The Weekly Post
Thursday August 29, 2013 Vol. 1, No. 27 Relax And Enjoy
LABOR DAY!
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PRSRT. STD. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Elmwood, Illinois Permit No. 13
“We Cover The News of West-Central Illinois With A Passion”
Serving Brimfield, Dahinda, Edwards, Elmwood, Kickapoo, Laura, Oak Hill, Williamsfield and Yates City
Council hears Spoon River Drive drama By BILL KNIGHT
ELMWOOD – Dozens of concerned citizens filled the Elmwood City Council’s chambers for a special meeting Wednesday, when the council approved an initial sales offer to Horan Construction to develop the lot at the corner of Main and Magnolia and suggested a compromise between people feuding over Elmwood’s participation in For The Weekly Post
Spoon River Drive. That dispute centers on the drive’s organizers, the nonprofit Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive Associates, Inc. – which this year officially accepted Elmwood’s application to be included in the route – trying to get participants to share the costs of involvement. A related effort put on by St. Patrick’s Catholic Church’s Altar & Rosary Society is a craft show
that charges commercial merchants for space in the church hall during the Saturdays of Spoon River Drive but does not want to pay Spoon River Drive’s $50-per-merchant fee. Spoon River Drive representatives previously appealed to the Elmwood council to pass an ordinance prohibiting commercial vendors from setting up during the drive, and attorney Bob Potts drafted language, but the
council asked for revisions because it seemed overly vague. “It’s too broad,” said Alderman Bryan Davis. Alderman Jared Howerton agreed, saying the council didn’t want to give homeowners or charities the impression that they couldn’t sell items on their own property, but they were concerned about multiple outside vendors coming in without sharing the Continued on Page 13
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TROJANS FOOTBALL 2013 Season Preview • Turn to Pages 7-10 for stories, pictures and statistics on the 2013 ElmwoodBrimfield football team. • The Trojans’ bid for a third straight undefeated regular season starts Friday at 7 p.m. in Elmwood against Peoria Heights.
Enrollments mixed, budget in flux for Brimfield schools
PLENTY OF PRODUCE
By BILL KNIGHT
BRIMFIELD – Brimfield schools’ enrollments are up and down, as are projected figures for next year’s budget, which depends on the outcome of ongoing negotiations with the teachers union. “This is the biggest 7th and 8th grade classes we’ve had,” said Grade School Principal Jeannie Blane, who totaled the enrollment there at 509. The high school numbers were down slightly, according to Superintendent and High School Principal Joe Blessman, who said the high school this fall starts with 226 students. Meanwhile, contract talks with the Brimfield EducaElmwood Wind tion Association are proTurbine ceeding, with one meeting • Read about having been held and two Elmwood CUSD scheduled for this week. 322’s new wind tur“We’re still early,” said bine, Page 3. Board president Dave Harmon. “So far, there’s nothing unusual or unexpected.” One expected consequence has been the effect on budgeting. District 309’s tentative budget for Fiscal Year 2014 shows a starting balance of $3.2 million, estimated revenues of $7.2 million and estimated expenditures of $6.9 million, projecting a year-end balance of $3.5 million. However, those numbers don’t reflect the outcome of a settlement with the teachers. “It’s basically a ‘best guess’,” said Harmon, who noted that upon reaching agreement with the teachers union, the budget proposal will be updated prior to the public hearing at 7 p.m. Sept. 18 at the school. For The Weekly Post
Jerry and Becky Wyatt of Edwards sell produce they harvest out of familiar red barn on Illinois Route 8 within view of Kickapoo Creek. Photo by Bill Knight.
Red Barn hobby turns into a business By CARLY TWEDELL
EDWARDS –During the summer months, it’s not uncommon to see local folks parked in small towns selling the produce from their garden off tailgates. What is uncommon, however, is seeing the temporary roadside stands turn into a permanent establishment. If you go west from the intersection of Kickapoo-Edwards Road and Illinois Route 8, you are bound to see a large red barn on the left, which is where Jerry Wyatt and his wife Becky sell the produce they harvest from their garden. The proFor The Weekly Post
duce stand and the land surrounding it was previously a dairy farm owned by Jerry’s aunt and uncle, who raised him and his older brother. Along with a dairy farm, his aunt and uncle had a large garden, where he worked alongside them pulling weeds and picking vegetables. That gave him the background knowledge for starting a garden of his own. After graduating from high school in 1967, Wyatt worked for CILCO until retiring in 2007. It wasn’t until three years before he retired that Jerry and Becky began
selling sweet corn off a hayrack alongside the road, using a money box and relying upon the honor system to turn a profit. After deciding to expand the stand, they remodeled the dairy barn and moved the operation inside in July of 2008. What began as a hobby “grew” into much more, Jerry says “[It was] just something to do, because we had the ground,” he says. “We put a lot of our ground into different federal programs and then we had some that we didn’t and we thought ‘Well, we ought to Continued on Page 11
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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, August 29, 2013
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HELP WANTED
• I want to thank everyone for all the acts of kindness I received during my stay in the hospital and at our daughter since returning home. Thanks for the cards, visits, flowers, calls and all the meals. We are so blessed to have such good friends. Also, I want to thank our daughter, Chris and her family for having me stay with them for 2 weeks since I couldn’t go home since our house has 18 steps and the doctor said “No steps.” A big thank you to my husband. He has been great. Love and Prayers, Mary Ann Cox
BRIMFIELD: EAV up slightly Continued from Page 1
“It appears there won’t be deficit spending for 2013-2014,” Blessman said. That could be important since after a recent audit, the Illinois State Board of Education dropped the school district’s financial profile within the highest category, “Financial Recognition,” from a 1.4 in its Fund Balance / Revenue Ratio to a 1.05, said Blessman, who added that was due to previous deficit spending. Also, he said, the Equalized Assessed Valuation (EAV) of district properties was up about 1 percent, but not as much as projected when the 2010 referendum passed authorizing $13.9 million in bonds to fund the construction of the new high school build-
ing. However, the higher EAV still will mean an increase of revenue of about $48,000 for the following year. In other business, Blane scheduled tentative dates for professional-development sessions for grade school teachers for Oct. 16, Nov. 20, Jan. 15, Feb. 19 and April 16; Blessman reported gym floors have been refinished; the board tabled consideration of architect selection for 10-Year Life Safety projects; the board unanimously approved bids from Prairie Farms for milk and Alpha Baking Co. of Champaign for bread; and the board unanimously OK’d new hires: Kylie Hankosky (band director), Jaden Maher (grade school teacher), Brandon Porter (PE for grades 5-12) and Troy Tilly (head volleyball coach).
Ag Day Sept. 8 in Williamsfield
WILLIAMSFIELD – Tractors and farm-related family fun will take over Williamsfield’s biggest park for Ag Day on Sunday, Sept. 8. Events begin at 7:30 a.m. with a free pancake breakfast at Doubet-Benjamin Park at the northwest corner of town. Activities continue with a non-denominational worship service in the park at 9 a.m. A parade of antique tractors will drive through the streets of Williamsfield at 10 a.m. Tractors end at the park where day-long activities commence. Back by popular demand is the Kids’ Chore Course. In this activity, kids drive battery-powered tractors and trucks through a course and make stops to complete chores. Other activities include a pedal tractor pull, duck races, barrel train rides, chances to lasso a “calf” and animal viewing.
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Throughout the day, adults and kids alike can watch a tractor drive itself with satellite guidance. Visitors can view old and new tractors and farm equipment. The main tent will include hourly events, such as antique farm demonstrations and an ag quiz bowl. An Ag Olympics for high school students will begin at 2 p.m. Besides expenses for a ribeye sandwich lunch and desserts, the event is free. Donations will be accepted to help defer event costs. Ag Day organizers include the Williamsfield FFA Chapter, Williamsfield FFA Alumni & Friends, and Williamsfield Town & Country 4-H Club. The Williamsfield Area Development Corporation will provide the free pancake breakfast from 7:30-9 a.m.
