SES Principal
Heather Ethell

•July 24, 2019•

By Ellen Ferrera
for The News Progress

Heather Ethell, new principal at Sullivan Elementary School, grew up in the Chicago suburb of Mt. Prospect. Her mother was a librarian, and her favorite school subjects were science and math. She also remembers loving to play all sorts of card games.
Ethell entered the University of Illinois planning to be a pediatrician but decided a career in teaching seemed more practical.
Looking back, she recalls, “All went well until the student teaching segment. It was a horrible experience. There was little supervision, and I didn’t connect with either the students or the teachers.”
She returned home that summer and told her mother that teaching was not going to be her career. “Mother reminded me that they had invested a lot in my education, and that I should make use of it. Mom encouraged me to apply at her school for a paraprofessional position.”
This experience was a revelation. Read More

•July 17, 2019•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

Three hundred will be honored during dedication ceremonies at the American Legion Walk of Honor in Sullivan.
On Sunday, July 21 Post 68 is celebrating its 100th anniversary, and the public is invited to the American Legion Hall for the dedication of the new Memorial Walk of Honor.
Post Commander Bob Sims emphasized that “Our Walk of Honor is not just for veterans. The memorial bricks can honor anyone, be it a fireman, policeman, classmate, or a special person in our life. One family dedicated their brick to the three Eagle Scouts in the family. We have over 300 bricks that will be dedicated in this first installation.” Read More

•July 17, 2019•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

The first week in June, like lemmings to the sea, Sullivan’s children ages 5-12 migrate from their classrooms into sunny Wyman Park to participate in an eight-week recreation program that has endured for over 60 years.
Recreation Director, Jake Haegen, recounts, “My father was in the program when he was young, and I have been involved for over 20 years. My wife and Co-Director, Melissa, joined the staff nine years ago. Both she and her father grew up in the recreation program so it has been in existence for some time.”
A cooperative effort between the Park District and the Civic Center, the program serves, on an average, 100 children a day with a top of 155. The program is entirely free except for a $1 fee for swimming on Fridays. Through a state-sponsored program the children are provided a free lunch each day at the high school.
“We are so fortunate to be able to take advantage of this meal service. Many of the children would not have food during the summer without this program which also provides breakfast for those not having a breakfast at home,” Jake points out.
The recreation activities run from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday from June through July. A typical week’s activities might include the following with lunch at noon: Read More

Tentative Budget Approved

•July 17, 2019•
By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

Director of Transportation and Maintenance Kevin Landrus presented the annual Transportation Report at the opening of the Sullivan School Board on July 8, 2019.
“Costs are down overall. We have consolidated a route, which eliminated a bus and driver,” he stated.
Laudrus informed the board that regular driven miles went down from 86,000 to 72,000 miles. “We need to start looking at the odometer readings on some of the buses. A few of them are getting a lot of miles,” Landrus said of bus replacement rotation.
He also recommended buying a handicap accessible unit with a wheel chair or leasing a second one. Noting fuel expense was rising he pointed out the cost on average was $2.61 a gallon. Read More

Photo by Mike Brothers
Repeat Grand Champion turtle Mr. Incredible and owner Daisy Richardson. To view more photos, click here.

•July 10, 2019•
By Mike Brothers

Daisy Richardson’s Mr. Incredible was grand champion of the 100th annual Sullivan Fourth of July turtle races held on a warm afternoon in Wyman Park.
Volunteers from the Sullivan American Legion Post 68 Auxiliary, and Sons of American Legion herded some 70 turtles and their owners into 10 heats in the first event of an afternoon of classic Fourth competitions.
Mr. Incredible won the Turtle Race last year with Daisy, and her dad Sam kept the champion in the family pond in Sullivan. Daisy indicated the special diet of gold fish, crawdads and leftover pizza were the key to his championship performance.
Turtle racing was the first event following the annual Fourth of July parade and luncheon hosted at the legion hall. Parade entries filed from the school south and around the Sullivan square for more than an hour serving viewers water, ice pops and plenty of candy to take their minds off the traditional July heat.
The watermelon eating contest and sack races completed the afternoon of games as clouds moved in along with a brief thunderstorm.
Central States Fireworks of Athens set off a spectacular ground and air fireworks show over the lake before a packed Wyman Park. As a special addition, ground fireworks commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of Sullivan American Legion Post 68 were displayed. Read More