Annual event at Glacial Park puts daily routines of past centuries on display

From the Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Annual event at Glacial Park puts daily routines of past centuries on display
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

RINGWOOD – Five-year-old Gina Spilotro of Marengo wanted to do laundry the way it was done in centuries past. So her aunt, Marion, and father brought her to the "Servant's Quarters," explained how it was done, and told her to give it a shot.

She was confident, determined, and ready, but had just one question:

"Do I have to work here every day?" she asked, before heading towards a washboard and bucket at one of the tents at this year's Trail of History event at Glacial Park.

The Spilotros were among thousands who flocked to the Ringwood park Saturday for the 20th annual event, hosted by the McHenry County Conservation District.

For the weekend, more than 200 re-enactors portray blacksmiths, sheep herders, fur traders and others who lived between 1670 and 1850. Using their role-playing and elaborate scene-setting, they give visitors a glimpse of life as it was more than 150 years ago.

The valley was filled with tents and stages with special displays, such as an indentured servant auction.

Jessica Williams, 32, was among the re-enactors at that particular display. Her character, a 20-some-year-old engaged woman named Katherine Caird, from the 1770s, tried to return a servant she had purchased.

"She wore spectacles," she said. "She does not have perfect vision, and when she gets older she'll need new spectacles."

She managed to get five-pound refund on her servant.

The journey back in time continues today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the park.

Glacial Park is at 6316 Harts Road, off the west side of Route 31 north of Ringwood. Cost to attend is $6 per adult, $2 for seniors 60 and older, and $2 for children ages 6 to 12. Children 5 and younger are admitted free. Pets are not permitted.

Trail of History returns to Glacial Park

From the Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Trail of History returns to Glacial Park
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

RINGWOOD – This weekend, Bob Paine won't be a 64-year-old adjunct professor from Crystal Lake.

Rather, he will be a 54-year-old fur trader of French and Potawatomi descent, living in a North American Métis village in the 1760s.

"I make sure the people who live in [my] village bring in the furs to trade with my company rather than a competitor," Paine said.

Paine is one of more than 200 re-enactors who will abandon their real identities as part of the McHenry County Conservation District's 20th annual Trail of History event.

From 9 a.m to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Glacial Park, the re-enactors will portray blacksmiths, sheep herders, fur traders and others who lived between 1670 and 1850. Through their role-playing and elaborate scene-setting at the park, visitors will get a glimpse of life as it was more than 150 years ago.

"They will not break character the entire time they're down there," said Wendy Kummerer, communications manager for the district.

Between 8,000 and 12,000 visitors are expected at the annual event, where they can travel back in history as they walk a mile-long trail.

Visitors can make corn husk dolls, play old-fashioned games, and dress up in old-fashioned clothes, among other activities. There also will be a re-enactment of military tactics during the French and Indian War, Dr. Balthazar’s traveling medicine show, swordsmanship and blacksmith demonstrations, and a variety of musicians, dancers and fortune tellers.

"It's a fun way for people to learn what life was like in the past," Paine said. "Most of the [re-enactors] know a lot about their periods, the events and people of their time."

Parents also will have the chance to "sell" their child as an indentured servant, perfect for any family with a child who has complained about doing chores.

Re-enactors will begin arriving Thursday night and won't leave the campsite until the event is over Sunday. Friday, about 1,500 fifth-grade students from area schools will get a sneak peek at the event as part of a field trip.

Glacial Park is at 6316 Harts Road, off the west side of Route 31 north of Ringwood. Cost to attend is $6 per adult, $2 for seniors 60 and older, and $2 for children ages 6 to 12. Children 5 and younger are admitted free. Pets are not permitted.

If you go
What: Trail of History.
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Where: Glacial Park, 6316 Harts Road, Ringwood.
Cost: $6 for adults, $2 for seniors 60 and older and $2 for children ages 6 to 12. Children 5 and younger admitted free.
Information: Call 815-338-6223 or visit www.mccdistrict.org.

