One of Editor & Publisher\u2019s \u201810 That Do It Right 2021\u2019
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Mainly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 61F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.
<\/i> Updated: October 4, 2021 @ 2:38 pm<\/small>
Wendy Lambert is seemingly always on the move: semi-truck, motorcyle or hot air balloon.
Wendy Lambert on her 800 Suzuki Intruder.
Scenes from a previous Scout jamboree in Rantoul.
A Boy Scout prepares to go under the water to earn a scuba diving merit badge at a prior Scout jamboree in Rantoul.
Michael Charles
Danville Noon Rotary Sergeant-at-Arms Tonya Hill joins Darrin Fletcher after he spoke to the club July 26.
Michaela J. Eickhoff, left, with her adviser, Bonnie L. Bassler.
Board members are being sought for Urbana\u2019s Station Theatre.
RISKIND
One of the hobbies of Wendy Lambert, left, is hot air ballooning.<\/p>\n
Our County Editor
Dave Hinton is editor of The News-Gazette’s Our County section and former editor of the Rantoul Press. He can be reached at dhinton@news-gazette.com.
Wendy Lambert is seemingly always on the move: semi-truck, motorcyle or hot air balloon.
Wendy Lambert gets just as big of a kick out of helping others as she does hopping on her 800 Suzuki Intruder, driving a Freightliner semitrailer or soaring with friends in a hot-air balloon.
The Danville resident has used her hard road recovering from drug and alcohol abuse as an inspiration to help those who are in the same boat she was in years ago.
Lambert, 55, started Soul Recovery Center in 2014 and has since started STEP Recovery Center two years ago.
In just a few days \u2014 Aug. 14 \u2014 she will celebrate 30 years of continuous sobriety. Lambert never ceases to be thankful for that fact.
\u201cThat is a miracle,\u201d she said, looking back on a life, that included being raised by a single mother.
\u201cSomewhere along the line, I got in with the wrong crowd. That\u2019s where drugs and alcohol came in. It was the beginning of a downward slide.\u201d
Lambert ended up in Florida and later began treatment in Tennessee and Mississippi treatment centers.
\u201cMy foundation is Alcoholics Anonymous,\u201d Lambert said.
Others have noticed her willingness to give back. Lambert was named the 2020 recipient of the annual First Citizen Award handed out by the Danville chapter of the AMBUCS. (The chapter will give two First Citizen awards this year due to last year\u2019s stay-at-home order.)
\u201cWendy is a phenomenal woman, who outside of maintaining Lamberts Photography, she somehow finds time to make a difference in the lives of others,\u201d said Natalya Bourn, First Citizen chair and AMBUCS past president. \u201cWendy has spent many years helping individuals who are struggling with addictions and providing them with the resources that can help them.\u201d
Wendy Lambert on her 800 Suzuki Intruder.
Lambert\u2019s goal in starting Soul and later STEP recovery centers was to help find people safe and sober homes to stay in that will help them to be held accountable and stay on the path to recovery.
She became a certified recovery life coach to pass on the knowledge she has gained to others in need.
Lambert has driven a semi-truck for Herzog Trucking out of Covington, Ind., since 2018. In 2019, she started Jesse Hatchett House of Hope, a safe house for sober men until they get back on their feet when they come out of treatment or incarceration. To those in need, she gives rides to and from treatment centers, food pantries, meetings and other locations.
Lambert attends Valley Vineyard Church in Danville, where she has been taught to try to love \u201cothers, no matter where they are in life, and bring them the gospel.\u201d
She previously served as a volunteer firefighter for the Lynch Fire Department and is trained in search and rescue.
Lambert is a member of the Danville chapter of the Patriot Guard Riders supporting local veterans.
And what does she do in her spare time?
\u201cI don\u2019t stay still very long,\u201d she admits. \u201cOnce in a while, I try to get some sleep.\u201d
One of the hobbies of Wendy Lambert, left, is hot air ballooning.
Lambert called the award \u201cquite an honor.
\u201cIt humbled me greatly,\u201d she said.
She credits God and Narcotics Anonymous for being clean nearly three decades.
The second annual Ride for Recovery for the nonprofit STEP Recovery Center will be held Aug. 21 to raise money for a larger building. The 106-mile event is \u201cfor motorcycles, cars, anything with wheels.\u201d
The ride will hit the back roads of Indiana and end at Catlin Community Center, where there will be two live bands \u201cand a bunch of food,\u201d Lambert said.
Donations are accepted through PayPal and may be sent to the recovery center\u2019s post office Box 286 in Danville or through Facebook.
Scenes from a previous Scout jamboree in Rantoul.
A Boy Scout prepares to go under the water to earn a scuba diving merit badge at a prior Scout jamboree in Rantoul.
Boy Scouts return to RantoulSpace Jam, a jamboree for Boy Scouts, makes a return to Rantoul today.
This year\u2019s event, to be held on the grounds of the Rantoul Aviation Center, has been shortened to a one-day event. Coordinator Denny Anderson said COVID-19 safety precautions will be observed. (No overnight camping, no evening films, for instance, face masks, social distancing.)
