SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

SCOTS TRACK TEAMS CONTINUE TO DOMINATE
MONMOUTH, Ill. – Monmouth College’s track teams continued their early season success, winning the men’s team competition and tying for first in the women’s at last Saturday’s Rose-Hulman Engineer Invitational at Terre Haute, Ind.

The Fighting Scots’ won by more than 70 points in the eight-team men’s field. Monmouth’s women turned in a school record performance and tied for first with Bellarmine in the seven-team women’s meet.

Senior Katie Staab, juniors Mary Kate Beyer and Morgan Leffel, along with freshman Rachel Bowden shattered the school record in the women’s distance medley relay. The foursome placed second after clocking a 12:44.15 to break the Scots’ previous best by 20 seconds.

Leffel had a busy day, scoring in no fewer than five events. Competing in the pole vault, where Whitney Didier cleared 10’6 to take second, Leffel placed fourth with a personal-best height of 8’6-1/4 in her first vault competition this season. She also took third in the triple jump with a mark of 34’3-1/2, less than two inches out of second. Leffel placed fourth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 27.82 and she was sixth in the 55 dash, running a 7.85 in the finals.

Jae Moore – who was second in the 200 at 27.21 – took first in the 400. Running the event for the first time this season, Moore clocked a 1:03.35.



WHILE THE ECONOMY TANKS, HOLLYWOOD BANKS.

(Monmouth, IL) Has the financial crisis had an impact on what the people of Warren County and the surrounding area do for entertainment? No, says Jim DeBruzzi, chief financial advisor of Kerasotes Showplace in Galesburg. For the Warren County area, he says that 2009 was “terrific across the board, and overall a tremendous year for every region.” DeBruzzi noted that this past year was a great year for movies, citing some of the more successful such as 'Inglorious Bastards', 'Up', and of course, the year ending box office smash 'Avatar'. The past year's movies were extraordinarily strong in creative content, which is the main driver when it comes to selling movie tickets. But what is the driving factor that brings the audience to the theater? Is it the movie itself, or the customer's disposable income? “The biggest factor is a creative product,” says DeBruzzi, “That is the main driver. The second is the quality of the facility, and third is the economic climate.”

He goes on to stress that a quality film, not the people's wallets, are what really matter in his business. “We've seen great years for movies in crappy economies, and poor years when the economy is great.”

Another factor for such a successful year in the box office was that people have less money to spend taking their families on big vacations, or even on outings such as a concert or sporting event. It is much easier for them to take the family to a movie for entertainment, and costs them a lot less. Mark Woessner, a student at Monmouth College agrees. “No matter what is going on around town, I know that seeing a movie is always a reliable and relatively inexpensive option for my friends and me.” It is clear that while the recession has taken its toll on many of the nation's markets, the entertainment industry is still going strong.

A NEW MENU COMES TO TOWN

(Monmouth, Ill.) Monmouth continues to expand, even in times of economic hardship. A new restaurant called Petey’s is scheduled to open by early June. Construction is currently underway in front of the AmericInn on the corner of North Main and U.S. 34.

Kevin Cerar, who currently owns and runs Cerar’s Barnstormer, is the proprietor of Petey’s. He says this new restaurant will be something completely different from his current restaurant.

“This will have more of a casual sports bar type atmosphere,” said Cerar. “It will feature economical prices.”

Though some might question the idea of opening a new restaurant when people are struggling to stretch their dollars, Cerar said that is the reason he is confident the restaurant will attract plenty of customers.

“People are still looking to go out,” he said. “They may be looking for less expensive options and this is something that may fit into a lot of people’s budgets.

In order to attract college and high school students, Petey’s will feature a reasonably priced buffet suited to meet the budget of a typical college or high school student. Cerar will also feature college specials, such as half-priced appetizers on Tuesdays. The pub will have both a bar and a restaurant area, similar to what the Barnstormer has now.

“I think lots of people would go,” said Freshman Aimee Hodierne.

“Any new place to eat is good,” said Senior Nishant Dixit. “Living in a small town has few options to choose from.”

Cerar said the opening of his new restaurant will not greatly affect the other restaurants in Monmouth.

According to Cerar, Monmouth business sales are on the rise, and some of this is due to the increase of students at Monmouth College.

“It has such an impact not only for my business, but for business in general,” said Cerar. “This [Petey’s] is part of the growth of Monmouth to keep up with the demands of the area and it is something the area needs.”

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