Women at the Well sponsoring conference in Springfield Oct. 23
Women at the Well-Springfield is sponsoring
a one day conference called, “Praise the God of Justice Who Knows No
Favorites”, which will focus on prayer, inspiration, music, sacred
theater, and outreach. The conference will be held on October 23 at the
Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield, Illinois.
This event will feature Joan Chittister, OSB,
internationally known speaker and author, Marty Haugen, musician and
composer, and a one act sacred theater performance of Agapé, The Stories
and The Feast. Liturgy and music will be provided by the “Sisters of the
Son” a contemporary Christian female vocal trio. Attendees will leave
this event inspired and spiritually enlightened.
Registration is $75.00 per person and
includes lunch. To register, please go to http//womenatthewell-springfield.com
or call Madonna Jones at 217-741-0193 for more information. Registration
begins at 7:00 a.m. and the conference is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m.
In addition, we are asking attendees to help
local food pantries by either bringing a bag of groceries or buying food
tokens, available in $5, $10, or $25, which will be available at the
conference.
Women at the Well are a group of women who
meet on a monthly basis to share faith through prayer and fellowship. Out
of their common prayer came a vision to celebrate the many gifts of
today’s women with gifts similar to those experienced by the women of the
Bible.
4-H Virtual Fair to
enhance career skills of youth
University of Illinois Extension’s Illinois
4-H program and Illinois 4-H Foundation have teamed up with 12 corporate
partners to host the first annual 4-H Virtual Fair on an interactive
website from August 1 to 18. During the virtual fair, Illinois youth
enrolled in 4-H Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) Program
activities will be able to choose from one or more of four exhibit classes
to showcase their projects and connect with industry experts.
The 4-H virtual fair will be a unique
learning opportunity for youth currently enrolled in a wide range of 4-H
SET projects related to citizenship, service learning, consumer education,
corn, dairy, personal finance, health, leadership, plants and soils,
soybeans, swine, and veterinary science.
In preparation for the event, participants
will conduct an experiment, develop an invention, produce a video, or
create a map related to their project area. Beginning August 1, they can
post results to an interactive website for others to see, and receive
feedback from industry professionals. The adults will be available to
answer questions and describe how science, engineering, and technology are
used in a variety of careers.
4-H partner organizations include Busey
Wealth Management, COUNTRY Financial, Farm Credit Services of Illinois,
GROWMARK, Illinois Corn Marketing Board, Illinois Farm Bureau, LG Seeds,
Paul A. Funk Foundation, Ropp Jersey Cheese, Rural King, U.S. Bank, and
Walmart.
A 4-H SET Innovation Award will be presented
for each exhibit class August 18. Award winners will receive a scholarship
of “4-H dollars” that can be used to participate in any local, state, or
national 4-H event.
For more
information, contact Lisa Bouillion Diaz at 217-333-0910 or lisabou@illinois.edu,
or visit the virtual fair website at http://virtualfair.4-H.illinois.edu.
Cream of the Crop’ is 2010 IL State Fair theme
Illinois Department of Agriculture Director
Tom Jennings and Illinois State Fair Manager Amy Bliefnick announced the
theme for the 2010 Illinois State Fair. This year’s theme, “Cream of the
Crop,” pays tribute to Illinois’ agricultural heritage. The Illinois
State Fair began 157 years ago to support the state’s farmers and remains
a celebration of our state’s top industry to this day.
“This year’s fair will showcase Illinois’
agricultural roots while also recognizing Illinois farmers for being the
cream of the crop, the best of the best,” Bliefnick said. “Illinois
farmers are among the most efficient and productive in the United States.
Illinois ranks second among all states in the production of both corn and
soybeans, fourth in the production of pork and twenty-second in the
production of beef.”
A new attraction to this years’ fair,
“Farmer’s Little Helpers,” will teach kids about Illinois’ premier
agriculture industry. “Farmer’s Little Helpers” is an interactive,
children’s education exhibit near Gate 2. The mock farm consists of a
series of miniature barns, a corn crib, harvest and seed gardens, a
farmers’ market and a grocery store. Each building provides hands-on
activities related to the agricultural process.
“I’m very excited about ‘Farmer’s Little
Helpers’ and would like to thank all the sponsors for their support.
Without them, none of this would be possible,” Bliefnick added.
The Illinois Corn Marketing Board, Illinois
Soybean Association, County Market (Niemann Foods) and Grain Systems Inc.
(GSI) are major sponsors of the exhibit.
“This exhibit allows a glimpse into the work
of family farmers in Illinois. More than that, we hope that by visiting
this exhibit children and adults will feel a direct connection to the
farm, the farmers and their families, and to the food we grow here. It’s
about building a positive, fun memory with each child that visits
‘Farmers’ Little Helpers,’” Donna Jeschke, a corn farmer from Mazon and
past-chairman of the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, said.
