St. Elmo News

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Thursday, June 20
• Vit-Em-In Sunday school Class potluck, 6 p.m., First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall.
Friday, June 21
• Kingdom Rock Vacation Bible School for children pre-K through fifth grade, 6:15-8:15 p.m., St. Elmo Christian Church at 112 W. Sixth St. Youngsters can register at the door. Those needing a ride may call 829-5050 or 267-4770.
• All Aboard Vacation Bible School for age 4 through sixth grade, 6-8 p.m., Kaskaskia Church, two miles west of Wright’s Corner. For information, call Cindy at 829-5397.
Saturday, June 22
• The Kaskaskia Church VBS, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
• A “Generate the Love for Barry” benefit to help Barry Coughlin purchase an automatic generator will be held at the Summer Breeze Wine House in St. James from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Barry plans to be present. Hot dogs will be served from 11 a.m. through 1 p.m. or until they run out. All of the proceeds from the sale will go to Barry. Also, one-half of the sales of all glasses of wine, all glasses of beer and soda sales will go to Barry. There will be music, and the performers will be donating.
Those who wish to help, but cannot make it to the benefit, can make a check out to: Barry A. Coughlin Trust, and send it to Summer Breeze Wine House at RR 2 Box 195-D, St. Elmo, Ill. 62458.
• The St. Elmo Christian Church VBS, 6:15-8:15 p.m.
Sunday, June 23
• Following the 10:35 a.m. worship service at the First United Methodist Church, the CHILL Youth group is sponsoring and providing food for a brunch called “Breakfast for Lunch.” Donations will go to CAPS that offers weekday lunches to the children of St. Elmo during the summer months.
• The annual amateur Town and Country Art Show and Professional Art Show that started in the Fayette County Museum in Vandalia on June 15 will end this Sunday. The museum will be open from 1-4 p.m. Admission is free for the show. After 4 p.m., the work is to be picked up.
• The Kaskaskia Church VBS, 2:30 p.m. There will be an ice cream social with parents.
• The St. Elmo Christian Church VBS, 6:15-8:15 p.m.
Monday, June 24
• Fayette County Board of Home and Community Education, 10 a.m., Fayette County Extension Office, Vandalia.
• St. Elmo Lions Club banquet for spouses and guests, 6 p.m., Mary Ann’s Restaurant. Officers for the 2013-14 club year will be installed.
• Fayette County Republican Women, 7 p.m., Vandalia First National Bank basement.
Tuesday, June 25
• St. Elmo Masonic Lodge #769, 7:30 p.m., Masonic Temple.
Wednesday, June 26
• Royal Neighbors of America #5784, 4:30 p.m., McDonalds at Altamont.
• St. Elmo Board of Education meeting in the unit office. Budget amendment hearing, 4:45 p.m.; and board meeting, 5 p.m.
Thursday, June 27
• ExxonMobil Annuitants, noon, Vandalia Ponderosa.
• St. Elmo Unit of Home and Community Education, 1:30 p.m., St. Elmo Public Library.
• All 4-H general projects have to be checked in at the Brownstown Elementary School, 4-7 p.m.
Future 4-H Announcements
• Friday, June 28, at the Brownstown Elementary School, Fayette County 4-H general project show, 5-8 p.m.
• Saturday, June 29 at the Brownstown Elementary School, Fayette County 4-H food and clothing show, 1-4 p.m. and Fayette County 4-H public speaking, 2 p.m.
Lions Club
The diabetes awareness program sponsored recently by the St. Elmo Lions Club was reported to have turned out great. The June 10 meeting was held at Mary Ann’s Restaurant, with 17 members present.
Dave Maxey opened the meeting with the pledge of allegiance, and Richard Lowe gave the meal blessing.
It was decided that the theme of this year’s Labor Day Parade will be St. Elmo F.I.R.E., being an acronym for Future-Industry-Recreation-Economy.
In addition to Maxey and Lowe, those present were Don Crawford, John Crawford, Lewis Crawford, David Cox, Pee Wee Denton, Roger Fulk, Bob Lowe, Max Hollinshead, Charles Lowe, LeMar Marchman, Dee Newberry, Rex Reeder, Lloyd Stanley, Bob Wells and Randy Wolf.
Officers elected for the club year 2013-14 will be installed the evening of June 24 at Mary Ann’s Restaurant. The banquet is for members with spouse or guest.
St. Elmo Blood Drive
The 24 presenters at the St. Elmo Red Cross Blood Drive held June 10 in St. Mary’s Catholic Church Parish Hall were all able to donate, and the quota of 25 was missed by only one unit.
A first-time donor was Gary Reeder of St. Elmo.
Gallon pins were awarded to: Anna Jean Rhodes of St. Elmo, 13; Sandra Lovett of Brownstown, 7; John Krost and Sharon Schmidt, both of St. Elmo, 5; and Guy Wegscheid of St. Elmo, 1.
Those who have donated 50 or more units of blood are: Esther Koberlein of Brownstown, 150; Ina Abendroth of St. Elmo, 138; Roger Fulk of Brownstown, 127; Andy Lilly of Beecher City, 122; Anna Jean Rhodes of St. Elmo, 104; Marie Hopper of Farina, 89; Lisa Koberlein of St. Ellmo,73; Marilyn Winter of Altamont, 65; Teresa Tegeler of Effingham, 61; Sandra Lovett of Brownstown, 56; and Wayne Lovett of Brownstown, 54.
