More Together We Read details released
While the title and author of this year’s Together We Read book selection is still a very closely guarded secret, some more details about the book and the events following the “big reveal” have been released.

Members of the Together We Read (TWR) committee met with area teachers on Aug. 26 to discuss event details, how the schools handled the big reveal last year and answer questions.

TWR committee member and high school librarian Deb McCutcheon started off by telling the teachers, “the book deals with war and veterans, and that’s all we’re going to share until Sept. 21.”

This year, though, there will not be a companion book for younger readers. Committee members Pam Seals and Sandy Daniels agreed that there is nothing inappropriate in this book and it is acceptable to read to younger age groups. They added that there will be audio versions of the book available as well.

Plans for this year’s TWR include the committee having a booth at the Blossom City Autumn Fest featuring bookmarks, shirts and more information. The title will be announced on Sept. 21, and they plan on having banners up around town as well as having the title featured on business marquees around town.

The committee has been visiting with veteran groups and are working on getting a pen pal list with both veterans and those currently serving. They are encouraging anyone who knows of soldiers serving to share names with them.

They are also looking for veterans willing to come in and speak to students and other groups about their experiences when they served.

Additionally, this year everyone who reads the book is encouraged to write a message inside the cover for a veteran before passing the book on for someone else to read. The books will be collected in late November and sent to a VA hospital overseas.

Like last year, there will be a virtual author visit on Oct. 6 in the cafeteria at Red Bud Elementary School. There will only be one author visit this year, and it will be in the evening. The committee is again looking forward to this unique opportunity to discuss the book with the author, and everyone is invited to attend.

On Oct. 13, the Red Bud Public Library’s book club will be discussing the book. Anyone is welcome to join in the discussion.

The next event will be a “Book Buzz” at Lau-Nae Winery. A portion of the evening’s sales will go to TWR. Everyone is welcome to come out and discuss the book.

So far, the final event is another fun trivia night to be held at Red Bud Elementary School on Nov. 10.

Other tentative plans for this year’s TWR include, as McCutcheon put it, “a special field trip,” which they are wanting to do as close to Veteran’s Day as possible.

The committee members were also happy to announce that a lot of the funding this year for the books came from a grant from the Illinois Reading Council. Last year it was funded only by donations.

Donations are being accepted this year though and the funds will be used to help offset expenses such as publicity, printing, audio books and postage for shipping the books overseas.

Donations can be sent to Together We Read c/o Red Bud Public Library, 925 South Main, Red Bud, IL 62278.

Anyone wanting to know more details about this year’s Together We Read is more than welcome to visit the TWR Facebook page, go to the Red Bud School District’s webpage (www.redbud132.org) and click on the TWR link there or e-mail togetherweread@yahoo.com.

Interim principal announced
Steven Laur has officially taken the position as interim principal for Red Bud Elementary. His appointment was approved at a special board of education meeting held on Aug. 25.

Laur comes to Red Bud Elementary with an extensive educational administrator’s background. He taught for 16 years and then was an administrator for 19 years. He retired as Valmeyer’s superintendent in 2005.

But retiring hasn’t kept him from working for local schools. He does some work for the Regional Office of Education and served as the interim principal at Trinity Lutheran School for the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school years.

Laur noted that he is excited to be at Red Bud Elementary and is happy to help any way he can. “I’m ready to be back in the saddle and working with kids. I love working with kids, and this is an excellent school.”

He noted that he knew the school was put in a tough situation when Larry Lovel abruptly submitted his resignation as principal just weeks before school started. “When Mr. Goodman asked if I’d help, I was happy to,” Laur stated.

“I should be here until some time in January when I complete my contract,” he said. “I’m looking forward to this opportunity. Things were going good before I got here and I’d like to keep that going.”

Laur, while not a native to the area, resides in Waterloo. He moved to the area in 2001, after having served as a superintendent in central Illinois. He added that he belongs to the Red Bud Rotary and having served as interim principal at Trinity, he’s become familiar with the area.

“We came here and haven’t left yet,” Laur added. “It’s a nice part of the state.” 

Nighttime cannon firing at fort
The brilliant muzzle flash of a 1700s cannon after dark is back by popular demand at this year’s Artillery Safety School to be held Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 11 and 12 at Fort de Chartres State Historic Site near Prairie du Rocher. The event is free and open to the public.

