Amy Row, 5K and downtown events June 8, Integrity Data grants, pistol course, Healthy Families Task Force, Ariel Staton, Community Action meeting, Honor Flight, blood drives, LCHS exhibit at Lincoln Art Institute, Hartem Alumni Banquet, Route 66 weekend June 7-9

[May 21, 2013]  Amy Row retires from ALMH

Amy Row of Lincoln retired from Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital this month, the very same place she began her 42-year-long career in nursing and the same place her father worked for over 30 years. In 2012, Row was named ALMH Nurse of the Year.

A graduate of Lincoln Community High School, Row spent a lot of time at the hospital as a candy striper, in medical records and as an aide. She earned her nursing degree from Decatur Memorial Hospital through the Millikin University School of Nursing. Row has worked in a variety of roles as a surgical nurse, including the open heart surgery unit at St. John's and now as a pre-surgical planning nurse. In fact, she worked with the first general surgeon at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, Dr. John Nolan.

Looking back on her career as a nurse, Row says that she has always been drawn to surgery. She remembers her first surgery observation as a nursing student with the others in her class.

"Five of us were all standing up against the wall in the operating room. I was standing in the middle. We were told not to touch anything or even move and just observe. As the surgeon made his first incision, I'll never forget it, the two students on my right side just slid right down the wall and passed out, and the next thing you know, the two students on my left side slid down the wall and passed out. The surgeon looked at me as the last one standing and said, 'I think you have found your place.' And he was right. Surgery has always been my niche," said Row.

During her career, Row also spent time as the school nurse at Lincoln Community High School from 1985 to 1995 and enjoyed her time there as well.

"I really did enjoy working with the kids, too," said Row.

Her husband, Danny, is a sales associate at Lincoln Chrysler Dodge & Jeep in Lincoln. They enjoy travel and look forward to several trips already planned for this summer and fall.

There was a cake and punch reception in the Graue Room at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital on Friday to celebrate Row's commitment to the field of nursing, ALMH and her patients.

ALMH is a 25-bed critical-access hospital at 200 Stahlhut Drive in Lincoln, Illinois. For more information about the hospital, visit www.almh.org.

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Main Street invites everyone to the 'Cruise into Main Street 5K & Health Expo'

The Main Street Lincoln organization is inviting everyone to make their way downtown to the courthouse square for a day of good, healthy fun on Saturday, June 8. The event is dubbed as the "Cruise into Main Street 5K and Health Expo," and there will be a lot of interesting and fun activities going on the entire day. So whether you choose to participate in the 5K or not, it may still be worth your time to come check it out.

According to Main Street board member and 5K committee chair Tracy Welch, the day will begin with the 5K, but there will also be other activities, such as vendors for a community health fair, and hours and hours of live entertainment on the square.

Welch said some may think the event got its name from the downtown car cruise-ins, but in fact this event is about an entirely different kind of cruise.

And there will be two big giveaways: a week at the Biggest Loser Resort in Chicago and an ocean cruise.

Anyone age 18 and older who registers to participate in the 5K will be eligible to win the cruise, listed as a $500 value.

Anyone age 14 and older in attendance at the event will be eligible to win a week's stay at the resort. Welch said the week at the resort is a buy-one, get-one-free promotion for a new resort in Chicago. For those who are fans of the television show "Biggest Loser," you will know that there is a Biggest Loser Resort on the West Coast. The company that owns it is expanding to Chicago, and the week's stay is a $2,500 value, or 50 percent off the cost of a stay for two.

When asked how the committee managed to get the resort stay, he said, "You'll be surprised what can happen when you send an email." Welch said he and his wife, Annette, are big fans of "The Biggest Loser" television show. On the show, the contestants participate at the Biggest Loser Resort in California. Welch said he'd learned that another resort was going to open in Chicago, so he sent an email and asked them to donate to the Lincoln event. They responded that they were not able to give away a free trip, but they would give a buy-one, get-one-free.

In addition to the prizes and the run, there will also be vendors on hand to discuss their products and your health. Welch said he is still trying to work out the details right now on who will be there, but he is optimistic that there will be several when the big day arrives.

The downtown portion of the city will be blocked off for the daylong party that will take place during and after the race. Welch said the Railsplitter Auto Club has been invited to come for a special cruise-in, and there will be live music the entire day.

Among those on the stage will be Erin Eskra Vargo and Mike Vargo. Some will remember Erin as part of a sister duo who have performed at events in Lincoln in the past. Welch said both sisters were not available, but Erin said she would come with husband Mike, who is also a professional musician. The Vargos now live in Nashville and are developing their careers in the music profession.

