March 2012 - Ashland Scoop Newsletter
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Transcript of March 2012 - Ashland Scoop Newsletter
The Scoop Newsletter THIS NEWSLETTER IS A WORK OF LOVE BY A COMMITTEE OF FOLKS IN ASHLAND. THE NEXT ONE WILL BE PUB-
LISHED SHORTLY AFTER THE FIRST OF EACH MONTH. IDEAS OR ITEMS FOR THE NEWSLETTER? DROP OFF OR CALL
NANCY HEATHER AT PRINTERS INK AT 217-476-3764, OR GIVE THEM TO NANCE BRYANT, LINDA DEVLIN, JUDY FUL-
TON, CYNTHIA GUTMANN, BOB HEATHER, OR LIZ WALLBAUM. ITEMS CAN ALSO BE E-MAILED TO MATT HOBROCK,
[email protected]. DEADLINE WILL BE THE 25TH OF EACH MONTH
FOR THE FOLLOWING MONTH’S NEWSLETTER. YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED. OUR WEBSITE: http://ashlandscoop.tripod.com
March 2012
Volume 6
Issue 3
615 S. Yates, 3 bds 2/5 bath. lots of space, all ap-
pliances stay, 2 c. att. gar. plus 30x50 shed par-
tially heated & cooled, oversized doors for camper
or boat. 615 S. Yates, Ashland - $149,000
"WELL MAINTAINED ranch with 3 bedrooms, 3.5 car heated attached garage, & over 1700 sq.ft. Large fenced
back yard with 10.5 x 11 outbuilding w concrete floor. Many updates includ-ing Furnace 05, A/C unit 05, hot water heater 01, roof & gutters 05, windows 08, siding, bathroom 05, & 3rd car garage added in 05. Sliding glass door with deck and patio area. Pull down attic stairs in garage to access attic for storage. This home is a MUST SEE!"
Dawn Stremsterfer
Realtor®, Broker
Associate
Office: 217-787-7215
Direct: 217-741-1865
2475 West Monroe Springfield, IL 62704 (cell) 217-741-1865
PROFESSIONALS
312 W. Franklin, Ashland
PROFESSIONALS (217)787-7215
Melissa Vorreyer Sales Team
217-652-0875
Move in ready 6 year new,
3 bedroom, 2 bath home with
2.5 car garage. Fresh paint
thru-out. 1.5 blocks from park.
AC Central schools.
$122,500
Ann Martin
Real Estate
Broker 100% Club
Member
Office: 217-787-7215
Direct:
217-652-6193
Fax: 217-787-8957
PROFESSIONALS
2475 West Monroe
Springfield, IL
62704
(cell) 217-652-6193
www.annmartinsellshomes.com
312 N. Yates
Ashland
$59,900
Nice updated home situated on 2 lots with an af-fordable price tag! Majority of the home was re-
modeled in 2009 including all new thermopane windows, bathroom, wiring, plumbing, drywall, insulation, carpet, light fixtures, etc. The large
basement offers plenty of space for storage.
OPEN HOUSE March 10, 2012
1:00pm - 2:00pm
Open House
March 10, 2012 2:00pm - 3:00pm
618 E Progress Street Ashland, Illinois
$109,900
CHURCH DIRECTORY BEREA CHRISTIAN CHURCH Minister Edward J.Moretto [email protected] www.bereachristianchurch.com Sunday Christian Education Hour - 9:30 pm Sunday Worship - 10:30 am Wednesday Eve. Prayer Mtg. - 7:00 pm
We’re Open On Sunday!!
CHURCH OF CHRIST Minister Howard Chartier Sunday School - 9:00 am Sunday Worship - 10:00 am
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH Pastor Rev. David L. McHenry 476.3678 Sunday School - 9:30 am Sunday Worship - 10:30 am
ST. AUGUSTINE CHURCH Father Chris Brey 476.8856 Ashland Sunday Mass - 9:00 am Beardstown Sunday Mass - 11:00 am Sunday (Spanish) - 12:30 pm Virginia Saturday - 5:00 pm
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Rev. Pam Hoffman 476.8858 www.ashlandunitedmethodist.com Sunday Worship - 8:45 am Sunday School - 10:00 am Wednesday- Choir Practice - 7:00 Youth Second Saturday - 10am - 2pm
NEW BEGINNINGS CHURCH, s.b.c. Pastor Terry Beauchamp www.newbeginningschristianfellowship.net Sunday School for all ages@ 9:10-10:00 am 2nd Service - 10:15 am YOUTH4TRUTH @ 6:30-7:30 pm Tuesday Corporate Prayer @ 7:00 pm
Saturday’s Men’s Prayer Breakfast @ 8:00 am
2012 Lenten Services Schedule
* All other services are on Sunday
evenings at 5:00 p.m. There will be no food served after the
Good Friday service.