Chairman Karen Denning reported the following volunteers: Ray Morris put up posters; Sandra Hill and Lucas Hill represented the Church of God in making cookies for the drive; St. Elmo Women’s Civic Club handled the canteen expense; and those who worked in the canteen, registered, signed cards, etc., during the afternoon were Ina Abendroth, Susan Belden, Esther Koberlein, Helen Koonce, Pat Porter, Marilyn Sproat and Max Watson.
The next Red Cross blood drive scheduled for St. Elmo is Monday, Aug. 12.
Lunch Bunch
Attending the Lunch Bunch meeting held at noon June 13 at Mary Ann’s Restaurant were Gene Clark of Salem, Pat Porter of Farina, Wayne and Sandra Lovett of Brownstown, and Karen Denning, Arlin and Lillian Grobengieser, Anna Jean Rhodes and Marjorie Sarver, all of St. Elmo. Any graduate of the St. Elmo High School is welcome to attend the monthly meetings.
Fayette County
Extension Foundation
Fayette County Extension Foundation met at 7:30 p.m. on June 13 at the U of I Extension Office in Vandalia with the following present: Unit 21 County Extension Director Rachelle Hollinshead and Brian Willenborg, both of Vandalia; Carol Hickerson of Shobonier, Marsha Wright and Amanda Watson, both of Beecher City; Kevin Payne and Colton Payne, both of Brownstown; Joan Schaal of St. Peter; and Anna Jean Rhodes of St. Elmo.
Introduced to the group was Tabitha Welch of Farina, who has been the county 4-H program coordinator for several weeks.
The main item of business was discussion of a fundraiser barbecue that will be held in September. The next foundation meeting is set for Monday, July 1, at 7 p.m. at the Extension Office, when the date, place, etc., will be finalized so that tickets can be prepared and sold during the Fayette County Fair.
New County 4-H Program Coordinator
Tabitha K. Welch began her duties as the 4-H program coordinator in Clay and Fayette counties on April 29. She is from Farina and currently resides there.
She has a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and a master’s degree in meat sciences from Auburn University.
She previously worked for University of Nebraska Extension as an Extension educator in 4-H youth development.
She is working 20 percent of the time in Fayette County and 80 percent of the time in Clay County. The Fayette County Extension phone number is 283-2753. Welch’s email address is twelch@illinois.edu.
Library District Report
The St. Elmo Public Library District June meeting was held the evening of June 13 at the St. Elmo Public Library. Minutes of the May meeting were approved and bills were paid.
The Brownstown Branch reported 11 attended the first week of the summer reading program and 15 the second week.
Robin Shuda, as Laura Ingalls Wilder, was to do a special program for the summer reading program this Thursday, and Jennings is to check on the transportation arrangements.
The Brownstown library needs the furnace filter changed and the back door light fixed. Tony Koberlein will take care of getting this done.
Beecher City Branch reported that Eagle Scouts and their dads cut trees and stacked the wood, and will burn brush in the near future. The bathroom work is finished, but the floodlights need to be repaired.
Attending the first week of the summer reading program at Beecher City Branch were 11 kids, with nine helpers, and during the second week, there were 14 kids and eight helpers. Elizabeth  
Weaver from the Effingham County University of Illinois Extension Office and Jo Stine from the Fayette County U of I Office showed the kids how to make southwestern trail mix. Kaylynn Moeller won the prize during the first week of the summer reading program.
St. Elmo reported 27 kids and 16 helpers during the first week of the summer reading program, and 36 kids and 16 helpers the second week.
Guy Wegscheid was to be added as a signatory on all accounts at the Fayette County Bank, and the board approved the transfer of funds from the MMDA account to the corporate checking account as needed.
The St. Elmo Library will be building a new website using Plinkit and has applied for a museum grant to help with storage and cataloging items in the Museum.
Timmerman and Co. Ltd.’s proposal for year-end financial work at a cost of $2,500 was accepted by the board.
The work on the lights, ceiling fan and bathroom faucet has been finished. For linoleum work, Jason Laack is to be contacted..
Last on the agenda was the adoption of Ordinance 2013-3 to levy and assess a building and maintenance tax.
Methodist Church
Father’s Day
Fathers were recognized and presented with gifts at the morning worship of the First United Methodist Church on Father’s Day. The oldest father was Dick Lowe, 89; the youngest was Richard Lowe, age 34; and those with the most children present (3) who received gifts were Jeffrey Maxey and Tim Fasnacht. The youth gave sweet treats to all men present.
After singing “Love Lifted Me,” and the opening prayer, the children did a special, “Big God,” by singing with actions. The hymn, “Faith of Our Fathers,” preceded the recognition of the fathers.
Laack announced that on June 15, he baptized Jeffrey Maxey at Bail’s Lake.
Following the First United Methodist Church 10:35 a.m. worship service on June 23, the CHILL Youth is sponsoring and providing food for brunch, “Breakfast for Lunch.”
Donations will help with CAPS, which offers weekday lunches to the children of St. Elmo. This year, the average is about 55 per day. Lunchables are served three days a week.
Additionally, St. Elmo Christian Church provides lunches on Wednesdays and volunteers from First United Methodist Church provides the lunches on Thursdays.