Kathy Hopwood, Woman's Club, Lincoln College trip to Gurnee Mills and 'South Pacific,' mobile pantry Saturday, Safe Ride, tourism bureau meeting, Total Fitness, Holocaust program in Atlanta, K of C management, Atlanta candidates, Community Health Fair, San Jose Methodist fish fry, library database change, Polar Plunge

[March 16, 2013]  Kathy Hopwood is the March ALMH Employee of the Month

Kathy Hopwood of Lincoln has been named the March Employee of the Month at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln. She works as a nurse technician in Acute Care.

"Kathy looks out for patients' welfare and comfort," said the anonymous co-worker who nominated Hopwood for the honor. "She is always busy, whether assisting a patient, asking staff if they need help, or even straightening shelves in the storage area. She gives constant attention to our patients and the Acute Care staff."

Hopwood's association with ALMH began early as she was born at ALMH when it was located on Eighth Street. She started her career at ALMH in Acute Care.

Hopwood found the right calling in nursing as it provides her the opportunity to help people and meet a lot of people.

"I really enjoy interacting with everyone who comes through the doors of ALMH. I love spending time with patients and their visitors, working next to skilled employees, and providing a great experience," said Hopwood.

Hopwood is also grateful to ALMH for the educational opportunities she has had available to her from the beginning of her career.

"I've been lucky to work in health care for most of my life. After graduating from high school I took a career path that afforded me many on-the-job training opportunities. After completing my certified nursing assistant certification, I remain committed to higher education in my field. Part of the spirit of ALMH has always been providing the best care, and they give us the knowledge and skills to make that happen," said Hopwood.

As a nurse technician, Hopwood spends the majority of her days working directly with patients. She also coordinates with the nursing staff to provide medical and personal care to all the ALMH patients.

Hopwood would recommend a career in nursing and offered this advice to those interested in the field:

"CNAs are vital to a hospital and are always needed. Earn your CNA certification and look into nursing school," she said. "If you love being a CNA, like I do, then stick with the job and take advantage of educational opportunities. Helping people is a great career choice, and I would seriously encourage anyone interested to fully explore all of the great things about becoming a CNA. Also, I would tell them to invest in a pair of really comfortable shoes!" said Hopwood.

ALMH, at 200 Stahlhut Drive in Lincoln, is a 25-bed critical-access hospital affiliated with Memorial Health System. The hospital employs 315 in a variety of roles. For more information, visit www.almh.org.

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Woman's Club prayer breakfast scheduled for Wednesday

A prayer breakfast is being planned for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 20, by members of the Lincoln Woman's Club.

April Jensen, circulation manager of the Lincoln Public Library, will be guest speaker, and special entertainment will be provided by the Lincoln College Choir.

In business, the nominating committee will present the new slate of officers.

Members of the club's board of directors will serve as social co-chairwomen. Janet Langenbahn will give devotions, and Sandy Johnson and Joanne Toft will be greeters.

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Lincoln College hosts a day trip to Gurnee Mills & 'South Pacific'

Tickets are available now through March 25 for a spring Lincoln College shopping and theater event April 13, hosted by the LC Office of Alumni Relations and Special Events. Guests will enjoy approximately four hours for lunch and shopping at Gurnee Mills outlet mall before heading to the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire to see one of the best musicals of all time, "South Pacific," featuring LC alumnus and Broadway star Stephen Buntrock (LC Class of 1988).

Tickets are available to all Lincoln College alumni, friends and the general public.

The motor coach will make pickups in Lincoln and Normal. Guests will leave Lincoln around 7:30 a.m. and return around 11:30 p.m.

The cost is $75 and includes deluxe motor coach transportation, snacks on the bus, theater ticket and a brief opportunity to meet Buntrock after the show.

To reserve tickets or for more information, contact the alumni office at 217-732-3155, ext. 217; call toll-free at 877-522-5867; or visit http://www.lincolncollege.edu/alumni/. Additional questions may be emailed to Kerri Taylor at [e-mail].

Tickets will not be available after March 25.

