More Important News

Presidents’ Chicken & Biscuit Dinner

The Savanna 1st United Methodist Church will hold its 2nd annual “Presidents’ Week Chicken and Biscuit Dinner” on Sunday, February 19th.

Dinner will be served from 4:00—7:00 P.M. in the Fellowship Hall. Deliveries within the Savanna city limits and carry-outs are also available.

The menu consists of homemade chicken and biscuits, mashed potatoes, carrots, cole slaw, cranberry sauce, cherry pie á la mode, and a beverage.

A special treat awaits those enjoying their meals in the church, located at 2100 Chicago Avenue. “Presidents” will be dining with them! Mannequins of 10 U.S. Presidents will be seated at dining tables, courtesy of Gene Wright, their creator. These figures are usually on display at the Savanna History Museum located on Main Street.

A new feature at this year’s event is a craft bazaar. Items for sale include table runners, quilted purses, bird seed cakes, fire starters, crocheted necklaces and decoupage Easter eggs.

The meal prices are: $8 for ages 11 years and up, $4 for 4—10 year olds, and free for children 3 years and younger.

Tickets may be purchased at the door, from a church member, or through the church office, phone (815) 273-2345.

Hogan Smith, a second grader in Miss Herman’s class, earned 200 points in the Accelerated Reader program.

Meet Buddy

He has been at the shelter for a very long time, and he would love to have a home of his own. Buddy is good with other cats and would fit in well with any family. He is a handsome guy with striking green eyes. If you would like to meet Buddy and his friends at the shelter, call for an appointment. or

Coffee with Michelle Schurman

Candidate for Carroll County State’s Attorney Michelle Schurman was at the Mount Carroll Cafe Saturday morning, Feb. 11, visiting with patrons and offering a complimentary cup of coffee. Schurman has a busy day planned on Saturday, Feb. 18, as she will be at Brothers Restaurant in Lanark from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. for coffee. Then the Committee to Elect Michelle Schurman for Carroll County State’s Attorney is hosting a benefit that same evening, at the House of Events, 108 Main St., in Savanna. Call the campaign headquarters at to make your reservations. (PA photo/Tom Kocal)

4th Grade Poster Contest

By Lori Rice, Administrative Coordinator

The Carroll County Soil and Water Conservation District recently sponsored a Poster Contest with 4th Grade Students in Carroll County. The theme this year is “Soil to Spoon.” This year’s theme is intended to get students thinking about the importance of understanding where the food comes from that you eat each day. You see a wide variety of products in your local grocery store. But where does it all come from? What is the connection to the soil you walk on each day? This poster contest helped the student’s gain a better understanding of the process the food takes.

The SWCD Board of Directors judged the posters on February 6th. Participating in this year’s contest were 4th grade students from Miss Yingling’s class at West Carroll Primary School.

Alysia Alvarado, 4th grade student at West Carroll Primary School, is this year’s County Grand Champion Winner. Her poster will be entered in the State Competition at the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts Annual Meeting in July of 2012 in Springfield. She will also receive a certificate and a $50 Savings Bond from the District.

This year’s second place winner was Jacob Green. Third place went to Riley Getz. The Carroll County SWCD would like to thank all the students for their hard work and participation in this year’s contest.

The Chadwick-Milledgeville Elementary Week 17 Thumbs Up Winners. Left to right in front row: Wyatt Brame, Austin Jones, Jacob Promenschenkel, Jace Urish, Ainsley Yingling. Back row: Back Row, Left to Right: Tyler Diehl, Tyler Atkinson, Tyson Helfrich, Ali Mertz, Adriana Pyse

OTSD Poster Winners

West Carroll Operation Teen Safe Driving(OTSD) recently sponsored a poster contest. Students used information on teen driving and safety issues from the Ford Foundation, All State Insurance, and the IL Department of Transportation to design the posters. The OTSD grant funded prizes in the form of gift cards: first place – Darby Rumler ($25), second place – Sam Quintana ($20), third place – Kalya Robinson ($15).

Technology Seminars

Microsoft Community Connections has again offered our area technology seminars. The Savanna Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Tri County Economic Development Alliance to host these seminars.

