Mary Todd Lincoln

Laura F. Keyes, librarian, actress, and vocalist, here in character as Mary Todd Lincoln, presented her exhaustively researched view of Mrs. Lincoln’s life this past Saturday. Her evening presentation at Timber Lake Playhouse in Mount Carroll focused on a conversation between Mrs. Lincoln and a friend just hours before the President would be assassinated. The Friends of the Library will use the funds

collected to continue their goal of helping to complete restoration of the entire Mount Carroll Township Public Library, which began about three years ago.

Chadwick Lions Club

Pictured are the Lions mascot, District Governor Ron Fruit and Chadwick Lions Club member Ken Kuhnert at the recent Lions Candy Day Jamboree held at Mt. Morris. The Chadwick Lions will hold their annual Candy Day drive on Friday and Saturday, October 8th and 9th to raise money for the visually and hearing impaired.

Greenwald Awarded Ph.D.

Jessica Greenwald of Chadwick has completed her PhD. in business from University of Wisconsin, Madison. She has accepted a position at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. Dr. Greenwald has spent almost 2 years studying and traveling abroad in the Netherlands, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Morocco, Scotland, Australia, China, Mexico, and Caribbean Islands. While at U.W. she joined the sailing club and sails a variety of boats up to 24 feet.

Jessica is married to Peter Schillaci, they have a 14 month old daughter named Gracie, and live in Davenport. Dr. Jessica Greenwald is the daughter of Kerry and Jeannie Greenwald.

 

 

West Carroll FFA Wins Trapshooting Contest

The West Carroll FFA Trapshooting team of Jon Armstrong, Alex Handel, Zach Whitebread, Brandon Anderson, and Jeff Casey won the Scales Mound Section #1 FFA Invitational on Saturday, September 18. Individually for West Carroll, Jon Armstrong won 1st individually shooting 24 of 25 birds. Alex Handel was 4th shooting 22; Zach Whitebread, 8th with 20; Brandon Anderson, 10th with 19 and Jeff Casey shot 14 for West Carroll.

From L to R: Jon Armstrong, Alex Handel, Brandon Anderson, Jeff Casey, and Zach Whitebread.

 

 

 

West Carroll 2010-2011 FFA Officers Enjoy Planning Retreat

The West Carroll FFA Officer Team recently held an officer retreat on September 18, 2010, for planning meetings and activities for the 2010-2011 school year. This year’s retreat was a shortened riverboat cruise (due to the weather) and meal at Buffalo Wild Wings. Chapter officers planned out the school year with FFA activities and set goals for the chapter. Meeting agendas were also mapped out. West Carroll FFA chapter officers attending were President, Kim Durward; Vice President, Matt Strauch; Secretary, Kayla Wilson; and Treasurer, Kaiti Mathey. Reporter August Ashby and Sentinel Audrie Ashby were absent. The West Carroll FFA advisors are Dan Hartman and Don Mathey. Thanks to Jay Zickau for the use of his pontoon boat used on the retreat.

West Carroll FFA Officers attending the retreat on September 18.

L to R: Vice President, Matt Strauch; Secretary, Kayla Wilson; President, Kim Durward; Treasurer, Kaiti Mathey.

West Carroll FFA Members Attend Reporter Workshop

 

West Carroll FFA members August Ashby and Katie Starr attended the 2010 Illinois Association FFA Reporter Workshop held at Kishwaukee Community College in Malta on September 15. The workshop was conducted by Illinois State FFA Reporter, Morgan Ott. Ott discussed duties of a chapter reporter, how to contact media, how to take the best pictures and what to include in articles and press releases. Ashby is serving the West Carroll FFA Chapter as reporter for the 2010-2011 school year.

L to R: William Henert, August Ashby, Morgan Ott, Katie Starr, and Trevor Flies.

 

 

 

Books For Babies

Eva Hartman, daughter of Jon and Sarah Hartman, is shown with her third grade brother, Trapper. Eva was born September 5 and was presented with a board book and baby bib from the Books for Babies Project sponsored by the West Carroll Education Foundation to promote the importance of reading to young children.

