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2 I december 2017 I www.facebook.com/thebuzzmonthly The Prairie land Buzz Magazine

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Copyright (c) 2017 by Studio T, our parent company. Reproduction in whole or part without permission strictly prohibited. www.StudioTOnline.com.

WaTCH FOr OUr nEXT IssUE avaIlaBlE JanUary 2-4

WHErE Can I FInd THE BUZZ MagaZInE?

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Alton: Alton Exchange Mall • Alton Vis-itor’s Center • Best Western Premier Hotel &Conference Center • Big Lots • China KingFarm & Home • Halpin Music • MineralSprings Mall • My Just Desserts • NationalTire & Battery • River Bender CommmunityCenter • US Bank • Woody’s RestaurantEASt Alton: East Alton Emporium Ken’s Coins Auburn: Rusty Star Market-place bEnlD: Benld Library • TJ’s ZXConvenience Stop • Randy’s Market • Toni’sRestaurant bEthAlto: Dairy Queen Eagles Nest Restaurant • El Mezcal MexicanRestaurant • Imo’s Pizza • New ChinaRoma’s Pizza • Sweet Ashley’s Cottage • TheCraft & Antique Mall • The Mail Box StorebrEESE: Dairy King • Schuette’s Marketbrighton: Spring Garden RestaurantShell bunkEr hill: Function JunctionAntiques & More • Jumpin’ Jimmys CAr-linvillE: Always in Touch • BlackburnCollege • The Body Depot • Camden CellarsCarlinville City Hall • Carlinville HospitalCarlinville Library • Catholic Charities ThriftShop • Cherry Tree Treasures and Gifts It Is What It Is Antiques & Collectibles Lighthouse Antique Mall • Macoupin CountyCourthouse • Magnolias Restaurant • Mag-nuson Grand Hotel and Conference CenterMichelle’s Pharmacy • Mother Road Antiques • My Sister’s Closet • Nana’s Hid-den Attic • Refuge Coffee House • SieversEquipment • Starr’s Primal Meats • TheWood Duck Bar and Grill • Uptown TavernCoFFEEn: Caseys • Hair DesignsCollinSvillE: ABRA Auto Body Antiques & Accents by Vadna • CollinsvilleArea Recreation District 10 • CollinsvilleHistorical Museum • Collinsville Public Library • New China Restaurant • Rich’sRecord Emporium • Rural King • Sizzor ShakSalon • Spirito’s Italian Store • Swing CityMusic • Zapata’s Mexican RestaurantCottAgE hillS: Frank’s RestaurantPolly’s Restaurant DonnEllSon: JR’sMini Mart • The Loose Caboose AntiquesPetroski Windows, Doors & FloorcoveringWayside Antiques & Collectibles DorSEy:Aljets Automotive EDwArDSvillE: AllNatural Pet Center • Edwardsville City HallEdwardsville Public Library • EdwardsvilleFlea Market • Goshen Butcher Shop • Jerry’sTire Sales • Laurie’s Place • Madison CountyArchival Library • Massage Luxe • Peel PizzaSacred Grounds Cafe • Red Barn AntiquesRe-Find Designs • Sgt Peppers Cafe • WangGang Asian Eats FArMErSvillE: Bank& Trust • Farmersville Public LibrarygillESpiE: DeeDee’s Floral and DesignsFirehouse Salon • Illinois Valley EconomicDevelopment Corportation • Gillespie PublicLibrary • Kevin Polo Law Office • Michelle’s

Pharmacy • Miner’s Restaurant • Randy’sMarket • Sullivan’s Drug Store • That CrazyFish Store and More • Wimanoma’s Pride An-tiques & Collectibles girArD: Doc’s SodaFountain • Magic Beans Coffee House Kruse Automotive • Shell glEn CAr-bon: Glen Carbon Heritage Museum • GlenCarbon Public Library • My Treasure HouseOffice Max • Our Health Club Spa • Repur-pose, Restore & Redecorate • US BankgoDFrEy: My Antique Store • RoundTable Restaurant • Shang Hai House • TheCraft & Antique Mall grAnitE City:Apple Tree Restaurant • Central LaundryGateway Medical Center Pharmacy • Grab-N-Go • Great Wall Chinese Buffet • Jerry’sCafeteria • Mama Mia’s Restaurant Ravanelli’s Restaurant • Re.Viv.AlgrEEnvillE: Adam Brothers Music &Coffeehouse • Corner Cafe • GreenvilleChamber of Commerce/ Tourism CenterPepin’s Country Store • Third Street MarkethAMEl: Poor Boys Portable Buildings andAmish Farmers Market • The Other Place onthe Hill • Weezy’s Bar & Grill high-lAnD: Broadway Bar & Grill • UrbanHouse Restaurant • The Chocolate Affair The Giving Tree • Highland Nutrition CenterHighland’s Tru-Buy • Michael’s RestaurantPeacock Bakery & Cafe • Schuettes Super-Valu • Tru-Buy • Tibbetts Bed, Breakfast &Books • Windows on Broadway hillS-boro: Books & Moore • Gianni’s ItalianRestaurant • Hillsboro Public Library • Hills-boro Rental • Hillsboro Hospital • Nic’sSmokehouse • Nic’s Steakhouse & Pub • TheDressing Room Consignment & Resale ShopTCCU-Taylorville Community Credit UnionThe Refinery Vintage Goods holiDAyShorES: Behmes Market • Gilliganz Bar& Grill irving: Grandma’s KitchenJErSEyvillE: Beyond the Backyard GateFarm & Home • Jersevyville CommunityHospital • JCH Hope Chest Resale Store Jerseyville Library • Linn’s Shoes • LostTreasures • Lula Bells Gift Shop • Ruby &Ellie’s Dollarama • State Street Antiques andCollectibles • State Street Grill kEyE-Sport: Sunny’s Cafe litChFiElD:A&D Electrical Supply • The Briar RoseCapri IGA • Casey’s on Union Ave • Denny’sRestaurant • Diamond Trailer Sales • FastStop Travel Center • The George Press Hair 51 Salon • Hearts United Thrift StoreJubelt’s Bakery • Minndora’s Salon and Speciality Photography • Nelson AudiologyPark Place Jewelry • Petro Mart • Phyll-bena’s Antiques, Vintage & RepurposedShooter’s Retreat • Sportsman’s ChoiceSporting Goods • St Francis Hospital GiftShop • TCCU-Taylorville Community CreditUnion • The Treasure Room • Time Out &

Relaxation • UJs Convenience StoreWhiskey River Dry Goods Company livingSton: Country Inn Cafe • PinkElephant Antiques MAryvillE: ABRAAuto Body • Grumpy Bob’s Emporium • RedApple Restaurant MEADowbrook:Homestead Craft & Flea Market • Round 2Relics MillErSburg: MillersburgGeneral Store MitChEll: Hen HouseRestaurant Mt olivE: The Cristal LanternMt Olive Public Library • Mt Olive VFWHall • Nepute’s Market • Route 138 CafenokoMiS: Demi’s Diner • KROGERLOVE Eclectic Shoppe • New 2 YouNokomis City Hall • Nokomis Gift & GardenUgly Mug Coffeehouse • UJ’S ConvenienceStore olD riplEy: Sheila’s Resale ‘N An-tiques pAnA: County Market • Dutch MillFlea Market and Antiques • Favorite FindsPizza Man • Spring Garden RestaurantpAnAMA: Nu-Way Deli poCAhontAS:Pocahontas Antiques • Powhatan RestaurantNuby’s Steakhouse • The Refined Cellar Village Square Antiques pontoonbEACh: Uncle Linny’s Restaurant rAy-MonD: Barker Implement • PK’s LiquorRaymond Public Library • Tosi’s DinerTwisted Whiskers Antiques ShipMAn:Cheney’s Market SorEnto: SorentoConvenience Mart • Sorento Municipal Cen-ter StAunton: ALJETS Automotive Animal Doctors - Steinmeyer Veterinary

Clinic • Cavataio’s Restaurant • DecampStation • First National Bank • Glenwood As-sisted Living • Heritage Health Assisted Liv-ing • Itch’n to be Stitch’n • Mini Mall QuiltShop • R & B’s Restaurant • Route 66 Storage& Flea Market Russell Furniture • StauntonHospitalStaunton Public Library • Super 8Motel • Vintage Station St. JACob:Hometel Communications tAy-lorvillE: Angelo’s Pizza • Dear Yester-year • KROGER • Little Luxuries • Ma &Pa’s Treasure • Rebecca’s Antiques & PoshBoutique • ReThreads Consignment & ThriftStore • TCCU - Taylorville CommunityCredit Union • The Cottage Rose Gift ShoppeThe Wooden Flower troy: Alfonzo’sPizzeria • Schuettes SuperValu • The TrendyCottage • Tri-Township Public Libray • TroyFamily Restaurant virDEn: Circle K Con-venience Mart • Jamie’s - The DiamondMine • Silvernicks Unique Treasures • SlyFox Bookstore • Wildflower Patch wooDrivEr: Cleary’s Shoes and Boots • Kumar’sCafe • Mama Mias Restaurant • RiverbendResale • Hing Wah • Wood River LibraryworDEn: Worden City Hall • Worden Pub-lic Library

AnD AlwAyS onlinEwww.thebuzzmonthly.com!

The Prairie land Buzz Magazine www.thebuzzmonthly.com I december 2017 I 3



It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

I know a lot of people are not really into

Christmas, but I think it is my favorite holi-

day. I love the lights, the music and time

with family....which includes birthday cele-

brations since we have a few family mem-

bers with December birthdays. I love the

snow too... not that we will get any in

December, but we might. I’m dreaming of

a white Christmas anyway!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

happy birthday to the buzz!!

As mentioned last month, this issue kicks off

our 9th year of publishing The Prairie Land

Buzz Magazine! We are excited to meet new

clients, hear and publish new stories and con-

tinue bringing you the magazine for many,

many more years to come. We also thank all

of our readers and advertisers for supporting

us for the past 8 years. We could not have

done it without you!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Recently we were contacted by Chuck

Klenus with NPTF (Nevada Paranormal

Task Force) in las vegas! Wow! They have

investigated Ashmore Estates Asylum,

Peoria Hospital and the Lincoln Theatre -

and the group was interested in seeing about

a group tour of Voohries Castle that was

featured in our October issue.

Chuck is now a regular reader and was

requesting a digital copy of the magazine

every month. Of course, I informed him that

the magazine is online in entirety, and he can

read it there, or download each issue himself.

In case you didn’t know, anyone can, and the

issues are left on our website for a year. So

if you missed a printed issue, you can view

it online or download it at your convenience.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I want to point out something about two

of the featured stories this month. We have

two stories on separate businesses, but their

names are very similar. Their offerings are

similar also, but still each is unique. I’m

talking about re-Find Designs in

Edwardsville and the refined Cellar

in Pocahontas. I thought about holding one

story until next month, but then I thought that

may be more confusing than running them

both the same month! The businesses have

opened fairly recently and you will love them

both! Make sure to visit soon, and tell them

The Buzz sent you!

If you are not a regular reader of our

monthly column, Along route 66, make

sure and check it out this month. The col-

umn’s author is Cheryl Eichar Jett. Jett is

the author of numerous books and articles on

Route 66 and has been writing the column

for The Buzz for over 5 years. Normally she

writes about factual Route 66 attractions and

news but she revealed last year that each

Christmas she writes a fictional story about

Route 66 for family and friends. We used

last year’s story for the December column,

and we are doing it again this year. I hope it

is a tradition that Cheryl will continue

because I love her fiction stories! Turn the

page to read this year’s Christmas fiction by

Cheryl and see if you love it as much as

I did!

Merry Christmas to all!

TLC

notesEditor’s

Granddaughter Bayleigh celebrates her 9th birthday on December 4th!

A blast from Christmas past... my son Nick with his Uncle Britt’s dog, Chauncy.

Both are sporting Santa gear!


Everyone used to say I was a people person. “Bright and bubbly,” they said. I suppose they were right, but that seems likea long time ago. Now, after many years, I hadreturned to my hometown, not even surewhat I was hoping to find. I hadn't been intouch with old friends or cousins for a longtime; no one was expecting me. By the timeI'd driven almost a thousand miles and arrived at my hometown's city limits sign a few days before Christmas, it seemed likefolly. Which rhymes with holly and jolly, butI wasn't.

Twenty-five years ago, I had left thisRoute 66 town, moved west to another one,and then another one, had a career, married,divorced, and moved again. A year after thedivorce, we ran into each other at an event.He said, “I miss you.” I said, “I miss you,too.” So we gave it another try.

But driving to a concert one night, therewas a drunk driver in our lane. And then I was a widow, with a shattered leg, a lot ofphysical therapy, and a bad attitude. Mybrother-in-law claimed my husband's stuff,my job was no longer available to me, butmy leg was mending. I packed up and droveaway.

And now I'd arrived back in my home-town. After checking into a motel, I carriedin a few things and then thumbed through a phone book. I was thinking I probably stillhad a couple cousins in town but I couldn'tfind them. Why hadn't I kept in touch?

I went back outside, unhitched the U-Haul from my Jeep, and drove downtown.I parked and strolled a couple blocks. Almostall the businesses were different. I wanderedaway from the main street and soon foundmyself in my grandparents' old neighbor-hood. It was one of those early-December,mild Midwest days where the air is fresh onyour face like the promise of an early spring.It felt good to be moving, good for the leg tobe working. A couple people on the otherside of the street waved; maybe they knewme, or maybe they just thought they did. I waved back.

I wasn't paying much attention to whereI was going, but when I noticed a brown Historic Route 66 sign, I realized where I was, and my steps quickened. And then I was in front of my grandma and grandpa'sold market. Hill's Market, it was called, after

my Grandma Betty and Grandpa Jack Hill.Penny candy! Freshly-ground ham salad onsoft white bread! Comic books! Cold soda inan old-fashioned cooler! And my much-loved grandparents, who raised me.

The building didn't seem to be occupied.After Grandma and Grandpa died within a couple months of each other, someonestarted a repair shop there, then a beautysalon, or maybe it was a dog grooming busi-ness. I think it was a resale shop by the timeI moved away.

I pressed my face to the cool glass of thefront doors to peer in, but newspapers weretaped over the glass on the inside. There wasno sign in the window. Something stirred inside me. I had a weird urge to reopen mygrandma and grandpa's market, but there wasno number to call about the building.

I had a long walk back to my vehicle, andby the time I reached it, I was limping.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The morning light peeking in around theedges of the motel room drapes stirred mefrom dreams about presiding over a storecounter with friendly customers visiting. Ina little while, I was in the Jeep and drivingback to my grandma and grandpa's little storebuilding.

I peered in the windows, looking againfor a peek-hole in the taped-up newspapers.Just then a car pulled up behind mine and anolder couple got out.

“Hello,” the man said. “This place holdsgreat memories for us, and we just had tostop as we were traveling through.”

“It was a little mom and pop grocerystore. I don't recall the name, but we just always called it the old Route 66 market.Many years ago, when we'd be on a trip onRoute 66, we'd stop and buy sandwiches andsodas for a little picnic. The people were sonice, and they had a picnic table out there atthe side,” the woman said.

The man was scrutinizing the front of thebuilding. “Looks like it's been closed up a while. Are you the new owner? What a great little sandwich shop or Route 66 souvenir store this would make.”

I found my voice and was surprised bywhat I said. “Well, yes, that's what I'm tryingto do. Uh, I don't have the keys to the build-

ing just yet.”“Well, I bet you'll get the job done. We'll

stop again the next time and check it out.”As they drove away, a pickup truck with

'Johnson Heating and Cooling Service'painted on the side pulled in, and a man inwork clothes got out.

“Hi, I'm almost finished moving out. I needed a bigger building than this. You in-terested in the place?”

I surprised myself again. “Yes, I am. I want to open a Route 66 gift shop, and thislittle building is absolutely perfect.”

“Oh, there's an idea. I don't how muchyou'll like the inside, as I didn't fix it upmuch. There have been quite a few differentbusinesses in here.” He was unlocking thefront door.

“If it looks old and quirky, that's probablygood. May I take a look?” I was already fol-lowing him inside.

“Sure.”It was dark and dingy. But the old

counter, the one Grandma and Grandpa soldsandwiches and candy and cans of vegeta-bles across, was still there. The old place justneeded a loving touch again. I was alreadyvisualizing racks of Route 66 books, mer-chandise, and art work against a fresh coat ofpaint on the walls.

“Told you it needed some freshening up.Still interested?” the man asked as hescooped up a couple boxes.

I nodded as he continued. “There is a complicated legal arrangement with a trustor something on this building. They won'tconsider selling it. I have six months left onmy lease; I think they'd let me sublet it forthat time period. Want me to check with theattorney?”

“Yes, please. I'll take it as soon as possible.”

We exchanged contact information. Heneeded to get going and he locked the doorbehind us. My grandparents' building couldbe mine to use, I thought.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A couple days later Mr. Johnson calledwith the news that if I'd meet him at the market, he could let me have his extra key.The attorney had liked the souvenir shopidea, tentatively approved the plan, and saidwe would all meet after Christmas to fill outpaperwork.

“Were you on needles and pins waiting?”Mr. Johnson said with a grin as I got out ofmy car in front of the building.

“Well, I had things to do, apartment hunt-ing, shopping...but, yes, I was!”

“The attorney was intrigued with youridea. Since this is Christmas Eve day, he saidwe'd just take care of the paperwork after theholiday. Here's a key. You can spend sometime here planning if you like. This is my lastload of stuff to move out, so I won't need tocome back. I found a couple boxes of Christ-mas decorations I don't need. Want 'em?”

I took the key and the decorations andwaved to him from the door as he droveaway. My grandparents' market. My souvenirshop. I was back home.

I got my laptop out of the Jeep andopened it up on Grandma and Grandpa'scounter. In Facebook, I created a page for myshop and shared it in some Route 66 groupsand invited my local friends. Then I posted,“Stop by my new-old Route 66 market todayon Christmas Eve. Open house 4 to 8 pm. Noinventory yet! ”

I doubt anyone will come, I told myself.Don't get too excited. It's Christmas Eve.People will already have plans.

Along Route 66

The Old Route 66 MarketA Christmas fiction, although some may recognize the building, which still stands

By CHEryl EICHar JETT

An old Route 66 store building. Photo by Cheryl Eichar Jett.


Just in case anyone did come, I went tobuy snacks and sodas, then came back andswept the floor, removed the yellowed news-papers from the front doors, brought in a bas-ket of fragrant pine cones from the tree justoutside, and hung up the Christmas decora-tions. It had turned cold out and smallsnowflakes drifted in the gray afternoon.About three o'clock I checked the new Face-book page, and almost 100 people had al-ready liked it! And there were severalmessages from local friends who said thatthey would try to stop by.

A little after four, two cars pulled up, withlocal friends I hadn't seen in years. Soon, twomore cars arrived, and two couples came in.

“This is fantastic,” one woman exclaimed. “This town really needs a Route66 stop. Thank you for doing this! I hope youget all set up and open soon.”

“I just got the key and put up the pagetoday,” I said, looking out the front door.Tiny silvery snowflakes danced in the head-lights of more slowing vehicles. “I didn't ex-pect a crowd already.”

“Well, you know how Route 66 roadiesare,” a man said with a smile. “Always readyto support people doing good things on theroute.”

A few more groups came and went overthe next hour or two, and the crowd was beginning to dwindle when a well-dressedman stepped in the front door and lookedaround. “Who is the proprietor of the newgift shop here?” he said.

“I am,” I answered.

“My name is Brandon Stewart, and I'mthe attorney that handles the trust for thisbuilding. We're still trying to locate the heir.That's why we can only rent the building, notsell, as Doug Johnson told you.” He handedme his card.