Introduction to Office 365: This event will start the conversation about the cloud. Office 365 is the much anticipated cloud service that gives businesses the capabilities and efficiencies to grown and target more rapid success. The set of web-enabled tools allows access to email, documents, contacts, and calendars from virtually anywhere. DATE: Feb. 22 TIME: 6:30 p.m. LOCATION: Manny’s

Focus on Your Business: At this event you will discover useful features in Microsoft Office and the Windows 7 operating system. Step-by-step demonstrations provide helpful tips to efficiently use these tools so you can spend more time focused on your business. Date: Mar. 14 Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: Manny’s

Find and Manage Customers: The event shows how technology can help throughout the customer life cycle, from finding new customers with do-it-yourself (DIY) marketing to improving sales performance to building customer loyalty. Date: Mar. 21 Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: Manny’s

Do More in Less Time: With this event you will learn how to get more done in a day, work with anyone more effectively, work outside the office more easily, and make smarter business decisions. Date: Mar. 28 Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: Manny’s

The seminars will be taught by Paul Mayer, ZPAY. Paul presented Microsoft Community Connection classes for the Chamber before and is very easy to understand. These events are open to the public with door prizes including Microsoft Office Professional 2010 and Windows 7 at each of the four sessions. Microsoft Office Professional 2010 includes: Word 2010; Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010; Outlook 2010, Access 2010 and Publisher 2010. For more information; contact the Savanna Chamber of Commerce at or .

Child Care University Open for Parents and Providers

March 3 area childcare providers, daycares, preschools, and parents are invited to Child Care University from 7:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Sauk Valley Community College. Featuring two keynote speakers, 12 workshops and a host of exhibitors and activities, the day promises fun and learning for everyone.

The day begins with “The Music Imperative” from keynote speaker Carole Peterson Stephens, early childhood music specialist. She will discuss the importance of music in a child care program and how to incorporate in current curriculum.

“[My] workshops are very participatory – we learn best by doing. I teach with enthusiasm and participants learn with enthusiasm, just as their students do,” Peterson-Stephens said.

Morning workshops include topics like SIDS, accreditation, what to do in the case of abuse, assistive technology for young children, attachment and trauma and infant and early childhood mental health decoded.

During lunch, keynote speaker Dr. Angela Wiley, assistant professor at the University of Illinois, will talk about how to manage the task of caring for children and yourself. Wiley will share strategies to protect and nurture your personal life while excelling in childcare.

Afternoon workshops include what to do in small group time, social emotional learning, how to make a living at childcare, how to develop a literacy program, incorporation of physical activity and finding your own get up and go.

Workshops and keynotes will count toward certification and continuing education credits.

Pre-register by Feb. 24 at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/clw or call (815) 835-2070 for more information. Registration fee is $25 per person and includes a continental breakfast, lunch and handout materials. Workshops have limited seating and are filled on a first come first serve basis. No refunds of registration fee will be available after the registration deadline.

Child Care University is sponsored by University of Illinois Extension – Carroll, Lee, Whiteside, YWCA, 4-C and Sauk Valley Community College.

Stories from Your Past, Record for the Future

We live in an amazing technological age. Historical information is recorded almost before it happens. Yet, ironically, many adults and children know very little about their own family history.

Learn more about how to record your family history, March 16, 12 to 1 p.m. at Sauk Valley Community College, Room 2K2. To register for this FREE workshop online go to http://web.extension.illinois.edu/clw or call (815) 835-2070. The program is presented by Janice McCoy, family life educator for University of Illinois Extension – Carroll, Lee, Whiteside.

Family mobility, geographical distance, and hurried lifestyles provide limited opportunities for younger and older generations to engage in family storytelling, an activity that used to be a natural occurrence in the daily lives of most families.

During this workshop, participants will begin to understand the history and cultural aspects of storytelling, explore ways to preserve individual and family stories for future generations, identify family keepsakes and understand their importance, and create traditions that define and celebrate the family.

Carroll County Democrats Meeting

The Carroll County Democrats will hold their regular meeting on Tuesday, February 21st at 7 p.m. at the York Township Public Library, 1005 W. Main Street in Thomson, IL. Plans will be discussed on the upcoming elections. For more information, contact Gerald L. Bork at 1-.

IL State Library Announces ‘Text a Librarian’ Reference Service

Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White announced that the Illinois State Library has implemented “Text a Librarian,” a new service where patrons may use the text message feature on their cell phone to send and receive information from the State Library.

“As the official library of state government, the Illinois State Library offers reference and information services via e-mail, in person, and by telephone or fax,” said White. “This new texting service provides another means by which we can fulfill the important information needs of our patrons. I encourage cell phone users to take advantage of this convenient new service.”

