Thursday, Dec. 04, 2008

AROUND TOWN

Advent Music
The Faithful Flutes and their musical friends at Faith Lutheran Church at 520 E. Hwy. 50 in O’Fallon will perform reflective, meditative and celebratory music of the season on the Wednesdays of Advent (December 10 and 17). Marcia Harty, the church’s music director, said the public is invited to sit back, relax and and enjoy the one-half hour musical offerings, which begin at noon, “and prepare for Christmas with a happy heart.” For information, call 632-5562.

Keepsake Ornament
The O’Fallon Historical Society is offering a new Christmas ornament for 2008. This year’s design features the drawing of a B & O Railroad locomotive found in O’Fallon’s 1954 centennial history book. Last year’s ornaments featuring old City Hall and the American Legion-Grange Hut are also available. Ornaments may be purchased for $5 each while supplies last (pick up only) at the History Museum, 101 W. State, from 1 to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays or Saturdays. Proceeds benefit the museum. For information, call 624-8409 or visit www.ofallonhistory.net.

Santa Sightings
• Santa will be at the Santa Hut located near the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and First Street, Fridays from 4 to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Christmas Eve from noon until 3 p.m.
• Santa will also be at the Santa House from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 12 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays in the Dierberg’s parking lot at Green Mount Crossing. On Dec. 22 and Dec. 23, the Hut will be open from 5 to 8 p.m. as well. Donations will be accepted in support of the St. Clair County Humane Society during “Bring Your Pet Day” from 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9 and in support of families of soldiers in Iraq on “Support the Troops Days” from 5 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 11 and Dec. 18.
• The O’Fallon Police Department D.A.R.E. Program is sponsoring their annual Breakfast with Santa from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Dec. 13 at the O’Fallon Township High School Cafeteria, 600 South Smiley. Children (up to 6th grade) will enjoy a pancake breakfast (first 500 guests) while being entertained by clowns, animal balloon making, face-painting and crafts. Santa will also be on hand to hear the children’s wishes for Christmas. A photographer will be available for those who would like to purchase pictures. There is no admission fee for the event, however, donations of new, unwrapped toys will be accepted and distributed throughout O’Fallon. Any cash donations received will be applied towards projects for the D.A.R.E.

Christmas Dinner
O’Fallon Township Senior Committee will sponsor a Christmas dinner and party for township residents at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 4, at the Township Building, 801 E. State St. Tickets are $2 and available at the Township Office.

Cambridge Christmas
The Cambridge House Holiday Party will be held a 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at 844 Cambridge Blvd. Friends and family are invited to hear the music of Forrest Bevineau. There also will be a surprise visitor from the north. For information, call 624-9900.

Craft Fair
The O’Fallon YMCA at 284 N. Seven Hills Road is hosting its third annual Holiday Shopping Extravaganza Craft and Vendor Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. The event will feature more than 30 vendors and admission is $1. For more information, call the YMCA at 628-7701.

AARF Fundraiser
“Artists For Animals” will hold a benefit sale for the Animal Rescue & Relief Foundation of S.W. Illinois from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 6, at East Meets West Tack Shoppe, 1400 East Highway 50. Booths will feature Christmas gift items from area artists. And ARRF items will be available for a donation. For information, call East Meets West at 632-2645.

Special Trivia
A Special Olympics Illinois Ultimate Quiz Night and Silent Auction will be held Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Shiloh Eagles Lodge, 100 Eagles Dr. Proceeds benefit Special Olympics athletes in Southwestern Illinois. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; the game begins at 7:30 p.m. Players are encouraged to bring snacks and table decorations. A prize will be awarded to the best Holiday table spread. No alcohol may be brought to the event; a cash bar is available. Tickets are $20 per person or $160 for a table of 8. Make reservations by calling Sandy Stover at 618-654-6680 or emailing to sstover@soill.org.

