Season 9 - 2011
Episode 901 - Feb. 4
Join Co-Hosts Lori Casey and Kate Pleasant as they take you on a journey through what's in store on Season 9. From nature centers to a Santa Claus Club and everything in between, you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at all the stories for this season.
Episode 902 - Feb. 11
Heartland Highways is all about nature in this episode. Well, nature centers that is! Featured places include the Douglas-Hart Nature Center in Mattoon, Ill., Ballard Nature Center near Altamont, Ill., Anita Purves Nature Center in Urbana, Ill., and the Rock Springs Conservation Area and Nature Center in Decatur, Ill.
Douglas-Hart Nature Center
2204 DeWitt Avenue East
Mattoon, IL 61938
217-235-4644
douglashartnc@consolidated.net
Website
Ballard Nature Center
5253 E. US Hwy 40
Altamont, IL 62411
618-483-6856
Website
Anita Purves Nature Center and Busey Woods
1505 N. Broadway
Urbana, IL 61801
217-384-4062
Website
Rock Springs Conservation Area and Nature Center
3939 Nearing Lane
Decatur, IL 62521
217-423-7708
mccd@maconcountyconservation.org
Website
Episode 903 - Feb. 18
Since this is Heartland Highways, this week we'll take a look at the story of one special highway, a micro sprint track and a collection of cars you won't want to miss! First, it's off to Springfield, Ill., where we'll meet Dick Levi, a car and motorcycle aficionado with an impressive collection of both vintage and modern vehicles. Then it's closer to home to the Coles County Speedway, the oldest micro midget sprint track in the U.S. Finally, Heartland Highways learns more about the history of the Dixie Highway in Illinois and meets up with the A's are Us, Model A club, who traveled the highway this summer.
Coles County Speedway
Website
Dixie Highway
Website
A's R Us Model A Club
Website
Episode 904 - Feb. 25
Did somebody say collector? That's what it's all about this week! Our first featured collector is Dave Cunningham of Olney, Ill. Dave's collection consists of more than 110 baseball gloves and nearly 40 vintage softball gloves. And since we're already talking about America's favorite pastime, we'll take you on over to the Casey Softball Hall of Honor and Museum which is also home to the Illinois Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame. For our last adventure we visit Greg and Connie Harris in rural Windsor for a look at their extensive collection of Shell Oil memorabilia!
Dave Cunningham
cunninghamd1707@yahoo.com
Casey Softball Hall of Honor and Museum
LeRoy Staley, President
217-932-2346 or 217-232-2340
Website
Greg Harris
geharris@consolidated.net
Episode 905 - March 4
This episode features some talented young people in the region. First, we'll meet the Coon Holler Kids, a group of musicians and singers from Indiana who spread their love for bluegrass with their performances. Next, we re-visit the story of Nina Marshall, a talented musician and self-taught harp maker, several of whose students are featured in our final story. That final story is all about the Summer Strings Program in Charleston, Ill. Summer Strings brings together musicians of all ages to both perform and learn from each other.
Coon Holler Kids
Judy Green
765-832-8110
Website
Nina Marshall
20 W Harrison
Sullivan, Il 61951
info@ninasmusic.com
217-665-3636, ask for Nina
Website
Episode 906 - March 11
In this week's episode, Heartland Highways will paint you a picture of area art galleries in small towns. Featured spots include the Tarble Arts Center at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill., The Bicentennial Art Center and Museum in Paris, Ill., The Gas Light Art Colony in Marshall, Ill., and The New Prairie Gallery in Sullivan, Ill.
Tarble Arts Center
217-581-2787
Website
Bicentennial Art Center and Museum
217-466-8130
Website
Gas Light Art Colony
516 Archer Ave.
Marshall, IL 62441
217-808-2115
Website
New Prairie Gallery
10 S. Washington
Sullivan, IL 61951
217-246-7622
Website
Episode 907 - March 18
If you can dream it, they can do it! This episode is all about talented artists and artisans. We first meet Rick Wallace of Neoga, Ill., who uses wood as his chosen medium. Rick makes intricate cutouts using a scroll saw and a whole lot of imagination. Next, we spend some time at Flood Plain Forge in Farmer City, Ill., where husband and wife team Mark and Mindy Gardener show us their blacksmithing specialties. The last person we'll feature in this episode is Roy Gaunt, an artisan who uses sewing machines to create detailed display tractors.
