1 Front Volume 141 No. 5
Friday, March 28, 2014
The Tonica News
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LGS addresses money issues By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
LOSTANT — The Lostant Grade School Board met in regular session on March 19. One of the main items on the agenda was financial account balances and the recommendations of the finance committee. “We looked at where we are in the year and what we have in our checking and savings account.
We have approximately $572,000 to get us to the end of the year, and when you take out payroll and estimated high school tuition to two other schools, we’re looking at a $7,000 balance total,” Superintendent Sandra Malahy said. “I believe that is absolutely cutting it too short. “We have approximately $186,000 in our working cash fund. We can transfer money from that
fund into another fund,” Malahy said. “It is the committee’s recommendation that we transfer $150,000 from working cash to the education fund which basically will get us through payroll and tuition charges.” The board OK’d the transfer with the stipulation the funds are replaced in the working cash fund with the incoming tax money. The board also dis-
cussed the certificates of deposit that are coming due for the board. “We have three CDs totalling $900,000, and they’re all due in the summer and early fall,” Malahy said. “The first one comes due in July, and it’s $350,000. What we’re recommending is when that matures, we take it and spread it out into 30-, 60-, 90-day or six months, so if we come to a time when we’re running out
of money, we can take a CD as it’s rolling over and put it into the education fund.” In other action, the board: • Voted to raise school fees to $75 a semester; $25 will be reimbursed if registration is completed on time. An optional $25 fee will also be assessed which would be used to purchase most of the classroom supplies a student will need for the school year.
• Discussed some new security measures the school would like to implement to increase safety for the school’s students and faculty. • Learned about a maintenance grant received by the school. The grant is a 50/50 grant for $12,600 and will be used for repairs and renovations to the school’s kitchen.
See LGS Page 3
Forrest looks for economic growth By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
Editor’s note: This is another story in a series, as the Tonica News talks with members of the boards in the Tonica area and gets their views on what is going on in their communities. LOSTANT — Andy Forrest is a relative newcomer to the Lostant Village Board, elected in the April 2007 election and currently serving his second four-year term. He’s also the village fire chief and was named police commissioner by village Mayor Fred Hartenbower. “I got on the board to help the town. I was already on the fire department, and I wanted to get more involved in the community,” Forrest said. “The late Mayor Jim Cooper said I should do it because there was an opening, so I took him up on it. I was a write-in candidate at the last minute. There were two uncontested spots, so we ran and got on. (Board member Chris Does was elected at the same time). I’ve been on ever since.” Forrest’s father was a school board member when the high school was open, but otherwise, Forrest said there’s no real history of community service in the family.
See Forrest Page 3
Tonica News photo/Ken Schroeder
Morgan (left) and Ethan Phillips practice playing their violins. The Phillips siblings have been playing violin for six years.
Fiddlin’ in the family By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
LOSTANT — Morgan and Ethan Phillips of Lostant are like many other siblings. Sometimes they get along; sometimes they fight; and sometimes they make beautiful music together. Fourteen-year old Morgan is a freshman at Putnam County High School and has been playing violin for six years, while Ethan, 11, started a little bit younger, at 5. “We were at our grandma’s house, and there was a violin
which wasn’t even fully strung. I was just messing around with it, and Mom said, ‘Let’s get you some violin lessons,’” Morgan said. The children’s mother, Lisa Phillips, didn’t play violin before then, but her grandfather had. “My mom had several of my grandpa’s old violins, and they were not strung,” Lisa said. “One of them had a few strings on it, and she started, picked it up and was plucking it. She was 6. She seemed to like it, so we found a violin teacher, and that was it.”