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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, August 29, 2013
Entry n
THE WEEK AHEAD HOT PICKS This Week!
s Football opener – The Elmwood-Brimfield football team opens its 2013 season Friday at 7 p.m. at home vs. Peoria Heights. Pages 7-10. s Labor Day – Peoria’s annual Labor Day Parade starts Monday at 2 p.m. in front of the Monroe St. fire station and ends at Peoria County Courthouse. More than 100 entries are expected in the parade. Food and beverages will be served at the Labor Day picnic from 2-7 p.m. at Riverfront Festival Park. Sept. 7. s After school art – Brimfield Public s Manna meal – Manna has a Sit will hold art programs starting Library Down Meal today at noon at Elmwood Sept. 4. Preschool to third grade meet United Methodist Church. Carryouts Wednesdays from 3-4:30 p.m. and available. Call (309) 742-3303. Bring table service. Musical entertainment by fourth through eighth grade meets Thursdays 3-4:30 p.m. Wayne Dalton, Jean Ann Plym, Jerry s Steer show – Elmwood’s 50th Wilson and Pastor Brad Watkins. steer show and sale is Friday, Sept. 6 s Picture frame – A Picture Frame during the Elmwood Make It/Take It craft Fall Festival. Show will be Saturday, Aug. Publicize Your Event starts at 5 p.m., sale is 31, from 9 a.m. to 1 Call us at (309) 741-9790 at 6:30 p.m. Steers from p.m. at Morrison and or email information about Williamsfield, BrimMary Wiley Library in your upcoming event to field, Yates City, FarmElmwood. news@wklypost.com. ington and Elmwood s Book babies – FFA will be up for aucStarting Sept. 3 babies up to 24 months tion. can enjoy stories, songs and playtime s Benefit – A benefit for Michala Tuesdays 10:30-11 a.m. at Brimfield Schauble, 14, of Yates City is Sept. 14 at Public Library the Yates City Community Center. Call Janet at (309) 358-1252. s Fall festival – Elmwood’s Fall Fess Fiber guild – Bishop Hill Fiber tival is September 5-7 at Central Park. Guild meets Saturday, Sept. 14, at 10 This year’s theme is There’s No Place a.m. at the Methodist Church in West Like Elmwood. The carnival and food Jersey. All persons interested in fiber tent open at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5. are welcome. Call (309) 472-7085 Also on Sept. 5, the Elm-Tastic Extravas ECF annual dinner – The Elmganza starts at 6 p.m. Ashley Bean is the wood Community Foundation’s second musical entertainment at 8 p.m. Other annual dinner is Saturday, Oct. 5 at headliners are West MacQueen Street on Hick’ry Stick in Elmwood. Tickets are Sept. 6 and Spring Creek Station on $30. Call Karl Taylor at (309) 444-4154.
This Week’s Events
Future Events
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Elmwood unveils wind turbine By BILL KNIGHT
ELMWOOD – There’s a growing trend for Americans to install wind turbines at their home to generate their own power, and the new 2.4-kilowatt wind turbine installed this week at Elmwood Community Unit School District 322 could be a good experiment on such possibilities, according to one of the people who helped with it. “That particular turbine is ideal for an individual residence,” said Steve Smith of the Farnsworth Group, an engineering group with offices in Peoria. “Most wouldn’t need that tall of a pole, but as an experiment to see whether it would work for a homeowner? Absolutely.” The new Sky Stream Wind Turbine was scheduled to be dedicated Wednesday (Aug. 28) at Whitney Field on the east side of the school. Funded through a grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Foundation, the 100-foot turbine mainly will serve as an education tool for students, but residents may learn from it, too. “A homeowner could get by with a pole that’s 45- to 60-feet tall,” Smith said. “The key would be open space. “That turbine will generate 8,500 to 10,000 kilowatt hours a year,” he continued, “and the average home uses about 10,000 kwh a year.” A report released this month, the For The Weekly Post
2012 Market Report on Wind Technologies in Distributed Applications, shows that localized wind power is becoming more viable. The report – from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL),.with support from energy consulting firm eFormative Options, the Distributed Wind Energy Association and the American Wind Energy Association – is the first comprehensive analysis about what’s called “distributed wind,” involving generating wind energy close to where it will be used instead of purchasing power from large, centralized wind farms. Distributed wind can range from a small, solitary turbine in someone’s backyard to several large turbines that power a manufacturing facility or a neighborhood. “The public often pictures large wind projects with long rows of turbines when they think of wind power,” said the report’s lead author, Alice Orrell, a PNNL energy analyst. “But this report provides detailed data that shows this image is incomplete. Many of the nation’s turbines are for distributed, not centralized, wind projects.” The study found that 68 percent of all wind turbines installed in the United States between 2003-2012 were distributed wind turbines, representing about 69,000 turbines that together can Continued on Page 12
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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, August 29, 2013
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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 Office Hours – Mon-Wed 9-3, Thurs 9-12, Fri 9-3 News – Jeff Lampe 231-6040 Classifieds – Shelly Brodine 741-9790 Advertising – Steve Neal 696-6130 Deadlines – News due Tuesdays by noon. Retail ads and classifieds due Mondays by noon.
Quotes of the Week: – “Football is like life - it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.” – Vince Lombardi “You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very – Frank Zappa least you need a beer. Seen by 13,781+ readers every week!
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Of popcorn, pigskins and asparagus
Rambling through central Illinois eager for the first shot at a goose or dove on Sunday. uuu Panic was palpable for a few days last week in Brimfield. The popcorn machine at Sherman’s Pharmacy was broken. Joyce Carlson broke the bad news when I came in for my fix. “I am actually missing popcorn,” said Jeff Carlson, who LAMPE has filled a few thousand bags in her 18 years at Sherman’s. That got me to pondering a new popper. I bet ut would have taken 20 years until the popcorn tasted as good again. But Curt Sherman called later with good news. Repairman Gary Lumberry of Laura rescued popcorn addicts everywhere with a quick fix. ... Speaking of Brimfield, good luck to Dave and Paul Dye of Brimfield Hardware during their big remodel. They are tearing down an old telephone building to the west of their store and plan to have an attached 40x80 steel building up before winter. uuu Back when I was an idealistic youth with no grey hair, no mortgage and no clue, I planned to cover an NFL football team for a newspaper. Life doesn’t always work out as planned, but I am ex-
cited to cover Friday’s prep game between Elmwood-Brimfield and Peoria Heights. And we hope you like the four-page insert in this edition. Look for a similar section for basketball season. ... With hunting season near (and Shelly Largent having busted us for skipping out early), our official office hours now end at 3 p.m. Somebody will probably be here after that, but call first. ... Dove and early Canada goose season open Sunday. Shoot straight. uuu So Scot Jehle won a golf tournament, claiming the scramble at last weekend’s Elmwood Elementary Parents Club fund raiser. That tells me the world of stacked teams and ringers is alive and well. It also tells me Janice Nash deserves a raise because her boss at Elmwood Insurance Agency is obviously spending plenty of time on the golf course perfecting his short game. ... Kudos to Parents Club organizers, who raised more than $15,000. ... Speaking of schools, I am still trying to figure out how my 5-year-old in kindergarten – who can’t read – had an $80 book fee at registration? uuu For more than a year I’ve been guzzling Diet Mountain Dew with guilt. I have long suspected the stuff is bad for you and Cathy Windish and Adam Price at Elmwood Pharmacy have frequently confirmed my fears. But the other day Bob Lindley of Farmington
was in the office extolling the virtues of Diet Dew. “Is there any other drink?” he asked. For those scoring at home, Bob is 92 and still running strong. ... In other good news, we have slashed the subscription price for The Weekly Post to just $50 per year. uuu This ranked as a “pretty good year” for wild asparagus, according to Louise Thompson, who guards the location of numerous patches she has found in 20 years around Elmwood. But Louise is not greedy with her asparagus, sharing her bounty with 30 people. Myself, I’m planting asparagus at home since Louise has the wild market cornered. ... One fun thing about a downtown office is the people who walk in and start talking. Yates City native Patrick Lopeman is a good example. He stopped in during a recent visit to the area and had plenty of tales about his long career in radio and the time he was backstage with Jim Morrison and The Doors in Canton in 1967. Lopeman has lived in Milwaukee the past 32 years. ... The Mayor of Oak Hill has been heard calling his beloved town “The Napa of the Midwest” while working up a latest batch of rhubarb wine. Methinks he is sampling too much while mixing. ... Parting shot: The Cowardly Lion is really the bravest Wizard of Oz character, don’t you think? Contact Jeff Lampe at 231-6040 or jeff@wklypost.com
Falling into a new rhythm on my walks
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Some of you may have read the piece I wrote just 13 weeks ago that spoke of my excitement as daylight was arriving early enough to allow me to take my early-morning walk without the added security of wearing Mit my blinking BERES vest. I have enjoyed that freedom for a great couple of months, but nature has had her way, and it is no longer light enough to be safely seen when I leave our home without
that illumination, and the vest has returned. I have the option of walking later, but that does not change the reality we know – the days have been getting shorter since June 21, and the days of early-morning daylight each year are outnumbered five to one by those which feature later sunrises and earlier sunsets. But walking in my vest is enhanced by a different calm, one that somehow accompanies the lack of light. Sure, I have to be more careful as I negotiate the curbs (especially the one on the northwest corner of Elm and Main, a designation known by
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those of us who pass it regularly and bother to take note). But it somehow seems more peaceful and quiet. I prefer the longer periods of daylight, and I am concerned about the possible danger the early-morning darkness can present for kids on their way to school. But the slow transition is a reality I can accept and try to find a way to enjoy. I also know Aug. 22 has passed before you read this, meaning there are fewer than 120 days until daylight once more makes its slow but steady trek to dominance. Have a great fall!
