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Baisden Accepts Appointment to U.S. Coast Guard Academy

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Ethan Baisden a senior at West Carroll High School in Savanna, Illinois has accepted an appointment to attend the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut for the class of 2014.

The U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut was founded in 1876 and is a professional college educating future United States Coast Guard officers. It is a fully resident military cadet campus and the smallest United States federal service academy.

The Academy provides a four-year Bachelor of Science degree program, with the curriculum heavily oriented toward math, science, and engineering. Like the other U.S. federal service academies, students receive a full scholarship and graduates serve in the military for at least five years after graduation. However, unlike the other service academies, there are no congressional appointments — admission is based solely on nationwide competition.  Only 288 national appointments were accepted last year.

The Coast Guard Academy has a proud tradition as one of the most selective colleges in America. Students come to the Academy to be challenged academically, physically, and professionally. By providing excellent academic programs, a structured military regimen, and competitive athletics, the Academy graduates competent and professional military leaders who serve their country and humanity with honor as Coast Guard officers.

Ethan is the son of Dave and Kari Baisden of Savanna, IL.  He will be majoring in Marine and Environmental Sciences and will be playing football for the “Bears”. 

While at West Carroll High School, Baisden has been an officer of NHS and FFA, and class president.  He has represented West Carroll High School all four of his years in State competitions including Pep band, All-State Choir, FFA Soil Competition, FFA ParliPro Competition, and FFA Record Book for Diversified Horticulture.  Ethan is a member of the Thunder band, choir, drama club, and science club.  He has played many roles in the school musicals and plays.  He has competed on the WCHS Envirothon and the Tech Trek academic teams.

Ethan will earn 11 varsity letters in his career at West Carroll; football (3), wrestling (3), basketball (1) and track (4).  In football Ethan was a 2 year captain, All-Conference Defensive Back (1st team) 2009 and Quarterback (HM) 2009, and Linebacker (HM) in 2008.  Team offensive MVP in 2009, Team Leader and most inspirational 2008.  All-State Academic Team (Illinois Coaches Association) 2009.  All-Western Illinois Defensive Back 2nd team Quad City Times, All-Area Secondary 1st team Clinton Herald.  In 2009 Ethan lead the Thunder in rushing 751 yds, passing 643 yards, 12 TD’s and 1394 all purpose yards.  Defensively he lead the team in solo tackles 34, pass break-ups 7 and score saving tackles 3.  He was 2nd on the team in total tackles with 84 (9.3 per game).

Ethan was a 3 year varsity letter winner in wrestling before moving over to Basketball his senior year.  In track he will be a 4 year letter winner.  He was team captain last year, and an all conference performer placing 2nd in High Hurdles, and was on the school record setting 4 X 200 relay team.  He was named most valuable track athlete his junior year and most improved his sophomore season.  His sophomore year he helped set the school standard in the 4 X 800 relay.

Ethan will report to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on June 28, 2010 to begin his “SWAB” summer training.

WC Pep Band Honored to Perform at IHSA Basketball Tourney

The West Carroll Thunder Pep Band will be making a return trip to Carver Arena in Peoria for the State Boys Basketball 1A/2A championship games.  The band’s last trip was in 2007. Director Emily Bressler is pleased to return in 2010 to entertain the state crowd.  In addition to playing during four games, the band will play for the opening of the March Madness Exhibit Hall.  Other area bands performing will be Winnebago, and they will play on Saturday, March 13.

“The audition process involves a CD sent to and judged by IHSA,” said Emily Bressler, WC Band Director.  “We made three demo CDs that had 30-40 tracks each and spent several hours pouring over each track trying to find the best collection of songs that would spotlight our group’s strengths. Sometimes we recorded 5 versions of one song and then listened for which was the cleanest take in terms of balance, blend, and pitch.”

The West Carroll Thunder Band has 63 members, but due to space constraints in Peoria IHSA will only allow 40 people including the director.  The 39 pep band members that will make the trip were selected based not only on ability, but also lesson and pep band attendance, attitude, and spirit.

“This is a very different band compared with the last trip in 2007,” Bressler said. “In 2007 it was a young group. Of the 39 kids we took, there were 12 freshmen who get to return to Peoria this year.  This year because of such a large group of talented juniors and seniors, we are only taking 3 freshmen downstate. 

“In general, this band is so much stronger, as the competition for seats in this band was much fiercer than in 2007.  I am thrilled to make this return trip and hope that this group will enjoy it as we did in 2007.

“This trip is truly commentary on the strength of our music program here in West Carroll and I am pleased year after year by the wonderful students I have the honor of teaching,” Bressler proudly stated.

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West Carroll Thunder Pep Band is (Front Row, L to R): Director Emily Bressler, Maria Timm, Bridget Frey, Emily Rogers, Maria Heath, Becky Titus, Ashley Huebner, Melissa Fitzpatrick, Karina Ellithorpe, and Asst. Director Scott Mattison.

Second Row: Colby Lemm, Zach Whitebread, Breanne Field, Wyatt Whitebread, Loren Thacher, Andy Behnke, Niki Covello, Megan Fitzpatrick, and Zack Timm.

Third Row: Kierstin Dimmick, Cassy Vos, Randi Long, Carrie Brinkmeier, Beccah Yuswak, Cassie Meade, Kris Corrigeux, Patrick Fritz, Garrett Badtke, Roman Timm, and Amy Lashelle.

Fourth Row: Andrew Watts, Allen Piper, David Walter, Ryan Atherton, Jerry Cavanagh, and Brandon Spencer.

Fifth Row: Ben Rogers, Garrett Eberle, Austin Saunders, Mark Miller, and Aaron Geesey. (Photo courtesy of WCHS)

 

West Carroll FFA

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Pictured are West Carroll FFA members who participated in the Section #1 FFA Proficiency Awards CDE held on February 16 at Dakota High School.

Front (L to R): Peggy DeLargy, Jillian Miller, Elaynie Shepherd, Kaiti Mathey, Kayla Wilson, Sammy Ritchie.

2nd Row (L to R): Matt Strauch, Ryan Atherton, Kara Durward, Brandon Colgan, Beccah Yuswak, Megan Appel, Audrie Ashby, Maria Timm, Elizabeth Brunner.

3rd Row (L to R): Hunter Hebeler, Garrett Badtke, Joe Dykstra, Ethan Baisden, John Getz, Richard Houzenga, Steve Willis, Steve Law, Cody Carson.

West Carroll FFA Members Win Section Proficiency Awards

Twelve West Carroll FFA members won Section #1 FFA Proficiency Awards held February 16 at Dakota High School. West Carroll FFA winners and their respective SAE’s were:

John Getz, Dairy Production Placement; Garrett Badtke, Diversified Crop Production Placement; Matt Strauch, Environmental Sciences; Ryan Atherton, Emerging Ag Technology; Joe Dykstra, Forage Production; Elaynie Shepherd, Nursery Operations; Richard Houzenga, Landscape Management; Steve Willis, Outdoor Recreation; Steve Law, Sheep Production; Jillian Miller, Specialty Crop Production; Brandon Colgan, Swine Production Placement; and Audrie Ashby, Turf Grass Management.  

