Changes at Village Hall [HC #11- Jun/Jul '09]

   June 2, 2009 at the Village Board Meeting, Randy Baldridge was sworn in as a Village Trustee for 30 Days.  The board must approve the appointment by 3/2rd's majority to make the appointment permanent.  When Kevin Irby became Board President at the last election, the last two years of his term has not been filled.  President Irby asked for letters of interest from Hampton voters that would serve the Village for the 2 years remaining on his term. 

   The Board President has the authority to appoint anyone to the position for 30 days and that is what  has been done.  In July, Mr. Irby will again appoint Mr. Baldridge and ask for at least four of the six board members to support the appointment on a permanent basis.  This process may continue every 30 days. 

  Along with the appointment of Randy Baldridge, the committee assignments have been announced by the Board President and approved by the board.  Traditionally, each Trustee is the chairperson of one committee and serves on two others because it is easier to work with a smaller group then make recommendations and presentations to the entire board.  The new committee assignments are:

ADMINISTRATION:  Michaela VanDieren, Chair, Randy Baldridge and Jim Garrison

FINANCE & GRANTS:  Janet Norin, Chair, Jim Garrison and Rich Vershaw

PARKS:  Randy Baldridge, Chair, Tony Earl and Michaela VanDieren

PUBLIC SAFETY: Jim Garrison, Chair, Janet Norin and Randy Baldridge

PUBLIC WORKS: Rich Vershaw, Chair, Janet Norin and Tony Earl

STREETS & DRAINAGE: Tony Earl, Chair, Michaela VanDieren and Rich Vershaw

Fire Department Changes [HC #11- Jun/Jul '09]

   June 3rd other important residents were sworn in and promoted in the Fire Department.  Chief Tim Saul promoted Firefighter Don Adams to Deputy Chief in a short ceremony that also celebrated the remodeling of the large training room at the firehouse. 

   Don was not certain what was on the agenda for the evening because Village personnel had been invited to view the remodeling. "I had an idea something was going on but was not fully aware until I walked out and found my family and friends waiting for the meeting. Mike Toalson was there to swear me in and gave me a certificate and all. It was an awesome feeling to get this promotion from our new chief. I really feel that it is a privilege and an honor to serve in this position with the leadership of Chief Saul to mentor me."

  The same evening, Bryan Stone was recognized and awarded his Firefighter 2 certificate from the State Fire Marshall's Office. He took 240 hours of training and 4 State tests to get this certificate. Mark Larsen was certified Firefighter 2 earlier this year.  Our firefighters are to be thanked and congratulated on all their work to obtain this additional training. 

Late breaking news that needs your action now!

A Safety Enhancement - Yours For The Asking

   Parents of Hampton Elementary School students already know about the automatic calling system used to quickly contact families in case of emergencies like school closings.  Now, the Village Board is considering a system for the entire town to notify Hampton residents of floods, snow and ice storms, water main breaks, cyclones and road closures. 

   Residents that wish to participate by registering their home and/or cell phone numbers at Village Hall would receive information through an automated calling system.  Phone numbers can be set up so only people affected by water main breaks or street closures would receive calls.  The automatic system would be activated from Village Hall and within minutes, all the residents would have the same information via calls to the numbers they register. (The water main break signs would continue to be used). The Village believes as the school does that the system be used sparingly.  If the automated system does not get an answer on the first call, it will try a few more times then stop. 

   The Village does not want to intrude on residents or spend money on a contract for the calling service unless the residents indicate their interest.  The cost to the Village can be as low as $675 a year.

The safety of residents is a priority.

    Please contact Village Hall if you want to participate.  Write your response on the back of your water bill when you send in your payment.  Record the house and/or cell phone numbers you want called.  As a favor to your elderly neighbors that do not have a computer, please mention this program and ask them to write to Village Hall, P. O. Box 77, Hampton, 61256.  You may also respond to the Village e-mail 24 hours a day:  hampton67@mchsi.com.  Please call 755-7165 as a last resort.

Local Blood Drive

The Port Byron community blood drive for the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center will be held on June 20th, a Saturday morning, 

from 7am to 11am at the village hall. Those donating blood will be entered into a drawing for a $50.00 gas card! Gas card provided by 

the Port Byron Firefighters Association. To reserve a time call Don Knapp at 523-2009

River Bandits' Hampton Community Appreciation Night is July 8th!

