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State Applauds Success of 7 Eastland IL State Scholars

Eastland High School Principal Monica Burkholder is pleased to announce that seven Eastland students have been recognized as 2013-14 Illinois State Scholars.

The prestigious award, given annually by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), recognized 18,863 high school students from across the state as this year’s State Scholars. Since 1979, over 582,000 Illinois students have been honored as State Scholars.

This year’s State Scholars include Adam Blair, son of Scott & Julie Blair of Lanark, Cayn Boeke, son of Kris & Amber Boeke of Lanark, Casey Fritz, son of Rod & Cheri Fritz of Lake Carroll, Blake Gordon, daughter of Joseph & Luanne Gordon of Lanark, Kimberly Johnson, daughter of Larry & Denise Johnson of Shannon, Matthew Keppen, son of Jon & Lori Keppen of Chadwick, and Katherine Murphy, daughter of Brian & Sandra Murphy of Shannon.

“We’re pleased to honor this year’s Illinois State Scholars,” said Eric Zarnikow, ISAC Executive

Director. “Not only do they represent the best in educational excellence in Illinois, they also are key to the state’s future economic well-being. The Commission applauds their success and salutes their families and the teachers at Eastland High School on this achievement.”

Illinois State Scholar winners rank in the top ten percent of high school seniors from 749 different high schools across the state. Selection is based on SAT, ACT and/or Prairie State Achievement Exam scores, and/or class rank at the end of the junior year. High school guidance counselors work in conjunction with ISAC to determine the winners.

Silver Anniversary Christmas Walk Breaks Records

The Morrison Chamber of Commerce would like to express their sincerest gratitude to all of the businesses, organizations, school groups, churches, and individuals that participated in the our 25th Anniversary Christmas Walk celebration.

Those that attended the two-day celebration were treated to the lighting of the community Christmas tree adorned with a beautiful new star, a delicious chili cook-off, live nativity, holiday window displays, shopping specials, Church suppers, entertainment, refreshments, and Christmas hospitality. The weather was perfect and a record number came out to see a truly, community-themed parade. “Snowballs” thrown during the parade can still be redeemed at participating businesses for some great prizes.

Winners of the Christmas Walk Parade were Most Spirited Entry- LeAnn’s Dance Connection; Best Use of Theme - Morrison Elementary School; Best Decorated Vehicle - Morrison Schools Foundation; Best Entry by a Community Group - Morrison Girl Scouts; and Best Entry by a Business - Wells Fargo Bank (Morrison Helping Hands Beneficiary).

Winners drawn to ride in the parade with Santa & Mrs. Claus were Jack Frost – Jeff Weaver and Suzy Snowflake – Kelsey Gibbs. Winning Entries for the window display contest were Live Window Display – Open Bible Fellowship Puppets; Christmas Scene – THE National Bank; Decorated Tree – Kophamer & Blean Realty.

This year’s Christmas Walk would not have been possible without the assistance of these generous sponsors: Angie VanderVinne Agency, Ashford University, Community State Bank, Dunlap Lodge #321, Edward Jones, Farmers National Bank, Johnson Oil, Prairie Advocate News & www.pacc-news.com, Sterling Federal Bank, Tegeler Accounting Services, THE National Bank, thecity1.com, Weets & Son Septic, Wells Fargo Bank, Whiteside News Sentinel Publications-Shawver Press, and Willett, Hofmann, & Associates.

Special thanks to the Morrison Public Works Employees, Santa & Mrs. Claus, Santa’s Elf, the parade and window judges, parade announcer Brian Zschiesche, stable builder Barney Habben, Spangler’s Landscaping, Community State Bank, Mayor Roger Drey, and Christmas Walk Committee Members: Nance Anderson, Jean Eggemeyer, Sharon Habben, Jan Roggy, Bart Smith, and Stephanie Vavra.

