Mark Your Calendar
May 29 The Return of the Pride Picnic 12 to 5:30 p.m. at Lake Storey Shelters one and two next to the Pavilion. Come celebrate Pride Month. This event is open to all members of the LGBTQ+ Community (Allies included). The main dish item will be provided. It is a potluck. Please bring a side dish to share.
Trees Planted at Lake Storey through Project 350
Project 350 continued to take root on Saturday as volunteer tree enthusiasts planted 14 trees in the playground and shelter area of Lake Storey Park. With 50 trees installed this spring, the five-year initiative aimed at planting 350 trees on Galesburg terraces and in city parks is on track.
Acting on a request made to the City Park Department by the Galesburg Heritage Days group for replacing a large number of ash trees lost in their event space, a variety of species was selected from area nurseries. Bur oaks, swamp white oak, American dream oak, pin oak, tulip, London plane tree, patriot elm, lacebark elm, bald cypress, and American hornbeam were chosen for their longevity, and larger, shade-providing canopies.
Volunteers from the Galesburg Lions Club, Sunrise Rotary, the Galesburg Tree Commission, and the community at large completed the plantings in two hours. Saturday’s event highlights the community’s Heart & Soul values of furthering a positive town image and giving citizens things to do. Individuals or groups interested in joining Project 350 or other civic-minded activities can contact Tom Simkins, Special Projects Coordinator, at 309-299-6959.
Paint Recycling
The City of Galesburg offers a residential paint recycling drop-off program, in order to provide a convenient method for environmentally friendly disposal of unused paint. The Residential Paint Recycling Drop-off program for 2022 will run every third Saturday of the month from May until September. The first event was held Saturday, May 21st. The remaining drop-off days for the 2022 program are June 18th, July 16th, August 20th, and September 17th. More information on recycling programs in Galesburg can be found on the City's website.
Galesburg Firefighters Association
The Galesburg Firefighters have begun flowing hydrants for the summer. They inspect, flow, test, and provide preventative maintenance to make sure the hydrants are in good operating order. There are roughly 1,500 hydrants that they service. First they inspect the hydrant to make sure there is no damage. They then charge the hydrant by opening the valve to flow water. This flushes the hydrant and blows out any rust or deposit build ups in the hydrant chamber. The valve is located deep underground and tied into the water main system. They flow the water until it is clear and slowly shut down the hydrant. They wire brush the threads for the caps and apply a good grade lubricant to areas needed.
Lolita Junk Memorial Golf Outing
The 13th Annual Lolita Junk Memorial Golf Outing is scheduled for June 24. The golf outing will be held at 8 a.m. at Bunker Links. The Bourbon Pull will return this year. Buy a hand of Blackjack and automatically win a bottle of bourbon. There will be a new contest added this year. Registration for this event is now open. You can register at https://unitedway-knoxcounty.org/13th-annual-lolita-junk-golf-outing.
Spring Shamble Results
On May 12 Bunker Links hosted Spring Shamble. The results are as follows:
Flight One
First: Ben Olson, Ed “needs strokes: Johnson, Ryan Ballard, and Gavin Phillips.
Second: Matt Thielbert, Jacob Harris, Chris Cervantes, and Chad Myler.
Flight Two
First: Aaron Young, Greg Goad, Steve Dennison, and Mark Reed.
Second: Chris Kleine, Jeff Bivens, Ned Owens, and Jeff Jones.
Flight Three
First: Bart Arthur, Chris Lensing, Andrew Blackert, and Jared Hippen.
Second: Mark Hannam, Ed Theobald, Terry Hepner, and Rick Ivie.
Flight Four
First: Kyle McGee, Dave Helvey, Scott Benson, and Tyler Garza.
Second: Peach Johnson, Nate Burch, Dylan Johson, and Jeff Burch.
Flight Five
First: Rick Danielson, Curt Danielson, Sam Albert, and Jesse Ponce.
Second: Bryan Stickle, Jerry Cook, Tim Yohe, and Kurt Stickle.
Carl Sandburg College
Caitlin Evans came home one day and had a question for her parents.
Who, exactly, is Doogie Howser?
As Evans gets set to graduate Thursday from Carl Sandburg College’s associate degree nursing program at only 17 years old, it’s understandable that she’s drawn comparisons to the titular teenage doctor played by Neil Patrick Harris on the early 1990s sitcom.
“Someone called me that, and I had no idea (what it meant),” Evans said.
Thirty-year-old pop culture references might be one of the few things Evans isn’t well schooled in.
