Palms Dinner Program schedule announced for 2016-17 season

[December 28, 2016]   ATLANTA - The Atlanta Public Library and Museum will host a series of Dinner Programs at the Palms Grill Café from November 2016 through April 2017.

The events will feature local speakers who will present after-dinner programs at the Palms Grill Café, located at 110 SW Arch Street in downtown Atlanta. Dinner begins at 5:30 pm, with the evening’s program starting at 7pm. Reservations are required and limited to approximately 50 people. The Palms Grill Café will feature a set of dinner specials, including homemade desserts for each program, and feel free to BYOB. Phone [phone] to make a reservation for any of the scheduled Dinner Programs.

Friday, November 4, 2016 – “Coming Home”

Dave Kindred is many things: He’s a member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Hall of Fame, winner of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame print media award for lifetime achievement, member of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame, winner of multiple National Sportswriter of the Year awards, and the 1991 recipient of the Red Smith Award for lifetime achievement in sports journalism. He also happens to be a hometown Atlanta boy who looks forward to presenting a program about leaving Atlanta in 1965 and coming back to stay 45 years later. Dave will also talk about writing two books on the Morton High School girls' basketball team while working on a book about a grandson who died of alcoholism.

Saturday, November 12, 2016: “American Pop Favorites with Tom Quinn”

A talented singer and guitarist, Tom Quinn currently serves as Associate Professor of Theatre Arts at Illinois Wesleyan University. His theatre credentials are extensive, including appearances at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. where he was a member of the resident acting company; Center Stage in Baltimore; and both the Goodman Theatre and Steppenwolf in Chicago. Tom will bring an eclectic selection of popular folk and easy rock to our stage, including many of your favorites. An evening full of musical memories that will make you want to sing along.

Friday, November 18, 2016 – “Cruisin’ with Lincoln on 66”

In 2015 the McLean County Museum of History opened its doors to the new Cruisin' with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center located on the ground floor of the Museum in downtown Bloomington. Since it opened more than 27,000 people from 32 countries, 45 states, and 100+ Illinois communities have come through the center, which features an exhibit on Abraham Lincoln and Route 66, a gift shop, restrooms, and two video mini-theaters. Beth Whisman, Executive Director at the McLean County Museum of History and Barb Adkins, Manager of the Cruisin’ with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center, will talk about the center's first two years of operation and new opportunities they are seeking to attract Route 66 visitors and collaborate with other sites up and down the Mother Road.

Friday, December 2, 2016 – “Logan County’s New Veteran’s Assistance Commission”

At this year’s Illinois State Fair, Governor Bruce Rauner named Lincoln resident, Joe Schaler, the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs Patriotic Volunteer of the Year for 2016 for his work in helping establish the Logan County Veteran’s Assistance commission. Joe and VAC Superintendent, Dan Benedict will tell the story of the work involved in getting the VAC set up and funded, plus share information about what the VAC's mission is, where it's located, and what services it offers.

Friday, December 16, 2016 – “Quilts, Dresses, Aprons and More: The American Feed Sack”

Quilter, Anita Revelle, has been collecting feed sacks for over 25 years, after picking up the feed sack bug in a store in Rolla, Missouri in 1987. As time progressed she kept purchasing feeds sacks with the hope of one day making a quilt or quilts with them. Ms. Revelle will explain the beginnings of the muslin feed sack and explore the way they were used as dresses, baby layettes, and more. She’ll finish her presentation with the colorful prints of the 1930s & 40s. Come join us for a step back in time, and bring your memories with you, as Ms. Revelle presents a look at the fabric of the past that frugal rural women discovered and used in their lives and households.

Saturday, January 14, 2017 – "Remember Me Always in Your Prayers: The Hawes Family Civil War Letters"

Anne Moseley, Assistant Director & Curator of the Lincoln Heritage Museum, has been caring and transcribing letters from the Hawes family who wrote to each other during the Civil War. Henry and George Hawes lived in Atlanta, Illinois and served the Union Army during the war with many other Logan County volunteers. When they enlisted they felt a civic duty to support their country and a moral duty to rid the country of slavery. The letters in the Hawes Collection were written between 1860 and 1867 and are now housed at the Lincoln Heritage Museum at Lincoln College, in Lincoln, Illinois.

Saturday, January 21, 2017: “Around the World with Saundra DeAthos, Saul Nache, Laurel Beard, and Julie Kasa”

Accompanied by pianist Julie Kasa, three of Illinois Wesleyan’s gifted faculty will serenade us with familiar tunes from around the world. Whether your taste runs to the popular or the operatic, you will be treated to a fantastic serenade featuring lyric sopranos Saundra DeAthos and Laurel Beard, as well as baritone Saul Nache. Young, vivacious, and charismatic, they will have you begging for encores!

Friday, January 27, 2017 – “Logan County Wind Farms”

Logan County is now home to four different wind farm projects. Join two representatives from Apex Clean Energy, Inc - Scott Koziar, Senior Director of Project Development and Dave Wagner, Senior Development Manager, as they present an overview of wind farm technology and the benefits they offer to communities. Scott and Dave will share how wind farms are developed, constructed, and how they contribute to the national electric grid as a whole. In addition, they’ll talk about the benefits wind farms offer a rural area, annual payments to participant land owners, and the increases in local tax revenue that help schools and other public bodies.

Friday, February 10, 2017 – “How Time Flies”

Every day a small column appears on the Editorial Page of the Pantagraph, titled “How Time Flies”. It is a must read for many subscribers. Jack Keefe is the man behind the column. Join us for what’s sure to be an interesting evening, as Jack relates the story of how he conducts the research and does the writing to produce this popular daily feature of the Pantagraph.

Saturday, February 18, 2017: “Hornbirds! The Illinois Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet”

Join us for an incredible evening with musicians from the Illinois Symphony Orchestra as they take us on a virtuoso tour of great music for brass instruments.

Friday, February 24, 2017 – “Pre-Electric Entertainment in Atlanta”

So how did our great-grandparents and their families entertain themselves in the days before Atlanta homes were wired for electricity? Join Bill Thomas, Atlanta Museum, and Doug Ringer, Springfield, as they demonstrate a variety of unique mechanical music machines from the turn of the last century and tell the story of music from our great-grandparent’s parlor.

Friday, March 10, 2017 – “Danny Tackett”

Danny Tackett, a former Atlanta resident in the 1970s, worked for four and a half decades in the news department of The Courier in Lincoln. He retired in 2012, and this past winter finished writing, “Big Stories from a Small Town,” a collection of essays about growing up in and around tiny Armington in the 1960s. Danny will talk about his newspaper career, his new book, and perhaps a glimpse into his next, yet to be written one. He's hoping for a very interactive audience with lots of questions.

March 18, 2017: TBA

Friday, March 24, 2017 – “Life and Love…After 60”

We are fortunate to once again welcome Terri Ryburn to this year’s Dinner Program series. Terri has participated in these programs since the first year, sometimes more than once a season. In the past, we’ve heard humorous Rt. 66 tales and some of Terri’s family adventures growing up in Bloomington/Normal in the 1950s. This year, Terri wrote, directed, and will present three short, humorous plays about life and love after 60. It is sure to be a fun evening!

April 1, 2017: To Be Announced
April 8, 2017: To Be Announced

[Bill Thomas]