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A trip down memory lane in my cars
For reasons I’ve never understood, Americans have had a love affair with their cars. My brother got a ’64½ Mustang back in 1964 and it was his baby. You had to take your shoes off to ride in it. I’m not kidding. For a while, I wasn’t even allowed to look at it for fear I might get eyeball prints on it or something. Of course, I wasn’t very old at the time, and Jon as messy as I was, I probably GALLAGHER would have. I wasn’t allowed to have a car in high school. Since we lived within 300 feet of the front door of the high school, it wasn’t a priority. On dates, I had to drive either mom or dad’s car. Dad had a ’62 Chevy Impala. Today, that’s a classic worth quite a bit. Back then, it was just a junky old car. He let me put an 8-
track tape player under the dash and a pair of cheap speakers in the back. He also let me switch out the accelerator pedal. The one I installed was a big metal bare foot. It looked cool, and Dad – well – he put up with it. My first car was a 1969 Volkswagen Fastback. It wasn’t a bug like most VWs back then. It was sleek, with two doors and a motor in the rear and a trunk up front. It had a radio, but not a fancy one. Even my girlfriend’s mother liked it and I didn’t figure out ’til much later that it’s because she knew the backseat wasn’t big enough for one, let alone two. One thing the car did NOT have was a heater. I’m not sure if that’s because in Germany it’s warm all the time or if maybe they just use their cars for very short trips, but this car had nothing even remotely resembling a heater. That’s because it didn’t have a radiator, or so I’m told. The engine didn’t get very hot and the little vents in the car to
allow engine heat into the car were about as effective as a peashooter on an elephant hunt. One thing I learned about VWs is they will go about 25,000 miles between oil changes. At that point, the engine will make funny (and not “ha-ha” funny) noises and then blow itself into little pieces. When I bought the car, the owner told me one neat thing about VWs is that they didn’t need oil filters. I thought he was talking about oil changes. That’s why I never changed mine. Ironically, I found out that you did in fact need oil changes and I drove the car to Galesburg, picked up the stuff I needed to do that, and was on my way home when the engine locked up. Over the years I’ve had some “wonderful” cars – some more memorable than others. I worked for a pest control company once and bought a Subaru because of its gas mileage. I’d never heard of a Subaru at that
commanding officer. After some preliminaries, he looked straight in my eye explaining what he expected from me. I was to serve as his administrative assistant, writing letters, placing calls and keeping him abreast of activities in the battalion. My work was not easy in a battalion of 2,000 men – planning meetings, keeping track of those who were sick and AWOL and following the activities of the troops. Over the next few months, as we got to know each other much better, everyday occurrences deepened the mystery around him. Little things aroused my curiosity. For example, whenever I asked him the time of day, I found that his watch was always set two hours ahead of Missouri time. When asked if his watch was broken, he smiled sheepishly but said nothing. Then there were those mysterious absences on weekends. The rumor was that he hopped an Army plane on most Friday nights, flew to an unknown destination for the weekend and returned late on Sunday evenings. Where was he? Was he meeting someone clandestinely? When questioned about his weekend activities, he smiled and walked away. Although most of his requests of me were routine, at least weekly he asked me to dial a number at the Pentagon or to a
general somewhere around the country. When I reached his contact, I walked to his office door, alerted him and closed the door as he always requested. By the time the Colonel was to leave for his next assignment, he had enough confidence in me that he voluntarily explained some but not all of the mysteries. You see Grover Asmus was an ambitious career officer whose goal was the star, to become a general, and he knew that Lt. Colonels don’t become Colonels or Lt. Generals without doing some politicking. He had to know the people who would be writing his evaluations, and the better he knew them, the better his chance of promotion. Hence, all the calls across the country, all the opportunities for meeting his evaluators face-toface during those weekend absences. He must have been successful because he became a full bird colonel when he took his next position in New York. But perhaps the biggest mystery was only solved when I saw his picture on the cover of Variety, the newspaper for show business, with his arm around his new fiancee, the star of the popular 60s television program, “The Donna Reed Show.” Although he retired from the Army before he became a general, he did get his star. He married one.
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Mysteries surrounding Lt. Colonel Asmus
Even before the Colonel arrived at Fort Leonard Wood, rumors had been flying about the new commanding officer with the imposing name. Why was he leaving a position in France for an unusual ninemonth assignment in the hills of Missouri? He must be tough because he had trained as a ranger and paratrooper. Fresh out of West Point, he had seen combat, commanding an infantry Karl battalion in TAYLOR Korea. Someone must have felt he had potential because he was next assigned to a General, serving as his aide, not for a typical two-year tour of duty, but for an unusual eight consecutive years in Paris. He must have been on the fast track for something special. Why did I care? He was to be my new boss! To say the least, I was worried. Standing over 6-foot-6, the Colonel was trim and wiry, looking more like a professional basketball player than a professional Army officer. Rather than being cold and domineering, as I had expected, he was quiet, closed mouth, and unexpectedly gentle, more like a father figure than a
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PUBLIC RECORD
NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Peoria Sheriff releases crime stats for July
The Peoria Sheriff’s Department released its monthly Crime Statistics Report for July for the seven Peoria County townships in The Weekly Post area: Brimfield city and township had 2 accidents without an injury, 1 battery, 3 domestic battery, 2 drug cases, 1 theft, 1 criminal damage to property, 1 Driving Under the Influence and 3 traffic tickets. Elmwood city and township together had 2 domestic battery cases, 1 criminal sexual assault, 2 theft, and 1 traffic ticket. Jubilee had 3 accidents without an injury and 1 traffic ticket. Kickapoo had 1 burglary of a motor vehicle, 5 thefts, 2 incidents of vandalism/criminal damage to property, 1 DUI, 12 accidents without injury and 12 traffic tickets. Millbrook had 1 incident of vandalism/criminal damage to property, 1 accident without an injury and 1 traffic ticket. Radnor had 1 accident without injury and 7 traffic tickets. Rosefield had 1 DUI, 6 accidents without injury and 3 traffic
tickets.
Brimfield car wash hit by burglars
BRIMFIELD – Heinz Bros. Trucking Car Wash on West Knoxville in Brimfield sometime late Aug. 19 or early Aug. 20 was burglarized, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. Someone entered through the south door of the business, took about $1,000 from a change machine, locked areas that had been opened and damaged a computer. An officer processed the scene for fingerprints and other evidence and took the computer to possibly retrieve additional evidence. Police continue to investigate area suspects for criminal damage to property and burglary in connection with the incident.
Brimfield man charged
ELMWOOD – Joshua Rynearson, 35, of Brimfield, about 7 a.m. Aug. 23 was charged with assault and disorderly conduct after altercations in Elmwood that continued on roadways east of town. Another man also was involved in threatening the complainant, but he hasn’t been charged. Rynearson was issued a Notice to Appear.
Police reports
• Justin Peterson, 21 of Brimfield about 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 24 was arrested and charged with battery after an altercation in the 200 block of West Clay Street, where Peterson allegedly struck a man with a beer bottle. BYE transported the victim to OSF, and Sheriff’s officers took Peterson to Peoria County Jail. • Two Knox County Sheriff’s officers were dispatched to Yates City about 4 p.m. Aug. 20 on a report of three teens walking on Main Street near the park, with one apparently holding a firearm. A witness described the boys, but officers patrolling the area found no one matching the description. • Elmwood Police responded to a report of an attempted burglary in the 400 block of East Main the morning of Aug. 25 when the resident noticed a window screen had been cut. The resident told police noises were heard the previous night, but no one was seen.
Marriage Licenses
• Farrah Dippel, Laura, and Scott Garretts, Princeville • Laura Hodierne and Kyle Gibbs, both Williamsfield • Alex Ott and Kelsey Wagner, both Dahinda
GALLAGHER: Speeding in a beat-up Subaru Continued from Page 5
time (neither had anyone else around here) and in fact, thought that a Subaru was one of the bugs I was supposed to kill. As it turns out, the pest control company did kill my Subaru, but it was from driving it so much, not chemicals. That poor car went through it all. The trunk, where I kept my bug-killing chemicals, wasn’t used to all the opening and shutting, and one day, the lock just gave out. Naturally, it gave out while locked. I had to drive to a locksmith and have him open it. I had a choice. I could pay LOTS of money to have the lock replaced, or he could just leave the lock off and let me tie the trunk down with a bungee cord. As cheap as I am, I took the bungee-cord route. I later changed it to a bicycle lock. Not long after that, someone who had put oil in the car for me failed to latch the hood properly. Before I noticed it and could get pulled off the road, a semi whizzed by and the wind generated by his passing wrapped that hood up and over my windshield. It’s a little freaky to go from clear visibility at 55 mph to absolutely nothing in less than a second.
