Centralia Now March 2014 by Mt Vernon Register-News

March 2014

Jimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ford Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wear Carling legacy Legs For Life save lives Dinkelman gives Twins utility

A great Mathematician is born Schwartz Orchard: Family owned business Centralia Cardiologist gives back to the needy

Centralia

contents Features 3

Something Old, Something New

Monkey play

Legs For Life

12 A great

Mathematician 14 Dinkelman gives

Twins utility

18 Schwartz

Orchard

22 Giving back to

the needy

from the cover

Apples from Schwartz Orchardsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

22 2

March 2014

Jim Ford’s Men’s Wear

Something Old,

Something New Story by Nancy Jordan Picard

In the 1890’s, a men’s clothing store was built in downtown Centralia. Later, it was sold to Fredman Brothers and renovated into a furniture store. Ironically, in 1960, the building was bought by Jim and Jan Ford and was brought back to its original roots; it became Jim Ford’s Men’s Wear. Mrs. Ford’s family owned a men’s clothing store in Ottawa, Illinois called Marseilles. In the early fifties Jim worked for Marseilles, but his desire was to expand and open up an upscale clothing store of his own. Jim Ford’s Men’s Wear became the first retailer for Jim’s Formal Wear Tuxedo Rental. He offered a full line of services, including in house tailoring. In the 1970’s, he opened the back door garage and named it, Back Door Jean Shop. He catered to the younger generation providing March 2014

the latest styles in jeans and casual wear. He wanted to provide fashion for the old as well as the young. Jim’s son Mike began working for him throughout the years. In 1990, Mike and his wife Donna took over the business. Following in his father’s footsteps, Mike continued to carry a full line of men’s formal wear, tuxedo rentals, and in house tailoring. After fifty years of running the store, Mike was ready to retire and close the doors of this iconic business. But this was not to be. Mike had an employee who had been working for him for 4 or 5 years. His name was Tim Altadonna. In Tim’s high school senior yearbook it was stated that his ambition was to own his own men’s clothing store. Opportunity had knocked and Tim decided that he would preserve this part of Centralia’s 3

history by purchasing the store. In 2010, Tim reopened the store in the fall. The landmark building was continuing its legacy; but what about the name of the store itself? Tim says, “I was going to change the name but out of respect for the Ford family and the iconic business, it would always be Jim Ford’s Men’s Wear.” It was important to Tim to keep the same quality of clothes and service as the past 50 years. He has a fondness for nostalgia and has kept the original sewing machine and equipment to display the merchandise. “In store tailoring is a dying breed.” Tim says. He wants to continue providing this service, giving his customers personal service and attention to detail. The store survived the in the mall stage and out of the mall stage. The city thought by making the street an outdoor mall, it could improve on the downtown area, however this did not last. Tim jokes that he has everything

from underwear to tuxedos and everything in between. The store is the same as it was fifty years ago, only updated. He now offers wedding services and he still caters to the young and old. He rents tuxedos for proms. He plans on opening a big and tall shop in the back door garage. Tim has one employee, Mr. Doug Hixon. He has worked there for eighteen years. For Tim, he said it was like winning the lottery. From the very first day, Tim says he could not have done it without him. His success has been built on the services and personal satisfaction of the customers. Tim earned a degree in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing from South Eastern University in Kissimmee Fla. But after college he forgot about

his degree and went to work for his dad. He is the son of Carl and Pud Altadonna. Their family has been in retail for many decades. Tim and his dad owned an IGA store in Sandoval and Kinmundy. They also owned Mr. A’s Liquor and Lounge which Tim ran for 33 years. Tim has also worked at Hutters Clothing Store, which was located in downtown Centralia. He has fond memories of when Mr. Malan bought him his first fur coat from New York. He loved that coat! It was his first high fashion item. Lol. Later his mother sold it at a yard sale for 2 dollars. How he would love to have that coat back today. Mike’s passion has always been window displays. Through the years he has worked at Dillard’s selling suits. When they saw his talent for

window displays, they sent him to a store in downtown Saint Louis where he could showcase his talent. His displays for the holiday seasons were