2012
** Prayer Breakfast meets on the first Saturday morning of the month from September - May @ 9:00 am with the host
church providing breakfast and devotions. If your group has a conflict in schedule, please arrange to trade dates with
another group and notify the rest.
Contact: Call contact person from each church to change schedule or start prayer circles in case of emergency or
during the summer months as needed.
Dorothy Taylor (AUMC) 476-3581 Marcia Masten (Richland Creek) 691-5469 Glenda Schleyhan (First Baptist) 476-8829
Becky King (New Beginnings) 891-3454 Betty Higgason (Church of Christ) 476-3824
Elaine Roth (St. Augustine Catholic) 476-3984
March 3 Richland Creek Baptist Church April 7 St. Augustine Catholic Church May 5 Ashland Church of Christ
LADIES’ PRAYER BREAKFAST
Schedule 2012 “Where two or three come together in My name, I am there with them.”
Matthew 18:20
3/04 Pleasant Plains Church of Christ
Pam Hoffman
3/11 Ashland Church of Christ
John Sheppard
3/18 Peter Cartwright United Methodist
Robert Anderson
3/25 Ashland First Baptist Church
Howard Chartier
4/01 New Beginnings Christian Fellowship
David McHenry
4/06 Richland Creek Baptist Church
Terry Beauchamp
Good Friday 7:00 p.m.*
4/08 Berea Christian Church
Keith Masten
Sunrise Service 6:30 a.m.*
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER 2012
Women, men and children in more than 170 countries and regions will celebrate
World Day of Prayer, Friday, March 2, 2012. The women of Malaysia have chosen
the theme “Let Justice Prevail”. They open the service for 2012 with the greeting
“selamat datang” - “peace and welcome” - a reminder that harmony as a people is
rooted in peace and welcome. The women name fair and just governance as the basis
for peace. The stories chosen by the wom-en of Malaysia give credence to the suffer-ing that empowers their prayer. A clear
message emerges: It takes courage, com-passion and active engagement for justice
to prevail. On March 2, 2012, let us resolve to work with God and with each other to
create a world in which each gender, race, culture, religion and state is honored, nur-
tured and empowered.
This year’s service will be held March 2 at 1pm at the Baptist Church, Ashland.
The Graham Team Real Estate Associates LLC
2030 Timberbrooke Springfield, IL 62702
401 East 4th - Pleasant Plains
New Price - $95,900
Bonnie J.
Cartwright
Broker, ABR,
ePro Cell:
217.741.4601
Office:
217.789.7200
Spacious 3 BR, 1.5 BA ranch w/ at-tached 2.5 car attached garage & 2 car detached garage 2212 sq ft of fin-inished space. Great floor plan incl living rm & dining rm combo. Family rm w/ pass thur to Kit. Eat in kit w/ panty. Master BR w/ 2 closets. En-closed porch w/ lots of potenital. Hand-icap potential. Recent updates incl. Furnace in 2008, Toof w/ tear off in 2010, carpet in BRs in 2010, SS refrig in 2010. Qualifies for Rural Housing loans. Call Bonnie Cartwright 741.4601.
Our sincere thanks to
those who made our Trivia Night a success. The
winning team, led by Billy Reyn-olds of Virginia, donated their prize money back to us. We took in over $550 to be used for Sum-mer Days. Thanks, too, for all the delicious desserts brought in by
various folks and the wonderful pulled pork Brian Creed prepared Plans are underway for another fun week-end at Ashland Sum-mer Days, June 22-24 at James Park. — Ashland Community Club
PROFESSIONALS
1046 West Morton
Jacksonville, IL 62650
Kendra Swain Realator
Office:
217-245-9613 Direct:
217-248-5665 Home:
217-243-7183 Fax:
217-243-7183
NICE HOME SIT-UATED ON A LARGE LOT WITH MANY UPDATES. NEW KITCHEN, REFURBISHED HARDWOOD FLOORS AND FRESHLY PAINTED. THE LARGE LOT COULD BE USED FOR A GARDEN, POOL OR MORTON SHED. JOIN KEN-DRA FOR A LOOK!!
