The turkey is in the oven and the delicious aroma of fresh-baked pie is in the air. That means Christmas is just around the corner.
Letters to Santa first began regularly appearing in newspapers around the 1880s. Every December since then, newspapers across the nation have published children’s requests for the gifts they want most. Entering our third year of covering news and sports in our part of Champaign county, The Sentinel is ready to join the tradition this year by publishing Letters to Santa from readers in the six villages we cover.
In a one-on-one Zoom meeting two weeks ago, Santa was delighted The Sentinel volunteered to help collect some of the millions and millions of letters he receives this time of the year, sort them and make sure he gets them on time. In the newspaper business, deadlines are just another day at the office.
Starting today, Letters to Santa will be accepted via email until noon on December 18. That gives us plenty of time to publish as many copies of the letters as we can before forwarding them to the Jolly Ole Elf at the North Pole.
Write your list early so Santa can make sure he packs his sleigh with all the gifts he needs to drop off on Christmas Eve to all the good little boys and girls your house. With his permission, we created a new email address at The Sentinel to make sure we get every letter and can forward them on to our new partner up north.
Please include in the body of an email after the letter your name or the child’s name, age and town where he or she lives. Email your letter to DearSanta@oursentinel.com. You can also submit a handwritten copy of any letter to St. Nick by sending a sharp, clear copy of the letter taken with your smartphone.
The Sentinel looks forward to sharing the letters and lists from kids in your hometown.
The Tolono Fun Days committee is sponsoring a holiday lighting contest next month. Winning lighting displays and holiday scenes will be eligible to win gift card prizes provied by local business and the committee.
To enter, Tolono residents that wish to participate in the contest will need to turn their outdoor holiday displays and lights on by 6p on Friday, December 4. There are three categories that will be award prizes at the village tree lighting ceremony on Saturday.
The three divisions are the Fuse Buster, Frosty's Pick and Low Watt.
Fuse Busters are big, bold bright displays "that is spinning the watt meter" according to the flyer circulated by the committee on Facebook. The Frosty's Pick award will go to the best display that features a snowman. The Low Watt entries will be judged for the best display with a few lights.
The Tolono Fun Days committee asks that residents bring a non-fragile, weather-proof ornament for the village tree lighting at the police station 6p on December 5.
"Join us for a social distancing event to bring in the holidays."
Surrounded by opposing players under the basket, Unity's Karson Ewerks looses control of the ball thanks to Rantoul's KeJuan Carodine behind him while going up for a put back in the paint during their Illini Prairie Conference road game earlier this year. The team's second leading scorer in the contest, Ewerks, a senior, finished the night contributing nine points in the 49-37 loss on January 21. Unity finished the 2019-20 season with a 1-8 conference record while Eagles' wrapped it up one step above with two wins, seven losses in the Illini Prairie Conference.
Unity East Elementary is offering Spectrum preschool screening for new students on December 10.
Developmental screening is a play-based assessment designed to identify problems or delays during normal childhood development. It systematically looks for signs that a young child may have a delay in one or more areas. Normally, the process does not establish a diagnosis, rather it helps teachers and specialists determine whether more in-depth assessment is needed.
Screenings for all three and four-year-old children not already enrolled in the Spectrum program will be held between 8:30-11:30 am at Unity East Grade School, located at 1638 County Road 1000N in Philo.
Contact Jennifer Hastings at (217) 469-2291 ext. 126 or email her at hastingsj@rccsec.org for more information or to schedule an appointment.
October 31 has come and gone, but the memories from this year's celebration in Tolono will live on thanks to the collection of photos shot by long time resident Susan Plackett at this year's Halloween parade.
Participants stretch for blocks as they make their way through town during the Tolono Halloween parade on October 31. (Photo courtesy of Susan Plackett)
Born and raised in Tolono, Plackett enjoys making memories for those growing up in Tolono like many of the members of the community did for her during her childhood.
"There is nothing more uplifting in these times than seeing families and children having fun," she said.