After that, I couldn’t get the hood to fasten properly. So to keep it in place I secured it with another bicycle lock. A few months later while getting gas, a tanker truck backed into my driver’s door and destroyed it. His insurance company handled that, but the idiots at the autobody shop didn’t replace the door; they REPAIRED the door. Since the point of impact had been right about where the locking mechanism was, they didn’t bother to repair the LOCK. Instead, they just took it out. I could still lock the door from the inside, but there was no longer a keyhole on the outside. Within a few weeks, whenever I wanted to shut the door, I had to lift the door and pull it shut. The autobody shop claimed that wasn’t their fault. The car looked worse than Archie Andrews’ jalopy. The trunk and hood were held down by bicycle locks and the driver’s door was noticeably off kilter. If I dared stop anywhere for any length of time, people would come running up and ask if I needed an ambulance or if anyone else had been hurt in the wreck. It looked awful, but it ran good.
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In fact, one afternoon, I went past a state cop who was sitting off to the side of the road, just waiting for someone like me. When I saw him, I looked down at the speedometer, and it was a bit over the speed limit. In fact, it was about 30 mph over the speed limit. It didn’t take him long to pull out behind me. I pulled to the shoulder and waited for the hammer to fall. It was going to hurt. I had to open my door because the window wouldn’t roll down anymore. He got out of this car, adjusted his hat, and strolled up to my car. He paused to look at the trunk and its unique locking system. He looked at the side of my car at the door. He walked to the front of the car when the hood was held down by the bicycle lock. He came to my door and asked for license and proof of insurance, which I provided. He gave them a once over and handed them back. “I was going to give you a ticket,” he drawled. “But there’s not a judge in this state who would believe this piece of (crap) would go as fast as I clocked you. Slow it down.” At least he didn’t offer to call an ambulance.
ELMWOOD-BRIMFIELD FOOTBALL 2013
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FOOTBALL 2013 • 1
Football still a numbers game By JEFF LAMPE
Often in prep football, numbers matter mightily. Friday’s season opener between Elmwood-Brimfield and Peoria Heights is proof of that. While visiting Peoria Heights will bring a roster of 35 into the contest, E-B counters with 75 players. Why does that matter? Let us count the ways. For one thing, better numbers mean fewer players having to play both defense and offense – a style that E-B coach Todd Hollis greatly prefers. This year Hollis anticipates as few as three two-way players – safety/running back Joey DePalma, Jacob Sollenberger and middle linebacker/guard Mark Gilles. And even their time on either unit will be shared with backups. “That’s one of coach Hollis’ big philosophies,” senior center Sam Warner said. “We want one-way starters so when other teams are getting tired, we’re still fresh.” With that in mind, the E-B nohuddle offense is designed to make that advantage even greater. “We’re going as fast as we can out there,” Weekly Post Staff Writer
The McCoy twins? Really?
See the two young men in the picture above. They are brothers. Twins, actually, though Nick (right) is 43 minutes older than Donovan. “That’s why I’ve got the beard,” he said. Added teammate Sam Warner, “They don’t really look like twins but they act like twins.” Now you know.
E-B’s very own Honey Badger
Former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu and EB cornerback Tommy Bowers may not look much alike, but they do share a few common traits. Both players like to hit hard on the football field. And teammates call both of them “The Honey Badger.” “He’s our one guy with the big nickname,” Joey DePalma said of Bowers. “And it fits him. He’s not afraid of anybody.”
Quotable
E-B coach Todd Hollis on Friday’s opponent, Peoria Heights: “Their skill kids are usually solid. Where they usually struggle, as with any team that is struggling with numbers, is up front. Just because of numbers.”
Trojan tidbits
Last Friday’s auction of players prior to the Gatorade Game netted about $7,000 for the program, all of which is used to purchase helmets, pads, t-shirts, sweatshirts and other equipment. ... In records back to 1949 Elmwood football has an overall record of 192-371. ... The E-B coaching staff this year includes Hollis, defensive co-coordinators Brad Crisco and Mike Dutton, JV head coach Brandon Butler and Brandon Porter (offensive line/linebackers). ... TWP Prediction: Elmwood 47-6.
Elmwood-Brimfield quarterback Nick McCormick runs a no-huddle offense designed to put pressure on opponents. Photo by Jeff Lampe.
Hollis said. That’s a far cry from E-B’s playoff team in 2003. Back then the mentality was to take as much time as possible – meaning 12-minute drives were not uncommon. But the Trojans were not blessed with a 75-player roster in those days. There were lots of two-way
players. “So we had to keep the ball from other people and chew the clock,” Hollis said. “Now we can wear them out by going fast and applying pressure.” It’s significant to note that E-B now averages 65-70 plays per game compared to the 35-40 of those earlier teams. That provides many more repetitions for starters and for backups to gain valuable experience. Numbers also matter greatly in practice, Hollis said. “When you practice juniors and seniors against juniors and seniors it helps,” he said. “When we started here (14 seasons ago) some of the freshmen were getting beat up because we needed them to practice.” That also gives you a false sense of how good your team is playing. By avoiding mismatches in practice you can get a better feel for your team’s abilities – though the end result can be frustrating, according to DePalma. “For me,” he said, “when we are playing against our defense, they’ve been playing so well it makes it that much harder for our offense to look good.”
Peoria Heights dealing with loss of 18 seniors PEORIA – Peoria Heights heads to Elmwood for Friday’s prep football season opener with only two starters back from a much-improved 4-5 team. “We lost 18 seniors off last year’s team and we are going to be very young and inexperienced,” Heights coach Jon Adkins said. “It will be tough.” The lone returnees for Adkins are all-conference wide receiver Ron Willis and offensive lineman Adam Mitzefelt.
Rather than bemoan the loss of his seniors, Adkins is appreciative for their efforts. Heights has 35 players out for football this year – not many by Elmwood-Brimfield standards but a step forward for Peoria Heights. “Considering we lost that many seniors, to have 35 kids for us is very good,” Adkins said. One newcomer this year is senior quarterback Lawrence Henderson, who has not played organized football since his JFL days.
“He’s one of those kids where we had a little success and he wants to come out to be a part of it,” Adkins said. As for playing two-time defending champion E-B, Adkins said, “I absolutely love opening with Elmwood. Not only does that get us ready for the rest of the conference, because it’s a downhill slope from there, but it tells us where we’re at. “They’re probably the best team in the conference this year. I wouldn’t bet against them.”
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2 • FOOTBALL 2013
ELMWOOD-BRIMFIELD FOOTBALL 2013
Joey DePALMA No. 15 Running Back
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Brian GILLES No. 54 Left Guard
Michael HOULIHAN No. 8 Tight End
Andrew JORDAN No. 66 Right Tackle
Drew KEYT No. 70 Left Guard
Chris KOLL No. 85 Tight End
Jacob
Grant STEVENS No. 24 Tight End
Kyle TOTTON No. 7 Tight End
Sam WARNER No. 57 Center
Lane WYATT No. 20 Running Back
Elmwood Fall Festival
There's No Place Like Elmwood September 5th, 6th & 7th Please see a booklet for all information and registration forms.
Bradley NOVAK No. 72 Left Tackle
SOLLENBERGER
No. 23 Fullback
Passing an emphasis, running the key By JEFF LAMPE
The temptation is to wonder if Todd Hollis is kidding. “It will be a point of emphasis to pass more this season,” he said. This from a team that last year threw for about 200 yards and is hardly known as Air Hollis. But with quarterback Nick McCormick back to call plays and one of Elmwood-Brimfield’s deepest receiving corps in recent memory, you get the feeling Hollis is serious. And with the graduation of allstate running back Brady Westart and Jason Harkness (who combined for 3,558 yards and more than 10 yards per carry), a little balance is probably in order. So there’s little question McCormick will throw more than last year’s 15-for-39 for 209 yards. “Last year when we had kids running it like we did, it’s hard to argue with 11 yards per carry. Why pass?” Hollis said. “This year we’ve got to be efficient and effective passing. And in terms of receivers, the four guys we will put out there (Kyle Totton, Michael Houlihan, Chris Koll and Weekly Post Staff Writer
E-B OFFENSE
Grant Stevens) are the deepest we’ve had in a long time.” Not that the Trojans will ever abandon their bread-and-butter, the old-school double-wing toss sweep. And this year’s offensive line could be perfectly suited to run student body left, right or any other play that requires big, imposing offensive linemen. “We’ve got Nick some big kids. McCORMICK Novak is huge. No. 13 Gilles is big. Quarterback And they all can move,” said senior Sam Warner, a returning starter at center. “None of them are slow. They can move and pull and get who they are supposed to get.” Though just a sophomore, Novak is a 6-foot-6, 270-pound bruiser at left tackle while bookend right tackle Andrew Jordan stands 6-3, 255 as a junior. Big tackles are not new for E-B. What Hollis is also excited about
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is the size on his interior line, where 6-1, 210-pound junior Brian Gilles and 5-9 195-pound Drew Keyt are a combined 50-60 pounds heavier than last year’s guards. “We’ve always been fortunate to have big tackles, but we’ve never had big guards,” Hollis said. “Now we’re big all the way across. You would hope you could get some surge with this group.” Warner has also added 10-15 pounds and said the offensive scheme helps running backs. “With our offense you don’t necessarily needs great running backs if you block well,” Warner said. “But Lane (Wyatt) and Joey (DePalma) are very fast. They’re going to be able to bust some big plays.” Those big plays have been a hallmark of the E-B offense in each of the last two unbeaten regular seasons. DePalma and Wyatt rushed for a combined 417 yards last season. And despite the talk of passing, for E-B to succeed again they will need to at least triple those numbers on the ground this season.
