CALHOUN NEWS-HERALD
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INSIDE SOCIAL
Charlotte’s 1st birthday. See page A4
NEWS
Droege receives scholarship. See page A7
SCHOOL
Calhoun girls bring home 2nd place. See page A6
SPORTS
Girls high school basketball roundup. See page B10
NEWS
What's happening between the rivers. See page A3
ONLINE
calhounnewsherald.com
CALHOUN NEWSHERALD • Index • Obituaries . . . . . . A6 Our Town . . . . . A10 News . . . . . . . . . . A7 Public Notice . . . A8 Real Estate . . . B6-7 Correspondence A3 Social . . . . . . . . . A4 Sports . . . . . . . . B10 Obituaries in this issue: Roach
© 2013 Calhoun News-Herald
HARDIN, ILLINOIS 62047
NOVEMBER 27, 2013
VOLUME 140 - ISSUE 48
School board seeks energy efficiency grant for boiler By BOB CROSSEN Calhoun News-Herald Brussels schools moved forward with an application for an energy efficiency grant to replace a dated boiler at the high school during a regular meeting Nov. 19. Superintendent Mark Martin expressed hesitance about applying for the grant after the last regular meeting because of financial constraints on the school district. The district’s budget for the year has much less cushion than it has had in years past, which led to a fiscally conservative approach to repair projects “I wasn’t really positive about moving forward just because the money is so tight,” Martin said, “but as we talked, the board – in
our conversations – identified a couple of areas they think probably should be looked at.” One of the problem areas is an old boiler at the high school. The boiler to be replaced is more than 60 years old, Martin said, and still runs on fuel oil to heat the building. By replacing it with a newer, energy efficient boiler the district could cut down on the oil expense. Martin said he searched around for quotes regarding the costs for projects before committing to an application for matching grants. The grant would cover half the project cost and the district would be liable for the remaining expense. The board agreed to move forward with the boiler replacement, and the superinten-
dent said he is working with an architect to draft the grant application to fund the replacement. The district would seek bids on a new boiler if it receives the grant, and Martin did not release estimate figures to keep the bidding fair. Martin said the industrial tech building is also in need of repairs as its windows and doors are not tightly sealed. Because of the poor insulation, Martin said the building is notorious for being exceedingly cold in the winter. “The siding is bad. The windows are bad. There’s hardly any insulation in the building,” Martin said. “So we started looking at those two possibilities both needing attention.” Additionally, the school board approved
its annual levy which will not require a truth in taxation hearing as the requested amount is not more than five percent greater than last year’s extension. The levy extension is the money the district receives while the levy is a request for tax funds. Preliminary numbers suggest the equalized assessed value of homes in the southern part of the county will increase around two percent. In other business, the school board: n Approved the minutes of the previous meeting and the bills. n Approved a policy regarding bullying and harassment. n Thanked the Calhoun Ferry Company for refunding the district $90 for ferry costs incurred by the district.
Tickets still available for Angel Tree steak dinner
Conservation police remind hunters of deer stand safety By BOB CROSSEN Calhoun News-Herald Illinois Department of Natural Resources encourages hunters to follow safety procedures not necessarily dedicated to the use of weapons throughout the season, but also other hunting equipment. Sgt. Mark Wagner, conservation police officer, said the region’s most frequent accidents involve hunters falling from tree stands when they begin hunting each year. “Tree stand accidents are by far our most common type of accident that we have,” Wagner said. “I think we’ve had one we know of in Calhoun County, an archery accident where somebody fell and was injured.” Some hunters leave their tree stands attached to the trees yearround, which can create safety hazards as trees expand and contract with the change of the seasons. Wagner said the straps of a tree stand also suffer wear and tear throughout the year due to fluctuations in the weather, noting hunters should swap the straps out more often if they intend to leave the stand up all year. Sgt. Wagner said there were three incidents involving tree stand accidents in his area during the first firearm deer hunting season Nov. 22 through Nov. 24. He said two of the accidents occurred in Macoupin County where he said one of the tree stands was self-made. He said the material used to make the tree stand had deteriorated, making it unstable and unfit for use. He said the individual did suffer an injury from the stand’s collapse. “All the timber was rotten, and he fell and broke his leg,” Wagner said. Regarding an accident in Greene County, he said the strap of a tree stand broke. The individual was taken to the hospital, but suffered only minor injuries from the fall. Wagner said because the individual was taken to the hospital, conservation police had to investigate the case. He said hunters can take proactive measures to ensure their safety in the tree stands. “Replace the straps on their tree stands if they’re going to leave them out year-round,” Wagner said. “The one was homemade and it was very evident that all the boards were rotten and should have been replaced or rebuilt. The other ones, the straps, they left the tree stand hanging there for several years and the straps rotted, so when they climbed up and put some pressure on it, the straps broke. “You need to, one, take your stand down every year, or two, replace the straps.” Wagner said there have been violations regarding permits but aren’t out of the ordinary, and issues regarding sick deer are not as prevalent as last year when epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) led to the death or more than 2,000 deer throughout the state. The virus generated a high fever in the deer population, causing them to flock to rivers and other bodies of water where they are often found dead due to bursting capillaries in their organs as a result of the high fever. The prevalence of those diseases have diminished greatly this year as there was not a severe drought, Wagner said. “Last year, because of the drought, that really pushed our numbers up through the roof,” Wagner said. The next firearm deer hunting season is Dec. 5 through Dec. 8, which also coincides with the first muzzleloader deer season. For more information about hunting dates and upcoming events organized by IDNR in the region, visit dnr. illinois.gov.
