| Tickets are available to all Lincoln 
			College alumni, friends and the general public. Both events are 
			all-inclusive; with motor coach transportation available. Ticket 
			availability is limited, so make your reservations now. 
			The cost for each game is $150 per 
			person and includes a game ticket, air-conditioned party room 
			overlooking the outfield, a buffet meal, and unlimited soda and beer 
			(and wine in Chicago). The St. Louis game will also include door 
			prizes and a raffle of Cardinals and Cubs items. The bus cost for the Chicago game 
			is $40 per person, with pickups in Lincoln and Normal. For the St. 
			Louis game, the bus is $30 per person, with pickups in Lincoln and 
			Springfield. To reserve your tickets or for more 
			information, contact the college alumni office at 217-732-3155, ext. 
			217; call toll-free at 877-522-5867; or visit
			
			http://www.lincolncollege.edu/alumni/. Additional questions can 
			be emailed to Kerri Taylor at
			
			ktaylor@lincolncollege.edu. 
 
			
			 DeWitt-Logan 
			retired teachers meet April 10 
	CLINTON -- The quarterly 
	meeting of the DeWitt-Logan unit of the Illinois Retired Teachers 
	Association will be on April 10 at 10:30 a.m. at Ted's Garage Restaurant in 
	Clinton. The program will be presented by Pam Kogler, administrative 
	services manager, and Lesley Booth, Medicare coordination of benefits 
	supervisor. Both come from Central Management Systems and are specialists in 
	the Teachers' Retirement Insurance Program. They will present information on 
	coordination of benefits with Medicare. 
	The
			Illinois Retired 
			Teachers Association is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of 
			retired educators. The association serves the needs and interests of 
			its members through advocacy, education, cooperation and 
			socialization in a flexible organizational structure. Membership is 
			open to all retired and active teachers and their spouses. 
 
			
			 Danielle Krabbe serving as Business Brigade volunteer in Panama 
	LITCHFIELD -- Danielle Krabbe, a junior at the University of Illinois, is participating in Global 
	Business Brigades, the world's largest student-led global health and 
	sustainable development organization. She is currently spending seven days 
	in a rural community in Panama to help provide solutions to the community's 
	economic needs. The beneficiaries typically have a low 
			level of income, lack of collateral and low level of education. 
			Krabbe is conducting household visits 
			in which she assesses the family's level of financial competency and 
			entrepreneurial goals. She then provides educational and technical 
			assistance in personal finance, basic accounting and business 
			planning. The Business Brigade volunteers 
			invest in the community savings and loan by providing seed capital. 
			The seed capital provides loans to small businesses and 
			entrepreneurs to either expand current operations or pursue new 
			business opportunities. Krabbe is studying in the College 
			of Business at the University of Illinois and majoring in marketing 
			and management. She is a 2011 graduate of Litchfield High School.  
		Danielle is the daughter of Roger and Dana Krabbe 
of Litchfield and granddaughter of Dan and Marilyn Wheat of Lincoln. 
 
			
			 Lincoln 
	Community Gardens project kicks off Saturday 
	It's that time again! Time to get out there, 
	turn the soil and really get in touch with nature and the joy of growing 
	your own vegetables. The Lincoln Community Gardens project is going to be active once 
			again this year, with plenty of garden plots for the experienced and 
			novice gardener. To start off the season, the group will host a 
			public information workshop on Saturday, March 23, at the Lincoln 
			Public Library, in the Pegram Room downstairs. Those interested in 
			obtaining a garden plot can sign up at the meeting. There will also 
			be garden leaders on hand to answer gardening questions, and there 
			will be a selection of gardening books on display that can be 
			checked out from the library. There will also be a giveaway of two 
			garden plots to use this season. The event Saturday will begin at 10:30 a.m. and is expected to 
			run until noon. (See publicity.) 
 
