The Weekly Post
Thursday December 14, 2017 Vol. 5, No. 41 Hot news tip? Want to advertise? Call (309) 741-9790
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Area candidate filings show choices in spring primary By BILL KNIGHT
The next election is the March 20, 2018, primary, when races will range from local party representatives and County officials to state and national offices. Many positions will not be contested, according to documents recently filed with County Clerks at Fulton, Knox and Peoria County, but a few positions will have some competition. For The Weekly Post
Fulton County In The Weekly Post area, Republican Patrick O’Brian of County Boards
Farmington was the only person to file as a candidate for Dist. 3 (representing the Farmington area). Knox County Also in The Weekly Post area, incumbent Board member and chair Brian Friedrich, a Republican, filed to run for the Dist. 5 seat representing the southeast part of the County, including Elba, Salem and Truro Townships. He’s unopposed. Peoria County In The Weekly Post area, Republican incumbent Brad Harding (Dist. 16) is the only Board
member to face a primary challenge: Rosefield Road Commissioner Matt Windish. Other Board members Brian Elsasser, Allen Mayer, Kate Pastucha, Phil Salzer, Andrew Rand, Paul Rosenbohm and Junior Watkins have no opponents. Republican Rachel Reliford, seeking to replace retiring Bob Baietto, also is unopposed in the primary and the Nov. 6, 2018, general election. Both Democrat Robert Reneau and Republican Matt Shane are unopposed for their parties’ nominations for Dist. 10, where Stephen Morris
is stepping down. Others face challengers in the general election in 11 months: Mayer will face Republican Brett Beachler; Pastucha against Republican Dave LaHood, and Rosenbohm vs. Democrat Jeffrey Braun.
Fulton County Both County Sheriff Jeff Standard and County Clerk James Nelson are unopposed in the Democratic primary. Knox County For County Sheriff, incumbent David Clague is unopposed in County-wide seats
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Kickapoo events group dissolves after successes
ELMWOOD LIBRARY
Renewing ties with local library proves enjoyable
By BILL KNIGHT
KICKAPOO – The Kickapoo Area Community Events group has ended where it began more than eight years ago, at the local ballpark. “It’s kind of sad,” says Robbie Zinser, president of Kickapoo Area Community Events (KACE) when it officially dissolved last month. “It’s been a great organization; it was a struggle to end it. It was a lot of work but it was a lot of fun.” Originally, the group Robbie Zinser helped assembled to replace the run the Kickapoo lights at the ballpark and Area Community to start planning for the Events, which disvillage’s 175th anniversolved last month. sary, eventually celebrated over three days in June of 2011. “Chad Kelch came up with the idea,” says Zinser, a 43-year-old Kickapoo native, “and a group of friends got together and started working For The Weekly Post
By NANCY DAVIS
We moved to Elmwood in the very last days of 1997, over Christmas vacation. We uprooted the boys midyear when they were in third and sixth grades. Our sons were uneasy about moving from the only home they had ever known and starting in a new school. One of the first places we visited was the local library. Karen Miles was the head librarian then; she welcomed us to Elmwood, talked to the boys about their interests and showed us around the library. She led Alex, my youngest, over to the stacks and pulled out a book. “I think you’ll like this,” Miles said. It was the first Harry Potter book.
the Democratic primary, and Kip Canfield is unopposed on the Republican side. County Clerk Scott Erickson is running unopposed in the Republican primary; Robin Davis is unopposed for the Democratic nomination for Treasurer. Peoria County Auditor: Democrats Emily Rotherham and Jessica Thomas will compete for the Democratic nomination for Kent Rotherham’s two-year unexpired term. Republican Alan Paredes is unopposed for his party’s nomina-
For The Weekly Post
Here’s a view of Elmwood’s Morrison and Mary Wiley Library from the mezzanine. Photo by Nancy Davis.
We had never heard of it. Alex checked it out, and soon the whole family was hooked. A library (and Harry Potter) habit was born. Since then both my sons have graduated and moved out, and I lost touch with the library. Writing this series has renewed my interest, and during a recent visit to my library in Elmwood, I intended to renew my library card (although it was still on file and active).
Armed with my card number, P.I.N. and instructions from Michelle Armbruster, the library director, I’ve opened the rich resources of e-books, audio books, and DVDs available online and through other libraries, as well as the offerings available right here in Elmwood. According to Armbruster, one of the main roles of the library staff still is greeting patrons as they enter and Continued on Page 2
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