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St. Elmo News

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Thursday, August 30
• Exxon/Mobil Annuitants, noon, Vandalia Ponderosa.   
• The first of four programs sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension will be at 7 p.m. at the U of I Extension Office in Vandalia at 118 N. Sixth Street. It is “Beyond Ash and Maple-Tree Selection,” and will be offered via the University of Illinois Telenet system and local computer PowerPoint presentations, allowing live discussion between the instructor and gardeners throughout Illinois.
If interested, call the Vandalia office at 283-2753 to reserve a seat and packet of information. A fee of $5 will be charged to cover materials.
Friday, August 31
• Entry forms available at the St. Elmo City Hall for the Labor Day parade need to be submitted with the fees by this Friday. The entry fee is $2 for all categories.
Saturday, September 1
• St. Elmo’s annual Labor Day Celebration will start on Saturday. At 10 a.m., the St. Elmo Tourism Committee will hold its second kickball tournament in Deken Park. The entry fee is $25 and registration is at St. Elmo City Hall. Each team must have at least eight but not more than 12 players, Kids and adults of all ages are encouraged to play. For more information, call 829-3319 or 704-9250.
At 7 p.m., there will be in Deken Park a Guns and Hoses softball game featuring police and firefighters.
• Polio Survivors and Friends of East Central Illinois, 1 p.m., Sarah Bush Lincoln Education Center, Mattoon. Those who wish can eat lunch together at noon in the hospital cafeteria.
Sunday, September 2
• Hopper reunion, noon, Loudon Town House, just north of Wright’s Corner. Those attending are asked to take a dish or two to share. Furnished will be table service and beverages. Call Barb at 217-821-8202 if you have questions.
• A Christian concert by “Water to Wine” at the St. Elmo Christian Church at 6 p.m. Members of “Water to Wine” include Heather Barnes, Tom Fedrigon, Mark Mills, and Randy, Jenny, Hanna and Emily Imig.
Monday, September 3
• Festivities start with the annual pancake breakfast from 6-9:30 a.m. at the St. Elmo Fire Station.
• Beginning at 9 a.m., concession stands, flea markets, booths open, and there will be pony rides all day.
• The St. Elmo Lions Club-sponsored parade is at 10:30 a.m., with the theme “Celebrating St. Elmo’s Black Gold 1937-2012,” with colors black and gold. Lineup starts at 9 a.m. When the parade leaves the high school, it will go south on Walnut, east on Second, north on Main and east on Fourth. Winners will be announced at 12:30 p.m. Parade participants who didn’t pre-register have to pay $5 to a St. Elmo Lions Club member at the high school parking lot prior to the start of the parade.
• Children’s games will start in early afternoon.
• Singing Strings, 1-2:30 p.m., Main and Fourth.
• SEBA sponsored bingo 1-5 p.m., Main and Fourth.
• Watermelon and pumpkin weigh-in, Fourth and Main, 1-3 p.m.; and watermelon-eating and seed-spitting contest, 3 p.m.
• The Effingham County Sportsman’s Club Cowboy re-enactors, 3:30 p.m.
• The St. Elmo Lions Club cake walk starts at 5:30 p.m. Lions Club will appreciate cakes, and they can be taken to Mary Ann’s Restaurant from 3-4 p.m. on Monday; if you want your donated cake picked up, call Dave Maxey at 829-9729.
• The announcement of the “Citizen of the Year,” 6:15 p.m.
• The talent show, “St. Elmo’s Got Talent,” 6:30 p.m., Main and Fifth. In case of rain, all performances will be held in the First Church of God S.H.E.D. at the corner of Fifth and Walnut.
• SEBA 50/50 drawing, 8 p.m., Tickets $1 each or six for $5; need not be present to win.
Tuesday, September 4
• Friendly Neighbors, potluck at noon, Phillips Building.