March 2014

absolutely stunning. He was working at Dillard’s in St. Clair Square as the fragrance department manager when he heard that Mike Ford needed help. That is where his story began in becoming owner of Jim Ford’s Men’s Wear. Tim is very active in the community. He is a board member of The Chamber of Commerce. For a hobby he waits tables at Centralia House. He has one daughter and three grandchildren that he loves to spend time with. He loves concerts and casinos. Tim would love to see Centralia become the booming, dynamic town it once was. He strongly believes it can be that way again. That is why he is constantly changing his store to keep up with the times. He belongs to the North West buyers association. He attends purchasing markets in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Las Vegas. He keeps up with the trends through fashion magazines. He has been very well accepted by his peers. They have taken him under their wings and showed him the ropes. In line with this, Tim is announcing Jim Ford’s first Bridal Expo. It will be presented at the Centralia Cultural Society on Sunday, April 6th, from noon until four. A state of the art fashion show begins at two o’clock. There will be twenty five wedding vendors. Check out a full line of new styles for the 2014 wedding season. Tim likes to make a bride and groom feel comfortable. Their wedding day is just as special to him as it is to them. Tim’s love of fashion can be seen from his stunning window displays, to his photographs of all the fashion icons gone by, displayed in his store. Elvis Presley, Johnny Carson, Miami Vice, James Dean, Frank Sinatra and the Fedoras, were all a big part of the fashion industry. He has his picture right in among them. One of his proudest accomplishments is creating his own fragrance line. It is called March 2014

TA’s. It has a very light smell, very fresh and clean. He has a fabulous display case showing off his cologne with pictures of his god son on the beach wearing all of his products. Tim Altadonna is clearly living his dream and sharing his passion with all of us. His excitement is

contagious. He makes you believe in our city. He has a vision of everyone coming together and making Centralia the great city it once was. It takes courage to fill the shoes of a legacy that others have left behind. But when your heart is in the challenge, it feels like walking home.

Story by Rick Hayes

Editor’s note: This story is being republished because it was not printed in its entirety in last month’s issue. High school basketball in Illinois in the mid-1970’s was at its peak. The state had gone to a two-class system earlier in the decade and the Southern Illinois coaching scene was filled with bright personalities — guys like Ron Felling at Lawrenceville, Rich Herrin at Benton, David Lee at Carbondale, Sonny Ellis in Mt. Vernon and Centralia’s Jeff Carling. Carling came to CHS for the 1974-75 season after piling up a 48-7 record at St. Paul in Highland. He interviewed twice for the job, and when CHS officials called the third time, he was offered the head basketball coaching position. “I talked to myself for hours on the way home,” Carling recollects. “I was only 27-years-old at the time and got what I considered the best high school job in the state, and maybe even in the country.” In Carling’s first season, the Orphans finished 20-7, eventually losing to Benton in the regional. Benton had four Division I players that season, finishing 27-1. Carling said he and then Benton coach Rich Herrin have become good friends over the years, and Herrin and other coaching acquaintances from Illinois visit 6

Carling’s Legacy Carling often at his West Palm Beach, Fla., home. “It (Benton) was a fun rivalry,” Carling said. “Rich had short hair and I had a long Beatle cut. After that first season, I challenged the cheerleaders to come up with $2,000 for a fundraiser. I never thought they would, but they did, so I shaved my head before our game with Mater Dei. All of the newspapers in the area had as their headline the next day, ‘Carling Goes Kojak.’ I had a lot of fun doing it.” “My coaching philosophy back then was run and gun, play good defense for offense and fight for the ball no matter what the call,” Carling said. “I got everything I could out of some hard-nosed players.” Carling would finish his three-year career at CHS with a 52-28 record, never having a losing season. The town adopted the team as “Carling’s Darlings” after some of the boosters, including ringleader Jerry Cooksey, erected a sign at the popular Green Grill that read “Carling’s Corner.” Carling made himself available after every game to talk to the fans. Carling’s legacy at CHS is the socalled monkey play, who according to booster Butch Border had never been done, eventually being banned

