Volume 4 Issue 1 - Unit School District #304

DELIVER TO BOXHOLDER
PRSRT. STD.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
ALEXIS, IL
61412
PERMIT NO. 9
STORM
TRACKER
THE United High School Newspaper
Volume 4, Issue 1
IN THIS ISSUE:
School board holds meeting p. 2
Winds damage pressbox
p. 3
College freshmen advice
p. 4
Elem/junior high menus
p. 5
Golf team not up to par
p. 7
VB team tearing it up
p. 8
STORM ALERTS
Uniform sale to end
The United High School
athletic department will conduct
its final sale of old Alexis,
Warren and Yorkwood High
School game and practice
uniforms during homecoming
week.
Game jerseys and jackets
are priced at $5.00 each, with
practice gear going for $1.00
apiece.
Also available are warm-up
pants and shorts, priced at $1.00
and 50-cents each, respectively.
Racks of clothing will be
available at the United volleyball
game this coming Thursday,
September 20. After that night,
the clothing will be disposed.
For more information, you may
contact the athletic director’s
office at 734-9411.
Fireworks donations
The athletic department is
seeking monetary donations
to help cover the cost of the
homecoming fireworks display.
Canisters will be set up at this
week’s homecomnig events, as
well as at the high school and
athletic director’s offices.
Upcoming college reps
United High School will host
the following college admissions
representatives in the coming
weeks:
Oct. 9 Eureka College
Oct. 10 LaJames Cosmotology
Oct. 11 Culver-Stockton
Spring Hill College
Oct. 16 Blackburn College
Oct. 17 Illinois State University
Oct. 18 Knox College
Oct. 23 Eastern Illinois Univ.
Oct. 25 Augustana College
Oct. 29 Bradley University
Nov. 6 Western Illinois Univ.
Students interested in meeting
with any of these representatives
need to see Mrs. Shaver for a
pass prior to the listed date.
All of the upcoming meetings
will be held in the morning, so
plan accordingly, especially if
you are a student involved in off
campus programs.
Wishing upon a star
By Hannah Youngquist
The 2007 United homecoming
dance will take place on Saturday, September 29.
Students voted on homecoming attendants and royalty on
Monday, September 17. Tickets
went on sale starting September
19 at a cost of $6.00 for a single
and $10 for a couple.
The theme chosen by this
year’s student council was
“When you Wish Upon A Star.”
The dance will begin at 7:00 p.m.
and ends at 11:00 p.m and will be
held at the United South Campus
gym.
While many people think of
homecoming as just a dance, for
United students it’s a whole week
filled with many activities and
this year there will even be some
new ones.
Throughout homecoming week
students and faculty will participate in daily festivities.
Each class will begin by making a banner and decorating their
sponsors’ doors and walls for
judging on Friday.
The week starts on Monday as
Pajama Day; Tuesday is Twin
Day, a popular holdover from
last year; Wednesday is Wacky,
Sparkly Day where students are
asked to wear crazy and sparkly
outfits.
Class Unity Day will occur on
Thursday. Seniors are asked to
wear red, juniors black, sophomores white and freshmen are
to wear gray. The class with the
highest participation on any of
these days will receive money to
go into their class fund.
At the volleyball game on
Thursday night, people are
encouraged to “pack the place.”
Anyone wearing red will be
admitted free to the volleyball
game that night against Annawan.
Following the game, an old tradition will be renewed by having
a bonfire and pep rally behind
the baseball training facility at
the North Campus. The entire
United community is invited to
attend the bonfire and pep rally.
On Friday, Spirit Day begins
and students are asked to dress in
support of their school.
The powder puff football game
will take place that afternoon
with the high school girls participating and the boys coaching
them. The game will begin after
an early afternoon dismissal.
Again, the public is invited to
watch the game, which will be
underway shortly after 1:30 p.m.
The homecoming royalty will
be announced following the
powder puff game, and United
cheerleaders will lead the afternoon pep rally.
United’s football team will
meet Alwood/ ROWVA at 7 p.m.
The local chapter of the Patriot
Guard will present the colors prior to the start of the game. The
Patriot Guard is a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who provide
a color guard at military funerals.
Their presence was greatly appreciated earlier this year during
the visitation and funeral of
Army Capt. Josh Steele, a former
Alexis High School student, who
was killed in action this summer
while serving in Afghanistan
During an extended halftime,
the cheerleaders will perform a
dance routine, royalty and attendants will parade around the field,
and there will be a pair of baton
performances by United Junior
High students who recently took
first place at the Illinois State
Fair.
Also available at the game will
be four blow-up “rides.”
2007 homecoming king and queen candidates are (left to right)
Preston Schrader, Hannah Youngquist, Nate Johnson, Caiti
Tucker, James Christy and Sarah Armstrong.
Coming off a successful run at
last winter’s family fun night, the
rides return to United.
They will be based south of
the pressbox and will be open
to all ages, with unlimited ride
armbands available for $6.00 and
single rides available for a dollar
each.
Following the game, a fireworks show will be presented.
Make this a week to remember
by participating in all of these
outstanding activities. Let’s
make this our best one, because
remember, seniors, it’s your last
one!
Stakeholders’ meeting addresses facilities
By Jeff Whitsitt, Superintendent
The United School District
will be holding an open public
meeting on Thursday, October 4,
at 7:30 P.M. in the high school
gymnasium. This date coincides
with the high school open house
that will take place prior to this
meeting.
The main topic to be discussed
at this meeting will be the results
of our recent 10-year life-safety
facilities survey and the development of a long-range facilities
plan.
