Thursday December 1, 2016 Vol. 4, No. 39
The Weekly Post
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Christmas walks Saturday in area By JEFF LAMPE
Christmas comes early to many area communities this Saturday (Dec. 3), or at least Christmas shopping does. A variety of holiday-related activities will be held locally this weekend. Here’s a look at what promises to be a very two days, particularly for Santa, who will be making stops all over central Illinois. Brimfield – Brimfield’s Area Christmas Walk is Saturday startWeekly Post Staff Writer
ing with dinner at the Brimfield fire station at 4:30 p.m. Businesses will be open from 5-7 and will offer bargains and goodies. Other activities during that time period will include performances by the Brimfield High School band and chorus, Barnyard Discoveries at Larson Insurance, wagon rides through town, a scavenger hunt, a coloring contest at the Brimfield American Legion, a dulcimer player at the Guyer Log Cabin and Santa at the Brimfield Public Library.
A community Christmas sing will be at 7:15 p.m. at the Union Church. To end the evening, doors open at the Legion at 7 p.m. and music starts at 8. Elmwood – Elmwood’s Christmas walk starts with a free showing of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Palace Theatre. The movie is sponsored by David Vaughan and Country Financial. Following that, Mrs. Claus will Continued on Page 2
YOUTH PHEASANT HUNT Ron Gilles of Princeville watches as a young hunter shoots clay targets prior to the youth hunt put on each year after Thanksgiving by brothers Ron and Ted Gilles and Pheasants Forever. More than 120 youngsters participated this year. Read more about the hunt on Page 12. Photo by Jeff Lampe.
Christmas at Cottonwood Cemetery Assoc. puts on event By BILL KNIGHT
EDWARDS – Featuring pines and peace, lights and good will, “Christmas at Cottonwood” on Dec. 11 could be seen as a year in the making – or 163 years. Even 2,000 years. A team of volunteers from the Cottonwood Cemetery Association is busy this week finalizing decorations and other preparations for the 90-minute event, set to start at 3 p.m. that Sunday. It’s a labor of love, says Kiley For The Weekly Post
Beecher, president of the association, which maintains the rural memorial garden and historical landmark, which was established in 1853. “This will be the second year for ‘Christmas at Cottonwood’,” says Beecher, a 41-year-old Hanna City farmer and artist. “The cemetery board first thought of doing something like this a few years ago – something to breathe a little bit of life into the church building, to help peoContinued on Page 11
Almost 100 people attended “Christmas at Cottonwood” last year.
Here is an entry in last year’s gingerbread house contest held at EB Buildings & Lumber Co. in Princeville. This year’s contest entries will be on display Saturday.
No objections to Elmwood school bond intentions By BILL KNIGHT
ELMWOOD – As the end of the calendar year approaches, the Board of Education on Monday stepped up planning for the future, from its ambitious building project to the replacement of a retiring principal. First, a required public hearing about the Board’s intent to sell $7.2 million in bonds was held, with no one speaking against the idea. The hearing was part of a multi-part process to fund the proposed Phase II building project, with a vote on a bond resolution to complete the financing still to come. In other financing matters, the Board took no action on a 2016-17 tax levy, which Superintendent Chad Wagner said will be considered next month. “It’s due the last Tuesday of December,” he said. “Basically, the [tentative plan] calls for a 17-cent increase to the overall levy, because of the bonds. Also, the County said our Equalized Assessed Valuation is up 2 percent.” Other factors could influence final numbers, Wagner said. “Some depends on the lame-duck session [of the legislature] and whether they do anything with a new state [school] funding model,” he said. “And we’re unsure how to plan for revenues from the County School Facility Sales Tax. But the ROE [Regional Office of Education] will be meeting with superintendents about that soon.” Also meeting soon – Monday and Tuesday – is a search committee interviewing an unexpected high number of applicants for the position of Junior High/ High School principal now held by Stan Matheny, who’s retiring. Fourteen applications had been received as of Nov. For The Weekly Post
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