Julia Kay Rhodes is another powerful songstress who will grace the downtown stage. From the Chicago area, Rhodes has been on several nationally televised shows, such as "Nashville Spotlight," "Seven on Ridge" with Michael Essany, "Today's Talent Network" and "American Kids Nationals."

Others who are scheduled to entertain are musicians Joe Borbely and Greg Gemberling, and of course in Lincoln, you can't have a party without a little bluegrass. The Blue Grass Pickers who entertained at last year's Railsplitter Festival will be on hand to offer some of their best stylings.

In addition to all this, there will be a special guest in attendance. Joe Briseno will address the audience. Briseno is a 5K runner who recently found himself in Boston during that very tragic event.

Main Street is also encouraging local retailers to have special sales that day and to set up sidewalk sales to draw attendees toward their stores.

Welch also said that of all the things visitors will find on the downtown square, food vendors are the one thing they won't find.

For the runners there will be food at the Oasis Senior Center, but he hopes that everyone who attends will take the time to visit the local restaurants on the downtown square. There are several eateries on the square and just off the square, including Guzzardo's, Hallie's, Mama's Arcade, Sorrento's and Vintage Fare.

Welch also explained that for the serious runners, the committee has made arrangements for "chips" for their shoes. These chips accurately measure the time of the run. Welch said this is important because serious runners are always working to improve their time, and this record helps them see their progress.

The committee is also offering some special incentives for school groups to participate. With the help of wife Annette, Welch said they have sent out special registration forms to the area schools. Kids are encouraged to register for the 5K, and if they do so on the special form for their school, the school will receive $5 for each entry.

And finally, Welch said they are hoping for some serious public participation at the end of the run. As a runner himself, Welch said it is really encouraging to see a crowd of people cheering the runners at the end of the race.

The organization also has plans for several future events, some of them familiar from the past, some new and some restructured.

The Art of Wine this year at the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival is going to be revamped and will be the Art of Wine and Brew. Welch said they will have more details on that later, as well as on a new event in October that is right now being called "Lincoln in Lincoln -- 1858." Trick or Treat with the Mayor is scheduled for Oct. 26 this year.

And there is going to be an annual Christmas parade. Welch said that Main Street director Bill Hoagland is hoping to breathe a little new life into the parade, and we should all look forward to hearing more about that later. Also, there will still be Saturdays with Santa in December.

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5K route

The city has agreed to allow for North Kickapoo to be closed to traffic when the runners get there. Welch said he would love to see both sides of the street from Lincoln Avenue to Broadway lined with spectators cheering on their favorite runners, or all the runners in general.

The race will begin near the intersection of Kickapoo and Pulaski streets and head south on Kickapoo. At Frorer Avenue runners will turn left. At Bryant Avenue they will turn right and take the curve onto Comet. From Comet they will proceed to Home Avenue and take a left. Shortly afterward will be their first checkpoint.

Runners will then proceed northward on Home to Wyatt and take another right turn onto Wyatt. They will pass the Odd Fellows home, where the Y and Christian Child Care are located, and run onto South Ladue, where they will turn left. They will take South Ladue all the way to Pekin Street and turn left onto Pekin. They will then proceed onto North Elliott Street, where they will find their second checkpoint. They will then take North Elliott northward to Tremont Street, where they will turn left. They will stay on Tremont to South Sherman and then make another right turn.

When they reach Lincoln Avenue, they will turn left again and proceed to North Kickapoo Street. They will turn left on Kickapoo and proceed southward toward the downtown square. The third checkpoint will be at the southwest corner of Latham Park. From there everyone will run or walk the home stretch to the finish line, just beyond the Kickapoo and Broadway intersection.

This is the first year that the Main Street organization has done a 5K, and Welch said their only real goal here is to raise the traffic level in the downtown area. The purpose of the Main Street organization is to bring shoppers to the city's historic downtown area, to help keep the downtown a living and vital part of the community.

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Main Street now has a separate website for its Lincoln events. You can access the website to read more about the 5K, as well as other events as they progress. You can visit that website at http://www.mainstreetlincolnevents.com/.

[By NILA SMITH]

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Integrity Data announces Community Giving grant recipients

Integrity Data in Lincoln has awarded a total of $7,500 in grant funds to not-for-profit organizations in the area. The funds, awarded from an Integrity Data employee giving fund, were distributed on Thursday at a dessert reception honoring recipients.

"It is wonderful to work for a company who initiates giving within the community," said Lindy Belley, marketing coordinator at Integrity Data. "We hope that through this program, others will become aware of what amazing opportunities are available through not-for-profit organizations in and around Lincoln. We have been blessed as employees, as an organization, and enjoy coming together once a year to recognize such worthy causes within Logan County."

