The parade will start from Unity High School at 5pm. Residents interested in participating should arrive at the school's east entrance starting at 4:30pm to line up.
Santa is coming to Tolono Christmas parade
Sidney had one and St. Joseph has a Christmas parade in the works, too. Last week, the Tolono Fun Day committee and the Tolono Fire Protection District teamed up to sponsor a Christmas Parade for the Village of Tolono on Saturday, December 19.
Santa, on his way back north after doing a dry run for his December 24th activities, will make a guest appearance at the parade. The community is welcome to take part with floats, golf carts or other vehicles. Due to the length of route, organizers ask the walkers sit this one out. Click on the map below to view the official parade route.
For more information contact the Tolono Fun Day by phone at (202) 630-0883 or via email at tolonofunday@yahoo.com.
Guest Column: People are what make Christmas special
By Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator
On the first Christmas Mary and Joseph had traveled to Bethlehem to pay their taxes. They were among a multitude of other people who were making the same trip for the same reason.
The Bible says there was no room for them in the Inn. They found refuge in a stable and in the night, Mary delivered her baby. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a cow's trough.
Soon, Shepherds watching their sheep in the fields were alerted by a heavenly host of angels about the special baby who had been born. They quickly made hast to celebrate and worship the new baby Jesus. Eventually in the Bible story Wise men from the East traveled a long distance to see the new child. They brought with them gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh and worshipped him. When you read the first couple of chapters of Matthew and Luke's gospels you learn Christmas is about Jesus.
You also learn he was loved, held in the arms of his mother, adored by the shepherds and worshiped by wise astrologers who went to great effort and time to visit him
This Christmas we should all once again embrace the baby Jesus and celebrate his deity and mission to bring love and peace to our hearts. We need his love and peace. We need his joy to the world. Even in the hardest times of life people have found the joy of Jesus at Christmas time. Often the simplest things have a way of bringing the most joy. A baby in a manger. Peasant shepherds dropping by to say hello. Strangers visiting later to bring some gifts.
The people of Christmas are those who are the players of Christmas. We don't pay that much attention to the sheep of Christmas, the donkeys or the camels. The people are what make Christmas special. There would not be a Christmas story without the baby, Mary and Joseph.
Who are the people in your Christmas story? Growing up it was Mama Mollette, Mama Hinkle and Grandpa Hinkle, uncles and aunts, first cousins. Parents Walt and Eula Mollette, sisters and brothers and their children. Later my church families became very significantly involved in my Christmas story. Today there are new faces of extended family, their spouses and now grandchildren. The landscape has dramatically changed.
Years ago, I never imagined Christmas would change so much. Most of the people who I once celebrated Christmas with have passed on or live somewhere else. The people you and I celebrate Christmas with this year will soon pass on or relocate to live somewhere else. The point is this, embrace your Christmas while you can. Embrace your people while you can. The people in your life are your Christmas.
Christmas gifts, trees and decorations are all nice and fun. However, give love, and as safely as you can because of Covid-19, celebrate each other this year. It's always the people of Christmas who make up the Christmas story. While our celebrations this year may be remotely, use your telephone, computers and whatever means you have to connect with your most precious gifts of Christmas - the people in your life.
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On the first Christmas Mary and Joseph had traveled to Bethlehem to pay their taxes. They were among a multitude of other people who were making the same trip for the same reason.
The Bible says there was no room for them in the Inn. They found refuge in a stable and in the night, Mary delivered her baby. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a cow's trough.
Soon, Shepherds watching their sheep in the fields were alerted by a heavenly host of angels about the special baby who had been born. They quickly made hast to celebrate and worship the new baby Jesus. Eventually in the Bible story Wise men from the East traveled a long distance to see the new child. They brought with them gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh and worshipped him. When you read the first couple of chapters of Matthew and Luke's gospels you learn Christmas is about Jesus.
You also learn he was loved, held in the arms of his mother, adored by the shepherds and worshiped by wise astrologers who went to great effort and time to visit him
This Christmas we should all once again embrace the baby Jesus and celebrate his deity and mission to bring love and peace to our hearts. We need his love and peace. We need his joy to the world. Even in the hardest times of life people have found the joy of Jesus at Christmas time. Often the simplest things have a way of bringing the most joy. A baby in a manger. Peasant shepherds dropping by to say hello. Strangers visiting later to bring some gifts.
The people of Christmas are those who are the players of Christmas. We don't pay that much attention to the sheep of Christmas, the donkeys or the camels. The people are what make Christmas special. There would not be a Christmas story without the baby, Mary and Joseph.
Who are the people in your Christmas story? Growing up it was Mama Mollette, Mama Hinkle and Grandpa Hinkle, uncles and aunts, first cousins. Parents Walt and Eula Mollette, sisters and brothers and their children. Later my church families became very significantly involved in my Christmas story. Today there are new faces of extended family, their spouses and now grandchildren. The landscape has dramatically changed.
Years ago, I never imagined Christmas would change so much. Most of the people who I once celebrated Christmas with have passed on or live somewhere else. The people you and I celebrate Christmas with this year will soon pass on or relocate to live somewhere else. The point is this, embrace your Christmas while you can. Embrace your people while you can. The people in your life are your Christmas.
Christmas gifts, trees and decorations are all nice and fun. However, give love, and as safely as you can because of Covid-19, celebrate each other this year. It's always the people of Christmas who make up the Christmas story. While our celebrations this year may be remotely, use your telephone, computers and whatever means you have to connect with your most precious gifts of Christmas - the people in your life.