by the IHSA. “Four players were on the foul line and one would take the ball out of bounds. The player out of bounds would slap the ball and three of our four players would do somersaults, and the other faked it, and would be open for an easy layup,” Carling explained. “We only used it nine times, but it was successful eight times.” Carling also ran an Apache play, where players would run in a circle and then break to the basket. “I wanted to do things that were creative and fun. The players loved all that goofy stuff,” Carling said. “When Carling was coaching, it was a show. He was one of a kind,” Centralia Booster Butch Border said. Carling would return to Centralia in 1988-89 to take the reins of the Kaskaskia College basketball program. With the same flare and flamboyance he displayed at CHS, Carling led the Blue Devils to a record of 205-147 over the next 11 seasons. His 1991 and 1998 teams were NJCAA Region 24 and District 4 (state) champions. March 2014

Photo Provided

The 1991 team finished ninth in the NJCAA national finals with a 26-11 record. The 1998 team compiled a record of 33-5 and took seventh in the NJCAA national finals and also captured the Great Rivers Athletic Conference title. They were ranked 12th in the nation at the end of the season. His 1992 team also captured a GRAC title. “We went to Hutchinson, Kans., twice and I was named Coach of the Year four times,” Carling said. “That 1998 team was the best, record-wise. All the teams at Kaskaskia had plusses and minuses, but the team that was

March 2014

the most successful was that team.” The team included first team AllAmerican Errick Green of St. Louis. Green would go on to the University of Maine and played pro ball in Europe. “Our college president at that time asked me for financial purposes if we could stay within the state to recruit. I told him that would be tough, but I would try. There was not a player on that roster that was from out of state. That’s very unusual, but we made it work,” Carling said, adding that he declined to try it again the following season, despite being

requested to do so by college officials. The 1991 team included Darren Hill and Jeff Rogers, whose offsprings are former CHS athletes. Hill’s son is a former 100- and 200-meter sprinter who is now on the Michigan State track team; and Rogers’ son, Jeff, is currently on the Orphans’ roster. Carling stayed at Kaskaskia a couple more years after leaving coaching as the school’s athletic director. At age 68, he is now enjoying the southern sunshine, and retirement. “I live on a golf course and play golf, and cheat. I swim, eat good, drink good and have fun,” Carling said.

for

Saves Lives

Story by Nancy Jordan Picard

Have you ever felt strongly about doing something that you just knew in your heart was right?

March 2014

Shannon Shipley, of Centralia always had a desire to run. In 2006, when she found out she had a lung disease and discovered that running was one of the best things she could do for her health, she put on her running shoes. She ran her first 5k and that put her on a mailing list. It was like any other Saturday when she went to get her mail, and of course there were always invitations to run for different causes. One of these was an invitation to Martha Caldwell become a part of (Grandmother) Team in Training. It was a race to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She thought about throwing it away, but on second thought, she set it aside. She had no idea that following day was going to change her life. She wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really sure what leukemia and lymphoma were. She had not given the invitation any more consideration, not even knowing if it was a legitimate invitation. Then she received a phone call from her dad. The unthinkable had happened: Her dear grandmother had been diagnosed with lymphoma. Later that day she received an email from a March 2014

