This ceremony will be held at Freedom Grove in Urbana, gathering at 4:30 p.m. and ceremony beginning at 5 p.m.. Building upon a tradition started when Freedom Grove’s World Trade Center Beam arrived, the Scouts of Champaign County have gathered every year to honor the memory of those lost on 9/11. With 2021 being the 20th anniversary of this tragic event, the Scouts of 258 would like to invite anyone who is interested to come and observe this solemn occasion with us.
United States Flag Code states: “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.” The Boy Scouts of America is one of several organizations that is frequently asked to complete this task. Scouts are honored to be entrusted with such an important ceremony. The ceremony at Freedom Grove will involve Scouts retiring worn out American flags by burning them until there is nothing left recognizable as a flag. At the end, the only thing that will be left are the flag grommets, lying within the ashes. The flags that will be retired are American flags that are well worn and no longer fitting for display. Some examples of worn out flags include: severe color fading, stains, holes in the fabric, shredded stripes, rips, and tears. If anyone has a flag that meets this criteria, the Scouts request you bring it out to Freedom Grove to be retired. The Scouts will also be, in partnership with local Veterans and Civic groups, changing out flags at Freedom Grove, as well as conducting a flag raising at dusk, when flags are to return to full staff. In addition, there will be a general memorial for all of the victims of 9/11 at the conclusion of the retirement ceremony. While the public is invited, no one is obligated to stay for the entirety of the ceremony. Anyone can come and go as they see fit, the Scouts simply ask anyone attending to remain respectful during the ceremony. If anyone simply wants to drop off a flag for retirement, that is welcomed as well. Pack, Troop and Crew 258 also is asking for any Scouts who wish to participate to wear their best uniforms and arrive by 4:30 p.m. Due to Covid recommendations, all participants and viewers are encouraged to wear masks or social distance as best they can if they are not vaccinated. Any questions or requests for information about Scouting, can be messaged to the “BSA Troop 258 Concord Methodist Church” Facebook page or emailed to “[email protected]”. Troop and Crew 258 are two Scout units for young men and women, ages 11 through 18, and 14 through 20. Pack 258 is for boys and girls between ages 5 through 10. Scouting is an important part of the community, and this memorial event is just one of many different community service events put on by Scouts.
Applications and participation rules are available online at www.chilicookoffofurbana.com. Entries are limited to the first 50 teams (a team is limited to 4 members) and there is a discount for registering early. Save half price on the entry fee if received by Sept. 10, 2021.
The cook-off is sponsored by the Monument Square District and is held in conjunction with the Hoopla Parade featuring the Dayton Antioch Shriners. Applications for the parade are available on the Chili festival website and 4-H groups, church groups, ball teams and area bands are invited to join the fun. View the The Grimes Flying Lab
Built in 1952 by Grimes Manufacturing and used by engineers to test and evaluate aircraft exterior lighting systems during flight. This is a must see! In addition to food trucks, the Airport Cafe will be open serving a full menu and the famous "Airport Pie"! The balloons will launch at 6:00 pm followed by a pizza or wings eating contest. On Saturday, September 11th at 5:30 pm, a memorial recognition of the 9/11 tragic events will be held. Closing the evening will be the balloon glow at approximately 8:00 - 8:30 pm; an awesome display of light and color! Bring your lawn chair and enjoy an evening of family fun. All balloon activities are subject to wind conditions at the time of launch and glow. Thursday, September 2, 2021 from 2pm-7pm: Quilt Guild, All Ages.
Saturdays, September 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2021 from 11am-2pm: Anime Club, Ages 13+ Monday, September 6, 2020 All Day: Library is closed in observance of Labor Day. Thursday, September 9, 2021 from 4pm-5pm: Lego Club, Ages 5 – 12 Monday, September 13, 2021 from 3:30pm–4:30pm: Explorer’s Club, Ages 6 (Kindergarten)–5th Grade Tuesday, September 14, 2021 from 10am–11am, 2pm–3pm, and 5:30pm-6:30pm: Online Resources Class, All Ages Wednesdays, September 15, 22, and 29, 2021 from 11am–11:45am: Story Time, Ages 2–5 Wednesday, September 15, 2021 from 6:30pm-8pm: Homegoing Community Conversation Session 3 (Zoom), Ages 15+. Registration required. Tuesday, September 21, 2021 from 5:30pm-6:30pm: Fall Wine Bottle Décor, Ages 18+ Thursday, September 23, 2021 from 2:30pm-3:30pm: Generation Next: A Gift of Relaxation, Ages 11 – 18 Monday, September 27, 2021 from 4pm-5pm: Generation What’s Next, Ages 11 – 18 Monday, September 27, 2021 from 5:30pm-6:30pm: Book Chatter, Ages 18+ Tuesday, September 28, 2021 from 5:30pm-6:30pm: Slogan Trivia, All Ages Thursday, September 30, 2021 from 4:30pm-5:30pm: Simple Watercolor Illuminated Lettering with Lisa, All Ages For more information, visit Mechanicsburg Public Library's website here or call (937)834-2004.