			
			 HSLC 
			now seeking donations for 2nd annual garage sale The Humane Society of Logan County is seeking donations of goods 
			for the second annual "Big Spring Garage Sale." Clean, gently used 
			items for donation can be dropped off every Wednesday and Saturday, 
			beginning April 3, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Logan County 
			Fairgrounds. Use the south entrance. For more information or to arrange pickup, call 732-1979 or 
			732-7853. Electronics cannot be accepted.  This year's sale will be May 10 and 11, a Friday and Saturday, at 
			the Logan County Fairgrounds. Items for sale will include home decor, toys, sporting goods, 
			furniture, clothes, shoes, accessories, holiday items, outdoor 
			goods, books, CDs, DVDs and much more. There will also be food, 
			music and fun stuff just for kids. With the support of the community, the HSLC was able to open a 
			shelter in 2011. Since then, they have placed more than 200 cats and 
			dogs in forever homes, and facilitated in more than 400 low-cost 
			spay and neuters per year.  
 
			
			 Land 
			of Lincoln Honor Flight 'welcome home' event March 26 SPRINGFIELD -- Donations and efforts of many individuals, 
			organizations and businesses have allowed Land of Lincoln Honor 
			Flight to take 16 more World War II veterans, 68 more Korean 
			veterans and one Vietnam veteran to Washington, D.C., next week to 
			see the World War II Memorial, Korean Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, 
			Arlington Cemetery, National Air and Space Museum, and other 
			memorials. Seventy-seven guardians who are responsible for the 
			veterans' comfort and safety will be on the 19th Land of Lincoln 
			Honor Flight. This is the first flight for 2013. The public is invited to a "welcome home" ceremony for these 
			WWII, Korean era and Vietnam veterans when the plane arrives back at 
			Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield at 9:30 p.m. on 
			Tuesday, March 26. Wear red, white and blue to show your 
			appreciation.  Veterans on this flight come from the Illinois towns of Alton, 
			Auburn, Bartonville, Benson, Brimfield, Bunker Hill, Canton, 
			Carlinville, Carrollton, Chatham, Chillicothe, Clinton, Dawson, 
			Decatur, East Peoria, Elgin, Elmwood, Fairbury, Forrest, Greenview, 
			Groveland, Jacksonville, Latham, Lincoln, Loami, Manchester, Mason 
			City, Medora, Metamora, Morton, Mount Olive, Mount Pulaski, Normal, 
			North Pekin, Odell, Pekin, Peoria, Petersburg, Pontiac, Roanoke, 
			Rochester, Roodhouse, Rushville, San Jose, Saybrook, Sherman, 
			Springfield, Taylorville, Tremont, Virden, Virginia, White Hall, 
			Wood River and Yates City.  Applications from veterans are still 
			being accepted for the following, but WWII veterans will be served 
			first:  
				
				Veterans who 
				enlisted by Dec. 31, 1946 (WWII -- 101 currently on the list)
				
				Veterans who 
				served Jan. 1, 1947, through Dec. 31, 1957 (Korean era -- 388 
				currently on the list)
				Veterans who served Jan. 1, 1958, 
				through May 7, 1975 (137 currently on the list) Flights are also scheduled for April 23 (already full), May 21 
			(already full) and June 18 (being filled). If funds are available, 
			there will be additional flights in September and October. The Land of Lincoln Honor Flight board welcomes the chance to 
			speak to organizations, businesses, churches, conventions or others 
			groups about their mission, future flights, guardian duties, 
			fundraising and donations. For more information about this flight, how individuals and 
			groups can help the mission, how to obtain applications, how to 
			become a member, and to learn more about Land of Lincoln Honor 
			Flight, go to the website,
			
			www.landoflincolnhonorflight.org, or contact Ray Wiedle: home, 
			314-427-2317; cell, 217-622-1473; email,
			arwiedle@sbcglobal.net.
			 