dear friend asking for her support and prayers. The friend’s son’s girlfriend had been diagnosed with leukemia. No doubt she couldn’t wait to get home and read the invitation she had set aside. Indeed, it was an invitation to raise money for the very blood cancers that her grandmother and friends’ family had been diagnosed with. To Shannon, her mission became crystal clear. In January of 2007, she ran her first half marathon in Phoenix. She raised more than $11,000 for LLS. Nothing could take the smile off her face as she ran that first race, legs moving, hair blowing in the wind, and a picture of her grandmother etched in her mind. And best of all was the feeling in her heart. It felt great to be doing it all for somebody else. Sacrifice has its own rewards. It is so touching to witness a race with a sea of people decorated in T-shirts that honor their loved ones who have suffered from these diseases. Some have pictures, some have names but it is clear that these people were loved and will never be forgotten. Not to mention the ones who are still fighting, still running in the race for life. The joy and excitement are contagious. Of course running is hard work, but the team’s favorite saying is, “If you think running is hard, try chemotherapy.” Shannon says, “When we start to feel tired, we just think about those cancer patients.” Truly Shannon, a hero lies in you. A friend of Shannon’s suggested 10

that they start an annual 5k race in beautiful Foundation Park. It was already a certified course that hadn’t been used in a while. LEGS FOR LIFE was born and this year their sixth annual race will be held on March 22. Mrs. Shipley is a teacher at Centralia High School where her husband is the principal. Her husband joined in the race when a student of theirs was diagnosed with lymphoma. His name was Justen Barrow. Shannon talked to his mom the day they flew out to run a race at Disney; Justen was tiring out from his long fight with cancer. They had their T-shirts packed, decorated in honor of their beloved student. By the time they reached Florida, Justen had passed. Shannon recalls, “That was a very emotional race. It’s not easy to cry, breathe, and run at the same time.” For more information on the race go to LEGSFORLIFE5K. com. You can find out how to register and learn about the one mile race for Little Legs. There are first, second, and third place prizes for each age division and overall. T- shirts are guaranteed to all participants who register before March 8. The course record set for men is 15:20; for women it is 17:30. All proceeds go to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

LEGS FOR LIFE March 22

8 a.m. start

Foundations Park, Centralia

March 2014

From C

A On April 24, 1919, a male child was born to Grover Blackwell and Mabel Johnson. They lived in our hometown, Centralia Ill. Grover worked for the Illinois Central Railroad as a holster, someone who serviced train engines at the end of their runs. He had a fourth grade education. Mabel was a stay at home mom and raised her firstborn son and three other children who eventually followed. It was a time when the country was segregated. The child born that day was named David Harold Blackwell. He was an African- American. Racism was part of Southern Illinois culture. There were three elementary schools in Centralia when David was old enough to attend. Two were segregated and one was integrated. He felt he was fortunate to attend Field school, which was the only integrated one, David commented later in life. You see David had no idea the problem of racism existed. He knew there was a school for the whites, and a school for the blacks, and a school where they co-existed. Yet, he never felt discriminated against as a child. His parents had sheltered him from the harsh realities of prejudice. Protected in his innocence of childhood, David thrived and believed in the powers he held within. When he began high school, algebra and trigonometry were problems he could solve, but they certainly weren’t his passion. However, he became quite enthralled with geometry. He 12

had a good teacher who motivated him to improve his mathematical skills. He applied his knowledge to games and searched for ways to analyze a winning strategy. Was there a way for the first player to always have the upper hand? At age 16, David attended the University of Illinois. This is where he first realized that Mathematics was a beautiful thing and that he wanted a career doing what he loved. It may be hard for some of us to think of math as a thing of beauty, but remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Just as a rose is a beautiful thing for one who plants flower gardens. While attending the university, David realized that his father could not afford his college tuition on his income alone. His father was borrowing money to pay for David’s education. David knew how hard his father worked and it hurt him to think he would have to work even harder to pay off the loans. For the rest of David’s life, even the picture of a locomotive engine gave him a special feeling. So he found odd jobs such as washing dishes and took classes in the summer. By the time he was only nineteen years old, David had earned a Bachelor’s Degree. He continued

