The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 4

www.pantagraph.com A4 The Pantagraph Saturday, May 1, 2004 DailyDigest Community to fix cemetery Arbor Day Paso Gridley REGIONAL a -V "-J7 ir'- li'T 'I" lk 11 1 111 si'omutir Covering parts of McLean and Woodford 150S rnuntips Government (jlance BLOOMINGTON Dist. 87 OKs bonds, graduation standards Meeting: District 87 school board When: Wednesday Key action: The board approved the sale of bonds worth about $20 million for life-safety work throughout the district over the next several years. About $3 million in existing bonds also was refinanced. Other action: Board members also approved changes in graduation requirements that will require students to take more math, reading, science and social science classes beginning with the class of 2009. The new requirements include four credits of English, three math credits, three science credits and three social science credits.

The PantaqraphJOSH RITCHIE Town of Normal Parks and Recreation Superintendent Tom Cherry helped back fill a newly planted Bur oak tree along Constitution Trail on Friday behind City Hall in Normal. City workers planted three Bur oaks and three White Fringe trees along the trail in celebration of Arbor Chenoa I "-'Lexington Hudson 55 Towanda How to help I To donate: Send checks to: Lexington City Hall, The Scrogin Cemetery Project, 329 Main St. Lexington, IL 61753. I To volunteer, Call Joni Lawson at (309) 365-7881 To offer information: Call Lawson. She is interested in collecting stories and photos related to the people buried there.

cal society in Lexington. She researched the cemetery and found the stories of the families who were buried there. "There was no computer help then. It was all handwritten," Lawson said. Also, in the late 1960s, some headstones were laid flat on the ground, perhaps to prevent more vandalism.

Instead, lying in the damp soil damaged them. Volunteers have been digging up the stones so they can be cleaned and set straight again. WATERS CONSTRUCTION Concrete Work and Demolition Call Toll Free: (888) 473-2631 CALL DAY, NIGHT OR WEEKENDS a a Meeting the needs of those with Alzheimer's Located on the Heritage Manor campus in regionalpantagraph.com Girl Scout troop cleaned up garbage in the cemetery and scraped and painted the wooden sign that has been in the cemetery since 1981. L.P. and Sarah Scrogin founded the cemetery in 1850, when they buried their child.

They then opened it to other families who lost children in the same epidemic. The Scrogins and their four children were later moved to Lexington Cemetery. The site, which is three-quarters of an acre on the northwest edge of town, was last used for another child's burial, in 1916. The cemetery had been vandalized over the years. There are only 70 headstones now, said Lawson.

Relatives took some of the headstones from the cemetery and stored them in barns for safekeeping. The last major renovations and repairs were done in 1966, when many headstones were moved during the cleanup. "We don't know where people were laid to rest," said Law-son. Due to "groundhog issues" at the time, the land was tilled. As a result, it is impossible to know where some of the headstones belonged.

"There is no plot book to my knowledge," Lawson said. But there is some information about the families of this cemetery, thanks to Verda Ger-wick who founded the histori- STOPPERS skipping court Crime Stoppers will pay cash rewards of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and in dictment of those responsible for committing felony acts in McLean Richard Samuels County. Callers must use the hot line number, (309) 828-1111. OVER 20 DIFFERENT MODELS TO CHOOSE FROM! 7 PRINCESS PILLOW TOP $498 QUEEN SET $598 KING SET $398 FULL SET 298 TWIN SET EXCELLENCE II $598 QUEEN SET 748 KING SET 458 FULL SET 358 TWIN SET gjr EMBASSY PILLOW TOP s628 QUEEN SET 798 KING SET 518 FULL SET 398 TWIN SET HAND CRAFTED" SUPREME FIRM $898 3 PIECE QUEEN SET 1098 KING SET 698 FULL SET 548 TWIN SET nl Ul i. Delivery AND Setup with mattress set or futon set purchase.

See store lor details. 1-Year FREE Financing KM on qualified purchases with approved credit The highest By Phyllis Coulter p.rasmussenmchsi.com LEXINGTON Scrogin Cemetery, a fading graveyard in Lexington, is being restored in a community effort inspired by history, helped by volunteer labor and funded by donations. The cemetery, founded in 1850 for children killed in an epidemic and used until 1916, was vandalized and decaying until community leaders began to revive They plan it. to reset fallen headstones, put up fencing L.P. Scrogin at the corners and install a marker to record the names of the 185 people known to be buried there.

They also plan to erect a flagpole to honor the nine veterans three from the War of 1812 and six from the Civil War. A re-dedication ceremony is planned, but the date hasn't been set yet. The 8-foot-long marble marker has been ordered at a cost of $4,000 and will be placed in the cemetery later this month. Boy and Girl Scouts will tend the memorial for everyone buried there, including putting flowers in a vase there. "It will be there forever," said Joni Lawson, a member of the Lexington Improvement Committee.

