phone: 573-368-6639 - The Buzz Monthly Magazine

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Watch for our DEcEMBEr issuE availaBlE DEc 2-4
where CAn i FinD the buZZ MAgAZine?
Our Mission: to promote pride in
our region, its heritage and its people by
sharing their positive and uplifting
stories and to provide businesses a cost
effective means of advertising to a broad
area.
PUBlisHEr
studio t • 573-368-6639
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ManaGinG EDiTOr/OWnEr
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Alton: Alton Exchange Mall • Alton Sports Tap • Alton
Visitor’s Center • Big Lots • Corky’s Emporium • Farm &
Home Halpin Music • K-Mart • Ken’s Coins • My Just Desserts
National Tire & Battery • River Bender Commmunity Center
Something Simple, Something Grand Antiques & More
Town and Club Bar & Grill • Woody’s Restaurant • Z Mattress
Company Auburn: Rusty Star Antique Mall benlD:
Benld Library • TJ’s ZX Convenience Stop • Randy’s Market
Toni’s Restaurant bethAlto: Dairy Queen • Eagles Nest
Restaurant • El Mezcal Mexican Restaurant • Homestead Flea
Market • Imo’s Pizza • New China • Roma’s Pizza • Round
2 Relics • Strykrz Sports Grill • The Mail Box Store
brighton: Spring Garden Restaurant • Reflections
Antiques bunker hill: Function Junction Antiques &
More • Jumpin’ Jimmys CArlinville: The Body Depot
Carlinville Hospital • Carlinville Library • Catholic Charities
Thrift Shop • Cherry Tree Treasures and Gifts • It Is What It Is
Antiques & Collectibles • Karla’s Jewelry • Lighthouse
Antique Mall • Lisa’s Antiques & Collectables • Magnolias
Restaurant • Magnuson Grand Hotel and Conference Center
Main Street Bridal • Michelle’s Pharmacy • Refuge Coffee
House • Remarkables Resale Shoppe • Sievers Equipment
CoFFeen: Greenwoods Grocery •
Hair Designs
Collinsville: Antiques & Accents by Vadna
Collinsville Area Recreation District 10 • Collinsville Public
Library • Gateway RC • New China Restaurant • Rural King
Shop-n-Save • Smoke Pit BBQ • Sizzor Shak Salon • Spirito’s
Italian Store • Swing City Music • Zapata’s Mexican
Restaurant CottAge hills: Frank’s Restaurant • Red
Apple Restaurant Divernon: Country Place Antiques &
New 2 U Boutique Donnellson: JR’s Mini Mart
The Loose Caboose Antiques • Petroski Windows, Doors &
Floorcovering • Wayside Antiques & Collectibles Dorsey:
Aljets Automotive eDwArDsville: All Natural Pet
Center • Bill’s Montclaire Florals & Gifts • Edwardsville City
Hall • Edwardsville Public Library • Edwardsvile Frozen
Foods • Jerry’s Tire Sales • Laurie’s Place • Madison County
Archival Library • My Treasure House • Reality Salon and Spa
Sgt Peppers Cafe • Treasure Shack • US Bank • Wang Gang
Asian Eats FArMersville: The Silver Dollar Restaurant
gillespie: Chiefs II Grill • DeeDee’s Floral and Designs
Dollar General • Firehouse Salon • Furniture Rescue • Gillespie
Public Library • Kevin Polo Law Office • Michelle’s Pharmacy
Miner’s Restaurant • New Belongings Aquatic & Hobbie
Center • Randy’s Market • Sullivan’s Drug Store
Wimanoma’s Pride Antiques & Collectibles girArD:
Doc’s Soda Fountain • Kruse Automotive • Shell glen
CArbon: Glen Carbon Library • Goodwill Retail Shop
Karma Clothing and Accessories • Our Health Club Spa
goDFrey: Chocolate Air • El Mezcal Mexican Restaurant
Round Table Restaurant • Shang Hai House grAnite
City: Apple Tree Restaurant • Central Laundry • Gateway
Medical Center Pharmacy • Great Wall Chinese Buffet
Goodwill • K-Mart • Mama Mia’s Restaurant • Re.Viv.Al
Salvation Army Thrift Store • Tanglez Salon • Jerry’s Cafeteria
greenville: Corner Cafe • Greenville Chamber of
Commerce/ Tourism Center • Greenville Resale Store • Pepin’s
Country Store • Ragged Threads Resale • State & Ryder
Furniture & Home Decor • Sweetest Things Bakery & Cafe
Third Street Market hAMel: Poor Boys Portable Buildings
and Amish Market • The Other Place on the Hill • Weezy’s Bar
& Grill highlAnD: Broadway Bar & Grill • Farmer’s
Restaurant • The Chocolate Affair • The Giving Tree
Highland Nutrition Center • Little Flower Religious Store
Marx Brothers Lounge & Restaurant • Michael’s Restaurant
Peacock Bakery • Unique Designs & Decor hillsboro:
Books & Moore • Gianni’s Italian Restaurant • Hillsboro
Rental • Hillsboro Hospital • The Dressing Room Consignment & Resale Shop • Red Rooster • Taylorville Community
Credit Union
holiDAy shores: Behmes Market
Gilliganz Bar & Grill
irving: Grandma’s Kitchen
Jerseyville: Beyond the Backyard Gate Home
Collectibles and Antique Mall • Jerseyville Library • Lula Bells
Gift Shop • Outrageous Outdoors • Ruby & Ellie’s Dollarama
State Street Antiques and Collectibles • State Street Bar & Grill
litChFielD: A&D Electrical Supply • Briar Rose Resale
Shop • Capri IGA • Casey’s on Union Ave • Denny’s
Restaurant • Diamond Trailer Sales • El Rancherito Mexican
Restaurant • Fast Stop Travel Center • The George Press
GLIK’S • Hair 51 Salon & Tanning • Jubelt’s Bakery Kamper
Kompanion • Nelson Audiology • Ooh La La Decor & More
Petro Mart • Route 66 Crafts and Collectibles • Sportsman’s
Choice Sporting Goods • St Francis Hospital Gift Shop
TCCU-Taylorville Community Credit Union • Time Out &
Relaxation • Tots 2 Teens Upscale Resale • UJs Convenience
Store livingston: Country Inn Cafe • Gasperoni’s Italian
Restaurant, Deli and Grocery • Pink Elephant Antiques
MAryville: Grumpy Bob’s Emporium • Red Apple
Restaurant • Vintage 159 MeADowbrook: Homestead
Craft & Flea Market • Round 2 Relics Millersburg:
Millersburg General Store MitChell: Hen House
Restaurant Mt olive: Crossroads Restaurant • From My
House to Yours • Nepute’s Market • Sunset Restaurant
nokoMis: Demi’s Diner • Nokomis City Hall
olD ripley: Sheila’s Resale ‘N Antiques pAnAMA:
Nu-Way Deli
poCAhontAs: Powhatan Restaurant
Nuby’s Steakhouse Village Square Antiques pontoon
beACh: Uncle Linny’s Restaurant sChrAM City: Rita’s
Shed Used Furniture
shipMAn: Cheney’s Market
sorento: Sorento Convenience Mart • Sorento Municipal
Center stAunton: ALJETS Automotive • Animal DoctorsSteinmeyer Veterinary Clinic • Bamboo Garden • Cavataio’s
Restaurant • Firnhaber Florist • Fritz Drug Store • First
National Bank Glenwood Assisted Living • Heritage Health
Assisted Living Itch’n to be Stitch’n • Jake’s Coffee • Mini
Mall Quilt Shop • R & B’s Restaurant • Russell Furniture
Schweppes River Fish Lounge • Staunton Hospital • Staunton
Medical Clinic • Staunton Public Library • Super 8 Motel
Vintage Station st. JACob: Hometel Communications
troy: Alfonzo’s Pizzeria • Schuettes SuperValu • Troy
Family Restaurant • Wild Hair Family Hair Care virDen:
Circle K Convenience Mart • Jamie’s - The Diamond Mine
Silvernicks Unique Treasures • Sly Fox Bookstore
This-n-That • Wildflower Patch williAMson: Shale Lake
Winery witt: The Crimson Briar wooD river: Cleary’s
Shoes and Boots Kumar’s Cafe • Mama Mias Restaurant
Riverbend Resale Hing Wah worDen: Worden City Hall
WordenPublic Library
issues of the prairie land buzz Magazine are
also online and archived for one yeAr at
www.thebuzzmonthly.com
the Prairie land Buzz
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From the Editor...
November was announced boldly with
some of the coolest temperatures we’ve seen
in awhile. But we were fortunate to have
a mild fall with an extended Indian Summer
which is one of the things I am thankful for
this month.
There are so many things I am thankful
for and even when it is not November and
Thanksgiving, I try to remember that. Especially when I’m thrown a curve ball, like
planning on having gutter installed but finding out other more critical repairs are needed
first because the fascia underneath the old
gutter is rotted. We will cover that next
month probably... when the situation is
resolved... which I’m sure it will be. Because
from what I can tell so far I have a couple of
incredible and conscientious contractors on
my side!
As I mentioned, I am thankful for the
incredible weather last month that allowed
me to spend great times with my grandchildren. They have moved a little farther away
and I don’t get to see them as often as I used
to. Last month I got to spend time with them
at their school for Grandparents Night and
before and after we played frisbee in the
yard, read books and just enjoyed
each other’s company. Later in the month my
daughter brought them for a weekend stay
and stayed here with them too, so that was
an extra bonus for me. The four of us went
crazy at our annual trip to Rhodes Pumpkin
Patch and after that, our first time ever at St.
Michael’s Octoberfest in Staunton. They had
a blast playing all the kids’ games, won some
great prizes that they were very proud of and
thoroughly enjoyed that I let them eat whatever they wanted - pizza, nachos and funnel
cakes! So I’m pretty sure the Octoberfest
will be an annual event for us from now on
too. The next night we put music from
YouTube on the big screen television, danced
and sang and jumped around then finally settled down together for movies and popcorn.
I am so thankful for family. We are pretty
spread out though so I don’t get to see them
as much as I’d like. I am in Litchfield, my
parents and sister live in the Rolla, MO area.
Her son and his family, and my daughter and
grandkids, live in Marshfield, MO. My son
lives in Kansas City, KS. My older brother,
wife and son live in Colorado, his daughter,
husband and children live near Nashville,
TN, which is also where my younger brother
lives. And for the most part, the rest of my
family is in Iowa. So I am thankful that in
addition to being able to spend so much time
with my daughter and grandkids this past
month, I also made it to Kansas City to visit
my son Nick and his girlfriend Sam. I got to
go to Nashville and visit with my brother and
his girlfriend deAna, and a middle-of-the
week trip to spend time with just my parents
and no one else around was lovely as well.
Usually when I see my parents it is during
big family get togethers, like the one that will
take place soon on Thanksgiving.
I am also thankful at this very moment
for a warm house. This winter is predicted
to be one of the most severe on record and
there are so many that do not have a place to
call home. My house is small, and it needs
many improvements... but it’s a roof over my
head and it is warm.
I am thankful for the businesses that
advertise in The Buzz and keep this magazine
going, as a source of income for me, and
a source of information and enjoyment for
you. And I am thankful FOR you, the reader,
the sole reason we publish each month.
Our feature story this month is about
a local family that is thankful for a recent
accident that shattered their lives. They were
riding their motorcycle and hit head on by
a drunk driver. How can you be thankful for
that? Mostly, they are thankful for the miracle that they are still alive and now home
with their four children. And they are thankful for the good they know will eventually
come from the situation. How humbling....
Before I go I must tell you a cute little
story about the visit with my grandkids on
Grandparents Night that also is about being
thankful. I told them I would take them to
an early dinner before heading to the school.
Taco Bell was the chosen destination. When
we were seated with our food it was time to
say the prayer over the meal. Brittany and
the kids don’t care that we are eating in
public, the kids pray before eating (she got
that from my mother, and that’s the way it
should be). So Bayleigh said a prayer that,
although very cute and touching, was also
very long. She thanked God for every single
thing she could think of. EVERYTHING
she could think of...
When she was done, I said, “Good job
Bay, that was very nice,” and started to dive
into my food. Then Brittany said, “Wait,
Kaiden has to say his prayer.”
I’m sure my mouth, since it was open and
ready to receive food, just remained open
while I stared at her in disbelief.
She continued “Both Kaiden and
Bayleigh like to say their own prayer before
meals.”
My replay was “Well I hope he is not as
thankful as she is.”
Of course I was trying to be funny, and
we did chuckle, and Kaiden did keep his
prayer much shorter.
My point for telling that story is to
remind you to be thankful. For everything.
Every day. Sometimes it takes the simplicity
of a child’s prayer to remind us of that!
~ TLC
Photos from Rhodes Pumpkin Patch 2014
Top Left: Brittany and Kaiden taking a little
alone time together. Top right: Kaiden decided
to try to sack surf the hay slide. And he was
really good at it too! Center: Madison posing for
me on top of the hay bales. Bottom: Bayleigh’s
favorite part of the patch is always the corn bin!
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by Tara L. Cale
The Redmon family before their lives were shattered by a drunk driver.
Randy and Amanda with children (back L to R) Jordan and Logan in the front (L to R) Chase and Ambrosia.
The van drifted into his lane without
warning and before he could react, Randy
Redmon’s Honda Shadow 750 motorcycle
was struck head on, shattering glass...shattering bones... shattering lives.
Randy saw his body hit the front of the
van but he didn’t feel it. He saw it slam
against the windshield, caving it in, but still
felt nothing. The time it took for his body to
bounce off the glass and onto the road
seemed like an eternity. There was no sound,
no pain, no feeling. He thought he was dead.
His body skidded down the road, his
mouth filling with gravel, and blood. It hurt.
It hurt so bad. But he knew that if he could
feel pain, he was still alive!
But where was Amanda, his wife that he
loved so much? She was the passenger on
the back of the motorcycle on this Saturday
evening ride that had begun just moments
ago. His slow motion memory remembered
seeing her catapulted over his head, over the
van, and out of his sight into oblivion.
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He tried to get up to go find her, he had to
find Amanda...but he couldn’t move. He
couldn’t even turn his head to spit out the
blood and gravel so he could scream out her
name.
He saw people around him, witnesses to
the horrific accident. He begged them to turn
his head so he could clear his mouth and call
out to Amanda. Or did he? Was it just in his
mind? All he knew was that he had to find
Amanda, see Amanda, know that she was
okay, or do everything in his power to help
her.
Randy would later be told that Amanda
had been thrown 30 feet beyond the crash
site and was lying in the middle of highway,
bleeding and critically injured - but awake,
and also alive.
Other traveler’s on the Illinois Route 4
between Gillespie and Carlinville that night
that saw the collision included friends of the
family and a law enforcement officer that
also knew the couple, so the 911 call was
made quickly. An ambulance took them to
Carlinville Area Hospital but they were
immediately airlifted to Memorial Hospital
in Springfield.
The doctor that worked on them for the
first 6 hours saw how severe the injuries were
and knew that they would not live more than
a couple days, if they even made it through
the night. Still, he did what he could to help
them, hoping, and praying. Then he soberly
told the family to expect the worst.
That was Saturday, August 23, 2014.
But a power greater than that of crushing
glass and metal, and a power greater than the
healing gift of a good physician had a hand
in the fate of Randy and Amanda Redmon.
Although bruised and beaten, they are alive
and recovering. Many friends and family
members are rejoicing, including their four
children: sons Logan (17), Jordan (16),
Chase (12), and daughter Ambrosia (11).
That is the good news.
The bad news is that the road to recovery
for both is long and hard... physically,
emotionally and financially.
Amanda was released from the hospital
on September 16th - a great birthday present
for the couple’s oldest son, Logan. Unfortunately, the homecoming was bittersweet,
as it was also revealed that Amanda’s grandmother had passed away that very same
morning.
I visited with Amanda at her home where
she is slowly healing. What impressed me
most was her constant upbeat attitude and a
smile that lit up the room. Her multiple
stitches have been removed and the road rash
on her face is almost gone. She is now trying
to recover from a broken Fibula, two fractures in her pelvis, a ruptured spleen and ruptured bladder and spinal cord damage in her
neck and lower back which includes brachial
plexus injuries. Brachial plexus injuries
occur when nerves that are connected to the
spinal cord are stretched, or severed, and
affect mobility of one or both arms.
The front of the van
Randy’s motorcycle after the crash.
When I interviewed Amanda her left arm
was paralyzed but she was hopeful that total
paralysis was only temporary and she will recover at least partial use of that arm, if not
full use. Unfortunately since that interview
the doctors have determined that the paralysis is permanent.
She can walk a few steps with the aid of
a cane, but that is extremely painful and exhausting, so she is mostly confined to
a wheelchair at this time.
“It’s like a baby taking their first steps.
They say I will regain my ability to walk, but
that it will be a slow process,” she told me,
“I want to return to work eventually (United
Community Bank in Gillespie) plus I have
four kids to finish raising!”
Right now Amanda’s mother has moved
in to help.
Randy’s injuries were more severe. Both
arms had multiple open fractures. The bones
in his arms were so damaged that external
fixators were put in place to immobilize
bones so the fractures can heal. Pulmonary
contusions caused his lung tissue to swell
and bleed into the surrounding area. His
pelvis was crushed and he had an open pelvis
fracture which caused critical internal injuries. The first complication of the internal
injuries caused his kidneys to shut down and
he had to be put on dialysis. Fortunately his
kidneys have regained function but the internal bleeding also drained into his legs which
required a fasciotomy on one leg. Fasciotomy is a limb-saving surgical procedure
where the fascia is cut to relieve pressure.
To make it easier to understand, basically his
leg was cut wide open, with the wounds remaining open, to allow the excess fluid to
drain to relieve pressure, preventing amputation. Multiple skin grafts will cover and
seal the wounds. There is severe nerve dam-
I made a last minute trip to
the Redmon home on Saturday
afternoon, November 1st to
snap this photo of Randy and
Amanda. Although they face
a long road ahead was plain
to see that they are thankful
for every moment of every day
and are happy to be back
home, together.
age on the other leg from the knee down.
It is not the most life threatening injury, but
it may be the injury that takes the longest to
recover from. Amanda told me that when he
is finally released from the hospital, he is still
looking at multiple surgeries to that knee
over the next year before he can even
consider physical therapy and attempting to
learn to walk again. He also suffered a broken nose and eye socket.
Whether Randy will ever able to return to
work as a driver at Allied Waste - or anywhere - is still uncertain.
The Redmon’s are no stranger to hard
times though. Just 3 years ago they lost their
home to a fire just a few days before Christmas.
“That was hard to take, but no one was
injured and shortly after things just fell into
place that allowed us to get this house - our
dream home,” Amanda said, her huge signature smile never fading. “This will be hard
too, but I believe it happened for a reason.
We don’t know what that reason is, but it’s a
miracle either of us survived, so something
good will come of this.”
Friends and family are putting together a
benefit to help offset the enormous medical
costs the family’s insurance does not cover
and to keep the bills paid and food on the
table while neither Amanda or Randy can
work.
“We both have short term disability that
is helping somewhat right now,” Amanda
said. “But it’s only about 50% of our income
and it is re-evaluated every 2 weeks. At any
time they can decide to stop paying it.”
The benefit will be held on November 15
at the Gillespie Civic Center and includes
dinner, live music, raffles and an auction.
The success of the benefit will be determined
by the generosity of individuals attending or
making donations. Any type of donation is
appreciated whether it is monetary or an item
for the auction. Tickets to the benefit are
$25/person or $40/couple and are available
at United Community Bank (UCB) in Gillespie and will also be available at the door.
Monetary donations can also be made at
any time in the Redmon Benefit Account by
visiting any UCB Bank.
The driver that almost left four children
without their parents was drunk. He is currently in prison for violating parole and is
awaiting charges for the accident which may
include aggravated DUI. There were three
other passengers in the van, two of which
immediately fled the scene on foot but were
later located. Details on what they may be
charged with, if anything, is not available as
they were minors. The other passenger was
completely cooperative with authorities and
is not facing any charges.
Some sobering statistics about alcohol
related accidents include that roughly 3 in 10
Americans will be involved in an alcohol related collision at some point in their lives.
On average someone is killed in a drunk
driving crash every 53 minutes in the United
States. That’s 27 people per day, nearly
12,000 people every year. 900,000 people
are arrested each year for DUI/DWI and
a full 1/3 of those are repeat offenders.
However, since 90% of all drunk driving
happens after drinking with family, friends,
and coworkers that means there is almost
always somebody around who could be part
of the solution. If you’ve been drinking,
don’t drive. Ask for someone to take you
home, or call a cab. If you know someone
should not be driving, do what you have to
do to prevent it. The consequences for you
and innocent victims like the Redmon family, are not worth it.
“Did this accident shatter more than our
bones? Yes, it shattered our lives. And
I would not wish this type of suffering on
anyone, not even the driver that hit us,”
Amanda remarked. “But we are alive for
a reason, so we are thankful. I believe something so very good will come of this, even if
we never know what that good is... maybe it
will save someone else’s life... whatever it is,
we are thankful for that as well.”
For more information about the Redmon
Benefit or how you can help this amazing
family through this long, difficult recovery,
contact Jodi Flack at 217-710-7984.
upDAte: Randy Redmon finally came
home, just one day short of 8 weeks in the
hospital. and his spirits are high, as are those
of the entire family.
“It’s good to have our family back
together again,” Amanda said. “It was like
a puzzle was missing just one piece, but now
we are whole again.”
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9
The Only Thing
Constant is Change
Rita Holzknecht consistently changes
her focus to meet consumer demand
Written by Tara L. Cale
My former boss used to say “the only
thing constant is change.” And no one
knows that better than Rita Holzknecht, owners of Rita’s Shed in Schram City (Hillsboro). Rita has been tweaking her business
plan and focus for as long as she can remember to meet the needs of consumers, market
demand and what is best for her family.
Over 16 years ago Rita’s Shed Used Furniture store opened in an old building on the
outskirts of Shram City, along Illinois Route
16 (where Bailey’s Restaurant is located
today). I remember when I first moved to
Illinois back in 2006 and I accidentally found
her shop. I was thrilled at what it offered a
newly single woman breaking out on her
own with limited funds to spend on furnishing a home. The day I stopped in her husband Frank was manning the store and we
had a long conversation during my purchase
of some end tables.
