Photographer: Vanda Bidwell

-Ron Evans helps Jade Ryckman unload trees. Ron Evans, 4 E's Trees,Decatur, delivers the first load,144 trees,to the Illini Foresters Christmas Tree sale at the corner of Windsor and Race in Urbana. The sale will be Nov. 30- Dec. 2. photo taken thursday November 29, 2012.

Photographer: Vanda Bidwell

Stephen Larson has the Madrigal singers pretend they have handbells as they sing. At Central High School in Champaign. Stephen Larson, Director of Choirs, and the Madrigal singers practice for the 32nd Annual Madrigal Dinner December 8&9 at 5 pm. photo taken wednesday November 28, 2012.

Photographer: Vanda Bidwell

Cesar Alvarez talks about a career as an electrical engineer to his rather Salvador. Franklin Middle School in Champaign. Every year Franklin 7th graders research a variety of careers and the present these careers to the school and visitors from the community at the Career Fair..photo taken wednesday November 28, 2012.

Photographer: Vanda Bidwell

Daniel Alston talks about a career as a veterinarian to Franklin parent Min Zhang.Franklin Middle School in Champaign. Every year Franklin 7th graders research a variety of careers and the present these careers to the school and visitors from the community at the Career Fair..photo taken wednesday November 28, 2012.

Photographer: Vanda Bidwell

Alex Pfeffer,12,talks about a career as a chef to Anthony Rein( grandparent to a Franklin student).Franklin Middle School in Champaign. Every year Franklin 7th graders research a variety of careers and the present these careers to the school and visitors from the community at the Career Fair..photo taken wednesday November 28, 2012.

Photographer: Vanda Bidwell

Franklin Middle School in Champaign. Every year Franklin 7th graders research a variety of careers and the present these careers to the school and visitors from the community at the Career Fair..photo taken wednesday November 28, 2012.

Photographer: Robert K. O'Daniell

Sage Phillips, Edison 7th grader, tried her hand at jugling at the Champaign Public Library in Champaign, IL. on Tuesday, November 27, 2012. The event was part of the weekly Tuesdays @ the Library series.

Photographer: Robert K. O'Daniell

Aerialle Perkins, Edison 8th grader, tried her hand at jugling at the Champaign Public Library in Champaign, IL. on Tuesday, November 27, 2012. The event was part of the weekly Tuesdays @ the Library series.

Photographer: Robert K. O'Daniell

Dale Derossett, Ivesdale, unloads his street sweeper into a waiting truck driven by Broc (cq) Summers, Fairmount, on Columbia Avenue near State Street in Champaign, IL. on Tuesday, November 27, 2012. They work for the city of Champaign.

Photographer: Robert K. O'Daniell

Dale Derossett, Ivesdale, runs a street sweeper along Columbia Avenue near State Street in Champaign, IL. on Tuesday, November 27, 2012. He works for the city of Champaign.

Photographer: Robert K. O'Daniell

Claire Zorns, 5 years Tolono, listens to a story. Bears were the topic of the Family Storytime at the Tolono Public Library in Tolono, IL. on Monday, November 26, 2012. Kids were encouraged to bring a stuffed bear for a program of bear stories, bear songs, bear crafts and a "beary" treat.

Photographer: Robert K. O'Daniell

Carter Pieczynski adds yarn fur to his bear. Bears were the topic of the Family Storytime at the Tolono Public Library in Tolono, IL. on Monday, November 26, 2012. Kids were encouraged to bring a stuffed bear for a program of bear stories, bear songs, bear crafts and a "beary" treat.

Photographer: Robert K. O'Daniell

GEO members held a work-in at the Courtyard Cafe of the Illini Union on the UI campus in Urbana on Monday, November 26, 2012. Anthropolgy teaching assistants L-R Amanda Butler, Joel Lenner, Natalie Uhl and Natalye Tate work together.

Photographer: Vanda Bidwell

Sean Denny, one of the builders of the 2011 Solar Decathlon house,works on building a permanent deck on the house. It is located on S. Race St. in Urbana,by the egg sales building. photo taken monday November 26, 2012.

Photographer: Vanda Bidwell

Carole McWilliam,Kay Gilliland and Debbie McCoy get out the ornaments. Holiday decorating at the Stevick Senior Center in downtown Champaign.photo taken monday November 26, 2012.

Photographer: Vanda Bidwell

Activity Coordinator Debbie McCoy wraps ribbon around the tree. Holiday decorating at the Stevick Senior Center in downtown Champaign.photo taken monday November 26, 2012.

Photographer: Vanda Bidwell

Activity Coordinator Debbie McCoy dusts off Santa. Holiday decorating at the Stevick Senior Center in downtown Champaign.photo taken monday November 26, 2012.

Photographer: Vanda Bidwell

l-r-Rick Carr and Joe Hickman vacuum leaves and grasses up.Urbana Park District employees clean up the Labyrinth at Crystal lake Park in Urbana tuesday morning. photo taken tuesday November 27, 2012.

