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St. Elmo News (Sept. 1)

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Wednesday, Aug. 31
• This Wednesday is the final day to pay the early $2 fee to register to participate in the Labor Day parade. Registration is at the St. Elmo City Hall. The fee for those registering on the parade day is $5.
• The St. Elmo Swimming Pool will open from 6-8 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 1
• The St. Elmo Business Association will meet at noon at Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
• The Wheatland Unit of Home and Community Education, 1:30 p.m., scheduled in the home of Sandra Lovett.
The swimming pool will be open from 6-8 p.m.
• St. Elmo Women’s Civic Club, 7 p.m. at Tony’s Taxidermy. They will meet at 6:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church to carpool.
Friday, Sept. 2
• Items for the Consignment Auction can be taken to the St. Elmo Community Park from 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
• The swimming pool will be open from 6-8 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 3
• Terri Mars benefit from 8-11 a.m. in the St. Elmo Community Park Centennial Building. Donations of baked good can be taken Friday from 5-9 p.m. and Saturday from 8-11 a.m.
• Items for the Consignment Auction can be taken to the St. Elmo Community Park until the sale time. The auction starts at 10 a.m.
• The swimming pool will be open from 1-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 4
• The annual Hopper family reunion, potluck dinner at noon at North Loudon Town House. Beverages and table service will be provided. If you have questions, call 217-821-8202.
• The swimming pool will be open from 1-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 5
• Pancake & sausage breakfast at firehouse, 6-9 a.m.
• Concession stands, flea markets and booths open at 9 a.m.
• Parade starts at 10:30 a.m. from St. Elmo High School, goes south on Walnut Street, east on Second Street, north on Main Street and east on Fourth Street. Parade winners and the prince and princess will be announced at 12:30 p.m.
• The St. Elmo Swimming Pool will have free swimming from 1-5 p.m. This is the final day the pool will be open this year.
• Singing Strings Band at Fourth and Main streets in the bank lot from 1-2:30 p.m.
• Watermelon and pumpkin weigh-in at Fourth and Main streets in the bank lot.
• Watermelon eating and seed spitting contests at Fourth and Main streets in the bank lot.
• Effingham County Sportsman’s Club Cowboy Re-enactors at 3:30 a.m. at the bank.
• St. Elmo Lions Club cake walk, 5:30 p.m. If you want your donated cake picked up, call Dave Maxey at 829-9729. All cake donations are welcome.
• Announcement of Citizen of the Year, 6:15 p.m.
• St. Elmo’s Got Talent show, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
• SEBA 50/50 drawing, 8 p.m. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5.
• In case of rain, all music performances will be held in the S.H.E.D. at Fifth and Walnut streets.
Tuesday, Sept. 6
• Friendly Neighbors potluck, noon, Phillips Building.
• St. Elmo City Council, 7 p.m., Phillips Building.
• Council of Catholic Women, 7 p.m., St. Mary’s Catholic Church parish hall.
Wednesday, Sept. 7
• Wright’s Corner Unit of Home and Community Education, 1 p.m., Loudon Town House.
• The Kid’s Klub will start this evening for ages 4 years through the sixth grade. It will be held from 6-8 p.m. in the First Church of God S.H.E.D. each Wednesday. Van pickup and delivery is available in the city limits.
Thursday, Sept. 8
• The Lunch Bunch will meet at noon at Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
• The Post-Polio Survivors and Friends of East Central Illinois, 5 p.m., Sarah Bush Lincoln Education Center, Mattoon.
• The St. Elmo District Library Board, 7 p.m., St. Elmo Public Library.
• The Friendship Quilt Club, 7 p.m., St. Elmo Public Library.
• The Effingham Chapter #110 Order of the Eastern Star, 7:30 p.m., Effingham Masonic Temple.
