A yearlong celebration of Illinois’ 200^th birthday launches with communities around the state next week, as the Bicentennial Flag is raised on December 4^th at noon.

The media and public are invited to join Quincy & Adams County area leaders on Monday, Dec. 4^th beginning at 11:30am at the Adams County Court House, 521 Vermont St., as we participate simultaneously with fellow communities across our historic state in this commemorative Bicentennial Flag Raising Ceremony.

The event commences with patriotic and Illinois-themed music from the Salvation Army Band, a Proclamation, and the Bicentennial flag-raising on the lawn of the Adams County Court House. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved inside the lobby of the court house.

“The Bicentennial is a once-in-a-lifetime invitation to fall in love with Illinois all over again. It is an opportunity to celebrate all that has been great in our first 200 years and lay the foundation for 200 more years of growth and prosperity. Illinois is home, and the Bicentennial gives us a chance to reflect on what makes it great and how we can continue to make it great for our children and grandchildren,” Governor Rauner said.

For more information on Illinois yearlong celebrations and events, visit the Illinois Bicentennial Celebration website: www.illinois200.com

#IllinoisProud                                                              Illinois200.com

The Adams County Works Transition Planning Team hosted their third quarterly seminar, Effective Communication: Deciphering Communication Styles. The lunchtime event was held Wednesday, November 1 from 11:45a – 1:00p in The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Croc Corps Community Center at 405 Vermont St. Quincy, IL.

Guest presenter was James E. Sours of ALCPC Consulting. ALCPC represents the 5 steps of integrity coaching: Ask, Listen, Coach, Praise and Challenge. “We cannot control the way others communicate with us,” states Sours, “but we can adjust our communication to be more effective.” Mr. Sours was raised and learned how to wok on a small family farm in northwest Ohio. He received an Ag Economics degree from Ohio State University.

Adams County Works Teams focus on 3 areas for strategic workforce development. Representatives from businesses, education, social services and economic development are identifying and overcoming barriers to employment to meet your future workforce needs.

Transition Planning Team focuses on advancing current workers with a mission of nurturing current employees to help advance their level of workplace essential skills to sustain and grow the organization’s competitive advantage. The Transition Planning Team meets the 3^rd Wednesday of each month at 9:00 am in the Oakley Lindsay Center.