Four years later Rita had a building constructed a little farther down the highway, on
KC Drive, and expanded her business to include new furniture at incredible prices, plus
new mattresses. This was Rita’s Shed II.
Rita’s Shed remained at the original location,
selling quality, pre-owned furniture.
In 2011 an offer was made on the property housing the used furniture store by
someone that wanted to build a restaurant
there. It was an offer that couldn’t be refused, so the property was sold. The sale of
that property was a blessing in disguise, because Rita built another building across the
street from the one on KC Drive. She wasn’t
finished with the used furniture business just
yet. And now Rita’s Shed and Rita’s Shed II
were conveniently located within a stone’s
throw of each other.
Both businesses continued to thrive, offering consumers from the surrounding
areas, and as far as Springfield and Granite
City, high quality furniture at prices that
couldn’t be beat, and high quality, pre-owned
furniture for the tighter budget.
As you know, years fly by, we get older
and our attitudes change. Frank finally decided he wanted to retire, but Rita couldn’t
run both stores by herself, even with their
close proximity to each other. With competition in the new furniture business becoming
more aggressive, a lack of pre-owned furniture stores in the area, and the fact that the
main building was built with the intent of
changing directions in the future, Rita decided to close the new furniture store and
concentrate just on pre-owned furniture and
new mattress sales.
“I really couldn’t give up the mattress
sales,” she said. “I have a great distributor,
with a great product. It was a no-brainer to
keep offering that for customers.”
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Rita’s Shed offers King Koil mattresses
at warehouse prices, because indeed they are
in a warehouse. You won’t be able to walk
through a showroom and see them on
a frame with pillows and literature explaining the differences of each. But Rita can tell
you everything you need to know, and she
can sell you a great mattress at a great price.
“I wasn’t too thrilled about the idea of the
Duck Dynasty Mattresses,” Rita laughed.
“But my salesman told me they would be
a hit, and he wasn’t kidding.”
Don’t be expecting a showroom atmosphere for the pre-owned furniture either.
Rita’s Shed is (0,000) square feet of chairs,
tables, sofas, accent pieces, lamps, dining
sets, bedroom furniture and more, packed
and stacked and available at prices you may
not believe.
“We can offer lower prices because our
overhead is low,” Rita explained. “It’s really
just me working, with a few delivery men.
We keep the lights off if no one is here and
keep the heating and cooling at a minimum
temperature too. We don’t offer delivery, we
don’t offer financing... it’s a true warehouse
setting. Consumers are so price driven these
days, and in turn we love to be able to offer
them a bargain. It’s a win-win situation for
everyone.
If you are wanting new furniture and prefer to deal with Rita, as many of her loyal
customers do, have no fear, she can still special order from a variety of furniture manufacturers.
But what happened to the huge main
building that used to house the new furniture
business? Well, Rita has turned that building
into senior apartments (ages 50+) - very nice
senior apartments too. And keeping with tradition - her prices can’t be beat.
Currently there are six KC Drive Senior
Apartments that have just become available,
with 2 more under construction. All feature
either 1 very large bedroom or 1 small bedroom plus a bonus room, handicapped accessible bathrooms and an open floor plan for
the kitchen/dining/living area. A shared activity room is available to all renters, there is
a coin operated laundry on site, a large community deck and the quiet location features
plenty of parking, police protection and
is just 2 miles from downtown Hillsboro.
The units rent for just $575 per month which includes cable, internet and trash
pickup.You can’t beat that with a stick!
Rita wanted to give proper credit where
it was due. She said, “Bill Wright is our carpenter and master mind behind everything
we do that involves building. He constructed
the original building and he retrofitted it for
the apartments. His brothers did the drywall, Tim Hayworth did the plumbing and
Rita’s Shed on Hwy 16 just outside of Hillsboro offers an ample
inventory of pre-owned furniture with budget conscious pricing.
To keep up with the changing retail climate, Rita’s Shed II, which formerly offered new furniture,
has been converted to lovely senior apartments with nice inclusions and very reasonable rent.
does excellent work and Petroski Windows
and Floorcoverings in Donnellson did all the
flooring. We couldn’t be happier with the
end result.”
The only thing constant may indeed be
change, and Rita Holzknecht knows all about
that. But one thing she refuses to compromise on, whether it is in her retail store, or
with her rental units, is offering the consumer
the best possible product at the lowest
possible price.
Rita’s Shed Mattresses and Used
Furniture is located at 3318 KC Drive (East
Route 16) just outside of Hillsboro. They are
open Tuesday through Friday from 9-5 and
Saturday from 9-2. KC Drive Senior Apartments are located adjacent to the store.
For more information on either, contact
Rita Holzknecht at 217-532-3062.
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siUE Couple recognized as
national “angels in adoption”
Two staffers at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville were selected as “Angels
in Adoption” by the Congressional Coalition
on Adoption Institute (CCAI).
Jesse Langston, building mechanic for
Facilities Management; and his wife, Shrylene Langston, assistant director of the SIUE
East St. Louis Center, were honored at an
awards ceremony and gala on Sept. 16 and
17 in Washington, D.C. The couple was
recognized for fostering 19 children and
adopting two boys through the Department
of Children and Family Services.
“The Angels in Adoption program is
a unique annual opportunity in the Nation’s
Capital to spotlight the power of adoption
and the unspoken heroes who have made the
dream of a family a reality for children,” said
Becky Weichland, interim director at CCAI.
“Since the program’s inception, more than
2,000 ‘Angels’ have come to Washington to
share their firsthand adoption experience
with members of Congress, highlighting the
joys, as well as the barriers encountered in
the process.”
“In May 2012, I got a call regarding
a 9-week-old baby boy who was taken from
Alton Memorial Hospital to Children's Hospital in St. Louis,” said Shrylene Langston.
“The Department of Children and Family
Services (DCFS) worker wanted to know if
I would take the baby once he was released
from the hospital .
“We agreed. We were directed to a beautiful baby boy named Alex and immediately
fell in love with him. Alex’s biological
parents became pregnant again and on April
6, 2013 gave birth to another beautiful baby
boy. We couldn't think of separating the babies, so on April 8, we picked up Parker from
Alton Memorial Hospital.”
Both babies became available for adoption and the Langston’s request became
finalized on Tuesday, May 27, 2014.
The “Angels in Adoption” program is
CCAI’s signature public awareness campaign and provides an opportunity for all
members of the U.S. Congress to honor the
good work of their constituents who have
enriched the lives of foster children and
orphans in the United States and abroad.
Each year, more than 140 Angels are honored
through the program.
The Congressional Coalition on Adoption
Institute (CCAI) is a 501c3 nonpartisan
organization dedicated to raising awareness
about the tens of thousands of orphans and
foster children in the U.S. and the millions of
orphans around the world in need of permanent, safe and loving homes through adoption. CCAI’s goal is the elimination of the
barriers that hinder these children from realizing their basic right of a family.
Online visit www.ccainstitute.org and
www.angelsinadoption.org
for
more
information.
In the photo above and right, Jesse
Langston holds his adopted son Alex
and Shrylene is shown with Parker.
You cannot get through a single day without
having an impact om the world around you.
What you do makes a difference and you have
to decide what kind of difference you want to make.
~ Jane Goodall, Primatologist, anthropologist, author
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Realized Dream
Helps Entire
Community
Vicki Nepute serves customers with
a smile on her face at Nepute’s Market
in Mt. Olive. Though relatively small in size,
the market has a surprisingly large and
diverse selection of items ranging from
fresh produce to meats, dairy products
and frozen goods and even a deli.
Small town native opens grocery store
in her home town of Mt. Olive
Rural main streets across America are
struggling to survive, and the shuttering of
a grocery store, drug store or hardware store
is all too common. The closing of a town’s
grocery store is perhaps the most critical.
When this happens people leave town to do
ALL of their shopping, elderly residents and
others without access to reliable transportation find themselves with few or no options
for grocery shopping, and the town itself
becomes less attractive to those considering
to move there
.
Vicki Nepute (pronounced Neh-poo-tee)
was born and raised in the small town of Mt.
Olive, IL, so she was very familiar with the
struggles of a small town.
Still, when she grew bored with her current occupation, her long time dream of
opening a small town market and grocery in
her home town came to mind.
“The last time there was a grocery store
in Mt. Olive was 10 years ago. That was
Droste’s Market,” Nepute said. “My husband Gary and I discussed this for quite some
time before taking the jump. But we wanted
to start a business that would help the community.”
Making that dream come to fruition was
not without challenges. A good location was
hard to find, and when a location was finally
decided upon, the building was hit hard by
a tornado (May 2013). But they persevered
and on April 7, 2014, Vicki Nepute and her
husband Gary opened Nepute’s Market right
in the heart of Mt. Olive, at 107 E. Main
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Street.
Although owned by both, Gary is a silent
partner and the market is run entirely by
Vicki with the help of her friend and righthand (wo)man, Becky Dorko.
“The reception we have received not only
from Mt Olive, but surrounding communities
has been absolutely phenomenal!” said
Nepute.
And it’s no wonder. Although small in
size, the market’s offerings are diverse and
numerous.
Customers have no reservations about
driving many miles to get the market’s
”famous” seasoned pork steaks and stuffed
pork chops. And when they do they are
pleasantly surprised to find such an extensive
selection of other products available including other meats like ham, chicken and ribs,
several varieties of potatoes such as sweet,
Idaho and Yukon Gold, cereal, chips and
a variety of Amish products like salsa, jellies,
jams and noodles.
I can personally attest to how delicious
the seasoned pork steaks are. Frequently
I have completely deleted their inventory of
this highly sought after item. I am very busy
and get to Mt. Olive once or twice a month.
If there are seasoned pork steaks available...
they are mine!
Something else impressive about
Nepute’s Market is their pricing. Often consumers associate a small town market with
higher prices, and they are willing to make
that concession for the sake of convenience.
No concessions need to be made at Nepute’s.
Their prices are very competitive and often
lower. As an example, the last time I was at
Nepute’s their regular pork steak pricing
(seasoned pork steaks are higher) were $2
per pound cheaper than the lowest price
within a 30 mile radius, including the big box
stores! And since all Nepute’s meats are
Winneman meats, you know you are getting
good quality. Stock my freezer please!
“We have several regular customers from
quite a distance that have a grocery store in
their town, but they come here because of
our pricing and quality,” Nepute remarked.
“We love for people to visit and find out
what we’re about.”
Nepute’s Market carries a wide variety of
dairy products as well including milk,
yogurt, cheeses, ice cream, sour cream,
cottage cheese, butter and eggs.
Produce is also a big seller: lettuce,
peppers, cabbage, onions, celery, a variety of
fruits - and when in season, strawberries,
locally grown garlic and tomatoes, squash
and much more.
Something else that has propelled the
popularity of Nepute’s Market is their deli.
Whether you want quality cheeses and meats
by the pound to take home, or a sandwich
made for your lunch that day... Nepute’s
Market can meet those needs. Included in
the deli is a selection of sides such as pasta
and potato salads.
“I make the mustard potato salad myself
and it’s a popular item,” Nepute said.
“People love our checkerboard cheese too
but dill Havarti is the best seller from the
deli.”
The deli offers a different lunch special
every day which is limited to soups, salads
and sandwiches - and the soups are now also
available in homemade bread bowls.
If you call ahead Nepute’s will make your
lunch to order and have it ready for pick-up
when arrive.
All the breads used at Nepute’s come
from D&K Bakery next door, and those
breads are for sale at the market as well.
Nepute’s Market offers a nice selection of
basic items and several unqiue items - such
as Hogs-n-Heat barbecue sauce - plus many
frozen products such as seasoned french
fries, ravioli, italian beef, meatballs and so
much more.
Rural main street America may be struggling to survive, but downtown in Mt. Olive
is revitalizing. Nepute’s Market joins D&K
Bakery, From My House to Yours Antique &
Vintage, Stephanie’s Cafe, Sullivan’s Drug
Store, Little Italys Pizza, The Bodie Shoppe
and several other locally owned businesses
on Main Street.
If quality grocery items with great prices
in a friendly atmosphere isn’t enough to get
you to Mt. Olive, perhaps the Christmas
Extravaganza at Nepute’s will. The Christmas Extravaganza will be on Saturday,
December 6 in the building adjacent to the
market and features vendors such as Mary
Kay, Avon, Pampered Chef, Miche and others selling candles, jewelry, lotions, ceramics, home decor, holiday food mixes, wine
accessories and more. The Angel Lighthouse
Foundation will be present and there will be
a live spinning wheel demonstration all day.
Their is no admission charge to the extravaganza and it will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Nepute’s Market & Deli is located at 107
E. Main in Mount Olive. They are open
8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and
Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information call 217-999-DELI (3354) or find
them on Facebook.
Buzzin’ Around the Kitchen
Cranberry sauce
from scratch
Written by Barbara Stuffington
How many of you have made cranberry
sauce from scratch? I do understand that it
is easier to use a can opener than to make
your own however, it tastes so much better
when you do it yourself. Really it doesn’t
take up much time, require many tools or
many ingredients either. Keeping things
simple highlights the natural flavor of this
fruit and preserves the good stuff inside it.
Since the early 2000’s the global food
industries have been marketing cranberries
as a "super fruit" due to their nutrient content
and antioxidant qualities. Ninety five percent
of cranberries are processed into juices and
sauce. Those juices are used for everything
from breakfast to cosmopolitans. This is
kind of like the commercials you see for the
sweater that you can wear to work and then
what, turn wrong side out and go clubbing in
- making the cranberry a versatile super
fruit!
Cranberry sauce may be made several days in advance so it won’t jam up your
Thanksgiving Day time line either.
Ingredients:
1 lb of cranberries fresh or frozen,
this is usually 4 cups
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of water
2 teaspoons of vanilla
½ teaspoon of salt
Directions
Place the berries and the water in a pan and
simmer, stirring occasionally, until the
berries burst, then remove from heat. If you
would like smoother sauce put the contents
of pan through a food mill. This will remove
the peels and some of the seeds. If you
would like the peels, skip this step, smashing
them with the back of your spoon and move
onto putting all the rest of the ingredients
back into the sauce pan with the berries, turning the heat on low until you dissolve the
sugar and refrigerate after you finish up.
See, I told you, easy stuff!
So this week when you find yourself in
the produce section, grab a bag or two of
cranberries and make your own sauce this
year! You will be the talk of the day!
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Above: Vintage 159 is home to a wonderfully eclectic mix of antiques,
vintage, restored, repurposed and rescued items and much more.
Paula Picard (left) and Niki Tarrence (right) turned their
love of junk into a friendship, and then a business. Their
new store, Vintage 159 is located on Highway 159 in Maryville,
affordable access to
incredible Finds for
Vintage lovers
New Store - Vintage 159 In Maryville
Written by Nicole Plegge
It was a love of junk that turned two
strangers into friends. And it was this friendship that turned their passion for vintage into
Vintage 159, a thriving new shop in
Maryville.
In March 2014, Paula Picard of Maryville
and Niki Tarrence of Collinsville met in
a picker’s meetup group, spending their
weekends rummaging through garage sales
across Southern Illinois, each searching for
perceived treasures among what others
considered trash.
Picard, who sells handmade, humorous
vintage-tinged magnets, ornaments and
greeting cards through Etsy, is an antiques
lover, intrigued by the stories that lie within
each item.
Tarrence loves to repurpose and upcycle
discarded furniture and décor, breathing new
life into each piece with a little paint, some
ingenuity and a lot of talent to discover the
beauty hidden beneath.
The two decided to combine their skills
and stockpile of enviable picks into a business that would allow them to share their
infatuations with others.
In just six weeks, Picard and Tarrence
transformed an old house in Maryville into
a charming little store, stocked it with their
vintage finds and handmade creations from
local vendors, and opened the doors to Vintage 159, delighting shoppers in Madison
County and beyond.
hidden treasures Discovered
Travel through the rooms of Vintage 159
and you’ll find unique vintage goods,
antiques, gifts, and upcycled decor that
reflect your personality, not place you in the
homogenized box that chain stores drop their
shoppers into. Vintage is a style that’s nearly
impossible to truly replicate, allowing your
home to stand out with one-of-a-kind conversation pieces.
“Vintage 159 is stocked by a variety of
means,” said Picard. “We love to ‘pick,’ so
Left: Paul and Niki love burlap bags! If you need them for your craft
projects - they have them. They are the perfect size to make window
valances or pillows (or pillow cases) or cut them up for other
assorted fun upcycling projects. They can help you with ideas.
we’re always out trying to find amazing vintage finds for our customers. In addition, we
have a fabulous group of vendors who help
us stock the store. A lot of it is vintage goods,
but we also carry a nice selection of quality
handmade items from very talented artists.”
Added Tarrence, “We offer some vintageinspired items too – new items with a vintage
look or theme. We don’t bring anything into
the shop that we’re not madly in love with.
All of our vendors and artists are from the
area, and it’s important to us to become an
integral part of our local community.”
Vintage 159’s mix is quite eclectic,
featuring everything from handcrafted
jewelry and charms by local favorite Crow
Steals Fire to homemade Panda Bear Candles to children’s tutus crafted with love by
Lori Rehg of Little Divas. There is also
a barn stocked with items from “pickers extraordinaire” who have discovered incredible
finds on their numerous scavenges.
“Using vintage is easy, fun and affordable,” Picard remarked. “We have so many
unique displays at Vintage 159 - if you need
some inspiration, just stop in the store and
we’ll be happy to help you begin to incorporate vintage style into your home.”
The proprietress’ eye for style and their
impeccable customer service is driving Vintage 159’s continual growth. The second
story now houses repurposed and upcycled
furniture from Tarrence and other local
crafters, offering shoppers two floors of
vintage goods. They’re also expanding
online with a Vintage 159 store on Etsy housing an eclectic mix of items unavailable in
the bricks and mortar store.
One Saturday a month, Vintage 159 hosts
a Lil’ Vintage Flea market in the front yard,
welcoming vendors from across the region
to set up booths. While the market is on
hiatus for the winter, Picard and Tarrence
promise even more events this spring.
In addition, they can regularly be seen at
vintage and craft events across the metro
area, including Craftober Fest in St. Louis
and Strange Folk Festival in O’Fallon, Ill.
Knowing the trend toward vintage continues to push the price tag higher and higher
for many pieces, Picard and Terrance are
cognizant of their customers’ pocketbooks
and strive to provide everyone access to oneof-a-kind pieces.
“One thing we’re both passionate about
is styling on a budget,” said Tarrence.
“We carry a line of chalk paint powder to
allow you to make your own chalk paint at
a low cost and transform your furniture to
give it a vintage look. We’re filling the store
with affordable options and offering DIY
supplies so people can create their own crafts
– things like inexpensive vintage fabrics,
found objects like old hardware and keys,
and burlap bags. You can bring out your own
creativity and style with just a little elbow
grease.”
Vintage 159, located at 4979 US Highway 159 in Maryville, is open from 10 a.m.
to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to
5 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on
Sunday. For more information, call 618-4099660 or follow them on Facebook Vintage159Online.
For Picard and Terrance, Vintage 159 is a
culmination of their style and their drive to
rescue amazing pieces from the dump in
order to provide them new lives in the homes
of fellow vintage lovers.
“Our love of vintage was first and the
store came after,” said Picard. “When customers come in, it’s our hope that they see
the love and passion for items that would
have otherwise ended up in a landfill.”
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One of the photos on the 2015 Build Benld Calendar. The calendars are for sale for just $10 each.
Reviving the Small Town
Citizens in Benld committed to revitalization of historic town
Benld, Illinois is small town in Macoupin
County, located on IL Route 4 between
Staunton and Gillespie. Benld is named after
Ben L. Dorsey. There are several colorful
stories explaining how the "Ben" and the
"L", first letter of his middle initial, and the
"D", first letter of his last name, became
"Benld" but nobody knows for sure, if in fact,
any of them are true. It is fact, though, that
Ben L. Dorsey is buried in the Benld City
Cemetery.
In 1902 the Superior Coal Company,
owned by Chicago & Northwestern Railroad
Company, began to open coal mines in the
area. People from many countries came to
work the mines and raise their families.
These countries included Austria, Bohemia,
Croatia, England, France, Galecia, Germany,
Greece, Ireland, Italy, Russia and others.
One of those settlers was Andrew
Sosenko, who was hoping to find employment and a home for his family in Montana
or Wyoming. Instead he found the coal
mines of Benld and shared this information
with his relatives and friends. Word quickly
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spread to the Slavic people that there was
a golden opportunity for them in this section
of Macoupin County. As a direct result os
his networking, many Russian families
settled in Benld, numbering about 40 by the
beginning of 1907, with more following.
But the immigrants missed the temples
and cathedrals of their homeland and realized
that here their children would grow up as
strangers to their own religion. On March 3,
1907 the effort began to establish a parish in
Benld for the Orthodox Catholic Christians.
However, though spiritually rich, the people
were materially poor and fundraising was not
easy. Still, with faith and perseverance,
construction on the first building, a frame
structure that included relics and icons from
Russia, began in the summer of 1907.
In 1915 a fire destroyed that church, but
members persevered and built the brick
structure that still stands today. Holy Dormition is the only Russian Orthodox Church
west of the Mississippi under the Russian
Patriarchate.
Benld had several churches in town dur-
ing that time but it had more taverns. History
shows that wherever a large group of men
gather to work, the vices of the world are
soon to follow. Liquor, gambling and prostitution are always at the top of that list. Benld
specialized in all three.
A high stakes card came game could be
found at any given time in the back rooms of
just about any tavern. In a town where illegal
activity and easy money are prevalent, organized crime is sure to be found. Benld was no
exception, and so it was that one of the most
infamous gangsters of the 1920’s - Al
Capone - ran the rackets in Benld, ruling the
town with an iron fist.
Just prior to or shortly after the beginning
of World War I (1914 to 1919) Dominic
Tarro and his brother Ben opened Tarro
Brother’s Grocery. Ben ran the store while
Dominic served in the 267th Aero squadron
but upon his return Dominic also opened
a small roller skating rink downtown.
Dominic quickly formed a relationship
with the gangsters in town and soon became
the head of the bootleg liquor racket in the
area. He used the disguise of the grocery
store to purchase yeast and sugar for distilling. These supplies were then distributed to
the illegal liquor stills in Macoupin and
Montgomery Counties. The remoteness of
the location and the gang’s grip on the area
made it perfect for just such an operation.
