high school
perspective friday, june 27, 2014
a publication of the eastern illinois university/illinois press foundation summer journalism workshop
Breaking through the surface High-school students become lifelong friends through two-week journalism camp By Kristyna Kresic Oak Lawn Short green grass, trees reaching to the sky, a winding sidewalk and aluminum double doors enclosed the high-school campers for the journalism camp at Eastern Illinois University. Before meeting anyone, the campers played Frisbee with each other in the lawn next to Thomas Hall, the place where they would soon be sharing laughs and moments that they would remember for their whole life. After going downstairs to a classroom, everyone would share their name, where they went to school and something fun about themselves. No one knew what would come as soon as Isabel Riordan opened her mouth to introduce herself. “Hi, my name is Olaf and I like warm hugs!” “All I was thinking when I said that was that I wanted to make people laugh, make friends and I hoped they had seen “Frozen” and that they would find me funny,” Riordan said. After spending the first night in the dorms, the campers went to class for two days before they were put out on campus to find stories and tweet about them using the #ipfcamp hashtag. “I thought it was great challenge,” said Tara Schumal. “It showed us how to cope under with stressful situations when it comes to reporting.” Additionally after getting trained, the direc-
Participants in the 2014 EIU/IPF Summer Journalism Camp were, in front from left, Katlyn Campbell, Colleen Romano, Naihal Wajid, Michaela Burton, Jackie Hart, Isabel Riordan. Middle row, Mia Mastandrea, Derby Roan, Taylar Tamil, Shelbie Murphy, Will Roberts, Marcello Piccinini. Back row, Maher Kawash, Tara Schmuel, Kristyna Kresic, Joe Hynan.
tors sent out the campers to Teutopolis and Arcola on Thursday and Friday, respectively. “In Arcola, I was scared at first to go out and just interview people I didn’t know,” said Shelbie Murphy. “After finding the story about the Primitive Goose antique shop, I was so excited. Now, I feel awesome about interviewing people on the street. This activity and the camp in general really gave me awesome skills to interview strangers with confidence” One of most of the campers’ favorite activity was interviewing strangers on the street.
“My favorite moment of the camp was when we got to go out and interview people in small towns in the first week because I was not expecting us to go out and find stories so soon by ourselves,” said Katlyn Campbell. “What surprised me the most about the camp was the fact that they put us in small towns and knew we were going to be able to find a story,” said Taylar Tramil. “I loved that they had so much confidence in the kids who just got to camp.” Along with going out and finding stories in visits to Teutopolis and Arcola, the campers also
Opportunities abound for young writers, photographers By Katlyn Campbell Waukegan When Tara Schumal was accepted to attend this year’s EIUIPF Summer Journalism Camp, she didn’t jump up and down — only because she was with a friend who hadn’t been accepted. But Schumal was excited to attend. “I really just wanted to improve my writing style,” she said. Like most other people attending the camp, Schumal has worked on her school newspaper for a while, so she wasn’t nervous when she found out she had to run around campus and interview random people for a story. “People can’t laugh at you if you laugh with them,” she said. Going into the second week of camp, Schumal interned at the Herald & Review in Decatur and, reflecting on the experience, she says she loved it. “You didn’t feel like ants there,” she said. “They treated you
with such respect that you never felt like you were in the way. I just wish the internship was longer.” Schumal’s favorite thing about the camp was the people she met who taught her things she didn’t know coming into the camp, as well as the campers she could see herself writing alongside someday. “They’ve all taught me so much,” she said. Coming out of this experience, Schumal plans on exploring the different types of journalism she has learned about, adding, “I’ve also learned to be more organized, unlike some people.” Junior Kristyna Kresic was also excited when she found out she had been accepted to live on the EIU campus for two weeks for journalism camp. “I wanted this camp to open my eyes to the world of journalism,” she said. And now, two weeks later, she claims it did just that. Continued on Page 2
went to three-day internships at different sites including the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, Mattoon Journal Gazette-Times-Courier, Decatur Herald and Review, Robinson Daily News and Taylorville Breeze-Courier. “I loved my internship because the people at Decatur were amazing,” Schumal said. “They treat you like you’re one of them and they taught me a lot. Before this camp I wanted to be a journalist, and even after the internship, I now want to be a journalist even more.” Continued on Page 2
inside the perspective: • The Amish choice: P. 3 • Arcola murals: P 4 • Teutopolis: P. 8-9 • Crawford County: P. 11 • Restoring a steamer: P. 13 • Airport cadets: P. 15 • and more!
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Friday, June 27, 2014
HIGH SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE
Opportunities abound for young journalists Continued from front page Kresic wasn ’t nervous coming into this camp. She said she is “very personable” and had worked with many strangers before, volunteering at Advocate Christ Medical Center. Her favorite piece she wrote while at camp was her internship story. “I got some awesome feedback and loved that my piece would actually be published in the Taylorville BreezeCourier,” she said. Kresic wrote a piece on a Frisco locomotive that was being refurnished. Reflecting on her experience Kresic says her favorite part of the camp was meeting the people, from mentors to fellow campers. She says she’s made friendships that will last a lifetime. Kresic plans on being the page designer and staff reporter of her high school’s newspaper next year as well as working on the yearbook. Marcello Piccinini was happy he got accepted to attend the camp. “I put a lot of hard work into my submissions,” he said. Although he was happy to be coming to the journalism camp, he said “I was also kind of scared of how far away I would be from people I know.”
Piccinini’s favorite piece to write was his internship story on a D-Day veteran at the JG-TC in Mattoon. But he is now glad he drove three and a half hours to come to EIU for the camp. On his experience interviewing people in Teutopolis, Piccinini said, “I was kind of wary to stop people in the middle of what they were doing. I guess I was scared of feeling awkward while doing it.” But after doing it , Piccinini was glad to have stepped out of his comfort zone to get a good story.
Piccinini’s favorite piece to write was his internship story on a D-Day veteran, at The Journal Gazette-Times Courier in Mattoon. He got to see pictures from the man’s service and learn what he went through during World War II. Piccinini enjoyed working at his internship because he got to run around and gather stories with the people that worked at the JG-TC and because “they gave me a new experience as well as a taste of what real journalism was like.” Overall, Piccinini still wants to be a journalist because he learned at the journalism camp how interesting the field of journalism is and what’s it like to cover a story. Derby Roan was happy to be accepted to the camp, but when she found out she was accepted, rather than jump up and down she had to fill out the paperwork allowing her to come because she hadn’t already done so. Roan was looking forward to the experience she could gain and the knowledge she’d be able to take with her back to high school for her journalism classes. Unlike most people who came
Kresic says her favorite part of the camp was meeting the people, from mentors to fellow campers. here a little nervous about leaving home, Mattoon native Roan was anything but. “I wasn’t nervous because I knew I probably wouldn’t know any of the people here,” she said. Roan’s favorite piece she wrote was her profile story on fellow camper Naihal Wajid. It was the first story the campers were assigned when they came here for their first week. Roan enjoyed this piece most because “ev-
erything was new and we were all working hard to put our best feet forward.” Roan spent her internship at the Herald & Review in Decatur. She liked interning there because “all of the workers were welcoming and willing to talk.” Her favorite part about working her internship mostly in the courthouse was that she got to talk with the coroner. Roan’s favorite part of the camp was how organized it was, and counselors Miranda Hankins and Kevin Hall. “They acted like parents to us,” she said. “We were literally calling them ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ by the end of the camp.” Although Roan enjoyed her experience at the Journalism camp, she said the camp reaffirmed her belief that she was not made for the journalism world. “I love the social aspect of journalism. You have to learn to work with and around other people. I’d like to hone that skill,” she said. “Still, I can’t see myself in the high-stress, fastpaced world of journalism.”
High-school students become lifelong friends through two-week journalism camp Continued from front page “My favorite thing to do at the camp was the internship because I was able to see how it would be like working as a journalist and feeling the atmosphere of the people,” Tramil said. Aside from all the serious working and internships, the campers had a lot of fun during their free time and on Saturday and Sunday. “I think the most fun thing we did was play capture the flag,” Schumal said. “When we played, someone fell in a puddle when running to get our flag and everyone thought it was hilarious even though only a couple people saw it happen.” The campers made new friends they will cherish for a lifetime. “I’m going to miss the people the most,” Murphy said. “In less than two weeks we’ve all gotten so close, and not seeing these people everyday is going to be weird, but I know we all made lifelong friends, and none of us can forget that.” “The camp was quite the experience,” Schumal said. “Some days were better than others, and I met a lot of great people that inspire me to keep writing. The fact that I can see myself holding a future job among these people because they’re that great of people is amazing.” Now that it has been two weeks, most will miss crazy breakfast conversations, staying up with each other, and everyone’s presence overall.
Journalism campers work on writing headlines in the Daily Eastern News newsroom as Bob Galuski, editor-inchief of the DEN for the summer and fall terms, helps with page layout for the workshop publication.
high school
perspective friday, june 27, 2014
a publication of the eastern illinois university/illinois press foundation summer journalism workshop
Workshop Director – Joe Gisondi, Eastern Illinois University Associate Director – Lisa Green, Journal Gazette (Ft. Wayne, Ind.) Assistant Director – Beth Kastl, Eastern Illinois University Workshop counselors – Kevin Hall, Miranda Hankins Many thanks to our visiting journalism faculty who volunteered their time and experience. Adriana Colindres, Knox College Greg Bilbrey, (Robinson) Daily News Amanda Bright, Mattoon HS Jeff Egbert, Pinckneyville Press Bob Galuski, Daily Eastern News Dann Gire, (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald Beth Heldebrandt, Journal-Gazette & Booth Library
Darrell Hoemann, Champaign News-Gazette Nora Maberry-Daniels, (St. Joseph) The Leader Bryan Murley, EIU multimedia journalism professor David Porter, Lebanon Advertiser Marco Santana, Des Moines Register Penny Weaver, Journal-Gazette/Times-Courier Stan Zoller, Lake Forest College Students also spent three days as interns at the following newspapers, whose staffs guided them into hands-on reporting and deadline writing. (Champaign-Urbana) News-Gazette (Decatur) Herald & Review (Robinson) Daily News (Taylorville) Breeze Courier Times-Courier & Journal-Gazette (Charleston/Mattoon)
FRIDAY, June 27, 2014
HIGH SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE
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Amish known for low-tech lifestyle, craftsmanship By Will Roberts Minooka
PHOTO BY WILL ROBERTS
An Amish wooden chair rests at the front of Yoder’s Homestead Shop in Arcola.