ELMWOOD-BRIMFIELD FOOTBALL 2013
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Tommy BOWERS No. 34 Cornerback
Austin GOLEMON No. 76 End
Grady CASE No. 22 Safety
Mark MARLOTT No. 62 End
Donovan McCOY No. 5 Linebacker
Nick McCOY No. 53 Nose Guard
Camron PASSIE No. 55 Tackle
FOOTBALL 2013 • 3
Collin REICHENEKER
No. 86 Cornerback
Sonny VISIONE No. 30 Linebacker
New trio of linebackers playing behind fast line By JEFF LAMPE
Three seasons ago, faced with changes in the football landscape, coaches at Elmwood-Brimfield opted to switch to a 4-3 defensive alignment. The team has not lost a regular season game since. So is it the alignment – with four down linemen, three linebackers and four defensive backs? Or is it the players? Both, said defensive co-coordinator Brad Crisco, who said the players make the bigger difference. But this year, after a third season of learning the 4-3 system, things are looking even better for the Trojans, who return five starters from a stingy 2012 unit. “Just our athleticism and our allaround speed are a strength,” said Crisco, who is in his 12th season at Weekly Post Staff Writer
E-B DEFENSE
Elmwood. He expects the defensive line to generate quarterback pressure led by ends Mark Marlott (6-foot-2, 240), Austin Golemon (5-8, 155) and Matt Hanley (6-0, 175). Hanley will sit out the Peoria Heights game. “The old saying is speed kills, and Marlott is quicker than snot,” Crisco said. “Hanley and Golemon are also both really quick off the ends.” The main challenge for coaches is replacing all three linebackers (Jason Harkness, Nick Jehle and Cal Vrchota) and opportunistic defensive back Brady Westart. Brian Gilles will start at middle linebacker and will be flanked by Sonny Visione and Donovan McCoy. Visione
saw considerable time at pounds offers real possilinebacker last year. bilities once he learns to Their play is a key to use his size to his advanthe system, since E-B tage. tries to keep blitzing to a “Our front seven looks minimum and relies inas good as it ever has,” stead on linebackers said DePalma, one of making proper reads on only three two-way plays and reacting. starters in the lineup. DeMarlott is the top rePalma’s time at running turning tackler with 54, back has given him a followed by Hanley (53), firsthand look at the Trocornerback Colin Reichjans defensive squad. eneker (44) and safety “For me, when we are Defensive co-coordinator Joey DePalma (30), who playing against our deBrad Crisco is in his 12th is a three-year starter. fense they’ve been playseason at ElmwoodUp front, Crisco said he ing so well it makes it Brimfield. has seen some pleasant that much harder for our surprises emerge, including tackle offense to look good.” Camron Passie and backup Dalton That’s a good problem if you are a Woods, a newcomer who at 280+ defensive coordinator.
Farmington ‘team to beat’ in league By JEFF LAMPE
While Elmwood-Brimfield has won two straight Prairieland Blue Conference titles, Coach Todd Hollis said his team is not the favorite this fall. He gives that honor instead to Farmington, where coach Casey Martin’s team last year finished 73 and reached the playoffs. “That’s the team to beat,” Hollis said of the Farmers. “Some of their seniors have played together since they were freshman. They have experience and size.” Seven starters are back for the Farmers, led by 6-foot-5, 225pound running back/linebacker Macae Skaggs and 6-4, 270Weekly Post Staff Writer
pound lineman Brenden Jostes. Skaggs rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 2012. Also back is second-leading rusher Max Balagna and 31 overall letterwinners. Last year E-B scored a 20-7 win over Farmington, which was 3-2 in the league. This year’s game is in Farmington on Oct. 4. Another key contest where home field has made a difference is against Beardstown, which Hollis again expects to challenge for the league title under new head coach Tyler Buhlig. Beardstown is 22-9 the past three seasons and Hollis singled out Beardstown’s quarterback Gus Vermillion as an offensive standout. Vermillion passed for 1,026
yards last year, ran for 450 and accounted for 12 touchdowns with his legs and 11 with his arm. “Beardstown is dangerous,” said Hollis, who added the Tigers are also a “physical” opponent. Beardstown was 8-1 last year and travels to play E-B on Sept. 13. In the Prairieland’s small school Blue Division, Hollis said Lewistown looks to be the top team. Starting in 2014, change will come to the Prairieland, which is merging with the Lincoln Trail. Prairieland teams will play crossover games against the Lincoln Trail in Weeks 1 and 2. E-B will step up to face Mercer County and Annawan-Wethersfield in the first two games.
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4 • FOOTBALL 2013
ELMWOOD-BRIMFIELD FOOTBALL 2013 2013 ELMWOOD-BRIMFIELD VARSITY ROSTER
2013 E-B FOOTBALL VARSITY SCHEDULE
First Last No. Year Height Weight Off Def Brayton Metz 1 9 5' 100 TE DB Tyler Bunting 2 9 5'5 100 "RB, QB" DB Jack McKinty 3 11 5'11 155 QB DB Donovan McCoy 5 11 5'10 175 RB LB Kyle Totton 7 11 6' 155 TE DB Michael Houlihan 8 11 5'10 170 "TE, QB" DB Riley McFall 10 9 5'10 130 TE DB Austin McIntyre 11 10 5'5 145 RB DB Nick McCormick 13 12 5'9 165 QB DB Joey DePalma 15 12 5'10 175 RB DB Layne Wyatt 20 11 5'8 165 RB DB Ben Adkins 21 11 5'9 155 TE DB Grady Case 22 12 5'7 170 RB DB Sollenberger 23 11 5'9 165 RB LB Jacob Grant Stevens 24 12 6'2 180 TE DB Justin McIntosh 25 9 5'6 135 TE DB Sonny Visione 30 12 5'10 175 RB LB Cory Hart 32 10 5'9 150 RB LB Dillon Warner 33 10 5'4 155 RB DB Thomas Bowers 34 11 5'7 145 RB DB Isaac Davidson 36 12 5'9 165 RB DL Austin Sims 38 10 5'11 165 QB DB Tyler Short 40 9 5'11 170 QB DE Sam Marincic 42 9 5'10 140 RB DB Jackson Harkness 45 9 5'8 190 RB LB Colton Fales 47 10 5'8 185 RB LB Gabe Buhl 48 9 5'10 135 OL DB Brad Demmin 51 11 5'11 170 TE LB Brock Asbell 52 11 6' 225 OL LB Nick McCoy 53 11 5'8 215 OL DL Brian Gilles 54 11 6'1 210 OL LB Cameron Passie 55 11 6'2 255 OL DL Matt Hanley 56 12 6' 175 OL DE Sam Warner 57 12 6' 190 OL LB Colton Milliman 60 9 6' 220 OL DL Mark Marlott 62 12 6'2 240 OL DE Phillip Medina 63 12 5'5 175 OL DL Evan Asbell 64 9 6' 230 OL DL Matthew Jordan 65 9 6' 150 OL LB Andrew Jordan 66 11 6'3 255 OL DE Carter Baysingar 67 9 6' 200 OL DL Miles Donahue 68 9 5'7 140 OL LB Drew Keyt 70 12 5'9 185 OL DL Brad Novak 72 10 6'6 270 OL DL Dylan Sims 73 12 6'1 210 OL DL Dalton Woods 74 12 6'3 280 OL DL Darren Novak 75 9 6'3 195 OL DL Austin Golemon 76 11 5'8 155 OL DE Sean Wilbur 77 10 6' 200 OL DL Cort Baysingar 78 9 5'10 200 OL DL Austin Miller 79 10 5'10 200 OL DL Tucker Blum 80 11 5'10 160 TE LB Jared Roberts 81 10 6' 180 TE DB Asa Dillon 83 12 5'9 155 TE DB Jake Harlow 84 10 6'1 155 TE DE Chris Koll 85 12 5'9 160 TE DE Reicheneker 86 12 6'3 175 TE DB Collin Jake Johnson 88 11 6'2 175 TE DE Zach Roling 92 11 6' 145 TE LB Hank Hedrick 95 9 5'5 130 TE DB Seth Stephens 97 11 5'8 140 TE DB Coaches: Todd Hollis, Brad Crisco, Mike Dutton, Brandon Butler, Brandon Porter Managers: Kylie Schaub, Bree Mills, Sara Kane
• Friday, Aug. 30 – vs. Peoria Heights, 7 pm • Friday, Sept. 6 – at Abingdon, 7 pm • Friday, Sept. 13 – vs. Beardstown, 7 pm • Friday, Sept. 20 – at Rushville, 7 pm • Friday, Sept. 27 – vs. Knoxville, 7 pm • Friday, Oct. 4 – at Farmington, 7 pm • Friday, Oct. 11 – vs. Havana, 7 pm • Friday, Oct. 18 – at North Fulton (Site TBD), 7 pm • Friday, Oct. 25 – vs. Bushnell (Senior Night), 7 pm
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Tackles M. Marlott 54 M. Hanley 53 C. Reicheneker 44 J. DePalma 30 G. Case 20 S Visione 12 Interceptions J. DePalma 2 C. Reicheneker 2 Fumble Recoveries G. Case 2
Rushing Yards L. Wyatt 212 J. DePalma 205 D. McCoy 112 G. Case 83 M. Houlihan -6 N. McCormick -17 Receiving Yards G. Stevens 110 G. Case 33 Sacks M. Hanley 6
Passing Yards N. McCormick 209 G. Case 3 TDs J. DePalma 2 S. Visione 2 G. Stevens 1 G. Case 1 N. McCormick 1 D. McCoy 1 L Wyatt 1
