, R. Hoppin, C. Kelley,
C. Klink, N. Kleinman, K. Leesman, B. Marvel, R. Meyer, M. Ott, W.
Post, S. Schumaker, G. and J. Semple, M. Smith, L. Snyder, G. Wibben.
[Richard
Schachtsiek, site manager]
Lincoln
Public Library adult program schedule
The
Lincoln Public Library has five 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:
Oct.
4 — "The Life of
Lincoln," presented by Tim Townsend,
historian at the Lincoln Home in Springfield
Oct.
22 — "On the Road with Antiques," featuring Rob and Joy
Luke of Luke Auctions. Learn the latest in antique collecting. Six
lucky attendees will receive a free appraisal of an antique.
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.
Heritage in Flight
open house Oct. 7
Heritage
in Flight Museum, at the Logan County Airport, 1315 Airport Road,
will have its fall open house from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 7.
Heritage in Flight Museum members will be on hand to explain the
displays and educational programs. This is an event that
grandparents, parents and children can enjoy together.
The
museum’s static aircraft collection includes a Bell TH-13T Sioux
helicopter, Bell UH-1 Huey helicopter, Beech 18 (C45), Lockheed T-33
Shooting Star, McDonnell F-4E Phantom II and a Vought A-7C Corsair
II. The Huey and Corsair II cockpits will be open.
The
museum has various examples of military vehicles, including a pair
of Jeeps painted in military police schemes, one Army and the other
Navy; a Desert Command car; a six-wheel-drive Army Gamma Goat that
floats; a red firetruck; and a Korean-era Army ambulance. Children
often enjoy vicarious rides in these vehicles as much as those involving
aircraft.
After
11 years of operating the Logan County Airport with most of the
member volunteer hours devoted to mowing grass near the runways,
volunteers now spend the
majority of their hours preparing and
presenting exhibits for the enjoyment and education of citizens of
the surrounding communities. Weekday tours by school groups, by
reservation, are receiving special attention, and weekend visits by
families are encouraged.
The
outside of the museum’s display building has recently been
painted, new display cases have been installed, and the gift shop
has been expanded.
Refreshments
will be served at Sunday’s open house. Admission is free, but
donations are appreciated.
The
Logan County Airport is just off Kickapoo Street (Business US 55) in
northeast Lincoln. The Logan County Airport sign is just north of
the Illinois driver’s license branch office.
For
more information, call the HIF museum at (217) 732-7126.
[News
release]
Insurance
company will match relief donations
Aid
Association for Lutherans of Appleton, Wis., has released $1 million
in fraternal funds to help those in need after the terrorist attack
on the United States. All donations (from private individuals) will
be matched with a like amount until $1 million has been reached.
Checks
made payable to AAL Branch 483 should be mailed to Treasurer Shirley
Aukamp, 1578 700th Ave., Lincoln, IL 62656. Other area
AAL branches in the county are also participating in the
effort.
Send
checks no later than Friday, Oct. 5, and designate the relief
organization on the memo line. The AAL home office will send the
branch money and AAL’s supplemental funds to the relief
organization designated. All donations will be acknowledged with a
receipt.
Relief
organizations are as follows:
•
ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) Domestic Disaster
Response-Sept. 11
•
LCMS (Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod) World Relief
•
American Red Cross
•
Benevolent Fund to benefit families of fallen rescue workers
Call
Linda Aper, local AAL representative, at (217) 732-2253 if there are
questions.
Historian
Tom Townsend
presents ‘The
Life of
Lincoln’
Tim
Townsend, historian at the Lincoln Home Historical Site in
Springfield, will present a program at the Lincoln Public Library on
Thursday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. His program is entitled "The Life
of Lincoln."
Seating
at the library, 725 Pekin St., is on a first-come basis.
Light
refreshments will be served following the presentation.
For
more information about this program and future programming, you may
call the library at 732-8878 or 732-5732.
CEFCU
accepts contributions to
Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund
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.