Integrity Data received a total of 16 applications from qualified, tax-exempt organizations serving the residents of Logan County. Applications were then evaluated and voted on by Integrity Data's employees.

This year's grant recipients are:

• Food for Thought, First Presbyterian Church, will provide food for children who are eligible for the government's free and reduced lunch program or those who may go hungry on weekends throughout the school year.

• Lincoln Community High School will use the funds to purchase an interactive whiteboard (Promethean board). It will be installed prior to the start of the 2013-2014 school year. Pre- and post-test data will be used by the administration and staff to measure increased learning by special education students.

• Lincoln Christian Church Children's Ministry will use the funds to purchase two laptop computers to maintain a safe, secure and up-to-date computerized check-in system.

• Carroll Catholic School will use the funds to purchase educational software.

• Lincoln Public Library will use the funds to purchase a laptop computer and mobile projector. The items will allow the library to prepare demonstrations centered on new programs provided for public access, such as an online public access card catalog and a downloadable e-books and audiobooks service.

• Christian Child Care will use the funds to purchase new communicators for each classroom, a new computer for the center's records and a portable unit for trainings.

For information concerning Integrity Data's Community Giving Program, email [e-mail] or call 217-732-3737. Past recipients are listed on the company's website at www.integrity-data.com/grants.aspx.

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Integrity Data is a software development company based in Lincoln. Since 1996, Integrity Data has built software solutions for customers across the globe, allowing them to extend the capabilities of their business software systems and increase their return on investment.

Integrity Data was founded with the following core values:

• Integrity and honesty in all relationships.

• Passion for customers, partners and technology.

• Willingness to take on big challenges and see them through.

• Commitment to excellence, results and quality to customers, partners and employees.

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Local gun club to host pistol course

Big Oak Hunting Paradise, outside of Lincoln, and Pistol Prep Academy will host an NRA Basic Pistol Course on June 1 and June 27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The course will be taught by Annette Chapman, a local NRA-certified instructor, and will cover the basics of safe gun handling and shooting.

The course will emphasize the safe and proper handling and use of pistols. Participants will learn about firearm safety, parts and operation, shooting fundamentals, care and cleaning, storage options, selection, and more.

Some comments from previous students:

• "I'm a Vietnam Veteran who would like to think I know a thing or two about shooting but I signed up to take this class with my wife and I'm glad I did. I learned a lot."

• "Instructor made it a fun and engaging class and kept my attention."

• "I was apprehensive at first but the instructor made me feel at ease."

• "I'm now comfortable handing the guns my husband has in my house."

• "Annette was Fantastic! I will highly recommend her course to anyone interested."

For details on the course, call Annette at 309-830-7182 or email info@pistolprepacademy.

You may also find and "like" Pistol Prep Academy on Facebook and check out the website at www.pistolprepacademy.com.

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Healthy Families Task Force brings community service agencies together -- Part 1

On behalf of the Healthy Families Task Force, Coleen Moore coordinated a meeting last week of area family service providers. The Healthy Families Task Force is a part of the Healthy Community Partnership, which is directed by Angela Stoltzenberg.

The purpose of the meeting Thursday was to open a dialogue so that the groups and individuals could get acquainted with one another, and to raise awareness on what each organization does to assist families in Logan County.

Moore began by talking about a training she had attended last year and how it had benefited her in her program. She said in that meeting she had seen some of the most frightening statistics for this area. Ranking high on the list of issues for young children were problems with childhood obesity and child abuse.

She said that at one time, her school had 30 foster children. So, she was very well-versed in the problems of child abuse, as well as how to work with the state Department of Children and Family Services and the foster care program.

She said she was led to write a grant through the Illinois Action for Children and won the grant. This gave the Healthy Families Task Force the momentum to start a program of working together to offer valuable services to those in need.

She said the best part of the meeting Thursday was the opportunity for the various groups to talk about what they do and, more important, to share information on how to access the services they do provide. Moore said it would surprise them to find out how many people say they don’t know how to get the help they need; they don’t know whom to contact.

Moore began the presentations around the room by discussing her program, Christian Child Care.

Christian Child Care

Christian Child Care is located on Wyatt Avenue in the single-story building of the Odd Fellows campus. The phone number for the office is 217-732-5750.

Christian Child Care offers affordable day care services for working families. Depending on the income level of the family, day care services can be supplemented with payments from DCFS. DCFS pays the qualifying portion of the day care bill and parents are responsible for the balance, if there is one.

Moore said that when she took over as the director of the day care six years ago, it was in dire straits financially. She told the group that it was community support that helped her get the center back on its feet, but money is always going to be a problem for the day care.

