The Weekly Post • 6-20-13 by The Weekly Post

Thursday June 20, 2013 Vol. 1, No. 18 WE WILL NOT PUBLISH A PAPER NEXT WEEK!

The Weekly Post “We Cover The News of West-Central Illinois With A Passion”

Serving Brimfield, Dahinda, Edwards, Elmwood, Kickapoo, Laura, Oak Hill, Williamsfield and Yates City

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Board OKs engineering for Brimfield bridge By BILL KNIGHT

The Peoria County Board on June 12 unanimously approved spending up to $127,600 for Hanson Professional Services to conduct preliminary engineering for the project to replace the bridge on Brimfield-Jubilee Road just west of Savage Road. The board also OK’d by a vote of 13-3 discounting building-permit fees for victims of April and May flooding, and heard that 14 of 18 Edwards structures flooded in April were assessed as “substantially damaged” and will need For The Weekly Post

major renovation or buyout County staff is pressing Gone Fishin’ for a stepped-up offers from state and federal We will not pubgovernment. timetable. lish an edition of Weekly Post-area board “That 2017 calendarThe Weekly Post member Brad Harding (Ryear date is the absolute on June 27. We Dist. 16) was absent, as was worst case,” said County will resume publiTom O’Neill (D-Dist. 17), Engineer Amy Benecke cation on July 5. chair. McLaren with the Peoria The Brimfield-Jubilee County Highway DepartRoad bridge was closed in March after ment. “I’m pushing for IDOT to accelinspections found structural deficienerate the schedule.” cies and the Illinois Department of The County has secured $1.3 million Transportation (IDOT) ordered its clo- in a state Major Bridge Program for sure. The bridge is tentatively schedthe project. uled to be rebuilt by 2017, although Meanwhile, flood victims who have

ELMWOOD STREETSCAPE

had damage assessments by the county’s Planning and Zoning Department and plan construction requiring permits such as foundation/footing, electrical, plumbing or mechanical would have fees cut in half through June 30, 2016, decided the board, which originally considered the Land Use Committee’s recommendation that such fees be waived entirely. Several board members said they were sympathetic but resisted relinquishing revenue of about $240,000 over the next two years for disasters – Continued on Page 2

Olde English Faire visits Prairie Park By BILL KNIGHT

BRIMFIELD – Folks who attend the Olde English Faire at Wildilfe Prairie Park this Friday, Saturday or Sunday will be able to go back centuries and visit a heritage of chivalry and struggle, war and art, and medieval society and technology – and learn as they enjoy themselves. A new “Day of Enlightenment” has been added to familiar festivities from years of the event being staged at Jubilee College State Park, which last held the fair in 2008. After an absence of one year, the Olde English Faire (OEF) moved to Wildlife, which is marking its fourth production this weekend. The Day of Enlightenment targets kids with interactive education as well as excitement, accord- Photo by Jeffery Noble. ing to OEF co-chair Jan Brown, Wildlife’s marketing volunteer. “Education is part of Wildlife’s mission, along with recreation and conservation,” Brown said. “And whether it’s archery or chivalry, working leather or learning about the importance of steel, it all makes it more real than [what pupils get from] just books. It’s discovery.” For The Weekly Post

Elmwood facelift nearly done By JEFF LAMPE

ELMWOOD – The dust is almost settled on the first phase of a nearly $3 million streetscaping project in downtown Elmwood. Workers from Laverdiere Construction Inc. have completed more than 90 percent of the $643,112 first phase – of which Elmwood had to pay a 20 percent share of $128,000. Still to be finished is the installation of railings, decorative Weekly Post Staff Writer

light fixtures and several large, pre-cast planters. That should happen by the end of summer, though the decorative light poles have yet to be approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The second phase of downtown work will not start until 2014, as design work is not completed. Bids for that project will likely be let in late March or early April with construction likely to start June 1, 2014. Continued on Page 2

Aside from railings, lightpoles and planters, work is done on the first phase of Elmwood’s downtown streetscape project. Photos by Amy Davis.

Continued on Page 6

Page 2

THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, June 20, 2013

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• Electric lift chair $200, Rascal scooter $1,800, new golf clubs $75, 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 $5,000. Call (309) 657-5195.

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GARAGE SALE

Neighborhood Sale Kilkenny Drive, Edwards Friday 8 – 4 Saturday 8 – 12 Furniture, household items, miscellaneous.

BOARD: 313 structures damaged in flooding Continued from Page 1

natural or otherwise. “I feel extremely awful for these people, but our fees aren’t going to break their backs,” said Jim Dillon (D-Dist. 7). “I don’t know if we can afford that.” It seemed to be more of a philosophical or policy decision to Steve Morris (R-Dist. 10). “Are we now saying that every single flood we’re going to waive fees?” he asked. “Many of these people knowingly built in a floodplain.” However, Jim Fennell (R-Dist. 13) said revenues from these fees weren’t anticipated. “That’s income we didn’t have

in our budget,” said Fennell, whose district includes Chillicothe, where the Illinois River flooded. A federal declaration that day lets local governments, including Peoria County, get 75 percent reimbursement for eligible, floodrelated expenses, and County Administrator Lori Curtis Luther estimated that Peoria County could be reimbursed $150,000 for costs tied to assessing damaged properties. The Board had offered similar help after a tornado struck Elmwood in 2010, reminded Brian Elsasser (R-Dist. 14), who supported the relief.

“We helped Elmwood,” he said. “It’s an investment in our [county] community.” Andrew Rand (D-Dist. 4) proposed a compromise that cut fees in half instead of waiving them, and the amended measure passed with Morris, Junior Watkins (DDist. 2) and Mary Ardapple (RDist. 11) voting against it. Matt Wahl, Director of Peoria County Planning and Zoning, said 313 structures were damaged in the flooding, county-wide, including 63 “substantially damaged” (meaning more than 50 percent of their value). Edwards’ properties in that category number 14, Wahl said.

STREETSCAPE: Sinkhole at site of old cistern Continued from Page 1

The second phase of the project will cost $2.12 million, of which Elmwood must pay $426,000. For merchants, completion of the first phase – done one week ahead of schedule – is a welcome break from a spring of dust, distractions and detours. Most agree the longterm benefit outweighs short-term inconvenience. “I’m excited the streetscape is finally coming to a close. I thought the contractor and the city did a fantastic job of communicating what was going on, and I was impressed with the progress and the overall efficiency of the project being done, particularly with the fact there was so much rain this spring,” said Scot Jehle of Elmwood Insurance Agency, Inc. “It did not disrupt our business at all. “I think it will be a nice improvement to the downtown area and make Elmwood better than ever before.” The project includes all new sidewalk on both sides of the 100 block of East Main St. Also installed are decorative planters on

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the south side of the road. Handrails and 4-foot precast planters are expected to be installed by about the second week of July, according to Julie Schmidt, project engineer with TERRA. Still to be determined is whether sod planted on the park side of Main St. will survive. If not, the contractor is responsible for replacing the grass. Also, early this week a sinkhole appeared near the northeast corner of Main and Magnolia – very close to the location of an old cistern that can be seen in historic pictures of the downtown. In other news, the Illinois Department of Transportation approved an increase of $19,956 in federal funds for remediation of soil contamination that was discovered during the project. And contractors have been asked for a price to seal the colored concrete later this summer after it has cured. Looking ahead to next year, residents can expect to see similar work being done in the second phase according to Dick Taylor, Elmwood’s director of economic

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development. “I think you can look at what’s been built and know what is going to be built,” Taylor said. “A lot of the challenges of how to handle a project like this have also been addressed in terms of barricades and traffic. The contractors did an amazing job of keeping the businesses accessible.” Taylor said the city might try to speed up the bid process to get the project on the docket earlier this winter. The second phase is much larger and will involve: new sidewalks around the remaining three sides of Central Park; sidewalk and improvements on the 100 block of West Main Street and the 100 block of North and South Magnolia; new sidewalk on the south side of the 100 block of West Evergreen Street new sidewalk on the east side of the 100 block of North Lilac Street; and new handicap accessible crossings at several downtown corners. In an upcoming issue we will print a map showing the areas to be improved in the second phase.

