March Archived Articles and Pictures

New Book On Madison County Has Something For Everyone

Tom Emery, March 14 2022 9:00 AM, “Riverbender“

There’s something for almost everyone in a fast-moving new book on Madison County history that is loaded with facts and anecdotes.
Writer Tom Emery of Carlinville is releasing The Madison County History Reader, a collection of over sixty of his articles on a wide array of subjects relating to the history, people, and places of Madison County.
The reader is different than any other book on county history and looks at many fascinating aspects of the past in this area. Many leading towns in the county are covered in some fashion in the book, which is 170 pages long and fully illustrated.
Topics include the origins of the county, pioneer experiences in Madison’s earliest days, as well as the Civil War era, and some of the remarkable women the county has produced.
Other topics include world wars, education, natural disasters, sports, celebrities, and early holidays.
Emery’s work is familiar to area readers, as his articles regularly appear across Madison County. He has also appeared at a variety of speaking engagements in Alton, Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Maryville, Godfrey, Wood River, and elsewhere.
Articles with Emery’s byline have appeared in over 150 newspapers, and he has created thirty-eight book and booklet titles in his career. He has won fourteen awards from the Illinois State Historical Society. We are certainly happy and proud to have him as a regular contributing writer at The Buzz!
The Madison County History Reader sells for $21.99 plus $1.49 tax and $3.52 postage ($27 total). Reserve copies are recommended.
Orders may be placed using PayPal (use the e-mail enjoyhistorytoday@ gmail.com) or mail by sending your name, address, phone, and check or money order to History in Print, 337 E. Second South, Carlinville, IL 62626. For more information, call 217-710-8392.
This story was originally printed in the March 2022 issue of The Prairie Land Buzz Magazine, a free magazine distributed monthly in 11 Illinois counties.

Two Republicans seek nomination for Madison County Sheriff No Democrat candidates on the primary ballot

By The Madison County Record March 17,2022
Democrat voters will not see a candidate for Madison County Sheriff on the ballot for the primary election June 28, ending an era of that political party’s dominance of countywide offices.

Instead, two “Jeffs” on the Republican ticket will seek to succeed Sheriff John Lakin, Democrat, who is retiring in December after serving in the position since the 2014 election. Read On…

Random Act of Kindness Day at City Hall

City Hall got together around Christmas time and collecting money to do something nice for the citizens but couldn’t quite figure out how to make an impact. We decided to wait until the next Random Act of Kindness Day and surprise some customers who came in to pay for different services. So, on February 17^th, people who came in to pay their sewer bill, pick up a birth certificate, or get an occupancy permit got treated to a Random Act of Kindness and the employees picked up their tab.
We enjoyed doing it as much as the recipients enjoyed the surprise of a small gift. City Hall is the people’s building, and we want every person who has business here to feel welcome and treated well. We appreciate our community and want to give back wherever we can!

On Feb. 11 Bugg won first place in the St. Louis Teen Talent Competition Finals, in which she won second place last year. A senior who’s homeschooled, the Granite City singer and guitarist tied for first place this year with Trifecta, a three-man acrobatic group from Ferguson, Missouri, who also are homeschooled.
The finals were presented by the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation. Each individual won an $8,000 college scholarship. Bugg also won a $6,000 scholarship last year for second place in the competition. 
She started singing when she was 4 years old and playing guitar when she was 7. “I like indie pop, jazzy-esque style music, because I feel like you can do so much, while retaining the meaning of the song,” Bugg said. “I play almost everything with my guitar. 
“I’ve always liked the idea of being self-sufficient, accompanying myself,” she said of the guitar. “Though I love playing with other musicians and instrumentalists, I just wanted to be able to accompany myself.”
She performed “Dancing in the Streets,” by Stephen Day, with her own acoustic arrangement, for the Teen Talent Competition Finals which will be broadcast at 7 p.m. Monday, April 11, at Nine PBS. (Read on)

After Decades of Serving Our Community – Paula Hubbard Shows No Signs of Slowing Down

Mayor Michael C. Parkinson and his new administration are busy these days trying to obtain as much funding and new programming as they can for the City of Granite City. One of the very first things Mayor Parkinson did was to hire a grant writer to help him grow Granite City and support the local economy and community. According to city hall administration, the city had not had a grant writer for at least 20 years, and Parkinson knew he could not do it alone. “I wanted someone on the team who knows the community and how to find a needle in a haystack, in terms of funding, I wanted a person who is as passionate about revitalizing Granite City as I am,” the mayor stated.