In January 2007, we received
our obligated 10-year survey
of our facilities. This survey is
completed by a licensed architect
and filed with the Illinois State
Board of Education.
The survey indicated a number
of areas in which the district
needed to address our facilities
either in condition or code. Each
of these issues is assigned a dollar amount to complete, and the
numbers were a shock to all of
us. The issues are also assigned
a priority so that the district can
develop a plan to combat them
in a timely manner. It just so
happens that quite a few of our
recommendations carry a type-A
priority which basically means
“the earlier, the better.”
The United Elementary North
campus carries a $990,000 price
tag, while the South Campus
High School carries a $1,600,000
amount. These two buildings
are clearly in our future for a
great deal of time and will be
enhanced as some of this work is
completed.
Clearly, some of these fixes
will not be cosmetic and, thus,
will not be noticeable, but are
required nonetheless.
Upgrades to the science labs
will be included in such work.
Therefore, it is evident that we
will need to fund and plan this
work in the near future. Funding
will most likely take place in the
form of life safety bonds that we
can issue specifically for these
reasons.
As we have studied this survey
and begun working on a longrange plan for our facilities, it
has become apparent that some
tough decisions will need to be
made.
The Field House building in
Alexis is also part of this survey
and comes with a cost of nearly
$1,800,000. This presents a
question about the longevity of
that particular building and the
efficiency of using it.
A number of options have been
discussed ranging from doing the
work at the Field House, to closing it and building a new facility
on the South Campus.
No option comes without reservations. In the end, we need to
do what is best for our students
and our district.
We have held two informational meetings since March to
specifically discuss this issue.
Although the meetings have been
public, we still feel the need to
get information in the hands of
more of our constituents.
Please plan to attend on October 4 with an open mind and the
best interests of our students as
our first priority.
2007-2008 school
board meeting dates
Generally, the Board of Education of United CUSD #304 meets
on the second Thursday of each
month, unless an emergency situation or school activities force an
alternate date.
Meeting dates for this year:
October 11
November 8
December 13
January 10
February 14
March 13
April 10
May 8
June 12
Meetings are open to the public
and open sessions usually run
less than two hours in length.
Storm causes damage, literally, as weather system strikes UHS
See story page 3
STORM TRACKER
1905 100th Street
Monmouth, IL 61462
309-734-9411
The Storm Tracker is published
monthly by the journalism students of
United High School, is printed through
the facilities of The Register-Mail, and
is distributed to residents of CUSD
#304. The material published does not
necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the
administration of United School District
#304, nor the policy of The RegisterMail.
While every attempt is made to
determine the validity of advertising
contained herein, the advertising in the
Storm Tracker is not to be construed as
endorsement of a specific product or
service. The Storm Tracker assumes no
responsibility of liability resulting from
the content of paid advertisements.
The Storm Tracker does not knowingly
accept advertisements that discriminate
on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion,
color, handicapped status, veteran or
sexual orientation, nor does it knowingly
print ads that violate any local, state, or
federal laws.
Parties interested in advertising in
the Storm Tracker should contact Mr.
Kozelichki at the address and/or phone
number listed above.
Letters to the editor must be mailed to
the address above and cannot be more
than 350 words. The author’s name
and phone number must be included for
verification purposes. The Storm Tracker
only edits letters in cases of timeliness
and obscenity and does not guarantee
publication of all letters.
STORM TRACKER
Laura Stahl, Editor-in-Chief
Nicole Yung, Business Manager
Nicole Hennenfent, Photographer
Reporters
Katie Donaldson, Victoria
Fredrickson, Stasha Giese, C.J.
Ravel, Preston Schrader, Andrew
Sichling, Hannah Youngquist
Mr. Tony Kozelichki, Advisor
“Some material courtesy
of American Society of
Newspaper Editors/MCT
Campus High School
Newspaper Service.”
United CUSD #304
contact numbers
Superintendent’s Office
482-3344
FAX 482-3236
United High School
734-9411
FAX 734-6090
United Junior High
734-8514
FAX 734-6094
United Elementary North
482-3332
FAX 482-3341
United Elementary West
734-8513
734-8515
Board addresses budget, bond issue
By Laura Stahl, Editor in Chief
This month’s school board
meeting took place on Thursday,
September 13.
The first action taken by the
board was the approval this
year’s budget.
According to Superintendent
Jeff Whitsitt, this year’s budget
is skewed due to initial start-up
costs following the Yorkwood
annexation and the one-time cost
of constructing a new ag shop
behind the high school.
The budget shows deficits in
the education ($138,447), O
and M ($444,583) and IMRF
($82.530) funds.
The total budget for the year
calls for $8,648,010 in spending,
with revenues of $8,135,100.
Whitsitt says next year’s budget will be a better indicator of
the financial state of the district
as one-time costs are eliminated.
The board then approved the
employment of Pam Powell for
lunch duty at the West Campus;,
along with Sherry Johnson as a
full time aide there. Mary Clark
was hired as an aide and Suzy
Magee for recess assistance. both
at the North Campus..
The next item discussed was
the Life Safety Bond Issue. Several million dollars must be spent
in the future either repairing existing problem areas at the three
campuses or rebuilding parts of
them entirely. A public meeting
will be held at the South Campus on October 4 at 7: 30 p.m.,
following the high school open
house, to explain the options. No
further action was taken by the
board on the matter.
The success of the junior high
athletic program has created
some problems of its own that
the board is addressing.
Due to the large number of
students participating in athletics,
there has been discussion of instituting a cut policy at the junior
high level, with the possibility of
adding an intra-mural program
to address the needs of those athletes not on the regular team.
