Skip to content

St. Elmo News

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Thursday, June 1
• St. Elmo Business Association, noon, Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
Monday, June 5
• MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), 6:30 p.m., St. Elmo Public Library.
Tuesday, June 6
• Friendly Neighbors, noon, Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
• Council of Catholic Women, 7 p.m., St. Mary’s Catholic Church Parish Hall.
Wednesday, June 7
• Wright’s Corner Unit of Home and Community Education, 1 p.m., Loudon Town House.
Thursday, June 8
• Fayette County Home and Community Education 69th annual meeting, Vandalia Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Registration at 11 a.m., potluck at 11:30 a.m., with business meeting to follow.
• Lunch Bunch, noon, Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
Saturday, June 10
• 4-H Horse Clinic, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Effingham County Fairgrounds. See info following the announcements.
• Fayette County Food Bank, 10 a.m., Pinnacle Foods.
• Royal Neighbors of America #5784 celebration of birthdays, 1 p.m., Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
Monday, June 12
• Red Cross blood drive, -6 p.m., St. Mary’s Catholic Church Parish Hall.
4-H Horse Clinic
The June horse clinic from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Effingham County Fairgrounds for all youth ages 5-16. Topics includes showmanship, horsemanship, barrel racing, attire/tack, food and nutrition, and equine massage therapy.
Guest speakers are: Joyful Touch Equine Massage Therapy and Morgan Wendling, South Central FS.
Those attending must wear approved riding helmet when mounted, boots and jeans. Take chairs and current coggins.
Easy Riders 4-H Club will host a concession stand.
To register, contact Patti Logan at U of I Extension in Effingham at logan1@illinois.edu or call 217-347-7773.
St. Elmo Community Park District Board
A meeting to address urgent concerns of the St. Elmo Community Park District was held by the board on Thursday, May 18, at 7:30 p.m., at Daryl’s Dine-In. Notice of the meeting was posted in the Centennial Building window and the Dine-In window on Tuesday afternoon. The meeting time was delayed for 10 minutes in anticipation of an invited guest.
Answering roll call was Daryl Calvert, Kim Baron and Danny Tish, with Daphene Oldfield and Greg Haslett absent.
A visitor, Rick Gillespie, was present and expressed interest in becoming a member of the Board.
Discussion followed regarding goals for the park and reports from Tish regarding the pending delivery of purchased swings, Calvert with information of a $500 grant to apply for aimed for the new fall zones and Baron with information and a quote for the sandblasting and painting of the swing sets and other playground equipment.
A motion by Calvert to accept the quote for the sandblasting and painting from Robinson Dustless Sandblasting of Cowden, with questions regarding the precise type of paint to use being referred to Dan Gilmar of IPARKS for his recommendation, was seconded by Tish and carried.
The timeline for the work is still a quandary, due to the weather and materials, slower delivery than expected of the swings, plus the decision to refurbish the playground equipment.
Tish reminded everyone that the June and July board meetings were voted on at the April 11 meeting to be moved to the second Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. due to summer ball schedules. The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
Fayette County HCE Board
Plans have been made for the Fayette County Home and Community Education’s 69th annual meeting, scheduled for Thursday, June 8, at the Vandalia Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Bingham/Ramsey Unit will do the registration at 11 a.m. and the potluck will be at 11:30 a.m.
Vandalia Day Unit will decorate the tables and provide the beverages. The Sefton Unit will arrange foods on the tables. The other units will help with the cleanup. Those attending are reminded to not take any silverware – HCE has silverware and will not use the church silverware.
The handmade quilt that was made years ago with signatures from unit members was won by Ilene Sidwell. It was donated back to Fayette County HCE by the family of Sidwell after her death and will be on display. It will be used as a County HCE fundraiser, and tickets are $1 each or six for $5.
At the annual meeting, the 2017/18 budget will be approved and officers will be elected for the 2017-18 year that starts June 1. The installing officer will be District 6 Director Marilyn Schaefer of Effingham. A Homemaker of the Year plaque will be given. Instead of a plaque for Unit of the Year, this year each unit will receive a certificate for the work done during the year.
