Magazine Serving Metamora & Germantown Hills

December 2011 Magazine Serving Metamora & Germantown Hills Community Photo Contest details inside Keep up on Local Holiday Events A Community Publication Provided By MTCO Communications MTCO Communications 220 N. Menard Street Metamora, IL 61548

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Introducing A Community Photo Contest It s beginning to look a lot like Christmas... Yes, it is! Christmastime in small towns like ours here in Metamora and Germantown Hills always have a comfortable festive feeling in the air. The town square in Metamora displays beautiful yule tidings with the gazebo on the square being decorated with a colorful Christmas tree and lights. The village hangs traditional lighted decorations on the power poles, and local business and residents jump into the mood by decorating their buildings and houses with a special meaning to the season. Since introducing Connected Magazine in May 2011 to the Metamora/Germantown Hills villages, we have focused our cover page and calendar pictures to embrace some place, thing, or person in our community. It has been such a fun challenge for us to find a memorable local picture to share with you in our monthly community magazine we produce. The purpose of the magazine is to show off our local area, and to be a resource for events that are happening during that month, along with telling the community what great services are offered by this local communications company of over 66 years. After producing eight issues of Connected Magazine and having it become a recognized resource for residents in the area, MTCO wants to turn the camera over to you! We are introducing Connected Magazine s Community Photo Contest sponsored by digimax. This is a fun promotion for anybody with a camera to capture a shot of local life in Metamora and Germantown Hills and have it published. The winner will receive a prize and have their winning photo published in the February 2012 calendar page. Connected Magazine is mailed every month to all residents and businesses in Metamora and Germantown Hills giving you a chance at local photographic fame and fortune! OK, maybe the fame and fortune is limited, but the fun is endless. Go out and capture the best photo and enter it to be published as our magazine calendar shot in February. The Top five photos will be displayed on our website at the closing date of the contest. Some details of the contest are listed below, and more detailed information can be found at our website www.mtco.com. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! On The Cover: A very large snowman that was built by a few young men during January 2010. It stood across from MTCO Communications on Menard Street and greeted everybody that went by for a long time until having a melt down. For more information about our services, please visit www.mtco.com or scan this QR code with your smart phone. President & CEO Glenn Rauh MTCO Communications 220 N. Menard Street Metamora, Illinois 61548 309-367-4197 Wireless Operations Manager Editor - Connected Magazine Bob Becraft Marketing Manager Editor - Connected Magazine Kip DuBois Vice President & CFO Ann Dickerson 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 Metamora and Germantown Hills. 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 2011 MTCO Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Community Photo Contest sponsored by digimax 1) Submit an original photograph taken in the Metamora/Germantown Hills area by email to connected@mtco.com, or mail to our office in Metamora. Photo must be received by January 5, 2012. Include name, address, and telephone number with description of photo. 2) The winning photo will be determined by MTCO and published in the February 2012 Calendar of Connected Magazine. The winner will also receive a $100 PRIZE! 3) Top five photos will be displayed on our website at www.mtco.com along with more detailed rules - GOOD LUCK!

