Meow Matrimony a Fancy Cat mystery release

Announcing Book #2 in the series!

Visit the Apple Grove web page

And learn about Egyptian Mau cats

EBook $5.99

Print $16.99 (March 1, 2019)

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A Dead Reporter Found In A Foyer. Can Ivy Solve This Mystery Before Her Wedding Day

Ivy Preston has waited a long time to get married. This time she plans to do more than make it to the altar. But when Ivy tries to do a good deed and stumbles over a body, she and her former fiancé, Stanley, are accused of the crime. Ivy hopes she's not the only one who believes in their innocence.

Worse than being framed for murder, when one of her beloved kittens falls ill, Ivy must face her greatest fears. How will she ever parent a child if she can't even take care of a cat. . .and for that matter, how will she be the type of wife her devoted fiancé needs?

Through the love and support of her mom, fiancé, and friends, Ivy is determined to clear Stanley's good name, and her own. With nuptials looming, Ivy hopes not only to find a killer, but to make it to her own wedding.

Enjoy this excerpt from Chapter One

“This is Ivanna in the morning,” the throaty voice from my car radio chanted. “Ready to sign off. Remember, North Star Candies…the way to enjoy the day. Who doesn’t adore North Star mocha fudge? Treats so light they’ll take you beyond the moon!”

“Hmm, North Star might have been the best around here,” I told my car radio. “Before Featherlight Confectioneries made caramel cashew with sea salt.” I pulled into my driveway, the cool sunny breeze whipping my hair when I opened the car door. Yippee! Not only was March arriving like a lamb, I had presents. My mail carrier Janie knew I’d stop in at home at lunchtime to check on the kittens, so she’d left the beautiful box from Emblem Paper Works on my front stoop next to my still tightly budded tulips. Sigh.

I put my hand over my fluttering heart and drooled once again over the wonderful, fabulous hunk of man who was going to marry me. The box of wedding invitations sitting there pushed me one step closer to the altar, which I vowed I was actually going to make stick this time. When I could touch the scrumptious, thick, silky paper and read the words, I was sure the wedding would finally feel real, and everything would be perfect this time. Adam Truegood Thompson, the man who loved cats and children, fed me gourmet coffee and chocolate, would take me, Ivy Amanda Preston, as his lawfully wedded wife. Mmhmm.

OK, quit dawdling, grab the box of invites, which technically wasn’t a present since I paid for them, and check on the man’s kittens which were currently in residence at my house so their father wouldn’t be tempted to harm a hair on their little heads. Sadly, the darling fluffballs broke the line of pure-bred Egyptian Mau cats when my silver, Memnet, got to, um, know his cat Isis, a smoke, a little better than we’d anticipated last fall. Mem and Adam were currently batching it at his place downtown.

I called “kitty, kitty,” as I dumped the box on my kitchen table, even though Isis always gave me the eye, like what was this crazy woman doing? when I tried to get her to come. She would appear when she needed me. Which was rarely. The four kittens, on the other hand, bumbled over. I squatted to play with them.

The invitations called to me during the time I created a peanut butter and rhubarb jam sandwich and ate. I studied the siren carton while I jingled my car keys and dithered whether to open it now or wait for Adam so we could look at them together.

Guess which side won?

I used the handy-dandy key I happened to be holding to slice through the packing tape. Uh-oh, that color blue edging wasn’t what I remembered in my order. Flutter went thunk in my chest. I reached with a quivering hand and matching lip to lift out the sample invitation left open on top of the neatly sealed packages.

“You are cordially invited to attend the nuptials of Miss Ivanna Lynn Pressman and Mr. Jason Albert Carter…”

Oh, no.

I double-checked the address on the box. Yup, my name, Ivy Preston, and my address, 312 Marigold Street, Apple Grove, Illinois.

I picked up the sealed package of invitations and turned it over. From the outside they looked the same as the open one. I guessed our names were close enough to confuse, but I still felt wounded and anonymous. Ivanna, hmm? Exotic, nothing like me. It couldn’t be…seriously? Ivanna from the radio show? I looked again at the invitation. Their wedding was the weekend before mine. Ours. At Ethereal Events, the same venue Adam and I had booked for the last Sunday in June. I know, a Sunday, but it was the closest we could get to the end of May, Mother’s preferred date.

