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Mount Pulaski 'Make a Difference Day,' San Jose turkey supper, vendors at CEL, low-vision group, Zonta turkey dinner, Safe Ride, Lincoln leaf pickup dates, Camp Promises, Iota Chi Trivia Night, Middletown Presbyterian brunch, Christian Village Fall Festival, Lunch and Learn, Logan Art Association, celebration for veterans, 'Christmas According to Hollywood,' haunted house, VFW essay competitions

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[October 30, 2012]  Mount Pulaski High School 'Make a Difference Day' Saturday

MOUNT PULASKI -- On Saturday the student council of Mount Pulaski High School Student Council will participate in a community service project called "Make a Difference Day." Members will rake leaves and do light yardwork free of charge.

The elderly or those who have difficulty doing yardwork are encouraged to contact the high school at 217-792-3209 to be put on a list. You will receive a call back to set up the work time.


San Jose UMC turkey supper and bazaar Nov. 7

SAN JOSE -- The San Jose United Methodist Women, with the help of the men of the church and members of the community, are presenting their annual turkey supper and bazaar on the first Wednesday of November. Serving is from 4 till 7 p.m. Nov. 7.

The roast turkey supper features mashed potatoes and gravy, the "famous" dressing, corn and green beans, salad, desserts, and drinks, besides generous pieces cut from freshly roasted turkey.

Guests may dine in the beautiful Fellowship Hall or carry out.

Bazaar booths open at 3:30 p.m. and include a Candy Shop with a large variety of homemade candy and sweets; Country Store, which will have homemade pies, cinnamon rolls, breads, jelly and other goodies; and a craft booth with unique Heirloom cards, Christmas cards and musical ornaments. There will also be a table of "nearly new" Christmas decorations and other novelties.

Tickets will be sold in advance by members of the church or at the door for the same price. Ticket prices for dine-in are $9 for adults and $4 for children. Carryout prices are $9.50 and $4.

The San Jose United Methodist Church is located at 601 S. First St. in San Jose, six blocks south of U.S. 136, at the corner of Linden and First. San Jose is about 15 miles directly south of Pekin on Towerline Road; or from Route 29 to U.S 136, then east two miles to San Jose; or about 10 miles west of Interstate 155 on U.S. 136.

For tickets or more information, call the church at 309-247-3232 or Jim Eeten at 309-247-3485.


Community club to host home-based business and craft sale Saturday

There are several home-based businesses in the community, and potential buyers will have an opportunity to shop their products at leisure on Saturday.

The Chester-East Lincoln Community Club will host a home-based business and craft sale at the CEL school Saturday, Nov. 3, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Shoppers will be able to browse through booths of well-known products such as Jamberry Nails, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Pampered Chef, PartyLite, Scentsy Fragrances, Tastefully Simple, Tupperware and more.

In addition there will be booths set up for C&C Fudge, County Home Treasures, KMS Crafts, Origami Owl, Sweetteddybears Crafts, Cloth Penguin and many more.

During the day there will be number of raffles where participants can win gifts from the various vendors.

Everyone is encouraged to drop by the CEL school and do a little early Christmas shopping.


Lincoln Low Vision Support Group meets Nov. 12

The Lincoln Low Vision Support Group will host a meeting Monday, Nov. 12, at the Lincoln Christian Church from 1 to 2 p.m.

The church is located at 204 N. McLean in Lincoln. Those attending should enter through the north door, under the canopy.

The Mary Bryant Home for the Blind will bring their store to the meeting and will have products for sale, making it a good time to do a little Christmas shopping.

In Logan County, transportation to the meeting is available by contacting Logan Mason Public Transportation at 732-2159 or toll-free at 866-930-8212. (LMPT rate schedule)

If you have any questions, contact Sandy at 732-6528.


Zonta hosting 48th annual turkey dinner Nov. 4

The Zonta Club of Lincoln will host its 48th annual turkey dinner on Sunday, Nov. 4, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Lincoln Community High School, 1000 Primm Road.

This annual fundraiser has become a tradition for many people in the Lincoln area. A classic turkey dinner will be served with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, cranberry sauce or applesauce, roll, dessert and drink.

Tickets prices are $11 for adults and $5 for children under 12. For more information or tickets, call 217-732-4758. Tickets are also available from members.

Profits are used for scholarships and service projects.

Zonta, an international organization of business and professional women, focuses on women's issues.


Safe Ride available for Halloween

There's a safer alternative to driving for anyone who has too much to drink while celebrating Halloween.