Arcola is a town that is well known for being the largest Amish community in Illinois. However, this is not necessarily true. Many local store owners in Arcola declare that the statement of being the largest Amish community is a bit misleading. They agreed that Arcola is simply a gateway to the Amish community. The town that actually contains most of the Amish in the area is Arthur, they said. Maintaining traditional family customs, the Amish work to better their community and pull their individual weight. With such tightly knit families, it requires a great amount of cooperation. For this reason, the Amish set in place certain freedoms that keep a balance in choices. At the age of 16, Amish teenagers are allowed to go for temporary leaves where they can experience life with the English,
Former Amish man still maintains close ties to community By Tara Schumal Minooka Allen Yoder broke away from the Amish when his father decided to years ago. Living in Arcola since 1966, Yoder’s family members were descendants of Amish heritage. His father was born into the faith and decided to change when he felt the need for the more modern age. “I think my dad just didn’t want to stay with the horse and buggy,” Yoder said. “He’s still a farmer, but he uses tractors and such.” Growing up, Yoder was familiar with the atmosphere. At that time, his mom and dad were both Amish. On his mom’s side, all his brothers and sisters broke away to the Mennonite church, and on his dad’s side, about half broke away and half stayed Amish; Yoder still has a lot of cousins and relatives who are Amish, many of whom he still talks to today. “Amish make a choice one way or the other,” Yoder said. “Back then it was probably frowned upon that they do that but as time went on more and more of the people decided that they didn’t want to stay Amish and they still do that today.” When it comes to choosing a side, there are a few things taken into consideration. When boys turn 18, their parents allow them to get a car if they want to and do whatever they want. Sometimes they decide to get married and if it’s to an Amish girl, they can choose to go back to the Amish lifestyle and sell their cars. But for then, the choice is theirs. Yoder’s father broke away from all this because the Amish lifestyle doesn’t include electricity and telephones; some may use a cellphone, but only for business. He didn’t want to continue to use a
horse and buggy. “Their beliefs are simplicity,” Yoder said. “They’re very quiet and mind their own business." Even though they aren’t all Amish in the whole family now, the relationship is still intact. Relations used to be heated back in the day around 40 years ago, but that has changed due to the lack of farmland and the desire to be farmers. “The Amish are located out in the country...there aren’t a lot in town,” Yoder said. “The area they live in is divided into about 20 districts. Each Sunday a person in one of the districts holds church at their own home. There are no churches as far as actual buildings. They use bench wagons to hold all the people.” A “bench wagon” may best be described as movable seating. For church, every two weeks the Amish hold the gathering at a different district and move in these wagons which hold all the seating needed. Where each church meeting will be held is not publicized. It is told only amongst each other. “If you go out and drive through the countryside and you see a long green wagon, you’ll see the bench wagon,” Yoder said. Today, Yoder owns his own Dutch Kitchen with his wife in the middle of town. His brother owns Yoder’s Homestead Shop right down the road and a store out in Arthur. Yoder is happy with the way his life is now. “Arcola has everything a person needs,” he said.
PHOTO BY TAR A SCHUMAL
Allen Yoder, store owner, walks back to show customers to their seats.
their term for non-Amish Americans. This leave, named rumspringa, gives a chance for the Amish teens to find out more about the outside world. After returning to the community, the Amish teenagers may then make a choice with their newfound wisdom to decide on their future: They may be baptized into the Amish Church or leave forever. Once initiated into the Amish community, the members begin a lifestyle of self-production and craftsmanship. With great precision and use of traditional techniques, the Amish use their skills to build and sell a variety of household items. “You’d be surprised. They can make beautiful furniture and they have gaspowered tools. They don’t have electric tools like we have,” Lena Ramsey said. The Amish also reach out of the comfort of their community by forming businesses. Those who run businesses are allowed to use telephones as long as it is not inside their home. Amish in the town of Arthur of-
ten sell their furniture to the English. Searching through various stores in Arcola, many wooden pieces can be found such as chairs, dressers, and beds. These items are often priced higher than factory-made counterparts because of the extra work and lack of assembly machines used in their production. A strong example of Amish craftsmanship is of a chair sitting on display in front of Yoder’s Homestead Shop. In front of the shop sits an Amish rocking chair made primarily of wood. The chair contains a detailed bend of a variety of different colored woods. The arms are supported by a spiraling dark wood formed from wood that has been bent by the use of steam. This process allows wood that would not usually be bent to be made into different shapes. The Amish may shirk the use of the latest technology, but the result of their efforts lead to intricately crafted pieces.
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FRIDAY, June 27, 2014
HIGH SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE
PHOTOS BY JACKIE HART
The Lawn Rangers mural includes Obama at center left proudly holding a toilet plunger.
Murals tell tales of Arcola By Jackie Hart Apopka, Fla. Cindy Slack, secretary for the Arcola Record-Herald, is used to having strangers coming to the newsroom to purchase candy -- giant candied apples, to be specific, similar to the ones that adorn a huge mural on the outside of her office. Made to pay homage to the beloved village’s candy shop, which has since closed, the artwork leaves many visitors finding themselves inconvenienced by the tempting sweets so artfully painted. “I’ve even had people get angry when I tell them we have no candy. However, a majority of the time they’re just disappointed,” said Slack. While most of the murals in Arcola wouldn’t be considered false advertising, they are advertising for the town and the commemoration of what people most enjoy about it. “I think it’s awesome. Anything art wise, historical; it’s a high interest of mine… and I was in awe of how quickly and collectively they got together,” said Elizabeth Cottle, a local storekeeper. The town of Arcola has approximately 3,000 residents, and yet the pride of each one of those individuals shines through the 15 murals spread across town. The murals, created by a group of artists called the Walldogs, celebrate the town’s history and the accomplishments of its residents. “We wanted to have a tourist draw. At first we were thinking of a museum, but that would have been too much money over the long run, so when we came up with the idea of murals, they were also a great way to tell the story of the town,” said Bill Wagoner, city administrator. The town spent roughly $80,000 to have the murals installed; all of the money raised through donations. The Arcola Beautification Committee raised the money in a little less than a year through fundraisers, sponsorships and grants.
The project lasted four days in June 2012, with 75 artists working to complete a total of 15 murals. “With the history in the town, it was like everyone had new ideas for a mural every day. It brought back a lot of good feelings,” said Slack. The subjects of the murals include the Raggedy Ann doll, whose creator, Johnny Gruelle, was born in Arcola; the story of Joe Ernst, who fed Ella Fitzgerald’s black traveling group at a time when that was taboo; and the candy store and railroad. Each mural tells a story -- a set of keys to unlock a few of the treasures of Arcola. While everyone who visits the town is sure to know about the annual Broomcorn Festival or the Amish community, the chance that they know the story of Barack Obama and the Lawn Rangers is slim to none. One day, a group of men in Arcola got together and decided they were going to coordinate their lawn mowers in a dance for the broomcorn parade. The town really liked it and the men kept performing and eventually they were scheduled for parades across the state of Illinois. They were performing in Chicago, when then — Sen. Obama was watching them perform and happened to have a plunger handy. So he held it up and cheered for the Lawn Rangers. Fast forward a few years and Obama invited the Rangers to perform as part of his presidential inauguration parade, so as a tribute to Obama’s interest in the town, they painted him on the one of the murals, holding up his now-infamous toilet plunger. “Of all the great things they could have in that parade, they put in those goofy men,” Cottle said with a smile. “The craziest part was watching it at home when they flashed a sign across the television camera that said ‘Beautiful Arcola’ “I think they’re wonderful; I just get a kick out of them.”
The Joe Ernst painting tells the story of Ernst’s generousity towards Ella Fitzgerald’s group of black performers in an era when his actions were taboo.
Murals adorn both the inside and outside of a local buggie station for the Amish community.
This historic train that once traveled from illionois to New Orleans is depitcted in a mural.
FRIDAY, June 27, 2014
HIGH SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE
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PHOTO BY MICHAEL A BURTON
Mugs from the coffee club at Bob Arrol’s pharmacy each displayed the name of a member of the exclusive group.
Coffee club’s legacy lives on By Joe Hynan Hinsdale Twenty-five people crowded in a small pharmacy for their morning coffee. Sixteen men sat on facing the counter and the rest squeezed into four booths. Newspapers littered the table and conversation filled the air. They all drank coffee from a personalized cup made for them upon their introduction to the club. It started in 1948 with one regular customer. It developed into an exclusive coffee club with 162 members and a waiting list to get in. In 1948, Bob Arrol bought a pharmacy in the town of Arcola. Soon after, he bought a soda machine and put it in the back of the store. According to Robert Arrol, the son of Bob Arrol and a resident of Arcola, the coffee club had a simple beginning. “One of (my father’s) friends, Horace Cisk, came and got coffee so of-
“By the time dad opened up at 8 am, there was a line outside the door. They came every day and for about a half an hour and they would sit and talk and catch up on news.” Robert Arrol
ten that my father said, ‘I’m just going to put your name on a cup, so I don’t
have to wash it.’” Word got out and soon everyone wanted their name on a cup. So Bob Arrol made up a playful prerequisite: In order to have your own cup, you need to have ordered and consumed 100 cups of coffee. What resulted was an every day “coffee club” at the local pharmacy. “By the time dad opened up at 8 am, there was a line outside the door. They came every day and for about a half an hour and they would sit and talk and catch up on news,” Robert Arrol said. “Everyone enjoyed it; we all had a good time,” said Robert Holliday, a member of the club. He remembers his coffee cup as being “cream colored with the name ‘Bob’ on it.” It got to the point where Arrol had to decide whether to build more racks for coffee cups or stop adding personalized cups. With 162 unique coffee cups lining the walls of his pharmacy, Bob Arrol decided the club had reached maximum capacity. A waiting list was made, and ev-
ery time a member died or moved out of town, a new one was moved in. A coffee cup on the wall of Bob Aroll’s pharmacy became a point of pride for the town’s coffee lovers. The pharmacy became the morning hub of the town. At least 20 people filled the 13 stools and surrounding booths. They read the daily papers, discussed community news, and watched the TV set up on the counter. Sometimes bets were made between members, in which case the money would be put in the cups until the result was decided. It was a brilliant marketing scheme, but everyone agrees Bob Arrol’s coffee club was not about the money. Five cents bought you all the coffee you could drink. He really just loved the conversation and the atmosphere it created,” Robert said of his father. Eventually people started paying attention, culminating in Charles Kuralt including the coffee club in his 1986
book, “On the Road with Charles Kuralt.” But like all good things, the exclusive coffee club came to an end. In 1986, Bob Arrol retired and the pharmacy was purchased by Larry Bushu. He kept the tradition going for a few years before he, too, sold the business. After that the pharmacy disappeared and with it the coffee club. “It must be 25-30 years now since the original coffee club ended,” said Holliday. How many original members are still around? “Only four or five of us left now. The rest either died, moved away or went to a retirement home in Green Village,” he said. The town’s morning meeting place has moved to the Dutch Kitchen. Coffee is for a dollar, but the atmosphere is not the same. “There’s less community than there was,” said Holliday. They town goes on, and the community lasts, but when Bob Arrol retired, Arcola lost something special.