A Scoutmaster for 20 years, Anderson said Scout leaders \u201chad no idea this would catch on as well as it has\u201d as the jamboree hits its 15th year.
This year\u2019s jamboree will be smaller than previous ones as the Scouts get back on their feet after last year\u2019s state-at-home order.
\u201cWe call it \u2018Space Exploration.\u2019 That\u2019s our core event,\u201d Anderson said.
Boys and girls will be able to participate in a variety of activities from welding to underwater robotics to kayaking and a high-altitude balloon launch.
\u201cThere\u2019s lot of computer technology staff \u2014 3D printing, 3D programming for animation,\u201d he said.
\u201cWe are trying to prepare them for the future, to see if they have an interest in … anything that has to do with\u201d science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Job
Sports aren\u2019t the only activities going on at the new Rantoul Family Sports Complex, 744 S. Murray Road. A job and career fair sponsored by the Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce will be held there from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 12.
The chamber is dubbing it \u201cRantoul\u2019s first ever family-friendly job fair.\u201d
It will be held near the center\u2019s splash pad, and parents are encouraged to drop off their children at the splash pad or playground for up to an hour while they interview.
People are encouraged to \u201cdress to impress\u201d and can meet prospective employers, learn about companies that are hiring and apply for jobs. All skill levels are welcome.
Michael Charles
Blues artist to appear locallyAustralian-born blues artist Michael Charles and his band are getting ready to hit the road for the first of their North American tour dates since the pandemic hit, and Champaign will be one of the stops.
They will appear at One-T\u2019s Cornerpocket at 123 S. Mattis Ave. in Champaign on Aug. 28.
Charles, a Chicago Blues Hall of Fame artist, is signed to the Moonlight Label and has released a two CD\/DVD boxset to coincide with the start of the tour.
Charles came to the U.S. via invitation of blues legend Buddy Guy and management in 1990. He has shared stages with the likes of Buddy and Phil Guy, James Cotton and Junior Wells.
He and his band are on their 14th international tour and are performing original material from a repertoire of 37 releases.
Danville Noon Rotary Sergeant-at-Arms Tonya Hill joins Darrin Fletcher after he spoke to the club July 26.
Former Illini major leaguer swings away at RotaryFormer Major League all-star catcher Darrin Fletcher spoke at the July 26 meeting of Danville Noon Rotary
Fletcher told a few of his many stories about his baseball career.
Fletcher, of Oakwood, spent 14 years in the majors with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays.
He is a University of Illinois graduate and was named to the 1994 National League All-Star team.
Michaela J. Eickhoff, left, with her adviser, Bonnie L. Bassler.
Reunion scheduled for Class of 1975The Farmer City-Mansfield Class of 1975 will hold a one-year delayed 45th class reunion Aug. 28 at Woodlawn Country Club, Farmer City.
The reunion will begin with check-in and a cash bar available at 5 p.m., followed by a buffet dinner at 6 p.m.
For reservations, contact Elaine (Botkin) Helm via email at eph0057@gmail.com<\/a>, Joy Pilchard at gracieatjl@gmail.com<\/a> or Bob Wells at npkbob@hotmail.com<\/a>.
An optional icebreaker meet and greet will also be held Aug. 27 at Good Spirits Pub, Farmer City.
RISKIND
Oakwood resident a high academic achieverMichaela Eickhoff of Oakwood has earned a Ph.D. in molecular biology from Princeton University.
The 2011 Oakwood High graduate received a bachelor of science degree in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Illinois in 2015 and a master of science from Princeton in 2017.
She is a daughter of Joe and Cindy Eickhoff of Oakwood.
Michaela has accepted a microbiology fellowship position as a research scientist at the New Jersey Department of Health, Public Health Environmental Laboratory.
She is a granddaughter of Bev Pigg of Oakwood, the late Walt Pigg, the late Carl \u201cIke\u201d Eickhoff of Ridge Farm and the late Pat Eickhoff of Sidell.
Board members are being sought for Urbana\u2019s Station Theatre.
Thea
The Celebration Company at Urbana\u2019s Station Theatre is seeking nominees to join its board of directors.
Needed are strong leaders to help guide the company in putting out live theater.
A theatrical background is not required. Candidates with other relevant skills and experiences are also sought \u2014 nonprofit expertise; grant writing, fundraising or marketing experience; accounting; design work; theoretical or organizational diversity; equity and inclusive experience
Nominations should be presented by Aug. 15. For details, visit stationtheatre.com<\/a>.
Sarah Riskind has been appointed music director for Baroque Artists of Champaign-Urbana (BACH).
Riskind is the group\u2019s third director, succeeding Joseph Baldwin, who served for four years. Before him, founding Director Chester Alwes served for 21 years.
Said Riskind: \u201cIn the last year, many of us felt more deeply than ever how vital group singing is to the human experience. I am overjoyed to begin a new chapter of music-making with the wonderful community of Baroque Artists of Champaign-Urbana, an ensemble that celebrates the music of the past by connecting it to the present.\u201d
Dave Hinton is editor of The News-Gazette’s ‘Our County’ section. He can be reached at dhinton@news-gazette.com<\/a> or 217-249-2404.
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