to study at the University of Illinois and obtained a Master’s degree in 1939. He was awarded his doctorate in 1941 when he was only twenty two years old. Doctor David Blackwell went on to receive a prestigious award that afforded him a year of postdoctoral study at the University of Princeton. This is where racism again reared its ugly head. It was assumed that the Fellows, who received this award, would be appointed as honorable faculty members after their year of study. An African-American had never received the award before, nor had there ever been an African-American faculty member at the University of Princeton. The president of the university made sure that Blackwell was not given a faculty position due to the controversy and opposition that was being demonstrated by the white community. They were still bound by chains around their heart that did not allow them to love their brothers. The black population had been set free years before, but the whites were still not emancipated. Most of us have attended the same school of hard knocks. Because of our race, religion or culture, we have been discriminated against. Whispers behind closed doors echo throughout the hallways. Like a thief in the night, around every corner, lurks someone to strip you of your dignity. But they cannot have what is yours to cherish. The love instilled in young David was stronger that the hate. Like a superhero, David flew high above the ignorance. March 2014

m Centralia to California A Great Mathematician is Born Story by Nancy Jordan Picard

Again, all of the prejudice did not faze Doctor Blackwell and he assumed that a black teacher would teach at a black college. It was as simple as that. He eventually accepted a position at the Southern University at Baton Rouge where he taught for a year and then served as an instructor another year at the Clark College in Atlanta. The ambition of every black scholar in those days was an appointment at Howard University. In 1944, Doctor Blackwell achieved this. In only three years he was appointed as Head of the Department of Mathematics. He was also promoted as a full professor. In this year he also married his sweetheart, Ann Madison. In 1954 he left Howard and took up a position at the University of California at Berkeley. In 1956 he became Chairman of the Department of Statistics. In 1954 he and a lecturer named Abe Girshick jointly published the book Theory of Games and Statistical Decisions. The Cold War inspired many games where people shot each other. Many games mimicked duels between men. Between 1948 and 1950 Doctor Blackwell worked for the Rand Corporation where he studied games and soon became a leading expert in this field. March 2014

Doctor Blackwell went on to receive many honors. In 1955 he was elected President of the Institute of Mathematical Statistical Association, vice president of the International Statistical Institute, and Vice President of the American Mathematical Society. In 1965 he became the first AfricanAmerican to be elected to the national Academy of Sciences. He accomplished many more projects and received numerous more awards. In 1983 he was interviewed for “Mathematical people.” He said in that interview, “Basically, I’m not interested in doing research and I never have

been. I’m interested in understanding, which is a quite different thing. And often to understand something, you have to work it out yourself because no one else has done it.” In 1989 he retired from the University in California. He lived a long life and died at the age of 91 years old. The advice Doctor Blackwell gives to any young person is to try everything. Keep looking for something you like. Job satisfaction is more important than money. Go to work every day and do something you enjoy. He encourages young African-Americans to never let their race be a handicap. He tells them to see themselves no different than any other race. Let others worry about race, it is not their problem. As a young boy, David Blackwell taught himself to read off the back of seed packages before he ever entered school. He became the most famous and perhaps the greatest AfricanAmerican Mathematician ever. Perhaps we can think of this when we think we are not capable or unworthy of something we are passionate about. We become what we believe.

Story by Rick Hayes

After eight seasons in the Minnesota Twins organization, Brian Dinkelman of Centralia has accepted the fact he may be entering a new stage in his life. 14

March 2014

Dinkelman is a free agent entering the 2014 season, and although it may look like his professional career may be over, he’s been through the waiting game with the Twins before. He signed as a free agent with the Twins — the only team affiliation he has had since being drafted in 2006 — prior to the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Last year, he resigned a one-year minor league contract and spent the entire season in Rochester, N.Y., the Triple-A affiliation for the Twins. “Hopefully, somebody gives me a call to play some more,” Dinkelman said in a recent telephone interview. “I know spring training is getting ready to start. If it doesn’t happen, I’ll move on to the next stage of my life.” Dinkelman is hopeful he can stay resign with the Twins, but he and March 2014

agent Nick Brockmeyer of St. Charles, Mo., are weighing all options. “I’ve played baseball my entire life. I’m hoping to stay in the game somehow, even if it means coaching or helping out. It would

