outlook 2013: live
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The 2013 Edition of the Herald & Review Outlook, the Live issue.TRANSCRIPT
Herald Review& SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013
LIVE LEARN WORK PLAYOur family, our faith, our livelihood,
our hobbies and our memories — these
are the foundations on which we build
a life.
In this pages, meet some Central
Illinois residents who have not only
constructed a good life on these
basic foundations, but have taken
them a step beyond — achieving
dreams and goals that at first seemed
impossible.
Here are their stories.
SUPER KIDS CLUB
Pulling stringsWith the help of puppets,
Gary Strong has outgrownhis shyness, created a showthat Decatur children love
By JIM VORELH&R Staff Writer
DECATUR — From as early as he canremember, Gary Strong has been a shy person.
As a young child, he remembers beingintrigued by puppet shows, specifically becausethe performers didn’t have to be on stage.Rather than focusing on the characters, like therest of his classmates, Strong was drawn towhat was going on out of sight. It was thiscuriosity that led him into a lifetime passion forpuppetry and marionettes, making his hand-made creations the stars of the show, while hemetaphorically and literally pulls the strings.
“I was a very shy child who didn’t like to bethe center of attention,” said Strong, known forthe past two decades in Decatur as the creatorof the ongoing Super Kids Club series of chil-dren’s shows. “You couldn’t get me in front ofan audience; I always backed away. But behindthe puppet stage you couldn’t be seen, and thatput me at ease. Your personality can comethrough in your characters, and it helped meovercome my shyness.”
Those first puppetry experiences are nowmore than 60 years ago for Strong. Back then,he drew an initial influence from the earlydays of children’s television, watching showssuch as “Howdy Doody” and “Kukla, Fran andOllie.” He first saw in-person puppetry throughthe school programs of the famous Cole Mari-onettes, whose founder George Cole learnedwoodworking from his father, Millikin Universi-ty professor L.M. Cole. The Cole Marionettes’shows traveled throughout the Midwest andgave many children their first exposure to pup-petry. They were also Strong’s first mentors.
“They had five troops that traveled around,and George Cole and his wife performed wellinto their 70s,” he said. “They performed strict-ly fairy tale material, but it was very well
done, and this was in the days when everythingwas performed live. I finally got up the nerveto meet them when I was in junior high school,and they helped me tremendously. They let mebackstage anytime they appeared in Decaturand started teaching me all the tricks of theirtrade.”
It wasn’t long before Strong was putting onhis own puppet shows anywhere he could, using“stages” made from old card tables. Beforeeven getting to junior high, he was putting onshows in backyards, basements, schools andchurches. He first went on the road with whathe considered a “professional” show in the1980s, with his mother as partner and second-ary puppeteer. And for all that time, he simul-taneously kept up full-time factory jobs forArcher Daniels Midland Co. and Bridgestone/Firestone Inc., doing what he loved wheneverhe could make the time.
STRONG/PAGE 8
Herald & Review photos/Lisa Morrison
Gary Strong looks over a selection of his characters, some of which were used in the recent Super Heroes day at Super Kids Club.
Strong had to do some research while creatingthe Cat in the Hat. His kids are grown and he hadnot read the series in a while.
Strong uses a variety of donated and dollar storematerials to make what he needs including shoes.He does not have a pattern, when he starts, headapts for the needs of the character.
INSIDE:
Curt Carter aims
to capture the
natural world for
all to see with
his photography
Pages 2-3
At the intersection of
Interstates 57 and 70
rises an inspiration
for passing motorists,
a 198-foot-tall cross
Page 7
Massage therapists
encourage people
to find a licensed
practitioner, enjoy
the health benefits
Page 6
By JIM VORELH&R Staff Writer
TUSCOLA — As Tuscolaresident Curt Carter firstbecame serious about the artof photography in the early1980s, he sent away for aTime-Life magazine seriesthat promisedto teach no lessthan “every-thing you everwanted to knowabout photogra-phy.”
With somepeople, this mayhave been true,but for Carter,his passion foroutdoors andnature photog-raphy has farexceeded thepromise ofthose earlymagazines.He’s spent the last 30 yearshiking America’s trails andexploring its wilderness,always with a camera by hisside.
“My first-ever camera wasa Polaroid Swinger in 1970,”said Carter, who has lived andworked out of the Tuscola
area since 1980. “I prettymuch wore that one out fromoveruse. Then I got into girls,so I put the camera away fora little while. But ever sincethe 1980s I’ve been heavilyinto photography.”
It wasn’t really until the1990s thatCarter firstbegan consid-ering himselfan “artist,”however. Overtime, moreand morefriends beganasking himfor adviceabout photog-raphy tech-niques, andmore requestscame rollingin for com-missionedpieces andcopies of his
work. He slowly began torealize that he might be ableto make photography intosomething more than just ahobby, and it became a sec-ondary business after hismain line of work as an auto-mobile technician and shopforeman.
“I really had to be con-vinced at first that peoplewould want to buy my work,”he said. “It’s never been a fullcareer, but it’s turned into ahuge part of my life. And Ithink in retrospect it fits withmy other work. I have a ten-dency to say ‘You can’t fix itif you don’t know how itworks,’ and that applies toboth cars and cameras.”
The persistent subject ofCarter’s work has been thegreat outdoors of the Ameri-can wilderness. He’s traveledto both coasts, taking progres-sively more stunning photos
PHOTOS/PAGE 3
2 LIVE SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013 DECATUR, ILLINOIS www.herald-review.com
Catching his eyeTuscola photographer wants to capture the world in its raw form
Self portrait of Curt Carter
FROM OUR READERS
COMMUNITY PROFILE
CITY: Tuscola
COUNTY: Douglas
POPULATION: 4,480
MAYOR: Dan Kleiss
INDUSTRY: Cabot Corp., Lyon-
dell
EVENTS AND ATTRACTIONS: Dou-
glas County Museum, Tanger
Outlet Mall, Sparks in the Park
MAJOR HIGHWAYS: Interstate 57,
Illinois 36 and U.S. 45
HISTORY: The founding supervi-
sor of Tuscola Township was O.C.
Hackett, elected in 1868. Hackett
was elected supervisor with a
majority of only one vote over
W.B. Ervin. Hackett was the
grandson of noted Kentucky fron-
tiersman and Boonesborough res-
ident Peter Hackett. He planted
Hackett’s Grove, a sassafras
grove situated on Section 31,
Township 16, Range 9, on the
east side of the township. This 20-
acre grove is traversed by a
branch of Scattering Fork of the
Embarrass River, long known as
Hackett’s Run, and according to
the 1884 History of Douglas
County, the grove had been
owned by the Hacketts since long
before Douglas County had an
existence. Hackett’s father, John
Hackett, settled in nearby Coles
County in 1835. Family legend
holds that Abraham Lincoln
stayed at the Hackett farm during
the Lincoln-Douglas debates of
1858.
ON THE WEB: www.tuscola.org;
point2tuscola.org
n o n
VILLAGE: Hindsboro
COUNTY: Douglas
POPULATION: 313
PRESIDENT: Kent Douglas
MAJOR HIGHWAY: Illinois 133
n o n
CITY: Arthur
COUNTY: Douglas
POPULATION: 2,288
MAYOR: Matt Bernius
EVENTS AND ATTRACTIONS:Arthur Amish Country Cheese
Festival, Freedom Celebration
and Fireworks
INDUSTRY: Schrock Cabinet
Co., CHI Industries
MAJOR HIGHWAY: Illinois 133
HISTORY: In 1850, the Illinois
Central railroad pushed two lines
south from Chicago across the
prairies of Central Illinois. One ran
through Decatur to Centralia; the
other through Champaign, Arcola,
Mattoon and Effingham.
People soon settled and estab-
lished towns every few miles
along these lines at water and
coal stops.
In 1850, Malden Jones and a
few others from Arcola filtered
west into the swampy land on
each side of the Okaw (Kaskaskia)
River.
They settled on some higher
ground about seven miles
northwest of Arcola. They
received a post office permit for
their town of Bourbon. Others
went directly west of Arcola,
crossed the river and, on a high
bank started the town of Bag-
dad. A bit farther south had a
town called Cooks Mill. But
other than along the rivers, the
Big Slough prevailed.
On Oct. 25, 1872, the first train
to cross the Big Slough wound its
way over track laid following the
contour of the land to keep it out
of the water. As the track crossed
the river four miles west of Arcola,
it made its first switch and water
tank at what is now Chesterville.