Fortunately, the invoice had Ivanna’s correct address—on the south edge of Apple Grove—and I thought I’d do the neighborly thing and take them over to her after work rather than waste time sending them back through the mail. Besides, ouch, those things were expensive enough already. I grabbed some tape from the drawer and quickly slapped it across my key slash, called “farewell and behave” to the cats and rushed back out the door.

As I started my car’s engine, I reached for the radio button, ready to catch a little of the afternoon show on WWAG, Apple’s Grove’s little radio station. Ivanna could be home when I went there. Hmm…I might get to meet a celebrity. Anticipation would make the afternoon wing by.

I drove the few blocks downtown to Mea Cuppa, the coffee and book store Adam owned and at which I now helped. The Apple Grove store was one of a small chain based in Chicago. Pushing the back door open, I called, “Martha, I’m back,” to our shop assistant and my neighbor who worked three days a week. “Anything exciting happen?”

She was a bouncy mom of twin kindergarteners who was overjoyed to let her mother and her husband’s parents share grandparent duties while she earned some needed money.

“When does anything exciting happen around here?” she said with a little toss of her reddish-blond hair nicely shaped to her head. I envied anyone who had such control of her hair. Mine tended toward the wild musk ox side. “Just that new order from the book distributor. I had them set it by the office door.”

“Thanks! I had a special delivery at home, too.”

“Do tell!” She rubbed her hands together.

“Of course! Be right back.” I went to put my purse away in my office desk and returned to the wide open, high-ceilinged room with narrow creaky wooden floorboards to help her prep for the afternoon coffee rush. Today’s coffee special was mocha mint, and of course I needed to sample some so I could eagerly explain its engaging qualities to our clientele. The hot mugful went down smoothly and I regretfully decided against seconds. I told Martha about the invitations instead, to keep my mouth too busy to stuff in more calories. “So, if that’s OK with your schedule, I want to take off fifteen minutes early so I can still meet Adam at Tiny’s for a quick supper after I drop off the box at Ivanna’s house. Can you lock up?”

“Sure, boss.” Martha grinned and popped a square of chocolate fudge from Featherlight Confectionaries in her mouth. “I’ll just ask Mom if she can get supper ready.”

I ordered myself to stop mentally drooling over fudge and a mom who would cook dinner at the drop of a hat and think of my upcoming wedding dress fitting. “I can’t imagine what it would be like, having parents so close.”

The bell on the door played, “Oh what a beautiful morning, Oh what a beautiful day,” as customers entered. Much as I wished my mom lived physically closer, having a two-hour warning, the drive from Maplewood where I’d grown up in northern Illinois south to Apple Grove, was a relief before her tornadic visits. Adam’s father had passed away years ago and his mother had Alzheimer’s. Sad.

At five forty-five, Colleen Bailey, our after-school helper, and Martha were ably handling customers so I breezed back into the late afternoon light. Sunset was five minutes away and would be romantic by the time Adam and I held hands at the buffet for our too-brief connection of the day. He had an evening meeting—when didn’t he?—with some committee or other of the city council. Part time mayor was really time and a half, but he was happy and I was proud of him.

I needed sunglasses for the drive west and south, the approximate direction of Ivanna’s neighborhood. New townhouses clashed with the gentility of Apple Grove’s historic center. Progress, though, trumped desperate clinging to the past, something Adam was attempting to work on by bringing new businesses and life to our little adopted city.

There it was—Ivanna’s address, the right hand of a two-story dark-sided and narrow-windowed building. I supposed it was modern classic, but I frowned at its bleakness. The tree in the front yard was spindly, with its “I’m new and insured the first year” store tag fluttering in the breeze. I knocked and rang the bell before depositing the box on the rubber welcome mat. Weatherman Bob at WWAG reported possible showers in the early morning hours, so I hesitated leaving it exposed. As I reached to test the knob, I noticed the interior door was ajar. Maybe I should push it open and shove the box inside. I didn’t even have to set foot in the entry.

With a peek up and down the street, deserted for the dinner hour, I gingerly eased the glass storm door toward me, then tentatively pushed the black-painted interior door inward. Not even a squeak added to the spooky tension. I grinned. I’d been reading way too many mysteries and detective dramas lately. “Hello! Just dropping this off!” I called as I slid the box forward, though I was certain no one was home.

Except the outstretched fingers on the floor I happened to see looked too real to spring from an overactive imagination.