All the best,
Corinne Bender
Administrator/Economic Director Morrison Chamber of Commerce & Morrison Area Development Corporation

Only 3 months into the 2012-13 school year, Katie McGinnis, a West Carroll Primary School fourth grader in Mrs. Haag’s class, has earned 200 points in the Accelerated Reader Program.
(Courtesy of Jennifer McGinnis)

Mount Carroll Rotary speaker on Dec. 4 was Randy Remrey of BSD Printing in downtown Mt. Carroll. He is pictured with Mt. Carroll Rotarian Terrie Miller. He spoke about the continued success and development of his business which silk screens many types of clothing. (Courtesy of Lou Schau)

The Milledgeville Elementary Week 11 Thumbs Up Winners are from left to right, front row: Kailyn Hutchison, Hailey Druien, Rylan Shenefelt, Skyler Hartman, and Alexander Chaffee. In the back row are: James Brearton, Salome Pasch, Reneya Merkel, Kacen Johnson, and Justin Alagodi.

Rotarians Don Jevne, Phil Renkes, Kevin Schisler, Mark Schuler and Kathy Schmidt flexed their muscle lending a hand to the Food Pantry crew in unloading 225 cases/boxes of food items. With the holiday approaching a larger than normal load arrived. An assembly line from the truck, up the stairs, and into the pantry was formed to manage the heavy load.
(Courtesy of Morrison Rotary)

The Morrison Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce Kelly VanZuiden, manager of the Morrison Dollar General, the recipient of the “Because Nice Matters” Customer Service Award for the month of November. Kelly was nominated for her readiness to help and going that extra mile to help customers in need, especially seniors; not because nice is easy, but because nice matters!

Eastland High School SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) sponsored an “Ugliest” Christmas Sweater contest to help students get in the spirit of the season. Winners are (L to R) Abbi Hake, 3rd place; Megan Schmeieder placed 2nd; tied for 4th place Crystal Lott and Madison Sroka; and Gentry Lessman, 1st place. Prizes were furnished by Lanark Express Lane. (Courtesy of Freddie Preston)

Business After Hours was held Friday, December 4th from 5-7 p.m. at The Festival of Trees, 406 Main St. Savanna, hosted by the Savanna Historical Society. Learn what’s happening in your community at the Savanna Chamber of Commerce. A great networking opportunity. (PA Photo/Andrew Williamson)

Arrive Safely - Drive Sober

During the holidays there are many celebrations with family and friends and other activities, and travel increases accordingly on America’s roadways. Unfortunately, drunk and drugged driving increases as well, and that includes youth who make the decision to drink or use drugs and drive.

The best gift you can give your loved ones this holiday season is to arrive safely: Drive sober.

That’s why the month of December has been designated National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Awareness Month. Each year nearly 11,000 people are killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (32%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. (NHTSA).

Drugs other than alcohol are the main factor in 18% of motor vehicle deaths each year. Often, drugs, mixed with alcohol, are the main factor. Each year, approximately 2,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of motor vehicle accidents involving underage drinking (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism - NIAAA)

No matter what the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of those who drive under the influence, the risk of being involved in a crash is much greater for young people than for adults. Younger drivers are less experienced. Alcohol and drugs can have a stronger impairment on younger drivers, so driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is even more dangerous for younger drivers than for more experienced drivers.

What can you do? Don’t let friends drive drunk or drugged. If you find that a friend is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, don’t let them drive. Take the keys, offer them a ride, get them a cab, do anything to keep them from driving. Better to make the hard choice to draw the line than to lose a loved one to drunk or drugged driving.

If you find yourself intoxicated, do the same, give your keys to a friend who is sober and can drive you, call a cab, get a ride, or make other arrangements. Of course, The best way to stay safe is to not drink in the first place if there is any chance you will be driving.

Sinnissippi Centers is a behavioral healthcare agency serving Carroll, Lee, Ogle and Whiteside Counties and provides substance abuse screening and treatment services.

For more information about programs and services, call Sinnissippi toll-free at 1-800-242-7642. Sinnissippi has office locations in Dixon, Mt. Carroll, Oregon, Rochelle and Sterling.

Great Stocking Stuffer From the MC Rotary

The Mount Carroll Rotary Club has two fundraisers each year that provide funding for the many organizations in Mt. Carroll, Carroll County and Rotary International that are supported by the club. The first is the Mayfest Beer tent and the second one is the Rotary Raffle with tickets that are being sold through Dec. 18.

300 tickets are sold for $25 each. A monthly drawing is held beginning in December with a $250 winning ticket each month. The tickets make perfect stocking stuffers for the holidays.

Tickets are still avaliable and can be purchased from any Mt. Carroll Rotarian. They are also avaliable at Brick Street Coffee in the Kraft Building in downtown Mt. Carroll.