 
			
			 Public 
	meeting to discuss Mount Pulaski post office 
	MOUNT PULASKI -- The U.S. 
	Postal Service will have a public meeting to answer questions and provide 
	additional information about the Post Plan for Mount Pulaski. 
				Time: 1 p.m. Where: 114 S. Lafayette St.Family Life Center of Christian Church
				(across the street from the post office)
 A survey was sent to citizens to 
			help determine the best course of action for providing postal 
			services to the Mount Pulaski community. When you receive the 
			survey, please fill it out and return it in the envelope provided. 
			The surveys, in addition to the public meeting, will enable the 
			Postal Service to obtain all community input and opinions before 
			making a final decision regarding the post office in Mount Pulaski. Note: In the survey, the meeting 
			was announced to be at the post office, 121 N. Lafayette, but the 
			location has been changed to the Family Life Center across the 
			street, as indicated above. 
 
			
			 Public 
	meeting for downtown revitalization and redevelopment planning slated for 
	March 27 
	There will be a public meeting Wednesday, 
	March 27, to present the preliminary Downtown Revitalization Plan to 
	residents, local business owners and community leaders. The meeting will be 
	from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Lincoln Park District Administrative Center, 1400 
	Primm Road. The meeting will be an open house 
			format, meaning that people interested can arrive and leave at any 
			point during the scheduled time, and no formal presentation will be 
			given. Members of the study team will be present to explain exhibits 
			and answer any questions. The Downtown Revitalization Plan makes 
			recommendations on specific physical improvements to downtown 
			Lincoln, including streetscape improvements, a conceptual plan for 
			the public parks and courthouse square, parking and traffic plans, 
			historical façade improvements, and a historical preservation plan. Information on the activities that have taken place leading up to 
			this meeting can be viewed on the project website:
			
			http://explorelogancounty.com/DowntownLincolnStudy/.
 
 
			
			 Lincoln Jaycees host Easter egg hunt Saturday The Lincoln Jaycees will host their annual egg hunt on Saturday, 
			March 23. The fun begins at 1 p.m. at Latham Park in downtown 
			Lincoln. The free hunt is open to kids up to age 10. There will be four 
			age groups: 1-3, 4-5, 6-7 and 8-10. Parents may help with the 
			youngest age group.  Join the hippity-hoppity fun, including goodies and prizes. 
			Harvey the Easter Bunny will make a visit, so bring cameras and 
			baskets. The rain date is March 30. ___ The Lincoln Jaycees are 
			a not-for-profit organization serving Lincoln and the surrounding 
			communities. The organization gives young people between the ages of 
			18 and 40 the tools they need to build the bridges of success for 
			themselves in the areas of business development, management skills, 
			individual training, community service and international 
			connections. Membership meetings are the third Friday of each month 
			at 7:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Jaycees Center, 325 S. Chicago St., and 
			are open to everyone. 
 
			
			 Pittsburgh Symphony cellist featured in final Behind the Scenes 
			program ATLANTA -- Cellist Mikhail Istomin will be in Atlanta on Friday, April 5, 
			for this year's final event in the Atlanta Public Library's Behind 
			the Scenes program. The event will be at the North Greens Golf 
			Course. Those attending can hear the musician's story of growing up in 
			the former Soviet Union and adapting to a new life in the U.S. He 
			will answer questions, talk about how musicians are selected for 
			premium jobs in major U.S. orchestras, and also perform for the 
			group "up close and personal." Born and educated in Russia, Mikhail Istomin, known as Misha, 
			holds a master's degree in music from the St. Petersburg 
			Conservatory. While still in school, he became principal cellist of 
			the State Hermitage Orchestra and later joined the orchestra of the 
			Kirov Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. In 1987, he became the cellist of the Leningrad Conservatory 
			String Quartet, and in 1989 the group won the grand prize in the 
			National Soviet Union Competition of String Quartets. Later that 
			year, Misha defected during the quartet's U.S. tour and was granted 
			political asylum in the United States, where he went on to establish 
			an exceptional musical career, including establishing the acclaimed 
			Pittsburgh Piano Trio. Misha was appointed principal cellist of the Pittsburgh Opera and 
			Pittsburgh Ballet Theater orchestras in 1991, and the following 
			year, he joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Maestro 
			Lorin Maazel. In July 1998, Misha returned to St. Petersburg to perform in the 
			Second World Cello Congress under the direction of the renowned 
			conductor Mstislav Rostropovich. The Atlanta event begins with a free reception at 6:30 p.m., and 
			the program starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased in 
			advance at the library or at the door on April 5. Behind the Scenes is sponsored by the Atlanta National Bank and 
			the City of Atlanta.  
 [to top of second 
			column] | 
 