Business was very profitable throughout the
decade.
The roller rink burned to the ground in
1924 so Dominic and Ben decided to replace
the roller rink with a new building. This
building became the famous Coliseum Ballroom. The Coliseum had the biggest dance
floor (10,000 square feet) between Chicago
and St. Louis and hosted most of the bigname big bands along with the mega-stars of
popular music from era. Situated along old
Route 66 (now Illinois Route 4) on the western edge of Benld it is said to have attracted
crowds that sometimes topped 2,000, drawing patrons from all over central Illinois, metropolitan St. Louis and beyond.
In 1929 Dominic Tarro was indicted by
the Federal Courts in Springfield, IL for
being the distributor of illegal liquor making
supplies for the local bootleggers. More indictments came in 1930 and it was rumored
that Tarro had become a witness for the state
and had turned his books over as evidence.
The same day he posted bond, he disappeared. His partially burned and bullet ridden vehicle was later found along a road near
Mason City, but his body could not be
located. Several months later boaters on the
Sangamon River came upon the floating
body of a man in a state of heavy decomposition. The body had wire bound around the
hands and feet. Another wire was wrapped
around the neck, pulling the victim’s head to
his knees. Family members identified the
body of Dominic Tarro by some of the clothing left on the body plus cuff links and other
marks on the body. He was laid to rest on
May 6, 1930 in Mayfield Cemetery in
Carlinville.
The Coliseum was gutted by fire on
The Coliseum Ballroom hosted most of the big-name big bands along
with the mega-stars of popular music from the 1920s and beyond.
It was gutted by fire in August of 2011 and eventually torn down.
August 1, 2011, suffering the same fate as the
skating rink. The remains of the building
have since been torn down but Dominic
Tarro’s legacy still lives on in the sleepy
town of Benld. Rumor has it that Dominic,
and possibly his daughter Joyce, still frequent the area, albeit in another form.
Joyce Tarro was the owner of the Coliseum Ballroom when she was shot and killed
on February 19, 1976 after exchanging gunfire with intruders in her home. Historical
records indicate that Tarro entered her home
from the back and noticed the kitchen door
was ajar. Tarro and a witness (one of her employees) saw a person’s reflection in the
glass of the door. Tarro reportedly pulled out
a gun and fired several times at the intruder.
The witness ran and hid in the bushes as gun
fire was returned. After the shooting had
subsided, the witness ran from the bushes
and called police from a nearby house. The
killers escaped in a small, foreign-made car.
An autopsy showed Tarro was fatally struck
from the left side by three penetrating .32
caliber shells that entered her heart and
lungs. There were also two shots entering
her left wrist and thumb from the left side.
Three people were later arrested and charged
with burglary, theft, armed robbery and murder.
Other notable events that put the small
town of Benld on the map include a meteorite that landed in Benld on September 29,
1938. This marked only the third meteorite
to land in Illinois since records were kept.
The meteorite was also one of the few known
meteorites to strike a man-made object,
punching a hole in the roof of Edward McCain's garage and embedding itself in the
seat of his 1937 Pontiac Coupe. The meteorite and portions of the car are now on
display at the Field Museum of Natural
History in Chicago
Now you know a little about Benld, so let
me tell you why I shared this with you...
Like many towns that once thrived, Benld
is slowly diminishing instead of growing.
The common reason, as for most towns, is
that the older generation has either moved
away or passed on, and the younger generation have moved back to the cities.
What can be done about these small
towns that were once a comforting community? What can we do to help them not just
survive, but thrive?
A group of citizens is working on a solution to that for Benld. The answer is Build
Benld, a committee of concerned citizens
that was created in 2010 with a goal to build
a town in which its residents can take pride
in, and that is productive now and for future
generations. The objective is to focus on
neighborhood growth and prosperity with an
aim towards creating a better environment
for citizens of all ages. Their mission is to
increase economic development, develop
tourism attractions, preserve cultural and historical heritage, improve services and
encourage each member of the community
to participate in and support these activities.
“Volunteers are so important, whether it’s
in our little town of Benld, or whatever town
you live in,” said Lynn Fraelle, Chairman of
Build Benld. “Everyone has an area of expertise that can be helpful, regardless of age,
occupation or income and it’s important to
support your community. It’s not all about
work - it’s fun too - and being excited and
passionate about something you believe in.”
Some of the activities completed or in
progress by Build Benld include the addition
of Gazebo Park. The Gazebo was finished
in June of 2012 and Build Benld is now
ready to start a new campaign for adding
dedication memorial names to two new
board signs. Memorial names will be put on
board for a $20 donation each.
The group is currently selling Benld
2015 Calendars for just $10 each, featuring
great Benld historical photographs, each with
detailed descriptions. Benld memorabilia
postcards are also available for $1.00 each.
“Jim Marcacci with Sound Images 4 U,
a huge supporter of Build Benld, has done a
superb job of reviving historical photos for
our calendar and postcards,” Fraelle added.
“Both the calendars and postcards make
great keepsakes and gifts.”
Build Benld will sponsor their 4th Annual
Senior Citizens Christmas Dinner, scheduled
for Sunday, December 7th at the Benld Civic
Center.
“Over 100 Benld resident seniors are
served every year at this free-to-seniors event
and provided with gifts and meals,” Fraelle
added.
For Valentine's Day (February 14, 2015),
Build Benld is sponsoring an evening of
music and dancing featuring New Horizons
Music Orchestra (Big Band Music) at the
Holy Dormition in Benld is the only Russian Orthodox Church west of the Mississippi
under the Russian Patriarchate. The 107-year-old cathedral is currently being converted
into a monastery that will house nuns and be the site for retreats and outreach programs.
Gillespie Civic Center. The event will include to include a social hour and a cash bar.
A tried and true event for the group is
their always popular Annual Craft Fair &
Flea Market. This will be the fifth year for
the market and it will be held at the Benld
Civic Center on Saturday, May 9, 2015.
Approximately 48 vendors are on hand each
year selling stained glass, hand-weaved
products, silverware chimes, framed art and
pictures, trend-setting craft items, antique
glassware as well as baked goods.
Build Benld is also supporting the maintenance and continuance of the 107-year-old
Holy Dormition Cathedral that was mentioned earlier. Church rules say that any unused building must be torn down, but being
appreciative of Holy Dormition’s rich history, Russian Orthodox officials have agreed
to allow the church and surrounding structures to be converted into a monastery. After
completion the site would be open for
retreats, outreach programs and public activities, making the monastery a nice boost to
economic development. Much work is yet
to be done to prepare for the arrival of the
nuns and to realize this goal. Build Benld is
encouraging locals to help with clean up days
at the church property and patronize fund
raising events such as a bake sale that is
being planned for next month. Residents and
tourists to the Benld area have long admired
the church and the Build Benld Committee
believes it will be a strong drawing card for
those participating in the Route 66 Blue
Carpet Corridor Festival.
Last but not least on the “to do” list for
Build Benld is The Route 66 Blue Carpet
Corridor Festival scheduled for June 13-15,
2015. The theme is "Miners, Mobsters and
the Mother Road" and Build Benld committee members have been working participation in the festival for over a year now.
Silhouette dancers and a Coliseum Ballroom
kiosk have been installed at the intersection
of Routes 138 and IL Route 4. During the
cruise-in festival a welcome tent with memorabilia for sale will be set up across the
street from these displays to encourage participants to stop in Benld. The Route 66
Blue Carpet Corridor Festival is anticipated
to be a huge event for Benld and many other
communities. Watch for more information
in upcoming issues of The Buzz Magazine or
your local newspaper.
To find out more about Build Benld, including how to volunteer, visit www.buildbenld.org, email [email protected] or
like them on Facebook. The Holy Dormition
Orthodox Parish has a Facebook page as
well.
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Hillsboro Chamber
Presents the 5th annual
Beer Pairings Event
The Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce is
excited to present the 5th Annual Beer Pairings event featuring beers brewed by
Schlafly Brewing located in St. Louis paired
with cheeses locally made by Marcoot Jersey
Creamery in Greenville. The pairing event
will take place at the Hillsboro Moose Lodge
on Saturday, November 8, 2014 at 6:00 pm.
This exquisite pairing event will highlight
four different kinds of cheese each paired
with a different style of Schlafly craft beer.
A representative from the brewery will be
present to give a history on each style of beer
as well as a representative from the creamery
to give history on the cheese and the pairing.
Cost to attend is $25/person.
The evening will also feature a silent
auction with a variety of items from big to
small and in a wide price range. Donations
are still needed for the silent auction.
Reservations are required by calling the
Chamber office 217-532-371, by emailing
the chamber at [email protected] or online at www.hillsborochamber.net. This event is open to the public.
Visit Facebook.com/HillsboroCOC for
more information or to donate to the silent
auction.
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The Book Buzz
Give Thanks for Good Books
and The Freedom to read Them
Written by Barbara Adams
The costumes are put away and the last
of the candy sits in the bottom of the bowl.
The once bright and shining smile of the
jack-o-lantern is now a squished face on your
porch. Halloween is in the rear view mirror
and that means it's time for Christmas, right?
BUT WAIT! We have one other holiday to
observe before then! So hold your jingle
bells and lets give thanks this month for the
many blessings and freedoms we have.
Including, of course, the freedom to read
whatever you want without censorship. Any
book, any author, any time - without fear of
repercussion. Stroll into any bookstore and
buy Mein Kampf, or the Koran, or Lolita.
From Rush Limbaugh to Al Franken. So let's
be thankful for that freedom and thankful for
these great new books.
It was 1989 when John Grisham burst
onto the literary scene with the first in a long
string of legal thrillers with A Time To Kill,
The Firm, The Pelican Brief. Now he's back
with Gray Mountain - which Big Coal might
wish they could censor. It's 2008 and attorney Samantha Kofer loses her job at a highpower Wall Street law firm due to the
recession. She takes a one year, no pay, job
at a legal aid clinic in Brady, Virginia, with
a chance that she might be able to get her old
job back. She finds herself in the heart of
Appalachia, coal country, and learning what
real lawyers do for people with real problems. But remember, this is coal country, and
Samantha soon learns the real impact of Big
Coal on the lives of her clients and on the
communities in which they live. Nestled
within some typical Grisham "preaching" on
the matter of Big Coal and Big Government,
a polarizing subject in Central Illinois, is
a dark legal thriller with the main character
putting her life on the line to get to the
bottom of the secrets she uncovers.
And speaking of dark, another of our
favorite authors is back to his original form
with The Revival. Stephen King, our most
prolific and successful horror writer, has
returned to his dark and terrifying ways in
this new novel that follows the lives of two
residents of a sleepy New England town over
five decades. Six year old Jamie Morton
meets the Reverend Charles Jacobs and his
beautiful wife when they come to town and
transform the church. The Reverend's wife
and child are later lost in a horrific accident
and Jamie drifts away from his religious
upbringing and his hometown. The two next
meet when Jamie is in his mid-thirties and is
a heroin addict, and Jacobs has lost his faith
and is trying to tap into the secrets of the universe and "God's doorway to the infinite"
with electrical experiments - which are hiding his twisted secret. With supernatural
twists and turns, with madness and frenzy,
the two characters clash in an epic Stephen
King climax.
Another popular modern author, Jodi Picoult, has just released her latest novel, Leaving Time. Jenna Metcalfe's mother disappears
after a tragic accident where an animal handler was trampled by an elephant. Jenna has
never stopped wondering what happened to
her mother. She pours herself into her
mother's journals (she was a researcher
studying elephants), for clues, and enlists the
help of a psychic and a detective to help
solve the mystery. A tender and thoughtprovoking story of love and loss, with issues
of memory and brain function wellresearched by Picoult, this well told and
interesting story will delight fans of Picoult's
works.
And not to forget the Little Ones, there's
a great new kids book rocking the bestseller
list these days. And this is a book that rein-
forces that a kids book is what you make it.
Reminiscent of the fun we had with Press
Here and its sequel, Mix It Up!, by Herve
Tullet, this is another book that has you wondering if you really need that iPad and those
apps to be interactive with the kids. Sit down
with The Book With No Pictures (B.J.
Novak) and a kid on your lap and you'll get
all the interaction you need. Cleverly sparse,
this book requires the reader (that's you, dad)
to exaggerate, emote, inflect, cajole and
more, the simple, silly words and commands
on each page. The voice of a monkey you
say? Blork? Blurf? Every word on every
page has to be read and the kids take great
delight in making you do just that. What isn't
clear about this book is whether the joke's on
them - or on you! Turn off the electronic
devices - go old school - and try this good
old-fashioned hardback, real-paper-pages,
book for oodles of fun.
And what would November be without
the newest (and maybe the last?) Diary of
a Wimpy Kid release? In The Long Haul by
Jeff Kinney, released November 4th, our
favorite wimpy kid, Greg Heffley, and his
family hit the road for, obviously, The Long
Haul. Your pre-teens will want this volume
to finish out this super-popular series.
So while we give thanks for the roof over
our head and the food on our table, we also
give thanks for the authors who write great
books, and good books, and for this great
country that gives you the right to read whatever you want. Thanks for books! Thanks for
the freedom to read!
Barbara Adams is an attorney and the
owner of Books & Moore in Hillsboro,
the only independent bookseller of new
books in Montgomery County.
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Come Home for
Christmas in a
normal rockwell Town
Greenville Kicks Off the Holiday Season
Come Home for Christmas is an annual
event sponsored by the Greenville Business
and Professionals Association (GBPA) to
kick off the christmas season and to highlight
the beautiful downtown area. The event will
be held this year on Saturday November 29th
from 5:30-9:00 p.m.
The evening starts with a special performance by Greenville High School's Select
Choir before Santa and Mrs Claus arrive to
light up the downtown square and courthouse in traditional style. Santa and Mrs.
Claus will stay for the evening so the children to give them their lists and have thier
pictures taken.
There will be street vendors and children's activities and crafts, and plenty of food
and shopping in the downtown business staying open late and offering special discounts,
a toy train show, a free movie for the children
and many other ways to get into the Christmas spirit.
Carollers, strolling musicians and horse
drawn carriage rides help give the evening
an old fashioned Christmas feel.
The Greenville Women’s Club (GWC)
will also be presenting a plaque to the community to be placed at the courthouse commemorating the donors that gave $1,000 and
$500 gifts to install the courthouse lights.
On Sunday, November 30th, GWC will
host their 40th Annual Christmas Homes
Tour from 1-5 pm. Advance tickets are $10
and available at Watson’s Drugstore and
Bradford National Bank in Greenville. Tickets will be sold the day of the event for $15
at the Greenville College Art Center on
Beaumont Avenue. You can park there and
Bond County Transit will provide transportation between the houses, or you can catch the
bus at any of the homes. Refreshments will
be served at the Mt. Nebo Church where the
Greenville High School Select Choir, dressed
in Elizabethan period clothing, will be
performing until 4:430 p.m.
The homes on this year’s tour include:
Matt & tiffany Mendanhall, 320 North
1st Street - This two-story home has bee in
the downtown neighborhood since 1920.
A professor at the college, Warner
McMullen, lived in it for years. Matt and
Tiffany were Greenville College students
who married in 2000. They purchased the
home in 2005. The Mendenhall home will
feature over 20 decorated Christmas trees of
various sizes and themes and over 60 Nativity collections. An interesting hallway wall
display is a vintage window frame from a
1920s house that displays photos taken by
Matt. Antique quilts will also be on display
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that were cut, pieced and stitched by Matt’s
grandmother.
glenda Morgan, 1177 Terrapin Ridge Glenda and Tom Morgan started work on
their new home located on a 5- acre plot in
1996. Both were Master Carpenters and finished off most of the interior themselves,
which is Glenda’s favorite, knotty pine. Tom
completed the ceiling and Glenda not only
built the corner fireplace, but fashioned the
master bedroom headboard as well. Unfortunately Tom passed away in 2007 but
Glenda still lives in the home they crafted together She is a collector of a wide variety of
items from roosters to tigers to many things
in between. One of her largest and most extensive collections is of copper. You will
find copper throughout the home, including
the kitchen ceiling. Her decor, beautifully
styled southwestern designs, will include
several Christmas trees with copper decorations.
valerie and James kleinke, 664 Mt.
Nebo Ave - This 1920s home was purchased
by the Kleinke’s at an auction and much of
the beautifully restorations were done by the
couple themselves, with help from both sets
of parents, including stripping and re-varnishing all of the woodwork. James, a talented craftsman, made many of the
furnishings in the home.
Michael and Jennifer Mitchell, 991 IL
Route 140 - This custom built log home features a 21’ stone chimney and a heavy timbered handmade staircase leading to
a daring, open second story catwalk. The interior design was created and crafted by the
Mitchells and their parents. The home features all natural wood and a large cedar tree
fireplace mantle. Interesting features include
granite ware in the kitchen, unique light fixtures fashioned from antique milk strainers
and a family heirloom quilt.
Mt nebo primitive baptist Church,
582 Mt. Nebo Ave - This church was the first
church of any faith organized in Old Ripley
township. The first meeting house was a
hewed log building, erected in 1835, which
was said to be the largest building every built
in Bond County was destroyed by fire. The
present building was built in 1881. This stop
will feature refreshments and Christmas entertainment by the Greenville High School
Select Chorus while dressed in Elizabethan
period clothing.
The Greenville Women’s Club welcomes
new members. They only sponsor two or
three projects a year and membership is just
$10 annually. For more information contact
Barbara Smith, President Pro-tem, at
618-780-4867.
Pictured above are three of the five homes that will be featured during the
40th Annual Holiday Homes Tours in Greenville on Sunday, November 30th.
The event is sponsored by the Greenville Women’s Club.
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Part iii of: My recollection of
White City History
For the last 75 years and before
Written by Roger Kratochvil
Last month I left you with the words
Linders, Bill Altfeld, and Rag Man. So let
me elaborate...
Linders was a traveling salesman who
came by with a small panel truck and sold
cloth, thread, and just about everything else
to the customers. He was much like a Fuller
brush man.
Bill Altfeld lived in a small shack on the
creek at the bottom of Kings Lake road. He
wore the bibbed overalls and smoked a pipe.
For us kids, he was like Uncle Remus and
told many exciting stories. I will mention
him again.
The rag man was a person who during
World War II came by ever so often to pick
up rags for the war effort. He was much like
the junk man who stopped at the villagers to
pick up iron, copper, etc. They did not pay
much, but it was more than we had before.
Some other unfinished information has
that White City had two filling stations in its
history. They both are before my time and
one was on Route 138 by the White City
sign. The other one was by the Block Tavern. At one time, the one on the highway was
run by the Vogts (Vic and Gene). Oltman
Brothers, I understand owned the highway
one and it was a Skelly Gas brand. Before
the Vogts, it was run by the Thiessen family.
Also, an ice cream, sort of convenience
store, was located in the southwest section of
White City and it was owned by George
Kernich and Joe Korunka.
This month I want to talk about the role
of sports in White City. From the very first
time my sister, Mary Ann, took us out into
the orchard to play baseball after supper,
I knew that would be a major part of our life.
The village seemed to be suited more for
football and baseball than any other sports.
As far as basketball is concerned, we had
a basket in our orchard with a 5 gallon bucket
for a basket, but if we played basketball it
was probably across the tracks at Rich Petro-
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line’s house. His uncle Charlie, put up a real
basket for us to play on and show our “talent.” There were a lot of heated games
played on that court.
Rich and his cousin Bob Tun were two of
the better players along with brother Don.
Rich and Bob literally battled through many
of the games. I loved basketball but was not
very good. My son Tim who scored a lot of
points (over 1450) in high school asked me
how many points I scored in high school.
I told him my senior year it was 21 points.
He asked if that was my average per game
that year. I said, no, that is the total number
of points I scored all year. By the time I got
football out of me, the basketball season was
over.
When Mt. Olive High School had some
lean years in football, people would say to
me that we need more players from White
City and the east end of Mt. Olive. There
was a lot of truth to that statement.
As a coal mining town, White City was
a great breeding ground for football players.
In 1953, Mt. Olive High School beat
Collinsville High School in their homecoming game. We were referred to by the
Collinsville fans as those coal miners from
Mt. Olive.
From the very first sandlot football games
in the tickle grass on the White City ball
diamond, we were destined to be football
players because we had a lot of great football
players to look up too. By the way, tickle
grass would stick in your pants and shirts
causing a tickle. In the late 1930’s White
City contributed a number of players to the
two consecutive undefeated football teams at
the high school. I understand all of the lineman except one ( Tom Zupsich, Lamar
Hagan, Voin Kostich, Sully Slapak, Poison
Korbelik, Vic Vogt) were from White City
and they were the blockers for the great Egan
Yurkovich and his fellow backs with two of
them from White City (Tony Bellovich and
Joe Zupsich). The quarterback was Ken
Goldacker from Mt. Olive. Speaking of
Yurkovich, White City has contributed
a number of great running backs in high
school. Luka Polovich and Af Zupsich (a
broken leg kept him from further greatness)
are two who come to mind. But many
observers of Wildcat football have often
argued as to whether Egan was better than
Jerome “Ozzie” Osmoe or vice versa. I did
not have the privilege to see either play, so
I am neutral.
Obviously, the high school has had many
great backs but the old timers still debate
which was best. Sometimes, football players
would go to grade school, then work a year
or two in the mine, and then go to high
school thus making them a little older in high
school. All towns had that. About 15 years
ago I talked to the great athlete, Johnny Orr,
from Taylorville. He had a great career as
a player and then basketball coach at the
University of Michigan. When he found out
where I came from he reminded me of how
tough those coal miners from White City/
Mt. Olive were to play. He was from a coal
mining family and he knew about hard nose
Wildcat football. After that, my chest stuck
out just a little further.
I was fortunate to have been a student and
player during the 1952-1955 seasons when
Mt. Olive won the tough South Central
conference all four years and White City
contributed to that success. For White City,
the undefeated years of the 1930’s seem to
be the most interesting and talked about.