Inside
Vol. 141 No. 5 One Section - 8 Pages
Dancing in the halls See Page 2 © The Tonica News
Music has run in Lisa’s family. Lisa’s father didn’t play violin, but he did play the mandolin, which has the same fingerings for notes. Ethan picked up the bug from his sister, who would quiz him on parts of the violin. “She would ask me what certain parts of the violin were, and I started calling out different parts,” Ethan said. “She asked me, ‘Why don’t you start playing?’ so I did.” Morgan’s love for playing has gotten her some notice. “There was a fiddle competition that I won, and I’ve been
Putting real life careers into math lessons See Page 8
in the orchestra. I got an honorable mention in a concerto competition,” Morgan said. Morgan won the competition at Illinois Valley Community College a year ago. This year, she didn’t do quite as well. “I was practicing, and apparently I practiced too much,” Morgan said. “It would have been nice to know I could do that.” Morgan and Ethan plan on playing for a long time, and awards may come their way for both of them as they continue their family’s musical tradition.
2 Local 2 • The Tonica News • Friday, March 28, 2014
Seeking Sources Where in the world is The Tonica News? Are you planning a vacation or holiday trip? Don’t forget to take along a copy of the The Tonica News. Once you get to your destination, have someone snap a photo of you holding the newspaper, and then send the photo to us along with pertinent information about who is in the photo and where you are. We’ll be happy to share your photo with other Tonica News readers, your friends, family and neighbors. Email your photo and information to news@ tonicanews.com. You can also drop it by our office in Tonica.
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Tonica school retains personnel By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
TONICA — The Tonica Grade School Board made its decisions regarding the staff for the 2014-15 school year at its March 19 meeting. For the most part, all of the faces at school will be familiar. The board elected to retain all certified and non-certified staff for the
year, as well as awarding tenure to fourth-grade teacher Betsy Patyk. Resignations were accepted from bus driver Jessica Whipple and speech pathologist Kate Cornelius. In addition, the school is currently seeking a second-grade teacher for 2014-15. The school board also opened bids for the mowing contract for the
school grounds. The low bid came from Turf Tamers from Amboy with a low bid of $97.50 per mowing. “Turf Tamers was $150 below the closest bidder which shocked me. I checked with the Tonica Volunteer Fire Department because Turf Tamers does their yard. The fire department said nothing but good things
about them,” Superintendent John Suarez said. “I would have liked to keep the money local, but I have to think of the school’s money. They have recommendations; they were the lowest bid, so we signed with them.” In other action, the board: • Approved the school calendar for the remainder of the school year,
which was affected by the number of snow days this winter. Tonica Grade School will dismiss at 11:45 a.m. on June 2. • Learned of school behavior from Suarez. The number of referrals for disciplinary action has dropped once again in the school. Suarez credited the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support program.
Looking for a pet? By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
CHICAGO — Gov. Pat Quinn was at Pets Are Worth Saving (PAWS) Chicago to encourage all Illinois residents to consider adopting a pet this year. The event was part of Quinn’s commitment to protect pets and their owners, while ensuring all animals in Illinois
are treated ethically and responsibly. “Pets are part of our families, and we want to make 2014 the Year of Animal Rescue,” Quinn said. “It is important that we try our hardest to find loving homes for these displaced animals and make sure they get the care and attention they need. Rosie – the first dog of Illinois – came from PAWS.”
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the program began. For more information about how Comptroller’s Critters brings together rescue animals and families, visit http://www.ioc.state. il.us/index.cfm/about-ouroffice/comptrollers-critters1/. Since PAWS Chicago’s founding in 1997, the number of homeless pets killed in the city has been reduced by nearly 70 per-
cent, from 42,561 to fewer than 14,000 last year. Animal rescue spares animals from this fate and provides them with a forever home. For more information about PAWS Chicago and pet adoption, visit http:// www.pawschicago.org/. Locally, Friends of Strays in Princeton and Safe House Animal Rescue League of Mendota are listed as no-kill shelters.
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Tonica News photo/Ken Schroeder
Students at Tonica Grade School were dancing to “Y.M.C.A.” in the halls at school as a reward for good behavior on March 21. “The number of referrals for discipline was down again, so we let the kids dance in the gym this morning,” Superintendent John Suarez said. “This afternoon, they also get to dance in the hallway.” The reward is part of the school’s Positive Behavior Intervention and Support program.
