Old Settlers' Day Is Back in Bishop Hill
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
****************ECRWSS***** PRSRT. STD. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Elmwood, Illinois Permit No. 13 Friday Carrier Route Presort September 10, 2021 The Prairie News RURAL BOXHOLDER Vol. 19, No. 31 LOCAL P.O. BOXHOLDER Hot news tip? “The Voice of Stark and eastern Henry counties” Want to advertise? Serving the fine communities of Wyoming, Toulon, Bradford, Duncan, Galva, LaFayette, Stark, Speer, FREE! Call (309) 286-2185 Castleton, Bishop Hill, Camp Grove, Princeville, Edelstein, Laura, West Jersey, Monica, Elmira, Modena, Saxon, Lawn Ridge, Broadmoor, Compliments of Elmore, Lombardville, Milo and rural customers at Kewanee and Williamsfield. Our Fine Advertisers! THE BIRDS ARE COMING Old Settlers’ Day is back in Bishop Hill By The Prairie News BISHOP HILL – The Bishop Hill Old Settlers’ Association is celebrating the 175th Anniversary of the founding of Bishop Hill Colony and the 125th Anniversary of the Bishop Hill Old Settlers’ Association on Saturday, Sept. 11. Pictured is an Old Settlers’ float The day’s events begin at demonstrating pile driving. Photo 10 a.m. with a parade around by Lou Lourdeau. the village park. The Settlers’ Reunion will begin traditional parade is held at 1 p.m. with a concert in the every five years and features park by the Bishop Hill High historical floats, the Bishop Society Band, followed by Hill High Society Band, the program at 2 p.m. entries of Americana old and Canada geese fly overhead at Pyramid State Park in southern Illinois. Photo by Gretchen Steele. Featured speaker is Janet new, marching bands, (Troline) Kenyon, a Colony vintage tractors, fire trucks descendent who was raised Keep your eyes to the skies for fall migrations and more. on the family farm two miles The traditional Old Settlers By GRETCHEN STEELE bird watcher, a morning stroller, miraculous migrators. Southeast of Bishop Hill. dinner will be held at the Old For The Weekly Post or a hunter. From now through And so, just when I think I Musical entertainment will Colony School beginning at It’s that time of year – nothing fall, we are greeted each morning can’t take one more sultry, hot, be provided by Frankie Joe 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.. Cost of beats an early September morn- with migrating birds of all sorts. humid day of summer, that first & Kinfolk, a spirited band the meal is by donation only. playing original songs. Bring ing in the field when it comes to For me it’s all about the water- September morning arrives Carry out will be available. lawn chairs, as seating is birds. Doesn’t matter if you are a fowl, the ducks and geese, those Continued on Page 2 The 125th Annual Old Continued on Page 9 Congregational Church hires new leaders By JOHN A. BALLENTINE addition to leading worship services, For The Prairie News he will be available for hospital TOULON – The First Congrega- visits, shut-in visits, and will have of- tional Church of Toulon welcomes fice hours by appointment. two new leaders to its congregation West is a graduate of Grace Chris- starting this Sunday, Sept. 12. The tian University, where she received church has been seeking a minister an Associate’s Degree in leadership and a youth leader for months and and ministry. She has experience have secured the services of Rev. Wright West working in Christian education as a Dan Wright as interim minister and Sunday School leader and Vacation Michelle West, as youth leader. and was recently the Greater Anna- Bible School director at Christ Alive Wright has a Bachelor’s degree in wan Parish minister, which consists Community Church. English from MacMurray College of the United Methodist Churches in She has been worship leader at and a Master’s of Divinity from the Annawan, Hooppole and Sheffield. Toulon’s Congregational Church on Congregational Church members stand next to a new sign for their Methodist Theological School, in Wright and his wife Patti live near several occasions and as youth garden. Pictured from left to right are: C.J. Richards, Amanda Ohio. He is coming out of retirement Annawan. He has been guest speaker leader, she plans to help youngsters Dynes with daughter Cora, Jane Murray and Jessie Richards. Sub- to serve the Congregational Church several times at the Toulon church. In Continued on Page 2 mitted photo. Page 2 THE PRAIRIE NEWS • September 10, 2021 www.illinoisweeklies.com TOULON: Vegetables available every Sunday Continued from Page 1 through the church’s Facebook page Planted are tomatoes, cherry toma- develop a love for Jesust. Michelle (www.facebook.com/fcctoulon). toes, zucchini, cucumbers, okra, plans on