be hard not to do something involving baseball,” he said. Dinkelman was born on Nov. 10, 1983, in Centralia. After graduating from Centralia High School in 2002, Dinkelman attended McKendree University, graduating in 2006. Dinkelman was named first-team AllAmerican his sophomore and senior seasons; second team as a junior at McKendree. He was also named conference player of the year in his sophomore through senior seasons; and the NAIA Player of the Year as a senior. He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the eighth round of the 2006 MLB draft. Dinkelman also played basketball and golf at CHS. “After my senior year I had some contact with a few teams, including the Twins, who contacted me more than 15

once,” Dinkelman explained. “On draft day in June my family and I were at my house. I got the call in the eighth round and signed about three or four days later to play rookie ball in Elizabethton, Tenn.” At Elizabethton, Dinkelman batted .298 with four home runs and 32 RBI. After playing six years of minor league baseball, he made his MLB debut on June 4, 2011. His MLB career, according to an online source, shows he hit .301 with 73 at-bats which included 22 hits and four RBI. He also had 14 strikeouts. Dinkelman bats lefthanded but throws right-handed. During his minor league career, he has played virtually every position except catcher, including some mop up pitching duties. Dinkelman played second base at CHS, shortstop at McKendree. “My first year of college I started at second based and then switched to short.I don’t know that I have a favorite,” he said. In 2007, he was selected to play in the Western Division of the Midwest League All-Star game, representing the Beloit (Wisc.) Snappers. In June of the same year, he was promoted to Class A Fort Myers Miracle. Combined, Dinkelman batted .269 in 131 games played and was voted the “Mightiest Miracle Player” by the fans. In 2008, Dinkelman continued his career, playing for the Miracle, as well as the New Britain (Conn.) Rock Cats; and played the entire season in New Britain in 2009. He batted .272 with four home runs, 40 RBI and 12 stolen bases. He was also named to the All-Star team. Dinkelman spent the entire 2010 season with the Rochester Red Wings. He led his team in games played (137), total bases (199) and hits (139) while playing right field, left field and second base. In 2011, he was assigned to Rochester, but was called up quickly due to a Twins’ injury. 16

March 2014

“I was called up from there after two weeks, went back down, and then back up for the September call ups,” Dinkelman said. “That’s when I got most of my playing time with the Twins. I got some starts and late-inning at-bats.” The 2012 season is one the Centralian would just soon forget. He started the season again in Triple-A and a week into the season hurt a hand, calling it a bruised bone. He was out of action for two months, although he finished the season with Rochester. “I got off to a decent start and felt like that was my best year in spring training,” Dinkelman recalls. “About three weeks after I got hurt the club started making a lot of moves. Getting hurt kind of took an opportunity away from me.” Dinkelman played the entire 2013 season in Rochester, and now awaits to see if he has a future with the Twins or some other club. Dinkelman relishes the time with the big ball club, and time spent

with another former Twin and Centralia native Gary Gaetti. “When I got called up to Minnesota he was there helping to retire someone’s jersey. It’s nice that he was once a Twin, I was a Twin and we’re both from Centralia. It was nice to talk to him and hear all the good baseball stories,” Dinkelman said. If the two were to hook up in Texas — where Gaetti is coaching a minor league team — that would be OK with Dinkelman too.

“You never know, maybe someday I’ll catch up with him. Being a coach with him would be nice,” Dinkelman said. Dinkelman, who has been substitute teaching the past two off seasons in the Centralia area, is married to Randi (Rothchild) from Centralia. The couple have no children. “It’s something to do while at home. I enjoy it and it’s something to take my mind off baseball,” he said.

CENTRALIA COIN, STAMP, ETC.

TOP PRICES PAID.

533-4200

Corner of Broadway & Cherry

Buying Scrap Gold Jewelry!

Established in 1989.

