Hauptmans Welcome Kole James

John and Connie Hauptman of Lanark announce the birth of their first child, Kole James, born November 21, 2008 at Freeport Memorial Hospital.

Grandparents are Sandra that the late Franklin Sweitzer of Lanark, and Sue and the late Dwaine Hauptman of Ridott.

Great-grandparents are Ed and Irene Suess of Freeport.

Hardmeier Graduates From Basic Military Training

Army Reserve Pvt. Tiffiney M. Hardmeier has graduated from basic military training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C., to be a member of the Army National Guard or Reserve Split-option Program. The program allows students between their junior and senior year of high school to attend national guard or reserve weekend drills while still in school and pursue a military career specialty after they graduate from high school.

During the nine weeks of training, Hardmeier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises.

She is the daughter of Keith Hardmeier of S. High St., Lacon, Ill., and granddaughter of Nellis Cherry of E. Shelly St., Shannon, Ill.

Hardmeier is currently a student at Midland High School, Varna, Ill.

2008 Firearm Deer Season Opens This Week

Firearm hunters in the field Nov. 21-23 and Dec. 4-7

SPRINGFIELD, IL ­ The 2008 Illinois Firearm Deer Season, the state's most popular hunting season, begins this week with hunters in the field Friday through Sunday, Nov. 21-23, followed by four days of hunting on Dec. 4-7. Nearly 350,000 permits have been issued to hunters for the firearm season.

"As hunters take to the field this week, we hope for a successful harvest and encourage hunters to make safety a priority," said Illinois Department of Natural Resources Acting Director Sam Flood. "Hunters need to take extra care, especially with firearm and tree-stand safety."

Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 117,425 deer during the seven-day firearm deer hunting season in 2007 and 114,835 deer during the 2006 firearm season.

The legal hunting hours for the firearm deer season are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

Hunters successful in taking a deer during the firearm season in most counties must register ­ or "check in" ­ the deer they harvest by going online at www.dnr.state.il.us/vcheck or by phoning 1-866-IL-CHECK (1-866-452-4325). Hunters using the online or phone-in system must register their harvest by 10 p.m. on the day they take the deer. It is recommended that hunters using cellular phones to register their harvest wait until they are out of the field and have a clear cell phone signal before attempting to make the harvest report phone call.

Hunters in nine northern Illinois counties where IDNR is conducting chronic wasting disease (CWD) sampling must take deer they harvest to a deer check station by 8 p.m. on the day they take the deer. The check stations in counties where CWD sampling is provided are listed below:

Boone County ­ Boone County Fairgrounds, half-mile north of Rt. 76 and Business Rt. 20, Belvidere;

DeKalb County ­ Shabbona Lake State Park, 4201 Shabbona Grove Rd., Shabbona;

Grundy County ­ Gebhard Woods State Park, 401 Ottawa St., Morris;

Kane County ­ Shabbona Lake State Park, 4201 Shabbona Grove Rd., Shabbona;

LaSalle County ­ Buffalo Rock State Park, 3 miles west of Ottawa on Dee Bennett Rd., 1300 N. 27th Rd, Ottawa;

McHenry County ­ Moraine Hills State Park McHenry Dam Day Use Area, east of McHenry on River Road (2.2 miles south of Ill. Rt. 120);

Ogle County ­ Nov. 21-23 at Castle Rock State Park, 1365 W. Castle Rd., Oregon; Dec. 4-7 at Lowden State Park, 1411 N. River Rd., Oregon;

Stephenson County ­ County Fairgrounds, Rt. 26 and Fairgrounds Rd., Freeport; and

Winnebago County ­ Rockford Speedway, Hwy 173 at Forest Hills Rd., Rockford.

Hunters who participate in the CWD sampling can check the status of their deer through the IDNR web site at www.dnr.state.il.us. Hunters who provide samples from deer that test positive are notified by the IDNR.

While not believed to be contagious to humans or livestock, chronic wasting disease is known to spread from animal to animal among deer and elk. The disease affects the brain of the infected animal, causing them to become emaciated, display abnormal behavior, lose coordination and eventually die. Illinois expanded its CWD surveillance effort in 2002 following the discovery of the disease in neighboring Wisconsin.

Hunting quick facts:

- Illinois law requires that anyone born on or after January 1, 1980, must successfully complete a hunter safety course before a regular Illinois hunting license is issued.

- The number one cause of hunting accidents in Illinois is falling from a tree stand.