Egan Yurkovich told me that pound for
pound, “Poison” Korbelich was the toughest
lineman he had ever seen. Maynard O’Brien
was the football coach at that time and he
was intimidating and tough, and not immune
from using his fists to make a point. He and
Poison did not always get along. O’Brien
later went to Eastern IL University. The football stadium is now named after him. He
only coached the Wildcats for three seasons
with his last one being undefeated He left
the fourth year and went to Carlinville.
Mt. Olive was undefeated that year too,
defeating Carlinville when there star running
back was knocked out of the game early.
O’Brien came out on the field and immediately blamed Poison for knocking his star out
of the game. It is possible that could have
happened. He was my neighbor, but I cannot
honestly say that I knew him. Roy Colin was
Mt. Olive coach that year and he left after
one year to be replaced by Harold Jester.
An interesting story told to me by one of
the deceased members of that team involved
the last game of the season. The White City
players always walked to the high school.
One time when they were passing Pechar’s
tavern, the owner asked the boys if they
wanted to try out a new wine he had just
made. The players took him up on his offer
and then they went on their way to the game.
On the opening kickoff, the White City
kicker missed the ball causing an opening
game penalty.
The question, of course, is why did he
miss the ball. Your opinion of why is just as
good as mine.
The Wildcats did go on to win and establish another undefeated season. All of those
players were hard nosed and tough players.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Now let’s talk about Grasshopper Park,
Beehive and Omer Poos...
Grasshopper Park was the name of the
baseball field on the north side of the tracks
between the mine and Route 138. I can only
guess how it got its name.
Beehive was a two story boarding house
on the far north end of town, north and west
of town.
Omer Poos was one of the village’s distinguished citizens. He became a United
States federal judge and the library at
St. Louis University is named after him.
When it came to baseball, the little village
of 300 people had super teams. Because this
is White City history, I will only mention
White City people who played even though
a large number of great area players, especially from Mt. Olive, played for White City.
Besides my dad who the Vuckovichs remembered as an outstanding pitcher, my
boyhood hero was Charlie ”Mose” Brabec.
I don’t know how much younger I was than
him, but he never seem to be a lot older. He
was a crafty left handed pitcher who thrilled
White City fans with his pitching. When he
was not pitching baseball or working in the
mine, he played catch with us, tossed
marbles, and told great sport stories.
In the late 1940’s, my brother and I were
batboys for the team and we knew then that
we wanted to someday play for White City.
We would go home after those games and
pitch and catch in the driveway. I would
have to be the catcher which probably was
Joe Kratochvil or Tony Bellovich, and Donnie would always be Mose. We played our
own game. We had some tough games in our
yard when other kids came over to play.
I remember playing ball in our yard one
eventful day when I was about 10 years old.
I was pitching and John Mihelcic was batting. He hit a shot at me that hit me in the
mouth, busted one half of one of my front
teeth and put a gash in my chin. I don’t
know if we were hard nosed or not very
bright, because the ball we were using was a
croquet ball. My mom just laid me on the
couch with an ice bag on my mouth. The
next day we played again, but this time used
a baseball. I have told my children and now
my grandchildren that the broken tooth in my
mouth, still there today, has allowed me to
learn to whistle three different ways and that
is true. I guess it still boils down to how you
look at things.
John Jubelt use to tell the story that when
he would deliver bakery goods to Popovich
Grocery during the summer, he could always
count on my brother and I sitting on the store
porch with our bats, balls, and gloves waiting
for our buddies to come and play ball on the
diamond. It always was a lot of fun and we
created our own games to play.
In a career where I had a lot of good
things happen to me in sports, one of my
biggest thrills took place in April of 1953,
just short of my 15th birthday. My family
and I were attending a dance at the Block
tavern. Nick Vuckovich, manager of the
White City team asked me if I would like to
play for the team. I was thrilled to death to
be able to put on that uniform. I couldn’t
sleep that night and I proudly wore it for 18
more years .
That first season I was complaining to my
Uncle Jerry, team scorekeeper and one of the
toughest scorekeepers ( in his mind, too hot
to handle was not a valid reason for a hit),
about not getting to play very much. He told
me that when you are good enough, you will
get your chance to play. I was naïve enough
to think I should play immediately. That was
the only year through a career of high school,
college, and semi-pro baseball, that spanned
over 20 years, that I sat on the bench. I was
an outfielder/pitcher and the outfield was
made up of Paul Vuckovich, Chisel
Popovich, and Nick Vuckovich. All three
were good enough to play professional baseball and did. The next year I got good
enough when Nick retired. Being the
youngest player, I was told by the two
veteran outfielders that my area to cover was
from where the right fielder was standing to
where the left fielder was standing. I played
center field and anything that went into the
alleys, I was to chase. Remember, no fences.
When you played out there, you had to be
thick skinned. The veterans wanted you to
do the job and no excuses. If you said you
tried and failed, that was not a valid reason.
They would ride you and if you survived,
it made you a better player. Some fell by the
wayside though.
They measured only success. If you
played the outfield, you tried your darndest
to keep the ball in front of you because if you
missed it, you had to chase it to the tavern.
There sat our fans, many very serious, who
had wagers with different neighboring fans
over the result of the game. Fortunately, we
did not lose very often. After the game, the
team congregated with their fans under
a shade tree where they enjoyed the spirits.
Until I was of age, I always had to drink a 15
cents B1 soda, similar to today’s 7-Up. That
was true because my dad was there to keep
an eye on me. One of my fond memories
was when I was a little older and in college,
and we played a road game, we would go to
a tavern near by. Paul Vuckovich use to
throw a $20 bill on the bar and the team
would drink off of it as a glass of beer cost
10 or 15 cents. I never had any money so
that was always welcomed. When I had
a date with my girlfriend from White City,
I very seldom had more that three or four
dollars. I hope she never knew that. But on
the other hand, maybe she thought
I was just cheap.
In all of my baseball experience, I still
rate Paul Vuckovich as one the best hitters
I have ever seen. But he was not alone.
Guys like Nick, Chisel, Joe Kratochvil, Bill
Mihelcic, Corky Plain, Alan Zippay, Jim
Tioni, Tony Bellovich, Paul Kaganich,
brother Don, “Boob” Kaganich, are all players that I saw play and enjoyed their skill and
competitiveness. I am sure there are many
others like Af Zupsich who I did not get to
see play. Brother Don, who was a real hard
throwing pitcher, once pitched a 37 inning
game over two consecutive Sundays. He
unfortunately lost the game by the final score
of 5 to 4.
Join me here next month in the December
issue of The Buzz Magazine for my final installment of My Recollection of White City
History for the Past 75 Years and Before..
Roger Kratochvil was born and raised in White
City. He has a Masters Degree in Secondary
Education, History and Educational Administration. A social studies teacher, high school football
coach, basketball and baseball coach for the
Mt. Olive High School. for 34 years, Roger
is now a speaker specializing in sports, labor
history, education and local history. He has authored numerous newspaper columns, like White
City History, For the Love of Trains, Pride of a
Coal Miner, Remembering the Class of 1956 and
others. Roger also served as a St. Louis Cardinal
Scout for over 20 years. You can contact Roger
via email at [email protected].
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Free Presentation on Kit Homes
Sponsored by Edwardsville Historic Preservation Commission
In 1914, Clarence and Florence Bickel
moved into their new Sears Roebuck and
Company Honor-Built Modern Home at 455
E. Vandalia. The house was ordered from the
Sears catalog and was shipped by train in
a sealed boxcar that contained a set of blueprints, a 75-page leather bound instruction
manual, and over 12,000 pieces of lumber,
paint, hardware, nails and the other materials. The kit had everything required to complete the house except electrical, plumbing
and heating materials which could be
ordered separately, from Sears,
of course.
Sears advertised that the
average owner could assemble
their home in about 90 days.
If they hired a contractor to build
it, they would save up to 40%
off the cost of labor because less
time was needed to build a precut house. Prospective kit home
owners had the option of ordering a kit through Sears, or one of
the other kit home companies
doing business during the same
era. In addition to house kits,
Sears also sold barns, corn cribs,
sheds, outhouses, vacation
cottages and other buildings.
Between 1908 and 1940,
Sears offered annual catalogs of
house plans that buyers could
peruse in their search to fulfill
the American dream. Particularly in the 1910s and 1920s,
thousands of Sears kit homes
were sold throughout the country, but especially in Illinois
where the company was headquartered. Over the years, Sears
offered 447 house designs that
could be reversed, enlarged,
combined, modified or otherwise customized, which makes
identification more difficult
today.
Two Sears homes in Edwardsville are pictured in Rosemary Thornton’s new book,
“Sears Homes of Illinois” (2010,
History Press). Thornton is one
of the country’s foremost authorities on kit homes, particularly
Sears homes. She has identified
two additional Edwardsville
Sears homes and says there are
a number of Aladdin homes in
Edwardsville as well. Aladdin
kit homes were sold by the Aladdin Company of Bay City,
Michigan. She has not reviewed
all of the older housing stock in
Edwardsville, so there are certainly more kit homes to be identified. Thornton cautions that
houses are often misidentified as
Sears homes.
Also pictured in “Sears
Homes of Illinois” is Model 172, the Sears
Hazelton. The Edwardsville version is
located at 409 Franklin Avenue and was built
for the E. Roy Neece family. The advertisement for this bungalow read “For $828 we
will furnish all the material to build this FiveRoom Bungalow, consisting of Lumber,
Lath, Shingles, Mill Work, Flooring, Ceiling,
Siding, China Closet, Finishing Lumber,
Building Paper, Pipe, Gutter, Sash Weights,
Hardware and Painting Material. NO EXTRAS as we guarantee enough material at
the above price to build this house according
to our plans.”
Thornton has also identified a Sears
Whitehall, Model C181, at 1014 Troy Road.
This home, built for the Reuben Glass family
was described as “a neat and roomy house at
a
very
low
price.”
Features
included “6 good rooms and bathroom,”
a large framed opening between living room
and dining room, and a pantry. The standard
kit contained clear (no knots) yellow pine
floors, millwork and doors. This was one of
This is a copy of a page out of a 1920s Sears Catalog advertising
one of their popular kit homes - The Hollywood.
the best selling designs for Sears. It sold for
$839 in 1916.
Thornton has written three books on
Sears homes meant to assist the public in
identifying kit houses that range from modest
cottages to homes clearly designed for
a more prosperous client. They were built in
cities and on farms across the country, and
since they were often built by the homeowner, there was a special pride in ownership.
In correspondence with Thornton, she
said that searching for Sears
and other kit homes is a labor
of love she is happy to share
with others. Information is
available free on her web site,
www.searshomes.org or in her
books, available through local
libraries and bookstores. Additional information can be found
at searsarchives.com.
Edwardsville’s Historic
Preservation Commission has
hired author Rosemary Thornton to survey the older neighborhoods of Edwardsville to
identify kit homes. The November survey will be followed
by a presentation at the Wildey
Theatre on Thursday, November 13 at 7 p.m. The free presentation, sponsored by Irma
August, real estate broker for
Berkshire Hathaway Home
Services, Elite Properties of
Edwardsville, is open to anyone
interested in kit homes.
Thornton’s presentation
will include an overview of kit
homes, describing how they
were sold, ordered and assembled. She will review the story
of kit homes in the context of
American residential architecture in the early 20th century
and a discuss their particular
importance and popularity in
our region. And she will, of
course, show the results of the
survey,
identifying
Edwardsville kit homes alongside photographs of the catalog
pages where the homes were
originally advertised.
Thornton
encourages
people to bring photographs of
their homes for review and will
be happy to discuss them afterwards at a book signing featuring her books on kit homes.
The Wildey Theatre,
a restored 1909 opera house, is
located at 252 N. Main Street in
Edwardsville.
For additional information, contact City Reinhardt
618-656-1294.
i November 2014
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31
Follow My Fitness
Cheeseburger Casserole
ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
another
Five Bite
the Dust
Salt and pepper
1/2 onion, chopped
6 slices of bacon
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped dill pickle
3 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup half and half
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Another 5 lbs that is. I know, my goal
was another 10 lbs but I’m still happy with
the 5. That makes a total of 21 lbs in two
months gone and kept off! I can’t be too
upset with that right?
Frankly, it could be a few more. I’ve gotten out of the habit of weighing daily because
I’ve been too busy getting this huge issue of
The Buzz out that other things than stepping
on the scale in the morning are on my mind.
And actually, I’m thinking there are few
more missing pounds. Because we’ve been
eating earlier in the evening, and I’ve been
ravenous every day for the past week... that
usually means I am losing weight for some
reason.
The longer I’ve been on this low carb life
style the easier it is too. Not easier to prepare
the meals, that still takes some time. But I
don’t think about the foods I used to love that
I can’t have now. Because I can usually find
a close substitute, or something even better.
Granted, nothing will ever take the place of
the cream horns made from scratch by
Gasperonis Italian in Livingston, but then
again, nothing can ever take the place of their
delicious pizza either. However, I’m perfectly content with my low carb pizza made
on top of a portobello mushroom, which
I shared with you last month.
Another new low carb recipe we tried
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November 2014
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recently was for cheeseburger
casserole. This was VERY good
and as I was eating it I imagined
that I could leave out the dill pickles and use sausage instead of hamburger and have a really tasty
breakfast casserole. I haven’t tried
that yet, but I soon will.
I’m still walking the dogs for about an
hour each day (well almost every day!)
because frankly, my life is much easier if
they are worn out, but it’s also good for me.
I have yet to get back into the routine of getting to the gym on a regular basis and incorporating strength training which I know is so
important for a woman my age (over 40....
not saying how MUCH over though), so
that’s one of my new goals - get a routine of
going to the gym again established this
month.
So the goals are, lose another 10 lbs, and
get back in the gym on a REGULAR basis.
That might not be so easy if you remember
that this month we have Thanksgiving. I can
do it though, I know I can!
Last but not least, remember last month’s
tip about if you’re looking for a sweet treat
that is also low carb, to try the peanut butter
cups by Atkins? Well now they also have
turtles that are just as good! Thank you
Atkins!
Trying using sausage instead of
hamburger, and leave out the dill
pickles for a tasty breakfast casserole!
instructions
In skillet, brown ground beef with onion,
garlic, salt and pepper. Meanwhile cook the
bacon until crisp.
Break the bacon up into bite sized pieces.
Drain the fat from the ground beef and the
bacon. Blot with paper towel to remove as
much fat as possible.
Mix the bacon and pickles into the ground
beef. Spoon the mixture into a greased 2 1/2
quart casserole dish.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine eggs, mayo and half and half
being sure to mix well. Sprinkle cheese over
beef mixture in pie pan and pour egg mixture
over the whole thing.
Bake 30-35 minutes, until top is browned
and set.
Cool 10 minutes before serving
i November 2014
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33
Christmas for a Soldier
Donation Drive
Carlinville’s Shop Local First (SLF)
organization has teamed with the Macoupin
County Military Support Group (MCMSG )
to collect boxed, non-perishable food items
and everyday accessories to ship to soldiers
serving overseas in time for Christmas.
The “Christmas for a Soldier” drive
started on Saturday, November 1, and ends
on Veteran’s Day, November 11.
On November 12, members of MCMSG
will gather all of the donated items and then
sort, pack, and mail them in time for the
individual soldiers to receive them by
Christmas.
The partnership urges individuals, organizations, clubs, churches, and businesses to
drop off their donated items at the following
Shop Local First member businesses in Carlinville: Abella’s Restaurant, Ace Hardware,
Angus Bailey’s, Cheryl Beanblossom/Edward Jones, Boente Food Mart, BruckertDaley Inc., Carlinville Area Hospital, Cherry
Tree Treasures & Gifts, Dimond Brothers
Insurance, Fitness-A-Go-Go LLC, Happy
Dog Stay-n-Play Daycare, Heinz Furniture
& Floor Covering, My Sister’s Closet, Plaza
Truck Service, and U.S Bank.
To help encourage donations, everyone
who donates to the drive is eligible to win a
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November 2014
i
$50 gift card - redeemable in the Carlinville
area - in a random drawing.
According to SLR member Ron Young,
owner of Cherry Tree Treasures and Gifts on
the Carlinville Square, “This is a wonderful
cause that really doesn’t need any additional
incentives, but it’s always fun to have a
drawing or a raffle to add a little extra spice
to a community campaign.”
Young reminded participating businesses
that they should provide their own boxes for
accepting donations but that MCMSG will
collect the boxes on November 12 for final
handling and shipment to the soldiers.
“We will also provide a bag or other container for the entries in the gift-card drawing,” he added.
In conjunction with the “Christmas for
a Soldier” campaign, the Reverend Gary
Farthing will lead a service entitled “Honoring Our Veterans” at Memorial Christian
Church on November 9th at 7 p.m. The
church is on the corner of First North Street
and Charles Street in Carlinville.
“This drive is a no-brainer,” said SLF
President Beth Toon. “These local men and
women of ours, some of them just barely out
of high school, are over there trying to do
something good for their country, for our
benefit. We owe them more than just recognition for doing their duty, and Christmas
packages full of useful reminders of home is
one step in that direction.
“Heartfelt support campaigns like this, no
matter who the beneficiary is, are what define small towns and set them apart from the
impersonality of big cities. And Carlinville
has always jumped right in when special
causes were on the line. We’re looking
forward to the same enthusiastic response
this time, on behalf of our Macoupin military
men and women stationed in foreign countries.”
Food Items Needed: breakfast bars,
“squeeze” cheese, chocolate, crackers, coffee
and tea, fruit roll-ups, sausage sticks, beef
jerky, trail mix, gum, candy canes, applesauce, fruit roll-ups, Goober PB&J (plastic
jar), tic tacs, honey, instant mashed potatoes,
mach & cheese cups, oatmeal/cereal, salsa,
Slim Jims, sugar/creamer, summer sausage,
sunflower seeds, raisins and nuts.
Personal items needed include: 8” tall
Christmas trees, ornaments, batteries, beanie
style caps, bug spray, chap stick, travel size
checkers, DVDS and handheld games, fleece
blankets, foot powders, gloves (one size fits
all), hand warming packets, paperback books
(no war stories), shoe insoles, socks (dark
blue or black) stocking hats, Santa hats, bath
towels and washcloths.
i November 2014
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35
Along Route 66
automobile Dealer robert Knetzer:
Edwardsville’s infamous Car swindler
Part Two of a Two Part Series
Written by Cheryl Eichar Jett
the grAnD unrAveling
In the summer of 1948, a handful of court
cases against Robert Knetzer showed up in
the Edwardsville newspaper. Some local
citizens were grumbling about not getting
their vehicles delivered yet, and it was past
the promised delivery date. There were fewer
customers beating the door down to give him
deposits, and more showing up wanting
refunds. The boom days at the Edwardsville
automobile agency looked like they might be
over.
Most of the action by then was up in
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November 2014
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Jerseyville at Arthur Kramer's farm, where
Knetzer had transferred his Ponzi-like automobile-selling scheme. In Jerseyville,
customers were still eagerly handing over
deposit money. But then, reporters at the
St. Louis Post-Dispatch heard rumors of a car
swindle and started asking questions. An
Alton man, Freeman Rogers, charged
Kramer with taking money under false
pretenses. At that time, Kramer owed automobiles to more than 1,300 people who had
paid deposits. In October, Jersey County
Sheriff C. E. Wedding surprised Arthur
Kramer with a warrant for his arrest. Kramer
was stunned. What had gone wrong? Where
were the cars he needed from Knetzer?
Kramer ended up going to Springfield to talk
to authorities and file a bankruptcy petition.
The trail, of course, led back to Bob Knetzer
in Edwardsville. Kramer claimed no knowledge of Knetzer's scheme.
In October 1948, a suit was filed in the
federal court in Springfield, Illinois, charging
that Knetzer had not made delivery on over
100 automobiles, for which he had accepted
deposits of $1,000 each. William C. Dunham, a Collinsville attorney, was appointed
as receiver for Knetzer's assets in the involuntary bankruptcy petition. Authorities
arrived at Knetzer's door but he was not to be
found. News spread fast. While he was out
of town, his wife shuttered the windows and
locked the doors of their home as angry
customers milled in the yard wanting
refunds.
The next day, amid swirls of rumors and
crowds of customers, two ex-employees of
Knetzer's made statements. Orval W. Legate
was the former manager of Knetzer's auto
agency and James Walker had been Knetzer's
business associate off and on since 1941.
In the Edwardsville newspaper, the pair
was quoted as saying, “We intend to remain
right here in Edwardsville and will be glad to
help anyone we can in every way possible
but we are without cars to make deliveries
and have no money to make refunds.”
The previous week, Knetzer had told the
two men he might be out of town for a few
days to get more automobiles.
bAnkruptCy AntiCs
A few days later, Knetzer finally arrived
back in town – without any additional stock
of automobiles. He was arrested and transported to jail in Springfield, Illinois.
A total of $9,500,000 in liabilities was
initially stated in the bankruptcy suit against
Knetzer. Eventually, this was reduced
because a federal claim of $2,226,000 in
back taxes and penalties was ruled out in the
courts. Arthur Kramer's preliminary report
accompanying his bankruptcy petition stated
that Knetzer owed him $2,500,000. Knetzer
was adjudged a bankrupt on October 21,
1948. A year later, the court ruled that
Knetzer was concealing assets of $250,000.
Later in 1949, he was ruled in contempt of
court for failing to turn over assets.
On an expedition from the Springfield jail
with two bailiffs, reportedly to recover the
$250,000, Knetzer excused himself to make
a phone call in a hotel and slipped out the
10, 1951, Saturday Evening Post called both
his business and his marital affairs an
“unholy tangle.” As many as seven lawyers
at a time tried to sort out his bankruptcy.
While his Edwardsville wife was suing
Knetzer for divorce, his Chicago show-girl
wife was suing him for alimony.
The financial tangle and resultant consequences extended in a tangled web among
Knetzer's customers. Some of them also lost
their homes, lost their businesses, went bankrupt, and considered their lives ruined. One
committed suicide.
Since part one of this story ran in the
October issue of The Buzz, several people
have contacted me with stories of their
fathers and uncles being cheated by Knetzer
- their money gone and the promised vehicles
never delivered.
Above: Arthur Kramer of Jerseyville
testifying in court in Springfield, Illinois.
Left: Robert Knetzer of Edwardsville
is pictured in the late 1940s testifying at his
bankruptcy trial in Springfield, Illinois.
back. He was back in custody a few days
later.
