Glimpses of the Past

GLIMPSES OF THE PAST - FULTON

1962: CB&Q railroad in Fulton closes track s permanently

60 Years June 20, 1962

One of the most intensively organized community efforts in Fulton in recent years will come to a climax when voters go to the polls on a request by School District 111 for an increase in its legal tax rate limit. The requested increase is from 75 cents to 95 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. More than 60 men and women worked to spread information about the issue to make sure of a YES vote. One of the most important points in their argument is that the district’s rate has not been raised since 1947 and enrollment of the schools has increased sharply since that time.

The station for the CB&Q railroad in Fulton was closed permanently and the tracks between Fulton and Garden Plain will be removed in the near future. The action was forecast when the company applied to the Federal Commerce Commission for permission to abandon its tracks between Fulton a n d G a r d e n P l a i n . T h e c o m p a n y claimed it lost $23,000 annually in operating the line.

50 Years June 21, 1972

Two resignations were accepted and four new teachers were employed at the meeting of the board of education of the River Bend School District. Resigning are David Colombo, high school English teacher, and Mrs. William Hessing, third grade teacher in Fulton. New teachers hired are Nancy Thomas, who will teach in the Garden Plain grade school; John Flack, who will teach high school English; Paula Kent, who will teach high school English; and Terry Gamble, who will teach third grade in Fulton.

The seven girls who will compete for the title of Miss Flame are Jolene Huizenga, Gail Sikkema, Linda Snyder, Vicki Spitzer, Nancy Van Loo, Barbara Vruno and Sandy Wiersema.

40 Years June 23, 1982

Alan Pickens of Fulton, an agriculture Instructor at Erie High School, was selected as the Section II winner of the Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture Teachers “Excellence in Teaching” Award for 1982. The award is based on the instructor’s achievements in teaching, FFA activities of the chapter and activities in professional organizations.

A Fulton policeman, Fulton firemen and Fulton volunteers were the first to answer a call for help when a 1 5 - y e a r - o l d C l i n t o n y o u t h s a n k beneath the waters of the Mississippi River. Sgt. Steve Eastvedt, Tom Jones and Ron Brown were among the first to start searching for the body, which was found several hours later. Clinton law received the call at 8:51 a.m., with the body being found shortly before 1:30 p.m.

30 Years June 17, 1992

Rev. David Smazik and Dr. William Wilkin, members of the Fulton Kiwanis Club, presented a $500 scholarship to Susan Medenblik, a 1992 graduate of Unity Christian High School. She will b e a t t e n d i n g C a l v i n C h r i s t i a n Reformed College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

For years, the River Bend schools offered a lunch program. The River Bend Board of Education decided to expand the program by offering a school breakfast program when school resumes in the fall. The board limited the program to a three-month trial period and then will review participation to determine if it will continue.

20 Years June 19, 2002

The Fulton City Council met in regular session with a small amount of business. Two appointments were made to the Zoning Board of Appeals at t h e m e e t i n g . L y n n Z a h n l e w a s appointed to another five-year term. The other appointment went to Mary Vogel, a newcomer to the board who also will serve a five-year term.

Four documentary filmmakers visited the de Immigrant Windmill and Heritage Canyon. The filmmakers were in Fulton to record the Illinois’ end of the Lincoln Highway. They were accompanied in Fulton by representatives of Blackhawk Waterways Tourism Department and the Lincoln Highway Association.

10 Years June 20, 2012

The family of Ken Kuehl donated 16 books of school information that had been researched and documented by their father over a 10-year period. Kuehl, a former teacher, spent a great deal of time reading the Whiteside Sent i n e l n e w s p a p e r s a n d c o p i e d a n y school-related information. He pres e n te d a p r o g r a m a t t h e F u l t on Museum several years ago on the project. His family donated his copies to the Fulton Historical Society.

Illowa Thrift Store donated $500 to the newly established Extracurricular Activity Support for Youth (EASY) program. The cost of River Bend students to participate in extracurricular activities has skyrocketed over the past 10 years, going from $25 in 2002 to $235 in 2012. One third of students did not participate in extracurricular activities last school year. EASY will begin helping students this fall with fees.

YOUR HEALTH

Packaging concerns of fast foods is discussed

By STEVEN D. HARRISON, M.D.

Fast foods have been vilified for many reasons. Among these are the ease there is to obtain high density food filled with calories that may be assisted by the contamination aspect of processed foods. In addition, they often are prepared with vegetable oil, which oxidizes more readily, contributing to breakdown products that are harmful to the body. This is far more common than with animal fat. One of the major chains that started the trend of cooking french fries with vegetable oil completely missed the boat.

As it turns out, there is additional concern with the packaging of many fast foods. This is because a common chemical found in this packaging is PFAS, known as polyfluoroalkyl substance. This chemical also is found in common household items that help to make objects either water or fire resistant.

The chemical has been linked to cancer, hormone changes, weight gain, thyroid disorders and other autoimmune conditions. Unfortunately, these chemicals are slow to break down and they can stick around forever. Regular use of fast foods helps to keep the levels elevated and has been termed a forever chemical. In addition, there can be extensive damage to the liver, kidneys and immune system.

Finally, because these chemicals do not break down, there are concerns about the environment and the buildup of these chemicals and ground water. Many states are starting to restrict their use. The country of Denmark already has banned them from packaging.

Nor thwest Illinois Film Festival is June 24-25 at Morrison Tech

The lineup for the second annual Northwest Illinois Film Festival 2022 has been set for screenings June 24 and 25. The film festival, hosted by the Northwest Illinois Film Office, celebrates independent filmmakers with ties to northwest Illinois.

This year, films include Fourth Wall Film’s “Sons & Daughters of Thunder,” a docudrama that portrays the true story of the Lane Seminary Debates on Slavery of 1834; N e v e r S ub mi t E n t e r t a i n m e n t ’s “Without Grace,” a romantic drama with a faith-based undercurrent; and, “The Blacklight”, a genre-bending thriller from Rockford’s Dashford Media and producer Don Hatton. Joining the films will be two short films and the introduction of “Chucky Chicken,” a lovable animated chicken character created by Michael Cook from Oswego and Valley Studios.

The festival will be at Morrison Tech, 701 Portland Avenue, Morrison.

The festival is a free event, but registration is required.

The schedule is as follows:

Friday, June 24, 7 p.m.: “Sons & Daughters of Thunder” and an episode of “Hero Street; A Bridge Too Far.”

Saturday, June 25, 3 p.m.: “Without Grace.”

Saturday, June 25, 7 p.m.: “The Blacklight” and the short film “Wolfdog.”

Registration for the free event is required at eventbrite.com. Doors open 15 minutes prior to the screenings. For more information, call 815772-5182 or visit nwillinoisfilmfestival.com.

All films have a strong connection to the northwest Illinois region, with production teams based in northw e s t I l l i n o i s a n d f i l m s f e a t u r i n g locations in northwest Illinois.