Category: News
Overdose Treatment Administered by Dwight EMS Spikes in 2016
When the Dwight Emergency Medical Services Department began administering Narcan 20 years ago, there were virtually no calls made where the drug had to be administered to prevent someone dying from an opiate drug overdose. About five years ago, that…
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Dwight area bassethounds will be wagging their tails with pride in a few weeks thanks to an honor bestowed on Veterinarian Dr. Lou Cronin of Dwight.
Croni
n will be presented with a lifetime achievement award by the Guardian Angel Basset Rescue at its annual auction, Saturday, April 16.
GABR was started 18 years ago by Dwight residents Larry and Emmy Little and Fran Gray. Gray passed away five years ago but the Littl
es carry on the tradition.GABR’s mission is to rescue bassets who are abandoned, at shelters, left along the side of the road, or belong to people who can no longer take care of them.
Dr. Cronin has been providing services to the organization since its inception, Larry Little explained. “Everybody loves him,” Little said of Cronin. He was referring to the pet’s owners, not just the pets.
“He tol
d us if we need help to call him anytime,” Little added. Little said there have been occasions when Cronin was called out of bed at 3 a.m. for an emergency. “He [Cronin] knows the business inside and out,” Little said. “He treats them all like family. And he’s one of the best human beings I have ever met.”
The award given to Cronin will be part of the organization’s fund-raising, in which more than 1,000 donors contribute to the cause.
“We have basset friends all over,” Little said.
During the past 18 years, the organization has rescued 4,000 bassets, paying for “an awful lot of Veterinarian bills.”
Each dog averages $600 in medical costs, but the GABR charges people just $250 for the dogs, thus the need for fund-raising.
“We have had some medical bills that far exceed that cost,” Little said.
He told the story of one basset hound run over by a car and the owner could not afford to pay to save the dog. So instead, the vet purchased the animal and gave him to the GABR to be adopted by a new owner.
The Paper readers may be more familiar with the famous basset waddle held as part of the Harvest Days parade in September each year.
Little said he chose bassets because everyone or every living thing, needs help sometimes.
“My thing about life — everyone needs a charity,” Little added.
The event will be held at Jennifer’s Garden in Morris, April 16. The doors open at 5 p.m .
For further information call Little at (815) 584-1044.
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When Kaitlyn Harlow, of Kinsman, decided to enter The Great Lakes Floral Expo, a national professional florist contest held in Grand Rapids, Michigan on March 4, she had no idea she would come home with a first place.“I thought there’s no way I was going to win,” she told The Paper last week.She entered in the “Memorial for a Gardener” themed contest, pitted against professional florists, mostly based in Michigan. This theme was for the Professional Division of Blooming Memorials at the contest.
To create her winning design, she melded flower and vegetable gardeners into one concept.
Memorial to her meant a “tripod” held wreath.
She recalled the tools often used at her grandfather’s farm, the bright flowers her grandmother would plant on the edge of the family garden.
The design includes orange, red, and yellow circus roses, purple radicchio cabbage, green kale, orange tulips, asparagus, purple mums, brussels sprouts and parsley and bright orange carrots to dangle as a ribbon.
At the event the third place and second place winners were announced, and her “heart sank” as she believed she did not win.
Then the announcement came that the first place winner was Kaitlyn Harlow of Joliet Junior College, and she said she and her teacher “screamed like blooming idiots.” Pun intended.
Harlow, who currently resides in her grandmother’s home in rural Kinsman, was the adjunct floral teacher at JJC. She attended JJC under the direction of Donna Theimer, American Institute of Floral Design, who attended with Harlow.
Harlow has an associates in Floral Design and Interior Plant Scapes from JJC and a bachelor of education and a minor in horticulture from Kansas State University.
“I just find arranging flowers effortless and the key is don’t over-think,” she said in a news release issued to The Paper.
“But I tell you, there was no other arrangement like mine at the contest,” she continued. “Dang, Maybe I should have over thought a little,” she joked.
The criteria for the category was to have at least three years professional experience, and create a design using two design techniques.
She decided to use techniques she learned under the direction of Donna Theimer.
“Donna has been an incredible mentor, and encouraged me to enter into this show, with our floral design students,” Harlow said.
Dwight EMS Ambulance Calls Increase by 98 in 2015
by Myke Feinman Managing Editor The Dwight Emergency Management Services department made 1,049 calls in 2015, an increase of 98 over 2014. “So basically, calls are on the upswing,” said Dwight EMS Director Al Metzke. “The trend is on the…
Dwight Shows Continued Support for DEA
by Madelyn Fogarty madelynfogarty@yahoo.com Community Encouraged to Attend January 27 Drug Abuse Forum The Village of Dwight showed its support for the Dwight Economic Alliance by renewing its membership with the community improvement oriented group. At its January 11 session,…
MPBA Officials Stop by Victory Lanes in Dwight
Officials from the Midwest Professional Basketball Association, now in its second year, stopped by Victory Lanes bowling alley in Dwight, Oct. 21, to promote the new Pontiac 66ers professional team. The league, which feeds into the NBA development league, international…
Dwight Love Boxes
With the Christmas season right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about community initiative Love Boxes. Dave Bossert of Dwight began organizing the mission of sharing generous food baskets to families in need in the community 37 years…
School Grown is the Best
The Dwight Grade School has a garden where fresh produce is grown and is enjoyed in the classroom as well as in the cafeteria. All of the fruits and veggies are grown on bales of hay. The hay is treated…
FCCLA National Leadership Conference Draws Record Number of Youth Leaders from Across the Country
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) brought more than 7,700 of its student leaders, members and advisers to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. July 6-9 to participate in its National Leadership Conference. The…