“Text a Librarian” is intended for simple, quick reference questions (up to 160 characters) that can be answered in brief responses. To use the service, patrons must start the body of the text with the keyword ASKISL, followed by a space, followed by their question. Send the text to .

Each year our reference librarians answer approximately 8,000 questions. Many of the inquiries are in-depth questions asked by state employees. The “Text a Librarian” service is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Although the State Library does not charge for this service, message and data rates from the patron’s service carrier may apply.

For questions requiring lengthy or detailed responses, patrons should continue to use the State Library’s e-mail or telephone reference service. Learn more about “Text a Librarian” and all State Library reference services at http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/what_we_have/askisl.html.

Humor, History, Music and an Evening of Family Fun

The Northwest Illinois Theater Coalition brings the third Annual Cheddar Curtain production to the region. The Cheddar Curtain is a compilation of locally written one act plays, songs and comedic skits. The 2012 production promises to delight audiences with three original one act plays. ‘In a Family Way’, by Mary Ann Presman, takes a light hearted look at family misunderstandings when an unemployed young man and his wife are forced to live with his parents. ‘Only One Choice’, by Peter Woodruff, shows a whimsical yet dark fictional conversation between Chief Blackhawk and other influential native Americans toward the end of his failed 1832 campaign to reoccupy ancestral land in northern Illinois. ‘Mis Taken Identity’, by Kim Sigafus is a humorous account of mobster John Dillinger passing through northern Illinois on his way to Wisconsin. In addition to the three plays will be solo and ensemble musical numbers and short comedic skits.

The Northwest Illinois Theater Coalition includes Hanover’s Back Street Players, Stockton’s Plum River Playhouse and Orangeville’s Mighty Richland Players. Directed by Peter Woodruff, The Cheddar Curtain is the first of five exciting shows the coalition partners are offering in 2012.

Performance and Ticket information:

February 24, 7:30, Hanover Township Hall, 100 block of Monroe St. Advance tickets available at Apple River State Bank, .

February 25, 7:30, Stockton Elementary School, Pearl Street, Stockton. Advance tickets, Stockton Banking Center, .

March 3, 7:30 dessert, March 4, 12:30 dinner theater, 203 W High St ., Orangeville. Advance tickets, 81 5-819-1310.

Women in Agriculture Seminar in Moline

Are you married to a farmer or are you a woman working in agriculture? If so, then we have the conference for you! Come with us on a one day journey to become an empowered woman in agriculture. Our keynote speaker Michele Payn Knoper, CauseMatters.com, will teach you how to lead through the significant changes facing agriculture in the 21st century and leave a legacy. Come listen to Michele along with great break out speakers who all have a mission to empower the women in agriculture on Friday, March 23rd at the iWireless Center in Moline.

The Women in Agriculture Conference will begin with registration at 8:00 a.m. followed by Michele Payn Knoper’s keynote address on “Celebrating Agriculture” at 9 a.m.

The keynote address will be followed by a wide variety of breakout sessions. Here are a few examples:

Eileen Fisher, University of Iowa – “Motivating Families to Create Safe Play Areas on Farms”

Adam Nielsen, National Legislative Director, Illinois Farm Bureau – “A Woman’s Place is on the Hill”

Penny Lauritzen, Certified Financial Planner, Farm Financial Strategies – “We Bequeath to You…”

Cathy Ekstrand, Market Advisor, Stewart-Peterson Group – “Are you the Gatekeeper to your Farm’s Financial Future?”

Lori Laughlin, Director of Issue Management, Illinois Farm Bureau – “Connecting Urban Moms with Illinois Farmers”

Jennifer McGarry, Certified Public Accountant, Winkel, Parker, & Foster –“Managing Farm Finances”

Among the powerful breakout sessions, lunch will be served along with a very interesting panel discussion titled “So You Married a Farmer…Now What?”

The conference is March 23, 2012 at the iWireless Center, 1201 River Drive, Moline, IL 61265. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. The conference will begin at 9:00 and will wrap up around 3:00 p.m.

The cost of the program will be $50 which will include a breakfast and a luncheon buffet. Registration materials must be received by March 1st. Any registrations received after March 1st will be $60. Walk-ins the day of the conference will be $75. To register, contact the Rock Island County Farm Bureau office at (309) 736-7432 or online at HYPERLINK “http://www.extension.iastate.edu/scott/news/womeninagriculture” www.extension.iastate.edu/scott/news/womeninagriculture.