The board is also considering
instituting a policy that would
prohibit athletic crossovers, such
as having volleyball players also
be cheerleaders during the fall
season.
No action was taken as the
board is looking for more input
from junior high administrators
and coaches, and the board indicated it would likely not make
changes until next school year, so
as to not disrupt those activities
already underway.
The board also approved the
motion to lease a new 71-passenger bus at a yearly cost of
$12,230. With the lease set to
begin in July 2008, the district
will not incur any cost until next
fiscal year.
The motion to open an activity
2007-2008 Calendar Reminders
Monday, October 8 NO SCHOOL Columbus Day
Thursday, November 1 2:00 p.m. Dismissal P/T Conferences
Friday, November 2 NO Student Attendance P/T Conferences
Thursday, November 22 NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving
Friday, November 23 NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving
December 24-January 4 NO SCHOOL Christmas Break
Monday, January 21 NO SCHOOL Martin Luther King Day
Monday, February 18 NO SCHOOL President’s Day
March 20-24 NO SCHOOL Spring Break
Wednesday, May 21 Last Student Attendance Day (tentative)
Thursday, May 22 Teachers’ Institute (tentative)
Friday, May 23 Report Card Day (tentative)
fund for the elementary building
was also approved.
The final motion approved was
for the purchase of an industrial
sized fan for the junior high gym.
The fan costs approximately
$350. The United Booster Club
will also purchase a fan for use at
the junior high.
The next board meeting will
be held Thursday, October 11, at
7:00 p.m.
United pair fares well
at Prime Beef Fest
United seniors Sarah Armstrong (left) was named second princess, while Hannah Youngquist (right) took home first princess
and best personality honors at this year’s Prime Beef Festival.
Student council adds members, names executive board
By Katie Donaldson
The 2007-2008 United High
School student council is off to
a busy start with homecoming
plans dominating the first few
weeks.
The student council is made up
of five executive officers, along
with 17 class representatives and
petitioners.
Petitioners are students who
are not elected class representatives who still wanted to be
involved in the student council.
Each had to submit an application along with a teacher;s recommendation to gain acceptance
into the organization.
This year’s executive officers
are president Sarah Armstrong,
vice president Bre Christian, cosecretaries Hannah Youngquist
and Katie Donaldson, and treasurer Nate Johnson.
In addition to planning the
homecoming week activities, the
student council is also involved
in planning other school year
dances and activities, charity
work, and members attend various leadership training activities
throughout the school year.
Returning advisors for the
student council are teachers Mrs.
Jennifer Stoneking and Mrs.
Brooke Anderson.
August storm disprupts first full day of classes at United High
By Victoria Fredrickson
It will cost the United School
District approximately $2000
to repair the damages from the
storm that happened August 23 at
United High School.
The most visible damage was
the loss of the roof over the football pressbox, located east of the
high school building.
Other damage included a shattered window in the classroom
of Spanish teacher Rick Johnson,
along with several vehicles having windshields and passenger
side windows broken. Several
trees near the school suffered
serious damage, as well.
Local contractor Ron Murdock
will be assisting with the repairs
of the press box. The trusses of
the roof were still intact after the
winds and Murdoch says he will
put more durable materials into
roof’s support system.
“The damages to the press box
were not as severe as it appeared
to be, ” said Murdoch, who plans
to have the repairs completed
before the next United home
football game.
Due to the damage and loss
of electricity during the storm,
United students were dismissed
early on what was to be their first
full day of school this year.
This year’s prom will be held
Saturday, May 3, at the Lake
Storey Pavillion.
United biology teacher Jan
Nelson is once again advising the
prom committee as it prepares
for this year’s black-tie affair.
Junior class members of the
prom committee include Katie
Alleman, Jessy Battenburg,
Bre Christian, Lauren Coates,
Steph Damewood, Katy Darrah,
Lindsey Fredrickson, Victoria
Fredrickson, Nisha Hager, Anna
Hook, Krystan Karns, Krissy
Mason, Alisha Moore, Tana
Pierce, Jamie Prichard, Ellen
Reeder, Jillian Rundle, Cate
Sargent, Brooke Sharer, Trisha
Swanson, Sarah Unsworth, Megan Vanskike.
Members of the committee
generally meet on a weekly
basis to plan the theme, colors,
decorations, favors, and other
related items necessary to put on
the prom.
Concerned Citizens is a group
started in the former Alexis
School District to provide a
safe, substance -free after prom
experience.
What started as a casino night
at the Alexis Community Center
has grown to a night at a YMCA
with games, food, and great
prizes for everyone.
This event is open to any
United junior or senior class
member whether they chose to
attend prom or not.
This event is free of charge
to our students because of the
generous support of the United
School District community.
50/50 drawings are held at each
home volleyball, football, and
girls and boys basketball games
to raise funds for the May event.
Those great United sports
decals, license plate covers and
can-coozies are also a major
fundraiser for this event.
A meeting to kick off this
year’s event will be held on Sunday, October 7, at 7:00PM at the
Alexis Community Center.
Please come and join us in
supporting this great event for
our kids.
We also need volunteers to sell
50/50 tickets during the upcoming games.
Please call Carolyn Yung at
482-3204 for more information.
Prom committee named
Volunteer Club to help man homecoming rides
By Nikki Hennenfent
On September 16 members of
United’s Volunteer Service Club
and FFA participated in the Walk
for Diabetes at Glen Oak Park in
Peoria.
The clubs made almost $500
by selling paper shoes, each at a
different price.