Gardening Gift Guide

Four Holiday Gift Ideas to Help Gardeners Dream Through Winter

By FeatureHub

Ssshhh. The garden beds are sleeping, the pots and trowels neatly stored away. For gardeners, the winter months are made for dreaming—a time for planning, paging through seed catalogs and envisioning the wonders they’ll see in the gardening season to come. For them, here are holiday gift ideas to help while away the winter months:

–Plant a terrarium: When gardening outdoors isn’t an option, give the gift of a tabletop garden. These mini greenhouses offer the perfect glimpse into nature in the middle of winter. Best yet—they’re easy to make; you needn’t be a gardener to assemble. Get creative with a large glass container (keep your eyes peeled for them at craft stores and flea markets). Fill with stones, planting medium and plants. Look to the internet for various how-to guides on planting terrariums.

–Stuff a stocking: ’Tis the season to stock up on gardening gifts to make life in the garden even more pleasant. Help keep pesky insects away from busy gardeners with BugBand natural insect repellent wristbands. The colorful plastic DEET-free wristbands contain Geraniol; these vapors form a protective shield around the immediate area, keeping insects a safe distance away. The wristband keeps working, up to 120 hours. Starting at $4.95. Order at www.bugband.net.

–Create a backyard focal point: Whether in bloom or

dormant, a backyard garden offers the best place to linger and watch the changing landscape of each season. Extend the use of your favorite gardener’s favorite place with the Walden Ring Convertible Firepit. Simply stack your own stones in a circle and insert a Walden Ring. Additional inserts are available to transform the ring from firepit to fountain to garden planter to heated birdbath to table to barbecue. Base ring available online for $595, inserts from $150. Go to www.waldenbackyards.com.

–Give a public garden visit. When cabin fever sets in, give your gardener the perfect getaway: a gift certificate, day pass or membership to the nearest public garden, many of which have events and offerings year-round. More than 500 botanic gardens, arboreta, educational gardens, farm gardens, historical landscapes, zoos, museum gardens and other gardens are members of the American Public Gardens Association. To locate one near you, go to www.garden.org/public_gardens/.

For gardeners, spring may be the exciting time of year. But a thoughtful garden gift or two can help the winter be a wonderful time for dreaming.

Savanna Area Christmas Concert

The Fifth Annual Savanna Area Christmas Concert will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 16, at the First United Methodist Church in Savanna. Everyone is welcome to attend this evening full of Christmas music.

The concert will feature several instrumental and vocal musicians, including the Savanna Area Christmas Choir under the direction of Pam Watts and Gloria Miner, a jazz combo under the direction of Mark and Emily Bressler, New Spirit Band, Men of Calvary, Hanover Handbell Choir, Kelly Kasbohm, Susie Rogers, Vivian Eaton, and an a cappella ensemble of 12 North Central College students.

A free-will offering will take place during the program to support the Great River Outreach and its mission to provide meals for local families. 2008 was the first year the Savanna Area Christmas Concert took place, and the program has gotten bigger and better every year. Last year’s concert had an attendance of 300 people and raised over $1,600 for the Great River Outreach.

Refreshments donated by Swiss Colony and members of the community choir will be served following the concert.

For more information on the upcoming Savanna Area Christmas Concert or the community choir, call Mark Miller at 815-541-8397.

Master Gardener Training Offered

The University of Illinois Extension is accepting applications to participate in the 2013 Master Gardener Training Program. Those interested need to complete an application form and return it to their local county extension office.

Master Gardeners are individuals with an interest in horticulture willing to participate in 60 hours of classes taught by University of Illinois Educators. Then they agree to volunteer 60 hours of time through their local office to teach others about gardening.

Each county has a variety of volunteer opportunities from answering horticulture telephone help lines to teaching young children how to garden.

Local training classes will be held at the Stockton Township Library (140 W. Benton Ave. in Stockton, IL) beginning January 8th, 2013. Classes will be 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every Tuesday through March 26. Training will also be offered at the DeKalb County Community Outreach Building (2500 N. Annie Glidden in DeKalb, IL.) beginning January 7th, 2013. Classes will be 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. every Monday through April 1.

Class topics include botany, soils and fertilizer, trees and shrubs, vegetables, fruits, insects, turf grass management, disease control, pesticide safety and others.