- Last year in Illinois, there were 29 reported hunting accidents; 12 were the result of tree stand falls. - 28 hunting accidents (2 fatalities) were reported in Illinois in 2006.

When using a tree stand, remember the following:

- Check ladder stands before you climb to make sure they are secure.

- Wear a safety harness when climbing a tree and when in a tree stand.

- Use a haul line to raise an unloaded firearm or bow into a stand.

When hunting with a firearm, sportsmen should remember three primary rules of firearm safety:

- Point the muzzle in a safe direction.

- Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.

- Know your target and what is beyond your target.

The Greatest Thanks: "Giving"

The frigid nights of winter are upon us. The smoky smell of fireplaces stoked with wood wafts across half-picked cornfields. Steam from furnaces now on full blast puffs from the exhaust pipes on roofs. Maybe it's a faulty wire, maybe it's an errant ember, or maybe it's just a tiny spark but inevitably, during this cold part of the year, one of those houses-somebody's home-goes up in flames. As firefighters race to douse the blaze, those who live there stand outside and stare in shock at the horrible site in front of them. All their possessions are burning. Neighbors alerted by sirens are at their windows, or standing outside wrapped in jackets, gaping and shaking their heads. It happened that way in Freeport last week. And last month. And in Lena, two months before that. In fact, home fires are the single most deadly disaster at the local level. If the fire is bad enough-and many fires this time of year are-your American Red Cross gets the call. A family needs help. Please come, emergency officials say. I took one of those calls just last week and within minutes, our volunteers and staff were on their way to the duplex home in Freeport. It's always that way, no matter what time it is. As firefighters douse flames, we open emergency claim files. Hours after the last ember has died, we are still sitting with confused victims, filling out forms for them and, ultimately, taking care of their immediate needs-food, clothing, and a warm place to sleep. Do we really do all that? Yes, we do, and more. When tornadoes hit. When hurricanes strike. When floods fill basements. We show up-many of us volunteers. We help. Why? One volunteer last week put it this way: "Every so often I get one of those warm fuzzy moments." We can keep helping people because the people in Northwest Illinois care about each other, and give to the agencies that help people in distress. If you care about people caught in the vortex of such tragedies and you've never donated to or volunteered with the American Red Cross before, but just thought about it, this is the perfect week to start giving, for two reasons. Our chapter-your chapter-is in the final days of its Hometown Heroes campaign. We're attempting to raise a significant portion of our annual revenue from people just like you who feel that small tug on their heartstrings and who want to make sure that we don't run out of money so victims who don't know where to turn have some temporary peace of mind. The other reason to start now is that, today we have an announcement! We're making giving, volunteering, or signing up for one of our lifesaving classes a little easier. With the help of a generous donation from the Freeport Coomunit6y Foundation, your local Red Cross chapter has a new Web site. It's a quick and easy way for you to get more information about what we do-both here and at the national level, and on that site, we are providing a simpler means for giving. At our Web site, http://www.nwilrecross.org/ which is still under construction, you can view pictures of out local volunteers in action and watch videos about tragedies made easier by Red Cross volunteers here and across the country. Our new Web site is growing, and we will keep on making it batter and better, so you can get information you want on how we're spending your donations. Yes, there is much for which to be thankful this time of year. Just Saturday night, the Freeport Firefighters tended bar at Fieldstone Restaurant and raised nearly $400 for this chapter. It is moments like that which bring on that "warm, fuzzy feeling." Our promise to all of you in Stephenson, JoDaviess and Carroll counties is this: we'll keep going if you keep us going. With the help of our supporting agency-The United Way of Northwest Illinois-we can help keep the "thanks" in Thanksgiving for victims of disaster. Please give and if you already have, thank you.

Diana Roemer,

Executive Director

American Red Cross

Northwest Illinois Chapter

Stevens Joins Experience Works Staff

Pennie Stevens of Polo, Illinois has joined the Experience Works staff as an employment and training assistant (ETA) for the northwestern Illinois region. Stevens will be assisting Experience Works Employment and Training Coordinator Lloyd Pletsch in Carroll, Ogle, Stephenson and Jo Daviess counties and parts of Winnebago County. A graduate of Western Illinois University, Stevens has experience as a grant writer, office manager and journalist.

