St. Elmo News

ANNOUNCEMENT
Wednesday, March 18
Thursday, March 19
• Vit-Em-In class potluck, 5 p.m., First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall.
Saturday, March 21
• Royal Neighbors of America #5784 Birthday Month is March, and this Saturday, RNA will host a luncheon at noon in the Phillips Building. Those attending are to take sandwiches or salads; cake and ice cream will be furnished. Everyone is invited to attend the birthday celebration.
Sunday, March 22
• Fayette County Extension Foundation spaghetti dinner, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., in the Brownstown Elementary School cafeteria. In addition to spaghetti, salad and garlic bread, the menu includes desserts made by members of the Fayette County Home and Community Education members. The cost of the meal is a donation. County 4-H clubs also will have a bake sale to help with the benefit.
• “High Priest Caiaphas” will be presented by Dr. Kevin Childers of Vandalia at 2 p.m. in the Vandalia First United Methodist Church Wesley Fellowship Hall. This is the final 2014-15 Season of Entertainment event presented by the Fayette County Museum, Vandalia. Tickets at the door are $15. They can be bought ahead of time for $13 at the Fayette County Museum, which is open from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Tickets for youth under the age of 18 are half price at the door or at the museum. The fundraisers sponsored by the Historical Vandalia Inc. Board are to help raise money for the museum restoration.
• Wolf Creek Cluster of United Methodist Churches Lenten Service, 4 p.m., rural St. Elmo Trinity Chapel UMC. Brownstown UMC pastor Don Thomas will be the speaker. The offering will go to the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House in East St. Louis, Vandalia Lighthouse Pregnancy Center and Brownstown Backpack Program. After the program, the host church will serve finger foods, desserts and beverages.
• The St. Elmo First United Methodist Church is calling all youth of all ages to hear the Harvest Ministry Team of Troy.
There will be a meal at 5 p.m. and the program at 6 p.m. Youth are encouraged to take their friends (and even take their parents).
• AMP’d Youth, 6:30 p.m., St. Elmo Christian Church.
Monday, March 23
• The Fayette County Board of Home and Community Education, 10 a.m., Vandalia Extension Office.
• The St. Elmo Lions Club, 6 p.m., Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
• The Fayette County Republican Women, 7 p.m., National Road Interpretive Center in Vandalia.
Tuesday, March 24
• A defensive drivers course, sponsored by the St. Elmo Lions Club, will be held at the St. Elmo Christian Church from 8 a.m.-noon Tuesday and Wednesday . Only 40 seats are available, and registration is required by calling Mona Stanley at 829-5437. The charge is $15 for AARP members and $20 for non-members. Those attending should arrive about 7:40 a.m. today to sign in and receive refreshments.
• Chili soup supper sponsored by the Altamont United Methodist Women, 4:30-7 p.m., Altamont First United Methodist Church.
Wednesday, March 25
• Reverb Youth, 6 p.m., St. Elmo Christian Church
Thursday, March 26
• ExxonMobil Annuitants, noon, Vandalia Pondersoa.
• The St. Elmo Unit of Home and Community Education, 1:30 p.m., St. Elmo Public Library.
Future Events
• Fayette County Schools Art Show entries have to be at the Fayette County Museum, Vandalia no later than Monday, March 30.The sponsored show will be open April 2-7 in the upstairs Artworks Gallery at the museum.
• Veteran’s Memorial signup info – The current signup period for adding a veteran’s name to the St. Elmo Veteran’s Memorial ends March 31.
All names submitted will be added to the Memorial stones prior to the Memorial Day services.
Applications can be obtained from Bob Heckert or Ernie Myers, or St. Elmo Public Library. Completed applications can be mailed to the American Legion Post #420. P.O. Box 132, St. Elmo, Ill. 62458.
Fayette County Museum Exhibits
The special exhibits in the Fayette County Museum in Vandalia for March are “Church Memorabilia” and “Bible Collection.” The museum is open from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Lions Club
The annual pancake and sausage breakfast sponsored by the St. Elmo Lions Club as a fundraiser for the scholarship fund was very successful this year – all of the sausage was sold out.
Those participating were Pinnacle Foods, Mary Ann’s Restaurant, Beecher City Foods, St. Elmo Devonian, St. Elmo Fire Department, McDonald’s, and the city of St. Elmo.
The winner of the 50/50 drawing was Dave Ledbetter.
With only 40 seats available, preregistration is required for the March defensive drivers course that will be held from 8 a.m.-noon on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 24-25, at St. Elmo Christian Church. As soon as possible call Mona Stanley at 829-5437.