These members will now advance to the District I FFA Proficiency Awards to be held March 17 at Bureau Valley High School. 

Other West Carroll FFA members participating were Cody Carson, Kara Durward, Peggy DeLargy, Kaiti Mathey Kayla Wilson, Ethan Baisden, Sammy Ritchie, Elizabeth Brunner, Megan Appel, Beccah Yuswak, Hunter Hebeler and Maria Timm.

To win a proficiency award, an FFA member must complete at least one SAE Record book and then interview in front of a panel of judges asking questions about their books and projects.

Special thanks to West Carroll judges Gregg Turnbaugh and Fred Tipton for volunteering to help judge at the event.

Meet Jasper

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This handsome guy is Jasper. He is not quite a year old, and he still has a lot of kitten left in him. He is a lot of fun and enjoys playing. His favorite thing is to be held and snuggled. Jasper gets along with everyone at the shelter, but he would love to have his own home and family. Call today, or 273-3183, to visit Jasper and his many friends at the shelter.

 

 

Milledgeville Hotshots 4-H Club Holds Meeting

By Matt Keppen, Milledgeville Hotshots 4-H Club Reporter

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The Milledgeville Hotshots held their February meeting on the 10th at the Milledgeville State Bank. The club recieved a 100 dollar donation towards the membership fee from Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hartman. This donation is deeply appreciated. The members then turned in their tickets for the drive through pulled pork dinner. The club decided to have a Relay for Life team. Three members are participating in the Public Speaking Contest in February 27 at 9AM. The club will also help with the Special Olympics practices. Some of the members will also be participating in the March 20th Livestock Judging Contest. After the discussion, talks were given by Mary Francque and Tommy Dyson. Following the meeting, the members made valentines to say thanks to the Brethren Home and the Milledgeville State Bank.

 

CCFB Women's Committee Donates to Food Pantries

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Carroll County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee chair Jan Appel and committee member Hazel Getz present the Thomson/Fulton Food Pantry with a check for $200 in celebration of National Food Check-Out Week February 21-27, 2010. Food Check-Out Week focuses on helping Americans learn how to stretch their grocery dollars with healthy, nutritious food. America’s farmers and ranchers are committed to producing safe, healthy and abundant food. And they share a common concern with consumers when it comes to putting nutritious meals on the table while sticking to a tight budget. The Women’s Committee is providing each of the four food pantries that serve Carroll County with a $200 check.

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Carroll County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee member Dorothy McCue presents Wilmer Jacobs with the Lanark/Shannon Food Pantry a check for $200 in celebration of National Food Check-Out Week February 21-27, 2010. Food Check-Out Week focuses on helping Americans learn how to stretch their grocery dollars with healthy, nutritious food. America’s farmers and ranchers are committed to producing safe, healthy and abundant food. And they share a common concern with consumers when it comes to putting nutritious meals on the table while sticking to a tight budget. The Women’s Committee is providing each of the four food pantries that serve Carroll County with a $200 check.

Mt. Carroll Rotary Club

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Freeport Mayor George Gaulrapp was the featured speaker at the Feb.16 Mt. Carroll Rotary Club meeting. He is pictured with Mt. Carroll Rotary member Julie Katzenberger. (Photo courtesy of Lou Schau)

Scholarship Opportunities Available

The Carroll County Farm Bureau Foundation has recently announced their 2009 Scholarship Opportunities. This year they will be offering five $1000 general scholarships along with the Harold Schmidt Memorial Forestry Scholarship in the amount of $1000.

To be eligible for all of the scholarships, applicants must meet the following criteria: must be a high school graduate; must be a Carroll County Farm Bureau member, spouse of a member or member’s child; 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 agriculture, agribusiness, or an ag-related field. The Harold Schmidt Memorial Forestry Scholarship requires a student to be enrolled in Forestry, Wood Science, Wildlife Biology, Botany, General Biology, or other related disciplines as listed on the application.

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 Wednesday, March 24, 2010. For questions or more information contact Chas at 244-3001 or by email at .

City Of Lanark Residents Asked to Submit Community-Wide Income Surveys

Over the last several years, the City has constructed a new water tower and made major improvements to its sanitary sewer system. For nearly all the infrastructure projects undertaken, the City of Lanark has been successful in its attempts to secure grant funds that helped finance previous infrastructure projects.

The City is once again looking to apply for grant funds to help finance the new municipal building project, improvements at the wastewater treatment plant, as well as future water and sewer projects. In order to qualify for Community Development Assistance Program (CDAP) grant funds from the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, current survey data is needed.

The City’s last community-wide income survey was completed in 2001. As such, in order to qualify for additional grant funds, a new community-wide income survey will need to be completed. In order to qualify for grants, all residential households within the City need to be surveyed. A cover letter, survey form and a self-addressed stamped envelope were mailed to all residents on February 26, 2010. These surveys need to be returned by March 20th.

The City cannot stress enough how important it is for all residents to complete and return the survey. A 75% response rate to the surveys is needed. All of the survey questions must be completed. The information you provide will be kept strictly confidential in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974.

Results of the survey will be compiled by Sharon Pepin of Community Funding & Planning Services. If you have any questions about CDAP grant programs or the survey, please call Sharon Pepin of Community Funding & Planning Services at .

Trinity Lutheran Holds Mid-week Lenten Service

For over 20 years, Trinity Lutheran Church of Lanark has hosted a mid-week Lenten service with a soup supper preceding the service. This year that service is again hosted by the church but with a slightly different format this year.

As before the service will include a Lenten Drama about the walk of Jesus to Jerusalem and his ultimate crucifixion and resurrection. This year’s drama is called “They Followed the Master” and is told from the view point of those who knew Jesus and met or followed him on his journey. Various members of Trinity’s congregation will portray these individuals. The service will begin at 6:00 pm. in the church sanctuary.

Following the service at 6:30 pm will be a soup supper hosted each week by a different committee in the church. Please note that the soup supper is following the service this year. This was changed in order to provide fellowship and discussion about that evening’s message.  The first Mid-week service will be Wednesday February 24th and follow on each Wednesday for the next four weeks (March 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th).

Trinity will also begin Holy Week by holding Palm Sunday service at 10:00 am March 28th and continue with Maundy Thursday service April 1st and Good Friday service on April 2nd. Both services begin at 7:00 pm. There will be a prayer vigil from 6:00-9:00 pm on Saturday April 3rd in the church sanctuary. Anyone is invited to attend.