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Dietitians bring healthy food to Logan County via mobile pantry Saturday

SPRINGFIELD -- On Saturday, the Capital District Dietetic Association is bringing a mobile pantry with 10,000 pounds of food -- including fresh items like cabbage, beets, carrots, onions and potatoes -- to Lincoln for National Nutrition Month. Food distribution will take place beginning at 10 a.m. in the Logan County Food Pantry parking lot at 125 N. Logan St. in Lincoln.

This will be the second year the association has sponsored a mobile pantry in central Illinois as a way to bring awareness of National Nutrition Month. The food distribution is through Central Illinois Foodbank's mobile pantry.

"We felt this was one of the best projects we've ever done," said Connie Buskirk, a dietitian from the district. "We feel it's important to bring nutritious food and recipes to those who may not otherwise be able to afford it."

The Central Illinois Foodbank mobile pantry costs $1,100 in sponsorship to help cover the costs of food, transportation and handling. The mobile pantry on Saturday includes fresh produce along with some bakery and shelf-stable items. About 500 individuals are typically served at these food distributions.

For more information on how to find your local pantry or to learn more about Central Illinois Foodbank, visit www.centralilfoodbank.org or call 217-522.4022.

Central Illinois Foodbank, established in 1982, distributes more than 8.5 million pounds of food annually to over 150 food pantries, soup kitchens, residential programs and after-school programs in a 21-county region. Central Illinois Foodbank is a member of Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger relief organization, as well as United Way. The mission of the Central Illinois Foodbank is to collect donated food and grocery items from growers, manufacturers, processors, wholesalers and retailers for distribution to charitable agencies serving people in need.

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Safe Ride available for St. Patrick's holiday

There's a safer alternative to driving for anyone who has too much to drink while celebrating the St. Patrick's holiday this weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, Safe Ride will be available in Lincoln to those who need it. Safe Ride is a free ride home sponsored by the Healthy Communities Partnership.

"St. Patrick's Day celebrations oftentimes include alcohol. The Healthy Communities Partnership offers Safe Rides to help keep the streets safer for everyone in the community. Our hope is that the community will remember the service is available and that bartenders will suggest it when necessary," said Angela Stoltzenburg, community partnerships manager.

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

Healthy Communities Partnership is a collaborative organization comprised of community agencies and private individuals striving to create the healthiest community in America. 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.

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Tourism to have special meeting Monday night

The Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County will have a special board meeting on Monday, March 18, at 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Lincoln. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the Lincoln hotel tax.

The tourism bureau will also have its regular monthly meeting at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, at the Holiday Inn. Click here to view the agenda for that meeting.

The tourism bureau is subject to the Open Meetings Act, which means all board meetings are open to the public.

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Total Fitness celebrates 2nd year

EMDEN -- Total Fitness by Janell recently celebrated two years of bringing the fun and exciting Latin-based fitness program to Logan County. Owner Janell Woolard "opened her Zumba doors" at the Emden Community House on March 11, 2011.

Since that opening night, which Woolard admits was the "very first Zumba class I ever taught and of course most nerve-wracking," there have been well over 1,000 participants in her program. "I would just like to say how grateful I am that people even returned for my next class!" she said. There were 37 in attendance at her very first class.

On March 11 this year, 74 participants enjoyed an hour and a half of Zumba fitness while "glowing in the dark" for a special-edition party to commemorate the second anniversary. DJ Holly Payne-Moore provided the sound and much of the lighting effects.

"I cannot explain the joy it brings to me to watch so many people having the time of their life while working out!" Woolard exclaims. "It is the testimonies of my clients that truly fuel my fire to keep going."

These are testimonies of how clients' lives have been changed through regular participation in the classes and especially with the fellowship among the participants. "We're a family full of encouragement, love and support, and we're always opening our arms to new ones," Woolard says.

"And I still have my 'board of directors' who I keep close by for accountability and the constructive criticism I need." She adds with a grin: "I may not always like to hear it, but I need to hear it. They are honest. And I love them for it."