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Local travel and tourism celebration planned OTTAWA — The LaSalle County Tourism Coalition will host a special event on May 6, to celebrate LaSalle County Tourism. The gathering will begin at 9 a.m. at Starved Rock Lodge. The celebration is scheduled in conjunction with National Travel and Tourism Week, which takes place from May 3-10. The guest speaker will be Michelle Silver, director of marketing for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. “We invite local officials, the media and anyone interested in learning about the economic impact of tourism in
LaSalle County,” said Joanne Jones, chairman of the LaSalle County Tourism Coalition. “We work with the Tourism Committee to make the best use of pillow taxes, but many residents and public officials don’t know the specifics of what we do.” “This will also be a great opportunity to meet other tourism professionals and learn about the wide variety of attractions and special events which will take place in LaSalle County in 2014. The new, 2014 LaSalle County Visitor Guide will also be unveiled at this event,” said Bob Navarro, president/CEO of Heri-
tage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau. “I’m thrilled LaSalle County Tourism Coalition is recognizing National Travel and Tourism Week with this celebration. National Travel and Tourism Week, now in its 30th year, is the annual salute to travel in America and showcases powerful benefits travel has on the U.S. economy, businesses and communities. Travel contributes more than $129 billion to the federal, state and local tax base. Specific to LaSalle County, travel expenditures are approximately $12.65 million from domestic impact only.
“Also, as part of the week’s celebration, Jen Hoelzle, Illinois Office of Tourism director, will be running in the inaugural Starved Rock Country Half Marathon. I’m excited to have her support as we launch a new event bringing thousands of runners and spectators to the region.” Celebrate LaSalle County Tourism will take place in the Utica Room of Starved Rock Lodge in Utica from 9 to 11 a.m. on May 6. A light breakfast will be served. This event is free and open to anyone interested in tourism. To RSVP, call 815-434-8224 before April 30.
NCI ARTworks accepting SHINE projects North Central Illinois ARTworks has announced its 2014 Talent Search and SHINE Gala. The goal of these events is to raise community awareness of the importance of arts education and to provide recognition to outstanding student artists and art educators. The SHINE Talent Search is a video competition open to students in three age divisions: Junior high, high school and young artist to 21 years old. Entries will be accepted in five categories: Dance, visual arts, theater/acting, instrumental music and vocal
For more information, email shine4arts@nciartworks.com
music. The 15 student artists who are selected for the 2014 SHINE honors will be presented at the SHINE Gala at Senica’s Oak Ridge on June 5. Entry forms, rules and judging guidelines are available on the NCI ARTwork’s website, www.nciartworks.com. Entrants must reside in LaSalle, Bureau or Put-
nam counties or be the student of an arts educator in one of these counties. The entry process includes completing an entry form and creating and entering a video. Entries will be judged by professionals and educators in the category in which the entry is submitted. Students may look at the judging criteria, which are posted
for every category on the website. All entry materials must be postmarked and uploaded no later than April 15. The SHINE Gala will be open to the public. Tickets are $12 if purchased in advance and $15 at the door. The cost includes food, and there will be a cash bar. Tickets can be purchased by sending a check payable to NCI ARTworks with name and address of purchaser to P.O. Box 1251, LaSalle, IL 61301. All 15 SHINE honorees will perform and present their work. They will each receive a $100 award.