The Halloween parade was a first for Tolono according Plackett and the third parade in the village this year. With the annual Tolono Fun Day festival canceled due to restriction on large public gatherings in Illinois to prevent the rapid spread of the Coronavirus, a 4th of July parade was put together at the last minute she said because "everyone was missing not having Fun Day the weekend before."
"The Tolono Fun Days committee is trying to give the community something to do during the pandemic," Plackett said. "We had 18 participate 4th of July and 20 participants at the September 4 golf cart parade. [For the] Halloween [parade] there were over 40 vehicles and I don’t know how many walkers."
She shared 146 photos from the parade on Facebook from the parade. Here's a look at some of her photos from three weeks ago and a little bit about her Halloween memories.
Photos courtesy of Susan Packett
Click on any photo view larger
Photos courtesy of Susan Packett
Click on any photo view larger
Looking back, what is your favorite trick-or-treat childhood memory?
"I am too old to remember my own but I do remember my daughter, Veronica’s Halloweens. My husband and I always made her costumes. Until one year she asked if she could please get a store costume. She still loves Halloween and I still take her picture in her costumes."
What is your favorite Halloween movie? How many times have you seen it?
"My brother (John Dodds) and I used to watch Creature Feature every Friday night in the 70’s. There was a different movie every week. Though we watched the movies in the dark our Dad would get upset because every light would be on in the house after the movie. My brother is a chicken. LOL..."
Describe the best costume you wore as an adult?
"My husband and I usually build floats for parades, but we did make a two man cow from an old white blanket and a Papier-mache’ head for a party we were invited to."
You probably saw hundreds of costumes on Saturday at the parade. What was your favorite costume of the day and why?
"I loved all the costumes. This little guy spooked me when he peeked out while I was taking pictures. I think next year there needs to be a pet costume contest The second link of a ketchup bottle costume with the dog as a hot dog. LOVED that one."
Earlier, we asked about your favorite trick-or-treat story. What year was your absolute worse Halloween and how did it end up like that?
"Oh, there is no such thing as a bad day or being bored in our house. My daughter was so disappointed when she was sick and missed the Halloween party and parade at school. Her whole class showed up all through the night to give her candy. The most trick-or-treaters we have ever had here on Daggy Street. LOL And just like that her gloom turned into joy!"
On Facebook, there were several people who said they did not have many trick-or-treaters. Did you have many stop by your house? Do you think the pandemic limited participation this year and why?
"The Pandemic may have had some to do with the low trick-or-treaters. We do not normally get trick-or-treaters because the location of our home and there are not many children in our neighborhood. Door to door trick or treating has declined for the past several years. I think parents take their kids to the newer subdivisions where there is better lighting and sidewalks and trunk or treat events."
Are you a professional photographer? When did you start taking pictures and what do you like about it?
"No, I am not a professional photographer. I have been taking photos since I was a little girl. My first camera was a pocket camera that I earned from selling things door to door.
I don’t normally take posed shots but at the request from a close friend several years ago I started to taking senior photos for family and friends. I just like taking action shots. I like catching the moment or a memory. "
According to Susan, this is the Plackett's all-time best Halloween costume. Photo provided.
I almost always have my camera around my neck during all special events I attend. I remember going to a high school play without my camera and caught myself several times reaching for it. Yes, photography withdraw is very real. LOL ... Can you believe I was restricted from having my camera at my daughters wedding. LOL ... I did capture a couple special moments behind the scene with my cell phone but I had to sneak it. Best thing ever when they put a camera in a cell phone.
I make memories beyond the camera by being involved in the school, my church and several organizations in town.
The Sentinel is searching for regular folks who are making a difference in the lives of others in the communities we cover. Among the 11,000 people among us are angels and we want to share their stories.
We are talking about your friends and neighbors who you know that quietly work small miracles for those around them. They make small ripples that become swells making your community stronger.
The Sentinel wants to find such people, the heroes and heroines, to highlight their acts of kindness and compassion as we approach the holidays. If you know such a person, let The Sentinel know. Email us at editor@oursentinel.com with the person's name and contact info (email or phone number).