 
			
			 Kathy 
	Hopwood is the March ALMH Employee of the Month 
	Kathy Hopwood of Lincoln has been named the 
	March Employee of the Month at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln. 
	She works as a nurse technician in Acute Care. 
			 "Kathy looks out for patients' welfare 
			and comfort," said the anonymous co-worker who nominated Hopwood for 
			the honor. "She is always busy, whether assisting a patient, asking 
			staff if they need help, or even straightening shelves in the 
			storage area. She gives constant attention to our patients and the 
			Acute Care staff."
			 Hopwood's association with ALMH began early as she was born at 
			ALMH when it was located on Eighth Street. She started her career at 
			ALMH in Acute Care. Hopwood found the right calling in nursing as it provides her the 
			opportunity to help people and meet a lot of people. "I really enjoy interacting with everyone who comes through the 
			doors of ALMH. I love spending time with patients and their 
			visitors, working next to skilled employees, and providing a great 
			experience," said Hopwood. Hopwood is also grateful to ALMH for the educational 
			opportunities she has had available to her from the beginning of her 
			career. "I've been lucky to work in health care for most of my life. 
			After graduating from high school I took a career path that afforded 
			me many on-the-job training opportunities. After completing my 
			certified nursing assistant certification, I remain committed to 
			higher education in my field. Part of the spirit of ALMH has always 
			been providing the best care, and they give us the knowledge and 
			skills to make that happen," said Hopwood. As a nurse technician, Hopwood spends the majority of her days 
			working directly with patients. She also coordinates with the 
			nursing staff to provide medical and personal care to all the ALMH 
			patients. Hopwood would recommend a career in nursing and offered this 
			advice to those interested in the field: "CNAs are vital to a hospital and are always needed. Earn your 
			CNA certification and look into nursing school," she said. "If you 
			love being a CNA, like I do, then stick with the job and take 
			advantage of educational opportunities. Helping people is a great 
			career choice, and I would seriously encourage anyone interested to 
			fully explore all of the great things about becoming a CNA. Also, I 
			would tell them to invest in a pair of really comfortable shoes!" 
			said Hopwood. ALMH, at 200 Stahlhut Drive in Lincoln, is a 25-bed 
			critical-access hospital affiliated with Memorial Health System. The 
			hospital employs 315 in a variety of roles. For more information, 
			visit www.almh.org.  
 
			
			 Lincoln 
	College hosts a day trip to Gurnee Mills & 'South Pacific' 
	Tickets are available now 
	through March 25 for a spring Lincoln College shopping and theater event 
	April 13, hosted by the LC Office of Alumni Relations and Special Events. 
	Guests will enjoy approximately four hours for lunch and shopping at Gurnee 
	Mills outlet mall before heading to the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire to 
	see one of the best musicals of all time, "South Pacific," featuring LC 
	alumnus and Broadway star Stephen Buntrock (LC Class of 1988). Tickets are available to all Lincoln College alumni, friends and the 
			general public. The motor coach will make pickups in Lincoln and 
			Normal. Guests will leave Lincoln around 7:30 a.m. and return around 
			11:30 p.m. The cost is $75 and includes deluxe motor coach transportation, 
			snacks on the bus, theater ticket and a brief opportunity to meet 
			Buntrock after the show. To reserve tickets or for more information, contact the alumni 
			office at 217-732-3155, ext. 217; call toll-free at 877-522-5867; or 
			visit 
			http://www.lincolncollege.edu/alumni/. Additional questions may 
			be emailed to Kerri Taylor at
			
			ktaylor@lincolncollege.edu. Tickets will not be available after March 25. 
 