Nearly 50 studnets students
are dedicted to helping out the
community this year by joining
the club.
“It’s the biggest group we’ve
ever had,” said Mrs. Judy Eyler,
United’s head of technology and
advisor of the Volunteer Club.
“We’re so excited to see students interested in volunteering
and making a difference.”
The Volunteer Service Club
participates in many of the same
activities as the Student Council,
such as the canned food drive
atThanksgiving time and the
Angel Tree Program for underpriverleged children during the
Christmas season.
The volunteers usually come up
with their own ideas for projects
and fundraisers to pursue and
are open to any suggestions and
ideas.
One upcoming activity that
members will be able to enjoy
will be manning the blow up
rides at this year’s homecoming.
Club members will help supervise the rides, which will be
in operation from 5:30-8:30 this
Friday evening.
Unlimited ride armbands will
be available for $6.00 each,
while those interested in limited
rides will be able to purchase
dollar tickets.
The Volunteer Club will retain
30% of all revenues generated
during the evening, with most of
the rides being open to all ages.
One of the exciting opportunites afforded to students when
the Alexis-Warren consolidation
occurred three years ago was
the chance to offer a year-long
course in journalism and the publication of this newspaper.
Last year, the course expanded,
making students also responsible
for publication of the yearbook.
Now, with the addition of
the Yorkwood district and its
students, we welcome an entirely
new audience.
In fact, with more than 3600
United community residents
served, the Storm Tracker is
likely the most widely distributed
high school publication in the
state of Illinois.
Please support our advertisers.
Without their financial support,
this publication would not exist.
Welcome to our new readers
Concerned Citizens also
prepping for May ’08 prom
Want to make a positive
impact on United schools?
Contribute to
the UniTed School
foundation
Call 482-3344 for info
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107 N. Main Alexis 482-3788
Daily lunch specials served 11-2
Mon-Fri 8am-6pm Sat 9am-6pm
Hotel Steaks & Fresh Produce
homemade taste at a fast food pace
SPORTSCARDS
Buy-Sell-Trade
Baseball-Football-Basketball-Hockey
482-6600
The Seedhouse
Steve Youngquist
Sales Representative
563-9842 (office)
221-9843 (cell)
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Bill Ramsey
1-800-553-7475
Try a $4.29
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Helping agricultural producers manage price risk
Commodity futures, options, and cash
Tanning Beds Open!
Call for Homecoming
Haircuts and Styling
Visa/Mastercard Accepted
482-3549 or 371-6277
Mon Turkey nad Ham
Tue Meatball Marinara
Wed Turkey Breast
Thr Italian BMT Meal Deal includes
6” sandwich, chips,
Fri Tuna
and medium drink
Sat Roast Beef
Sun Oven Roasted Chicken
Seniors, need help
getting started on your
high school scrapbook?
Call Linda 482-6600
The top 20 things students learned freshman year
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)
Students share the most important things they learned during
their freshman year of college.
Hint: Sometimes the best lessons
have nothing to do with class.
1. Partying. “I pulled a 4.0
GPA during my first semester
at Howard University and a 3.7
during my second semester.
With that being said, the first
thing I learned freshman year
was ... partying is not a precursor for failing. I partied ... hard
... all year long, and I still made
the dean’s list. Life is all about
balance. If you know how much
you can handle, you’ll be fine.”
Amber Mobley, graduate, Howard University
2. Grades. “Freshman year
definitely counts. My less-thanstellar first and second semesters
basically sealed my professional
fate. I don’t know if that’s good
or bad, but it does show what a
difference a couple of grades can
make.” Terah Davis, graduate,
University of Missouri- Kansas
City
3. Food. “Do not eat late at
night. This equals Freshman 15
and then some.” Jenny Stalder,
junior, Trinity University
4. Alcohol. “Don’t start drinking freshman year. It leads to
more drinking later and lapses in
judgment and a lot of lapses in
memory. Plus, you’re underage
anyhow and should not be breaking the law.” Amber Mobley
5. Books. “It is entirely possible
not to pay for a single book and
still have them all for class. It’s
called inter-library loan and the
local public library.” Natali
Lovell, graduate, Antioch College
6. Exploring. “I would encourage
all incoming freshmen to scour
their new city for local hot spots,
like independent theaters, unique
restaurants, the awesome organic
ice cream shop, the local art gallery and so on--with or without
the car. Walking can be half the
fun.” Heather Bashaw, senior,
University of Missouri-Columbia
7. Staying put. “My biggest complaint freshman year? `I have no
friends here.’ However, I never
afforded myself the opportunity
to make friends by going home
every weekend that year, I wiped
out a number of chances to
explore the city and the campus
and possibly meet new people.”
Heather Bashaw
8. Studying. “Study in the library
after class before you go back to
your room, because once you’re
there, you won’t do work.”
Jenny Stalder
9. Friends. “The people you first
made friends with in college will
not remain your friends forever.
In fact, it’s very likely you only
became friends with these people
because you were in a new place
where you knew no one and were
desperate not to be friendless.”
Natali Lovell
10. Drama. “The kind of drama
from high school will happen
in college if I let it, or I can be
flexible, understand that people
aren’t always how they seem,
and deal with being wrong.
Grudges and gossip mean fewer
friends, not more.” Joy Mason,
sophomore, William Jewell
1
11. Budgeting. “Budget and
make lists. Don’t go to Wal-Mart
or Target and just wander or you
will spend so much more money
than if you stuck to a list.” Emily Aldredge, junior, Kansas
State University
12. Freebies. “Make use of every
free amenity the college has.”