IDNR awards grant to Oglesby for boat access SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Marc Miller announced 2014 Boat Access Area Development grants totaling $715,200 were awarded to six communities. The Natural Resources Advisory Board reviewed grant requests totaling $1.22 million and recommended awarding nearly all of the $725,000 appropriated for FY2014. Oglesby will receive $152,225 to construct a safe and accessible
launch along the Vermilion River. A parking lot will be constructed for cars and vehicles with trailers. “These projects will create jobs, offer recreational opportunities and promote healthy lifestyles,” Gov. Pat Quinn said. “They will also promote economic development by adding one more attractive feature to each of these communities.” The Boat Access Area Development Program provides financial assis-
tance to local government agencies for the acquisition, construction and expansion or rehabilitation of public boat and canoe access areas on Illinois’ lakes and rivers. The program provides up to 100 percent of approved project construction costs and 90 percent of approved land acquisition costs. There is a limit of $200,000 per project per year. “These grants will help Illinois communities develop safe access for boaters wanting to use
public waters for fishing and water skiing or to launch a canoe or kayak,” Miller said. “Providing access to recreational opportunities is a top priority of the IDNR, and we are excited to offer these grants to communities that are helping us accomplish that goal.” Applications must be received between July 1 and Sept. 1 each calendar year. Revenue for this program is derived from marine motor fuel tax and boat and canoe registration fees.
TCOC has energy assistance Tri-County Opportunities Council’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program may be able to help with a one-time payment toward utility bills. If a person has not applied and received assistance since Sept. 1, 2013, from LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) or PIPP (Percent-
age of Income Payment Plan) applications are now being accepted. To receive assistance a household must be within the income guidelines and provide the following information: copies of Social Security cards for every member in the household, 30 day income for every household member, a current complete gas and electric
bill and Medicaid card for any household member that may receive one. Additional information may be requested at the time of application. LIHEAP applications will be taken through May 30 or until funds are exhausted. The gross income for the 30 days prior to the application date cannot exceed $1,436 for a
one-person household, $1,939 for a two-person household, $2,441 for a three-person household, $2,944 for a four-person household, $3,446 for a five-person household or $3,949 for a six-person household. To find the closest office to apply, call 800323-5434 and ask to speak to the energy assistance department.
Andy Forrest
Forrest From Page 1 “I think the biggest problem we’re facing on the board is the economy,” Forrest said. “I think the board faces that problem along with a financial burden. No growth spurt, that’s the
problem everywhere. “I would like to see development on the Route 18, 251, I-39 intersection south of town,” Forrest said. “I’d like to see something come in there because it’d be beneficial for the town; it’d be beneficial for the people that live here.”
ITAC offering amplified phones Free amplified phones are available through the Illinois Telecommunications Access Corporation program (ITAC). In order to be eligible, individuals must be legal residents
of Illinois, have a doctor’s or audiologist’s signature verifying hearing loss and have standard phone service in the residents. There are no age or income restrictions.
Putnam County Sheriff GRANVILLE — The Putnam County Sheriff Department arrested a Lostant man on March 20. Jonathan D. Witzman, 19, of Lostant was charged with illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor at 11:05 p.m. He was arrested on County
Highway 1300 E., onequarter mile south of County Highway 1250 N in Granville Township. He was released on a notice to appear by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department after being given a Putnam County court date.
LGS
the worker stayed at Lostant Grade School for at least one year after passing the course. • Authorized the purchase of a snowblower at a price not to exceed $800. • Approved a Family Movie Night for May 9 in the school cafeteria. The time is tentatively set for 6 p.m.