 

 

 

WCPS Celebrates Authors!

Second and third graders at West Carroll Primary School proudly show off their summer writing books. The books will be on display Thursday, October 7 from 3:30 - 5:45 in the primary school’s cafeteria. The public is invited to attend. (Courtesy of WCPS)

Thursday, October 7 is a big night at West Carroll Primary School!, as Second and Third grade authors’ summer writing will be featured and on display from 3:30 – 6:00 in the cafeteria.

For those students attending, door prizes will be drawn at 5:45 for a t-shirt that matches Rocky the Writing Raccoon’s personal design, and for books autographed by visiting author, John Coy. Our guest author will be entertaining students, family, and community members at 6:00 in the WCPS gym.

John Coy is the author of the picture books Night Driving, Strong to the Hoop, Vroomaloom Zoom, Two Old Potatoes and Me, and Around the World. John is a member of the NBA Reading All-Star Team as part of the Read to Achieve program. Crackback, his first young adult novel,is about high school football and his second, Box Out, is about high school basketball. He is working on a middle-grade series and the first two books, Top of the Order and Eyes on the Goal are now out. He lives in Minneapolis and visits schools nationally and internationally.

The annual Scholastic Book Fair will be held all week to promote the love of reading. It will be open from 8:00 – 3:30 daily in addition to being open Thursday until 5:45. This event is sponsored by the Education Foundation, PTO, and the Illinois Reading Council. Everyone is invited to attend this spectacular evening at WCPS.

Rotary-Cable Harrow Rental Program

The Carroll County Soil and Water Conservation District has the Phoenix Rotary Cable Harrow for use on fields of soybean residue. The harrow can incorporate herbicide and fertilizer in the top one inch of soil while leaving the protective crop residue in place. The harrow folds down to 10 feet wide for transport on the road and unfolds to 40 feet for field operation. With recommended field speed of operation at 8 to 10 miles per hour and a 140 horse power tractor, operators can cover 25 acres per hour.

The Phoenix Cable Harrow will be available for rent this fall for $4.00 per acre. Contact the Carroll County Soil and Water Conservation District at 815-244-8732 ext#3.

Residue Management Tool Available

Before you do any fall tillage, review your conservation farm plan. Most conservation farm plans call for leaving some crop residue as mulch to protect the soil from erosion. With the newer corn hybrids, residue management can be a problem. The Carroll County Soil and Water Conservation District has a residue management tool available for rent by county farmers this fall. The Salford Residue Tillage Specialist is a tillage tool used in farm fields with heavy corn stalk cover. The Salford’s 38 coulters cut the residue into manageable sized pieces across its entire 22foot width. The spring tine harrow and rolling basket distributes crop residue evenly across the field. The result is better over winter stalk decomposition and even erosion control across the entire field. The tool is designed for high speed and low maintenance. The implement requires a 150 horse power tractor for operation.

The Salford will be available for rent in at $9.00 per acre, $8.00 per acre for over 100 acres. Producers may sign up now for rental. Contact the Carroll County SWCD at 815-244-8732 ext.#3.

CCRW Plan After Work Social

The Carroll County Republican Women are sponsoring an After Work Social to acquaint voters with the Republican candidates. This event will be held on Tuesday, October 12, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Mount Carroll Bowling Center, 206 N. Main.

All are invited to attend this casual social time. Guests will have an opportunity to mingle with candidates, to discuss issues and concerns as well as to socialize with other Republicans.

Bring a friend to enjoy snacks and beverages. For more information about the social, call 815-244-1405, 815-244-2343, or 815-244-1500.

Fall, Food, Finds and Fun

Looking for a fun filled day with something for everyone? Keep this date open and bring your family and friends to Lake Carroll’s Chili Cook Off, bake Sale and Craft Show located at the Lake Carroll Clubhouse, 2911 Iron Wood Blvd, Lake Carroll on October 16th.