			
			 
	Atlanta Public Library & Museum present a visit with Michael Rothberg 
	March 25 
	ATLANTA -- On March 25, the Atlanta Public Library's Worldviews Book Group 
	-- which has been studying the Holocaust this year -- will present a special 
	evening with Michael Rothberg, founder and director of the Holocaust, 
	Genocide and Memory Studies Initiative at the University of Illinois. 
	Rothberg will discuss the importance of preserving memories of the Holocaust 
	and answer questions about the role genocide continues to play in the world 
	today. The program will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the North Greens Golf 
			Course in Atlanta. It is free. 
						A professor at the University of Illinois, Rothberg is a 
						well-known teacher and writer, and this program is a 
						rare opportunity for members of the public to meet 
						informally with an expert whose insights into one of the 
						world's most significant events promise to be 
						informative and thought-provoking. 
 
			
			 Atlanta 
	Public Library hosts local city and township candidates 
	ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Public Library invites 
	the public to attend two public meetings where they can ask questions of 
	candidates running for city and township offices. On March 18, candidates 
	for city council, the library board and the parks board will be available 
	for questions. Township candidates will attend on April 1. Both meetings 
	will be at the North Greens Golf Course from 7 to 8 p.m. The events are 
	free. On March 18, members of the library 
			board will also be in attendance to answer questions about the 
			library's ballot referendum. Representatives of the rescue squad 
			will attend on April 1 and answer questions about the Logan County 
			Paramedic Association referendum. While candidates' attendance 
			depends on their availability, the library expects most to 
			participate and encourages the public to take advantage of this 
			important opportunity to learn about candidates' plans for Atlanta 
			in advance of the election on April 9. Candidates for city offices are Fred Fincham for mayor; Billie 
			Cheek, Matt Clemmons and Bill Moore for city council; Ken Martin for 
			city clerk; and Vickie Martin for city treasurer. Library board candidates are Randy Brooks, Anne Hieronymus, Karen 
			Horn and Susan Kuhlmyer. Park board candidates are Doug Thompson and Greg Tucker. Township candidates are Staci Hieronymus Kong and Jack Renfrow 
			for supervisor; Melanie Blankenship and Julie Tabor for clerk; 
			Daniel Osborn for highway commissioner; and Joe Daugherty, Wesley 
			Green, Alex Hoblit, Julie Osborn, Betty Renfrow and Greg Tucker for 
			trustee. The public meetings are part of the library's Civic Connections 
			program, which is sponsored by the A-Team. 
 