In addition to financial improvement, Moore and her staff have worked hard to achieve high ratings from the state on the quality of care they provide. Currently the center is holding a strong 3-star rating. Moore said that in all of Illinois, there are only slightly over 400 day care facilities that have that high a rating, something she is pleased with, but not satisfied with. She wants to see her agency earn a 4-star rating. But again, there are improvements that would have to be made, and that means more money. Moore said she hopes to do more parent-teacher activities and more parent trainings. This will go toward her higher rating.

She said it was very hard to run the agency on what they do have. She said, "I would love to give my staff raises," but she told the group the money just isn’t there. She doesn’t want to raise rates because her parents are already struggling with the fees. She also noted that in Springfield the same services she offers would cost over $400 a month, and in Bloomington it would cost over $300 a month. Christian Child Care rates are about half that amount.

Head Start

There were three representatives in the room from the Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois: Marcia Hieronymus, Mackenzie Montgomery and Libby Canady. Hieronymus began their presentation by offering a rundown of all the services the agency offers.

Community Action offers programs such as Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance, which provides funds to help pay heating costs for seniors and low-income families. The agency also provides a weatherization program to help make homes more energy-efficient. In addition they offer senior meal programs with home delivery and congregate dining sites, and the Foster Grandparent program that links seniors to at-risk children in the public school system. Community Action also administers the Logan Mason Transportation Program.

The group was there to primarily talk about Head Start and Early Head Start. In this area there are three Head Start classrooms that serve approximately 90 children. The Community Action Head Start program serves six counties, and the total enrollment is close to 400 children.

Hieronymus said right now they are recruiting for the fall classes, and families are being encouraged to sign up their children. The program is divided into two stages: the birth to 3-year-old group and the 3- to 5-year-old group.

Hieronymus said the programs are available free of charge to qualified families. The program includes daily transportation to school for the children and healthy meals and snacks during the class period.

Head Start is federally funded, and Hieronymus said they, too, face challenges as government funding is always changing and they have experienced some deep cuts.

Montgomery talked about the health aspects of Head Start. In addition to offering good nutrition, the program works to get needed medical services for the children. She said their biggest challenge is in finding dental care. Many of the families have medical cards that will subsidize the needed services, but the problem is that there is a shortage of dentists locally who will take the card. Head Start does take advantage of the dental clinics offered by the Logan County Department of Public Health, but in many cases their services are not enough to meet the needs of the child.

Canady talked about the early childhood program and what it offers to parents of small children. She said the program reaches out to parents to offer parenting help and education.

The program also offers help for parents in conducting job searches and writing résumés. In addition they do job interview trainings.

The Community Action corporate offices are at 1800 Fifth St. in Lincoln. Their phone number is 217-732-2159.

Department of Child and Family Services

Cince Bowns was on hand from the Department of Child and Family Services. DCFS deals with abused, neglected and delinquent children. Bowns said they do a lot of work with mandated reporter training and have a memorandum of understanding with the local Head Start.

Mandated reporting is a program specifying that agencies working with children are required to observe child behavior and report to DCFS any actions that could be an indication of neglect or abuse in the home. DCFS investigates those reports on a one-on-one basis and acts accordingly. DCFS can be reached by calling 217-735-4402.

Lincoln Christian Church

Marsha Wells of Lincoln Christian Church is a youth minister at the church. The church offers worship programs for children, and a day care program is also available.

Lincoln Christian Church is across from Latham Park on North McLean Street.

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Part 2 of this report (below) continues with glimpses of area youth summer programs offered by 4-H, Salvation Army, United Cerebral Palsy and the Lincoln Park District.

[By NILA SMITH]

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Healthy Families Task Force brings community service agencies together
Part 2

Last week several agencies and organizations gathered to share information with each other about who they are and what they do. The meeting was sponsored by the Healthy Families Task Force of the Healthy Communities Partnership.

The group sat down to a casual lunch of sandwiches provided by Lincoln IGA and soft drinks provided by the United Way of Logan County.

In the relaxed setting of a meeting room at Lincoln Christian Church, the guests took turns sharing information about their agencies and programs.

Logan County Sheriff's Department

The sheriff's office often crosses paths with many of the social agencies that were present in the room.

John Bunner of the Logan County sheriff's office said that, as is the case with most government bodies today, the challenges the department faces are budget cuts. Bunner said the department is available to assist the other programs present in any way they can. He also noted that he personally has experience with children since he works as a truancy officer for the Logan-Mason-Menard Regional Office of Education.

Bunner can be found at the Logan County Safety Complex on Pekin Street.

