St. Elmo Area News-Sept. 16, 2010

By Anna Jean Rhodes

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Wednesday, Sept. 15
• Kids’ Klub for ages 4 through the sixth grade has started each Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the First Church of God S.H.E.D.
• CHILL Youth, grades 6-12, 6:30 p.m., First United Methodist Church fellowship hall.
Thursday, Sept. 16
• Vit-Em-In of First United Methodist Church will have a weiner roast at 5:30 p.m. at the rural home of Jack and Marilyn Sproat. Hot dogs, buns, beverages and table service will be provided; those attending are to take other food and lawn chairs.
• The St. Elmo District Library Board, 7 p.m., St. Elmo Public Library.
Sunday, Sept. 19
• POW MIA rally will be held in O’Fallon.
• A community sing with Richard Tucker and Gerald Young will be held from 3-4 p.m. at First Assembly of God Church.
• The fifth annual team bass tournament sponsored by the American Legion Post No. 420 is at Lake Nellie.
The cost is $60 per boat, with 80 percent payback. There also will be a $5 Big Bass side pot with 100 percent payback. Contact Chuck Bosomworth at 292-3144.
• The bass tournament for youngsters will be at 6 p.m. at Lake Nellie.
Monday, Sept. 20
• Historical Vandalia Inc. Board, 6:30 p.m., Fayette County Museum, Vandalia.
• St. Elmo Board of Education, 7:30 p.m. Unit Office.
Wednesday, September 22
• Royal Neighbors of America, 1 p.m., Phillips Building.
Thursday, Sept. 23
• St. Elmo Unit of HCE, 1:30 p.m., home of Anna Jean Rhodes.
Future Announcement
A Jump for Joel spaghetti dinner will be hosted by the Church of God in the S.H.E.D. at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept.24.
The dinner is open to the public, and donations are welcome.
The second annual Jump for Joel Marathon will be held on Saturday, Sept. 25; entries had to be made by Sept. 11.
The marathon sponsors are looking for area churches and organizations to volunteer time or water for the event.
For more information, you can call Lindsey Lash at 292-0984.
Registration starts at 7 a.m. at the Pinnacle Foods parking lot, and the race will begin at 8 a.m. There will be a half and a full marathon and participants will have the option to run, walk or bike.
65th Wedding Anniversary
Former St. Elmo residents the Rev. and Mrs. Eugene Black of Mattoon observed their 65th wedding anniversary on Sept. 9 and a family celebration was held September 12. Cards and greetings may be sent to the Blacks at 1112 Annis Ave., Mattoon, Ill. 61938.
Friendly Neighbors
The September meeting of Friendly Neighbors was held at noon on Tuesday, Sept. 7, at the Phillips Building.
Vice President Irene Reed led in the pledge to the flag and gave the meal blessing.
The 13 present included Paula Brunk and Marybelle Ledbetter of Brownstown; Shirley Smith and Mary Thomas of Altamont; Cora Miley of Beecher City; and MaryEllen Lovett, Bob and Joanne Owen, Rosemary Owen, Marjorie Sarver and Laverne and Leona Wright, all of St. Elmo.
Reed conducted a short business meeting. Rosemary Owen quizzed the group on jokes.
CCW
After a summer break, the Council of Catholic Women started the new club year with a meeting held the evening of Sept. 6 in St. Mary’s Catholic Church parish hall. Answering roll call with “What did you do this summer?” were Karen Denning, Libby Kessel, Lucille Koeberlein, Laverne Kramer, Loretta Heischmidt, Pat Porter, Carol Rine, Ann Rowland and Natalie Stout.
The DCCW Convention will be held 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2, at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Springfield and those wanting to go should contact Ann Rowland.
Cards were signed for the sick.
Heischmidt reported on attending a Pro-Life meeting on Aug.16 held at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Sigel.
A reception, celebrated with a Mass, was held at 7 p.m. on Sept. 1 at St. Frances Church, Teutopolis, for new Bishop Patrocki in the Effingham Deanery.
Those attending included Rev. Simburger, Karen Denning, Loretta Heischmidt and Ann Rowland from St. Mary’s Church.
The church’s annual fall turkey or roast beef dinner will be held on Sunday November 14.
Hostesses Rine and Kramer used a patriotic theme for the serving table.
They served ice cream cake, mixed nuts, candy, tea and coffee.
Denning won the door prize of a ceramic bird house.
Lunch Bunch
Present for the monthly Lunch Bunch meeting held at noon Sept. 9 at Mary Ann’s Restaurant were Gene and Avis Clark of Salem, Pat Porter of Farina, Wayne and Sandra Lovett and Jerry Brugoto of Brownstown, and Sue Brugoto, Karen Denning, Pee Wee Denton and Sue Stites, all of St. Elmo.
Potst-Polio Survivors
Post-Polio Survivors and Friends of East Central Illinois held the monthly meeting in the Sarah Bush Lincoln Educational Center, Mattoon, the evening of Sept. 9, with the following present:  Marian Martin of Altamont, Dave and Norma Martin of Effingham, Glee Helms and Annie Barber of Mattoon and John and Theresa Flinn of Wheeler.
Joining them via the conference phone was Melba Price of Charleston.
Most of the meeting time was for sharing and education, proving they can learn something new to benefit each other.
They realized that if they still had to learn new things about the post-polio illness/condition, the general public could also learn more.
They discussed the polio awareness campaign “We’re Still Here” which this year will be Oct.10-16.
In previous years, the group has targeted medical doctors and sent out polio information to them, and last year did the same with nursing/convalescent hospitals and homes
This year, the Post-Polio Survivors and Friends are inviting Rotarians to join them for the monthly meeting on Thursday, Oct. 14, so they can get up-to-date information, hear some of the group’s stories and ask questions.
Post-Polio Health International lists Rotary’s contribution to global polio eradication efforts at more than $900 million.
Rotary International is gearing up and intensely involved in helping to eradicate polio throughout the world.
Also being planned for the group is a future program on sleep issues, such as sleep apnea and insomnia.
Polio survivor Melba Price’s daughter and grandchildren are proposing a polio awareness walk, an eight-mile walk-athon to honor, Melba who hasn’t been able to walk for eight years.
This also would honor the estimated 770,000 polio survivors nationwide who are alive today.
After the meeting, six of them had dinner together at Don Sol Mexican restaurant in Mattoon.
Educational Foundation
The annual meeting of the St. Elmo Educational Foundation was held Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. in the St. Elmo Community Unit School District office.
Trustees and officers elected were: Glen Mills, president; Andra Carson, vice president; Marcia Heckert, secretary; Sharon Myers, treasurer; and Ann Mills, Donna Engleman and Ann Hinton, trustees.
Trustees leaving the foundation were Bruce Austin and Anna Jean Rhodes.
The foundation thanked both for their dedicated time and service to the foundation.
Fundraising events for the year were discussed. The next meeting date was set for Tuesday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m.  
Other foundation members in attendance were Ina Abendroth and Stanton Stine.
 

Anna Jean Rhodes