March 2014

022623769202

• Coins & precious metals for Collectors and Investors • Estates Appraised and Purchased • Buying All U.S. Gold & Silver Coins and Jewelry

Marketing Story by Travis Morse

To Tom Schwartz of rural Centralia, the best part of running his family-owned business, Schwartz Orchards, is talking to people and building strong relationships. In this day and age, he said, marketing has become a much more important part of the business than it was in years’ past. “I enjoy it because I’m a people person. I like to get out and talk to people and have something to talk to them about,” Schwartz said. “Some of these guys sit around and cry because their business may be flat or going down. Well, you’ve got to get out and change that. … You need to spend time on the farm, don’t get me wrong, but you also better be able to get out and go because you’ve got to market this stuff.” Schwartz Orchards is a long-

partof

success

time apple and tree fruit business serving the Southern Illinois area. Its largest location is just east of Centralia, a site dedicated to making and selling apple cider and a variety of fruits and fruit juices. The orchard offers apples, peaches, pears, strawberries, blackberries, tomatoes and pumpkins, as well as baked goods like strawberry shortcake and peach cobbler. “You’ve just got to find your

niche in the market … and then put your horsepower behind that,” Schwartz said. The second Schwartz Orchards facility is located eight miles north of Mt. Vernon. This site is primarily used for the retail/sales side of the business and most of the product is grown at the Centralia facility. Tom Schwartz said his parents, Matt and Pauline, started the orchard business in the 1950s.

March 2014

Photos by Travis Morse

March 2014

you’ve got to market this stuff.” Schwartz Orchards is a longtime apple and tree fruit business serving the Southern Illinois area. Its largest location is just east of Centralia, a site dedicated to making and selling apple cider and a variety of fruits and fruit juices. The orchard offers apples, peaches, pears, strawberries, blackberries, tomatoes and pumpkins, as well as baked goods like strawberry shortcake and peach cobbler. “You’ve just got to find your niche in the market … and then put your horsepower behind that,” Schwartz said. The second Schwartz Orchards facility is located eight miles north of Mt. Vernon. This site is primarily

used for the retail/sales side of the business and most of the product is grown at the Centralia facility. Tom Schwartz said his parents, Matt and Pauline, started the orchard business in the 1950s. Early on, they grew strawberries and then branched out to the tree fruit business. Matt passed away in 1978, and Pauline died in 2009. Tom Schwartz graduated college in 1971, and then worked for a supply company before starting to farm on his own with the family business in 1981. His time with the supply company served him well, he said. “That’s an advantage for me,” Schwartz said. “I know where all the farmers are and I know a lot of people, so that makes it easier for me to go in and talk to them about apple juice.” Schwartz currently lives adjacent to the Centralia orchard site. “Home is always home so you’re going to grow from your base,” Schwartz said. “Your base is going to be where your heart is and your heart is going to be where your house is or where you were born,” Schwartz said. When he first started farming on his own, Schwartz said most of his focus was on production. Nowadays, with the economic downturn, he spends a lot more time on marketing — visiting home shows and food tasting events 19

regularly to promote his business. “If you can maintain your retail level here, you’re doing well with the jobs that people have lost around here,” Schwartz said. Schwartz said he sells much of his product to upscale grocery stores in the St. Louis area like Whole Foods and Straub’s, as well as to wineries in both Illinois and Missouri. “You’ve got to go where the money is and that’s where the money is,” Schwartz said. “There’s not much disposable income in Marion and Jefferson County because of the job situation, and the quicker a guy learns that the better off he’s going to be.” He also sells to individuals, farmers, and to farmers markets and other roadside markets. Schwartz said there are two main varieties of apple — Fuji and Golden Delicious. Apples produce a heavier crop every other year. The odd years are usually about 20 to 25 percent lighter in 20

overall production, he said, so this year, 2014, should be a heavier year for apples. In all, both Schwartz Orchards sites include about 35 acres of apples, 10 acres of peaches, four acres of strawberries and one acre of blackberries. A couple of acres of pumpkins are also raised in the fall. The orchards open for the season on April 26. The public can visit from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Aside from buying products, the public can also visit the orchards to pick their own fruits and berries, and to see blooming

flowers and hanging baskets. There will also be an Apple Fest at the Centralia location from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 11. Also, coming soon, the orchards will be offering several new juice products, including “Blapple,” a combination of blackberry and apple cider juice. Another new drink will be “Strapple,” a mixture of strawberry and apple cider juice. “My niche is making apple cider,” Schwartz said. For more information on the orchards, call 532-8058, or visit www.schwartzfruitfarm.com.