“The Chamber is looking forward to returning to an in-person event this year and to celebrate the business community and our members after what has been a very trying year for everyone. We want to make this a celebration and a coming together of our members and the whole community in what will be a fun and entertaining evening”, says Executive Director, Sara Neer.
The cost to attend the event is $50 per person, $95 per couple, and $360 for a table of 8. Reservations may be made by emailing [email protected] or by calling 937-653-5764. Nominations for Awards Being Accepted Through September 30th The Champaign County Chamber is also accepting nominations through September 30th for the annual Simon Volunteer of the Year Award, which will be presented during the Annual Meeting. The Simon Volunteer of the Year Award is presented to a person or organization that has significantly contributed to improving the quality of life of Champaign County. The nomination form can be found here. Forms also may be obtained by calling 937-653-5764 or emailing [email protected].
She’s passionate about the work the CEP does and believes that a partnership between businesses and government is the best way to help local businesses grow. “What we really pride ourselves on here is being able to act as liaisons between government and business,” said Bailey. “Being a resource that can join those kinds of entities together and look at the bigger view is important.” She believes that when businesses and government work together, it’s a recipe for growth for the whole community. “There’s not a silver bullet to any one particular way that’s better than not, but I think for us and our community, it needs to be that collaborative partnership with public and private.” Bailey has been with the CEP since its inception seven years ago following a discussion with Pioneer Rural Electric Co-op, the Champaign County Commissioners and the city of Urbana. “I was able to get the office up and running, hire a staff person, get the CEP board created and organized, create the CEPohio.com website and the newest addition ChampaignWorks.com. The first big accomplishment was making this economic development agency a reality,” she said. “It’s through the support of the county commissioners, city of Urbana, villages of St. Paris, North Lewisburg and Mechanicsburg, and then private industry, helping to support this agency as a whole.” Some of the projects Bailey has worked on include the clean-up, new ownership and redevelopment of the former Q3 building on Miami St., bringing the Cobblestone Hotel to Urbana under local ownership, Advanced Technology Products expansion to Mechanicsburg and the Sutphen Corporation announcement to consolidate three facilities into a new building in Urbana. She was also instrumental in implementing a housing survey that she hopes will convince developers there’s a need for more housing in Champaign County. The Legacy Place project (North and South elementary buildings and Douglas Hotel) are examples of housing redevelopment of landmark buildings in the community. In addition to bringing new businesses and talent to the area, Bailey has worked to expand existing businesses, adding more jobs to the area and acted as a liaison to help existing businesses serve the local community in new ways. Bailey was also instrumental in the creation of the Champaign County Manufacturers Council and the addition of a CEP Business Liaison that connects local students to the businesses through career exploration, internships and paid employment. She hopes that the person who is hired to replace her will bring his/ her own ideas about how to help Champaign County grow and their enthusiasm and knowledge for existing projects like the redevelopment of Urbana University’s campus. Overall, Bailey leaves behind a legacy of hope, perseverance and the belief that neighbors should look out for one another and help each other to grow. “I’m so appreciative that I’ve been given the opportunity to put this all together and be the first director of this agency,” she said. “I’ve had so many opportunities to meet so many people, sit down with them and learn about their businesses in Champaign County, their products, their international commerce and the skills needed by their workforce. “I’m also extremely grateful to the CEP Board members and the investors for their continued support of me and the agency, I will miss everyone immensely,” Bailey said. Bailey’s colleagues on the CEP board know that her shoes will be tough to fill. “Marcia has done an immense amount of work. She’s worked tirelessly to get this thing up and running,” said CEP Board President Kyle Hall. “We’re really going to miss having her here. She’s done a great job.” He doesn’t believe anyone can truly replace Bailey, but he hopes that the next Director of the CEP will continue to respond to the business community’s needs and that he/ she will work to find solutions for the area’s need for housing. CEP board member Dave Snyder said that Marcia has been instrumental in bringing together public and private entities. “She’s done a good job of bringing entities together like counties, townships, villages and the private sector with new and existing businesses,” Snyder said. He expects that finding the right person to take over as director of the CEP will be a difficult task. “It’s going to be hard to find somebody with her skill set and her personality,” he said. “We’re not going to try to recreate her, but we’re going to try to find someone with those skills.” If you are interested in applying for this position, please reach out to CEP directly by emailing [email protected] or call the office at (937)653-7200.
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