If you need a hotel room, there has been a block of rooms reserved at the Stoney Creek Inn, 101 18th St., Moline, IL. To make your reservation, call (309) 743-0101 by February 22nd and ask for the Women in Agriculture Conference on March 22nd.

If you are a woman involved in agriculture, you will not want to miss this empowering seminar. This seminar is being brought to you by the Bureau, Carroll, Fulton, Henry, Knox, Lee, Mercer, McDonough, Rock Island, Stark, Warren-Henderson, and Whiteside County Farm Bureaus in Illinois as well as the Scott County Farm Bureau in Iowa. River Valley Cooperative, John Deere, 1st Farm Credit Services, and Country Financial, Iowa State Extension, and University of Illinois Extension are also partners in this conference.

Scholarship Opportunity Available

The Carroll County Farm Bureau Foundation has recently announced another scholarship opportunity for 2012, the Josh Heeren Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $1,000. Josh was a 2001 Eastland High School graduate, Highland Community College graduate, and obtained a Master’s degree in Crop Science from the University of Illinois. Josh was very involved in FFA and had a passion for agriculture and farming. This scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors or students currently enrolled at a community college or university who are majoring in an Ag-related course of study. The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of exceptional scholastic ability and/or financial need.

To be eligible for all of the scholarships, applicants must meet the following criteria: must be a high school graduate; must be accepted for enrollment or be enrolled at an accredited college, university, community college or technical school; must exhibit potential for successful completion of course of study; and must be a resident of Illinois. The general scholarships require a student to be majoring in Ag-related field of study.

Scholarship applications have been mailed to all Carroll County high school guidance counselors, FFA Advisors, and are available at the Carroll County Farm Bureau office or our website at www.carrollcfb.org.

Completed applications must be returned to the Carroll County Farm Bureau by Friday, March 23, 2012. For questions or more information contact Chas Welch at 244-3001 or by email at .

Federal Crop Insurance Deadline Is March 15

With significant changes made to federal crop insurance, Illinois farmers will need to start planning their coverage needs in advance of the March 15 signup deadline.

The changes include a trend-adjusted Actual Production History (APH) option and elimination of the biotech yield endorsements for corn and soybeans, according to COUNTRY Financial.

“The APH option will allow eligible farmers to have their actual production history based on their county’s historical yield trend,” says Sheri Bane, director of commercial/agribusiness for COUNTRY.

Farmers can secure coverage through yield, revenue and county protection policies. Some farmers could qualify for Enterprise Unit coverage that insures all acres of an individual crop within a county.

Farmers can further reduce risk by developing a grain marketing plan. COUNTRY financial representatives can help farmers secure market analysis and grain contracts through AgriVisor LLC, a joint venture of Growmark Inc. and Illinois Farm Bureau.

“We’ve been insuring Illinois farmers for 86 years. Our certified financial representatives ensure farmers secure the appropriate coverage for their individual operations,” says Bane.

COUNTRY is among the leading federal crop insurers in Illinois. In addition to federal crop insurance, COUNTRY also offers crop hail insurance for hail, vandalism and fire damage to standing crops not covered by federal crop insurance. The GrainGuard® policy provides protection for harvested grain and offers additional replant coverage options.

New Laws, Purchasing Cooperatives Discussed at NCILC

For their first meeting of the new year, the North Central Illinois Logistics Council (NCILC) invited two Illinois State Troopers to discuss new laws that impact the logistics industry, and in particular, the trucking industry.

First on the list for Troopers Craig Graham and Tim Reppin was the law they referred to as the “hottest new law,” the one that requires all passengers in a vehicle to wear seatbelts, regardless of where they are sitting. Next was the new Federal law that prohibits truck drivers from using a handheld cell phone while driving commercial vehicles. Even though hands-free phones are not covered by that law, the troopers discouraged this practice because they believe that talking on any kind of phone is a distraction to drivers.

Others laws, both current and new, that were addressed covered topics such as cell phone use in construction and/or school zones, GPS and Nextel use while driving, seat belt requirements for people riding in pick-up truck beds and school buses, and hours of service for truck drivers.

