Proud of Haines students' character
If you are a student at Haines Middle School in St. Charles and your family is down on its luck for whatever reason, the annual Candied Apple Fundraiser carries a lot of meaning.
Seventh-graders at Haines raised $1,500 to purchase gift cards for fellow students and their families in need by selling caramel and chocolate-covered apples.
"I think it speaks volumes about the character of the students at Haines," said Jolene Weir, the Haines staff member in charge of the event. "I am very proud of the students' effort."
Since former Haines teacher Gail Macklin started this fundraiser four years ago, the school has gone about the business of easing the strain for families facing difficulties with illness or financial problems.
"We pick the families, just from knowing the kids and their circumstances," said Haines Principal Charlie Kyle. "But we keep it confidential, because everyone is more comfortable that way.
"It has worked real well for us that way and it is a great program for the kids."
Screams about ice cream: My notice a few weeks ago about the Cold Stone Creamery on the east side of St. Charles closing its doors resulted in quite a few comments from readers.
Many had an opinion on what exactly would cause a popular ice cream parlor to shut its doors. Some said, much like other franchise businesses, the corporation's profit margin demands make it difficult for some franchisees. Others speculated the increase in the minimum wage was the final straw for those running on tight budgets and generally employing teens.
The bottom line is there is one fewer place to feed your sweet tooth on that side of town.
A cookie call: I was huffing and puffing on my treadmill when the phone rang. It was my wife, who was at a grocery store, and she had a peculiar question.
"Are you giving up cookies for Lent again?" she asked. "If you are, I won't buy any today." I told her to go ahead and buy them, because at the time I had a few days to chow them down before the Lent, which begins today.
I've had so much feedback from readers in the past about the willpower it takes to give up what really amounts to what a 10-year-old kid might commit to during this holy season. It appears many people can relate to the difficult task of not eating cookies for several weeks.
And for those who have not seen my columns of the past four years on this topic, you should know that I eat literally thousands of cookies a year. So this indeed is one of the biggest sacrifices I can make.
Pasta with a name: Spaghetti dinners and pancake breakfasts. It's a toss of the coin as to which setting is the best for fundraising events.
But I do like the twist that the Geneva Beautification Committee has for its spaghetti dinner fundraiser from 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 27 at Riverview Banquets on Route 25 in Batavia.
It actually has a name … Pasta for Posies.
dheun@sbcglobal.net