“I see,” I said, wondering who the luckyperson was. “I wonder who the heir is. Yousee, my grandparents owned this building formany years. It was Hill's Market. I grew uphere. That's why I jumped at the chance tosublet it from Mr. Johnson.”

Brandon Stewart gasped. “You are JoanHill? We've been trying to find you foryears.”

“Yes, I'm Joanie. I moved a few times,changed my name for a while.”

“Joanie, I'm so pleased that you turned uphere. Doug Johnson didn't mention yourname to me, and he wouldn't have known thename we were looking for. You are the heirto this building. You won't have to sublet it.You own your Route 66 souvenir shop!”

Something wet trickled down my cheeks.Old and new friends gave me congratulatoryhugs. Mr. Stewart had a soda and a cookie.Mr. Johnson was driving by, saw all the cars,and stopped to see what was going on. I wasa people person again.

Cheryl Eichar Jett is the author of numerous books and articles on Route 66.You can reach her at [email protected] and follow her travels atwww.route66chick.com.



When you give a book as a gift, you don’tjust give, well, a book. You give inspiration.You give information. You give history. Andyou make memories. A book will be enjoyedby the recipient, and, possibly passed downto the next generation. A classic? A volumeof poetry? A biography of an inspirationalperson? With your inscription in the front tocommemorate the holiday and the sentiment,it’s the gift that gives over and over again.Here are some suggestions for the variouspeople in your life.

For the Sports Fan: While the Cubsbroke the curse last year, but couldn’t repeatthis year, the Cubs fan in your life could set-tle in this winter with the new Chicago Cubs:Story of a Curse by Rich Cohen. This greatnew book is a history of the team and thetelling of the 1945 curse that dogged theCubs for years, as well as an examination ofjust what was done to create the 2016 teamthat finally brought the World Series titlehome to Wrigley. And since being a Cubs fanis obviously passed down in DNA, this bookis one that will be passed through the gener-ations for the next 107 years! Idea for the in-

scription? "There’s always next year!"For the Dog lover: If you have a dog

lover in your house - and who doesn’t? -there are some of the best dog books ever thisyear for gift-giving. Who isn’t moved by sto-ries of rescue dogs? Give Rescue Me: DogAdoption Portraits and Stories from NewYork City by Richard Phibbs. Phibbs, a notedportrait photographer, donated his time andtalent to the Humane Society of New York tophotograph dogs looking for their "furever"homes. Now he has compiled his photos andthe stories of the dogs and their rescues. Thisis a gift that will tug on some heart strings -might as well buy one for yourself too! Andfor the Dog Lover who is on Twitter or Face-book, give #WeRateDogs: The Most Hilari-ous and Adorable Pups You’ve Ever Seen byMatt Nelson. Adorable, hysterical photos ofdogs are sent in to #WeRateDogs which thenget "rated" on a scale of Ten - with most rat-ings going higher- and accompanied by wittycomments and observations. They’ll makeyou laugh, groan, smile or sigh – but onceyou get the hang of where this goes, you’lllook at your canine friend in a different light!

And a great coffee table book for your DogLover is Maddie Lounging On Things,(which is the sequel to Maddie on Things: A Super Serious Project About Dogs andPhysics) by Theron Humphrey. This time,Maddie, a gorgeous lanky coonhound, instead of finding herself in impossible posesthat defy gravity, finds herself travelingacross the country with Theron, lounging onthings and in lovable poses. Just pictures butthis canine character is so entertaining.

For the Serious Science Fan: Somedayit will be broken, but for now, AstronautScott Kelly’s one year in space is the record.And now, back on earth, Kelly has chroni-cled his experience in Endurance: A Year inSpace, A Lifetime of Discovery. Kelly inter-sperses the story of his year in space with thestory of his early life and his training for themission. Inspired as a young person by read-ing Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff, Kelly’s insightful story addresses all the questions -what was the effect on his body? What wasit like being in space when his twin brother’swife, Gabby Giffords, was shot? This is aninspiring read that takes the reader beyondthe bounds of this earth. But if your scientificinterests are a little more grounded, give TheInner Life of Animals: Love, Grief, and Com-passion - Surprising Observations of a Hid-den World. This sequel to The Hidden Life ofTrees, by Peter Wohlleben, is an examinationof the best we know so far scientificallyabout animals and emotions, along with anecdotes that illustrate, but not prove, thatanimals experience grief, regret, shame, andother "human" emotions. Anyone who haswatched any of the numerous popular videos

of elephants, apes, wolves, and other ani-mals, and who believe that animals can anddo feel certain emotions, will appreciate thevalue of this serious examination of the subject.

For the history/political buff: Rule #1- Avoid giving any book that has the wordTrump in the title this Christmas. Rule # 2 -give one of these instead! There’s an intrigu-ing look one of the government’s more inter-esting projects in Raven Rock: The Story ofthe U.S. Government’s Plan to Save ItselfWhile The Rest of Us Die by Garrett M. Graf.It should surprise no one that our governmenthas indeed devised a plan to assure the continuation of government in the event of a nuclear attack or other Doomsday event,but the details of that plan were little knownuntil now. The infinite details of this plan,sixty years in the making, what it entails - tosaving certain individuals to saving certainhistorical documents - and how it evolvedover the years as the nature of the threatsevolved, is fascinating and scary all at once.Raven Rock itself is the name of the 650 acresite outside Camp David but the plan entailsbunkers in other locations, plans to transportthose to be saved to the safe sites, and much,much more. A fascinating historical and political read. And speaking of Camp David,the new book Inside Camp David: The Pri-vate World of the Presidential Retreat byMichael Giorgione, takes the reader behindthe scenes for the first time to the hidden retreat of the presidents. Known as the placewhere presidents go to escape the glare of thepress and relax, Camp David has also beenthe site of many historic events. Giorgione,a retired Rear Admiral, served as the Com-mander of Camp David under two presi-dents, has first hand experience at thishistoric compound that the public knows solittle about. Both of these new books are insightful and important.

There is a book out there for everyoneand for every interest. Work off some ofthose Thanksgiving calories and head out toyour favorite independent bookstore and getyour Christmas shopping done early. For theparents, the grandparents, the kids, the boss,the teacher....for anyone. Books make thebest gifts. Why? Of course. Because you getto open them again and again! Enjoy. Andgive books!

The Book Buzz

Give Booksthis Christmas

By BaRBaRa adaMs

Barbara Adams is an attorney and the owner of Books & Moore in Hillsboro.


There’s a new little shop in Edwardsville- they opened in August - a little bit nestled,but still easily found... Re-Find Designs.

Owner Debbie Sander has a long historyof thrifting, marketing and working with re-sale. For years she peddled her found treas-ures and home decor creations in rentedbooths at various locations. Until the day shedecided to take the “big step” and open a store of her very own.

The focus of Re-Find Designs is makinghome decorating easy, fun and affordable.Fun and affordable, I get that. But easy?Home decorating has never been easy forme. Yet Sander merchandises her inventoryin a way that tells a story, and takes the work

out of home decorating.Her offerings are displayed in groupings

that allow a consumer to take all, or part ofit, and make it their own, within their ownhome.

“The store has multiple stories to tell,”said Sander. “Our inventory is packed withvintage, retro, one-of-a-kind finds, and aneclectic assortment of found treasures.”

Some similar businesses offer “booths”with items from various vendors, but Re-Find Designs limits that exposure.

“We have only a few outside vendors -all local artisans - that bring a younger, refreshing element to the business,” Sanderadded. “My own daughter was a determin-

ing element in that aspect. Although sheloved the idea of the store, and the overallappeal, she said we needed to do some thingsto attract a younger crowd as well.”

For that reason Sander allowed just threeoutside vendors to bring their creations intoRe-Find Designs. Wordsmith ReclaimedWood Signs makes a variety of trendy signson reclaimed wood ( you may have figuredthat one out without explanation). Lefty Let-ters offers a different type of signs and wallhangings, all beautifully hand painted callig-raphy, without stencils or vinyl. Finally thereis Sue Sue’s Doodads, offering hand painteddecor items.

The inventory at Re-Find Designs is sea-sonal, and always changing.

“Things change daily, whether it is a dis-play, or new merchandise added,” Sander explained. “We are always putting a new lit-tle twist on things to keep it fresh, trendy andinteresting.”

Though much of the inventory is second-hand, there are many new items in the storeas well. But even the re-loved items areunique and giftable.

“I love the way one of our loyal cus-tomers explains our concept,” Sander said.“She said ‘I know this is really a second hand

shop, but it’s really more of a gift shop,’ because of the way it is displayed and mer-chandised.”

To set herself apart from the multitude ofother stores that have a similar informal idea,Sander is concentrating on several niches.

“The Little Black Dress” is currentlybeing developed and is gaining attention. Although she does not accept consignmentin general, she makes an exception with thisaspect. Women are encouraged to bring intheir “little black dress” on a consignmentbasis. She accepts black dresses in mostshapes, sizes and styles. That way, whensomeone is looking for “that little blackdress” for their special upcoming event, theydon’t have to drive the city, or search end-lessly for the occasion. It’s a new “depart-ment” in the store, but is growing andgaining accolades, saving many women timeand frustration. Sander’s accompanying lineof vintage furs - although not for everyone -is also a popular attraction.

Other things that set Re-Find Designsapart is their layaway program.

“If you see something you think youwant in the store, don’t wait to buy it,” shesaid. “Chances are tomorrow it won’t behere. Put it on layaway! Make sure that

The Little storeWith Big IdeasRe-Find Designs in Edwardsville is a new treasure hunting destination

By Tara l. CalE

The concept of Re-Find Designs is making home decorating easy, fun and affordable. Inventory ranges from fun and funky, retro & vintage to classic and farm house chic.

Owner Debbie Sander says there is something new about the store every day.


treasure will be yours!”In January Re-Find Designs will start

their birthday club.“If you are part of the Birthday Club, you

will receive 25% off anything and everythingin the store during the entire month of yourbirthday,” she explained. “This does notapply to merchandise offered by our three ar-tisan vendors however.”

Re-Find Designs also offers a rental pro-gram.

“If you are having a wedding, or anyother event, with a certain theme - you don’twant to buy all the items to pull it together.There is no need to. We will rent you theitems you need for use at the event. Thetheme will be well represented, yet you stillsave a ton of money!”

The store even offers private shoppingevents.

“Get a group of your pals together, bringsome snacks and let’s have a blast!” Sanderexclaimed.

Last, but not least, Re-Find Designs offers a fundraising program. It can be a one-night shopping event where a percent-

age of sales goes towards your charity or organization, or it can be spread out to last apredetermined amount of time. Fundraisingcampaigns are customizable.

After shopping at Re-Find Designs, youfeel home decorating is still out of yourrealm of expertise, Sander can help. Bringin a photo of the area you want to decorate -such as a particular wall - with any ideas youmay (or even may not) have, and she willhappily assist you using the large variety ofitems she has available in the store.

Re-Find Designs is located at 1405BTroy Road in Edwardsville, behind ElliotJewelers (the entrance is on the side of thebuilding). Through the end of the year theyare open Wednesday and Thursday fromnoon until 7 p.m. and Friday and Saturdayfrom 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The other daysSander is out treasure hunting for items toadd to the inventory of Re-Find Designs.Sander encourages you to find and like themon Facebook to stay updated on hours and tokeep in touch with new merchandise and upcoming events. Visit them today to findout more or call 618-972-3023.

The selection of items at Re-FindDesigns is truly eclectic. Top:Custom signs by Lefty Letters.

Above: A retro chess set.Right: A collection of vintage

and farm house decor


“Each of us has our own story, a storyof living here - on the verge of the GrandPrairie. Our stories inform our lives andthe lives of those around us. Come visitand read, see, listen to, to stories of NativeAmericans and settlers, farmers and cityfolk, Irish and Germans and African Amer-icans. Reflect on how the stories of othersare similar to, or different from your own.”

In Mahomet, IL is the Museum of theGrand Prairie - a great place to step back intime. Located approximately eight mileswest of Champaign/Urbana, the museum isin the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve.

In the preserve, separate from themuseum, visitors can enjoy the Buffalo TracePrairie and they can have fun using the wildflower guide to identify plants they see.In the Lake of the Woods Forest Preservethey have restored 160 acres and reforestedsections trying restore the park back to thenatural vegetation.

Visitors will also enjoy a walk or driveover the covered bridge. The bridge wasbuilt after the purchase of an 80-acre tract ofland west of the Sangamon River in the1960s. The Lake of the Woods CoveredBridge was constructed to connect the twosides of Lake of the Woods Forest Preservein Mahomet. Designed by GermanGurfinkel, a civil engineering instructor atthe University of Illinois, the bridge wasa replica of the Pepperel Bridge near Boston.The bridge is 140 feet long and 32 feet wideand is made of southern pine and Douglas fir.

Be sure to schedule a couple hours in themuseum to view all the exhibits including the

new the Horses are Quiet, Tractors areLoud. This display tells the story of thechange from horse powered farming to trac-tor powered farming. The visuals for this arewonderful and show how farming wasinevitably changed by mechanization. Any-one interested in agriculture will love thistimeline. The exhibit will last until the endof December.

The blacksmith exhibit is partially recon-structed from the shop of A. B. Chesero who

had a shop in Saunemin, Illinois. A.B. set upshop back in 1896. A.B’s son walked out ofthe shop for the last time in the 1930’s. Oralhistories have helped museum staff know thestories of how the Chesero family worked asblacksmiths on the Grand Prairie. The con-tents of the shop have been moved and eachof 5500 objects were marked and acces-sioned into the museum’s collections.

The Grand Prairie story has many facetsfor visitor to learn about from the Native

American history to those in urban areas aswell as the immigrants that arrived in thearea, bringing their own culture and changes.We each have our own stories of how we

Museum of the Grand Prairie

By CIndy ladagE

One of the newest displays at the Museum of the Grand Prairie is

“Horses are Quiet, Tractors are Loud,” shown above. The exhibit will last until the

end of December. Other exhibits include transportation and tools from days gone by.

Below are a dish and paddle used to make butter. Photos by Cindy Ladage.


arrived in this vast land and it might be funfor visitors to go back and trace that withtheir family after returning home.

Children will enjoy the interactive activ-ities such as sitting in Abraham Lincoln’swagon. There is information about Lincoln’slife on the road as a traveling attorney whichoften took his to east central Illinois. Visitorscan explore Kelly’s Tavern and visit theGoose Pond Church where neighborsdiscussed politics and life circa 1856.

There is also a segment from a younggirl’s diary that offers insight into life on thefarm during the turn of the century. Kids willlove a view of her room where she says shehad everything a girl could want, yet longedfor more companionship like many rural kidsof today.

The museum also has a huge artifact col-lection that pertains to the history of the eastcentral area.

The mission of the Museum on the GrandPrairie is to collect, preserve and interpret thenatural and cultural history of ChampaignCounty and East Central Illinois. Throughdiverse experiences, they seek to inspire theiraudiences with a sense of connection to, andstewardship of, their own natural and culturalworld. Check out the various programs thatthe Museum of the Grand Prairie and Lake

of the Woods Forest Preserve have to offer.The museum is located at 950 North

Lombard in Mahomet, IL and is open dailyfrom March1-December 21 (Decemberhours are 1-5 daily, closed Christmas Eveand Christmas Day). You will be pleased toknow that your visit to the museum isabsolutely free. For more details includinga calendar for events throughout the year,call 217-586-2612 or visit their website atwww.museumofthegrandprairie.org.

Take a walk or drive across the covered bridge at the Museum of the Grand Prairie, which is 140 feet long.


Buzzin’ Around the Kitchen

Making ChristmasMorning EasierCasseroleBy CHEF aNTHONy

As you can see, the title of this column isnot actually the name of the recipe, but it cer-tainly could be. Because just like the titlesays, this easy breakfast casserole is madethe night before, and sets overnight, so in themorning you can just pop it into your oven.Because we all have better things to do thanspend a lot of time on breakfast Christmasmorning, right?

Serve with sides of sausage and somefresh fruit and you have a hearty meal.

How else can you make cooking over theholidays easier? Anything you can do in ad-vance will help. Making Christmas sugarcookies? These freeze well. So make uphowever many batches you think you will

need and take them out as needed. Maybeyou need 1 dozen for a lunch with friends.,2 dozen to take to Grandma’s house, a platterfull for a neighbor...take out just what isneeded so they have time to thaw before youfrost and decorate them, and they will befresh and yummy when - and as needed.

There are some great frittata and muffinrecipes out there too that can be made aheadof time and simply reheated to take stress outof holiday cooking.

If you have a favorite recipe, send it tome, and we might use it here! Just email itto [email protected]. Put ChefAnthony in the subject line.

Merry Christmas to you all!

aPPlE raIsIn FrEnCH TOasT CassErOlE

ingrEDiEntS

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, melted

3 apples - peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 cup raisins

1 (1 pound) loaf French baguette,

cut into 1 inch slices

6 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

DirECtionSGrease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix together brown sugarand 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix in meltedbutter. Stir in apples and raisins untilevenly coated. Pour into prepared pan.

Arrange bread slices in an even layerover apples.

In the bowl, whisk together eggs, milk,vanilla and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Pourover bread, making sure every slice isfully soaked. Cover with aluminum foil,and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Removedish from refrigerator while the oven isheating. Bake covered for 40 minutes. Remove cover, and bake 5 additional min-utes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.


lOW CarB BaCOn, Egg andsPInaCH CassErOlE

ingrEDiEntS

3 eggs3 egg whites3 cups fresh spinach8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced1/2 red onion, chopped1/2 green pepper, chopped1/2 red pepper, chopped1/4 cup heavy cream1/4 cup sour cream8 slices bacon, cooked1 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Calories: 173, Fat 9G, Protein 19GNet Carbs: 3G

DirECtionS

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a bakingdish with cooking spray.

Saute mushrooms, onions and pep-pers and spread along bottom of 9 x 13basking dish.

Spread spinach evenly across the topof the veggies.

In separate bowl whisk together eggs,egg whites, cream and sour cream. Thenpour over mixture in baking dish.

Top with crumbled bacon and cheeseand bake for 35 minutes. Allow to coolbefore serving.

Follow My Fitness

Low Carb Breakfast CasseroleBy TaRa L. CaLE

This low-carb bacon, egg, and spinach

breakfast casserole is a hearty breakfast for

those watching carbs. I love it because I love

spinach in eggs! Well actually, I love spinach

in any shape or form - raw in a salad, blended

into a protein smoothie, steamed as a side or

added to recipes like this.

It’s great to make ahead too and can eas-

ily serve for breakfast for a week (for two

people, not one!). I haven’t tried freezing

this one yet, but I bet it would work.

I love breakfast casseroles because it cuts

down time spent on breakfast in the morning

considerably. I’m sure I’m not the only one

that often runs behind in the morning! And

though some of you may find this unappeal-

ing, sometimes I just grab a serving and go,

without even heating it up. I like it cold too!

This casserole is so easy to make and so

easy to tailor to your own tastes. Personally,

although I do like peppers, I prefer to leave

them out of this casserole most of the time.

I just enjoy the blend of flavors from the

mushrooms, onions and bacon without the

peppers. But to each his own. I frequently

added chopped tomatoes too. You could add

some chopped turnips or, if you are not

watching carb, some potatoes. For either of

those you would need to precook them - they

won’t get done in 35 minutes!


If you read The Buzz regularly, you mayremember the story in our April issue thisyear, Reviving Pocahontas. We told you howJennifer and Don Rick, owners of Pocahon-tas Antiques, had purchased a row of build-ings on the square in this small Illinois townand were rehabbing them and opening newbusinesses in each. We talked about their fo-cused involvement in the revitalization of thetown. Since then the Ricks have purchasedyet another building on the square, the oldMethodist Church. They are rehabbing themain floor into their new living quarters, butthe church features a full basement that theydid not plan to use.