Food Drives
• The Young Chefs Academy is hosting a family-friendly cooking seminar from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, as part of a month-long food drive benefiting the O’Fallon Food Pantry. Non-perishable items are being collected until Dec. 8 at the academy located at 1929 W. Highway 50 in O’Fallon. For every two cans collected, the donor receives $1 to spend at the local YCA.
• Main Street O’Fallon and the downtown merchants are having a Holiday Open House from 1 to 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 14. Free hot chocolate and cookies will be served in the Caboose on First Street. Merchants will be offering in store specials and they will be collecting canned goods and dried food for the O’Fallon Food Pantry. Groups interested in caroling for the downtown event also are being sought. Call Susan Wobbe at 632-1988 for more information.

Blood Drives
• Centrepoint Chiropractic is hosting a blood drive with Central Illinois Community Blood Center from 2 to 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12 at the company’s office located at 705 West U.S. Highway 50. For more information, call 624-4242.
• YMCA Blood drive
The O’Fallon YMCA, 284 N. Seven Hills Rd., O’Fallon, is sponsoring a blood drive from 2 to 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5. All donors will receive a free blood drop beanie.

MOAA Meeting
The Southwest Illinois Military Officers Association of America Chapter will meet Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Bellecourt Place, 120 North Jackson Street, Belleville. Social hour is at 6 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m. An auction beginning at 8:15 p.m. will provide money for scholarships. Contact Col. Dick Glogowski at 624-6115 for reservations by Tuesday, Dec 9.

Holiday Homes
The 2008 Fulton Junior High School Holiday Home Tour is from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14. The tour features 10 O’Fallon homes, showcasing Holidays in a Log Home, A Warm Welcome from Crown Pointe, the Downtown Historic Homes of O’Fallon, Christmas Greetings from Hearthstone, Sleigh bells through Steeplechase and Five Rooms filled with the spirit of Christmas in Fairwood Hills. Participants will be welcomed at each stop by eighth grade student carolers and greeters. Proceeds from the tour benefit the eighth grade class trip to Washington, D.C.

Tickets, at $10 each, are on sale by phone at 235-1066 or via email at jcsew@yahoo.com or hudsonm@charter.net. They also may be purchased at Steven Mueller Florist, Dragonfly Secrets or Emily’s Resale, during home basketball games the week prior to the event and at the school from noon to 2 p.m. on the day of the event.

Christmas Stockings
Addus HealthCare in O’Fallon, will be providing Christmas Stockings to approximately 50 children at the Hoyleton Childrens Home for its Christmas party Wednesday, Dec. 17. Anyone wanting to drop off items or make a cash donation, may do so from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon. - Fri. Deadline is Dec. 12. For more information or stocking stuffer ideas, contact Julia at 632-1810.

Woman’s Club Meeting
The O’Fallon Woman’s Club will meet at noon Thursday, Dec. 18, at the First United Methodist Church. The O'Fallon Township High School Show Choir will perform. Members are asked to bring new unwrapped toys for the O’Fallon Underwater Search and Recovery Team Children’s Christmas Party. Members also may bring a small wrapped gift (no more than $10) for a gift exchange. The Club will fly the flag at Memorial Corner for the month of December in honor of Private Henry P. Lowe, U.S. Army, WWI. The ceremony will be 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6.

Senior Christmas Party
O’Fallon Township is having a Christmas Party from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 19 for residents 60 and above at the Township Building. There will be Bingo, appetizers, lots of prizes and good company. Call 632-3517 to save a seat.

Library Happenings
As the weather chills and indoor activities increase, library patrons are reminded to come to the library to check out not only books to read but also books with tape, CDs of literature and music, DVDs of quality children's shows, and magazines.

Phone Book Recycling
The City of O’Fallon is again participating in the St. Clair County Health Department’s Fall Telephone Book Recycling Program. The program runs from now to January 2, 2009.
For your convenience, recycling bins for telephone directories are located at the O’Fallon Public Library, 120 Civic Plaza and at O’Fallon City Hall, 255 South Lincoln. For more information on the telephone book recycling program, please call St. Clair County Pollution Prevention staff at 233-7769.