OPEN HOUSE MARCH 10
313 N. YATES 1:00 - 2:30 PM
220 N. Yates - Ashland Office: 1-866-225-8126
Garrett Savage - Bob Savage
Ron Ahlers - Salesman cell: (217)691-9631
**GIVE US A CALL**
LLC Propane Illini
Hours: 7:30 am - 1 pm
Tuesday - Friday Closed
Saturday-Sunday-Monday
217.741.3874
NEAL’S BARBER SHOP
Ashland, IL 62612
MATT GREER
President
Located at West Central Bank 400 East Buchanan, PO Box 467
Main: 217-476-3653 - Fax: 217-476-3342
Email: [email protected]
Foundation Created for A-C Central School District #262
On September 15, 201I seven directors were seated on the board of the A-C Central Schools Foundation. The Foundation is classified a SA 501(3Xc) which is a tax-exempt organization under the Internal Revenue Code. Tax exempt status has been granted both for the foundation and its donors. The purpose of the Foundation is to provide financial or other resources in sup-port of the curricular and co-curricular activities of A-C Central Community Unit District #262 and to aid and assist in general the cause of education, extra-curricular and interscholastic pro-grams in the school district. Appointed as officers for the Foun-dation were Scot Atwood/President, Homer Rieker/Vice-President, Mathew Greer/Treasurer and J.R. Blair as Secretary. The other board directors seated were V. Todd Jokisch, Milton Edge and Harold Hoagland Jr. An ex-officio member of the board is the current superintendent Rebecca Canty. President Scot Atwood stated, that schools across the nation are faced with increasing demands and diminishing resources and we have seen an explosion in foundations created to assist their local schools. This project has been in the planning stages for the last year and we as a board would like to thank West Cen-tral bank of Ashland for Donating $2500.00 to the Foundation. It is because of their generous donation that we were able to get this project off the ground. We are committed to seeing a vi-brant and financially secure education environment in the A-C Central School district. We are in the process of contacting alumni, community members, businesses, corporations and anyone who has an interest in helping the school in Ashland and Chandlerville.
Norm Bryant Enterprises
Distributor of Fine Quality Vacuums
Carpet Cleaning Furniture Car Interior
Cell (217) 741-3758
Phone: (217) 476-3508
608 W. Franklin
Ashland, IL 62612
Prentice Farmers Elevator
2303 Elevator Avenue
Ashland, IL 62612
217.476.3516 or 1.800.255.8659
prenticeelevator.com
James R. Blakeman, Manager
4 locations to serve you: Prentice, Philadelphia, Strawns Crossing, and Tallula.
Dealers in Grain, Seed and Kent Feeds.
108 W. Editor Street
Ashland, IL 62612
217.476.3354
Jeffrey A. Donnan - Kay Handy Ora Lee Campbell
A SUBSIDIARY OF THE WEST CENTRAL BANK
E-mail: [email protected]
117 S. Front Street Virginia, IL 62691
217.452.7717 Kristen Arthalony
Other Locations:
116 State Street Beardstown, IL 62618
217.323.3018 Debbie Jones
815 W. Clinton Rushville, IL 62681
217.322.6230 Kala Peacock
979 Clocktower Drive Springfield, IL 62704
217-726-9885 Stacey M. Hester
PARSONS-HEATHER
GRADUATES UIS
POLICY INSTITUTE
SPRINGFIELD, ILL. – Ashland native Timothy Parsons-Heather gradu-ated Feb. 6 from the prestigious Certified Public Manager Program of Illinois located at the Center for State Policy and Leadership, Institute for Legal, Legislative and Policy Studies at the University of Illinois. Mr. Parsons-Heather completed the 28-course program in the areas of leadership ethics, cultural competency, effective supervision, project management, human resources, non-profit partnerships, and public policy analysis.
Timothy completed the two-year program in 14 months and has be-come a distinguished Fellow with the American Academy of Certified Public Managers. In addition to his 1976 Bachelor’s degree from Mac-Murray College and two Master’s degrees in Public Administration and Communication from the University of Illinois, Timothy is a member with the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, the American Society for Public Administration, and the National Com-munication Association. He served as executive director of the Hous-ing Authority of Cass County, Illinois from 1977 until 1991. He is the son of the late Thomas and Alta Parsons Heather of Ashland.