Going westward another five
miles, it became necessary for
another passing switch and tank;
so, one was made near a road
that crossed at right angles to the
route.
This passing track was first
called Glasgow, but when apply-
ing for a post office a short time
later, it was found out that there
already was a Glascow. The
name was changed to Arthur after
a brother of Robert G. Hervey, the
railroad president.
Now with a railroad and a
street and a switch, the town
could begin. In the summer of
1872, J.W. Sears, who was living
in Owasco, decided to move near
the new railroad and build a two-
story home. He then built a small
store. Another house was built
that winter. The city’s first child,
Olive Sears, was born in Arthur
on Feb 16, 1873. In the spring,
another large house was built fac-
ing the railroad. By the end of
1873, there were 30 buildings in
Arthur.
Arthur continued to grow, and
by 1877, the population was
approximately 300, with plans
being made to incorporate as a
village. This occurred in April in
the Moultrie County Court House.
The first village election was
held on June 12, 1877.
ON THE WEB: www.arthur-il.gov
n o n
VILLAGE: Lovington
COUNTY: Moultrie
POPULATION: 1,100
PRESIDENT: Dennis Garmon
(acting president)
HIGHWAYS: Illinois 32, Illinois
133
HISTORY: The village was first
incorporated in 1873. Moultrie
County, in which Lovington is
located, was originally part of
Shelby and Macon counties. The
county was named after Col.
William Moultrie by the governor
in 1843.
James Kellar erected the first
building in the village in 1838. It
was called the Black Horse Tav-
ern and provided food and shel-
ter. The Decatur and Paris Stage
Line passed by the tavern three
times daily using the old plowed-
furrow Springfield Road. This
road was one of the first in the
county and extended from Paris
to Springfield. Its path through
Lovington corresponds closely
with current Illinois highways 32
and 133.
About 1848 Andrew and John
Love moved into town. The first
post office was established in the
Love’s home and the village was
named after the brothers in
1850.
n o n
VILLAGE: Humboldt
COUNTY: Coles
POPULATION: 1,341
PRESIDENT: Leland Warren
MAJOR HIGHWAY: U.S. 45
My “Big Thumbs Up” is forthe Decatur Family YMCA,which I joined six years ago,shortly after I retired.
From the moment I walkedin the place to join, when theygave a special sign-up rate,I’ve felt comfortable andknew I was in the right place.Whether it’s the person work-ing at the front desk, themany trainers, the staff main-taining the place or any of theother staff members, they allmake you feel good aboutbeing there.
It’s not only a place to keepyour body in shape, but alsoyour mind and spirit. It’s aplace to make new friendsand talk to old ones, and toget out of the house duringthe winter when you can’twork outside at home.
The YMCA has many youthprograms and makes it possi-ble for people who couldn’totherwise afford it to have amembership. The YMCAtruly serves the entire com-munity.
The Decatur YMCA is avery special place for me andmany others, I’m sure. I’mproud to say I’m a member. Iwould point both of my “BigThumbs Up” to honor theYMCA.
—Bill Arter, Decatur
n o n
“A Big Thumbs Up” to allvolunteer firemen and EMTs,especially, our group in Ham-mond. These people train dili-
gently and “answer the call”faster than any we hear onour scanner! They do such anexcellent job and treat peoplewith respect and dignity.
Everyone should realizethey put their well-being onthe line for us with each call.So, a big thanks, and Godbless you to all!
—Howard and Norma Rigg, Hammond
n o n
Twenty-eight years ago, onmy first day of teaching at St.Teresa High School, I met ayoung man named PhilMcMullen. I knew when I methim he had a very importantposition at St. Teresa. I knewthat, not because of anythingthat he said or did in mypresence — and not evenbecause of his title as dean ofstudents — but because ofhow students acted in hispresence. There was a palpa-ble respect that everyonecould sense as soon as heentered a room. Later thatyear, as I was directing themusicals, I would often go tothe stage area to work duringmy prep hour, and I couldhear Mr. McMullen teachingin his anatomy/physiologyclassroom. Sometimes Iwould find myself enjoyinghis lectures or his leadershipin class discussions andlaughing at his humor in theclassroom, and I knew whystudents held him in suchhigh esteem. Play practices
often allowed me to talk tostudents on a more personallevel, and the general consen-sus was that if any oneteacher deserved respect andadmiration, it was PhilMcMullen.
Phil had already been there14 years when I first met him.His dedication to this schoolwas immediately evident. Hisclassroom was filled with wildanimals that Phil had pre-served through taxidermy.His collection of insects, his2,800 film and television seg-ments of scientific issues, andhis eight cabinets of dia-grams, notes, and tests weretestimony of his degree ofexpertise in the science class-room. But he invested himselfin St. Teresa High School inmore ways than as a class-room teacher. If a paper layon the floor, he would pick itup. If leaves gathered aroundthe doorways, he would sweepthem away. It didn’t take longfor me to realize that his lovefor the school and everythingit stood for was the reason hedemanded student disciplineas dean of students and pro-moted tough educational stan-dards in the classroom. Hehad a good mentor himself, inthe form of Sister ClotildeO’Riley, who also had a greatlove for the school and forstandards of Catholic educa-tion. Her influence lived on inPhil McMullen, as her contin-ued her values of excellencein his own classroom andthroughout the school.
When a teacher gives hislife to a school as Phil hasdone to St. Teresa, his actionspermeate more than hisclassroom and the minds ofhis students. Over the lastfour decades, Phil has workedto make this campus beauti-ful. Planting trees, mowing,caring for shrubs, landscap-ing around the new wing — aswell as making Jell-O brainsand creative experiments onOpen House meetings — weowe all of this to his love forthe school. His dedication toSt. Teresa is proven by somany things, not the least ofwhich is this: over the courseof his tenure here he hasaccumulated 276 sick days —276 days he could have takenbut did not. Unlike otherteachers in other schools,teachers at St. Teresa cannotredeem sick days for bonuspay. Many times, I saw Philnot feeling well, but comingto school anyway because he“needed” to teach the lessonfor the day. For those of youwho aren’t counting, that’sthe equivalent of more than afull year and a half of school.His 42 years here representthe longest tenure of anyteacher or administrator thatSt. Teresa High School hasever had. Three generationsof students have been blessedto have him as a mentor intheir lives.
Just before Christmas in2012, Phil suffered a strokethat has hindered some of hiscognitive and motor skills.
Just two weeks later, whenschool resumed in January,Phil was back at his desk,ready to teach. Over the nextfew weeks, Phil realized heneeded time to recuperatethose skills, and he chose toretire. At his retirement cele-bration on March 1, lettersfrom a plethora of alumniwere read as tributes to themany gifts he shared with hisstudents over his 42 years ofteaching.
There are so many exam-ples of things that Mr. Macdid or said that made me abetter teacher and a betterperson. The halls of St. Tere-sa will never be the samewithout his presence here.Thousands of students areprivileged to have been hisstudents. I am privileged tohave been his colleague. I amblessed to be his friend.
—Arlis E. DeJaynes, Decatur
n o n
In Decatur there’s a pro-gram call the Youth With aPositive Direction that’s beenrunning since the year 2000.This program is located atMain Street Church of God,2000 N. Main St. This pro-gram helps young childrenwith their education fromkindergarten through 12thgrade. Margart Walker, execu-tive director of Youth With aPositive Direction, has hiredmany adults to help childrenso they would be able to makeit through school. Youth with
a Positive Direction alsofeeds kids a meal before theystart homework. This pro-gram runs Monday throughThursday.
I give the program “A BigThumbs Up” because it hashelped children get off thestreets and made them wantto graduate. Children can alsoget one-on-one help, if need-ed. I, myself, have attendedthis program. It has helpedme with my education. As achild I was getting badgrades, but once I enrolled inYouth With a Positive Direc-tion, I got one-on-one helpand became an honor roll stu-dent. As of today, I’m stillenrolled in school and will begraduating May 15. This pro-gram and the workers havemade me successful andmade me want to further myeducation.
—Clairise Campbell, Decatur
n o n
I want to give “A BigThumbs Up” to the dentaloffices of Dr. Jerger and Dr.Stone for being involved inthe “Give Kids a Smile” pro-gram. They unselfishly givetheir time and talent, attheir own expense, to kidswho would otherwise gowithout. Thank you, Connieand Jackie, who assist andwere instrumental in helpinga young friend of minereceive a new front tooth.Kudos!