Rick Wallace
sublime4life40@yahoo.com
Flood Plain Forge
111 West Green St.
Farmer City, IL 61842
309- 928-9168
Website
Roy Gaunt
217-774-3377
Episode 908 - March 25
This week we'll meet University of Illinois Chimesmaster Sue Wood who is responsible for playing the familiar chimes of Altgeld Hall at the Champaign-Urbana campus. Then, you better watch out, you better not cry! Heartland Highways takes you inside a group of Central Illinois Santa Clauses ... and yes, their beards are real! Finally we get the inside track on a jam session featuring many familiar faces of the Central Illinois country music scene at the Past Timers Reunion.
Chimesmaster Sue Wood
323 Altgeld Hall
1409 West Green Street
Urbana, IL 61801
217-333-6068
Website
Past Timers Reunion
Gene Wooters - Wooters Sport Shop
wotsport@frontiernet.net
Episode 909 - April 1
First we revisit the story of Kirby and Cindy Pringle at Dogtown Artworks, where the dogs are the stars of both books and photographs! Then, we'll meet hat collector Gretchen Potter of Champaign. It was Gretchen Potter who told us about a hat maker in Paxton, Illinois, so we had to check it out. Pat Milchuck is both passionate and talented in the art of hat making and has a knack for picking just the right hat for the right person.
Dogtown Artworks
217-689-4575
Pringle.photography@gmail.com
Website
Gretchen Potter
901 S. Prospect Ave.
Champaign, IL 61820-5825
Pat Milchuck
201 E. State Street
Paxton, IL
217-379-4145
Episode 910 - April 8
This week is all about food. We stopped in at the Hazel Dell Bakery and Restaurant in the tiny town of Hazel Dell, Ill. You'll probably want to stick around for a sneak peek at their cinnamon rolls and daily specials! Next we take on the Kitchen Conservatory in St. Louis where you can find just about anything that has to do with cooking. You can even take a class or two while you're there! For our last story we'll take a look at how porcelain on steel cookware is made at Columbian Home Products in Terre Haute, Ind.
Hazel Dell Bakery and Restaurant
Kitchen Conservatory
8021 Clayton Road
Saint Louis, MO 63117-1101
314-862-2665
Website
Columbian Home Products
Website
Episode 911 - April 15
First we'll get up close and personal with some of the world's smallest birds at a hummingbird banding in Oakland, Illinois. Then, we'll stop in at the Lincoln Book Bindery in Urbana, Illinois to see how hard cover books are assembled by hand. Then it's off to Grissom Lost Creek Orchard, near Greenup, Ill. At Grissom's, you'll not only find your favorite apple varieties, but also several tasty and rare heirloom varieties too.
Hummingbird Banding
Illinois Audubon Society
Website
Lincoln Book Bindery
217-328-2613
Website
Grissom Lost Creek Orchard
(217) 923-3736
Episode 912 - April 22
Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill., is the focus this episode, starting with a look at the history of teacher education and the development of the Normal School tradition in Illinois. Then we'll tour the Secret Garden outside the Thut Greenhouse and meet the man responsible for its transformation and upkeep. Finally, we'll shoot for the stars as we take a look through the telescope at the EIU Observatory in our final story.
Normal Schools in Illinois
Eastern Illinois University, Booth Library
Website
Secret Garden
217- 581-3126
biosci@eiu.edu
Website
EIU Observatory
217- 581-3220
physics@eiu.edu
Website
Episode 913 - April 29
Our final adventure of the season takes us to the newly renovated and historical train depot in downtown Mattoon, Ill. Then, Heartland Highways travels to Vincennes, Ind., where we'll showcase the Hall of Hollywood Hoosiers and the collection of Mark Kratzner. Our final adventure of the season takes us to The Barn in Tower Hill, Ill, where gospel music reigns supreme and friends gather on a regular basis.
Illinois Central Depot
ProjectDepot@mchsi.com
Website
Hall of Hollywood Hoosiers
Mark Kratzner
hollywoodhoosiers@earthlink.net
Website
The Barn
Joanne Clark: 217- 562-3526
Judy Smith: 217- 539-4221
Website
