E-Newsletter - August 1, 2009

The History Museum of Monroe County will unveil a new exhibit on Aug. 1. The “Patriotic Salute To Our Military” features items from the Civil War, World War I, World War II and the Korean War.  Military weapons, field equipment, uniforms, pictures and letters, war memorabilia and souvenirs, antique and collectible glassware and kitchen ware are on loan from private collections throughout the community. To kick off the display and the museum’s new flag pole, the Waterloo VFW Post and Ladies Auxiliary 6504 will conduct a dedication and flag raising at 9:30 a.m., on Aug. 1. The tours of the museum will then open for a viewing of the display. The museum is located at 724 Elaine Drive near the Bellefontaine House on the south end of Waterloo.

Butch Sparwasser, kneeling, and other members of the Waterloo VFW help the folks from the History Museum of Monroe County place a new flag pole in front of the museum. The VFW donated the flag pole.      - photo by Norma Reheis



Open House And Dedication To Be Held For New WHS
WCUSD Superintendent James Helton and the school board welcomes the public to the dedication ceremony for the new Waterloo High School located off of South Market Street. The event will take place Sunday, Aug. 16, at 2 p.m. An open house and public viewing of the facility will take place immediately following the dedication and last until 5 p.m. “Thank you for all your support in the building of our new high school and for addressing the needs of the children in our community,” said Helton. “The effort put in by so many can never be quantified - only qualified by our children’s futures.”


The annual Columbia Daze festival is scheduled for Aug. 14 and 15, at the Turner Hall Park. Food stands and carnival rides open at 4 p.m. on Friday. Rock band Out of Focus will play from 8 p.m. to midnight. There are numerous events slated for Saturday. The annual Columbia Optimist 5k and 10k Run / Walk will begin at 8 a.m. Registration forms are available at the city’s website: www.columbiaillinois.com. Historical Trolley Tours will be provided throughout the day. The tours, sponsored by the Columbia Heritage and Preservation Commission, will feature actors from the Monroe Actors Stage Company playing the roles of historic local figures. Tickets are $10 and tours leave City Hall at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling Joyce Schmidt at 281-5340.
 
The parade along Main Street begins Saturday at 5 p.m. This year’s theme is Celebration 2009, which continues the city’s salute of its 150th anniversary. 1959 Centennial Committee members Herb Schueler and Gig Giffhorn will be the grand marshals. Bands marching include the Bud Light Brigade and the high school bands from Columbia and Gibault. The parade will travel south on Main Street from Temple to Cedar Streets. To participate, contact Paul Khoury at 281-7133. Rock band Aftershock will provide musical entertainment Saturday from 8 p.m. to midnight.
 
Once again, a wide selection of food will be served at Columbia Daze, noted Event Chairman Kenny “Spooner” Schmidt. “The Columbia Volunteer Fire Department will be frying fish, the Pork Producers will grill butterfly chops and pork burgers, plus there will be plenty of other food booths offering bratwurst, hot dogs, pizza, chicken on a stick, funnel cakes and, of course, lots of cold beer and soft drinks,” Schmidt added.
 
Advanced ride tickets are available at Ron’s Pharmacy in downtown Columbia. For more information, call Turner Hall at 281-5393.
 
Waterloo’s Homecoming will be Friday, Aug. 28 and Saturday, Aug. 29.

Piranha’s Swim To First In Conference
The Waterloo Piranhas swim team took first place earlier this week at the Kaskaskia Conference Championship Meet in Sparta. Trenton finished in second place and Columbia was third. The Piranhas’ medley relay team of Skyler Shinn, Jeremy Kovarik, Alex Schmidt and August Lock broke the Conference Record for yard pools by six seconds. Their time of 1:58:12 beat the 1996 record of 2:04:0. The Piranha’s team of Alex Reinhold, Adam Reinhold, Caleb McCoy and Brian Skinner still holds the meter pool record of 1:57:30.
 

Tickets for the Valmeyer Centennial production of "Peace In the Valley" will go on sale Saturday, Aug. 1. The show highlights the history of the village through 1909. Curtain goes up at Borsch Memorial Park at 8 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 20, Friday, Aug. 21 and Saturday, Aug. 22. Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased by calling 935-2326. "Peace In the Valley" is based on the events in Valmeyer's history leading up to its official incorporation as a village in December of 1909 and is based on the centennial book written by Dennis M. Knobloch. Recently retired Valmeyer School Music Director Marcia Braswell teamed up with Knobloch to pen the script. The cast includes more than 35 members of the community who have been rehearsing their parts since mid-June. Braswell will also serve as director, while Knobloch and David Henerfauth will handle the scene designs. Also working behind the scenes are Anna Glaenzer and Sandy Baum (costume coordinators), Scott Roever (sound director) and David Atkinson (lighting director.)

Poker Run And Washer Tournament To Benefit Coleman Fund
Proceeds from a poker run and washer tournament next weekend will be donated to a trust set up in honor of Sheri Coleman and her sons, Gavin and Garett. The event will take place Saturday, Aug. 8. Registration for the poker run begins at 11 a.m., at the Bluejay football field behind Parkview Elementary. The donation is $10 per vehicle. The ride will leave at 12:30 p.m. and make stops at several locations before finishing at Top Shooters on the north end of Columbia at 6 p.m.

