St. Elmo News

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Thursday, April 23
• The St. Elmo Unit of Home and Community Education, 1:30 p.m., St. Elmo Public Library.
• The Beecher City Branch Library will host a women’s defense class with Bob Jones at 7 p.m. Those interested should call 487-9400 for more information or to register.
Saturday, April 25
• Boy Scout Troop #444’s annual yard/bake sale, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., St. Elmo Christian Church. All money earned will help send St. Elmo Boy Scouts to summer camp. Donations may be dropped off on the front porch of the blue/grey modular home at 721 N. Elm, across from the vet clinic.
• Diabetes awareness, sponsored by the St. Elmo Lions Club, 9-11 a.m. Brochures will be passed out by club members.
• The Fayette County Mobile Pantry, 10 a.m., the St. Elmo Pinnacle Foods parking lot.
Sunday, April 26
• Boy Scout Sunday at First United Methodist Church. After the 10:35 a.m. worship service, the Scouts will host in the Fellowship Hall a spaghetti dinner, compliments of Joe’s in Greenville.
• The Artworks Gallery in the Fayette County Museum in Vandalia will host a “Meet the Author Event.” Faye Watson of Vandalia will talk about her new book, “Recipes from God, Reflections of A God-Fearing Grandmother.” This is an inspirational, devotional book published by Westbow Press. The public is invited to the event. Refreshments will be served.
• Sunday Night Live Youth, 6 p.m., First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall.
• AMP’d, 6:30 p.m., St. Elmo Christian Church.
Monday, April 27
• The Fayette County Home and Community Education Board, 10 a.m., Vandalia Extension Office.
• The past and present officers of Fayette County HCE Board semi-yearly social, 11:30 a.m., Vandalia Los Amigos.
• The St. Elmo Lions Club, 6 p.m., Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
Wednesday, April 29
• Reverb Youth, 6:30 p.m., St. Elmo Christian Church,
Thursday, April 30
• Exxon Mobil Annuitants, noon, Vandalia Ponderosa.
Future Event
On Saturday, May 2, the St. Elmo Historical Society will have a Kentucky Derby Day, 2-6 p.m. at the Summer Breeze Wine House in St. James.
High School Blood Drive Exceeds Quota
The American Red Cross blood drive held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Monday, April 13, in the St. Elmo High School gym had a quota of 40. From the 55 presenters, 44 units were collected ­– an all-time high for the school.
It was sponsored by the junior/senior high National Honor Society students. Seventeen students gave and first-time donors were Morgan Brown, Kelsie Logue, Malachi Maxey, Alaina McConaugh, Gabi Moore and Jenna Miller.
Four staff members gave – Cathy Loy, Deb Philpot, Krista Stine and Brandy Whitten. The other donors were 34 from the community who attended, not only to give, but to honor a junior high student.
Blood donors to the school drive will help the school earn a scholarship.
Special education teacher Amy Schimmelpfenning, said, “We are so excited. We went over our quota.” She added, “We would like to thank everyone for contributing to the St. Elmo High School NHS Red Cross blood drive. This year was a success.”
Avena Township Park Board
New smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and signs were installed in the St. Elmo Community Park Centennial Building at the April 14 meeting. Present were board members President Greg Haslett, Daryl Calvert, Jim Caraway, Daphne Oldfield and Janice Russell, and a guest J. D. Russell. In the April election, Caraway was put back on the board by write-ins. The only other board member is Buddy Mitchell, who was unable to attend.
New doors and ceiling are expected to be completed soon.
Bids were opened for the park mowing and Moccasin Mowing was hired. Last year, the company was known as Doty Mowing.
A new electric stove will be bought for the kitchen; an old gas stove may be traded in, but if it cannot be, it will be sold.
Trash bags are available to put in the park canisters when needed, but nothing should be put into them except disposable items used in the park
Items are being put in the dumpster that should not be – it also is for only park trash. A new dumpster was installed last year and this year, because of missing lids, another new dumpster is to be installed.
A grant is being worked on for playground equipment in the park.
Other discussion at the meeting is to have a consignment auction again this year, but Labor Day weekend is not a good time. The board is to check on a good time to have it.
The St. Elmo Centennial Building in the St. Elmo Community Park can be rented for $50 a day. Those interested in making a reservation can call Greg Haslett at Bradford Supply, 829-3249.
The next Avena Township Park Board meeting is set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, in the Centennial Building.
