Single Copy Cost 50¢ Volume 147 No. 40
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Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Are you ready to relay? Marshall-Putnam counties Relay for Life is June 13 By Dave Cook
news@putnamcountyrecord.com
The Marshall and Putnam counties’ highly successful Relay for Life fundraiser will have a full schedule of activities to celebrate cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost and help everyone fight back. This year’s event will take place from 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 13, at Central Park, 426 E. Park Row St. in Henry. This year’s theme is the tropical “Re-Lei For Life” which will include a hog roast dinner. The annual survivor speaker at 6 p.m. will be Pastor Pat Jones. Chairperson Erika Anderson encourages the public to attend any or all of
the events and was happy to announce there will be a team from each high school in both counties participating in the relay. T.J. Klockenga, staff partner from the American Cancer Society, said he could not be more proud of the people of Marshall and Putnam counties and the work they’ve done. “Relay for Life of Marshall/Putnam out fund-raises many communities of greater size within the Central Illinois region,” Klockenga said, adding last year they raised more than $79,000 and this year 10 teams and 145 participants have currently raised $29,000 and have
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Grrlll Power! An empowerment program for girls in Grades 4-6 By Dave Cook
news@putnamcountyrecord.com
PRINCETON — Girls needing a hand in filling their summer schedules with fun, positive activities will be getting some help from Freedom House, which will be launching a six-week empowerment program for girls in Grades 4-6. It will be offered at no charge after Freedom House was named a firsttime recipient of a grant from the Women’s Fund of Central Illinois. For six consecutive Mondays — June 15, 22, 29 and July 6, 13, 20, from noon to 3 p.m. at Freedom House, the girls will be helped in developing a healthy self-esteem through participation in self-protection, poetry, dance, skits, journaling, arts and crafts, a talent show, team building and more. By providing these critical skill-building sessions with a multi-dimensional approach, the participants will be empowVol. 147 No. 40 One Section - 16 Pages
© The Putnam County Record
ered to see the value and worth they have as unique individuals and how they can contribute to their school and home. “Self-esteem is crucial at this age,” said Nancy Carper, program director. Almost 50 percent of young girls are engaged in negative activities such as injuring or cutting themselves or engaging in unhealthy eating habits which can lead to the development of eating disorders due to self-esteem and self-image issues. Carper also said the project will collaborate with organizations that work with girls including Girl Scout troops, 4-H and church youth groups. Freedom house will partner with these groups to help recruit participants for Grrlll Power. Other topics will include self-respect, cliques, “frenemies,” coping with change, stress management, your body/ your mind, relationships
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PCR photos/Dave Cook
Barb Kessler of the Mt. Palatine Cemetery Board walks along the only path that was allowed to be cut into the nature preserve/historical cemetery to ease access. Footing can be uncertain because of uneven ground and holes that may or may not be entrances to animal dens.
A cemetery full of life
Mt. Palatine Cemetery’s dual restoration projects By Dave Cook
news@putnamcountyrecord.com
A historical cemetery isn’t the first thing to come to mind when thinking of something full of life, but that’s exactly what Mt. Palatine Cemetery is. It’s full of not only historical life, but prairie life as well. Sitting on top of a rise in what was once a sprawling prairie, the cemetery is moving toward becoming part of one of the last remnants of Illinois prairie wilderness. For the last several years it has been under the protection of the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, which is working with the local Mt. Palatine Cemetery Board to restore the 1.5 acre nature preserve/historical cemetery. It is the only one of its kind in the area and one of only a few within the state. The board also has a contract with John Heider of Monticello’s R.I.P. Ltd. (Restoration In Progress), to locate and restore lost grave markers. “We have more burials than markers, so we know there are more waiting to be discovered,” said Barbara Kessler, member of the cemetery board, There are currently 25 new discov-
A red-winged blackbird, just one of the many species of wildlife calling the Mt. Palatine nature preserve home, sits on top of a restored marker within the cemetery. eries, marked by red flags, waiting to be restored to their proper places among the tall prairie grasses and visible wildlife. When cleaning the stones, Heider said while he does have a special cleaner designed for marble, it’s water and sunlight which work best. “We work with Mother Nature and she does a wonderful job,” said Heider. “It’s hard, physical work, but it’s a labor of love for everyone involved,” said Kessler. The cemetery board has also
received donations through the Putnam County Historical Society in order to help with the restoration of the markers. Worn engraving on the stones is not allowed to be changed in any way, as it is “changing history,” said Heider. The nature restoration is an ongoing project as well and one with its own set of strict guidelines. The first stage was when the state cleared all the saplings from the area. They also occasionally do controlled burns,
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