Town-wide sales bring tourists to area By Naihal Wajid Oak Lawn You tag it, you price it and you sell it: More than 90 residents of Arcola are preparing for their citywide garage sale Aug. 1-2. “The best thing to call it is ‘miscellaneous,’” said Pam Clark, a local shop manager. From baby clothes to antiques, these residents are selling anything and everything to empty out their houses and make a quick buck off items they don’t need anymore. “If you don’t use it, get rid of it,” Karen Pugh, a fellow shop manager, said about the sales. People come from all over Central Illinois to see what they can find in the sales. Even odd items such as aquariums and baby swings become available. The typically low price of everything is also
“We over-buy as consumers and use the sales to get rid of stuff to make room for more things to buy.” Elizabeth Cottle
appealing to buyers. Residents look forward to being able to pick through all the wares, shop owners said. Neighboring towns Arthur and Tuscola also hold citywide sales around the same time so shoppers can travel from town to town getting the best deal. Advertisements are inexpensive to run in the local paper, the Arcola Record-Herald, residents said. Ads run about $10 for a small section of the paper, said newspaper publisher Chris Slack.
The paper also offers a map of where the sales will be to help crowds navigate through the town. The garage sales boost tourism in the 2,916-population town and help the local economy. “Garage sales are for the newer generations,” stated Elizabeth Cottle. “We over-buy as consumers and use the sales to get rid of stuff to make room for more things to buy.” Cottle said younger generations in gener-
al are less appreciative of the things they have and want the next best thing instead of enjoying what they have in front of them. The garage sales are a gateway to get consumers to flush out their homes of old things. It’s a good and bad thing, she added. “Think about the stuff you guys have,” she said. “You sell your old things to get money to buy more materialistic items. It’s a vicious cycle. “ Even as people are buying things, a lot is still left over from the event. Most of it is donated to organizations such as the Salvation Army, Goodwill and local churches. Sellers leave it out with a “free” sign so the general public can pick it up as they please. It helps out the community and brings everyone together, residents say.
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HIGH SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE
Storefront spruces up Primitive Goose By Shelbie Murphy Urbana Elizabeth Cottle is eager to share the story behind her antique store. She takes a lot of pride in her store, and it shows when she pulls out historic papers and articles from the past, ready to explain. Cottle bought the building that is now The Primitive Goose in 2005 from Wilmer Otto. He is “the reason most of these buildings look the way they do today,” according to Cottle. He spent a lot of money on renovating and giving the buildings in Arcola an outside appeal, to match the inside. But when Cottle bought the building, it was nowhere near what it is today. It was an old building already, and it didn’t have a storefront. Then leaders in Stewardson, another small town in Illinois, faced their own dilemma. They had an old opera house and they couldn’t afford to restore it, but they couldn’t afford to tear it down either. And when word got to Otto, they said he could have the storefront. So he hired an Amish man to travel to Stewardson and take it down, bring it back to Arcola and put it on Cottle’s building. Back when Cottle was a youngster, she always had a desire to open her own antique store. She wanted to pursue it, but realized that she couldn’t make a living out of it. So she went into teaching and did that for 40 years in Tuscola, where she lives. She retired in 2006, so she was a teacher and opened her store and worked both for a year before focusing on her store after retirement. As for her personal life, Cottle has been all over the place -- that is, when it comes to the places she has lived. Her dad was a construction worker who mainly worked on dams and highways, so that forced her family to move often. It was teaching that brought her to Tuscola, and the charm of area communities like Arcola that have led her to stay.
PHOTOS BY SHELBIE MURPHY
ABOVE LEFT: The old exterior of the Primitive Goose had no real storefront at one time. ABOVE: The current front of the establishment was once an opera house facade for a structure in Stewardson. LEFT: Elizabeth Cottle purchased the Primitive Goose building in 2005.
New technology helps drive antiques business By Mia Mastandrea Elmhurst Cindy Rodmaker may sell an outdated wooden butter churner and an old chicken crate coffee table, but the engine of her business is something fairly new: her HTC Droid. As the new owner of Prairie Wind, one of multiple antique shops in small town Arcola, Rodmaker uses media and expected crazes to connect to an audience that normally wants it all, from the latest version of everything to aged valuables. “We’re trying different things,” said Rodmaker. “A trend now is ‘upcycle.’” She refers to “upcycling” as a term that describes making an antique fit a different look for a generation it would not traditionally attract. She recently upcycled a wooden table by painting it a vibrant orange since the younger generation is into more of a retro style with bright colors, she said. Rodmaker is no amateur when it comes to antiques; she has been in this business for 35 years. Instead of owning her own shop, she initially sold items across the Midwest to various flea markets as more of a hobby. “Within the past 5-7 years we weren’t doing so well,” she said. She noted that there had been a decline in attendance at the flea markets, for example. Instead of being discouraged and seeing her hobby as a lost cause, she quit her day job in consumer service to adapt to the situation. Rodmaker now uses a Facebook page and is in the process of making a website to promote the store. She mainly posts pictures of new items that come in or announcements on festivals that
PHOTO BY MIA MASTANDREA
Prairie Wind owner Cindy Rodmaker uses her HTC Droid to help promote her antiques business.
will take place in downtown Arcola. “When we first started out we were doing shows and there wasn’t a need for advertising,”
said Rodmaker. “We just went where there were people.” She said there will always be a need for an-
tiques shops because people value the tradition various items bring -- it’s just a matter of getting the word out there.
FRIDAY, June 27, 2014
HIGH SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE
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The heart of Teutopolis By Katlyn Campbell Waukegan
To the people of Teutopolis the church isn’t just a grand building in the center of the city. It’s a meeting place for over 90 percent of the people in Teutopolis are Catholics. It’s typical to have the church packed on Saturday and Sunday to the point where some people can’t even sit. Ev e r y o n e s i t s s h o u l d e r t o s h o u l d e r. Father John Eaton, who has remained the priest of St Francis of Assisi for two years, said he came from Nashville, Tenn., where his parish was mostly of African American decent. “My parish there was largely African and African American, but here mostly everybody is white. There, people were doctors and law professors and teachers. Here a lot of people are farmers and manual laborers of various kinds and when I went back to Nashville to visit, one of the main differences you see is when people come to communion all you do is look at their hands: in Nashville everybody’s got doctor and nurses hands: everybody here has calluses”. The church in Teutopolis is deeply imbedded in its village, and Father Eaton plans to remain at the church as long as his predecessor, Father Austin Alberts, who stayed for 12 years. “One of the delights for me is to see how many young couples are here with their kids. We get a lot of young families more than any other parish I’ve ever been connected with,” said Father Eaton. Although Father Eaton has only been here for two years he’s determined to get to know everybody in his parish before his religious superiors tell him it’s time to leave. There are 1,200 families in the parish, and on any given Sunday somewhere upward of 800 people attend mass. All those families, but Father Eaton remains persistent and continues to study the names and faces of the parish director y: in hopes of knowing everyone so he can greet them at the doors of St. Francis of Assisi when they come to pray. Teutopolis is a town where “everybody knows everybody,” states Father Eaton. Unlike big cities: Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, everyone here appears more than willing to share their stories with anyone that walks through their town. Whether it’s to tell you about their ornate stained glass windows in their church, or to tell you about the upcoming Parish Picnic held in the school next to the church: the people of Teutopolis understand quite well that their town revolves around the church and vice versa: the church couldn’t exist without it’s passel of active catholic believers.
PHOTO BY K ATLYN C AMPBELL ST. FR ANCIS OF ASSISI CHURCH IN TEUTOPOLIS.
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FRIDAY, June 27, 2014
Vahling continues church tradition By Katlyn Campbell Waukegan The St. Francis of Assisi church means everything to native Cindy Vahling. Vahling, who grew up in Teutopolis her whole life, said that early settlers came here for “the faith, they came here to have freedom.” As a highschooler, Vahling was the second person hired at the parish. She worked as a doorkeeper, bookkeeper, receptionist, and later a teacher of religion. You name it, Vahling has done it. The only time Vahling left was to study at college. Ask most anyone in this little town and everyone will tell you just how much Teutopolis revolves around the church: “the church was here first, everything else grew out of it,” said Vahling. Upon entering St. Francis of Assisi church, the first thing eyes will wander to is the neo-gothic styled stained glass windows enclosing the church. The windows were remodeled in the early 1900s as a part of the Franciscan’s goal of remodeling the church. “The windows were designed to tell the story of the life of St. Francis,“ said Vahling. “Years ago when people didn’t all know how to read one of the main modes of catechesis was art in the church: so, the stained glass windows are not just beautiful but they teach about our faith.” Vahling spends a lot of her time in the church teaching classes and praying. She has raised all of her children in this faith and continues to teach others the religion. This year she’ll be teaching her son Isaac in his fourth grade religion class. In her spare time Vahling also remains engaged in her parish by helping organize a prayer group that meets once a month. When asked what exactly the church meant to her Vahling said, “Everything” before laughing and continuing, “I never really thought about that.” For Vahling going to church is something that she naturally does, whether it’s to simply pray after her son’s guitar lesson or to attend mass on Saturday and Sundays.