Safe Ride will be available in Lincoln on Oct. 31 to those who need it. Safe Ride is a free ride home, sponsored by the Healthy Communities Partnership.

"Safe Ride keeps the streets safer on nights when children and families are more likely to be celebrating away from home. Our hope is that the community will remember the service is available, suggest it when necessary," said Angela Stoltzenburg, community partnerships manager.

Safe Ride will also be available the night before Thanksgiving, on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

To receive a free ride home within the city limits on any of these nights, call American Cab of Lincoln at 735-9696.

Healthy Communities Partnership is a collaborative organization comprised of dozens of community agencies. It is supported by the Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation. For more information or for updates, like Healthy Communities Partnership on Facebook or call 217-605-5008.


City of Lincoln leaf pickup dates announced

The city of Lincoln will provide leaf pickup services for residents again this year. Pickup days will be by ward and will run beginning next week through Dec. 3.

Only biodegradable bags of leaves will be picked up. Bags must be at the curb by 7 a.m. each day.

Leaf pickup dates:

  • Ward 1 -- Oct. 29, Nov. 9, Nov. 21

  • Ward 2 -- Oct. 31, Nov. 13, Nov. 26

  • Ward 3 -- Nov. 2, Nov. 14, Nov. 28

  • Ward 4 -- Nov. 5, Nov. 16, Nov. 30

  • Ward 5 -- Nov. 7, Nov. 19, Dec. 3

For those who wish to bring their leaves directly to the landscape waste facility, it is currently open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. until 3:50 p.m. for all landscape waste. This will continue until Nov. 21.

On Nov. 24 the facility will return to regular hours: Wednesday and Saturdays, 8 a.m.-3:50 p.m.


Camp Promises offers safe alternative to trick-or-treat Halloween night

This event for families will feature "indoor campsites" with games and prizes or candy.

Kids are encouraged to come dressed as hikers (please, no scary costumes). Parents must accompany children.

Camp Promise Seekers is a safe alternative for kids on Halloween. It is designed to encourage participation from the church family and to reach out to families in the community.

During the night, the family room of the church will be filled with campsites, each decorated in its own unique way by host campers.

There will be picnic baskets and coolers filled with treats. Campers can go from campsite to campsite, playing a game, while parents stand close by. It is also a great time for parents to connect with one another, getting to know the families of the church and the community.

Door prizes will be announced throughout the evening.

The event is open to all families in the community with children up to fourth grade.


Lincoln College honor society set to host Trivia Night fundraiser

Lincoln College's Iota Chi Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society is hosting its semiannual Trivia Night contest and fundraiser on Friday, Nov. 2, at 6:30 p.m. in the Meyer-Evans Student Center.

The event is open to the public.

The cost to participate is $10 per person, with a maximum of eight people per team. A $100 cash prize will be awarded to the winning team. In addition to the trivia contest, the event will feature a silent auction containing items such as a Lincoln College sports basket. There will also be a 50-50 cash drawing.

Anyone interested in registering their team should contact Assistant Professor Spring Hyde at shyde@lincolncollege.edu or 217-871-9639.

John Malone, WLNX-FM station manager and assistant professor of broadcasting, will serve as master of ceremonies.

The Iota Chi Chapter will provide free popcorn. The college snack bar will be open at 6 p.m. with items available for sale, including burgers, fries, cheese sticks, beverages and other tasty treats.

Phi Theta Kappa is the premier national honor society for junior colleges. Proceeds from this event will support the initiatives of the Lincoln College chapter, including the purchase of recycling bins for Creekside Environmental Center, the Special Olympics and Books for Veterans.

Hannah Singleton, chapter president, is a sophomore from South Pekin. She commented about the importance of the fundraiser: "Iota Chi members have always been very generous with volunteering their time to serve others. However; we have many projects that require funding in addition to offering our time. We hope this Trivia Night will help raise the funds needed to continue forward with our planned contributions to Creekside, the Special Olympics and Books for Veterans."


Middletown Presbyterian Church offers fall harvest brunch

MIDDLETOWN -- The Middletown Presbyterian Church will have its annual fall harvest brunch on Sunday, Nov. 4, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

It's an all-you-eat menu with bacon, ham, sausage, scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, ham and beans and cornbread, sausage gravy and biscuits, breakfast pizza, coffeecakes, desserts, cheese tray, and drinks.

The brunch is $8 for adults, $4 for children 4-12 years old and free for 3 and under.