West Side Girl by Anita Solick Oswald

West Side Girl

Anita Solick Oswald

Released June 19, 2018

Autobiography/Personal Essays

Print $14.95

Ebook $4.99

Buy the book on Amazon

About the Book

West Side Girl chronicles the colorful and oftentimes unpredictably eccentric characters and adventures of Chicago’s West Side in the 1950’s and 60’s. These visceral and nostalgic essays transport you into the world of a ragtag brigade of migrant and immigrant children finding themselves in a rapidly changing community. The daughter of a fireman and frustrated-writer turned-housewife, Anita Oswald portrays life from her family’s third-story apartment and Bohemian Madison Street restaurant with a fresh perspective. These stories of equality and nascent social justice are equal parts outrageous, insightful, funny, and touching.

All royalties from book sales will go to Off the StreetClub, a Chicago nonprofit that supports at-risk youth.

About the Author

Anita Solick Oswald is a Chicago native. Her essays have appeared in The Write Place at the Write Time, the Faircloth Literary Review, The Fat City Review, and Avalon Literary Review. She is a member of the Chicago Writers’ Association and the Association of Writers and Writing Programs. She is also a founding member of the Boulder Writing Studio, and works with the Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder, Colorado. She lives in Niwot, Colorado with her husband and two cats. Visit the author's website for more information.

A Brief Interview with the Author

This collection is based on your personal experiences growing up in Chicago. What made these stories feel important for you to tell?

For years I have been telling my stories about growing up in a great time of freedom for children in a neighborhood that was culturally diverse. It seems especially relevant now to tell those stories of social change and the benefits of cultural diversity. I remember telling some of these stories to my daughters as they were growing up, so putting them together in this collection has also been a way to connect with my family in meaningful ways, and share that with others.

How do you navigate the sometimes-blurry lines between truth and storytelling? What kind of research do you do?

For me, this is not an issue. I check sources if individuals are still alive or, in some cases, I do not use last names or have altered the names. I’ve researched family records, photos, newspaper articles, school records, and memorabilia, have contacted alumni groups and former residents of my old neighborhood and verified my recollections with relatives, friends, and former teachers. I never stop researching.

What does donating your royalties mean to you?

For many reasons, West Garfield Park was a neighborhood in decline when I was a child. Through organizations, like Off the Street Club, and the dedication and generosity of staff and donors, we never knew we were slum kids. This club has meant so much to so many and was an integral part of my golden childhood. I hope to share that wonderful gift with other children.

Read an Excerpt from West Side Girl’s “Hot Diggity Dog.”

In July, when every day seemed like the last day of Pompeii, a free cone sounded like a great idea. But as we turned the corner our maniacally eager expressions vanished. The line to get free soft serve cones stretched all the way around the corner on Madison Street right up to the front door of Solick’s restaurant. It looked like every kid in the neighborhood had heard about the freebies. I wanted to throw in the towel and go to Columbus Park swimming pool. I didn’t like vanilla cones anyway. I wanted a chocolate dip cone. If we hurried, I argued, we’d still make the last batch of 500 kids before they closed the pool for cleaning.

But the rest of the gang maintained that free ice cream was worth the delay.

“Come on, Anita, the line isn’t that long. It’s moving fast.”

I really didn’t want to go to the pool alone so I reluctantly agreed to hang out and wait my turn in the heat and humidity of Chicago in July. As we walked past the takeout joint to claim our places in line, I had time to size up the place. I had to agree with my mother. Hot Diggity Dog didn’t look too hot. I admired their entrepreneurship, though. The staff was sweating and working as fast as they could, taking orders and dishing out soft serve to overheated customers. Their aprons were stained and the trash cans were overflowing. It was a pyroclastic event. Money and sawdust covered the linoleum. The owners had developed their own creative security system. They figured it would be harder to ripoff the dive if thieves had to pick up the cash and they instructed the customers to throw their money on the floor. Sweaty dogs spun on the greasy roller rotisserie – no sneeze guard in sight. Mom was probably right about the hygiene. I saw people walking past us with cones and Chicago dogs and remembered my mother’s cautionary tales about dirty kitchens and diseases you’d get if you weren’t careful. The pungent smell of the dogs and the raw onions and the bleach smell from the laundromat next door made me gag. I thought about all the nasty pig body parts that were supposed to be in hot dogs. Maybe those hot peppers really were cockroaches – were they wiggling? I needed a Coke.

Revisit Christmas with Jody Bailey Day

Mistletoe Mix-Up
Jody Day

Christmas Holiday Extravaganza

Pelican Ventures LLC

December 1, 2018

Ebook Novelette

$2.99

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About the Book

Evan Edwards faces another lonely Christmas in the dorm, so when he chances upon a rain-soaked ad for holiday room and board in exchange for decorating, he wastes no time in driving to the empty home, dreaming of a cozy, if lonely, Christmas.