Please limit suggestions to people who have strong ties to the six villages we serve. If they grew up here, work here or live here, we want to recognize their efforts in making our lives just a little bit better.
The Food & Drug Administration will meet on December 10th to review Pfizer's request for emergency use authorization (EUA) of its Covid-19 vaccine. Pfizer, with their German partner BioNTech, released promising final results that show their vaccine is 95% effective and protects elderly adults who are most at risk of dying.
This week's poll asks if approved for use after the meeting next month, will you get vaccinated? Use the comment section below to tell us why you will or will not.
Unity's Jeremy Gallivan communicates with teammates while playing defense during his team's home game against Monticello on September 29, 2017. Scoring a touchdown in each of the four quarters, the Rockets prevailed with a 30-13 Illini Prairie Conference victory. Unity went capped the season with at 9-2 record and never lost a home game during the campaign.
On this day 12 years ago, St. Joseph-Ogden's Rachael Graham dribbles the ball down the court despite the defensive efforts of a Williamsville defender during first quarter action at the Riverton Early Bird Tournament on November 21, 2008. The Spartans fought off the Lady Bullets to net a 42-38 victory on Friday night.
Last Tuesday, the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 rose to an all-time of 142 cases in the six villages.
With that in mind, we asked the obvious question in our very first online poll: "Considering the rising number of Coronavirus cases, do you plan to attend or host a large family gathering with ten or more people this Thanksgiving?"
The results are in. Out the possible 11,108 residents (that number based on the 2018 census) in the six communities this news site covers, we had a whopping 16 responses. The overwhelming insignifant response from 63% of the participants choose, "No freakin' way, Jay. We're doing Zoomgiving!!!"
Whatever your Thanksgiving holiday plans may be, The Sentinel sincerely wishes a safe and happy celebration. If you haven't seen it, The Illinois Department of Public Health has published a comprehensive and informative PDF with tips to make your holiday stress free and to keep family and guests healthy as head into the Christmas season.
Remember to protect the ones you love by limiting physical contact, social distance as much as possible, wear your mask - two is better than one - and washing your hands frequently to prevent the spread of the virus to our friends and neighbors.
New classes starting Tuesday, December 1. Details coming soon!
SJO pep band drummer Brad Champ plays while the band performs 'Hey Jude' during halftime at SJO's non-conference game against Unity at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on December 7, 2008. The Spartans fell 53-49 to the Rockets on the floor home to the Indiana Pacers. Unity's pep band also performed at the game in the facility now called Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Andrea Coursey, a four-year varsity starter at third base for the St. Joseph-Ogden softball team was recently recognized for her commitment to excellence with the Impact Award. Illinois State's annual academic excellence awards ceremony, The Reggies, was not held this fall due to the mitigation measures in place to slow the spread of the Coronavirus. Coursey, a Redbird softball player, and several other recipients of the awards sponsored by State Farm were announced Friday.
The Impact Award is given to the student-athlete that has a strong desire to make a difference in the lives of others around them and in the community. It recognizes individuals who posses exceptional leadership skills, a strong commitment to academics and engages in community service activities.
Coursey started in all 18 games she was available for the Redbirds this season shortened by the pandemic. She earned a MVC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention for the second-straight year and hit the team's first home run of the season in a 9-3 victory over USF in the Redbirds' season opener on Feburary 6. She enters her senior year having taken the field for ISU 101 times.
While at SJO she broke the state and school record for career RBIs in a season collecting 244 between 2014 and 2017. Coursey, who also played volleyball in high school, is tied for second in the all-time IHSA records for Most Grand Slam Home Runs in a season (3) and rose to #3 in prep softball history for the most RBIs in a single game. She pounded a pair of them back in May of 2015 during a non-conference game against Danville.
Academically, Coursey was four-year academic letterwinner, class valedictorian and was inducted into the National Honor Society.
By Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator
I love Elvis' song Blue Christmas, but I don't want to have one. In the best of times holiday blues strike most people. Now is the time to develop your plan for avoiding a blue holiday season and having a merry holiday one.
If you are missing a significant person in your life the blues are inevitable. You miss them sitting at your table. You miss them coming in your home. You are reminded of how much that person meant to you. Holiday shows don't often help. While some are festive, they often remind us of the voids we have in our lives. We don't always enjoy songs like I'll be home for Christmas because we know that often home is a past memory. Being reminded of the past is not always warm and fuzzy.
Social isolation will only make this year tougher. The best in life are the friends, family and positive relationships we have. Talking on the telephone, video chats, and good human relationship connections are important for your spirit.
Churches, groups, fraternal organizations and et cetera need to think about reaching out to people this season. Real, actual communication is the key. People don't need more Robocalls, more Facebook videos or mail to read. People need real human interaction and this may be the toughest December in our modern history to have this.
Sunday school classes, senior adult organizations, school organizations, classes, teams, should coordinate efforts to reach out to each other and to others. Letting others know you are thinking about them with positive reinforcement will be critical this holiday season.
Suicides occurs much too often during the holiday season. With Covid-19, unemployment and so many issues facing our planet, the environment for an upsurge of suicide is ripe. People can be saved from this by us all helping each other.
Make a holiday telephone list of people you are going to call often between now and January 1. You may call them every week. Or, it may be someone who needs a call every two or three days. Keep the calls brief. Often five or ten minutes will be a boost to someone. If you text message or video chat then commit to connecting with others with occasional chats and brief hellos.
One of the ways to boost your spirit is to be helpful. Who can you help this holiday? How can you help your local school? How can you help someone who is hurting more than you? How can you help a local human aid group or senior citizen's group?
You may know people who have lost loved ones. If you do, it helps to talk to others and say, "I know how you feel and what you are going through." There are people all around who may not be suffering as much as you. When you take your mind off yourself to help someone else, then you will find your load will be a little lighter and your spirit brighter.
The blues may sneak up on us this season. However, begin making your game plan now for overcoming and moving beyond them.
Dr. Glenn Mollette is a syndicated American columnist and author of American Issues, Every American Has An Opinion and ten other books. He is read in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization.
This article is the sole opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of PhotoNews Media. We welcome comments and views from our readers.
The Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation met this past Sunday and revised their plans for overseeing the 2020-21 season.
Originally, the organization had hoped to resume practice and competition for young wrestlers like those in the St. Joseph Youth Wrestling Club after the Christmas holiday this coming January. Looking at more realistic timetable to return to the mat, the IKWF tentatively announced plans to resume practices starting April 5, 2021.
"We are hopeful that all of the craziness that we have all experienced throughout this year will start to take a turn for the better, and that we will be able to have a season sometime early next year," head coach Billy Gallo said in a letter to parents on Facebook. "We understand that there will be conflicts with kids participating in other sports and other commitments, but we plan to still start with a season at that time. Again, maybe we will see some improvement with this pandemic via vaccination/treatment sooner than April, and we will be able to start before then."
Meanwhile, the club will continue work on the new facility in the former Jim Clingan Auction building north of the Interstate.
"We can't wait to get the wrestlers in there," Gallo said. "We appreciate all of your patience and understanding throughout all of this, and we will continue to send out any updates as we get them."
He also said that registration fees will be returned to those families who have paid and all registration information will be kept on file for when the program can resume. As soon as plans are solidified, the club plans to email to members in future as soon the can have weekly open gym nights.
The IKWF says there will be no sanctioned events during the 2020-21 IKWF season until the CDC and IDPH guidelines and policies change to allow such competitions. The organization expects members to follow the guidance and guidelines provided by the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). Clubs in violation of state and federal mandates were reminded in a release form organizing body that programs could face penalties by the IDPH and local health departments.