So one day Jennifer was talking to herfriend, Mary Fitzgerald, and asked if sheknew of anyone that would like to rent the2,000 square foot basement of the church toopen a new business.

Now Mary owns two stores already, inColumbia, IL. But as I discovered whiledoing the interview for this story, Mary isone of those people that always must bedoing something! So when Jennifer askedthat question, the ideas started churning inMary’s mind. Then she started makingphone calls.

Mary has a manufacturer’s sales repre-sentative, Deane Stanley, that she has bondedclosely with. She has been telling Deane foryears that she should own her own business.Deane is a master at merchandising.

Mary has also formed a good friendshipwith one of her customers, MaryBeth Tracy.MaryBeth, who previously owned her ownupholstery shop, flipped furniture for Mary,but has more recently become fond of “pick-ing.”

MaryBeth met Sherri at the gym and theybecame friends. Sherri is a “professionalpicker,” and has fueled Marybeth’s interest,and the two attend vintage markets together.

Mary, Deane, MaryBeth and Sherri gottogether, discussed the possibilities, deviseda plan, came up with a name for their busi-ness and The Refined Cellar, a compilationof each woman’s personality and passion,opened in September.

Mary, the bubbly butterfly that she is, flit-ted around me as she gave me a tour of thestore, constantly singing the praises of herbusiness partners, what they contribute andwhy it’s important. She was quick to men-tion that The Refined Cellar is a family-affair- each of the owners have family members

involved in some way. For instance, Sherri’shusband did all the wiring and lighting forthe store. Now he too has “caught the bug”that drives the women, and is crafting itemsto add to the inventory also. He uses indus-trial salvage combined with other elementsto create some truly unique pieces. My fa-vorite was a table constructed using old ironwagon wheels, and adding a glass top. Sincehe knew the piece would be very heavy, heconstructed it in such a way that it can be dis-assembled into three individual pieces foreasier moving. Sherri’s daughter hand craftsa variety of items with her mother, such asbeautifully hand stamped Christmas gift tags.Sherri herself is an endless well of creativeideas, taking many of her “picked” items andcreating something new from them. My twofavorite items created by Sherri were littlesnowmen made from vintage tea strainers,and antique baby shoes that had been paintedand adorned with some holly and evergreen,tied together and used as ornaments onChristmas trees. Over-the-top cuteness, asMary would say.

MaryBeth sells her pickings within thestore but is especially handy at dealing withthe larger items, such as furniture. The dayI toured The Refined Cellar there was alovely bench she had repurposed by paintingit and adding a fur top! By the time this

story prints, it probably won’t be still bethere. Items move quickly at The RefinedCellar, and inventory is constantly changing.

This type of business is something I havealways wanted to do,” MaryBeth explained.“But with five children and two grandchil-dren, I didn’t see how it was going to happen.But coming together like this makes it pos-sible.”

Deane is the only one of the foursomethat does not “pick.”

“I do enjoy picking, and I’m not too badat it, but that is not my forte,” she explained.

Rather, her expertise is in merchandising.And when she is finished creating eye-catch-ing and compelling displays for her ownmerchandise, she helps the other ladies addto their displays. But wait... if she doesn’tpick... what is her merchandise? Deane hasthe “boutique” side of the business - adorableand classy women’s clothes and accessories- hats, purses, gloves and more.

area TreasureHunters Unite Under One RoofThe Refined Cellar is Now Open in Pocahontas

By Tara l. CalE

The Refined Cellar in Pocahontas, IL has an eclectic mix of antiques, vintage, repurposed, hand-crafted and new items in their inventory. The top photo shows the unique creativity in their prod-

ucts - the table mentioned in the story made of old wagon wheels with a glass top, and to the left ofthat, one of the custom industrial salvage light fixtures. Left: the adorable vintage children shoeChristmas ornaments and the bottom photo... the mentioned snowmen crafted from tea strainers.


And Mary, well she does a little bit ofeverything. There are items available thatshe has picked and she has many handcrafted items for sale. Especially popularthis time of the year are her handmade ribbongift bows. They are large and gorgeous andjust $5.00 each - but the really cool thing isthat every penny of the sale of the bows goesto the food pantry. Mary also does quiltingand is very creative with vintage dolls.

The Refined Cellar is hard to explain. It’san eclectic mix of items as varied as thewomen that own it. It’s one of those placesyou just have to see for yourself. Literallythere is something for everyone in thisunique store - home decor, clothing, vintage,repurposed times, antiques, food, giftablesand more - in a friendly, welcoming atmos-phere that makes you want to come backover and over again.

“I like to say we have everything fromsoup to nuts, because we do sell gourmetsoups. And we are all a little bit nuts!” Marylaughed. “And we are having a blast!”

The Refined Cellar is located at 202Moreland Street in Pocahontas. They areopen Friday through Sunday, 10:30-5:30each day. To find out more call 618-669-2050 or find and follow them on Facebook. While you are in Pocahontas, be sure tocheck out Village Square Antiques and Poc-ahontas Antiques as well. Pocahontas can bea shopping destination for your last minuteholiday shopping!

Above: The owners of The Refinded Cellar (L-R) Deane Stanley, Mary Fitzgerald,

MaryBeth Tracy and Sherri White. Right: The Refined Cellar has an electic mix of new and reloved merchandise for your shopping pleasure. Bottom: One of the numerous unique one-of-a-kind finds

you will see at The Refined Cellar. This is a purse!



HSHS St. Francis Hospital will hold its

next Healthy is Fun class at the hospital in

December to deal with holiday stress. The

final class for 2017, Stress-Free Holidays,

will be held on Thurs., Dec. 14 from

5-6:30 p.m. in the hospital auditorium. Brid-

get Rolens, MA, BSOT, mind-body skills

instructor at HSHS St. John’s Hospital will

be the guest speaker. Following her presen-

tation will be a fun gift wrapping demonstra-

tion.

Rolens stated, “The holidays bring the

joy of connecting with friends and family in

festive ways. They can also be stressful as

you shop for gifts, plan holiday gatherings,

and try to fit everything into your schedule.

This Healthy is Fun event will give you

a ‘gift bag’ of ways to relax the body and

calm the mind in the midst of the busyness

of the holidays.”

Meghan Bertolino, community outreach

facilitator at the hospital said, “The purpose

of these Healthy is Fun classes are to have an

informational health topic presented as well

as something fun to do after the presentation.

We wanted individuals to be able to attend

the sessions, perhaps bring a friend or two

and to just get out and enjoy themselves.

Maybe they will learn a new, fun skill and

have some laughter too.” She said there is a

small $5 fee to cover supplies and that regis-

tration is preferred. Refreshments will be

served.

Additional Healthy is Fun classes are

being planned for 2018. For more informa-

tion and to register, call 217-324-8678.

HsHs st. Francis Hospital Offers Healthy is Fun Class to deal with Holiday stressIncludes Fun Gift Wrapping Demonstration



The Marion Medical Mission announcedthat Kimberly Richey of Belleville, IL hasrecently returned from approximately threeweeks partnering with African communitiesto provide safe water sources to more than2800 villages in remote areas of Malawi,Zambia & Tanzania.

This was Richey’s first mission trip withMarion Medical Mission. Thirty-six othervolunteers, along with Marion MedicalMission founders Tom & Jocelyn Logan,worked in remote villages to help themprovide sustainable, life-saving fresh-waterwells to areas who previously had none. Thegroup plans to install 2,860 wells during thisyear’s well season. Richey personallycompleted 85 wells, serving 12,750 peopleduring her visit.

Richey says, “Seeing first-hand how farvillages walk to get water, and howincredibly grateful they are for our assistancewas life changing. I’m thrilled to have evena small part in making their lives better; thesepeople will be with me forever.’

UNICEF reports that in sub-SaharaAfrica, one in five children die before theirfifth birthday because they lack potablewater. 663 million people around the globerely on ponds, streams and other exposed anduntreated sources for their drinking water.For just a $400 donation, Marion MedicalMission provides an African village ofapproximately 150 people with a sustainablesource of safe drinking water.

Since her return, Richey is looking forspeaking opportunities at churches, civicorganizations and small groups who mightbe interested in learning more about theorganization or helping to fund the 2800wells the group will install in 2018.

About Marion Medical Mission:Founded in 1985, the Marion Medical

Mission has built more than 29,000 wells,and approximately 90% of them are stillfunctional. They have provided over fourmillion people (2.25 million children) with a sustainable source of safe water. Theypartner with local villages – the local citizens

dig the wells, make the brick and provide thesand and stone. MMM supplies only whatthe villages cannot, which makes the wellsinexpensive, practical and sustainable. Theyare easy to repair, and even the extreme poorcan afford to maintain them. For moreinformation or to donate to Marion MedicalMission visit www.mmmwater.org.

Local Volunteer Returns from MissionTrip in africaProject Provides Life-saving Fresh Water for 429,000+ People

Above: A young girl gets water from an old and dirty water source. Below: Clean water

from a Marion Medical Mission well

Above: Kimberly Richey surrounded by kids from a local village. Below: Some of the roads the volunteers have to drive on to get to the locations of the wells.


For over 10 years, Kate McGartland(owner of The Wood Duck Bar & Grill inCarlinville) and her father have volunteeredtheir time to help the Carlinville Elks Lodgedeliver Christmas baskets to those who needa little extra help during the holiday season.It has become their Christmas tradition.

The baskets include milk, eggs, a pre-cooked ham, plus other perishable and non-perishable items.

“It is so touching to see the response wereceive from the families,” McGartland said.

Last year as they we were delivering,Kate had an idea and shared it with her father. In addition to the Christmas baskets,she wanted to include gift certificates to eatat The Wood Duck.

“Going out to eat was such a special treatwhen I was growing up as we didn't always

have a lot of money,” she said. “I want toshare that special treat with others - the opportunity to go out and enjoy a fresh, hotmeal.”

McGartland is asking for help in this endeavor. A special box has been set up atThe Wood Duck to collect donations of giftcertificates to the Wood Duck and other arearestaurants. The gift certificates will bepassed out on Saturday, December 23 whenthe delivery of the Christmas baskets throughthe Elks Lodge takes place.

Any gift certificate to any area restaurant,or monetary donation to purchase such giftcertificates, is appreciated not only by Kate,but surely by those that will receive it.

For more information give Kate a call at217-854-4445.

Local Restaurant Owner Enourages you to“Help Us Help Others”

By Tara l. CalE

Kate McGartland, owner of The Wood Duck Bar & Grill in Carlinville is asking for other restau-rants in the area to donate gift certificates to be handed out to those in need along with Christmas

baskets provided by the Elks Lodge. In addition to other restaurants donating, individuals can purchase gift certificates from their favorite eatery as well to be included. A drop-off box is located

at The Wood Duck. Donations should be made by no later than Wednesday, December 20th.


Working with Carlinville’s Shop LocalFirst organization, the Macoupin MilitarySupport Group has mailed packages ofdonated food, clothing, and accessories to 29Macoupin men and women serving in themilitary in foreign countries, as well as“group” boxes to four bases overseas. CalledChristmas for a Soldier, the year-end cam-paign generated 1,000 pounds of goods thatwill reach the soldiers and sailors by Christ-mas.

“What we are shipping to these men andwomen is a combination of donated goodsand items that MMSG has purchased withmoney from our treasury and new cashdonations,” said MMSG President ChristineGoldstein. “The 29 individuals who receivepackages come from all over MacoupinCounty — Brighton, Bunker Hill, Car-linville, Dorchester, Gillespie, Girard,Medora, Mt. Olive, Palmyra, Shipman,Staunton, and Virden. Among other coun-tries, they are serving in Japan, Kuwait,Afghanistan, Germany, Iraq, and Africa.

“The various branches of the UnitedStates military provide our men and womenwith basic, essential needs, so they’re nothurting, especially in peace times. But theextra touches we provide not only help fill in

some gaps but give our soldiers a warm,morale-boosting touch of home during theyear-end holidays.

“For that, we thank everyone who do-nated goods, money, time, effort, and talentto make our Christmas for a Solider cam-paign work so well again this year.”

Goldstein added a special thank-you toShop Local First for their partnership efforts,the Moose Lodge for providing space to sortand package the donated items, and to Tay-lor’s Chili for donating the cans of chili thatwere included in the packages.

This is the fourth year that Shop LocalFirst has engaged its member businesses tosupport MMSG by offering their shops andoffices as drop-off locations, as well as pro-moting the campaign among customers. Beth Toon, president of Carlinville’s ShopLocal First, added her special thanks to thoseSLF member businesses for their role in thedrive. “And, of course, on behalf of every-one in Macoupin County, we express our ap-preciation of the Macoupin Military SupportGroup volunteers who demonstrate theircommitment not only during the holidays butall year long. It takes not only a village buta generous county to do what they do for ourmilitary men and women.”

Macoupin Military support sends More Than 1,000 lbs of Christmas Packages to Military

Student volunteers from CarlinvilleHigh School and Carlinville Junior High

School take a break from sorting and packingChristmas for a Soldier donations being sent byMacoupin Military Support Group to men and

women serving in foreign countries.

Sixteen-year Army veteran and currentUSPS representative Mark Bowen standsguard over the Christmas boxes that are

ready to ship to current Macoupin Countymilitary members serving overseas.



Like most states, politics in Illinoisthrough the early 20th-century were male-dominated, but when women gained the rightto vote in Illinois in 1913 and nationwide in1920, more women ran for office themselves.Among them was Lottie Holman O’Neill,who became Illinois’ first female state legis-lator in 1922.

Born on Nov. 7, 1878 in the Pike Countytown of Barry, O’Neill grew up on a farm,received her early education in rural schools,and moved to Chicago after earning a busi-ness degree. She married businessmanWilliam O’Neill in 1904 and, four yearslater, moved to Downers Grove in the sub-urbs.

Despite recent reforms, opportunities forwomen were still limited in the era, but Hol-man made the most of it. She was deeply in-terested in politics and current affairs,particularly voting rights, and was an activemember of the League of Women Voters. It was one of many organizations in whichHolman gained knowledge and expertise.

One of her political heroes was JeanetteRankin, a Montana activist who became the

first woman elected to Congress in 1916.Four years later, with the encouragement ofher husband, O’Neill ran for a seat in the 41stDistrict and won election on her 44th birth-day.

Her election caused a minor issue in theIllinois capitol, which had no women’s rest-room on the third floor, where the House andSenate chambers are located. More than1,000 women attended her swearing-in. Inthe House, she was an advocate for parks,schools, women’s work rights, and disabledchildren.

Within a few years, several other womenhad followed Holman into Illinois politicaloffice. In 1924, Florence Fifer Bohrer, thedaughter of former Gov. Joseph Fifer, be-came the first woman elected to the IllinoisState Senate. A Republican from McLeanCounty, Bohrer served for four terms.

In 1922, Winifred Mason Huck becamethe first woman from Illinois to hold Con-gressional office when she won a specialelection to fill the unexpired term of her latefather, longtime Representative and SenatorWilliam Mason. A journalist who advocated

pacifist measures, Huck tried unsuccessfullyto gain the Republican nomination for re-election, as well as for another vacant Con-gressional seat later in 1923. Her few weeksin Washington were her only public office.

Six years later, Ruth Hanna McCormickbecame the first Illinois woman to win astatewide election when she won an at-largeCongressional seat as a Republican. Thedaughter of powerful U.S. Sen. Mark Hannaof Ohio and the widow of U.S. Sen. JosephMedill McCormick, she operated a dairyfarm and published newspapers in the Rock-ford area.

McCormick then ran for U.S. Senator in1930, routing incumbent Charles Deneen inthe primary before falling to DemocratJames Hamilton Lewis in the general elec-tion.

O’Neill stayed around longer than any ofthem. She spent nearly forty years in theGeneral Assembly, broken only by an unsuc-cessful primary bid for state senator in 1930.Later that year, she ran for the U.S. Senate asan independent, backed by the Anti-SaloonLeague.

In all, O’Neill won election to thirteenterms in the Illinois House. A devoted con-servative, she opposed the popular New Dealprograms of Franklin D. Roosevelt, but man-aged to win re-election throughout the 1930s,a dominant era for Democrats.

In 1950, O’Neill was elected to the Illi-

nois Senate, this time on her 72nd birthday,and maintained her conservative beliefs,speaking out against the United Nations, thefederal income tax, and state and federalspending and regulations. She successfullybacked a measure that required eighth-gradestudents in Illinois to pass a proficiencyexam on the Constitution.

A delegate to the 1956 Republican National Convention, her peers referred toher as the “conscience of the Senate.” Shewas never afraid to call out fellow membersfor hypocrisy, selfishness, or selling out prin-ciples.

Despite her political success, O’Neill en-joyed a relatively calm home life. In 1930, a Pennsylvania newspaper reported that herhusband was a businessman “of moderatemeans” and that she kept house for her two“bachelor sons,” who had taken over thefamily business. That paper further de-scribed the O’Neill home in Downers Groveas “comfortable, though not pretentious.”

O’Neill retired from the Senate in 1963at age 84, ending a remarkable four-decaderun in Springfield. At the time, she was thelongest-serving female elected official in thenation. O’Neill died on Feb. 17, 1967. (15)

She was buried in her adopted hometownof Downers Grove, where a middle school isnamed in her honor. A statue of O’Neill wasdedicated in the rotunda of the Illinois Statecapitol building in 1976.

Illinois History

O’Neill was Illinois’ FirstFemale state LegislatorBy TOM EMERy



‘Tis the season to ROCK Ugly

Holiday sweaters and party with your

friends before the holiday rush at the

Ugly Sweater Contest and Holiday

Party, hosted by SNIP Alliance and

RiverBend Pet Food Pantry, held at

the Bottle and Barrel, 554 East

Broadway, in Alton. Come dressed

in your ugliest, most creative, or silly

holiday sweater and enter our contest

and you will support an awesome

charity, our life saving efforts, and a

wonderful small business all at the

same time.

For a $10 donation to SNIP

Alliance participants will receive a

koozie and the winner with the

ugliest sweater will be awarded a

really cool prize too. Raffle and

50/50 tickets will be available for

purchase as well as SNIP

merchandise. Drink specials by

Bottle and Barrel and snacks will be

provided.

Patrons are also encouraged to

bring a bag of pet food to support the

RiverBend Pet Food Pantry.

The event will be held on Friday,

December 15th from 6-9 pm. Ugly

Sweater Judging and 50/50 draw at 8

pm. For those that do not feel crafty

there will be 9 ugly sweaters for sale

at the door for $10 each. For more

information go to Facebook.com/

SNIP Alliance.

Please note, although dogs are

pictured with this article, animals are

not allowed at this event.

Ugly sweater Contestand Holiday Party Benefits Local animals



No need to panic this gift giving season.I’ve got ten ideas for gifts that are perfectgardeners of all levels of interest. Whetherit’s the houseplant nanny or the DIY week-end warrior or the grocery-growing guru,you can easily check this one off your list.

A good Set of garden tools. These fitnicely under the tree or in a stocking. Thisyear I introduced a line of garden tools thatare perfect for gifting. They are hand-forgedin Holland by the DeWit family, a third-gen-eration business. These tools are guaranteedfor a lifetime. I brought them in because I wanted to offer something that was substan-tially better in quality than what you nor-mally find at a box store and honestly,because I’m a sentimental sap who often getsnostalgic when it comes to gardening. Manytimes I’ve written about my gardeninggrandparents and all that was learned fromthem. The few gardening tools I have thatbelonged to them are among my most prizedpossessions; a galvanized tub, a very oldtrowel, a raised planter, you get the idea.