JENNA THOMPSON NAMED
STUDENT OF THE MONTH AT A-C CENTRAL
Congratulations to Jenna Thompson for being selected Student of
the Month for January at A-C Central High School. Miss Thompson
is the daughter of Steve and Amy Thompson of Chandlerville.
Jenna is a leader both in and out of the classroom as evidenced by
her involvement in various school activities. She is a member of
the S.T.A.R. (Activity Chairman), Natural Helpers and Spanish
Club. Elizabeth is also a member of the Volleyball and Softball
team.
Away from school Jenna is a member of the Chandlerville Christian
Church and enjoys spending time with her family and babysitting.
Her volunteer work this year involved helping to organize and con-
duct a Trivia Night which raised over $1000 for the American Can-
cer Society.
Miss Thompson plans on attending Illinois College in Jacksonville,
IL. She plans on entering the Pre-Nursing Program. She will major
in Biology. Upon graduation from IC she plans on attending Rush University in Chicago and earning a Master of Science in Nursing
degree.
Congratulations to Jenna
Thompson on this significant
honor!
PACK THE HOUSE NIGHT AT THE “CROCKPOT CAFÉ”
FRIDAY MARCH 2, 2012
Please bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to the Cass County Food Pantry. Your donation will not only
assist a worthy cause, it will also benefit you. With your purchase of an entrée you will receive a free
drink or you will receive a free 2 liter of soda with every pizza purchased.
In addition to our HOME COOKED MENU items, we also offer HOMEMADE DAILY SPECIALS, HOMEMADE DESERTS and our newest item, HOMEMADE PIZZAS.
Please come help us make a difference in our community. Thank you for your generosity!
CROCKPOT CAFÉ
Ashland High School Alumni Association
“All About Ashland”
The annual Alumni Banquet will be held on Saturday, May 26, 2012. A social hour will be held from 5:00-6:00 pm. The banquet will begin at 6:00 pm. The cost is $15 per person.
This year, we are trying something new. There will be several items on display for you to bid on in a silent auction. We have such items as a Bunn coffee maker, Cardinal baseball tickets, assorted gift baskets and more. Please come prepared to bid. All funds raise will benefit the Alumni Associ-
ation.
Classes being honored this year are 1937, 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982 and 1987. Plan to join friends, classmates and teachers as we share memories of our days at AHS
and catch up on your life now.
“Like” us on Facebook at Ashland High School Alumni Association.
Watch The Scoop for more news!
Junctions 123 & 125 - Ashland, Illinois 62612 Monday - Saturday 7:00 am to 8:00 pm
Sundays and Holidays 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Lucky’s Café
476-GOOD
Great Pizza!
Great Salad Bar!
Great Burgers! Serving Breakfast
Saturday & Sunday - 7am - 10:30am
New Construction Remodeling
Gutters
Mr. Dan Williams has been
selected by the Two Rivers
Illinois Principal Association
as Principal of the Year. He
as served as Principal at A-C
Central Middle and High
School for 21 years. During
his tenure as principal, he has presented at the
IPA Conference, Regional and State Conferences
and was one of the leaders in implementing the
Block Schedule. Under his leadership A-C Cen-
tral has implemented a transition program for
social skills and test prep, a community service
component for high school graduation, and re-
cently launched a 1-1 Student laptop initiative.
Additionally, A-C was recognized as one of the
top 100 high schools based upon their academic
achievement on state testing. Mr. Williams has
been recognized as a past winner of the Partners
in Education Award by Horace Mann and in 2010
he received Agriculture Education Advocacy
Award 2010 by the FFA.
DAN WILLIAMS
SELECTED PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR
Email us: [email protected]
Richland
3090 Richland Elev. Rd.
Pleasant Plains, IL 62677
217.626.1551
Ashland 220 North Niagara
Ashland, IL 62612
217.476.3318
Pleasant Plains 300 N. Washington
Pleasant Plains, IL
62677
217.626.1331
RPA Farmers Co-op
Indianapolis, IN—The National FFA Organi-zation (FFA) announced that Parrish Smith of Ashland, IL was selected to receive a
Career Pathways grant in the amount of $1,000 to initiate or improve Smith’s ca-reer development experience known as a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE). To be eligible, the student must be in grates 7-11, have an SAE and be a mem-ber of FFA. Smith is a member of the A-C Central FFA chapter and was selected from hundreds of applicants nationwide. Smith’s grant for a Plant Systems SAE is a special project of the National FFA Founda-tion. The National FFA Organization, formerly knows as Future Farmers of America, is a national youth organization of 540,739 student members—all preparing for lead-ership and careers in the sciences, busi-ness and technology of agriculture—as part of 7,489 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The National FFA Organization changed to its present name in 1988, in recognition of the growth and diversity of agriculture and agricultural education. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. For more information visit www.ffa.org, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and FFA Nation
