Weekend Wrap-Up - November 29, 2009

Waterloo And Gibault posted victories Saturday night in their last games of the round robin Waterloo-Triad Tournament this weekend at the new WHS gym. In the championship game on Saturday, Triad beat Mater Dei 71-61.

Justin Rueter knocked down a three-pointer with under a minute left to give Gibault a 40-37 win over Civic Memorial. The Hawks were led by Kyle Prader’s 20 points. Nick Bretwisch and Dalton Kaufmann led Waterloo with 13 points each, helping the Bulldogs defeat Nokomis 43-40 for their first win of the year.

Columbia won their second round game Saturday in the Lebanon Thanksgiving Tournament at McKendree. The Eagles beat Southwestern Piasa 33-29. CHS will take on Madison Tuesday night at 8 p.m. in the third round.  

Waterloo's Nick Bretwisch, right, slashes to the basket while being guarded by Jacob Durbin of Nokomis.           - photos by Bob Haentzler / game photos on sale at www.gatewayphoto.net

The 28th annual Waterloo Christmas Walk is Sunday, Nov. 29, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Waterloo. The event features shopping, a Christmas concert, free carriage rides and the arrival of Santa Claus at his hut next to the courthouse bandstand. Participating merchants include A World of Difference, Back On The Rack, Clark’s Country Oaks, Drury House, Echoes of the Past Antiques, Mill Street Treasures, Reime Jewelers and Gifts and Vickie’s Hallmark. Stop by those stores for your chance to win one of 17 prizes totaling $800.

The Waterloo Municipal band will present a free Christmas concert beginning at 1 p.m. at the courthouse bandstand. City hall will be open to allow residents to meet their elected officials. The event is hosted by the Waterloo Merchants Group and chaired by Julie Holtgrewe of Reime Jewelers and Nancy Gross of Echo’s of the Past Antiques. For more information, call 939-6517 or visit the website www.thewmginc.com.

Columbia Christmas Cruise Set For Nov. 29: To kick off the Christmas shopping season, the annual Columbia Christmas Cruise will take place Sunday, Nov. 29, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. “This is a great opportunity to gather your shopping buddies -- see what Columbia businesses have to offer, enjoy a relaxing lunch at one of Columbia’s restaurants and cruise down Main Street on a free horse drawn carriage ride with friends and family,” said Ellen Otten of Curves, one of the event’s organizers.

Participating businesses are Agnes Ross, Chic Junktique, Curtis Jewelers, Dee’s Floral and Gifts, Elements Off Main, The Final Touch, The Flower Company, Harres Furniture and Appliances, Mattingly Jewelry, Mist Spa, Vida Verde, Rooster’s Health Food, Shady Creek Nursery and Sylvia’s Alterations. 

New this year is the Santa Search Scavenger Hunt. Game sheets will be available at all the participating merchants. When you enter a business during that day, you will need to locate the hidden themed Santa in order to have your game card stamped. When all of your Santas are found, the game sheet can be turned in at your last stop, no later than 4 p.m., that day. Shoppers 18 years and older will be entered to win a prize, including a 22-inch flat screen television or a gift certificate from one of the merchants.  For additional information, visit the city of Columbia’s website: www.columbiaillinois.com.

Maeystown’s Old Fashioned German Christmas is Sunday, Dec. 6, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., between the Old Rock Mill and the Corner George Inn. The festival celebrates German Christmas customs and music. Sankt Nickolaus will be strolling throughout the village greeting girls and boys of all ages. A highlight of the day will be house tour from 12 noon to 4 p.m. featuring three village homes decorated in their Christmas best. Tickets are $3 and available at the Maeystown General Store. Horse-drawn carriage rides will be available for tours of the village from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Former Maeystown Church Pastor Ivan Horn (now of Hecker) will present two Christmas monologues in the ballroom of the Corner George Inn – at 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. There will be demonstrations of wrapping the sassafras tree and of paper star folding at the rock mill.

Food items will include the traditional Weihnacht stew, bratwurst and Kinderpunsch, all served by the St John Church Choir. The Maeystown Women’s Club’s annual Taste of Christmas will serve homemade desserts in the basement of the rock mill. In addition, the Village Kaffeehaus serve traditional German Glühwein as well as specialty coffees and wine. The Sweet Shoppe will feature stollen and gingerbread as well as a variety of other sweets.

Musical entertainment for the day will begin with organ music being heard over the tower of St John UCC from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Throughout the day at the rock mill, Carl Seavers, Jim Abbott and Mardy Eisleffel will play Christmas favorites on hammered dulcimer and accordion. The boys of the Band Room Brass will then stroll through the village from 12 noon to 2 p.m. Music will then move inside the Corner George from 2:15 to2:30 p.m., with piano music of the season by Larry Forsting. The Valmeyer High School Ensemble will be caroling from 3:15 p.m. to 4:15p.m. German Christmas carols will be sung from 3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., in the ballroom of the Corner George Inn. The day will be capped off at 4:30 p.m., in front of the rock mill with the traditional carol sing at the lighting of the village Weihnachtsbaum (Christmas tree). The O’Fallon High School German Club will demonstrate traditional German dances after the German Carol Sing.

The Maeystown General Store will be open all day offering gifts from both past and present and Georgia Mae’s Antiques will bring back memories of Christmas past. For more information, please call the Corner George Inn at 618-458-6660.

Tickets remain on sale for the Valmeyer Centennial Ball. The gala will be held Saturday, Dec. 5, at St. Mary’s Parish Hall. Cocktails hour begins at 5 p.m., with dinner served at 6 p.m. The Gateway City Big Band will provide musical entertainment from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tickets are $25 each and are available at the Village Hall, Mike's Convenience, First Bank and State Bank. Reservations are required by Monday, Nov. 30.

Minor Injuries In Wartburg Rollover

A teenager from Columbia received minor injuries Saturday afternoon when the SUV she was driving rolled over in Wartburg. Hannah Lundy, a junior at Gibault High School, was traveling southbound on Maeystown Road when she went off the roadway just south of JJ Road. Her Volvo V70 rolled over and landed on its roof. Bryan Taylor, who lives across the road from where the accident occurred, ran to the scene and assisted the victim in exiting from the vehicle. “It was upside down and I help pull her out of one of the windows,” Taylor said. He said the girl appeared a little shaken up, but not badly injured. Taylor and several passersby waited with her until an ambulance arrived. She was able to stand up on her own, but EMTs did check her out at the scene for any additional injuries.