I want a set of tools that I really love to use,which someday could be the prized posses-sions of my grandchildren and great-grand-children.

A garden bench. Gardeners rarely takethe time to sit but I highly recommend thatthey do. I have a few benches around thegarden center that offer a great view from theshade, near the vegetable garden, and amongthe fountains. Sometimes taking a momentto sit and look around the garden provides a different perspective, another angle that reveals what could be improved both aroundmy workplace and in my everyday life. Giftsomeone a moment of rest. They’ll love youfor it!

pottery. Often times I see that gardenersare overwhelmed when choosing a goodcombination of plants to brighten the porch,deck or landscape, much less what to putthose plants in. Its essential to have a niceset of pots that offer enough space to allowfor an arrangement of plants that thrill, spill,chill and fill. If that doesn’t make sense to

you, consider attending my annual freedemonstration on Container Combinations.I think having a grouping of good qualitypots makes the decision of what to put inthem a little easier. An added bonus…in myhome landscape I have a grouping of plantersthat are intended to camouflage a concretewell cover, a practical year-round use. Pot-tery can be functional in many ways-a lovelyplanting in the landscape, a means of hidingsomething unsightly, or as a container to con-ceal a hose that you need to use regularly anddon’t want to carry out from the garage everyday.

organics and remedies. If you spendenough time with a gardener, eventuallyyou’ll hear many of our gripes: Aphids, fungus, gnats, powdery mildew, Japanesebeetles, cabbage worms, clay soil, poordrainage, and drought. There are many prod-ucts on the market that can be used as a toolto assist with such gripes. How wonderfulwould it be to have an arsenal of such prod-ucts on hand when the need to treat yourplants arrives! Some that I like to keep onhand are Bacillus thuricide, Neem, Sevin,Liquid Iron, Copper fungicide, Organic fertilizers, Captain Jack’s Dead Bug brew,and Rot-stop (a calcium supplement fortomatoes and peppers).

terrariums and Miniatures. Over thecold winter months, I like to create terrari-ums and dish gardens. It’s indoor gardeningthat can be incorporated with holiday décor.Terrariums and fairy gardens make a lovelygift for just about anyone of almost any age.Gift one to someone you love that you’vemade yourself or better yet give a box full ofsupplies as a gift for your beloved gardenerto create themselves. Who wouldn’t love theopportunity to get their hands dirty? You’llneed a container safe for indoor use, somesoil and plants, and a variety of mosses andpebbles. I like to place a few small minia-tures in my dish gardens and terrariums justfor a little whimsy and because I love howthe perspective of plants can change when a simple figure is placed within the dish.

Statuary or Sculpture. Garden accentslike statuary really make a difference in a home landscape or garden. These makelovely gifts as well. In my home landscapeI have a small statue of a woman who dons a veil of roses. The rose lady was a gift froma close friend who lives in Georgia. I alwaysthink of my friend when I pass by the gardenbed where the statue rests.

plants. Gardeners like to receive plantsno matter what the current season. You cango the traditional route and gift a poinsettiaor Christmas cactus this winter. Amaryllis isa beautiful flower that can be fun to watchgrow from a bulb. Some non-traditionalplants to try are succulents and cacti whichrequire little watering, air plants that can beplaced almost anywhere in the home with outthe mess of soil, or common house plantsthat help oxygenate the home. In my livingroom alone I’m keeping an assortment ofsucculents, a few tropical plants that I could-n’t bare to throw out and some coleus treesthat I plan to put string lights and red bowson to match the rest of my holiday décor.

Seeds. A stocking full of seed packetswould give any vegetable gardener a headstart on their garden planning. Gift someonethe varieties that you like to grow or picksome odd heirlooms from a catalog. Make a basket of seeds with a theme such as pizzaingredients, salsa gardening, or kitchenherbs.

kitchen composter. This one makes melaugh a little. One winter I wrote an articleabout composting. In the text I commentedthat “all I wanted for Christmas was a kitchen compost pail.” I didn’t receive one,and that is how I discovered that none of myfamily members read the articles I write forThe Buzz! Compost is gold for the garden.Who wouldn’t want that?

gift Certificates. So many times I hearpeople say that a gift certificate is too imper-sonal of a gift. If only I could share with youthe delight my customers show when theypresent a gift certificate at the cash register.Picking out a wagon load of plants and nothaving to pay for it…..priceless!

True story here friends: A woman comesout for hanging baskets and sees a fountainshe falls in love with. She doesn’t buy thefountain because she’s certain that her hus-band is purchasing a gift certificate forMother’s Day for her to put toward herspring flowers. When Mother’s Day arrives,her husband takes her to lunch. He inviteshis sister along figuring that he’s killing twobirds with one stone. He gives both womenthe same gift, a cheap bracelet. The wifedoesn’t care for the sister, and is annoyed athaving to share her special day. Two dayslater she comes out and buys the fountain forherself. I cannot repeat the words she usedto describe her husband and his lunch date.Get the gift certificate!

The Prairie Land Gardener

Ten Gifts for the GardenerBy aBBy dILLON


If you drive down Mt. Olive’s mainstreet, there is a quaint little restaurant calledStephanie’s Café - owned by StephanieBartok. It is sandwiched between Sullivan’sDrug Store and Hurley’s Fitness Center inthe old City Hall which housed the FireStation and Police Station for many yearsbefore it was moved several blocks down thestreet into the old Meyer Beverage factorybuilding. The café is open five days a weekfor breakfast and lunch. Many differentgroups will congregate there including coffeeklatches, church groups, class reunioncommittees, and retired school employees.

The lunch group is unique in that itincludes an interesting collection ofcharacters from all walks of life. Most areretired and spend their lunch time spinningstories, some true and probably someexaggerated.

Many years ago, an old time editor andpublisher from the Mt. Olive Herald by thename of Lawson Troeger, now deceased, toldme that when you write an article for thepaper, name a lot of names, because it sellspapers. So, I learned my lesson.

Most of the noon time crowd are men butonce in a while several wives will show upespecially Trudy Katchmar because she willoften bake delicious cupcakes in honor of a birthday. Also, once in a while,grandparents will bring their grandchildrenso they will not miss the good conversation.Anyway, the cross section of charactersincludes George Andrasko, Mike Katchmar,Dick Hanson, Terry Marietta, Ron Ryan,Kurt McGhee, Bob Sanvi, Harold Johns,Ron Fleming, Joe Dittmaier, Jim Egelhoff,Dan Millick, your’s truly and Joe Karlovic.Karlovic comes early to eat and leaves early,so that as he says, he is not influenced by therest of the characters. He is a Dodger fan, andthey have a reputation for coming late andleaving early for games.

But there are two lunchtime regulars whoI have gotten to know the last couple ofyears. I have enjoyed talking and listeningto Aaron Ebert and his father Eddie Ebert.They are not from Mt. Olive but they fit inwith the group perfectly. Eddie, 70 years old,got my attention when he said he worked onthe railroad for just under 40 years buildingbridges, and was a drummer for rock androll bands. As you might remember I wrotemy first column on November of 2008entitled “For the Love of Trains.” His trainstories fed my appetite for that interest, buthis music career fascinated me too.

The more I talked to Eddie the moreinterested I got in listening to his rock androll stories, and the wonderful music careerhe has enjoyed. It seemed to me that this wasa good time to interview him and others whoknew him, and document his music career inwriting. The more I listened over severalinterviews, the more I became anxious torecord this local history. I also talked to a local rock and roll music observer, Tom

Svetlik, about the music of his era, and hegave me several insights into the musicscene.

Eddie Ebert was born in Mt. Clare, theson of a railroad worker. His familyconsisted of his father, mother, and twobrothers, Billy and Ken. He went to Benldschools and eventually graduated with theClass of 1965 at Gillespie High School.While at Benld, he says it was a great era forhim because it was the beginning of the rock

and roll era. He played in the Benld schoolband but he says he was removed from theband when the long time traditional bandteacher found out he was playing rock androll music on the side. He never looked backfrom there.

By the time Eddie was 14, he had learnedto play drums and was playing on weekendsin bars, restaurants and any place that wouldhire a band. This was 1962 and he and fourothers played in a band called Johnny and theTorquays. Once in a while there were sixmembers. Members included JohnnyVercoglio , Bobby Vercoglio, Bill Vercoglio(dad of other two), Bobby Basso, PaulMolika, and Eddie. From the age 14 to 18,they played every weekend someplace. Untilhe went into the army and served in Koreafor two years, he was consumed by the rockand roll music. They played every place thatwould hire them. You see, rock and roll hadreally got started in 1963-64, so their musicwas in demand. They played in some greatplaces and some not so great places. He saidhe only played in one bar that had chickenwire in front of the stage to protect themusicians from being hit by somethingthrown from the crowd like a beer bottle.For a 3-4 hour performance, they each got$12.00. He was able to save enough moneyto pay his expenses and even buy a used carto get him to the gigs. Remember he was stillin high school at the time.

One of the places they enjoyed playing

was at the Bush’s Bar and Motel. It wasowned by a retired state trooper and theyplayed there for two years. Other places theyenjoyed playing was Jack and Mary BrownsBar in Gillespie, Frank and Dees inSawyerville, and the Blue Danube inLitchfield.

The Blue Danube includes an interestingstory on Eddie. He said he was never a fighter in his life as he was not very big.With a smirk on his face, he rememberedcausing a number of fights in his life, and hejokingly remembers that he never won one.That is until his good buddy John “Spook”Sidar started hanging around together.Spook could defend himself and Eddie too.Unfortunately, when he played at the BlueDanube, Spook was not with him. Spook hassince passed away.

Anyway, a fire occurred at the BlueDanube one night after Eddie played and hisdrums burned up. He sued the bar and wonthe case. Unfortunately, when he went to thebar later the owner caught him by himself,and as Eddie described it, “He beat the crapout of me.” Little did he know that firehistory would repeat itself later on SaturdayJuly 30, 2011.

They also played at the Moonlight Inn inWhite City, Tom Svetlik’s parents bar. TheTown and Country Bar in Taylor Springs,Cloverleaf in Alton also known asForkeyville Lounge, Collinsville Park, theGrannary at Edwardsville, and the MusicRoom in Wood River were also on their

playing schedule. There they would play forfour hours and receive $14.00 a piece. And,of course he played often at Tarros (TheColiseum). As I was reminiscing with Eddie,I found him smiling a lot as he rememberedhis experiences as a musician. He saidlearning the drum was very easy for him. Hesaid if I could tap my foot, he could teach me in 10 minutes. I told him mymusical talent is limited to listening to it.

He had many experiences with famousmusicians and bands of the era. Some heliked and some he did not. But, he said thevast majority of them were great and humblepeople who when thrown in front of anenduring crowd, especially the girls, theywere in a different world. He only mentionedone headliner musician out of the many hemet that he did not like and that was WilsonPickett.

Eddie was part of the warm up bands forthe Association, Grass Roots, Fats Domino,Rock Foundation, Lomax, Wilson Picket andIke and Tina Turner. He really liked Tinawhose real name was Anna Mae Bullock andshe was from Nutbush Tennessee. Ike wasanother story. Eddie played with ConwayTwitty, Brenda Lee, Chuck Berry, Bo Didleyand Ray Charles. He said that Chuck Berrywas a great writer but not really a very goodguitar player. Often he would just bringhimself and a pickup band would have to befurnished. Berry also wanted to be paid inadvance - and in cash.

An unfortunate sign of the times thatEddie did not like was that the blackmusicians could not find a place to stay oreat when they played around this area. Heremembered that Fats stayed at Joyce Tarro’shouse. One of the relatives of the owners ofthe 66 Terminal Café near Mt. Olive told usthat his family served all of the musicians.He remembered Bo Didley after a concertlighting a garbage barrel and grilling somehotdogs over it. You can guess that thesemusicians did not make a lot of money.

The Last drummer at TarrosBy rOgEr KraTOCHvIl

Above: Eddie Ebert on drums with Chuck Berry at The Coliseum in Benld.

Photo courtesy of Jim Marcacci.

Left: Eddie on the drums during the last performance at The Coliseum on July 30, 2011. The building caught on fire during the concert, and although everyone escaped without injury,

the building was a total loss.


Eddie remembered Bo would always arrivein his purple Cadilac hearst pulling a orangeu-haul trailor.

Johnny Rivers was another favorite atTarros. When he would try to leave after a concert the fans, especially the young girls,blocked the back door. The warm up bandhad to form a tunnel for Rivers to get to hiscar and back to highway 66.

With all of his experience in numerousperformances, I felt that he was qualified toanswer the question of who were the bestmusicians he ever played with. Withouthesitating, he said the best guitar player heever saw was Paul Verticchio. He thoughtthat Paul Motika and Rick Rayburn were

close to the standard set by Verticchio. Besides the members of the Johnny and theTorquays Band, who Eddie has a greatappreciation for their musical talent, he alsoliked Robby Robinson of Litchfield, who isthe pianist and music arranger for FrankieValli and the Four Seasons with a verytalented Pete Laucis from Mt. Olive secondto him. Mike Katzmarek was an outstandingperformer.

I said that since you were a drummer andprobably the best in the area who would youguess would be second. He mentioned a man by the name of Bill Schlmeyer. Hesaid he was a master at the drums. He playedwith the local Serra Lee band and Eddie

remembered that besides the drummer, therest of the band consisted of Butch Jett onguitar, Pete Laucis on keys, Chuck Wilsonon guitar, Charlie Wilson on bass, PaulMotika on bass, and Paul Verticchio andRick Rayburn on guitar.

I asked him about his personal life. Hesaid that being a musician is very tough onyour personal life. Alcohol and otherdistractions changes the life of a musician.You are cheered, worshipped, and givenprobably a lot more accolades then youdeserve, but it is a life style easy to getcaught up in. So, to survive, you need to havea foundation that keeps you going andsomeone to love. That foundation is hisfamily. He said his greatest pride is in hiskids. They are son Aaron, and daughters Chiand Tori. He also has six grandchildren whoare a real joy and are part of that foundation.

So what about the last days at Tarros? It was a wonderful place for young people togo, meet girls, associate with their peers, andenjoy great music. Eddie and I laughinglyremembered that when you mix rock and rollmusic and drinks, there are some tryingtimes. We talked about that and we bothfondly remembered “bouncers” at Tarroswho kept the music flowing and thedistractions contained. Fighting was kept ata minimum thanks to people like ButchLolie, Rich Eller, Red Cavanaugh, andChuck Norbert. We smiled when heremembered one time that fighting was a handful for an inebriated customer beingthrown out and resisting with Norbert whohad one finger on one hand and it served asa weapon.

Well, the fateful last night at Tarro’s wasSaturday July 30, 2011 when a fire broke out.Eddie remembered smelling something likewire burning. The band was made up ofLarry Paul, Mike Johnson, Alex Johnson,Eddie Ebert and Kelly Davis, the femalesinger. There was a little chaos in trying toevacuate the building but everyone got outsafely.

He was surprised that he remembered thelast song played that night was Ike and TinaTurner’s 3 O’Clock Blues and the last line is“Goodbye everybody.”

Eddie lost a $42,000 worth of drums,which included the other set lost in the earlierfire at the Blue Danube.

Eddie is now 70 years old and that is a long way from age 14 when he started. But,between is a lifetime of memories whileplaying rock and roll music. He says that hestill plays for his own enjoyment while beingthe Commander of the Staunton VFW. Youcan still see him honoring military veteransas he serves as a member of the Stauntonmilitary honor guard at funerals. His life, aswith everyone, has been filled with many upsand downs. He lives off of the greatmemories of who he met, who he becamefriends, and his love of rock and roll musicthat had earlier cost him his drummerposition in the school band.

But, Eddie has never looked back andcontinues to love life as it plays out. And youstill can see him at Stephanie’s Café any dayat noon with Aaron or on Tuesday at theRoute 138 Café blending in with somefamiliar faces. It has been a long ride, but a good ride filled with good memories.

Johnny and the Torquays featuring Bill Vercoglio, John Vercoglio, John Basso and Eddie Ebert on drums. The Metro St. Louis Live Historical Society (stlmusicyesterdays.com) requests any

information, photos or recordings of The Torquays be emailed to [email protected].


The Southern Illinois University Ed-wardsville East St. Louis Center (ESLC) isbecoming more adept at reaching and prepar-ing children for kindergarten because of thecontinued support of The Boeing Company.Boeing recently gave the ESLC a Kinder-garten Readiness grant, which is the com-pany’s second award to the Center. Thefive-week program will begin in summer2018.

“We are thrilled that Boeing is continuingto invest in this important community initia-tive,” said ESLC Executive Director JesseDixon. “We have found tremendous successin making sure our five weeks with thesechildren prepares them emotionally, sociallyand academically for their first day of kinder-garten.”

Dixon added that the ESLC also has aproven record of accomplishment with itsSIUE Head Start/Early Head Start qualityprogramming and their ongoing success inpreparing preschoolers for kindergarten.

The Kindergarten Readiness program tar-

gets incoming kindergarteners who are atrisk of falling behind their kindergartenclassmates, according to Johanna Wharton,director of Workforce Development andStrategic Partnerships at ESLC.

“At risk is defined as little or no priorpre-K experience and/or low assessmentscores within their outgoing pre-K program,”Wharton said.

She defined some of the program objec-tives as follows

• Close the kindergarten readiness skillsgap between incoming kindergarten studentswho are ready to excel in kindergarten andthose who are not with the following focusareas:

• Pre-literacy skills, including sounds ofspeech, familiarity with print, books and thepurpose of texts

• Basic skills, such as recognition of numbers, letters and colors

• Social skills that involve sharing and listening

• School behaviors, such as lining up,

using the restroom and eating meals• Get students excited about learning and

school through highly-engaging, hands-onacademic and enrichment activities includ-ing:

• Interdisciplinary project-based STEAM(science, technology, engineering, arts andmath) units

• Field trips to local attractions

• Engage parents and families to have a direct relationship with their students’ educational success

• Create opportunities to engage familiesin their child’s learning by sending home ma-terials, hosting events and recruiting parentvolunteers.

The ESLC will utilize key partnershipsfor the success of the program that include

sIUE Continues to Help Prepare Children for Kindergarten, Thanks to another Grant from Boeing

Kindergarten Readiness Camp prepares students to succeed in kindergarten.


the East St. Louis District 189, SIUE HeadStart/Early Head Start, SIUE East St. LouisCenter for the Performing Arts, East St.Louis Early Learning Partnership/All OurKids Network and the Lume Institute.

“We are excited about the opportunity tocontinue to build on the great work beingdone in this camp around executive function-ing skills,” said Wharton. “Last summer 66percent of youth who completed the camp in-creased or maintained their executive func-tioning skills. These skills include memory,self-control and mental flexibility, and theyhelp children learn and function well in theclassroom today and in the board room laterin life.”

With a focus on empowering people and

strengthening communities, the SIUE EastSt. Louis Center is dedicated to improvingthe lives of families and individuals - frompre-school through adult - in the Metro East.Head Start/Early Head Start and a charterhigh school are among the programs thatoffer the community renewed hope and anopportunity to reach educational, career andlife goals. The Center also assigns first pri-ority to encouraging, supporting and improv-ing the educational success of the residentsof East St. Louis and surrounding urbancommunities. The Center provides compre-hensive programs, services and training inthe areas of education, health, social servicesand the arts.

FRI, dEC 1- sUN, dEC 10A Nice Family Christmas, 7:30-10 pm (SundayMatinees 2 pm), Alton Little Theater, 2450 NHenry, Alton. A tribute to two of the most belovedsingers of all time, www.altonlittletheater.org.