The total cost of the marker and fencing is $6,000, and to right and reset the remaining headstones may cost as much as $150 per stone. All donations are welcomed and appreciated, Lawson said. Last October, Lexington's CRIME Man sought for PANTAGRAPH STAFF BLOOMINGTON Crime Stoppers of McLean County needs the public's help to find a man who failed to appear in court to answer charges of domestic battery Richard P. Samuels, 29, is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes; he last lived in Bloomington.

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Parkwat) am to 5 pm Stenson accepted a position on the Illinois Prisoner Review Board and received confirmation of that appointment earlier this week, WEEK TV reported. Stenson is a 37-year veteran of the Peoria police department who rose through the ranks to chief in 1997. The city manager has started the process to find Stenson's replacement. Captain Gary Pointer is the interim chief. BU students protest school nickname Some Bradley University students are not backing down about the school's nickname, the Braves.

Michelle Turner and Dessie Bownas started a student group, called Bradley Braves Not In Our Name, and are planning a protest for next week. Bownas, who decided a few weeks ago not to walk in her commencement ceremonies because of the nickname, plans to round up students to join in the rally. Turner, who will lead the group next year, says she has one goal. "To eradicate racism. We are all here together.

Why should we forget Native American people?" Sports information director Bobby Parker said two universities will not play Bradley or any university with an American Indian nickname. Bradley University President David Broski said there are honest differences of opinion over the name, but no compelling reason to change it. Fire investigated at Manual High School A fire at Peoria Manual High School on Friday morning was no accident. Peoria fire officials told WEEK-TV a fire in the boys' locker room was set. No signs of a fire could be seen from the outside but the school's principal said heavy smoke filled much of the building.

The fire was contained to the locker room and was quickly extinguished. Classes were canceled for the rest of the day. Classes are expected to resume on Monday Principal Sandy Farkash says prom is still on for Saturday night at the Peoria Civic Center. Students can purchase tickets at the door. EAST PEORIA Arbor Dav marked with outdoor class An outdoor break from the classroom turned into a valuable lesson on trees for a group of East Peoria children.

More than 200 fourth-graders gathered at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Park on Thursday morning for an interactive Arbor Day celebration, WEEK TV reported. Program highlights included sing-alongs and craft projects. Every child also received a tree to plant. For the 12th year in a row, East Peoria was honored with the Tree City USA distinction. BARTONVILLE Ex-Marines murder remains unsolved Nearly four years have passed since a former Marine was found dead in Bartonville.

That is four years family members have had to deal with the unsolved murder of Kyle Harrell. Eula Harrell says her family has been torn apart since Kyle's murder, WEEK TV reported. Peoria County deputies found the 27-year-old's body near Sanitation Road in May 2000. He had been shot several times. Police have a weapon and other evidence but made no arrests.

Family members say they are frustrated but have not given up hope that justice will be served. CLINTON School board plans strategic plan meeting The Clinton school board will meet on Monday for strategic planning for the district. The school board will solicit public input at a 6 p.m. session at the high school. The board wants to know what financial issues are important to local residents as the board attempts to mange growing deficits.

Voters rejected a referendum in March that would have boosted the education fund rate by $1.20 per $100 equalized assessed valuation. BL00MINGT0N 77 IWTJgrad to speak at Sunday graduation Carlina Tapia-Ruano, a nationally known immigration lawyer who graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University, will speak Sunday during the school's graduation. The event is scheduled for 1 p.m. on the Eckley Quad. In case of bad weather, the event will move to the Shirk Center.

Five hundred students, including Tapia-Ruano's son, are scheduled to graduate. Tapia-Ruano graduated from IWU in 1977 and received her law degree from DePaul University. She works with the Chicago firm of Minsky, Mc-Cormick Hallagan, P.C., and is second vice president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Jazz performance helps cancer society The Heartland Jazz Orchestra will perform a benefit concert May 16 to help the American Cancer Society. The concert be at 3 p.m.

at the Masonic Temple, 302 E. Jefferson Bloomington. The event is sponsored by Bloomington-Normal Assembly 7, International Order of the Rainbow for Girls. Tickets are $5. For more information, call (309) 287-3085.

HOPEDALE Annexation discussion scheduled May 11 A public meeting will be at 7 p.m. May 11 in the Hopedale Wellness Center gym. Hopedale Grade School is set to close this year as part of Olympia School District's plan 2004-05 financial plan and the failure of the March property tax referendum. Students will attend school in Minier. Vision 25, a group hoping to save the school, has explored various options to keep the school open including visiting Tremont, Deer Creek-Mackinaw and Delavan districts to gauge interest in annexation.

The future of Hopedale, Stanford and McLean school buildings has not been decided. Findings are expected to be shared during an August board meeting. DEER CREEK Annual plant sale to help library The Deer Creek Community Club's annual plant sale will be from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 8 at Mischler Park.

The sale includes garden tools and cut flowers, with 90 percent of the proceeds going to the library book fund. Last year, the club raised $1,600. For more information, call (309) 447-6724 PEORIA Police chief quits, joins review board Friday was the last day on the job for outgoing Peoria Police Chief John Stenson. Better Sleep Month and Verio. Better Sleep Council reminds us each May of the importance of a good nights sleep.

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