Logan County 4-H

Patty Huffer was on hand representing Logan County 4-H. Accompanying her was Carissa Akpore. Akpore has been with the Logan County Extension office for about a month and is intent on working with the youth programs. She told the group that 4-H is more than just cows and cooking. There are programs in a wide variety of venues that will attract the interest of all youth.

She also talked briefly about a program offered called a poverty simulation. In the simulation, young people are faced with real-world challenges that involve managing money and bank accounts and keeping up with the daily living expenses of a family.

Apkore also noted that the 4-H and Extension office is interested in partnering with other youth-based agencies to offer summer nutrition camps.

The Logan County Extension office is on the northwest corner of the Logan County Fairgrounds in Lincoln.

United Cerebral Palsy of Springfield

Amanda Miller was present from the United Cerebral Palsy agency in Springfield. She spoke about their summer camps for children and the very successful therapeutic horseback program. She also spoke about their online programs that can be accessed from home computers.

Miller said one of the biggest challenges for her organization is in providing transportation for the clients. She said her hope and dream is to one day have a real transportation program.

Miller noted that in addition to cerebral palsy, her agency serves clients with other impediments as well, including a current caseload of approximately 35 children who are autistic.

The United Cerebral Palsy office can be contacted by calling 217-525-6522.

United Way of Logan County

Marla Blair was on hand as the administrative director of the United Way of Logan County. The phone number for United Way is 217-735-4499.

United Way offers a lot of financial funding to not-for-profits that assist those in need in the community. Blair said this year she has 15 agencies and 16 programs that seek annual funding. She said applications for funding are currently being taken and decisions will be made in June for this year's funds.

Blair said that United Way is evolving into more than just putting money in the hands of agencies. United Way is working toward becoming a social service agency that will work with its own programs in addition to helping other agencies in the communities.

Blair also spoke about the new 2-1-1 program that is being formatted for Logan County. The 2-1-1 program is widespread and has been implemented in other areas. Logan County is not yet online in the system, but the time is drawing ever closer when it will be.

Blair explained that the 2-1-1 is like 911 for emergencies and 411 for information, but what it does is provide information about services available for those in need. When it is up and running in Logan County, it will be a resource system that will give the caller information about social service agencies, health providers, schools, day cares, churches and much more.

Blair also shared that she had recently written a grant application through the Healthy

Communities Partnership to receive a grant from the ALMH foundation, and had just learned that she received the award. The money will be used for marketing and advertising of the 2-1-1.

Mental Health Centers of Central Illinois

Peggy Ross-Jones from the Mental Health Centers of Central Illinois said that the agency serves a six-county area, which includes Logan County and the Logan-Mason Rehabilitation Center in Lincoln.

She explained that in youth services, her agency is contacted by other agencies that have concern for a child, and the MHCCI comes to the child and does a screening to determine if there is a need.

The agencies provide counseling and psychiatric care. She said MHCCI uses the Logan Mason Transportation Program through Community Action to get clients to psychiatric treatment in Springfield. Other needed services are offered locally. She also spoke briefly about the Logan-Mason Rehabilitation facility in Lincoln for adults and a home-based service that is offered for children.

She said that if anyone has heard the rumor that people are on a waiting list for years to receive the services and care that MHCCI offers, it is true. She said the funding is not there for the agency to help everyone at once, so many have to wait long periods of time to get attention.

The contact number for MHCCI is 217-735-1413.

Lincoln Park District

Marcia Greenslate and Roy Logan were on hand from the Lincoln Park District. They provided several handouts about programs offered at the park district.

Perhaps their biggest bit of news was that they have funding to start construction on the new aquatic center. The park district is targeting summer of 2014 for the grand reopening of the pool.

Logan also talked about the summer program that the district will offer in replacement of the pool. He said the "Awesome Afternoon Adventures" will offer kids a wide variety of opportunities. He said the program includes swimming at Lincoln College on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but will also have many other activities, including a tour of the local grocery store, fire department and a walking tour of historic downtown Lincoln, just to name a few.

The main offices of the park district are at 1400 Primm Road in Lincoln, next door to Lincoln Community High School. The contact number is 217-732-8770.

Lincoln Parents' Center

Cari Rohlfs from the Lincoln Parents' Center was also on hand. She said the services her organization provides are very similar to the Head Start programs. The primary difference is that the LPC programs are state-funded instead of federally funded. She said her organization also suffers from money restrictions all the time.

The Lincoln Parents' Center hosts play groups four times a month during the school year and once a month during the summer. The summer play group dates this year are June 26, July 31 and Aug. 28, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. each day.

The center works with families as a whole and provides services such as transportation to medical appointments.