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Christian Village to host annual fall festival Nov. 10

The Christian Village in Lincoln invites everyone to join them on Saturday, Nov. 10, for their annual fall festival.

It will be a day of fun and games, food, and family activities and entertainment.

Among the list of activities are face painting, pumpkin painting and a chance to have a fall family portrait taken.

Live music will be presented from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and a choice of chili or pork chop lunch will be served from 11 to 2.

Other activities included in the day are hayrack rides, a craft and bake sale, facility tours and more.

(See publicity.)


Lunch and Learn program Nov. 6 at Oasis

The Area Agency on Aging for Lincolnland, in cooperation with Senior Citizens of Logan County, has scheduled a Lunch and Learn program for informal caregivers of older adults and grandparents and other relatives raising children. It will be at the Oasis Senior Center, 501 Pulaski St. in Lincoln, on Nov. 6 from noon to 1 p.m.

Jamie Freschi, regional long-term care ombudsman, will present information regarding "Residents' Rights in Long-Term Care Facilities."

Lunch will be provided, and preregistration is required. There is no charge to attend.

This presentation is part of a series of Lunch and Learn programs. The goal of the series is to provide practical information that will help caregivers continue to provide quality care to others while maintaining balance in their own lives.

Informal caregivers are those unpaid people such as family members, friends and neighbors who provide assistance to someone who is to some degree incapacitated and in need of help with tasks such as grocery shopping, bill paying, cooking or personal care. Grandparents or other relatives raising grandchildren are those who have accepted primary responsibility for raising one or more children through age 18.

To register or to learn more about this program, contact the Area Agency on Aging for Lincolnland at 217-787-9234 or 800-252-2918.


Logan Art Association invites you to join them at their 1st meeting Nov. 6

On Nov. 6, anyone who is interested is invited to attend the organizational meeting of the Logan Art Association. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. at the Lincoln Art Institute, 112 N. McLean St. in Lincoln.

The meeting is free to attend and open to anyone 18 years of age and older who is interested in any kind of art.

Organizers are hopeful that local artists will be interested in becoming a part of this association, but also encourage anyone who is interested in learning more about art to attend as well.

Areas of interest will be drawing, painting, sculpture, photography and art history.

This is the first meeting, so the group doesn’t have an agenda yet. Organizers are open to ideas and suggestions that might help determine the direction the group will take.

"Please join us," says Georgie Borchardt. "We'd love to see/meet you and have you begin this new adventure with us!"

Contact Borchardt at 309-244-5708.


Veterans of Logan County, make your reservations for Nov. 4 celebration & dance

Over 1,100 invitations have been sent to the veterans in Logan County for the 11th annual Veteran's Celebration and Recognition Dance, sponsored by the St. John United Church of Christ Youth Group. The event is planned for Nov. 4 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the American Legion in Lincoln.

Although invitations and a reply card have been sent to the veterans the group has addresses for, it is not too late for any veteran who did not receive an invitation to call in a reservation request to Tonita Reifsteck, 732-9796; the youth sponsors, Jonathan and Tami Pagel, 732-4500; or the church, 732-6957. Seating can then be arranged.

The evening will begin with a light meal served from 5 to 6 p.m. and a tribute to the various branches of service by the Don Smith Band, which will provide dance music from 5 to 7:30.

The youth along with their sponsors, the Pagels, plan and host fundraisers all year for this celebration to honor the veterans of Logan County or any veteran who was deployed from Logan County.

The St. John Youth Group will also honor the veterans of their church on Nov. 4 during the 10:30 a.m. worship service with a "Litany Remembering All Those Who Serve" and will present each veteran with a special gift.

Those veterans are Loren Birnbaum, Josh Bismark, Adam Bock, Bob Borowiak, Charles Brainard, Erik Brickman, Kenneth Brickman, John Cassens, Rod Christensen, Phillip Gehlbach, Gerald Gehrke, Dan Gosda, Gerald Gosda, David Hansen, Homer Harris Jr., Jack Leich, Robert T. Lenhardt, Eric Leslie, Don McCann, Scott Mara, Robert Meinershagen, Anthony Morey, Richard Morgan, Wilbur Paulus, Arthur Rohrer, Ron Sprague, Ray Turner, Donald Werkman, Eddie White, Lawrence Wilham Jr., James Wilmert, Wilbur Wilmert and Mark Wilson.


Elkhart Historical Society presents 'Christmas According to Hollywood'

ELKHART -- In early November, the Elkhart Historical Society will present "Christmas According to Hollywood." The presentation will explore favorite Christmas movies and some little-known facts about them in an evening of relaxation, laughter and a meal at the Wild Hare Café before the holiday rush begins.