FRI, dEC 1-saT, dEC 23Santa’s Cabin, open daily 5-8 pm (December 23rd1-4 pm AND 5-8 pm), Free, Granite City Cinema,1243 Niedringhaus, Granite City. Children andpets welcome. Cabin closed Dec 4th and 11th.For information call 618-512-9000.

FRIday, dEC 1-WEd, dEC 27Christmas Wonderland, 6-9 pm, $7, Rock SpringPark, 2100 College Ave, Alton. See more than 4million lights adorning trees and lighted displaysthroughout the park, www.visitalton.com.

MONday, dECEMBER 4Story Time every Monday and Tuesday at 10 am,Wednesdays at 6:30 pm. Glen Carbon Library,198 S. Main, www.glencarbonlibrary.org.

IMPACT Center for Independent Living offersLow Vision and Blind Support Group meetings onthe 1st and 3rd Monday of every month from 10am to noon at the Jerseyville Public Library. IM-PACT can help you achieve or maintain your in-dependence through many of our programs,www.jerseyvillelibrary.org.

Growing Readers Story Time, 10:30-11:30 am,Tri-Township Library, 209 S Main St, Troy,www.troylibrary.org.

Pinochle played every Monday, 12-3 pm, MainStreet Community Center, 1003 N Main St, Edwardsville, www.mainstcc.org.

Bingo every Monday - doors open at 5:30, bingostarts at 7 pm. Food and drink available. VFWPost 3912, 215 W. Ryder, Litchfield.

Movin’ and Groovin’, 5:30-6:30 pm, Tri-Town-ship Library, 209 S Main St, Troy, www.troylibrary.org.

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, cornerof 29th and State, Granite City, www.smrld.org.

Story Time every Monday at 6:30pm @ Six MileRegional Library (2001 Delmar Ave, GraniteCity) and every Thursday at 10:00am @ Six MileRegional Library (2145 Johnson Rd, GraniteCity), www.smrld.org.

R.E.H.A.B Exercise Classes, Monday/Thursday 7pm & Saturday 9 am, Rivers of Life CommunityChurch, 3131 E 23rd St, Granite City. $2/class orpurchase a pass. Free child care. For informationcall 618-797-7933.

Emotions Anonymous meets every Monday nightat 8 pm at the Immanuel Lutheran Church, 504North 7th St, New Douglas. Free and open toanyone in need of emotional support for any rea-son. Contact Larry, [email protected] or217-272-4560.

TUEsday, dECEMBER 5Stretch & Move Classes, 8-9am, $1/session, MainStreet Community Center, 1003 N Main, Edwardsville. Classes every Tuesday, Thursday,and Friday. Not held if center closed for Holiday,www.mainstcc.org.

Quilting, 9-11 am, every Tuesday at Jarvis Town-ship 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.

Winter Lap/Sit, 10-10:30 am, Louis Latzer Memorial Public Library, 1001 9th St, Highland.Children ages 18 months-2 years can enjoy sto-ries, sing, and practice finger plays pertaining toeach month’s theme, www.highlandlibrary.org.

Little Me Story Time, every Tuesday and Wednes-day from 10:30-11 am, Pat Huck CommunityRoom at Tri-Township Public Library 209 S.Main St, Troy. For parents and children up to 3 years old. Simple finger games, songs and exercise, www.troylibrary.org.

Preschool Story Time every Tuesday, 10-10:30am, Collinsville Library, 408 W. Main St,Collinsville. Themed stories and a craft,www.mvlibdist.org/collinsville_calendar.

Sit-n-Sew meets every Tuesday from 10-4. Stayfor an hour or stay all day! Bring your machineand your UFOs (unfinished objects) Main StreetMini Mall Quilt Shop, 124 East Main, Staunton,618-635-5509.

Bingo played every Tuesday, 1-3 pm, Main StreetCommunity Center, 1003 N Main, Edwardsville,www.mainstcc.org.

Pokeno, 1 pm, Main Street Community Center,1003 N Main, Edwardsville, www.mainstcc.org.

Open Gaming, 4-7 pm, Community Room,Ground Floor, Collinsville Library, 408 W. MainSt, Collinsville. Video game system available forpublic use, request a game be put in or bring yourown (no “M” rated games),www.mvlibdist.org/collinsville_calendar.

Lego Club, 5-7 pm, Every Tuesday, Six Mile Re-gional Library, 2001 Delmar Ave, Granite City.For information call 618-452-6238.

Alzheimer’s Classes/Meeting, 6-7 pm, MainStreet Community Center, 1003 N Main St, Ed-wardsville. Come learn about Alzheimer’s andDementia symptoms, support and techniques.Call Sara at 618-650-9280 or visit www.alz.org.

Emotions Anonymous meets every Tuesday at 6 pm at the Louis Latzer Library, 1001 9th Street,Highland (Contact Jackie at 618-654-9351 oremail: 16bjschu@email) and at 6 pm at the LocustStreet Resource Center in Carlinville (ContactLarry, [email protected] or 217-272-4560). Free and open to anyone in need of emo-tional support for any reason.

Amvets Meeting, 7 pm, 1st Tuesday of everymonth at Amvets Auxiliary 204, 1711 KennedyDr. Madison. Interested in becoming a member?Contact Carolyn (618-444-5069 [email protected]) or Dixie (618-972-9892 [email protected]), www.granitecity.illinois.gov.

Square Dancing, 7-9 pm, Main Street CommunityCenter, 1003 N Main, Edwardsville, www.main-stcc.org.

Slappers County & Western Dance Club, 7 pmevery Tuesday, Tri-Cities Knights of ColumbusHall, 4225 Old Alton Rd, Granite City. For infor-mation call 618-877-4250.

WEdNEsday, dECEMBER 6Duplicate Bridge played every Wednesday, 9 am-12 pm, Main Street Community Center, 1003 NMain, Edwardsville, www.mainstcc.org.

Chair Yoga every Wednesday, 9:30 am, GraniteCity Township Hall, 2060 Delmar Ave, GraniteCity. For information call 618-877-1215.

Baby Boogie every Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 am,Collinsville Library, 408 W. Main St, Collinsville.Suitable for all babies and toddlers accompaniedby a guardian, www.mvlibdist.org/collinsville_calendar.


YogART every Wednesday, 5:30-6:30 pm, Dona-tion Class, Jacoby Arts Center, 627 E. Broadway,Alton, www.jacobyartscenter.org.

24th Annual Festival of Trees Fund RaisingChristmas Gala, 6-10 pm, Gateway Center, 1Gateway Dr, Collinsville. Wander through thewinter wonderland experience. Silent Auction,Music, Hor D’oeuvres, and Cocktails. Top 4 dec-orated trees also auctioned. For information callChip at 618-304-8198 or Sandy at 618-781-3532/618-632-1244.

Adult Bible Study, 6-7:15 pm, First BaptistChurch, 2709 Poplar St, Highland, www.fbchighland.org.

Free Yoga Time every Wednesday, 6:30-8 pm,Free, Community Room, Collinsville Library, 408W. Main St, Collinsville. No registration required.Ages 16+ welcome, www.mvlibdist.org/collinsville_calendar.

Story Time every Wednesday at 6:30 pm. Glen Carbon Library, 198 S. Main, www.glencarbonlibrary.org.

Knights of Columbus Bingo every Wednesday, 7 pm, at Crystal Ballroom (I-55 to exit 41) inStaunton. Doors open at 5:30 pm. For informa-tion call Joe Rodriguez at 618-635-8338.

Lions Club Bingo, 7 pm, every Wednesday at Tri-mor Bingo Hall 3701 Nameoki Rd, 618-877-7771. We play 27 games including 3-$500 bingogames, 2-$500 raffle games, and 4-$1000 rafflegames. Our mission is to assist folks in PontoonBeach, Mitchell, Granite City, Madison andVenice who have sight & hearing problems, www.granitecity.illinois.gov.

Troy Genealogical Society Meeting, 7-9pm, Tri-Township Library, 209 S Main St, Troy. His-tory and Genealogy Room. For more informationcall 618-667-8769 or visit www.troylibrary.org.

Free Moonlight Hike, 8-9:30 pm, Talahi Lodgeat Olin Nature Preserve-The Nature Institute,2213 S. Levis Lane, Godfrey. Take a leisurelymoonlit hike through the Mississippi Sanctuary, a 37 acre area of grand vistas and spectacularscenery, including wildlife and waterfalls. Terrainis light to moderate. No Pets. Registration required, www.thenatureinstitute.org.

THURsday, dECEMBER 7Stretch & Move Classes, 8-9 am, $1/session, MainStreet Community Center, 1003 N Main, Edwardsville. Classes every Tuesday, Thursday,and Friday. Not held if center closed for Holiday,www.mainstcc.org.

Story Time every Monday at 6:30 pm @ Six MileRegional Library (2001 Delmar Ave, GraniteCity) and every Thursday at 10:00 am @ Six MileRegional Library (2145 Johnson Rd, GraniteCity), www.smrld.org.

Bible Study every Thursday at noon at theWomen’s Ministry Center, 555 E. Bethalto Drive,Bethalto. Call 618-803-9078 for information.

Pinochle played every Thursday, 12-3 pm, MainStreet Community Center, 1003 N Main, Edwardsville, www.mainstcc.org.

Bingo, 12-3 pm, every Thursday at the Knights ofColumbus Hall, 1 Columbus Plaza, Collinsville.$1/card. Great lunch menu changes weekly,www.discovercollinsville.com.

Free Clothes Closet, Every Thursday from 1-3pm, Calvary Baptist Church, 3000 WashingtonAve, Granite City. No Appointment Necessary.For information call Shirley at 618-304-3454.

Gingerbread House Craft for Kids, 3:30-4:30 pm,Free, Collinsville Library, 408 W Main St,Collinsville. Advance sign up required (all mate-rials provided). Kids and families are invited tojoin this after school activity. Space limited. Ages5+, www.mvlibdist.org.

Sign Language Club, 6:30-7:30 pm, Louis LatzerMemorial Public Library, 1001 9th St, Highland.Learn deaf culture, sign language, and more. Forgrades 7-12, www.highlandlibrary.org.

Open Play at Riverbend Community Center, 200W. 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 Freeon Thursdays! Come for dinner at Prinvicalli'sCafe located on the second floor of the communitycenter and then watch a movie or play games allnight! All ages welcome. For more informationcontact John at618-465-9850, email [email protected] or visit www.riverben-der.com/communitycenter.

Free Video Game Club every Thursday, 6-7:30pm, Free, Community Room, Collinsville Library,408 W. Main St, Collinsville. Each month therewill be weekly sessions to progress in a narrativedriven game, www.mvlibdist.org/collinsville_calendar.


EvEnTs FOr


FREE Care Givers Support Group, 6 pm, the 2nd& 4th Thursday of each month at The Women’sMinistry Center, 555 E. Bethalto Dr., Bethalto.Call 618-803-9078 to register.

R.E.H.A.B Exercise Classes, Monday/Thursday7 pm & Saturday 9 am, Rivers of Life CommunityChurch, 3131 E 23rd St, Granite City. $2/class orpurchase a pass. Free child care. For informationcall 618-797-7933.

Square Dance Lessons, 7-9 pm, Every Thursday,Wood River Roundhouse, 633 N Wood River Ave,Wood River. First lesson is free-$5/lesson afterthat. For more call Bo at 618-288-9838 or [email protected].

Emotions Anonymous 12 Steps for Christiansmeets every Thursday at 7 pm at the St. PaulLutheran Church on the frontage road 2 milesnorth of Hamel. Free and open to anyone in needof emotional support for any reason. ContactLarry [email protected] or 217-272-4560.

Police Bingo, every Thursday night, 7 pm. Nogames under $110. Paper cards & mates, fullsnack bar, bingo supplies, no smoking, plenty ofparking. Proceeds benefit the programs supportedby the Granite City Police Dept including youthathletics. Knights of Columbus Hall, 425 OldAlton Road, Granite City. www.granitecity.illinois.gov.

Family Board Game Night every Thursday, 6:30-7:30 pm, Six Mile Regional Library 2001 DelmarAve, Granite City, Training & Events room,www.granitecity.illinois.gov.

Listen It’s Christmas with Tia McGraff & TommyParham, 7:30-9:30 pm, $10, Jacoby Arts Center,627 E Broadway, Alton. Country/Folk music,www.jacobyartscenter.org.

Alateen Meeting, for young people (ages 9-19)whose lives have been affected by someone whohas a drinking problem. No fees, no member-ships. Held at 2 locations every Thursday: FirstChristian Church, 310 S. Main, Edwardsvillefrom 7-8 pm and Gillespie Library, 210 W. Chest-nut from 8-9 pm (use side door). For more infor-mation call 618-463-2429 or 618-401-9836.

THUR, dEC 7-FRI, dEC 9A Christmas Story—Live Play, 7:30 pm (SundayShows at 2 pm), Wildey Theatre, 252 N Main St,Edwardsville, www.wildeytheatre.com.

FRIday, dECEMBER 8Stretch & Move Classes, 8-9 am, $1/session,Main Street Community Center, 1003 N Main,Edwardsville. Classes every Tuesday, Thursday,and Friday. Not held if center closed for Holiday,www.mainstcc.org.

Coloring & Coffee, the second Friday of eachmonth at the Six Mile Regional Library, 2145Johnson Road, Granite City, 10-11 am,www.granitecity.illinois.gov.

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 in-

clude 2 sides: choice of cole slaw, potato salad,

french fries, macaroni and cheese, baked beans,

hushpuppies, mushrooms and onion rings. Eat in

or carryout. 618-667-8387. Troy VFW, Troy,

www.troymaryvillecoc.com.

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. VFWPost 3912, 215 W. Ryder, Litchfield.

Friday Night Fish Fry, 5-8 pm, every Friday atV.F.W. Post 1300, 3401 Century Dr, Granite City.Kitchen open to the public- Eat in, call in andcarry out. Cod, fried shrimp, jack salmon &chicken.

Maryville Tree Lighting with Santa, 6-7 pm, Free,Old Firehouse/Museum, 112 E Zupan, Maryville.Santa will be on-site with treats for little visitors,www.maryville-il.us.

Open Play at Riverbend Community Center, 200W. 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 Freeon Thursdays! Come for dinner at Prinvicalli'sCafe located on the second floor of the commu-nity center and then watch a movie or play gamesall night! All ages welcome. For more informa-tion contact John at618-465-9850, email [email protected] or visitwww.riverbender.com/communitycenter.

Eagles Bingo, 7 pm, every Friday and Saturdayat Tri-mor Bingo Center, 3701 Nameoki Rd,Granite City. Great Prizes and great fun!www.granitecity.illinois.gov.

FRI, dEC 8-saT, dEC 9holiDAy opEn houSE at the briar rose,216 N. State, Litchfield. Friday, 9-5 and Saturday,9-3. Refreshments, door prizes and 15% off theentire store! Plus Santa will be on site Saturdayfrom 10-noon, bring the kids and the camera! Forupdates follow the Briar Rose on Facebook!

holiDAy opEn houSE at whiskey riverDry goods Company, 302 N. State, Litchfield.Friday, 10-6 and Saturday, 10-3. Refreshments,door prizes, exclusive in-store sales and free giftwrapping. For updates follow the WhiskeyRiver Dry Goods Company on Facebook!

livE CoMEDy: Steve Kramer, TWO SHOWSBOTH NIGHTS, 7:30 and 9:30 pm, Donnie B’sComedy Club inside the Westside Pub and Grill,in front of Targe on Freedom Drive in Springfield,Call for tickets 217-391-JOKE (5653) or buy on-line at www.donniebscomedyclub.com.

FRI, dEC 8-sUN, dEC 10Bethalto Christmas Village, 5-8 pm, Free,Bethalto Central Park, 213 N Prairie St, Bethalto.Enjoy decorated lighted Christmas-themed cot-tages, live music, food, Santa Claus, holiday ven-dors, crafts, and more. All ages welcome, openagain Dec 15 & 16, www.visitalton.com.

FRI, dEC 8-sUN, dEC 17The Devil’s Passion: Performed by Bankside Rep,7:30-10:00 pm, $15 Thursdays/$20 Fridays andSaturdays, Jacoby Arts Center, 627 E Broadway,Alton. This thought-provoking, one man playpresents the story of Jesus through the eyes ofSatan, and he’s not happy, www.jacobyartscenter.org.

saTURday, dECEMBER 9Breakfast with Santa, 8-10:30 am, $4 Adults/$3Children, Roundhouse at Central Park, 633 WoodRiver Ave, Wood River. You can purchase pic-tures with Santa or bring your own camera. Forinformation call 618-251-3130.

Breakfast with Santa, 8:30-11:00 am, $5 Children6-12/$10 Children 13 & Older, KC Hall, 1713Stamper Ln, Godfrey. Admission includes buffetbreakfast, a visit with Santa, live music, balloonanimals, and a magician, www.godfreyil.org.

Monthly Electronics Recycling, 9 am-Noon, 2ndSaturday each month. Parking lot at the corner ofMain and Seminary, across from Spirito’s ItalianGrocery, Collinsville. Bring your electronics,

appliances, televisions, batteries and more thatyou no longer want or need, www.discovercollinsville.com.

Breakfast with Santa, 9-10:30 am, $11-Adults/$13-Children, Ravanelli’s, 26 CollinsportDr, Collinsville. Enjoy the hot breakfast buffetand have some one-on- one time with the man inred. Photographer on site and little ones will bereceive a special gift, www.collinsvillerec.com.

Restoration Day, 9 am-12 pm, The Watershed Nature Center, 1591 Tower Ave, Edwardsville.Every 2nd Saturday of the month, weather permit-ting, the committee leads volunteers through anexciting, hands-on adventure, restoring nativeecology. The focus changes monthly, www.watershednaturecenter.org.


Saturday Story Time, 10-10:30 am, Louis LatzerMemorial Public Library, 1001 9th St, Highland.Children can listen to stories, sing and practicefinger plays and action rhymes pertaining to eachprograms theme-this one is Winter Animals,www.highlandlibrary.org.

Saturday Story Time, every Saturday at 10:30 am.Interactive program of stories, crafts, songs andfun for all ages. No registration required.Maryville Community Library, 8 Schiber Court,Maryville, www.maryville.lib.il.us.

Photos with Santa, 11 am-3 pm, FREE, Miner’sTheatre, 204 W Main St, Collinsville. Come visitthe Jolly Old St. Nick-free photos and cookies.Fur babies welcome also. For information call618-972-4236.

Pictures with Santa, 12-4 pm, Treehouse WildlifeCenter, 23956 Green Acres Rd, Dow. Santa ismaking a special stop! Come get pictures and say“Hello” to all the awesome wildlife residents. Forinformation call 618-466-2990.

Kids Day Out, 12-5 pm, Members $15/Non-Memebers $20, Collinsville Maryville TroyYMCA, 1 Town Center Dr, Maryville. Ages 5-12and potty trained. Registration required by December 8th - walk-ins cannot be accommo-dated. Mom and dad can shop, wrap gifts, or justrelax. Pizza lunch, swimming, decorating cook-ies, crafts, Christmas movies, and more,www.gwrymca.org.

Teen Wii Games for grades 6-12 every Saturdayfrom 1-4 pm, Six Mile Regional Library, 2001Delmar Ave, Granite City, www.smrld.org.

Steak Night 2nd Saturday of each month, 5-8 pm,Troy VFW, 123A W Market, Troy. For informa-tion call 618-667-8387.


Family Night, 7-10 pm, $6 + skate rental, SpinCity Skate Center, 284 Riggin Rd, Troy. EverySaturday night, www.spincityskating.com.