Natali Lovell
13. Staying healthy. “Take care
of yourself physically. I had so
many friends who didn’t take the
time to eat healthy, exercise, go
to the doctor or just buy BandAids when they needed it. When
someone is not there to tell them
everything, college students
tend to slack on this.” Emily
Aldredge
14. Reinventing yourself. “Freshman year is your newfound
opportunity to shed (or maintain)
your high school persona. After
four years where everyone knew
your name, you are once again
in control of your image. Keep
that in mind when you’ve had a
few too many rounds of FlippyCup and your new BFF takes
some less-than-flattering Facebook-ready pics of you.” Robyn
Busch, graduate, University of
Evansville
15. Class. “Go to class. Just because you can skip doesn’t mean
you should.” Emily Aldredge
16. Roommates. “Learn to compromise and communicate with
a roommate. This will make it
much more pleasant to live with
someone--whether a friend or
stranger.” Emily Aldredge
17. Overcoming fear. “I was
terrified to leave home, terrified my family would forget me,
terrified people would hate me,
terrified my classes would be
too difficult. Realizing that it’s
OK to be scared meant I wasn’t
controlled by my fear. Instead, I
called home to remind my family
I was still alive (and not to make
my bedroom into a home office),
introduced myself to people
instead of hanging back and
worked harder in my classes.”
Joy Mason
Stalder
19. Time outs. “It’s OK to just
hang out by yourself every once
in awhile.” Natali Lovell
20. Change. “Don’t try to make
my new life into my old life.
My relationship with my family
will constantly change. My new
friends are different from my
old friends. I’ll have to sleep in
a new bed and eat new food and
walk more. College life is so big:
there’s no way I can fit it into the
space left by high school life.”
Joy Mason
Compiled by Anne Malinee,
graduate, Vanderbilt University
(c) 2007, The Kansas City Star.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
FFA hosts successful dinner
By Andrew Sichling
September 7 was the first time
the United FFA, with a projected
number of 130 members, met this
school year.
The meeting started with a
treasurer’s report by Eric Olson,
followed by Adam Condreay
with a secretary’s report. After
the two reports the rest of the
United FFA 07-08 chapter reporters were introduced.
The Owl of the FFA is Mr.
Brian Cirks, who has been reigning as Owl for 27 years.
The president is one of our own
Storm Tracker writers Nicole
Yung.
The vice president this year is
Ellen Reeder, who will also be on
the Section 4 board as treasurer.
The United FFA board has two
reporters this year, Bri Trembly
and Nate Johnson. The sentinel
is Alisa Randolph with historian
C.J. Ravel and scrapbook keeper
Grace Simpson.
The main topic of discussion
was the annual FFA hog roast,
which was held September 8 before kickoff of the football game
against Stark County.
The hog roast started 25 years
ago with the Alexis FFA. It was
projected by Mr. Cirks that 500
people enjoyed the pulled pork
meal. Cost was $3.00 for the two
sandwich meal and $2.00 for the
one sandwich meal. The meal
consisted of one or two sandwiches chips, dessert, ice cream
and a drink.
During the meal a 50/50 drawing was also held for the Conard
family, whose son Landon was
severely injured as a result of the
mid-August storm that passed
through the area.
The 50/50 raffle brought in
more than $800 dollars, with help
from the Apollo Kindergarten of
Aledo, which raised $75.
Also at the monthly meeting,
the suggested activities, which
were submitted by FFA members before the meeting, were
announced for consideration.
Events such as a food drive, a
trap shoot, and a labor auction
are being discussed for this year.
However, FFA isn’t all about
work. It was also suggested the
FFA go horseback riding, have a
petting zoo, or even go to a college football game.
If any current United student
is interested in joining FFA the
dues, which are $10, are due by
October 1.
Any questions can be answered
by Mr. Cirks.
18. Going abroad. “If you
want to go abroad, start saving
money now. If you don’t have a
passport, get one now.” Jenny
United CUSD #304 NOW
PROVIDES TRANSPOR
TATION TO LICENCED
DAYCARE PROVIDERS
CALL 482-3344 FOR INFO
Frank Zucker
Consultant
P. O. Box 5151 Phone 309-283-2805
Rock Island, IL FAX 866-353-3137
61204-5151 [email protected]
1201 W. Broadway
734-9494
PORTER INSURANCE AGENCY
DEBBIE MEEKER-KING, Agent
200 East Broadway Monmouth, IL 61462
309-734-7234 [email protected]
WARREN COUNTY
REPAIR
630 Railroad Street
Little York, IL 61453
309-729-1160
B. B. CAFE
100 S. Main Alexis
482-3414
Open 4 a.m. - 8 p.m.