Fayette County HCE
Present for the Aug. 22 meeting of the Fayette County Home and Community Education Board held in the Vandalia Extension Office were the following:  Flo Allen, Panzi Blackwell, Shirley Klitzing and Phyllis Pryor of the Sefton Unit; Dorothy Harpster of the St. Peter Unit; Anita Smith of the Vandalia Day Unit; Anna Jean Rhodes of the St. Elmo Unit; and Irene Reed and Mary Smith of the Wheatland Unit.
After the meeting opened with the pledge of allegiance, roll call, the minutes and treasurer’s report, officers were called on for various reports.
It was reported that the Sefton Unit has a new member, Betty Miller, and the county HCE membership now is 120.
HCE members are reminded that wearing a gold ribbon throughout September will be for the Children’s Cancer Awareness program.
President Allen had on the table the centerpiece she made for the county to take to the IHCE Districts 6 & 7 annual workshop on Aug. 23; Fayette County is in District 6. It carried out the state theme of Circus Extravaganza. It was a large popcorn container holding small containers of circus peanuts, peanuts in the shell, popcorn, lemonade mix, a big fat ballpoint pen and a small clown. Each of the counties in Districts 6 and 7 that were meeting at the Mt. Vernon Holiday Inn was responsible for a door prize to be given at the end of the meeting.
Blackwell brought refreshments again – plates of fruit and mini-cream puffs. She said it was dog days and she had a small stuffed dog on the table.
After the meeting Pryor, Reed, Rhodes, Anita Smith and Mary Smith and her husband, R.W., had lunch at Long John Silver’s in Vandalia. Allen, Klitzing and Harpster had to remain at the Extension Office to balance books, so they later ate at Robbi’s Restaurant in Vandalia.
Attending the District 6 meeting at Mt. Vernon on Aug. 23 were: Allen, Blackwell, Klitzing, Pryor, Harpster, Rhodes, Anita Smith and Mary Smith, and also Carrie Hill of the Vandalia Unit. Driving were Allen, Rhodes and Anita Smith.
There were more than 200 in attendance. The meeting opened in the main ballroom with the pledge of allegiance, the Aim for the Homemaker and the Homemakers Creed. After the state HCE board was introduced, President Marilyn Daughhetee extended greetings.
The morning speaker was Debra G. Henninger of the Peoria area, who displayed many interesting quilts she designed using the hobo symbols; the quilts are pictured in her book “Hobo Quilts.” She also told the history of the hobos, a tramp or an itinerant, usually an unskilled worker.
The group then broke into share shops for the various county officers after which they then returned to the main room. After a meal blessing, they went through a buffet in the dining area.
The state officers performed a skit that is included in the counties packets.
The 2012 Illinois Home and Communication Education annual conference will be held March 27-29 at the Effingham Keller Convention Center.
The group then broke up again into the district meetings. A few months ago, the District 6 director had to resign when she took a job that interferred and was replaced with Marilyn Schaefor of Effingham. State Second Vice President Sandra Bechtold nominated Schaefor for a three-year term as the District 6 director and she was elected.
Several of the counties announced events, fundraisers, etc., that they have done, are doing or are going to do.
A drawing was held for two $50 gift certificates for the 2012 conference, and one of the winners was Mary Smith of the Wright’s Corner Unit. One of the door prize winners was Anita Smith of the Vandalia Day Unit.
Lions Club Labor Day Activities Finalized
A guest at the St. Elmo Lions Club meeting held the evening of Aug. 22 at Mary Ann’s Restaurant was Bob Wiedenhoeft of the Greenville Lions Club. He wanted to compare notes about the St. Elmo club’s fundraising efforts and to report the information to the district superintendent.
The Labor Day parade again was discussed in further detail. The early registration of $2 will end on Aug. 31 at the St. Elmo City Hall; registration on parade day will be $5. Parade day job assignments were discussed in length. Advertising was discussed.
This year’s theme is “Made in America.” The horses, show vehicles and antique tractors categories will be judged in the staging area prior to the start of the parade. Early registration in these categories is highly recommended.
Following this year’s theme is not required for consideration, but extra points will be awarded for those entries that do follow this year’s theme.