March 2014

Centralia Cardiologist gives back to the needy

Story by Travis Morse

Centralia physician Dr. Naeem Khan is part of a group of Pakistani cardiologists living in the U.S. who frequently give back to their nation of birth by providing pacemakers and other life-saving materials to those in need. Khan said many poor people in Pakistan have very little access to cardiovascular care. Pacemakers, in particular, are expensive and in high demand. One pacemaker is valued at about $5,000 to $6,000, he said. “There is a tremendous need,” Khan said of Pakistan. “The rich can get anything they want … the poor have no health care. The government does try to help them, but they are very limited.” Khan has practiced medicine in Centralia for about 32 years. He is currently the medical 22

director of cardiovascular services at St. Mary’s Hospital. Raised in Pakistan, Khan graduated from the Khyber Medical College in Peshawar, Pakistan, in 1973. He then moved to the U.S. to continue his education to become a practicing cardiologist. In 2004, Khan and several other U.S-based cardiologists of Pakistani descent formed a professional organization to help meet the medical needs of their country of origin. The organization is called the Association of PakistaniDescent Cardiologists of North America, or APCNA. The mission of APCNA is to foster the delivery of better health care in Pakistan by arranging donations of medical supplies and literature, and by arranging lecture tours, medical

conferences and seminars, states the organization’s newsletter. Much of the association’s work involves bringing donated pacemakers, stents and other cardiovascular equipment to hospitals in Pakistan. The association supports four main hospitals in Pakistan, including the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar and the Indus Hospital in Karachi. The Lady Reading Hospital serves a vast area, including the northwest part of Pakistan but also much of Afghanistan and portions of the “northern belt” near China, Khan said. Members of the association also visit these hospitals frequently to perform procedures and help educate cardiologists there on the “latest modalities of care,” Khan said. This education includes hands-on sessions to demonstrate various procedures.

March 2014

“We feel like we want to give back to where we came from and where we got our education,” Khan said. “This is like a drop in the ocean, but I think it does help.” Recently, the APCNA partnered with Rotary Club International to open the “Pacemaker Bank Account” in Peshawar. Khan and his colleagues in the association make donations to the account to raise money to help get free pacemakers to poor patients in need. Khan himself contributed $10,000 to start the account and organizers hope the program will continue to grow. “We’re hoping more people will also donate because we want it to be a self-run organization,” Khan said. Last December, Khan was honored for his humanitarian Photos by Travis Morse work at a special ceremony in Peshawar. He was also invited to the Governor’s mansion in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Khan said the APCNA is looking for ways to expand the support it provides to Pakistan. On March 29, the association will hold its 10th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. The meeting’s Guest of Honor will be Dr. Eugene Braunwald, Distinguished Hersey Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Bringing pacemakers to Pakistan has become more difficult in recent years with new regulations, Khan said. Even so, association members remain committed to providing them, he said. “In the past, it was easier for the pacemaker companies to donate pacemakers that were ready to be expired in the U.S.,” Khan said. “There was nothing wrong with them. But now because of these regulations and these kickbacks, it’s become very difficult, so a lot of our humanitarian work has been affected because of that.” The threat of terrorism in Pakistan also adds a certain level of risk to the work, Khan said. “It’s a little risky, but we like to do this work,” Khan said. In the future, Khan said he would like to see more younger cardiologists become involved in charitable activities. “We also want to encourage our younger cardiologists to carry this light onwards, to continue this process of giving to the poor, not only in Pakistan but here in the U.S. and all over the world,” Khan said.

Centralia

March 2014