HIGH SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE
Milling impacts upcoming Teutopolis By Marcello Piccinini Chicago Siemer Milling Company has been a huge part of the Teutopolis village’s economy and prosperity ever since its opening. “We have a huge impact in the agricultural industry in this area. We buy millions of bushels of crops from local farmers,” said Connie Barr, vice president of customer service at Siemer’s. “We are an operation that runs 24/7.” The Siemer Mill is one of the oldest buildings in Teutopolis and has been family owned and operated for five generations. In 1882, Uptmor and Siemer Proprieters joined operations to create Hope Mills, Uptmor and Siemer Proprietors. In 1906, Siemer bought the Uptmor interests and created the company Siemer Milling. The first mill was too small and a new mill was built in the village to accommodate the needs of the company. Siemer Milling Company creates several wheat products such as soft and hard wheat flours for cookies, crackers, bread, and an assortment of other items.
PHOTO BY MARCELLO PICCININI
The Siemer Mill was part of Teutopolis from the time it was founded and continues to create a huge impact on the village today.
Wheat germ, wheat bran, wholewheat flour and original flour are the ingredients that they produce. They also have heat treatment for their products, said Barr. There are two mills built so far and one is under construction, she said, and the company’s biggest struggles are running under restrictive regula-
tions. A resident of Teutopolis, Jane Helmink, gave her thoughts on the mill regarding whether it gives off pollution: “There is probably some pollution, but with cars and everything else, the pollution is probably not that detrimental.” The manager of the Teutopolis
Press, Nancy Bence, talked about the history of the mill and how it benefits local farmers. The mill was instrumental in the creation of Teutopolis because it gave local farmers a location to bring their crops. They used to have to go seven miles to Green Creek or 23 miles to Newton if they wanted to sell crops before the construction of the mill. “They’ve done a lot of good for this community,” said Bence. The mill also benefits the village’s economy because it offers jobs. Retired trucker Randy Hotmacher said the Siemer homestead is still standing and hasn’t been torn down, and the original Siemer home was restored a while ago. When asked about whether he thinks the mill is clean or not, Hotmacher said, “It’s a clean mill.” He also mentioned that the company donates a lot to the community and a lot of wheat is brought in through it. The Siemer Mill has provided a location for farmers and locals to generate money through selling crops or working jobs. The village of Teutopolis has prospered greatly from the Siemer Mill’s hand in the community’s economy.
Community tied to Catholic Church By Maher Kawash Plainfield Religion teacher Cindy Vahling sat beside her son to pray during holy hour. She looked up and admired the stained glass windows that revealed a luminous light throughout the church as the resiliency told the story of the life of St. Francis. St. Francis of Assisi Church has stood in the heart of Teutopolis for the past 160 years. In a town that is 90 percent German Catholic, the church is a vital part of their everyday life. “This church is the foundation of our town, it really means everything to us,” Vahling said, “It is even more special when we sit in the back, look up at the murals and just realize that this is the most amazing church.” As a result of the town being mostly Catholic, residents of Teutopolis find multiple ways to be involved in the church. For example, the celebration for the town’s 175th anniversary will begin with an outdoor mass at this church. The Church also hosts many fundraising events such as
PHOTO BY MAHER K AWASH
St. Francis of Assisi Church sits in the heart of Teutopolis. More than 90 percent of the town’s residents are Catholic and belong to the church.
two that take place in July: the town picnic and The Feast of The Sacred Heart. “Pretty much everything goes through the church around here,” Father John Eaton said.
Eaton estimates that about 800 people attend the Sunday mass every week. “It’s an exciting atmosphere in here every Sunday. It’s especially nice seeing some younger couples with their
children attending,” Eaton said. It is obvious that the town cares about their church when they constantly volunteer with fundraising events such as the town picnic and the Feast of the Sacred Heart. With about 1,200 families in the parish, it seems as if the church has a lure that keeps people coming. “The church has been here since the start. All the businesses were built around it, so it is the foundation of this town,” Vahling said. The church is a part of many things in the town but the most unique one is with the school. T h e c h u r c h o w n s t h e Te u topolis Grade School. “We have one of the most unique situations in the whole state of Illinois where the grade school down the street is owned by this parish and it has been forever,” Vahling said. Regardless of what is happening in the town, Teutopolis residents are dependent on the only church in town. Assistant Chief of Police Dave Zerrusen said, “The church is our faith, that’s what drives us.”
Unusual present leads to lifelong business By Kristyna Kresic Oak Lawn Frank Bauer loved his wife and in 1975 he gave her a very unusual gift. When Carole Bauer came home from a Christmas party, her husband had a surprise for her. Walking in the door, Frank was excited to tell his wife the good news. “Carole I just bought you a Christmas present,” he said. Walking down the stairs, Carole was also excited to see what it was. “What is that?” Carole questioned. “I bought you a funeral home,” he said. “We bought and closed this funeral home the 23rd of December in 1957,” Carole said. “My husband used to do things like that.” To be in this business, usually one has to be caring and considerate when dealing with grieving families. The Bauer family makes sure their work is always exceptional. “My husband’s family was very
good at it, my husband was very good at it, very very good,” Bauer said. “Not consoling people, but helping people through this horrific thing they have to go through.” “The people I have working for me are the same way. They don’t take it lightly, but they’re not the average morose funeral director; they’re just, people.” When Carole’s husband died in 1991, he left the funeral business for her to manage. Now, she runs the Bauer Funeral Homes in both Effingham and Teutopolis. Carole works behind the scenes; working on flowers and also said it is a very difficult job. “In a small town, it is a business, but you deal with your friends and that’s very difficult and very, very, very emotional: very difficult. It’s not a 9 a.m.-5 p.m. job, it’s a 24-hour job, 7 days a week, 3 6 5 d a y s a ye a r,” s a i d Ba u e r. As for the future of the funeral home,
PHOTO BY KRIST YNA KRESIC
Carole Bauer, owner of the Bauer Funeral Home, hopes their legacy will live on in the years to come.
Bauer thinks it is very bright. “This funeral home will go on as
long as I’m around. When I’m gone, I hope it will continue to serve the
community as it has for, well, since the 1900s,” she said.
T h e D ai l y Eastern News FRIDAY, June 27, 2014
175th anniversary revives T-Town spirit By Taylar Tramil Chicago Family, faith and community are the fundamental ideals of the terquasquicentennial celebration of 175 years of the Village of Teutopolis. Every 25 years the town of Teutopolis holds a festival to celebrate the history and the traditions of their German roots. For every 25 years they do something a little more progressive to keep the enthusiasm going. “Coming from a German heritage we roll up our sleeves we get with it and roll with it,” said Hank Niebrugge, assistant director of the Terquasquicentennial Celebration. “All volunteer, there is not one bill I have paid for labor yet.” Everyone has a part in the celebration; 19 ladies of all ages help out. The oldest is 102 and the youngest is 18. They participate in the First Lady Contest where a lady has to sell tickets, and for every ticket sold each lady is given a point and the one with the most tickets sold earns the title of First Lady. So far there have been 2,000 tickets sold. Their celebration will consist of bands for every night and a special German band and orchestra, coming from Germany. They will also have a terquasqicentennial play titled “Flickenteppich: The Patchwork Quilt” that was written based on the history of Teutopolis from the beginning to now that will be playing for three nights. There will also be many family oriented fun and games for both kids and adults as well. This celebration has cost $120,000 and they plan on an additional $90,000. The fundraising for this celebration started two years in advance and creative fests were generated like the October Fest that occurred last year. The celebration has also gained support from local contributors of the town, who have also donated, not only money but goods such as pizza. The profit from the celebration goes to the Teacher Education Program and also toward scholarships and advanced technology for the students. The last 25th anniversary celebration gave back to the community by creating a local park. Although the town has some funny times, some of the challenges that they undergo during the planning of the celebration include trying to satisfy everyone in the town by exceeding their expectations of having something different every 25 years. They have also experienced problems with having tickets sold out and having to provide the town with more tickets to be sold. People will also take things differently, so depending on how people take what the town presents things there could be small disagreements. Village President Greg Hess, who is also the director of the celebration, has been in contact with complications with the rules and reg-
HIGH SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE
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German heritage has big influence By Colleen Romano Palos Park
PHOTO BY TAYL AR TR AMIL
Teutopolis Mayor Greg Hess speaks about the village’s German heritage and pride.
ulations of having celebrations and making sure that nothing is going against the laws. “It’s hard to have one without the other,” said Babb Zerrusen, a member of the temporary Keystone Cops. The town keeps its enthusiasm from it humorous personality, which comes hand in hand when it comes to keeping the German traditions and heritage alive. “Everybody knows everybody; it’s family,” said Hess. And with family there is no one left behind, where everyone has something to look forward to. For many people it will be their first time experiencing the celebration. “We don’t really know what to expect,” said Kaitlin Smith and Alisa Apke, employees of the town’s ice cream shop, Teutopolis Treats. However, wooden shoes, a hoosegow, and
long beards are the fundamentals of this town’s heritage, and when it comes to having fun, they amplify these essentials. This includes dressing up for a day, making their own beer, and beard races, where the men have to grow their beards out as long as possible. For Bert Verhoeven, the owner of the gas station named Wessle, this would be his third time attending the Teutopolis festival. He first attended in 1964. He is participating in the upcoming play performing as president and as a bishop. He has also been a part of kangaroo court in the past, which is a tradition of a false court, where he was “arrested” by the Keystone Cops, which is also a fake police, for high prices and was “prosecuted.” “The community seems to get together and get along,” said Verhoeven.
