Skip to content

St. Elmo News

Announcements
Thursday, October 26
• Fayette County Health Dept. flu clinic, 8:30-10:30 a.m., St. Elmo City Hall.
• ExxonMobil Annuitants, noon, Vandalia Ponderosa.
Friday, October 27
• Friday is the last day that RNA is collecting items for male and female veterans. Collection box is at Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
Saturday, October 28
• Saturday is Royal Neighbors of America #5784 Make a Difference Day.
Sunday, October 29
• Impact/Community Service, 10 a.m., St. Elmo Grade School. More information follows.
Monday, October 30
• American Red Cross blood drive, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., in the St. Elmo High School gym.    
• All county members of the Unit 19, Unit 20 and Unit 21 Extension Councils are to attend the Poverty Simulation meeting at 5:30 p.m. at Lake Land College.
Tuesday, October 31
• St. Elmo Trick or Treat, 6-8 p.m.
Wednesday, November 1
• Wright’s Corner Unit of Home and Community Education, 1 p.m., Loudon Township Building.
• Grades 5-8, 6-7:30 p.m., and high school youth, 7-9:30 p.m., St. Elmo Christian Church.
• St. Elmo City Council, 6:30 p.m., city hall.
Thursday, November 2
• St. Elmo Business Association, noon, Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
• St. Elmo Women’s Civic Club will meet at 11 a.m. in St. Mary’s Catholic Church parking lot to pool rides to Effingham for 11:30 a.m. lunch at Culver’s. After lunch, they wil go to Hodgson Mills Store for a program.                                  
RNA Make a Difference Day
Through Friday, Royal Neighbors of America #5784 is collecting items for male and female veterans. The collection box is at Mary Ann’s Restaurant. Accepted will be all kinds of clothing, personal items, razors, tooth paste and brushes, deodorant, body wash, soaps, puzzles, books, paper, pens, postage stamps, greeting cards, playing cards, non-perishable snacks. Most items will be appreciated, but liquids are not accepted.
Some of the collection will be taken to vets at St. Elmo Aperion Care and Altamont Lutheran Care, and some will be taken to Effingham Veterans to take to the Veterans Hospital in Marion.
Impact/Community Church Service
Five churches in the St. Elmo Ministerial Alliance will have the second Impact/Community Service this year. It is this Sunday at 10 a.m. in the St. Elmo Elementary gym. Six ministers of the five churches that will be closed – First Assembly of God, First Church of God, First United Methodist, Freedom Reigns in Christ and St. Elmo Christian Church – will deliver the sermon.
It is hoped that in addition to those who attend the named churches, others will attend so the gym can be filled to capacity.
November LPHC Walk/Run Fundraiser
The Lighthouse Pregnancy and Health Services at Vandalia is having a 5K/Walk-4-Life on Saturday, Nov. 4, at St. Elmo’s Deken Park, rain or shine. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and a pre-event rally is at 8:30 a.m. The 5-K run starts at 9 a.m. and the two-mile walk starts at 9:05 a.m.
If preregistration wasn’t made by Oct. 20, it will be $30 for adults and $20 for kids.
For info, you can call 281-8750.
You can ask everyone you know to sponsor you as a runner or walker; some possibilities include co-workers, family, friends or church members.
All 5K runners will receive a participation medal. Top runners in each category will receive recognition as well. Overall fastest runner male and female also will receive special recognition. Age categorized divided male/female: 15 and under, 26-35, 36 and up.
Future Events
• Fayette County 4-H Achievement Night, 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 4, Brownstown Elementary School. Tickets are being sold to help raise funds for the Fayette County Extension Foundation and the drawing for the winners will be that night. Tickets are $10 each for a shopping spree at County Market, and three names will be drawn for $300, $200 and $100 sprees.
• Daylight Savings Time will end at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4. Set your clocks BACK one hour at bedtime to gain an extra hour of sleep.
• Fayette County Extension Foundation annual chili/soup fundraiser is on Sunday, Nov. 5, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Brownstown Elementary Cafeteria. The charge is a free-will donation. The menu includes hot dogs, relishes, crackers, tea, lemonade and desserts made by the Fayette County HCE members.
Historical Vandalia Inc.
