July 2017 Serving Washington Magazine Local Calendar of Events See Inside A Community Publication Provided By MTCO Communications
This month we turn the spotlight on Jim Talaska, Commander of American Legion Post 100 in Washington. Jim is beginning his third year as Commander and has been a member of the American Legion for over 20 years. He served in the United States Air Force and was stationed in Grenada during the conflict there during the early 1980s. Jim is also a classically trained French chef and manages the kitchen at the Legion, which has been serving food since he became involved as Commander. The menu includes homemade tenderloins, burgers, brat burgers, corn dogs, chicken wings and other items to satisfy your hunger during your visit to the Legion. He is also able to bring a unique culinary experience to special events requiring food. His expertise in the kitchen has allowed the Legion to offer more to visitors attending functions there. Jim has many passions that keep him motivated in helping the Legion. There are many great programs that the Legion offers, and he has worked hard to see our local Washington Legion do its part for Americanism. Keeping the traditions alive and kicking is a lot of his focus as he has worked hard at maintaining the Easter Egg Hunt, participation in local veteran parades and ceremonies marking veterans holidays. His impact in these areas has been felt by the members of the Legion and the residents of Washington. A few of his past accomplishments include the repair and revitalization of the Legion Hall and grounds. Successful fundraisers have been held to help these projects, and many volunteers and donations from the community have improved the Legion with needed upgrades. On his watch, the Legion has started a weekly drawing to increase the attendance to the Legion and to spark interest in the services the Legion offers to the community. The drawing has been very successful in introducing new people to the Legion and it has seen an increase in new members joining the Legion. At the time of printing, the Thursday night Queen of Hearts Drawing has two jackpots totalling $5000 and $5800 going to a winner. Check out the fun and meet new friends at this drawing which is held every week. Knowing the condition and needs of maintaining an old building, Jim is also focused on raising money to be put aside for a new building. To ensure the long term service of this Legion for future generations of Veterans, a new building is necessary. This will take some time to raise this kind of money. The process has been started, and he hopes to see this come to life in a few years. You can help Jim with his goals by visiting some of the many Legion functions or by making a donation to the Legion directly for this fund. Many Veterans would thank you for your help, and Jim would always be grateful for your consideration. On The Cover A beautiful, warm summer day at the Central Grade School baseball and softball diamonds. These young ladies were kicking up some dirt as they practiced their base running skills. MTCO Communications 220 N. Menard Street Metamora, Illinois 61548 309-367-4197 connected@mtco.com President & CEO Glenn Rauh Vice President & CFO Ann Dickerson Media Manager Editor - Connected Magazine Bob Becraft bbecraft@corp.mtco.com Marketing Manager Editor - Connected Magazine Kip DuBois kdubois@corp.mtco.com Connected Magazine is published monthly by MTCO Communications with corporate office located at 220 North Menard Street, Metamora, Illinois, 61548. The publication is intended for use of the residents of Washington. No article in this issue or any part of this publication may be reproduced without the expressed written permission of the Publisher. For more information about this magazine, or for additional copies, contact Bob Becraft or Kip DuBois at 309-367-4197 or connected@mtco.com. If you have questions or concerns regarding your services, please contact our Customer Service Representatives at (309)367-4197 or 800-859-6826. Copyright 2017 MTCO Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
Entertainment & Technology MTCO Surveys MTCO customers that have recently had service installed or called or e-mailed for assistance may have received a follow-up survey regarding their satisfaction with our representatives. We appreciate the incredible responses and comments we have received! MTCO uses this valuable information to continually work on improving all aspects of service delivered to our customers. To say thank you, every person who responds is entered into a monthly drawing to receive a $50.00 credit towards their next bill. The winner of our first drawing was Jack Leininger from Marseilles! TV Channel Updates The content providers for Universal HD and have announced they are ceasing the distribution of these channels as of July 1st, so both of these channels will no longer be available in your digimax line-up. The Olympic Channel is a new channel that launches on Saturday, July 15th. Connect all year round to Olympic sports, athletes, and athlete stories before they were superstars, and get all the latest as the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea approach on February 9, 2018. Shark Week is back and starts on Sunday, July 23rd on Discovery. Look for Shark-Croc Showdown, Shark Vortex, and a new touch this year with Michael Phelps vs Shark: Great Gold vs Great White. FREE HBO & Cinemax Preview We have another FREE long weekend for digimax TV customers to access all HBO and Cinemax channels! Free viewing starts at 6 a.m. on Friday, July 21st through midnight on Monday, July 24th. Enjoy episodes of Game of Thrones as season 7 kicks off, Jason Bourne, Hacksaw Ridge, Sully, and more! Stream Music In Every Room Quickly and easily install speakers in any room of your home without the need for wires, mess or the cost of hiring an electrician. Replace your light bulbs with a super long lasting LED bulb that has a built in Bluetooth speaker allowing you to stream music using any iphone, Android, Mac or PC. The Bluetooth Light Bulb Speaker comes with a remote that changes the color of the light and allows you to switch the light source off while keeping the music flowing. More information can be found at www.buylor.com. Keep up with Entertainment and Technology news. Add MTCO to your Facebook and Twitter groups, and visit the MTCO Blogspot at www.mtco.com.