Teutopolis: the City of Germans. This modest, close-knit town may have a small population, but it has a deep-seated history. “We’re very unified,” said resident Connie Barr. The town of Teutopolis would not have existed had it not been for Clement Uptmor and his committee of settlers. They came over from the kingd o m o f H a n o v e r, G e r m a n y i n 1 8 3 4 . First arriving in Cincinnati, the committee worked to raise funds in order to continue their journey westward. While in Cincinnati, Uptmor formed The German Land Company in order to raise enough money to purchase land beyond Ohio. By contributing $10 a month per committee member, the group eventually obtained enough money to purchase the desired government land. After searching for land in Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, and Missouri, they finally settled in central Illinois. The chosen area was selected not based on the fertility of the soil, but rathe r o n i t s s i m i l a r i t i e s t o Ge r m a n s o i l . The final area chosen is now known as Teutopolis. Uptmor returned to Cincinnati, gathering 141 German Catholics and guiding them to his new settlement. The wooded area was 10,000 acres large, selling at $1.25 an acre. The community struggled to cut down the surrounding forests, and as a result the town was not prosperous for 40 years. According to the Teutopolis Press, after many suggestions for a town name, such as New Cincinnati, Hanover and Germantown, the town’s majority voted in favor of St. Peter. However, the Bishop of Cincinnati, the Right Reverend John B. Purcell, suggested the name Teutopolis. The strange name was met with apprehension by the town members, but once Purcell explained that Teutopolis was derived from the name of the Germanic tribe, the Teutons, the members conceded. With the group came a number of fami l i e s , s o m e o f w h o s e d e s c e n d a n t s a re s t i l l a c t i v e i n t h e c o m m u n i t y t o d a y. The Siemer family, for example, came to the town around 1881 and founded the community’s now oldest business, their mill, shortly after. Today, the mill is still up and r un ning under the guidance of Rick Siemer Similarly, brothers Benjamin and William Weber came to Teutopolis in the 1890s and soon opened their jewelry store in 1892. In 1895, the brothers expanded to open a hardware store which they titled Weber Brothers. Almost 120 years later, both stores have expanded and the great-great grandchildren of the Webers still own and work in each. Resident Dave Zerrusen attributes their success to their German heritage. “We roll up our sleeves and we get with it and we go to work.”
Town walked through history in wooden shoes By Michaela Burton Downers Grove A lot of people think of shoes as a simple necessity they need to have, but in Teutopolis they’re a part of their past. In this small town southeast of Chicago, the wooden shoe has been around for more than 100 years. In approximately 1860, George Dymann, an immigrant from Germany, came here and started making shoes out of wood. For most people, they could easily slip these shoes on for their everyday lives, but the effort grew to be so much more. Like long ago when the children put their wooden shoes out under the fireplace for St.
Nick’s day, which was very big in the German community, and would find nuts, fruit and sometimes even chocolate in them the next morning. This tradition hasn’t died; St. Nick is still a huge part to the residents of Teutopolis today. For a tradition to go on for more than 100 years must mean that they have strong beliefs, and it’s easy to see that the people in Teutopolis do. The residents in this German-Catholic town are very religious and have masses held every Saturday and three times on Sunday. Keeping in touch with their heritage is huge in this community. As time went on, Dymann grew older and he eventually passed away. With no
one to make the wooden shoes anymore, people stopped wearing them, but it was important to them to keep the wooden shoes alive. The schools originally started off with other mascots such as the lions or the bulldogs, but they finally decided to make the wooden shoe their mascot and it still is to this day. “I like it because it’s so unique and different,” said Kurt Weber, who owns the local clothing and jewelry store in town. “There’s only two wooden shoe mascots in the world. Here and in Holland, Michigan.” It’s just one more way that this town continues to promote tradition. Another way they do this is during July 26-Aug. 3, when Teutopolis will be hav-
ing a festival celebrating the 175th anniversary of when the town was founded. The last time they did this was 25 years ago, celebrating their 150th anniversary. This year will have a lot of festivities going on including a parade with the sports teams in it, acknowledging their accomplishments during the season. They will walk in it and proudly represent the Wooden Shoes. Weber told a story of an old mural in the high school gym, a vicious bulldog running towards something, chasing it. But, he says it’s actually a mural of a wooden shoe kicking a bulldog and sending it flying. Teutopolis is proud to be the Wooden Shoes, and they wouldn’t change it for the world.
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HIGH SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE
Charleston farmers’ market A motley crew of local sellers offers a variety of goods By Marcello Piccinini Chicago
Kyndall Holtzhouser builds a fire as part of her survival training at Douglas-Hart Nature center near Mattoon.
PHOTO BY MIA MASTANDREA
‘Stranded’ for fun Five-day summer camp teaches survival skills By Isabel Riordan Herscher Nine-year-old Kyndall Holtzhouser rubbed two sticks together, trying to build a fire that would save her life in the rugged wilderness. She piles sticks around a tree stump to create a fire pit, and helps other children place fallen tree branches in the right place to shelter them from the elements. Children in the “Wilderness Wise” summer program at the Douglas-Hart Nature Center east of Mattoon spend five days “stranded’ in the woods and learn how to build a shelter, make fire, and find edible food and clean water. The nature center, at 2204 DeWitt Ave., plays host to summer camps, many of which teach children wilderness survival skills. Education Director Jennifer Day Tariq has been working at the nature center for five
years, and said she believes that children need to spend more time outside rather than playing with technology all day. “There is such a push right now with getting kids back outdoors,” she said. She stresses the importance of children getting into nature and using their imaginations when they play. She says her young campers love their play area, which is just a small patch of land amid the forest trees with one swing. The children love to pretend and transform the area into whatever fantasy they would like. “They’re the ones creating the games,” Tariq said. According to Tariq, the nature center sees 15,000 children throughout the whole summer. To keep up with them, the nature center employs up to 40 junior counselor interns. Many of them once attended the summer camps, but are now too old. Becoming junior counselors is a way to still keep their connec-
tion with the nature center, but without doing the “little kid” activities. Morgan Hampton, 15, is one of the junior counselors at the Wilderness Wise camp. There she watches over the children, helps keep them safe and helps the center directors during the children’s activities. She has been trained to identify poison ivy, poison oak, and poison hemlock to steer the children away from them. Hampton has enjoyed learning about plants from the camp. This is Hampton’s second year as a junior counselor. “It’s a great way for kids to get into nature, instead of sitting inside, playing video games all summer,” she said. Tariq said she hopes what the children take from the Douglas-Hart Nature Center will follow them the rest of their lives. She hopes their appreciation of nature will lead them to protect it on their own someday.
The farmers market in Charleston is a good place for friendly conversation among consumers and store owners alike, as well as observing some of the wares that the town has to offer. The consumers at any market are the reason the stands operate. Luckily, these consumers greet people with a friendly face, such as Brenda Duzan, a grandmother who visits the market at least once every week. She comes to buy the fresh items that the market has to offer like the corn that her grandkids bring over. Duzan believes that the market benefits the community and creates memories as three generations of Duzans have grown up with it around. Many small businesses take part in the market, such as Eddie Beck Farms, which is owned and operated by Mike Beck Duzan and his wife and is in its believes ninth year of business. the market They sell benefits the items such as flowcommunity ers, herbs, and vegeta- and creates ble plants and bring memories. in a decent amount of consumers. The main problem they encounter is the weather because all of their wares are grown outside, but Beck said he’s confident that he can compete with bigger businesses because he offers a face that the community can trust. Not all stores at the market have been operating for multiple years, such as a stand that just started up and is run by Mariga Gerhargt. Living in the Ukraine for most of her life, Gerhargt only moved to the U.S. five years ago. Not only that, but she also started her pastime of selling plants and crafts recently. Gerhargt loves growing plants and crafting knitted wares in her free time. She started selling as a hobby; however, when first moving to this country, she found it hard to communicate as she didn’t know the language well, but after attending college, Gerhargt was able to pick up on the language and speak general English. While walking around the farmers market, visitors may hear the tune of a guitar playing with a violin. That is probably Wendy Meyer, owner of the Lincoln Book Shop. In 1962, the late Tanya and Leonard Woods opened the store. According to Meyer, “It’s just always been part of our community.” After the Woodses died in a fatal car accident, the store entered a brief decline. After multiple attempts at new ownership, the store came under the management of the retired Meyer. “I never planned on being a bookshop owner,” said Meyer. The shop also sells dolls, antiques and dishes. The effects of the store on the community can be described as, “no negative, all positive,” according to Meyer. Whether you’re in town to either buy something or look at the sights of Charleston, stopping at the weekly farmers market is a way to meet people either by talking or playing music with them.
FRIDAY, June 27, 2014
HIGH SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE
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New arena rides into the hearts of kids By Taylar Tramil Chicago For many people, your normal pet would be a dog or a cat, but for the children at the Oblong Christian home, they have horses, ponies, and miniature horses. Together these animals give the children reassurance and the trust that they need to become successful in the program; for the Oblong Children’s Christian Home, it’s all about trust rather than patience. In 2012, the children’s home started a project to build a campus school, New Life Academy, and an indoor riding arena. The academy was finished in August 2013, but completion of the arena for the horsemanship program is in progress. The program, run by counselor Shana Puckett, consists of seven horses, one pony, and two miniature horses. These animals used for the program is to get each child the task of teaching the animal trust, and in return gain more confidence in caring for themselves, as well as the animal their taking care of. “If they don’t want to be close to you, it makes our job harder in order to gain that trust,” said Amy Kemp, the home’s director for promotions and partnership development. Kemp explained that children at the home have often been in situa-
tions where they lose trust in adults. To get them to trust again, they are put into a position of authority where they are in control of getting the horse to trust them. By doing so they realize that by being in a position of authority, they begin to trust again, Kemp said. The facility will allow the children to participate in the program 365 days a year, in any weather. When working with the animals, the children have a full range of responsibilities, including grooming the horses and feeding them and making sure that their hooves are clean. This also helps the children develop good hygiene and healthy habits like coming their hair every morning. And children teach the animals as well as learning from them. For example, they put the horses through a series of activities where the horse must overcome a fear, like walking over a black tarp; from there the horse begins to trust the child. The home’s 20 children are there for many reasons. Some have gone through difficult family situations, others are recommended by a judge to go into the home to help avoid juvenile detention, and many times grandparents, parents and counselors will call. In some cases kids come from homeless shelters, or hotels. It is licensed by the state to take
children from 5 to 17. They stay until they have reached goals they set for themselves, and parents also set goals for themselves. Kemp said the home provides a “welcoming environment.” “These are kids they need a place to grow up,” she said. Every six months the counselors will check up on the child and/or the parents and their progress toward their goals. Eight children live in each of the houses on the campus. Each house has house parents, one mom and one dad, to provide a parenting role in the household. The horsemanship program has gotten support from World Mission. Churches send 10-12 electricians or volunteers ready to help with additional jobs. In addition to caring for the animals and learning to ride, the program allows the children to participate in competitions with their horses. “The amount of pride that they have and to receive a blue ribbon will give them confidence,” Kemp said. She explained that having a horsemanship program helps restore trust within the children. When they are in situations where they must teach trust to their animals, they are more open to the help offered to them by the children’s home.
