At the most recent Shelbyville Rotary Club meeting, member Phil Miller introduced his guest, Caroline Reynolds, from the Shelby Memorial Hospital’s “New Vision” medical detox program.  Phil has proposed Caroline as the newest member of the club.  

Denise Bence addressed a letter that has been circulating from the “Shelby Citizens for Sustainable Education Committee”.  She rebuts the claim from this committee that the new school referendum is a “Tax Trap”.   Rather, this is a gross distortion of the facts.  As she pointed out, such a scenario would only be possible if Shelby County were to experience declining tax revenues over a multi-year period of time.  She points out that the School Board can avoid this increase in property tax scenario by altering the terms of the bonds.  Finally, the School Board works in the best interests of the people of Shelby County, they do not function in a vacuum, and any citizens that are concerned are welcome to show up at School Board meetings and voice their concerns.  

The program chairman was Brian Green.  His guest was Ed Boedecker, who is the local expert on Shelby County cemeteries.  Boedecker says there are 133 cemeteries in Shelby County.  He reminded the Club that the hospital was built on the old Moulton Cemetery, and 54 graves were disinterred and moved to Glenwood Cemetery.  He showed pictures of the Old Bluff Cemetery, located on the east hill facing Shelbyville, looking over the river valley.  In 1896, the CE & I Railroad purchased the property, and ran a railroad line, and constructed the current large trestle across the Kaskaskia River Valley.  

The next meeting will be Monday, Feb. 24.  Tammy Probst will be speaking about the Bariatric Recovery Program at Effingham Hospital.  Also, on that day, the Club will be voting on their new member-elect, Caroline Reynolds.