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JV SCHEDULE • Monday, Sept. 2 – at Peoria Heights, 6 pm • Monday, Sept. 9 – vs. Abingdon, 6 pm • Monday, Sept. 16 – at Beardstown, 5:30 pm • Monday, Sept. 23 – vs. Rushville, 5:30 pm • Monday, Sept. 30 – at Knoxville, 6 pm • Monday, Oct. 7 – vs. Farmington, 6 pm • Monday, Oct. 14 – at Havana, 6 pm • Monday, Oct. 21 – vs. North Fulton, 6 pm
FRESHMAN SCHEDULE • Thursday, Sept. 5 – vs. Lewistown, 6 pm • Thursday, Sept. 19 – vs. Stark County, 6 pm • Wednesday, Sept. 25 – vs. Farmington, 6 pm • Wednesday, Oct. 2 – at Princeville, 6 pm • Thursday, Oct. 10 – at Havana, 6 pm • Thursday, Oct. 17 – vs. Knoxville, 6 pm
JUNIOR VARSITY ROSTER First Brayton Tyler Tyler Bradley Cory Austin Hank Luke Sam Hayden Riley Sam Matthew Isaac Dillon Ian Austin Colton Isaiah Jackson Andrew Patrick Colton Matthew Carter Evan Miles Mike Darren Sean Cort Austin Gabe Jake Andrew Jared Danny Justin Austin
Last Metz Bunting Short Grothaus Hart McIntyre Hedrick Murphy Kepple Golemon McFall Marincic Gerontes Cotter Warner Huseman Sims Fales Groeper Harkness Naumann Lawrence Milliman Jordan Baysingar Asbell Donahue Harvey Novak Wilbur Baysingar Miller Buhl Harlow Hall Roberts Ham McIntosh Traver
Number 1 3 7 8 9 10 13 15 18 20 22 23 25 30 33 36 38 40 43 45 54 60 63 64 67 69 70 73 75 77 78 79 83 84 85 86 88 88 94
Year 9 9 9 9 10 10 9 10 9 9 9 9 10 9 10 10 10 10 9 9 9 10 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 10 9 10 9 10 10 10 9 9 9
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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, August 29, 2013
Page 11
FOR ANSWERS SEE PAGE 13
1. GEOGRAPHY: Where are the Maldive islands located? 2. COMICS: What is Superman's dog named? 3. TELEVISION: When did MTV go on the air? 4. MOVIES: What movie features a character named Popeye Doyle? 5. ENTERTAINERS: Which comedian came up with the character called "the hippy dippy weatherman." 6. SCIENCE: What is the softest known mineral in the world? 7. ADVERTISING: What company used Elsie the Cow to promote its products? 8. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president pledged a "New Deal" for the United States? 9. LITERATURE: Who wrote the novel "Dr. Zhivago"? 10. ANATOMY: What is a sarcoma? Answers 1. Indian Ocean 2. Krypto 3. Aug. 1, 1981 4. "The French Connection" 5. George Carlin 6. Talc 7. Borden 8. Franklin Roosevelt 9. Boris Pasternak 10. A malignant tumor in connective tissue, bone or muscle (c) 2013 King Features Synd., Inc.
BARN: Hobby grows into passion
Continued from Page 1 do something with it’.” After Becky jokingly interjected that it was his retirement hobby, Jerry smiles and says, “It was supposed to be a hobby … some days I don’t think it’s a hobby.” The biggest draw for those passing by was what they started with originally: sweet corn. “Ninety percent of the people that come in here want the corn,” Jerry says. “We try to keep a variety, because some people come in with a couple kids and they might just stop and get a couple of cucumbers for the evening meal.” The variety of produce began to expand as more people started to stop by. Along with more customers, came interests in different vegetables. “We got to know more and more people, and more people would come in and tell us what they were interested in buying,” Kathy says. “ ‘Do you have peppers?’ ‘Do you have this?’ ‘Do you have that?’ So it just kind of grew from there.” Customers aren’t just local. They mentioned having people stop by who are sending the Wyatts’ produce across the country to places such as Alabama, Florida, California and even Alaska “A lot of people have never been out this way,” Becky says. “And they just go for a Sunday drive or maybe they’ve been to Wildlife Prairie Park. And they saw the signs and they stop. “I think we did bring a little bit of the town out into the country,” she adds. All of the business they get is through word of mouth and the few signs that they’ve posted near the 4-way stop. With the expansion of the stand into a barn, more people began to stop, and soon the Wyatts even began to develop a regular clientele.
Doing their part to keep things local, they sell onions and other produce to restaurants like Ludy’s and the Jubilee Café in Kickapoo and the Hog Trof in Hanna City. “These farmers markets, I think, are the best thing that’s ever happened around here,” Jerry says. “I mean, it’s all locally grown, fresh.” He says many fruits and vegetables that are in grocery stores are shipped from out of state, and in order to keep the shipment from rotting, something must be done to the crop. While chemicals aren’t sprayed on Wyatt’s crop, they are not organic, technically. “We pick everything fresh daily,” Becky says, “and then by the end of the day it’s all sold.” Most of the gardens that they gather from are at the top of the hill behind the barn. Here they grow tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis, potatoes and onions, along with some sweet corn. “We grow all this ourselves,” Jerry says. “We do buy our cantaloupe in Manito, there’s a small buyer’s market there. And then if we’re kind of short on some things we can get it off of them and they get some onions off of us, because they can’t grow onions down there. “So we supply them some onions sometimes, it’s kind of a trade back and forth.” While the season is drawing to a close, Wyatt hopes to remain open until after Labor Day, or until the corn starts to run out. They had tried to sell pumpkins, gourds, and some Indian corn for a couple of years, but deer “seemed to run us out of that business.” Pumpkins or not, they have plenty to keep them busy without extending their season into early fall. Because what began as a hobby has turned into a nice business.
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WINDMILL: U.S. wind industry growing rapidly Continued from Page 3
generate 812 megawatts, and about a third of all U.S. wind turbines installed in 2012 were distributed wind turbines, representing about 3,800 turbines that can generate 175 megawatts combined “The tremendous growth in the U.S. wind industry over the past few years underscores the importance of consistent policy that ensures America remains a leader in clean energy innovation,” said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. “As the fastest growing source of power in the United States, wind is paving the way to a cleaner, more sustainable future that protects our air and water and provides affordable, clean renewable energy to more and more Americans.” In Illinois, the growth of wind energy has meant more than 6,000 additional
jobs last year, according to the Energy Department. In other findings, the research found that nine states now rely on wind power for more than 12 percent of their total annual electricity consumption. Also, more than 13 gigawatts (GW) of new wind power capacity last year were added to the U.S. grid – nearly double the wind capacity deployed in 2011. That helped America’s total windpower capacity surpass 60 GW at the end of 2012 – representing enough capacity to power more than 15 million homes each year, or as many homes as in California and Washington State combined. Further, the proportion of wind turbine components such as towers, blades and gears made in America has in-
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creased dramatically. The report estimates 72 percent of wind turbine equipment installed in the country last year was made by domestic manufacturers, nearly tripling from 2006-2007. Costs are falling, too, Smith said. “I’ve been doing this for six years – including a study we did on the north side of Elmwood, which found that it didn’t support it then,” he said. “But the price of the turbine itself is so much better now, it could be feasible to build it now.” Elmwood schools’ wind turbine project was coordinated by Superintendent Roger Alvey with assistance from Smith, Nick Poplawski from the Illinois Clean Energy Foundation, Jolene Willis from Western Illinois University’s Sustainable Development Center, and Dan Cummane from Windy City Power.
