Camp Love 'n Loss Helps Grieving Youth

As parents and their children are finalizing plans for summer, keep Camp Love 'n Loss in mind for those who are dealing with the loss of a loved one.

On August 9, youth ages 6-13 are invited to gather at the Sterling-Rock Falls Family YMCA for an annual youth bereavement camp hosted by Hospice of the Rock River Valley (HRRV).

Camp Love 'n Loss is led by trained, experienced counselors and allows youth to learn about grief and share their loss with members of their peer group.

"By attending Camp Love 'n Loss, youth will see that they are not alone in their feelings," said HRRV bereavement coordinator Chris Larson. "Communication with other youth and camp counselors should assist them in their healing journey," she said.

This free daycamp experience combines outdoor activities, movies, crafts and swimming to create a safe environment in which youth can identify feelings of grief, loss and healing.

Larson explains that youth react differently to grief than adults, and camp surrounds youth with understanding counselors who allow them to mourn. Grieving youth will exhibit a variety of characteristics including unusual behavior, anxiety or anger, changed eating patterns, and lack of concentration. These are some of the more common reactions to a significant loss that parents, grandparents, guardians or other family members can identify.

Camp applications are due July 27, 2007 and are available online (www.hospicerockriver.org) or by calling HRRV at (800) 646-9242.

Camp Love 'n Loss is offered at no cost to participants. Sponsors of the program include United Way of Whiteside County, United Way of Lee County, and the Sterling-Rock Falls Family YMCA.

Gary Bonjour Benefit Concert

A praise and worship benefit concert will be held Saturday, July 14 at Antl Hall, 318 Chicago Avenue, in Savanna, Illinois to help with funding the costs of continuing medical treatments for Gary Bonjour of Savanna.

Gary Bonjour was diagnosed earlier this year with multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer that affects the production of plasma cells. He is currently receiving chemotherapy treatments at the Northwestern University Cancer Center in Chicago. After chemo treatments are concluded, a series of stem cell transplants will follow.

The concert will be from 5:30 to 9:00 and will be open to the public. Food and drinks will be available sponsored by Savanna Bible Church, The Women of St. John, and the Carroll County DARE Student Board.

Performing at the concert will be three contemporary Christian bands including The New Spirit Band from Savanna, Illinois; Legacy from Fulton, Illinois; and The Burning, also from the Fulton/Clinton area.

All of Gary and Patty Bonjour's friends, neighbors,and acquaintences are urged to attend, as well as anyone who enjoys Contemporary Christian music, is most cordially invited to join in for this important fund raiser.

Rolfe Ehrmann announces candidacy

Rolfe Ehrmann announced today that he is a candidate for the Republication nomination for Circuit Judge for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit covering the five counties of Lee, Ogle, Carroll, Stephenson and Jo Daviess. Ehrmann is a founding partner of Ehrmann Gehlbach Badger & Lee in Dixon. Ehrmann has been active in the Bar Association and in the Sheriffs Department Merit Commission, the Lee County Council on Aging, the Lee County Board of Health, the Dixon Rotary, and numerous similar organizations over the years. Ehrmann is married to Denise McCaffrey-Ehrmann, the Lee County Circuit Clerk. They have eight children and four grandchildren.

HCC honors GED completers

Highland Community College held its 34th annual GED Recognition Ceremony June 27th for the 141 GED completers who participated in the college's Adult Education Program during the past year.

Denise McIlain, an HCC graduate who is currently enrolled in Rockford College, gave the charge to the graduates. Several graduates spoke at the ceremony and shared their personal stories of why they decided to earn a GED certificate (high school equivalency) and what this accomplishment has meant to them.

Nora Johnson represented the Savanna Adult Education Center. In 2005, Nora experienced a "life-altering health problem which forced me to leave what life I had and begin a new one." After participating in the Center's Computer Basics class, she decided to enroll in the GED class. "I always regretted not getting my high school diploma when I was a teenager. My first few classes were scary and embarrassing since I was so much older than every one else there. I soon learned that getting a GED was going to be a lot harder than if I had stayed in school," Nora said.

But, with the help of the instructor and volunteer tutors Sherry Andersen and John Gmitro, she passed all of the tests and earned a GED certificate. "When my GED certificate arrived in the mail, I can not tell you how happy and proud I felt for finally correcting something that always felt wrong in my life." Nora also thanked her family and friends for their support and encouragement.

She will begin a new phase of her life this fall as an HCC college student, studying computer operations and programming. She also plans to become a volunteer tutor and help other adult education students reach their goals.

The Savanna Center had 8 GED completers during the 2006-07 year: from Mt. CarrollJames Rice and Danielle Zito; from LanarkKaren McCarthy, Jesse Bashaw, and Ashley Lott; and from SavannaBarbara Reed, Nora Johnson, and Cassandra Kerns.

For more information about the Savanna area GED program or to enroll in a fall class, call Linda Jachino at 815-273-4760.

Local Red Cross volunteers travel to flood affected areas

Northwest Illinois Chapter of the American Red Cross is deploying local volunteers to flood affected areas in Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma. Kari Hartman of Lanark and Jerry & Cindy Thomas of South Beloit are heading to Wichita Kansas to help with mass care, sheltering and client services. It is expected that more volunteers will be deployed as the situation develops.

All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the floods in Texas, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disaster.