There is no charge to sample and vote for the chili which leaves you extra cash to purchase some great finds from one of our many vendors. Our craft show will be open from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m. The chili cook off tasting and bake sale will start at the end of the 9 hole/3 club golf outing.

Lake Carroll property owners have the opportunity to show off their cooking skills with some of their old family favorites or some new recipes they have developed on their own. As always, the Lake Carroll Clubhouse is open for lunch and dinner with specials for the day along with their regular menu. There is also a 9 hole/3 club golf outing on that day so if you are a golfer or a duffer give Jason or his staff a call to sign up, by the way it is a scramble so not to worry. Just call 815-493-2808, choose ext. 6 and they will be glad to give you all the information and get you signed up.

This is a great way to meet new friends and enjoy a beautiful fall day. There will be plenty of time left to shop, eat and help pick this year’s chili cook off winner. Some of our vendors already signed up for the craft show are: “Gold Canyon Candles-Kristina Weaver; Barbara Hill-Longaberger Company, Handcrafted baskets, Pottery, Wrought Iron and more; Kromer Art-Raku Artwork; Jim Bald-Stained Glass Items; Brian Giles-Jewelry, Wreaths, Scarves and more; Nancy Nanke-Christmas Items, Note Pads and more; Sarah Limesand-My ThirtyOne Purses, Bags, Scarves and Accessories; Lake Carroll Quilt Club-Cookbooks and more; Phyllis Davies & Nancy Flikkema-Quilts, Baby Items, Pot Holders and much more; Lake Carroll Fishing Club-Shirts and more. Space is still available so if you are interested in showing your items give Patti a call at 815-493-8009 or email your information to pchalupa@frontiernet.net.

Taco Fest & Spirit Week at River Ridge

The short school week of October 13-15 holds a variety of activities at River Ridge School in Hanover. As a way to promote school spirit the high school student council decided to create a school spirit week with activities for both the entire school and the high school.

On Wednesday, October 13th the student body will dress up in neon colors. At the end of the day there will be a pep assembly to show support for the fall sports teams. That evening the River Ridge senior class will host their annual fundraiser Taco Fest. This event is done with the support of Manny’s Pizza and taco in Savanna. The event is open to the public. The students will be serving from 4:30-8 p.m. in the school commons area. A meal ticket costs $5.00 and you will receive three tacos and a drink. Tickets may be purchased prior to the event by stopping by the school or by calling Tammy Smith at 815-858-9005 ext. 269. A limited number of tickets will also be available at the door.

After you eat your tacos please consider attending the high school volleyball game. The games begin at 5 p.m. The girls will be competing against Eastland.

On Thursday the students will have another dress up day. This day the students have chosen a class color or theme to dress in. From preschool to the senior class, every group will dress to represent their class. The final school day of activities is Friday. The students will dress in their navy blue and gray. That afternoon the high school students will attend a Powder Puff football game. The teams consist of the freshman and sophomore ladies taking on the ladies of the junior and senior classes.

The ladies will do their best to pump the boys up for their game on Saturday. The River Ridge High School football team will wrap up the week’s activities when they host St. Francis de Sales for a varsity game at 2 p.m. on Saturday October 16th. That night from 7-10 p.m. the high school will have their fall dance. The theme for the dance is “Black Out.” Please help support the students of River Ridge during their Spirit Week. From volleyball to tacos to football the week promises to be full of things to do.

Senator Dick Durbin Endorses Backdoor Card Check Regulation

Senate Democrats block attempt to curb regulatory overreach

From Americans For Tax Reform, Alliance For Worker Freedom

September 27, 2010, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined a Democrat majority in voting down S.J. 30, a resolution condemning a recent ruling by the National Mediation Board (NMB). The NMB’s unilateral ruling considerably relaxes the unionization process, letting a union in the transportation industry form with a majority of voting members rather than the previous requirement of a majority of all employees.