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 WPD Summer Concert Series Rotary Shelter 6-8pm Original Skazz Band Summer Concert Rotary Shelter 6-8pm Peoria Pops Orchestra 30 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Legion Riders 9 10 Meeting 6pm 11 12 13 14 15 District 50 Board 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Meeting 6:30pm 23 City Council Meeting Five Points 6:30pm 31 American Legion Meeting 6:30pm District 308 Board Meeting 7pm District 52 Board Meeting 7pm Washington Park District Board Meeting 6pm City Council Meeting Five Points 6:30pm 24 Washington Lions Club Mtg. at Kep s 6:30pm Washington Rotary Club Meeting 12pm Washington District Library Board Mtg. 7pm Washington Rotary Club Meeting 12pm Washington Rotary Club Meeting 12pm WHIP Food Pantry 8:30am - 11am 4:30pm - 6pm City of Washington Planning & Zoning Comm. Mtg. at Five Points 6:30pm Knights Of Columbus Council Meeting 7pm WHIP Food Pantry 8:30am - 11am 4:30pm - 6pm Queen of Hearts Drawing American Legion 7pm Central District 51 Board Meeting 7pm Queen of Hearts Drawing American Legion 7pm Queen of Hearts Drawing American Legion 7pm Wings & More Night American Legion 6pm - 8pm Wings & More Night American Legion 6pm - 8pm Wings & More Night American Legion 6pm - 8pm 25 26 27 28 29 Queen of Hearts Drawing American Legion 7pm Wings & More Night American Legion 6pm - 8pm
In Our Community Business After Hours Washington Chamber of Commerce hosts Business After Hours at Art at the Bodega located Sunnyland Plaza in Washington. The fun begins at 5:00 p.m. and runs through 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 11th. Come join other business members for food, drink, prizes, and great conversation. Calling All Pet Owners Grab your furry friend and join the Pet Parade at the Dement Zinser house on Saturday, July 1, from 10 a.m. to 11a.m. Bring your pets, big or small, and join in the fun! Pet Parade hosted by the Washington Historical Society. More information available at www. washington-historical-society.org Five Points Upcoming Events Spend a night at the Opry as Conklin Players presents, A Grand Ol Country Tribute at Five Points Washington Performing Arts Center. This will be a salute to the greatest hits of country music through the decades, featuring your favorite all-time country hits and the artists that sang them! From Hank Williams and Patsy Cline to Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, this will be a boot stampin good time! Four shows are scheduled July 13th through July 15th at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, July 16th, a show will run at 3:00 p.m. Ticket prices are $25/adults $8/students (through college). More information available at www.fivepointswashington.org Small Business Saturday Summer Small Business Saturday will be held on July 15th. The Washington Chamber of Commerce will be hosting Summer Shop Small Business Saturday again this year after a great response to the event held last summer. There will be various promotions and specials throughout the day along with many activities. They are encouraging everyone to pick three small businesses they couldn t live without and spend $50.00 because it can make a difference. Mark your calendars and please join them and shop small this summer. Visit the Washington Chamber Of Commerce s Facebook Page to see the individual sales and specials offered on this day. Do you have some community news to share with the residents of Washington? Send it to connected@mtco.com, or mail it to us at 220 N. Menard St., Metamora, IL 61548 Attn: Connected Magazine.
Help Save Lives this Summer MTCO is holding a blood drive that is open to the public on Wednesday, July 12th from 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. If you are interested in donating blood, please call Sarah at MTCO at 367-4197 to schedule an appointment. Please consider donating to help someone in need! Bands In The Park Enjoy some live music outside this summer at Washington Park with the 2017 Summer Concert Series and Social. All concerts are free to attend. Please remember to bring your lawn chairs or blankets to make yourself comfortable. All ice cream and supplies are sponsored by Washington Park District. July 9th - The Original Skazz Band 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. July 23rd - Turas - Irish Trad in the Heart of Illinois 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Paint With Coffee Learn about coffee painting! Artist Kagan Masters will be at the Sunnyland Branch Library on July 6th from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. to show how to paint using coffee grounds! Don t miss this fun event! Sign up is required by calling the library (444-2241 or 745-3023) or by stoping in at the library. 2017 Back To School Bash Summer goes by so fast, so mark your calendars for the Washington Park Pool s Back To School Bash! The event will be held on August 1st from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the pool. Price is $3.00 for ages 3 and up, and it includes hot dog, chips, drink and family fun. The bash will host raft races, sidewalk painting, wet shirt relay, biggest splash contest and more. A $100 PNC VISA Gift Card will be given away as a door prize. Please sign up in advance at the Washington Park District in person or online using code ( 3-6900-17 ). Knit Night Bring your latest project for a laidback evening of conversation and yarn work on July 11th at 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at Washington District Library located at 380 N. Wilmor Road. All skill levels are welcome, and staff will be on hand to offer tips and encouragement. Don t knit? They ll be happy to help you get started! Arts Festival The 2017 Washington Arts Festival will be held on August 19th and 20th in Washington Park. The festival will have over 60 juried artists at the show, and will offer live music, childrens activities, live artist demonstrations, caricature artist, food, wine and beer tasting, and more. Show hours will be: Saturday, August 19th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, August 20th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More information available by calling (309) 366-2413, or visit them on Facebook.
Can You GIG It? 100% FIBER OPTICS to your home INTERNET 1 GIGABIT Internet! NOW AVAILABLE (that s 1,000 Mbps) SERVICE BUNDLE SPEEDS Start at 100 VOICE TV Mbps! Upgrade any package to boost your Internet speed, starting at only $10/mo. The Best in Entertainment 135 channels in crystal-clear HD Over 110 ReStart TV channels More to stream to any screen with watchtveverywhere Call MTCO today at 800-859-6826 and one of our LOCAL installers will see you at install time! DEAL T A E R G Sign up now for $100 off your first bill! Good for new digimax customers and existing customers who add additional qualified service(s). Residential only. One year agreement required. Discount on Internet and/or bundled services. One coupon per customer. Not Redeemable for cash. Offer ends 8/31/17. Must mention promo code MTCO100-CON or present coupon to receive $100 credit. Metamora 800-859-6826 www.mtco.com