If you are interested in becoming a Red Cross volunteer, please contact the Northwest Illinois Chapter: 224 W. Galena Ave, Freeport, IL 61032, (815) 233-0011.

Grand opening celebration for Midwest Regional Health Clinic

Midwest Regional Health Clinic invites the community to attend a special open house celebration from10 a.m.-2 p.m. July 14 at its new location, at 202 Summit Street (across the street from the current hospital). Focused on total family care, Dr. Michael Wells and Peg Dittmar, APN, CNP wish to welcome the community to experience compassionate, comprehensive care, close to home. "The Clinic provides our community with additional choices for their family care and gives us the opportunity to expand our services to include a myriad of specialty practices. Midwest Regional Health Clinic will be an integral part of the new medical center, due to open in December of this year", states Jeff Hill, CEO of Midwest Regional Medical Center, the replacement hospital for Galena-Stauss.

The entire medical staff of Midwest Regional Health Clinic, including P.K. Faramus, LPN and Penny Winders, are committed to being proactive partners in health for the community. During the open house, attendees can receive free skin cancer screenings and blood pressure checks. Children will meet Jo Jo the Clown and have a balloon sculpture created after enjoying refreshments. Guests can also register to win one month free membership at the Galena-Stauss Fitness Center.

Midwest Regional Health Clinic offers pediatric and adolescent care as well as adult and geriatric care. The clinic accepts most insurance plans including the Medical Associates Community Plan policy. For more information about Midwest Regional Health Clinic, visit www.GalenaHealth.org or call 776-7381.

Final pre-participation screenings announced

Monroe Clinic announces the final pre-participation screenings (formerly known as sports physicals) will be offered at a discounted price. To take advantage of this offer, screenings must be paid by cash, check or credit card at the time of visit. Insurance will not be billed. To fully address adolescent health issues, incoming high school freshman are not eligible for pre-participation screenings at Monroe Clinic.

Pre-participation Clinic locations, screening dates, and times are: Monroe - 2-4 p.m. July 24 or 1-3 p.m. July 26, call 608-324-2453 to schedule; Lena - 1:30-4 p.m. Aug. 1, Call 815-369-4541 to schedule.

In addition, school physicals are available at all Clinic sites for appointments until July 19, after July 19 they will increase in price. To take advantage of these offers, physicals must be paid by cash, check or credit card at the time of visit. Insurance will not be billed. The price for school physicals does not include lab fees or immunizations that may be needed. Call one of Monroe Clinic's eight convenient locations for details or call 608-324-2000.

Fair premium books now available

Premium books for the 137th Annual Whiteside County Fair, which runs Aug. 14­18, are now available at banks throughout the county. Over $117,000 in premiums will be offered in prize money to the winners in over 1,500 different classes.

The fair book can serve as a road map to the fair and all of its shows and events, along with providing the entry forms and processing information necessary to enter the dozens of judged competition classes.

You can also download the premium book information from our website at www.whitesidecountyfair.org in the premiums section or contact Todd Mickley, Director of Publicity, for more information at 815-772-2793. All the information you need to get ready for the Whiteside County Fair is at your fingertips on our website.

End-of-June rainfall provides remarkable transformation

"The most outstanding feature of June weather was the change from very dry conditions the first 18 days to very wet ones the rest of the month. As a result, crops, lawns, and gardens recovered quickly from abnormally dry conditions that began in May," says State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu), a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Statewide June precipitation in Illinois was 4.47 inches (0.39 inches above normal), and statewide temperatures were 72.7°F degrees (0.8°F above normal). "That's quite a switch from the first 18 days of June, only 1.03 inches statewide, less than half the 2.42-inch normal for that period. The last 12 days of June had 3.44 inches, about twice the 1.66-inch normal," says Angel.

The National Weather Service July outlook calls for an increased chance for below normal temperatures in much of western Illinois. Far western Illinois, around Quincy, also is expected to have an increased chance for above normal precipitation. "This predicted pattern of cooler, wetter conditions in western Illinois is related to the expectation of continued above normal rainfall in Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri," says Angel.

The rest of the state will have equal chances for July temperatures and precipitation above, below, or near normal. The July­September outlook calls for an increased chance for above normal temperatures but equal chances for precipitation above, below, or near normal.

Disclaimer: Data used for all statistics provided herein are from the Midwestern Regional Climate Center and are based on preliminary data.

­ Jim Angel

Crop reporting deadline nears

SPRINGFIELD ­ The Illinois State Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency (FSA), William J. Graff, reminds producers that their crop acreage needs to be reported to their local Farm Service Agency office by July 16.

Acreage report are required for program eligibility and mandatory for producers who participate in the FSA programs such as the Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program (DCP), 10-15 year Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Commodity Loans, Loan Deficiency Payments (LDPs) and the Non-insured Assistance Program (NAP).

"Producers are also reminded to report any prevented or failed acreage as soon as possible to their local FSA office," stated Bill Graff, State Executive Director of FSA. "This will ensure compliance with current farm programs, and possible eligibility for future programs."

After the July 16 reporting deadline, producers will be charged a minimum late-filing fee of $46 per farm. Acreage reports may be revised at any time without a late filing charge as long as the crop may be verified in the field.

To Avoid Late Filing Charges, please contact your local FSA today to make an appointment or to receive additional information.

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