ADVENTURE CLUB
400 E. Buchanan St.
P.O. Box 467 Ashland, IL
62612-0467
PH. 217.476.3325 FX. 217.476.3342 A Full Service Bank
June 11th - 15th Mackinac Island
$730.00 per person (Double Occupancy)
July 19th
Mystery Trip $94.00 per person
ANDERSON AUTOMOTIVE, INC. 110 South Yates Street Ashland, Illinois 62612
217-476-3450 OR 476-3451
Celebrating 30 years
1982 - 2012
MARCH SPECIALS
All month free tire rotation with oil change
Balance extra, (trucks excluded)
March 5th - 9th
Free Oil Change with Letter M & Number 2 in Your License Plate.
March 12th - 16th 2 for 1 on Wiper Blades
March 19th - 23rd Military Discount, 10% Off
March 26th - 30th $20 Off Any Tune Up
There is currently a vacancy on the Board of Trustees. If you would like to be considered for this post, a letter of interest including relevant experience should be submitted by March 12, 2012, 4:00pm to the Village office. Please be aware that there is a phone scam targeting grandparents. A male places the call and identifies himself as “your grandson” and asks for money to be sent to him. If you receive such a call, verify that the caller is in fact your grandchild before sending any money or giving out any personal information. If you believe you have received one of these scam calls, contact the Ashland Police Department at 217/476-3317. If you see a street light out, call the Village office (217/476-3317) and we will contact Ameren CIPS for repair.
Water Sewer
First 1,000 gallons $27.50 $10.45 Per 1,000 gallons after first 1,000 $14.75 $ 4.40 EPA Testing Fee $ 1.05 Minimum monthly charge $39.00
E-mail: [email protected] Facebook: Village of Ashland
Village of Ashland Board Members & Staff:
Dave Handy, Mayor Jim Birdsell, Chief of Police Ron Cave, Public Works Director Alicia Hager, Village Treasurer Kitty Mau, Acting Village Clerk Vanessa Doellman, Deputy Clerk
Fadra Birdsell, Trustee Stan Fulton, Trustee Seth Thornley, Trustee Frank Wallce, Trustee
Terry Blakeman, Trustee
BITS-N-PIECES SR. SAINTS… Sr. Saints will be having a corn beef & cabbage dinner at the Baptist Church Hall, March 17th at 5:30. Bring a desert if you want. Call Linda Spradlin for reservations. ASHLAND VFW POST 3546… Meets monthly at 7:00 p.m. on the 3rd
Monday at the Firehouse. AMERICAN LEGION POST 498... Meets monthly at 7:30 p.m. on the 3rd Monday at the Firehouse. ASHLAND U-HELP... Any student may apply for up to $500 loan with an inter-est rate of 3%. Applications are available at West Central Bank in Ashland.
ASHLAND WOMAN’S CLUB... Woman’s Club will meet March 6th at 1:30 pm at the First Baptist Church Hall. All ladies are invited. The program
will be “Creating cards with Angela” by Angela Larakers.
CITY WIDE GARAGE SALES….. The spring city wide garage sales will be Saturday April 21st. Call John Jones at 476-3914.
CONGRATULATIONS… to Quincy Notre Dame winning the State Title in Class 2A Girls Basketball on Sat. QND is coached by Eric Orne formerly of Ashland.
The Ashland Scoop Committee would like to offer the newsletters by subscription. This would be great for
out-of-town people who can’t make it in to pick one up. It also would be make a great gift for those rel-atives who have moved away and want to keep up with local news. Cost is $24.00 per year. Newsletters will be mailed out the first week of each month.
Please send requests to:
Ashland Scoop c/o Printers Ink
PO Box 193
Ashland, IL 62612 217-476-3764
MARCH BIRTHDAYS
MARCH ANNIVERSARIES
1 - Dorothy Taylor 4 - Michelle Ann
Davin Jolly 6 - Heather Watkins 9 - Tom Heather Jr.