The Eastland Council of Churches will hold its Easter Sunrise service also at Trinity Lutheran with service beginning at 6:30 am. Followed by the Church’s regular Easter Sunday service at 10:00 am.  These services are open to the community as well as any visitors to the area.

Trinity Lutheran Church of Lanark is located at 312 S. High St. and for more information please call the Church Office at . Please come and join us for the walk to Jerusalem.

Much New and Different at 2010 Illinois Horse Fair

By Leanne Rahn

Carroll County Community Worker, 4-H & Youth

The Illinois Horse Fair, the All-Breed Expo held March 5 – 7 at the State Fairgrounds in Springfield, is known for presenting new and different products, services and educational opportunities for both recreational and professional horsemen. More than 10,000 horse people attend every year. Sponsored by Purina Mills, Midway Trailer Sales and John Deere, this year promises to be exceptional, according to Joy Meierhans, Horse Fair manager. 

“We’ve been trying to book Tommie Turvey and his Night of Amazing Horses show for Illinois Horse Fair for five years,” Meierhans said.  Turvey’s “extremist” shows at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights include Roman Riding, Chariot Racing, Bridleless Riding & Liberty, and rib-tickling comedy routines. A quick look at Turvey’s antics is on You Tube. Type in Night of Amazing Horse in the search field or go direct to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu_ZjM21AGA.

Among the “new” offerings Meierhans cites is a Cowboy Mounted Shooting Clinic by National “Colt Eliminator” Top Ten Cowboy Rick Meyer, who will introduce riders to the “fastest growing equestrian sport in the nation,” including how to get started, horse suitability, selecting the right guns and holsters, required tack and dress, making horse and rider a team, and course management.

For the complete Horse Fair schedule, visit http://www.HorsemensCouncil.org Riders interested in having horses considered for training clinics, demos or endoscopy also will find details on the site. Advance tickets to Horse Fair and the Tommie Turvey evening shows can be ordered on line with a credit card or by calling the HCI office at (217) 585-1600. For information on exhibiting at Illinois Horse Fair, contact Joy Meierhans, Horse Fair manager, at (630) 557-2575 or email .

Country Clover 4-H February Meeting

By Olivia Zimmerman

Country Clovers 4-H Club Reporter

The Country Clover 4-H group met on February 8th, 2010 at the Milledgeville Community Center at 6:30 pm. The meeting was called to order at 6:42 pm. by Caleb Farmer. The Pledge of Allegiance and the 4-H pledge were then recited. The roll call was then taken by Alayna Farmer and the minutes of the previous meeting were read. A motion was made by Micah Farmer to accept the minutes and a second was made by Clarissa Bosley. The Treasurers’ report was given by Jeanna Farmer.

A committee report was then read by Micah Farmer regarding what we would purchase for the Pitter Patter Pantry if we got the grant. Mrs. Fisch announced that the group could apply for a health and safety grant that could be used to buy things for the families of Carroll County safe and healthy.

Then Mrs. Fisch said that the Cooking 301 project members would need to meet regarding the pizza party that would take place at the next meeting. A motion was made by Olivia Zimmerman to adjourn the meeting and a second was made by Jeanna Farmer. Meeting adjourned at 6:54 pm.

A demonstration was then given by Katryna Farmer on how to make a “Fresh Fruit Dipping Sauce.” Following the demonstration the group worked together on answering questions about their China project. As the meeting closed the group agreed to meet again next month.

4-H FORECAST

By Leanne Rahn

Carroll County Community Worker, 4-H & Youth

Carroll County 4-H Dog Project Potluck

A potluck banquet is planned for all Carroll County 4-H Dog Project Members and their families. It will be Sunday, February 28 at 6:00 p.m. at Naaman Diehl Auditorium in Mt. Carroll. All 4-H dog project families are invited or anyone wanting to learn more about the dog project. At this time we will discuss dates for weekly classes, trophy donations, and the 4-H Fair. All families are reminded to bring 1 meat dish to pass 1 dish to pass, your own drink and table service. For more information, contact Leanne Rahn at Carroll County University of Illinois Extension Office, or e-mail at .

Carroll County 4-H Pulled Pork Sandwich Supper

The Carroll County 4-H would appreciate your support! The 4-H will be having a Pulled Pork Sandwich supper on Saturday, March 27. This will be a drive through supper only. You will drive up to the marked door, present your tickets and a 4-H’er will put your meals in your car for you.

Pick-up time will be 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the following three locations: in Mt. Carroll at Naaman Diehl Auditorium side door, in Lanark at the Heritage Center kitchen door, and in Chadwick at the 1st Lutheran Church kitchen door.

Since it is a drive through supper all tickets need to be purchased in advance by March 1. They are available from any 4-H member or at the Extension Office in Mt. Carroll.

The meal includes 1 or 2 pulled pork sandwich(s), green beans, baked potato and cherry cobbler. One sandwich tickets are $7.00, two sandwich tickets are $8.00 each. All proceeds will go toward the Carroll Co. 4-H Program. We hope to see you at the drive through!

For more information, contact Leanne Rahn at Carroll County University of Illinois Extension Office, or e-mail at .

Meeting to Highlight Programs Offered by USDA

On February 25th at 11:30AM, Duane Smith from the USDA in Princeton will be available at the Whiteside County Extension Office and Farm Bureau Building at 100 East Knox Street in Morrison to highlight the various grant and low-interest financing programs offered by USDA. 

For-profit businesses may be interested in the programs related to upgrading the energy efficiency of their current facilities. Communities may be interested in capital improvement and other community investment opportunities. Farmers and farmer’s elevators will be interested in programs available to upgrade the energy efficiency of their grain dryers or other operations.  There are also programs related to production of local produce and the development of value-added agricultural products. 

The purpose of this meeting is informational only.  Grant writing assistance is not being offered.  University of Illinois Extension is simply sharing opportunities which might benefit Whiteside County residents. Come learn about the options and judge for yourself if these programs will work for you. If luck is really on your side, maybe you’ll even meet others in Whiteside County that have some of the same goals as you.

The meeting is free, informal, and open to the public.  Please call your local Extension office at if you plan to attend.  Again that is 11:30 AM on February 25th at the Whiteside County Farm Bureau Building at 100 East Knox Street in Morrison.

West Carroll Scholastic Bowl Team Competes Against Polo

On February 8, the West Carroll Scholastic Bowl Team competed agains the Scholastic Bowl Team from Polo.

In round one, the fresh/soph team from Polo won, scoring 110 to 90. The varsity team from West Carroll won their first round 150 to 90.

The second round shifted with the fresh/soph team from West Carroll scoring 130, beating Polo, who scored 45. The Polo varsity team won against West Carroll 205-110.

West Carroll Sophomore Jacob Pyffe on the fresh/soph team answered five toss up questions. Sophomores Andrew Watts answered three, Ashleigh Stingley two and Levi Jones one.