Entertainment & Technology Four Friends Take Dares To Whole New Level In trutv s Hilarious Hidden-Camera Series Impractical Jokers This winter, the laughs will be flying when four lifelong friends take dares to an outrageous level in trutv s hilarious new hidden-camera series, Impractical Jokers. This unscripted original comedy is set to premiere Thursday, Dec. 15, with back-to-back episodes at 9 and 9:30 p.m. (CDT). Since they were kids, Brian Q Quinn, James Murr Murray, Joe Gatto and Sal Vulcano have challenged one another to do the most ridiculous public dares imaginable. Now, to find out who s best under pressure, they ll compete in unbelievably awkward and outrageous hidden-camera hijinks. Then, at the end of each episode, the loser must attempt the most mortifying challenge ever. Should a PC Be Turned Off, or Leave It On? In this modern age of instant digital communications and entertainment the old question Should I leave my computer on, or should I turn it off when not in use? is asked by users all the time. The answer really depends on how often you use your computer, and the need for energy conservation. If starting your computer up fresh everytime seems to be taking too much time, then you can hibernate it rather than shutting the system down. It saves as much energy as shutting down, but leaves your progams in the existing state where they were left. This is good practice for a user that gets on and off the computer frequently. According to some people, turning a computer on causes more wear and tear than leaving it on, and that it uses more electricity to turn on than leaving it on for hours. All computers potentially suffer from some heat problems, and never shutting down a PC will eventually lead to those problems faster than a PC that got a chance to cool down. On the other hand, giving a computer the chance to boot up fresh cleans out the ghost of other programs lingering in the memory cache and resets everything to run more efficiently. Whichever way that you decide to use your PC is a matter of personal choice. A good maintenance procedure for your computer is to shut it down at least once a week to clean out those caches and give it a chance to cool down. Shaquille O Neal To Host Cartoon Network s 2nd Annual Hall Of Game Awards The Diesel, Shaq Fu, The Big Microphone, Shaquille O Neal announced today via his Twitter account that he will host the second annual Hall of Game Awards, airing on Cartoon Network in early 2012. Cartoon Network s Hall of Game Awards is a high-energy, off-the-wall, multi-platform experience that lets viewers vote for and honor their favorite sports stars and sports moments of the year. Last year 1,487,000 total viewers tuned in and more than 37 million voted online for their favorite sports stars to win the GAME trophy. I m so excited to be hosting the Hall of Game Awards, said O Neal. While I can t guarantee who will win, I can guarantee it will be a blast! Shaquille O Neal is the ideal sports icon to host the fun at this year s Hall of Game Awards show, said Rob Sorcher, chief content officer for Cartoon Network. With Shaq s help, we will build off of last year s success to deliver an exciting blend of celebrity, sports, music and entertainment. This first-of-its-kind, sports award and entertainment event for kids, will once again be produced by IMG Media, the production arm of global sports, entertainment and media company, IMG. Viewers can expect a star-packed red carpet, on stage celebrity surprises, icons from television, film, music and sports, and hilarious hijinks all wrapped up into one awesome awards show. 2011 Christmas/Holiday TV Specials & Movie schedule The Classic TV Database s annual posting of Christmas and Holiday television specials and movie schedule has been posted on their website www.classic-tv. com. The schedule includes all of our favorite shows, specials and movies we love to watch over and over each year. Be sure to check this list twice and keep it handy so you don t miss any of your favorites! The schedule will be updated throughout the holiday season. Keep up with Entertainment and Technology news. Add MTCO to your Facebook and Twitter groups and visit www.mtco.com and click on MTCO News on the right section of the webpage.

Christmas in the MGHJWC 27 28 29 30 1 Metamora Courthouse 2 Breakfast with Santa 3 6pm-8:30pm 9am-11amGH Middle School MTHS Madrigal Dinner 6pm MTHS Madrigal Dinner 6pm TazWood Dance Co. Winter Concert at ICC 2:30pm MTHS Madrigal Dinner 3pm Holiday Tour of Homes 4-9pm Knights of Columbus Pancake & Sausage Breakfast St. Mary s Grade School 7am-11am 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Metamora Village Board Meeting 7pm MABA Holiday Gathering Metamora Fields 4pm-7pm Woodford County Historical Society Meeting 7pm 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 St. Mary s Grade School Christmas Program MTHS Auditorium 7pm Metamora Jr. High Band/Choral Concert MGS New Gym, 7pm Germantown Hills Grade School 2nd Grade Musical MTHS Auditorium 7pm MTHS Holiday Concert MTHS Auditorium 7pm Metamora Park Board Meeting 7pm Germantown Hills Chamber of Commerce Meeting at 12pm Germantown Hills Village Board Meeting 6pm TazWood Dance Co. Winter Concert at ICC 7:30pm TazWood Dance Co. Winter Concert at ICC 7:30pm Holiday Cookie & Candy Sale St. Mary s School Gym 9am-noon 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Germantown Hills Planning Commission Meeting 7pm Metamora Village Board Meeting 7pm 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 The Hits. The Stars. The Movies. FIRST MONTH FREE + 6 MONTHS AT 1/2 PRICE! Sign up for HBO and/or Cinemax by Dec. 30, 2011 and get your first month free plus your next 6 months at 1/2 price. Offer good for new and current digimax customers. Offer cannot be combined with MTCO Premium Channel Paks. Monthly price after promotional period is $16 for HBO; $13 for Cinemax.