By BOB CROSSEN Calhoun News-Herald
Bob Crossen/Calhoun News-Herald
Cheryl Clough threads beads onto a thread Saturday afternoon at the Calhoun Art Guild Art Sale at Stone Bridge Valley. Clough is the newest member of the Calhoun Art Guild. She has been creating jewelry for around three years, and recently moved into the business side to sell her work.
Creative culture: Calhoun Art Guild sale promotes local artistic talent or another.” Dublo creates the art from the ground level by raising the gourds at her home in Hamburg where they are harvested each year and dried. The drying process can take up to a year, she said, and when the gourd is ready, she’ll begin the design process. She said most people approach her with ideas for designs and she’ll spend time finding the perfect gourd for the project before etching it into the husk. She said she doesn’t like painting onto the gourds, but rather enjoys giving them a texture, making it appealing to both sight and touch. She said the artistic outlet has always been available to her in times of need, and she cannot see giving up the art form, even if it fails to make her money. Similarly, Cheryl Clough, Carrollton resident and newest Calhoun Art Guild member, said jewelry is a part of her life after crafting it for approximately three years. Though she’s always enjoyed seeing and wearing jewelry, she said her interest in creating it was piqued when she went to a studio in St. Louis with her sister, who is a glass blower. Clough took a class in bracelet making at the studio for fun and it grew into a hobby she has continued since then. “I’ve taken classes for about three years, but I’ve really only been in business for about six to eight months,” Clough said. She said she likes how old of an art form jewelry is and how people can adorn themselves with unique works. Clough said a friend of hers introduced her to the (See, ART GUILD, A2)
By BOB CROSSEN Calhoun News-Herald It was difficult to move around the room at the Calhoun Art Guild Art Sale Saturday when a flood of people visited Stone Bridge Valley to browse and purchase art crafted by Calhoun County creators. From wood carvings to glassware and jewelry, the variety of items caught the eye of many visitors who were shopping for Christmas gifts and for themselves. “I really like the gourds. They’re my favorite,” Diana Franklin, Pike County resident, said. “Her work is just so good that I can’t resist it. I always have to come and see.” Franklin, who has been to the sale before, said the diversity of items and the talent on display is not as surprising as it was when she first visited the sale, but she visits every year for the gourd art. Kim Dublo, the creator of the gourd art, is a Hamburg resident who said she takes her work to shows out of state to expose other parts of the country to the art being done in Calhoun County. She said many people didn’t even know she crafted the pieces until the formation of the Calhoun Art Guild. The gourd artist said the guild has been influential in motivating her to do her work and to inspire creative designs. “It’s helped me as an artist because I got to meet other like-minded people which actually helps you think in a way of artistic means,” Dublo said. “The excitement is there. If you’re not into it, and you come and hang out with us long enough, you’re going to be into it one way
Break
without a break
Bob Crossen/Calhoun News-Herald
Bob Patton scoops mud into a front loader operated by Chris Schulze Monday afternoon in Hardin. A water line broke in the town and after it was fixed, it leaked into the ground forming the mud. City workers reviisted the line Monday afternoon to repair the leak and refill the surrounding hole with dry dirt. C
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Tickets to a steak dinner hosted by the Old Fill Inn Station in Batchtown are still available and the proceeds will go towards purchasing Christmas toys for local children. Tonya Brown, heading the Angel Tree operation for the county, said there are still plenty of $25 tickets available for the event scheduled Dec. 6 and 7. “They can get a ticket through me, or they can buy them through The Fill Inn,” Brown said. “They can even buy them the day of. We prefer they call ahead so we have enough steaks ordered.” In October, Brown took up the initiative because the Baalman Toy Drive struggled to raise enough money to fund the program this year. Brown held a charity yard sale last year to help supplement the drive’s funding, but this year financial struggles continued to plague the toy drive. With little time to raise the money for toys to give to parents for their children, Brown said she
“They can get a ticket through me, or they can buy them through The Fill Inn.”
Tonya Brown Head of Angel Tree contacted businesses in the area to help find donations. The organizer of the program said AutoCenters Nissan in Wood River, Bethalto Computer Specialists and Edward Jones in Godfrey have all set up drop boxes for toys which will be brought to Calhoun County. But locally, The Old Fill Inn Station is doing its part to help the community by hosting a steak dinner to raise money so toys can be purchased for the program. The $25 ticket includes a 16 ounce steak, baked potato, slaw or a salad and coffee or tea. Brown began work in charity and fundraising to give back to the community after fundraisers helped her pay for multiple surgeries undergone by her son. In addition to the charity yard sale last year, Brown also held a benefit so girls could purchase prom dresses cheaply and enjoy prom night without the financial concern of purchasing a dress. Those interested in donating, either monetarily or with toys, are encouraged to contact Brown at (618) 535-5848 or visit one of the drop off locations in Wood River and Bethalto. She said families looking for help getting toys for their family can apply for the program by contacting Brown. She said the children have to live in the individual’s home, locally, and the family may not be receiving aid from another toy drive program. “I’m being really strict because if they’re getting help through Lutheran Family or Toys for Tots, I’m not going to be able to help them because I want to be able to help the ones that aren’t getting anything at all,” Brown said. “I want to help the ones that can’t get the help.” Applications are due by Dec. 5, Brown said, so she has a head count on those in need.