"Our Experience Works area includes 13 counties in this part of the state and Pennie's experience and enthusiasm will be instrumental in providing new job skills and employment opportunities to older workers," says Pletsch. "I am very excited to gain Pennie's help in bringing the Experience Works program to residents throughout the area," says Pletsch who has an office at 412 First Avenue, Sterling, Illinois 61081. Stevens will be based in the Illinois Department of Employment Security office in Freeport, Illinois. She joins ETA Florence Cunningham of Rock Falls, Illinois as a service provider. Cunningham works out of the IDES office in Sterling, Illinois.

Experience Works is a not-for-profit agency that assists in finding employment options for older workers, cooperates with area community service agencies in training them and assists businesses and organizations interested in hiring and retaining these trained workers. "We are able to assist low-income seniors, many with a number of barriers to employment, in finding good jobs in local communities by providing them with training, skills, confidence development and supportive services," says Pletsch. Seniors who qualify for this program must be over 55, be unemployed and meet federal income guidelines. "We are able to help seniors in this region who find they need to go back to work for any number of reasons and find that to be a real challenge. We enroll qualified individuals and then find them what we call "host agencies" in their communities. They work for those host agencies 20 hours a week and in the process develop new skills and abilities that will help them return to the regular workforce at some point. While they work for the agency they are paid minimum wage for their services by Experience Works which also provides workers compensation coverage."

In return for providing on-the-job training and supervision to the workers, the organizations benefit from the work the seniors complete. "It's a win, win situation for both the worker and the agency," says Pletsch who finds a great deal of satisfaction in helping older workers gain new skills while providing very real services to the agencies to which they are assigned. In addition to helping these older workers find employment opportunities, Experience Works also assists them in other trainings. "We help many seniors learn computer skills and pay for that training," explains Pletsch. "We help others get their GED or food certification. We do assessments of their needs and desires when we enroll them and help them to achieve their goals in order to prepare for their new employment options."

For more information about Experience Works, call 1-815-535-0034. Non-profit agencies and governmental units interested in becoming host agencies are also encouraged to call.

Chadwick Achiever's Highlights

By Douglas Williams

Chadwick Achievers 4-H Club Reporter

On October 8 the Chadwick Achievers met at the Methodist Church in Chadwick. The group heard several presentations and demonstrations.

Becca Alexander did a talk on sewing and Arts and Crafts. Dylan Alexander demonstrated his woodworking skills. Goats were the topic of Kyle Imel's presentation. We were reminded that holiday wreaths will be delivered on Tuesday, November 25.

The next meeting will be a Christmas party at the church on Wed., December 3. Everyone is to bring a drink and either dessert or munchies. Finally, please bring shampoo or conditioner to the next meeting for the Federation Suitcase Project.

Military Holiday Mail

. . . Did You Miss the Deadline?

November 14 was the last day to send packages Parcel Post to military addresses overseas for delivery by Dec. 25.

Not ready to ship today? There's still plenty of time along with great offers to get your holiday package to its destination, according to Diane Searby, Lanark Postmaster.

Mail sent to overseas military addresses is charged domestic mail prices. Domestic mail prices for the largest Priority Mail Flat Rate Box is reduced for packages to APO/FPO addresses overseas.

Free Military Care Kits are available for military families sending packages overseas. Customers can order the mailing kits by phone at 800-610-8734.

Mail addressed to military Post Offices overseas is subject to certain conditions or restrictions regarding content, preparation and handling. APO/FPO addresses generally require customs forms.

CCFB Hosts First ICCT Meeting

Carroll County took the first step to develop a transportation system for the County on Tuesday, November 18, 2008. Twenty-one individuals from 18 organizations met at the Carroll County Farm Bureau to begin work with the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Transportation (ICCT) of the Rural Transit Assistance Center at Western Illinois University.

Participants were Mike Doty, Carroll County Administrator; Joyce Schubert, Carroll County Board member Dist. 3; Chas Welch, Carroll County Farm Bureau; Dawn Holland, Carroll County Health Department; Bev Atherton, Bonnie Christians and Clarence Hasz from Carroll County Senior Center; Wendy Major, CASA; Laurie Gungel , Carroll County Economic Development Corporation; Twyla Koning, Department of Rehab; Nancy Lillevold, Department of Human Services; Linda Jachino, Highland Community College; Anna Gray, Good Samaritan Center; Kate Ramsay, Northwest Illinois Workforce Development Board; Mike Moh, NICIL; Josh Jasper and Christina Rios, Riverview Center; Jon Murray, Rolling Hills Progress Center; Karen Carvell, Salvation Army and Church on the Hill; Kim James and Bob Norman, Sinnissippi Centers, Inc.; and Ed Heflin, Facilitator, Interagency Coordinating Committee on Transportation (ICCT) of the Rural Transit Assistance Center at Western Illinois University.

