Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Summer Fun in Sullivan could be centered around a Splash Pad at Wyman Park. Becky Ogle is leading the SPARK effort to fund the project.

•January 22, 2020•
By Ellen Ferrera
for The News Progress

Hot summer days dashing around the lawn sprinkler seem meager when compared to the possible summer fun from a Splash Park.
When we were young without air conditioning on scorching days Dad would cut loose the cooling waters into the circular and arc sprinklers that graced our lawn.
For the next hour my sister joined me and neighborhood kids and even the dogs and birds would frolic like shrieking sprites running through the sprinklers, hosing each other and jumping about in the puddles that accumulated in the grass. This was our water wonderland.
The water world of today is a growing number of splash pads or splash parks with an array of colorful sprinklers, showers, bubbling pads, geysers, soakers, sprays and all manner of fanciful structures for aquatic play. Children are drawn to them like moths to a flame.
Such a splash park is envisioned by the Parks and Recreation Committee of Sullivan SPARK for installation in Wyman Park.
Becky Ogle and her family moved here four years ago from Paris, IL where that city started with a $250,000 splash park and has added to it over the years. It is now one of the largest splash parks in the area. Read More

Sue Weaver

•January 8, 2020•
By Ellen Ferrera
for The News Progress

December 23 was the final day of a successful 32-year career as Director of the Sullivan Civic Center for Sue Weaver.
Her retirement leaves only Bill White as the last member of her original 1987 staff.
“I can’t think of a better job than here in this community where my kids could go to school where I worked” Sue said in reflection. “I will truly miss the staff and all the kids.”
Weaver grew up in Princeton, IL and majored in recreational administration at Eastern Illinois University where she met her husband. Although her mother was a P.E. teacher Sue knew she didn’t want to teach but wanted to stay active in recreation.
For two years she worked in Decatur at the YWCA and in 1987 the Assistant Director position became available at the Civic Center which was perfect because she and her family lived in Sullivan. Two years later she was appointed Director.
Weaver lost no time implementing water exercise classes and swim lesson programs in cooperation with the elementary school to expand Civic Center offerings. Read More

Photo by Ellen Ferrera
The Santa Secret Sleigh project came to the area recently visiting Alicen Wooley of Arthur.

•December 25, 2019•
By Ellen Ferrera
for The News Progress

Three years ago Sarah Portillo in Loveland, Colo. realized she was unable to take her homebound daughter, Lilly, to see Santa. Lilly is a wheelchair bound child who communicates by blinking her eyes. Sarah was thinking how wonderful it would be for Santa to walk through their front door.
She talked with other parents in her situation, and they began to solicit volunteer Santas to visit homebound children.
On December 15 Alicen Wooley, a homebound child in Arthur received a visit from the most wonderous Santa who was dressed in sartorial splendor with a bejeweled cap, long, red velvet coat, a plaid vest and shiny black boots with bells all a-jingle.
The snow from outside still frosted his bushy eyebrows and long flowing beard. His moustache trailed into a curlicue on either side of his cherry red mouth. He kneeled by Alicen’s wheelchair and drew out a book from which he began to read, “The Night Before Christmas”. When he finished, I joined Santa and Alicen’s parents, Christina and Darreld, in singing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. Santa then spent time talking with Alicen about her Christmas wish list. Read More

By Marshal Cook
for The News Progress

Becky Lawson came to Sullivan High School as an English teacher 32 years ago, this Friday, Dec. 13 she is Grand Marshal of the Sullivan Night Christmas parade.
Entries should gather at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 13 in the high school parking lot prepared to light up the night over Sullivan. The parade kicks off at 6:00 p.m.
Parade director Jeri Davis noted the perfect candidate for the nighttime Christmas Parade Grand Marshal had to be Lawson whose devotion to community, veterans and her students has been an inspiration for more than three decades.
Lawson’s students and former students stay in touch with their favorite English teacher by following her on social media and reaching out from all over the country.
So devoted were her past students they took to FaceBook and overwhelmingly voted her Teacher of the Year in 2016. Read More

Photo by Ellen Ferrera
John and Anna Ruscin started seeing each other when John started helping with Turkey Bingo.

And the Beginning of Life with Anna

•November 20, 2019•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

John Ruscin has probably never undertaken any assignment for the short haul. He was a teacher/coach at Sullivan Elementary School for 37 years, then an IGA employee for 19 years and on November 8 he announced that he would be retiring after 68 years of volunteer service to the Lion Club’s Turkey Bingo.
“I came to Sullivan as a geography teacher and coach in 1951,” John recalled. ”Then Principal, Russell Ashbrook, actively recruited every male teacher to membership in the Lion’s Club. I have been there ever since.”
“I’ve been told that the turkeys were tossed off the roof of the Court House and the participants had to chase down their turkey,” He said it was an early story of how Thanksgiving Turkeys were distributed. Turkeys can fly can’t they?
“This practice was discontinued due to complaints about cruelty to the turkeys,” he continued.
Turkey Bingo was first held at Shasteen Motors, then moved to the Armory and finally to the American Legion Hall, John said, emphasizing more than 300 people have participated in the annual fundraiser each of the past two years.
The Lion’s Club helps those with vision issues and supports community programs including school scholarships. Read More