Nothing but good news !

And Good people doing Great things!

From Arlington, Cherry, Ladd, Seatonville/Hollowayville,
Spring Valley,and Dalzell, Illinois

A John the Barber Foundation Publication

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St. Bede Students Annual Lenten Class Projects:

Doing Great things assisting those in need
Each Lent, St. Bede students come together to help people in need in
Ravioli Alley and around the world. Each class selects a unique charity
and collections are taken up during lunch periods on Mondays and at Lenten Prayer Services/Masses on Thursdays. This year St. Bede classes are
supporting the following charities:
Seniors: Smile Train which provides surgery for children born with
cleft palates.
Juniors: Food for the Hungry of the Illinois Valley. Support for local
food pantries.
Sophomores: Heifer International provides animals, such as sheep
and cows, to families who promise to give the first born animal to
others in need. Those receiving promise to do the same so the gift
truly keeps on giving.
Freshmen: Kamakwie is a village in Sierra Leone. A St. Bede alumna,
Kathleen Martin-James, has worked with the people of Kamakwie
and published a book. The freshmen read this book in their religion class. The village was hit by Ebola and 53 children are now
orphans. This year the funds raised will help with school fees, uniform, books, tuition. $78 per student covers the fees.
Father Ron Margherio is project sponsor. When asked for quote Father
Ron quotes St. Augustine who said: "Don't believe that fasting is enough.
Fasting punishes you, but it does not restore your brother or sister. How
many poor people could be nourished by the food you did not eat today?" Father Ron goes on to say, What I try to teach our kids is that the
three hallmarks of Lent are essentially prayer, fasting and alms giving
(charity). However, if we pray and fast but do not put our faith into action, we are not
truly living Lent.
Below is a Great
shot of these
sharp looking St.
Bede students in
the middle of
their volunteer
work.

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Your greatest
test is when
you are able to
bless someone
else while you
are going through
your own storm.
-unknown

Heres what people around the country

are saying about Up Ravioli Alley!

Suzy Twardowski of LaSalle formerly of Dalzell writes, Please send me a copy

of book Volume 1 of Up Ravioli Alley. Also please add me to your e-mail mailing list. I am born and raised in Dalzell. Love your articles and pictures and
have been receiving as hand me downs from friends.
Michael Berlinger with Heritage Restoration of Peoria writes, "Up Ravioli Alley is
a very nice E-publication! Well-designed full of easy to read articles and pictures."
Mike Crowley Sr. of Spring Valley says, I really enjoy reading Up Ravioli Alley.
It is truly Great fun!

St. Margarets Hospital Spring Valley

Portly Promenade Fun New Event April 18, 2015
I have always
found that mercy
(forgiveness) bears
richer fruits than
strict justice.
-Abraham Lincoln,
American president

St. Margarets Hospital Spring Valley Foundation announces The Portly Promenade, an event to follow the Habit for Health 10K run on Saturday, April 18 , 2015.
The event hopes to attract runners and maybe some folks for whom eating is their
favorite sport. This progressive lunch and card game will feature five Spring Valley area restaurants. Each host restaurant will offer guests a free small order of a
menu item they want to promote. The Promenaders will have the opportunity at
some locations to Portly-size their serving size for a nominal price. Foundation volunteers at each location will give each Portly participant a playing card. The best
hand will win a cash prize. Portly Promenade participants will receive a Promenade
T-Shirt, a gift bag, a fun lunch and a chance to win. Promenade contestants can
run, walk, drive, bike or skip to the host restaurants. This is not a race, just a fun
follow up to the 3rd Annual 10K that may better fit the training regimen of many in
the community. Watch for the announcement of the Portly Host restaurants.
More information and registration details will soon appear of the St. Margarets
Health website www.aboutsmh.org. More information via Frank Kobilsek, Fundraising Coordinator, 815.866.5757
Saw the front
and back of this
postcard
On Ebay.anyone
know who this
young sailor is?

The John the Barber Foundation

P.O. Box 88
Cherry, IL 61317
editor@JohnTheBarberFoundation.com

Ladd 125th Chairman is truly giving his all!

Please give him a hand today and buy
50/50 tickets to support the event!

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Alex Rosenjack: Targeted for causing the Cherry Mine

Disaster, Greatly Deserving of Forgiveness
If you want to
achieve your goals,
help others achieve
your goals.
- Zig Ziglar,
American author,
motivational speaker

We NEED your stories

about people from
your town doing
Great thingseither
now or in the past.
Please email or mail
to JTB.