The two-day event features re-enactors moving, loading and firing artillery pieces from the 1700s. Various period artillery companies will participate in classes and drills relating to period cannon firing. This activity is limited to the participants, but visitors are welcome to observe the activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and to view the live fire cannon competition on Sunday morning. Then, on Saturday, Sept.11 at about 7 p.m., several cannons will be loaded in preparation to fire from the fort’s embrasures (cannon openings) at sundown. Visitors are encouraged to bring their cameras for this rare photo opportunity.

At 7 p.m. on Saturday, the command “Aux armes” (to arms) will be given by the Royal French Artillery of Louisiana, and preparations will be made to fire the fort’s six-pound cannon. This demonstration will allow visitors to ask questions about the cannon, such as why is it called a six-pound cannon when it weighs 1,500 pounds and is about seven feet long? Everyone will then be moved outside the fort walls to see the firing of several cannon through the wall, individually and as volleys of several cannons at once. Visitors to the evening event are advised to bring a flashlight. Due to the nature of the event, special precautions will be made and enforced to ensure a safe and successful event.

Fort de Chartres State Historic Site, administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (www.Illinois-History.gov), is located four miles west of Prairie du Rocher and 37 miles south of Belleville. Take Route 3 to Route 155 and follow the signs. For more information, call (618) 284-7230, email ftdchart@htc.net, or visit www.ftdechartres.com on the web. 

Beautification project continues
As the city parking lot and sidewalk in downtown Red Bud next to Sporto’s Pub and Grill undergoes renovations, many people are asking lots of questions.

The biggest questions are, “What are they doing?” and “Who’s paying for this?” Well, here are some answers.

In answering both questions, Alderman Bill Hanebutt reported that the project, was an idea that came out of the city’s Cultural Committee.

The Cultural Committee met with the Beautification Committee and they wanted to expand on the beautification projects that had already taken place. The Beautification Committee had put in the trees and lights lining the streets, and the Chamber has taken on the new welcome signs. The city felt that they could take on this project.

Basing the project off a design drawn by Reda Guebert, it consists of a new sidewalk, planting beds, landscaping and an asphalt overlay for the parking lot.

To fund the project, Hanebutt reported that they are using money from a trust fund set up by Henry Thielen, which had been specifically set aside for beautification projects.

“This project is not just to beautify downtown, but to also enhance the parking downtown,” Hanebutt added. 

Health department to hold open house event
At the Aug. 16 Monroe County Board of Commissioners meeting, John Wagner, administrator for the Monroe County Health Department, stated that the health department will be holding an open house event.

The open house will be Sept. 25 from noon to 5 p.m. at the Monroe County Annex Building.  Flu shots will be available at the event. For the upcoming flu season, one flu shot will include protection against both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 virus. 

Wagner also explained that the Health Department will be on site at local schools to provide flu shots, whereby approval has been received by the local school board.

County Highway Engineer Aaron Metzger presented and explained the following resolutions: appoint Aaron Metzger to the East-West Gateway Council of Governments Executive Advisory Committee to replace Ron Polka, who retired; to purchase a v-box spreader; and to purchase a snow plow.

He also presented an ordinance to establish an altered speed zone that sets the speed limit at 45 mph for LL Road from IL Route 3 east to J Road.

The commissioners approved the aforementioned resolutions and ordinance.

Mike Fausz, zoning director, presented and explained an application for a floodplain variance to construct a pole shed. The application was submitted by Bob and Judy Edler. The commissioners approved of the floodplain variance.

Monroe County Ambulance Director Carla Heise presented a report regarding the Monroe County Ambulance Service.

Budget hearings for Monroe County’s fiscal year 2011 were scheduled for Sept. 21 and 22 at 8 a.m. in Room 220 at the Monroe County Courthouse.

- Births -
 

July 14, Chris and Barb Tierce, boy. Aug. 10, Eman and Sharon Facun, Red Bud, girl. Aug. 9, Ray and Kara Wagner, Red Bud, girl. Aug. 9, Jeremy and Jennifer Walker, Red Bud, boy.

- Area Deaths -