“The Illinois Soybean Association is proud
to be involved with the new ‘Farmer’s Little Helpers’ exhibit at the
Illinois State Fair. We feel this is a great opportunity to show visitors
the connection between soybeans grown by Illinois farmers, livestock
raised throughout our state and the food people eat,” Illinois Soybean
Association Secretary Doug Winter, a farmer from Mill Shoals, added.
Other sponsors include the American Egg
Board, Brandt Consolidated, Corn Products International, Illinois Beef
Association, Illinois Pork Producers Association, Illinois Farm Bureau,
Illinois Standardbred Owners and Breeders Association, Midwest Dairy
Association and USDA Farm Service Agency. The United Brotherhood of
Carpenters Local 16 and Local 742 are donating valuable expertise toward
the construction of new buildings for the exhibit.
The 2010
Illinois State Fair will be held Aug. 13-22.
NEW LAW ALLOWS GOVERNOR AND LT. GOVERNOR TO RUN AS TEAM
An election bill, signed July 12, requires
the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor to run as a team in the general
primary election.
House Bill 5820 (P.A. 96-1018) was
introduced following controversy surrounding the 2010 Democrat primary
election win of a largely unknown candidate, Scott Lee Cohen.
Cohen later bowed out of the race following
media revelations that raised serious concerns about his qualifications
and character.
CORRUPT POLITICIANS WOULD FOREIT FUNDS
Also signed July 12, Senate Bill 2551 (P.A.
96-1019) will force corrupt politicians convicted of strong-arming state
contractors for campaign kickbacks to forfeit all political funds under
their control.
The new law creates a public corruption
profit forfeiture provision that would require automatic forfeiture of all
political contributions held by a political committee or organization
controlled by someone convicted of certain criminal violations.
These violations include intimidation by a
public official, including threatening to take, cause or withhold action
as a public official against anyone or anything; bribery involving a
public officer or public employee; and providing, soliciting, or accepting
kickbacks in connection with public contracting.
PROTECTING HOMEOWNERS FROM FRAUD
Also last week, two laws to protect
homeowners from home repair fraud were signed by the Governor.
Senate Bill 3645 (P.A. 96-1026) increases
the penalty for home repair fraud when committed by someone working on a
project intended to assist a disabled person.
Senate Bill
2540 (P.A. 96-1023) allows homeowners who suffer actual damages during a
home repair or remodel to pursue legal action for consumer fraud and
deceptive business practices.
Davis Mansion hosts 150th anniversaries of Lincoln campaign & Civil War
July 31 & Aug. 1
The 150th anniversaries of the 1860
Presidential campaign and the Civil War will be commemorated during a
special event Saturday and Sunday, July 31 and August 1, on the grounds of
the David Davis Mansion State Historic Site in Bloomington. The event is
free and open to the public.
A large tent on the Mansion grounds will be
the site for some of the weekend’s main events. Saturday, July 31 will
begin at 10:30 a.m. with “Path to the Presidency,” a humorous recollection
by the 16th President by Lincoln presenter George Buss, leading into an
Officers’ Tea and Vignette Demonstration by the Tea Ladies. At 1 p.m.,
bring the kids over for “Mr. Lincoln Presents!,” a children’s program
presented by Max Daniels as Abraham Lincoln. The afternoon will also
include a period fashion show and a Ladies’ Tea before concluding with a
Military Ball led by the 33rd Illinois Volunteer Regiment Band, Civil War
Dancers, and Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln. Guests can arrive at the Ball in style
by participating in free carriage rides from the Mansion gate to the tent.
The Mansion grounds will also host some fun
and interesting events, such as a reenactment of a military encampment,
medical unit and sutlers, as well as appearances by the 33rd Illinois
Volunteer Regiment Band and President and Mrs. Lincoln. Period craft
demonstrations and children’s activities will also highlight the weekend.
Food will be available, and Mansion tours will be offered.
The weekend will conclude on Sunday, August
1 at 10 a.m. with a church service under the tent. It will be led by
Pastor Jerry with the 33rd Illinois Volunteer Regiment Band providing the
music.
After Abraham Lincoln’s surprise nomination
for President at the May 1860 Republican Convention in Chicago, thanks in
large part to the efforts of his friends such as David Davis, the campaign
swung into high gear through the summer and fall, culminating in Lincoln’s
election on November 6, 1860. Soon thereafter several southern states
seceded from the Union, and Lincoln had hardly been inaugurated when
hostilities broke out at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, thus beginning the
Civil War.
The David
Davis Mansion State Historic Site, administered by the Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency, was built for Judge David Davis and his wife, Sarah.