Across the street, Rise' Larkin is also home from school, and has some bad news for her dad. As Evan and Rise’s friendship deepens, and Christmas nears, Evan discovers he’s been decorating the wrong house.

Will this mix-up ruin everything?

My review

I am starting to get hooked on novellas/novelettes, shorter complete books that are longer than short stories but shorter than a full length book. They don’t have time for complicated plots or side stories, yet have nicely developed characters and a problem to solve. For Evan Edwards, it’s what to do with himself. As a student he’s looking the future in the nose, as a musician he knows he needs something else that will push his playing to the next level. As a son he feels like a failure to a mom who is constantly on the lookout for the next man. For Rise Larkin, the problem is how to tell her father her life is a disaster but she’s already started a do-over about which she’s worried he won’t approve.

Mistletoe Mix-Up is a cute story of two lonely hearts finding home and a future and making peace with the present through an odd turn of events one special Christmas.

About the Author

Jody Bailey Day writes inspirational fiction, poems, and devotionals looking through love colored glasses - the love of Christ.

Stacey Weeks and SUSPENSE

Fatal Homecoming 
Stacey Weeks
Christian Suspense
Pursued Books, a division of Write Integrity Press
c. February, 2019
$6.50 eBook
Buy on Kindle

About the Book

As Jessie Berns returns to her hometown of Chenaniah River to find answers about her brother’s suspicious death, undercover RCMP officer Rick Chandler poses as a detective in the same small town, investigating the possibility of a corrupt police force. 

With Rick’s help, Jessie pursues a truth that someone is willing to do anything to keep hidden—even kill again. They uncover decades-old conspiracies hinting at hidden sins that threaten the lifestyles of numerous people in the small town. As they close in on the devious mastermind manipulating the community, it becomes frighteningly clear that Jessie is the killer’s new target.

For a teaser of Chapter One, click here.

A Brief Interview with the Author

What do you love about this book?

I love the fast pace of Fatal Homecoming. I don’t enjoy scenes that slow the pace of a story, so I love that Fatal Homecoming moves quickly and with urgency.

Tell us about your favorite character in your new book.

I love Jessie Berns in Fatal Homecoming. She has a never give up tenacious attitude that drives Rick crazy but serves her well.

Share a couple of things you learned while researching or writing this story.

For Fatal Homecoming I interviewed an RCMP officer, kept a retired police officer (now private investigator) on speed dial, interviewed a paramedic, and spoke at length to a former police sniper. I learned so much about conducting an investigation and first responders to an emergency. It was very helpful because Jessie finds herself in several dangerous situations.  

What do you hope readers will tell others?

I hope they say the truths of God’s character, what He has done for them, and His great love for them lingers long after they close the book.

What are you reading now? I am reading Identity Theft – a nonfiction book. It’s GREAT.

What's next? I’m almost finished a second nonfiction title, Chasing Holiness. My next fiction project will be a sequel to Mistletoe Melody, which released in December 2018

***

Fatal Homecoming releases Feb 5^th, and if you purchase it on release day you can receive a bonus short story, The Girl He Never Knew. Just email proof of purchase to freebookforpreorder@gmail.com and my publisher will send the file the next business day. 

About the Author

Stacey Weeks is the multi-award-winning author of Glorious Surrender (2016), inspirational romances The Builder’s Reluctant Bride (2016), Mistletoe Melody (2018), and inspirational romantic suspense novels In Too Deep (2017), and Fatal Homecoming (2019). Stacey lives in Ontario where she speaks at women’s conferences, teaches writing and bible study workshops, and writes about the things of the Lord. www.staceyweeks.com

F: www.facebook.com/writerSWeeks 

T: @writerSWeeks 

Blogs and Quarterly Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cZgDb9 

I: writerSWeeks

Kimberly Miller presents Forgiving Tess

Forgiving Tess by Kimberly Miller

Prism Lux, an imprint of Pelican Ventures

Inspirational Romance

EBook $5.99

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About the Book

Tess Carson had finally turned her life around. After a string of bad decisions, she was making amends, paying back debts, and working to bring her family back together. It was her own forgiveness that remained elusive.

So when Tess’s childhood crush re-enters her chaotic life, she’s certain it’s the worst time for romance. Even if he still has those mesmerizing dimples.