10 - Diane Heather Boehme
17 - Jim Briggs 17 - Kathie Blair
18 - Sara (Dodds) Maybus
20 - Stan Fulton 20 - Sue Pschirrer 20 - Bock Mayes
21 - Jennifer Allen 23 - Jackson Allen
28 - Barb Blakeman 29 - Amber Millburg
1 - Bob & Jean Briggs 6 - Edgar Jr. & Joyce Robinson
9 - Steve & Phyllis Aggert
22 - Gailen & Monica Thronley 29 - Scott & Mickey Anderson
ASHLAND COMMUNITY DAYS JUNE 22, 23, & 24
Friday Nite Entertainment Leaving Ashland - 8pm, James Park
Saturday Morning Parade
9:30am - Theme: Honoring All Veterans
Saturday Night Entertainment
6:30 pm - Devon Clemons 8:00 pm - Confederate Railroad
Have any nail service in March and get your name in the pot of gold for a free manicure and free pedicure in April.
Amity Nail Spa
116 N. Yates
Ashland, IL
Phone: 217-416-7615
Lana J. Pfaffe,
Nail Technician
ASHLAND VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT EASTER EGG HUNT
Saturday, April 7th
10:00 am at James Park
Age Groups: 0-3, 4-7, & 8-10
Smith Chiropractic Clinic
Dr. Kathie G. Smith
111 North Hardin Ashland, IL 62612 (217)476-3547 Office Hours by Appointment Monday and Thursday 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Wednesday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Phone:
(217)476-3595
115 W. Freemont St.
PO Box 136
Ashland, IL 62612
We Do It All In Just 1 Call!
Jim - Todd - Travis
Wallbaum
Development
Inc.
Plumbing - Heating - Air Conditioning Backhoe - Trenching
Gardner Construction Co.
2878 Panther Grove Road Ashland, IL 62612
Cell: 217-341-3415 Leave Message 217-476-8135
Remodel
Kitchen & Baths
Replace Roof &
Room Additions
Enjoy delicious, refreshing soups and salads on the third Thursday of the month at the
Ashland First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall (221 W. Washington St., Ashland IL)
A delicious soup and salad bar will be offered to individuals 60 years of age or older from
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Reservations are highly encouraged but not necessary (217) 479-4619.
A suggested donation of $4.00 is asked to cover the cost of the meal. No person will be denied a meal due to a monetary contribution less than the suggested donation. More of
a donation is also welcome!
Sponsored by: Prairie Council on Aging’s Bread of Love Program (217) 479-4619
Springfield AWC Offers Communications Scholar-
ship
SPRINGFIELD, IL February 24 — The Association for Women in Communications, Springfield Chapter, an-nounces the opening of its 2012 scholarship award search. The scholarship competition awards $1,000 to a junior, senior or graduate level college stu-dent from central Illinois or a student who is attending a college or university in central Illinois. Applicants must be majoring in communications, journalism, public rela-tions or related fields and have an above-average GPA. Application deadline is Friday, March 30, 2012. The applicant must demonstrate a commitment to pur-suing a professional career in communications through educational work and communications activities. Two essays, reference letters and current college transcripts also are required. Finalists may be interviewed by tele-phone or asked to appear for a brief interview before a selection committee in Springfield. Additional information about the scholarship and an ap-plication is on the Springfield AWC Web site at www.awcspringfield.org. Completed applications and supporting information can be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to Melinda McDon-ald, Scholarship Chair, Association for Women in Com-munications, Springfield Area Chapter, P.O. Box 5192, Springfield, IL 62705-5192. A committee of professional communicators and educa-tors will choose the recipient, who will be announced at the AWC May meeting. The Association for Women in Communications, Spring-field Chapter, instituted this annual academic scholar-ship program to recognize outstanding communications students. The award symbolizes the commitment of the local chapter to education and continuing high profes-sional standards for the communications industry.
It is that time of year again for the annual Boy Scout and
Cub Scout “Scouting for Food” event. On March 18th the
Boy Scouts will be putting flyers and/or bags on the doors
of Ashland Residents. On Saturday March 24th from
9:30am-noon, they will be collecting the food left on the
porches and bring it to the Methodist Church for the Cub
Scouts to weigh it and sort it for the local food pantry.
On the evening of March the 24th the Cub Scouts will be
having the annual pinewood derby race and a cake auc-
tion. This event will be starting at 5:00PM. Come out and
support the Cub Scouts and bid on a cake or purchase
your supper or a snack at the concession stand. After the
Cub Scout race there will be an open race for anyone who
would like to race, rules will be the same. The cost for the
open race is $10.00 per car/racer and cars will need to be
weighed in by 5pm.