Members of the St. Joseph-Ogden Dance Team compete the IHSA Competitive Dance State Finals in January. Despite an excellent performance and a score of 76.88, the Spartans did not advance to Saturday's championship round after finishing in 21st place after the first day of Class 1A competition.
The Illinois High School Association met once again in a virtual meeting to discuss how to proceed as the state enters Tier 3 of the Governor JB Pritzker's Resurgence Mitigation plan. Thousands of Illinois high school athletes will have to wait just a little longer to make to break a school record, make three-point shots or earn that 15 second pin on the wrestling mat this winter.
Earlier today the prep sports association announced that all IHSA sports and activities will cease as of Friday, November 20, until the state's COVID-19 positivity returns to a level safe enough that the governor will return the state to Tier 1 of its pandemic response plan.
Below is the complete release from the IHSA.
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors met for a special virtual meeting on Thursday, November 19, 2020, where the Board provided an update on winter sports.
To maintain compliance with the most recent mitigations issued by Governor Pritzker that take effect on November 20, the IHSA Board issued guidance to pause all IHSA winter sports and activities by November 20.
"All IHSA sports and activities will cease by November 20 for what we hope is a short-term pause," said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. "Given the rising COVID-19 cases in our state and region, we support the Governor’s mitigations and believe it is imperative for everyone in the state to do their part in following them so that we can return to high school sports participation as soon as possible."
St. Joseph-Ogden's Ella Armstrong lines up a shot from the free throw line back in February against Tuscola. Armstrong and the Spartans will not be piling up wins until maybe sometime in 2021.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
The Board will revisit the status of winter sports at their update discussion on December 2, and again at their regularly scheduled meeting on December 14 if necessary.
"Taking into account the current state mitigations, the Board believes that early to mid-December will be the most reasonable target to review the status of winter IHSA sports and activities," said Anderson. "The Board is sensitive to the scheduling difficulties these delays create for athletic directors and coaches. However, our experiences this summer and fall lead us to believe that setting arbitrary start dates hinders the process even more. We realize it may seem redundant, but we have to preach patience as we await more data and direction from the state. Despite the obstacles this unprecedented school year has presented, the Board’s vision to provide participation opportunities in all IHSA sports has not wavered."
The Board was steadfast in their desire to remind all athletes and athletic programs that adhering to the mitigations is vital to the hopes of safely playing high school sports in Illinois as soon as possible.
"I believe there is a misconception that IHSA and non-school athletic programs have an adversarial relationship," said Anderson. "In my time at the IHSA, I have not found that to be the case at all. More so, I think there is a mutual respect for the opportunities that each provide for athletes. IHSA schools have been exemplary in adhering to state regulations throughout this pandemic and we are calling upon non-school programs to hold themselves to that same standard. As school and non-school sports temporarily cease in Illinois, and throughout the Midwest, it is a great reminder that putting the health and safety of our fellow citizens at the forefront in the short-term will allow all levels of athletics to thrive in the long-term."
The Board provided the following participation clarifications to member schools:
Winter Season Start Date: Given the timing of the Governor’s new mitigations, November 16 will not be recognized as the start date of the winter season, regardless of whether winter sport teams conducted any official tryouts or practices. A new start date will be established for each sport once winter sports can be conducted again.
Conditioning & Weight Training: Conditioning and weight training before and after school are paused. Local schools will decide if conditioning and weight training programs that are a part of their academic curriculums continue or are ceased.
Open Gyms: Are paused and cannot be conducted at this time.
Outdoor Workouts: Outdoor workouts may be conducted in any sport in groups of 10 or less with masks and social distancing. Coaches are counted toward the 10. Use of sport-specific equipment is allowable with proper sanitizing practices.
One-on-One Skill Work: Per Tier 3 Resurgence Mitigations and with school approval, one-on-one skill work between a coach and student-athlete is permitted for winter sports only, but is limited to one coach and one student-athlete per facility.
Activities: Practices and competitions may only be conducted virtually.