Great Rivers Choral Society: Music for Choir andBrass, 7:30-9:00 pm, Godfrey First UnitedMethodist Church, 1100 Airport Rd, Godfrey. Thechoir will be joined by a brass ensemble. For information call 618-466-3624.

(continued on page 37)



Alateen Meeting, every Saturday, 8-9 pm, Gille-spie Library, 201 W. Chestnut (side door). Foryoung people (ages 9-19) whose lives have beenaffected by someone who has a drinking problem.No fees, no membership. For more informationcall 618-463-2429 or 618-406-9530.

Zen Investigates Mineral Springs, 9pm, $25/per-son, It’s Raining Zen, 301 E Broadway, Alton.Spaces limited to 15 guests per investigation. Ourinvestigations are the real thing. For informationcall 618-717-0546.

saT, dEC 9- sUN , dEC 10Customer Appreciation Days at Rusty Star Mar-ketplace, I-55 to Auburn Exit #82 (behind truckstop). Discounts on everything in the store! 217-628-1122 or find them on Facebook!

Arrival at Camp River Dubois, 10 am-4 pm, Free,Lewis & Clark State Historic Site, 1 Lewis andClark Trl, Hartford. This annual event commem-orates the day William Clark and the men of thedetachment arrived at the confluence of the Riv-iere a Dubois, Mississippi and Missouri Rivers,www.campdubois.com.

Turner Pointe Academy of Dance presents: TheNutcracker, Saturday 2 pm & 6 pm/Sunday 2 pm,Collinsville High School Theater, 2201 S Morri-son Ave, Collinsville, www.turningpointeacad-emy.net.

sUNday, dECEMBER 10Adventureland Puppet Ministry, 10:30-11:30 am,FREE, Outreach Baptist Church, 110 NorthChestnut, Collinsville. A great family friendlyperformance followed by refreshments and fel-lowship. For information call 618-345-7841.

Sewing Circle, 1-3 p.m. Free (meets each monthon the second and fourth Sunday.) Bring any pe-riod sewing or needlecraft project to share and/orwork on in a relaxed setting. Period sewing in-struction and help are available to those wantingto advance their skills in the production of periodgarments. Both ladies and gentlemen are welcometo participate. An informal gathering to shareskills, ideas, and new information. The ColonelBenjamin Stephenson House, 409 S. Buchanan,Edwardsville, www.stephensonhouse.org.

A Very Critter Christmas, 1-4 pm, Free (Dona-tions Welcome), Treehouse Wildlife Center,23956 Green Acres Rd, Dow. Join your friends fora winter event for the whole family. For $6 haveyour child’s picture taken with jolly Old St. Nickand one of the center’s owls for a lasting holidaymemory. Free guided tours available with Christ-mas season sweets and refreshments providedalso. RSVP preferred. For more call 618-466-2990.

Great Rivers Choral Society: Music for Choir andBrass, 3-5 pm, Godfrey First United MethodistChurch, 1100 Airport Rd, Godfrey. The choir willbe joined by a brass ensemble to help celebratethe holiday season. For more call 618-466-3624.

Bethalto Spirit Christmas Walk, 4-7 pm, Villageof Bethalto, 213 N Prairie St, Bethalto. Enjoy areturn to a quieter time—Victorian ChristmasWalk. Stroll through the downtown area full ofcostumed characters, children’s craft areas, snacksand more. For information call 618-377-8051.

A Night in Bethlehem, 5-8 pm, Free, First Con-gregational Church, 801 Washington, Highland.Explore the city at the time of Jesus’ birth. Hands-on experiences will show children about the mostimportant baby ever and learn how Jesus came tosave us. Live Nativity, Refreshments, and FamilyPhotos available. For information call 618-654-4241.

old Country and bluegrass Music Jam, everySunday, 5-9 pm. All artists welcome, all audi-ences welcome. Millersburg General Store, 613Route 143, Millersburg (E. Pierron). For more call618-669-2155.

Turner Pointe Academy of Dance presents:Clara’s Journey, 6 pm, Collinsville High SchoolTheater, 2201 S Morrison Ave, Collinsville. Sen-sory friendly performance, www.turningpointea-cademy.net.

MONday, dECEMBER 11Euchre played every 2nd and 4th Monday of themonth, 9:30-11 am, Main Street Community Cen-ter, 1003 N Main, Edwardsville,www.mainstcc.org.


Growing Readers Story Time, 10:30-11:30 am,Tri-Township Library, 209 S Main St, Troy. Formore visit www.troylibrary.org or call 618-667-2133.

Pinochle played every Monday, 12-3 pm, MainStreet Community Center, 1003 N Main, Ed-wardsville, www.mainstcc.org.


Movin’ and Groovin’, 5:30-6:30 pm, Tri-Town-ship Library, 209 S Main St, Troy, www.troylibrary.org.

Tales for Tails every Monday night from 6-7 pm.Students in grades K-5 can practice reading to afurry friend. At the Niedringhaus School, cornerof 29th and State, Granite City, www.smrld.org.

S.T.A.R.S. With Dogs, 6-7 pm. Read your favoritestories to CHAMP therapy dogs the 2nd Mondayof every month. Registration is required and avail-able online. Glen Carbon Library, 198 S. Main,www.glencarbonlibrary.org.

Story Time every Monday at 6:30 pm @ Six MileRegional Library (2001 Delmar Ave, GraniteCity) and every Thursday at 10 am @ Six MileRegional Library (2145 Johnson Rd, GraniteCity), www.smrld.org.

Ecological Discussion Group, 7-8:30pm, every2nd and 4th Monday of each month, La Vista Eco-logical Learning Center, 4300 Levis Lane, God-frey. For more information [email protected] or call 618-466-5004.



TUEsday, dECEMBER 12Stretch & Move Classes, 8-9 am, $1/session,Main Street Community Center, 1003 N Main,Edwardsville. Classes every Tuesday, Thursday,and Friday. Not held if center closed for Holiday,www.mainstcc.org.

Quilting, 9-11 am, every Tuesday at Jarvis Town-ship Senior Citizens Center, 410 Wickliffe St.,

Troy. Quilting for all, beginners through seasoned,www.troymaryvillecoc.com.

Volunteer Work Days in Oblate Woods NaturePreserve, 9:30 am-12:30 pm, every 2nd Tuesdayof each month, La Vista Ecological Learning Center, 4300 Levis Lane, Godfrey. We provide thetools and lunch-registration is required,www.lavistaelc.org.





Bingo Played every Tuesday, 1-3 pm, Main StreetCommunity Center, 1003 N Main, Edwardsville,www.mainstcc.org.

Kids Slab Clay, 3:30-5 pm, $30, Macoupin ArtCollective, 214 E Main St, Staunton. Designed forstudents 8+. Classes focus on making functionalpieces from slabs of clay-make a cup, bowl, orsome other project of their choosing. Meets Tues-day December 12th & Thursday December 14th,www.macart.org.

Open Gaming, 4-7 pm, Community Room,Ground Floor, Collinsville Library, 408 W. MainSt, Collinsville. Video game system available forpublic use, request a game be put in or bring yourown (no “M” rated games),www.mvlibdist.org/collinsville_calendar.


Guided Prairie Walks every 2nd and 4th Tuesdayof the Month, 5:30-7:30 pm, Heartland Prairie atGordon Moore Park, Route 140, Alton. Guideswill lead you along trails to identify a variety ofwildflowers and grasses, www.thenatureinstitute.org.

Knitting and Crochet Club, 6-8 pm, 2nd Tuesdayof each month, Collinsville Library, 408 W. MainSt, Collinsville. Relax, show off, help one another,or just enjoy the good times,www.mvlibdist.org/collinsville_calendar.

Adult Coloring Club, 6-7:50 pm, Louis LatzerMemorial Public Library, 1001 9th St, Highland.Color and experience the latest trend in relaxation.Pages and pencils provided but you are welcometo bring your own, www.highlandlibrary.org.

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, [email protected] or 217-272-

4560). Free and open to anyone in need of emo-

tional support for any reason.

Book Club for Adults, held 2nd Tuesday of everymonth, 6:30-8 pm. New members are always wel-come, and it is not necessary to attend every meet-ing. Books are provided at the Help Desk. GlenCarbon Library, 198 S. Main St, Glen Carbon.www.glencarbonlibrary.org.

Free Graphic Novel Club for grades 5-12 from6:30-7:30 pm, 2nd Tuesday of every month, YARoom, Collinsville Library, 408 W. Main St,Collinsville. Discuss a current title and share read-ing experiences. No registration required. Copiesof each months selection available at the maindesk, www.mvlibdist.org/collinsville_calendar orcall 618-344-1112.

Troy Historical Society Meeting, 7-9 pm, Tri-Township Library, 209 S Main St, Troy. Historyand Genealogy Room, www.troymaryvillecoc.com.

Troy American Legion Post meets the 2nd Tues-day of every month, 7-9 pm, Troy American Le-gion, 104 N. Main, Troy, www.troymaryvillecoc.com.

Square Dancing, 7-9 pm, Main Street CommunityCenter, 1003 N Main, Edwardsville, www.mainstcc.org.


WEdNEsday, dECEMBER 13Volunteer Days at Willoughby Farm, 9 am-12 pm,Willoughby Farm, 631 Willoughby Ln,Collinsville. Bring your work gloves and positiveattitude to the Farm and help the works and University of Illinois Master Gardeners. Lunchprovided after the hard work,www.willoughbyfarm.org/events.

Duplicate Bridge played every Wednesday, 9 am-12 pm, Main Street Community Center, 1003 NMain, Edwardsville, www.mainstcc.org.

Free Chair Yoga every Wednesday, 9:30 am,Granite City Township Hall, 2060 Delmar Ave,Granite City. For information call 618-877-1215.


Craft Day, 10 am-5 pm, Louis Latzer MemorialPublic Library, 1001 9th St, Highland. Each weekfeatures a different theme. Crafts may be made inthe library or taken home for completion. Avail-able on a first-come, first-serve basis, and suppliesdo sometimes run out, www.highlandlibrary.org.

Little Me Story Time, every Tuesday and Wednes-day from 10:30-11 am, Pat Huck CommunityRoom at Tri-Township Public Library 209 S.Main St, Troy. For parents and children up to 3years old. Simple finger games, songs and exer-cise, www.troylibrary.org.

BUNCO played every 3rd Wednesday of theMonth, 1-2 pm, Main Street Community Center,1003 N Main, Edwardsville. Beginners Welcome!Prizes and Giveaways, www.mainstcc.org.

The Family Caregiving Support Group, 5-7:30pm, 2nd Wednesday each month, 222 Goethe St,Collinsville. For family caregivers of loved oneswith any type of disability. Light complimentarydinner provided. Care for loved ones availablewith reservation. Call 618-334-5008.



Jingle & Mingle Holiday Party, 5:30-10:00pm,$35/person or $260/table of 8, Gateway Center, 1Gateway Dr, Collinsville. Tasty food, holidaydrinks, door prizes, and live entertainment fromSpanky Entertainment-Dueling Pianos,www.gatewaycenter.com.

YogART every Wednesday, 5:30 -6:30 pm, Dona-tion Class, Jacoby Arts Center, 627 E. Broadway,Alton, www.jacobyartscenter.org.


Free Acoustic Jam with Collinsville Ramblers,2nd Wednesday each month, 6:30-8:30 pm, BlumHouse (next door), Collinsville Library, 408 W.Main St, Collinsville. Acoustic instruments only,www.mvlibdist.org/collinsville_calendar.

Free Yoga Time every Wednesday, 6:30-8 pm,Community Room, Collinsville Library, 408 W.Main St, Collinsville. No registration required.Ages 16+ welcome, www.mvlibdist.org/collinsville_calendar.


Knights of Columbus Bingo every Wednesday, 7 pm, at Crystal Ballroom (I-55 to exit 41) inStaunton. Doors open at 5:30 pm. For informa-tion call Joe Rodriguez at 618-635-8338.

Lions Club Bingo, 7 pm, every Wednesday at Tri-mor Bingo Hall 3701 Nameoki Rd, 618-877-7771. We play 27 games including 3-$500 bingogames, 2-$500 raffle games, and 4-$1000 rafflegames. Our mission is to assist folks in PontoonBeach, Mitchell, Granite City, Madison andVenice who have sight & hearing problems, www. granitecity.illinois.gov.

WEd, dEC 13-sUN, dEC 2412 Days of Christmas at vintage Station, 900N. Edwardsville in Staunton. Open Daily with re-freshments, door prizes and weekly drawing.Open til 8 Thursdays during Staunton’s ShopHop. For more information call 618-779-2956 orfind Vintage Station on Facebook.

THURsday, dECEMBER 14Stretch & Move Classes, 8-9am, $1/session, MainStreet Community Center, 1003 N Main, Ed-wardsville. Classes every Tuesday, Thursday, andFriday. Not held if center closed for Holiday,www.mainstcc.org.


Preschool Program-Polar Bears, 10-10:30am,Louis Latzer Memorial Public Library, 1001 9thSt, Highland. Ages 3-5. Stories, songs, and craftspertaining to the months theme, www.highlandlibrary.org.

Pinochle played every Thursday, 12-3 pm, MainStreet Community Center, 1003 N Main, Ed-wardsville, www.mainstcc.org.

Bible Study every Thursday at noon at theWomen’s Ministry Center , 555 E. Bethalto Drive,Bethalto. Call 618-803-9078 for information.



Free Video Game Club every Thursday, 6-7:30pm, Community Room, Collinsville Library, 408W. Main St, Collinsville. Each month there willbe weekly sessions to progress in a narrativedriven game,www.mvlibdist.org/collinsville_ calendar.

Sign Language Club, 6:30-7:30 pm, Louis LatzerMemorial Public Library, 1001 9th St, Highland.Learn deaf culture, sign language, and more. Forgrades 7-12, www.highlandlibrary.org.

Open Play at Riverbend Community Center, 200W. 3rd St, Alton, every Thurs & Fri Night from6-10 pm. Open to members and non-members.Just $5 a person or $15 a family. Members get inFree on Thursdays! Come for dinner at Prinvi-calli's Cafe located on the second floor of thecommunity center and then watch a movie or playgames all night! All ages welcome. For more in-formation contact John at618-465-9850, [email protected] or visitwww.riverbender.com/communitycenter.


Square Dance Lessons, 7-9pm, Every Thursday,Wood River Roundhouse, 633 N Wood River Ave,Wood River. First lesson is free—$5/lesson afterthat. For more call Bo at 618-288-9838 or [email protected].


Police Bingo, every Thursday night, starts at 7pm. No games under $110. Paper cards & mates,full snack bar, bingo supplies, no smoking, plentyof parking. Proceeds benefit the programs sup-ported by the Granite City Police Dept includingyouth athletics. Knights of Columbus Hall, 425Old Alton Road, Granite City.www.granitecity.illinois.gov.

Family Board Game Night every Thursday at SixMile Regional Library 2001 Delmar Ave, GraniteCity, 6:30-7:30 pm Training & Eventsroom,www.granitecity.illinois.gov.

The Erin Bode Group Holiday Concert, 7:30 pm,Wildey Theatre, 252 N Main St, Edwardsville,www.wildeytheatre.com.

Alateen Meeting, for young people (ages 9-19)whose lives have been affected by someone whohas a drinking problem. No fees, no member-ships. Held at 2 locations every Thursday: FirstChristian Church, 310 S. Main, Edwardsvillefrom 7-8 pm and Gillespie Library, 210 W. Chest-nut from 8-9 pm (use side door). For informationcall 618-463-2429 or 618-401-9836.


Bingo played every Friday, 1-3 pm, Main StreetCommunity Center, 1003 N Main, Edwardsville,www.mainstcc.org.

Fish Fry, 4-8 pm, Choice of Fried Cod, Catfish,Jack Salmon and Baked Salmon or Tilapia, Codcut ups, Shrimp and Chicken Strips. Dinners in-clude 2 sides: choice of cole slaw, potato salad,french fries, macaroni and cheese, baked beans,hushpuppies, mushrooms and onion rings. Eat inor carryout. 618-667-8387. Troy VFW, Troy,www.troymaryvillecoc.com.





FRI, dEC 15-saT, dEC 16Bethalto Christmas Village, 5-8pm, Free, BethaltoCentral Park, 213 N Prairie St, Bethalto. Enjoydecorated lighted Christmas-themed cottages, live

music, food, Santa Claus, holiday vendors, crafts,and more. All ages welcome, www.visitalton.co

livE CoMEDy: John Roy, TWO SHOWS

BOTH NIGHTS, 7:30 and 9:30 pm, Donnie B’s

Comedy Club inside the Westside Pub and Grill,

in front of Targe on Freedom Drive in Springfield,

Call for tickets 217-391-JOKE (5653) or buy on-

line at www.donniebscomedyclub.com.

saTURday. dECEMBER 16R.E.H.A.B Exercise Classes, Monday/Thursday7 pm & Saturday 9 am, Rivers of Life CommunityChurch, 3131 E 23rd St, Granite City. $2/class orpurchase a pass and free child care. For informa-tion call 618-797-7933.

Township Library Book Sale, 9 am-12 pm, Tri-Township Library, 209 S Main, Troy. Greatbooks at incredible prices. Proceeds benefit thelibrary, www.troylibrary.org.

Gingerbread House Decoration Party, 9:30 am,First Congregational Church, 801 Washington,Highland. Kids of all ages (10 and under shouldbe accompanied by someone at least 16 yearsold). RSVP by Dec 9th. For information call 618-654-4241.


Wreaths Across America, 11 am, National Ceme-tery, 600 Pearl St, Alton. All 530 veteran graveswill be decorated with balsam wreaths for the hol-iday season. To take part or for information call618-474-2005.

Although Frank knew he’d been a bad boy, he suddenly realized that any hope of fooling the court into thinking otherwise was useless when he saw Santa was doing jury duty.


Photos with Santa, 11 am-2 pm, Free, Brinley Or-thodontics, 2023 Vadalabene Dr Suite 252,Maryville. Enjoy hot cocoa and cookies withSanta & Mrs. Claus. For information call 618-288-3384.

Skating with Santa, 2-5pm, FREE Admission,Spin City Skate Center, 284 Riggin Rd, Troy.Skate/Inline Rental required—$2/$3. Sleigh rides,snowball fights, and more. Includes 1 slice ofpizza and drink per guest,www.spincityskating.com.


Family Night, 7-10 pm, $6 + skate rental, SpinCity Skate Center, 284 Riggin Rd, Troy. EverySaturday night. For more visit www.spincityskat-ing.com.

Alateen Meeting, every Saturday, 8-9 pm, Gille-spie Library, 201 W. Chestnut (side door). Foryoung people (ages 9-19) whose lives have beenaffected by someone who has a drinking problem.No fees, no membership. For information call618-463-2429or 618-406-9530.

saT, dEC 16-sUN , dEC 17St. Louis Regional Gun & Knife Show, 9am-5pm,$6-Adults/$3-Child 12-16/Free 12 and under,Gateway Center, 1 Gateway Dr, Collinsville. Formore visit www.ecahuntingandtradeshows.comcall 618-345-8998.

Pictures with Santa, 1-4 pm, Free, WiesemeyerCenter, 410 Wickliffe St, Troy. Make sure tobring your camera! Hot Cocoa and Cookies eachnight of the Christmas Village, www.troymary villecoc.com.

sUNday, dECEMBER 17old Country and bluegrass Music Jam, everySunday, 5-9 pm. All artists welcome, all audi-ences welcome. Millersburg General Store, 613Route 143, Millersburg (E. Pierron). For morecall 618-669-2155.

MONday, dECEMBER 18Story Time every Monday and Tuesday at 10 am,Wednesdays at 6:30 pm. Glen Carbon Library,198 S. Main, www.glencarbonlibrary.org.