OBITUARIES Brent Cluskey
BRIMFIELD – Brent Cluskey, 53, of Brimfield died at 7:40 a.m. Aug. 21 in rural Princeville. A funeral Mass was scheduled for Aug. 26 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Brimfield, with Father John Verrier officiating. Burial was planned to be in Calvary Cemetery, Brimfield. Hammitt-Hott Funeral Home, Princeville, was in charge of arrangements. Private condolences may be made to the family via www.hammitthott.com.
David A. Moats
YATES CITY – David A. Moats, 69, died on Aug. 21 at OSF St. Mary Medical Center in Gales-
Today’s Obituaries
• Brent Cluskey, 53, Brimfield • David A. Moats, 69, Yates City • Sandra L. Swank, 72, Williamsfield
burg. Graveside services will be held at a later date. Cremation will be accorded. Hinchliff-Pearson-West Galesburg Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements, and online condolences may be made at www.h-p-w.com.
Sandra L. Swank
WILLIAMSFIELD –Sandra L.
Here is a view of the new Elmwood wind turbine at dusk. Photo by Amy Davis.
Swank, 72, of Galesburg, formerly
of Williamsfield, died on Aug. 17
at OSF St. Mary Medical Center
in Galesburg.
Funeral services were planned
for Aug. 24 at the Williamsfield
United Methodist Church.
Online condolences can be made
at www.hurd-hendricksfuneral-
home.com.
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wood, IL. Or call 309-741-9790.
IN BRIEF
Elmwood 1968 class held fun 45th reunion
BRIMFIELD – The Elmwood High School Class of 1968 held its 45th class reunion on Aug. 3 at the Maple Lane Country Club. There were 55 people in attendance. This included 30 classmates and six teachers. The evening included food, a table of memorabilia, memory books from recent classmate surveys, music, dancing and much conversation. A prayer was shared for the eight classmates who have died since graduation. It was a funfilled evening. We hope to see more classmates next reunion. – Louise Thompson
Peoria County SWCD Pond Clinic, Sept. 14
EDWARDS – The Peoria County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will hold a
Pond Clinic, on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.at the Stegmaier’s Pond, located on the south side of Cottonwood Road (across from the landfill), accessible from North Murphy Road. The cost is $5, which includes Avanti’s sandwiches. Rob Hilsabeck, a Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist, will conduct the clinic (pond shocking for fish count, health, and management) and Scott Avery, Illinois Conservation Police Officer, will discuss fishing regulations. Please send a check for $5 to Peoria County SWCD, 6715 N Smith Road, Edwards, IL 61528, no later than Wednesday, Sept.11 Reservations are required. For more information, visit the website peoriacountyswcd.tripod.com or call (309) 671-7040, Ext. 3.
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Banks offering iHELP college student loans
More than $1 billion in private student loans is being made available through a national coalition of more than 5,000 community banks, including Hometown Community Banks, which are Morton Community Bank in Morton and divisions across Central Illinois. Information about the student loan program is available at www.ihelploan.com. Local Hometown Community Bank locations include: Elmwood Community Bank and Farmington Community Bank. For more information about the iHELP Private Student Loan program, visit the bank’s website at www.hometownbanks.com, or contact Bob Mueller, MCB’s iHelp Coordinator at (309) 2841312.
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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, August 29, 2013
DRAMA: Drive’s sanctioned income down Continued from Page 1
costs. Any ordinance would not take effect until 2014. The consensus was that a non-commercial enterprise like a school club, church or individual can have yard sales, lemonade stands, etc. on their property. Jason Centers from the Elmwood Spoon River Drive committee agreed. The dispute arose since commercial merchants pay the Altar & Rosary Society to set up for part of the Saturdays on those weekends (this year, Oct 5-6 and 12-13) and take advantage of increased traffic generated by Spoon River Drive without paying a fee to help cover the costs of advertising, sanitation facilities, insurance, program booklets, signs, cleanup, etc. Later that night at the monthly meeting of Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive Associates in Smithfield, President Karen Morse said that unsanctioned vendors are a problem. It poses a serious financial burden on the drive and threatens the future of the tourism and traffic Spoon River Drive brings, according to financial records and others close to the organization. “So many are not paying,” said long-time board member Donita Ridle of Canton. “That is our income.” That income has dropped dramatically in recent years. In 2007, the Drive generated $72,888
in such fees – 91 percent of the nonprofit’s annual revenue. By 2011, the last year federal income tax are publicly available, those fees had dropped 21.5 percent, to $57,205. “A lot of them don’t pay anymore and it’s not sustainable,” said Shirley Swango of Smithfield, a board member. “And some think others don’t even though they do, like the Moose Lodge in Farmington, which is a big site. We just got their check last week. So we need help getting vendors to chip in.” However, of the communities the Associates have accepted as participants – including Astoria, Avon, Canton, Cuba, Duncan Mills, Ellisville, Elmwood, Farmington, Lewistown, London Mills and Smithfield – only London Mills has an ordinance prohibiting unsanctioned commercial ventures during the Drive, according to both Swango and Ridle. Jill Gensler, who coordinates the Altar & Rosary event, said they expect more than 70 vendors there, 3 local, and 11 of them have written to say they won’t pay an additional $50 on top of the $35 that Altar & Rosary charges. The Elmwood Spoon River Drive committee, which took part on a trial basis last year, has 20 vendors lined up for next month, Centers said. The council requested that Centers and Gensler have their groups discuss
a compromise in the next few weeks and also to ask the Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive Associates to consider cutting the fee in half for Altar & Rosary since their craft show is open only part of Saturday – less than half the time the Spoon River Drive runs. The main Spoon River Drive group rejected that idea. More than 250 vendors have registered with Spoon River Drive for this year, and more are expected. Sanctioned vendors will be designated with a red-andwhite contributor sign. “If something’s worth having, it’s worth sharing the cost,” Ridle said. “I haven’t had kids in school since the ’80s, but I still pay taxes for schools.” In Elmwood, a committee made up of Aldermen Davis, Howerton and Bob Paige and Gensler and Franke Keefer from the Altar & Rosary Society were scheduled to meet on Wednesday, Aug. 28, according to Mayor J.D. Hulslander. Meanwhile, the council voted to offer a sales contract to Horan Construction in order to enter into a Development Agreement for the city’s 100x100-foot lot at Main and Magnolia. Taking the offer under advisement, Horan will consider its requirements, such as securing local zoning approval, securing a commercial tenant, and designing and building a two-story
structure compatible with surrounding buildings. Representing Horan, Katie Arnholt Kim said revelations that foundations, walls, footings and basement floors remain from former buildings on the site are a concern since that could affect compaction and pose a problem. However, she reassured the council that the market would support another commercial development. “Elmwood is losing $838,000 in spending on food and services a year within a five-minute drive,” said Arnholt Kim, citing demographic data from Site To Do Business, Inc., which uses census, credit card, tax and other information to gauge markets’ spending patterns. “That’s what we call a ‘retail gap.’ That’s what we look at,” she added. “Elmwood loses $1.5 million within a 10minute drive. Consumers are going somewhere else.” The city expects a response from Horan in a week or so, Hulslander said. “Their intention is to get started this fall,” he said.
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Page 14
THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, August 29, 2013
2013 Volleyball Schedules Williamsfield
Brimfield-Elmwood
• Aug. 29 - Ridgewood, 6 pm • Sept. 3 - Peoria Heights, 6 pm • Sept. 5 - Delavan, 6 • Sept. 6 - at CSC Tourney • Sept. 11 - at Stark County, 6 pm • Sept. 16 - N. Fulton, 6 • Sept. 18 - at Wethersfield, 6 pm • Sept. 19 - at Illini Bluffs, 6 pm • Sept. 21 - at Princeville Tourney • Sept. 24 - Brimfield, 6 • Sept. 26 - at United, 6 • Sept. 28 - at Knoxville Tourney • Oct. 1 - at Galva, 6 • Oct. 3 - Midland, 6 • Oct. 8 - at Henry, 6 • Oct. 10 - at Mercer Co., 6 • Oct. 14 - at Manual, 6 • Oct. 16 - Illini Bluffs, 6 • Oct. 22 - ROWVA, 6 • Oct. 28 - Regionals start, TBA
• Sept. 3 - Havana, 5 pm • Sept. 5 - at IVC, 6 pm • Sept. 10 - at Beardstown, 5 • Sept. 12 - Princeville, 7 • Sept. 17 - Rushville, 6 • Sept. 19 - Peoria Heights, 5 • Sept. 21 - at Princeville Tournament • Sept. 23 - Farmington, 7 • Sept. 24 - at Williamsfield, 6 • Sept. 26 - Illini Bluffs, 6 • Sept. 30 - at Knoxville, 5 • Oct. 3 - Lewistown, 5 • Oct. 7 - at Abingdon, 6 • Oct. 10 - Astoria, 6 • Oct. 17 - Delavan, 6 • Oct. 19 - Brimfield Volleyball Invitational (Astoria, Flanagan, Knoxville, Princeville, Ridgewood, Rockridge) • Oct. 21 - at North Fulton, 6 • Oct. 24 - at BushnellPrairie City-Avon, 6 • Oct. 28 - Regionals start, at Brimfield
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VOLLEYBALL: Brimfield has 15 seniors Continued from Page 16
That’s one reason Hart thinks Williamsfield can improve on last year’s 13-16 record. Williamsfield opens its 2013 season with a home match today at 6 p.m. against Ridgewood. Billtown has five starters back to lead the way, including 5-foot11 senior hitter Nikki Scott, 5-8 junior hitter Lindsay Franzoni and 5-6 junior setter Kimmy Campbell. “Nikki really gets up there pretty good,” Hart said. The other returning starters are seniors Lindsey Batchelder and Kristen LaFollette. “We want to do better than we did last year,” Hart said. “We have hopes of winning conference and a couple of tournaments.” Williamsfield was 2-2 in the ICAC Conference last year – including a win at Brimfield in front of what Hart called a “nice, large and loud crowd” – and Hart figures Illini Bluffs will be a league
Billtown golf starts strong
champion contender. Another team looking for improvement is Brimfield-Elmwood. B-E opens its season at home on Tuesday, Sept. 3, against Havana. New coach Troy Tilly took over the program earlier this summer and has 15 seniors out for volleyball overall and 12 on the varsity squad. Senior middle hitter Abby Gudat plays a lot bigger than her 5-7 frame according to Tilly, who inherits a team that last year finished 7-18. Other top senior returnees are outside hitter Alli Ramsay, setter Krista Greene and Kerrigan Dura. Two top juniors include setter Alissa Bauer and 6-1 Emma Waid, who plays right-side hitter. “She’s up above the net,” Tilly said of Waid. “Beyond them we’ve got a lot of better-than-average role players. Our goal is to get farther than last year’s team, which lost in the first game of regional.”