From Page 1 • Discussed at length the 2014-15 school calendar. Several teachers were in attendance to help set vacations and institute days. A calendar was reached which satisfied all concerned and was passed by the board. • Approved a program which would reimburse kitchen workers for acquiring food service certification provided
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4 Biz Ag 4 • The Tonica News • Friday, March 28, 2014
Farmland values settle; grain prices at fault The rate of increase in the value of Illinois farmland has flattened and lower grain prices are to blame, according to presentations made at the Illinois Land Values Conference held in Springfield recently. Hosting the event was the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. “Simply put, farmland earnings are important and have been the driver on prices paid for farmland over the past few years,” said Dale Aupperle, AFM, ARA, Heartland Ag Group LLC of Forsyth, and overall chair of the annual Land Values and Lease Trends project managed by the society. “Sharply lower grain prices have diminished earnings projections and put the brakes on the uptrend in farmland values.” Joining Aupperle in the presentation was Gary Schnitkey, Ph.D., University of Illinois College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, Urbana. He told the group prices paid for corn are now near $4.30 per bushel. “Prices were consistently above $5 from 2010 through midsummer last year. Current expectations are for lower prices into 2014.” He noted crop insur-
ance provided farmers with a substantial amount of cash in 2012 and 2013. “Those funds are no longer coming in,” he said. “Experts are forecasting farmland returns to drop by up to 20 percent.” Aupperle explained the trendline on farmland values has been upward for decades and has seen significant interruptions in the pattern three times. He said there was a 50 percent correction in farmland values from 1980 through 1987, the period of the Farm Crisis. “This was after farmland rose nearly 500 percent from 1982. This one was a bubble.” The next period was 1998 through 2001 when there was a 15 percent correction “after an 11-year uptrend from 1997 with values rising by 92 percent,” Aupperle said. “The last period was in 2008-09. Values went sideways for a year after doubling in value from 2001. “Perhaps history gives us some guidance for our current thought processes,” he continued. “It doesn’t look like a bubble to us. A more normal time for farmland prices may be in store for the next several years. Commodity prices have led to this situation.”
In presenting their summary to the group, the two cited the 2014 Illinois Land Values and Lease Trends Report. This is a composite of reports from around the state on land sales and lease trends occurring in Illinois during 2013. They noted all categories of farmland, determined by productivity increase, saw minor drops in values during the year: Aupperle explained excellent land was down 2 percent: “With less land available but very willing buyers.” Good land was down 3 percent: “Increased input costs are a concern.” Average land was down 4 percent: “Buyers are likely to be neighbors in the community;” Fair land was down 7 percent: “Popular category as land mix attracts residential, recreational and non-farm uses.” Aupperle said recreational land was steadyto-stronger across the state, and there was some activity in transitional land near the metropolitan areas. Local farmers are still the primary buyers with estate sales leading the way in reasons for selling as well as bringing properties to the market. Public auctions (43 percent) led the list of methods of selling followed
by private treaty (36 percent), sealed bid (11 percent) and multi-parcel auction (10 percent).
Cash rents have stabilized Cash rents have stabilized, Schnitkey said. “Rents are slightly off the highs in 2013. This occurred because of the drop in commodity prices. We could be facing more cash rent declines if commodity prices are low in the fall this year. “Assuming a price of $3.50 for a bushel of corn and $10 for a bushel of soybeans, 92 percent of our respondents expect cash rents to drop $10 or more per acre, and no one expects to see rents to increase,” he noted. “We are carefully watching the influence of commodity prices, weather and yields, interest rates, net farm income, the value of the dollar, alternative investments, ethanol, and long term inflation among many other factors. Each will play a role in land values,” Aupperle concluded. Other speakers on the program echoed the findings of the Land Values Report, copies of which are available for sale through the society website at www.ispfmra.org.
