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Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 16
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Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 16

Publication:
Herald and Reviewi
Location:
Decatur, Illinois
Issue Date:
Page:
16
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

I Decatur, Illinois Tuesday, February 9, 1999 Prairie Talk Club lieu 7 I tttot 7 flr'vj-v rr ft vTr ufr Iff 11 Ip i oL III ik -Mi a -n? Submitted Photo AUTHOR AND FAMILY: Cheryl and Richard Peck with their mother, Virginia Peck, on the occasion of her 90th birthday three years ago. ewbe By ARLENE MANNLEIN Community News Writer DKCATUIl Friend, Decatur Township (lerk, has been named business associate of the year by the Monarch Chapter of American Businesswomen. Friend, a chapter member since 1985, was named VM, woman of the year by the Monarch chapter and has served in neveral club offices. DECATUR The United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association plans to organize a chapter for recreational and competitive dancers in the Decatur area. A steering committee is being formed to guide the project.

Interested? Call 1-800-447-9047. MAROA N. LaMance Thorns has been installed as worshipful master of Maroa Masonic Lodge 454. Other officers are Charles Leimbach, senior warden; John Leach junior warden; Robert Austin, secretary; David Foulke, treasurer; James Leach, chaplain; Robert Marsh, senior deacon; Dan Harlow, junior deacon; Harold Johnson, senior steward; Harry O'Riley, junior steward; Sam Phipps, marshal; and Bernard Myers, tyler. DECATUR Teena Zindel-McWilliams has been elected president of Friends of the Decatur Public Library.

Ed Walker is first vice president. Barbara Henson is second vice president. Membership dues are $5. For more information, call 424-2900, ext. 43.

DECATUR Bev Twiss won the Decatur Camera Club's December competition. Twiss and Dave Dorgan also won November's print of show. Linda Harrison and Judy Rogers won the club's November slide competition. DECATUR The Macon County Lady Landowners elected Susan Woodard as president. She is the owner of the Woodard Agency in Decatur.

Other officers are Betty Otta Garren of Decatur, vice president; Miriam Servers of Blue Mound, secretary-treasurer. This is the first mother daughter presidentvice president combination. The organization has 200 members. To join, call 422-1588 or 422-5843. SPRINGFIELD Terry Cutright of Petersburg has been elected 85th Potentate of Ansar Temple, Springfield.

Joseph Lucas of Mount Pulaski was appointed second ceremonial master. Take time to read to your children Long an advocate of reading to children, author Richard Peck says in "Something About the Author" that he was "greatly influenced by this household full of adults who took the time to read to him and tell him stories of the old The following poem represents his advocacy: TWENTY MINUTES A DAY by Richard Peck Read to your children Twenty Minutes a day; You have the time, And so do they. Read while the laundry is in the machine; Read while the dinner cooks; Tuck a child in the crook of your arm And reach for the library books. Hide the remote, Let the computer games cool, For one day your children will be off to school; Remedial? Gifted? You have the choice; Let them hear their first tales In the sound of your voice. Read in the morning; Read over noon; Read by the light of Goodnight Moon.

Turn the pages together, Sitting close as you'll fit. Till a small voice beside you says, Hey, don't quit. The story goes through seven summer visits, each containing surprises and humor. Although Peck has a sister, the brother and sister in "A Long Way are not based on the Pecks. "My sister is much younger than and I wanted the contrast between the Chicago 'city kids' and the Peck said.

"I am nostalgic by nature; we all need our little escapes." In another interview, Peck said, "Like a lot of adults, I noticed that 12-year-olds are already far more computer literate than I will ever be." And now, he adds, "I'm roadkill on the information highway!" His sister, Cheryl Peck, a former Herald Review reporter who is associate chancellor for public relations in the Office of Campus Relations at University of Illinois at Springfield, says for years he used a Royal manual typewriter to produce his books but now uses an electric typewriter. "What is it he says?" she muses. "It's 'I can't think any faster than I can "A Long Way From Chicago" by Richard Peck is published by Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Putnam New York City. The list price is $15.99. It is available from Penguin Putnam by calling 1-800-788-6262.

To order, the ISBN number must be used: 0-8037-2290-7. The book is on order at the Old Book Barn in Forsyth and was sold out but should be in this week at Haines Essick Decatur. It is also on back order, with shipment delayed about three to five weeks, from www.amazon.com on the Internet. Amazon's list price is $11.19 plus shipping and handling. Limited copies of "A Long Way are also available for checkout from the Children's Department and the Young Adult section at the Decatur Public Library and on both library bookmobiles.