In the past year, Woolard added two more instructors to her team. Bethany Rea, of Lincoln, was certified in February 2012, and Beth "Liz" Staton, also of Lincoln, was certified in December 2012.

Rea predominantly instructs the classes at the Freedom Hall Event Center (VFW) on Fifth Street in Lincoln. Both of the additional instructors also serve as substitutes to greatly minimize the possibility of having to cancel a class.

"I want to ensure as many class opportunities as possible for my clients," says Woolard, "In doing that, I needed extra instructors to minimize life-conflicts with the schedule as much as I possibly can."

Woolard explains that the two additional instructors bring with them their own "flavor," and it creates a great variety in the classes.

Five regularly scheduled Zumba classes are taught each week in three Logan County locations: the Emden Community House, Lincoln Christian University's Laughlin Center gymnasium and the Freedom Hall Event Center.

"My goal has always been to bring convenience and easy accessibility to my clients," says Woolard.

After a strong demand for an additional Lincoln class and location, Woolard opened her Tuesday night class at the Freedom Hall Event Center last October. After having to close a short-lived Atlanta location due to location conflicts, "Bethany was, of course, ecstatic to start up classes again," said Woolard. "She is an excellent instructor and an important part of this team.

"The people of the VFW Post 1756 have been so accommodating to our class," she continued. "They are excited to have our crazy dance party there every week, and it has been wonderful to have an extra Lincoln class during the week."

Janell Woolard is a licensed Zumba Fitness instructor holding licenses for Zumba Basic, Zumba Toning and Zumba Gold. In addition, Woolard holds a Personal Fitness Trainer certification from the Aerobics & Fitness Association of America. She currently lives in Emden with her husband, Tim, and their two children.

Woolard's full class schedule of times and locations can be found at www.janellwoolard.zumba.com, and she can be contacted via email at [e-mail].

[By JANELL WOOLARD]

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Atlanta Public Library & Museum present a visit with Michael Rothberg March 25

ATLANTA -- On March 25, the Atlanta Public Library's Worldviews Book Group -- which has been studying the Holocaust this year -- will present a special evening with Michael Rothberg, founder and director of the Holocaust, Genocide and Memory Studies Initiative at the University of Illinois. Rothberg will discuss the importance of preserving memories of the Holocaust and answer questions about the role genocide continues to play in the world today.

The program will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the North Greens Golf Course in Atlanta. It is free.

A professor at the University of Illinois, Rothberg is a well-known teacher and writer, and this program is a rare opportunity for members of the public to meet informally with an expert whose insights into one of the world's most significant events promise to be informative and thought-provoking.

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Knights appoint new manager and event coordinator

Grand Knight Andy Fitzpatrick announces that the Knights of Columbus Council 1250 facility is under new management. Gary Woodhall of Lincoln has accepted the position of bar manager and Deb Rohrer, also of Lincoln, is the new events coordinator. Both began their duties March 1.

The Knights of Columbus Hall is located at 217 Limit St. in Lincoln. The Fitzpatrick Banquet Hall is available for rental to the general public. It is a spacious hall for all types of events and can accommodate up to 350 people. For smaller gatherings, the meeting room can accommodate 70 guests comfortably. Catering by the K of C is available for events. There is also a full-service bar and lounge open daily to the public.

Members of the Knights of Columbus invite people to celebrate weddings, anniversaries, corporate events, showers, community programs, graduation and private parties at the K of C facility. For many years people have created beautiful memories there.

To inquire about renting the facility or scheduling an appointment, call the K of C at 217-732-2548, Deb Rohrer at 217-737-5418 or email [e-mail].

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Atlanta Public Library hosts local city and township candidates

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Public Library invites the public to attend two public meetings where they can ask questions of candidates running for city and township offices. On March 18, candidates for city council, the library board and the parks board will be available for questions. Township candidates will attend on April 1. Both meetings will be at the North Greens Golf Course from 7 to 8 p.m. The events are free.

On March 18, members of the library board will also be in attendance to answer questions about the library's ballot referendum. Representatives of the rescue squad will attend on April 1 and answer questions about the Logan County Paramedic Association referendum.