For over one hundred years, Alex Rosenjack has been seen
as the key figure in the start of the fire at the Cherry mine.
In fact, he fled from Cherry immediately, not testifying and
never being heard or seen again in Ravioli Alley. Like every
good story, the Cherry Mine Disaster needed an antagonist/
villain, and in Alex it looked like we all had a good candidate.
So much of what was known was simply that somehow a fire
had started, gotten out of control and over 250 fathers,
sons, and brothers were dead. Someone had to take the
blame and Alex was the perfect fit. As second vein assistant manager, especially
one with a Scotch-English sounding name, it was envisioned that Alex was likely a
highly experienced mine manager and most likely in his 40s. He surely must have
born in Scotland like so many other mine managers and had somehow carelessly
and potentially even with harmful intent, let the fire get out of control. It is interesting how modern historical research and tools have now actually painted a much
different picture of Alex. Ancestry.com and other tools now tell us that Alex was
not born in Scotland! In fact, he was born in the United States and was not even
Scotch! He was born in Loch Loman, PA and was Slavic! His familys original name
was Rosenyaek. His father and mother had come to America to work in the coal
fields of PA. And Alex was not a middle-aged, experienced mine manager in 1909
but rather he was only 22! Only recently was it determined that Alex lived as a
boarder in the home of a Slavic family in Cherry on south Steele Street, right next to
a cluster of company houses all rented by Scotch miners and managers. Who, how,
and why Alex was selected for such an important position is unknown, but he was
placed in a life-changing position at 1:20 p.m. Saturday November 13, 1909. Small
fires were not uncommon in the mine, but unfortunately for Alex a series of actions
during the first twenty minutes of the fire created an impossible situation for him
and everyone else in the mine. Unfortunately for everyone, Alex instructed trapper
boys to run back and forth the water sump near the stables and bring water in
their lunch pails to help fight the first near the air shaft. Blasts of air hit were
drawn to the first each time the boys ran back and forth through the air trap
doors thus feeding the fire. Few remember that Alex was actually a key player on
the first six trips of the Heroes Cage, nearly dying on the sixth
trip trying to attach a hose that might have brought life-saving
water to the fire fighters. Alex and Dr. Howe could not make the
seventh and final il-fated trip that saw all 12 heroes killed. Below is a photo of Alexs brother at a similar age that may show
what Alex might have looked like, along with a photo of Alex later
in life in Michigan. Family and friends confirm that Alex was very
quiet and a nice person, ironically he worked and retired from a
fire department. Now that the rest of the story is clear, after
over 100 years, lets all of Ravioli Alley do something a bit Great and forgive Alex.

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Dont Forget:
Cherry United
Church of Christ/
Holy Trinity
Cherry Pie
& Coffee
Social Hour,
first Thursday
of each month.
1:30 3:30
at Cherry
Church Hall.
Bring a friend!

Never worry
about numbers.
Just help one
person at a time
and always start
with the person
nearest to you.
-Mother Teresa

Heres a few quick Rav-notes...