October Elementary/Junior High Menus
North Campus
West Campus
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
1
2
3
4
Fun Fish
Mac & Cheese
Peas
Apples w/Dip
5
Stormburger
Tator Tots
Mandarin
Oranges
Cookie
1
2
3
4
5
Corn Dog
Pork & Beans
Applesauce
Fruit Roll-Up
Italian Chicken
Pasta Salad
Green Beans
Fruit Cocktail
Sub Sandwich
French Fries
Corn
Cookie
Mozzarella
& Pepperoini
Breadstix
Salad
Applesauce
Deli Turkey
Green Beans
Pears
Cookie
Mac & Cheese
Little Smokies
Cole Slaw
Peaches
Chili
Cheese Sticks
Carrots & Dip
Fruit
Ham & Cheese
Hash Browns
Baked Apples
8
9
10
11
12
8
9
10
11
12
15
16
17
18
19
15
16
17
18
19
Chips & Salsa
Sliced Carrots
Pineapple
Potatoes/Gravy
Mandarin Oranges
26
22
23
24
25
26
29
30
31
NO SCHOOL
Taxos
Lettuce/Tomato
Apricots
Cookie
Ravioli
Mixed Veggies
Pear Half
Teddy Grahams
Hot Turkey Sand
French Fries
Peas
Tropical Fruit
Cheeseburger
Chips & Salsa
Green Beans
Applesauce
BBQ Rib
Coleslaw
Mixed Veggies
Mandarin Oranges
22
23
24
29
30
31
Ham & Potatoes
Peas
Peach Half
Cherry Freeze
Spaghetti w/
Meat Sauce
Mixed Veggies
Applesauce
Garlic Stic
Hot Dog
Coney Sauce
Pork & Beans
Applesauce
Hamburger
Tator Tots
Green Beans
Fruit Cocktail
Turkey Gravy
Wrapped
Mashed Potatoes Mummy
Green Beans
Ghost & Goblins
Tropical Fruit
Pumplin Slices
Monster Treats
Chicken Strips
Broccoli/Cheese
Strawberry Cup
Cookie
Pizza
Green Beans
Applesauce
Cookie
25
Chili
Veggies & Dip
Peaf Half
Cheese Sticks
Hot Dog
Tator Bites
Corn
Pudding Cup
Breaded
Chicken
Tenderloin
French Fries
Corn
Cookie
NO SCHOOL
Popcorn Chicken
Hot Dog
Wheat Thins
Baked Beans
Peaches
Cookie
Chicken Nuggets
Potatoes/Gravy
Fruit Crisp
penny’s
Beans & Wienies
Cottage Cheese
Pineapple
Fish patty
Broccoli &
Cheese
Applesauce
Cookie
BBQ Rib
Green Beans
Pineapple
Pizza Pattie
Potato Puffs
Applesauce
Cookie
Breaded Chicken
French Fries
Pears
Cookie
Ham & Potatoes
Celery & P.B.
Mixed Fruit
Pizza Casserole
Tossed Salad
Applesauce
Tacos
Lettuce/Cheese
Spanish Rice
Mixed Fruit
Corn Dog
Potato Puffs
Pears
Cheeseburger
Corn
Mized Fruit
Sloppy Joes
Corn
Peaches
Pizza
7-layer Salad
Oranges
Deli Ham
Hash Browns
Strawberries
Cookie
Spaghetti &
Meatballs
Tossed Salad
Pears
cole’s photography
R.R. 1 Box 27 Gladstone, IL 61437
309-627-2546 colesphoto.com 800-98-COLES
country kitchen
Open 6 am - 10 pm
Thur/Fri/Sat
NEWLY REMODELED
Don’t forget our $2
sandwich & fries specials
104 South Main
Alexis
482-3423
Mention this Ad for the October Special
Order Any Package and Receive an
additonal 8x10 at 50% off
October High School Menu
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
1
Cheese Quesadillas
Corn Chips/Nacho Cheese
Spanish Rice
Corn
Mandarin Oranges
2
Cheeseburger
French Fries
Green Beans
Peaches
3
Chicken Nuggets
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Mixed Veggies
Mixed Fruit
4
Macaroni & Cheese
Little Smokies
Green Beans
Pink Applesauce
5
Pizza
Chips
Peas
Pears Spirit Cake
8
9
10
11
12
15
16
17
18
19
NO SCHOOL
Chicken Patty
Chips Corn
Pears
Cookie
Tacos
Corn Chips & Nacho Cheese
Spanish Rice Peas
Pineapple
BBQ Rib
French Fries
Green Beans
Peaches
Chicken Fried Steak
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Green Beans
Peaches
Salisbury Steak
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Corn
Applesauce
22
23
24
29
30
31
Crispitos
Corn Chips & Nacho Cheese
Spanish Rice Mixed Veggies
Mandarin Oranges
Fiestada
Corn Chips and Nacho Cheese
Spanish Rice Corn
Peaches
Spaghetti & Meat Sauce
Garlic Bread
Mixed Veggies
Mandarin Oranges
Chili Dog
French Fries
Corn
Pears
Rice Krispie Treat
Hamburger
French Fries
Mixed Vegetables
Pineapple
Sub Sandwich
Chips
Peas
Mixed Fruit
Spirit Cake
Goulash
Cheesy Bread Stix
Mixed Vegetables
Pears
Italian Chicken
Chips and Cheese
Lima Beans
Mandarin Oranges
25
Beef Stew
Hot Rolls
Green Beans
Peaches
Spirit Cake
26
Cavatini
Garlic Bread
Peas
Mixed Fruit
Ham and Cheese Sandwich
Cheesy Potatoes
Mixed Vegetables
Pineapple Spirit Cake
Sliced Turkey
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Yams
Apple Crisp Ice Cream Cups
Member FDIC
Equal Housing Lender
Alpha 629-4361 ~ Aledo 582-3150 ~ Alexis 482-5511
New Windsor 667-2735 ~ Viola 596-2189 ~ Woodhull 334-2802
visit our web site at: www.fsbwil.com
Member
FDIC
SUNDAY
MONDAY
October Calendar
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
1
High school volleyball HS VB @ Alwood 5pm
FS FB @ Woodhull
games are played
at the Fieldhouse in
Alexis beginning at
6:00 p.m. unless noted
2
3
4
5
6
7
Football games are
played at the South
Campus with varsity
beginning at 7:00 and
FS at 6:00 p.m.