When she was just 13, Evans took a placement test at Sandburg so she could begin enrolling in dual credit courses while a student at Williamsfield High School. By taking dual credit classes throughout the school year and during the summer, Evans was able to graduate from Williamsfield with her high school diploma in the spring of 2020 and from Sandburg with her Associate in General Studies that summer at the ripe old age of 15. She applied for Sandburg’s College of Nursing, got accepted and began nursing school in the fall of 2020.
“It was kind of a culture shock,” Evans said. “I went from being 13 and in seventh grade, then going to high school and then doing college and graduating all in the span of two years. Then when I started the nursing program it was like, this is my focus right now.”
Evans said she always knew she wanted to work in health care. Her original plan was to become a pharmacist, but that required being at least 18 years old, which didn’t match up with her educational fast-track. She turned her attention to nursing like her mom Sarah, a 2012 graduate of Sandburg’s nursing program. Her dad Brandon, a lawyer, checked to make sure she’d be eligible to take the NCLEX at such a young age. Other than Evans being unable to use a Hoyer lift (operators need to be at least 18), they didn’t come across any age-related issues.
“There are so many opportunities,” Evans said. “You can work in bedside nursing, or you can work in an office setting or you can go into research or education. There are just endless opportunities in nursing.”
Still too young to drive during her first year of nursing school, Evans relied on rides from her mom to get to class, which led to some curious questions from classmates who didn’t know how old she was.
“I think that was confusing for people at first,” Evans said. “They were like, ‘Who’s driving you?’”
And making small talk with patients and nurses who didn’t know about Evans’ age at her clinical sites often led to some interesting exchanges as well.
“I think that I can pull off that I’m older than I actually am,” Evans said. “They’ll mention they have kids or that they’re married, things like that. Then they’d ask me questions like that when I’m at clinical, and it’s like, ‘No, definitely not.’”
Even though she’s not yet old enough to vote, Evans’ age has been anything but an obstacle in her time at Sandburg. She’s been on the dean’s list each semester, a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and will graduate this week with highest honors, which are reserved for students with a 3.9-4.0 GPA.
“I think it’s always felt right for me. I’ve always been very driven and organized,” Evans said. “It was kind of — not boring — but just not challenging when I was in classes during middle school or high school. It’s just always felt like this was right.”
Next on Evans’ to-do list is to continue toward her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing. She wants to go into research care and perhaps get her doctor of nursing practice. But first, after having in-person graduation ceremonies for high school and her first degree from Sandburg wiped out because of COVID — she’ll get to take a moment to walk across the stage for the first time as a graduate.
“I've gotten straight A's throughout all of nursing school just because I like to — not be a perfectionist — but I like to set high goals for myself,” Evans said. “Everyone always says nursing school is so hard, and it is hard. But I got straight A’s throughout it and completed all my clinicals and did everything. Now it’s taking time to think about, ‘Oh wow, I already did it.’”
Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank
Mayor Peter Schwartzman and the Galesburg City Council have proclaimed May 23 - 29 Period Poverty Awareness Week. Until everyone has equal access to period products Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank will continue to do their work.
Community Hygiene Pantry
On April 25 the Community Hygiene Pantry was chosen as F & M Bank’s Hometown Hundreds recipient. The Hometown Hundreds is a weekly program that gives $100 to a local nonprofit organization.
Uber
You can now catch a ride with Uber in Knox County. Check out their app or website (https://www.uber.com/global/en/cities/northwest-il/) for their rates and different areas you can take an Uber to.
City of Galesburg
The City of Galesburg recently passed an ordinance that allows residents to plant flowers and other approved plantings in the terrace. The terrace is the portion of a yard between the sidewalk and street, which is maintained by the resident, but is public property and subject to access by the city and public utility companies to perform necessary work. The ordinance increases the options for residents to maintain plantings other than grass in the terrace, while simultaneously ensuring the plantings do not interfere with city or utility maintenance, or the safe access and vision of pedestrians and motorists.
Residents who would like to plant on the terrace are required to apply for a no cost landscape permit and provide a plan or sketch of what they would like to incorporate into their terrace. There is no cost for this permit, which is available at City Hall at the Public Works Counter. If the resident will be digging in the terrace, they are required to call JULIE locate services at 1-800-892-0123 at least three business days before digging, as most terraces contain underground utilities that will need to be marked.
Approved plantings include any non-woody plantings such as flower gardens, natural grasses or other plants provided they comply with the height restrictions based on their placement. A list of potential options is included in the Guide to Planting on the Terrace; however, this is not a comprehensive list, and property owners may select other plants that meet the height requirements. Terrace tree planting permits are not included in this ordinance, but can be requested through the Forestry Department.