Non-School Participation: All sports organizations in the state, school or non-school, have been directed to abide by the Governor’s mitigations. IHSA coaches cannot organize non-school participation in any fashion. IHSA by-law 3.100 will be in effect once winter sport seasons begin following this pause.
There are just four days left to take advantage of the annual St. Joseph-Ogden High School fan club $10 T-shirt sale. If you haven't ordered yours yet, order today to help support all the athletic programs at the high school.
"It's the only fundraiser fan club is doing this year. Because of Covid and the uncertainty of sports seasons, there was no good way to do the all athletic fundraisers that we've done the past few years," Tammy Vallee said. "I know I'd never be able to complete the list of what the funds are spent on, but each sport receives funds to spend on items they need. The fan club purchases larger items as they become needed as well, such as weight room updates and equipment that were added this past year."
With Christmas just around the corner, Spartan fans can email their name, email address, cell phone number and shirt sizes to tammyvallee@comcast.net or via Facebook Messenger. Payment can then be mailed or dropped off at 800 East Lincoln, St Joseph, IL, 61873. Checks must be made payable to SJO Fan Club. All payment and orders must be received by Tuesday, November 24.
Shirts can also be ordered with a student at the high school, who can submit orders and deposit payments at the check-in doors when they arrive at school in the morning.
The fan club expects T-shirt orders to be available for pickup the week of December 14.
The $10 T-shirts are available in sizes from youth through adult XL are available for $10 each. Extended sizes are also available at slightly higher prices with 2XL at $12 each and 3XL at $13 apiece. The fan club reminds fans who order to make sure to specify YOUTH in their email or messages when ordering a children's sizes.
The SJO Fan Club is an organization of parents, staff and community members who actively help every athletic program at the high school with fundraising and volunteers when needed.
Mean Mugz Bar and Grill opened for their first full day of business today at their new location in Ogden on 121 S East Avenue. The establishment will be open until 9pm today.
Moving into the location formerly home of The Vault in the old bank, the establishment features a Cajun inspired menu complete with catfish, shrimp and, of course, alligator. They also offer hamburgers, Philly Steak, chicken sandwiches, salads and variety of side dishes.
Carry-out is available. For more information call (217) 582-8029. Hours this weekend are Saturday 11am - 9pm and Sunday 12pm - 9pm.
This story was later updated with the hours of operation at 9:40p.
After securing the forced out at second, St. Joseph-Ogden's Kiel Duval attempts to throw the batter out at first during his team's championship game at the Spartan Invite on May 8, 2004. The Spartans won the four-team baseball invite after beating Tuscola in the title game. The former three-sport athlete, now a mathematics instructor at the SJO, is school's head basketball coach.
The high school basketball was suppose to start on Monday. St. Joseph-Ogden, Unity and basketball programs from around the state were suppose to begin team practices to prepare to play competitive games starting on November 30.
Hoping to "flatten the curve" of a surge in COVID-19 cases that started nearly a week ago, Governor JB Pritzker announced yesterday that the state would enter a level three of the state's resurgence mitigation plan on Friday. Some of the restrictions that go into effect that will affect athletics at all levels until the state's positivity numbers regress include:
• Pause all indoor group sporting and recreational activities including youth and adult recreational sports, individual training may remain (with facility reservation)
• This includes park districts and travel leagues play
• Locker rooms should be closed
Under the plan outdoor sports and recreation activities may continue. Groups and practices outdoors is limited to 10 persons or less with social distancing, face coverings required for all activities at all times and locker rooms should be closed to the public.
The pause also applied to high school sports putting basketball, wrestling, dance and competitive cheerleading activities on hold until sometime after the start of the new year or perhaps beyond.
"The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) recognizes that today’s announcement by Governor Pritzker will temporarily pause the IHSA’s winter sports season," said in a statement from IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. "We remain optimistic that these new mitigations, coupled with the emergence of a vaccine, will aid in creating participation opportunities in the New Year for IHSA student-athletes in winter, spring, and summer sports."