• The St. Elmo City Council (usually meets the first Monday of the month) will meet at 7 p.m. at the Phillips Building
• The Council of Catholic Women will start the club year at 7 p.m. in St. Mary’s Parish Hall.
Wednesday, September 5
• Wright’s Corner Unit of HCE, 1 p.m., Loudon Town House.
Thursday, September 6
• St. Elmo Business Association, noon, Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
• The Wheatland Unit of HCE, 1:30 p.m.,
• St. Elmo Women’s Civic Club, 7 p.m., St. Elmo Public Library.
Central Illinois Food Pantry at St. Elmo
A total of 575 members of families were able to receive food on Saturday at Pinnacle Foods. It was through the Central Illinois Food Pantry. Food items received included a bag of potatoes, small watermelons, baked goods, small packages of cranberry sauce and jellies and from Pinnacle Foods, syrup and cake mixes.
Beware of Pit Bulls
The family dog of Don and Daryl Reed and their son Revis was brutality attacked by two pit bulls during the storm on Aug.16 and had to be put to sleep. Rose, a part shepherd dog, was 11 years old and was on a chain near her backyard house.
Daryl saw Rose was being attacked and tried to get the pit bulls away from her by using a ball bat on them.
Rose suffered many bites and two broken legs, and was thought to have gone in shock from the attack.                                     
Daryl said that blood was in the doghouse and she thought the pit bulls drug Rose out of her house.
She doesn’t know whom the dogs belonged to.
Two pit bulls the Fayette Animal Control picked up may or may not be the ones that were at the Reed home at 106 S. Ash.
Daryl said that people who have pet dogs tied in their yards need to have a high fence so other dogs cannot get to them to fight with them as they can when dogs are just chained in the back yard.
American Legion
The fish stand at the annual Labor Day celebration is one of the fundraisers for the American Legion Post 420. In addition to fish, the stand will have large hot dogs that are deep-fried and sodas.
At the Legion meeting the evening of Aug. 14 at the Legion Home, the committee members were appointed – Xon Hanna to get the fish and hot dogs, Bob Bosler to get the sodas and Clement Lilly to get the ice for the sodas.
Other new business included voting to make a $50 donation to the MIA-POW event that will be held in Belleville. A thank you was given to Bob Bosler and Max Watson for mowing the Legion Home yard all summer.
The St. Elmo Legion had two deep fryers –both had been donated—and the Altamont VFW was in need of one, so St. Elmo donated one to them.
During the old business, two bids had been received to do the guttering at the Legion Home and because the bids were higher than they wanted, the members decided to do the work themselves,
Present at the meeting were Doyle Beck, Charles Bosomworth, Bob Bosler, John Crawford, Xon Hanna, Clement Lilly, Richard Lowe, Ernie Myers, R. W. Smith, Jack Sproat and Laverne Wright.
Vit-Em-In Potluck
Because of stormy weather, the attendance was small at the Vit-Em-In Class potluck held in the First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall the evening of Aug. 16 and because of much rain, several were a little late arriving for the 6 p.m. potluck.
Those able to attend were Bob Cox, Frank and Delva Krost, Ed and Barb Lane, Richard Lowe, Bob and Joanne Owen, Rosemary Owen, and Jack and Marilyn Sproat.
Delva conducted a short business meeting after the meal, which was blessed by Lowe. There was no program, just visiting.
The Sept. 20 meeting for the class social will be a wiener roast at 5 p.m. at the Sproat country home, with Marchmans as co-hosts.
Friendship Quilt Club
The stormy weather late afternoon of Aug. 16 canceled the meeting of the Friendship Quilt Club. The next meeting will be on Thursday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m. at the St. Elmo Public Library.
Methodist News
The Aug.19 morning worship speaker at the First United Methodist Church was a lay speaker, Eric Garlick of Shelbyville. He and his wife, Pat, have three grown children. He previously was a pastor for 10 years at Hindsboro United Methodist Church and Mt. Gilead United Methodist Church.