West Carroll Junior Loren Thacher answered nine toss up questions during the varsity game with Junior Sam Wilkinson answering five and Senior Trevor Timm answering one.

JCE Plans Major Rebuild Project in Savanna

ELIZABETH, IL—Planning and preliminary work is underway for a major rebuild of Jo-Carroll Energy’s electric distribution infrastructure serving the city of Savanna. The result will be increased system efficiency and power reliability.

“As we said during the acquisition of the Illinois IPL service area, Jo-Carroll Energy is committed to improve the quality and reliability of service to all our members,” said Michael W. Hastings, Jo-Carroll Energy president and CEO. “The City of Savanna needs these system improvements.  These system enhancements will help existing homeowners and businesses as well as help attract new homeowners and businesses to Savanna.”

The rebuild means a complete voltage conversion of the city, according to Dennis Astley, Jo-Carroll Energy manager of engineering. Currently five substations with three different voltages serve the city. The major goal of the project is to bring all substations to a standard voltage for consistency and efficiency.

“The system has been there for years and the town has grown around it, so the existing system may not be the best for the main circuits,” Astley said. “Not all of our substations provide the same type of service so they cannot be interconnected. We’re working to standardize the substations to improve safety and reliability.”

The project improves the cooperative’s ability to provide backup service to parts of town. With all substations at the same voltage, electricity can be rerouted during planned outages or emergency situations. Standardization also allows for a reduction of inventory and line loss, ultimately decreasing operating costs.

The project will be completed in three stages. With the project still in the early phase of construction, an inventory of all poles, transformers and wires has been completed to verify existing infrastructure. Cooperative engineers are deciding where to route the main circuits and where new lines need to be built. In the coming weeks, residents of Savanna will see crews building lines in preparation for the upgrade. This work includes hanging new transformers that will be utilized when the conversion is complete later this spring. One of the five substations serving Savanna is due for a major overhaul this spring with a new substation transformer to be installed.

“We’re building all we can prior to the substation transformer going in,” Astley said. “When it is in operation, we can start going down the line and converting voltages.”

Brief local outages—that can be as localized as the pole top transformer—will occur as the voltage is upgraded to the standard voltage. Planned outages may last from a few minutes to about an hour. Jo-Carroll Energy plans frequent updates, both through the local media and its own website, about the progress of the project and when planned outages will occur.

“We ask for the residents’ patience when we start the change over,” Astley said. He also reminded everyone to stay back from the trucks and to keep children and pets away from the area while the crews are working. “People are welcome to watch, but from a safe distance,” he said. “The linemen need to be able to focus on their work.”

For more information on Jo-Carroll Energy, visit the cooperative’s web site at www.jocarroll.com.

Alma College Choir to Perform at Fundraiser for The Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies

Mount Carroll – Timber Lake Playhouse, The Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies and Gene Teeter are pleased to announce that the Alma College Choir from Alma, Michigan will be performing at the West Carroll Middle School auditorium on Monday, March 1st at 7pm. The event will accept donations and include a silent auction to raise funds to assist with the water damage repairs to the Mayfest lawn at The Campbell Center.

One of the nation’s premier touring choirs, the Alma College Choir has performed all across the United States and has participated in seven European concert tours. The Alma Choir is known locally due to Mount Carroll resident Gene Teeter who attended Alma College in 1943 and was a member of the choir. Teeter, a music student at Alma College, was taught by another Mount Carroll native, Dr. Gene Grove, while at the college. Teeter is happy to have an opportunity to share this reputable choir with the community.  

The choir has been invited to meet Monday afternoon with Mr. Joe Titus’ music class at West Carroll Middle School for a chance for the college singers to mingle and sing with Titus’ students.

Those interested in attending the evening concert are asked to arrive at 6:30pm to register for the Silent Auction. Donations will also be accepted at the door at the West Carroll Middle School, 633 East Street, Mount Carroll, Illinois. Checks can be made out to The Campbell Center. All funds raised will assist with water damage repairs that occurred in January at The Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies. The repairs will cost The Campbell Center in excess of $10,000 and occurred on the lawn where the annual Mayfest takes place. 

The Alma College Choir will be presenting a concert of classics, spirituals, gospel and folk music from around the world. Highlights of the concert will include: The Anvil Chorus, The Sounding Sea, Jacob’s Ladder, Mouth Music and many others. This will be the first concert of this caliber and style that Mount Carroll has ever experienced.  

More Health & Fitness

Healing Service To Be Held

First United Methodist Church of Forreston is holding a healing service at 6:00 PM Sunday, February 28th. The church is located on Route 26 and Birch St. across from the Grade School in Forreston, Illinois. The service if open to the public and all faith groups. There is no dress code or restrictions on those who wish to attend. For those who are handicapped and have trouble with stairs please contact the church to make arrangements for accessibility.

The service is designed to teach those attending about health and healing. Its a holistic approach which teaches the connection between the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual person. The service will provide worship opportunities for releasing past bad memories and trauma as well as the offering of the laying on of hands with anointing and prayer for those who wish to receive it. It will also provide an opportunity for those attending to be reconciled with God and to repair that broken relationship. Open Door, Open Hearts, Open Minds, we are the people of the United Methodist Church. For more information contact Pastor / Evangelist Kent Svendsen at

Addictions Affect Us All

by Rev. / CH (ret.) Kent Svendsen

As a trained counselor I have heard many sad stories as concerns addictions. Those stories range from the loss of jobs, to the break up of marriages, to even the tragic loss of life due to addiction problems. What I find most important is that addictions do not discriminate against any social strata or economic lifestyle.

Whether it be drugs, alcohol, sex, or even gambling there are some who can control their appetites and others for whom it controls them. I remember one conversation I had with an acquaintance whom I thought had his life totally together and in control. He was a successful businessman with a wonderful wife and strong ties to his church. As we talked I could sense anxiety in his voice. When I asked him what was wrong he told me that his wife had a gambling problem. She had tried it once or twice to have some innocent fun only to end up maxing out all of their credit cards obtaining cash advances to gamble. They will have to work hard to pay it off before its time to retire, but that’s only if she gets help to stop gambling!

Today there are reported to be 62 twelve-step programs which were developed using as a pattern the well know Alcoholics Anonymous program! In fact there is a Nationwide Addiction Assistance Helpline () which was established just to help people find help for their particular addiction. With so many people in our nation affected by addictions it’s important that the public educate themselves on the subject of addictions.

One opportunity to do so is coming up March 20th at the First United Methodist Church of Forreston. Its an Alcoholics Anonymous Speaker Meeting which is open to the public. The event will be held from 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM in the church basement. The guest speaker has twenty-seven years of sobriety and will be discussing the journey he has taken to escape from addiction. He will also talk about steps people can take to help free themselves or a friend / loved one from addictions. The event is being hosted by the Forreston Early Bird AA Group which meets at the church every Monday morning at 8:00 AM. First United Methodist Church is located on route 26 in Forreston across from the grade school in Forreston, Illinois. For more information contact the church office at .