Ringwood students enjoy fresh produce

From the Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Ringwood students enjoy fresh produce
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

RINGWOOD – Every day, Denise Egebrecht tries to include a fresh fruit or vegetable in the lunches she packs for her daughter, Jacqueline, a second-grader at Ringwood Elementary School.

But with the help of a federal grant awarded to the school, Egebrecht isn't the only one encouraging her daughter to practice healthy eating.

The school was awarded $30,000 as part of the federally funded Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program. The grant is intended to make fresh produce available to students at any time throughout the school day.

Ringwood School Primary Center is the only school in McHenry County to receive the grant, and one of 25 schools statewide.

Since the start of the school year, Ringwood's 600 pre-school through second-grade students have been treated to a free fresh fruit or vegetable snack every day.

"We're making them aware of what they're putting in their bodies," said Anna Wolk, kitchen manager. "I think we're going to see this generation grow up and have better health."

Wolk said that as she's coordinated the school lunch program, she's often wished she could do more than just tell students to eat better. She already leads nutrition-oriented activities but wanted to do more. This grant was an opportunity to do just that, she said.

"We gotta do more than just lip service," she said.

Every day, a designated student representative brings a shopping basket to the kitchen to pick up the healthy snacks. The snacks range from carrots and celery to bananas and apples. Students also can pick up fresh produce at any time of the day from a cart near the front office and a bistro set in one of the hallways.

Ringwood Elementary Principal Cathy Neiss said that beyond helping students eat healthier, the program has positively affected student behavior and cooperation.

"Lots of things we didn't' think of have come up," Neiss said. She said teachers have used the program to integrate other lessons into their classrooms, such as where apples come from.

About 17 percent of children are overweight, according to a study published in 2006 by the American Medical Association. That number has steadily increased over the years, and is mirrored by a growing number of overweight parents.

Wolk said she hoped healthy eating lessons students learn would travel home, too.

"If you make kids think out of the box, they'll go home and discuss it," she said.

So far, parents have given the program positive reviews.

"We're really happy about it," Egebrecht said. "[Jacqueline] likes it a lot."

Authorities: Be wary of fake award checks

From the Thursday, June, 12, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Authorities: Be wary of fake award checks
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

When Kathleen Porter opened her mail, she thought the letter claiming that she had won $57,000 and the enclosed check for nearly $4,000 might be real.

But the Ringwood woman’s intuition told her it probably wasn’t.

“Nothing good ever happens to me,” she joked.

After notifying authorities, Porter learned that she was the latest target of a mail scam, this one claiming to be an award from Del Monte Foods.

Porter said she also called Del Monte after receiving the letter last week.

“I grabbed a can of fruit cocktail and called Del Monte Foods,” she said.

The person who answered confirmed that the check was not real and added that the company had received a number of similar queries.

“It’s a very organized scam,” said Sgt. Michael Cisner, a detective with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department.

The mail scams often claim that residents won a significant amount of money, as Porter’s did, and that there are “administrative and processing” fees for receiving the money.

The recipient then is instructed to cash a check using their bank account information and then send the rest of the money to an address.

Cisner said the mail scams often are random and based on addresses from magazine subscriptions or mailing databases.

Cisner encouraged recipients of suspicious mail not to ignore or throw away the mail but to notify authorities to aid in tracking down the senders.

He also warned residents to be wary of mailings that do not appear to originate from one location – such as mailing addresses, phone numbers and company information that do not appear to be coming from the same geographic area.

As a rule of thumb, Cisner said, “Be very suspicious when somebody is trying to give you free money, especially when you didn’t fill out an entry form or enter a contest.”

McHenry County Sheriff’s Department Detective Sgt. Michael Cisner offered tips for recipients of suspicious mail:

• Check to see whether the phone number, address and location from which the materials were mailed match.

• Notify your municipality or your local CrimeStoppers.

• Notify the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department by calling 815-338-2144.

• Do not cash the check.