A special was provided by 12-year old Ava and 8-year old Alivea Adleman of Tucson, Ariz. They sang a cappella “Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lord?”
They were here with their mother, Angie Adleman, formerly of St. Elmo and daughter of Max Atwood.
The Aug. 26 speaker at the 10:35 a.m. worship service will be Chuck Cunningham of the Watson United Methodist Church. He was a lay speaker at St. Elmo on July 22.
Historical Vandalia Inc. Board
At the Historical Vandalia Inc. Board meeting held the evening of Aug. 20 in the Fayette County Museum in Vandalia, members were given tickets to sell for a Christmas quilt.
It is a red and white hand-quilted 100-inch-by-110-inch quilt that will fit a queen or king size bed.
Sale of the tickets is for the Museum’s restoration fund – they are six for $5 or $1 each. The drawing will be held in December.
In addition to the tickets, members also were given photographs of the quilt. The pictures also can be seen in the museum. It is hoped that the hand-quilting will be done before too long, and when it is, the quilt can be seen in the museum.
Board members also were given tickets for the “Seasons of Entertainment.”
The first of three will be at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 16, in the Vandalia First United Methodist Church. “Martha, Stories and Song” will tell what life was like in the mid- to late 1700’s.
The historical presenter, Barbara Kay of Glen Carbon, will present this country’s “First Lady” dressed as Martha Washington.
Refreshments will be served after the presentation, and there will be a door prize.
The other two events are on Nov. 4 (Historical Family Stories) and Jan. 13 (Music and French History in Illinois). They also will be at 2 p.m. on Sundays in the Vandalia First United Methodist Church.
Ticket sales from the “Seasons of Entertainment” also will help fund the museum’s restoration fund. For all three events, the tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for students age 7-18. For those who do not want to buy all three tickets at one time, individual tickets are $13 in advance or $15 at the door for adults and $6.50 in advance or $7.50 at the door for students age 7-18. There is no charge for younger children.
A rummage sale also is for funds for the restoration. It will be held from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in the museum yard on Saturday, Sept. 29. Donations of useful items, white elephants, etc., (no clothing) are being accepted at the museum during the time it is open – 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 1-4 p.m. on Sundays.
Museum restoration needs to continue. The upstairs inside south wall has been refinished. The other inside walls are scheduled to be refinished when funds permit, but more than $30,000 still is needed.
Because of the three fundraising activities this fall, the spaghetti supper that had been planned for October is being put off until next spring.
Board members present at the meeting were President Steve Durbin, Allison Magnus and Mary Truitt of Vandalia, Marilyn Beyes of Smithboro, Jim Brewer and Mary Ann Rhoades of Ramsey and Anna Jean Rhodes of St. Elmo.
A total of 215 visitors registered at the museum in July. It was reported that some garden work needs to be done.
Historical Vandalia Inc. has 95 members so far this year. Membership dues are $25 for individuals and $50 for organizations and businesses. This money helps with the Museum’s operating expenses – insurance, electricity, heat, salary for one employee, etc., which comes to several thousand dollars each year – just to keep the museum open.
As stated, there is only one paid employee at the museum – the others who work greeting people, helping in the garden, etc., are volunteers, and they are much appreciated.
Anyone from throughout the county (because the museum is a Fayette County Museum) who would like to donate some time is encouraged to call the museum to get on a schedule.
A few hours one day a month, maybe more than one day a month – it’s up to the volunteers to decide.
The museum’s phone number is 283-4866.
Avena Township Park Board
Because not enough board members were able to attend the meeting scheduled for Aug. 14, it was not held.
St. Elmo HCE Activity
Lunch at the Copper Dock north of Pocahontas was enjoyed by the St. Elmo Unit of Home and Community Education on Aug. 22. Going were Karen Denning, Joyce Drees, Loretta Heischmidt, Noma Moore, Mary Myers, Anna Jean Rhodes and Karen Wegscheid, and guests Marilyn Sproat of the Wheatland Unit and Anita Pagel, who became a new member of the St. Elmo Unit.