Entertainment at Top Shooters will include live music and a washers tournament. Sign up for the washers tournament is at 11 a.m. and play begins at 12 noon. Cost is $20 per two-man team. “We’ll have payouts for first, second and third places,” said Ben Wienhoff, one of the event’s organizers. All skill levels are invited to participate.
 
The Waterloo’s Municipal Band’s annual community night is slated for Tuesday, Aug. 4. The Kaskaskia Trail Chorus and the Bud Lighters Dance Orchestra will provide music from 7 p.m.  to 8 p.m., before turning over the courthouse bandstand to the muni band.
 
There will not be a Social Security representative available in August at the Monroe County Courthouse. The representative will return on Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Those with questions can contact the Social Security Office at 1-800-772-1213 or 618-482-9110.

Kansas State University’s Mitchell Gregson won the 36-hole U.S. Amateur Qualifier July 27 at Blue Hills Country Club in Kansas City, Mo. He shot rounds of 69 and 70 against a field of 74 competitors. The U.S. Amateur Golf Tournament will be held Aug. 24 – 30 at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. Gregson, a 2006 graduate of Waterloo High School, is the son of Gordon and Cindy Gregson of Waterloo.

Mitchell Gregson hits from the tee box during a recent golf outing.       - photo by Bob Haentzler / www.gatewayphoto.net  

Millers Erupt For Eight In Late-Inning Comeback Win
Trailing 8-0 in the seventh inning, the Waterloo Millers erupted for eight runs tie the game and send the Mon-Clair match-up into extra innings Thursday evening at the SPPS Field in Waterloo. They scored a run in the eighth for the win. Waterloo improved their record to 11-8 to stay atop the Monroe Division. Fairview fell to 14-3, for second place in the St. Clair Division.

Zach Elliott, left, rounds third following a two-run homer to spark the Millers come-from-behind victory Thursday night over Fairview Heights. Coach Tony Musso looks on from the third base coaching box.           - photo by Bob Haentzler / www.gatewayphoto.net

The Monroe County YMCA is coordinating a school supply drive for area students in need. They invite the public to participate in their Backpack Attack program. Needed supplies include backpacks, crayons, rulers, notebooks, erasers, calculators, pens and pencils. Supplies can be dropped off through Aug. 7 at the following locations: (For more information, contact Marge Francois at 281.9622.)
Columbia: Monroe County YMCA, Market Place, Joe Boccardi’s Ristorante, Regions Bank, Walgreens, West Park Bowl and First National Bank of Waterloo.
Waterloo: City Hall, Schnucks, Rural King, First National Bank of Waterloo and Gene’s Barber Shop.
Millstadt: First National Bank of Waterloo and Schmidt Chiropractic Clinic.
Valmeyer: Corner Pub.

Rep. Costello Introduces Bill To Freeze Flood Insurance Rates
U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello has introduced legislation which would prevent changes to the current Federal Emergency Management Agency flood insurance rate maps from being implemented in areas where there is an active effort underway to fix levees. The recent decertification of levees in the Metro East for 100-year flood protection means that when new flood maps are finalized - which is estimated to occur around next August - those homeowners living within areas now protected by levees and who have mortgages issued by federally-regulated banking institutions would have to purchase insurance. The effect of the bill would be to freeze current insurance rates in place, preventing the requirement for mandatory purchase of flood insurance from being implemented.   

“It is important to note that under the bill, homeowners can still purchase federal flood insurance, which is much less expensive before the new maps go into effect,” said Costello. If they do not purchase insurance, they will not be eligible for federal assistance in the case of a flood. Costello urged all homeowners to assess their own flood risk and consider insurance. As long as the criteria for plan implementation are met, the freeze would be in effect until the levees are certified at the 100-year flood level, or for seven years.  

“What we want to do is create an incentive for localities to address levee deficiencies,” said Costello. “There has been a lot of concern expressed that even though our local leaders have put a plan in place to fix the levees, we are still facing the mandatory purchase of flood insurance. This legislation says that as long as such a plan is being implemented, the rate increases cannot take effect. If at any point the plan is not being implemented, the rates will go into effect. The key, as it always has been, is to fix the levees.”

Under the bill, the new flood maps will not go into effect if the following criteria are met:
- The levee(s) in question are determined to have a design deficiency.
- The entity responsible for the levee has implemented a plan to repair the levee that:
    1.) Has been developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or a licensed professional engineer.
    2.) Has been approved by the Corps or FEMA.
    3.) Is based on current design data.
    4.) Will protect against a 100-year flood when finished.
    5.) Includes an adequate financing mechanism.
- The entity responsible for the levee must also have a levee surveillance and operations plan, an evacuation plan and a communication plan in place to qualify for relief under the bill.   
  
Break-In At Rural Waterloo Bar
Several items were reported missing this week from Playing By The Ruehle’s Bar, located along Route 3 south of Waterloo. They reported the theft after opening  for business Wednesday afternoon, said Sheriff Dan Kelley. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the incident.

