The Metamora Pool opens June 1. Hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, and noon-6 p.m. Sundays.

County

Summertime means storytime at libraries

Mary Armstrong, who has more than 20 years of experience in early childhood education, has planned a creative summer program for children at area libraries, June 7-30. 

Children ages 3 to 5 years old are invited to attend the summer story hour program at any of the six branches of the Illinois Prairie District Public Library.

Armstrong will share the love of reading through books, songs, finger plays and crafts. Letters, numbers, colors and shapes will be incorporated into each weekly session. Children will be able to discover new books, dance to new songs and develop new skills.

Parents may sign their child up each week at any of the six locations: Benson, Germantown Hills, Metamora, Roanoke, Spring Bay and Washburn. They do not have to be present for the whole series or attend the same location each week. The library service is free, but there are a maximum number of children allowed. More information is available by calling (309) 367-4594.

Here is the schedule and locations for the events.

• Tuesdays: 11 a.m. at Metamora Public Library, 208 E. Partridge St.; and 12:30 p.m. at Roanoke Public Library, 123 E. Broad St.
• Wednesdays:  11 a.m. Benson Public Library, 20 E. Front St.; and 1 p.m. Washburn Public Library, 102 W. Magnolia St.
• Thursdays: 11 a.m. Marcella Schneider Branch Library at Germantown Hills, 101 Warrior Way; and 1 p.m. Spring Bay Public Library, 411 Illinois St.

Eureka

EC president to be honored before retirement

Eureka College President J. David Arnold will be honored at a Leadership Tribute Dinner June 3. He is retiring June 30, after 11 years of service to the college, much of that service has been in the area of fundraising.

The public is invited to the dinner, which will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the Terrill Rooms of the Cerf Center. The dinner will honor both President Arnold and his wife, Katherine, who has served as the community ambassador for the past decade. It will also celebrate those who have worked closely with Arnold over the course of his tenure.

Since becoming president in 2005, Arnold has doubled the college’s endowment and reached record levels of financial support. The college also achieved record enrollment and fundraising under his leadership and completed almost $30 million in campus improvements.

Tickets are $100 and can be reserved by calling (877) 892-7823. Proceeds from the dinner will support the creation of the J. David and Katherine Arnold Leadership Fund at Eureka College; donors have already committed more than $110,000 to this fund.

Arnold will take on a new, part-time role as chancellor. In this role, he will concentrate on developing new leadership initiatives and continue to build on the momentum of record fundraising by devoting special attention to donor relationships.

Jamel Santa Cruze Bell will take over as interim president on July 1.

Metamora

New pool season kicks off June 1

The Metamora Pool opens June 1. Hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, and noon-6 p.m. Sundays.

The pool is at 116 N. Douglas St. The pool may be rented for parties for fees ranging from $200 to $250. For more information and details about fees and lessons, call (309) 367-4993 or visit www.metamoraparks.org.

Roanoke-Benson

Schools to have baseball co-op

The Roanoke-Benson District 60 Board of Education has agreed to start a baseball co-op with neighboring Lowpoint-Washburn beginning next spring.

Some parents and the baseball coaching staff objected to the co-op agreement that is for two years.

Sixteen players came out this past season, and L-W is projecting as many as 10 interested in going out in 2017. R-B and L-W comprised a co-op from 1989 until 2013 before it was dissolved due to lack of players from L-W.

–Woodford County News Briefs–