Warmer temperatures and the weekend rain have returned us to the dull, gray world of winter. Everything looked better when it was covered in a bright, white blanket of snow.

THIS WEEK AT SCHOOL:

Monday, January 15 – Martin Luther King Holiday – NO SCHOOL.
Monday, January 15 – Junior High Boys Basketball 7^th Grade Tournament in Freeburg 1/15 – 1/19.
Tonight – Valmeyer vs. Freeburg at 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 16 – High School Boys Basketball at Red Bud.
Thursday, January 18 – High School Girls Basketball at Cahokia.
Saturday, January 20 – High School Boys Freshman Basketball against Red Bud at HOME.

Regular meeting of the Valmeyer Village Board of Trustees – Tuesday, January 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Emergency Services Building.

A new book is waiting for your review. Carrie Wobbe of Belleville, daughter of Tom Wobbe, Executive Director of the Southwestern Illinois Planning Commission, has just completed this volume titled, "Rising to New Heights: The Rebuilding of Valmeyer." The book is Wobbe’s rendition of the planning and creation of the new Village, along with the human perspective of this endeavor. These books are now being sold as a fund-raiser by the Valmeyer Optimist Club. They are available locally at MAR Graphics (935-2111), Valmeyer Village Hall and First Bank. Cost of the book is $20 for the soft cover edition and $50 for the hard cover version. For $5 additional shipping and handling the book can be mailed to you by contacting the Valmeyer Optimist Club, P. O. Box 97, Valmeyer, Ill. 62295. Members of the Optimists will also be on hand with copies of the book at the VHS Boys Basketball Game on January 12^th.

Gene Largent, Music Director of First Baptist Church is inviting those of all ages who like to play musical instruments, sing solo parts or in groups to come on Sunday evening to perform in the Church worship services. Gene is updating the Church’s music to a blended program of traditional and contemporary music. For more information contact Gene at 939-4709.

Valmeyer School Music Hall of Fame applications are due by 4:30 p.m. onTuesday, January 16^th. These applications can be picked up from Amy Haynes or Marcia Braswell at Valmeyer School.

B.O.S.S. SHIRT SALE – In Pirate and Wildcat varieties. Available are T-shirts for $7.00 or long-sleeved Henley shirts for $15.00. If you would like one of these shirts call Robin Scheibe at 935-2100, extension 504 or at 935-2226.

BE SURE TO SAVE: Pepsi music notes from Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay products. These will benefit the music programs at Valmeyer School. These are available on specially marked packages and containers, and there are still some on the store shelves. SO FAR THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT HAS COLLECTED 2,369 POINTS. The deadline for turning these points in at School is February 20^th.. . . . . . . . . . . and General Mills Box Tops for Education. These can be found on General Mills cereals and snacks, Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks, Yoplait Yogurt and Lloyds Barbecue Buckets. They will benefit the PTO, Music Boosters and Boosters of School Sports. Both can be turned in at the School.

MORE DETAILS OF LIFE IN THE 1500’S . . . . . . . . . . . . .Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with a high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food. This happened most often with tomatoes, so they stopped eating tomatoes . . . . . . for 400 years. Most people didn’t have pewter plates, but had trenchers - - - a piece of wood with the middle scooped out like a bowl. Trenchers were never washed and a lot of times worms infested these wooden bowls. After eating out of wormy trenchers, people would get "TRENCH MOUTH".

Visit the school’s web site for school news plus current and past editions of the Original Voice of Valmeyer . . . . . . www.valmeyerk12.org and click on Community Links.

  SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!