The Lions Club annual cakewalk will kick off at 5:30 p.m. Labor Day.
The club will help support the “Jump for Joel” Marathon to be held on Saturday, Sept. 24. Details will be forthcoming.
Club members present were John Crawford, Lewis Crawford, Kent Denton, Roger Fulk, Mark Lash, Bob Lowe, Richard Lowe, who gave the meal blessing, LeMar Marchman, David Maxey, Charles Moore, Dee Newberry, Rex Reeder Lloyd Stanley, President Bob Wells and Randy Wolf.
Royal Neighbors of America
Royal Neighbors of American has made donations to Lighthouse Pregnancy Center and Fayette County Health Department, both in Vandalia.
At their meeting held the afternoon of Aug. 24 at the Phillips Building, they collected the following items for the pregnancy center:  five packages of baby wipes, four bottles, 13 pair baby socks, two caps, nine bottles of lotion, two jars petroleum jelly, three containers of Q-tips, two packages of washcloths, two shampoos, two baby powder, two A & D cream, two bibs, two baby washes, 12 body suits, six baby blankets, a teddy bear, three packages of diapers, three afghans, 18 undershirts, a sweater, two leggings, two dresses, two outfits, two leotards, a pair of shorts, eight jumpsuits, four pair of pull on socks, two pair of overalls and eight rompers.
RNA took 10 teddy bears to the Fayette County Health Department to be given to children when they are vaccinated.
During the business meeting, they talked about a float for the Labor Day parade and the Nation of Neighbors programs. They also talked about caterers and entertainment for the annual Christmas dinner.
Della Stewart and Betty Wright took the items to Vandalia after the meeting. Also at the meeting were Ina Abendroth, Nancy Arnold, Jean Brown, Rosemary Owen, Irene Reed, Marjorie Sarver and Leona Wright.
St. Elmo HCE
For the August activity the St. Elmo Unit of Home and Community Education went to the Effingham Cracker Barrel Restaurant for lunch on Aug. 24. Those able to go were Karen Denning, Joyce Drees, Loretta Heischmidt and Anna Jean Rhodes.
A short business meeting was held. Minutes of the July meeting were approved, and the August Fayette County HCE Board notes were read.
They enjoyed visiting and shopping at a couple of places before returning to St. Elmo.
The Thursday, Sept. 22 meeting time is 2 p.m., with the place will be announced later.
First Assembly of God Church Made Handicapped Accessible
The First Assembly of God has installed two Acorn Superglide 120 heavy duty model stair lifts to assist those who have trouble walking. The heavy duty machines can carry up to 350 pounds of weight. Acorn commercials were seen on television and the stair lifts for public buildings are done by private contractors. One of the private contractors, Rob Hoppe, owner of Hoppe Remodeling & Handyman Service of House Springs, Mo., installed the two chair lifts the morning of Aug. 27. The church has been told it is a very low-maintenance stair-lift.
The Rev. Robert Miller states that it has been a couple of years that the church has been looking for a stair lift that would make it possible for those who have any disabilities or probproblems climbing stairs to worship with them. The main stair lift goes from the main entrance to the sanctuary and the other one has been installed to help those who would need assistance to be in the dining area.

First Assembly of God Church also has been designated as one of the shelters to help people during tornadoes. For those in wheelchairs, they now will be able to have a shelter during those months when tornadoes are prevalent.
The church’s phone number is 829-3324, the parsonage number is 829-5732 and they have answering machines.
First United Methodist Church
The First United Methodist Church worship on August 28 had a speaker for the Children’s Moments. Lindsay Lash, who sang “Let My Little Light Shine,” talked about the Jump for Joel, a fundraiser for the Kenya orphanage.
It will be a spaghetti supper from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23 at the St. Elmo Christian Church and a walk-athon that starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24.
For the worship service, Richard Tucker was the organist and Joanne Maxey the pianist.

Anna Jean Rhodes

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