On another occasion, a phony U.S. Marshal - actually a friend of Knetzer's - arrived
to take him out of local custody, and Knetzer
walked out with him. When the FBI caught
up with him a month later, Knetzer told a tale
of being kidnapped by gangsters who threatened to kill him.
In 1950, the bankruptcy trustee told the
court that Knetzer was “hopelessly insolvent” and that all his assets had been converted to cash. In 1957, a matter related to
the case was still being dealt with in the U.S.
Court of Appeals in Springfield. A portion of
a document in that case stated, “The record
here is replete with evidence that Knetzer's
sole purpose before he was adjudged a bankrupt was to defraud as many people as
possible out of their money by false
pretenses. After Knetzer was adjudged
a bankrupt and sent to jail for contempt his
primary purpose was to get out and stay out
of jail and to accomplish this purpose he did
not hesitate to do or say anything he considered necessary to obtain the funds required
to purge himself of contempt and to avoid
criminal prosecution.
”
Knetzer's story was detailed in the magazines Saturday Evening Post and True the
Man's Magazine and newspapers across the
country. Newspaper headlines screamed,
“New Facts Found in Knetzer Case,” “Knetzer Says Fortunes Were Just Sales Talk,”
“Bob Knetzer: A Con Man To Remember,”
and “And the Suckers Came Running.”
the eggbeAter treAtMent
Knetzer's lack of accounting and bookkeeping skills exhibited itself when officials
began to comb through the wreckage of the
business. One accountant was said to have
quipped, “It looked like he kept his books
with an eggbeater.” An article in the February
the siMple eXplAnAtion
When the story finally unraveled, people
likely scratched their heads more than they
had before they knew the truth. It was as simple - and as complicated - as this: sometimes
car dealers across the country put the cars
that they received from the manufacturers up
for sale at auto auctions, for multiple reasons.
Knetzer and his associates bought cars from
the auctions - often at an inflated prices.
Knetzer got his business by promising he
could get a customer a car, and by charging
the customer only the actual retail list price.
This meant that he was paying more for a car
than he was charging his customer! Many
cars were sold from his agency for around
$1,700, while he was paying $2,400 or more
per car at auction. The deposits that were
flowing into his business kept him ahead,
until, in 1948, the deposits leveled off and his
spending habits, long out of control, caught
up with him. Knetzer's Ponzi-like scheme
had finally run out of time.
When former customers were asked how
they could have been taken in, they replied
that he spoke with such authority and selfassurance that it just didn't occur to them to
ask questions. Knetzer's enthusiasm, glib
talk, and the air of excitement he seemed to
generate had the customers all on his
side...for a while, anyway.
“i won't be in the
CAr business AgAin”
In the summer of 1953, Knetzer was free on
bond pending appeal. That spring, he had
been convicted on one of five counts of concealing assets. But now he was in Montana,
still thinking of dude ranches and other
enterprises out west. Estimates, price quotes,
and other communications from western
realtors had been showing up in the mail
while Knetzer was still in bankruptcy court
back in Springfield, Illinois. He had once
said that he wasn't just interested in cars, but
that he was interested in really anything that
would make him the big bucks.
On August 25, 1953, the tireless promoter
dropped to the floor and died of a heart attack
on the floor of a Bozeman, Montana, drugstore. He was just 42. During his bankruptcy
proceedings a couple years earlier, he had
stated, “I won't be in the car business
again.”
i November 2014
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37
38
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November 2014
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i November 2014
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39
ClassiFiED aDs
hElP WaNtED
Can You Give Us Our FUr-EVEr Home?
luCy is a 6 year old spayed female Tricolor Beagle mix. She gets along with
other dogs and likes (or tolerates) cats, and
loves attention from people. She is housebroken, loves toys and, being a Beagle,
loves to search (hunt) for objects; and very
entertaining an fun loving companion dog.
She is nervous when it’s stormy so would
appreciate a hiding place (maybe under
your bed). Benld Adopt-A-Pet, 807 Stewart,
Benld, Open from 1-5 pm daily for adoptions.
MiCkey
is guessed to be a 7-8 year
old, black/white, rat terrier. He was rescued
from another shelter after being attacked by
a larger dog and his owners never claimed
him. Mickey gets along well with other
dogs his size and walks well on a leash. He
is sweet and loving. Mickey would do well
as an only dog. He would also do well in a
home without children. Partners for Pets,
at www.partnersforpetsil.org for fin us onFacebook page.
luCy lou
is a total sweetheart
but had to be given up by her owners as they
had to move into a housing area that did not
allow pets. She is spayed, housebroken and
UTD on shots. She is a chihuahua/corgi mix,
about 7 years old and around 27 pounds (she
could use some runs or walks, as she's a little
overweight). She is good with other dogs. To
apply to adopt Lucy, please visit:
mcpawscare.org. Like us on facebook and
keep up with our success stories and current and
upcoming events. brADen
a 2 1/2 year old Domestic Long Hair feline is just one of the many
cats available for adoption at the Metro
East Humane Society. Online adoption appli-
cations are on our website at www.Mehs.org.
Metro East Humane Society
618-656-4405
8495 State Rt143 • Edwardsville
OPEN: Mon-Sat • 11:30-5 & Sun • 11:30-3
Please spay & neuter Your Pets
40
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November 2014
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1 br ApArtMent for rent. Water/heat/trash
included for $450/month. Security deposit and
1 year lease required. Staunton, 618-444-7222.
AppliCAtions/resuMes now being accepted for all positions (cook, hostess/server, dishwasher) to accomodate upcoming expansion.
Bring your resume by in person or mail to Gasperoni’s Italian Restaurant, Grocery and Deli,
416 Livingston Ave, Livingston, IL.
2 br ApArtMent for rent with washer/dryer
hookups. Includes water/heat/trash. Security deposit and 1 year lease required. $600/month.
Staunton,
618-444-7222.
(UFN)
neeDeD iMMeDiAtely - local contractor
looking for EXPERIENCED workers to start immediately. Call or text 217-556-8471.
rooM For rent - with private bath.
$250/month, includes utilities. Near SIUE in
Edwardsville. Female preferred. Call 618-6710150 for more information. (ufn)
BusiNEssEs oPPortuNitiEs
eXCellent loCAtion - this business been
operating profitabley as a resale shop with summer icee drink stand for 18 years but the location
would make it perfect for ANY business. Sits on
high traffic count Route 127 right on main route
through Greenville. Sale includes business, fixtures, building and land. For more information
contact Lester at Bond County Realtors, 618-6644232 or visit www.bondcountyrealtors.com.
proFitAble business For sAle Lighthouse Antique Mall which has been operating
profitably for the past 7 years is now for sale. 55
booths, currently all rented. High visibility to
Interstate 55 with easy access. For information
call 217-324-6111.
Do you hAve the DreAM? Historic
Restaurant, built circa 1875, in Highland, IL for
sale. Turn-key business with friendly ghosts included in price is less than 5 miles from I-70. Serious buyers only can call for more information:
618-277-4400. Ask for Michael Pierceall, BARBERMurphy Group.
property For sAle - industrial or residential site with city utilities. Various plots to choose
from. Two hay crops a year. Virden, IL. Call
217-965-3551. (ufn)
hoMEs/aPts for salE/rENt
house For sAle in white City 3 BR
with 1 remodeled bath, very nice kitchen cabinets,
unfinished basement. Roof 2 years old, newer
siding and windows, central air, nice cedar front
porch, 2 car garage on 1 acre m/l lot. Asking $49,
500, call 618-830-8099. (UFN)
niCe house For A niCe priCe - Well
built 2/3 BR, 2 BA brick ranch. Hardwood floors,
remodeled bathroom, 1958 sq ft. 112 Midway
Ave, Cottage Hills, IL. Good value for $86,900.
Call for appointment. 618-604-9723. (ufn)
house For sAle - Updated and move-in
ready! All new 2 1/2 ton central air, new BR carpet, new windows, new kitchen cabinets, countertops, sink, vinyl floor. New weatherhead (elec
service). Newly finished basement family room,
2nd BR and storage room. Water heater, furnace
& roof not 5 years old. One car garage with workroom, bench & cabinets. Granite City. $56,450
OBO. 618-656-8571 or 618-250-9632.
autoMotivE
50 Miles per gAllon! 1985 VW Golf
Diesel, 5 speed. in fair condition. All recoreds,
owned sinced 1992. NADA guides pricing
$2200. Serious inquiries only please 217-3243869.
2011 harley Factory trike, 16,xxx miles, call
618-610-4798. (UFN)
1968 Ford galaxy Xlt with new upholstery and
top, 139,xxx miles. Call 618-407-2869 (UFN).
2001 Dodge ram 6cyl 116,000 miles
new brakes, ball joints, bedliner, remote stereo
radio. $2500.00. Call 217-324-5943 leave message.
Chevy 409 engine, complete rebuilt, all new,
Muncie 4-speed, $6,000. Call 618-567-6060.
1985 Chevy silverado 4wD, new built 350 engine with less than 3,000 miles on it! Also features power windows/locks, AM/FM stereo,
tilt/cruise and includes camper shell! Ideal for
farm, daily driving or mudding! Asking $5,000,
call 314-346-0516 or 314-524-9400.
1999 Corvette, Automatic- Magnetic Red,
61,000 Miles, $17,500, 314-604-2768.
2005 honda 750 shadow, approx. 8000 miles.
With windshield, light cluster bars, rider seat and
back rest, leather saddle bags, whole bike cover.
In good condition. Only $3400. Please call 217710-7957 after 7PM.
2003 handicap Dodge grand Caravan, 56,xxx
miles, $18,500 or best offer. 217-259-6948.
1992 Chevy sports van, 111,xxx miles, $3500
OBO, 217-259-6948. (UFN).
2005 Dodge Magnum sXt, black with gray
leather, styled wheels, original tires, 34,000 miles.
This is a beautiful automobile. Hurry, it will sell
fast. $13,500 cash. 618-406-1806.
furNiturE
Cherry Curio Cabinet with 4 glass shelves.Not
antique but older piece. Excellent condition,
618377-0452 (11/14)
For sAle: Small blue/green swivel rocker,
Modern burgundy club chair. Call 217-324-4811
for information. (UFN).
king wood headboard with mirror, 2 years old,
excellent condition. Benld 217-710-3387.
Dining room table with 6 chairs, 1 leaf and
china hutch. $450 OBO. 618-791-8109 or 618791-2025.
AMish MADe walnut wall-mount drop lid
desk 24” x 31” x 7” in Sorento. $200 OBO. 217272-4481.
Leave message if no answer.
oAk trestle tAble with 4 straight and 2
captain chairs, plus 2 leaves to expand to 83”. All
sturdy and solid. Asking $700. 618-656-9388.
wAnteD license plate 1911 Illinois, or ... what
do you have? 618-931-7527.
wAnting to buy Sheet music and records
33 lps, 45 rpm, 78 rpm, must be in very good
shape. Call Jim at 618-304-7188 or 618-6543049.
(ufn)
wAnting to buy OLD postcards, Civil War
photos and vintage paper items. Always paying
cash. Call Jerry for details at 618-410-6879, (ufn)
wAnting to buy Sheet music and records
33 lps, 45 rpm, 78 rpm, must be in very good
shape. Call Jim at 618-304-7188 or 618-6543049. (ufn)
Antique ‘eXCello’ brand Mower 1956 reel
mower with 2 HP Briggs motor. Pull start/self
propelled, as is, $275. Call 217-324-3869.
aNtiQuEs/collEctiBlEs
Misc for salE
AntiQue accent chair with wood frame/arms
and coral colored upholstery. Excellent condition, 618-377-0452. (11/14)
wAnteD to buy: antique pie safe, jelly cupboard, flat and stepback cupboards, dental cabinet and unique antiques. Even if in poor
condition. 618-377-0432 (UFN)
wAnteD to buy... old postcards, photographs, stereoviews, posters, WWII and before
military items, old toys and trains, glass lantern
slides, advertising items, documents, letterheads
and billheads, most any vintage paper items and
ephemera, collections and accumulations okay. If
it is unusual and old I am interested in looking at
it! Please call Mike Finley, 314-524-9400 or 314341-2389, or email: [email protected].
we buy estAtes , full or partial houses,
sheds, barns, etc. Call Village Square Antiques
for more information, 618-669-2825, www.antiquesvillagesquare.com.
Antique Child’s roll top Desk with matching
swivel chair. Excellent condition. Call 217-3244160 for information. (UFN)
Antique walnut Dresser , with lamp shelves and
glove drawers. Antique China Cabinet, tall, 4
doors and 2 small drawers, Both in excellent condition. Reasonably priced. Call 217-324-4811 for
information.
(UFN).
east lake style Antique, upholstered sofa - nice.
Dark wood. $625. East Lake round marble top
table $325.
Call 217-324-3869. (UFN)
wAnting to buy WWII, WWI, Korea, and
Vietnam military relics. Cash paid by collector for
uniforms, helmets, medals, swords, leather flight
jackets, scrapbooks, etc. 217 851-3177. (UFN)
wAnting to buy old comic books, magazines and books. Call 314-351-1302. (UFN)
wAnting to buy old records, blues, rock,
jazz. Call 314-821-7466. (UFN)
wAnting to buy OLD Boats, OLD boat
motors, 1900’s to 1960’s, wood or aluminum runabouts, any unusual boats, motors, outboard racing. Cash paid. Call Mark 314-602-5368. (UFN)
tiMe shAre For sAle - 3 BR in Kissimmee, Florida just 5 minutes from Disneyworld.
Call 618-610-4798 (UFN).
For sAle: Downsizing and selling Antique
1920’s Jenny Lind twin bed, can fold up like a
day bed, complete with springs, mattress and chenille bed spread $225. Large green corner TV
cabinet $75, large old cabinet, $200, antique
Northern Pacific railroad preco car heater $75, recently remodeled bathroom and have medicine
cabinet, sink and vaity in good condition, $30,
two like new high quality used 1 year 100% synthetic Olefn polypropyline decolan pile ancient
garden style rugs, made in Belgium: one is 5’ 3”
x 7’ 7” retail $350, asking $150, 2nd one 9’ 2” x
12’, retail $1350, asking $450 - both are red and
ivory.
Call 618-377-9797 or email
[email protected]. (UFN)
1967 Massey Ferguson 36” riding Mower to
restore - no motor. Deck and transmission okay,
$175. Call 217-324-3869.
raleigh sprite Men’s bicycle, English made,
10 speed, very good condition. New tubes and
tires. $195, 217-324-3869.
new 32’ Aluminum peligro ladder. Used once.
$275. Call 217-965-3551 (UFN)
lawn boy Mower, 2 cycle, self-propelled,
aluminum deck. Parting out $75, 217-324-3869.
tractors for sale: Farmall 1945 B Tractor, new
pain, motor overhaul, good tires $1900 OBO.
Farmall 1948 H Tractor, runs good, good tires.
$1500 OBO. Call 217-532-3444 or 618-9771792. Hillsboro area.
42" Front blade for John Deere LX Series Lawn
Tractor. All brackets, Very good condition.
$200.00 217-324-3994.
nAturAl beeF For sAle, sides, split quarters, and 91% lean hamburger patties. No antibiotics or added hormones, pasture/hay fed. Order
at www.backyardbeef.com or 618-973-7699.
Direct tv plus Digital satellite receiver
(Model HDVP2), including remote control, complete with Satellite Dish Antenna, stand and cables. Great for RV application. Includes access
card and owners manual. $150 OBO. Call 618692-6082.
Jerry James 22 ft. utility trailer with all steel
floor and electric brakes. Excellent tires. Each
axle rated for 7000 lbs. Loading ramps included.
Asking $2100 OBO.
Call 618-692-6082.
selmer Alto saxophone, made in USA, with
pearl keys and Bundy case. $500. Leave message
if no answer. 618-659-2061. (UFN)
thane h2o steam Cleaner, for floors or carpets. Very reasonable. Also 3 large red linen
tablecloths, Red Hat hats, memorabilia, door
wreath and t-shirts (size M) - like new. 618-6352477.
sears & roebuck rug loom - 2 harness loom.
$500 OBO. Located in Bunker Hill. Call 217556-9428. (UFN)
Custom teddy bears hand made from your old
fur coats, other articles of clothing, neckties, baby
clothes, quilts, blankets, etc. Perfect for remembering family members, or as gifts. Bears are 5way jointed, glass eyes, hand sewn noses, stuffed
with polyester filling. Sizes and prices vary according to your choices. Samples and pictures on
hand. 25 years experience in bear making.
Located in Alton 618-462-8326.
unique baby gifts, handmade. Personalized
bibs, burp cloths, door pillows, birth announcement quilts and more. Check out our items at
Betty’s Antiques in Virden or visit
www.thingssewfine.etc.
new reD ADult triCyCle (3-wheel)
built special by Workman Cycles of New York, all
steel construction, heavy duty, wide tires. Has
large basket, chrome fenders, mirror, special large
seat and safety flag. Selling because I am unable
to ride. Paid $1200, including assembly and shipping, must have $900 firm. Call 217-532-6298.
If no answer, leave message. (UFN)
like new large, white porcelain bathroom
pedestal & basin, very nice, $100 cash. 618-4655240. (UFN)
JAZZy-seleCt power ChAir, new batteries, new controller, 217-324-3592 (UFN).
Movie posters, cardboard stand-ups and
more for sale. Cleaning out video store! Item and
price list available by emailing: costalotless@
hotmail.com.
Cemetery plots, Roselawn Cemetery, Bethalto.
Complete pkg: 2 lots, opening/closing, vaults,
marker. Asking $10,000. Call 618-830-8187.
MAny new hArley DAviDson items, still
in box. $150 for everything. Call for details.
217-324-3869.
1951 Farmall Cub tractor has cultivators, snow
plow, 42” belly mower, disc, one bottom plow,
cycle bar mower, wheel weights and tire chains.
$5000 for all. Call 618-362-6468.
getting MArrieD? Consider our historic
country chapel for your wedding or even just your
reception. This quaint church sits on 1.87 acres
close to Lake Carlyle and is available for rental
year ‘round. Call 618-654-4711 for more information/reservations.
Artists wAnteD to sell their art, especially
looking for stained glass, oils and acrylics. Also
looking for antiques and upscale resale items.
Visit Unique Designs & Decor, 207 Suppinger
#200, Highland (behind McDonalds) or call
618-699-1802.
in neeD oF CAsh? Expert private collector
paying cash for antiques, musical instruments,
GOLD & SILVER jewelry, costume jewelry, old
coins, pocketwatches. Paying top $$$ in CASH.
Just paid one person over $2,000 for old unwanted
broken jewelry. Will travel to you! Call Anthony
at 740-808-4878.
venDors booth spACe available at Wayside Antique Mall, Highway 127 between Hillsboro and Greenville. Call 217-537-3900 for more
information.
wAnteD to buy: antique pie safe, jelly cupboard, flat and stepback cupboards, dental cabinet and unique antiques. Even if in poor
condition. 618-377-0432 (UFN)
wAnteD good used semi box trailer 45’-50’ or
shorter at reasonable price for storage. Call 217324-3869.
MenDing & Minor AlterAtions done
by Marilan in Staunton. Call 618-635-2102
(UFN)
now tAking new Clients For FAll,
shrub trimming, yard clean-up, etc. Reliable/references. Litchfield area. 217-324-3869.
Discover how to get Free pampered Chef
products call Pam Schaefer, Independent Consultant for The Pampered Chef, at 217-556-9390
or email [email protected]. (UFN)
german translation service by experience
speaker/translator. Genealogical documents,
church records, letters, diaries, journals, etc. Reasonable rates. Email: [email protected].
(UFN)
Diabetic test strips wanted Unexpired, any
type, any brand. Will pay up to $10/box. Call
Ron @217-556-3398. Please leave call back
number. (ufn).
wAnteD to buy Good used gas stove.
618-635-2102 (UFN)
looking For A very speCiFiC Dog Small, young, long-legged black and white with
stand-up ears. Can’t be more than 14” high at the
shoulder when full grown. Will take male or female but cannot be spayed or neutered. Will provide loving farm home with fenced yard but dog
would be inside house at night. Will pay reasonable amount. Call Jack at 217-324-6635 (after
dark) or leave message at 314-680-3886.
Misc aDs
wAnteD to rent: Quiet, responsible newly
retired seeks long term rental “in town” Highland.
Require C/A, w/d hookups. Excellent references,
SIUE grad. 314-803-1567 after 5:00 pm.
stud service: Long haired German Shepherd,
registered, level-headed and proven. Mt. Olive
636-399-1300.
Classifieds for individuals are FREE. Businesses may advertise in the classifieds for 50¢
per word, 10 word minimum, and must be paid
in advance unless account is already established.
One exception is Help Wanted ads - these are
free to businesses. Display ads that run in the
classifieds are placed at the same rate as display
ads placed anywhere within the magazine. Email
to:[email protected].
i November 2014
i
41
Golden Advice
Current Trends
in the Coin World
Written by Jesse Gernigin
This last month has been crazy for me and
I am glad to be able to write to you this
month! To everyone that came in to talk with
me about what I wrote in October (and before) I really appreciate it. I was able to help
a handful of very interesting people get
watch parts for a project and get some rings
for another person.
Last month I said I would spend this article talking about new things trending in popularity in the coin world. I will talk about
some interesting pieces coming down the
line and a few pieces that are getting a lot of
requests right now.
Something that has become popular recently has been silver love tokens on seated
liberty dimes. Love tokens are jewelry that
has been made from a coin. The coin is usually an older silver coin, a seated liberty dime
or quarter or sometimes a silver dollar. One
side of the coin will have been buffed bare.
The reverse (ie-tails side) is usually the side
rubbed blank. The blank side of the coin is
then inscribed with initials, a name or
images. The term love token is used to
denote that these coins were generally given
as gifts to loved ones. Popular images for
love tokens are doves and the three linked
rings that represent the Order of the Odd
Fellows.
Love tokens sell pretty well on eBay.
They usually go for between eight and fifteen
dollars for the dimes and quarters. Morgan
silver dollar love token cost depends entirely
on the quality of the work and the content.
You can find a lot of Mason themed silver
dollar love tokens if you are interested. I sell
my love tokens quickly as I have reliable
buyers on eBay. If you are interested in buying one ask to see a coin dealer’s raw coin
collection. A raw coin collection is a coin lot
made up of expensive or rare coins in bad
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November 2014
i
shape. I find a lot of my love tokens sifting
through raw coin collections.