The Lions Club will have the annual Easter egg hunt at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 5, at St. Elmo Community Park.
The club will sponsor a diabetes awareness program on April 25 and the Fayette County Food Bank Program, with the date to be announced later.
President Dave Maxey led in the Pledge of Allegiance at the March 9 meeting at Mary Ann’s Restaurant, and Pee Wee Denton gave the meal blessing. Others present were Don Crawford, John Crawford, Roger Fulk, Max Hollinshead, Dan Laack, Mark Lash, Bob Lowe, Richard Lowe, Al Nevergall, Dee Newberry, Rex Reeder, Lloyd Stanley, Bob Wells and Randy Wolf.
Avena Township Park Board
A meeting of the Avena Township Park Board was held the evening of March 10 in the St. Elmo Community Park Centennial Building, with the following present: Daryl Calvert, Daphne Oldfield, Buddy Mitchell and Janice Russell, and a guest, J. D. Russell.
Economic interest forms that have to go to the county and state were started to be filled out.
Because Oldfield had to leave early, no business was transacted. A rescheduled meeting was tentatively set for this Tuesday in the Centennial Building.
To date, new rock that has been put on the parking lot has eliminated standing water and pot holes.
Also, the painting of the window trim, etc., is being done.
American Legion
American Legion Post #420 met the evening of March 10 in the Legion Home, with the following present: Doyle Beck, Charles Bosomworth, Bill Goodwin, Bud Himes, Clement Lilly, Richard Lowe, Al Nevergall, R. W. Smith and Laverne Wright.
To date, there are 55 paid up members of the Legion.
Two new stoves have been installed in the remodeled kitchen, and the refurbished cabinets are being installed.
The wooden plaque with Legion member names on it needs to be completed.
When all the remodeling and redecorating is done, the Legion will have an open house with an All-American theme, with the date will be decided later.
Wright’s Corner HCE
At the rescheduled meeting of the Wright’s Corner Unit of Home and Community Education, held the afternoon of March 11 in the Loudon Town House, roll call, “What is your cure for cabin fever?,” was answered by Carol Austin, Janice Garrison, Kate Jennings, Amanda Miller, Rosemary Owen, Mary Smith, Una Tish and Helen Wright.
During the business meeting, the Fayette County HCE Board notes were read.
Smith gave the special feature lesson, “Cooking with Herbs,” and the major lesson, “Live Your Bucket List.”
She had planting cups that had parsley seeds or lemon grass seeds; each person selected a cup and will have to grow the herb to see which kind she selected.
Lunch Bunch
Present for the Lunch Bunch that met at noon on March 12 at Mary Ann’s Restaurant were Dick Freeman and Gene Clark of Salem, Pat Porter of Farina and Karen Denning, Arlin and Lillian Grobengieser, Ron Ragsdale, Anna Jean Rhodes and Sue Stites, all of St. Elmo.
Library District Board
The St. Elmo Public Library District Board met March 12 at St. Elmo Public Library.
After approving the February minutes, the treasurer and librarian reports were presented, and the bills were approved and paid.
Beecher City Branch Library and the St. Elmo Library were not pleased with the snow removal, because it left too much snow by the parking blocks.
Beecher City had 35 kids and four helpers in February at their after-school craft. They will have their next after-school craft on March 19, and the first grade is to go on March 20. They are going to set up a Thursday evening in April for a women’s self-defense class.
Brownstown Branch Library is going to have a Nadine concert on Saturday, April 25, at 7 p.m. at the Biggs’ farm.
The library bathroom stool is wobbly and needs replaced. This year is the Brownstown Branch Library’s 10th anniversary.
St. Elmo Library will be painting the media room and may get shelves to replace the rolling carts depending on the cost.
The high school book club is planning another scavenger hunt on Thursday, April 16.
The volunteer party for St. Elmo and Brownstown may be in May. St. Elmo has a toilet and outside spigot that need work.
Pinnacle Foods is using the back room on March 13, 17 and 18, from 7:45 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Billie Enlow, Kim Karnes and JoAn Evans will go to training on Thursday, March 26 in Effingham.
Wayne Moran wants to begin evening computer classes at St. Elmo within the next two weeks. He is going to set up an eFax Plus account for Beecher City and Brownstown.
A motion to approve the summer reading program budget was approved. Bids will be taken for summer mowing and next year’s snow removal. Board members filled out economic interest forms.