Davis had been appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court by his grateful friend,
Abraham Lincoln, and had this lavish Victorian mansion built in 1872. The
Mansion is open Wednesday through Sunday for free public tours, and is
located at 1000 E. Monroe in Bloomington
Ecology Action Center to hold Rain Barrel Workshops August 7
The Ecology Action Center has openings
available in its current schedule of the popular hands-on workshops where
individuals build their own water saving rainwater collection and storage
container. Rain Barrels are an ancient technology undergoing a great
resurgence as they not only help conserve water but also reduce storm
water runoff contamination thereby protecting clean water. The workshops
are a very cost-effective alternative to buying a ready-to-use rain
barrel.
Workshops are scheduled for Saturday, August
7 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The EAC is offering these workshops at a cost of
$28.00 for members of the Ecology Action Center or $38.00 for non-members.
The rain barrel design now includes an overflow fitting and hose to
prevent a full rain barrel from sending water towards your foundation.
Workshop space
is limited and pre-registration is required; registration forms are
available for download at www.ecologyactioncenter.org or by stopping by
the Ecology Action Center at 202 West College in Normal during regular
business hours. Confirmation of registration and workshop location details
and will be provided after payment and registration form are received.
More information on the workshops is available by calling 309-454-3169.
Neighbors Association of Normal meeting August 7
from Dawn Wilson, President
Neighbors Association of Normal
The Neighbors Association of Normal will
meet for its Quarterly Meeting on Saturday, August 7 at 10:00 a.m. at the
Normal Township Hall, 304 E Mulberry St., Normal.
We will have speakers Dr. Brent Paterson,
Associate Vice President for Finance & Planning and Deb Smitley, Senior
Associate Vice President for Student Affairs to discuss ISU’s Master
Plan. We will also hear from Geoff Fruin, Town of Normal reference Uptown
updates and the Multi-Modal Center. Officer Amanda Street from the Normal
Police Department will give us a Crime Update.
Please let me
know by email (DawnL7@aol.com) or by phone (451-1230) if you have items
for the agenda or other concerns for NAN
Conklin’s comedy back in the habit
Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theatre
is happy to announce the opening of the zany comedy “Lie, Cheat and
Genuflect” on July 29 and playing on Thursday, Friday and Saturday
evenings and Sunday brunches for a limited seven-week engagement through
September 12.
“Lie, Cheat and Genuflect” is written by
that crazy duo William Van Zandt and Jane Milmore, authors of such hit
comedies as “Love, Sex and the IRS” and “What the Rabbi Saw,” which have
both had very successful runs at the Barn in the past. “Lie, Cheat and
Genuflect” is another entry into the wild imaginations of these two
writers who revel in old-style wordplay and slapstick in the tradition of
the Marx Brothers, Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy and the Three
Stooges. The show concerns the Buckle brothers, Tom and Billy, black
sheep of the Buckle family, who are sneaking into the dilapidated family
mansion prior to the reading of their grandfather’s will. They have a
scheme to get their hands on a piece of the inheritance that will surely
be denied them after their father was banished from the
belt-buckle-inventing family for the unforgivable crime of opening a
suspender store. The outrageous characters include a soused maid who is
slowly draining the wine cellar, a shady lawyer, two helpless damsels and
a vicious gangster and his vivacious moll. When Tom comes up with a plan
that forces Billy into a nun’s habit to impersonate a missing cousin, the
hilarity gets turned on full blast from start to finish.
Heading up the company as Billy and Tom are
Dan Challacombe and John Johnson, with Mary Simon as maid Virginia, Pat
Gaik as lawyer Robert Fryburger, Miranda Axsom and April Wyant as the
girls, and Chad Kirvan and Diann Thompson as “Pizza Face” Petrillo and his
gal-pal Miss Macintosh.
The production
is directed by Mary Simon. Set design is by Tom Weber, technical
direction is by April Wyant, and publicity is by Pat Gaik. Conklin’s Barn
II is known for its delicious buffet which, on evening performances,
includes four main entrees featuring the Barn’s renowned prime rib and
fried chicken, with salad, homemade soup and cheese spread, and a choice
of four taste-tempting, homemade desserts. Prices for dinner and show are
$31.00 on Thursday evenings, $33.00 on Friday evening and Sunday brunch,
and $35.00 on Saturday evening, including tax. No advance payment is
required. Conklin’s is also BYOB for wine, beer or cocktails. Glasses,
ice and ice buckets are provided at no extra charge. For reservations,
call the box office at 309-965-2545. For more information, visit the Barn
on the internet at www.barn2.com
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Held on the first and third Tuesdays of every month, Manga/Anima Club is for any
teens interested in Japanese comics and animation. For more information, please
call 309-452-1757.
Games Aren’t Just
for Kids!
Friday, August 6
• 1:30 to 2:30
NPL Community
Room
We welcome ages 25 to 110 on the first Friday of every month! Try out a game,
chat, snack, and meet a new friend! Feel free to bring a favorite game or play
one of the many provided. For more information, please call 309-452-1757.