In Tess’s eyes, Josh Thorne has it all. As a youth pastor with a thriving ministry, he’s exactly what she needs. He’s stable, kind, confident, and not afraid of Tess’s troubled past—even if she still has an entire town that insists her sins will never be forgotten.

But when the demons of her past collide with the incredible promise of her future, Tess wonders if it’s possible to forget and if she has enough courage in her to forgive.

About the Author

Kimberly Miller is currently a professor of writing and film courses at a small Christian college in Pennsylvania. Her interests include screenwriting as well as novel writing, although she can, at times, be conned into academic writing as well. Kimberly especially enjoys developing interesting, deep characters who speak in unique and yet realistic ways. She also enjoys all aspects of the movie industry (especially classic Hollywood), coffee and chocolate and peanut butter, all of which are God’s gifts to the world. http://kimberlymmiller.com/

A Brief Interview with the Author

What do I love about this book: One of the things that excites me most about Forgiving Tess is its relatability. We’ve all done things that we wish we hadn’t and we often even hang onto them for much longer than we ought to. Despite knowing better, and even saying we understand we’ve been forgiven, we struggle to fully accept God’s forgiveness. I hope this story reaches anyone in this situation so that they might find the peace of God’s love and forgiveness in their own lives.

Things I learned while researching this story: I definitely learned that I have areas of my life that I need to ask forgiveness for, but more importantly others that I need to let go of because I’ve already been forgiven.

Characters who made me laugh: One of my favorite characters in this story is definitely Tess’s Uncle Stu. Not only is he an amazing representation of the complete love we should have for one another, he also has an edge and a dry sense of humor that slips out at just the right time. He gives Tess the push she needs when she needs it, but he also lets her find her way through the hurt, even as he helps her to see the light in the dark times as well.

What do I hope readers will tell others?  I hope readers will say they enjoyed the characters and related to them, but also that they saw the story as a good reminder to love others where they are, and to forgive more easily than the always believed they could.

What am I reading now? I am currently almost finished reading an advanced copy of William Romanowski’s Cinematic Faith (spoiler alert! It’s awesome!)

What’s next? Since I’m heading back into the spring semester of teaching my writing schedule will slow down a lot, but I am working on two new novels, so I’m hoping to finish those by the summer.

Sweet novella from Marianne Evans

The Return

Marianne Evans

Christian contemporary romantic novella

White Rose, a division of Pelican Ventures LLC

c. 2018

$3.99 eBook

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About the Book

Sometimes the hardest path to walk is the one that leads you home,

After college, Phillip Fisher shook the dust of Antioch, Indiana from his dress shoes and took off for Indianapolis. For the eldest of the three Fisher men, a business career promised stability and a fruitful future...until unemployment and exhausted resources force him back home. He returns to Antioch to find his father's declining health, a family farm in disrepair, and heavy doses of resentment from his brother Aaron. A repentant Phillip pays regular visits to Sundae Afternoon, the sweets and sundry shop run by Mila Thomas. Sundae Afternoon and the Thomas Grocery Market are staples of Antioch, just like the Fisher farm. A less than steady peace exists between the families, but Phillip always intrigued Mila. She admires his attempts to break free; at the same time, his return speaks of a noble, caring man. But what happens once the farm is restored? What happens when Phillip is called back to Indianapolis? Mila's roots are firmly grounded, and Phillip might leave all over again. Is returning home and the discovery of an extraordinary love, enough to bring them together forever?

My Review

Sometimes a person has to leave home in order to appreciate it, and that’s exactly what happens to Phillip Fisher, eldest son of a large farming family in Antioch, Indiana.

In this sweet novella told mostly in Phillip’s point of view and some in the heroine, Mila’s, viewpoint, the author presents a trope on the Prodigal Son. Phillip comes home after being let go from his financial planning job, only to realize that home really is where he left his heart. Finding it again cost him a right to the jaw, some shaky footwork with the local men of influence, and plenty of make peace work with the woman he left behind.

Contentment triumphs fly-by-night opportunities for success, and this short little bite of story will touch your inner love bug.

About the Author

Marianne Evans is an award-winning author of Christian romance and fiction. Her hope is to spread the faith-affirming message of God's love through the stories He prompts her to create.

Marianne is a lifelong resident of Michigan and an active member of Romance Writers of America, most notably the Greater Detroit Chapter where she served two terms as President.

Connect with Marianne at: www.marianneevans.com

Apple Grove the Little City with a Big Core

Welcome to Apple Grove, Illinois!