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
All JH sports are
played at the West
Campus with volleyball beginning at 5:30
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
NO SCHOOL
VB vs Princeville 5pm
FS FB @ Annawan
VB Regionals
FS FB @ Elmwood
Girls Bball practice
begins
JH VB vs Costa
Boys Golf Regional @
Gibson Woods
VB @ ROWVA
FS FB vs Aledo
JH Boys BBall Mtg 7pm
HS VB vs Cambridge
Girls Golf Regional @
JH Open House 6pm
F-VB @ Monmouth
JH VB vs Westmer
F-VB @ Knoxville
JH VB vs Aledo
VB @ West Central
JH VB @ ROWVA
JH Sports Awards 7pm
VB Regional Finals
FB @ Aledo
FB vs Annawan
Golf State Finals
FB vs Brimfld/Elmwood
End of 1st 9 Weeks
VB @ Orion Tourney
Golf Sectionals
JH FB @ Alwood 9am
VB @ BPC-Avon Trny
Golf State Finals
Football Playoffs Rd I
Newcomers dominate early golf effort
By C.J. Ravel
The United High School golf
team has been through its ups
and downs through the early part
of the 2007 the seasons.
The golf team started off strong
winning two out of its first four
matches, notching wins over both
West Central and Galva.
Unfortunately, they also
struggled at the Monmouth-Roseville Invitational, taking 19th
place out of 23 teams.
After starting off strong, the
golf team discovered that a
player was academically inelligable based on last year’s second
semester grades.
Athletic Director Tony
Kozelichki filed a report with the
Illinois High School Association
and IHSA Executive Director
Dr. Marty Hickman affirmed
the school’s findings and accepted United’s offer to forfeit
all matches played through the
Monmouth-Roseville Invitational.
Citing the difficulties in
transferring academic records
during the annexation process
and United’s prompt and decisive
action, Dr. Hickman ruled no
further action would be taken
against United.
SECOND TIME AROUND
Furniture, Antiques, Collectibles,
Jewelry, Gifts, Art, and Books
Thur & Fri 10-5 -- most Sat 12-5
300 Main St. North Henderson
309-464-0039 April-Nov
The Alexis Christmas
Walk will be held
Saturday, December 1
Many new and exciting
events are being planned
conference meet on September
26.
The golf team will host
Farmington at Gibson Woods on
Tuesday, September 25, beginning at 4:00. The match is open
to the public.
Both boys and girls’ regional
action will be nearby, with the
boys playing at Gibson Woods on
Tuesday, October 2, and Bishop
travelling to Aledo’s Hawthorne
Ridge golf course for her regional one day later.
Both boys and girls’ sectionals
will be held on Saturday, October
6.
Looking to get into coaching? Booster Club holds first meetings
Are you interesting in helping
young people of our community
as a paid or volunteer coach?
If so, you don’t have to hold
a college degree or a teaching
certificate in order to become
a certified coach in the State of
Illinois.
ASEP coaching certification
allows those interested in becoming involved a chance to become
a high school or junior high
athletic coach.
Clinics will be held throughout
Grandparents’ Nights set
United High School will host
its first Grandparents’ Nights
on Wednesday, October 3, for
the volleyball team and Friday,
October 12, for the golf and
football teams.
On those nights, grandparents
of United athletes will be given
free admission tickets that can
Also making an impact as a
first year player is junior Preston
Powell, who spent the previous
two years as a member of the
football team.
Seniors Matt Olin and Kayla
Bishop have been performing
consistently well throughout the
season and will play a big role
come regional time.
Bishop is golfing as one of the
team’s top six, but will not be allowed to compete with the team
during its final meet as IHSA
rules prevent her from competing on a co-ed team once she
competes as an individual at the
The golf team has struggled,
since, losing its last five matches,
including a triangular loss to
Cambridge and Princeville.
Despite the team record, there
have been a number of strong
individual performances.Freshman golfer Alex Gavin (pictured
right) has been shooting extremely well.
Gavin, whose older brother
Patrick finished 25th in the state
two years ago, has finished several meets shooting only 1-3 over
par. He is already a strong candidate to advance to sectionals this
year, if not the state finals.
then be turned in for a drawing
later that night for a gas debit
card.
Grandparents of the athletes
will be recognized during the
game and in the sports program.
The suggestion for the night
came during a recent meeting of
the United Booster Club, which
is providing the gas card.
309-482-6161
the state this semester to certify
future coaches.
The nearest clinic will be held
in Morton on Sunday, November
11. Clinics will also be held in
Springfield, Rockford, Ottawa
and nine other cities between
now and December 1.
For registration and information, contact Jeff Kyle at
217-586-4799 or by email at
[email protected]
Limited ad space
still available
An extremely limited amount
of advertising space remains
available for this year’s edition of
the Storm Tracker.
For less than $40 you can reach
3600 residents of Warren and
Mercer Counties each month during the school year.
For more information, contact
any journalism class member or
call the school at 734-9411.
309-371-9504
M & R Kenney
Painting
insured
Mark & Ruth Kenney
paint/wallpaper
2786 40th Ave
renovation
Alexis, IL 61412
refinishing
[email protected]
http://community.webshots.com/user/mandrkenney
To contribute money or
merchandise, contact:
CLAIRE BARNHOUSE
P.O. BOX 132
ALEXIS, IL 61412
482-3549
Midwest Bank
of Western Illinois
By Stasha Giese
On September 11 the Booster
Club met at the west campus to
discuss future plans.