   The River Bandits are showing special appreciation for Hampton on July 8th with reduced ticket prices and more.  Quinn Hardware, Village Hall and Blimpie will be selling tickets for the July 8th game with the Lansing, Michigan Lansing Lug Nuts.  Lower Box Section seats will be only $8.00. If you miss the due date, show proof of residency in Hampton at the ticket booth at the field and you will receive $1.00 off your tickets.

   Hampton residents may collect autographs with the players before the game and Board President, Kevin Irby will give the first pitch.  The Village's special night will be announced on the PA system and a ribbon board will name Hampton in right field.  Prior to the 8th, River Bandit video photographers will be in town to take video pictures of Hampton's places of interest.  These video's will be shown on their main board.

   Ticket Pre-Sales for the $8.00 lower box section will end on June 29th so get your tickets here in town early. The park is handicapped accessible through the entrance by the ticket booth. 

New Hampton Officers Sworn In and Ready to Work [HC #10- May/June '09]

   May 4, 2009, Mike Toalson administered the oath of office to the new Village Board President, Kevin Irby during meetings at Village Hall.  Also sworn in were newly elected Trustee, Anthony "Tony" Earl and re-elected Trustees Rich Vershaw and Jim Garrison.  Mr. Irby's change of responsibilities has left two years to serve on his term as Trustee. Former Trustee Jane Cady will be filling that position only until the current board members can be consulted and a permanent Trustee appointed.  At the swearing in meeting, it is traditional that committee assignments for the next two years be announced.  Because all the Trustee positions are not officially filled, the committee assignments have been delayed.

   Also sworn in during the May 4th meeting was Derrick W. Cullison who will join the Hampton Police Department. 

Changes at the Heritage Center Please Volunteer Some Time  [HC #10- May/June '09]

    To date, responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the Heritage Center is unassigned after the departure of Ruth Speer in April.  Volunteers are being sought to keep the Heritage Center open to the public on week days as well as weekends.  Now that the warmer weather has arrived, bike path users and area tourists are anxious to enter the building and take a closer look at all the new images that Thom Gleich has been carving into the Gingko Tree and to see the exhibits inside the building.

   Men, Women, Teams and Couples:  If you will volunteer for several hours during the week and especially during the weekends, please call the Hampton Village Hall, Monday through Friday 9-4:30 pm.  There is new exhibit material to display, some dusting to be done and most important, greeting of visitors.  Historical Society Members past and present will be happy to fill you in on Hampton history.  Rental policies and fees will be itemized on hand outs.  Those interested in renting the Center or park pavilion are directed to Village Hall.

School will soon be out. Please be extra alert when driving.

Also see pool ordinances in the NEWS section.

Getting To Know Thom Gleich and His Work [HC #10- May/June '09]

   Although you might not know the name, you have probably seen many of his wood carvings in newspapers and tourist flyers about this area.  Majestic Hope, a 15 foot tall sandhill crane resides at the corner of Brady and Central Park Avenue in Vander Veer Botanical Park which welcomes 25,000 visitors each year.    His sculptured figures inspired by George Seurat's “Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” generally reside on Credit Island, but are currently being refurbished and scheduled for placement on safer, higher ground in the area..

   On the Illinois side of the river, Thom's best known work is still in progress.  The Gingko Tree at the Hampton Heritage Center has become a perfect repre-sentation of how culture developed in this area. Mr. Gleich has also the perfect local artist with the best experience to interpret the wildlife, historical and cultural images in the wood of this old giant tree.

   Thom started out by teaching Special Education in 1975..  After several years in the classroom he branched out into Special Education/Work Experience Instruction at Davenport North/West/Central High Schools for the last 28 years.  His artistic leanings could not be denied so he taught himself to hand carve and use a chainsaw on large pieces of wood to create beautiful sculptures.  As his skills grew, he began sharing his artistic techniques.

   On Wednesday evenings in the month of October, Thom teaches others how to coax images from the wood.  May 16th, Thom and his students hold their 4th Annual Chainsaw Carving Rendezvous exhibition behind the Iowa Machine Shed Restaurant in Davenport.  The Rendezvous are an outgrowth of Thom's friendship with the Gillespie family who are the original owners of the Gingko Tree now in the Heritage Center.