Enter Paula Hubbard, lifelong resident of GC and a retired educator. As a former neighbor growing up, and someone who changed his diapers (Yes, you are reading this right), Mayor Parkinson knew she could fill the bill. While working in his campaign, Paula had been talking with mayoral candidate Parkinson and City Clerk candidate, Jenna DeYong about writing grants for the city and accessing more funding through the COVID-19 CARES ACT and that the city was entitled to more funding. When Parkinson was elected, one of the first things he did was give Paula a call to have her join the team. “I was sitting at home, bored to tears, and my brother Joe Schuler knew it. So as a close friend of Mike, he told him I needed to get out of the house before I drove my husband crazy. So, when the mayor-elect called, I jumped at the opportunity to help grow the city,” Paula stated.

With a degree in Public Relations/Journalism, Paula worked six years in the corporate sector and left to raise her family in 1985. Recruited by her sister, Cindy Gavilsky to come to volunteer at Coordinated Youth and Human Services educational programs, in 1986, Paula began a newspaper and journalism class at the Alternative School then fell in love with the students and education and remained at the school for 24 years, obtaining her BS in Special Education and a Masters in Educational Administration. All this would help in working on grants and funding for school alternative education and at-risk youth programs and three area school districts, Granite City, Madison and Venice, which she began in 1986.

“My mentors in education and grant writing were my sister, Cindy Gavilsky and Dr. Goni Michaeloff, where I learned the ins and outs of applying for Federal and State grants.” “Cindy always called me “Wordy Gertie” as I knew Journalism and writing and she knew the nuts and bolts of grants, we were a great team.” After working her way up to administration at CYHS and writing grants for 24 years, in 2009, Paula became the Special Education Supervisor at Granite City School District and Madison County Region I Special Ed Cooperative, where she continued grant writing while serving families and students with special needs and retired in June of 2020.

When asked why she came out of retirement to write grants for the city, she stated that she loves to write and to serve others. “I love working with Mayor Parkinson and his staff and besides, my mother taught us that giving your time to serve people who are in need is not only our responsibility to our communities but also a gift that is rewarding and contagious.”  My mom, Billie Schuler was a tremendous example of serving others and this service has become a part of who I am and encourages me to attempt to give as much as she gave.” 

Mayor Parkinson is pleased with the progress the city is making in the grants department. “Since joining the Granite City administrative team in May of 2021, Paula has managed to write at least 12 grants totaling over $1.5 million collectively, the mayor stated.” When the City received the COVID-19 American Recovery Act funding, the mayor teamed Paula with the City Economic Development Director, Cathy Hamilton to be responsible for the research and development and planning of ARPA, American Recovery Act Program. Together, they advise Mayor Parkinson on the ARPA reporting and projects.

“The best part about this position, is that I am having a blast with the city hall staff-so much fun, and I am blessed to be able to do something I love to do,” Paula concluded.

A Message from Long Lake Volunteer Fire Department

Got a little spare time? Want to give back to your community? Well, come on out to the firehouse and see what it’s all about! Don’t have any training? Don’t worry about it! Training is provided in house and on the first Sunday of every month!

We have junior & senior firefighters. Must be 16 to apply for the Junior Firefighter Program. You can get an application anytime. Meetings are on the 1st Monday of every month. Reach out to a fireman or message our Facebook page! We can’t wait to see you!

Mardi Gras Granite City Style 2022

With crowded busy sidewalks the heart of downtown Granite City was a festive celebration of the area’s first Mardi Gras event. It appears as if the inaugural parade and block party was a great success. Click the link to see a full gallery of pictures!

GCS Don’t Stop Donatin’ Jeans Program focuses on supporting our local counties. Each month, GCS employees will donate to an organization within the 18 counties that GCS serves.
The Don’t Stop Donatin’ Jeans Program is funded by GCS employees who make monthly, monetary donations out of their own pockets to a local organization. By donating $15 or more to a specific organization, GCS employees are able to wear jeans and tennis shoes on Fridays and Saturdays during that month.

Nameoki Township Supervisor John (Eric) Foster

Granite City Schools launches redesigned website

Granite City Community Unit School District No. 9 has announced the launch of its new website in a continued partnership with SchoolPointe, which is part of Finalsite.

The newly redesigned site is the result of a project that began in August 2021. This will be the first redesign of the GCSD9 website since 2017.

GCSD9’s new website, built by SchoolPointe, provides a cutting-edge platform containing up-to-date on school district news. The website address remains the same as the old site — www.gcsd9.net — only with a major facelift. In includes larger and more vibrant photos, five rotating stories, a new and improved calendar, and a clean and modern design.

The GCSD9 website committee consisted of Granite City High School senior Maxwell Forbes, GCSD9 Manager of District Communications Chris Mitchell, GCHS math teacher Bill Puhse and Frohardt principal Karen Robertson.

In August 2021, GCSD9 launched a mobile app that allows stakeholders to stay up-to-date with the latest news, events and notifications from the district. The app has had more 2,600 downloads in eight months and remains free from the Apple Store or Google Play by searching “Granite City CUSD #9”.
From “The Telegraph” March 4, 2022

Emily Gavilsky turns an idea into reality in Granite City with Tinseltown

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