U of I Extension Master Gardener Conference Open to the Public

The general public is invited to attend the 2008 University of Illinois Extension State Master Gardener Conference to be held Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008 through Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008 at the Westin in Lombard. This year's conference, "Pathways to a Greener Illinois", will focus on "greening" ­ looking at ways to conserve resources and garden in an environmentally friendly manner.

Thursday is devoted to tours of area sites such as the "Smart Home, Green + Wired" at the Museum of Science and Industry, the gardens at Ball Horticulture, Midwest Groundcovers, Country Garden Cuisines and more. A wide variety of classes is available Friday and Saturday. Horticultural experts from around the Midwest as well as several top national speakers will be on hand to talk all aspects of gardening. Registrants may choose from over 30 different classes on topics from water conservation to shade gardening to tropical plants. The keynote address will be given on Saturday morning by Horticulture expert Melinda Myers.

The registration fee for 2 days of educational sessions (Friday and Saturday) is includes all classes, handouts, and meals. Single day registration is available. There is an additional fee for the Thursday tours. Registration for the general public is open August 1 through August 26.

View a list of speakers and tours on the conference brochure and registration page at: www.extension.uiuc.edu/mg/, or contact the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener Office at 217-265-5256 with questions.

Free Adult Ed Classes Start in Savanna

The Adult Education Department of Highland Community College will resume classes the week of August 25, 2008 at the Savanna Center, 2100 Chicago Avenue (1st United Methodist Church).

Adult Education classes are free to qualifying individuals. Teens need a withdrawal letter from their last school stating that they are no longer enrolled in school and the date that they were dropped.

Classes are offered in GED testing preparation and Basic Skills on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30-11:30 A.M. and 6:00-8:00 P.M. beginning Monday, August 25th. A new student orientation will be held on Wednesday, August 20th at the regular class times for students who are new to HCC's Adult Education program.

English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00-8:00 P.M. These classes help foreign-born adults improve their English language skills.

Enrollment in advance is required. For more information or to enroll in Adult Education classes, contact the HCC Adult Education office at 815-599-3460. Visit our web site for more information about these free services at www.highland.edu/adulted

'Scenes of the Upper Miss River Refuge' Photo Contest Winners

The Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge congratulates everyone who entered in the Summer 2008 contest. Photos will be on displayed at the Ingersoll Wetlands Learning Center through August 15th. The Center is located at 7071 Riverview Rd, Thomson, IL. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. ­ 4:00 p.m.

Congratulations to the winners in the following categories:

Scenic Views of the Refuge:

1st Place ­ Jaci Lewis, Morrison, IL

2nd Place ­ Nana Campana, Thomson, IL

3rd Place ­ Nana Campana, Thomson, IL

Birds of Refuge:

1st Place ­ George Blount, Clinton, IA

2nd Place ­ Sarah Wiederholt, Clinton, IA

3rd Place ­ Les Zigurski, Scales Mound, IL

Other Wildlife of the Refuge:

1st Place ­ Sarah Wiederholt, Clinton, IA and BIS

2nd Place ­ Ed Arb, Savanna, IL

3rd Place ­ George Blount, Clinton, IA

Artistic Photos of the Refuge

1st Place ­ Sarah Wiederholt, Clinton, IA

2nd Place ­ Sarah Wiederholt, Clinton, IA

3rd Place ­ Roger Dorneden, Apple River, IL

Carroll County Native Takes $50,000 Sunoco 100

Using a textbook slide job on Scott Bloomquist, Darren Miller of Chadwick, IL took the lead on the 77th lap and then held off the Hall of Famer over the last 23 circuits to win the biggest race of his career on Saturday Night at Florence Speedway. Miller's margin of victory was a

little more than half a car length as the 31-year-old driver earned $50,000 by winning the Sunoco Race Fuels 26th Annual North/South 100 Presented by Lucas Oil. Matt Miller of Waterville, Ohio finished third followed by Eddie Carrier Jr. of Salt Rock, W.Va. and Bart Hartman of Zanesville, Ohio.

Darren Miller and Bloomquist started on the front row of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series sanctioned event. Bloomquist got the jump at the drop of the green flag as he bolted into the lead. Bloomquist stretched his lead to five car lengths over Darren Miller just as Francis started to close ground with 15 laps in the record books. Bloomquist was never able to build the lead he wanted, and with 25 laps scored both Miller and Francis had cut into the gap that Bloomquist had maintained.

Miller would then chase down Bloomquist and with 72 laps complete he was all over him as the fans came to their feet. Miller would dive to the inside of Bloomquist in turns three and four putting Bloomquist in jeopardy of losing the lead. Finally on lap 77, it happened, Darren Miller

tried a slide-job in turn four. His car managed to accomplish the feat as he grabbed the lead from Bloomquist.