Another popular item that I have been
selling a lot of lately is certified ancient
coins. NGC, a coin certification company,
has a program where they certify and encase
ancient coins. These coins are beautiful and
have unique or startling content. Some of the
coins I have picked up for the shop are over
two thousand years old. The costs for
certified ancient coins usually starts at $100115 and goes up into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. At the shop we deal with the
lower cost coins and people love them.
There are also a lot of interesting coins
coming in 2015. The U.S. Mint has been
talking about reverse proof sets. A reverse set
is when the coins are polished and burnished
on the normal non polished parts. The sets
that are coming are part of a fifty year
celebration.
This comes directly from Coin World,
“This set will mark the 50th anniversary of
the production of Proof coins at the San Francisco Mint. The Mint may offer one or possibly two sets - a Reverse Proof set in base
metals and, and possibly a set with the silver
dime, quarter dollars and half dollar.”
I think this will be a very popular set and
sell out quickly.
Another popular item that sold out
quickly in 2014 was the baseball commemorative coin. The baseball coin was the only
coin that the mint released that is concave.
The baseball coin had three versions. The
baseball commemorative variations are a half
dollar, a silver dollar and a gold coin. If you
get a chance be sure to check them out. The
mint did a superb job in designing the baseball coins.
If you are looking for a few new products
to buy to make a profit with I have a few sug-
Love tokens are jewelry that has been made from a coin.
Their popularity has risen sharply over the recent months.
gestions. Christmas is coming and people
will be looking for silver bullion with Christmas themes on it. Shop around and see if you
can find holiday themed bullion. Rounds (silver bullion that are coin shaped) with images
of Santa or the Wise Men are popular.
Silver’s price is low to so you can buy in
cheaply. Another interesting piece of silver
bullion available for purchase are silver
bullets. You can buy one ounce, five ounce,
ten ounce and hundred ounce rounds. The
designs range from small caliber bullets to
shotgun shells to large caliber rounds. These
bullets are beautiful and they capture the
precise industrial design that make bullets so
unique. Not every shop carries them (mine
doesn’t) so be sure to shop around. I can see
these being very easy to sell to hunters and
gun enthusiasts.
A few non-bullion pieces that I think will
sell well this Christmas are lower cost
collections. You can buy into a Jefferson
nickel set, a Lincoln cent set, or a Kennedy
half dollar set pretty cheaply. If you are
interested spending a little more and would
like a complete silver collection, the Franklin
half dollar set can be completed for around
three hundred dollars.
There is a lot of money to be made this
Christmas season and if you act quickly you
can get in on it! Next month’s article will be
the Christmas article! Crazy to think that it is
already here. I’ll be talking about changes to
expect in 2015, how to manage your profit
with gold and silver and what to avoid.
Until then, be safe and happy Thanksgiving!
~ Jesse
Jesse Gernigin is the owner of Ken’s Coins in East
Alton. If you have questions for Jesse, email [email protected] (please put Golden
Advice in the subject line).
i November 2014
i
43
calENDar of EvENts
tuesday, november 4
Stretch And Move Exercise Class, 8-9 am every
Tue, Thur and Fri at Main Street Community
Center, 1003 N. Main Edwardsville. – Tue, Thu
& Fri, 8:00-9:00, $1 suggested Center donation.
For questions on the classes, contact the Community Center: 618656-0300 or email info@
mainstcc.org.
Quilting, 9-11 am, every Tuesday at Jarvis Township Senior Citizens Center, 410 Wickliffe St.,
Troy. Quilting for all, beginners through seasoned,
www.troymaryvillecoc.com.
Story Time every Monday and Tuesday at 10 am,
Wednesdays at 6:30 pm. Glen Carbon Library,
198 S. Main, www.glencarbonlibrary.org.
Meals of Love served every Tuesday at Grave
Baptist Church, 2600 Edward Street, Granite City.
Sit down for a free, hot meal and cold drink at
4:30 pm. Call 618-877-6672.
Sew and Show Stitchers meet the first Tuesday of
every month at 6 pm at St. Paul's Lutheran
Church, 103 N. Main, Hillsboro.
Craft Beer Night, the first Tuesday of every
month, 6 pm, at Milo’s Cigars and More, Hwy
159 Maryville, 618-288-1343, www.milostr.com.
Emotions Anonymous meets every Tuesday at 6
pm at the Louis Latzer Library, 1001 9th Street,
Highland (Contact Jackie at 618-654-9351 or
email: 16bjschu@email) and at 6 pm at the Locust
Street Resource Center in Carlinville (Contact
Larry Madorin, [email protected] or 217272 -4560). Free and open to anyone in need of
emotional support for any reason.
Grief Support Group, 6:30 pm, No fee and no registration needed. Topics include how to better understand the grieving process, developing coping
skills, improving communication and stress management. For anyone that has experienced a loss
of any kind. Meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday
of every month at the First Baptist Church of
Litchfield, Harrison Street entrance. For more information, call Joyce Weatherford, RN/Case Manager at St . Francis Hospital, head of the support
group, at 217-324-8544.
Amvets Monthly Meeting, 7 pm, Repeats
monthly on 1st Tuesday of every month until
9‑02‑2014. Amvets Auxiliary 204, 1711 Kennedy
Dr. Madison, IL. Interested in becoming a member? Please contact Carolyn at 618-444-5069 or
by email at [email protected] or Dixie at
972-9892 or [email protected],
www.granitecity.illinois.gov.
Quilt Club meets the (1st Tuesday of the month at
7 pm and) the 1st Wednesday of the month at 10
am). $1 cost to attend this educational show-andtell group event. Main Street Mini Mall Quilt
Shop, 124 East Main, Staunton, 618-635-5509,
email: [email protected].
tuesday, nov 4 & tues, nov 18
The Lewis and Clark Community College Mobile
Health Unit will be at HSHS St. Francis Hospital
in Litchfield from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to provide high
quality, comprehensive exams and preventative
services for adults 18-50 years of age. Dental
exams and x-rays, cleanings, sealants and fluoride
treatments are offered through the Mobile Health
Unit at affordable prices, ranging from $4-20.
Medical cards will be accepted and patients will
not be refused service for inability to pay. Follow
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November 2014
i
up treatment will be required. Appointments are
needed to take advantage of this opportunity. To
make an appointment, or to find more information, call 618-468-4403.
wednesday, november 5
Quilt Club meets the (1st Tuesday of the month at
7 pm and) the 1st Wednesday of the month at 10
am). $1 cost to attend this educational show-andtell group event. Main Street Mini Mall Quilt
Shop, 124 East Main, Staunton, 618-635-5509,
email: [email protected].
Dance Fitness Exercise Class, every Wednesday,
1-2 pm. $5/session (First visit FREE) Main
Street Community Center, 1003 N. Main, Edwardsville. 618-656-0300, or by email at
[email protected].
Annual CHILI DINNER and CRAFT BAZAAR
@ 1st united Methodist Church, 1100 Airport Rd,
Godfrey, 4-7 pm. Featuring their fabulous Deer
chili, white chicken chili, chicken noodle soup
and Dean's green pepper soups. This year we will
also have our Christmas Bazaar open so you can
do a little shopping. Carry outs available. $8/person, www.riverbender.com.
Jazzercise Classes every Monday and Wednesday,
5:30 pm and every Saturday, 8:30 am. Main Street
Community Center, 1003 N. Main, Edwardsville.
See instructor for fees. Call 618-656-0300 for
more information or email [email protected].
Story Time every Wednesday at 6:30 pm plus
every Monday and Tuesday at 10 am. Glen Carbon Library, 198 S. Main, www.glencarbonlibrary.org.
Lions Club Bingo, 7 pm, every Wednesday at
Trimor Bingo Hall 3701 Nameoki Rd, 618-8777771. We play 27 games including 3-$500 bingo
games, 2-$500 raffle games, and 4-$1000 raffle
games. Our mission is to assist folks in Pontoon
Beach, Mitchell, Granite City, Madison and
Venice who have sight & hearing problems, www.
granitecity.illinois.gov.
Starzz Karaoke every Wednesday night at Chapps,
119 W. Edwards, Litchfield.
wed, nov 5-thur, nov 6
Free dental exams for uninsured/ underinsured
Montgomery County adults. Scheduled appointments are required: November 5 (Call 217-5322232) at the office of Kirk Hess, D.D.S., 832
School Street, Hillsboro. November 6 (Call 217532-2666) at the office of Robert Hamm, D.M.D.,
506 Adams Street, Hillsboro. Appointments are
limited. Those eligible are adults 18 years of age
and older who are uninsured or underinsured.
Participants may choose a dental cleaning, filling
or simple extraction to be provided without
charge. Sponsored and provided by HSHS St.
Francis Hospital, Hillsboro Area Hospital, Dr.
Robert Hamm, and Dr. Kirk Hess.
thursday, november 6
Tue, Thur and Fri at Main Street Community Center, 1003 N. Main Edwardsville. – Tue, Thu & Fri,
8:00-9:00, $1 suggested Center donation.
For questions on the classes, contact the Community Center: 618656-0300 or email info@
mainstcc.org.
Spring Into Action - for a time of Bible Study
each Thursday 9am @ the home of Teresa Abert.
Ladies in the area are welcome to come for bible
study, prayer time and fellowship. Teresa Abert,
208 N.Duncan Street, Marine. Email [email protected] or call 618-531-2746 for
more information, facebook.com/teresakayabert.
"Paint SSP Pink" @ Senior Services Plus, 2603
North Rodgers Ave, Alton, 10 am -10 pm. "Paint
SSP Pink" is planned to encourage breast cancer
awareness and help us raise funds for the Joanne
Knight Breast Health Center in St. Louis. Beginning with a PINK sale (shirts, ribbons, ZUMBATHON tickets) from 10:00am-10:30am, SSP's
Wellness Center staff will be kicking off the event.
Attendees are invited to participate in Breast Cancer Fact or Fiction in the School House Grill from
10:30-11:00am. Guest Speakers from Alton Memorial Hospital will speak on the importance of
regular breast health exams and the offerings
available through their services. Speakers will be
presenting in the Multipurpose Room from
11:15am-12:00pm. From 12:00pm-12:15pm, a
"PINK" outfit contest will take place in the School
House Grill. Awards will be given out for 1st, 2nd,
& 3rd Places. Later that evening, the public is invited to a ZUMBATHON in the School House
Grill from 6:00-8:00pm. The cost to participate is
only $3.00 per ticket! For questions on this event,
call Lauren Lepchenske at 618-465-3298 ext. 109
or email [email protected].
Write Your Own Story class, 10 am (for 1 hour)
every Thursday through November 15. You can
start any time and attend as many classes as you
like ($1/class) but the more you attend, the more
content you will have for your book. At the end
of the classes the books will be compiled for duplication and binding. The books will make special holiday gifts. Please bring a spiral-bound
notebook and a pen/pencil - or a laptop computer.
Duplication and binding will be voluntary. Main
Street Community Center, 1003 N. Main St, Edwardsville. Email: [email protected] or call
618-656-0300 for more info. www.mainstcc.org.
Craft Beer Night, the 1st Thursday of each
month, 6 pm, Milo’s Cigars & More, 2921 N.
Center St (Route 159), Maryville, 618-288-1343,
www.milostr.com.
A Fashion Affair, sponsored by St. Joseph Hospital Ladies Auxiliary. $18 donation includes light
dinner and attendance prizes. Tickets can be purchased at Highland Chamber of Commerce or St.
Joseph's Hospital gift shop. Held at Michael’s
Restaurant, 415 Broadway, Highland,
www. highlandillinois.com.
Police Bingo, every Thursday night, starts at
7 pm. No games under $110. Paper cards &
mates, full snack bar, bing supplies, no smoking,
plenty of parking. Proceeds benefit the programs
supported by the Granite City Police Dept including youth athletics. Knights of Columbus Hall,
425 Old Alton Road, Granite City.
Open Play at Riverbend Community Center, 200
W. 3rd St, Alton, every Thurs & Fri Night from 610 pm. Open to members and non-members. Just
$5 a person or $15 a family. Members get in Free
on Thursdays! Come for dinner at Prinvicalli's
Cafe and then watch a movie or play games all
night! All ages welcome. For more information
contact John at 618-465-9850, email [email protected] or visit www.riverbender.com/communitycenter.
Junior Friends Of The Glen Carbon Library, 6:30
pm. the first Thursday of the month. Visit the
Youth Services Department to sign up. Glen
Carbon Library, 198 S. Main, Glen Carbon,
www.glencarbonlibrary.org
MASS OF REMEMBRANCE COMMEMORATING THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED, 11 am
and 6:30 pm, in the HSHS St. Francis Hospital
Chapel in Litchfield. Anyone is welcome to
attend. The Hospital Chapel is located on the first
floor, www.stfrancis-litchfield.org.
FREE SQUARE DANCE LESSON, 7-9 pm with
Hoedowners Square Dance Club. Wood River
Roundhouse, 633 N. Wood River Ave, Wood
River (Roundhouse entrance and parking lot are
located on Whitelaw Ave near Aquatic Center).
Held every Thursday, starting 2nd week classes
will be just $5/person. Contact Bo or Agnes
Smith for more info, 618-288-9838, email:
[email protected]. www.hoedowners.com.
Moonlight Hike, 7 pm, Talahi Lodge at the Olin
Nature Preserve - The Nature Institute, 2213
South Levis Lane, Godfrey. Join The Nature Institute members and friends and take a leisurely
moonlit hike through the Mississippi Sanctuary, a
37-acre area of grand vistas and spectacular
scenery, including waterfalls and wildlife. Terrain
is light to moderate and the hike is about an hour
long. Free. For more information call 618-4669930, www.thenatureinstitute.org.
Emotions Anonymous 12 Steps for Christians
meets every Thursday at 7 pm at the St. Paul
Lutheran Church on the frontage road 2 miles
north of Hamel. Free and open to anyone in need
of emotional support for any reason. Contact
Larry Madorin,[email protected] or
217-272 -4560.
Lions Club Bingo, 7 pm. Trimor Bingo Hall, 3701
Nameoki Rd, Granite City. We play 27 games including 3-$500 bingo games, 2-$500 raffle games,
and 4-$1000 raffle games. Our mission is to assist
folks in Pontoon Beach, Mitchell, Granite City,
Madison and Venice who have sight & hearing
problems. www.granitecity.illinois.gov.
thurs, nov 6-sat, nov 8
Holiday Open House with refreshments, door
prizes and special holiday sales, Lula Bells,
519 S. State St, Jerseyville, 618-639-1200.
or carryout. 618-667-8387. Troy VFW, Troy,
Friday Night Fish Fry, 5-8 pm, every Friday at
V.F.W. Post 1300, 3401 Century Dr, Granite City.
Kitchen open to the public- Eat in, call in and
carry out. Cod, fried shrimp, jack salmon &
chicken strips. Plate includes 2 sides for $7.50,
Sandwiches are $5. Catfish fillets plates include
2 sides for $8, Sandwiches are $5.50,
Eagles Bingo, 7 pm, every Friday and Saturday
at Tri-mor Bingo Center, 3701 Nameoki Rd,
Granite City. Great Prizes and great fun!
Cafe located on the second floor of the community center and then watch a movie or play games
all night! All ages welcome. For more information contact John at 618-465-9850, email [email protected]
or
visit
www.riverbender.com/communitycenter.
4th Annual Prather Elementary Trivia Night and
Silent Auction, 7-10 pm. $120/table max 8 players. Beverages provided. Reserve by calling 618581-7266, St. Gregory Armenian Community
Center, 3501 Century Drive, Granite City,
www.granitecitygossip.com.
Yesterday - A Tribute to the Beatles, 8 pm, Wildey
Theatre, 252. N. Main St, Edwardsville,
www.wildeytheatre.com.
Fri, nov 7-sat, nov 8
High School Senior Mini photo sessions just $75.
Call for appointment, Minndora’s Specialty
Photography, 400 N. Monroe, Litchfield,
217-324-9253.
Fri, nov 7-sun, nov 9
Annual Country Christmas Market 1- am-5 pm
each day, includes Home for the Holidays displays, door prizes, refreshments and holiday pricing at Rusty Star Marketplace, I55 to Exit 82,
behind truck stop. Find us on Facebook for more
information.
saturday, november 8
Habitat Restoration Day, 8 am-noon, Watershed
Nature Center, 1591 Tower Ave, Edwardsville
Our focus is removing invasive species, replanting when possible & trail maintenance. Long
pants, sturdy shoes required, and long sleeves
recommended. Bring gloves & loppers if you
have them. Anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult and all minors under 18 must
have a waiver signed by a parent/guardian.
Advanced registration requested.,
www.watershednaturecenter.com.
5th Annual Ultimate Ladies Day Out Extravaganza @ Julia's Banquet Center, 101 Eastgate
Plaza, East Alton, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM FREE
LADIES ONLY EVENT: to benefit the Women's
Ministry Center. includes a fashion show, entertainment, vendors, crafts, auction, massages,
50/50 raffle, door prizes, dance and zumba
demonstrations, Andy Raines: the Passion Painter,
and more. Food and beverages are available for a
small charge. Please tell your friends and plan on
attending! For more information, please contact
Linda at 618-803-9078,
www.womensministrycenter.org
(continued on page 47)
Friday, november 7
Tri-Township Public Library Book Sale, 9-1,
Tri-Township Public Library, 208 S. Main St,
Troy, www.troymaryvillecoc.com.
FREE LUNCH FRIDAY at
Immanuel United Methodist Church, 800 N Main,
Edwardsville (across from Madison County Museum), 11 am - 1 pm. Everyone is welcome to
enjoy a homemade meal made by the women of
the church, regardless of race, age or denomination, For more information, 618-656-4648,
www.immanuelonmain.org.
Bingo every Tuesday and Friday, 1-3 pm, Main
Street Community Center, 1003 N. Main St.
Edwardsville, www.edglenchamber.com.
Veteran’s Day Celebration, 2-4 pm at Hitz Memorial Home, 201 Belle St, Alhambra. Live music
by the Alley Kats Big Band, desserts and refreshments served. The public is invited to come, mingle and dance. For more information contact
Elizabeth Loy, 618-488-2355 or email
[email protected].
Fish Fry every Friday - 5-7 pm, 9 oz catfish filet,
fries, slaw, and dessert/$7.00, fish sandwich/
$4.00. Carryouts available for 25¢ extra. VFW
Post 3912, 215 W. Ryder, Litchfield.
Fish Fry, 4-8 pm, Choice of Fried Cod, Catfish,
Jack Salmon and Baked Salmon or Tilapia, Cod
cut ups, Shrimp and Chicken Strips. Dinners include 2 sides: choice of cole slaw, potato salad,
french fries, macaroni and cheese, baked beans,
hushpuppies, mushrooms and onion rings. Eat in
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Original Cow Plop, 9-noon, The Pentecostals of
Troy, 8965 Rt. 162, Troy. Chili will be served,
along with games, a hayride, bonfire, a bounce
house and other activities,
www.pentecostalsoftroy.org.
Christmas Bazaar, 9-noon, Troy United Methodist
Church, 407 Edwardsville Road, Troy. Proceeds
will go to SmileTrain and Help Me See, organizations that benefit children in third world countries
with a new smile or the gift of sight. Come, see
and buy great craft items! If you would like to donate items to sell, you can bring them to the
church on Friday, November 7 (or anytime before). For more information, contact the church at
618.667.6241, www.troymaryvillecoc.com.
Photography Workshop, 10-noon, Collinsville
Library, 408 W. Main St. All ages and skill levels
are invited. Members of the Collinsville Area
Camera Club will teach you three tips that will improve your photography. Free but registration is
required. Call t618-344-1112 or visit the main
desk to sign up, www.discovercollinsville.com.
Bow-wow Pow-wow @ Alton Square Library,
132 Alton Square Mall, 10-11 am. Held the second Saturday of each month. Your child can read
stories to certified therapy dogs or just visit to receive furry hugs and wet kisses. It’s a great way
to increase your child’s reading skills and absolute
fun for everyone. Bring your camera,
www.riverbender.com.
Saturday Story Time, every Saturday at 10:30 am.
Interactive program of stories, crafts, songs and
fun for all ages. No registration required.
Maryville Community Library, 8 Schiber Court,
Maryville, www.maryville.lib.il.us.
5th Annual Riverbend Empty Bowls Project, 112, Jacoby Arts Center, 627 E. Broadway, Alton.
Join us for lunch, and select your own one-of-akind hand-crafted bowl, from hundreds made and
donated by several of our Riverbend artists. Delicious soups are being provided by local area
restaurants, and Duke's Bakery will provide the
rolls. Entertainment, for your enjoyment, will be
provided by local artists Gigi Darr, Matt Taul, and
Tyler Ceisler. Original art created by many local
artists will also be on display in the gallery, where
you can mingle and enjoy yourself. Proceeds go
to help Crisis Food Center continue to provide
free groceries to families in need in the Riverbend
area, and surrounding communities. $20/person.
Contact Mary Brand 618-978-3202.
Country Christmas Photos at the Cabin, 11-3,
Mersinger Log Cabin (IL 162 - East of Troy). This
is a special opportunity to get a studio-quality holiday photo with family and friends featuring a special interior background that includes a Christmas
tree and other period decorations. Photography
services are being provided by James Walling of
Walling Photography (www.wallingphoto.com) in
Troy and Terry Tipton of Boomerang Images
(www.boomerangimages.com) in Marine. For a
$20 donation, participants will receive an access
code to download their digital photo file. Participants will then be able to order prints from the site
or save and upload the file to other sites for custom processing. To reserve a time slot, please contact Steve Loos ASAP at 667-9140. Cash
payments will be accepted upon arrival at the
cabin. Sessions will be held rain or shine,
Lego Club, 1-3, Glen Carbon Library,
RAPTOR AWARENESS DAY 2 pm, Cahokia
Mounds State Historic Site, 30 Ramey St,
Collinsville. NO admittance after show starts.
The World Bird Sanctuary of St. Louis brings live
birds of prey and teaches about habitats, differences and similarities between eagles, hawks,
owls, falcons, buzzards, and others. Features a live
flight over the heads of the audience. Free,
www.greatriverroad.com.