OBLONG CHILDRENS CHRISTIAN HOME
The children at Oblong Children’s Christian Home gain trust from the ponies and ride them.
Satan sparks interest at Robinson museum By Will Roberts Minooka One may expect to find a variety of outdated magazines, floss, and needles in a medical facility, but not a picture of the devil. The Crawford County Historical Society operates a museum in Robinson that is home to many local and global historical pieces. Originally a hospital named the Schmidt Clinic, the museum, with an entire room devoted to Abraham Lincoln and another to war artifacts, revisits the true roots of modern-day America. While on a tour of the museum,
guide and guide Mary Jo Billingsly, president of the historical society, expresses excitement as the topic changes to one that particularly interests her. Near a wall of books and maps, the devil portrait sneers at visitors as if encouraging them to take a peek and swallow the moral behind it. A closer look at the etching reveals a deeper meaning behind a simple picture. It actually contains a group of women gossiping, with their shape of the group forming a malicious, smiling devil. Interestingly, the original etching was stolen years ago from the museum;
no one is entirely sure of the reason for stealing it, but it was later replaced with another copy ordered online. The artist, George A. Wotherspoon, an “optical illusionist,” drew pictures that tell two sides of a story. “When I came here as a child, this picture hung here on this wall,” Billingsly said. “This was always scary because the devil was always there and I never saw anything different than that. But then after you look at it, it’s two women gossiping.” The illusions depicted by Wotherspoon have frightened many patients and left a mark on children who had the misfortune of remembering it.
PHOTO BY WILL ROBERTS
Billingsly describes the history of “Gossip & Satan Came Also” while giving a tour at the Crawford County Historical Society.
Finding ‘forever homes’ Volunteers rescue, deal with feral-cat problem
By Jackie Hart Apopka, Fla. If the room wasn’t decorated with paw prints and mice toys, a visitor could almost believe it’s a kindergarten classroom. That is, until you see kittens peering out at you from their carpeted throne. Sleepily waking from a nap, these cats were lucky. With the shelter only being able to take a limited number because of the cost, these feral kittens will be held until they are old enough to safely spay or neuter and then kept until they are adopted into their “forever homes.”
Starting in 2009, the Crawford County Spay and Neuter Foundation helps to provide lowcost spay and neuter surgeries, a feral cat “trapneuter-vaccinate-release” program, and a kitten adoption program. Over the past five years, they have assisted about 2,760 spay and neuters, spayed and neutered 2,061 feral cats, and had 650 adoptions. “What people don’t understand is that these [feral] cats aren’t going to just go away and they’re going to cost the community even more money if we do nothing about it,” said Linda Proskurniak, board president for the foundation. “However, we’ll never be able to stop it [the wild
PHOTO BY JACKIE HART
Kittens playing inside the “Kitten Rec Room” at the Crawford County Spay and Neuter Foundation.
cat populations in Crawford County]” Operating with nine steady volunteers, the foundation also provides rabies vaccines for feral cats, along with testing the kittens for genetic diseases. While the foundation’s building, along with electric and water, are funded through Kathy and Jack Chamblin, they still have roughly $40,000 a year that needs to be raised by the
community. To help reduce costs, the foundation will be holding a fundraiser at Quail Creek Country Club n Robinson Aug. 1. Starting at 5 p.m. the events include acocktail hour, a silent auction, a live auction and dinner. “It’s a really great community service,” said Proskurniak.
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FILE PHOTO
Relay For Life, Luminaria Ceremony 2013
There’s no place like HOPE By Katlyn Campbell Waukegan As the annual Relay For Life event approaches in Christian County, Event Chair Lisa Sims remains just as busy as she was when she started planning for the event. This year’s Relay For Life event begins at 6 p.m. June 27 and runs through 6 p.m. the following day at Taylorville High School, 315 W. Springfield Rd, Taylorville. The theme is “There’s No Place Like HOPE,” a play on The Wizard of Oz. Sims’ involvement with cancer fundraising can be traced back to when she was a young girl. Having her grandmother die from breast cancer sparked her interest in fundraising for cancerawareness organizations. But only a few years ago Sims saw the full affect cancer has had on her friends, co-workers, and family members. “This is a disease that is not biased, not prejudiced, chooses all ages, races, sexes. It does not care if you are healthy or not. It does not care if you are single or married. It does not care that your life is busy.” One thing Sims loves about American Cancer Society fundraising is that 94 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to the cause and not to anyone’s profit. The money raised is put towards cancer research but it is also used to serve cancer survivors of Christian County; the Road to Recovery Program, in which volunteers drive cancer survivors to and from treatments; Look
Good, Feel Better, a beauty program for breast cancer survivors, and more. The Relay For Life 12-hour event includes the survivor dinner, opening ceremony, survivor lap, luminaria ceremony, and closing ceremony. There will also be a full schedule of quirky events to enjoy throughout the night. There are also early events for young people to participate in, including face painting, games, and balloon art. “I absolutely love the craziness that ensues late into the night and early into the morning,” Sims said. “Crazythemed laps, super fun activities, hysterical costumes and dances, midnight sugar parties -- it is such a fun night for all ages.” Relay For Life isn’t just for teams, either: anybody can sign up to participate. “Every year we are given 365 days... giving one-half of just one day can save lives,” Sims said. Relay For Life isn’t just about people who have cancer coming together to support one another. The event is about a whole community. Whether it’s volunteering as someone who has experienced cancer first-hand, or someone who is merely aware of the effects of cancer, the event symbolizes the unity between people in their fight for less cancer and more birthdays.” Cancer survivor Jennifer Bertoldo plans on attending this year’s Relay For Life event as a co-captain of team Bench Dips. Bertoldo was diagnosed with cancer in November 2012, and since then has continued participating
in Relay For Life events. “I now have a deeper understanding of what it is like to have cancer,” Bertoldo said. “Previously I was reaching out to survivors, but felt I could not truly understand what it was like to be in their position. Now, I have that personal insight and experience, which I believe will help me to be more effective in supporting other survivors and caregivers.” Bertoldo enjoys attending Relay For Life because she supports those who have cancer and those who have lost a loved one to cancer. Nobody is alone at these events; the survivor lap consists of lots of tear, hugs, and clapping. The sense of community can truly be felt at Relay For Life as people meet one another for the first time but later grow to be more than friends: a Relay family. “We are never guaranteed tomorrow, so make today count!” Bertoldo said. Shauna Becker, two-time breast cancer survivor, will also be attending this years’ Relay For Life on team Bench Dips. “We are going to Muscle Out Cancer.” A common theme for the Relay For Life events is letting people know they are not alone, and Becker testifies to this. “I have made awesome friends by attending and hearing other stories makes you realize that you are not in this alone,” she said. One thing Becker most enjoys about the event is the themed laps, and the enthusiasm the people have. Although faced with the struggles of cancer, Becker doesn’t take her life for
granted, “I have had God, family, and friends support me on this journey and I have always said: Good comes from bad.” Not only has Becker been attending Relay For Life for years, but she also spoke at the event two years ago to share her story. From the beginning when she was diagnosed she was determined to fight, “I need to be here for my family and I am going to fight it, no matter what it takes.” Having cancer is full of ups and downs, “I was on a ride that changed my life forever,” but Becker continued to fight as “I knew I had to stay positive because my concern wasn’t with me it was with my son, who was experiencing something far worse than me, he was at battle overseas, while I was at battle in the United States.” Through Becker’s battle with breast cancer she still maintains a positive outlook on her experience, “I had a shirt made that says, ‘these are fake, because my real ones tried to kill me’.” Another strong lady who will be attending the Relay For Life events this year is Mary Linda Graham. She’s participating on team Tom’s Angels in memory of her husband, who passed away from pancreatic cancer. She’ll be spending the Relay with her daughter and her family as well as her daughter’s friends and some of the people her husband, Tom, worked with. Graham walks “first and foremost for my husband and that there will someday be a cure so I don’t have to worry about the rest of my family and
friends dying from this terrible disease.” But she will also be attending the Relay in honor of her father who died of metastatic prostate cancer and her mom who is a breast cancer survivor. The Relay For Life events have made Graham more passionate overall. Graham and her daughter are in charge of the luminaria ceremony, and they try to improve it every year. They’ve made it easier to find the bags by putting them in alphabetical order for those who have pre-ordered them. Graham keeps coming back to walk because: “I have made friends and gotten to know people that I have known through the years in a different and richer way.” The Relay For Life events create bonds between people that are unbreakable. Graham loves this event so much that this year she’ll be walking her 13th event. Relay For Life has changed these four women in ways that other residents of Christian County need to also embrace and experience. Not only are friends made and bonds strengthened: but, raising money for the fight against cancer trumps all. With the money raised (so far $38,134.56), the community helps to acknowledge a change that needs attention. “You see people of all ages joining together, hugging, laughing, crying, sharing stories, sharing sorrows, it is hands down the most beautiful experience I have ever had the honor of joining,” Sims said.
FRIDAY, June 27, 2014
#IPFCAMP 12 days of Squad
Derby Roan @derbywasnthere Jun 27
Goodbye to the members of the wonderful #ipfcamp via @20lines
Michaela Daly @MDaly17 Jun 27
“@joegisondi: The #IPFcamp students are an eclectic, ambitious group” @MelissaSvec@michaelaneilan @KayleeGeorgeoff @SaraDust
Derby Roan @derbywasnthere Jun 25
Just had a nice little sit-down with Decatur’s coroner. That was fantastic. #ipfcamp
Michaela Burton @mburton2016 Jun 25
Just met a victim of a horrible crime, it’s amazing how strong she was. She is definitely an inspiration to all teenage girls. #ipfcamp
Naihal Wajid @browninferno Jun 23
Writing a story on changing conference titles. So happy to cover sports since I’m the columnist. #ipfcamp
Maher @ThatKidMaher Jun 23
Just finished an interview with the Keep Decatur Beautiful contestants and winners! #IPFcamp
Danielle @DaniiDBandzz_ Jun 21 We all met a “llama” #ipfcamp
Marco Santana @marcosantana Jun 21
On our way out of Charleston. Another great time at #IPFCamp. Alway... Derby Roan @derbywasnthere Jun 20
Arcola crickets are neat. #ipfcamp
LisaRGreen @LisaRGreen Jun 19
Kountry Kitchen in Teutopolis: great setting for students to interview town loyalists; interesting stories. #IPFcamp
LisaRGreen @LisaRGreen Jun 19
Great interview time for students with Teutopolis village officials. #IPFcamp
Marco Santana @marcosantana Jun 19
The #ipfcamp files into Teutopolis village hall. Starting a bit of meeting.