Recent Obituaries

Clara Mae Biby, 95, of Waterloo, formerly of Columbia, died July 30, 2009, at St. Anthony’s Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. She was born Nov. 20, 1913 in Nashville, IL., the daughter of the late Samuel Thomas and Sadie (Neill) Carson. She was christened in the Oakdale Reformed Presbyterian Church in 1914 and became a member in 1923. She married John Robert Biby in 1937 at her church. He died in 1986.  Mrs. Biby is survived by her son, Robert Biby of Troy; grandchildren Lisa Kae (Adrian) Dunne of Roseville, Calif., Erika Lynn (Rob) Russina of Ballwin, Mo., and Patrick Biby of Belleville; great-grandchildren Ethan Dunne, Cymone Dunne, Gabrielle Russina, Kayla Russina and Gavin Russina; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Dick and Alice Biby of Washington, DC., and Joan Wilbanks  of Lakeland, Fla.; and nieces and nephews Sarah Peveler, Jane Harris, Carson (Norma) Hempen, Ann (Jorge) Lopez, Mary (Mark) Goetz, Christine (Mark) Kengott, Elizabeth Biby Bandarcan, Steven (Linda) Biby, Mark (Barbara) Fessler, Michael Coltrin, Dale Ray Wilbanks, Peter Biby and Richard Biby. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Sharon Andreaci; a brother, Neill Carson; sisters Mildred Fessler and Dorothy Hempen; and a grandson, John Robert Biby III. Mrs. Biby taught school for 38 years in Washington, Perry and St. Clair Counties and was inducted in 1999 into the Dupo Educators Hall of Fame. After her retirement, her volunteer work included the Literacy program, Babes, tutoring, church programs and she also volunteered at a convalescent center.  She was a member of St. Paul UCC in Columbia where she was active in the Afternoon Fellowship, Prayer Breakfast Club and Evening Guild, the Illinois Retired Teachers Association, Eastern Star 397 of Columbia, Monroe County Retired Teachers Association, Columbia Senior Citizens, Columbia Woman’s Club and Retired Senior Volunteer Program. Visitation is Wednesday, Aug. 5, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., at St. Paul UCC. A funeral will follow with Pastor Bob Goddard officiating. Mrs. Biby will be buried at Evangelical St. Paul Cemetery in Columbia. Arrangements were handled by the Hempen Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to her church.

Zoran Perisic, 54, of Waterloo, died July 27, 2009, followig an extended illness. He was born Oct. 31, 1954, in Yugoslavia, the son of Rose (nee Crpesic) D'Amico of St. Louis, Mo., and the late Dragan Perisic. He married Deborah (nee O'Brien) Perisic in 1995 in Waterloo. In addition to his wife and mother, Mr. Perisic is survived by sons Josh Bayer of Columbia, and Christopher Bayer and Nicholas Bayer of Waterloo; and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Daniel (Jess) O'Brien, Kevin (Cindy) O'Brien, Kathleen (Mark) Range and Missy (Ed) Breeding; along with other relatives and friends. Visitation was at Lawlor Funeral Home. A funeral was held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Columbia with Fr. Carl Scherrer officiating. Mr. Perisic was buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, Mo. Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association or the American Heart Association.
 
Fay Hamilton, 78, formerly of Cahokia, died July 27, 2009, at Canterbury Manor Nursing Center in Waterloo. She was born May 27, 1931, in Grimsby, the daughterof the late Elmer and Vesta (nee Conder) Wortham. She married Paul Hamilton in 1952 in Columbia. He died in 1994. Mrs. Hamilton is survived by her children Michael (Tammie) Hamilton of Ft. Worth, Tex., Diane (Keith) Burns of Caseyville and Elizabeth "Becky" (John) Burns of Dupo; seven grandchildren, four great-grandchildren; a brother, Lee Wortham of Gorham; and a sister, Marie Rogers of Murphysboro. She was preceded in death by a son, Steven Hamilton; and sisters Laura Hoppe, Dorothy Sanders, Alice McRoy and Rosie Hall. Mrs. Hamilton was a member of the First Baptist Church in Dupo. She had volunteered with Hospice of Southern Illinois and regularly visited homebound members of her church community. Visitation and funeral were at Lawlor Funeral Home with Brother Bill Dempsey officiating. Mrs. Hamilton was buried at the Goodbread Cemetery in Gorham. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Southern Illinois.

Christy Sue Langhorst, nee Rubemeyer, 47, of Waterloo, died July 28, 2009 following an extended illness. She was born Oct. 14, 1961 in Belleville, the daughter of Delores Rubemeyer and the late Ronald Rubemeyer. Mrs. Rubemeyer is survived by a daughter, Carrie Langhorst; grandson, Tallas Wayne Langhorst; a sister, Laura Mehard; brother, Mitchell (Dawn) Rubemeyer; and brother-in-law, Brian Luhr; along with aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by a sister, Tracey Beth Luhr. Visitation was at Quernheim Funeral Home. Funeral was at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Waterloo with Pastor Tony Troup and Pastor Matt Clark officiating. She was buried at Kolmer Memorial Cemetery. Memorials may be made to BJC Hospice.