The Boy Scouts have been busy the last few months: Jan-
uary– they participated in the Klondike Derby; February–
they participated in the First Aide Meet; and the first
weekend in March they will be going to a Merit Badge
Day.
In February the Cub Scouts had their lock-in at the YMCA
in Jacksonville and hopefully are rested up so in March
will be ready for the Pinewood Derby. The top 5 will be
going to District Pinewood Derby at Routt High School on
March 31st. Wish them luck.
BOY SCOUT AND CUB SCOUT EVENTS
Proceeds to benefit the
American Cancer Society,
via the Tri-County Relay For Life Event,
on behalf of team CGMS
Michelle Romine
217-473-7481
AS Sweet As Candy in Candy Land By: Lakyn Rives
Saturday evening the 11th of February, the STAR organization sponsored
the annual Sweetheart Dance in the A-C Central High School cafeteria. This dance was a great way to spend a Saturday night being alcohol and drug
free while still being with friends and having a fun time. The coronation for
the dance was held at 7:00 P.M. crowning King, Will Edge, Queen, Maggie
Allen and Prince, Joseph Ratliff and Princess, Carmen Savage. The students enjoyed the dance with cupcakes, cookies, candy, great music, and fabu-
lous décor that was provided by the STAR members.
Court back row left to right: Lauren Pfaffe, Lane Wegs, Joseph Ratliff, April Leinberger, Zach Fields, Jenna Thompson, Bradley Birdsell, Will
Edge, Lakyn Rives, Sicely Nicholas, Carmen Savage, Front: Marlee Lan-don, Maggie Allen, and Kaitie Devlin.
Pictured from Left to Right: Queen- Maggie Allen, King- Will Edge, Prin-cess-Carmen Savage, and Prince- Joseph Ratliff.
National FFA Week is celebrated annually by FFA Chapters across the Unit-ed States in honor of our members of the past and present to celebrate our accomplishments and grow for the future. A-C Central members joined in the celebration through field trips, competitions, and a little fun to end the week!
On Tuesday, February 21st, thirty members of the A-C Central FFA Chap-ter traveled to Peoria to the Caterpillar track-type tractor production facili-ty. While there members learned about safety practices, the history of the
company, career opportunities and saw the production of D7-D11 tractors being built in the factory. While in Peoria we also visited the new Bass Pro Shops. Thursday brought out our competitive side as Jordan Keyes, Nathan Ma-honey, Stacey Eskew, and Carmen Savage interviewed for the Illinois FFA State Degree in Athens. We are proud to
announce that all four members were recommended for the degree based on their FFA activities, ability to keep records and their scholas-tic record while in high school. Nathan was also named the Star in Agriculture Placement for Section 14 and will advance to district com-petition in March. The week concluded with a trip to the Nelson Center in Springfield where members took to the ice and skated for the even-
ing. Upcoming activities include attending the Women Changing the Face of Agriculture Conference March 9th, American FFA Degree Interviews for former members Brandon Smith, Teagan Smith and Haley Pfaffe, Agriculture Legislative Day, and District III Proficiency Interviews for
our members who won the Section 14 competition earlier this month. These members include Carmen Savage in the area of Vet Science, Krissy Simmons in the area of Food Science, Stacey Eskew in the area of Turfgrass, Caseelynn Johnston in the area of Agriculture Research-Animal Systems, Lane Wegs in the area of Beef Production Entrepreneurship, and Parrish Smith in Vegetable Pro-duction.
We will also be hosting a "drive-thru" Spring Farmer Lunch at the high school shop on April 13th. Meals can be picked up from 11:00-1:00. We will be serving a pulled-pork sandwich, chips, cookies and a drink for a $5.00 do-nation to the chapter. Advance tickets are available for $2.50 by contacting Jennifer Waters at the high school at 217-476-3312 or e-mail [email protected]. Thank you to our sponsors Cargill for the meat donation and Mun-son Hybrids for donating water. We would also like to thank the local businesses who have purchased advanced
tickets for this event: Brandt Consolidated, RPA Farmers Elevator, West Central Bank, Prentice Elevator, Dudley Farms, Inc., Beard Implement Company, and Cosner Family Enterprises. Thank you for your continued support of agriculture at A-C Central High School and the A-C Central FFA Chapter.
National FFA Week Celebrations!
For the past 15 years Alan Shawn Feinstein has been spearheading a campaign to help alleviate hunger in our na-tion. Each year Mr. Feinstein donates $1 million to be divided among agencies who work to fight hunger. The Cass County Food Pantry will again be participating in this program, which has come to be known as “The Feinstein Chal-lenge.”