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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, June 20, 2013

Page 3

THE WEEK AHEAD HOT PICKS This Week!

s Food pantry party – A street party will be held June 23 near the Brimfield Union Church, 2-4 p.m. Come share ice cream, dessert and fun. Donations are welcome. s Open gym – Free basketball instruction is available for Elmwood School District 322 students at the Elmwood Community Center in June. Mondays and Thursdays girls, Tuesdays and Wednesdays for boys. Schedule is as follows: 9-10 a.m. - third and fourth graders; 10-11 a.m. fifth and sixth graders; 11-12 seventh and eighth graders. Call (309) 231-6040.

This Week’s Events

s Mental health meeting – National Alliance on Mental Illness has a Connections meeting for individuals in recovery June 20 from 7-8:30 p.m. in Room G303 at UnityPoint HealthMethodist. Call (309) 472-5907. A meeting for family and friends of people with brain disorders is also June 20 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Atrium Conference Room at UnityPoint Health. Call (309) 360-1143. s Summer reading – Forest Park Nature Center has a program on Amazing Migrations Friday at Elmwood’s Morrison and Mary Wiley Library summer reading program from 10:3011:15 a.m. Programs are open to program registrants only. Call (309) 742-2431. s Harvest Home dinner – The Harvest Home dinner is today at the Yates City Community Center. Carryouts available. Cost is $8. s Elmwood band – Elmwood’s Municipal Band plays Sunday at 8 p.m. in the gazebo in Central Park.

Future Events

s FEMA deadline – Applications for disaster aid stemming from flooding between April 16 and May 5 are still being accepted but must be turned in by no later than July 9. Individuals or households can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or call 1800-621-3362. s Crohn’s & Colitis walk – Peoria’s Take Steps For Crohn’s & Co-

litis walk is June 29 at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Peoria, 10720 N. Knoxville Ave. Check in at 11, walk at noon. Visit www.cctakesteps.org. Kaden, 8, of Yates City is Honored Walker at the event. s Historical picnic – The Elmwood Historical Society has a picnic June 30 at 5 p.m. at Lorado Taft Museum. s Historical tours – Celebrate the world travels of Miss Jean Morron at Pettengill-Morron Historical Home Museum, 1212 Moss Avenue in Peoria. The museum is open Sunday, July 7, from 1-4 p.m. and again Aug. 4 and Sept. 1. Tours cost $7 for adults and $3 for children. Contact the Peoria Historical Society at (309) 674-1921. s Flag retirement – Elmwood American Legion 638 and Archie Miles VFW 4724 will hold a flag retirement ceremony July 4 at Sweetwater Park in Elmwood. American flags can be brought to the ceremony or dropped off at the BYE Ambulance building at the corner of Rose and Hawthorn streets on July 1 between 78:30 p.m. s Video Gamers Contest – Salem Township Library in Yates City has a Video Gamers Contest through July 31 during library hours for ages 5-9 and 10-15. Prizes will be awarded. Inquire at the front desk. s Elmwood St. Jude Run – Anyone interested in running the Elmwood to Peoria St. Jude Run in the first week of August can contact Lynn Tannock at (309) 303-2411.

Group effort sparks firework show By BILL KNIGHT

There will be 10 or 12 guys helping with the annual July 4 fireworks show starting around dusk that Thursday, but between firefighters standing by or hundreds watching at Sweetwater Park, it’s a community effort. “We’re very thankful for everybody who donates,” says Dave Windish, the Elmwood farmer who has been active with the Elmwood-Yates City-Farmington Fireworks Association since 1970. “All the small communities around here are hooked in with us,” he adds. “We’re actually funded by contributions.” Besides Elmwood, Yates City and Farmington, individuals, organizations and businesses from Brimfield, Douglas, Hanna City, Maquon, Trivoli and areas between chipped in this year, and the association raised more than $7,000 for the show. Meanwhile, people are reminded that in celebrating Independence Day, they can play with sparklers, smoke bombs and party poppers, but that’s it, legally. Fireworks are against the law in Illinois, according to the Pyrotechnic Use Act, and violating it is a Class A misdeFor The Weekly Post

meanor. A Class A misdemeanor offense is ranked as the most serious misdemeanor – one step below a felony, permitting judges to fine defendants up to $2,500 and sentence them to up to one year in jail. Generally, any “fireworks” sold at retailers are permissible. Anything that explodes – bottle rockets, firecrackers, squibs or virtually anything with an explosive – is not. About 8,500 Americans suffer firework-related injuries annually, and about 2,000 of them are eye injuries. Plus, although sparklers are legal, they’re tied to three-quarters of all firework injuries in preschoolers. Experts urge precautions: • Novelty fireworks such as snakes, glow-worm pellets and sparklers are legal, but keep a charged garden hose nearby to extinguish any small fire that might accidentally start in dry grass. • Remember that sparklers burn at up to 1,800 degrees and can set clothing, decks, dry grass and mulch on fire. • Have a bucket of sand at hand to dispose of used sparklers. • Don't run with lit sparklers, and don’t use them while standing on a wooden deck or dry lawn or near combustible materials.

