The Morton Chamber of Commerce offers a wide variety of programs that spark many interests.
The chamber’s Women In Business program, beginning Thursday, offers six sessions that range in topics from heart health to social media.
During the late 1890s gold rush in the Alaska-Canadian Klondike region, many people camped, built fires, cut fire wood and worked together in search of the precious metal. Over the weekend, Boy Scouts from across central Illinois had the chance to do the same.
More than 10 area Boy Scout troops met Saturday morning at the Peoria Park District’s Camp Wakonda to take part in the 2012 Xtreme North Klondike, an annual scouting wintertime event. This year’s event was hosted by Washington Troop 163 and Morton Troop 178.
Event co-chairman Ken Rose said Klondike, a national scouting event, is one that is very important in the scouting world.
Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest days of the year for local floral shops and eateries as they prepare to assist Morton citizens with making their holiday the best it can be.
Johnson’s Floral and Greenhouse employee John Gilkeson said, “Johnson’s is the place to visit for the highest quality flowers. It is what makes us unique. We carry a very high-end, specialty product.”
A new baseball stadium for the community is well on its way, but the Morton Youth Baseball Association is in need of donations to help complete the project.
“We started this in July, when our season started to wind down,” said MYBA President Jeff Nott. “We destroyed the field that was there, cleared almost an acre of trees and reshaped that whole area. We planted new trees in the back to replace what we took out.”
According to Nott, work on grass, sprinklers, bases and lighting is complete on the first of two fields at Westwood Park. Currently, work is being done on dugouts. The score board, he said, will go up in March.
Two well-known and involved community members were “humbled” by the awards bestowed upon them at the Morton Chamber of Commerce Dinner Jan. 21.
School District 709 Superintendent Dr. Roger Kilpatrick was named the Distinguished Service Award winner for community service and Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Member Dan Schmidt was named the Volunteer of the Year winner.
Willie Carnell loved his granddaughter, Natalie Ballor, and he loved to bowl.
This past weekend, friends and family of Carnell, who died Nov. 30, 2010, gathered together to honor his memory at the Second Annual Willie Carnell Memorial Nine Pin No Tap Tournament at Morton’s Safari Bowl. All proceeds benefit Easter Seals, where his granddaughter received treatment after being diagnosed with Down syndrome when she was two days old.
“When I worked full-time, my mom and dad would often take Natalie to her therapy at Easter Seals,” Carnell’s daughter Michelle Cluney said. “He was very dear to the cause. He donated, he did 50/50s at the bowling alley to benefit Easter Seals and they would come with me to the telethon and show up for all Easter Seals events.”
After six years at Morton Junior High School, Greg Crider has decided it is time to move on. But while he will leave the school after the completion of the semester, he will not be leaving Morton altogether.
Crider lives in Morton with his wife, Jennifer, and their three children, Jarrett, 11; Elyse, 8; and Isabella, 4. He plans on staying in Morton, where he will continue to be involved in the community as vice president of Morton Youth Baseball Association. He also hopes to continue coaching his son’s local sports teams.
“Our kids love it here in the district, and that’s what will really make leaving the district hard for me,” he said. “They’re always here with me after school or at an athletic event. That made the decision very difficult.”
Joan Dittmer wanted to bring something different to Morton and she wanted to use her passion for cooking to do just that.
Dittmer has always loved cooking and has always eyed the house at 208 N. Main St. in Morton.
It all seemed to fall into place for her when she was taking cooking classes and the building went up for sale.
As it wasn’t the best time for Dittmer or her family, she waited patiently, and the house seemed to wait for her.
“It didn’t sell for a long time and I always felt that was a sign. Maybe I was meant to have this building,” Dittmer said.
Maxine’s on Main officially opened Dec. 13.
Although Relay For Life is five months away, planning for the event is already taking place.
Morton Relay For Life manager Vicki Horn said the small committee in charge of putting on the annual American Cancer Society event needs all the help it can get.
Horn said help is needed in every area.
“We need help wherever people want to help,” Horn said.
Some of the areas where help in planning is needed are the Luminaria ceremony, the survivor dinner and ceremony, entertainment and recruitment for new teams.
On a day when the Morton Economic Development Council celebrated the village’s new business and cultural ties with China, it also honored two hometown icons.
Gordon and Jean Ann Honegger, co-chairs of Morton Community Bank, were presented the Venture Award on Friday at the council’s annual meeting and luncheon at the Embassy Suites. The award recognizes the Honeggers’ track record of business success, entrepreneurial and leadership skills and dedication to Morton.
For Dr. Andrew Morgan, it is all about the smiles.
Thanks to Morgan’s hard work and dedication, smiles are never hard to find on the set of the annual Penguin Project production.
Toys for Tots, sponsored by the U.S. Marine Corp. Reserve, has a mission to collect new toys before Christmas to distribute to needy children in the community.
And this year, the mission was a success.
The Morton Toys for Tots program collected about 1,300 toys and about $1,300 in cash donations this year, according to Col. Mike McCarthy, from the Marine Corp. Reserve and Morton resident in charge of the Morton program.
The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile stopped in Morton Friday.
Check out photos from its visit, along with photos from a ride in the Wienermobile.
Things are changing at Morton’s Best Western Ashland House Inn.
After a major renovation project last year, which gave the now 12-year old facility’s guest rooms, lobby, ballroom and conference center a facelift, a new chef has been recruited to help spice things up in the kitchen.
Chef Tim Mahony has joined Executive Chef Sergio Mantalvo in the Ashland House kitchen, preparing faire for the facility’s banquets as well as Paddy O’Flaherty’s, an attached, full-service Irish pub.
Three double-figure scorers Dec. 27 carried the Morton boys basketball team to a 60-47 win over Arlington Heights Hersey.
Brett Bisping had a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds in the Potters’ opening-round victory over the Huskies in the Pekin Insurance Holiday Tournament.
Electronics recycled for money to pay way to Europe for leadership program
Thirteen-year-old Mason Lux didn’t know he was nominated for an ambassadors program that could take him to any of 40 different countries to learn leadership skills.
But, when he found out he’d been accepted, he was excited to say the least.
“I didn’t know anything about it, but I was pretty excited,” Mason said. “I did Greece last year for my place (for a school project) and my grandma’s cousin lives over there and his son is a famous painter.”
After he was nominated, he had to get three letters of recommendation, was interviewed with a leader from the program and was accepted.
A year in review The end-of-the year retrospective is a tried and true tradition in journalism. But, it can be predictable. So, to make things a little more interesting we are going to look back on 2011 as a year of mosts — most inspiring, most memorable, etc. We hope you enjoy it. — Chelsea Peck, news editor — Morton Times-News
Ian Allen, a member of Boy Scout Troop 178, recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout and has earned all the required ranks.
Heather Hochstettler, a first-grade teacher at Jefferson School, recently received a grant for $399 from PNC Bank.
Jonathan Richard Haller of Boy Scout Troop 178, Morton United Methodist Church, has received his Eagle Scout Award at his Eagle Court of Honor.