   Rebecca Gillespie Gould, one of the Gillespie family artists, was instrumental in developing small images for the Gingko Tree which Thom then interpreted in wood with chainsaw and hand carving tools.  Rebecca who was one of Gleich’s students, passed away from cancer.  Sculptures created during the Rendezvous (some have hand tooled finishing touches) are auctioned during the Brady Street Relay for Life to be held starting at 6:00 p.m. on May 29th.  The proceeds from the auction are donated, in Rebecca's memory, to the American Cancer Society.

   Mr. Gleich has been to the Heritage Center to add more carvings to the Gingko Tree this spring.  For the first time, he has depicted two important buildings in the collection of images.  The first is the old Congregational Church which used to be located at the intersection of 6th Street and 3rd Avenue.  The building donated to the village in the 1950's was torn down.  In that location, volunteer firefighters and local residents could build Hampton's first firehouse.  The second building is our 1880 elementary school before modern additions.  A buffalo head is also emerging from the tree.

   Thom's sense of history and story telling through woodworking is evident in his artistry. His assistance was critical to moving the Gingko Tree as well as carving it.  (He was one of the three men handling the giant chainsaw that separated the tree from its roots). Now that the tree is nearing capacity for carvings, Mr. Gleich will be adding protective coatings on the tree and one additional carving that he is working on in his Iowa studio.  The subject of the additional carving will be revealed before the Smithsonian Exhibits called "Journeys" scheduled in late December and January. 

   Outdoor and large indoor art are Thom's forte.  His teaching career has been long and valuable to those needing extra help handling jobs and daily routines throughout their lives.  Supporting Cancer research with his art is a natural extension of his personality. Visit the Heritage Center just off Route 84 in Hampton to view the Gingko Tree and look for his outdoor works displayed in numerous locations throughout the Quad City area. 

Community Calendar [HC #10- May/June '09]

May 22  School Early dismissal 11:30 a.m. for School Improvement

May 25  No School Memorial Day

May 25  Memorial Day Services at Soldier's Monument, First Ave., Hampton 10:00

May 25  Formal opening of Brettun & Black Museum, First Ave at 5th St., Hampton

June 1   Village Board Meeting 6 p.m. Village Hall, First Ave, Hampton

June 2  Kindergarten Graduation at 10:00 a.m.

June 2   8^th Grade Graduation at 7:00 p.m.

June 3   Hampton School Field Day

June 4   Last day of School (one hour )

June 14 Flag Day – Show support for our troops - Fly your flags

June 15 Village Board Meeting 6 p.m. Village Hall, First Ave. Hampton

June 21 Father's Day

June 21 Ride the River See News section for details

Great Voter Turnout for April 7th Local Elections!

[HC #9 Apr-May '09]

  According to Rock Island County rolls there are 1,324 voters registered to vote at St. Mary's on Election Day.  Most, but not all, are Hampton Residents.  We had a really strong turn out with 574 Hampton voters participating in the election.  Nice to see the polling place so busy all day long.  Here are the winners:

                                    Kevin Irby, Village Board President

                                    Rich Vershaw, Village Board Trustee

                                    Jim Garrison, Village Board Trustee

                                    Tony Earl, Village Board Trustee

All of the above officials would like to thank the voters of Hampton for their support and participation in this election.

"THANK YOU

I want to thank everyone who turned out to vote on April 7^th  and  would like to invite the residents to attend and participate at Council Meetings and become more educated in the way the Village is run.  Thanks again for the support!  Kevin Irby"

May 6, 2003 The Day the Tree Traveled Down The Road

  November 23, 2003, the Hampton Heritage Interpretive Center ribbon was cut and the doors opened to the public.  About 250 people attended the Grand Opening in part because they wanted an up-close look at the most unusual monument in the area.  A carved Gingko tree that made a trip down the road the previous May.

   It was a  warm spring day and in the side yard at Rick Gillespie's house on Second Avenue, the noise of a powerful chainsaw seemed like it would never stop.  Although the Gingko Society recognized the tree as the largest of it's kind in the United States, four arborists deemed the historic tree hazardous to people and property.  It had to be cut down.