Jeff Hettrick then led the group in a discussion of Purchasing Cooperatives. The purpose of the discussion was to determine whether there was any interest in establishing one for NCILC members. In the end, the group decided to research member-to-member discount programs and business referral networks. This topic will again be discussed at the March NCILC meeting, and members were asked to bring lists of products and services they now purchase that could possibly be purchased more economically through a cooperative arrangement. Beginning in February, members will be asked to give a 30-second commercial about their company and what they could offer other members.

The next meeting of the NCILC will be Thursday, February 16 at the IVCC Truck Driver Training Center beginning promptly at 8:00 a.m. Dr. Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Professor of Economics at IVCC, will be the guest speaker and will talk about the economic outlook for 2012. He has given similar presentations to the Council for the past three years, and has been amazingly accurate in his forecasts. The general public is invited to attend the meeting. To RSVP, contact Jo Ann Johnson at (815) 224-7930 or Christine Dahm at (815) 433-5830.

Morthland Co-sponsors ‘Drano’ Bill to Reduce Burden on Consumers & Merchants

Statement on Caterpillar Inc.’s Decision: ‘A sad day’

State Representative Rich Morthland (R-71, Cordova) is the Chief-co-sponsor of House Bill 4523, which will allow common household products like “Drano” to be exempt from regulations requiring photo identification at purchase.

“Illinois small businesses and consumers already have enough to deal with when it comes to regulation from state government,” said Morthland. “The control of industrial chemicals, used in acid attacks or meth creation must be balanced by common sense. A law that requires the same regulations for household cleaners such as ‘Drano’ lethal industrial compounds is not good policy,” said Morthland.

“This bill will add clarity to the law,” said Morthland. “We heard from many constituents who were deeply troubled about the legislation that passed last year. This new bill will lift burdens, protect consumers, and improve the climate for commerce in Illinois. ”

The new bill is a response to Public Act 97-0565 (House Bill 2193), a law that took effect on January 1st of this year. House Bill 2193 contains vague language, which has led to confusion about which products require identification to purchase. The Act requires that, for all products required by federal law to have the warning “causes severe burns,” a purchaser must show identification and sign a purchase log. While most common household chemicals do not contain that exact wording, some contain similar warnings that give merchants pause when selling products.

House Bill 4523 allows exemptions for ordinary household products so consumers who purchase common cleaning products will not have to show identification and merchants will not be facing hefty fines. Morthland joins State Representative Kent Gaffney (R-Barrington) in co-sponsoring HB4523, which is awaiting a hearing before the Judicial II committee.

Caterpillar Inc.’s Decision

In response to Caterpillar Inc.’s announcement that it will not be building its new North American plant in the State of Illinois, Morthland said, “This is a sad day for the City of Silvis, Northwestern Illinois, and the Land of Lincoln.

“Unfortunately, Caterpillar is not the first or only business to avoid Illinois. Governor Quinn and the majority party have sent a strong message to big and burgeoning businesses alike: ‘You are not welcome in Illinois!’ Time and again, job creators worldwide, national, and even local have responded to the bitter reality,” Morthland stated.

“It’s not smart to put a new canoe into the water and attempt to paddle against the taxation currents, litigation whirlpools, and regulation rapids that Springfield puts in the way. My hope is that the current General Assembly can put aside partisan and regional squabbles and start repairing our policy environment to promote job growth here in Illinois. Otherwise, our future will be grim indeed.”

Farm Program Signup

Douglas Olson, member of the Carroll County FSA County Committee, is announcing that 2012 DCP and ACRE signup started January 23, 2012 and runs through June 1, 2012.

According to Olson, any producer that wishes to participate in the 2012 DCP/ACRE program, needs to sign up and file all necessary paperwork by the June 1st deadline. Olson said, “I would encourage producers to sign up as soon as they can, to avoid having to visit their county office after field work begins this spring.” Olson also stated that although the Carroll County FSA office does not schedule appointments for all producers, they would be more than happy to schedule appointments for producers with off farm jobs, or those producers on a tight schedule. He also encourages producers to “call the office in advance” so the office can prepare necessary paperwork ahead of time to facilitate better service to the producer.

Producers with questions on the DCP/ACRE program or other programs administered by FSA, are encouraged to contact their local FSA office.

‘Like’: Morrison PD Now Utilizing Facebook^®

Chief Brian Melton reports that the Morrison Police Department (MPD) will now utilize Facebook as another opportunity to communicate with the community it serves.

Chief Melton stated, “MPD published this page to utilize technology and current social trends to interact and communicate with the community. Facebook has become a part of our society and we must embrace it and use it to benefit public safety.”