Ed
Madigan exhibit featured at Lincoln
College Museum
The
Lincoln College Museum is presenting a temporary exhibit called
"Edward R. Madigan: From the Halls of Lincoln College to the
Halls of the White House." The exhibit, which is currently on
display, pays honor to one of Lincoln College’s most successful
alumni, the late Edward Madigan.
Madigan
graduated from Lincoln College in 1955, entered the Illinois
Legislature in 1966, was elected to Congress in 1972, and was
appointed by President Bush in 1991 to be secretary of agriculture.
In 1974, the Lincoln College Alumni Association presented Madigan
with its award for Outstanding Achievement in the field of Public
Services. In 1975 he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane
Letters degree by Lincoln College. He died in 1994.
Lincoln
College Museum curator Ron Keller says the display tells the story
of Madigan’s career in public service. "The display reflects
his experiences and service through many photographs, and letters
from every president from Carter to Clinton. There are also various
artifacts from his works in Congress and in the White House."
The exhibit will run through November of 2001. The public is invited
to stop by the Lincoln College Museum to view this exhibit and tour
the rest of the historic exhibits.
The
Lincoln College Museum is located in the McKinstry Library on the
campus of Lincoln College. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through
Friday and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
[Evelyn and
Agriculture Secretary Ed Madigan at the White House with President
and Mrs. Bush in 1991.]
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REGULAR
POSTINGS FOR ORGANIZATIONS
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Girl
Scouts announcements
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.
Friends
of the Oasis recognized
The
executive director, Dominic Dalpoas, would like to recognize Bruce
Stacy, R.Ph. and Medicap Pharmacy for the donation of a blood
pressure monitor, which makes it possible for the Oasis to continue
providing free blood pressure readings each Friday from 10 to 11:30
a.m.
John
Renfro of Carpet House is also recognized by the Oasis. He donated
the carpeting for the Americana Room, which will display memorabilia
commemorating men and women of the Armed Services.
Bingo
games and lunch drawing
Join
us Thursday, Oct. 4, at 1 p.m. for the bingo games sponsored by
Maple Ridge. Remember to sign in for the free lunch drawing made
available by Steak & Shake.
Fall
card party
A
fun-filled afternoon from 1 to 4 on Saturday, Oct. 6, is planned for
you and your friends. Get a foursome together, for only $5 each, to
play pinochle, bridge or rummy. Stop by the Oasis to purchase your
tickets.
Holiday
closing
The
Oasis will be closed Monday, Oct. 8, for the official Columbus Day
holiday.
Department
of Rehab Services
The
DORS representative will not be available Oct. 8 or 15. If you need
to contact the office for assistance, please call The Oasis for the
phone number.
Legal
assistance program expanded
Caregivers
of any age caring for elderly parents, or grandparents raising their
grandchildren, may now take advantage of the free legal assistance
offered through the Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation.
Please call for an appointment for Oct. 25. You may also stop in and
pick up a pamphlet explaining the expanded legal program.
Game
winners
The
daytime pinochle winner for Sept. 21 was Marie Spaits, and on Sept.
25 Mable Hoagland won. On Friday night the 5-in-1 winners were JoAnn
Eckert, Bernie DePuy and Ken McCray. Harley Heath won at pool on
Friday and Sunday nights.
Newsletter
Friends
of the Oasis members receive a bimonthly newsletter by mail. For
more information, people can call the Oasis at 732-6132 or 732-5844.
Happenings
at the U of I Extension office
The
local office of the University of Illinois 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.
Reservations
will be requested; programs will be cancelled if fewer than 10
people are registered. An exception will be in November with the
holiday program, for which a minimum of 25 will be required.