Fayette County Extension Foundation
Present at the Fayette County Extension Foundation meeting held the evening of April 16 in the Vandalia Extension Office were President Brian Willenborg of Vandalia, Joi Eddie of Ramsey, Joan Schaal of St. Peter, Marsha Wright of Beecher City, Anna Jean Rhodes of St. Elmo and Carl Baker, Unit 21 County Extension director.
It was reported the spaghetti dinner held March 22 at the Brownstown Elementary Cafeteria had about 200 attendees and made a profit of $2011.50 from donations. The Fayette County Home and Community Education members will receive a thank you for furnishing the desserts for the meal.
The Extension Foundation annual soup dinner will be held on Sunday, Nov. 1, if possible; Nov. 8 is a backup date.
The next Extension Foundation meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5, in the Vandalia Extension Office.
Vit-Em-In Class Potluck
The monthly Vie-Em-In Sunday school class potluck was held at 5 p.m. on April 16 in the First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall ,with the following present: Elizabeth Bail, Frank and Delva Krost, Richard Lowe (who gave the meal blessing), Ed and Barb Lane, Dee and Leatha Newberry, Bob and Joanne Owen, Anna Jean Rhodes and Jack and Marilyn Sproat. Lowe’s daughter, Anne Lowe of Seattle, Wash., was a guest.
President Delva Krost presided over a short business meeting after the meal.
Rhodes read an article about a 92-year old pastor, who when asked to speak, told that the greatest lesson he learned that made the most difference in his life in his 50-odd years of preaching was the hymn “Jesus Loves Me.” The article included the senior version of “Jesus Loves Me.”
UM Church
Following Pastor Dan Laack’s children’s time during the First United Methodist Church morning worship on April 19, Bibles were presented to: Gavin Koontz and Angel Scheonoff, fourth graders, and Kinley Carson, Kelly Moss and Bethany Scheonoff, third-graders. Two who were not present, but will receive Bibles later, were Collin Maxey and Aidan Scheonoff, third graders. Andra Carson and Shannon Moss are Sunday school superintendents, and Carson presented the Bibles.
The church choir sang “When He Reached Down His Hand for Me,” with Kathy Spitler at the clavinora. Laack delivered the sermon.
American Legion
Ernie Myers took over as commander of the American Legion Post #420 meeting held the evening of April 14 at the Legion Home.
Bill Goodwin received congratulations from the District Commander Dave Harris for the Post #420 having a 105-percent increase in membership.
Mark Ellis has volunteered to mow at the Legion Home this summer.
The kitchen cabinets still have to be installed and the new stoves will be installed after the cabinets. The World War II plaque is almost completed. When everything is done, the Legion will have an open house.
Charles Bosomworth reported on attending the American Legion Leadership Program in
Effingham recently. R. W. Smith, a Korean veteran, gave a brief report on his recent Land of Lincoln’s Veterans flight to Washington, D.C., earlier this month.
Myers reminded the members of youth programs the Legion supports.
Poppies will be sold on Saturday, May 23 from 7 a.m.-noon in St. Elmo.
On the nominating committee are Bosomworth, Myers, Gill Goodwin and Bob Heckert. Officers will be elected at the May meeting and installed at the June meeting.
Plans for the Veterans’ Memorial Day program on May 25 are being planned; nine names will be added to the stones in May.
Flags will be put on veteran’s graves in Maplewood, Stine/Stein, Guy and Springhill cemeteries for Memorial Day weekend.
Present at the April meeting were Doyle Beck, Charles Bosomworth, Dave Cox, Bill Goodwin, Clement Lilly, Richard Lowe, Ernie Myers, Al Nevergall, R. W. Smith, Dave Stewart, Max Watson and Laverne Wright.
Lions Club
The St. Elmo Lions Club will co-sponsor and assist the Fayette County Farm Bureau with the Central Illinois mobile food pantry at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, rain or shine, at the St. Elmo Pinnacle Foods parking lot.
Club members also will pass out brochures for the diabetes awareness program in St. Elmo from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday, April 25.
The club will assist the Altamont Lions Club with the Mobile Hearing Bus in July on April 22-23.
Because of Memorial Day on the fourth Monday, the second Monday, May 11, will be the only monthly meeting.
The annual club officer installation is set for Monday, June 22.
President Dave Maxey opened the April 13 meeting held at Mary Ann’s Restaurant by leading in the Pledge of Allegiance. Richard Lowe gave the meal prayer. Other members present were Dave Cox, Roger Fulk, Dan Laack, Bob Lowe, Le Mar Marchman, Al Nevergall, Dee Newberry, Bob Wells, Will Williams and Randy Wolf.