The Lincoln Parents' Center is part of the Academic Development Institute, 305 N. Kickapoo in Lincoln. The phone number is 217-735-4192.

Logan County Housing Authority

Steve Allen of the Logan County Housing Authority told the group that one big issue he wanted to drive home is that 98 percent of the people who live in subsidized housing are really good people. He said the housing authority homes often get a bad reputation from the 2 percent who do tend to cause problems in public.

Allen said that because his housing authority is ranked very highly among housing authorities in the United States, they are not currently suffering severe funding problems. He said yes, they are seeing decreases, but it will be a few years before it will have a serious affect on this agency. He added that he still has the ability to give raises to his staff.

One of the representatives from Community Action drove home the stigma of public housing. She explained that Head Start has a classroom at Centennial Courts. She has had people say they didn't want to send their children to that classroom because it was at the housing authority. However, she said that once they do get the children there, they don't want to leave, because the staff members are so caring and it is a nice location.

Allen said the housing authority has invested a lot of money in the facilities at Centennial Courts, and they are proud of what they offer the community.

Allen's office is at 1028 N. College St. in Lincoln. His phone number is 217-732-7776.

Salvation Army

Tony Shuff of the Salvation Army could not attend the meeting, but he provided the meeting coordinator, Coleen Moore, with information about the programs he has to offer.

Moore spoke briefly about the flood cleanup kits offered this year after the heavy rains. She also talked about Salvation Army's free summer camp for kids age 7-17 and the Illinois American Water assistance program that helps those in need get caught up on their water bills and avoid shut-off. In addition, the Salvation Army offers a food pantry and clothing pantry and has an emergency shelter program at the Keest Center in Lincoln.

The Keest Center is on North Kickapoo Street in Lincoln. The phone number for the center is 217-732-5899.

Healthy Families Task Force

Moore wrapped up the meeting by addressing the work of the Healthy Families Task Force. She said the group had promoted celebrating the Week of the Young Child with grocery bag art that was placed on bags at Lincoln IGA and Kroger.

The task force is talking about having a family day in November as a stress reliever for the holidays. She said holidays can sometimes be the worst times for families. She believes they will work the project into a movie night when families can relax and enjoy some time away from the stressors in their lives.

Moore said that encouraging family events and helping parents is so very important to keeping children healthy and happy. She drove home her point, saying, "Parents don't plan to abuse their children; it just happens." The goal of the Healthy Families Partnership is to offer programs that will deter abusive behavior and keep the family unit more stable.

Moore also told the group she loves to see collaborations. She wants to see the groups continue to share information and start a program of working together. She added that there will be more meetings such as this in the future to help keep this open dialogue moving in the right direction.

[By NILA SMITH]

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Staton named May Employee of the Month at ALMH

Ariel Staton of Lincoln has been named the May Employee of the Month at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln. Staton has worked as a dietary technician at the hospital for the past four years.

She is a 2009 graduate of Lincoln Community High School.

In her role as dietary technician she is responsible for washing dishes and delivering trays to patients. She enjoys her work because of the people she comes in contact with on a regular basis.

"I love working at ALMH. I get to meet new people every day, work alongside wonderful people and I get to have fun at work! Every day is a new adventure," said Staton.

Staton was nominated for the honor by her co-worker Kathleen Cunningham.

"Ariel always has a smile to greet you! Happy to help no matter which position she is working that day. She often comes to work when we are short even if it’s at the last moment or early in the morning. Her positive nature always makes for a great place to work," said Cunningham.

Staton enjoys being active so she spends as much time outdoors as possible. She regularly attends Zumba classes and enjoys dancing, drawing and crafts.

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

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Community Action board meeting notice

The next corporate board meeting of the Community Action Partnership is scheduled for Thursday, May 30, at 7 p.m. at the corporate offices, 1800 Fifth St. in Lincoln.

For transportation to the meeting, contact the resource specialist at your county office:

• DeWitt County:
  Anita Russell, 217-935-2455

• Logan County:
  Cyndi Campbell, 217-732-2159

• Mason/Fulton County:
  Anna Richardson, 309-543-6988

• Piatt County:
  Wendy Dotson, 217-762-2421

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Land of Lincoln Honor Flight plans May 21 trip

SPRINGFIELD -- Land of Lincoln Honor Flight will honor 26 more World War II veterans and 61 more Korean veterans with a one-day trip to Washington, D.C., on May 21 to see the World War II Memorial, Korean Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, National Air and Space Museum, and other memorials. Seventy-four guardians who are responsible for the veterans' comfort and safety will also be on this 21st Land of Lincoln Honor Flight.