Registration opens for Girl Scout summer camps SPRINGFIELD — Girl Scouts of Central Illinois (GSCI) is now accepting registrations for a variety of summer camps and activities at four regional camp sites throughout Central Illinois. Girls in Grades 1-12 have the opportunity to spend their summer horseback riding, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, swimming, backpacking and camping, among other activities. Camp is one of several pathways through which girls can develop their inherent leadership skills in Girl Scouts, as they experience independence, develop new skills, and learn to live in harmony with the environment. Camps are open to all girls, including non-Girl Scouts. Financial assistance is available. The deadline for registration is two weeks prior to each session; camp sessions start as early as June 6. “Camp provides an opportunity for girls of all ages and skill levels with a wide range of interests with something exception-
For the youngest Girl Scouts For girls going into kindergarten or first grade this fall, there will be a number of sessions throughout April to introduce young girls to the experience of Girl Scouts and begin registration. On April 3, there will be a Girl’s Night Out from 6 to 7 p.m. at the First Congregational Church in Peru. al to do this summer,” Girl Scouts of Central Illinois CEO Pam Kovacevich said. “The experiences we provide during these camps are designed to develop leadership and independence as well as create lifelong friendships and memories.” Camp sessions are available at four regional camp sites: Camp Peairs in Hudson on Lake Bloomington (www.girlscouts-gsci.org/ peairs#_blank); Camp Kiwanis in Mahomet (www. girlscouts-gsci.org/kiwanis#_blank), adjacent to Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve and bordered by the Sangamon River; Camp Tapawingo in Metamora (www.girlscouts-gsci.org/
tapawingo#_blank); and Camp Widjiwagan on Lake Springfield (www. girlscouts-gsci.org/widjiwagan#_blank). All sites are accredited by the American Camping Association. Resident and day camps are offered. Resident camp is a camping experience in which campers live at camp, typically for a week. Girls sleep in platform tents with other girls and enjoy a variety of outdoor activities during their stay. Campers can go horseback riding, boating, canoeing and hiking, enjoy archery and arts and crafts, and take on our challenge course. They may attend as individual campers or
go with a buddy. The girls and their counselors plan activities and take advantage of the many resources available at camp. Mini resident camps are a great way to try out residential camp and gain the experience of staying away from home while having new and exciting adventures, usually for three days. Activities include exploring the outdoors, going on scavenger hunts, making hands-on crafts, writing fantastic fiction, swimming, hiking, boating, and working on puzzle and riddle challenges. Day camp is camping by the day. Girls may attend day camp as individual campers or go with buddies. The girls and staff plan and carry out activities. Day camp is held at the aforementioned camp sites as well as in council communities with council-trained staff. For more information or a copy of the activity guide or to register for camp, visit www.GetYourGirlPower.org.
Heartland Health Care Center receives top honor HENRY — Heartland Health Care Center of Henry was named among the country’s “Best Nursing Homes” by U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News determines its annual rankings through data collected from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The federal agency assigns each nursing center certified by the government a rating of one to five stars through its five-star rat-
ing system. U.S. News names all those with a five-star rating a “Best Nursing Home.” For more information on how the rankings are determined, visit http:// health.usnews.com/bestnursing-homes. Heartland Health Care Center, located at 1650 Indian Town Road in Henry, is part of the HCR ManorCare family. For more information, call 309-364-3905 or email mary.chambers@ hcr-manorcare.com.
Scholarship available through conservation district Applications and information on the Mark Krenz Memorial Scholarship have been distributed to LaSalle County high schools and are available at the LaSalle County Soil and Water Conservation District’s office and website, www. lasalleswcd.org. Applications must be received at the district office by April 6. The $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to a LaSalle County high school senior or current college freshman, sophomore or junior who is pursuing a degree in agriculture, environmental sciences or natural resource management.
The scholarship recipient will be selected in May. The scholarship was created as a legacy for Mark Krenz’s dedication to conservation and education. Krenz was deeply involved with the LaSalle Soil and Water Conservation District, and he served as board chairman and district director. For more information or an application, contact the LaSalle County SWCD office at Route 23 and Dayton Road, Ottawa, or call 815-433-0551, ext. 3. A downloadable application form can be found on the district’s website.
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Windbreak workshop set for April 7 OTTAWA — A windbreak workshop has been scheduled for 5:30 p.m. April 7 for anyone interested in learning more about windbreak establishment, maintenance and design.
The workshop will be held at the LaSalle County Soil and Water Conservation District office at the USDA Service Center in Ottawa. The office is located at 1691 N. 31st Road, Ottawa.
Steps to take when planning and designing a windbreak will be covered as well as suitable windbreak trees for LaSalle County by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and
LaSalle County Soil and Water Conservation Service staff. To reserve a spot, contact the LaSalle County Soil and Water Conservation District at 815-4330551, ext. 3.