The event will be on Nov. 9 at 5:30 p.m.

Each Christmas we immerse ourselves in sentimentality brought to us courtesy of Hollywood. The modern history of Christmas has included many sentimental, poignant and funny movies, from Jimmy Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life" to Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye in "White Christmas." We enjoy watching Scrooge from "A Christmas Carol" and the eternally optimistic, yet cursed Clark Griswold from "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." Who can forget "A Christmas Story" with Darren McGavin and the reminiscing about that first BB gun and sometimes a "confession" to admiring or even owning the leg lamp that gave McGavin's character so much delight.

The cost for the evening is $25 per person.

For reservations, call 217-947-2238. Reservation forms may be downloaded from www.elkharthistoricalsociety.org, or pick up a reservation form at Horsefeathers in Elkhart.


Lincoln Jaycees present 'Terror by the Tracks' Haunted House

The annual Lincoln Jaycees Haunted House is back again to present "Terror by the Tracks." The decades-old tradition has more rooms and bigger scares than ever before. The award-winning maze is also back. It is known for being the longest and darkest maze around.

The haunted house is again located at 325 S. Chicago St. It is open every Friday and Saturday in October, starting this weekend. It will also be open Oct. 29, 30 and 31. Hours of operation are 7-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 7-10 p.m. Oct. 29-31. The admission price is $7.

Kids’ matinees are every Saturday in October from 6 to 7 p.m. Lights are on and ghosts will be friendly. Special admission is $3.

(See publicity.)

For more information about the haunted house, visit www.lincolnjaycees.com.


Local student could win $5,000 in college money

Commanders of Veterans of Foreign Wars posts across Illinois have announced the kickoff of this year's VFW and Ladies Auxiliary "Patriot's Pen" essay competition. Middle school students in grades six to eight in this area have the opportunity to compete in the annual competition and win thousands of dollars.

Students are invited to write a 300- to 400-word essay on a patriotic theme. The theme for 2012-2013, which is the 18th year of the contest, is: "What I Would Tell America's Founding Fathers."

Students begin by competing at the local post level. Post winners advance to district, and district winners participate in the state competition. The state winners compete for $46,000 in awards, and first place wins $5,000.

Each year, around 126,000 students participate nationwide.

Deadline for student entries is Nov. 1. Interested students and teachers should contact their local VFW post for more information.

For details, visit http://www.vfw.org/Community/Patriot-s-Pen/.


Local high school student could win trip to Washington, DC, and $30,000 scholarship

Commanders of Veterans of Foreign Wars posts across Illinois have announced the kickoff of the 66th year of the VFW and Ladies Auxiliary Voice of Democracy Scholarship competition. Local high school students have the opportunity to compete for thousands of dollars in scholarships and a trip to Washington, D.C.

The Voice of Democracy Scholarship contest is an annual nationwide audio essay competition designed to give ninth- to 12th-grade high school students, ages 15-19, an opportunity to voice their opinion on their responsibility to our country. Home-schooled students are also invited to participate.

Students must write and record a three- to five-minute essay on this theme for 2012-2013: "Is Our Constitution Still Relevant?" The recording is to be on an audio cassette tape or audio CD. Students competing enter their recording, typed essay and entry form at their local VFW post. The deadline is Nov. 1.

Post winners advance to district judging, and then the first-place district winners advance to the state competition in Springfield. All state winners receive a four-day trip to Washington, D.C.

A total of $152,000 is awarded to national finalists. First place is a $30,000 scholarship paid directly to the recipient’s American university, college or vocational-technical school.

Annually the VFW provides more than $2.3 million in scholarships. Around 50,000 students participate in the competition each year.

The Voice of Democracy contest was started by the National Association of Broadcasters in the late 1940s, and the VFW became involved in the late 1950s. The VFW took over primary sponsorship in 1961, when the broadcasters could no longer sponsor the program nationally. Then in 1964, the VFW Ladies Auxiliary joined in sponsorship of the program.

Because of the active program promotion and participation, the national scholarship funds have steadily increased from four national winners in 1962, with total scholarships of $3,750, to the current level of 63 national scholarships totaling $152,000.

For more information about the Voice of Democracy competition, contact the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in your area. If you are unsure of the post in your area, contact Illinois VFW headquarters in Springfield at 217-529-6688.

For more information, visit http://www.vfw.org/
Community/Voice-of-Democracy/
.


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