			
			 Logan 
	County Community Health Fair coming March 23 
	The Logan County Community Health Fair 
	continues to promote and educate area residents on the benefits of a healthy 
	lifestyle through screenings, information and programs offered by health and 
	social service organizations at the local, state and regional level. This 
	year's health fair will be on Saturday, March 23, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 
	the Lincoln Park District Sports Center. All activities, programs and 
	collections will be on-site unless otherwise noted.
			 The Community Health Fair will offer 
			numerous health screenings, including blood pressure, oral cancer 
			screenings and body mass indexes, which are free to the public. 
			Cholesterol and hemoglobin screenings will be offered at a nominal 
			cost. Well water testing, child fingerprinting will also be offered. 
			The American Red Cross will sponsor a blood drive. Additionally, the 
			health fair will again offer residents the opportunity to recycle a 
			variety of different items in an environmentally friendly and 
			responsible manner. The State 
			Bank of Lincoln will sponsor shredding of confidential papers and 
			destruction of hard drives as part of the Community Health Fair. The 
			shredding and hard drive destruction program offers residents the 
			opportunity to have items such as financial records, old tax returns 
			and other sensitive household records shredded and destroyed in a 
			secure and confidential manner. Proper disposal of these sensitive 
			items may prevent individuals from becoming victims of identity 
			theft. The paper shredding and hard drive destruction will be 
			available from 9 a.m. to noon in the front parking lot of Lincoln 
			Community High School. There will also a glass recycling 
			collection in the front parking lot of LCHS from 9 a.m. to noon. The 
			recycling program accepts only container glass, meaning it 
			originally contained either a food or beverage product. Participants 
			will need to remove all plastic and metal caps and rings from the 
			container. All colors of glass are accepted and do not have to be 
			sorted. The glass recycling program does not accept ceramics, 
			dishware, light bulbs, window glass or mirrors. Glass recycling will 
			be canceled in event of inclement weather. Expired or unwanted medications, 
			both prescription and over-the-counter, will be collected through an 
			unwanted medication collection, co-sponsored by the Healthy 
			Communities Partnership and the Kroger pharmacy. Medications must be 
			in the original container with label and with the name blacked out 
			to ensure privacy. The Lincoln Police Department will be on-site to 
			oversee the collection process. Residents are reminded that it is no 
			longer acceptable to dispose of any medication by flushing it down 
			the toilet, as chemical compounds are now being detected in 
			groundwater samples.  Eyeglasses and hearing aids will be 
			collected by the Lions Club for distribution to visually and hearing 
			impaired individuals in the U.S. and around the world. New, used, 
			damaged or broken eyeglasses and hearing aids will be accepted. Cellphones, both working and 
			non-working, will be collected for donation to Sojourn Woman's 
			Center. The cellphones will be reprogrammed and provided to victims 
			of domestic violence for their use in emergency situations. Laser and ink-jet printer 
			cartridges will be collected by Community Action Partnership of 
			Central Illinois. Proceeds from recycling the printer cartridges 
			will be used to supplement ongoing programs for low-income 
			individuals, household, children and seniors. Tabs from aluminum cans will be 
			collected for donation to the area's Ronald McDonald House. Containers will be provided at the 
			health fair for the collection of plastic grocery bags. As always, this year's Logan County 
			Community Health Fair offers something for everyone, whether your 
			goal is maintain or improve your health or to complete some spring 
			cleaning and dispose of items in an environmentally friendly way. For additional information on 
			health screenings, contact Mallory Ramos of the Logan County 
			Department of Public Health at 735-2317. With recycling questions, 
			contact Mitzi Rohlfs, Logan County Joint Solid Waste Agency 
			coordinator, at 732-9636.  
 
			
			 'Fish Fry for Missions' March 22 
	SAN JOSE -- The San Jose United Methodist 
	Women and the men of the church are presenting their annual Fish Fry for 
	Missions on Friday, March 22. Serving will be from 4 until 7 p.m. in the 
	Fellowship Hall. Whole catfish are 
			fried on the premises during the fish fry. Other items on the menu 
			are hash brown casserole, coleslaw, baked beans, homemade desserts 
			and drinks. Chicken strips are also on the menu for children or 
			adults who do not eat fish. Proceeds benefit children and youth 
			ministries such as camping scholarships, the Bible Zone after-school 
			ministry and meal, and Vacation Bible School. Tickets will be sold in advance by 
			church members or at the door. Guests may dine in or carry out for 
			the same price. Tickets are $9 for adults, $4 for children 4-12 and 
			free for children under 4 years with paid adult. For tickets or more 
			information, you may call the church at 309-247-3232 or Jim Eeten at 
			309-247-3485. 
	San Jose is on U.S. 136 about 10 miles west of 
	Interstate 155. The San Jose United Methodist Church is at 601 S. First St., 
	at the corner of Linden and First, about six blocks south of U.S. 136. 
 
			
			 Library 
	prepares for new online system 
	The Lincoln Public Library District will 
	convert to a new online computer database this spring. The library will join 
	426 other member libraries in the Illinois Heartland Library System and 
	become a member of the new Polaris online database. The current library database will no 
			longer be available after March 29, and the new database is expected 
			to become operational on April 9. Patrons who maintain holds or 
			reading lists in the old database are asked to contact the library 
			by March 15 to have that information transferred to the new 
			database. For more information, contact April Jensen, circulation manager, 
			at 732-8878 or visit the library at 725 Pekin St. 
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