CAT FIGHT
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ON THE VERGE
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D aily E astern N ews
Friday, September 11, 2015
“TELL THE TRUTH AND DON’T BE AFRAID ”
C E L E B RATI NG A CE NT UR Y OF COVE RA GE
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VOL. 100 | NO. 15
W W W . D A I L YE A S TE R N N E W S . C O M
Local sewing shop caters to unique requests By Mackenzie Freund City Editor | @mgfreund_news Every day brings another chance for a unique project to come through the door of the Sewing Salon, just off the Charleston Square. Some of these unique projects may require uncommon materials for them to be completed. Kathy Jenkins, the owner of the Sewing Salon at 718 Jackson Ave., said that every day her and her staff ’s talents get tested with the different projects that come through the door. “No two days are alike up here,” Jenkins said. “You never know what a day is going to bring.” Jenkins said she has had some projects come through her salon recently that most people would not normally see, including a recent customer and his blind Chihuahua with a device intended to help the dog move around. The customer had asked Jenkins to help modify the device for the dog. The Sewing Salon team recently worked on a princess costume for a woman who had planned a trip to Disney with her family. “We took weed wacker string and added it to the bottom of the skirt to give it a coiled effect, so the skirt would look like a cloud when you got done with it,” Jenkins said. Jenkins said she chose that string because it was a stiff plastic material that could be used for the look of the dress. She has worked on different parts of wedding dresses, whether it is the neckline or the dress itself. She said she tries to focus, not just on the fit of the dress, but making the dresses unique to each individual. Jenkins said she altered an heirloom dress that was brought to her in the beginning of the summer. The gown came in 10 inches too short, and from there she and her staff made it for the bride. “There was a sheer lace panel we used to create a peak-a-boo back,” Jenkins said.
MACKENZIE FREUND | THE DAILY EASTERN NE WS
Kathy Jenkins, owner of the Sewing Salon off the Square, poses with a mannequin that displays one of the tuxedos she rents.
“The backing was removed so you could see through the netting, and it added 10 inches to the gown.” She said if something can be done with a needle and thread, there is a chance that it has been attempted at the salon. She has even resewn the interior of a convertible to keep the window in place. “There was a stitching that went around the plastic that had deteriorated in a small corner, so we did it by hand,” Jenkins said.
The Sewing Salon has been in Charleston for around 65 years since the original owners opened the store, Jenkins said. She took over the store from her mother in the fall of 1990. Jenkins’ mother had taken the store over in the early 1970s. Jenkins said she needed a place where she could access services for her daughter, who is developmentally disabled. Her daughter is able to be at the Sewing
Salon every day watching TV or interacting with customers she knows. “A lot of people have a home-based business,” Jenkins said. “This is a business-based home.” Jenkins said her business is a place where the women help each other out, especially when it comes to children. Mackenzie Freund can be reached at 581-2812 or at mgfreund@eiu.edu.
Health department to offer food safety classes By Cassie Buchman Administration Editor|@cjbuchman The Coles County Health Department is offering food safety classes and food service sanitation management certification classes during September and October. These classes are a part of Food Safety Month, and are being offered to educate the community as well as fulfill the continuing education requirement for food service establishments. On Wednesday, Sept. 23, a two-hour food handler training class will be offered from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Coles County Health Department. Another food handler training class will be offered on Oct. 6 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. One-hour food safety classes will also be offered. The first class, “From Purchase to Service” will be on Sept. 15, with “Foodborne Illness” on Oct. 28 and “Cross Contamination” on Oct. 29 at the Coles County Health Department. According to a press release, similar classes will be held at the Cross County Mall on Sept. 29 for “Time and Temperature” and Oct. 8 for
“Personal Hygiene.” All one-hour training classes begin at 2:30 p.m. Gloria Spear, the director of environmental health at the Coles County Health Department, said these classes went over the basics of how to keep food safe. “They go over things like cross-contamination, the storage of food, personal hygiene,” she said. “Like washing hands.” The classes will also teach participants the time and temperature food should be stored. Hot foods should be stored above 135 degrees, while cold food should be kept at 41 degrees or below. “It’s important to avoid the ‘danger zone,’” Spear said. The “danger zone” is any temperature between 41 and 135 degrees. The class is free to any resident of Coles County and those who are employed by a food service facility in Coles County. Food service sanitation management certification classes will take place on Oct. 20 and 21. A food service sanitation management certificate is required for all food handlers. The deadline to register for the class is Sept.
30. The food service sanitation management classes will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Any high-risk food service facilities must have someone with an FSSMC certificate on duty during all hours.
“A lot of people have been known to change their practices at home after taking the class.” -Gloria Spear, director of environmental health Any medium risk service facilities need to have at least one full time employee on staff. Spear said high risk is defined as a place that has cool food on hold, and that has to reheat food. “High risk places usually serve compromised population, serving the elderly, small children, sick people,” she said. “Places like sit-down res-
taurants, schools, nursing homes, hospitals.” Medium risk places are places where food is not on hold and not reheated often. “It’s just cooked and served, like in fast food restaurants,” Spear said. Spear said having classes about food safety would help both food service facilities and the Coles County Health Department. “It’s just one more violation we don’t have to write,” she said. Last year, about 62 violations were written. The food safety classes are not just for food handlers. Spear said they were beneficial for anyone because each class teaches people how to be healthier when making food in their own homes. “There are some things that are taken for granted,” Spear said. “A lot of people have been known to change their practices at home after taking the class.” Registration is required for the classes. Anyone interested can call the Coles County Health Department at 217-3480530. Cassie Buchman can be reached at 581-2812 or cjbuchman@eiu.edu.