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.
Photo of the Day - December 13, 2020
Fantastic fans keep Unity fired up
Sentinel holiday gift ideas for the 2020 Christmas season
Gifts Women & Girls Will Love
Handmade Beaded Cowl
Woven it by hand and with hand-twisted the fringe by artist Leann Gehm, this charcoal, lavender, silver & white cowl with glass beads in the fringe for extra sparkle. Her teardrop-shaped cowls are easy to wear, just put the seam towards your body and slip the cowl over your head, adjust the fringe. Made from renewable wood pulp fiber, its luxurious silky soft feel and lustrous sheen is an absolutely elegant.
Retail Price: $76
Available exclusively from
Miranda's LoomGifts for Everyone
Silver Bar Studs
Made in Peru with love, these are the perfect everyday stud in a modern geometric silhouette. Never worry about an accessory mismatch when you put on this endlessly wearable pair.
Retail Price: $38
Gifts Women & Girls Will Love
Let It Glow Gift Set
The ultimate gift of glow! Give smooth, hydrated + healthier-looking skin using our Hyaluronic Acid serum for a 200% hydration boost paired with our sugar + salt scrub for all-over exfoliation. Limited-edition.
Retail Price: $195
Sale Price: $139
Sale Price: $139
Gifts Women & Girls Will Love
Custom Jewelry
Give a beautiful one-of-the-kind piece from Luis López who specializes in handmade wire jewelry and three-dimensional sculptures. Featured is a green Tourmaline gemstone pendant wrapped in gold wire.
Retail Price: $120
A great gift for anyone
Private Photography Instruction
This fun, five-week introductory course with veteran news photographer Clark Brooks will cover the basic information and techniques for 35mm and digital SLR photography. Go from taking snapshots to visually stunning photos in weeks.
Retail Price: $65
Publisher's note: One of the great things about an online gift guide is it can be updated regularly. Point your browser to this page regularly to check for the latest deals and ideals from The Sentinel area. If you are a local merchant or artist and would like to have your product or art piece featured here, it's not too late. Email us at editor@oursentinel.com for details.
Photo of the Day - December 12, 2020
Editorial: Let's open restaurants, here's how we get it done
For a number of businesses in the food service industry already in delicate financial straits, which could have been avoided with a coordinated nationwide mitigation plan similar to New Zealand and Australia, without indoor dining their livelihood and sweat equity may evaporate into thin air.
Some businesses, like the FoxFire Restaurant in Geneva, sought relief in the courts after they were forced to closed and its food handling licenses pulled by the local public health department. In a friendly circuit court, FoxFire was granted a temporary restraining order by Kane County Judge Kevin Busch on October 26 because, in his opinion, Governor Pritzker had violated state law exceeding his legal power to issue an emergency order for a period longer than 30 days.
Later, on November 5, the 2nd District Appellate Court overruled a Kane County judge’s decision. In the reversal, the appellate court noted "that nothing in (the Emergency Management Agency Act’s) language precludes the governor from issuing multiple disaster proclamations — each with its own 30-day grant of emergency powers — arising from one ongoing disaster." Fortunately, for restaurants the appellate court’s order was issued under Supreme Court Rule 23, which says reversal cannot be cited as precedent in other cases, except within a limited scope. The appellate court's decision only applies to this case.
It has been an either-or proposition by restaurateurs and by the state with neither side willing to go to the table and find middle ground. The state and expert epidemiologists say bars and food establishments is strong vector for the spread of the Coronavirus while business owners say their are being unfairly targeted. There is middle ground, and for small businesses to survive the pandemic both sides need to seek compromise. The state is in a position to let bars and restaurants operate normally again. Well, almost. We propose the General Assembly or the governor, by way of executive order, reward restaurants that follow the state's public health directives and remain closed to indoor seating with a sales tax exemption until the state or region returns to 100% occupancy. Customers will be billed a convenience fee, retained by the business, equal to what would have been the normal sales tax on the order. Any business that backslides and allows an occassional guest or party to eat in their establishment loses their exemption for 30 days. Furthermore, restaurants want to open for indoor dining be open at 100% capacity can go right ahead. Yes, there's a pandemic going on, we know but hear this out. Here's how it would work: The Illinois Department of Public would issue food establishments offering indoor dining would post a green dot to be posted on the door or a window near the front entrance for recoverees to easily identify. Restaurants would collect and remit an additional 5% in sales tax to supplement tax revenue from mitigation compliant owners. Customers who tested positive for Coronavirus and recovered or have received vaccine treatment would be allow to utilize dine-in services by displaying their CV19 card, which would certify they were infected, quarantined and recovered from the COVID-19 virus. CV19 cards could be state IDs with a green or orange background issued by the Secretary of State with confirmation of infection from the hospital where they were tested and treated or a confirmation of vaccination. In Champaign County that would make just over 12 thousand people eligible to eat in participating bars and restaurants along with another 832 thousand residents from around the state. There are nearly one thousand new cases each week in Champaign County alone. Oh, no card? No indoor service. Our plan is an obvious win-win-win-win. Restaurants and bars that want to stay open can remain open with no restrictions other than the CV19 card, offer full service and keep employees working. As a quasi-consolation prize, individuals who were infected and since recovered can enjoy a sit-down meal at their favorite particpating restaurant or spend hours on the dance floor. The state benefits from the tax revenue during the mitigation period while businesses following public health mandates are rewarded keeping their communities just a bit safer. Really? Was that so hard?
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