Heading into turn three, and coming to the checkered flag, Darren Miller would shut the door on Bloomquist as crossed the line first and won the biggest race of his career by a slim margin.

"I don't even know what to say, I've never won a big event like this, no doubt it's the biggest win of my career and I can sure use the $50,000," said Miller who became the 21st different winner this season on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series tour.

It was also another big win this season for a Moyer Victory Circle Chassis, the car of choice for the event for Darren Miller. "I thought I could get into the corner better than him and I felt pretty good when I passed him, I don't know if he had to check up or anything, but we're running for $50,000 to win and I was going for it. We pulled away there at the end and I had to contend with the two cars in front of me, but I was glad to keep him behind me and when I crossed the finish line, it was a great feeling to beat someone like him."

Porter-Prowant wedding planned

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Porter of Sterling, formerly of Morrison, announce the engagement of their daughter Sarah Elizabeth to Karl Asch Prowant, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie Prowant of Lanark. The bride-elect is a 2003 graduate of Morrison High School and a 2008 graduate of Clinton Community College with an Associate Degree in Nursing. Her fiancé is a 2002 graduate of Eastland High School. He is employed by Prowant Construction of Lanark.

The couple is planning a September 27, 2008 wedding at Lanark United Methodist Church. Invitations have been sent.

Schaver Featured Artist at 321

Watercolorist Deb Schaver of Albany, IL is the featured artist at the next presentation sponsored by the Artists Cooperative of Savanna in their gallery at 321 Main Street in downtown Savanna, IL. The exhibit will remain on display through Wednesday, Sept. 17.

Originally from Erie, IL, Schaver was employed for 33 years as a designer in the floral industry until recently, when she began to focus on expressing herself in creative art work. Now she uses florals as subjects for her paintings. She has also done a number of animal paintings and landscapes, and plans to focus on portrait and figure studies in the near future.

Schaver has tried many different mediums over the past 3 years, but has settled on watercolor as the one which offers her the opportunity to express her abilities and techniques from books, photos and the wide realm of Nature, attending workshops to learn from other artists and trying to paint as often as she can.

Her family has been very supportive of her efforts, but she gives particular credit to Dennis Fortune of Geneseo, IL, who instructed her for two years in art at the high school level, and has continued to provide her with great encouragement since that time. She is also grateful to watercolorist Ruth Eschelman of Morrison, IL, who was instrumental in helping her understand the process of watercolor.

"Being a painter," Schaver said, "has given me many opportunities to teach and share this joy with others, and I thank God for the gift He has given me." She has a natural enthusiasm for art and enjoys sharing her skills with anyone.

Schaver is fond of using strong, bold colors in her work and tries to reproduce the subject matter as realistically as possible, because she feels that is where true beauty lies.

"When people view my work, I'd like them to recall positive moments in their lives," she says, "Moments that create good memories and times they will enjoy revisiting."

In addition to her show, the Gallery has works by other members in cloth, wood, paper, jewelry, clay, and stained glass on display. There is also a gift section with one-of-a-kind items available.

Pidde Named to University of Dubuque Dean's List

The University of Dubuque congratulates Katherine Pidde on being appointed to the Spring Semester 2008 Academic Dean's List. Katherine is the daughter of Cory and Diane Pidde of Mt. Carroll, Illinois and attended Thomson High School.

To be named to the dean's list, a student must earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale for that semester.

The University of Dubuque, founded in 1852, is a private, coeducational, professional University with a focus in the liberal arts.

Schoeny Receives Degree, Honors from the University of Dubuque

The University of Dubuque congratulates Tad Schoeny upon his graduation. Schoeny graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management and Flight Operations.

Schoeny is the son of Kent and Julie Shoeny of Shannon, Illinois and attended Eastland High School in Lanark, IL.

Commencement 2008 was held on Saturday, May 10 at the Grand River Center in Dubuque, Iowa. This year's commencement ceremonies marked the 156th convocation for the conferring of degrees at the University.

Schoeny was awarded the David Flying Service Award. This award is presented by David Flying Service to recognize the graduating senior who has been actively involved in aviation activities and has maintained a high academic average in the Aviation Department.

He was named as a member of Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities. Candidates are chosen on the basis of scholarship, leadership and service to the University and the community. Junior and senior students must have a 3.5 grade point average to be eligible for consideration. Students are nominated for consideration by faculty and staff.

In addition, Schoeny and was appointed to the Spring 2008 Academic Dean's List. To be named to the dean's list, a student must earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale for that semester.