Call the University of Illinois Extension Office in Carroll County at 815-244-9444 for more information or to receive an application form. Forms can also be sent as a printable document via e-mail. Please contact Susan O’Connor with questions: seoconno@illinois.edu

Beef Cattle Seminar January 8

Beef cattle producers are encouraged to optimize their opportunities and attend a workshop focused on overcoming the challenges of 2012. The meeting will be held January 8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, IL.

Speakers from the University of Illinois, American Angus Association, Dekalb Feeds and Wyoming Vet Service will highlight handling high feed costs in cow herds, new era in sire selection, management strategies for drought stressed pastures, technologies for improved feed efficiency in feedlot cattle and calving season tips and herd health management.

Cost to participate is $15 per person and includes continental breakfast, lunch and handout material. Please register online at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/clw or by calling 815-835-2070 by January 3, 2013.

The seminar is sponsored by University of Illinois Extension, Sauk Valley Community College and Whiteside County Cattleman’s Association.

New Youth Educator for Carroll, Lee, Whiteside Extension

The University of Illinois Extension Office of Carroll, Lee, and Whiteside County is pleased to introduce the new 4-H Youth Development Educator, Mimi Hicks. Mimi was involved in 4-H as a previous leader for three years. Mimi has over 10 years of experience working with youth and families. She has been a Licensed Child Care Director, and maintained a solid presence throughout the community, interacting with local and state government agencies. She has worked with volunteers in Building Lasting Impressions that Never Die (B.L.I.N.D.), United Way, Relay For Life, Dixon High School, KSB Hospital, and several other organizations in the community.

Mimi firmly believes in volunteerism and the great experiences and learning opportunities that come from volunteering. She has taught a variety of classes to the community including New Employee Orientation Training, Child Abuse Prevention Training, Day Camp Training, CPR & First Aid Skills Training, and a variety of Continued Education Classes for the Licensed Child Care Center. Her skills include fundraising, human resources, non-profits, community service, financing, in addition to training and staff development. She also has experience in competitive analysis, code compliance, customer service, ethical and creative decision making skills, social networking, sales, and volunteerism. The University of Illinois Extension of Carroll, Lee, And Whiteside County Unit 4, is excited to have her working with youth and families in the 4-H program.

Friends of the Pecatonica River to Meet

Friends of the Pecatonica River Foundation (FPRF) monthly meeting on Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 7:00 pm at The Rafter’s Restaurant, 9426 West Wagner Road, Lena, Illinois in the Cafe’ Dining Room. President Joe Ginger will be conducting the meeting. The FPRF will be discussing work at Atten’s Landing, recent donations, 2013 river events & activities, plans for river development, maintenance, and recreation in Stephenson County. We will be reviewing equipment repair updates, plans for future meetings, continuation of paddling club formation, activities and more.

Donate to a great cause, taking care of the Pecatonica River, please send to:

Friends of the Pecatonica River Foundation

c/o Lee Butler, Treasurer

1550 Woodside Drive

Freeport, Illinois 61032

The FPRF is a 501[c]3 Not-for-profit organization. Your donation is tax deductible.

Give the Gift of Blood

This Holiday Season, give something that means something. Give blood and you could help save three lives.

The Savanna Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring an American Red Cross Blood Drive on December 29, 2012 from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon at the First Presbyterian Church, Fellowship Hall at 502 Third Street in Savanna.

For an appointment, please call Tony at 815-541-8684 or visit redcrossblood.org. You may be eligible if you haven’t donated since November 3, 2012. Please bring ID, Red Cross donor card or photo I.D.

Support Our Schools’ Giving Tree

Farmers Insurance and the Angie VanderVinne Agency are committed to education. No other insurance company offers anything like Farmers FREE award-winning education programs to teachers. In light of this commitment to education, local agents Angie VanderVinne and Abbi Bush are launching a “Support Our Schools” giving tree.

Due to increased budgetary demands and rising costs off supplies and equipment, class room budgets continue to be reduced. Teachers often spend money out of their own paychecks to pay for some supplies in their classroom. Do you buy your own work supplies?

Kids are our community’s most important investment, so let’s help by supplying the elementary schools with needed items. The “Support our Schools” giving tree is located at Farmers Insurance at 127 E Main Street. Additionally, needed supplies will be listed on the Angie VanderVinne Agency Facebook page or you can call Angie or Abbi at 815-772-8900.

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