Morgan County Garden Club meeting set for Feb. 18:
The Morgan County Garden Club will hold their February meeting on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 1:30 p.m. at Prairie Land. Karen Sibert, dietitian at Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, will present the program on “Eating for a Healthy Heart.” Anne McKean is scheduled to give the “5-Minute Talk.”
Refreshments will be served beginning at 1 p.m. by the club’s hostess committee: Joyce Ginder, Karen Nolan, Linda Settles and Deb Rust. The nominations committee will propose a slate of new officers at the meeting.
The Morgan County Garden Club has announced the dates of their spring plant sales. The sales will be held in the Prairie Land Museum building on Tuesday, April 25 from 4 to 6 p.m. and on Saturday, May 20 from 9 a.m. to noon.
Lake Jacksonville management makes announcements:
The management at Lake Jacksonville announces the following information.
• Lake Jacksonville Gates 1&3 will be open for campsite winter check on Feb. 18, 2023 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. All cables will remain in place from camping points 1-9 to prevent road damage from thawing and re-freezing; customers may park on the road and walk in.
• Lake Jacksonville will open boat access for fishing on March 11, 2023 at 8 a.m.
• Lake Jacksonville will open to camping March 31, 2023 at 8 a.m. and close for the season Oct. 18, 2023 at 5 p.m.
• The City Clerk’s office will not be selling boat stickers. All boaters must purchase 2023 boat stickers exclusively at the concession building at Lake Jacksonville starting April 1, 2023. Daily passes are available for those who do not wish to purchase a full season pass for $11.00; 2023 seasonal boating permits are valid until April 1, 2024.
• Hours of the concession stand and shower house at Lake Jacksonville are as follows starting March 31, 2023:
Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Sunday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
(The concession building will be closed April 16, 2023 for the Easter holiday.)
If you have any questions, please contact via the following information:
Jacksonville Lakes Superintendent Brett Gilbreth, 217-408-8771 or bgilbreth@jacksonvilleil.gov.
Routt Catholic High School and Our Saviour School awarded $125,000 gift:
Routt Catholic High School (RCHS) and Our Saviour School (OSS) were each recipients of $125,000 from the 2022 RCHS/OSS Dreams committee. The 2022 RCHS/OSS Dreams Campaign kicked off on June 1, 2022 and, following a record-breaking sellout of tickets, the Dreams Drawing was held on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022 at the Family Fun Festival on the campus of RCHS and OSS.
Campaign chair, Stacy Bradshaw, was proud to see so much effort come to fruition with a successful event: “It makes me proud to see and lead a successful 2022 campaign. None of this would be possible without the hard work of the committee members and the support from the schools, parish and community.”
Bradshaw added, “Being able to give this kind of money to both schools ensures Catholic education is strong and will continue to thrive in our community.”
Monica Eoff, OSS/RCHS parent and co-chair of the 2022 Dreams Committee, offered similar praises to the success of the event. “I see firsthand the close knit community these schools foster. From academics, athletics, clubs, and service projects, OSS and RCHS work in tandem to provide a Catholic education and countless opportunities for the students to learn and grow.”
Eoff went on, “I’m honored to serve on this committee that is dedicated to providing this support to both schools.”
All money that is raised from the Family Fun Festival is split equally between Routt Catholic High School and Our Saviour School. The funds are used to help support each of the school’s missions in providing a faith-based education to students aged 3 through 18.
Dan Carie and Stevie VanDeVelde, the principals at Routt Catholic High School and Our Saviour School, respectively, offered their sincere thanks to the entire committee.
“This type of gift is a testament to the support the community has in a faith-based education,” said Carie.
VanDeVelde added, “The money we receive from this campaign is an important part of our operating budget, allowing us to have a lower tuition rate for our students. We see the value of a faith-based education, a strong academic program, a wide variety of extracurricular offerings, and a focus on stewardship and discipleship. We are appreciative of the efforts of the Dreams co-chairs and all the Dreams committee members – giving many students an educational opportunity to be ‘Rooted in Faith, Growing in Love.’”
The RCHS/OSS community was able to recognize this incredible gift at the recent Routt Catholic vs. West Central boys’ basketball game in front of hundreds of fans. The special occasion provided both RCHS and OSS a chance to honor publicly the hard work that so many put in to ensure a successful campaign.
It was also a great reminder to all in the community that the 2023 Dreams Campaign will be kicking off very soon. 2023 Dreams chair Monica Eoff expressed excitement when talking about the upcoming campaign. “As we gear up to kick-off the 2023 Dreams campaign later this summer, I am excited to celebrate the 30th year of this campaign. It will provide us with a wonderful opportunity to recognize the many blessings this campaign has, and will, continue to provide for both schools thanks to the generous support of our parishioners, families, friends and communities.”
Kiwanis BBQ Committee seeks fundraiser recipient:
The Kiwanis Club of Jacksonville will be hosting their Braggin’ Rights BBQ contest on Saturday, June 3.
This community fundraiser annually gives to one area organization that serves our youth population in some facet.
Interested organizations have until March 2 to apply. Only new applications will be accepted this year. If your organization has applied in the past or has applied to other Kiwanis events such as the .5k on April 1, please re-apply.
Applications are now being accepted for consideration through an online portal at www.jotform.com/cmfb1/Kiwanis; on our Facebook page, “Jacksonville Kiwanis BBQ Braggin’ Rights”; or by emailing either committee chair, Krystal Bradley bradleykrystal2010@gmail.com or Lindsay Ryan cmfb1@frontier.com.
