Seventh-grader Jamie Riendeau, 12, won the St. John School Science Fair and received a certificate.

Sixteen science projects vied for honors. It was the first time Jamie took part in the contest. She went on to compete in the regional Science Fair on an early March morning at St. Francis College in Joliet, and will represent her school in the state Science Fair finals May 2 and 3 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Jamie will pay for her own transportation and overnight hotel stay.

For her science fair project, Jamie compared the accuracy of three television channels’ weather forecasting during a 31-day period. She created a special board to track ABC, NBC and Fox. Fox came out on top.

Her science teacher, Charlene Klein, requires seventh- and eighth-grade science students to participate in the competition.

Prairie songs

A  program called “Songs from the Lonesome Prairie” will be presented by Rick Pickren at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 10, at the Winfield Public Library, 0S299 Winfield Road. He shares historical anecdotes, along with traditional and original songs accompanied on guitar, banjo and harmonica.

Pickren examines the key role Illinois played in the development of the country’s Western history, culture and myth from 1850 to 1950, spanning Buffalo Bill to the WLS Barn Dance.

The program will weave a tapestry of song in an hour of entertainment. It is cosponsored by the Winfield Historical Society and paid for, in part, by a grant from the Illinois Humanities Council.

Savvy seniors

 Wearin’ o’ the Green was quite visible at the March meeting of Young at Hearts. Green tablecloths covered the buffet and serving tables. Coordinator Kathy Skrobutt brought turkey and gravy; Joanne Busch made two meat loaves, hot chicken salad and cornmeal biscuits. Carol McPheters provided a broccoli casserole and Jean Borisuk prepared her always taste-tempting mini hot dogs wrapped in dough.

Members and guests made their own ice cream treats from vanilla and chocolate ice cream, caramel, chocolate sauce, whipped cream and maraschino cherries.

Young at Hearts next will meet at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 16, with lunch served at noon in Sebahar Hall in the church at Liberty and Church streets. Everyone is asked to bring a dish to pass.