Donations and efforts of many individuals, organizations and businesses have allowed Land of Lincoln Honor Flight to honor the veterans. This will be the third flight for 2013.

The public is invited to a "welcome home" ceremony for these WWII and Korean era veterans when the plane arrives back at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield at 9:30 p.m. on May 21. Wear red, white and blue to show your appreciation.

Veterans on this flight come from the Illinois towns of Alton, Ashland, Bartonville, Beason, Bloomington, Carlinville, Chatham, Cuba, Delavan, East Alton, East Peoria, Elgin, Elkhart, Glasford, Godfrey, Hamilton, Havana, Hillsboro, Jacksonville, Lewistown, Lincoln, Marquette Heights, Minonk, Morrisonville, Morton, Mount Pulaski, Nokomis, Normal, North Pekin, Pawnee, Pekin, Peoria, Pleasant Plains, Roanoke, Rochester, Roxana, Ruma, Springfield, Taylorville, Tremont, Trivoli, Waverly, Winchester and Wood River and from Fort Madison in Iowa.

Applications are still being accepted for the following, but WWII veterans will be served first:

• Veterans who enlisted by Dec. 31, 1946 (WWII -- 71 currently on the list)

• Veterans who served Jan. 1, 1947, through Dec. 31, 1957 (Korean era -- 299 currently on the list)

• Veterans who served Jan. 1, 1958, through May 7, 1975 (157 currently on the list)

The June 18 flight is already full. Additional 2013 flights will take place Sept. 10 and Oct. 22.

The Land of Lincoln Honor Flight board welcomes the chance to speak to organizations, businesses, churches, conventions or other groups about their mission, future flights, guardian duties, fundraising and donations.

For more information about how individuals and groups can help the mission, how to become a member, how to obtain applications, and to learn more about Land of Lincoln Honor Flight, go to http://landoflincolnhonorflight.org/ or contact Ray Wiedle, chairman: home phone [phone], cellphone 217-622-1473 or email [e-mail].

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Upcoming blood drives in Logan County

To help ensure an adequate blood supply for the region, the Central Illinois Community blood center is offering opportunities to donate blood in Logan County later this month.

Thursday, May 23

• Elkhart -- Elkhart Christian Church, 113 S. Gillett; 3-6 p.m.

• Atlanta -- St. Mary's Catholic Church, 805 Pearl St.; noon-6 p.m.

Saturday, May 25

• Lincoln -- Hampton Inn, 1019 N. Heitmann Drive; 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

For your convenience, call Alexis toll-free 1-866-GIVE-BLD (1-866-448-3253), ext. 5158, to sign up, or schedule an appointment online at www.bloodcenterimpact.org. Walk-ins are also welcome and truly appreciated.

Central Illinois Community Blood Center, a not-for-profit organization, is the provider of lifesaving blood for 14 hospitals throughout central Illinois, including Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln and Memorial Medical Center and St. John's Hospital in Springfield. CICBC is a division of the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, which collects over 180,000 units of blood annually and serves 87 hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin.

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Logan County Arts presents 'Functional and Fine Art: Lincoln Community High School Textiles, Woods, Metals and Fine Art'

An exhibit of works by Lincoln Community High School students in textiles, woods, metals and fine art will be on view at the Lincoln Art Institute in downtown Lincoln from May 9 through May 26. The show opens Thursday, May 9, at 5 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

This event will feature various works by current students attending Lincoln Community High School and includes works that are both functional and creative in a variety of media.

Refreshments will be served at the opening, in addition to a bake sale with the proceeds going to support Logan County Arts, which serves artists and the community throughout Logan County.

The Lincoln Art Institute hosts Logan County Arts with the goal of expanding awareness of arts with a focus on Logan County.

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Lincoln Art Institute
Address: 112 S. McLean, Lincoln, IL 62656
Contact: Toby Prange, curator,
[e-mail]
Phone: [phone]
Website: www.logancountyarts.org
Hours: Saturdays 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
or by appointment

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Hartsburg-Emden High School Alumni Banquet will be June 8

HARTSBURG-EMDEN -- The 86th annual Hartsburg-Emden High School Alumni Banquet will begin at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Lincoln.

Invitations to the banquet will be sent out the first week of May. Anyone who did not receive an invitation but would like to attend the banquet may send a request via email to Ron Spencer at [e-mail], or you may reach him on his cellphone at 309-838-0360.

Anniversary classes being honored this year are 1933, 1938, 1943, 1948, 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008 and the senior Class of 2013.

The winner of the "Wall of Fame" award will be selected and announced at the banquet. This year's award will be represented in the category of "Athletics/Sports."