The Board of Directors of Historical Vandalia Inc. met at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 16 in the Fayette County Museum conference room. Present were President Steve Durbin, Donna Blair, Joyce Mueller and Mary Truitt of Vandalia, Marilyn Beyes of Smithboro and Anna Jean Rhodes of St. Elmo.
The museum had 127 visitors who signed in in September (only 97 signed in 2016; 2017 had 142 visitors). Gloria Durbin is working on the 2010 inventory.
Beyes reported the garden is being cleaned, but help is still needed.
Beyes reported that 23 of the first-place winners in the Fayette County Town and Country Art Show held in the museum’s upstairs Artworks Gallery in June were entered in the State Town and Country Art Show held in Springer Cultural Center in Champaign in September.
Other county Town and Country Art Shows participating in the state show were Champaign, Vermillion, LaSalle and Edgar.
Nineteen awards were given, and Fayette County entries received six awards: first in adult art, first in youth art, first and second in youth photography, and second and third in adult photography.
There was much discussion on how to have a fundraiser, probably in the 2018 spring.
Work on the outside walls was scheduled to start Oct. 23.
The museum would like to be on the Internet if possible.
Artifacts donated to the museum since the September meeting are the following: reproduction to be loaned out including a girls short sleeve long dress and bonnet; ladies long sleeve dress and matching purse; ladies long green print skirt; blue print bonnet; men’s two-piece swim suit from the 1890s; piece of Ford Roofing red brick-look siding; a 1930s bread toaster; a black crochet bonnet; ladies black shawl; a 1950s men’s unisex fur hat; photographic copy of the Springfield July 12, 1834, Sangamon Journal newspaper.
Board of Education
The St. Elmo Board of Education met in regular session at 7:30 on Oct. 16 in the unit office. The following consent agenda items were approved: minutes from the regular Sept. 26 meeting and budget hearing, bills and financial reports and administrative reports.
The annual school cistrict Audit was approved.
The board approved a request to change the senior class trip as proposed, pending review of specific details being presented by the class sponsors and class officers at the November board meeting.
The board adopted a resolution to authorize property tax abatement in the Vandalia/Fayette County Enterprise zone.
The board accepted letters of resignation from Michael and Christina Pasley as fifth- and sixth-grade basketball coaches.
The board approved Kearstin Scoles as a volunteer assistant high school cheerleading sponsor.
Fayette County HCE International Night
The annual Home and Community Education International Night was held on Oct. 17 at Unity Baptist Church in Vandalia. County HCE International Chairman Rebecca Graves gave the meal blessing at 5:30 p.m. The tables were decorated in a “Down by the Riverside” theme.
A program on the Philippines was given by Roxann Wilburn, who was assisted by Mekylla Bico, both of Greenville. Much was given on the history and culture of the Philippines. Other guests were Matthew Wilburn and Aileen Gatson of Greenville, Mary Jo Steiner of Mulberry Grove, and Alex and Megan Graves of Vandalia.
HCE members present were Donna Blair, Evelyn Probst and Jollen Scott of the Bingham/Ramsey Unit; Anna Jean Rhodes of the St. Elmo Unit; Dorothy Harpster, Glori Magnus and Sandra Runge of the St. Peter Unit; Flo Allen, Dee Dee Diveley, Lois Jackson, Helen Reeter and Betty Williams of the Sefton Unit; and Carol Bridges, Rebecca Graves, Sue Miller, Joyce Mueller, Alvenia Noffsinger, Edith Runkel, Megan Runkel, Anita Smith and Debbie Segrest of the Vandalia Day Unit.
Surprise Farewell Party
Phyllis Pryor of Brownstown, who soon will be moving to Florida, was invited to Embers Pizza in Vandalia on Oct. 20 for lunch with friends Debbie Swain of Vandalia and Brenda Benhoff of Ramsey. When she arrived, she was surprised to see many of her friends there from several groups she belongs to – a Bible study group, Golden Years, HCE, a crocheting club and a quilting club.
After everyone placed their orders, she opened cards and gifts. After the meal, a decorated farewell cake was put before her and she cut pieces for each one.
In addition to Pryor, Swain and Benhoff, those present were Betty Burris of Herrick, Judy Kingston of Vernon, Jackie McGowan, Rita Miller, Faye Watson and Kay Williams of Vandalia, Ashley Davis and Anna Jean Rhodes of St. Elmo and Flo Allen, Panzi Blackwell, Connie Green, Lavonne Kramer and Carol Oldham of Brownstown.
 

Leave a Comment