On Thursday, February 9, 2012, Chief Melton “published” MPD’s page on Facebook. The community (Facebook users) may access MPD’s Facebook page for information, notices and activities of MPD. Direct messages can be sent to MPD, but users will not be able to post on the page for public view.

MPD’s page is “Morrison Police Department (IL).” Chief Melton asks the public to visit and “Like” MPD’s Facebook page!

Katie Woessner, Eastland WYSE, Qualifies for Sectionals

The Eastland High School WYSE (Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering) team participated in an Academic Challenge on February 9, 2012 at Highland Community College.

“Students participated in a variety of academic areas including Biology, Chemistry, English, Math and Physics,” said Sarah Spears, EHS Math Teacher.

Members include Kayla Barnes, Cayn Boeke, Devin Hartman, Katelyn Janssen, Megan Janssen, Kim Johnson, Matt Keppen, Braden Lauder, Cody Polizzi, Richie Strohecker, Drake Walker, Chase Wilhelms, Wally Wirchnianski, and Katie Woessner.

Cayn Boeke (Chemistry) and Katie Woessner (English) both received 3rd place medals while Katie also received a 1st place in Physics qualifying her for the Sectional at Northern Illinois University in March.

FAST Training 2012 Rescheduled

Farmers are invited to learn more about FAST (Farm Analysis Solution Tools) program on March 9, 2012, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sauk Valley Community College. This program had been rescheduled from its original February date.

FAST are a series of Microsoft Excel spreadsheets that assist users to make various farm business decisions. These tools offer guidance in the following areas: livestock management, financial analysis, investment analysis, loan analysis, farm management, grain marketing and management and risk management.

Workshop attendance is limited. Pre-registration is encouraged! Call (217) 333-1817 to register or download a form at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/clw/commag.html.

Ag Marketing Club Launches in February

Looking to improve and gain confidence with your grain marketing decisions? Join the Ag Marketing Club hosted by the University of Illinois Extension – Carroll, Lee, Whiteside. The club will meet the third Tuesday of each month from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The first meeting is scheduled for Tues., Feb., 21.

Meetings will be held at Sauk Valley Community College, Room 2K2, Carroll Co. Farm Bureau, Lee Co. Extension Office, and the Whiteside Co. Extension Office.

Paul Mariman with the DeWitt-Macon-Piatt Extension will facilitate each meeting over the University of Illinois Extension Telenet system, where he will provide a new speaker each month who is actively working in the commodities marketing industry.

This month’s speaker is Jacquie Voeks, Senior Market Advisor for Stewart-Peterson, Inc. Voeks brings a unique understanding, perspective and respect for what it takes to succeed in agriculture.

There is no charge for participating. Attendance at each meeting is not required. Pre-registration is encouraged. Pre-register online at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/clw or call (815) 835-2070.

Knotty Ideas Woodworking Featured

The Northwest Illinois Forestry Association is sponsoring a tour of Knotty Ideas Woodworking on Saturday, February 18th, at 1:00 P.M. The shop features scroll work, benches, shelves, clocks, trunks, chainsaw carving, and much more. They have a solar kiln, workshop, and a retail store to visit. For more info on the business, check out http://www.facebook.com/pages/Knotty-Ideas-Woodworking/113

Knotty Ideas Woodworking is located at 8822 N. Veta Grande Rd., Scales Mound, Illinois. Take Elizabeth Scales Mound Rd. north from Scales Mound 2.8 miles. Turn left on White Oak Road. Then follow the signs.

The Northwest Illinois Forestry Association is a local nonprofit all-volunteer forest landowner organization dedicated to educating both landowners and the public about the benefits of good forest management.

Highland Community College Announces Fall 2011 Graduates

Highland Community College announces its fall 2011 graduates. These graduates in the Prairie Advocate distribution area of Northwest Illinois received associate of arts degrees, associate of science degrees, associate of applied science degrees, and certificates in various disciplines.