It was decided that Grandparent’s Night would be held on October 3 for high school volleyball
and October 12 for high school
football (see accompanying story
on this page)
The volleyball senior night will
take place on Friday, October 19.
They will also be having a pack
the place night on Thursday,
October 27. Directly after, there
will be a bonfire behind the old
Alexis High School building.
The junior high boys’ basketball meet the coaches night will
be at 7:00 p.m. on October 9, at
the West Campus.
There was also debate over
whether to purchase a table cloth
to cover the junior high scorekeepers’ table, which would cost
$325.00-$350.00. More discussion will come at the next meeting, which will be held on October 4 at 6:00 p.m. at the South
Campus in Coach Engebretson’s
room (room 0).
Volleyball team could be something special
By Nicole Yung
The United junior varsity and
junior varsity volleyball teams
have advanced to 4-0 in the conference, while the varsity opened
the season with an 11-0 run.
The ‘big game’ of the season,
against the Wethersfield Geese
on August 27, proved to be no
problem for the Red Storm.
United rallied for a two game
win, 25-18, 25-18 at the Field
House in Alexis. Seniors Courtney Young and Caiti Tucker
paved the way for the Storm each
with eight kills, while Sophomore Mollie Murdock put up 25
assists.
The following Wednesday, the
Storm was matched up against
the Aledo Green Dragons, winning in two games to advance
them to 2-0 in conference. Junior
Krysten Karns led United with
seven kills.
September 7 and 8, United
went 5-0 in the Carl Sandburg
Tournament. Paired against
Macomb, Williamsfield, Abingdon, and Knoxville, the Storm
showed no mercy. In the championship drive United played
AlWood, coming out on top in
just two games 25-14, 25-19.
Young was named tournament
MVP, while Tucker, Karns, and
Murdock also received all-tournament team honors.
“It was really exciting and
I was really surprised, (about
being named MVP). It was awesome for us to do so well in the
tournament! I hope we keep it up
and keep going strong into each
game” said Young.
Monday, September 10, the
Red Storm traveled to Abingdon to face one of the area’s top
teams. After losing the first game
25-16, United quickly bounced
back with a 25-14, 25-18 victory.
The Storm’s dynamic duo of
Tucker and Young combined for
25 kills, while Murdock added
19 assists.
On September 12, United
advanced to 3-0 in the conference, after defeating the Galva
Wildcats, and finished up the
week with a win over Bushnell
Prairie City-Avon.
Young dished out nine kills
against Stark County on September 17, while sophomore
Sommer Foster had four aces.
Tucker had three blocks and four
digs while Murdock collected 11
assists.
“We are getting better at every
practice, individually and as a
team. We have a long way to go,
but we are all up for the journey,” said Tucker.
We have an extremely special
bond; I am confident that if any
obstacle comes along, we will
take it on as a team and stick
together.”
The Red Storm faced what
could be the toughest team on the
schedule, Illini West on September 19, but was too late to meet
publication deadlines.
United’s Caiti Tucker drives home another point as the Red
Storm rout BPC-Avon.
Football teams drops first three before winning on the road
Every game becomes
a must win from this
point forward
By Preston Schrader
On September 14, the Red
Storm Football team clutched its
first win of the season by beating West Central on the Heat’s
homecoming night, 29-22. The
win was a welcome relief.
United began the season with
three consecutive losses, to
Wethersfield, Cambridge and
Stark County, the first and, at this
point, only home game of the
season.
When asked if he could pinpoint a few factors that attributed
to the slow start, United head
coach Tim Engebretson replied,
“The first game’s loss (21-7 to
Wethersfield) was partly due
to inexperience. Some of the
starters had never played varsity
ball before. The team just wasn’t
ready to play.
“In the second game (a 26-23
loss at Cambridge) we made
great progress and played a great
game but we had a few breakdowns at key moments.
“Stark County (24-6) was
a good team and we got outplayed.”
The game at West Central
was not a guaranteed win,
even though the Heat had also
struggled through a three loss
season opening.
The home team had outgained
their opponents by more than 160
yards, and their offense was on a
roll. However, the Storm was not
to be denied, racking up a total of
359 yards to the Heat’s 319.
In the fourth quarter, the Storm
looked to be in control, at one
point leading by a score of 23-6.
True to form, though, the Heat
responded with two fourth quarter scores and two onside kicks
in an attempt to get the ball back,
before Colt Foster recovered an
onside kick with approximately
40 seconds remaining to help ice
the victory.
United’s John Penn breaks free against West Central, part of a
154 yard rushing effort in the Storm’s first win of the season.
Coach Engebretson credited
the success to rushing the ball
and finally establishing United’s
running game.
The Storm was led by running
backs John Penn and Caileb
Feik, who each rushed for more
than 100 yards in the game.
Assistant coach Ben McIntosh
noted the improved play of linebacker Peter Elliott.
The remainder of the season
will only get tougher for the Red
Storm, facing opponents such as
3A ranked Aledo-Westmer on
the road, but Coach Engebretson
remains optimistic about the
remainder of the season.
“We have improved every
week thus far, so as long as we
stay away from crucial mistakes
we have a good shot at the playoffs.”
In order to do so, the Storm
will have to notch at least five
wins.
On the positive side, three of
the final four games will be at
home with Alwood/ROWVA on
tap this Friday night for homecoming, then games against Annawan and Elmwood-Brimfield
on October 12 and 19, respectively, to close out the season.
The first round of the IHSA
playoffs are set for the weekend
of October 26-27.
With three losses already, if the
Storm makes the playoffs, it’s assured of opening the post season
on the road for the third straight
year.