Call
732-8289 to make reservations. There will be no charge for any of
the programs
Planned
programs for the upcoming year through University of Illinois
Extension:
•
Thursday, Oct. 25, at 1 p.m. — "Candy Making," Dick and
Betty Applegate, Atlanta
•
Tuesday, Nov. 6, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. — "Holiday
Happenings" program: "Holiday Gifts," Ellen Burton;
"Holiday Foods and Safety," Jannanne Finck; "Holiday
Plants," David Robson
•
Thursday, Jan. 17, 2002, at 10 a.m. — "Grains in the
Diet," Jananne Finck, nutrition and wellness educator,
Springfield
•
Thursday, Feb. 7, 2002, at 10 a.m. — "What to Do With
Stuff," Ellen Burton, consumer and environment educator, East
Peoria
•
Tuesday, March 12, 2002, over noon hour
12-1 p.m. — "Salads," Jananne Finck, nutrition and
wellness educator, Springfield
•
Thursday, April 11, 2002, at 10 a.m. — "New Friends, But Keep
the Old," Patti Faughn, youth and family educator, Springfield
•
Tuesday, May 15, 2002, at 10 a.m. — "Air Quality," John
Fulton, Lincoln
Vineyard
Cafe to feature Scott and Michelle Dalziel
The
Vineyard Cafe welcomes Dalziel on Saturday, Oct. 20. Scott and
Michelle Dalziel from Maquoketa,
Iowa, bring a powerful mix of
contemporary folk, upbeat pop and rock-blues. Their influences range
from Jimi Hendrix and Elvis Costello to Shawn Colvin and Bonnie
Raitt.
Admission
is $3 at the door, and doors open at 7 p.m. Inexpensive refreshments
are available.
The
Cafe is held at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Bloomington.
For more information or directions, please phone (309) 663-4943 or
visit http://communities.msn.com/TheVineyardCafe.
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Milestones
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Lincoln
Cathedral in Lincoln, England, shares support, prayers for U.S.
Lincolns
[OCT.
2, 2001] Messages
of love and support have come to many Americans from many places
around the world since the terrorist attack that destroyed New York
City’s World Trade Center buildings on Sept. 11.
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A particularly
heartwarming expression of feeling has come to the mayor of Lincoln,
Ill., from the great cathedral in a city that shares its name
—
Lincoln Cathedral in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England.
This letter, written on Sept. 13 by Roy Bentham, chapter clerk and
chief executive of the cathedral, was read at the Lincoln (Ill.)
City Council work session on Sept. 25:
The
Mayor of Lincoln
Illinois,
USA
September
13th 2001
Dear
Mayor,
Terrorist
Attacks
We are
writing to express support and fellow feeling for our
friends in the United States of America. We have watched
with horror the actions of ruthless people who place no
value on innocent human lives. The outrages you have
suffered have no equal in living memory and the strength and
fortitude of those attacked has been an example for us all.
We are saying
prayers for you in the Cathedral at all of our services and
throughout each day. We are also holding a special service
to remember and pray for those killed and injured, and their
families and friends.
Please pass
on our love and support to your community and particularly
to those who have been directly affected.
With every
good wish,
Yours
sincerely,
Roy Bentham
Chapter Clerk and Chief Executive
Chapter
Clerk and Chief Executive,
Roy
Bentham
The
Chapter Office, 4 Priorygate,
Lincoln,
LN2 1PL England
Telephone:
011 44 (1522) 530320
Fax:
01144(1522)511794
E-mail:
chiefexecutive@lincolncathedral.com
Website:
www.lincolncathedral.com
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The
letter and envelope are on display at the Lincoln College Museum.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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The letter included an
e-mail address. A curious Lincoln Daily News reporter
e-mailed the sender, expressing gratitude for the support and asking
a few questions about the city and the name "Lincoln." The
reply, from the chief executive of Lincoln Cathedral, follows:
Many
thanks for your email. The Cathedral has been a centre of
comfort for people since 11th Sept., many of them American.
We have been pleased to help in these dark times. Yes, we
have contacted all the Lincolns in the US.
We
are keen to create a community feeling with those who share
this great name. It derives from the Roman, "Lindum."
Lincoln was a major Roman city (Colonia) on a hill visible
for many miles. It was also an Anglo Saxon settlement and
the Normans built a great castle and Cathedral here after
the conquest in 1066. The current population [of the city of
Lincoln, England] is around 90,000 and it has a City Council
and Mayor.