ASSOCIATE DEGREES

Elizabeth: Kelsey Marks (AA), Bret Twombly (AA)

Forreston: Scott Miller, Auto Body Repair (AAS)

German Valley: Jherikah Luna-Stupec, Accounting (AAS)

Leaf River: Jami Bachman, (AA)

Mount. Carroll: Gwen Gahm, Information Systems (AAS); Kayleigh Grubb, Associate of Science (AS)

Pearl City: Michael Kohl, Industrial Manufacturing Technology (AAS); Benjamin Lott, (AS)

Polo: Julia Vaught (AAS), Lesley Diehl (AS)

Shannon: Clayton Coleman (AS), Derek Hammer (AA, AS)

Stockton: Caley Feltmeyer (AA), Alexander Marcure (AA)

CERTIFICATES

Forreston: Scott Miller, Basic Welding

German Valley: Jherikah Luna-Stupec, Accounting and Account Clerk

Mount Carroll: Gwen Gahm, Account Clerk, Quickbooks Professional, Clerk Typist and Clerical Business

Pearl City: Michael Kohl, CAD-Mechanical, Industrial Electronics-Controls, Industrial Maintenance Technician, and Machine Processes.

Carroll County Summer Youth Baseball/Softball League

If your child is interested in playing softball or baseball this summer, you will need to attend the 2012 league sign-up for your town.

Your child must sign up in the district that you reside in. District boundaries follow the former school district boundaries for Mount Carroll, Savanna, and Thomson. If you live in the former Savanna school district, then your child must sign up in Savanna, etc.

Sign-up information for each of the towns is as follows:

- Mount Carroll: Tuesday, February 21, 2012; 5:00 – 7:00pm; Naaman Diehl Auditorium (Farm Bureau Building). You can also pick up/drop off registration forms at Country Insurance Office. Forms must be returned by March 9. If you have any questions, please call Julie Bickelhaupt . Forms can also be obtained at www.mountcarrollsummerball.com

- Savanna: Monday, February 27, & Tuesday, February 28, 2012; 6:00 – 8:00pm; WC Primary School Library. If you are unable to attend either of these dates, you can also pick up/drop off forms at Blackhawk Area Credit Union in Savanna.

If you have questions, please call Sandy Wurster .

- Thomson: Monday February 27, & Tuesday, February 28, 2012; 6:00 – 8:00pm; West Carroll Business Office Cafeteria. If you are unable to attend either of these dates, you can also pick up forms at Atherton’s or Casey’s General Store in Thomson.

If you have questions, please call Andrew Durward or Jerry Biederman .

HCC Earns Wind Energy Seal of Approval

On January 12, the Wind Turbine Technician training program at Highland Community College was awarded the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Seal of Approval. HCC is one of only nine schools in the nation to receive this distinction.

“Highland Community College understands the value of the Seal of Approval from AWEA and the statement it makes to our industry partners and our students. I am very proud of our program and the efforts taken by our staff to achieve the seal,” said Dean of Business and Technology Scott Anderson. “Our program has been and will continue to stay strong because of our continuous improvement and ability to partner with industry and community entities.”

The AWEA designation recognizes the College’s commitment to strong academic curriculum and hands-on training which helps graduates emerge prepared for entry-level work in the field. For consideration, programs must have an AWEA membership, be in place for at least a year with one class of graduates, and conduct a year-long self-evaluation. Upon review of the criteria, a three-person AWEA board consisting of wind industry experts awards the final seal of approval.

For more information about Highland’s Wind Turbine Technician degree and certificate programs, visit www.highland.edu, or call .

Taxpayers try to Stop Tollway ‘Highway Robbery’

Plaintiffs against the Ill. State Toll Highway Authority filed an amended complaint today in Cook County Circuit Court. Plaintiffs consist of James L. Tobin, Christina Marie Tobin, Kenneth Malo, John Guild, Rae Ann McNeilly, Paul Cassidy, Glenn Westphal and Carol Westphal.

Plaintiffs are seeking a Declaratory Judgment, injunctive relief, and redress for the violation of their civil rights by the defendants pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §1983, et seq. The Authority raised cash tolls by approximately 90% as of January 1.

Representing the Authority is the office of Ill. Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan (D), daughter of Chicago machine boss and Ill. House Speaker Michael J. Madigan (D).

“What Lisa Madigan is getting away with is nothing less than highway robbery,” said plaintiff James Tobin.

The amended complaint included the following points:

• The Commission was created by an act of the Illinois General Assembly as an instrumentality and administrative agency of the State of Illinois in 1953. On October 25, 1955, the Tollway Commission adopted a resolution authorizing a single series of bonds aggregating $415,000,000 to finance the construction of what it described as “The Northern Illinois Toll Highway,” which was to consist of three separate routes.