The University of Dubuque, founded in 1852, is a private, coeducational, professional University with a focus in the liberal arts.

Cheeseman-Rogers wedding plans

Mike and Lisa Cheeseman of Milledgeville announce the engagement of their daughter, Jacki Cheeseman to Joe Rogers, Jr., the son of Mike and Julie Scribner of Milledgeville and Joe and Sharon Rogers, Sr. of Sterling.

The bride-to-be is a graduate of Milledgeville High School and Aurora University, Aurora, IL. She is employed by Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, Dixon, IL.

Her fiancé is a graduate of Milledgeville High School and is employed by Allied Locke Industries in Dixon, IL.

The couple is planning an October 4, 2008 wedding at the Polo Historic Wedding Chapel, Polo, IL.

NARFE Annual Picnic

Chapter 604 of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) Association will hold their annual picnic on August 21, 2008 at Old Mill Park in Savanna. A catered luncheon buffet will be served at noon at a very nominal cost. Bring your spouse and get reacquainted with old friends and coworkers. There will be no meeting, just visiting and fellowship. We hope to have a BC/BS representative attend. Please RSVP no later than August 17 by calling Kay at 815-273-4750. All active and retired federal employees, spouses and survivors are cordially invited.

Carroll County Sheriff's Department News

On Wednesday August 6,2008 the Carroll County Sheriff's Department arrested the following subjects: Brandon E. Neumiller age 32, of Clinton, IA and Carla E. Geier age 37, of Savanna, IL each for driving while license revoked, unlawful possession of methamphetamine manufacturing materials, and unlawful possession of anhydrous ammonia. The arrest occurred after a traffic complaint on the subject's vehicle in rural Thomson, IL. Subsequent to the arrests, search warrants were executed at a residence in Savanna, IL. Assisting the Sheriff's Department were the Thomson Police Department, The Illinois State Police Meth Team, DEA, Savanna Police Department, and the Carroll County States Attorney's Office. The incident remains under investigation by the Sheriff's Department, ISP Meth Team, and the States Attorney's Office.

Jesse White and Alexi Giannoulias Add Payment Options at Drivers Facilities Statewide

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White and Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias announced that customers can now use MasterCard, American Express and Discover credit or debit cards to pay driver's license and identification card fees, as well as vehicle renewals and registration. White initiated this project as part of his effort to continue to provide the public with additional, more convenient services.

"Customer service continues to be one of my top priorities," White said. "We are constantly looking at ways to offer customers more options when it comes to serving their driving and identification needs. We believe that offering the public this additional option will enhance their experience with our office. We are very pleased to work with Treasurer Giannoulias to give customers the opportunity to pay for their transactions with their credit and debit cards." "The Treasurer's Office is thrilled to play a role in Secretary White's effort to make it easy and convenient for Illinois consumers to make payments at Illinois' driver's license facilities throughout the state," said Giannoulias. "Just like businesses, government has a responsibility to give its customers the widest possible array of payment options. This partnership demonstrates good government-to-government business that allows the state to accept credit and debit cards at the point of sale without the risk of paying high processing costs."

Beginning in mid-July, 137 Secretary of State facilities began accepting the bankcards. So far over 30,000 transactions have been reported. The office is projecting that two million customers will use credit cards in 2009. The processing fee for using the credit card is 65 cents or .021 percent of the amount of the transaction, depending on which is greater. For example, a $10 transaction would cost $10.65, while a $78.00 renewal fee would be $79.64. The Treasurer's Office operates the E-Pay program, which holds a master service contract for credit card acceptance. The Treasurer's Office offers credit card technology to all agencies and municipalities in the state. By negotiating and holding the master services contract, the Treasurer's Office can negotiate the best pricing for the services, technology, software, training and maintenance for no charge to our more than 500 users. The SOS is the largest user of the program. The Secretary of State's Office, which handles renewals and registrations, reports over one million transactions in the vehicles department in a month. The office's drivers department, which handles driver's licenses and identification cards and renewals, reports over 350,000 transactions a month.

Milledgeville Church Movie Night

Milledgeville Brethren Church, 6th & Main Street in Milledgeville, IL will host Saturday Night at the Movie on Saturday August 16, 2008. Free refreshments will be available at 6:30 p.m. with the movie starting promptly at 7 p.m. Come join us for a fun, free night at the movie.

Blood Pressure & Arthritis Check

A free blood pressure check will be offered at the Carroll County Senior Center in Mount Carroll on Tuesday August 19, 2008 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. FHN will provide the tests. No appointments are needed. Arthritis support group will meet from 10 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. There is no charge. For further information call: 1-815-244-1800 or toll free 1-866-214-1959.

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