— Lori Cox, Decatur
Submitted photos
PHOTOSContinued from Page 2as technology improved andmade outdoor photographymore accessible.
“I’ve always been an avidoutdoorsman,” he said. “I wasborn in the state of Maine andloved the mountains and hik-ing. I’ve hiked most of theAppalachian Trail, and climbedall over the U.S. I moved awayfrom shooting with film inabout 2003 because I saw somegreat possibilities in digital out-door photography.”
In cap-turinghisscenes ofwildlife,naturalvistasand thesmallwondersof Ameri-ca’sforests,fieldsand natu-ralparks,Carterlikes toemploy anatural-ist
approach. He edits his digitalphotographs very sparsely,with a philosophy that aims tocapture the scene in exactlythe same way that he viewedit, without added touches orembellishments. Much of hiswork can be viewed at www.cacarterimages.com.
“I just go for stuff that real-ly catches my eye, things thatI consider to be awesome orinspiring,” he said. “You canalways take a big vista shot,but you can also extract onesmall detail for artistic pur-poses. I like to see in the photowhat I was seeing when I wasthere, to leave things as theywere, sowhen peoplesay ‘Thatdoesn’t lookreal,’ I cansay ‘That’sreally whatit lookedlike.’ ”
In fact,Carter’s pas-sion for thehobby hasgrown tosuch anextent thathe now takesmore pleas-ure out of sim-ple exploration and observa-tion in the wild than he doesfrom former outdoor hobbies
such as hunting. He’s discov-ered that he would rather shootwildlife with his camera than arifle, and developed a deeper
appreciation forthe environment.
“I would just assoon photographthe deer now, Iget more enjoy-ment out of that,”he said. “It isvery peaceful,away from thehustle and bustleof the world, andyou can havesome experiencesyou never forget.”
One of theseexperiences cameduring a photog-raphy and hiking
trip to Yellowstone NationalPark, where Carter turneddown a trail to find
www.herald-review.com SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013 DECATUR, ILLINOIS LIVE 3
‘I just gofor stuff
that reallycatches my eye,
things that I consider
to be awesome orinspiring.’
Curt Carter
COMMUNITY PROFILE
FROM OUR
READERS
CITY: Arcola
COUNTY: Douglas
POPULATION: 2,990
MAYOR: Larry Ferguson
EVENTS AND ATTRACTIONS: Broom
Corn Festival, Hippie Memorial
MAJOR HIGHWAY: Interstate 57
HISTORY: In the mid-1800s, a
group of pioneers established a
settlement along the banks of the
Okaw River and named it Bagdad.
There, those pioneers laid the
foundation for one of the most his-
torically-rich towns in Central Illinois.
The 1850s brought the
announcement of the construction
of a railroad that would connect the
cities of Chicago and Centralia and
run just to the east of Bagdad.
In 1855, the Illinois Central Rail-
road surveyed and plotted a tract of
land along both sides of the newly
completed railroad so a city could be
built. The new city was called Okaw.
After applying for a post office,
railroad officials were surprised to
hear that the state of Illinois
already had a town named Okaw,
so a new name had to be found.
James Kearney, a local citizen,
proposed that the new city be
called Arcola.
Business boomed in Arcola, and
in the winter of 1856, the residents
of Bagdad loaded the entire town
— buildings and all — on wooden
sleds and moved the whole settle-
ment to Arcola.
In 1860, the Presbyterians built
the first church in Arcola, a struc-
ture located on the same lot as the
current church.
In 1865, The Arcola Herald
newspaper was established by
John Gruelle. At about the same
time, a local man named Col.
Cofer was experimenting by plant-
ing 20 acres of broomcorn.
The crop did so well that the
popularity of broomcorn took off.
Soon, nearly half of the broomcorn
grown in the United States came
from the Arcola area.
While broomcorn was becoming
big business across the United
States, another man was sowing
the seeds of another Arcola legacy.
Johnny Gruelle, born in Arcola in
1882, loved to write and draw car-
toons for his young daughter, Mar-
cella. Her favorite character from her
father’s tales was Raggedy Ann.
After Marcella’s untimely death,
Johnny Gruelle had a hard time
coping with the loss. He found that
the best way to overcome his grief
was to write and publish the stories
he created for her, and so,
Raggedy Ann became a beloved
character of children and adults
throughout the world.
ON THE WEB: www.arcolaillinois.org
n o n
CITY: Villa Grove
COUNTY: Douglas
POPULATION: 2,500
MAYOR: Thelma Blaney
EVENTS AND ATTRACTIONS: Ag Days
MAJOR HIGHWAY: Illinois 130
HISTORY: Settlement begins in
“Villa in the Grove” in 1852, with
the first home being built by
George Warren Henson.
In 1887, a branch line of the rail-
road is laid from Tuscola to Danville,
and the first depot is built on the
south side of Front Street near Hen-
son Road. It burnt down in 1903.
In 1888, Henson sells land to the
railroad, and the original 2½ block
lots of “Old Town” were plotted the
following year. The 1890s saw the
city’s first schoolhouse erected on
North Henson Road.
In 1903, managers of the Chicago
& Eastern Illinois Railroad observe
that Villa Grove is exactly halfway
between Chicago and St. Louis, an
ideal location for steam engine
repair. Plans begin for “New Town”
Villa Grove, which includes the pres-
ent-day business district, near the
planned new depot and roundhouse.
The village’s first election is conduct-
ed in 1904. J.A. Richman is elected
the first village president.
Between the years of 1905 and
1912, the city begins a growth
spurt, with plans for a village hall,
sidewalks, fire trucks and a new
subdivision. Meanwhile, new
churches, a new grade school, the
city’s first newspaper, The Odd Fel-
lows, Rebekahs and Order of the
Eastern Star also are established.
An election to incorporate Villa
Grove as a city is held in 1913.
One of the earliest floods on record
also is reported in this year, creat-
ing a two-mile lake. During the
years of 1913 to 1920, work begins
on a city water works system and
storm sewers are constructed. The
Farmer’s Elevator is organized,
and plans are made for the con-
struction of a new high school.
In the 1930s and ’40s, the local
VFW post is established, as well
as the Lions and Rotary clubs. The
city’s filter plant is built.
The 1940s also saw a large
flood that created three days of
havoc for residents.
It is a prelude to an even worse
flood that leaves one-third of the
homes surrounded by water and
without heat in the winter of 1950.
Another flood in 1959 closes the
Front Street bridge. A serious flood
in 1974 closes all links to the out-
side area for days; 1979 also had a
mentionable flood.
In the 1960s, a tornado travels
from Decatur to Indianapolis, leav-
ing major destruction in its wake.
Another would hit the city in 1990.
The 1990s was eventful decade
for the city. The city’s worst flood ever
occurred in 1994, again cutting the
city off and endangering the water
supply. Both 1996 and 1997 brought
floods of lesser severity. Three of the
four weather storms were declared
state and/or federal disasters.
Major projects are undertaken
by the city to prevent future flood-
ing. A new water tower is con-
structed, and a major upgrade to
the wastewater treatment systems
is started in phases.
In 2003, Villa Grove discovers
the strange phenomenon known
as a snow roll on Feb. 11.
ON THE WEB: Villagrove.org
I want to give “A BigThumbs Up” to the BUILDCommunity of RichlandCounty in Olney.
This is a coalition ofchurch volunteers, about250 adults, who help thedisabled and elderly inRichland County withhome repairs, remodelingjobs, building ramps,cleaning gutters and gener-al yard work. The missionof the coalition is to pro-vide these services as anexample of a Christianfaith commitment. In 2011and 2012, 64 projects werecompleted and the averagecost of each project was$520. Much of the materialcosts were donated, andlabor was done by volun-teers and licensed contrac-tors (who also donatedtheir time). It is the goal ofthe April 2013 project week-end to conquer 15 projectsutilizing more than 100 vol-unteers.
“A Big Thumbs Up” toRichland County and thekind, generous people whoare clearly making a differ-ence in their community!
—Sarah House, Olney, volunteer with BUILD Community
of Richland County
n o n
I want to give “A BigThumbs Up” up to the cur-rent graduating class atFutures Unlimited.
These students come toschool with more baggagethan any teenager shouldlegally be saddled with.Sometimes, it’s poor choic-es made simply becauseteenagers often make badchoices. But most of mystudents come to us fromparents who have reallyworked hard to mess uptheir kids’ lives. Often, theycome to us because theycan’t bear the pain of goingto a regular high school ona daily basis because theyare bullied, confused,undereducated, passedover, learning disabilitiesare not addressed and aplethora of other reasons.Each student is a uniqueindividual with a unique setof problems. But these stu-dents come to school here,knowing it is their lastchance for a real highschool diploma. They maynot always act like it, butdeep in their hearts theywant that diploma so verybad.
In the graduating classof spring 2013, there aremoms and dads. Manyhave full-time jobs. Manydo not have a home. Somehave no living parents, orparents who are notaround. For some of thesestudents, we are their onlysupport system. I am luckyto have the privilege ofwatching these young peo-ple mature in to youngadults. One thing is certainto all the baggage thesestudents carry with themevery day. But on March11, they added their highschool diploma. When I seetheir joy on graduationday, I know the load seemsmuch lighter.
So, a great big thumbs upto these graduates and toall of those graduates whohave come before and thosecoming in the future.
—Connie Moon, Decatur
n o n
“A Big Thumbs Up” toAnita Buckner.
Anita has dedicated herlife to youth. I first met herat Futures Unlimited; then,at the Boys and Girls Club.She can be in a very loudgroup of youth and, in hersweet, kind, quiet voice,speak to them. They allquiet down and listen. It istruly like magic.
She is willing to listen toanyone, anytime, and try tofind a way to help or findhelp for anyone. She is anamazing person who is ableto find the positive ineveryone. Sometimes, itwould take me a very longtime to find even a tad bitof good in a person. Anitais able to find it right away.With her sweet, kind spirit,she never speaks ill of any-one.
“A Big Thumbs Up” to areally great lady with aheart of pure gold!
—Resa Benz-Spiker, Decatur
himself facing down a mothergrizzly bear and her cub.Instead of backing up imme-diately, Carter went for his
camera, standing still foraround half an hour, takingphotos of the pair. Only thendid he finally retreat.
“I was lucky not to be onthe lunch menu,” he joked.“But I got some good shots.”
[email protected]|(217) 421-7973
Submitted photos
4 LIVE SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013 DECATUR, ILLINOIS www.herald-review.com
By DONNETTE BECKETTH&R Staff Writer
ARCOLA — Hippies come in allages. In fact, some people don’t evenrealize they are a hippie.
When Bob Moomaw created theHippie Memorial in Arcola, he did-n’t consider himself a hippie. In the’60s, Moomaw had the beard and thewild curly hair, but “he had five kidsto raise,” said his wife, Sherron. “Sohe couldn’t really be a hippie.”
The 63-foot-long rusty metal sculp-ture is at 135 N. Oak St., Arcola,next to the Visitors Center.
The Hippie Memorial, made fromscrap pieces of old, rusty metal most-ly from old cars, symbolizes theartist’s life, one foot for each year ofhis life. Sherron remembers her hus-band saying: “Your life is composed ofjunk that you get from other people.”
To go along with the natural orderof life, Moomaw left the metal barein order for it to rust.
The beginning of the sculpturememorializes the first 26 years of hislife. At 3 feet tall, Moomaw was quot-ed as saying “it was like living in acoal mine with a 3-foot ceiling.” Theera running from the Depression tothe 1950s “forced society to stoop.”
The center section, representingthe ’60s and ’70s and the hippiemovement, is 6 foot tall. “It was likegrowing up,” he told others.
The metal shapes are varied and inbright colors, expressing love, freedomand individuality. A small metal peacesymbol and a WOODSTC license platesit at the top. “The hippies,” he said,“gave us room to breathe.”
As the era came to end, Moomaw’slife returned to oppression. Likewise,the sculpture returns to the 3-footheight and drab colors. As life passesthrough time, “other peoples’ junkstuck to him and made him what hewas — the product of leftovers froma previous existence,” said his wife.
Moomaw died in April 1998 at theage of 63, two years after he stoppedworking on the memorial because ofhealth problems.
During the creative process, theHippie Memorial was displayed onhis shop’s fence on Main Street inArcola. Moomaw created signs forother businesses, but was known toexpress his own opinions on the wallof his business. Bob thought “he hadto help people get over their igno-rance,” Sherron remembers.
The Chicago Tribune reported one
of his signs read, “America you’returning into a nation of minimum-wage hamburger flippers. Rebel.Think for yourself. It works!”
Moomaw was also an artist
designing jewelry, paintings, sculp-tures and old cars. He also pin-striped buggies for the youngerAmish. But he supported his familywith other, more stable jobs such as
tax assessor, railroad clerk and anoil well driller.
The city was offered the sculpture,but wouldn’t accept it. As his healthbegan to decline, Moomaw sold thebusiness on Main Street. So he gavethe large structure to his friend GusKelsey who was living in Michigan.Kelsey was a similar character toMoomaw. Mutual friend Pat Mona-han remembers the two as “veryengaging and artistic.” Kelsey knewit needed to be saved. “If he hadn’tagreed to take it, it probably wouldhave disappeared,” Monahan recalls.
But Kelsey never displayed theHippie Memorial in Michigan.Knowing the sculpture belonged inArcola, he returned it.
Friends of the artist came togetherto bring the memorial back to lifewhere it belonged. Monahan donatedthe small patch of land across thestreet from his business, coincidentlynext to the Visitors Center. Kelsey
designed and built the concrete wall inwhich the sculpture is now displayed.
Although the sculpture wasn’tmeant to last, it has been at thesame location for more than 13 yearsand still draws attention. Visitorshear about the sculpture and bringmementos and pictures to place atthe memorial. Monahan notices thecars as they drive up to the memori-al across the street from his office.“People go almost every day to takepictures,” he said.
The artist called the sculpture theHippie Memorial because headmired their artwork and themovement they created.
Moomaw may not have been a hip-pie. “But he was raising his childrenthen, to use the freedom of theirminds to search for knowledge ineducation as he did,” his wife recalls.“To his shame, he was no hippie.”
[email protected]|(217) 421-6983
Hippie at heartBob Moomaw’s memorial in Arcola
tells story of how movement impacted his life
Submitted photo
Artist Bob Moomaw stands next to the Hippie Memorial he created.
Herald & Review photos/Jim Bowling
Sherron Moomaw shares stories of her late husband Bob Moomaw that led to the creation of the Hippie Memorial on display in downtown Arcola.
FROM OUR READERS
I would like to give a “BigThumbs Up” to Sue Hemp forthe work she has done withDIGG (Decatur Is GrowingGardeners).
Her dedication has beenoutstanding, not only from agardening standpoint, butfrom her willingness to shareher knowledge and to pro-mote a concept we have notseen since Al Dobbins man-aged Green Thumb back inthe ’70s: To find empty lots inthe city and turn them intoworking gardens for folks whocould use the work and thegood food. What a “WIN-WIN!”
Sue excels in this project,which requires hard work, forshe is dedicated to the truismthat fresh vegetables promotebetter health. I believe herunselfish endeavor deserves a“Big Thumbs Up.”
—Margaret M. Evans, Decatur
n o n
“A Big Thumbs Up” forour pastor, the Rev. RussellWeise, at St. John’s Luther-an Church. He makes youwant to have God in yourheart.
His sermons are like aconversation over a cup ofcoffee, and you leave want-ing to hear so much more.My husband and I alwayshave a quick giggle, alongwith the other members inour congregation, when Pas-tor Weise does one of hisfamous fishing stories dur-ing the sermon. We are surethey are all true becauseGod would know if he waslying.
For the last several years,Pastor Weise has been men-toring vicars from theLutheran Seminary in St.Louis. Each year, I haveseen the vicars grow bothspiritually and comfortablywith their sermons andduties of the church — allbecause of the encouragingwords of Pastor Weise. He isthe pastor I pray will neveraccept another calling untilGod calls him home.
Pastor Weise is attentiveto the needs of the congrega-tion and the community. Hewas with my family whenmy nephew died in the mid-dle of the night. He helpedby leading us in prayer whenour minds were focused ongrief. My family’s story isone of many I hear in thechurch. He feels everyone’spain and rejoices in every-one’s blessings. He loves tohold the babies after theirbaptism and will high-fivethe little kids as he greetsthem after services. Hugsare often requested from theolder generation.
He is what makes our con-gregation feel like one bigfamily. His favorite words ofencouragement are “YouRock!” always given with hisThumbs Up. Many timesPastor Weise will end churchservices with his “ThumbsUp” for the glory to be givento God. “A Big Thumbs Up”Pastor Weise and God’sblessings — “You Rock”!
—Becky Wortman, Decatur
n o n
I would like to give “A BigThumbs Up” to DiannaMyers of Decatur. She hasbeen a volunteer women’sBible study leader for 40years. She has held the Biblestudy at church, at her homeand back at church again.Her Bible study is very ecu-menical, and there arewomen from many differentreligious backgroundsinvolved. Currently, she leadsa wonderful, inspired andspirit-filled study of the Bibleon Thursday mornings atTabernacle Baptist Church inDecatur. Hallmarks of Dian-na’s study include the loveand caring that she impartsto each lady who joins hergroup. I know that I speakfor the countless women who,over the years, have beentouched and encouraged byDianna’s kind, patient andpassionate sharing of God’sWord.
—Kathleen Jensen, Harristown
By PHIL JACOBSFor the Herald & Review
DECATUR — It could besaid that Neal Janvrinembodies the old adage, “youcan take the boy out of thecountry, but you can’t takethe country out of the boy.”
Maybe this explains whythe 64-year-old Decatur man,who grew up on a farm nearBearsdale, is so fascinated bytractors that he fashionssculptures of them out ofalmost everything — especial-ly old sewing machines.
“When I walk through thekitchen opening drawersnowadays, my wife, Kay, getsa little nervous,” said Jan-vrin.
Indeed, nothing is off-limitsfor his hobby. “You use what-ever you can find,” Janvrinsaid of his artwork. “It mightbe a gas line from a lawnmower, a push rod from apump or a small part from agas engine. I keep a lot ofstuff other people throwaway.”
He once raided a junk pileand came home with a small,cylindrical leather piece thathe fashioned into a tractorseat. For the backrest, hesorted through another pile ofscrap until he found a smallsteering lock lever that hadonce been part of a largeforklift.
Not only is Janvrin artistic,but he’s an artist in thegarage as well. He isemployed by Wiese USA as aresident mechanic at Tateand Lyle in Decatur. But helooks forward to the day whenhe can spend more time in hisown garage, pursuing his art.
Janvrin first started fash-ioning his sculptures fromnuts and bolts. He made 35 ofthem and painted them in thecolors of the real machines —John Deere, Oliver, Min-neapolis Moline, Case andInternational Harvester,among others.
After reading a story in theDecatur Herald & Reviewabout a farmer who was mak-ing tractors from old Singersewing machines, he couldn’tresist. It was a definingmoment. Within a few days,he found himself at a garagesale where he discovered fourmachines. Two were vintagetreadle machines in woodencases, circa 1895. The two oth-ers were Singers from theearly 1920s. He bought all ofthem and hauled them home.
There was just one smallhitch. His wife, Kay, who hasencouraged him in all of this,had spotted the old treadlemachines and told him shehad to have one of them,which he eventually refin-ished for her. The others,though, soon emerged likebutterflies into new lives as
toy farm implements.Once the word was out, sev-
eral people began offeringhim their old machines,including, Carol Eichel ofDecatur, a classmate whograduated from WarrensburgHigh School with him in 1967.
“I ran into Neal at our 45thclass reunion last September,”Eichel explained “and heshowed me some pictures ofhis work, which I thought wasexceptional. When I told myfamily about the creativepieces, my son, Andrew, whois now 30, found an old Singernear a Dumpster, and wegave it to Neal.”
Another friend found amachine at an antique storeand brought it to him. In all,10 machines have found theirway to Janvrin’s workbench.
“Usually, people give themto me to haul away,” Janvrinnoted. “Most of them have noreal value. In the beginning, Ilooked some of them up onthe Internet to make surethey were basically worthless.I certainly didn’t want to tearinto something that could besold for a higher dollar thanwhat I was going to do withthem.”
Janvrin usually cleans upthe old machines with soap
and water, unless their condi-tion is so rusty and grimythat it requires more drasticmeasures — such as acleanser. With his very firstsculpture, Janvrin found outthe hard way that acidiccleansers can remove morethan intended, such as goldfiligree paint off some of thefancier old machines.
“The ones that are in badshape, which is most ofthem,” he said laughing, “arethe ones that get repainted intractor colors.”
One exception was the trac-tor sculpture he crafted froman old Vogue Stitch sewingmachine made in Japan inthe 1920s.
“After I got it cleaned up, Isaw that I really liked it justthe way it was, so I made themodifications — added a newbase plate to hold the axles,an exhaust pipe and mufflermade from various spareparts, a drawbar and a seat.Otherwise, I left it like it was.The original base plate withthe gold filigree I saved tomake a floor for the rackwagon, which I attached tothe rear.”
As a matter of safety, thewheels on his tractors do notmove.
“These machines weighabout 17 pounds or so,” hesaid, “and if a child were toaccidentally roll one off atable, they could be seriouslyinjured.”
As Janvrin looks to thefuture, he sees more oldsewing machines in his life,
but said he plans to take someof the work out of the process.
“Until now, I have removedthe rust and the grime fromthe machines by sanding eachone by hand, which is time-consuming work. In the nearfuture, I hope to purchase asoda blaster which is like asandblaster but less abrasive,which should make that partof the job a lot easier.”
www.herald-review.com SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013 DECATUR, ILLINOIS LIVE 5
“Dressing the Part from the
Civil War to the Korean War”
Admission Fees$2.00 adults/ $1.00 for children
History is Happening at theHistory Museum!
Visit the
5580 North Fork RoadDecatur, Illinois(217) 422-4919
OpenTuesdays thru Saturdays1 to 4 pm
Become a CASA volunteer!Classes begin April 1st
For Details Call 428-8424
or visit www.maconcountycasa.org
Help CASArecruit and train
more volunteers witha tax-deductible
gift.
Send gifts to:
CASA140 S. Water St.
Suite 100Decatur 62523
or donate online at:www.maconcountycasa.org
Photos for the Herald & Review/Phil Jacobs
Neal Janvrin has spent the past year tuning old Singer sewing machines into farm tractors. To this machine, a Vogue Stitch made in Japan,he added a hay wagon with rack. He used the old base of the machine with the gold filigree for the bed of the wagon.
Tractors sow imaginationThanks to Neal Janvrin, old sewing machines get a new life as models
VILLAGE: Beecher City
COUNTY: Effingham
POPULATION: 500
MAYOR: Renee Schoenfeld
MAJOR HIGHWAY: Illinois 33
HISTORY: T.L. Miller arrived
from Chicago in Washington
Township in 1862 and began
purchasing land with the intent
of raising Hereford cattle. He
knew the area offered good
grazing lands, and he was con-
vinced that the Hereford breed
showed great promise for the
future. While living in Chicago,
Miller was in the fire and insur-
ance business. He was a great
admirer of Henry Ward Beecher,
a famous orator of that time, and
named the new village after him.
n o n
CITY: Effingham
COUNTY: Effingham
POPULATION: 12,384
MAYOR: Mervin Gillenwater
EVENTS AND ATTRACTIONS:Cross at the Crossroads, Kluthe
Aquatic Complex, Lake Sara and
Ballard Nature Center
INDUSTRY: Sherwin-Williams,
Peerless of America Inc., South-
eastern Container Inc., Mid
America Motorworks, HN Auto-
motive Inc.
MAJOR HIGHWAYS: Interstates
57 and 70, U.S 40 and 45, Illi-
nois 32 and 33
HISTORY: More then 150 years
of growth and there’s no slowing
down now. Effingham has a
proud history made up of hard-
working people with a sense of
pride in community. Folks first
started making their way to Effin-
gham, first called Broughton, in
the early 1800s when settlers
moving west along the Old Cum-
berland Trail stopped to work in
the rich soil along the Little
Wabash River. The trail became
The National Road, which is now
recognized as a Scenic Byway.
In the mid-1800s, the new rail-
road brought with it a “boom” of
not only new people and homes,
but also new business. During the
1900s, Effingham continued to
grow at a modest pace, until the
1960s when the area’s second
population explosion occurred. It
was then that the Interstate High-
way System was initiated, placing
Effingham in the center of the
juncture of Interstates 57 and 70.
I-57 links Chicago to the Gulf of
Mexico, while I-70 connects the
East and West coasts.
Effingham’s prime location
prompted the construction of trav-
el centers, restaurants, hotels and
a variety of manufacturing busi-
nesses and distribution centers.
A third growth spurt is now
underway. The world of commu-
nication breakthroughs has
opened up doors never before
thought possible, and you can be
sure that Effingham keeps pace
with the latest in technology. A
complete fiber optic infrastruc-
ture connects the city to a world-
wide communications network.
Effingham is literally at the
crossroads of the interstate sys-
tem and the information super-
highway.
Effingham has a deep sense
of pride in its history. Many fami-
lies here come from a long line
of descendants who have called
this area home. They have been
joined by many new residents
who are pursuing the opportuni-
ties available here. Today’s citi-
zens are building their legacies
as pioneers in their own right
and making history right here in
Effingham.
ON THE WEB: www.effinghamil.
com
n o n
CITY: Altamont
COUNTY: Effingham
POPULATION: 2,300
MAYOR: Larry Taylor
EVENTS AND ATTRACTIONS: The
Dr. Wright House, Alwerdt’s Gar-
dens, Altamont Living Museum,
Ballard Nature Center, Effingham
County Fair, Illinois High School
Rodeo State Finals, Mill Road
Thresherman’s Association
Steam, Gas & Threshing Show,
Schuetzenfest
MAJOR HIGHWAYS: Interstate
70, U.S. 40, Illinois 128.
HISTORY: An early pioneer of
the area was Griffin Tipsword,
who dwelt among the Kickapoo
Indians. The area was settled by
German immigrants by way of
Pennsylvania and Ohio. The
name Altamont, meaning “high
mound,” was chosen because of
the elevation or “mound” that lies
to the northwest.
ON THE WEB: www.altamontil.net
n o n
VILLAGE: Mulberry Grove
COUNTY: Bond
POPULATION: 696
MAYOR: Douglas Enloe
HIGHWAYS: Interstate 70, U.S.
40, Illinois 140
COMMUNITY
PROFILE
This Singer treadle machine, from about 1895, was one of the fourearly machines Janvrin acquired at a garage sale. When his wifespotted it, she had him restore it as an antique furniture piece.
LEFT: The seat on the Oliver model, left, is made from a kitchen spoon. Often, Janvrin uses what he has on hand to craft the pieces. MIDDLE: This large tractormade of various nuts and bolts, is a yard ornament with the wagon serving as a container for potted plants. RIGHT: These finished pieces are made from the firsteight sewing machines that Janvrin collected. Each takes several days to complete.
By ALLISON PETTYH&R Staff Writer
DECATUR — Chris Hen-neberry gives massages for aliving, but you’d better notcall her a “masseuse.”
The word brings with itexactly the kind of illicit con-notations that Henneberryand other licensed massagetherapists in Central Illinoiswork daily tocorrect.
To earntheir licens-es, massagetherapistsmust com-plete a pro-gram with500 hours oftraining.They mustpass a back-ground checkand pay a$175 fee, andthey mustrenew theirlicensesevery twoyears. Theyalso carryliabilityinsurance.
“Not everyplace in townthat offersmassage haslicensed mas-sage thera-pistsemployed,”Henneberrysaid, pointingout that thisis a violationof state law.“That’s a bigissue withme, and so Iinstruct peo-ple, if you’re going anywhere,and you’re asking for a mas-sage, ask to see their license.”
There are more than 30licensed massage therapistsworking in Macon Countyaccording to Henneberry, whohas attempted to start a pro-fessional organization to helpunite them. Some work out ofbusinesses or salons, whileothers practice in medicaloffices or offer home visits.
Massage therapists say thehealth benefits of their prac-tice range from the moreobvious relaxation and stressrelief, to improved circulationand alleviation of migraineheadaches.
“You have more flexibility.Some people, it helps themsleep. It helps them calmdown. Other people, it helps
revive them,so it doesboth sides ofthat,” Hen-neberry said.
ChristineCutler ofMacon saidshe’s beenseeing mas-sage thera-pist BobJelks Sr.once a weekfor about 10years. Untilher recentretirement,she workedin a high-stress envi-ronment, andshe also suf-fers fromarthritis andhigh bloodpressure.The massagehelps with allof that, shesaid.
“It’s sorelaxing, andit helps you,”said Cutler,62. “I exer-cise six daysa week andtry to eatright, too,but it’s just
part of being healthy.”Jelks offers massages out
of two different locations,Hair Nest and Mount ZionChiropractic, and he alsomakes home visits. Clientscontact him at all hours, buthe said the work is rewardingand he feels lucky to lovewhat he does.
“(The stress) could be job-related, relationship-related,whatever ... It tightens you.You see people tighten down,
and they can’t turn theirhead,” Jelks said. “Oh, man.You know what I’m saying?You get a 15-minute chairmassage, it really takes thataway.”
Steve Naylor is the lonemassage therapist at St.Mary’s Hospital, where hisclients include patients,patients’ families and some-times other hospital employ-ees.
Naylor, who is blind, saidhe prayed for guidance dur-ing a series of personal andprofessional life changeseight years ago and was ledto massage as a career. He ispassionate about the healthbenefits and said he worksconstantly to correct miscon-ceptions about what he does.
“(Massage) has beenaccepted for over 5,000 yearsas far as we can tell, in the
Far East and has been treat-ed as a very bona fide thera-py,” Naylor said. “Now, as wemove forward, Western socie-ty and, in particular, Westernmedicine, are more and morebeginning to embrace mas-sage therapy and not bethreatened by it.”
Jean Titus opened her ownshop, Jean’s TherapeuticMassage, in Sullivan afterentering the profession six
years ago. She, too, saidsome people still considermassage as something“taboo,” but the benefits arebecoming more widely recog-nized. She’s given massagesto all sorts of clients, includ-ing babies.
“I personally have a feelingof I am totally connectedwith this client. When a per-son comes in for massage, Iam in tune with them,” shesaid. “I don’t think aboutwhat I’m going to fix for din-ner or what happened yester-day with a child, or blah,blah, blah, I am totally —that’s their moment, that’stheir time. I feel like if you’renot connected with that per-son and giving everythingyou’ve got, then they’re notgoing to receive what theyneed. It’s a very importantmoment for them.”
All the massage therapistsagreed that their best form ofadvertising has been word ofmouth. Some, such as Jelksand Henneberry, also per-form massages at businessesor at some communityevents.
The American MassageTherapy Organization (www.amtamassage.org) and Asso-ciated Bodywork and Mas-sage Professionals (www.abmp.com) offer the abilityto search for members ontheir website.
[email protected]|(217) 421-6986
6 LIVE SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013 DECATUR, ILLINOIS www.herald-review.com
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Jelks gives a massage.
Healinghands
Professionals encourage people to becertain massage therapist is licensed
Herald & Review photos/Mark Roberts
Bob Jelks Sr. gives a massage to one of his usual customers, Christine Cutler, in The Hair Nest in Decatur.
Jelks gets ready for one of his clients.
‘(The stress) tightens you. ...
You get a 15-minute chairmassage, it reallytakes that away.’
Bob Jelks Sr., massage therapist
COMMUNITY PROFILE
VILLAGE: TeutopolisCOUNTY: EffinghamPOPULATION: 1,530PRESIDENT: Jerry WeberTOURIST ATTRACTION: Teutopolis
Monastery Museum, VeteransMemorial
MAJOR HIGHWAYS: Interstates 57and 70, U.S. 40 and 45, Illinois 32,33, 37
HISTORY: Teutopolis, City of theTeutons, or Germans, was estab-lished in 1839 and is located onthe Cumberland Trail known as theOld National Road and now U.S.40. Teutopolis is located in thenortheastern segment of Effing-ham County. It is the only town inthe United States with this name.
Teutopolis did not evolve as theaccidental byproduct of a tradingpost, church, inn, stage coachrelay station or junction of road-ways or railroads, but was theresult of much thought and contro-versy, hard-headed economy,investigation, planning and a vastamount of patience.
Clemens Uptmor from dukedomof Oldenburg and kingdom ofHanover, Germany, came to theUnited States in 1834, along withhis brother Herman H. Uptmorand a few neighbors. They settledfirst in Cincinnati, then the gate-way to the west for GermanCatholics. In 1837, they formed aland company for the purchase ofgovernment land under the nameof “Deutche Land-CompagnieOder Ansiedlungsgesellschaft.”
John F. Waschefort, ClemensUptmor and Gerard H. Bergfeldwere named to find a location forsettlement and then give their rec-ommendations to the land compa-ny. The committee opposed set-tling in Missouri because of slav-ery and discouraged from settlingin the north-central area of Illinoisbecause of the swamps and theblack soil. The northeast part ofEffingham County was recom-mended because of the wood-lands, well-drained uplands andplentiful game.
Gerhardt Meyer and Heinrich
Roennebaum accompanied theoriginal trio back to Illinois toinspect the proposed site. Thelocation was approved, and in July1839 in Vandalia, the land wasclaimed for homestead purposesin the name of John F. Waschefort.Ten thousand acres were pur-chased at $1.25 per acre with anadditional 80 acres being pur-chased for $5 an acre. The townsite was surveyed and platted byWilliam J. Hankins. The plan ofthe two was very similar to the platof the original town of Cincinnati.
Back in Cincinnati, the land wasallotted at a drawing held in a fireengine house. For each $50 amember contributed, he receivedone “in-lot” and one “out-lot” or“garden lot” in the town and anadditional parcel of farmland for atotal of 40 acres.
ON THE WEB: www.teutopolis.com
n o n
VILLAGE: DieterichCOUNTY: EffinghamPOPULATION: 617PRESIDENT: Burl GriffithINDUSTRY: E.J. Water, Advance
Powder Technology, Higgs Weld-ing, Probs Autobody, GardenScape, Ideal Machines, NiemergConstruction, James Backhoe/Septic Solution, K and A LewisConstruction, D.J. Masonry
EVENTS AND ATTRACTIONS:Dieterich Community Veteran’sMemorial
MAJOR HIGHWAYS: Illinois 33ON THE WEB: www.dieterich
illinois.com
n o n
VILLAGE: ShumwayCOUNTY: EffinghamPOPULATION: 217 (according to
2000 census)PRESIDENT: David ThiesINDUSTRY: Southern Illinois
Machinery Co., Kremer PrecisionMachine Inc.
MAJOR HIGHWAY: Illinois 33
By DONNETTE BECKETTH&R Staff Writer
EFFINGHAM — Travelersare always seeking some-thing. Whether it be rest,some kind of fulfillment or ahome, people are on the roadto get somewhere else. At theintersection of Interstates 57and 70 in Effingham, driversjust may find it.
It’s estimated that morethan 50,000 travelers a daypass by the Cross at TheCrossroads, a 198-foot-tallcross built south of Effing-ham. “When you comearound I-70, it’s a sight tobehold,” said Christy Hak-man, a Cross Foundationboard member.
More than 12,000 visitors ayear will walk the campus ofthe stark white cross that iseasily seen within miles ofthe city. The curious will finda welcome center, granitemarkers depicting each ofthe Ten Commandments and,of course, a giant cross,which is unofficially consid-
ered theworld’slargest.
“Whenits rightthere inyourface, youhave tothinkaboutChristand hisultimatesacri-fice,”saidHak-man.
Citi-zens ofEffing-ham andthe sur-rounding
communities of all denomi-nations understand theimportance of their localattraction. More than 200 vol-unteers maintain the crossand its grounds, taking onjobs such as landscaping,welcoming visitors or servingon the board.
“They learn how to be partof a community that is big-ger than just themselves,”Hakman said.
Lee and Emil “Shorty”Beals have been volunteeringat the cross for more than 10years. The retired coupleanswered an advertisementin the local newspaper andhave been greeting visitorsever since.
“When we hear (some ofthe stories), it is worth ourtime to get up and come intotown,” Lee said.
The Beals and other volun-teers hear stories fromweary travelers — manydespondent, depressed orbroken-hearted — who foundpeace at the foot of the cross.Other visitors leave morethan a story. At the base ofthe cross, volunteers findflowers, notes — evenwhiskey bottles and cigarettepackages — left there by visi-tors vowing to change theirlives.
The cross and its surround-ing grounds were the ideas ofJohn Schultz, an Effinghambusinessman and a Christian.While driving through
Groom, Texas, Schultz saw asimilar cross and was certainsomething like it was neededin his hometown. He thoughtEffingham was the idealplace to share the message offorgiveness, love and gracethrough the symbolism of thecross because of its largenumber of Christians and thehigh traffic from the inter-states.
According to Hakman,Schultz approached others inthe community with his ideaand a foundation was startedto promote it.
“More than $1 million wascollected, and constructionbegan with the people inGroom, Texas, even supply-ing their architecturalplans,” she said.
The land was purchased bySchultz and other Effinghammerchants. The cross wasdesigned by engineers to themaximum height of 198 feet,equal to a 20-story building.The builders stopped at 198feet because of an FAArequirement stating thatstructures 200 feet or tallermust have a red light on top.The horizontal arm spanwould be 113 feet across andthe base would be 15 feet intothe ground. Wind tunneltests were performed on thestructure in Canada. Theidea was made a reality fiveyears later. Construction ofthe cross was completed onJune 27, 2001. Four 1,000-wattbulbs were added and havebeen illuminating the cross
from dusk to dawn eversince.
On Sept. 16, 2001, just fivedays after 9/11, the cross wasdedicated and lighted for thefirst time. The Cross Founda-tion board met to discuss thepossibility of canceling thededication, but unanimouslyvoted to continue with thecelebration.
“They estimated 200 visi-tors, but got over 2,000,” saidHakman.
Funding for the crossrelies completely on privatedonations. Many in the com-munity have left money tothe Cross Foundation in theirwills. Businesses throughoutEffingham display blue boxesaccepting free-will offeringsto support the cross. In thefuture, the foundation hopesto apply to Christian organi-zations for grants.
The grounds surroundingthe cross have expandedsince its construction. At thebase of the cross are granitestones for each of the TenCommandments. Alongsideeach display is a push-buttonspeaker that contains a devo-tional and how the Com-mandment relates to today.
In 2005, a 3,600-square-footwelcome center replaced theoffice trailer for visitors andvolunteers. The center offersa media room, chapel andrestrooms. As they walk intothe 50-seat chapel, visitorsmay feel the cross has beenmagnified through the wall ofwindows. “That’s God’s littlemiracle,” Lee said. “It’s like(the cross) followed you inhere.” The chapel has hostedweddings, bible studies andother events, all free,although board approval isnecessary.
Other events are held atthe base of the cross, such asEaster services, charityevents and the Corvette Fest.
The popularity of the crosshas grown over the past 10years, not because of theevents, but because of theimpact the big cross has onthe locals and those justpassing through.
“You see that God is great,and you are so little,” saidLee.
(217) 421-6983
www.herald-review.com SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013 DECATUR, ILLINOIS LIVE 7
Herald & Review photos/Lisa Morrison
The 198-foot-tall cross is seen from a multipurpose room used for meetings, conferences, services and weddings by the community. Thecross near Interstates 57 and 70 is viewed by more 50,000 people daily.
Beacon to the weary
Volunteer Ruth Hoene keeps a eye out for visitors to the Effingham cross. More than 200 volunteersand staff maintain the cross campus on a monthly basis.
Many people have donated to the creation of the cross and the visi-tor’s center nearby. This smaller cross has the names of some ofthose people on the bricks supporting it.
200 volunteers minister to travelers, locals drawn to 198-foot-tall cross
IF YOU GO
WHAT: The Cross
at the Crossroads
WHERE: 1904
Pike Ave, Effing-
ham; (217) 347-
2846
WHEN: Novem-
ber through March,
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
daily; April through
October, 10 a.m. to
7 p.m. daily. Volun-
teers are usually at
the site during
these hours, but
call ahead to make
sure.
ON THE WEB:www.CrossUSA.org
FROM OUR READERS
I would like give “A BigThumbs Up” to the A&MWrestling Club wrestlers,coaches and parents.
Since it began in 2010, thechildren involved in the pro-gram have demonstrated agoal-oriented, work-to-suc-ceed attitude. When the vol-unteer coaches, includinglegendary high schoolwrestling Coach Fred Bur-ckhartt, began, their goalwas to help develop theyouth club into a premierwrestling organization. Ifeel that they have succeed-ed.
Each season, this clubhas had a roster of morethan 30 wrestlers. Ages ofthe wrestlers range fromkindergarten to eighthgrade. Participants havecome from a wide area inCentral Illinois. Wrestlershave joined the club fromthe Sullivan school district,the Meridian school district,as well as the Central A&Mschool district. The volun-teer coaches have comefrom an equally wide areain Central Illinois. In theirthree years of competition,the club has already pro-duced five state qualifiers.
This success has beenmade possible by manyhours of volunteer work byseveral individuals. Thefirst season, the wrestlerswere able to practice in ashed owned by a localfarmer. The past two sea-sons, the wrestlers havebeen able to practice in ashed owned by one of thecoaches. The practice matsthat the club uses were gen-erously donated by a localuniversity. The parents ofthe wrestlers have alsoworked hard in many waysto help facilitate the club’sability to continue to offerthis sport toyouth.
While aca-demic achieve-ment shouldalways be ouryouth’s mainfocus, sportsalso teachchildren to setgoals, andwork as hard as they can toachieve them. Wrestlingdoes this in an individual-ized way that some teamsports may not. I feel thatoffering this extra, particu-lar way for the children ofour community to grow canonly be beneficial to them.Please join me in giving “ABig Thumbs Up” to theA&M Wrestling Clubwrestlers, coaches and par-ents. They deserve it.
—John Vidmar Jr., Assumption
n o n
“A Big Thumbs Up” goesto all the workers and vol-unteers at The Macon Coun-ty Animal Shelter and TheDecatur Animal ShelterFoundation.
These people work veryhard to find forever homesfor dogs and cats, and occa-sionally, a turtle or Guineapig. Everything is done tomake sure these animalsare well taken care of andput out there to the public togive them a better chancefor their own home. Theyare great people, and I’mprivileged to be a part ofthem. Off-site events withthe animals are a great wayfor the public to see whatanimals are available.Sometimes, this involvesevery day on the weekends,which we are happy to do.Volunteers and workerswalk the dogs and brushcats in their spare time —sometimes on their lunchhours. Once you see thosefaces in the kennels it’s easyto become involved.
So here’s a really bigthumbs up to all of you,especially my breakfastclub volunteers!
Thanks!—Darla Zinn, Decatur
n o n
At St. Mary’s Hospital, weall strive to be exceptional.From my vantage point atthe information desk, I havethe pleasure of watching ourvalet team achieve excep-tional service every day.Amy, Billie, John, Ramon,Toby and Zack are the firstpeople that you encounterwhen you come to St.Mary’s Hospital.
The valet team is there topark cars, but they do somuch more. They will greetyou with a warm smile andan offer to park your car. Ifyou need a wheelchair, theywill get you into the chairand assist you into the hos-pital. They learn your needs
and have it ready for youwhen you pull up the drive.They will go out to your carto retrieve a needed paperor item with no complaintsor grumbles. If you decidenot to have them park yourcar, but are not able to goout to it after you are done,Amy, Billie, John, Ramon,Toby or Zack will still beglad to get it for you. In thewinter, they clean snow andice from your car. Moreimportantly, they joke,laugh, cry and care aboutthe people they help.
At St. Mary’s Hospital,our core values are:“Respect, Care, Competence,Joy.” The valet team hasthose values covered from Ato Z. That’s why I give them“A Big Thumbs Up.”
—Judy Dulaney, Decatur
n o n
Opening in April is theM.E. Allen Youth Center at617 E. Decatur St. This cen-ter will be open to gradeschool children in the com-munity for after-schoolactivities. It will be a highlychaperoned and guardedfacility. The youth centerwill provide snacks, games,computers and crafts.
The M.E. Allen YouthCenter (fun, faith and fel-lowship) was built in thememory of the former pas-tor of First Church of Godin Christ. He had a visionfor the youth center for theyoung people to have a safeplace in the community.
After his death, within ayear and a half, the churchpurchased the building andhad it remodeled. The con-gregation worked hard andcontinues to work raisingfunds and making pledges.We welcome interestedadults to bring their chil-dren and sign them up.
—Jeanette Jelks, Decatur
n o n
The year was 1976. HelenErvin was asked to start aKitchen Band for theIlliopolis Bicentennial Cele-bration. Several talentedindividuals fashioned instru-ments out of cake racks,washboards, teapots, fun-nels, spoons, bedpans, etc.,to play along with Helen’slively piano music.
The group stayed togetherand started playing at Von-derlieth Living Center inMount Pulaski. Some fromMount Pulaski joined thegroup for a while. Later,with the help of pianistsPeggy Dunn, SharolynGriesheim and RosellaYoung, the band startedentertaining at other retire-ment and nursing homes,banquets, birthday celebra-tions, and nine times at theIllinois State Fair.
With Rosella Young astheir informal leader andEd Bliler as their present,talented pianist, the groupof Illiopolis residents haveentertained with a sing-along consistently at 12 ormore homes a year. Everysummer, the Illiopolis Chris-tian Church sponsors abirthday party for the Von-derlieth residents and theIlliopolis Kitchen Band,along with some youth, pro-vide the entertainment. Thegroup limits their engage-ments to places where wehave Illiopolis residents.
This group of loyal anddedicated people, in the pastas well as the present,deserve “A Big Thumbs Up”for their part in providingmusic with a smile for manyothers. An invitation isalways open for others tojoin our group.
—Rosella Young, Illiopolis
n o n
I want to give “A BigThumbs Up” to the pastorsof New Beginnings Church ofGod. They are all true ser-vants of God, and their maingoal is to win lost souls. Ourchurch motto is “Win theLost. Disciple the Winners.” Ithink this says it all.
There are so many out-reach services available tothe members of the churchand to the entire communi-ty. We welcome people withopen arms.
Our pastors know God’sWord, and they deliverinspired messages, dissect-ing God’s Word so we canbetter understand whatGod’s will and purpose isfor our lives.
If you haven’t visited NewBeginnings Church of Godand listened to a sermonthere, you are totally miss-ing a huge blessing. Comejoin us!
—Normajean Lewis, Decatur
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STRONGContinued from Page 1
“My mother was the otherhalf of the show for manyyears before she stepped downfrom the stage in 2005 at theage of 83,” Strong said. “Sincethen, I’ve been working on myown. We are talking aboutputting together a workshop,though, to introduce kids topuppetry, and I’d be quitewilling to show them how.”
Presumably, some of theyoung people interested inlearning would be audiencemembers from “Super KidsClub” shows. Currently hostedonce per month on Saturdaysat Decatur’s Lincoln Square
Theatre, these events havebecome synonymous withStrong’s marionettes. Createdin 1993, Strong has hosted KidsClub appearances everywherefrom The Avon Theatre andMasonic Temple to the DecaturCelebration before settling intothe Lincoln Square Theatre inrecent years. He believes inpuppetry as ideal child andfamily entertainment, harm-less stuff that can also conveyage-appropriate messages.
“The bottom line is that ourshows are good, wholesomefamily entertainment that isnot violent and has a goodmoral to it,” he said. “Theshows teach lessons likepatriotism, good citizenshipand generosity, and they’re
entertaining to parents aswell. The goal of Kids Clubshows has always been to putall the elements of your child-hood into one package, andwe have so many wonderfulvolunteer performers such asGranny Giggles and Spider-Man who have been with usfor years.”
Debbie Ford, the LincolnSquare Theatre’s executivedirector, said Super Kids Clubhas been a boon to the venueover the years, and that itsboard members have alwaystried to support Strongbecause they feel he plays animportant role to his youngaudiences while providing ashow free for all local chil-dren. Adult admission is $5.
“The whole board is reallystepping up whenever theycan to pass out fliers for KidsClub because we want Gary’sshow to succeed,” she said.“At the last show, there werehundreds of people there; itwas really amazing. I think itwas their highest attendanceever, and I don’t think Garystopped grinning the wholetime.”
Ford initially met Strongback in 2000 and was sur-prised to see how energeticand assertive the normallyreserved performer couldbecome in the course of ashow.
“He’s usually very quietuntil he gets on stage, andthen he’s really dynamic,”
she said. “He’s very kid-mind-ed and really cares aboutentertaining them. The Lin-coln is his home now, but ifhe couldn’t do it here, hewould find somewhere elseand never stop. He’d probablybe performing in CentralPark.”
Strong agrees — he has nointention to stop performinganytime soon, and will contin-ue exploring new puppet andmarionette work for as longas he can. He is still creatingnew marionettes on a month-ly basis, most recently anarticulated “Cat in the Hat”for a Dr. Seuss-themed editionof Super Kids Club. Charac-ters such as Spunky theSquirrel and Ferdinand the
Frog remain in use afterdecades, while others like theCat in the Hat may be packedaway for years before they’reused again. But Strong lovesevery minute of it, and hopesthere are some young kids outthere who will show the samepassion to learn the art ofpuppetry.
“There are a lot of opportu-nities for the average kid tolearn what we call recycledpuppetry,” he said. “You canmake puppets out of justabout anything, and it’s ashame for kids to throw awaymaterials that could becomecharacters. There’s still a lotmore that can be done withpuppets.”
[email protected]|(217) 421-7973