FOR ANSWERS SEE PAGE 13
SHEFFIELD – Senior Tyler Doubet was medalist after shooting a 39 on Monday at the par-35 Hidden Lake Country Club in Sheffield. Williamsfield defeated Bureau Valley 166-187. Fellow seniors Austin Gladfelter shot 41, Trevor Stegall carded a 42 and Logan Lafollette was at 44. On Aug. 21, Williamsfield was 14 strokes back of Kewanee at par36 Baker Park, 167-181. Stegall shot 42 to lead Billtown that day followed by Doubet (43), Gladfelter (46) and Lafollette (50).
CHURCH LISTINGS 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
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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Tilly admits he is not a veteran volleyball coach, but said having so many seniors will help ease the transition. “Having a lot of seniors is a great thing to have, especially for a young coach like me,” Tilly said. “I’m learning the game and the girls are helping with that.” Help is also coming from assistant coach Shan Waid, a former college player and the mother of Emma Waid. Shan Waid helps with the junior varsity and freshman teams. “She really has the fundamentals down and knows the mechanics of the game,” Tilly said of his assistant. “So she is perfect for a freshman or JV team and is a huge help.” Coach Waid will have plenty of players to coach, as Brimfield’s numbers are up markedly. In addition to varsity and JV teams of 1215, Tilly said there are enough freshman out playing to field a squad at that level.
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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, August 29, 2013
CROSS COUNTRY: ‘Rocktober’ ahead Continued from Page 16
in the state,” said coach Gregg Meyers, who followed in his father’s footsteps to lead the program. Meyers hopes the program's past success will continue to carry over this year. “As of right now, we’re looking pretty good this year. There’s a lot of talent on the team,” Meyers said. Even so, there will be no cakewalks this year for E-B. The Trojans’ first meet is Sept. 4 against Metamora and Notre Dame, two of the better teams in the state. “Our schedule is full of big invitationals,” Meyers said. “Every team we’re up against has the potential to be in the top 10 at state.” Juniors Nate Herridge, Kelly Hoffman and Ian Armbruster – three of last season’s top five runners – will be leading the way again this season. Matt Osmulski is also expected to make a run for the top three on the team. Herridge placed 99th at state his freshman year and 32nd last year. He has high hopes for his personal improvement and for the team this season. “My goal this year is to place in the top 15 at state,” Herridge said. “And I think the team will be able
to do really well if we do what coach tells us to do.” Returning seniors Job Isbell and Daniel Kepple agree with Herridge. Herridge “Our team is willing to put in the hard work that no one else it. If we do that and do the little things, we could get a trophy this year,” Isbell said. Hoffman Kepple also thinks E-B has a good chance at another successful season. “We’re pretty good this year. As long as we stay focused we can probably Osmulski win,” he said. While the boys are all looking forward to the chance for another trophy, the state meet is still a season away. Looking forward, the boys all agreed that the hardest part of
Elmwood-Brimfield Boys Cross Country 2013 Schedule • Sept. 4 – at Detweiller Park, 4:30 pm • Sept. 7 – at Canton Invite, Canton Park, 9:30 am • Sept. 14 – at Detweiller Park, 9 am • Sept. 21 – at Bureau Valley Invite, Walnut, 9:30 am • Oct. 1 – at Prairieland, TBD, 4:30 pm • Oct. 5 – Elmwood Invite, Maple Lane CC, 10 am • Oct. 14 – at Amboy Invite, 10 am • Oct. 19 – at Peoria Heights Invite, Detweiller Park, 10 am • Oct. 26 – Regionals, TBD • Nov. 2 – Sectionals, TBD • Nov. 9 – State Meet, Detweiller Park
their training will be what they call “Rocktober.” “It’s the hardest part of the season,” Herridge said. Isbell agreed, saying, “It’s when we’re pushed the most.” In October, runners cut down some miles but focus on running faster and doing more intense workouts. The goal is to have runners peaking in November – a time when E-B is traditionally at its best. “When you get down to it, the boys put so much time and effort in. They just outwork everyone else,” Meyers said.
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Page 15
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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, August 29, 2013
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Todd Hollis speaks with his team prior to last Saturday’s Gatorade Game. Photo by Jeff Lampe.
E-B football follows familiar path to opener By JEFF LAMPE
ELMWOOD – When Brandon Butler attended his first practice as an Elmwood-Brimfield coach, he was surprised at how little had changed. There had been improvements to the weight room, press box and football field. But the basics of the program had gone virtually unchanged since Butler graduated in 2004. “He walked out on the first day of practice and said it was like being on the practice field when he was playing,” coach Todd Hollis said. “We Weekly Post Staff Writer
haven’t changed much.” proud of where we are right Football 2013 now.” But why should they? • Pictures, stories Since Hollis arrived 14 The last two unbeaten and stats seasons ago, E-B has enregular seasons have been about joyed the best run of sucparticularly enjoyable for Elmwoodcess in school history. fans, players and coaches. Brimfield The Trojans have made And students are noticing. football, Pages 7-10. playoff appearances in This year 75 players are out nine of the past 10 seasons for football – nearly 20 and are 83-56 under Hollis – who has more than when senior Sam Warner 43 percent of Elmwood’s overall wins started his career. in just 22 percent of the seasons. “There’s definitely more of a buzz “We believe in repetition and in tak- around town,” Warner said. “I’d say ing the guesswork out of the game for it’s the sport everybody looks for to the kids,” Hollis said. “We’re pretty start.”
Billtown returns five VB starters
Harriers out in force in Elmwood By GABBIE SLOAN
Weekly Post Staff Writer
Continued on Page 14
ELMWOOD – If fall is approaching, you can bet there will be boys running long distances somewhere on the streets of Elmwood. That’s thanks to the Elmwood-Brimfield boys cross country program’s long history of success. The run of top finishes Weekly Post Staff Writer
By JEFF LAMPE
Even during the recent spate of hot days, Tyson Hart has been encouraged by his Williamsfield volleyball team’s tenacity and willingness to work. “We have two or three girls every night staying after practice to work on things they want to work on,” Hart said. “They’re willing to work hard.”
This year E-B has plenty of questions marks to answer. Gone are allstater Brady Westart and Jason Harkness, who starred on both ends of the ball. But there is potential in those who will fill their spots, players agree. “I’m excited. People are putting us down some, but they are underestimating us because of the all-staters we lost,” said senior Joey DePalma. “I think we can make all-staters out of who we’ve got back.” The first step in that quest comes Friday at 7 p.m. at Whitney Field in Elmwood against Peoria Heights.
Williamsfield volleyball returnees include (left to right) Lindsay Franzoni, Kimmy Campbell and Nikki Scott.
started in 1977 when the boys won a first state championship under then-coach Tom Meyers Since that title in 1977 the E-B boys have earned 19 regional championships, claimed 12 sectional titles and have racked up 22 different all-state individual honors. And of course, there
are those five other state championships in 1983, 1984, 1985, 2006, and 2008. The team also placed in the top three in 1990, 2000, 2007 and, most recently was the second-place Class 1A team last year. “Besides York High School, E-B has won more state championships than anyone else Continued on Page 15
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