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LARGE ESTATE AUCTION Located at: 763 Knox Highway 19, Maquon,IL 61458 Watch for signs off Route 8 @ Douglas Saturday, June 22nd, 2013 @ 10:00 a.m. Golf Cart: Very Nice Gas Yamaha Golf Cart w/ new battery & ready to run. Antiques-Pottery-China-Glass-Galva Advertiser Items-Collectables-Dolls-Toys: Library Desk, (2) Humpback Trunks, Cedar Chest, Child’s Rocker, Spring Chairs, Dazey #60 Butter Churn, Slag Glass Lamp, Sessions Mantle Clock, Hull Vase, McCoy, Red Wing Vase, Pottery Bowls, Cookie Jars, Wall Pockets, 90+ Pieces of Noritake “Blue Hill” China Dinner Service for 12, Bavarian China Dresser Box, Germany China Pitcher, Royal Austrian China Service for 6, Homer Laughlin, Planters, Fenton, Lots of Cobalt Glass-Ruby Red & Green Glass, Carnival, Fostoria Bowls-Pitcher & Stemware, Lead Crystal, Cut & Pressed Glass, Brides Baskets, Hens On Nest, Footed & Pedestal Bowls, Art Glass, Wheel Cut Water Pitcher w/Water Glasses & Sherbets, Stemware, Milk Glass, Swirl Glass Swan, Colored Glass, China Birds, (3) Galva Advertiser Picture Thermometers & Local Ad Pieces, Silver Eagle CB Base Mic., Enamel Coffee Pot & Other Pieces, Crank Cream Separator, Cracker Jars, Wood Boxes, Marquette Oil Bottle, Milk Bottles, Cream & Milk Cans, Dolls/Toys: Ashley Belle China Doll & Others, Roller Derby # 20 Skate Board, John Deere Tractor, CAT Die Cast, Tonka, Fisher Price Items, Large Collection of Beanies Jewelry-Watches-Quilt-Indian Artifacts-Display Case Items-Paintings-Paper: 1926 Peace $ Belt Buckle, US Navel Buttons, Earrings, Necklaces, Brooches, Pins, Cameos, Rhinestones, Men’s Watches-Fortis/Wyler & Clinton, Arrowheads & Scrappers, Naval Pin, Jewelry & Music Boxes, Gene Miller Duck Clock #2447A, Quilts, Hop-a-Long Cassidy Hankie & Lots of Other Nice Hankies, Table Clothes, Aprons, Caterpillar Items, R.Atkinson Fox Print, James Drake Print, Sheet Music, Old Novels-Books & Paper, Appliances-Piano-Ethan Allen-Modern Furniture-Household: Crosley Refrigerator, GE Refrigerator, Gas Range, Maytag Washer & Elec Dryer, Whirlpool Upright Freezer, Ethan Allen Dining Table w/6 Chairs & Leaves, Ethan Allen Dbl Bedroom Set w/Stacked Dresser, Walnut Dbl Bedroom Set w/Mirrored Dresser-Stacked Dresser, Dbl Bedroom Set w/Triple Dresser-Armoire-Night Stand, Baldwin Spinet Piano, Lighted Curio Cabinet, Walnut Curio Cabinet, Floor Dressing Mirror, Oak Roll Top Desk, (2)LazBoy Recliners, Sofa, Styling Chair, Bassett Dining Table w/6 Chairs, Coffee & End Tables, Samsung 22” Flat Screen TV, TV Stands, Sewing Mach, Mirrors, Card Tables & Chairs, Oreck Sweeper, Computer Chair, Lamps, Floor Lamps, Small Kitchen Appliances, Stoneware, Revere Ware, Corning Ware, Pyrex, Pots & Pans, Stock Pots, Baking Pans, Tupperware, Cookbooks, Canning Supplies & Jars, Sheets/Towels/Linens, Lots Of Sewing Items, Yarn, Sewing Boxes, Rugs, Fans, Dehumidifier, Holiday Décor, Schwinn Bicycles-Anvil-Shop Equipment-Tiller-Tools-Shop & Garden: Anvil, Men’s & Ladies Older Schwinn Bicycles, Continental 30 Ton Press, Chicago 12-spd 5/8” Drill Press, Forney Stick Welder, (2) Air Compressors, Craftsman Rototiller, Push Mower, Gas Trimmer, Yost Shop Vise #108, Welding Table, Leg Vise, 2-Wheel Grinder, Wheeled Cart, Gas Furnace, Several Bench Vises, Antique Tools, Welding Supplies & Tools, Battery Charger, Craftsman Sockets/Ratchets, Hand Power Tools, Craftsman-Blue Point Wrenches, Ridgid Pipe Wrenches & Others, Floor Jack, Hand & Long Handled Tools, Tap & Die, Saws, Planes, Ladders, Work Benches, Log Chains, Oil Barrels, Picnic Table, Wheel Chair, Porch Swing, Cabinets, Wheel Barrow, Yard Cart, Scrap Iron, Folding Ping Pong Table, Yard Décor, Exercise Bike,

To view complete sale bill & photos; www.culverauctions.com or www.biddersandbuyers.com Auctioneers Note: This auction offers an outstanding selection of personal property & shop equipment. Two rings will be ran so bring a friend. Statements day of auction supersede all others.

TERMS: CASH OR CHECK NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENTS LUNCH STAND RESTROOM Estate of Gladys M. Weir-David B.Stoerzbach;Executor Culver Auction Service Lic#440.000447Greg Culver Farmington. IL 61631 ph:309-370-5305 Tim Placher Lacon, IL. Lic#440.000339 Jimmy Johnson Lic#441.001594

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Page 4

THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, June 20, 2013

The Weekly Post

The Weekly Post is published every Thursday (except the last weeks of December and June) by Lampe Publications LLC, 115 W. Main St., Elmwood, IL 61529. All phone numbers listed are in area code (309).

Postmaster – Send address changes to The Weekly Post, P.O. Box 745, Elmwood, IL 61529 Phone – 741-9790 Fax – 741-9365 Email – news@wklypost.com Website – www.wklypost.com (Under construction) Office Hours – Mon-Wed 9-5, Thurs 9-12, Fri 9-4 News – Jeff Lampe 231-6040 Classifieds – Shelly Brodine 741-9790 Advertising – Steve Neal 696-6130 Contributors – Mit Beres, Terry Bibo, Keith Butterfield, Melinda Cote, Amy Davis, Kasey Eberle, Jon Gallagher, Bill Knight, Crystal Prahl and Gabbie Sloan

Deadlines – News due Tuesdays by noon. Retail ads and classifieds due Mondays by noon. Circulation – The paper is delivered via mail for free in Brimfield, Dahinda Edwards, Elmwood, Kickapoo, Laura, Oak Hill, Williamsfield and Yates City. Subscriptions are available outside the communities listed above. A one-year subscription is $100. Obituaries, Births, Weddings – Forms are available at our office at 115 W. Main St. in Elmwood. Quote of the Week: – “On my tombstone just write, 'The sorest loser that ever lived.” – Earl Weaver Seen by 13,097+ readers every week!

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A mysterious pair of buried headstones

Rocks are one thing. Contractors are accustomed to encountering those while digging. Headstones are another matter. Digging up a grave marker while on a construction site is something nobody wants to Jeff happen. LAMPE So it was not a good Saturday for G.A. Rich & Sons Plumbing workers who were digging a storm drain for the new Fairground Acrea subdivision extension north of Elmwood. While digging on the property of Ken and Val Pickens on Magnolia, workers uncovered two headstones. One was inscribed with the name Pvt. William Shively, the other with Isaac LeMasters. Understandably, digging came to a halt and the workers called in Elmwood city staffer Dan Bybee. Bybee went to work fast, searching the Internet for a Website he thought might list all graves in the Elmwood Township Cemetery. Sure enough, he came up with online pictures showing headstones with the same names standing in the cemetery. Both were dated 2010. While the odds were slim that someone had stolen those tombstones and buried them without the Pickens’ knowledge in the past three years, Bybee double checked. He spent a few hours walking the cemetery until he located both

stones. “Encyclopedia Bybee” correctly deduced that the ones buried in the Pickens’ yard had to be duplicates. And then he noticed the slight differences between the stones. Names on the stones in the cemetery were engraved on a curve that arched around the top of the marker. Those that were buried were engraved horizontally across the front of the stone. “I’m thinking that on Friday an employee named Andrew made them wrong and on Monday an employee named Bill had to come in and correct them,” Bybee said. This would not be the first set of discarded headstones found around Elmwood, which was for years home to Bourgoin Monument Company. Founded in 1879 by Frenchman Pierre F. Bourgoin, the company turned out thousands of headstones and other monuments. Needless to say, some of their work ended up on the scrap heap. Those mistakes are scattered far and wide around Elmwood. Charlie Chapman, who ran his plumbing business out of what is now the Elmwood CUSD 322 bus barn, said he would regularly find old headstones behind that building, which was once a Borgoin establishment. The same is true for Bill Atwood, who told Bybee he has uncovered numerous cast-off monuments. Weekly Post staffer Bill Knight said his wife Terry has several plantings that are built up on granite pieces chipped from head-