All donations and pledges made between March 1 and April 30, 2012 will be recorded and sent in to the Feinstein Foundation. They will then send us a share of the $1 million that is proportionate to the amount of money we raised
in comparison with the other participants in the challenge. Your donation to the food pantry during the months of March and April helps us bring in even more funds we can use to feed the hungry of Cass County. Over the past 15 years the Feinstein Challenges have helped agencies raise over $1.25 billion to help ensure no one
goes hungry. Your participation with us in the Feinstein Challenge makes you a partner in the most successful ongo-ing effort ever to fight hunger. To make a donation or a pledge, contact Joanne Anderson by phone at 473-5638 or by mail at Cass County Food Pantry, 138 S Main, Virginia, IL 62691. There are also donation cans in many busi-nesses throughout the county, and the money collected from these cans also counts toward the challenge. We thank you for your generous support in the past and for your thoughtful consideration of the needs of our neigh-
bors.
SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION
At the joint board meeting between A-C Central and PORTA, the A-C Central Education Association
presented a statement regarding possible consolidation between the two districts based on a sur-
vey completed by the educators. The results of the survey are as follows:
Out of 39 members, 27 responded. Of the 27 respondents, 24 were in favor while 3 were not.
Improved course offerings in the high school for all students was considered to be the biggest
benefit from consolidation. The educators are very concerned about the number of students
taking 2 PE classes or working as teacher assistants because there are no other choices. It
was reported that currently 27 students are TA's with some teachers having 2 at the same
time and 8 students who have 2 blocks of PE in a semester. With consolidation, academics
would be enhanced by bringing more students together with similar needs hence making it
economically feasible to offer more classes or bring back classes that were cut years ago
like home economics and accounting.
As for drawbacks, only 8 educators listed concerns. These concerns would hold true for consoli-
dation in general not specifically with PORTA. They included increased transportation of stu-
dents on the outer edges of the district, loss of our high school in Ashland, loss of our identi-
ty as a district, our communities becoming ghost towns, and educators losing their jobs or
commuting farther to work.
If consolidation were to pass, 62% of the educators would like the transition to take two years
so that a well developed plan would be formed. In the last consolidation efforts between
Ashland and Chandlerville, 2 years of time was taken to form the new district.
The educators listed many benefits that A-C Central would bring to a consolidated district with
PORTA. First of all, we are a solid staff of educators willing to do what it takes to make im-
provements to our curriculum. We are currently very active in aligning our teaching to fit
the new Common Core Standards. We have developed some very successful programs for
state test preparation and academic intervention in both the middle and high school. We
have developed better approaches at teaching with technology with the addition of individu-
al laptops for all students 5th grade on up and promethean boards in all core classrooms at
the middle school. RtI (Response to Intervention) in reading is fully developed in our dis-
trict from kindergarten through 12th grade. We are very proud of our award winning band,
drama program, and FFA achievements. We feel our talents would blend well with those at
PORTA.
Consolidation is a scary prospect no matter who you are. Our data in this survey revealed that as
educators, we are proud of A-C Central but recognize we are limited in 2 closely tied key areas:
academics and finances. By all means, we want what is best for the students, district, and our two
communities. We do not want to see anymore classes disappear such as home economics and ac-
counting. We do not want any more funding for classroom needs especially in the elementary
school to disappear. We do not see what more can be done without a negative impact resulting
somewhere. It was said that the educators and board ratified a contract for the next 3 years that
included a 3% percent raise for all teachers. That is not true. All of our veteran teachers not on
the retirement track saw much less than that. We know that our enrollment increased some this
year but that came with the addition of a pre-kindergarten program to our district. We do not
know if the increase in enrollment will continue. We can work with PORTA to bring our groundwork
in technology use to their district which would advance them more quickly. We want our students
to learn with technology but we also see the value of human interaction in the classroom setting
and feel that offering too many online courses to enhance the curriculum is not the answer. We
are open minded when it comes to the possibility of educators losing their jobs. However, it is
more important to us to think of the students first and not take an opportunity at a better educa-
tion away from them. We see the potential in consolidating with PORTA and at this time, the A-C
Central Education Association declares support for consolidation with PORTA as the answer to what
would be best for the students, district, and the two communities in the future.
Submitted by:
Diane Sieving, President, A-C Central Education Association