Nominations for all the offices have been made except for the treasurer. Any county HCE member who would consider the office should contact President Flo Allen.
The craft day to cut out shoes from jeans for Uganda children is being postponed; it possibly will be held later.
Those present at the May 22 HCE Board meeting held at the Vandalia Extension Office were President Flo Allen and  Public Relations Panzi Blackwell of the Sefton Unit; First Vice Debbie Segrest, Secretary Joyce Muller, Treasurer Carol Bridges, Cultural Enrichment Ashley Davis and International Anita Smith of the Vandalia Day Unit; Community Outreach/ Family Issues/CVH  Donna Blair of the Bingham/Ramsey Unit; and Sefton Unit Second Vice Phyllis Pryor. The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.
St. Elmo HCE
“What is your favorite hobby?” was the roll of the St. Elmo Unit of Home and Community Education meeting held the afternoon of May 23 in the St. Elmo Public Library. Chairman Karen Wegscheid opened the meeting with the pledge of Allegiance.
Minutes of the April meeting were read and board notes were read. The treasurer gave a report and told that the dues of $15 for the 2017-18 year have to be sent to the county HCE treasurer by the end of June.
The minor lesson, “Iris Paper Folding,” was given by Mary Myers, and Sarah Beasley and the major lesson, “Editable Flowers,” was given by Wegscheid.
Wegscheid served refreshments of cupcakes, each with a pansy, on top and cookies that had a glaze of lavender and lemon.
In addition to Wegscheid, Myers and Beasley, those present were Karen Denning, Loretta Heischmidt, Erna Koontz, Carole Krost and Sharon Shelton.
First United Methodist Graduates Honored
During the May 28 Sunday morning worship service at the St. Elmo First United Methodist Church, the following graduates were called to the front of the church by Andra Carson, introduced and each received a gift from the church: preschool graduates Audrey Burgess and Emily Fasnacht; high school graduates Ethan LeMar and Sydney Moss; and college graduates Connor Beasley, with a bachelor’s degree, and Ashlyn Beasley, with a master’s degree.
Unable to be present (but will receive a gift) were preschoolers Klara Bartels and Kyleigh Brown; high school graduates Olivia Pattillo and Sam Sperry; and college graduates Haley Fasnacht, associate in nursing; Megan Maxey, with a bachelor’s degree; and Kaitlin Buzzard, Brooke Gordon and Ryan Gordon, all with a master’s degree.
Rhodes-Side Gleanings, Continued
Yes, I was homebound May 18-26, because my van was at the St. Peter Auto Body garage. I was hit a little after 11 a.m. on May 18 on U.S. Route 40 by a car coming south on Route 128 that didn’t stop. Thankfully, I wasn’t hurt and my handicapped van was not totaled. My insurance, Country Mutual and Financial, had an adjuster go to the garage the next day. The parts were ordered and did arrive on time the next week so the left front end of the van could be worked on. Even though the accident was not my fault, my insurance got right on it. I will receive a check to endorse to the St. Peter Auto Body. The fellow’s State Farm Insurance will reimburse Country Mutual and also pay my $500 deductible to the body shop.
My son, Steve, and his friend Scott Edmonds, both of Chicago, were coming the afternoon of May 26, and I was hoping the van would be repaired by then … and it was. Steve Haney brought it to me that morning.
Early that afternoon I started preparing supper for the fellows and the garbage disposal quit working. M & M Plumbing Delbert Magnus was able to come after 3 p.m.; I didn’t have to have a new disposal, the old one was just plugged up.
Saturday afternoon, we went to the Summer Breeze Strawberry Wine and “Jam” Festival at the Barn Venue. Steve and Scott had never been there. When I parked, turned off the motor and pushed the button to unlatch my wheelchair that was locked in (I drive sitting in my chair), nothing happened. The unlatch button has a green light when it is working, but had no light. We had to go to an area that had room on my side of the van, and Scott got out and checked underneath the wheelchair and found a release button attached to the track on the van floor, and I backed out from the lock-in area!