“The three person National Mediation Board overturned seventy-five years of precedent to facilitate union organizing. This decision is typical of the regulatory policies this Administration is pursuing—unable to pass abhorred legislation through Congress, Democrats are relying on obscure federal bureaucrats to appease Big Labor,” said Christopher Prandoni, Executive Director of the Alliance for Worker Freedom.

The failure of S.J. 30 to make it out of debate should not come as a surprise, given the Democrats’ penchant for subjecting their constituents to the whims of organized labor. Introduced by Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), S.J. 30 would have been a congressional rebuke of the NMB’s overreach and was the first step in rolling back the three-member board’s unprecedented ruling.

“Dick Durbin (D-IL) has pulled another fast one on his constituents, a majority of whom oppose this type of regulatory fiat. This anti-worker vote perfectly illustrate how out of touch Senator Durbin is with the people he was elected to represent,” Prandoni added.

CGH to Hold Blood Drive

Help the American Red Cross ensure a stable and diverse blood supply by making an appointment to donate blood or encouraging others to become blood donors.

Join us on Thursday, October 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., as CGH Medical Center and the CGH Health Foundation’s Women’s Cancer Prevention Program present the “Let’s All Support Our Local Blood Drive.” The drive will be held in the CGH Ryberg Auditorium, 100 E. LeFevre Road, Sterling.

All who donate or attempt to donate will not only receive great food and a small gift, but will also have their name entered into a drawing for a $25 gas card.

Blood donors must be at least 17 years of age (or age 16 with a signed parent’s permission slip) and must weigh between 110 and 350 pounds. Donors cannot have donated blood in the last 56 days and should be feeling well and healthy. Those wishing to donate blood should bring a list of prescription and over-the-counter medications that they are currently using. Donors are encouraged to eat a good meal prior to making their donation. All donors must present a photo I.D.

Walk-in donors are always welcome, but anyone wishing to make an appointment for donating blood at CGH may do so by calling (815) 625-0400, ext. 5716 or 4501.

Free Screening for Chronic Kidney Disease

In 2006, the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois (NKFI) launched the nation’s first KidneyMobile®, a custom motor coach offering free mobile education and screening services to Illinois communities. Since then, the NKFI has screened more than 15,000 individuals all across the state of Illinois. Our mission: to identify diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease and if the individual does not have primary care, the NKFI offer physician referrals in their community.

On average, more than 73% of participants test in an abnormal range for one or more tests. Nearly 30% of participants need an immediate referral.

Statistics show that one in nine American adults has chronic kidney disease (CKD) and most are not even aware of it. The KidneyMobile®’s message of prevention and education are key to making a difference. At each screening, staff and qualified volunteers conduct blood pressure, body mass index, urinalysis and glucose screenings and give immediate results to the participants. Participants receive a consultation with our nurse practitioner and those at risk for CKD receive additional information and a follow-up phone call to ensure they have visited a physician and understand their treatment plan.

In addition to addressing a real public health need, NKFI views the unique KidneyMobile® as a “vehicle” to legislators for engaging their support for kidney disease and prevention awareness. Some of the elected officials that have attended area screenings include Senator Richard Durbin, Congressman Mark Kirk, Secretary of State Jesse White, Congressmen Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Danny Davis, State Senators Donne Trotter and Don Harmon and State Representative Will Davis.

If you have questions about CKD, diabetes or high blood pressure, or for more information about the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois, please contact us at 312-321-1500 or via email to kidney@nkfi.org. Please visit our website at www.nkfi.org or www.kidneymobile.org, where you’ll find the most comprehensive online resource guide on chronic kidney disease and more information about other important programs and special events! To request the KidneyMobile®, download a request form from www.kidneymobile.org and fax it to (312) 321-1505.