meeting with the Pilgrim Sunday School is at 9:30 a.m. fol- sweet potatoes, snap peas, green Youth Fellowship on Sunday even- lowed by a worship service at 10:30. beans watermelon, rainbow swiss ings at 7 p.m., beginning Sept. 12. The First Congregational Church chard, cabbage, cauliflower, radishes Michelle lives in rural Wyoming, planted its second “Growing for and carrots. The congregation is be- and has been a longtime employee of Good” garden on June 30. Jessie ginning to harvest and fresh produce Wyoming Veterinary Service. Richards explained that the congre- is available at each Sunday service. Both Rev. Wright and Michelle gation planted late in the season, but The church garden has a new sign West can be reached by calling the left it up to God to provide a harvest produced by Bart Snyder, of Die- Congregational Church at (309) 286- of vegetables for anyone who comes Hard Graphics that was donated 4901 and leaving a message, or to pick them up at the church. anonymously. BIRDS: Download guide to aid in identification Continued from Page 1 the digital age on my devices that bringing with it a sunrise accompa- Bob Hines has illustrated. I like to nied by a remarkably cool, bear- think we share a similar love of not able breeze. just wildlife, but especially our Then just as the sun rises, I hear feathered friends. them in the distance: Honking and According to Wikipedia, Robert clucking and clattering away as the W. (Bob) Hines (1912-1994) was an older, wiser geese start teaching this American wildlife artist who had a year’s youngsters the routine. long career with the United States “Fly out early at sunrise for Fish and Wildlife Service. Born in breakfast! Move off that roosting Columbus, Ohio, Hines had vir- lake, soar across the cornfields and tually no formal training in art or meadows and find a nice field to wildlife science. Yet, by age 27, he snack away. Preferably one with a worked as a staff artist with the pond to loaf away the afternoon.” Ohio Division of Wildlife. If not the geese, then I’ll take the In 1947 (or 1948), he accepted a first ducks heading south – the teal, little tattered paper copy might be. I similar position with the United or as I have been known to call got it free from the U. S. Fish and States Fish and Wildlife Service them, “Those little fast and furious Wildlife Service, and I think it was (USFWS). He illustrated many F14s.” initially published in the late 1970s. works for the USFWS, including Teal zoom, bank and dive. They I do know that I have recom- “Ducks at a Distance,” “Migration most generally elude my every shot. mended this nifty guide to almost of Birds,” “Fifty Birds of Town and But they are magnificent to watch! every novice hunter and bird- City” and “Wildlife Portrait Series” Teal are such bright, colorful, care- watcher I know. It truly is that (including “Song Birds” and fully choreographed flyers. handy of a small pocket guide. “Alaska”). Then there are the wood ducks Now that the whole world has His illustrations were also used in flushing up out of the creeks and moved to digital everything, we can such works as “Wildlife in Amer- stretches of backwaters, or the mal- carry almost anything we want se- ica” by Peter Matthiessen, “Ducks, lards who come soaring into snack curely on our phones. I am pleased Geese, and Swans of North Amer- on soybeans. It’s just plain a won- to report that USFWS makes this ica” (both the Bellrose edition and derful time of the year that will only book available as a PDF file that the new 2014 edition by Guy Bal- get better as we get deeper into fall can be downloaded to your phone, dassarre), “Runes of the North” by and winter. The promise of wet with pages that fit just right on a Sigurd F. Olson, and in Rachel Car- dogs, frozen waders and duck-blind phone screen and display very well. son's “Under the Sea Wind.” breakfasts hang heavy in those first While it doesn’t replace more ex- For any bird or waterfowl lover, cool, foggy mornings. tensive, more in-depth field guides, it’s almost a given that you have For those who prefer to watch Hines’ books sure packs a ton of seen some of Hines’s exquisite il- birds, it’s an equally enjoyable time. info into a small and very user- lustrations. I encourage you to We watch with anticipation for that friendly package. download a copy of “Ducks at a odd migrant, or “lifer.” We watch, The guide shows examples of Distance” from the USFS, save it to wait and mark off on our lists who eclipse plumage, feeding patterns, your phone and start watching the is arriving, who is leaving and how and typical flock flight patterns. A horizons on your outdoor excur- that matches up with previous beneficial section shows the com- sions.