We
have never felt closer to our US friends and our support, as
you know, will always be there for you.
Regards
Roy Bentham |
To view the great
cathedral, a fine example of Gothic architecture which was begun in
the year 1072, see the Internet website www.lincolncathedral.com.
The website www.lincolnshire.com
also gives information about Lincoln, England, and the surrounding
area.
[Joan
Crabb]
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‘United
We Stand’
All-volunteer
community auction
with all-donated items
[OCT.
1, 2001] The
auction started off as an idea in the hearts of Carrie Granitto,
Judy Ramlow, Michelle LaMothe, Linda Shaffer and Brenda Miller. This
idea was realized in the donation of hundreds of items by local
businesses and individuals and hundreds of hours by volunteers.
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Donations
were collected by numerous volunteers for two weeks. On Saturday,
more volunteers came to help load up the furniture, jewelry, art and
assorted knickknacks and transport them to the Lincoln Recreation
Center. Sunday, at 2 p.m., Gary Morris began the auction with the
smaller items. Everything from glassware to children’s toys was
sold in odd sets — including one of a vise clamp and a child’s
car seat — for as low as $1. Around 3, the second auctioneer, Ed
Voyles, began to auction off larger items from the other side of the
gym. Even with both men working their hardest, the auction was not
over until about 6 p.m.
Lincoln
people from all walks of life and all vocations came to give their
support and money. Firefighters from Lincoln and Logan County fire
departments, young couples, older women and men, and Shirley Dittus,
a representative of the local Red Cross chapter were all seen
walking around the gym. Even Mayor Beth Davis bid for and bought
many of the donations.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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The
pre-picked highlights of the auction were the Dale Earnhardt
commemorative jacket and flag. The jacket alone went for $145. Other
top sellers were the "Return to Glory" poster donated by
the Lincoln Fire Department, which went for $100, and a pink easy
chair, which sold for $285.
The
donation of time was even more impressive and precious than the
donation of money or items. Volunteers helped in every stage of the
process, from the planning to the collections to the auction itself.
The auctioneers and all of their helpers were unpaid. They gave up
their Sunday with their families to come out and help with this
cause. Of course, some of them brought their families with them, as
the many children wandering around could tell you.
[Philip Carver and Sam Shaffer answer questions at
the jewelry table. Many of the earrings, watches, and
necklaces displayed here were donated by MKS Jewelers.]
More
information: http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2001/Sep/
24/News_new/today_a.shtml#United they share
[Gina
Sennett]
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Lincoln
Rotary Club distributes books
[SEPT.
27, 2001] Recently,
225 kindergarten children in the area were recipients of the book
"Kindergarten Kids," written by Ellen B. Senisi. The book
helps explain to youngsters what it is like to be in kindergarten
and what they will be doing in the first year of school.
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By
providing the books at the start of the school year, parents and
teachers can help children overcome some of their fears about the
coming school year. The book is especially important to families who
do not have many children’s books in their homes and for children
who did not have an opportunity to attend preschool. More
importantly it provides an opportunity for parents to spend time
reading to their child.
The
project was sponsored by the Lincoln Rotary Club. Seven members of
the Literacy Committee assisted in the distribution of the books to
six local schools. Schools participating were Carroll Catholic,
Chester-East Lincoln, Hartsburg-Emden, Lincoln Elementary, West
Lincoln-Broadwell and Zion School.
[News
release]
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Fund-raisers
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Dominic
Dalpoas
[SEPT.
22, 2001] He
drove with his wife of two days down a hard, uneven dirt and gravel
road through the backwoods of Louisiana’s roughest country. The
mission? A tree. A big tree. A mission to see the largest oak tree
known to man. The motive..."Why not?"
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It
is said that regret of the past and fear of the future are twin
enemies of the soul. If this is true, then the soul of Dominic
Dalpoas, executive director of The Oasis Senior Center, knows no
foe. In fact it would be no stretch to say that this man, who has
spent his entire life investing in the lives of others, sometimes
perfect strangers, knows only allies.