Community Garden & Young Gardener Program Destined for Morrison?

Meeting to be Held March 3
Morrison, Illinois – The Morrison Community Hospital Foundation has a vision of joining the community together while promoting healthy living. One way the MCH Foundation Board would like to accomplish this is by creating a community garden in Morrison and by designing an educational gardening program for young children.

The inspiration came from a successful program developed by Lindy Beswick, designed for a larger health system in Oklahoma. On Christmas Eve, Chad Haskell, MCH Director of Communications, Lindy, and her husband, Donovan Beswick, met to discuss a program titled “Little Sprouts”. The program incorporates educating young children on the benefits of gardening, allows them to experience gardening, embraces family togetherness, and encourages healthy eating choices.

In addition to the young children’s program, The MCH Foundation is gathering collaborators to work with them to create a community garden in Morrison. “The support and enthusiasm has been unbelievable. I can already envision the garden filled with people of all generations working together and sharing information. After reading the recent data reporting the growing obesity rates in the nation it has become apparent that we need to take a more proactive approach to healthcare. We can accomplish that through community programs and education. I encourage anyone who is interested in the project to join us in this effort,” said Chad Haskell.

The concept is to use square foot gardening and allow service groups, churches, individuals, families, schools, businesses, etc. to purchase a lot for growing and maintaining their own garden. They can choose to do what they would like with what they grow. Some may decide to sell items at the farmers market, donate produce to the food pantry, use for church community dinners, or take home for their families. There may be a minimal price to purchase a lot but the fees will be used to help cover costs of building the garden. The cost has not been determined. There have been several land locations that have been offered as possible sites for the proposed community garden.

There will be a meeting held at the Odell Library Community Room on Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 7 p.m. to discuss ideas, gather volunteers, and determine potential financial supporters for the project. Everyone is welcome to attend. The Odell Library is located at 307 S. Madison St. Morrison, IL. For more information please contact MCH Director of Communications, Chad Haskell, at .

Educating Hearts & Minds for Healthy Dating Relationships

University of Illinois Extension is currently engaged in a statewide initiative, funded by the Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership (ICMHP) to educate school staff, pre-service teachers and families about the benefits of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and the Illinois SEL Learning Goals and Standards.

“University of Illinois Extension is committed to increasing the number of youth who have the skills and knowledge needed for forming and maintaining healthy dating relationships and ultimately, healthy marriages,” said Durriyyah Kemp, Youth Development Educator at University of Illinois Extension. “Research has shown that helping teens acquire skills about healthy relationships can help prevent unhealthy relationships and future marital instability.

“Although the desire and act of dating is a natural aspect of adolescence, there are many risk factors that may impact the positive development of youth and have lasting implications on their social and emotional growth,” Kemp continued. “With over 50 percent of U.S. teens reporting to be in dating relationships, 20 percent admitting to being emotionally abused within the past year and 33 percent having knowledge of someone who has been physically assaulted by a dating partner, the possibility of risk in those relationships is significant.”

Risk factors also include other emotional aspects of dating and break-ups, additional forms of dating abuse, risk of sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancy, depression, peer pressure and suicide, among others. As a result, Kemp added, “It is critical that youth develop skills to be self-aware, make responsible decisions and have adequate relationship skills to communicate effectively and increase their levels of self-efficacy.” She said acquiring these skills will also provide youth with the ability to analyze their level of maturity, and decide whether they are socially and emotionally ready to date.

Extensive research during the past three decades demonstrates that these skills can be successfully taught in a classroom setting. “Educators may not be able to teach all relevant skills through formal instruction,” said Kemp, “but they can assist youth through experience, practice, modeling and observation.” This is possible utilizing teamwork, collaborative learning and small group discussions to provide opportunities for youth to learn in supportive environments.

“However, teaching is most effective when parents and educators are partners in the effort,” Kemp noted. “Everyone has a role to play to ensure that youth are acquiring the necessary skills. When these skills are taught early and explicitly, youth have the greatest opportunity to be successful, not only academically, but socially and emotionally in relationships, school, work and every aspect of their life.”

Whether it’s on a date, in the classroom, or online, teens need the skills to resolve conflict peacefully, work collaboratively, show empathy, make thoughtful decisions and manage their emotions. “All of these are skills that contribute to building healthy, meaningful relationships,” Kemp concluded. “When we educate hearts and minds or more commonly, teach social and emotional skills, we equip youth with tools for cultivating healthy relationships with others.”

Extension staff is developing programming and providing opportunities for youth to engage in educational activities that explicitly teach effective communication skills, understanding of self, consequences of relationship aggression, and healthy dating behaviors. For more information about University of Illinois Extension and their efforts around Social & Emotional Learning and Healthy Relationships for Youth, please visit: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu and http://www.extension.uiuc.edu/sel.

Get Fit Now - Ask Me How

A Very Basic Fitness Plan For Everyone

By Bill Whedon, CPFT, and Kent Dobbins, MS

Courtesy of www.worldfitness.org

Almost everyone who writes to us at World Fitness, wants a workout plan of some sort.  This article proposes a simplified plan, sort of a “one size fits all”, which you and your Certified Personal Trainer will be able to modify to suit you, specifically.  Many people will be able to take this plan as is, and get good results. 

However, bear in mind that everyone is different, so some modifications may be in order.  If you find that you can’t do it, or it isn’t working for you after some reasonable period (6 to 8 weeks), then you should see a local Certified Personal Trainer about those modifications.  There will be more on this subject further along.

Before we begin, I must make it clear that this plan should only be done by persons in good health, with no medical conditions which would prevent them from following it safely.  If you have any reason to believe that you do not fit this profile, you should first consult with your physician and obtain his/her approval before beginning.  And with that caution in mind, let’s get going!

Components of Fitness 


There are four basic components of fitness:

1) Aerobic: Your level of aerobic fitness is the over-all condition of your cardiopulmonary (heart and lung) system.  How well you function in this department, for example, whether or not walking up a flight of stairs is a problem, is the main area of interest.  If you are aerobically fit, your heart is strong, your lungs are in good condition, and common everyday activities are performed with little effort.  If you find yourself huffing and puffing when you walk up a little hill, it’s probably time to get interested in your body’s aerobic component.

2) Nutrition: How do you eat?  Are you a “junk-food junkie”?  Do you try every fad diet in the book -- no carbs, all carbs, all fish, dairy diets, all veg, etc.?  Or maybe you eat pretty normally, but still can’t seem to get into the shape you desire?  Establishing, and staying with, a “human-normal” diet, and a “hominid-normal” pattern of eating, is probably the best way to handle diet.  Throw out the diet books, the supplements, and the pills.  Quit watching the “infomercials”, and quit believing the hype.  It’s time for common sense, and a way of eating that will help you to become and remain fit and healthy.