Stan Zoller @StanZoller Jun 18
#IPFCAMP students learning about the opportunities at local newspapers from Dave Porter of the Lebanon Advertiser.
Michaela Burton @mburton2016 Jun 17
Having fun wandering around campus #ipfcamp
HIGH SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE
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FRIDAY, June 27, 2014
HIGH SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE
Courts and Cops
Decatur man charged with aggravated domestic battery By Michaela Burton Downers Grove A Decatur man has been charged with aggravated domestic battery at his arraignment and is no longer able to see his girlfriend or go to the house they used to live in together. Scott, 47, was arrested June 24 and held in Macon County Jail on $50,000 bond. His next court date is July 25. On June 23 at 6:58 p.m. police reports say Scott began to strangle his girlfriend using only his thumb and index finger. He allegedly pushed her into a corner in the wall and repeatedly punched and hit her in the face and even threatened to kill her. Soon after that, Scott began to drag his girlfriend to the upper level of the house by her hair, according to the report. When the opportunity came, she ran to the neighbor’s house for help. Scott allegedly entered the neighbor’s house and dragged his girlfriend out by her hair while screaming at her, calling her names and punching and kicking her in the ribs. When officers came later and rescued her, they noted that she had a black eye, scrapes on her arms, legs and back and small red marks around her throat. They also noticed dirt and grass stains on her from being dragged outside. Another case arraigned the same day as Scott’s was that of Leondis Coleman. He was charged with aggravated driving under the influence, aggravated fleeing police and resisting arrest. Bond was set at $100,000 and his next court date is July 25. At about 3:30 a.m. June 23 in the 1200 block of East William, a Decatur police officer noticed a driver swerving, driving through traffic con-
trol devices and going so fast over railroad tracks that his back wheels appeared to have left the ground. According to the police report filed with the court, the officer turned his lights on and followed the car, assuming the car would cooperate and pull over. Instead, the car sped up, trying to lose the officer. Eventually police used stop sticks to end the chase, causing both front tires of Coleman’s car to go flat. The officer got out and ordered Coleman to shut the car off. Coleman did so then got out of the vehicle. When he was identified, the officer told him to get back inside the vehicle, but Coleman refused to do so. As more officers came, Coleman was ordered to the ground. As they tried to take Coleman into custody, he struggled and tried resisting arrest, according to the report. He wouldn’t let them put handcuffs on him, wouldn’t listen to anything they told him and continuously braced himself on the ground, police said. Officers noted that he staggered out of his car, had slurred speech and wouldn’t listen to anybody. At the hospital when he was told to take a breath test, he said something along the lines of “I’m not that drunk, blowing into this won’t help me.” His excuse for running away was that he didn’t want to go back to prison, and he made it clear that he was sorry for getting caught when he was at the hospital and apologized several times for what he had done. His bond was posted at $100,000. Coleman could not pay his part of the bond, so he asked if the judge would lower the cost of his bond. “[Why would I do that], you’re a menace to society,” said Judge Holly F. Clemons.
Fast Facts: * Cortez was charged with aggravated battery. * Cortez allegedly kidnapped his ex-girlfriend Monica Ramierez. * Cortez is in custody on $1 million bond. * The FBI apprehended him in Houston.
Eduardo Guerrero Cortez
Man allegedly held person at knifepoint at mall By Colleen Romano Palos Park Eduardo Guerrero Cortez was charged with aggravated battery after allegedly holding Alexander Aburto at knifepoint June 11 at Market Place Mall in Champaign. In a June 24 hearing in Champaign County Circuit Court, prosecutors said Cortez wielded a knife at Aburto, while he and two accomplices abducted Monica Ramirez, Aburto’s friend and Cortez’s ex-girlfriend, Monica Ramirez, in the mall. Cortez so far has only been charged with aggravated battery for the assault on Aburto, as the circumstances of the abduction are still under investigation. Attorneys say he may still be charged in the kidnapping. Cortez is in custody on $1 million bond and his next court date will be 9 a.m. Aug. 5. He could face two to five years in prison if convicted of the assault. Cortez, 25, a landscaper from Houston, was present at the hearing and spoke via an interpreter. Judge John Kennedy presided and the defendant chose the aid of a public defender. Two males, neither of whom is in custody, aided him. According to court documents, prosecutors allege that while Cortez assaulted Aburto, another man held a knife to Ramirez’s throat as he forced her into a pickup. The group escaped from Champaign and arrived in Houston a few days later. The case was highly publicized by Champaign police to gain attention that might help find Cortez, his accomplices and Ramirez. As it became clear that the abductors had taken Ramirez out of state, the FBI was called onto the case. On June 14 the FBI apprehended Cortez in Houston and Ramirez was found unharmed. The relationship between Cortez and Ramirez has a history of abuse, according to court documents, with the two having had a “controlling” relationship in Houston over many years. After the relationship ended, Cortez allegedly made many threats to Ramirez, claiming that she was his and could be no one else’s. Ramirez then moved to Champaign with her two-year-old daughter to get away from Cortez. The day of her abduction, Ramirez filed an order of protection against Cortez in Champaign County Circuit Court.
Lloyd sentenced to 15 years By Tara Schumal Minooka Terrance Lloyd, 25, was sentenced to 15 years in jail June 24 in Macon County Circuit Court after failing to appear for a sentencing hearing. U.S. Marshals arrested Lloyd June 17 shortly after his failure to show up to his sentencing on an armed habitual crime conviction. While out on bond on that charge,
Lloyd was accused of alleged sex with a minor, 14 years of age The armed habitual violence charge was based on three 2012 felonies. Lloyd was charged with damage to property after smashing out car windows. He was also charged with aggravated domestic battery of a woman and a child. Police were called after Lloyd struck the woman, endangering the life of
the child in her arms by causing both of them to fall. Lloyd was also arrested that year for dragging a female from his car. According to the circuit clerk’s office, she tried to escape the vehicle by jumping out of the passenger-side door but was pulled back by Lloyd, all while still driving. Holding tightly onto her shirt, he let her be dragged alongside the car for nearly 300 feet, the report said.
Blaze guts pair of homes By Shelbie Murphy Urbana A fire destroyed two Urbana mobile homes on June 24. The fire started in a back room of 16 Toni Lane in Woodland Acres. Officials said the fire was spread by wind gusts. The fire also caused the side o f 1 7 To n i L a n e t o b e h e a v ily damaged by melting. here were two minors at home at the time of the fire. They were sleeping in separate bedrooms when they began to smell smoke. They woke up and when they went to investigate, they saw flames, quick-
ly got out of the house and called emergency services. Almost everyone got out without any injuries, including the family dog, but unfortunately the family guinea pig perished in the fire. The residents of the mobile home included a mother and her three children. The family does have insurance and a place to stay while the fire is under investigation. There were multiple AC units around the home, but those have been ruled out as causes because they were not near the back of the home where A fire on June 24 destroyed two mobile homes in Urbana. the fire started.
PHOTO BY MARY SCHENK
FRIDAY, June 27, 2014
HIGH SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE
Courts and Cops
53-year-old gets prison for teen rape
15 PHOTO BY MIA MASTANDREA
Cadets from the Civil Air Patrol Camp pose for a photo.
By Maher Kawash Plainfield Garold Holloway, 53, was sentenced Wednesday morning in Macon County Circuit Court to 30 years in prison after being convicted of raping a 13 year-old girl. The victim, now 16, was too traumatized to come to the stand and read her own statement, so her aunt did it for her. “I often thought about taking my own life and tried to take my life, and these scars are not just emotional but physical as well,” the teen said in the statement. “I am now 16 years old, and I’m not even able to be a 16-yearold and do all the things a 16-yearold girl likes to do, like having a boyfriend, without being in fear.” Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Dobson recommended that two counts of 15 years should be served consecutively. “Holloway expressed no sorrow for the victim, but was only sorry he was caught and convicted,” she said. In the statement, the victim expressed the difficulties she has gone through since the assault. “I had to leave my home, my family, my friends and my school, all because of that grown man,” the victim said. Still recovering, the victim continues working with counselors and
1 girl among cadets By Mia Mastandrea Elmhurst
Garold Holloway looks to move forward. “I am putting this behind me, I want to try and do better in life. I’m really just done thinking about this,” the victim said in the statement. “I feel good because he won’t be able to do that to other girls anymore, but I wish he would have gotten a maximum sentence.” Holloway has credit for 28 months served in jail and a minimum of 85 percent of his sentence must be served.
Walk into any on-ground training class at Coles County Memorial Airport this week and in a crowd of 15 drained teenage boys, you’ll find the single bobbing ponytail of Rebecca Kramer. Participating in the Civil Air Patrol Camp may be intimidating for teens coming from all over the country, yet not for Kramer. It is her third year as a CAP member and she has already earned the highest ranking for enlisting. Most kids have never seen a glider before entering the program, but Kramer walked in ahead of the game since she flies year round in her hometown of Louisville, Ky. “My dad and grandfather take me down to the gliding club every week,” Kramer said. “I’m the only teenager there.” She also is a member of the aviation club at school, which had recruited her to the CAP program. The boys around her clearly respect
her as an experienced member, but Kramer simply shrugs it off. “It’s not like they treat me differently,” Kramer said with a laugh. “I’m just one of the boys.” She explained that in the beginning it was hard to be taken seriously because of the common stereotypes of girls, but now she is close with everyone. A typical day for the students includes waking up at 6 a.m. sharp in the dorms of Eastern Illinois University, arriving at the airport, and dedicating their every thought to flying from there on out. In class the students discuss emergency procedures as if they’re studying brain surgery, using terms such as “stalls” or “rudders” in discussions. Kramer does not sit resting or uninvolved during these. She raises her hand respectfully, questioning and challenging the information. Kramer’s family is supportive of her favorite hobby. It’s actually a fairly familiar topic for dinner-table conversations. ”I have an entire military family,”
Kramer said. Her father was in the Air Force and, before him, her grandmother was also a CAP cadet. Kramer serves to keep the tradition rolling. Yet to Kramer’s friends back home, CAP is nowhere in their range of knowledge. She is the only teenager she knows of in her area who flies. “They think it’s interesting,” Kramer said. She finds it funny that she has to explain the basics to everyone. She usually starts with what a glider is. Programs Director Nina Rossini noted that Kramer has shown potential. “She is very bright,” Rossini said. Rossini now has the ranking of a major, but she started in the cadet program when she was only 14 back in 1969. She noted that the friendships made through the program are lifelong. Surprising to some, Kramer has no desire to pursue a military or flying career in her future despite the positive feedback received from her advisers. Instead, Kramer hopes to join the Peace Corps in Africa. “I feel like I’ve been so blessed in my life that the least I could do is help someone -- anyone,” Kramer said.