DECATUR Richard Peck's list of awards, starting in 1970, is as long as an elephant's trunk. The Decatur-born author of books for young adults added another tribute when his 1998 novel, "A Long Way from Chicago" was chosen as the Newbery Medal Honor Book. Peck, 64, lives in New York City. The Newbery Medal, named for 18th century British bookseller John Newbery, is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The winner this time was "Holes" by Louis Sachar (Farrar Straus Giroux).

Peck's book was runner-up. "Pretty good for the 28th book in my career," he said. He was also one of five finalists in the National Book Award competition. "A Long Way From Chicago," explains Peck, "is loosely based on Cerro Gordo, where my grandmother and father grew up. But it's really any Middle America small town." In the book, a boy, Joey, and his sister, Mary Alice, city slickers from Chicago, make annual visits, largely against their will, to Grandma Dowdel's seemingly sleepy Illinois town.

During the August 1929 visit, they see their first corpse. The viewing, in Grandma's parlor, becomes a memorable experience for the siblings as well as a "big city" reporter from Peoria. In the August 1930 visit, they meet the Cowgill boys, who terrorize the town, but not Grandma, who fights back with a bottle of milk and a dead mouse. And all in one day in August 1931, Joey and Mary Alice help Grandma trespass, poach, catch the sheriff in his underwear and feed the hungry. PALMER TV isn't all bad for kids In the child psychology classes I teach at Richland Community College, my students and I often discuss the effects of television on children.

More often than not, the conclusion is reached that TV isn't good for children to watch. Well, as a Mom, I have to disagree. Around his second birthday, my son, Ollie, became mesmerized by television when he saw Barney, a singingdancing Tyrannosaurus Rex. For the first time in his toddler years, he sat down and stayed still for half an hour. Of course, I had to see for myself what was so interesting.

So I watched with him. I wasn't too impressed by Barney at first, but the next time he came on, I found that I could slip out of the living room and take a quick shower in peace. IT WASN'T long until I saved all of my personal activities for the "Barney Hour." I'd wash my hair, have a telephone conversation, even eat a sandwich sitting down. It was a bit of a miracle, and I quickly became a huge fan of Barney. In fact, we took Barney audiotapes along in the car.

Now my son is 5, and Barney is no longer cool. Arthur has come to fill his shoes. Arthur is an aardvark with big ears who deals with his little sisters, a variety of animal friends and all of the issues that surround a grade school kid. But the best thing about Arthur is his eyes. Or his "four eyes," to be exact, because Arthur wears glasses.

Ollie always thought this was neat, but Arthur really helped us out a few days ago. My son's teacher told me that Ollie was squinting when he looked at the board, and a trip to the optometrist confirmed that Ollie needed glasses. HE WAS excited during the exam, since we had seen Arthur go through it numerous times, and Ollie couldn't wait to pick out frames similar to his cartoon friend's. We found the signature round frames that Arthur wears, and when we picked up the finished glasses a few days later, Ollie wanted to know if he looked like Arthur now. I assured him that he definitely did.

Ollie was quiet the next day before school, and I asked him what was wrong. He said he was worried about the other kids making fun of him, something that Arthur had experienced as well. I told Ollie that someone might make a smart comment, like Arthur's friend, Francine, did to him but Ollie would just have to remember that his glasses are a great thing since they help him to see better. Ollie thought this over for a minute and then told me that he would be fine. Arthur was scared about wearing his glasses for the first time, too, Ollie said to me, but he made it through.

And with that, my son and his new glasses went to school. Later that afternoon I asked a smiling Ollie how it went. He said that the kids thought his glasses were great they could see that they were just like Arthur's. Kristi Palmer lives in Forsyth. She is a certified family life educator and is on the adjunct faculty at Richland Community College.

Walker to speak at Civil Rights Tribute DECATUR Macon County Sheriff Roger Walker will speak at "From Africa to America: A Tribute to the Civil Rights Era" in the Decatur Civic Center Saturday, Feb. 27. Hours are 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $2 and are available at the Civic Center box office or at the door. The program includes dramatic re-enactments, African dancing, a candlelight display and music.

The event is sponsored by Miles Chevrolet through the African-American Cultural and Genealogical Society of Illinois. Call 429-7458 for information. Success in competitions iAi- 4Sj Jf C' v-. KEYBOARD FAMILY: John Harmon Zach, center, and Noah. Submitted photo with his wife, Linda, and sons InlarmoiH zing family akes a Whistle Sio of several years.