IMPACT Center for Independent Living offersLow Vision and Blind Support Group meetingson the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month from10 am to noon at the Jerseyville Public Library.IMPACT can help you achieve or maintain yourindependence through many of our programs,www.jerseyvillelibrary.org.

Growing Readers Story Time, 10:30-11:30 am,Tri-Township Library, 209 S Main St, Troy,www.troylibrary.org.

Pinochle played every Monday, 12-3 pm, MainStreet Community Center, 1003 N Main,Ed-wardsville,www.mainstcc.org.

Chess Club, 4-5 pm, Louis Latzer Memorial Pub-lic Library, 1001 9th St, Highland. Ages 6 andolder. Learn how to play chess—advanced playersalso welcome to learn new strategies, www.high-landlibrary.org.


Tales for Tails every Monday night from 6-7 pm.Students in grades K-5 can practice reading to afurry friend. At the Niedringhaus School, cornerof 29th and State, Granite City, www.smrld.org.




MON, dEC 18-WEd , dEC 20Pictures with Santa and Reindeer, 5-8 pm, Free,Wiesemeyer Center, 410 Wickliffe St, Troy.Make sure to bring your camera! Hot Cocoa andCookies each night of the Christmas Village. Formore visit www.troymaryvillecoc.com or callPatti at 618-616-1583.

TUEsday, dECEMBER 19Stretch & Move Classes, 8-9 am, $1/session,Main Street Community Center, 1003 N Main,Edwardsville. Classes every Tuesday, Thursday,and Friday. Not held if center closed for Holiday,www.mainstcc.org.


Rummage Sale, 10 am-6 pm, Salvation Army,3007 E 23rd St, Granite City. Christmas items ata great price,www.troymaryvillecoc.com.



Sit-n-Sew meets every Tuesday from 10 am-4 pm.Stay for an hour or stay all day! Bring your ma-chine and your UFOs (unfinished objects) MainStreet Mini Mall Quilt Shop, 124 East Main,Staunton, 618-635-5509.


Bingo played every Tuesday, 1-3 pm, Main StreetCommunity Center, 1003 N Main, Edwardsville,www.mainstcc.org.

Open Gaming, 4-7 pm, Community Room,Ground Floor, Collinsville Library, 408 W. MainSt, Collinsville. Video game system available forpublic use, request a game be put in or bring yourown (no “M” rated games), www.mvlibdist.org/collinsville_calendar.


Christmas Stories, 6:30-7:30 pm, Louis LatzerMemorial Public Library, 1001 9th St, Highland.Listen to stories and make crafts, www.highlandli-brary.org.




Emotions Anonymous meets every Tuesday at 6pm at the Louis Latzer Library, 1001 9th Street,Highland (Contact Jackie at 618-654-9351 oremail: 16bjschu@email) and at 6 pm at the LocustStreet Resource Center in Carlinville (ContactLarry, [email protected] or 217-272-4560). Free and open to anyone in need of emo-tional support for any reason.

Square Dancing, 7-9 pm, Main Street CommunityCenter, 1003 N Main, Edwardsville, www.mainstcc.org.


WEdNEsday, dECEMBER 20Rummage Sale, 9 am-6 pm, Salvation Army, 3007E 23rd St, Granite City. Christmas items at a greatprice, www.troymaryvillecoc.com.

Duplicate Bridge played every Wednesday, 9 am-12 pm, Main Street Community Center,1003 N Main, Edwardsville, www.mainstcc.org.

Chair Yoga every Wednesday, 9:30am, GraniteCity Township Hall, 2060 Delmar Ave, GraniteCity. For information call 618-877-1215.


Craft Day, 10 am-5 pm, Louis Latzer MemorialPublic Library, 1001 9th St, Highland. Each weekfeatures a different theme. Crafts may be made inthe library or taken home for completion. Avail-able on a first-come, first-serve basis, and suppliesdo sometimes run out, www.highlandlibrary.org.


YogART every Wednesday , 5:30-6:30 pm, Do-nation Class, Jacoby Arts Center, 627 E. Broad-way, Alton, www.jacobyartscenter.org.


Free Yoga Time every Wednesday, 6:30-8 pm,Community Room, Collinsville Library, 408 W.Main St, Collinsville. No registration required.Ages 16+ welcome, www.mvlibdist.org/collinsville_calendar.

Story Time every Wednesday at 6:30 pm. Glen Carbon Library, 198 S.Main, www.glencarbonlibrary.org.

Evening Book Club Meeting, 3rd Wednesday ofevery month, 7 pm, $1/session, Main Street Com-munity Center, 1003 N Main, Edwardsville,www.mainstcc.org.

Knights of Columbus Bingo every Wednesday, 7 pm, at Crystal Ballroom (I-55 to exit 41) in Staunton. Doors open at 5:30 pm. For infor-mation call Joe Rodriguez at 618-635-8338.

Lions Club Bingo, 7 pm, every Wednesday at Tri-mor Bingo Hall 3701 Nameoki Rd, 618-877-7771. We play 27 games including 3-$500 bingogames, 2-$500 raffle games, and 4-$1000 rafflegames. Our mission is to assist folks in Pontoon

Beach, Mitchell, Granite City, Madison andVenice who have sight & hearing problems, www. granitecity.illinois.gov.

THURsday, dECEMBER 21 Stretch & Move Classes, 8-9am, $1/session, MainStreet Community Center, 1003 N Main, Ed-wardsville. Classes every Tuesday, Thursday, andFriday. Not held if center closed for Holiday,www.mainstcc.org.


Driver Services Mobile Unit, 10 am-2 pm, Wein-heimer Community Center, 1100 Main St, High-land. The Illinois Secretary of State brings theirmobile unit for drivers to renew licenses, takedriving tests, purchase stickers and more. For in-formation call 618-654-6071.

Pinochle played every Thursday, 12-3 pm, MainStreet Community Center, 1003 N Main, Ed-wardsville., www.mainstcc.org.

Bible Study every Thursday at noon at theWomen’s Ministry Center , 555 E. Bethalto Drive,Bethalto. Call 618-803-9078 for information.Bingo, 12-3 pm, every Thursday at the Knights ofColumbus Hall, 1 Columbus Plaza, Collinsville.$1/card. Great lunch menu changes weekly,www.discovercollinsville.com.


Pictures with Santa, 5-8 pm, Free, WiesemeyerCenter, 410 Wickliffe St, Troy. Make sure tobring your camera! Hot Cocoa and Cookies eachnight of the Christmas Village, www.troymaryvillecoc.com.

Free Video Game Club every Thursday, 6-7:30pm, Community Room, Collinsville Library, 408W. Main St, Collinsville. Each month there willbe weekly sessions to progress in a narrativedriven game,www.mvlibdist.org/collinsville_calendar.

PAWS Program, 6:30-7:30 pm, Louis Latzer Me-morial Public Library, 1001 9th St, Highland.Read with DOGS, www.highlandlibrary.org.

Open Play at Riverbend Community Center, 200

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 Prinvi-

calli'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 in-

formation contact John at618-465-9850, email

[email protected] or visit

www.riverbender.com/communitycenter.

Astronomy Association Meeting, 7 pm, Free, Ta-lahi Lodge at the Olin Nature Preserve, 2213 SLevis Ln, Godfrey. Every 3rd Thursday of themonth. Join TNI members and friends to observeand record constellations. No telescopes needed,www.thenatureinstitute.org.


Square Dance Lessons, 7-9 pm, Every Thursday,Wood River Roundhouse, 633 N Wood River Ave,Wood River. First lesson is free—$5/lesson afterthat. For more call Bo at 618-288-9838 or [email protected].


Police Bingo, every Thursday night, starts at 7 pm. No games under $110. Paper cards &mates, full snack bar, bingo supplies, no smoking,plenty of parking. Proceeds benefit the programssupported by the Granite City Police Dept includ-ing youth athletics. Knights of Columbus Hall, 425 Old Alton Road, Granite City. www.granitecity.illinois.gov.

Family Board Game Night every Thursday at SixMile Regional Library 2001 Delmar Ave, GraniteCity, 6:30-7:30 pm Training & Eventsroom,www.granitecity.illinois.gov.

Cahokia Archaeological Society Meeting, 7-9 pm,Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, 30 RameySt, Collinsville. Holiday potluck dinner and giftexchange. For information call 618-346-5160.

Alateen Meeting, for young people (ages 9-19)whose lives have been affected by someone whohas a drinking problem. No fees, no member-ships. Held at 2 locations every Thursday: FirstChristian Church, 310 S. Main, Edwardsvillefrom 7-8 pm and Gillespie Library, 210 W. Chest-nut from 8-9 pm (use side door). For informationcall 618-463-2429 or 618-401-9836.







Christmas in the Park with Santa, 6:30-8:30pm,Village of Marine, www.villageofmarine.net.


FRI, dEC 22-saT, dEC 23 livE CoMEDy: Christine Stedman, TWOSHOWS BOTH NIGHTS, 7:30 and 9:30 pm,Donnie B’s Comedy Club inside the Westside Puband Grill, in front of Targe on Freedom Drive inSpringfield, Call for tickets 217-391-JOKE(5653) or buy online at www.donniebscomedy-club.com.

saTURday, dECEMBER 23R.E.H.A.B Exercise Classes, Monday/Thursday7 pm & Saturday 9 am, Rivers of Life CommunityChurch, 3131 E 23rd St, Granite City. $2/class orpurchase a pass. Free child care. For informationcall 618-797-7933.

Free Christmas Movie Marathon, 9 am-5 pm,Collinsville Library, 408 W Main St. Come in andcatch the full line up or stop by for just one—freehot chocolate. 9am: Home Alone, 11am: Elf, 1pm:Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas,3pm: The Polar Express. Call 618-344-1112.


Teen Wii Games for grades 6-12 every Saturday,1-4 pm, Six Mile Regional Library, 2001 DelmarAve, Granite City,www.smrld.org.

Smokin’ Aces Reunion Toy Drive, Doors Open6:30 pm, $25/person or $15 and a toy, LindenhalExpo Hall, 2025 Park Hill Dr, Highland. Benefit-ting Leaps of Love. For information call Jesse at618-334-7445.




sUNday, dECEMBER 24ChriStMAS EvE Children’s Impromptu Christmas Pageant, 10:15am, First Congregational Church, 801 Washing-ton, Highland. Kids of all ages welcome—In-cluding puppets and birthday party for Jesus. Forinformation call 618-654-4241.

Christmas Eve Church Evening Services, FirstCongregational Church, 801 Washington, High-land. Family Candlelight Service at 5 pm and Tra-ditional Candlelight Service at 7 pm. Forinformation call 618-654-4241.

Winter Solstice Sunrise Observance, 7:00-8:00am, Free, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, 30Ramey St, Collinsville. Explanation of the dis-covery, form, and function of this ancient post cir-cle monument used as a calendar. Meet atWoodhenge. No ceremonies will be conducted,www.cahokiamounds.org.




MONday, dECEMBER 25MErry ChriStMAS!!!

TUEsday, dECEMBER 26Stretch & Move Classes, 8-9 am, $1/session,Main Street Community Center, 1003 N Main,Edwardsville. Classes every Tuesday, Thursday,and Friday. Not held if center closed for Holiday,www.mainstcc.org or call 618-656-0300.



Preschool Story Time every Tuesday, 10-10:30am, Collinsville Library, 408 W. Main St,Collinsville. Themed stories and acraft,www.mvlibdist.org/collinsville_calendar.


Little Me Story Time, every Tuesday 10:30-11am, Pat Huck Community Room at Tri-TownshipPublic Library 209 S. Main St, Troy. For parentsand children up to 3 years old. Simple fingergames, songs and exercise, www.troylibrary.org.

Bingo played every Tuesday, 1-3 pm, Main StreetCommunity Center, 1003 N. Main, Edwardsville,www.mainstcc.org.

Lego Club, 5-7 pm, Every Tuesday, Six Mile Regional Library, 2001 Delmar Ave, Granite City.For information call 618-452-6238.

Guided Prairie Walks every 2nd and 4th Tuesdayof the Month, 5:30-7:30 pm, Heartland Prairie atGordon Moore Park, Route 140, Alton. Guidesby the Nature Institute and Piasa Palisades Groupof the Sierra Club will lead you along trails toidentify a variety of wildflowers and grasses,www.thenatureinstitute.org.

Emotions Anonymous meets every Tuesday at 6pm at the Louis Latzer Library, 1001 9th Street,Highland (Contact Jackie at 618-654-9351 oremail: 16bjschu@email) and at 6 pm at the LocustStreet Resource Center in Carlinville (ContactLarry, [email protected] or 217-272-4560). Free and open to anyone in need of emo-tional support for any reason.


Square Dancing, 7-9 pm, Main Street CommunityCenter, 1003 N Main, Edwardsville, www.main-stcc.org.

WEdNEsday, dECEMBER 27Duplicate Bridge played every Wednesday, 9 am-12 pm, Main Street Community Center, 1003 N.Main, Edwardsville, www.mainstcc.org.

Chair Yoga every Wednesday, 9:30am, GraniteCity Township Hall, 2060 Delmar Ave, GraniteCity. For information call 618-877-1215.

YogART every Wednesday, 5:30-6:30 pm, Dona-tion Class, Jacoby Arts Center, 627 E. Broadway,Alton, www.jacobyartscenter.org.

Free Yoga Time every Wednesday, 6:30-8 pm,Community Room, Collinsville Library, 408 W.

Main St, Collinsville. No registration required.Ages 16+ welcome, www.mvlibdist.org/collinsville_ calendar or call 618-344-1112.


Knights of Columbus Bingo every Wednesday, 7 pm, at Crystal Ballroom (I-55 to exit 41) inStaunton. Doors open at 5:30 pm. For informa-tion call Joe at 618-635-8338.

Lions Club Bingo, 7 pm, every Wednesday at Tri-mor Bingo Hall 3701 Nameoki Rd, 618-877-7771. We play 27 games including 3-$500 bingogames, 2-$500 raffle games, and 4-$1000 rafflegames. Our mission is to assist folks in PontoonBeach, Mitchell, Granite City, Madison andVenice who have sight & hearing problems, www.granitecity.illinois.gov.

THURsday, dECEMBER 28Stretch & Move Classes, 8-9 am, $1/session,Main Street Community Center, 1003 N Main,Edwardsville. Classes every Tuesday, Thursday,and Friday. Not held if center closed for Holiday,www.mainstcc.org.


Bible Study every Thursday at noon at theWomen’s Ministry Center , 555 E. Bethalto Drive,Bethalto. Call 618-803-9078 for information.


Pinochle played every Thursday, 12-3pm, MainStreet Community Center, 1003 N. Main St, Ed-wardsville, www.mainstcc.org.


Free Video Game Club, 6-7:30 pm, CommunityRoom, Collinsville Library, 408 W. Main St,Collinsville. Each month there will be weekly ses-sions to progress in a narrative driven game,www.mvlibdist.org/collinsville_calendar.


R.E.H.A.B Exercise Classes, Monday/Thursday7 pm & Saturday 9 am, Rivers of Life CommunityChurch, 3131 E 23rd St, Granite City. $2/class orpurchase a pass and free child care. For informa-tion call 618-797-7933.

Square Dance Lessons, 7-9 pm, Every Thursday,Wood River Roundhouse, 633 N Wood River Ave,Wood River. First lesson is free—$5/lesson afterthat. For more call Bo at 618-288-9838 or [email protected].

Emotions Anonymous 12 Steps for Christiansmeets every Thursday at 7 pm at the St. Paul

Lutheran Church on the frontage road 2 milesnorth of Hamel. Free and open to anyone in needof emotional support for any reason. ContactLarry - [email protected] or 217-272-4560.

Police Bingo, every Thursday night, starts at 7 pm. No games under $110. Paper cards &mates, full snack bar, bingo supplies, no smoking,plenty of parking. Proceeds benefit the programssupported by the Granite City Police Dept includ-ing youth athletics. Knights of Columbus Hall,425 Old Alton Road, Granite City. www.granitecity.illinois.gov.

Family Board Game Night every Thursday at SixMile Regional Library 2001 Delmar Ave, GraniteCity, 6:30-7:30 pm Training & Events room,www.granitecity.illinois.gov.

Alateen Meeting, for young people whose liveshave been affected by someone who has a drink-ing problem. No fees, no memberships, ages 9-19. Held at 2 locations every Thursday: FirstChristian Church, 310 S. Main, Edwardsvillefrom 7-8 pm and Gillespie Library, 210 W. Chest-nut from 8-9 pm (use side door). For more infor-mation call 618-463-2429 or 618-401-9836.







New Year’s Party #1, 7-11pm, $15, Spin CitySkate Center, 284 Riggin Rd, Troy. Come enjoyfun, music, and games. All you can eat pizza andsoda, www.spincityskating.com.


FRI, dEC 29-saT, dEC 30livE CoMEDy: Buzz Sutherland, TWOSHOWS BOTH NIGHTS, 7:30 and 9:30 pm,

Donnie B’s Comedy Club inside the Westside Puband Grill, in front of Targe on Freedom Drive inSpringfield, Call for tickets 217-391-JOKE(5653) or buy online at www.donniebscomedy-club.com.

saTURday, dECEMBER 30R.E.H.A.B Exercise Classes, Monday/Thursday7 pm & Saturday 9 am, Rivers of Life CommunityChurch, 3131 E 23rd St, Granite City. $2/class orpurchase a pass. Free child care. For informationcall 618-797-7933.


Teen Wii Games for grades 6-12 every Saturday,1-4 pm, Six Mile Regional Library, 2001 DelmarAve, Granite City, www.smrld.org.




sUNday, dECEMBER 31nEw yEAr’S EvE

New Year’s Party #2, 2-5 pm, $12, Spin CitySkate Center, 284 Riggin Rd, Troy. DaytimeParty. Come enjoy fun, music, and games. All you can eat pizza and soda, www.spincityskating.com.

SpECiAl nEw yEAr’S EvE CoMEDyShow: Chris “Boom Boom” Johnson, THREESHOWS, 6, 8 and 10 pm, Donnie B’s ComedyClub inside the Westside Pub and Grill, in frontof Targe on Freedom Drive in Springfield. Askabout our special packages that include drinks,party favors, breakfast buffet and a room at adja-cent hotel. Call for tickets 217-391-JOKE (5653)or buy online at www.donniebscomedyclub.com

boogiE into 2018 with the ultimate partyband, Retro Boogie, and Big Papa G in the House- Best Western Premier, 3559 College Ave, Alton.Pick how you party with any combination ofprime rib buffet, show or packages that include itall plus a hotel room. For information call 618-462-1220 or visit www.BWPremierAlton.com.

MONday, JaNUaRy 1, 2018hAppy nEw yEAr!

saVE THE daTEs:saT, JaN 7-sUN, JaN 8

Murder Mystery weekend to help Stamp out

Cancer. Both events will be held at Nic’s Steak-

house, 202 S. Broad Street, Hillsboro. Saturday

is CLUELESS at 6 pm, for ages 18+. $50/person

includes dinner of Greek chicken, loaded mashed

potatoes, salad, green beans and soft drink. Cash

bar available. Sunday is DEATH OF A BLACK-

HEART for ages 8-17. Dinner will be from Nic’s

Smokehouse and is choice of small pulled pork,

fries and soft drink or chicken finger, fries and soft

drink. $30/person. Tickets go on sale December

9th. For information contact Theresa Priddle at

217-710-1842.


turnkEy SportS bAr buSinESS ForSAlE - price includes everything, building, busi-ness, equipment including games and televisions.Located in Jerseyville TIF district. Priced to sellat $249,000. Call 217-637-TODD (8633) for in-formation.

bE your own boSS - Convenience store/restaurant/bar combo for sale. Currently doing1.4M annually! Most equipment new, plenty ofroom for further expansion. Comes with a mini-mum of $50,000 in inventory. Asking $595,000and possible owner financing (with 50% down).Call Joe or Rhonda for details at 618-669-2155.

proFitAblE buSinESS For SAlE Light-house Antique Mall which has been operatingprofitably for the past 7 years is now for sale. 55booths, currently all rented. High visibility to In-terstate 55 with easy access. For information call217-324-6111.