Troy VFW Steak Fry, 5-8 pm,
every second Saturday of the month. Menu includes a 12 oz. New York Strip or Ribeye Steak
($12), 8 pc. Butterfly Shrimp ($8), 6 pc. Chicken
Strips ($7). Entree includes hand-cut fries, baked
potato or onion rings and salad with ranch or italian dressing. VFW Hall , 123 W. Market St, Troy.,
Jerseyville HS Panther Football "BASH FOR
CASH" @ Jerseyville American Legion, 6-10 pm.
6:00 PM - 10:00 PM. $100.00/couple includes
dinner for two, entertainment from the band “Unleaded”, and a raffle ticket to win $10,000.00
(Prize money will be based on 40% of tickets sold
with maximum of 250 tickets). You can split
a ticket between several people (but only two
people will be able to attend the event for the dinner and dance). Please contact HFC Dave Jacobs,
for more information 217-622-1615 or dave.
[email protected], www.riverbender.com.
LIVE MUSIC: Lowder & Manning, 6 pm,
The Winery at Shale Lake, 1499 Washington Ave,
Williams, www.shalewine.com.
5th Annual Beer Pairings event featuring beers
brewed by Schafly Brewing located in St. Louis,
Mo paired with cheeses locally made by Marcoot
Jersey Creamery in Greenville. Hillsboro Moose
Lodge, 6 pm. The evening will also feature a silent
auction. $25/person. Reservations are required by
calling the chamber office 217-532-371, by emailing the chamber at [email protected] or online at www.hillsborochamber.net.
An Evening of Art & Jazz, 6:30 pm, Lewis &
Clark Community College, 5800 Godfrey Rd,
Godfrey. Silent art auction and live jazz combos
$45/person and includes appetizers and dessert.
Cash bar is available. Proceeds benefit the
Catholic Children's Home. Purchase tickets at the
Catholic Children's Home or call 618-465-3594,
www.visitalton.com.
Full Moon Haunted Tour, 7 pm, Mineral Springs
Haunted Tours, 301 E. Broadway Street, Alton.
Includes visits to several haunted buildings as well
as an exclusive guided tour of the most haunted
building in Alton, the Mineral Springs Hotel. The
only tour to enter Mineral Springs! Includes light
refreshments. Bring cameras, recorders, flashlights, and any ghost hunting equipment you may
have. $35/person,
www.mineralspringshauntedtours.com.
Metro East Humane Society Fall Trivia Night,
7 pm, Edwardsville Moose Lodge, 7371 Marine
Rd. (State Route 143). $150 per table (maximum
10 players per team). Cash Prizes for Top Three
Scores, 50/50 Drawing & Silent Auction. Bring
your own snacks -- Cash bar available. (No beverages can be brought into the event). To reserve
your table, call MEHS at 618-656-4405 or email
[email protected].
Partners for Pets Trivia Night, 7 pm. No B.O.Y.B.
Bring your own Snacks. Mulligans $10, Prize
Money, Silent Auction Items and Raffles. Teams
of 8 players for $120 or $15 per person (includes
draft beer and soda). Make your reservation at
www.partnersforpetsil.org.
Javier Mendoza LIVE, 8 pm, Wildey Theatre,
252. N. Main St, Edwardsville,
Karaoke at the Millersburg General Store’s
Melody Inn, 613 Route 14 3, Millersburg (I70 to
Exit 3 0 then east on Hwy 143 for 7 miles). Find
us on Facebook!
sat, nov 8-sun, nov 9
22nd Annual Edwardsville High School Band Arts
& Craft Fair@ Edwardsville High School, 6161
Center Grove Rd, Edwardsville, Sat, 9-4. Sun,
11-4. Over 500 vendor booths.Breakfast & Lunch
items available - Bake Sale - Fudge - Admissions
Drawings - Coat Check. Admission - $2- adults,
$1 –Seniors & military, Children 12 & under Free. No Strollers please, www.edwardsvillebands.com/#!craft-fair/c1sxd.
sunday, november 9
Sewing Circle, 1-3 p.m. Free (meets each month
on the second and fourth Sunday.) Bring any
period sewing or needlecraft project to share
and/or work on in a relaxed setting. Period
sewing instruction and help are available to those
wanting to advance their skills in the production
of period garments. Both ladies and gentlemen
are welcome to participate. The sewing circle will
meet second and fourth Sundays (schedule may
change due to holidays or special events). This is
an informal gathering to share skills, ideas, and
new information. The Colonel Benjamin Stephenson House, 409 S. Buchanan, Edwardsville,
www.stephensonhouse.org.
Heroin is for Real - a free informational meeting
on substance abuse, addiction and prevention.
Guest speakers include a certified professional
drug counselor and previous substance abusers.
Dessert and coffee will follow the meeting. St.
John's UCC, 7456 Lake St, Moro,
www.riverbender.com.
Old Country and Bluegrass Music Jam, every
Sunday, 5-9 pm. All artists welcome, all audiences welcome. Millersburg General Store,
613 Route 143, Millersburg (E. Pierron).
618-669-2155.
Monday, november 10
Bingo every Monday - doors open at 5:30, bingo
starts at 7 pm. Food and drink available. VFW
Tales for Tails every Monday night from 6-7 pm.
Students in grades K-5 can practice reading to a
furry friend. At the Niedringhaus School, corner
of 29th and State. For more information call
618-452-6238 or visit www.smrld.org.
S.T.A.R.S. With Dogs, 6-7 pm. Read your favorite
stories to CHAMP therapy dogs the second Monday of every month. This event pairs dogs with
both emerging readers and readers who love to
read to dogs. Registration is required and available
online. Glen Carbon Library, 198 S. Main,
www.glencarbonlibrary.org.
Emotions Anonymous meets every Monday at
8 pm at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in New
Douglas. Free and open to anyone in need of
emotional support for any reason. Contact Larry
Madorin, [email protected] or 217-272 4560.
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tuesday, november 11
Veterans Day Breakfast @ Senior Services Plus,
2603 N. Rodgers Ave, Alton, 7-11 am. There will
also be entertainment provided by Cathy Croxton
playing the dulcimer and piano from 11:30 a.m.
until 12:30 pm, www.riverbender.com.
Troy. Quilting for all, beginners through seasoned,
www.troymaryvillecoc.com
Collinsville Area Women's Connection, 12:15 2PM. $13 ticket includes a delicious meal. beverages, program and gratuity Reservations necessary - Must be honored or cancelled. Please call
Barbara @ 618-344-7967 or Mavis @ 618-3461331. ALL WOMEN ARE INVITED TO ATTEND, www.Stonecroft.org.
Bingo, every Tuesday and Friday, 1-3 pm. The
third Tuesday each month is color bingo. Main
Street Community Center, 1033 N. Main S, Edwardsville 618-656-0300
www.mainstcc.org
Alzheimer’s Support Group, 1:30-3:00 pm, St.
John’s Community Care located at 222 Goethe
Street in Collinsville. Join others dealing with dementia and memory loss. Sessions are held the
2nd Tuesday of each month. Complimentary care
for loved ones available with reservation. Call
618-344-5008, www.edglenchamber. com.
4:30 pm. For more information call 618-8776672.
Book Club For Adults, held 2nd Tuesday of every
month, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm: Night Road by Kristin
Hannah. Join the book club on the second Tuesday of each month. New members are always
welcome, and it is not necessary to attend every
meeting. Books are provided at the Help Desk,
so stop in for the next selection! Glen Carbon
Library, 198 S. Main St, Glen Carbon.
Knee-High Naturalist @ The Nature Institute,
2213 S. Levis Lane, Godfrey. Morning session,
10-11 am, Afternoon Session, 1-2 pm. A nature
program just for the little ones, 3-5 years old. The
group meets the second Wednesday of every
month (Sept-Nov & Jan-April) at Talahi Lodge.
Young naturalists go on an interpretive hike (as
weather permits), enjoy a craft and snack, and get
to take home a book at the end of the day. Parents
must register by phone no later than the Friday before the Wednesday sessions. The cost is $5 per
child, which can be paid when you arrive. Walkins cannot be accommodated. Older siblings are
welcome to attend, but may not be able to participate in all activities. To register, or for questions,
please call 618- 466-9930 or email info@ TheNatureInstitute.org, www.thenatureinstitute.org.
[email protected].
Ladies Wine & Spine Night, 4-8 pm, Darin Chiropractic, 2339 Pontoon Road, Granite City, 618931-2050. Shop, mingle with others and enjoy
wine and appetizers. Vendors include Pampered
Chef, Dove chocolate, Jamberry Nails, Mary Kay,
Norwex, Tupperware, Origami Owl, Younique,
Scentsy and more. For more info contact Autumn
at [email protected].
The Legendary Mustang Sanctuary @ Mike
Shannon's Grill, 871S Arbor Drive, Edwardsville,
4-8 pm. A fun evening out in support of the The
Legendary Mustang Sanctuary, a rescue mission
for one of America's most historic treasurer, the
wild mustang horses and burros of our old west
America. We rescue these special wild horses
from the threat of euthanizing; we restore to
health and heart, then arrange for a matched adoption with a 100% success rate! We hope you will
come out and meet us! For more information contact Kathy Lewis 618-616-8875 or mustangs
[email protected], www.legendarymustang
sanctuary-com.webs.com.
Family Caregiver Support Group, 5:30 -7:00 pm,
St. John’s Community Care located at 222 Goethe
Street in Collinsville. This support group is intended for family caregivers caring for loved ones
with any type of disability. Light complimentary
dinner. Session held the 2nd Wednesday of every
month. Complimentary care for loved ones is
available with a reservation. Call 618-344-5008,
www.edglenchamber.com.
ter, 1003 N. Main Edwardsville. – Tue, Thu & Fri,
8:00-9:00, $1 suggested Center donation. For
questions on the classes, contact the Community
Center:
618656-0300
or
email
[email protected].
or
visit
every Monday and Tuesday at 10 am. Glen
Carbon Library, 198 S. Main,
Venice who have sight & hearing problems,
www. granitecity.illinois.gov.
Starzz Karaoke every Wednesday night at Chapps,
119 W. Edwards, Litchfield.
Tue, Thur and Fri at Main Street Community Cen-
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Fall Soups and Breads, 6:30 pm, SPACE IS LIMITED, Glen Carbon Library, 198 S. Main,
Larry Madorin,[email protected] or 217272 -4560.
Edwardsville’s Historic Preservation Commission
has hired author Rosemary Thornton to survey the
older neighborhoods of Edwardsville to identify
kit homes. The November survey will be followed by a presentation at the Wildey Theatre.
252 N. Main, Edwardsville, on Thursday, November 13 at 7 p.m. The free presentation, sponsored by Irma August, real estate broker for
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Elite Properties of Edwardsville, is open to anyone interested in kit homes. For more information call
Cindy Reinhardt at 618-656-1294.
Friday, november 14
FREE LUNCH FRIDAY at Immanuel United
Methodist Church, 800 N Main, Edwardsville
(across from Madison County Museum), 11 am 1 pm. Everyone is welcome to enjoy a homemade
meal made by the women of the church, regardless of race, age or denomination, For more information,618-656-4648,
Coolidge Band Taco Sale, 11-7 or until sold out,
Mexican Honorary Commission, 1801 Spruce
Street, Granite City. Tacos $1.50, Tamales, $2.00.
Pre-orders all or text 314-620-8242. Day of sale
cal 618-876-1688 to place order. Free local
delivery with 2 dozen or more,
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W. 3rd St, Alton, every Thurs & Fri Night from
6-10 pm. Open to members and non-members.
Just $5 a person or $15 a family. Members get in
Free on Thursdays! Come for dinner at Prinvicalli's Cafe located on the second floor of the
community center and then watch a movie or play
games all night! All ages welcome. For more information contact John at 618-465-9850, email
[email protected] or visit
www.riverbender.com/communitycenter
Eagles Bingo, 7 pm, every Friday, at Tri-mor
Bingo Center, 3701 Nameoki Rd, Granite City.
Great Prizes and great fun!
Holiday Sparkle Kids Mini Photo Shoots starting
at $25 with Christmas Card option available.
No appointment needed. Minndora’s Specialty
Photography, 400 N. Monroe, Litchfield,
217-324-9253.
Holiday Salad Luncheon, Bazaar, and Bake Sale
@ Bethalto Senior Center, 00 E. Central,
Bethalto, 10 am-2 pm. $7/Adult and $3/Child (412 years). Home Baked Delicacies plus so much
for sale: handmade women’s necklaces, bracelets
and earrings, children’s hair bows, headbands,
tutu’s, bow ties, suspenders, handcrafted baby
bracelets and matching Mom bracelets and rings,
family name signs and homemade pet toys,
wreaths, quilts, aprons, stocking stuffers and floral
arrangements, pecans by the bag, kitchen knives
and Much More, www.riverbender.com.
Nia Dance for Kids, 10 am the third Saturday of
every month, Glen Carbon Library, 198 S. Main,
International Gaming Day, 1-3 pm, Glen Carbon
Library, 198 S. Main, www.glencarbonlibrary.org.
RiverBender.com Community Center Kids Night
Out, the 2nd Saturday of every month, 200 W. 3rd
Street, Alton, 6-9 pm. The program will give parents the opportunity to take the night off with their
2nd-5th graders and concentrate for those hours
on themselves. With all the amenities of the facility the children are sure to have a great time. Admission is $10.00 per child, if registered in
advance, or $15.00 at the door. Larger families (3
or more children) may call in advance for special
rates. Price includes dinner, movie, and various
age appropriate activities. Additional concessions
will be available for purchase. For additional information call 618-465-9850 ext. 212, email [email protected]
or
visit
www.riverbender.com/ communitycenter and
follow the “events” tab.
Mineral Springs Walking Tour & Haunted
Overnight, 7 pm, Mineral Springs Haunted Tours
301 E. Broadway Street, Alton. Includes visits to
several haunted buildings as well as an exclusive
guided tour of the most haunted building in Alton,
the Mineral Springs Hotel. The only tour to enter
Mineral Springs! Includes light refreshments.
Bring cameras, recorders, flashlights, and any
ghost hunting equipment you may have. $35/person, www.mineralspringshauntedtours.com.
Good Samaritan House Annual Benefit Dinner,
Township Hall, Granite City,
Starzz Karaoke the third Saturday of every month,
8-midnight, at The Magnuson Grand Hotel and
Conference Center, Interstate 55 to Exit 60,
www..magnusongrandhotel.com.
LIVE BAND - RIVERSIDE TAVERN REVIVAL
at the Millersburg General Store’s Melody Inn,
613 Route 14 3, Millersburg (I70 to Exit 3 0 then
east on Hwy 143 for 7 miles). Find us on Facebook!
sunday, november 16
Outdoor Family Mini Photo Shoots $55 Space is
limited. Call for information. Minndora’s Specialty Photography, 400 N. Monroe, Litchfield,
217-324-9253.
St. Mary's Spaghetti Dinner @ St. Mary's , 1802
Madison Avenue, Edwardsville, 11:30-6 pm. Dinners include all-you-can-eat pasta, salad, bread,
dessert and beverage. Adults $10; children 5-11
years $7; children 4 & under FREE. Tickets are
available through St. Mary’s 7th & 8th graders or
by calling the school office at 618-656-1230,
www.stmaryedw.org.
618-669-2155.
Michael Jr.: Bringin' the Funny, 6 pm, First Baptist Church, 7110 State Rt. 162, Maryville.
Michael's versatility and family-friendly themes
have made him a sought-after entertainer, from
TV shows and prestigious comedy club stages, to
universities and church events, including recent
appearances at The Global Leadership Summit.
Advance General Admission - $18 (Available
through 11/15), Group General Admission - $15
(Available through 11/15 for groups of 10 or
more), VIP - $30 (Best 100 Seats, Includes a meet
and greet with Michael Jr. at 5 p.m.), General Admission - $20 (All tickets purchased on the day of
the show, 11/16). Tickets may be purchased online
(fbmaryville.org/michaeljr).
Monday, november 17
starts at 7 pm. Food and drink available. VFW
Students in grades K-5 can practice reading to
a furry friend. At the Niedringhaus School, corner
of 29th and State. For more information call
618-452-6238 or visit www.smrld.org.
Painting made easy with Painting 101 Class,
6 pm. Advance registration required. My Treasure House, 4230 State Route 159, Glen Carbon,
www.mytreasurehouse.com.
Emotions Anonymous meets every Monday night
at 8 pm at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in New
Madorin, [email protected] or 217-272 4560.
tuesday, november18
Troy. Quilting for beginners through seasoned,
Wilderness Walk, Watershed Nature Center, 1591
Tower Ave, Edwardsville, 9:30 a m. Free event,
all ages welcome. Narrated hike around the Watershed Nature Center. Bring your curiosity, questions, and keen eye for observation as we enjoy
the wetland, prairie and forest habitats. Advance
registration requested.Wilderness Walk takes
place monthly on the 3rd Tuesday,
Bingo, 1-3 pm, every Tuesday and Friday, Main
Street Community Center, 1033 N. Main, Edwardsville. www.mainstreetcc.org.
Sit down for a free, hot meal and cold drink
at 4:30 pm. For
more information call
618-877-6672.
Grief Support Group, 6:30 pm, No fee and no registration needed. Topics include how to better understand the grieving process, developing coping
skills, improving communication and stress management. For anyone that has experienced a loss
of any kind. Meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday
of every month at the First Baptist Church of
Litchfield, Harrison Street entrance. For more information, call Joyce Weatherford, RN/Case Manager at St . Francis Hospital, head of the support
group, at 217-324-8544.
[email protected].
every Monday and Tuesday at 10 am. Glen Carbon Library, 198 S. Main,
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Learn Microsoft Word: Part 1, 6:30 pm. Part II
held the next evening. Glen Carbon Library, 198
S. Main, www.glencarbonlibrary.org.
Venice who have sight & hearing problems, www.
granitecity.illinois.gov.
Starzz Karaoke every Wednesday night at
Chapps, 119 W. Edwards, Litchfield.
Old Newsboys Day, 6-9 am. Old Newsboys
largest event of the year. Volunteers sell the ONBs
papers on street corners. The papers are written
by St. Louis High School Students,
8:00-9:00, $1 suggested Center donation. For
questions on the classes, contact the Community
Center: 618656-0300 or email
[email protected].
of the classes the books will be compiled for duplication and binding. The books will make special holiday gifts. Bring a spiral-bound notebook
and a pen/pencil - or a laptop computer. Duplication and binding is voluntary. Main Street Community Center, 1003 N. Main St, Edwardsville.
Call 618-656-0300 for more info.
www.mainstcc.org.
Taste of Downtown Alton, 5-8 pm. For $15.00,
guests can sample a variety of local flavor from
their favorite dining establishments. Held at Argosy Casino’s Music Hall. Tickets available at
Bossanova Restaurant & Lounge (112 W. 3rd St.)
with cash or check, as well as at the Alton Visitors’ Center (200 Piasa St.) where credit and debit
payments can also be processed. Guests must be
21 or older, with a valid ID. All proceeds from this
fundraiser will help Alton Main Street advance the
organization’s goals to improve and promote
Alton’s historic downtown district, www.altonmainstreet.org.
Cahokia Archaeological Society Meeting, 7:30
pm. Come at 6:30 pm to help wash artifacts.
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, 30 Ramey
Street, Collinsville, www.cahokiamounds.org.
Larry Madorin, [email protected] or
217-272 -4560.
ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION MEETING,
7 pm, Talahi Lodge at the Olin Nature Preserve The Nature Institute, 2213 South Levis Lane,
Godfrey, every third Thursday of the month. Participants will navigate the preserve with naturalist
Eddie Agha to observe and record constellations.
No telescopes are needed. Guests will also receive
short, instructional lessons about activities and
workshops associated with the program, and find
out how to join the TNI Astronomy Association.
Free, but reservations are required. Reservations
and information: 618-467-2521 or email
[email protected].
Comedy Night featuring Dobie Maxwell, a.k.a
Mr. Lucky, 8 pm. $8 in advance, $10 at the door.
State Street Bar & Grill, 118 S. State St,
Jerseyville, 618-639-FOOD.
Friday, november 21
2 sides for $8, Sandwiches are $5.50, www.granitecity.illinois.gov. Eagles Bingo, 7 pm, every
Friday and Saturday at Tri-mor Bingo Center,
3701 Nameoki Rd, Granite City. Great Prizes and
great fun! www.granitecity.illinois.gov.
Winter Wonderland Christmas Parade, 6 pm, starting at Holy Family Parking Lot (line up 5 pm).
Free photos with Santa after parade at Moose
Lodge. For more information and entry forms
visit www.litchfieldchamber.com.
Kelley Hunt, The Beautiful Bones CD release concert, 8 pm, Wildey Theatre, 252. N. Main St,
Edwardsville, www.wildeytheatre.com.
fun for all ages. Maryville Community Library, 8
Schiber Ct, Maryville, www.maryville.lib.il.us.
Annual Holiday Open House with great food,
great friends and great shopping, Alton Exchange,
2990 E. Homer Adams Parkway, Alton,
www.altonexchangemall.com.
American Girl Club, 1-3 pm, Glen Carbon
Library, 198 S. Main, www.glencarbonlibrary.org.
Art at The House, 1-4 pm @ Lifehouse Community Church, 3825 Seminary Street, Alton. Indie
arts and crafts show, ;ive entertainment, and delicious food! Free Admission, www.lifehouse.com.
Santa’s Holiday Ave Parade & Festivities, Granite
City. Parade begins at 1 pm at the corner of 27th
St and Madison Ave and ends downtown, chili
cook-off in the par following the parade with chili
for sale for $1/bowl. Also features face painting,
balloon making, clowns, pony rides, bounce
houses, El Torero Tacos & Nachos and lots of
vendors. Santa’s Cabin will be inside the Granite
City Cinema at 1243 Neidringhaus Ave. For more
info call Judy at 618-452-6200 or email
[email protected],
12th Annual Festival of Trees encourages the
spirit of giving through a silent auction of decorated trees, wreaths, centerpieces and gingerbread
houses with proceeds going to charity. Fir, 4-8
pm, Sat, noon-7 pm, Sun, noon-3 pm. Also features Christmas Marketplace with unique gifts
from artisans, craftsmen and vendors that have
never before shown in Litchfield so you can get
all of your holiday shopping done at one place!
