August Citizen of the Month: Michelle Donahoe
The mission of the Sycamore History Museum is to preserve the town's history, artifacts and stories for generations to come; and in recognition of her work in this area, SHM Executive Director Michelle Donahoe has been named the Sycamore Rotary Club's August Citizen of the Month.
Donahoe says they seek to gather as many historic items, documents, photos and other pieces of Sycamore's past. With so many items to display, and limited space in their location at the old Engh farm north of town, displays have to be constantly rotated.
Right now, the museum is featuring the "Faces of Sycamore" -- pictures and biographies of dozens of Sycamore residents who have played a key role in the town's history and development. The SHM also provides lesson plans and time for historic tours to teachers around the area.
The museum is also planning two major upcoming events; it will hold a Victorian tea party on Sunday, September 18th at the St. Mary's Memorial Hall...and volunteers will be manning various historic locations around town during the weekend of the Pumpkin Festival.
To cap off the presentation, the Sycamore Rotary Club presented Donahoe with one more artifact for its collection: a Four-Way Test banner, circa 1950, which is one of the oldest banners in the club's possession (aged so much, that the original blue nylon has faded to purple). It will be preserved along with a number of other club items, for future display and study.