Mary Rooney Memoriams Gives Cherry Pie & Coffee Social Hour a Great Future: When Mary Rooney of Cherry passed away in November, friends and family were asked to donate to the Cherry Monthly Pie & Coffee Retiree Social
Hour in lieu of flowers. Funds have been received that look to easily cover the
monthly event throughout all of 2015! What a Great idea! Hope to see you all
at the Thursday March 5, 2015 event 1:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. featuring The Templeton Family Band.
Step Up and Do something Great this Spring at JFK Spring Valley, assisting with
the Junior Achievement Program: Junior Achievement is looking for volunteers
to present programs at John F. Kennedy Spring Valley School this Spring for
Grades 4, 6, & 8. Outlines of each program can be found at the school web site.
Junior Achievement provides training and all of the materials necessary along
with easy-to-follow lessons plans. Volunteers present five-six lessons each
lasting 45 minutes. Volunteers typically present one lesson a week but work directly with the teacher to negotiate a schedule. Interested individuals can contact Monica Telschow, Junior Achievement of the Heartland, 309.277.3906
Project Success of Eastern Bureau County/Spring Valley Food Pantry Easter
Dinner Adopt a Family: Heres a quick chance to do something a little bit great
for needy Ravioli Alley families this Easter: Project Success is sponsoring an
Easter Dinner Adopt-a-Family effort. If you would like to help a local needy
family have a Great Easter dinner this year, please send a check for $35 made
out to Project Success to 500 N. Terry St. Spring Valley, IL 61362. Nothing like
Easter ham to put smiles on hungry young faces huh?
Bureau County Republican doing Great things with it Dear Soldier Drive:
Heres a big shout out to BCR for its tremendous effort to put a smile on the
faces of our soldiers overseas with its Dear Soldiers campaign. BCR is working in conjunction with the national organization Operation Gratitude who sends
out 150,000 care packages annually that include these types of letters. Please
do something a little bit Great today and write a personal letter of appreciation
to our soldiers and put it into collections boxes at the following Ravioli Alley locations: Dalzell Grade School, Depue School, Ladd Public Library, Ladd Grade
School, St. Bede Academy, Spring Valley Elementary, and Hall High School.
Cherry United Church of Christ Doing Great Things for PADS: Cherry UCC
members and friends are stepping up big for the Public Action to Deliver Shelter
(PADS) in Peru, serving the meal for the needy folks there Saturday March 7,
2015 at 5:30 p.m. Heres a big cheer to Bonnie Templeton and Eileen Pinter for
driving the effort! If you too want to do something a little bit Great, you can donate to the cause by mailing a check before or after the event to Cherry United
Church of Christ, Cherry, IL 61317.

DO SOMETHING GREAT! Have your family or business sponsor the printing of Up Ravioli Alleyfor one month!
Email or mail John the Barber to learn how to do it!

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Cont...Rav-notes...

St. Margarets Hospital Spring Valley Not Missing a Chance to do something Great!: St. Margarets is providing
monthly support group meetings for both Parkinsons Disease and vision/sight issues patients, both to provide
emotional support, socialization, and an opportunity to share information with others. Meeting details are:
Parkinsons Support Meeting: First Monday of each month, 1:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. in St. Margarets First
Floor Presentation Room. Free valet parking and wheelchairs are available. More information
815.664.5311.
Vision/sight Support Meeting: First and third Thursday of each month from 12:30 p.m. 2:00 p.m. in St.
Margarets First Floor Presentation Room. More information 815.664.1440.
th
Ladd 125 Time Capsule Efforts Needs Your Help! Ladd's 125th Time Capsule committee is looking for items
to be placed in the time capsule that will be presented at the opening ceremony July 9, 2015 at Ladd's 125th celebration. This capsule will then be opened in 2040. The mission is to capture the strong sense of community in
Ladd from the summer of 2014 up to the celebration in 2015. The committee is looking for items that include
but are not limited to photographs, articles from events, and copies of important legislation pertinent to our area
during this time. Please contact Amanda Coutts at 815.220.9010 or coutts02@yahoo.com with questions or submissions.
Ladd 125th Commemorative Book In the Works: A Commemorative Volume of Ladds 125th Anniversary is under way. Narrative, poems, and artwork contributions are being solicited from Ladd Citizens of all ages
including students at LCCS, Hall High School, and St. Bede, as well as from poets, photographers, artists, and
community organizations. The narratives will focus on changes in Ladd since the 1990 Centennial. Suggestions,
contributions, questions, and volunteers are welcomed and should be directed to Jim Piacenti
(jimndebp@frontier.com) or Chuck Byvik (byvik@aol.com)
Ravioli Alley Winners of the John Ourth Student Recognition Truly Rock! The John Ourth Student Recognition Breakfast was held in Streator February 19, 2015 sponsored by the Starved Rock Region of the Illinois Principals Association. Schools were asked to select students from their exiting grades to be recognized. Ravioli Alley winners include: John Potthoff and Hallie McGuire of Dalzell, Tyler Pullam of Cherry, Ethan Borelli and Ella
Hollinger of Ladd, and John Fousekas and Anna Herrmann of Spring Valley.
The Ladd 125th Anniversary Quilt Show entry forms are due March 14, 2015 to
Debbie Bickett Special Effect: PO Box 812 307 N. Main Street, Ladd, IL. 61329
or Sandy Grivetti: P.O. Box 643 216 S. Selby St. Ladd, IL. 61329
The Ladd 125th committee is looking for "Quilts from the past". They would appreciate hearing from anyone
from Ladd and the surrounding areas who had a family member who quilted. Quilts will be shown at the Ladd
125th Anniversary Celebration Quilt Show on July 9-12, 2015. Please contact Debbie Bickett at 815-894-2855 or
815-302-7891 or Sandy Grivetti at 815-884-3222 to make arrangements.