Anderson and the IHSA Board of Directors will meet tomorrow, November 19, 2020, to consider how to proceed for the remainder of the academic year. While they won't be at the upcoming meeting, the IHSA extended invitations to to Deputy Governor Jesse Ruiz and Dr. Ngozi Ezike to future meetings with the hope of developing a plans so that high school sports and activities can resume as soon as possible.
"IHSA schools have been exemplary in adhering to state regulations throughout this pandemic," Anderson said. "We hope that non-school programs will hold themselves to the same standard as we all put the long-term health and safety of our fellow citizens ahead of short-term athletic competition."
Taking on one of personal care's least-talked-about problems
(PRNewswire) Chicago -- There are products for sweaty armpits, sweaty feet and sweaty faces. But when sweat shows up somewhere a little less comfortable to talk about, the options get limited fast.
Chicago-based Cheek Sheets is looking to change that.
Cheek Sheets today announced the launch of its namesake absorbent sheets, an ultra-thin, dry and discreet personal-care product designed to help absorb sweat and manage unwanted moisture between the cheeks before it becomes uncomfortable, embarrassing or funky.
Discover the headlines published on each of these days from our news and sports coverage from Champaign‑Urbana and the wider community. From local news and sports to community events, politics, and opinion pieces, The Sentinel archives capture the stories that shaped life in Champaign County year after year.
Letters to Santa first began regularly appearing in newspapers around the 1880s. Every December since then, newspapers across the nation have published children’s requests for the gifts they want most. Entering our third year of covering news and sports in our part of Champaign county, The Sentinel is ready to join the tradition this year by publishing Letters to Santa from readers in the six villages we cover.
In a one-on-one Zoom meeting two weeks ago, Santa was delighted The Sentinel volunteered to help collect some of the millions and millions of letters he receives this time of the year, sort them and make sure he gets them on time. In the newspaper business, deadlines are just another day at the office.
Starting today, Letters to Santa will be accepted via email until noon on December 18. That gives us plenty of time to publish as many copies of the letters as we can before forwarding them to the Jolly Ole Elf at the North Pole.
Write your list early so Santa can make sure he packs his sleigh with all the gifts he needs to drop off on Christmas Eve to all the good little boys and girls your house. With his permission, we created a new email address at The Sentinel to make sure we get every letter and can forward them on to our new partner up north.
Please include in the body of an email after the letter your name or the child’s name, age and town where he or she lives. Email your letter to DearSanta@oursentinel.com. You can also submit a handwritten copy of any letter to St. Nick by sending a sharp, clear copy of the letter taken with your smartphone.
The Sentinel looks forward to sharing the letters and lists from kids in your hometown.
To enter, Tolono residents that wish to participate in the contest will need to turn their outdoor holiday displays and lights on by 6p on Friday, December 4. There are three categories that will be award prizes at the village tree lighting ceremony on Saturday.
The three divisions are the Fuse Buster, Frosty's Pick and Low Watt.
Fuse Busters are big, bold bright displays "that is spinning the watt meter" according to the flyer circulated by the committee on Facebook. The Frosty's Pick award will go to the best display that features a snowman. The Low Watt entries will be judged for the best display with a few lights.
The Tolono Fun Days committee asks that residents bring a non-fragile, weather-proof ornament for the village tree lighting at the police station 6p on December 5.
"Join us for a social distancing event to bring in the holidays."
We are talking about your friends and neighbors who you know that quietly work small miracles for those around them. They make small ripples that become swells making your community stronger.
The Sentinel wants to find such people, the heroes and heroines, to highlight their acts of kindness and compassion as we approach the holidays. If you know such a person, let The Sentinel know. Email us at editor@oursentinel.com with the person's name and contact info (email or phone number).
Please limit suggestions to people who have strong ties to the six villages we serve. If they grew up here, work here or live here, we want to recognize their efforts in making our lives just a little bit better.
New classes starting Tuesday, December 1. Details coming soon!
New classes starting Tuesday, December 1. Details coming soon!