I drove the wheelchair back it so we could return to the Barn Venue. When we left the festival, and returned back home, it worked.
vvThat evening we went to Mary Ann’s Restaurant for the smoked barbecues that are on the Friday and Saturday nights menus and it still worked. After supper, I drove them around St. Elmo and area. When I came back home, it worked.
When Steve came on Friday, he brought me a corsage for my May 28 birthday and got to see how well it went with a yellow jacket I wore Sunday. When I left for Sunday school, he and Scott left for Carlinville to visit with Scott’s family, but they waited to see if the green light on the dashboard was on, and it was.
When I arrived at church, the light wasn’t on! I could not get out until Holly Huffer came to unlatch the wheelchair from the floor. When church was over and I got in the van and locked the chair in, the unlatch button wasn’t working. I usually eat Sunday lunch at Mary Ann’s, but today had Huffer follow me home to unlatch the chair.
My plans were to eat lunch Monday at Mary Ann’s Restaurant and then go to the Legion Memorial service. Tuesday morning, I was scheduled for a United Methodist Women’s committee meeting at the Effingham Centenary, and that night an Extension Council meeting at the Effingham Extension Office.
Because of the Monday holiday, I will have to wait until Tuesday to check with the van place at Champaign, by phone, to see what I must do. Because the accident caused my van to go off the road into the ditch and lean right (but didn’t turn over), this may have caused the lock-in to be out of alignment. I think it was 20 or 30 minutes before I was removed from the chair.
St. Elmo Lions Club
Fayette County Food Bank will be at Pinnacle on Saturday, June 10, and the St. Elmo Lions Club will help. Members who helped with the April 9 Food Bank were thanked by President Dave Maxey at the Club’s May 22 meeting held at Mary Ann’s Restaurant. After opening with the Pledge of Allegiance, Pee Wee Denton gave the meal blessing.
Candy to be sold by the club has arrived and several locations for sales were discussed. The diabetes awareness day held on May 13 was discussed and was a success.
The club provides scholarships each year to a couple of St. Elmo High School graduates. Randy Wolf has made the certificates. This is the 14th year scholarships have been given, and to date, 25 students have received them.
The St. Elmo Business Association is having a meeting on Wednesday, June 7, at 4:30 p.m., to decide on their participation in the Labor Day activities. Lions Club members will try to attend.
Labor Day Parade and marshal were discussed and decided upon; the marshal will be announced at a later date.
The officers for the 2016-17 year will be installed at the June 26 meeting of the club.
Those present were Charlie Brubaker, Don Crawford, Pee Wee Denton, Skip Heaton, Max Hollinshead, Holly Huffer, Bob Lowe, Richard Lowe, LeMar Marchman, David Maxey, Lloyd Stanley, Bob Wells, Will Williams and Randy Wolf.
Board of Education
The St. Elmo Board of Education met May 22 at 8 p.m. for a regular session and approved the April 26 minutes, bills and financial reports and monthly administrative reports.
The board approved Stacy Gibson, speech pathologist, for fiscal year 2017 and PRESS School Board March Edition Policies & Revision to Policy #5:185.
The board adopted the tentative amendment budget for fiscal year 2017. The budget amendment hearing was set for Tuesday, June 6, at 7:15 p.m.
The board moved the June meeting to Monday, June 6, at 7:30 p.m.
The 2017-18 school district calendar was approved.
The board accepted a letter of resignation from Christina Pasley as junior high assistant softball coach.
The board approved cutting fifth- and sixth-grade cheerleading due to lack of participation.
The board voted to allow Superintendent Deb Philpot to transfer $350,000 from Fayette County Bank to Dieterich Bank.
The board approved employment of the extracurricular staff for the 2017-18 school year.
 

Leave a Comment