First Evangelical Lutheran Church Receives Seed Grant

The Woman of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (WELCA) from First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mount Carroll have received a seed grant of $1000 designed to impact their entire community and target specifically women’s and girl’s health. The funds will be used to put on the first annual Carroll County Health and Wholeness Fair to be held at the West Carroll Middle School in Mount Carroll on February 5, 2021. The fair will be based on the ELCA Wholeness Wheel which stresses intentionality in balancing the elements of Physical, Emotional, Social, Intellectual, Financial and Vocational areas of our lives, which all tie in to our spiritual wellbeing. We will be targeting especially women and girls of all ages. There will be booths, activities, speakers, entertainment, and door prizes. If you have an interest in having a booth or giving a 20-30 minute presentation relating to one of the areas of health and wholeness please contact First Evangelical Lutheran Church at 815-244-8044 or by e-mail, office@firstlutheranmc.com to receive information and an application.

Get Your Tickets to the Musical ‘EPC Censored’

The EPC musical directors have one musical under their belts. With an extremely large loss of talent, graduating nearly 10 very involved seniors, the program does not look the same. The show is a medley of songs from musicals the troupe could, for various reasons, never do in their entirety: shows such as Rent, Hairspray, and Avenue Q.

“However we did not want the show to feel like a variety show,” said Scott Kempel, head director. “So we wrote dialogue that would make it flow following the struggles of young high school students trying to find a musical that would be appropriate for their conservative administration.”

The show will be on Oct. 14 & 16 at 7:00, Oct. 17 at 2:00 and will be held in the PC gym. Come enjoy EPC censored, sprinkled with recognized veterans and plenty of new faces! Watch for next week’s Prairie Advocate for a full-length feature on this creative approach to musicals.

Campbell Center’s Monthly Raffle Winner

Campbell Center’s Gene Teeter pulled the September’s winning raffle ticket on Saturday, Sept. 25. The winning ticket was purchased by Bob Rudzianski, of Rudzianski’s Business Equipment Company of Dubuque, Iowa.

Not only have Rudzianski’s owner Bob and his staff consistently provided excellent products, service, and support for their products to Campbell Center, but they chose to donate the winnings to the Center! The Campbell Center thanks them and applauds their generosity.

For information about the program and courses offered at the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies, visit the web site at www.campbellcenter.org. The Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies is located at 203 E Seminary Street in Mt. Carroll, IL

Friends of TLP Elect 2011 Officers

The Friends of Timber Lake Playhouse held their fall meeting on September 21, 2010, and elected officers for the 2011 season. They are President Nana Campana; Vice President (yet to be determined); Secretary Eloise Pierce; and Treasurer Amanda Honchell.

Reports from all fundraisers, pot lucks, gift shoppe and raffles were given. Raffle winners are: Raku Masks, Diane Heath; Overnight stay in a cabin at Timber Lake Resort, Kathy Weber; TLP Season Ticket, Brian Brinkmeier & Lisa Hartz.

Friends of TLP would like to thank everyone for their support and help this season, including the newspapers and radio stations that help with publicity.

Friends of TLP will be presenting a check for $3,000 to the TLP board at their fall meeting. If you wish to join the Friends of TLP, please contact Nana Campana or Judy Stevens.

Auditions for Christmas Play To Be Held

For the second year, Backstreet Players of Hanover and Plum River Playhouse of Stockton will combine efforts for their 2010 Christmas show. The Ghost of Christmas Presents, by Pat Cook is a Yuletide Tableau which requires seven male and 14 female roles. Some parts are interchangeable or can be duplicated. Also looking for singers for chorus, small ensemble and solo numbers. Peter Woodruff is directing.

Auditions are 7:00-9:00, Monday October 11th at the Hanover Town Hall and Tuesday, October 12th at the Masonic Temple, downtown Stockton. Performances are Thursday December 2nd and Friday December 3rd in Stockton, Saturday December 4th and Sunday December 5th in Hanover.

For more information or directions to venue call Terrie Miller at 815-291-9173 or Peter Woodruff at 815-281-0138, deerrunfarm2003@yahoo.com.

Who Grew YOUR Soup?

Throughout the past year, children around the Sauk Valley have related to ten-year-old Phineas Quinn, a curious youngster who loves junk food and hatches a plan to avoid eating vegetables in the children’s book, Who Grew My Soup?