Mam, here are some seats for you.Ill just move down.
Several folks have mentioned a simple, but very nice little Great thing we all can do when presented with the opportunity. Have you ever noticed at the movies, when a couple makes
their way into a crowded theater a few minutes before show time
dark, difficult to see, all the adjoining seats are taken, only a few
singles left here and there? Awkwardly they try to decide where,
how they are going to get a seat. Often they are forced to sit in the
front row or in singles far apart from each other. Next time you see
this happening, do something a little big Great and simply stand and
say Here are some seats for youwell just move down. Surprisingly
rarely done, simple, obvious.but a little bit Great!

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Ravioli Alley Non-For-Profit Organizations

All Showing that John The Barber Spirit This Winter
Do something a little bit Great and
TAKE someone who doesnt get a chance to get out too often.
BRING a carry out to someone new on your block.
SEND in a donation if you cant make it.

St. Patrick's Arlington Spring 2015 Sausage Making: Saturday March 7, 2015 at St. Patricks Hall in Arlington.
Sausage will be available for pickup on Saturday at the church hall between 11:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. and on Sunday, March 8, 2015, after the 10:30 a.m. mass. Orders may be placed by calling Lauren Koch at 815-638-2224 or
Ann Hunter at 815-638-2691 by March 3, 2015. Members have made sausage to benefit the church in the
months of March and December for over forty years using the famous Fonderoli family recipe. (The sausage will
be served at St. Patrick's annual Pancake and Sausage Breakfast to be held on Sunday, March 22, 2015)
Vendor's Show/Uncle Stewy's Roadhouse: Saturday March 7, 2015, 10:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. 225 E. St. Paul St.,
Spring Valley. Proceeds to benefit Hall Twp. Food Pantry
Boobapalooza Helps Cops 4 Cancer 2015: Saturday March 7, 2015 4:00 p.m midnight at Celebrations 150 at
740 East US Highway 6, LaSalle, IL. This is the sixth annual, highly successful, widely publicized event. All funds
raised during this drive will be dispersed through Cops 4 Cancer. Cops 4 Cancer (C4C) assists Illinois Valley area
residents financially who are fighting cancer. Tickets available at Rudys Liquors in LaSalle. Event driven by
Ravioli Alley alumna Betty Pape Glynn and her fantastic team.
Spring Valley Fire Department Third Annual Smoker: Saturday March 7, 2015, 6:00 p.m. Spring Valley Boat
Club. Includes family style chicken, soda, beer & entertainment. Tickets are available from fire department
members or the evening of the Smoker. Gun Raffle by Mean Metal Guns For additional information contact:
chairman: Chris Insco 815.866.5638, Jim Parlier 815.343.6881 or the Spring Valley Fire Department
815.664.5160.
Seatonville Congregational Church, Independent Second Sunday Alternative Worship: Sunday March 8, 2015,
6:00 p.m. Second Sunday is an alternative worship gathering with an eclectic mix of ancient-future worship practices and elements. People can expect a unique blend of psalms, spiritual songs, hymns, choruses, The Word,
The Table, and more. All folks and families from the Illinois Valley and Bureau Valley region are invited to come
and experience this unique alternative worship gathering. The Seatonville Church is located on Rt.6 in Seatonville. For further info call Pastor Bill Jacobsen at 815-228-6717 or on Facebook at secondsunday.seatonville
Ladd Public Library Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser: Thursday, March 12, 2015 4:30 p.m - 7:30 p.m at Lanutis in
Ladd. Tickets $8 includes spaghetti dinner, salad, and bread. Cash bar. Advance tickets can be purchased at the
Ladd village hall, North Central Bank, and Ladd Public Library. Tickets also available at the door. Door prizes,
50/50. Call Ami Bosi at Library for more info 815.894.3254.
St. Thomas More Dalzell St. Josephs Table Dinner: Thursday March 19, 2015 5:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. at the St.
Thomas More Dalzell hall. St. Joseph table dinner is free and is for anyone who would like to attend. Donations
for the poor in the community accepted. Menu includes soups, breads, finger sandwiches and dessert.
St. Patrick's Arlington Annual Pancake and Sausage Breakfast: Sunday, March 22, 2015, 8:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m at
the church hall. Menu include pancakes, "Nuco's" homemade sausage, eggs (made to order), toast and beverage. Cost $6.00 for adults, $4.00 for children 6 to 10 years of age, free for children under 5. Carry-outs available.
Ladd Not-so-Junior-Womens Club Luncheon to support the Ladd 125th: Wednesday March 25, 2015 at the
Ladd Community Center. Menu includes items from the groups very popular luncheons from years past.
Please mark your calendars and keep your eyes open for further details.
Heritage Health Fair, Light Lunch & Bingo in Ladd: Thursday March 26, 2015 12:00/noon 1:00 p.m. Ladd Community Center. Physical therapist Adele Mendoza will be providing balancing testing, dietician Debbie Miller will
give a presentation on eating healthy & portion size and providing food taste and recipes, and an RN will be doing blood pressure and diabetes checks. Bingo called at 1:15 p.m. Come join the fun!