40 Ft. X 80 Ft. oFFiCE builDing inLitchfield, IL. Display area 2200 sq ft, 2 offices,1,000 sq ft total, 3 baths, vault. Great locationwith 2 entrances - Route 66 and Historic Route66. For information call 217-324-4221.

rEtAil SpACE in gillESpiE For rEnt:Over 3,700 sq ft of retail space at 102 Macoupin,Gillespie. Previously used furniture store butcould be anything. Rent for just $1,000/month.Call 217-825-3035.

10 wooDED ACrES with creek runningthrough it. All untilities access. Peaceful hide-away with great nature trails and wildlife. Somerolling hills. Near Route 16 between Litchfieldand Hillsboro, close to Lake Lou Yaeger. Addi-tional acreage available - negotiable.$8,950/acre. For information call 217-324-3869.

vAnDAliA lAkE lot, trailer, electric, boatdock. Call 618-606-1709.

propErty For SAlE - corner lot in NewDouglas, call 217-456-1053.

propErty For SAlE - industrial or residen-tial site with city utilities. Various plots to choosefrom. Two hay crops a year. Virden, IL. Call217-965-3551. (ufn)

niCE houSE For A niCE priCE - Wellbuilt 2/3 BR, 2 BA brick ranch. Hardwood floors,remodeled bathroom, 1958 sq ft. 112 MidwayAve, Cottage Hills, IL. Good value for $86,900.Call for appointment. 618-604-9723. (ufn)

houSE For SAlE - Updated and move-inready! All new 2 1/2 ton central air, new BR car-pet, new windows, new kitchen cabinets, counter-tops, sink, vinyl floor. New weatherhead (elecservice). Newly finished basement family room,2nd BR and storage room. Water heater, furnace& roof not 5 years old. One car garage with work-room, bench & cabinets. Granite City. $56,450OBO. 618-656-8571 or 618-250-9632.

1 br ApArtMEnt for rent. Water/heat/ trashincluded for $450/month. Security deposit and 1 year lease required. Staunton, 618-444-7222.

2 br ApArtMEnt for rent with washer/ dryerhookups. Includes water/heat/trash. Security de-posit and 1 year lease required. $600/month.Staunton, 618-444-7222.

8’ tilt trAilEr , new tires and lights, $650,Call 618-789-4227.

1999 MErCury grAnD MArquiS, origi-nal owner. Silver, 165,xxx miles. $875, Cleartitle, sold as is, 217-324-3869.

1999 ForD SupErCAb F150 4X4, new bat-tery, recent tune-up, duel exhaust, Reese hitch,new toolbox with extra drawer, steering, brakesand air. Many extras. 135,xxx miles, $4,500, call217-533-4699.

2001 ForD EXplorEr 4X4 - LOADED -steering, brakes, air, 40 channel CB equipped,new tires, 155,xxx miles, $5,000, call 217-533-4699.

4 X 8 trAilEr 1999, with sideboards , tilt bed,new tires, $350, call 217-533-4699.

1999 gMC SAvAnnAh 1500 ConvErSionvAn, LOADED, 215,xxx miles, new brakes,tires, radiator and more, $7,000, ONE OWNER,call 618-806-0901

1979 pontiAC bonnEvillE CpE 301-v8Cordoba Top. Olive green color. In EXCEL-LENT condition and only 78,000 miles. Asking$5,000, 618-606-1709.

1991 CobrA trikE with 350 Chevy engine.Low mileage. Cherry Pearl with stainless steelexhaust. Asking $15,000, 618-606-1709.

99 SuZuki intruDEr. 6,xxx miles. $4,000OBO, call 618-977-8147.

thrEE uSED vEhiClES For SAlE 1998Ford Contour, 103k miles, $1,500; 2002 MercuryMountaineer AWD 183k miles, $4,200; 2000Chevy Blazer 4WD, 137K miles, $2,000 OBO.Call 217-741-4713 or 217-532-5685 Leave mes-sage.

1950'S CASE trACtor rADiAtor andnose...red..make an offer. Also 1 Pair highbACk with hEADrESt /rED vinylCAr SEAtS, on adjustable slide. $150.00 forpair 217-891-1600.

2012 kAi SCootEr 150 cc with only 20 mileson it. Owned by senior citizen that cannot ride.$1195 or best offer, 217-320-3311.

2007 yamaha 650 cc Silverado Dark Blue w/ Saddle Bags and Helmet, 500 miles, $3900OBO located near Mt. Olive, 217-246-4868 .

2001 Dodge ram 6cyl 116,000 milesnew brakes, ball joints, bedliner, remote stereoradio. $2500.00. Call 217-324-5943 leave mes-sage.

Chevy 409 Engine, complete rebuilt, all new,Muncie 4-speed, $6,000. Call 618-567-6060.

2005 honda 750 Shadow, approx. 8000 miles.With windshield, light cluster bars, rider seat andback rest, leather saddle bags, whole bike cover.In good condition. Only $3400. Please call 217-710-7957 after 7PM.

2003 handicap Dodge grand Caravan, 56,xxxmiles, $18,500 or best offer. 217-259-6948.

1992 Chevy Sports van, 111,xxx miles, $3500OBO, 217-259-6948. (UFN)

3 piece Solid oak Entertainment Center - ex-tremely nice with crown moulding, internal lights,leaded glass doors at top of unit (regular on bot-tom), 4 adjustable glass shelves in side units.Openin for 35” w x 30 1/2” H - approximately46” T. $500. Local delivery possible if YOU un-load. See by appointment. Keyesport 618-749-5650.

EnD tAblE with door/magazine rack. Realwood, blonde color, nice, $50, 217-324-3869.

FrEnCh Country hutCh & tEA CArt- $400 for both. Located in Highland. Would beperfect for upcycling with the currenty trendypaint colors. Call 314-346-0516.

EArly AMEriCAn StylE ChAirS Solidwood (maple). Have approximately 40, wouldlike to sell entire lot. Call 314-346-0516

oAk tri-FolD rooM DiviDEr holds 15(8x10) photos, $65 618-749-5650

DunCAn phyFE Drop lEAF tAblE withdual 3 brass-capped pedestal feet, $75, 618-749-5650.

6 hEAvy wooDEn ChAirS with paddedseat and back. Will need sanded and stained orre-painted. Litchfield. Call 217-324-3910.

upholStErED lA-Z-boy rEClinErwith wooden armrests. Gold. Nice condition, $75,217-324-3869.

king wood headboard with mirror, 2 years old,excellent condition. Benld 217-710-3387.

Dining room table with 6 chairs, 1 leaf andchina hutch. $450 OBO. 618-791-8109 or 618-791-2025.

AMiSh MADE walnut wall-mount drop liddesk 24” x 31” x 7” in Sorento. $200 OBO. 217-272-4481. Leave message if no answer.

oAk trEStlE tAblE with 4 straight and 2captain chairs, plus 2 leaves to expand to 83”. Allsturdy and solid. Asking $600. 618-656-9388.

AntiquE walk behind snow blower, steel

wheels, runs good and looks like new, $250, 618-

558-6918.

AntiquE John Deere one row corn planter,

fully restored, $200. Call 2217-456-1053.

AntiquE Cunningham walk behind garden

tractor, $150, 618-558-6918.

pEpSi MAChinE small bottle model #VF81P-

SAP, serial #10209B41C, Vendorlator. Call 618-

535-9433.

vEnDor booth SpACE available at Nana’s

Hidden Attic, conveniently located at Exit 60 off

high traffic Interstate 55. Call 217-324-0846 for

more information.

the classifieds

HOMEs/aPTs FOr salE/rEnT

aUTOMOTIvE

FUrnITUrE

anTIQUEs/COllECTIBlEs

BUsInEssEs OPPOrTUnITIEs


inDiAn ArrowhEADS and misc artifacts.Call 217-710-9758 for more information.

vEnDor booth SpACE available at Way-side Antique Mall, Highway 127 between Hills-boro and Greenville. Call 217-537-3900 for moreinformation.

AntiquE toyS wAntED: private collectorpays cash for old toy trucks, cars, trains, pedalcars, bicycles, Tonka trucks, etc, pre-1970. Al-ways buying. Please call 618-420-3684 (UFN)

wAntED to buy: antique pie safe, jelly cup-board, flat and stepback cupboards, dental cabi-net and unique antiques. Even if in poorcondition. 618-377-0432 (UFN)

wAntED to buy... old postcards, photo-graphs, stereoviews, posters, WWII and beforemilitary items, old toys and trains, glass lanternslides, advertising items, documents, letterheadsand billheads, most any vintage paper items andephemera, collections and accumulations okay. Ifit is unusual and old I am interested in looking atit! Please call Mike Finley, 314-524-9400 or 314-341-2389, or email: [email protected].

wE buy EStAtES , full or partial houses,sheds, barns, etc. Call Village Square Antiquesfor more information, 618-669-2825, www.an-tiquesvillagesquare.com.

Antique Child’s roll top Desk with matchingswivel chair. Excellent condition. Call 217-324-4160 for information. (UFN)

wAnting to buy WWII, WWI, Korea, andVietnam military relics. Cash paid by collector foruniforms, helmets, medals, swords, leather flightjackets, scrapbooks, etc. 217 851-3177. (UFN)

wAnting to buy old comic books, maga-zines and books. Call 314-351-1302.

wAnting to buy old records, blues, rock,jazz. Call 314-821-7466. (UFN)

wAnting to buy OLD Boats, OLD boatmotors, 1900’s to 1960’s, wood or aluminum run-abouts, any unusual boats, motors, outboard rac-ing. Cash paid. Call Mark 314-602-5368. (UFN)

wAntED license plate 1911 Illinois, or ... whatdo you have? 618-931-7527.

wAnting to buy Sheet music and records33 lps, 45 rpm, 78 rpm, must be in very goodshape. Call Jim at 618-304-7188 or 618-654-3049.

wAnting to buy OLD postcards, Civil Warphotos and vintage paper items. Always payingcash. Call Jerry for details at 618-410-6879.

bArn quiltS available for purchase and or byspecial order at My Treasure House in Glen Car-bon and It Is What It Is in Carlinville.

gEorgE StECk Baby Grand piano. Call 217-851-2672.

wii ConSolE, with 9 games, 2 controllers, 1 joystick, 3 steering wheels, $75, 217-324-3869.

SEt oF StEEl CAr rAMpS, $30, 217-324-3869.

ConCrEtE toolS, complete set, call 618-789-4227 (UFN).

CAtErpillAr tri-StAgE ForkliFt

Hydra stat w/side shift. Not real pretty but works

great. Motor rebuilt when I bought it. Retired and

no longer need it. Brighton, IL 217-248-3775.

2013 honDA 7hp vErtiClE ShAFtMotor, and car (off power washer). Lowhours, $100, 217-324-3869.

ChAin link Dog CAgE, 4’6” long, 2’ high,3 1/2 ft tall, with pig grate flooring. Used by petgroomer. 618-344-6500.

bAlDwin “ACroSiniC” piAno, #894722with bench, nice condition, $625, 217-324-3869.

buDwEiSEr & buD light pool tAblElightS, used but like new, $195each, 217-324-3869.

bowFlEX EXtrEME, plus extra chest ma-chine and additional back machine. $300 for all,call 618-789-4227 (Sawyerville).

gun CAbinEt, $50, Call 618-789-4227.

ForD bACkhoE - runs. Serious inquiries onlyplease at 217-538-2321 (leave message if no an-swer).

For SAlE; Corset-back black & white longdress, worn once with or without crinoline, size14, $75 Knee length black and white tennis shoes,side zipper, worn once, ladies size 8, $20, WiiLego Harry Potter years 1-4, like new game,Rated E 10+ free numb chuck included, $20 618-377-2051.

MArk MArtin #6 vAlvolinE RacingChampions (L) & JimmieJohnson #48 lowers JHDesigns (M) like new heavy twill jackets w/lotsembroidery & patches. $35 each. Also, MarkMartin #6 duffel bag $8. 618-749-5650.

pArting out Massey 65 gas; Deutz 4005;Oliver 77; Minnie M5 Diesel, Call 618-558-6918.

ADD-on 3 point hitCh, $400, 618-558-6918.

3 point hitCh KIT + BRACKETS for IH,$500, 618-558-6918.

DiSC for David-Bradley walk-behind gardentractor, $75, 618-558-6918.

rough Cut CEDAr luMbEr, 15 each of2” x 4” x 16’, 6 each of 1” x 6” x 16’, 6 each of2” x 6” x 16’. Planed cedar lumber, 12 each of1” x 4” x 12’, 20 each of tongue and grooved 1”x 6” x 8’-10’, all sizes and lengths of coarse grainoak barn lumber. Also have creosote lumber, 50each of 1/2” x 4” x 30’, 20 each of 1/2” x 8” x 12’.Call 217-710-9758 for more information.

hoMko Snow blowEr runs good andlooks good, $200, 618-558-6918.

CuStoM MADE pEtE SAgAr 15” rop-ing SADDlE with saddle bags made into thesaddle and matching breast strap. Must see!$1,100 or best offer. Call 217-710-9758 for moreinformation.

hAnDMADE CuStoM birD houSES, Allshapes, sizes and prices. For more informationcall 217-899-7491, or email [email protected]. Can email photos.

rubbEr CoAtED boAt AnChor,$20, 217-324-3869.

boAt wEnCh CrAnk, with strap, $30,217-324-3869.

John DEErE MEtAl SEAt, with brace, $50,217-324-3869.

42" Front blade for John Deere LX Series LawnTractor. All brackets, Very good condition.$200.00 217-324-3994.

nAturAl bEEF For SAlE, sides, split quar-ters, and 91% lean hamburger patties. No antibi-otics or added hormones, pasture/hay fed. Orderat www.backyardbeef.net or 618-973-7699.

Selmer Alto Saxophone, made in USA, withpearl keys and Bundy case. $500. Leave messageif no answer. 618-659-2061. (UFN)

Sears & roebuck rug loom - 2 harness loom.$500 OBO. Located in Bunker Hill. Call 217-556-9428. (UFN)

Custom teddy bears hand made from your oldfur coats, other articles of clothing, neckties, babyclothes, quilts, blankets, etc. Perfect for remem-bering family members, or as gifts. Bears are 5-way jointed, glass eyes, hand sewn noses, stuffedwith polyester filling. Sizes and prices vary ac-cording to your choices. Samples and pictures onhand. 25 years experience, Alton, 618-462-8326.

builD-A-bEArS: Santa w/gray fur vest $10,also several other B-A-B’s dressed $4 to $6 each,618-749-5650.

1951 Farmall Cub tractor has cultivators, snowplow, 42” belly mower, disc, one bottom plow,cycle bar mower, wheel weights and tire chains.$5000 for all. Call 618-362-6468.

biZZy b ClEAning SErviCES for home oroffice. Affordable rates. Serving up to a 30 mileradius of Litchfield. Call or text 573-578-9715.

(continued next page)

MIsC FOr salE

sErvICEs & MIsC


CaN yOU GIVE Us a FUR-EVER HOME?

Partners For Pets Rescue and Rehab Animal Shelter

Troy, Illinois (618) 540-PETS (7387)

www.partners4pets.petfinder.com

holiDAy FunDrAiSErthurSDAy • DEC 7th

4:30-7:30 pMIT’S ALL ABOUT WINE

Wine & AppetizersSilent AuctionRaffle Baskets

BENEFITS

Adopt-A-Pet Shelter807 Stewart Road, Benld

Open daily 1-5 pm. www.benldadoptapet.org.

giA is a 2 year old female Pit mix that was recently rescued from Madison CountyAnimal Control. Find out moreabout her and the many otheradoptable cats and dogs at www.partnersforpetsil.org.

holiDAy FunDrAiSErSAturDAy • DEC 9th

9:30 AM-2:30 p MBUCHHEIT

1400 US40 • GREENVILLEPet/family photos with Santa $10

Bake SalePet Toy Sale

View adoptable animals at bondcohs.petfinder.com.

bond County humane Society1403 S. Fourth St • greenville

[email protected]

toD and his brother CoppEr areboth still babies at just 4 months old.They are domestic short hair mix andboth are neutered and ready to finda home for the holidays. Adoptionapplications are on our website atMEhS.org.

Metro East humane Society8495 State Rt143 • Edwardsville618-656-4405

DAiSy is a total lover looking forher fur-ever home. She about 5years old and fairly small - only 42lbs. She is crate trained and housebroke but she LOVES to be outsideso a fenced yard is on her Christmaswish list! Fill out the application onthe Paws website for Daisy!www.mcpawscare.org.

biZZy b in-hoME pEt Sitting When youcan’t take your fur babies with you, let them stayin the comfort and security of their own home.We will come and let them out, feed/water them,even walk them if needed. Plus we can bring inthe mail and water your plants! Serving up to a30 mile radius of Litchfield. Call 573-578-9715.

AppliAnCE rEpAir. $25 service call fee withmention of this add (regular rate is $35). Laborrates lower than anyone in town. Call Matt (Litch-field) at 217-415-3164.

Stud Service: Long haired German Shepherd,registered, level-headed and proven. Mt. Olive636-399-1300.

in nEED oF CASh? Expert private collectorpaying cash for antiques, musical instruments,GOLD & SILVER jewelry, costume jewelry, oldcoins, pocketwatches. Paying top $$$ in CASH.Just paid one person over $2,000 for old unwantedbroken jewelry. Will travel to you! Call Anthonyat 740-808-4878.

Discover how to get FrEE pampered Chefproducts call Pam Schaefer, Independent Con-sultant for The Pampered Chef, at 217-556-9390or email [email protected]. (UFN)

german translation Service by experiencespeaker/translator. Genealogical documents,church records, letters, diaries, journals, etc. Rea-sonable rates. Email: [email protected].(UFN}

wAntED to buy: Vintage costume jewelry,all shapes and sizes. Mismatched or broken is ac-ceptable. Leave message at 618-444-3103.

wAntED: MuSiCAl inStruMEntS Turnyour musical instruments into CASH. High pricespaid for your musical instruments. Call 618-977-5089.

wAntED: 1 -2 -3 cyl Deutz tractors, also Deutztractor manuals and literature, and belt pulley forDeutz tractgor, 618-558-6918.

wAntED to buy: antique pie safe, jelly cup-board, flat and stepback cupboards, dental cabi-net and unique antiques. Even if in poorcondition. 618-377-0432 (UFN)

wAntED good used semi box trailer 45’-50’ orshorter at reasonable price for storage. Call 217-324-3869.

Diabetic test Strips wanted Unexpired, anytype, any brand. Will pay up to $10/box. CallRon @217-556-3398. Please leave call backnumber. (ufn).

FrEE EnErgy CoSt AnAlySiS: Are youpaying too much for your electricity? Let us giveyou a FREE, no obligation energy cost analysisand see how much money you can save. You mayeven be able to get FrEE ElECtriC! FINDOUT TODAY, call 573-368-6639!

sErvICEs & MIsC

FrEE

WanTEd

Classifieds for individuals are free. Businesses pay 50¢ per workd, 10 word minimum and must be paid in advance if an account isnot already established. EXCEPTION: HELP WANTED ads are always free. Display ads placed in the classified section are at thesame rate as placement anywhere else in the magazine. Email ads to: [email protected].


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