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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Donna Dykstra of Fulton will celebrate her 90th birthday on Feb. 19. Along with a surprise birthday party being planned, a card shower is
requested to help her celebrate. Send celebratory cards for Donna Dykstra’s 90th birthday to 229 10th St., Fulton, IL 61252.
MMTA announces cast for “Steel Magnolias” MORRISON – The Morrison Music Theater Association has announced the cast for its performances of “Steel Magnolias.” The production will be at 7 p.m. March 11 and 12 and 2 p.m. March 13 at the Morrison Institute of Technology. “Steel Magnolias” began as a successful off-Broadway play, which was adapted into a blockbuster film starring Dolly Parton, Sally Field, Shirley McClain, Julia Roberts, Daryl Hannah and Olympia Dukakis. It takes place at a beauty parlor in a small Louisiana town, where the ladies
share the town news and their joys and sorrows. The MMTA production is directed by Joplin James Self of Sterling. Cast members Kelsey Bumann as Annelle Dupuy-Desoto and Jordann Langner as Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie are from Dixon. Angie Lobdell of Rock Falls portrays M’Lynn Eatenton, and Nicole Pfieffer-Oberg of Sterling is cast as Truvy Jones. Completing the ensemble are two Morrison actresses: Bonnie Phend as Clairee Belcher and Senietta Porter as Ouiser Boudreaux.
Photo provided
Erie Middle School Spelling Bee winners are Taylor Robshaw (from left), Isabella Floming and Stella Ashdown.
Taylor Robshaw wins Erie Middle School Spelling Bee for 3rd year in row Congratulations to the 38 students who participated in the 2022 Erie Middle School Spelling Bee last week! The winner for the third year in a row was Taylor Robshaw, a seventh grader. Make sure to wish Taylor “good luck” as she prepares for the regional spelling bee on Feb. 24.
Second place went to seventh grader Isabella Floming. Third place went to eighth grader Stella Ashdown. This year’s spelling bee was different than previous events. It was an online format to make sure everyone could participate safely.
WWW@WCC event to feature program about Stephen Douglas Clinton Symphony Orchestra family The Windmill Volunteer Educators at the Windmill Cultural Center in Fulton invite the public to attend the Wild Winter Wednesday program at 9 a.m. Feb. 16, featuring coffee, tea, mill treats and a program about former U.S. Sen. Stephen Douglas that will be presented by Reg Ankrom. For Ankrom, an interest in history has become an avocation. The first two books of his three-volume biography about Douglas have been published and he’s currently working on the final volume. The Illinois State Historical Society recognized Ankrom’s “Stephen A. Douglas: The Political Apprenticeship, 1833-1843″ with its award for scholarship in 2018. His second book, “Stephen A. Douglas, Western Man: The Early Years in Congress, 18441850,” was published in April to several prepublication accolades. Ankrom has written more than 100 articles, columns and essays that have appeared in magazines and newspapers. He is a frequent speaker on Illinois and antebellum American history. Ankrom is a native of Jacksonville, Illinois. After Vietnam-era service in the U.S. Navy, he returned home to
attend Illinois College. He earned his bachelor’s degree in English from Illinois College in 1971 and a master’s in journalism from the University of Kansas in 1972. After retiring from Reg Ankrom Ameren Illinois in 2020, he leveraged his experience in energy to form consulting businesses in liquid fuels, electricity and natural gas supply industries. He is president of SIMEC, an energy acquisition firm headquartered in Quincy. He and his wife, Jane, recently celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary. WWW@WCC programs are on Wednesday mornings through March. Doors open at 9 a.m. The program starts about 9:20 a.m. Programs are free and open to the public. For information, visit the Windmill Cultural Center Facebook page or call 815-5893671. The building is at 111 10th Ave. If River Bend Schools are closed because of weather, WWW is canceled.
concert ‘A Symphonic Menagerie’
“A Symphonic Menagerie” is the theme of this year’s family concert by the Clinton Symphony Orchestra. The concert is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, in the Morrison High School auditorium. Music Director Brian Dollinger has chosen a program of music with animal titles, including the overture to the opera “The Thieving Magpie,” a waltz from “Swan Lake,” Leroy Anderson’s “The Waltzing Cat,” and “Flight of the Bumblebee.” A special feature will be “Carnival of the Animals” by French composer Camille Saint-Saens. It will be performed with two pianos and the orchestra. Also included in the program is the winner of the symphony’s Young Artist Auditions, Keegan Roddy, who plays cello and is a senior at Sterling High School. The concert honors the excellent opportunities for music education offered by area schools and music teachers. In addition to student musicians – and potential musicians – the
program will be of interest to all music lovers. The 50 orchestra musicians include many of the area’s music educators, as well as other area adult musicians. “This is the first time we have tried the Saturday afternoon schedule,” said Robert Whipple, the symphony’s executive director. “Our audiences and musicians are drawn from a wide area of eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois, and due to unpredictable winter weather and early darkness, we are hoping the Saturday afternoon will be a convenience for all.” Students are admitted free for the orchestra’s concerts. Adult tickets are $20. An adult with a student is admitted for half price. The concert is included in the symphony’s annual season ticket. Individual adult concert tickets will be available at the door. The symphony suggests wearing face masks. Masks will be available at the door. Information is available on the symphony’s website at www.clintonsymphony.org or on Facebook.
WHITESIDE NEWS Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Tuesday, Feb 8, 2022
Donna Dykstra to celebrate 90 years with card shower