A welder at Archer Daniels Midland Burbes lives in Moweaqua. He was a three-time national champion at Cumberland College in Kentucky. The holder of a third-degree black belt, denoting excellence, he won 10 times in the Prairie State Games. "In 1972, 1 lived three blocks from the Dojo, I was the punching bag in school," Burbes said. SNOW SHOVELING: During the January snow storm, my two wonderful neighbors, Bobby Tipton and Bob Whitney cleared my driveway, shoveled a path for the mailman and cleared steps and the porch.

I hadn't asked them to do this and they wouldn't accept money. I want to thank them for this kindness. Mary McArty, Decatur LOST AND FOUND: I had a little black purse with a strap with me when a friend and I went to the Hickory Point Mall. We then stopped at a jewelry store and I discovered the purse was missing. I called the mall, I went back to the mall.

No luck. I called the mall again. Still no luck. When I got home I told my dad I had lost my purse. He held up a purse and asked if it was what I was looking for.

He said two young boys brought the purse to the house. "Then I joined the Dojo and life got better after eighth grade." Now Burbes is proud to be carrying on the Bill Horve tradition of Dojo excellence. "Bill used to yell at me, get after me," Burbes recalled. "He was a great coach." Nicole Horve also is helping to perpetuate the tradition: She holds a first-degree black belt. Jerry See is being groomed for a black belt.

Thanks to the boys for bringing the purse back. They did not want a reward and I didn't get their names. There are some really good young people. I am so thankful. Marjorie M.

Eaton, Decatur JAZZ FESTIVAL: Our thanks to the many who came from around the U.S. to enjoy the Central Illinois Jazz Festival. Thanks to the musicians and thanks to the staff at the Decatur Holiday Inn Conference Hotel. Also thanks to the individuals and organizations who helped us sponsor three groups of musicians plus a welcoming party and seminars for Decatur students. Thanks to John Cardwell for allowing a party of women to tour the Loeb-Lindquist House on Sunday night and to dine at Jimmy Ryan's.

Also thanks to the Merchant Street Boutique's Peach Penhallegon and Barb Streich for the fashion show at Jimmy Ryan's and to the friends who came to the rescue with cars and vans when the bus failed to show up. Thanks for enjoying the Central Illinois Jazz Festival. Join us next January. Juvae Jazz Society, Including Maggie Parker Seth Gault and Carol luschhoff Continued from C1 next tournament at the Dojo will be Saturday, March 20. Burbes was pleased with the Decatur tournament showing of Kelton Veteto, 5, who placed third in his first tournament outing; Steven Gray, second in the 7-8 age group; Chuck Gross, who gave Justin Vanderlaan a good match; and Chris Mclntire, who has returned to judo after an absence DONATION WELCOME: Thanks to the women of the Junior Welfare Association for their generous donation of $10,005.

The money will help provide quality training programs and fun, educational activities for our children in the program and on our. waiting list. Your support of our mentoring program benefits the children of our community and leads to their future success. Jeanne Stahlheber, executive director, Big BrothersBig Sisters of Macon County MITCHELL OFFICES: Thanks to the many people who stopped by my district offices in Forsyth and Shelbyville Jan. 20.

1 enjoyed speaking with everyone. As an elected official, it is important that I keep up to date with the needs and concerns of the citizens of my district. Feel free to stop by for a chat and a cup of coffee any time. The Forsyth office is at 332 W. Marion Suite 7, and will be open from 8:30 a.m.

to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The telephone number is 876-1968. The Shelbyville office is at 315 'A E. Main and will be open from 8:30 a.m.

to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The telephone number is 774-4701. Bill Mitchell, State Representative, 102nd District tine's Day. Call 692-2001.

John Harmon is an acclaimed composer performer teacher choir director, particularly as a composer. He has composed hundreds of songs for jazz ensembles, symphony orchestras, church choirs. Linda Harmon is also a teacher as well as professional performer. Noah Harmon was the junior champion in 1997 in the World's Championship Old Time Piano Playing Contest in Decatur. Leonard Feather, the noted jazz critic, says this: "John Harmon's material covers an amazing range of textures, colors, tempos and moods, changing so often that the sound of surprise is never more than seconds away." By BOB FALLSTR0M Community News Editor BLUE MOUND John Harmon, Wisconsin's gentle poet of jazz, will bring the Harmon family of piano players to the Whistle Stop Diner in Blue Mound Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Feb.

12-14. The family includes Harmon wife, Linda, and sons Noah, a high school junior, and Zach, an eighth-grader. They live in Win-neconne, Wis. The Harmons will entertain from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and then again at 1:30 p.m.

Sunday after a buffet meal at noon. The Friday and Saturday shows cost $7.50. The Sunday program costs $12 with the music focusing on love songs in honor of Valen i i.

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