Gungel opened the meeting by talking about the difficulty of getting around Carroll County without your own car. Examples of problems with the current system were listed, such as those needing to get to jobs, medical appointments, high school and college, grocery shopping, counseling, after school programs for kids, and child care.

Ed Heflin talked about the multitude of funding streams from the federal government that have made cooperation between organizations with some vehicles quite difficult. He also described the funds that have been set aside for Carroll County, nearly $134,000 for 2008-2010. The work of this group will enable access to those funds for operating a transit system in the County.

The ICCT Clearinghouse provides technical assistance to community members to develop a sustainable transit system created to fit the specific needs of the county. Transit services may include, but are not limited to: bus routes, paratransit and other services, while building on and increasing the capacity of existing transportation options in the county.

Through the ICCT Coordination Primer Process, the Clearinghouse will help Carroll County develop the coordinated public transit system through the five phases of the Primer Process:

- Creating a Transit Partnership Group (TPG)

- Completing a broad-based needs and resource assessment

- Developing an action plan and system model

- Applying for and securing funding

- Evaluating the system.

Copies of the Primer were distributed, and Heflin asked that all read it in preparation for the next meeting, set for Tuesday, January 6, 2009. At the Nov. 18th meeting, the group confirmed their interest in being part of the Transportation Policy Group, the diverse group of community members who will work together to develop the coordinated public transit system.

"Community input is accepted and encouraged," said Gungel. "Meetings will be open to all county residents who wish to offer their thoughts and input about their needs and would like to participate in the process. Others are invited to join us at our next meeting on Tuesday, January 6 from 1 ­ 2:30 pm at the Carroll County Farm Bureau, 811 S. Clay Street in Mt. Carroll, IL. So that we have enough handouts, please call 815-273-1153 if you are planning to attend."

After completing the process, Carroll County will have a sustainable and accessible public transportation system that meets the needs of all county residents with a broad base of community support.

Saving & Investing in Turbulent Times

Dow falls, Dow rebounds, Dow suffers record losses; Dow hits you in the pocket book. The volatile market has people working or retired asking the question; what should I do with my money?

University of Illinois Extension Jo Carroll Unit is hosting Saving and Investing in Turbulent Times, a teleconference with campus-based professors and extension educators to help answer questions regarding what to do with your money in light of the current financial markets. David Sinow, clinical professor of finance at University of Illinois will address how today's economic situation affects different types of investors. Paul McNamara, professor of consumer economics at University of Illinois will speak on lessons we can derive from behavioral economics and previous market history. Extension educators will discuss sound investment and risk management strategies, including diversification, dollar cost averaging, and rebalancing. In addition, the final half hour will be dedicated to a Q & A session. Bring your questions.

Join our panel for a lively, unbiased 90-minute session to be held on December 16, 2008. We will have two opportunities to accommodate your schedule, with the first session at 1:30 PM and the second telenet scheduled for 7 PM. To register for the workshop, call the Carroll County Extension Office at 815-244-9444 by December 11, 2008 and indicate which time you will attend.

This event is brought to you as part of the Getting Through Tough Times Initiative from University of Illinois Extension. For more information on saving and investing, visit University of Illinois Extension Plan Well, Retire Well: Your how-to guide http://www.retirewell.uiuc.edu/.

From the Fields

By Jim Morrison

Value added, or the process of increasing the economic value and consumer appeal of a product has been utilized for many years in agriculture. Forage analysis is one example of "value" that has been "added" to hay, haylage, or other forages.

The value of forage analysis increases in tight economic conditions. Hay analysis plays a critical role in stretching hay supplies, balancing livestock rations, and is an important aspect of buying and selling hay.

Proper sampling of hay is extremely important to assure an accurate analysis. As the old saying goes, "an analysis is only as good as the sample provided to the laboratory". If sampling procedures are carefully followed, sampling variation can be reduced to an acceptable level, and the potential forage quality successfully predicted. The following are industry accepted guidelines for hay sampling.

Identify a single "lot" of hay. A hay lot is identified as a single cutting, a single field and variety, and generally be less than 200 tons. Combinations of different lots of hay cannot be represented adequately by a forage sampling. Thus, different lots should be sampled separately.

Timely sampling. It is important to sample the hay either as close to feeding, or as close to point of sale as possible.