   The tree planting date, estimated by counting the rings as 1876.  Popular thought is that tree might have been an early village founder's way to celebrate the nation's centennial.  To avoid just hauling the wood to a junk pile (Gingko wood is almost impossible to burn), the creative Gillespie family hit on the idea of truncating the tree (cutting all the smaller branches down leaving only the trunk and in this case 18-20 ft. tall, sturdy branches). A large wood sculpture would be created.

   Hampton already boasts two fine war memorials (one on First Avenue, The Soldier's Monument and the G.A.R. Veteran's Plaza at the cemetery).  Since the Gillespie's were also instrumental in planning the Heritage Center, the images to be carved on the tree would celebrate the culture, industry and pioneer spirit of the settlers, Native Americans, the life of fauna, birds and animals of this area. 

  The late Rebecca Gillespie Gould created a number of small sculptures which were

photographed as well as the tree from almost every angle possible.  Jim Gillespie combined photos of the tree and sculptures with a grid and the group designated the placement of each image.  Thom Gleich, well-known local artist then interpreted the sculptures in the Gingko wood.  For weeks, a scaffold and tarps could be seen around the yard and tree.  Rick Gillespie, originator of the carved tree watched passers-bye stop and take photographs with the tree.  While the tree was in the yard, the pregnant pioneer woman was roughed in as well as the bald eagle and the Native American giving thanks for the catfish hanging on his belt that would feed his family that day.

   In the first week of May, 2003, the Heritage Center building was beginning to take shape.  It was time for the Gingko tree to take a trip down the road.  Crews of helpers manned a 7 ft. chainsaw and for 3.25 hours, worked to cut the base of the tree from its roots.  A donated crane, operator, heavy duty flatbed truck and driver were standing by.  When the tree was finally free, steel riggers used a mattress to protect the Pioneer woman and used wide nylon strap to the tree so it wouldn't swig or tip over.  The crane lifted it onto the flatbed truck. 

   Mid-American Energy took down some wires to let the tree pass unhindered and the tree's journey began down First Avenue and the bike path to the site of the new Heritage Center building.  The roof had been left open and large steel risers sunk in the floor of the center.  The tree was lifted into the building through the open roof to rest on the risers which would allow air to circulate around the tree to enhance even drying.

   Mr. Gleich continued to carve the tree while indoors. The pregnant pioneer woman at a campsite is at the base of the tree with a large plow horse next to her.  Her farmer husband is to her left.  He currently stands next to his dog and a patch of wheat holding a real scythe from the Gillespie's collection.  Beside the Native American a puma peeks through the branches.  An Osprey and it's catch perch on another branch.  More recent additions include a branch carved with the distinctive fan shaped gingko leaves and a bird in his nest. Large medallions show reliefs dedicated to transportation (A steam boat and train).  and above all is a bald eagle.

   Mr. Gleich is currently working on a medallion of a buffalo head, a carving of the old Congregational church torn down to make way for the fire house and one of the school as it appeared in the 1880's.  A large sculpture is being created in Mr. Gleich's studio and will be moved late in the year in time for the 6 week long exhibit and related programs from the Smithsonian Institute which is scheduled for December. 

   Each image on the tree has it's own story to tell. When the carvings are complete and signing is added around the base of the tree, we hope you will take the time to bring your children and visitors to the Center.  Each image honors those that came before us.  It is fitting that this historic tree become a symbol for the Heritage Center.  The Gingko is intended to inspire discussions and educational reminders of how this area developed.  The tremendous effort needed to plan, carve and move the tree is a monument to the creativity and skills of all who participated. 

To Our Readers:  The Cannon is still a new e-paper and we are always open to serious suggestions for additions.  Some of the changes we have made in the last few months was to add a regular column about our pets (See Articles Section), brought back the Community Calendar (above) as a quick reference guide for in-town events and added an Opinions area where readers can sound off about topics in keeping with our policies (up to 3 opinions per month).  Also, to spice up the People section, we have started adding a historical birthday or anniversary that give you an additional piece of interesting generic history outside of the Articles section.  Check it out!  See Birthdays for a piece about the GAR and this month, go to Anniversaries to see some of the causes of the American revolution. 

   Contact us with your pet stories, birthday and anniversary announcements, awards earned, special events and suggestions.  We upload  a new issue  between the 15th and 20th of every month.  Thanks for visiting our e-paper!