I never lived in Illinois but I have visited there.

But that’s good enough to attend the celebration of Illinois Day this Saturday at the Community Center.

“Actually, we won’t be turning anybody away, even if they don’t have any direct ties to the state,” said Museum Executive Director Tony Basche.

The River of Time Museum, is holding the special event as a way to raise funds and create more awareness for the museum, located adjacent to the Fountain Hills Library.

Museum volunteers will be selling Chicago–style hot dogs and beer. There are raffle items with a total value of over $3,000 donated by over 30 local businesses. Raffle drawings will be held every half hour. Volunteers will be selling the tickets for three for $5. People do not need to be present to win. They just need to put their name and phone number on the back of each ticket stub. One of the prizes is four tickets and a parking pass to a Diamondbacks-Chicago Cubs game on Friday, July 18. The seats are in the upper deck, sixth row behind home plate.

We’ll see you at the event this Saturday. Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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Be watching The Times over the next few weeks to get details on a special performance by Joe Wiegand, who is advertised as the world’s premiere Theodore Roosevelt. He was at the most recent dinner meeting of the Fountain Hills & Lower Verde Valley Historical Society.

He gave a preview and I must admit, he’s very convincing. In fact, I wondered if he even knew how to be Joe Wiegand, He not only looked like the nation’s 26th president, but he had all his mannerisms down pat, too.

Well, the Super Bowl teams are set. Now the local restaurants will be competing for customers on Sunday, Feb. 2.

The game could be a classic with the Denver Broncos having the league’s top offense and the NFL’s top rated defense in the Seattle Seahawks. And another good reason to watch will be to see the best young quarterback in the game today in Seattle’s Russell Wilson going head to head with perhaps the greatest quarterback of all time in Denver’s Peyton Manning.

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Congratulations go to Fountain Hills runners that placed in their age groups in Sunday’s P.F. Chang Rock ‘N’ Roll marathon. Finishing first in the Men’s 50-54 category and 12th overall was Ricardo Maldonado. His time was 2:38:59. Wayne Wurtz, with a time of 4:37:32, was third in the Men’s 65 to 69 category. Fort McDowell’s Dorothy Dudgeon, with a time of 5:31:29, won the Women’s 65-69 category.

Megan Dzurka of Fountain Hills finished in 80th place in the women’s half marathon race with a time of 1:25:34.