Children’s activities including visits with Santa
will be on Saturday. Held at Lincoln Land Community College, 1 Lincoln Land Drive, Litchfield,
www.visitlitchfield.com.
LIVE MUSIC: Butch Moore, 6 pm, The Winery
at Shale Lake, 1499 Washington Ave, Williams,
www.shalewine.com.
Annual Tree Lighting at Alton Lincoln-Douglas
Square, (Broadway & Market). This annual event
begins with the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus on
the trolley at 6. The festivities including caroling,
candy, cookies and hot cocoa will continue until
6:45 when tree is lit. Carols will fill the air
throughout the evening provided by area groups
including the Girl Scouts. Free. For more information call 618-463-1016,
www.altonmainstreet.com.
Free on Thursdays! Come for dinner at Prinvicalli's Cafe and then watch a movie or play games
or
visit
Tri-Township Public Library Book Sale, 9-1,
Tri-Township Public Library, 208 S. Main St,
Troy, www.troymaryvillecoc.com.
Staunton Post Prom hosting the 2nd Annual 5K
Turkey Trot (Walk or Run). 8:30 AM registration
opens, the trot begins at 10:00 AM, at Duda Park
in Staunton. Registration forms can be picked up
at
the
Staunton
Library
or
email
[email protected]. All proceeds go to the funding of Post Prom, the event held after prom providing food, games and prizes to students to keep
them safe on Prom Night. For more information
call Lilli Sirko at 618-780-8858.
Holiday Open House, 9-2, Dee Dees Designs, 103
N. Macoupin, Gillespie. Refreshments, door
prizes, Wind & Willow product samples and great
holiday shopping, www.dee-deesdesigns.com.
Old Cathedral Christmas Bazaar @ Sts. Peter &
Paul Parish, 717 State Street, Alton, 9-5. Holiday
shopping just got easier - more than 40 vendors.
Breakfast and lunch will be served. Basket raffle,
$1,000 raffle, Bake Shoppe, kettle corn, apple butter, and peanut brittle. There will also be a Children's Christmas area where children can shop for
presents. Breakfast with Santa Claus will also be
held., www.ssppalton.com.
Irie Element Jewelry Trunk Show, 10-4, Lula
Bells, 519 S. State St, Jerseyville, 618-639-1200.
Snowball Drop, 10 am, Downtown Litchfield.
700 snowballs will be dropped downtown containing prizes donated by local businesses. Holiday Walk following, with community wide
specials, sales, promotions and refreshments at
participating businesses,
www.litchfieldchamber.com.
Discovery Days: Trees, Watershed Nature Center,
1591 Tower Ave, Edwardsville, 10 am. Free
event; all ages. A morning of investigation into
the nature of trees. Enjoy hands on activities, lessons and crafts for all ages. Advance Registration
requested for groups of 10+. Addresses Boy &
Girl Scout requirements,
Deer Hunter's Widow PARTY @ Alton Moose
Lodge, Godfrey, 6:30-9:30 pm. “HE HUNTS,
therefore, I SHOP!" $20 ticket includes a $10 gift
certificate to use at: Spa services (eyebrows,
make-overs, quick updo's, paraffin hand wax, 10
minute massages, spray tan). Also Includes: Appetizers, Cash Bar, COWBOY waiters - VOTE on
the HUNKIEST Cowboy! Tickets available
through organizer, www.riverbender.com.
Mineral Springs Walking Tour & Haunted
Overnight, 7 pm, Mineral Springs Haunted Tours
301 E. Broadway Street, Alton. Includes visits to
several haunted buildings as well as an exclusive
guided tour of the most haunted building in Alton,
the Mineral Springs Hotel. The only tour to enter
Mineral Springs! Includes light refreshments.
Bring cameras, recorders, flashlights, and any
ghost hunting equipment you may have. $35/
person, www.mineralspringshauntedtours.com.
i November 2014
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55
FoW presents: The Other Guys - from University
of Illinois, 8 pm, Wildey Theatre, 252. N. Main
St, Edwardsville, www.wildeytheatre.com.
Karaoke at the Millersburg General Store’s
Melody Inn, 613 Route 14 3, Millersburg (I70 to
Exit 3 0 then east on Hwy 143 for 7 miles). Find
us on Facebook!
sunday, november 23
Sewing Circle, 1-3 p.m. Free (meets each month
on the second and fourth Sunday.) Bring any period sewing or needlecraft project to share and/or
work on in a relaxed setting. Period sewing instruction and help are available to those wanting
to advance their skills in the production of period
garments. Both ladies and gentlemen are welcome to participate. The sewing circle will meet
second and fourth Sundays (schedule may change
due to holidays or special events). This is an informal gathering to share skills, ideas, and new
information. The Colonel Benjamin Stephenson
House, 409 S. Buchanan, Edwardsville,
www.stephensonhouse.org.
Curtain’s Up The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,
2 pm & 6 pm, Wildey Theatre, 252. N. Main St,
Edwardsville, www.wildeytheatre.com.
618-669-2155.
Monday, november 24
10th Annual Green Gift Bazaar, Riverbender
Community Center, 200 W 3rd Street, Alton. Do
all of your holiday shopping with Eco-friendly
vendors and Eco-friendly artisans, as well as with
the locally-owned businesses located in the beautiful Downtown Alton historic district who will be
offering special discounts on this day. For more
info or to request a vendor registration form
please
contact
Sarah
Ansell
at
[email protected] or 618-780-9197,
www.altonmainstreet.org.
starts at 7 pm. Food and drink available.
VFW Post 3912, 215 W. Ryder, Litchfield.
of 29th and State. For more information call 618452-6238 or visit www.smrld.org.
Madorin, [email protected] or 217-272
-4560.
tuesday, november 25
Troy.Quilting for beginners through seasoned,
56
i
November 2014
i
Larry Madorin, [email protected]). Free
and open to anyone in need of emotional support
for any reason.
[email protected].
Street Community Center, 1033 N. Main St,
Edwardsville 618-656-0300
www.mainstcc.org.
every Monday and Tuesday at 10 am. Glen Carbon Library, 198 S. Main, www.glencarbonlibrary.org. Lions Club Bingo, 7 pm, every
Wednesday at Trimor Bingo Hall 3701 Nameoki
Rd, 618-877-7771. We play 27 games including
3-$500 bingo games, 2-$500 raffle games, and
4-$1000 raffle games. Our mission is to assist
problems, www. granitecity.illinois.gov.
POCO Trio featuring Rusty Young, Jack Sundrud
and Michael Webb, 8 pm, Wildey Theatre,
252 N. Main St, Edwardsville,
Starzz Karaoke every Wednesday night at
Chapps, 119 W. Edwards, Litchfield.
8:00-9:00, $1 suggested Center donation.
For questions on the classes, contact the Community Center: 618656-0300 or email info@main
stcc.org.
Larry Madorin,[email protected] or
217-272 -4560.\
Friday, november 28
F.A.T.S. Tournament, 8:30 am, Arlington Greens
Golf Course, 200 Arlington Drive, Granite City.
This four person scramble provides golfers with
a chance to work off some of the extra pounds
added by those yummy Thanksgiving Day dinners. The tournament starts at 8:30am. This is a
cash only event. Prizes will be provided, as well
as a lunch of chili and hot dogs. Contact the golf
course at 618-931-5232 if you have questions.
$50 per person, www.troymaryvillecoc.com.
2 sides for $8, Sandwiches are $5.50, www.granitecity.illinois.gov.
Winter Concert Series featuring Arvell & Company with food by Robust, 6 pm, Wildey Theatre,
252. N. Main St, Edwardsville,
Annual Lighted Christmas Parade, 6:30 pm,
downtown square, Highland. Along with the
many wonderful floats, you can indulge in treats
and hot chocolate and pet a reindeer or take a carriage ride, www.highlandillinois.com.
www.granitecity.illinois.gov
i November 2014
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57
11th Annual Fall Indian Market, Fri, noon-5 pm,
Sat, 9-5, Sun, 9-4. NO admission charge. Purchase holiday gift items made by Native American artists and craftpersons; jewelry, painting,
herbals, weaving, baskets, pottery, bronze work
and more. Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, 30
Ramey Street, Collinsville, w w w . c a h o k i amounds.org.
CHRISTMAS
CANDLELIGHT
TOURS,
Colonel Benjamin Stephenson House, 409 S.
Buchanan, Edwardsville, 6 pm - 9 pm.
$10/Adult, $5/child (6-12 years), children five
years and under admitted free. The customs of the
1820s will surround guests as Father Christmas,
and his mischievous brother Rupert, entertain
children and adults alike. Historically garbed docents will be throughout the house as guests take
a self-guided tour through the festively adorned
rooms. Stephenson House will not be open during
the day on Friday or Saturday in order to prepare
for the evening event, www.stephensonhouse.org.
Fri, nov 28-wed, Dec 31
Annual Christmas Light Display at Heritage Farm
Museum, 1395 Museum Ave, Greenville. Santa
visits
on
Fridays
and
Saturdays,
www.greenvilleusa.org.
Christmas Wonderland, 5-9 every evening,
Rock Spring Park, 2100 College Avenue,
Alton. More than 2.5 million lights adorn trees
and lighting displays throughout the park. A special walk-through night (no cars allowed) will be
held the first Monday after Thanksgiving. Carriage rides will be available Fridays, Saturdays
and Sundays on a first-come, first served available
basis (weather permitting). The cost is $30 for the
first person; $5 each additional person, regardless
of age. Reservations can be made for other
evenings with advanced reservations (based on
availability) by phoning Black Tie Carriage Company and Kris Mooney at 217-242-1104.
General admission for Christmas Wonderland is
a suggested donation of $7 for cars and small
vans, or $1 per person for vehicles holding more
than 10 people, www.visitalton.com.
the event and are $10 (or bring a new unwrapped
toy for Toys for Tots and get in FREE) Ticket includes live music and food (provided by Grillin’
G’villo’s BBQ in Bunker Hill, IL) with a cash bar.
You must be at least 21 to enter. Doors open at
5pm with music and food starting at 6pm. More
info will be available very soon at theborderlineband.com.
Come Home For Christmas holiday celebration in
downtown Greenville, 5:30-9:30 pm. Horse
drawn carriage rides, strolling carolers, pictures
with Santa, lighting of square and courthouse,
children’s activities, free movie, train show, street
vendors, businesses open late and more! Everyone is invited to this old fashioned holiday event.
Live at Jacoby: Elise Parker and the Poor People
of Paris, 7-9 pm. Jacoby Arts Center, 627 E.
Broadway, Alton. French pop, jazz, and rock
songs by a quartet of talented musicians help
bring class and talent to this month's featured concert. For more information, call 618-462-5222.
Admission/ $12.50, $10 for students and seniors,
www.visitalton.com.
LIVE BAND - MOON SHINE SORROW at the
Millersburg General Store’s Melody Inn, 613
Route 14 3, Millersburg (I70 to Exit 3 0 then east
on Hwy 143 for 7 miles). Find us on Facebook!
Silver Bullet - A Tribute to Bob Seger, 8 pm,
Wildey Theatre, 252. N. Main St, Edwardsville,
sunday, november 30
Holiday Open House, noon-6 pm, The Crimson
Briar, 19332 N. 17th Ave, Witt. Refreshments,
door prizes, holiday shopping. Find us on Facebook for more information or call 217-825-9637.
Coupon Exchange @ Wood River Public Library,
326 E. Ferguson Ave. Stop by any time between
12:30-4 pm and visit our coupon table. Bring in
coupons you don't use, and pick up some you can!
There is no charge to exchange coupons. For more
information:
Kate
Kite
618-254-4832
or [email protected].
Holiday Homes Tour, Greenville, 1-5 pm.
$10/advance tickets available at Watson’s Drug
Store and Bradford National Bank, $15/day of
tour tickets available at Greenville College Art
Center on Beaumont which is where Bond County
Transit will provide transportation from to each
of the homes. Refreshments at Mt. Nebo Church
and the Greenville High School Select Chorus
will perform there until 4:30 pm,
www.greenvilleusa.org.
Sunday, 5-9 pm. All artists welcome, all audiences welcome. Millersburg General Store, 613
Route 143, Millersburg (E. Pierron). 618-6692155.
Monday, December 1
starts at 7 pm. Food and drink available.
VFW Post 3912, 215 W. Ryder, Litchfield.
of 29th and State. For more information call 618452-6238 or visit www.smrld.org.
Madorin,[email protected].
tuesday, December 2
Troy.
Quilting for all, beginners through seasoned,
Street Community Center, 1033 N. Main S, Edwardsville 618-656-0300
www.mainstcc.org.
Pictures with Santa, packages starting at $25 plus
special sales and give aways. Minndora’s Specialty Photography, 400 N. Monroe, Litchfield,
217-324-9253.
55th Annual Great River Road Run, 10 am,
Downtown Alton. Race off your Thanksgiving
dinner with the choice of a 2 mile route or a 10
mile route out and back on the scenic Great River
Road, www.visitalton.com.
FREE Christmas Movie: The Santa Clause,
12 pm at Westside Cinemas in Litchfield,
www.litchfieldchamber.com.
American Girl Club, 1-3 pm, the 4th Saturday of
every month at the Glen Carbon Library, 198 S.
Main, www.glencarbonlibrary.org.
4th Annual Borderline Christmas Concert to benefit Toys for Toys @ Madison County Fireman's
Hall, 9510 Collinsville Road , Collinsville, 6 pm
to midnight. This year’s event will feature Borderline, Hillbilly Authority, and Derrick Keith
from 92.3 WIL and his world famous Dereoke.
Derrick will have prizes to give away and he will
also sing, play games, and much more. Tickets
for this event are available at the door the day of
58
i
November 2014
i
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i
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60
i
November 2014
i
The Prairie Land Gardener
Warm Up Fall Evenings
Written by Abby Dillon
Fire tables are the newest rage
in extending outdoor living
time during the cooler seasons.
The burning unit is attached to
a propane tank hidden under the
table. They can also be hooked
to natural gas lines.
This fall we definitely have been blessed
with an Indian Summer (a period of unseasonably warm, dry weather in late autumn).
It’s a little gift from the heavens, allowing us
some extra time to play in the sun and reflect
in the garden. As the temperatures gradually
fall, especially in the evening, we will be
spending less time outdoors. Some devoted
patio patrons will look for ways to extend the
season by adding a fire pit or fireplace to
their outdoor living space.
Dealers of casual furnishings, or patio
furniture, claim that in recent years fire
pits/fireplaces/fire tables have been the
largest selling category of outdoor furniture.
It’s no surprise considering the large selection of materials that can be used to make
a fire feature. But before making a big
purchase, hiring a contractor, or planning
a DIY weekend, consider which type of fire
pit best suits your needs.
Fire pits can be mobile units you move
among different areas of your homestead as
needed, the patio, the lawn, the driveway, etc.
You can even clean them up and take them
on a camping trip or tailgating event. Mobile
units are typically copper or steel. Care must
be taken anytime that fire is involved, but
keep in mind that these metals get very hot!
Fire tables have recently reached the
patio furniture market. Their popularity is
attributed to the fact that they can be matched
with furniture of different styles, like traditional or modern. The burning unit is
attached to a propane tank hidden under the
tabletop. Fire glass placed above is available
in different colors and creates a lovely glow-
ing fire, which may be adjustable for more
or less heat. If you use the fire table
regularly, the burning unit can be hooked up
to the natural gas line that feeds into the
home itself. This would be more cost-efficient than using a tank.
Permanent fire pits can be constructed of
brick, stone or concrete. A rustic fire pit can
be constructed by a weekend warrior as
a relatively cheap DIY project. Dial it up
a notch and hire a licensed contractor to build
a sleek fireplace into your patio, complete
with wood storage, pizza oven or decorative
embellishments like a mantel or stone
column. These usually consist of some sort
of fire-brick kit that can be customized and
finished with natural stone or manufactured
stone veneer of your choice.
Space can be an issue with an open
wood-burning fire pit. After your logs have
burned down to good base of glowing
embers, prime for roasting marshmallows,
it’s possible that a wind will kick those
embers up with a plume of smoke and you
may find yourself backing up a few feet.
This doesn’t work well in a small space, like
a patio. In this case you may want to limit
your fire to a few small logs in a bowl or you
may want to consider using a gas unit.
Regardless of your choice of style, fire
pits, fire tables and fireplaces are a great
option for extending the use of your outdoor
living space. The warmth offered from the
fire will invite guests to linger a little longer
and add a primal element to your home
landscape.
i November 2014
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61
wednesday, December 3
[email protected].
every Monday and Tuesday at 10 am. Glen Carbon Library, 198 S. Main, www.glencarbonlibrary.org.
Trimor Bingo Hall 3701 Nameoki Rd, 618-8777771. 27 games including 3-$500 bingo games,
2-$500 raffle games, and 4-$1000 raffle games.
Our mission is to assist folks in Pontoon Beach,
Mitchell, Granite City, Madison and Venice who
have sight/hearing problems,
www. granitecity.illinois.gov.
thursday, December 4
Tue, Thur and Fri at Main Street Community
Center, 1003 N. Main Edwardsville. – Tue, Thu
& Fri, 8:00-9:00, $1 suggested Center donation.
For questions on the classes, contact the Community Center: 618656-0300 or email info@main
stcc.org.
Larry Madorin,[email protected] or 217272 -4560.
62
i
November 2014
i
thur, Dec 4-sun, Dec 7
Alton Little Theater presents Always...Patsy Cline
benefit musical, www. altonlittletheater.org.
Friday, December 5
Edwardsville, www.edglenfamilies.org.
10th Annual Snowflake Festival , 6 - 8 pm ,
Glazebrook Park, Godfrey. You and your children
can get your picture taken with Santa and Mrs.
Claus, meet Anna, Elsa and Olaf, and pet a reindeer at the park. Coloring contest page available
on website. Entries must be submitted to the Parks
and Recreation Department, P.O. Box 5067, 6810
Godfrey Road, Godfrey, IL 62035 by Wednesday,
December 3rd by 5 pm. All entries will be displayed in the concession stand at the Snowflake
Festival. Winners will be announced that night,
www.godfreyil.org.
Boomer’s
advice
for Humans
or
visit
Fri, December 5-sat, Dec 6
6th Annual Holiday Sparkle, Downtown Gillespie, 4-7 pm Friday. Saturday: 8:30-11:30 am
Snack with Santa, Illinois Valley Rehab Building
212 East Walnut, next to the police station, 8:3012:30 Petting Zoo, UCB parking lot, 9 am-1pm
Holiday Sparkle, Downtown Gillespie,
www.coalcountrychamber.com.
Fri, Dec 5-sun, Dec 7
Holiday Open House with refreshments and special sales throughout, Lighthouse Antique Mall,
19130 W. Frontage Road, Raymond (I55 to
Carlinville Exit 60, 217-324-6111.
Macoupin County Historical Society’s 3rd Annual
Christmas Show and Handmade Christmas Store,
920 Breckenridge Street, Carlinville. Fri, 1-9 pm,
Sat, 9 am-8 pm, Sun, 11 am- 3 pm. Mansion
Tours $3/adults, $1/children but admission to the
Christmas Store is free. Food available for purchase includes their infamous beef stew, cranberry
salad, hot wassail and homemade pies. For more
information call 217-854-2850. Held in conjunction with the downtown Carlinville Christmas
Market.
Written by Boomer Savage
I’m going to keep it short and sweet this
month and offer some simple words of
advice to humans. I believe they would
be much happier if they followed a dog’s
example:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Love your family.
Take regular baths.
Live in the moment.
Stop to smell the road kill.
Keep your shots up to date.
Let your dog sleep in the bed
with you.
• Go for long walks with family
members.
• When you have spare time,
lick yourself.
Boomer is a registered German Wirehaired
Pointer owned by Glenn Savage of Litchfield,
IL. Boomer takes the Savage family hunting
and advises them on all subjects related to
dogs, hunting and hunting safety. In 2007
Boomer began writing in order to share a
dog’s view point on the world. Since his induction into authorship, Boomer has been
published in Adventure, Sports, Outdoors and
in the local newspapers.
Bottom photo: Joe Glik (center) with sons Jim on the left and Jeff on the right.
Glik’s to Open new location
in Northtown Shopping Center in Highland
The Nutcracker at the Wildey Theatre, 252. N.
Main St, Edwardsville. Friday, 7:30 pm, Saturday, 2 & 7:30 pm, Sunday, 2 pm,
haPPY thaNKsGiviNG
The Prairie Land Buzz Magazine
is truly thankful for each and
every one of you reading this
message - whether you are
a reader, one of our writers,
ad sales people, distributor or
advertiser - THANK YOU!
May your blessings be plenty!
Top: Joe Glik on a recent buying trip to New York. Joe has been traveling to New York for the
past 70 years. The first time he went was in 1944 with his father. They traveled by train.
Glik’s is proud to announce the
relocation of their Highland
store
in mid-November. The new store is
planned to open on November 13, 2014 at
3 p.m. with Grand Opening events that
day and Saturday which include
giveaways and free with purchase offers.
The current Glik`s location will stay
open through November 9th. Still located
in the Northtown Shopping Center of
Highland, Glik’s will be showcasing an
exciting new store format on the east end
of the Northtown shopping center.
Glik’s success over the
last 117 years has been to adapt and
change with the wants and needs of
thecommunities they serve.
Glik’s has found recent success in an
updated and tighter store footprint.
Customers can expect the most current
fashion brands in women’s like Last
Tango, Elan, and Alex and Ani. Men’s
apparel will feature Patagonia, The North
Face and Drake. This unique design
concept
will
be
a new experience for shopping at Glik’s.
The store will feature women’s, men’s
and children’s apparel and footwear. With
Glik Park located behind Northtown
Shopping Center, special focus will be
given to active apparel and footwear. As
an example, it will be the largest Under
Armour and Nike presentation in the
entire 62 store chain.
Glik’s was established in 1897 and is
proud to be one of the oldest familyowned and operated retail stores in the
USA. Glik`s has been serving the
Highland area community since 1974.
Last year the store received the prestigious
Illinois Family Business of the Year award
from Loyola University.
Visit Glik’s online at www.Gliks.com.
i November 2014
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63

phone: 573-368-6639 - The Buzz Monthly Magazine

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