Please mail nomination letters to Ron Spencer, 8923 Blooming Grove Road, Bloomington, IL 61705.

Due to the rising costs of the banquet, the alumni association will accept donations to help out with the cost of the event and to continue funding the Alumni Scholarship. Donations are payable to the Hartem Alumni Association and may be sent to Greg Phillips, 208 Market St., Emden, IL 62635.

Officers of the alumni association for 2013 are Chris Boerma, president; Ron Spencer, vice president; Loretta Hellman, secretary; Greg Phillips, treasurer; and Kay Mullins and Verna Lessen, corresponding secretaries.

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Route 66 will anchor weekend of activities in Logan County

Route 66 will be the centerpiece for a diverse series of activities taking place in Logan County on the weekend of June 7-9, Friday-Sunday.

Events will range from garage sales, auto racing and an electric car show to art exhibits and the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame Banquet.

Festivities will begin with the annual Route 66 Garage Sale, which will take place from 7 a.m. until dusk Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Lincoln.

This year, vendors can rent indoor or outdoor space at the VFW, 915 Fifth St., or flea market space at The Mill, 738 S. Washington St. For reservations at the VFW, or general information about the garage sales, call Andrea Dykman at 217-735-0294. The Logan County Tourism Bureau at 217-732-8687 is taking reservations for spaces at The Mill.

For the first time, Logan County Outreach, a community betterment organization, and Lincoln Printers will host the Route 66 Garage Sale.

Private garage sales will also take place throughout the community. Those planners are urged to use traditional news and social media outlets to advertise their sales.

On Friday night, race fans can watch the POWRi competition at Lincoln Speedway on the Logan County Fairgrounds. Gates open at 3 p.m., with hot laps at 6:30 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m.

The Mill 2nd Saturday Flea Market on June 8 is the premiere event for a series of flea markets there on the second Saturday of each month through October. The flea market will run from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The Lincoln Art Institute gallery at 112 S. McLean St. in downtown Lincoln will be open on Saturday from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Main Street Lincoln will sponsor a PLUS 5K run and health fair in downtown Lincoln on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, an Electric Vehicle Cruise-In will take place from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. along the original Mother Road in historic downtown Atlanta. The free public cruise-in is sponsored by the Atlanta Betterment Fund.

After it was commissioned in 1926, Route 66 was responsible for a huge increase in automobile traffic that led to the need for businesses to serve the traveling public. Among these new businesses were service stations.

Now, Route 66 is poised to help create the next big transportation infrastructure -- charging stations for electric vehicles. Atlanta is interested in helping other Route 66 communities discover how to better serve the traveling public that will be searching for an electric plug-in instead of a gas pump.

The June 8 Electric Vehicle Cruise-in, Illinois' first, will display some cool EV cars and offer a chance to learn more about how the Mother Road is working to give birth to a new travel infrastructure.

All electric and hybrid cars are invited to participate in the cruise-in. The event will also feature vintage music, great food, a 50-50 drawing and hourly drawings.

Atlanta offers two Level 2 Eaton charging stations, available by advance reservation at no fee. There are also 16 Level 1 charging stations available at no cost on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information about the cruise-in, or to make reservations to use the Level 2 charger, contact Bill Thomas of the Atlanta Betterment Fund at 217-648-5077 or [e-mail].

Atlanta will also exhibit the results of its first Rt. 66 Reinterpreted Art Project from May 1 through Aug. 13.

Modeled on Chicago's "Cows on Parade" exhibit, the Rt. 66 Reinterpreted Art Project presented artists the opportunity to create their own take on one of the 20th century's most iconic and recognizable symbols, the U.S. Route 66 highway shield.

Artists were provided a blank 2-by-2-foot wooden cutout of the Route 66 highway shield, painted white, which then became their personal canvas. Each shield was required to incorporate the text "U.S. 66," but otherwise the design was left to each artist's imagination.

The Atlanta Betterment Fund, sponsor of the project, selected 10 shields as finalists. Visitors can vote on their favorites, and those with the most votes will be named winners of the contest. At the conclusion of the project, the five winning shields, along with the names of the artists who created them, will be displayed on a permanent basis in the Atlanta Rt. 66 Park. For more information, contact Bill Thomas at the telephone number or email address above.

The annual Route 66 Association of Illinois Motor Tour will pass through Logan County on Saturday, June 8. Many of the participants will stay overnight Saturday before continuing the tour on Sunday.

The Route 66 Association Hall of Fame Banquet will take place Saturday evening at Lincoln College. Advance reservations are required for the banquet. For more information about either the banquet or the motor tour, visit the Route 66 Association of Illinois at il66assoc.org.

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