“When his mother serves him a bowl of vegetable soup, Phineas insists on knowing where the vegetables in his soup come from and wants to meet the farmers who grow them,” said Sherry DeWalt, CGH Community Health Educator. “Through the CGH Health Foundation’s Centennial Learning Garden Project, we have utilized this story to help educate area children about the importance of using fresh produce, eating healthy and increasing their physical activity.”

Now, as we bring in the harvest on this year’s crop, join us on Saturday, October 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Selmi’s Pumpkin Patch, 1206 Dixon Ave., Rock Falls, for the “Who Grew My Soup? Harvest Festival.” There will be a variety of fun activities for the whole family, a cooking demonstration, food samples and door prizes! In addition, the Sterling Public Library’s Sauk Valley Story Spinners will perform a theatrical reading of the book Who Grew My Soup? at noon and again at 1 p.m.

“The CGH Centennial Learning Garden Project is funded as part of the Foundation’s Health and Fitness Initiative,” said Joan Hermes, executive director of the Foundation. “The project yielded a great ‘harvest’ of excited kids and happy parents, as well as beautiful vegetables and herbs.”

For questions or more information about the Harvest Festival, please contact Sherry DeWalt at (815) 625-0400 ext. 5716.

FHN, HCC Offering Free Depression Screenings

As part of National Depression Screening Day Oct. 7, FHN will provide free depression screenings at the FHN Family Counseling Center in Freeport and Galena and, in partnership with Highland Community College, student screenings at the HCC Student/Conference Center in Freeport.

“We’re proud to be able to raise awareness of this very real, very serious health issue by taking part in the national screening day,” said FHN Family Counseling Center Clinical Leader Jennifer Aurand, PsyD. “We have a limited number of openings for the screenings, but we hope that this will encourage anyone who is struggling with depression to reach out for help.”

Depression is more serious than feeling “down in the dumps” or “blue” for a short period of time. It’s a serious illness that affects your mind, body and mood for weeks, months or even years. People with depression cannot merely “snap out of it” on their own and get better. It’s a legitimate health concern that needs appropriate treatment.

People with depression may feel isolated, different and alone. But they are not. More than 17 million Americans are affected by depression each year. The symptoms of depression vary from person to person, but can include loss of interest in ordinary activities; changes in appetite and sleep; loss of energy; feelings of worthlessness and guilt; inability to concentrate; and thoughts of suicide.

Appointments are required for the free screenings on Thursday, Oct. 7. Participants will be referred for further help if necessary. Call 815-599-7300 to make an appointment in Freeport – HCC students also should call this number to make an appointment at the Student/Conference Center. Call 815-777-2836 to make an appointment in Galena. Visit www.fhn.org for more information, and join FHN in raising awareness and taking steps toward healing depression.

Monthly Migratory Bird Walk Scheduled

Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge (SUMRR) will be hosting their monthly migratory bird walk on Sunday morning, October 10th starting at 8:10 a.m. Birders are to meet at the Spring Lake parking lot (two miles south of Savanna off of highway 84). The walk will begin after the 10/10/10 for 10 Wetland of International Importance celebration is completed.

Birders of all ages and skill levels are welcome! Meet experienced birder Anne Straight from Forreston IL, as she identifies birds by sight and sounds that you might not normally see in your own backyard. Birders on previous bird walks have had excellent photo opportunities for such birds as Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Turkey Vulture, Cardinal, Grey Catbird, Black-Capped Chickadee, Northern Flicker, House Wren, Redwing Blackbird, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Warbling Vireo, Pied-Bill Grebe, White Breasted Nuthatch, Yellow-Throated Vireo. The variety of migratory birds changes each month as the season progresses. The bird walks usually last 1 ½ to 2 hours depending on weather conditions. ( For those with limited abilities, walking is minimal )There is no admission charge to attend. Please listen to WCCI, 100.3 FM for any cancellations due to weather. If you have any questions please call the refuge office at 815-273-2732.