3) Strength: You’re alone in your car, driving across the South Dakota badlands.  It’s 1 AM, and there has been nobody on the road with you for over an hour.  Nobody and nothing around for miles.  It’s cold out, and you only have a light jacket.  You feel a slight bump, and the left rear tire is suddenly flopping.  A blowout.  You stop on the side of the road, and whip out your cell phone.  Its battery is dead, and you don’t have your car adaptor.  In the trunk, you find a good spare tire, a jack with a handle, and a lug wrench.  The car is an SUV - a heavy one, with big, heavy tires.  It’s getting colder, and you don’t have enough gas to run your car all night.  You know how to change a tire, because you’ve done it before, but that was on a Geo Metro, with little Life-Saver sized tires.  Can you change the tire on your Land Cruiser?  Maybe now, while you’re sitting at your computer reading this, would be a good time to start thinking about improving your strength!

4) Measurement: “If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there?”  A very pertinent question, indeed!  Not only that, it’s very useful to know where you’re coming from, and to look at the mileposts along the way.  If you’re presently living in an athletic body, chances are, you already know about total bodyfat measurement.  If, however, like most of us, that athletic body is a goal rather than a reality, a tape measure will do just fine!  What?  No scale?  Well, if you really need to watch your weight, that is, if you know you’re obese and want to bring it down, there’s nothing wrong with using a scale.  Just don’t obsess on your attraction to the center of the earth.  It isn’t all there is by way of measurement!  In fact, weighing yourself more than once a week is a waste of time!  Saturday morning, buck naked, right after your first elimination and a shower.  That’s when you do it.  No other time.  Write it on a piece of paper, and forget it until next week, same time, same conditions.

Aerobic Exercises

Aerobic exercise is fun, both to plan and to do!  When we think of it, however, we almost inevitably picture jumping around in a high-impact aerobic-dance class, or doing step, or some kickboxing form.  Not everyone likes that stuff.  Maybe you don’t, but you want to get aerobically fit, anyhow.

First, some ground rules, no matter what you do:

- You have to do aerobic exercise on a regular basis.  That means at least 3 times per week, preferably 4.

- You have to maintain a fairly intense “zone” for at least 30 minutes, preferably 40.  More on this later.

- The exercise you do must be enjoyable to you.  If it isn’t, you’ll find “reasons” to skip it, and finally abandon it.

- There is such a thing as overdoing it.  Don’t go overboard - you’ll set yourself up for injuries and burnout!

Exercising regularly “pumps up” your metabolism in a good way (unlike the “metabolism enhancers”, aka drugs, from the Diet & Supplement Contingent).  within reason, the more frequently you exercise, the more active your metabolism will become.

You can easily tell whether you are doing aerobic exercise at an appropriate rate for you.  Here’s how:

1. You are breathing heavily, but can carry on a conversation, saying 4 or 5 words between breaths.

2. You are not gasping for breath for each word you say.

3. You could not sing a song, if asked to do so.

Finding an enjoyable exercise form, might be the most difficult task of all.  We’re all very busy these days, so whatever we do, we want it to be fun and profitable.  I suggest that you try many different things.  Get outside and walk.  If the weather or climate doesn’t permit that, do it in a mall or large shopping center.  Some gyms are big enough to have walking/running tracks.  If you’d rather, ride a bicycle.  Or get a pair of inline or rink skates, and try that out, outside, or at a rink, wherever is suitable.

Swim - Run - Jog - Take an aerobics class (any kind). The primary thing is, get out there and move!

You don’t have to start in all at once.  You don’t have to commit to anything until you know that you like it.  You do have to look yourself in the face, though, and make that decision to do it.  3 or 4 times a week.  At intensity.  For duration.  You have the plan now, and that’s all of it.  It’s really simple, and you can do it.  But you have to start.  Now.

How to Eat (Nutrition)

You don’t have to starve to become fit.  In fact, not eating enough will have exactly the opposite of the desired effect!  When you eat too little, your body knows it, and it reacts.  It reacts by storing everything you eat as fat, and consuming it’s muscle tissue for the “fuel”.  People who are starving, often have very high bodyfat percentages.  It’s the body’s way of protecting itself against famine.  So you need to eat enough to overcome that reaction.  Which translates to eating enough to remain healthy, to provide the “fuel” for those muscles to burn off the fat!

Up above, I used the words, “human”, and “hominid”.  Although all humans are hominids, all hominids aren’t human.  Forget the battle between Creation and Evolution for a moment, and consider this:  We’re very similar to the apes on this planet.  Not identical, but we have the same sorts of teeth, same sorts of digestive systems, and similar other items.  Another similarity is in our metabolisms.  I want you to pay close attention to this:

Outside of zoos, there are no un-fit, fat monkeys.

So, if we’re so similar, then, why do we get un-fit and fat and they don’t?

Outside of zoos, monkeys move around a lot, and eat small amounts, almost continuously!

When you eat small amounts, frequently, some Very Good Things happen.  Your blood sugar stays pretty level, which means that you’re not producing tons of insulin when you gobble down a big, high-carb meal, nor are you requiring your brain (which runs best on sugars), to put up with running on ketones, which you do on those abominable “high-protein” “ketogenic” diets.  (Aside:  I’d love to see some institute of higher learning administer an IQ test to people just before, and about 4 weeks into, a high-protein/no carb diet!)  Since you eat all the time, you’re never really all that hungry at any one moment.  No “pigging-out” needed.  No requirement to change your diet to eat All Protein, or All Carbs, or All Veggies, or All Fish!  You eat what you like, in small quantities, pretty much all the time!

You do still have to pay attention to proper nutrition.  You still can’t eat burgers and fries for every meal, and expect to get trim.  But you can eat some burgers, some fries, some pizza -- just not every day, and not as your primary food source.   It’s a common sense approach, and that’s the best way!

How To Get Enough (But Not Too Much) Food


In other words, how do you know you’re eating enough, but not so much that you’ll increase your bodyfat?  The answer is an item called the Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR.  That is calculated for each individual, using a formula which has been developed by lengthy testing in real-world situations.  There are a number of fitness calculators for this on the Internet.

8 Best Weight Loss Tips

There are a lot of “crash” diets out there that promise that you’ll drop a considerable amount of weight in days or a week. I have tried a few of these, and in my experience the weight always comes back on, just as quickly since the weight loss tips given are not something that will work with your body.

One thing you don’t want to do if you are actually serious about losing weight is to follow these fad diets and their ridiculous weight loss tips. After their ineffectiveness has been proven time and again, people will start to wise up to that particular diet, and will head off in search of a new craze. Lets be honest, people are always searching for new weight loss tips because they want to lose pounds and they want immediate results, but this is just wishful thinking.