The Little City with a Big Core

We are on the Founders River in western Illinois, approximately 200 miles west of Chicago and south of our state capital, Springfield. Apple Grove is the Hansen County seat of government and a fine family community. Population: 6,457

Main industry: agriculture, proud international home of Apple Delight, makers of fine juices, ciders, apple pie filling, jellies, and other exemplary apple products

Apple Grove welcomes new industry

Join us for Apple Fest, the last full weekend in September.

This website is undergoing continual upgrades. Check back for updated information.

History

Apple Grove was founded in 1837 rose and grew along Founders River, a stream that erupted from a natural spring about four miles north of town. At one time it had served its purpose by washing with enough force down an incline that it was deemed sufficiently powerful to operate the wheel of a gristmill. John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, visited the area on his missionary seed-planting journey when he traveled all the way to see the Mississippi River, and is believed to have planted the first apple grove that gave the city its name. Apple Delight, an international apple production company, maintains the orchards. At its height, Apple Grove had a population of over 10,000 with two shoemakers, four dress shops and milliners, a cigar factory, tinsmiths, two liveries, medical services, funeral parlors, as many as eight saloons, a very fine school, and ladies’ secretarial academy, besides the mill and orchard. As with many frontier communities, Apple Grove undertook a safety system to provide a shelter for businesses and its citizens in times of natural and man-made disaster by digging a system of tunnels beneath the main avenues of the city. They have since been deemed a danger and closed.

Welcome to Apple Grove, Illinois, the Apple of Illinois’s Eye.

Information, please!

Government

            Mayor – Donald Conklin

            Administrative Assistant – Marion Green

           

City Council

                        Meets first and third Mondays of the month at City Hall, 6 p.m.

                       

Ward 1 – Cal Stewart, Jeff Hanley

                        Ward 2 – Knute Granger, Tory Gold

                        Ward 3 – Arnie Cappler, Needa Jones

                        Ward 4 – Rupert Murphy, Gretchen Peterson

Clerk – Marion Green

Treasurer – Jeff Hanley

Legal – Call the switchboard for assistance

Offices of:

City Attorney

Court

Judge

           

            City Ordinances - see below

            Voting Information

 Municipal Services

Building and Grounds – Carey Robbins, director

Utilities, Water and Waste

Parks and Recreation

City Park

Apple Adventure Park

Founders River Walkway

Chapman Memorial Public Library

Planning and Zoning - Georgine Crosby, city engineer

Safety Commission

Fire – Captain Lorne Reed

111 Apple St.
Emergency: 9-1-1

The Apple Grove Fire Department is responsible for providing an efficient and effective delivery of fire, medical, rescue, and life safety emergency services within city limits. The Fire Department also strives to improve the quality of life for residents by providing public education, annual flushing and flow testing of the cities hydrant system, pre-fire inspections and conduction of fire drills.

The primary goals of the Fire Department are to:

Reduce and prevent the loss of life and property damage

Improve the outcome of patients

Quickly rescue trapped victims

Protect the environment from destruction

Police – Chief Gene Hackman, Cindy Evans – dispatch, Coroner – Ella Moon

510 Main St. 
Emergency: 9-1-1

Our mission is to serve and protect all residents and visitors. The best way to combat crime is to prevent it, Further, this department believes that effective crime prevention and law enforcement is based on mutual trust and respect between the members of this department and those we serve and protect. Our main goal is to contribute to the quality of life.                                            

Post Office

Businesses

The Apple Grove Chamber of Commerce is located at 212 Main Street. Quarterly meetings are held the last week of March, June, September, and December. A county guide to member businesses can be obtained at the office and at our very fine member establishments.

Apple Delight – Fine Apple Products, seasonal hiring, contact Central Office

Attorneys-at-Law

Auto Dealerships

Auto Repair  

Bank – State’s Bank, Apple Grove Branch  

Books - Mea Cuppa gourmet coffee, candies, books and gifts

           Coffee - Mea Cuppa gourmet coffee, candies, books and gifts        

Dining/Food

Ice Cream Shoppe

Lo Mah Chinese American Cuisine

Pizza Parlor

Tiny’s Buffet

Events – Ethereal Events

Exercise – Fit’r U

Drug Store – Apple Grove Pharmacy

Feli-Mix Pet Food Designers           

Florist

The Flower Shop

Funeral

Gas Station – Apple Grove Service, free air

Gifts

Apple Delight

Mea Cuppa Gourmet coffee, candies, books and gifts

The Flower Shop

Yours, Truly

Wagner's Rx

Grocers – Apple Mart

Hair Cutting and Styling

Barber Shop (next to Mea Cuppa Gourmet coffee, candies, books and

gifts)

Happy Hearts Bio-engineering – hiring, contact Personnel Dept.