They enjoyed eating outside at the restaurant at a long table beneath three large umbrellas. Below was a lake where there were many swans that entertained them.
Even though the temperature was 90 degrees, there was a breeze and it was very comfortable. There was no business or program, just visiting.
RNA Collected for Lighthouse Pregnancy Center
At the afternoon meeting of Royal Neighbors of America No. 5784 held Aug. 22 at the Phillips Building, many items were collected for Lighthouse Pregnancy Center, Vandalia.
The items included diapers, Q-tips, pacifiers, socks, wash cloths, diaper ointment, powder, shampoo, oil, lotion, wash, bottles, caps, mittens, bibs, blankets, all for babies, infant body suits and lots of clothing for age newborn to age 3. Also collected were toothbrushes, tooth paste, wipes, cream, bar soaps, deodorant, shampoo, body power and maxi pads for new mothers.
The items were taken to the pregnancy center after the meeting. Also taken to Vandalia were teddy bears, delivered to the Fayette County Hospital emergency department to be given to children when they are being treated.
Present for the meeting were President Della Stewart, Ina Abendroth, Irene Reed, Marjorie Sarver and Leona Wright, and a guest, Larry Reed. Others sending donations were Connie Hough, Anna Ruth Lilly, Jodi McWhorter, Rosemary Owen, Charlene Smith and Jenisha Wells.
Taking everything to Vandalia were Stewart and the Reeds.
IAHCE District Workshop
The annual workshop for Districts 6 and 7 of the Illinois Association of Home and Community Education was held Aug. 23 at the Mt. Vernon Holiday Inn, with 182 in attendance. Fayette County is in District 6. The workshop theme was “Garden of IAHCE Volunteers.”
Those attending from Fayette County were Flo Allen, Panzi Blackwell, Phyllis Pryor and Debbie Swain of the Sefton Unit, Debbie Segrest and Anita Smith of the Vandalia Day Unit, Karen Hyde of the Wheatland Unit, Mary Smith of the Wright’s Corner Unit and Anna Jean Rhodes of the St. Elmo Unit.
Franklin County was in charge of registration.
Those attending received a program and a name tag made by Effingham County.
The attendees first met in the large banquet room. Marilyn Schaefer of Effingham, the District 6 director, gave the welcome. Barb Spencer of Mulkeytown, District 7 director, led in the pledge of allegiance, “Aim for the Homemaker” and the collect.
The “Aim for the Homemaker,” credited to Juliet Lita Bane is: To have the home economically sound, mechanically convenient, physically healthful, morally wholesome, mentally stimulating, artistically satisfying, socially responsible, founded up mutual affection and respect.
IAHCE President Marilyn Daughhetee introduced the state board. Ruby Lingle gave a presentation that included slides “Importance and Recognition of Volunteers.”
The remainder of the morning was a share shop in different areas for each office – president, first vice, second vice, secretary/treasurer, community outreach, cultural enrichment, family issues, public relations/CVU and international.
At noon, the group gathered again in the large room. The lunch prayer was given by Sharon Davis of Effingham County. The members then went through a buffet in the dining area. Fayette County members sat at one table. In the centers of the tables were jars to accept Pennies for Friendship, and Fayette County donated $6.60.
Treasa Brookman reported that the nominating committee needs three new officers to be elected to the state board next March – needed are a second vice president (who had to serve on the state board previously), cultural enrichment director and a family issues director.
The state board then presented a humorous skit – The Mini Hats of IAHCE – and each one wore a funny hat.
The new theme from now through next August is The Mini Hats of IAHCE. The 2013 annual IAHCE conference will be held March 12-14 at the Effingham Keller Convention Center.
District meetings then were held – District 6 in one room and District 7 in another.
 

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