To lose weight permanently and effectively it will be a rather slow progress, all depending on your metabolic rate and how much you need to lose. There are however some proven tried and true weight loss tips for aiding in the weight loss process, and I can make you familiar with them.

- Weight Loss Tip 1: Don’t skip breakfast. Whatever you do follow this advice, because otherwise you are much more likely in fact prone to binge later in the day.

- Weight Loss Tip 2: Don’t eat anything for at least an hour before going to bed.

- Weight Loss Tip 3: Don’t snack while watching TV. It’s acceptable to eat a meal while watching television, but never is snacking at this time acceptable.

- Weight Loss Tip 4: Substitute fruits like; bananas, watermelon, plums, peaches, and oranges for sugary treats like; cookies and candy.

- Weight Loss Tip 5: Substitute honey for sugar, and carob powder for chocolate in all recipes. These taste just as good if not better when used properly.

- Weight Loss Tip 6: Eat more vegetables. This can even be enjoyable if you have a good cookbook like Good Housekeeping’s latest edition.

- Weight Loss Tip 7: Avoid unnecessary high calorie foods. Instead of a high calorie salad dressing for instance, try cottage cheese or yogurt to improve the salads taste and peel off the pounds.

- Weight Loss Tip 8: Exercise at least a half hour each day for five days out of the week. Biking on a stationery bike while reading is a great form of exercise to slim legs.

In conclusion there is nothing stopping you from losing weight except yourself. Get off the “I can’t do anything about my weight problem” bandwagon and start dropping pounds today!

For Fast Weight Loss Go to Cybergenics Quick Trim 14 Day Weight Loss Now. Article courtesy of www.worldfitness.org.

Staying Fit and Golfing Over 40

By Herb Cherwoniak
Publisher, GolfPlayerMania.com

Courtesy of www.worldfitness.org

If you find yourself falling more and more behind your golfing friends, consider starting a fitness program geared towards golfing. Especially if you are over 40, a fitness program can drastically improve your golf game. Keeping fit, especially in the winter off-season, is a great way to improve your golfing. The key is to begin a golf fitness program that is geared both to your needs and to your current level of fitness.

Nearly every kind of exercise helps your golf game, because golfing uses every part of your body. A regular exercise routine that works all of the parts of your body is one basic step towards improving your golf game through fitness. There are also a few golf-specific exercises to work the muscles that you use to swing the club.

Flexibility is important for golfing, and that’s why it is important to stretch. As you age, it is especially important to stretch your muscles before golfing or any other athletic activities. Just a little amount of golf oriented stretching will make a noticeable difference to your swing. You should always stretch before a round, although it can also help to stretch even on the days you don’t plan to golf. If your legs feel tired after a day on the course, or you wake up the next morning with any soreness, you need to stretch more before you golf.

When you swing, you are rotating your body. Stretching your torso and abdomen is important, although it is often overlooked by people who just stretch their arms and legs. Sit on the floor, and raise up one knee so that your foot is flat on the floor and your knee is pointing up. Then twist so that you are looking behind you, bracing the opposite elbow on the raised knee. After a few seconds, switch so that the other knee is off the ground, again bracing your opposite elbow on the knee as you turn to look behind you.

Exercising your core muscles can improve your overall strength, which in turn will improve your golf game. Crunches and other traditional exercises are great ways to do this. Balance is also important for golfing; try balancing on one leg at least once per day to improve your balance. Although you may not associate weight lifting with golf training, increased muscle strength means increased control over your movements. Use lighter weights when working out, and focus on the hamstrings in your legs, as well as the muscles in your lower back. Lifting light dumbbells can improve the strength in your arms and shoulders. Don’t overdo weight lifting, especially if you have never tried it before. As you age, you naturally lose muscle mass, so it is important to build it back up through exercising.

Cardio exercises are often overlooked by those who think cardio isn’t important to golfing. However, cardio exercise can improve your endurance and stamina on the course. If you often feel worn out after a game of golf, try cardio. Low-impact cardio exercises include swimming, riding a bike, and even walking. One tip I can offer is plan a reward for all your hard work. Rather than look at free pictures of the augusta national golf course why not plan a weekend trip and play a round or two in Georgia?

Many senior golfers will tell you that a decline in performance as you age is inevitable, but if you take good care of your body and get plenty of exercise, you can maintain your golf performance level. It takes just a few minutes per day to improve your golf game through exercising, no matter your age.

About the Author: Herb Cherwoniak has a B.SC in Kinesiology,is an avid golfer and publisher of GolfPlayerMania.com ... A Meeting Place For Golfers. Come check out the website. We have everything from women golf shirts and gifts to college golf women photos.

Good Food vs Bad Food - Good Carbs vs Bad Carbs

By Kathryn Martyn

Courtesy of www.worldfitness.org

We’ve entered the Twilight Zone when it comes to the multitude of diets being promoted today. Starting with the Atkins Diet, then the South Beach Diet, now the Hamptons Diet and more. All higher in protein, lower in carbs, but the distinction should be quality of carbs (good or bad), not singling out one nutrient entirely. If you are on the Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet or any other variation of a high protein/low carb diet, simply adjust from eating low quality bad carbs like refined flour and sugar products (think if it comes in a box, it’s likely low quality) to eating more whole food products and good carbs like fresh vegetables and fruits - yes fruits.

Apples vs. Apple Jacks - You be the Judge

I know the traditional Atkins Diet doesn’t advocate much fruit (too high sugar) but think about that for one minute. My strong belief is that an apple is a good food. A bowl of Apple Jacks cereal may not be on an equal level. One is highly processed, sweetened by added white sugar and corn syrup, and one is natural, plucked from a tree and sweetened by the sun. Which would you choose? Don’t shun fresh fruit for the sake of following your low carb diet to the letter.

Eliminating healthy, wholesome foods is not the best way to learn to eat better, but severely cutting back on the frequency of eating highly processed foods is. I saw a site which called it GM or MM: God Made or Man Made. If you think of those terms when you go to choose your foods, it starts to make more sense. No one says you shouldn’t eat chips, or whatever strikes your fancy, but make them a treat - and eat the GM foods more often.

Common Sense Diet

Common sense will answer the question about what to eat. If you are on Atkins, South Beach or any variation of low carb diet, avoid processed foods, not natural foods. Stop using “instant” breakfast, and cook whole rolled oats for instance. Sure you might have to get up 10 minutes earlier, oh well. You’re worth it!

You can still stay on a higher protein food plan, but this one minor adjustment will allow you to continue with your eating plan for a lifetime, rather than a short-time. I’d go insane if I couldn’t eat my daily apple, banana or other fruit. I love fruit. I think there’s a very good reason humans desire sweet foods - Vitamin C, and other nutrients, including bio-flavnoids.