Toastmasters Meetings
The O’Fallon Toastmasters Club 994 meets Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Community Financial Center, 800 S. Lincoln Ave. Each meeting gives members an opportunity to practice conducting meetings, giving impromptu speeches, presenting prepared speeches and offering constructive evaluation. Visitors are welcome.
For more information, contact the club by email at ofallon-officers@freetoasthost.com or by calling Louis Smith at 632-8089, losmith@prodigy.net.

O’Fallon TOPS Meetings
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) will meet every Monday night from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 504 E. Hwy. 50, O’Fallon. Weigh in at 6 to 6:30 p.m. TOPS is an international non-profit weight loss organization, providing information, motivation, and fellowship in attaining and maintaining weight loss goals as prescribed by a physician, with group support. For more information, contact Kathy at 624-8031.

Calling Cards
Xi Chi Chapter 5456 of ESA International is supporting Hope for Heroes by partnering with Cell Phones for Soldiers to fill the need for calling cards for troops overseas. Used cell phones are recycled and in turn the recycling company provides an hour of international minutes on calling cards, which are shipped to military deployed overseas. Cell phones may be dropped off at any of the Auffenberg dealers in the metro-east along with Jack Schmidt Chevrolet in O’Fallon. For more information, call 618-567-5315 or e-mail grumman3@icss.net.

Animal Shelter Needs Help
Spencer Pet Rescue, 1405 Highway 50, is asking for donations of money, dry puppy and kitten food; canned food for puppies and kittens; unscented clay cat litter; puppy and kitten collars; cat beds and cubbies; towels, bleach, dish or laundry detergent; newborn puppy and kitten dry milk replacement; puppy play yards (toddler play yards or baby gates), pet medications. (Leftover packaged medications accepted.)
Weight circles from Purina dry dog food bags and used or no longer needed pet items, in clean and usable condition, are also accepted for the no-kill animal shelter.
Sponsors also are needed for individual animals. Spencer will send a picture and story about the animal chosen for sponsorship. Call 632-7387 for more information.

Monumental Biographies
Biographies and a picture of any veteran currently inscribed on the pillars are now being accepted for inclusion on the Veterans’ Monument kiosk. If not previously submitted, please send the biography, not to exceed 500 words, and a picture to: O’Fallon Veterans’ Monument Association, P O Box 406, O’Fallon, IL 62269. If you wish to have your picture returned, which will appear in a 3" x 2" format on the site, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Any questions, please call Jo Smith at 628-0451.

VFW Fish Fry
O’Fallon VFW Post 805, 221 W. First Street, and its Ladies Auxiliary sponsor a fish fry from 4 to 9 p.m. every Friday. Dine in or call 624-2651 for carry out.

K of C Fish Fry
The O’Fallon Knights of Columbus and its Ladies Auxiliary sponsor a fish fry from 4 to 8 p.m. every Friday. Dine in the hall, located at 402 E. Hwy. 50, or call 632-6229 to order carry out.
The Knights of Columbus is an international Catholic family fraternal service organization with nearly 1.7 million members in over 12,500 local councils. Last year, Knights donated 60 million volunteer hours and $130 million to charitable and benevolent causes, sponsoring projects to benefit their church, councils, communities, families, and youth.
The local O'Fallon council donated over $60,000 to charity last year supporting organizations such as Special Olympics, St. Clair Adult Vocational Enterprises (SAVE), the Illinois Center for Autism, Parents and Teachers of Exceptional Children (PTOEC), and the St. Clare, St. Nicholas, Corpus Christi, and St. Joseph parishes.
The council also sponsors local events for the community, such as an annual Halloween Party, spelling bee, soccer challenge, and free throw contest.