This is one of the two headstones found buried in the Elmwood yard of Ken and Val Pickens. Photo by Amy Davis.

stones. Nevertheless, rumors ran rampant after this latest discovery that there was a forgotten cemetery in Elmwood that was being uncovered. Not so, it appears. While digging was halted Monday, workers resumed excavating and – as of press time – had not uncovered more headstones. But beware, when you dig in Elmwood, a tombstone could be lurking in your yard. Contact Jeff Lampe at 231-6040 or jeff@wklypost.com

Plenty of days to be thankful for fatherhood

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The time kids and moms spent prior to June 16 made it a special day for the fellow they call dad and husband. The third Sunday of June is the day designated in 1972 as a national day Mit of celebrating a BERES special relationship, Fatherhood. Mother’s Day a month previous and Father’s Day are fine examples of our national wish to ensure special people in our lives know they are special. I am privileged to be a father

and a grandfather, and I appreciate the national recognition. But I speak for myself and a multitude of other dads when I say the one day is terrific, but it quails when compared to the daily awareness of this dimension of who I am. Along with being a husband, it is the most important thing I do. As with many other aspects of my life, I do not always do it well. The frustrations of trying to shield a loved one from what I know will be a difficult and possibly painful experience just to watch as he goes forward to be burned is maddening and can elicit the familiar, “I tried to tell you” phrase from moms and dads

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much better at their roles than me. But the fact remains these are the most important people in our worlds, and we truly are trying to do all we can to insulate them from pain and frustration. It is what Mom and Dad do. And I also have the joy which comes from my multiple thoughts each day of each of them and just how special they are and how lucky I am to have a chance to be a part of their lives and bask in their tolerance of what must often seem to be a very difficult guy. I appreciate having a day set aside nationwide to honor dads – it joins all the others in the year as days I can smile and be thankful I am Dad.

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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, June 20, 2013

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Never too old to master ‘new math’ Hang on while I try something here. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Okay. That worked. See, I was just told that I don’t understand “new math.” I’ve been around this planet a little Jon over 50 years GALLAGHER now, and I just wanted to make sure the same numbers that I used as a kid were still in effect as an adult. It looks to me like they are. When I was a tyke, my parents didn’t have a lot of money, but then again, there weren’t a whole lot of fancy gadgets on which to spend the money that they didn’t have. PBS and “Sesame Street” didn’t exist till I was a teenager, so when my parents taught me my numbers as a preschooler, they did it with a calendar. They would cut the numbers from a month gone by into individual squares, each with a number. It was my job to reassemble them in order like the current month. I learned to recognize and count to 31 well before other kids in my age group. I always did well with math ’til I got to junior high. We had a math teacher in eighth grade who wasn’t very good. She probably understood math too well, but she had trouble transferring the knowledge from her head into ours (which is what being a teacher is all about). As a result, I wasn’t very prepared for high school math and an even worse teacher who awaited me there. That math teacher wasn’t concerned about doing problems on the board or explaining anything. She’d tell us to read our book, do the problems at the end of the chapter and hand them in. In class, she was more interested in talking to the varsity jocks in class than she was teaching. I made it through Algebra 1 with a C and I probably didn’t deserve that. The whole problem with math at that point was that evil person decided to combine letters with numbers. I get numbers. I get letters. Combine the two and that’s

when serious problems arise. I understand 1 + 1 = x. x=2. To me that means that x should equal two forever. But, no. They have to make it so that x can mean all sorts of different numbers depending on what numbers go in front of it. Is it any wonder why I get confused? Then after I get so I understand that, they REALLY start throwing letters into the mix and you get something like 2B(0R)+ NT(2B) and I think I’m reading “Hamlet.” Then someone really gets mean and does something like this:

Talk about not being fair! They ran out of letters that I understand and had to start using Greek letters! Then they went and started making up words like sine and cosine and tangent and, well, there’s no end to the madness. It wasn’t until I got to college that I discovered I was actually pretty good at math as long as someone explained it to me. I had a great teacher at Carl Sandburg College who took the time and explained concepts that I hadn’t grasped. By the time he was done with me, I was getting straight As in tough courses like Statistics and Probability (all this in the days without computers). It was during my junior high years that I first heard the term “new math.” My dad used it whenever I’d go to him for help. My dad wasn’t the smartest guy in the world, graduating next to last in his high school class, but he had common sense and an idea of how things worked. We didn’t have calculators back then, either. My dad used this thing called a slide rule. I never understood that thing, but he could make the thing work magic and do multiplication and division problems with it much faster than I could do them on paper. He could figure the square area of a

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trapezoid faster than I could figure out what a tetrahedron was. Still, he claimed that he couldn’t help me with my algebra because it was “new math.” I guess that somewhere between 1938 when he graduated and 1975, when I did, the people who control math came in and started mixing in the letters. After I got kids of my own (two have already graduated from high school), they told me that I couldn’t help them with their math homework because I didn’t know “new math.” Those silly people in charge of must have added some new Greek letters or maybe some smiley faces that represent new things. No one has bothered to explain it to me. The other day when Caroline came home from school, she wanted to show off her prowess with multiplication tables. Multiplication is something we didn’t learn until fourth grade and here she is in second grade, showing a mastery already. I gave her a tough one. Nine times six. She starts playing the “air piano.” She reaches her hands out in front of her and it looks like she’s doing the scales on an imaginary piano. “Fifty-four,” she announces. I give her another. Nine times nine. Again, she does the air piano and tells me, “Eighty one.” It seems that when you’re multiplying by nine, if you put your hands in front of you and take the number you’re multiplying by and count off from the left side of your hands, it will give you the answer. So, in 9 x 6, you start with the pinkie of your left hand and count over six. Your right thumb is down. Then, you “read” the number. There are five fingers showing before the one that’s down, and four after the finger that’s down so that’s 5-4 or 54. Cool. Maybe that’s what they mean by new math!

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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, June 20, 2013

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ENGLISH FAIRE: ‘Castle’ and huge tent erected for festival Continued from Page 1

For the second time, the OEF – one of Wildlife’s most vital fund raisers, raising $80,000 last year – will present a gala, too. “It’s a sort of private Renaissance Fair,” said Brown, who said the $150 admission will let people experience closeup demonstrations, belly dancers, a private joust, plus the merriment of eating and drinking and socializing. “We’re going back to the community, and it’s very important for the community to support Wildlife, to keep this legacy for generations,” Brown said. The State of Illinois recently relinquished Wildlife Prairie Park after years of state funding woes, and the 1,800acre park is now an independent venture supervised by a nonprofit foundation. Together, the childrenoriented Day of Enlightenment, two days of Middle-Ages culture reborn, and a Saturday-

evening gala offer something for everyone, Brown added. “We have something for kids, for families and a date night,” she said, laughing and adding, “For men alone, think about it: guys on horses – with sticks!” Spread out around the park’s sheltered train depot throughout the three days will be a “castle” erected especially for the weekend and a 160-foot tent, together mimicking the atmosphere and feudal system of the times. Two highlights should be especially breathtaking, Brown said. The Knights of Valour troupe, featured on the History channel’s “Full Metal Jousting” series, will have players riding horses and competing in light and heavy armor, featuring Shane Adams. “It’s fascinating to see,” Brown said, “watching what went from war to the ‘sport of kings’.” Also, Kevin Gaines from Sky Kings Fal-

conry of Texas will demonstrate with falcons and hawks. Also featured will be: • The Brotherhood of Steel re-enactment camp, showing cooking and cleaning, staged fighting and other games, all focused on the decades between 1100 and 1600, including “the golden age of pirates.” • More than 40 merchants will include artisans with jewelry, leather goods and glass; • An archery group and siege weapons like catapults and trebuchets; • Food stations with meat pies, turkey legs, baked goods and ale; • Music from the group Wolgemut and the

trio Trinket. Wolgemut (an old German word for “in a good mood”) are recording artists who play fiddles, bagpipes and other instruments to perform music from the 12th through the 17th centuries; Trinket is made up of experienced Renaissance Fair entertainers who sing shanties, pub tunes and do comedy; • Jesters, storytellers and other entertainers will include Daniel the Duke of Danger, who does stunts with stilts and ladders, and; • An area showcasing chivalry and what it meant and an opportunity to pledge an oath to chivalry.

Olde English Faire - June 21-23 At Wildlife Prairie Park Parking free on west side of Taylor Road. Shuttle runs from the parking area to the shelter. Day of Enlightenment - June 21, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Planned for kids, the event will let people see birds of prey in action, hear about arms and armor, learn about lives of knights, and see jousting. Admission $5; free for kids younger than 3 (plus, children who attend get in free to either June 22 or June 23) People are asked to dress in costume. Box lunches available. Registration is recommended; tickets available at www.dayofenlightenment.eventbrite.com or (309) 495-6706 Olde English Faire - June 22-23, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. From knights and acrobats to artisans and musicians, the park will be alive with activities – including food ranging from turkey legs and meat pies to rib sandwiches and beer. Admission $10; $6 for kids 3-12; free for under 3; $1 discount for dressing in full garb on June 22-23 Wilde at Heart on the Prairie Gala - June 22, 6-11 p.m. For the second year, this unique addition to the benefit lets people be transported to 16th century Europe to be wined, dined and entertained by steel fighters and jousting knights, belly dancers, troubadours, even Henry VIII – with his wives. Dress summer casual, period costumes are encouraged. Admission $150 per person and $100 may be tax deductible. www.dayofenlightenment.eventbrite.com or (309) 495-6706 learn more: events@wildlifeprairiestatepark.org

PUBLIC RECORD Peoria sherrif releases May crime statistics

PEORIA – The Peoria Sheriff’s Department released its monthly Crime Statistics Report for May for the seven Peoria County townships in The Weekly Post’s circulation area. Here are those crimes: • Brimfield city and township had 3 accidents without an injury. • Elmwood city and township had 2 accidents without an injury. • Jubilee had 2 incidents of vandalism/criminal damage, 4 accidents without an injury, and 1 traffic ticket. • Kickapoo had 1 burglary, 1 domestic battery, 4 thefts, 1 auto theft, 2 incidents of vandalism or criminal damage to property, 1 driving under the Influence citation, 6 accidents without an injury, and 8 traffic tickets. • Millbrook had 2 accidents without injury, and 1 traffic ticket. • Radnor had 1 domestic battery, 1 vandalism/criminal damage to property, 6 accidents without an injury, and 8 traffic tickets issued. • Rosefield had 1 burglary, 5 reported thefts, 1 vandalism/criminal damage to property 1 accident without injury and 1 traffic ticket. – Bill Knight

Edwards motorcyclist gets multiple tickets

EDWARDS – Blake Roedell, 20 of Edwards about 3 p.m. on June 16 was observed riding a 2001 Honda motorcyc;e and allegedly committing several traffic violations before eluding Peoria County Sheriff’s officers. Police later impounded the vehicle and charged Roedell with seven offenses, including speeding, aggravated fleeing, reckless driving and driving while license suspended.

Vandal sets ablaze Elmwood wood sculpture

ELMWOOD – Annette Barrett about 3 a.m. on June 11 reported a sculpted tree stump was intentionally set ablaze in her yard in the 400 block of East Main Street. A neighbor witnessed a suspect fleeing from the scene. Elmwood police continue to investigate the criminal damage to property.

Storm spooks horse, which runs into car

Brittany Nimrick, 23, of Toulon about 5 p.m. on June 16 was driving a 2009 Hyundai northbound on Illinois Route 78 near Lorance

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Road in Millbrook Township when a horse ran into the road and hit her vehicle, damaging the car and killing the horse. Officers reported the animal was apparently spooked by the storm, which had also damaged a gate, permitting the horse to escape.

Semi-tractor trailer forces tractor off road

ELMWOOD – Kurtis Peters, 45 of Elmwood about 1 p.m. on June 10 was driving a John Deere and pulling a planter southbound on Bell School Road when a semitractor trailer rig forced him off the road, he told police. The planter became separated from Peters’ tractor and overturned, sustaining serious damage.

Kickapoo Shell station reports drive-off thefts

KICKAPOO – The Shell gas station on Kickapoo-Edwards Road at Interstate 74 reported four separate incidents of drive-off thefts of fuel last week. The less totaled more than $198, according to reports.

Marriage License

• Jordan J. Newell of Williamsfield and Courtney A. Wills of Dahinda.

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Page 7

Hart says foundation can help Elmwood grow, prosper By GABBIE SLOAN

ELMWOOD – You know Tony Hart this time of year as the head of youth baseball in Elmwood. But what you might not know is that Hart is also the president of the Elmwood Community Foundation (ECF). Or that the Elmwood Community Foundation is actually the sanctioning body for Elmwood baseball. The ECF was formed in 1998 with the idea to enrich the lives of residents, improve opportunities for organizations, businesses and institutions in Elmwood. Current board members include Nancy Davis, Weekly Post Staff Writer

Steve Davis, Mark Graham, Sarah Inskeep, Jeff Lampe, Dale Runyon, Stephanie Schmieg, Dick Taylor, Karl Taylor and Doug Whitney. In many ways Hart and the foundation he runs operate under the radar, but both are dedicated to making Elmwood a great place. “I want to see Elmwood grow and prosper. I believe the ECF can be an important piece to that,” said Hart, who has been ECF president since 2011. Hart first moved to Elmwood in 1997 from southern Indiana. He attended college in Evansville, Ind. and now works as an engineer for Dell

Tony Hart heads up the Elmwood Community Foundation and runs the Elmwood Summer Youth Baseball League. Photo by Jeff Lampe.

Services in Peoria. Hart said he and his family moved to Elmwood for the small school and small-town lifestyle. Hart first became interested in the ECF in 2007 on behalf of the Elmwood Summer Youth League. He wanted to

July 4, 1900 a lively celebration By KARL TAYLOR

Despite what you may think, July 4, 1900, in Elmwood was a lot more exciting than that same date 113 years later. According to a poster now hanging at The Weekly Post, the day started early and ended late. Central Park was the center of the day’s activities, beginning with a flag-raising ceremony at 5 a.m. Perhaps some veterans, dressed in their Civil War or Spanish American War uniforms, raised the colors at a pole located in the southwest corner of the park. Beside the flag was the city well, the cold water pumped by a wind mill for thirsty citizens, their horses and their pets. Eighteen hours later, the festivities closed with rockets shooting over the roof of the Congregational “Congo” Church (where Elmwood Community Bank is now located). After most people had time to eat breakfast, they headed to the C.B. & Q. Depot to “greet the trains” at 8:15 a.m. Today, most people can’t imagine the excitement of watching steam locomotives, taking passengers to Galesburg and points west, or car loads of coal, produced south of town, heading east to plants producing electricity. Every day 15 trains went east and west through Elmwood. By 9 a.m. the crowd moved back to Central Park, where they were joined by still more people who came to watch a For The Weekly Post

20-minute “parade of nations” with hometown folks dressed in festive costumes. What were noticeably absent were automobiles (only one had been seen in town that year) and farm tractors (wouldn’t be available until years later). The streets were unpaved; “hard roads” would not appear for another 25 years. As the parade headed down West Main, the Neptune Fire Department, sporting a horse-drawn fire truck, “made a run, coupled, and extinguished a genuine fire.” Apparently exciting stuff. No July 4 was complete without long speeches and good food served on red and white table cloths at a local church. The speeches began with Miss Garilla Cooper reading the Declaration of Independence “in a pleasing manner” according to the Elmwood Gazette. At lunch time, the crowds drifted to the “Congo” Church where ladies served a chicken dinner, mashed potatoes, green beans, and four choices of homemade pie. All for 25 cents. After lunch, the crowds took their seats on green park benches surrounding the band-

stand to hear the American Band, a popular group of local musicians, some high school students and some senior citizens, all in black uniforms and hats. Later, to keep the young folks involved and their elders amused, the sponsors offered 12 different races. After the crowd rooted competitors in a three-legged potato sack race, they laughed as boys tried catching a greased pig, and placed their bets on young folks in the threemile bicycle race. Winners had the choice of $2 or $3 in merchandise from any store in town. At 8:30 p.m. everyone gathered in front of a canvas stretched in the park for a silent newsreel, featuring “Admiral Dewey’s Grand Reception in New York and Teddy Roosevelt’s Charge of San Juan Hill.” The finale featured the famous JeffriesSharkey bout. According to the Gazette, “The celebration of 1900 will go down in history as a complete success, the crowd large and the weather perfect although too hot for comfort.” Will the same be said of this year’s version of our nation’s birthday?

take advantage of the 501(c)3 tax status, which allows the youth league to apply for grants. Being involved with The Foundation also allows individuals to make tax deductible contributions to the league. The foundation also helps out with insurance costs for the league and provides it with a check and balance on its bank

accounts. “ECF isn’t involved in the day-to-day activities of the league, but it does provide some very important organizational benefits,” Hart said. The Elmwood Community Foundation has been involved in many projects besides the Elmwood Summer Youth League. The group also provides 501(c)3 status for the MANNA program, which provides meals to hundreds of seniors throughout the area, and with the Elmwood All Outdoors Show. Also, the foundation renovated historical sites around Elmwood and helped to build a fitness trail at Sweetwater Park. The foundation has an endowment of around $80,000. This allows

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ECF to hand out about $3,000 per year to other organizations and to pay for administrative costs. “Our biggest current goal is to grow this endowment to give us a more substantial amount to grant each year,” Hart said. “I look forward to serving the community of Elmwood for many years to come.” Another goal for the foundation is to have a second fund raising banquet on Oct. 5, during which organizers will present Elmwood Citizen Awards and provide updates on ECF plans. Speakers at the first banquet include former Elmwood resident Gerald Shaheen and attorney Robert Potts.

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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, June 20, 2013

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OBITUARIES Josephine Grebner

METAMORA – Josephine O. Grebner of Metamora, 99, mother of a Kickapoo woman, died on June 12 at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria. Surviving are four daughters, Christine (John) Gilles of Kickapoo, Bernice (Milton) Scheirer and Mary (Sonny) Mitzelfelt, both of Metamora, and Evelyn (Tom) McCormack of East Peoria; three sons, Donald (Carolyn) Grebner, Raymond Grebner and Eugene (Connie) Grebner, all of Metamora; daughter-in-law Helen Grebner of Bessemer, Mich.; 21 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; 3 stepgreat-grandchildren; 3 great-great-grandchildren; 2 stepgreat-great-grandchildren; and 1 brother, Joe Krumholz of Metamora. A funeral Mass was scheduled for June 17 at St. Mary of Lourdes Church in Metamora, and burial in St. Mary of Lourdes Cemetery in Metamora.Leave condolences at www.masonfuneralhomes.com.

Rosalie Koll

ELMWOOD – Rosalie Grace Koll, infant daughter of Rusty K. and Carrie J. Koll of Elmwood, was stillborn on June 9 at UnityPoint Health-Methodist in Peoria. Surviving are her parents of Elmwood; and grandparents, Bob and Martha Koll of Elmwood and Richard and Phyllis Johnson of Maquon. Graveside services were planned for June 17 at Brimfield Cemetery. Hammitt-Hott Funeral Home in Princeville was in charge of arrangements. Private condolences may be sent to the family via www.hammitthott.com.

Glenn E. Manthel

SHANNON – Glenn E. Manthei,

Today’s Obituaries

• Josephine Grebner, 99, Metamora • Rosalie Koll, infant, Elmwood • Glenn E. Manthei, 81, Shannon • Sammy George Marksity, 71, Williamsfield • Ralph L. Pittman, 91, Quincy • Alice Roffey, 99, Elmwood • Sharon K. Secrist, 69, Girard • Richard Wooden, 64, Peoria

81, of Shannon, father of a Williamsfield man, died June 10 at the Good Samaritan Center in Mt. Carroll. He is survived by his wife, Marjorie; four sons, Jeff (Marla) of Williamsfield, Barry Manthei of Pearl City, Kelly (Leslie) Manthei of Freeport, and Joel (Colette) of Freeport; two daughters, Shelia (Jerry) Hartman of Mt. Carroll and Sheryl Strohecker of Lanark; 21 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and his sister, June Erdman of Miami, Fla. A committal service was scheduled for June in the Chapel of Peace at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Freeport.

Sammy G. Marksity

WILLIAMSFIELD – Sammy George Marksity, 71, of Williamsfield, died Feb. 9 near Gilson. A memorial service was plannd for June 15 at Rux Funeral Home, Williamsfield, where military rites will be accorded at the conclusion of the services.

of the Illinois Veterans' Home in Quincy, formerly of Waverly and the grandfather of an Elmwood man, died June 10 at the Veterans' Home. Surviving is one daughter, Mary Jones and companion Russell Emmons, of Waverly; one son, Kenneth Pitman and wife Deborah of Waverly; six grandsons, Jedediah Pitman and wife Mandy of Elmwood, Matthew Jones and wife Lisa of Grand Chain, Michael Shane Jones of Paducah, Ky., Nathan Pitman and wife Tassie of Jacksonville, Jonas Pitman and wife Autumn of Mount Zion, and Jacob Pitman of Princeville; eight great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services were scheduled for June 13 at Neece-AirsmanHires Funeral Home in Waverly. Burial will be at Waverly East Cemetery. Condolences may be left at www.airsman-hires.com.

Alice Roffey

ELMWOOD – Alice J. Roffey, 99, of Elmwood died at her home on June 15. A celebration-of-life service was planned for Wednesday (June 19) at the First Presbyterian Church of Elmwood, with burial in the Elmwood Township Cemetery. Hammitt-Hott Funeral Home in Princeville was in charge of arrangements. Private condolences may be made to the family via www.hammitthott.com.

Obituary Policy: We print basic obituaries for free. Longer obituaries cost $1 per column inch and $5 per picture. Forms are available at The Weekly Post, 115 W. Main St.; Elmwood, IL. Or call 309-741-9790.

Ralph L. Pittman

QUINCY – Ralph L. Pitman, 91,

More Obituaries Page 9

PUZZLE ANSWERS

EDWARDS Christ Alive! Community Church Pastor Lance Zaerr 9320 W US Highway 150 Edwards (309) 231-8272 www.christalivecc.com Sun. School: 9:15 am Worship: 10:30 am

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Church Listings ELMWOOD Crossroads Assembly of God Pastor Tim Cavallo 615 E. Ash St., Elmwood (309) 830-4259 Sun. Worship: 10:30 am

YATES CITY Faith United Presbyterian Church Rev. Chris Deacon 107 W. Bishop St. Yates City, IL 61572 (309) 358-1170 Worship: 9 am Sun. School: 10:15 am Thurs. Choir: 7:30 pm

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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, June 20, 2013

Page 9

1. MOVIES: What was the charge debated by the jury in the movie "12 Angry Men"? 2. GOVERNMENT: What did the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution do? 3. SCIENCE: What does an oologist study? 4. QUOTATIONS: Who said, "Little strokes fell great oaks." 5. ANATOMY: What is a verruca? 6. Geography: What is Europe's longest river? 7. MUSIC: Who composed music for the first three Harry Potter movies? 8. TRAVEL: Australia spans how many different time zones? 9. PSYCHOLOGY: If someone suffers from mysophobia, what is he or she afraid of? 10. COMICS: What is the name of Garfield's canine companion?

FOR ANSWERS SEE PAGE 8

Progress on Yates City water woes By BILL KNIGHT

Three of five property owners affected by the abandonment of a deteriorating 8-inch, cast-iron water line along Knox Road 2150 East on June 12 agreed to terms for new wells to be provided to them by Yates City. A fourth property owner accepted a onetime cash settlement of $10,000 instead of a new well, and the last, who was not in attendance at the Village Board meeting, is expected to agree with the contracts, according to board president Brian Miars. Well contractor Mike Dryden was present to answer questions posed by water customers and the board. Dryden said he may be able to conduct a test bore next week on one lot. The project should conclude this summer, barring any unforeseen circumstances. “We’re trying to get this thing going,” Miars said. “We’re trying to do the right thing.” For The Weekly Post

Later, discussions continued on the village complying with a new federalstate mandate for the upgrade of streetID and road signs with signs with different reflective properties. Chuck Eiker from Yates City Public Works will schedule a plan to replace onefourth of the village’s road signs annually, reaching compliance by the deadline of Jan. 22, 2015. In other business, Yates City hired Jason Wagenius and Alison Buckalew as part-time police officers, renewed the annual prevailing wage standard, and changed the village’s appropriations document to make it consistent with the tax levy and audit. The spending numbers that were $860,300 last year will be $872,200 this year with comparable line items. No increased taxes or spending are in the adjustment. Tom Kinzer was appointed to fill the vacancy created when trustee Randy Blodgett resigned in May.

OBITUARIES Sharon K. Secrist

GIRARD – Sharon K. Secrist, 69, formerly of Williamsfield, died on June 10 at her residence. Sharon was born Feb. 24, 1944, in Galesburg, a daughter of William and Catherine (Mottershaw) Boen. She married William “Larry” Secrist on April 18, 1963, in Williamsfield. Graveside services were scheduled for June 15 at the Victoria Township Cemetery in Victoria. To leave a comment visit: www.calvert-ferryfuneralhomes.com.

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Richard Wooden

PEORIA – Richard James Wooden, 64, feather of a Brimfield man, died on June 11 at his residence. He is survived by his son Steven Wooden of Brimfield.; daughter Robin Segler of Peoria; sisters Debbie Isbell of Eden, and Cindy Bohannan of Dunlap; six grandchildren; three aunts; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Cremation was accorded and a celebration of life will be held Saturday, June 22, at 120 S. Isbell St., Hanna City, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, June 20, 2013

FARM FIELD

IN BRIEF

Stock, acreage surprises ahead? By DEBRA LEVEY LARSON

URBANA – On June 28, the USDA will release the June 1 Grain Stocks and June Acreage reports that will set the tone for both old- and new-crop corn and soybean prices. According to University of Illinois agricultural economist Darrel Good, these reports have the potential to provide large surprises. Good said that expectations for the June 1 stocks estimates are based on the estimate of March 1 stocks, the magnitude of imports during the quarter, and estimated consumption during the quarter. “Expectations sometimes vary considerably among analysts,” Good said, “because estimates For The Weekly Post

of consumption during the quarter vary and some analysts try to anticipate ‘surprises.’ This is particularly the case for corn because feed and the residual use of corn is not estimated on a continuing basis. Instead, it is revealed by the stocks estimate. “A surprise in the stocks estimate would be an indication that feed and residual use was occurring either more rapidly or more slowly than projected,” he said. According to Good, March 1 corn stocks were estimated at 5.399. Imports totaled 20 million bushels in March and April – with totals of approximately 30 million bushels for the MarchMay quarter. For the year, the USDA

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projects feed and residual use of corn at 4.4 billion bushels, 145 million less than used last year. The estimate of use during the first half of the year was 227 million less than use during the same period last year. Good said that if the USDA’s projection for the year is correct, use during the last half of the year should be 82 million bushels larger than use of a year ago. Use during the final quarter of the year should be much larger than use last year when a large supply of the new crop was available in late summer. With the late-planted crop this year, new crop supplies will be much smaller. If that is the case, the USDA projection would imply feed and residual during the March-May quarter of about 840 million bushels, down about 20 million from use of a year ago. Use at that level would result in total consumption for the quarter of 2.571 billion bushels and June 1 stocks of 2.858 billion bushels. For soybeans, Good said March 1 stocks were estimated at 999 million bushels and March-May imports were likely near 10 million bushels, resulting in total supplies of about 1.009 billion bushels. Export inspections through May totaled 1.268 billion bushels and Census Bureau estimates through April exceeded inspections by 3 million bushels. With exports of 1.15 billion bushels in the first half of the year, March-May exports are estimated at 121 million bushels. “Expectations for planted- and harvestedacreage estimates will be based on the March report of planting intentions of 97.282 million acres for corn and 77.126 million acres for soybeans, and likely changes from intentions based on the very late planting season,” Good said.

Whitney’s Walk fund raiser tops last year with $14,000

FARMINGTON – The LifeFest benefit for Whitney’s Walk for Life at Farmington last Saturday improved last year’s proceeds by more than 60 percent, according to Jamie Sanders of Mental Health America of Illinois Valley, which helps coordinate the effort. “Things went exceedingly well at LifeFest,” she said. “We cleared a little over $14,000. The first year (2011) they raised $7,000 and last year it was $8,600. “The big jump came because of the addition of the Backyard Challenge in the afternoon, lots of high-quality auction items, and a huge crowd on Saturday evening.” Whitney’s Walk for Life is July 27 at Jubilee College State Park.

Elmwood alum Scotti speaks at Bradley scholar luncheon

PEORIA – Elmwood native Tori Scotti is featured in a 1-minute YouTube video addressing Bradley University’s 2013 Scholarship Luncheon for about 600 contributors and recipients. To see the 2013 senior marketing major, daughter of Gregory and Jill Scotti, go to www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player FOR ANSWERS SEE PAGE 8

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Western Illinois University awards degrees to locals

MACOMB – Eleven students from The Weekly Post circulation area were among more than 1,550 students who earned degrees after the 2013 Spring semester at Western Illinois University: Brimfield – Jeannine K. Blane, Education Specialist, Educational Leadership; Charissa J. Buehler, Bachelor of Arts, General Studies; Joel Andrew Czernecki, Bachelor of Business, Economics; Sagan N. Drake, Bachelor of Arts, Theatre Acting; Nick Michael McCarthy, Bachelor of Arts, English Edwards – Randy Lee Hunsicker, Bachelor of Science, Construction Management Elmwood – Chelsie Melinda Forrest, Bachelor of Science, Chemistry; Craig L. Himegarner, Magna Cum Laude, Bachelor of Science, Chemistry; Robert Thomas Johnson, Bachelor of Arts, Communication; Allison Johnston, Cum Laude, Bachelor of Science In Education, Early Childhood Education Williamsfield – Kevin Lee Johnson, Bachelor of Science, Law Enforcement & Justice Administration

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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, June 20, 2013

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

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Maddie Sharp, Elmwood

1207 W. Armstrong, Peoria - $154,900

Elmwood High School golfer Maddie Sharp’s favorite part of the game is chipping out of the sand with a wedge. The spring graduate really takes to the challenge of doing what’s difficult. Maddie began her love of being a linkster when she was in eighth grade, as her dad, Greg, would help her with the fundamentals of chipping in the backyard. Besides her Dad, Maddie has a number of other close relatives and friends that she mentions as those who’ve helped her. These include her mom, Jennifer, Grandpa Bill, Grandma Judy, Grandparents Dorothy and Keith and Brimfield coach Ken Coulter. Maddie is an admirer of several pro golfers – Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, and the very popular Phil Mickelson. Maddie rates Oak Run Golf Course in nearby and beautiful Dahinda as her favorite place in which to play the links. But, to date, her best performance came at WeeMaTuk, in Canton, where she won the Prairieland in her junior year with a score of 84. In her spare time, Maddie most likes to … play golf! She also listens to the rock music of AC/DC. She talks of missing her teachers at EHS as she moves on to ICC, from where she plans to continue her education to have a career in sports management. Along with her studies and golf, Maddie enjoys her job of working with younger Elmwood kids in the latchkey program. We all know that working with youngsters can have their difficult challenges at times, but persevering at the challenges has its rewards. That’s what EHS Sr. Maddie Sharp does! – Phil Johnson

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A kids’ race for children 2 to 10 years old starts Sunday at 11:30 a.m. at Jubilee College State Park.

PAMBA: Various classes Continued from Page 12

Jubilee since 2001, so we’ve been racing there 12 years,” she said. The Illinois State Homegrown Race Series has several classes of races, from Junior and Novice to Sport (intermediate level) and Expert. Intermediate racers run two laps for a total of about 14 miles; expert cyclists run three laps, or about 21 miles. Since the series is USAC-sanctioned, winners can qualify to compete in national events. Series overall and age group champions are determined by the best 6 races out of 11.

Race 8 in the series is Aug. 11 at Wildlife Prairie Park. MULTI-SPORTS – PAMBA is one of several central Illinois outdoors groups taking part in the 2013 Multi-Sport Extravaganza schedule for June 28-30 at Wildlife Prairie Park. Cycling, hiking, canoeing, kayak and orienteering are some of the planned activities, along with camping and live music with the band Cousin Eddie. An obstacle course and paddle races are new this year. Details are online at www.MultiSportExtravaganza.com

BASEBALL: 9 of 10 from Brimfield in college Continued from Page 12

Charlie Sams said. In particular, James and Tyler Doubet stood out to Sams. The team’s top pitchers, the brothers allowed just two runs in W-G’s final five games. James Doubet led the team with a .487 batting average and a 1.38 ERA. He is headed to Danville Community College with a full-ride scholarship to play baseball. Another of the Wildcats three seniors – catcher Logan Smith – is heading to Monmouth College, where he hopes to play baseball. Smith hit .340 and his coach calls him one of the best catchers in the area. Junior James Sams also did very well, hitting .344 for the season. With seven starters returning next season, Sams is understandably optimistic. “Williamsfield-Galva came together in a big way this year and I hope for more good things next season,” Sams said. The same is true for

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Brimfield-Elmwood, which finished 20-8 and won the Prairieland Conference for the sixth season in a row. “The boys had a great year, especially considering an extremely difficult schedule,” Coach Steve Paxson said. B-E was led by captains Nick Jehle and Ryan Herridge, both of whom will continue their education and play baseball at college. That means 9 out of the last 10 seniors who played for the B-E baseball program have gone on to play in college. Jehle is heading to

Sauk Valley Community College. Herridge, who hit .329 and was an allconference second baseman, will attend William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The other two seniors from B-E, Jason Harkness and Clay Stage, are also going on to play baseball in college. Harkness will play football and baseball at McKendree University and Stage will play for Spoon River Community College. “The seniors had some pretty great years. We’ll miss them,” Paxson said. Though B-E loses four

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seniors, two very talented juniors will be returning to headline next year’s team: Matt Dwyer and Nick Groeper. Dwyer was the top pitcher this season, with a 2.10 ERA, and also led the Indians in average. Paxson said Groeper also had a very good season, ranking behind Dywer in terms of pitching efficiency. Next season Paxson said he is looking forward to working with Grant Stevens, Sonny Visione and Carson Cuevas, to name a few of the players he expects to contribute in 2014.

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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, June 20, 2013

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Mountain bike race at Jubilee By BILL KNIGHT

Hundreds of spectators are expected to watch about 130 mountain-bike racers compete in the “Jubilee Challenge” on Sunday, when the third race of the Illinois State Homegrown Race Series winds its way through Jubilee College State Park. “The Peoria Area Mountain Bike Association has been the driving force behind the series,” said Betsy Silzer, PAMBA president, the Expert Woman series champion 2010-2012, and a 1982 graduate of Elmwood High School. For The Weekly Post

Ray Gross of Dunlap and Brian Kingsbury of the Quad Cities battle it out for the finish at an Illinois State Homegrown Race Series event in Farmdale.

SUMMER FUN

“The race series has morphed over the years, from very grassroots with two to three races a year to an 11-race, USA Cycling sanctioned, statewide ‘points series’ that earns overall and age group champions a pass to the nationals,” she added. “Now several clubs are involved, from the Quad Cities and Chicago to Bloomington, Danville and some from Iowa. “This was supposed to be the fourth race but the real Race 3 got postponed to August due to the wet spring.” Forty-four cyclists are on PAMBA’s leader board, topped by

Ben Jenkins of the Chicago area. Area competitors include Laura Bertsch and Rich Hudson, both from Edwards, and Alexa Perrow of Elmwood – last year’s 14-andunder Juniors race series champion. “The route is half single-track and half trails,” Silzer said. “There’s a lot of climbing, ravines and so on. It’s a challenging course.” The Jubilee Challenge is the longest-standing race in the series, Silzer said. “PAMBA formed in 2000 and PAMBA has been running a race a Continued on Page 11

College calls area baseball players By GABBIE SLOAN

The most obvious measure of success for a baseball program is the won-loss record. But Ws and Ls are not the only measure. While both BrimfieldElmwood and Williamsfield-Galva baseball teams posted impressive won-loss records this season, they also succeeded in another category: graduates sent on to play in college. Both programs have again placed numerous players in colleges. First to WilliamsfieldJames Doubet pitching. Galva, which made history this year, winning its first regional and sectional games en route to a 15-8 record. “The boys have done a great job this year,” Coach Weekly Post Staff Writer

The rain has finally stopped, maybe, and summer baseball and softball leagues are heating up across The Weekly Post area. Many house leagues will be wrapping up in the first week of July – just in time for families to head off on summer vacations. Until then, enjoy the popcorn. Photos by Crystal Prahl.

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Continued on Page 11