While candidates' attendance depends on their availability, the library expects most to participate and encourages the public to take advantage of this important opportunity to learn about candidates' plans for Atlanta in advance of the election on April 9.

Candidates for city offices are Fred Fincham for mayor; Billie Cheek, Matt Clemmons and Bill Moore for city council; Ken Martin for city clerk; and Vickie Martin for city treasurer.

Library board candidates are Randy Brooks, Anne Hieronymus, Karen Horn and Susan Kuhlmyer.

Park board candidates are Doug Thompson and Greg Tucker.

Township candidates are Staci Hieronymus Kong and Jack Renfrow for supervisor; Melanie Blankenship and Julie Tabor for clerk; Daniel Osborn for highway commissioner; and Joe Daugherty, Wesley Green, Alex Hoblit, Julie Osborn, Betty Renfrow and Greg Tucker for trustee.

The public meetings are part of the library's Civic Connections program, which is sponsored by the A-Team.

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Logan County Community Health Fair coming March 23

The Logan County Community Health Fair continues to promote and educate area residents on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle through screenings, information and programs offered by health and social service organizations at the local, state and regional level. This year's health fair will be on Saturday, March 23, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Lincoln Park District Sports Center. All activities, programs and collections will be on-site unless otherwise noted.

The Community Health Fair will offer numerous health screenings, including blood pressure, oral cancer screenings and body mass indexes, which are free to the public. Cholesterol and hemoglobin screenings will be offered at a nominal cost. Well water testing, child fingerprinting will also be offered. The American Red Cross will sponsor a blood drive. Additionally, the health fair will again offer residents the opportunity to recycle a variety of different items in an environmentally friendly and responsible manner.

The State Bank of Lincoln will sponsor shredding of confidential papers and destruction of hard drives as part of the Community Health Fair. The shredding and hard drive destruction program offers residents the opportunity to have items such as financial records, old tax returns and other sensitive household records shredded and destroyed in a secure and confidential manner. Proper disposal of these sensitive items may prevent individuals from becoming victims of identity theft. The paper shredding and hard drive destruction will be available from 9 a.m. to noon in the front parking lot of Lincoln Community High School.

There will also a glass recycling collection in the front parking lot of LCHS from 9 a.m. to noon. The recycling program accepts only container glass, meaning it originally contained either a food or beverage product. Participants will need to remove all plastic and metal caps and rings from the container. All colors of glass are accepted and do not have to be sorted. The glass recycling program does not accept ceramics, dishware, light bulbs, window glass or mirrors. Glass recycling will be canceled in event of inclement weather.

Expired or unwanted medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, will be collected through an unwanted medication collection, co-sponsored by the Healthy Communities Partnership and the Kroger pharmacy. Medications must be in the original container with label and with the name blacked out to ensure privacy. The Lincoln Police Department will be on-site to oversee the collection process. Residents are reminded that it is no longer acceptable to dispose of any medication by flushing it down the toilet, as chemical compounds are now being detected in groundwater samples.

Eyeglasses and hearing aids will be collected by the Lions Club for distribution to visually and hearing impaired individuals in the U.S. and around the world. New, used, damaged or broken eyeglasses and hearing aids will be accepted.

Cellphones, both working and non-working, will be collected for donation to Sojourn Woman's Center. The cellphones will be reprogrammed and provided to victims of domestic violence for their use in emergency situations.

Laser and ink-jet printer cartridges will be collected by Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois. Proceeds from recycling the printer cartridges will be used to supplement ongoing programs for low-income individuals, household, children and seniors.

Tabs from aluminum cans will be collected for donation to the area's Ronald McDonald House.

Containers will be provided at the health fair for the collection of plastic grocery bags.

As always, this year's Logan County Community Health Fair offers something for everyone, whether your goal is maintain or improve your health or to complete some spring cleaning and dispose of items in an environmentally friendly way.

