•November 30, 2022•
Christmas Eve is viewed differently by different people, even those who live under the same Santa-ready roof. Adults may see Christmas Eve as crunch time when they must prepare food for the next day or set up presents for their children to open in the morning. Children, on the other hand, are focused on Santa’s visit and little else.
Parents naturally want to make Christmastime as special as possible for their children, and that may involve ensuring that Christmas Eve is just as memorable as Christmas Day. The following are some ways to impart more magic into Christmas Eve celebrations. Read More
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Craft an Entire Day Around Tree Shopping
•November 30, 2022•
Though retailers may begin playing holiday tunes shortly after Halloween, for many people, no date on the calendar marks the beginning of the holiday season better than the day they pick up their Christmas tree.
There are many different ways to acquire a Christmas tree. Some people prefer artificial Christmas trees that can be stored and taken out each year. Others make a yearly expedition to a tree lot or a Christmas tree farm to find the perfect fir or spruce. Historians believe a man named W.V. McGallard planted 25,000 Norway spruce seedlings at his Mercer County, New Jersey farm in 1901, essentially establishing the first commercial Christmas tree farm. By 1908, customers could visit the farm and choose trees for $1 each. McGallard helped create an entirely new industry that now accounts for 350 million trees being grown and sold in the United States every year. Read More
Obituaries 11-30-2022: LaVica Noland
LaVica Noland
LaVica May Noland, 88, of Decatur, passed away at 5:33 a.m., Thursday, November 24, 2022, at her home in Decatur. Read More
Obituaries 11-30-2022: Corwin Hill, Jr.
Corwin Hill, Jr.
Corwin “Cob” Hill, Jr., 94, of Lovington, passed away at 6:15 a.m., Monday, November 28, 2022, in the Arthur Home. Read More
Grammar Moses: ‘Wonton Lust’ bites the dust
•November 30, 2022•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer
As the saying goes, the bridge from dream to reality is hard work.
I’m here to tell you sometimes it’s not enough.
I had a dream recently in which I came up with what I thought would be the perfect title for a book and, based on it, wrote a Chinese cookbook that landed on The New York Times Best Sellers list.
I woke up the next morning and thought to myself, “You love Chinese food, but you can’t cook anything more than a passable chicken fried rice. What an idiotic idea.”
Still, I loved the title of the book. So I emailed Rick Kaempfer and David Stern, the publishers of the book based on my column (the perfect stocking stuffer!) and gave them my pitch.
“I love it,” David wrote back. “Remember, pot is now legal in Illinois. Wide market.”
I should have known at that point that my idea would have to be packaged with edibles to sell — or make sense.
The title I pitched to them: “WontonLust: An Illustrated Exploration of Eggcorns, Mondegreens and Malapropisms.” Read More
Remember When? 11-30-2022
25 Years Ago This Week
Rebekah Boddy and Wes Barlow were named the DAR and SAR award winners at Lovington High School. Students selected by DAR demonstrate outstanding qualities of leadership dependability, service and patriotism in their school, at home and in their community. SAR winners demonstrate dependability, as evidenced by the record of punctuality, truthfulness, honesty, loyalty, trustworthiness and self control; cooperation as evidenced by the record in respect for authority, property, the rights of others and courtesy; leadership as evidenced by what the pupil has done to make the school a better school; and patriotism, as evidenced by loyalty to and a knowledge of the purpose expressed in the preamble of the Constitution of the United States. Read More
City Council Approves Memorandum of Understanding with Agri-Fab
•November 30, 2022•
by Crystal Reed
The Sullivan City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Sullivan and Agri-Fab. The memorandum involves an unused three-phase pad mount 1500 KVA transformer that was previously provided by the city. The city has requested possession of the transformer for use in another location. Agri-Fab has agreed to this on the condition that the city provide Agri-Fab with an equivalent replacement transformer. Commissioner Mike Fowler said they need permission from the company to move the transformer.
In attendance was Bob Ingram who asked whether the replacement transformer would be new or refurbished. According to Commissioner Abbey Sherwood there are two different copies of the agreement. One that was in the packet and one on which the lawyer changed the verbiage which said that it should be a new transformer given to Agri-Fab as a replacement. The transformer sits at Agri-Fab because they have vendors who require them to keep one in place should the one being used have a breakdown or malfunction. Read More
One Book, One Sullivan Announces Newest Book Selection
Photo by Crystal Reed
One Book, One Sullivan announced this year’s book selection during an assembly on Tuesday, November 22. This year’s selection is The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman. One Book, One Sullivan members are (in no order): Adalyn Cruitt, Emma Drake, Alex Fultz, Ava Johnson (not pictured), Kent Lehman, Grant Martin, Vinnie McClellan, Daisy Richardson, Avery Renfro, Tenley Stollard, Mitchell Wesselman, Ronin Woods, North Dean, Isabel Donovan, Reading Interventionist Rikki Ray, Media Center Specialist Anna McClellan and Rotary member Susan Rauch.
•November 30, 2022•
by Crystal Reed
One Book, One Sullivan presented a book trailer to their middle school classmates Tuesday, November 22, in an assembly at the beginning of the school day. The group narrowed their top choices for this year’s selection by reading all 20 books from the Rebecca Caudill list. The group of 12 middle school students, two high school students and four staff members read the books from that list to pick one for the community reading program.
The committee meets weekly to discuss the books and debate to find the perfect one. They narrow it down to the top five and then down to the final selection. The top five books were Amari and the Night Brothers, Black Brother, Black Brother; The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez, When Stars are Scattered and this year’s selection Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman. Members of the group distributed copies of the book to students during the assembly. Read More
The Little Theatre On The Square Preparing for White Christmas, Nominated for Broadway World Regional Awards
•November 30, 2022•
by Crystal Reed
It may not look like it’s going to be a White Christmas outside, but inside The Little Theatre On The Square, it will be. Rehearsals for the theatre’s production of White Christmas began Saturday, November 26. The theatre’s last production of White Christmas was in 2017. The show will be onstage December 9-18, and some shows are already selling out.
This year’s production will be directed by Clint Hromsco with choreography by Kaitlyn Frank. The female lead Gretel Scarlett is back. She was also in the 2010 production of the show. Read More
Bingo and Movie Night
•November 30, 2022•
There will be a bingo and movie night on Saturday, December 10 at the Bethany Depot. Bingo starts at 4 pm and the movie at 6:30 pm. Entry fee is $5 and includes bingo and/or movie. Concessions will be available. All children must be accompanied by an adult. All proceeds go towards the 2023 Bethany Celebration. See the Bethany Celebration Facebook page for more details.