Page 8 - Jane Lethlean News Today

Jane Lethlean Special to The Journal-Standard FREEPORT — As spring temperatures bring people outdoors for seasonal fun, park-goers like Mike Marten and his family are gearing up summer and looking for the right activities to keep their children active. “Taking my family to Krape Park is reliving memories from my childhood and I want to create those same memories for my children,” Martin said. The Freeport Park District made changes to its annual program guide this year by going digital....

Jane Lethlean Special to The Journal-Standard FREEPORT — It has been a year since the Freeport High School Theatre Department has been able to have the students perform in front of the community. But the wait is nearly over. Live performances return Thursday. Tim Connors, director of theater and speech at Freeport High School, said the students were hit hard when the spring and fall 2020 performances could not be held due to COVID-19 restrictions. Live performance is back for the students a...

Jane Lethlean FREEPORT — Animal lovers know the effects of interacting with animals to create calm. Blending that with exercise is the mission of goat yoga, which brings people and animals together for a calming yoga experience that advocates say can improve sleeping habits, memory, mobility and improve survival rates after life-threatening diseases or trauma. When Jen Montgomery of Galena decided to combine yoga with goats she did not do so through a scientific method but rather her own ...

Jane Lethlean Special to The Journal-Standard FREEPORT — Pretzel City celebrated its moniker Saturday as crowds gathered in downtown for a day of food, fun, shopping and entertainment. The inaugural Pretzel Fest was also a jump start on recognizing National Pretzel Day, held Monday, and brought people together for socially distanced festivities. The event, organized by Greater Freeport Partnership, kicked off the day with a barbecue competition in the morning with aromas to entice all ...

Jane Lethlean Special to The Journal-Standard FREEPORT — Spring-like temperatures made a workday pleasurable as volunteers descended on Little Cubs Field on Saturday morning for a spring cleanup day, ridding the historic park of remnants of leftover winter to create a new year of baseball at the replica of Wrigley Field. A new American flag was hung and division pennants were placed. While some washed windows, others raked the ball diamond, stained dugout benches and replaced rotting boards...

Jane Lethlean Special to The Journal-Standard FREEPORT — Borrowing on the theme “Sing, Fly, Soar Like a Bird,” the Northwest Illinois Audubon Society and Freeport Art Museum are partnering for an event called World Migratory Day at 10:30 a.m. on May 8 at Taylor Park. Juliet Moderow of the Northwest Illinois Audubon Society has been working with Barry Treu of FAM to create a day that is part of an international celebration of migratory birds. “The idea is to have kids put on wings made ...

Jane Lethlean Special to The Journal-Standard FREEPORT — Roger Goodspeed of Freeport won a state award through the Monroe Arts Centers Wisconsin Regional Arts Program competition for his painting “Barn Silo,” which will be on display for the next week at the center and then displayed in September at a Wisconsin location yet to be determined. Goodspeed, who has been painting for much of his life, said he was pleased to be part of a program that recognizes artists for their work through ...

Jane Lethlean Special to The Journal-Standard When I first began writing a column for this newspaper years ago, I had an editor tell me that a column should reflect what you know. Over the years I have written a lot about the community of Freeport, my life with my friends and, of course, my dogs. Lately I have been writing about what I know comes from convalescing through having knee replacement surgery. As you read this, I am two weeks out post-op from the procedure, and if I may say, I think ...

Jane Lethlean Special to The Journal-Standard FREEPORT — Mickey Martin, a fourth-generation resident of Freeport, is ready to make a change in her life by moving closer to her family in Idaho. Before she leaves the city she has given so much of her time to with civic and community service, Martin will be honored Monday by the City Council with a proclamation from Mayor Jodi Miller and a permanent plaque displayed at City Hall. Martin, 81, was among the first women to serve on the City Cou...

Jane Lethlean Special to The Journal-Standard MONROE, Wis. — Pour your favorite beverage and settle in for nights of outstanding music. The Monroe Arts Center will offer virtual concerts throughout spring. The concerts will be available the second weekend of each month, March through June, free of charge. “It has been a year since the Monroe Arts Center shut its doors due to the global pandemic,” said Kathy Hennessey, executive director for MAC. “In that time, we have felt the support o...