Can You Be Addicted to Fruit?

I heard someone complain they were “addicted to fruit” and I had to wonder, what do they eat? The person who refuses to eat fruit because they believe it is too high in sugar, probably does eat cookies, crackers and sugary cereals. They might even drink artificially flavored and sweetened drinks, but they refuse to eat a natural food, grown from our earth? That makes no sense, if you think about it. Did our planet develop and thrive based on processed foods? No, of course not. They are very recent in the evolution of our world. Very recent. In fact, we’ve had processed foods less than 200 years while our planet is millions of years old.

With the high incidence of obesity, and our high consumption of processed foods, it’s hard not to draw the conclusion that one causes the other. You won’t hear big industry stating that case because our economy depends on us buying the products being produced by the companies that employ us. You’ll never see it reported that “scientists discovered refined flour kills,” even if it were proven true because it doesn’t support our way of life. We need industry.

Yes, progress marches on, but when it comes to your body, common sense rules the day. The Common Sense Diet! Try it on for size today.

Walking Exercise Program

By Tina Seay

If you are already fitness walking several times a week, great! Now its time to step it up a bit. Here are 6 ways to turn your walks into workouts. They involve adding a little creativity but with these few simple techniques you can maximize the benefits of your walk and get more of an overall body workout.

Walking Workouts

Swing it!

Have you ever made fun of the walkers who swing their arms? Well they know something you don’t. This is the best way to increase the effectiveness of your workout. Bend your arms at your elbow 90 degrees as you walk. Swinging your arms will quicken your pace, raise your heart rate and help you to burn 5 to 10 percent more calories. Continue walking at a quick pace with your arms swinging naturally by your side. As you walk gradually bend them into the 90 degree angle. Keep a natural rhythm to your swing. Walking with bent arms will help with your gait, balance, and propulsion.”

Interval walking

Breaking up your walk into slow and fast segments is a great way to increase your stamina, build muscle and burn more calories. Vary the pace of your walk so that you have a phase of working hard (up to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate) followed by a recovery phase where you stroll slowly bringing your heart rate down.

Head for the hills

Rough it!

If you normally walk circuit on sidewalks or paved road shoulders, it might be time to find a trail. Walking on a rough but level track requires 50 percent more energy than walking on a paved road. Find a local park that has hiking trails or maybe there is a hiking club in your area that you can join. Look in the phone book or on the internet under volksmarching.

Circuit walking

A combination of walking workout routine and strength training. This may seem a little foreign at first but give it a try and you’ll find that time go by quickly and you’ll become stronger for it. Walk for a while then stop and do an exercise like sit ups or push ups on a park bench or even jumping jacks, just some exercise other than walking. This will shock your body into a new level of fitness.

Enter an event

Sign up for a 5K or 10K walking event or even walk for a cause, Breast Cancer or pregnancy center. Set a goal and train for that goal like an athlete. This will keep you motivated and push you towards the next level of fitness walking.

Reward yourself with a good pair of walking shoes.

Tina Seay is the author and webdesigner of http://www.LearnSomethingToday.com Her goal is to help others achieve their goals and live a quality life. Courtesy of www.worldfitness.org

Fitness, Diet and Body Type

Courtesy www.worldfitness.org

One of the most important part of a fitness program is knowing and understanding your body type and finding what works for you. Everyone is an individual with a unique makeup. To this, every program designed has to be tailored towards the specific individual. Knowing what your bodys natural tendencies are, a diet and exercise program can be designed to go with the natural flow instead of fight it. One method of catagorizing body types recognizes three different physical types and is called Somatypes. Somatypes recognizes the mesomorph, the ectomorph and the endomorph. From these three catogories it then sub-divides into approximatly 45 different forms of body types consisting of a combination of all three body types. No one is totally one body type. The ways and places a person gains and stores body fat plays a large role in determining the body types. Knowing your body type will aid in the development of an effective training program as each body type responds differently to exercise and exercise type.

Mesomorph

The mesomorph has a large chest, long torso, solid muscle mass and is very strong. Mesomorphs find it easy to build muscle mass and respond well to training of all types. Short recovery times are sufficient for mesomorphs because of the bodys positive response to training. Mesomorphs usually dont require long workout sessions. Cardio workouts should be short with high intensity to increase the lactate threshold, the fat burning, low intensity long duration cardio sessions are not needed. A balanced diet with sufficient amounts of protein and carbohydrates to fuel the high metabolism. Mesomorphs are the happy medium, muscular but lean.

Endomorph

The endomorph has short musculature, a round face, short neck, wide hips and havy fat storage. Endomorphs will not have trouble building muscle mass but will have trouble losing fat. Endomorphs should include cardio workouts into their training programs and maintain a low calorie diet that contains the necessary amounts of protein and carbohydrates and definetly watch the fats. High set, high repetition exercise with short rest periods work best as this aids in the burning of calories and fat reduction. Endomorphs tend to have a higher percentage of fast twitch (sprint) muscle fibers. They can add muscle mass quicker, but can gain fat very easily as well.

Ectomorph

The ectomorph has a short upper body, long arms and legs, long narrow feet and hands and very little fat storage. Narrow shoulders and narrow chest with long thin muscles. The typical ectomorph wants to gain lean muscle mass, develop strength and endurance. Muscle mass develops slowly and moderately heavy to heavy resistance training works best for ectomorphs. An increase in the daily caloric consumption will aid in the development of building lean muscle mass. Increase protein and carbohydrates. Workout sessions are usually longer with cardio workouts kept to a minimum usually consisting of short duration, high intensity. Ectomorphs tend to have a higher percentage of slow twitch (endurance) muscle fibers. Ectomorphs have a harder time adding muscle mass, but seem to eat anything without gaining fat.

March Tai Chi Classes to Get Ready for Spring

Get ready for Spring! Do some basics to warm up your own body for the warmer weather that is coming…and ease into spring with some low impact exercising, Tai Chi. This is a form of exercise that uses breathing and total body motion to develop a healthier body. It is for individuals of any age that want to extend their body’s flexibility and balance while strengthening the cardiovascular and respiratory system. Tai chi exercise has been proven to be more effective than regular stretching exercises in studies to reduce pain and improve the overall physical and mental health in people over 60. Whatever your age get ready for spring with Tai chi during the month of March.

Do a little personal “warming up” to get ready for the activities of this spring and summer and join us! Tai Chi classes will be offered for a 4 week series at the Odell Library Community Room March 5, 12, 19, and 26 from 12:15 – 1:15. Cost of each class is $5.00. Tai Chi instructor is Mr. Trirong Khuntangta, Sauk Community College. Mr. Khuntangta is well known in Morrison for his quality Tai Chi Program and his Traditional Wellness Center in Dixon. His Program in Morrison is a part of his out-reach service to communities to enhance personal health. Please contact Nancy Anderson for any questions at .

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