Community News
Imboden gardens earn honors By Derby Roan Mattoon Imboden Creek Gardens has won Decatur’s annual “Let’s Keep Decatur Beautiful” contest. Imboden Creek is an assisted-living home and a beautiful location for event photos. Master Gardener Tresa Boreno said that she brought
in more than 100 different kinds of plants and beautified the pond area for this year’s contest. Her goal is to keep her residents happy and entertained. “It’s their home, it’s their yard, and it makes me proud,” she said. Jill Davis, event manager, said they are excited to see the program grow, because “it doesn’t take any
money, or energy to spruce up a little and present a beautiful face to the community.” “Beautification is contagious,” Davis said. She wants businesses to fix themselves up to better the community visually. With the population decreasing, Decatur’s goal is to make the city look nicer in order to attract more people and businesses.
Businesses were judged on their ability to go above and beyond their competition and create a real “wow factor,” Davis said. The contest is divided into categories: small, medium, and large businesses. The Coffee Connection and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church won first in the small and medium business categories, respectively.
A new award was also added this year. Funded by Speed Lube, this award is available to previous winners who have continued to go “above and beyond—not just this year but in past years as well.” Culver’s received this new award. Davis said there are even bigger plans for next year, including, perhaps, the addition of a new category.
Frisco Locomotive the focus of restoration effort By Kristyna Kresic Oak Lawn
On Webster Street near Manners Park in Taylorville, a chainlink fence, unkempt grass and railroad tracks leading off in the distance encompass the home of rusted Frisco locomotive 1352. Currently, the American Steam Railroad is restoring the Fris co Locomotive to operating conditions. So far, the total cost of the restoration is about $1.5 million. The restored locomotive will be in the B&O Roundhouse in
Cleveland, Ohio. Overall, this change may have a positive effect on the town and people of Cleveland. “ T h e e f f e c t w i l l b e v e r y, ver y good. We’ve been able to g e t a g o o d re s p o n s e f ro m o u r Cuyahoga Valley National Park,” said Steven Harvey, president of American Steam Railroad, Inc. American Locomotive Co. built the locomotive at its Schenectady, N.Y., works in 1912 as No. 1352 of the St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco) Railroad. In 1956 when the freight locomotive retired, it was present-
ed to Swoop Park in Kansas City, Mo., to be on display. Because of flooding and vandalism in the 1970s and ‘80s, the locomotive was then donated to Smoky Hill Historical Society. During the 1990s, Ted Lemen invested in it after it display site flooded once again. His ultimate goal in bringing it to Taylorville was to reinstate the locomotive to working condition. But lack of funding brought the project to a halt. Me a n w h i l e , H a r v e y a n d h i s mechanical officer were driving around searching Illinois to find
different possible locomotives they could restore. After hearing about the locomotive in Tayorville, they knew instantly that they had to find it “It was a little difficult,” Harvey said. “We didn’t know where it was and we had to use the Internet to help us.” During the cold and blustery Illinois winter, Har vey and his colleague found themselves at the BP gas station in downtown Taylorville. “I asked the local clerk where we could find it and she
k n e w w h e r e i t w a s ,” H a r v e y said. “ Then we contacted the owner of the locomotive and made our arrangements.” They agreed on a purchase price with Lemen, who then owned the locomotive, and completed their purchase in December 2011. After being refurbished, American Steam Railroad hopes the train will not only run train trips, but also be used as an educational mechanism for all people to show them how important these locomotives were during the during the age of industrialization.
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FRIDAY, June 27, 2014
HIGH SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE
Tayorville changes conference By Naihal Wajid Oak Lawn As the new school year is just around the corner, so is a new conference for sports. Paul Held, THS athletic director, is preparing to head east for the Apollo Conference. That means new opponents in all sports, including nine in football and eight in volleyball. In March of 2012, the Taylorville school board was deciding whether to make the switch from CS8 to Apollo. The vote was 3-4 in favor of staying in CS8. But board members Seth McMillen and Katie Fraley, however, moved for a second vote. It voted 6-1 in favor of switching and applying to Apollo in May of that same year. They were accepted in June to be in the Apollo conference starting the 20142015 school year. “I think our staff and I know our students are excited about the change,” Held, AD at Taylorville since 2005, said. “It really has people excited to see what we can make of it.” Some of the deciding factors to make the switch were demographics and competition. Taylorville is going from being the second-smallest school to the secondbiggest in the conference. Having more similar schools makes for more even competition.
In the CS8 there were some very good teams and a few poor teams. In the Apollo there are fewer differences. “Most of the kids match up in Apollo,” says Thomas Snyder, a senior lineman on the football team and forward on the basketball team. “There are equal playing demographics,” Snyder said. “We have short receivers, Apollo has short receivers. In CS8 you have 6-8 receivers and with Taylorville you maybe have two or three 6-0 receivers. So it’s good to match up to people, but we still work to be state champs.” The Apollo wanted THS, and THS was looking for something different, so it matched up, according to Held. “You have to have six schools to have a conference and we’re the sixth in Apollo.” One thing that excites Held is the new competition and rivalries expected in the Apollo Conference. Mt. Zion will become a huge rival school. “They have a way of looking at things that don’t sit well with other folks,” Held said. All Apollo teams see Mt. Zion as a main competitor. Snyder said the teams will work as hard as they did in the CS8. “If you didn’t work hard, you’re not going to win,” Held said. “If you’re not ready to play each night, you’re going to be beaten in Apollo.”
Held said there are no “gimmes” in the Apollo. “It’s a whole new conference really,” he states, “It’s a whole new ball game and everyone has a chance to set their new level. We had a particular way where we kind of fit in the old conference, and you kind of look to be better or worse than that, depending on the season. With Apollo, there is no slot to fit into.” Switching to the Apollo, Taylorville will have to travel to multiple cities instead of one area to cover all the competition. All of the Apollo schools are 60 or more miles away. But Snyder and Held don’t see it as a problem. “There are a lot of kids that believe in Taylorville. There’s a belief in this school that we are gonna do great,” Snyder said. Because of the travel time, athletes will have to manage their studies better, Held said. “I don’t think it’s impossible and it’s not like they won’t have any free time,” he said. “That’s what athletics is there to teach: life lessons. It makes them better planners and organizers. It’s now a part of their job to do this travel.” Students will have to learn to keep everything under control and make sure their homework is done. “If I do miss classes I’ll make it up the next day,” Snyder said. “If I don’t understand something I’ll come in early.”
PHOTO BY NAIHAL WA JID
Hanging from the high school gym rafters is a banner listing the conference affiliations for Teuotpolis.
Snyder says teachers are pretty lenient. “They understand that if you get home at midnight from the game and you didn’t do your homework, the teachers will give you a period to get everything done.” “We’ll make changes if we have to,” Held said. “Nobody is not going to take a class because a bus leaves at 2:45.” According to Held, there’s not much left to do for the switch. Bus times and schedules will be adjusted. Donations are being rounded up already to pay for the new banners. All that’s left is for the athletes to
prepare for the new season. Snyder said they’ll be working as hard as they did in the CS8 because once they get into the playoffs, they’ll be facing those teams. “We’re not just preparing to be Apollo champions, but we’re preparing to be CS8 champions. I really want to see us conference champs first year running,” he says, “We’re going to that next step where we want to be state champs.” Held agrees that it was worth the switch from CS8 to Apollo. “There was a time for change and I think the board hit it just right.”
The Illini turn to junior colleges University aims to boost recruiting by searching nation for outstanding athletes By Joe Hynan Hinsdale The University of Illinois has been losing ground in high-school football recruiting. This year the Illini are trying to make it up by recruiting top junior-college athletes around the country. According to ESPN, last year all of U of I’s top 10 recruits were highschoolers. This year, four of them were athletes at junior colleges. Head coach Tim Beckman said junior-college recruits are helpful because they are known commodities, unlike their high-school counterparts who often have surprising careers. Also, junior-college players have had two extra years to hone their skills and build up their bodies in preparation for college football. These traits allow coaches like Beckman to use them to plug immediate holes in their roster. “These guys only have two years to build their resume. They want to play as soon as possible,” Beckman said. “We can use them to fill needs on our team.” Jihad Ward, the U of I’s top juniorcollege recruit according to ESPN. com, is one of those players. He is a defensive tackle and will be used to beef up one what was of the worst defensive lines in the Big Ten last year. When asked about Ward, Beckman said “He’s doing good. Real good,” and began snapping his fingers to demonstrate how quick Ward is on the field. And unlike high-school recruits who can be denied acceptance by the university the football program is able to check ahead of time with the ad-
PHOTO BY THE UNIVERSIT Y OF ILLINOIS ATHLE TIC DEPARTMENT
Illinois Football Head Coach Tim Beckman will lead the Illini during the 2015-16 season.
missions department on junior-college recruits to make sure they have a green light. “The good this is that you know that these guys are going to get in,” Beckman said. The interest Beckman has in ju-
nior-college recruiting comes from his time as a defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State University. “It worked for us at Oklahoma so I’m trying to bring that success to this program,” he said.
PHOTO BY MAT T DANIELS
Illinois Football Head Coach Tim Beckman speaks to reporters after the 2013 game against Nebraska.