In Our Community An Old Fashioned Christmas Breakfast with Santa The Metamora-Germantown Hills Junior Woman s Club would like to invite you to their 39th Annual Breakfast with Santa, to be held on Saturday, December 3, 2011, from 9:00am - 11:00am at the Germantown Hills Middle School off of Route 116. Join us for the opportunity to win one of many raffle items and door prizes, make crafts with your children at one of the Elf Stations (craft tables), and, of course, visit with Santa. Be sure to bring a camera if you want a picture. Doors will open at 8:45am with Santa arriving at 9:00am. Donuts, bagels, milk and juice will be served. Tickets are $4 in advance and $5 at the door. Tickets may be purchased at the Metamora Pharmacy or through club members. All proceeds will benefit local charities and community needs. Some of the projects the Woman s Club has been involved with include the purchasing of a new ambulance (Emergency 116), J.R. White Memorial Park renovation, development of a recycling program in both villages, donations to local food pantries, the Eureka Heart House and other worthy causes. Christmas in the Courthouse The 20th Annual Christmas in the Courthouse will take place on Friday, December 2, 2011 from 6:00pm - 8:30pm at the Metamora Courthouse State Historic Site on 113 East Partridge Street in Metamora. Take in the holidays with musical performances each half hour featuring the Community Band, solos, duets and choral groups, and Christmas trees decorated by community organizations. This event, sponsored by the Metamora Woman s Club, is free to the public and refreshments will be provided. For information, please call 309-367-4583. Holiday Cookie and Candy Sale Enjoy some holiday cheer at the St. Mary s Altar & Rosary Society s Holiday Cookie and Candy Sale in the St. Mary s School Gym on Saturday, December 10, 2011, from 9:00am - noon. C h o o s e from a wide variety of decorated cookies and springerle cookies, candies and mixes. Dance Expressions Tazewood Dance Company s Winter Concert Dance Expressions, TazWood Dance Company s winter concert, will be presented on December 2 and 3 at 7:30pm and on December 4 at 2:30pm in the Performing Arts Center of Illinois Central College. The show will not only feature dancers from the TazWood Dance Company (TWDC) but will also showcase some of the area s finest ethnic and folk dance groups. Each performance will include some of the following groups: Flynn s Irish Dance, Korean Dance, Pava Productions for Middle Eastern Dance, Peoria Chinese Folk Dance Group, Peoria Preparatory School for the Arts of Dancers for African Dance and accompanied by Gary Moore, Scottish Highland Dancers, and in all performances, the TWDC dancers performing an Israeli Folk Dance that was choreographed by Joan Halperin. The show will also give you a head start on Christmas spirit with Christmas Morning, about children opening gifts and having them come to life, and Christmas Broadway as a collection of Christmas songs from Broadway productions. Lastly, a moving piece Hear My Cry about a girl who has been abused and heals through friendship and dance, Imagine, about peace love and happiness, and children from the community in Cartoon Time. Tickets are available at the ICC Box Office at 694-5136: $7 for adults; $5 for students and Seniors.. A reception following the Dec. 2 performance is open to the public.

Make your list easy with Holiday Tour of Homes Historic, country, modern, and even miniature homes will be featured on the Metamora/Germantown Hills Holiday Tour of Homes on Sunday, December 4, 2011 from 4:00pm - 9:00pm. The tour benefits the Metamora High School Wind Ensemble and their performance at the Music for All National Festival. The tour begins at the Metamora Historic Courthouse on the Metamora Square, which will be filled with Christmas trees of all sizes and shapes, decorated in an assortment of themes. Next door, the home of John and Phyllis Dietel will house the Miniature Tour of Homes where one of the miniature homes will be raffled for $1 per ticket or 6 tickets for $5. The third home in Metamora is the oldest house in the village, owned by Jean Myers, curator of the Metamora Historic Courthouse. Nestled in the country is the epitome of Christmas in the home of Albert and Dolores Schoolman. As you enter Germantown Hills Coventry Farms subdivision, you ll visit the cozy home of the Hartmans that will remind you of Colonial Williamsburg. Finally, be transported to the warm joys of childhood and a chance to be reminded of the simple joys of Christmas in the home of Ben and Donna Shirley. Country Living magazine recently featured the Shirley home. Tickets are $10 per person or $25 per family and may be purchased from the main office at Metamora Township High School during regular school hours or at the Metamora Historic Courthouse, open noon to 4:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday. Call 367-4151x570 for more information. Pancake & Sausage Breakfast / Sale The Metamora Knights of Columbus are hosting a pancake & sausage breakfast from 7:00am - 11:00am on Sunday, December 11, 2011 at the St. Mary s School Cafeteria. The St. Mary of Lourdes Men s Club is accepting pre-orders for bulk or link sausage ($2.50 per pound). Last day to call Bill Kessling at 645-7795 to pre-order sausage is December 4 and orders must be picked up on Sunday, December 11, 2011 from 7:00am - noon at St. Mary of Lourdes Parish Center. MORE THAN 70 HD CHANNELS Free HD to your first TV! SELECT Package has 35 more channels than cable s family basic digital package PAUSE LIVE TV, PLAYBACK & RECORD with DVR RELIABLE HIGH-SPEED INTERNET with Free Wireless Router 500 FREE LONG DISTANCE MINUTES with CALLING FEATURE PACKAGE E911 YOU CAN RELY ON www.mtco.com 309-367-4197 MTCO is announcing a new way to communicate with our customers. Mobile Link is an interactive texting platform in which MTCO s customers can receive information on service updates, important service announcements, and current specials and promotions on our services. Join Mobile Link today for up-to-date information on all of our services in your area. Just text MTCO to 444888 or scan the QR code to join. Visit www.mtco.com for more information. Available on all carriers, standard text messaging rates apply.

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