The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 3

A3 Julie Gerke, managing editor, SATURDAY 309-829-9000, ext. 256. e-mail: newsroompantagraph.com January 1, 2011 Region lift i soakei 9 Si by rain The PantagraphSTEVE SMEDLEY Abigail Wettstein, 5, throws confetti with her twin sister Addison during the Noon Year's Eve celebration at the Children's Discovery Museum in uptown Normal on Friday. The girls are daughters of Adam and Stephanie Wettstein. PANTAGRAPH STAFF BLOOMINGTON Central Illinois was pelted with more than an inch of rain on the last day of 2010 but missed the brunt of the storm that spawned tornadoes and caused damage to the south.

Temperatures are expected to reach 30 degrees today with a chance of snow flurries. Sunday will be mostly sunny with a high of 27 degrees. Temperatures will hover in the mid- to upper-30s the rest of the week. On Friday, McLean County Emergency Management Agency Director Curtis Hawk said a command post and operations team from McLean County went to Petersburg to help coordinate efforts after tornadoes ripped off roofs and uprooted large trees near Lake Petersburg, west of Interstate 55 and north of Springfield. Route 97 was closed because of debris and downed utility lines.

No injuries were immediately reported. American Red Cross of the Heartland, based in Bloomington, had vol -unteers ready to respond but had not been asked to assist the Red Cross Capital Area Chapter, which was responding to the disaster, said Scott Vogel of the Heartland chapter. Ameren Illinois reported utility outages north of Springfield and in the Peoria and Pekin areas. Earlier in the day, rain caused minor flooding, especially on Wood Street and on Locust Street and around Bissell Street in Bloomington and on School Street in Normal, according to police Small size hail was briefly seen in downtown Bloomington about 10:30 a.m. Ed Shimon, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Lincoln, said temperatures were expected to drop into the 20s after midnight.

The mercury was 55 degrees at Central Illinois Regional Airport at 2 p.m. The high temperature fell short of the record 60 degrees set Dec. 31, 2002. Reporters Mary Ann Ford, Ryan Denham and Paul Swiech contributed to this story. OCKI.Y NEW YE A'' By Mary Ann Ford mfordipantagr3ph.com NORMAL Sage Davis, l'2, painted a masterpiece on the paint wall at the Children's Discovery Museum then rocked to the music of the Brothers Sass.

"We came to have fun with the kids," said his dad, Caleb Davis of Peoria. "We started off downstairs with the water table, trains and kitchen." The Davises were among 1,060 people at the museum when the "Noon Year's Eve" countdown took place, sending confetti over all three floors. Kids received noisemakers before the countdown and many wore hats they created at one of several craft stations. "We just heard great things about the museum and had never come over before," said Christian Lee of Peoria. "We had the day off so decided to come." Lee and his wife brought four of their five kids.

Son Holden, 22 months, spent some of his time playing with the big-ger-than-life keyboard. "He got a keyboard for Christmas," explained his dad. Later, Holden joined dozens of other kids fascinated with the music of Cameron Sass, 14, and Chandler Sass, 11. Museum manager Shari Buckellew said the acoustic guitarists contacted the museum about performing in the new Artslnk! exhibit. The brothers, of Kelsey Pearson, 10, left, and her brother, Will Pearson, 8, blow noisemakers while taking part in the Noon Year's Eve celebration at the Children's Discovery Museum in uptown Normal on Friday.

Kelsey and Will were with mom Melissa Pearson of El Paso. Lake in the Hills, appear at schools and other venues in an effort to promote the importance of music in children's lives. On the second floor, a long line of children waited to get their faces painted by the Zoo Crew. Five -year -old Colton Billington was with his grandmother, Jeannie Billington of McLean. Colton wanted a painted clown face.

Jeannie Billington said she and her husband, Mike, came to the museum "to spend time with the grandsons." Running off the energy of their three boys Kendall, Kolby, and Kaleb, 3 was on the to-do list of Sabrina and Kevin Tom of Bartonville. "We're just here to let the kids play and explore," said Sabrina Tom. "It's wonderful they can burn off some energy and explore." Election meeting is put on hold By Steve Hoffman shoff man 3 pantagraph.com Hudson group dances the year away "There's no drinking, no bad language, and you can bring your family. Not all New Year's Eve parties are that way." Elaine Lauffenburger Roanoke woman who has attended square dances with her husband for all of their 57-year marriage ii WAPELLA An election board meeting ended quickly Friday after one candidate announced she would call two of the three board members as witnesses. The meeting had been called to hear objections and make rulings on candidates who filed as independents for the April election.

The meet -ing will resume at 6 p.m. Monday. "Nothing is going to happen today," village attorney Jeff Justice told a crowd of about 30. "If you are a wit -ness in a Board of Elections hearing, you can't sit on that board." Jane Buraglio, who filed to run as a trustee, said she intended to call both village President Richard Karr and acting Clerk Shay Burke as witnesses. That left current trustee Sharon Riddle as the only election board member.

Justice said it would be up to Sixth Judicial Circuit Court Judge John Shonkwiler to name the two replace -ments, both of whom must live within village limits. "I'm disappointed," said Kim Donovan, who objected to petitions filed by Buraglio and Donald Cain, and potential village president candidate Thomas C. Brame. "I was completely prepared and ready to present my case." The village's Peoples and Citizens parties will each hold a caucus Jan. 10 to nominate candidates for the five trustee positions as well as the village president.

No caucus is needed for independent candidates to get on the ballot. Three of the trustee positions are for four years, and the other is for two years. By Steve Hoffman shoflman.iipantagraph.com HUDSON By the time the band kicked off the New Year's Eve Square Dance in Hudson with "Sal's Got Mud Between Her Toes," there were already 40 ready to hit the Hudson Town Hall dance floor. By the time the first song was over, there were another 20 ready to jump in. Now in its 11th year, the dance, sponsored by the Hudson Square Dancers, brought in more than 80 people from across the area to take part in some old-fashioned, come-as-you-are, barn dance-style hoofin'.

"I love to dance," said Mar-lene Hunteman of Normal, who attended with daughters Katie and Amanda Roberts and their friend, Katie Baldwin, also of Normal. "It's very informal. And if you don't know how to dance, that's fine." Veteran square dance caller Martha Tyner of Stanford took time during the first few songs to teach some of the basic dance moves, such as forming a typical square, bowing to partners and corners and The PantagraphCARLOS T. MIRANDA Jon and Sue Hanson, sporting celebratory hats, square dance Friday during a New Year's Eve Square Dance at Hudson Town Hall. facility that's open to the public.

This is nice." The Hudson Square Dancers formed in 1997, and host 4 to 5 dances a year, including the New Year's Eve event, which concluded at midnight. Claudia Kaufman said she enjoys the fact that all ages can enjoy the activity. "The kids dance, and the older folks dance. There's no age limit," she said. The dance was free.

Square dance club members also brought snacks to share with the crowd. the ever-popular do-si-do. Elaine Lauffenburger of Roanoke has attended square dances with husband John for all of their 57-year marriage. Knee surgery has prevented her from hitting the floor in recent years, but she still likes the old-fashioned atmosphere of the New Year's Eve gatherings. "There's no drinking, no bad language, and you can bring 5'our family.

Not all New Year's Eve parties are that way," said Lauffenburger. Gary and Claudia Kaufman helped organize the dance. They live in Danvers, but as a Hudson native Gary loves seeing the old town hall filled with people. "When I lived in Hudson I was in Boy Scouts, and 4-H, and we always met in the town hall," said Kaufman. "It's just a nice all-purpose.