Teen Writer’s
Workshop
Monday, August 9
• 3:00 to 4:30
NPL Board Room
Calling all teen writers and artists! Bring your best ideas to our teen
writer’s workshops on the second Monday of each month. For more information,
please call 309-452-1757.
Teen Game Day
Wednesday, Aug.
11 • 4:00 to 6:00
NPL Community
Room
Are you a Dance Dance Revolution Fiend? Can you rock out with Rockband? Come
out to the library on the second Wednesday of each month for gaming! For more
information, please call 309-452-1757
Teen Advisory
Council
Thursdays, Aug.
12 & 26 • 4 to 5:30
NPL Board Room
If you want a say in teen programs at the NPL, this is the place to be. We meet
on the second and fourth Thursdays of every month for games, books, and
discussion of NPL Teen Services. For more information, please call 309-452-1757.
Movie Matinee:
West Side Story
Thursday, August
19 • 1:30
NPL Community
Room
Join us on the third
Thursday of each month for movies and snacks! In this month’s movie a love
affair is faited for tragedy when a member of a street gang falls for the rival
leader’s sister (Natalie Wood). 152 min.
Free Skin Cancer Screening July 31
The Community Cancer Center is
sponsoring a free skin cancer screening to be held on Saturday, July 31, 2010
from 9:00-11:00 am at the center located at 407 E. Vernon Ave. in Normal. This
screening will provide an opportunity for people to have a “spot check” of an
area on the skin they have a concern about. This is not a full body screening
nor is it intended for people who see a dermatologist on a regular basis for
skin cancer. Dr. Peter Abadeer, a local internist, will be the screening
physician. Please call 309-451-8500 to schedule an appointment time for spaces
are limited.
Local fire departments to battle on the field Aug. 1 to support MDA
Each and every day, Bloomington and Normal
Firefighters help people in emergencies. But on August 1st, they’ll be trading
in their smoke-stained helmets and soot-covered gloves for batting helmets and
softball gloves and it is all to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
The Normal Fire Department will go head to head
against the Bloomington Fire Department in “The Battle of the Bravest” softball
game on Sunday, August 1st, 2010 at Noon at the Corn Crib Stadium in Normal.
In addition to bragging rights, the winner of the softball game will lead the
7th Inning Stretch during the CornBelters game later that evening.
Following the “Battle of the Bravest” softball
game, the Normal CornBelters will take the field at 5:00pm to take on the River
City Rascals. Gates open for that game at 4pm, but if you come to see the
softball game, you get to stay for the CornBelters game, too!
Box seats to see both games are available for only
$11.00, with $3.00 of each ticket going to support the Muscular Dystrophy
Association.
Both Bloomington and
Normal Fire Departments are proud to work together to support the Muscular
Dystrophy Association, and look forward to a great day of family fun at the
ballpark to support the cause.
Mulberry School announces first full time director in 40 year history
Mulberry School announced that it is continuing
its growth with the addition of Linda Henderson as the school’s full-time
director – the first ever to hold the position in the school’s forty-year
history.
Henderson brings a rich background of experience
in academic and non-profit environments alike. She earned her Bachelor of
Science in Elementary Education degree from the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign. Many Illinois families will be familiar with the “Ag in the
Classroom” curriculum developed under her guidance. Along with the many
professional and volunteer roles she has held in child safety and domestic
violence prevention, she was selected as a YWCA Women of Distinction nominee in
1997 and is a graduate of Leadership McLean County.
President of the Parent Board of Directors, Angela
Bailey, shared her confidence in Henderson’s future relationship with the school
and its community when she said, “As a parent-cooperative, Mulberry is focused
on building upon the strengths in our community. We know Linda’s strengths will
make her a great partner with the parents and the faculty.”
Faculty member Sue Kelley made her support for the
selection clear, stating, “I am excited to have a full-time Director that can be
actively engaged in the classrooms, with the faculty, and the entire Mulberry
community. This is another great step in securing the future of Mulberry
School.”
Henderson will be responsible for curriculum,
teacher development, community engagement, and long- term school development.
The new Director will report to the Mulberry School Parent Board of Directors
and will maintain a 12-month schedule.
Mulberry School is an independent, private, non-profit school that provides
children with the opportunity to learn in an environment that values curiosity
and natural development. The school operates with the guiding principle to
nurture the innate love of learning in children. The school’s philosophy is
evident through a foundational statement found often throughout their website:
“We teach children how to learn, not what to learn.” Serving the
Bloomington-Normal community since 1971, Mulberry School is a cooperative
institution where parents have the opportunity to participate in nearly every
aspect of the school. This creates a supportive, hands-on, positive community of
educators, parents, and students working together to create a high performing
learning environment. Mulberry School moved to the historic Illinois Soldiers &
Sailors Children School complex
in 1998 and averages
nearly 70 students.
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