cont.Ravioli Alley Non-For-Profit Organizations

All Showing that John The Barber Spirit This Winter

Fourth Annual Holy Trinity Cherry Fish Fry to Benefit the Utility Fund for the Needy: Friday March 27, 2015
4:00 p.m 8:00 p.m Cherry Church Hall. For the fourth straight year, Holy Trinity Chery members will come together to raise funds to help Ravioli Alleys neediest families avoid loss of their heat/power this Spring. Fish,
fried, cole slaw, rolls, drinks, dessert $7. Carry outs available.
CherryBooster Club Easter Celebration/Easter Bunny Breakfast/Easter Egg Hunt/Bake Sale: Saturday April 4,
2015 , Cherry Church Hall/Cherry City Park
Bake Sale (Cherry Church Hall) 8:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. homemade noodles, cinnamon rolls, cream puffs, pies,
Easter cutout cookies,famous Easter Ring Bread and carrot cakes made by the Sister of St. Francis of Lacon,
Illinois. Proceeds benefit Holy Trinity Cherry.
ATTENTION HOLY TRINITY MEMBERS: PLEASE BRING DONATED BAKED ITEMS
Easter Bunny Breakfast (Cherry Church Hall) 9:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m.
Easter Egg Hunt (Cherry City Park) 10:30 a.m.
Bring your cameratake pictures of kids with Easter Bunny
Breakfast cooking provided by Heidi Templeton of Torris Ladd
Hall Twp Food Pantry Flapjack Fund Raiser: Sunday April 12,
2015 8:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. at Applebees, 1507 36th St., Peru, IL.
Kill two birds with one stonehave a nice relaxing Sunday morning breakfast while helping those in need!
Holy Trinity Cherry/Hyvee Third Wine/Beer Tasting Fund Raiser:
Friday April 24, 2015 5:30 p.m 8:30 p.m. Cherry Church Hall.
Fellowship, food, fun! Tickets will go on sale at State Bank of
Cherry. Call Holy Trinity for info 815.894.2006.

Check out the

cool letter from
Barb Kotte Fulara
in 1979.sending out letters
when her students were
simply doing well!
We have received many compliments about the Great
article on the life of Barb Kotte Fulara written and submitted by Libby Wertz and printed in the December
2014 issue of URA. Check out this letter Barb sent out
to the parents of a student back in 1979. Typical
Barb.doing Great,
out-of-the-box things!

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St. Margarets Hospital receives grant from Colon Cancer Coalition

St. Margarets Hospital is pleased to receive a $5,400 grant from the
Colon Cancer Coalition resulting from the Get your Rear in Gear race
held in Ladd last summer. Linda Burt, VP of Marketing and Community
Services said: We especially appreciate Kathy Martin for her efforts on
the Get Your Rear in Gear race and her support in directing the grant
to St. Margarets. The grant will be used to purchase mobile display
equipment that will be used to promote colon health issues. The St.
Margarets Health Promotions Department as well as the Special Procedures staff will use this equipment at events at the hospital and in the
community. The 2015 Get Your Rear Race will be held Saturday May 23, 2015 in Ladd. Picture above is (L-R)
Frank Kobilsek, Fundraising Coordinator, Kathy Martin, Tammy Pienta, OR Director and Karla Carboni, Special Procedures Coordinator,