Sitting
with Mr. Dalpoas for well over an hour, watching him sip his cooling
coffee and relax casually, leaning far back in his office chair, I
myself was taken aback by the two adjectives which I believe would
best describe him: motivated and humble. Since he is constantly
occupied with a strong force of amiability, it is not surprising to
find so many of the said allies dropping in for a genuine smile and
a touch of encouragement. One after the other, the steady stream of
friends, employees and volunteers were greeted and treated at his
open door with his open heart. Though to hear him tell it, one would
likely assume that he was in the people business for himself, as
opposed to the future betterment of others. "I'm always getting
more than I can ever give," he said, looking away and thus
proving the point of his natural humbleness.
After
working his way up the ropes of Lincoln Developmental Center, from
which he recently retired after 25 years, Dalpoas finds himself on
an admittedly less hard, although certainly not always as evenly
paved road. Filled with many stories and poignant analogies, he
describes some occasional days at the helm of The Oasis "like
Lassie trying to help Timmy out of the well." Assuming the
humble and motivated "pet cannot pull the boy out with its
strength alone" role, he says, "Sometimes, you have to be
able to bark in just the right way."
This
is where the help of outside sources comes into play. "This
community is so blessed with caring, generous people," he said,
noting that it is not so much he or his staff but rather the
countless volunteers who manage to keep The Oasis above water. It
was interesting to see a spark of excitement flicker into his eye
when he spoke briefly of local and outside donors who choose to give
their support anonymously. For truly, that is where his passions lie
— being motivated enough to pour a certain dedication into others
and, every now and then, doing so furtively.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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This
falls in line with his effective game plan of "first
establishing each individual or group need, doing our best to meet
those needs, and at the same time planning for future needs."
Presumably it’s a tough task, when taking into consideration his
day-to-day regimen of unremitting meetings, appointments and the
above-mentioned drop-by visits, though always welcomed, from
employees he calls friends.
"Baby
steps," he says, giving nearly every ounce of credit for
current successes to the previous directors who once held his
position. "We move in slow baby steps until we're finally up
and walking." Suitable perhaps that the words most often spoken
when describing any agenda are used in regard to the lives and
activities of the seniors; and as he says, "younger
seniors" who take advantage of the establishment are
"self-sufficient."
Dalpoas
has a desire to help in any way those connected with the center. A
strong desire. As he does so daily. But at the same time he knows
that, while holding an insurmountable respect for them, which comes
across in each sentence, senior citizens should be, can be, and more
and more often are becoming, that exact model of self-sufficiency
which he holds true to his own life and motivations.
It
is, after all, such a strong and embedded motivation that would lead
a man to drive with his new bride down an uneven dirt path of
uncertainty in the hope of finding something great. The world’s
largest oak tree, remember? However, irony, being the great teacher
that it is, would have them on that occasion arrive after the
daunting trek to find the tree cut down. ... Still, speaking from a
podium of reflective hindsight, "It was worth the trip
anyway," he recalls with a childlike smile.
Yes, Mr.
Dalpoas, this most certainly is worth the trip. And with you at the
helm, guided by your humble sense of motivation, all of those
involved will be much better off for having chosen to ride along
with you.
[Colin
Bird]
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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.
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Diaspora
correspondents
Click
on names to see letters and stories.
v
Indicates LDN sponsors
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Reunions
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Ongoing
class reunion in cyberspace for 1960 graduates of LCHS
http://www.geocities.com/lincolnhigh1960/
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Reminiscence
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-
"Lincoln
Lakes beach," by
Stan Stringer, posted July 10, 2001, in LDN
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"Stan
Stringer tells story of
Mark Holland’s buzzing of Lincoln," posted
May 11, 2001
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"Leigh
Henson, now a college teacher in Missouri, remembers Miss Jones,
Jefferson School principal," posted
March 29, 2001
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"Foreign
Service officer
recalls
infamous Valentine's Day '79 in Tehran," by George McKinney,
posted Feb. 15, 2001
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