Jewelers

Wyler’s Fine Jewelry and Repair; also buying old jewelry

Medical services

Apple Grove Medical Clinic

Solid Core Physical Therapists

DeLight Vision

General Dental Services

Wagner’s Rx

News – Apple Grove Gazette, Yolanda and Jim Toynsbee

Odds and Ends Antiques

The Print Shop

           Radio - WWAG

Technology – McTeague’s Tech Services, personal computers and service, website design and maintenance, business and marketing design

            Veterinary services

Apple Grove Veterinary Services, Adelle Bailey, DMV

 

Citizen Information

            Calendar of Events

Pets on Parade, Fourth of July

Apple Fest, Labor Day weekend

Community Read, first week of February

Community Opportunities

Chapman Memorial Library

Historical Society & Museum

Good Seeds Volunteers

Education

Apple Grove Public Elementary and Middle School

Memorial High School – home of the Trailblazers!

           

Media

Newspaper, the Apple Grove Gazette

Radio – WWAG

Computer services – McTeague Technical Services

Medical Services – hospital, dental and vision clinical services, veterinarian

Physical Fitness -- Fitr'U

Assisted Living – Trails End 

           Social Services – Good Seeds Volunteers

           Churches

New Horizons Church

Apple Grove Worship Center

St. John Catholic        

           

Guest Information

Attractions & Events – historical society and museum, underground tunnels tours by appointment; the Collins House and Museum is open Memorial Day to Labor Day, Thurs – Sun, 1-4 PM or by appointment; Apple Fest is held the first weekend of October, sponsored by Apple Delight. Pets on Parade is our annual Fourth of July event.

Banking – State’s Bank, Apple Grove Branch         

Dining –Ice Cream Shoppe

Lo Mah Chinese American Cuisine

Pizza Parlor

Tiny’s Buffet

            Lodging – Prairie Conference Center and Hotel, Guido’s Pizza Parlor and Inn

            Gifts – Apple Delight, Wagner’s Rx, Mea Cuppa, the Flower Shop, Yours, Truly

            Maps available at the visitor’s desk in City Hall, Prairie Conference Center

            Medical & Veterinary Services

 all photos from Pixabay or Morguefile and are free for use

********************************************

APPLE GROVE, ILLINOIS CITY CODE

____________

GENERAL ORDINANCES OF THE CITY

____________

Effective, April 1, 2000

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Published By Order of the City Council

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OFFICIALS

of the

CITY OF APPLE GROVE

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Donald Conklin
Mayor

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Cal Stewart, chair of Utilities Commission

Jeff Hanley, chair of Parks & Recreation

Knute Granger, chair of Library Board

Arnie Cappler, chair of Safety Commission

Needa Jones, chair of Building

Rupert Murphy, president

Tory Gold

Gretchen Peterson

Alderpersons

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City Clerk

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City Attorney

PREFACE

This Code is a codification of the ordinances of the City of Apple Grove of a general and permanent nature. As expressed in the Adopting Ordinance, the Code supersedes all such ordinances not included therein or recognized as continuing in force by reference thereto.

The chapters of the Code are arranged in alphabetical order and the sections within each chapter are catchlined to facilitate usage. Footnotes which tie related sections of the Code together and which refer to relevant provisions of the state law have been included. The source of each section is indicated by the history note appearing in parentheses at the end thereof. The absence of such a note indicates that the section is new and was adopted for the first time with the adoption of the Code.

Numbering System

The numbering system used in this Code is the same system used in many state and municipal codes. Each section number consists of two component parts separated by a dash, the figure before the dash representing the chapter number and the figure after the dash indicating the position of the section within the chapter. Thus, the first section of Chapter 1 is numbered 1-1 and the tenth section of Chapter 2 is 2-10. Under this system each section is identified with its chapter and, at the same time, new sections or even whole chapters can be inserted in their proper places, simply by using the decimal system for amendments.

