St. Elmo News

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Thursday, January 22
• The St. Elmo Unit of Home and Community Education, 1:30 p.m., in the home of Anna Jean Rhodes.
Monday, January 26
• The Fayette County Home and Community Education Board, 10 a.m., Vandalia Extension office.
• St. Elmo Lions Club, 6 p.m., Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
• The Fayette County Republican Women, 7 p.m., Lincoln Room (conference room on the north end of the second floor) at the Fayette County Courthouse. An elevator is available for use. Members will meet with the Fayette County Republican Central Committee, and the main topic of discussion will be the Lincoln Day Dinner.
Wednesday, January 28
• Royal Neighbors of America #5784, 1 p.m., Phillips Building.
Thursday, January 29
• Exxon Mobil Annuitants, noon, Vandalia Ponderosa.
Important Future Announcement
The St. Elmo Food Pantry is requesting area churches to celebrate Super Bowl Sunday on Feb. 1 – individuals attending church services are asked to take a can (or more) of soup, which will be donated to the Food Pantry.
Lions Club
St. Elmo Lions Club acknowedged all who assisted in any way with this year’s Caring and Sharing program. On Dec. 20, well-filled boxes were available for 80 families; boxes were packed at the American Legion Home.
At the Jan. 12 meeting of the Lions Club at Mary Ann’s Restaurant, anniversaries were recognized – Dee Newberry for 13 years and Le Mar Marchman for nine years. Dan Laack was welcomed as a guest.
President Dave Maxey opened the meeting, with all giving the Pledge of Allegiance. Pee Wee Denton led in prayer.
This year’s pancake breakfast will be on Saturday, March 7. The annual defensive driving course will be held in late March; the date will be announced later.
In addition to Newberry, Maxey and Denton, the 14 members present included Don Crawford, Roger Fulk, Max Hollinshead, Holly Huffer, Mark Lash, Bob Lowe, Richard Lowe, Rex Reeder, Lloyd Stanley, Bob Wells and Randy Wolf.
Fayette County Extension Foundation
Fayette County Extension Foundation met at 7 p.m. on Jan. 12 at the Vandalia Extension Office, with the following present: Brian Willenborg of Vandalia, Kevin Payne of Brownstown, Marsha Wright of Beecher City, Anna Jean Rhodes of St. Elmo, Tabitha Welch of Farina, who is Unit 21 4-H youth development Extension educator, and the new Unit 21 director, Carl Baker of Bethany.
The main business was making the final plans for the spaghetti dinner fundraiser on Sunday, March 22, in the Brownstown Elementary cafeteria, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The charge is a free-will donation.
In addition to spaghetti, garlic bread, tea and lemonade, and homemade desserts will be provided by members of the Fayette County Home and Community Education units. The county 4-H clubs will provide bake sale items.
Fayette County Extension Foundation received money for two memorials for Goldie Harris, a member of the St. Elmo Unit of Home and Community Education.
Prior to this meeting, from 4-6 p.m., an open house was held at the Extension Office to meet and greet Baker, who started as the director on Nov. 3. Light refreshments of fruits with a dip, nuts, cookies, lemonade and coffee were served.
Unit 21 also includes counties of Clay, Effingham and Jasper, and each of these counties had an open house for Baker prior to Fayette County.
The next Fayette County Extension Foundation meeting is set for Monday, March 2, at 7 p.m., in the Vandalia Extension Office.
Avena Township Park Board
Members present at the Avena Township Park Board held the evening of Jan. 13 in the St. Elmo Community Park
Centennial Building were President Greg Haslett, Jim Caraway, Buddy Mitchell, Daphne Oldfield and Janice Russell.
Most of the discussion was on the remodeling of the kitchen and bathrooms in the Centennial Building. Also discussed was putting outside bathrooms near the building.
Plans are for the playground equipment in the park to be updated.
Those who want to drive through the park can do so now without hitting any potholes. Tons of rock has been put in the drive through areas and the parking lot.
American Legion
For having 100 percent of members paying dues for the 2014-15 year, American Legion Post #420 received a check for $100 from the District 23 commander.
The January 13 meeting was held in the Legion Home and attended by Doyle Beck, Chuck Bosomworth, Clement Lilly, Bud Himes, Dick Lowe, Ernie Myers and Chuck Myers, W. Williams.
The World War II plaque is almost finished and soon will be installed.
The next project is to install the cabinets that have been donated for the kitchen. Discussed was the price of a commercial range the members want for the remodeled kitchen.
Vit-Em-In Potluck
Fifteen were present for the Vit-Em-In class potluck held at 5 p.m. on Jan. 15 in the First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall – Elizabeth Bail, Helen Koonce, Frank and Delva Krost, Ed and Barb Lane, Dick Lowe, Dee and Leatha Newberry, Bob and Joanne Owen, Rosemary Owen, Anna Jean Rhodes, and Jack and Marilyn Sproat. Delva furnished ham and beans for the potluck.
Class teacher Dick Lowe, gave the meal blessing.
President Delva has a short business meeting. It was decided to continue to have the monthly potlucks at 5 p.m.
After the business closed, Rhodes read a humorous article on the Pillsbury Doughboy – “He died at age 71 of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly and was buried in a lightly greased coffin.”