For additional information on health screenings, contact Mallory Ramos of the Logan County Department of Public Health at 735-2317. With recycling questions, contact Mitzi Rohlfs, Logan County Joint Solid Waste Agency coordinator, at 732-9636.

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'Fish Fry for Missions' March 22

SAN JOSE -- The San Jose United Methodist Women and the men of the church are presenting their annual Fish Fry for Missions on Friday, March 22. Serving will be from 4 until 7 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

Whole catfish are fried on the premises during the fish fry. Other items on the menu are hash brown casserole, coleslaw, baked beans, homemade desserts and drinks. Chicken strips are also on the menu for children or adults who do not eat fish.

Proceeds benefit children and youth ministries such as camping scholarships, the Bible Zone after-school ministry and meal, and Vacation Bible School.

Tickets will be sold in advance by church members or at the door. Guests may dine in or carry out for the same price. Tickets are $9 for adults, $4 for children 4-12 and free for children under 4 years with paid adult. For tickets or more information, you may call the church at 309-247-3232 or Jim Eeten at 309-247-3485.

San Jose is on U.S. 136 about 10 miles west of Interstate 155. The San Jose United Methodist Church is at 601 S. First St., at the corner of Linden and First, about six blocks south of U.S. 136.

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Library prepares for new online system

The Lincoln Public Library District will convert to a new online computer database this spring. The library will join 426 other member libraries in the Illinois Heartland Library System and become a member of the new Polaris online database.

The current library database will no longer be available after March 29, and the new database is expected to become operational on April 9.

Patrons who maintain holds or reading lists in the old database are asked to contact the library by March 15 to have that information transferred to the new database.

For more information, contact April Jensen, circulation manager, at 732-8878 or visit the library at 725 Pekin St.

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Polar Plungers across Illinois will be freezin' for a reason Feb. 22-March 17

NORMAL -- It's not every day that people are willing to "go jump in a lake" -- particularly in the winter -- let alone do so with thousands of other people, including members of the law enforcement community. But that's exactly what will happen on various weekends in February and March as part of the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics Illinois presented by GEICO.

Any adventurous soul is invited to join law enforcement officers, as well as media and business and civic leaders from their community, by donning bathing suits, costumes or any clothing of choice (just no wetsuits!) to jump in a lake. Each plunger must collect a minimum of $75 in donations that will be used to support Special Olympics programs in Illinois.

The event has grown from one location in 1999 to 20 locations across the state this year. The Polar Plunge series will kick off with a Super Plunge -- where participants raise a minimum of $2,500 and plunge into Lake Michigan once every hour for 24 hours -- on Feb. 22-23 at Northwestern University's North Beach in Evanston.

The Logan County plunge will take place on Sunday, March 17, at 2 p.m. at Lincoln Lakes. Please note this is a change in both day of the week and time. Anyone wishing to know more about the local plunge can click on the "Polar Plunge" button on the Top Stories page of LDN or contact Joanie Keyes of Special Olympics Illinois at 217-428-9255.

Individuals and teams can register for the plunge on the Special Olympics Illinois website at http://www.plungeillinois.com/ or by contacting Keyes at the number above.

Plungers are encouraged to form teams to spread the fun. Each team member must raise the minimum of $75 in donations, and all team members' individual fundraising totals will be merged to form a combined team total. Teams are placed into divisions based on size and are awarded prizes for the most money raised.

All plungers will receive gifts, compete for prizes, and enjoy food and camaraderie with other chilly participants. The more money a plunger raises, the more chances he or she will have to win a four-night trip for two adults to Cancun, Mexico, with accommodations at Riu Peninsula, courtesy of Apple Vacations. For every $500 a plunger raises, he or she will get an entry into the drawing for this grand prize.

The Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run is the single largest year-round fundraising vehicle benefiting Special Olympics Illinois. The annual intrastate relay and its various fundraising projects have two goals: to raise money and increase public awareness for the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois. Each year, more than 3,000 officers in Illinois run more than 1,500 miles carrying the "Flame of Hope" through the streets of their hometowns and deliver it to the State Summer Games in Normal in June.

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