Photographer: Heather Coit

Cousins Ava Bauer, 2, right, and Ainslie Bauer, 2, both of Champaign, take a short break from jumping as they enjoy a morning of Open Gym for Preschoolers with family at iPower School of Gymnastics, Inc. in Champaign on Monday, Nov. 26, 2012.

Photographer: Heather Coit

Fifth graders at Booker T. Washington STEM Academy, Godelieve Tahimanga and Keondra Howell become chemical engineers as they create shower gel by following a recipe created by University of Illinois chemical engineer and faculty member, Jerrod Henderson, and UI Nano-CEMMS Center members and mechanical engineers, Joe Muskin and Carrie Kouadio (cq). The students, who created partnerships for the large, collaborative project, will later create their own shower gel recipe before returning to the classroom to learn the business and marketing side of the product. The final shower gels will be on display at the upcoming Urbana Business Association's Holiday Market this December 15 at Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana. Tara Bell, STEM specialist at the school, helped get the EnList grant at UIUC, which connects students and teachers with researchers. Lincoln Square donated the space for the students' shower gels.

Photographer: Heather Coit

Devon Tobias, sitting second from right, secures his safety goggles as he and lab partner, Christian Phillips, receive some help following a shower gel recipe from Carrie Koadio, education coordinator at the Nano-CEMMS Center, as fifth-grade classmates, Jeremy Larson, far left, and Preethi Saravanan focus on the project.
Thet Booker T. Washington STEM Academy fifth graders will eventually create their own shower gel before returning to the classroom to learn the business and marketing side of the product. The shower gels will be on display and sold at the upcoming Urbana Business Association's Holiday Market this December 15 at Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana.
Tara Bell, STEM specialist at the school, helped get the EnList grant at UIUC, which connects students and teachers with researchers.

Photographer: Heather Coit

Fifth graders Omer Israel, left, and Vashon Frazier, carefully follow a recipe for shower gel
at Booker T. Washington STEM Academy in Champaign on Monday, Nov. 26, 2012. Fifth graders, who created partnerships for the large, collaborative project, will spend three days in the lab creating their own shower gel recipe before returning to the classroom to learn the business and marketing side of the product. The shower gels will be on display at the upcoming Urbana Business Association's Holiday Market this December 15 at Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana. Tara Bell, STEM specialist at the school, helped get the EnList grant at UIUC, which connects students and teachers with researchers.

Photographer: John Dixon

Stand Alone - From left, Addison Jones, 6, Ayda Price, 8, Alexis Jones, 9, and Ella Price, 7, all of Champaign, admire 'McKenna', an American Girl Doll to be raffled off at the Junior League of Champaign Urbana's 17th annual Festival of Trees at the Hilton Garden Inn, in Champaign on Friday Nov. 30, 2012. The Festival continues Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Proceeds raised at Festival of Trees are used for community grants and programs benefiting children and families in the Champaign-Urbana area.

Photographer: Robin Scholz

Urbana Park District employees and volunteers performed a prescribed burn of the Perkins Road wet prairie, south of the dog park in Urbana on Friday, Nov. 30, 2012.

Photographer: Robin Scholz

Urbana Park District employee Denny Zindars talks on the phone while watching a portion of a prescribed burn of the Perkins Road wet prairie, south of the dog park in Urbana on Friday, Nov. 30, 2012.

Photographer: Robin Scholz

Urbana Park District employees and volunteers step back and watch as they performed a prescribed burn of the Perkins Road wet prairie, south of the dog park in Urbana on Friday, Nov. 30, 2012.

Photographer: John Dixon

Stand Alone - Santa looks on as Army Pfc. Joshua Irvin, center, hugs his sisters Caitlin Irvin-Spraugue(cq), left, and Alexus Irvin-Spraugue, after surprising them at the Santa set at Market Place Mall in Champaign on Saturday Dec. 1, 2012. It was Alexus Irvin-Spraugue's Christmas wish to see her brother before he is deployed to Germany on Christmas Day. Irvin has just graduated from Advanced Individual Training School in Wichita Falls, Texas, before driving home for the surprise.

Photographer: Robin Scholz

Art Leenerman, Mahomet, left,and Donald McCall, Champaign, both USS Indianapolis survivors, chat while the wait for the start of the Annual Pearl Harbor Remembrance Ceremony, hosted by Lincoln’s Challenge and American Legion Post 559 at Lincoln Square Village in Urbana on Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012.

Photographer: Heather Coit

Jo Anne Cabutti, a volunteer at Provena Covenant Medical Center, displays just a few knitted items as she stands next to Mitten Tree at the center's lobby in Urbana on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. The tree is a fundraiser for the Sister Mary Gabriel Curby Fund. Cabutti has been part of the fundraiser for the past 14 years.