The Impact Award is given to the student-athlete that has a strong desire to make a difference in the lives of others around them and in the community. It recognizes individuals who posses exceptional leadership skills, a strong commitment to academics and engages in community service activities.
Coursey started in all 18 games she was available for the Redbirds this season shortened by the pandemic. She earned a MVC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention for the second-straight year and hit the team's first home run of the season in a 9-3 victory over USF in the Redbirds' season opener on Feburary 6. She enters her senior year having taken the field for ISU 101 times.
While at SJO she broke the state and school record for career RBIs in a season collecting 244 between 2014 and 2017. Coursey, who also played volleyball in high school, is tied for second in the all-time IHSA records for Most Grand Slam Home Runs in a season (3) and rose to #3 in prep softball history for the most RBIs in a single game. She pounded a pair of them back in May of 2015 during a non-conference game against Danville.
Academically, Coursey was four-year academic letterwinner, class valedictorian and was inducted into the National Honor Society.
I love Elvis' song Blue Christmas, but I don't want to have one. In the best of times holiday blues strike most people. Now is the time to develop your plan for avoiding a blue holiday season and having a merry holiday one.
If you are missing a significant person in your life the blues are inevitable. You miss them sitting at your table. You miss them coming in your home. You are reminded of how much that person meant to you. Holiday shows don't often help. While some are festive, they often remind us of the voids we have in our lives. We don't always enjoy songs like I'll be home for Christmas because we know that often home is a past memory. Being reminded of the past is not always warm and fuzzy.
Social isolation will only make this year tougher. The best in life are the friends, family and positive relationships we have. Talking on the telephone, video chats, and good human relationship connections are important for your spirit.
Churches, groups, fraternal organizations and et cetera need to think about reaching out to people this season. Real, actual communication is the key. People don't need more Robocalls, more Facebook videos or mail to read. People need real human interaction and this may be the toughest December in our modern history to have this.
Sunday school classes, senior adult organizations, school organizations, classes, teams, should coordinate efforts to reach out to each other and to others. Letting others know you are thinking about them with positive reinforcement will be critical this holiday season.
Suicides occurs much too often during the holiday season. With Covid-19, unemployment and so many issues facing our planet, the environment for an upsurge of suicide is ripe. People can be saved from this by us all helping each other.
Make a holiday telephone list of people you are going to call often between now and January 1. You may call them every week. Or, it may be someone who needs a call every two or three days. Keep the calls brief. Often five or ten minutes will be a boost to someone. If you text message or video chat then commit to connecting with others with occasional chats and brief hellos.
One of the ways to boost your spirit is to be helpful. Who can you help this holiday? How can you help your local school? How can you help someone who is hurting more than you? How can you help a local human aid group or senior citizen's group?
You may know people who have lost loved ones. If you do, it helps to talk to others and say, "I know how you feel and what you are going through." There are people all around who may not be suffering as much as you. When you take your mind off yourself to help someone else, then you will find your load will be a little lighter and your spirit brighter.
The blues may sneak up on us this season. However, begin making your game plan now for overcoming and moving beyond them.
"We are hopeful that all of the craziness that we have all experienced throughout this year will start to take a turn for the better, and that we will be able to have a season sometime early next year," head coach Billy Gallo said in a letter to parents on Facebook. "We understand that there will be conflicts with kids participating in other sports and other commitments, but we plan to still start with a season at that time. Again, maybe we will see some improvement with this pandemic via vaccination/treatment sooner than April, and we will be able to start before then."
Moving into the location formerly home of The Vault in the old bank, the establishment features a Cajun inspired menu complete with catfish, shrimp and, of course, alligator. They also offer hamburgers, Philly Steak, chicken sandwiches, salads and variety of side dishes.
Hoping to "flatten the curve" of a surge in COVID-19 cases that started nearly a week ago, Governor JB Pritzker announced yesterday that the state would enter a level three of the state's resurgence mitigation plan on Friday. Some of the restrictions that go into effect that will affect athletics at all levels until the state's positivity numbers regress include:
