Rambling through central Illinois, happy to see morning dew.
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With every passing day, I keep getting more interested in things that benefit senior citizens. So the concept of Knox County TRIAD is more and more appealing. If you aren’t aware, TRIAD is an offshoot of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office designed to support local food pantries and to educate and assist senior citizens (age 65 and over) with daily living.
One way TRIAD helps is by alerting seniors to the many scammers trying to steal their money or identity. (On a side note, while it may not be very Christian, I hope there’s a very hot place in the afterlife for old-person scammers). Locally, TRIAD members also shop for gifts around Christmas and raise awareness about resources for health and home care.
So here’s a plug for a fundraiser on being held on Main Street in Yates City on Friday, Feb. 9, from 4-7 p.m. On sale in front of the firehouse will be pork chops, ribeye sandwiches, brats, hot dogs, chips and drinks. Raffle tickets will also be sold, with prizes of $500, $300 and $200 to be paid out to lucky winners.
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Speaking of senior citizens, here’s a shout out to Marilyn Goetze, who lives in Chillicothe these days but still keeps up with the news from Elmwood. … For a guy who doesn’t give many speeches, Gordon Inskeep of Elmwood is pretty good at saying things that stick in the mind. His advice “Don’t run out of diesel in your tractor” to avoid air in the fuel line makes me get off the Kubota any time it gets low. My favorite, though, is “The best time to plant grass is when the Illinois State Fair is going on.” That has nothing to do with the actual fair and everything to do with warm daytime temperatures and cooler evenings being good for germination and abundant morning dew providing moisture for seedlings. Despite never fact-checking those quotes, I’ve often planted grass during the fair, which runs today, Aug. 8, through Aug. 18. Results have always been good, too. … A semi-truck loaded with hogs came the back way into town Monday, so I figured the “Viaduct That Cried Wolf” was finally closed. Nope. First billed as closing July 15 – at least according to flashing signs – the Illinois Route 78 railroad viaduct between Elmwood and Farmington was to close Aug. 1, according to an Illinois Department of Transportation press release. But that never happened and the closure is now billed as Aug. 12, again according to flashing signs. Will it close? Won’t it? Time will tell. … Dr. Mark Baylor’s former office at 120 W. Main St. in Elmwood was recently sold to Bill Seipel, who lives just east of town. Seipel hopes to use the space for a coffee shop and art gallery, but cautioned that the grand opening could be a year away. Talk of expanding The Palace Theatre into that building fizzled because cost of a second screen was prohibitive in this day of fewer moviegoers and fewer movies. That being said, The Palace has had a good run with “Twisters” and some other films this year. Maybe Hollywood has not totally abandoned the big screen.
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This has been a great summer for prairie blooms, what with all the rain in June and July. To see for yourself, plan a visit to Pleasant Prairie Nursery east of Williamsfield, which has a fall native plant sale Aug. 24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. As added incentive, you can tour their blooming hillside prairie and display gardens. … According to smilehub.org, the five most religious states in the U.S. are: 1. Alabama, 2. Virginia, 3. Texas, 4. Tennessee and 5. North Carolina. The five least religious states are 50. Maine, 49, New Hampshire, 48. Nevada, 47. Vermont and 46. Alaska. Illinois ranks as 15th-most religious according to smilehub, which compared states across three dimensions: 1. religious interest and places of worship, 2. religious education and careers and 3. religion-affiliated organizations … Parting shot: The best fried chicken served at an Illinois festival will be devoured Friday and Saturday at Brimfield’s Old Settlers Days. Don’t miss out.
Contact Jeff Lampe at (309) 231-6040 or jeff@wklypost.com