Index

The index has been prepared with the greatest of care. Each particular item has been placed under several headings, some of the headings being couched in lay phraseology, others in legal terminology, and still others in language generally used by municipal officials and employees. There are numerous cross references within the index itself which stand as guideposts to direct the user to the particular item in which he is interested. The successful maintenance of this Code up-to-date, at all times will depend largely upon the holder of the volume. As revised sheets are received it will then become the responsibility of the holder to have the amendments inserted according to the attached instructions. It is strongly recommended by the publishers that all such amendments be inserted immediately upon receipt to avoid misplacing them and, in addition, that all deleted pages be saved and filed for historical reference purposes.

Be It Ordained by the City Council of the City of Apple Grove, Illinois:

Section 1.  That this ordinance is hereby adopted and enacted as the “Apple Grove City Code,” and shall be treated and considered as a new and original comprehensive ordinance which shall supersede all other general and permanent ordinances passed by the City Council.

Section 2.  That all provisions of such Code shall be in full force and effect.

Section 3.  That the repeal provided for in Section 2 hereof shall not affect the following:

Any offense or act committed or done or any penalty or forfeiture incurred or any contract or right established or accruing before the effective date of such Code;

(2) Any ordinance or resolution promising or guaranteeing the payment of money for the City, or authorizing the issuance of any bonds of the City or any evidence of the City's indebtedness, or any contract or obligations assumed by the City;

(3) Any administrative ordinances or resolutions of the City Council not in conflict or inconsistent with the provisions of such Code;

(4) Any right or franchise granted by any ordinances of the City;

(5) Any ordinance dedicating, naming, establishing, locating, relocating, opening, paving, widening, vacating, etc., any street or public way in the City;

(6) Any appropriation ordinances;

(7) Any ordinance levying or imposing taxes;

(8) Any ordinance establishing or prescribing grades in the City;

(9) Any ordinance providing for local improvements and making assessments therefor;

(10) Any ordinance dedicating or accepting any plat or subdivision in the City;

(11) Any ordinance extending or contracting the boundaries of the City;

(12) Any ordinance prescribing the number, classification or compensation of any city officers or employees, not inconsistent herewith;

(13) Any ordinance regulating or prohibiting traffic or parking on any particular streets or in any particular area, or specifying or designating off-street parking lots;

(14) Any or instance creating specific funds;

(15) Any ordinance relating to traffic or obstructions around road projects;

(16) Any subdivision or zoning ordinances or amendment or variance thereto;

(17) Any ordinance establishing wards or dealing with the size of the City Council.

Such repeal shall not be construed to revive any ordinance or part thereof that has been repealed by a subsequent ordinance which is repealed by this ordinance.

Section 4.  That any and all additions or amendments to such Code, when passed in such form as to indicate the intention of the City Council to make the same a part thereof, shall be deemed to be incorporated in such Code so that reference to the “Apple Grove City Code,” shall be understood and intended to include such additions and amendments.

Section 5.  That a copy of such Code shall be kept on file in the office of the City Clerk, preserved in looseleaf form. It shall be the express duty of the City Clerk or someone authorized to insert in their designated places all amendments or ordinances which indicate the intention of the City Council to make the same a part of such Code when the same have been printed or reprinted in page form, and to extract from such Code all provisions which may from time to time be repealed by the City Council. This copy of such Code shall be considered the official Apple Grove City Code.

Section 6.  That in case of the amendment of any section of such Code for which a penalty is not provided, the general penalty as provided in Section 1-9 of such Code shall apply to the section as amended.

Section 7.  That it shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation in the City to change or amend by additions or deletions, any section or portion of such Code, or to insert or delete pages or portions thereof, or to alter or tamper with such Code in any manner whatsoever which will cause the law of the City of Apple Grove to be misrepresented thereby.

Section 8.  That whenever in said Code or in any ordinance of the City, any act or omission is prohibited or is made or declared to be unlawful or a misdemeanor, or whenever in said Code or ordinance the doing of any act or the commission of any omission is declared to be unlawful or a misdemeanor and no specific penalty is provided therefor, and state law does not provide otherwise, the violation of any such provision of such Code or any ordinance shall be a misdemeanor punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to six (6) months or a fine of up to five hundred dollars ($500.00), or both. Unless specifically provided otherwise, or the content thereof so dictates, each day any violation of any provision of said Code or any ordinance shall continue shall constitute a separate offense.

Section 9.  That all ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are, to the extent of such conflict, hereby repealed.

Section 10.  That this ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage, approval and publication in book or pamphlet form according to law.

Signed Donald Conklin

  Mayor

ATTEST:

Signed 

  City Clerk