• In its first full year of operation the annual toll revenues collected amounted to $14,536,000. Since 2000, the Tollway has collected nearly $9 Billion ($8,621,360,000) in toll revenues from the users of its toll highways. The majority of that amount was collected from the three routes where the revenue bonds were already paid.

• The Tollway has indicated it now has some 13 series of outstanding bonds, with an aggregate total of over $4 Billion ($4,066,675,000) and with at least one series of those bonds not maturing until January 1, 2034. It continues to issue bonds without giving due consideration to the intent of the legislature that the Tollway should dissolve when the original bonds were repaid.

“Rather than paying off the tollway bonds and disbanding, the overpaid administrators keep issuing new bonds, so that the bonds of the authority never get paid off as the Ill. Legislature intended,” said Tobin. “This way the bureaucrats, tollway employees and politically-connected contractors rake in the dough year after year.”

‘Mr. Green’ Pays a Visit to the Ferguson Fine Arts Theatre

The highly acclaimed two-man play “Visiting Mr. Green” by Jeff Baron will be performed at 7:30 p.m. February 23, 24 and 25 in the Ferguson Fine Arts Theatre. Actor and HCC alumnus Ben Marten will play Ross Gardiner alongside fellow actor and director John Webb as Mr. Green.

Featuring characters Mr. Green and Gardiner, the play explores the unlikely circumstances and subsequent intergenerational bond surrounding two Jewish men in New York City. Gardiner, a 29-year-old corporate executive, nearly runs over the 86-year-old retired dry cleaner with his car. As part of his reckless driving sentence, Gardiner makes court-ordered visits to Mr. Green for six months, a time of revelation and growth for both men.

“These two characters are wonderfully drawn by a talented playwright (Jeff Baron), and that they are both intriguing in their personal conflicts and their ultimate willingness to practice tolerance and understanding,” said Webb. “The play has many laugh-moments but is finally about tolerance and human compassion.”

This will be Marten’s first time returning to a theater stage since 2008. He had read “Visiting Mr. Green” for another audition a while back and always envisioned doing the two-person piece with Webb, a mentor he credits with inspiring his career path as an actor. After mulling it over for a couple of years, Webb came to him this December about getting started.

Marten admitted he’s looking forward to putting away the “subtle” mannerisms required of acting on camera for a few weeks and embrace the “extravagance” of live theater instead, having most recently acted in roles for the TV series The Chicago Code and an upcoming film by independent director Ramin Bahrani.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for students. Purchase tickets online or by calling the Highland Community College Box Office weekdays between 1 and 5 p.m. by calling at .

Eastland FFA Celebrates FFA Week

Eastland FFA will be celebrating National FFA Week February 18 – 25 with several activities this year. On Tuesday, the FFA chapter will be having a continental breakfast along with recognizing new greenhands in the chapter. The FFA will also host a milk drinking contest during lunch periods. Tuesday is also flannel dress day.

Wednesday is bale throwing contest and agriculture hat day

Thursday the FFA chapter will cook butterfly pork chops for all of the high school students at lunch. There will also be a tug of war contest and that evening the chapter will participate in the Section 1 basketball play at Forreston High School.

Friday is teacher appreciation breakfast and official dress. Pictures will be taken of the chapter and officers for the school yearbook that day. There will also be an ice cream social for all FFA members at the end of the day.

To Vote for RON PAUL in the March 20 Primary Election:

If you are not currently registered to vote at your current residence address: The last day to register to vote at your county courthouse is February 21, 2012.

If you mail in your own Illinois Voter Registration Application (available in many post offices), have it postmarked by February 21.

If you’ve registered by mailing in your own Illinois Voter Registration Application you will have to vote in person the first

time. When you arrive at your polling location you will be asked for your photo ID, so your Illinois drivers license must have the same address under which you’re registered to vote. So, get your drivers license updated with your new address, if necessary.

If you’re not sure if you’re registered to vote you may call your county clerk at your county courthouse.

All Voters!: When you arrive at your polling place on March 20, ask for a Republican ballot.

On the first page, vote for Ron Paul for President, on the second page under Congressional, vote for All Three delegates who prefer Ron Paul for President. Example: Nancy Brandt (Paul). On the third page, vote for All Three alternates who prefer Ron Paul. Example: Laurie Bluedorn (Paul).

The delegates (and possibly alternates) are the people who actually Vote for Ron Paul at the Republican National Nominating Convention, so it is essential that the delegates and alternates who prefer Ron Paul get lots of votes.