Use a hay sampling probe or coring device. Never send flakes or "grab"

samples, as these do not adequately represent the hay lot. A list of hay probes is

available at the National Forage Testing Association web site: http://www.foragetesting.org/

Take a minimum of 20 cores for a composite sample to represent a hay lot regardless of bale size or shape. With small bales, take one core per bale; but with larger bales (one ton or greater), take two-three cores per bale in the center of the ends.

Sample butt ends of the hay bale, between the strings or wires, and not near the edge. The sides or the top of the bale should not be sampled, since these cores will only represent one flake from a single area of the field, and also misrepresent the leaf-to-stem ratio. With round bales, sample on the rounded portion towards the middle of the bale on an angle directly towards the center of the bale.

Sampling should be done so about a one-half pound sample is produced for the laboratory. The sampler should ensure that the entire one-half pound sample is ground by the laboratory.

Seal the composite 20-core sample in a plastic bag and protect from heat. Double bagging is beneficial. Deliver or mail to the laboratory as soon as possible. Do not allow samples to be exposed to excess sun.

Lastly, choose a National Forage Testing Association certified laboratory. A list is available at the above-mentioned web site.

Forage analysis doesn't cost, it pays.

Tuesday Night Painting Resumes at 321

The Artists Cooperative of Savanna has announced the resumption of its popular Tuesday night painting sessions with instructor Terri Milburn. This weekly opportunity was begun more than a year ago for would-be artists to have an undisturbed place in which to create their work and has been well attended both by those who want to paint weekly and by artists who only want occasional assistance.

Also scheduled for the coming year is a step by step oil workshop for any adult (over 14) wishing to learn the proper method of creating an oil painting. Milburn will take her students from putting their composition onto canvas and laying in the darks and lights of the subject, to explaining painting styles and various brushstrokes effects and completing the series by demonstrating finishing techniques and advising them on final varnish choices. Held two weeks apart to facilitate drying of the oil paints, this course will provide answers to the many questions that oil instruction books never cover.

Any questions regarding these two opportunities can be addressed by calling the Gallery at 321 Main Street in Savanna (815) 273-2781 Wednesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm or by contacting Mary Falls at (815) 273-7406 after 6 pm. She can also be reached online at servicesrendered@internetni.com on most days.

Pearl City PO

Holds Passport Fair

PEARL CITY IL ­ For people planning a trip outside the country, the local Post Office can help travelers get there with the right documents.

On Friday and Saturday, December 5-6, 2008, the Pearl City Post Office, located at 105 S Main Street, will host a "Passport Fair" from 9:00 ­ 1:00. Postal Service sales and service associates will help residents with passport applications, fees and photos.

Effective June 2009, U.S. Citizens must present a valid U.S. Passport Book, U.S. Passport Card or other travel document approved by the Department of Homeland Security, when entering the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry. The passport card is not valid for international travel by air. According to the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, this change primarily affects United States and Canadian citizens, who have previously been permitted entry by oral declaration alone. They indicated this marks the transition toward standard and consistent documents for all travelers entering the country.

Travelers can now apply for either a passport or the new U.S. Passport Card at the Pearl City Post Office. The Passport Card can only be used to travel by land or sea between the U.S. to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean.

"Passport Fairs' make it easy and convenient for travelers to apply for a passport or passport card," said Pearl City Postmaster Deborah Graves.

The State Department advises passport production time averages four to six weeks. Call the post office for cost and any other information.

Savanna Native Rockafellow Completes Senior Volleyball Campaign

DUBUQUE, Iowa - The Clarke College women's volleyball season came to an end in early-November following a 3-0 Midwest Collegiate Conference Tournament road loss to Waldorf College. The Crusaders dropped the quarterfinal match 25-21, 25-14, 25-17.

Clarke sophomore middle blocker Ashley Shields, of Harvard, Ill., led the Crusaders with eight kills and five blocks. She hit .421. Senior outside hitter, Shelly Reittinger, of Dyersville, Iowa, added seven kills and eight digs.

Another leading player for Clarke College was senior Katy Rockafellow, a 5-9 OH/DS from Savanna. Rockafellow graduated from Savanna High School.

Coach Chris Miron's Crusaders finished 26-9 overall. The 26 victories equaled the second-highest single-season win total in the 29-year history of the program. The 1992 Crusaders finished 26-20.

Lon Boike led Clarke to a school-record 27 victories in 1991.

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