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5 Perspective Friday, March 28, 2014 • The Tonica News • 5
The Editorial Page The Tonica News Sam R Fisher
Terri Simon
Publisher
Editor
Of baldknobbers and other gobbledygook Baldknobber. While it’s a word that has a very grisly story behind it, the word has always amused me. Any word that sounds somewhat silly to say has always captured my fancy, and that one fits the bill perfectly. Most of those words don’t see much usage anymore, and I’d like to change that. Each year, Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., releases a list of words that COMMENTARY need to leave the English language as soon as possible, with “selfie” and “twerking” leading the list this year. These are words we need to bring back. • Gobbledygook — According to that incredible fountain of true knowledge (yes, that’s sarcasm) Wikipedia, gobbledygook refers “to speech or other use of language that is nonsense, or that appears to be nonsense.” In our age of politicians and churches, like the Westboro Baptists, this is a word destined for lots of use. • Flim-flam — Oddly somewhat related to gobbledygook, flim-flam means fraud. I still remember watching the movie “The Flim-flam Man.” This word needs to be revived for the same reasons as gobbledygook. • Willy-nilly — Meaning “in a way that does not allow any choices or planning,” this is another one of those that could benefit from a return to common language. Also somewhat for the same reasons as above. • Fiddle-faddle — Defined as “nonsense” by Mirriam Webster. I really did mean for this to be a harmless exercise, but again ... Synonyms of similar amusement include balderdash, codswallop, falderal, horsefeathers, poppycock and tommyrot, all of which need to return to our language. • Googly-eyed — Webster defines it as “having eyes that stick out” or “having eyes that are very open or staring because of amazement.” Not to be confused with the new Google Eyes devices which allow you to surf the web while you walk, talk or drive, which not only divides your attention but will also likely make you googly-eyed. • Blabbermouth — Someone who talks too much. • Bumbershoot — I haven’t heard this word used for an umbrella since the 1960s “Batman” TV series. Boy, do I miss Burgess Meredith. There are several others, but since I’ve run out of space, it’s time to reach my denouement, put on my macintosh and trundle toward the egress. Staff writer Ken Schroeder can be reached at news@tonicanews.com.
On the street “I would rather be in Florida. Orlando. Chasing my kids around Disney.” Terry Bloom, Roscoe
“I would rather be on vacation. I’d go to the ocean somewhere.” Andrea Funfsinn, Deer Park
“I would rather be at home. Home is Oklahoma City. We have been traveling for a while.” Angela Hernandez, Oklahoma City, Okla.
“I would rather be home. Oklahoma. Traveling for relatives.” Mario Hernandez, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Ken Schroeder
Letters to the Editor should not be more than 500 words in length. Only one person can sign a Letter to the Editor. The author of the letter must include his/her name, hometown and telephone number. The author’s name and hometown will be published, however, the telephone number is only used to verify the authenticity of the author’s signature and will not be published. Unsigned letters are never read or published. No letter will be published until The Tonica News contacts the author of the letter to verify the signature. The Tonica News reserves the right to edit or refuse any Letter to the Editor.
At this moment in time, I would rather be ...
“I would rather be enjoying the warm weather. Glad to see it back.” Bruce Steele, Tonica
The Rebuttal Little kids can say the darndest things. Like when, during casual conversation, a grown-up uses an adult phrase like “He has big teeth like Potsie,” or “I’ll bet she has a fancy stick on her glasses like Mrs. Howell,” and the little kid then responds to that by saying something humorous like, “Who?” Recently, one of my younger coworkers, (for this column and the sake of discretion, we’ll call her Sarah Maxwell,) wrote a column pointing out how amazed I am every time I use some old television reference, and it goes straight over her head. That is usually due to the fact that she was born in late-December 1989. I told her that I possess clothing older than that. She thought I was joking. During our conversations, many times she’ll tilt her head to the side and look at me with this “How much television did you watch?” kind of look on her face. I then feel required to point out that during my childhood, I did actually go outside every now and then. After all, I don’t care for commercials. Since easily 78 percent of all references that I make have to do with cheesy 1970s television, Sarah gives me that look a lot. In a way, I feel sorry for young, innocent, naive Sarah and for that matter, I feel bad for the majority of the youth of today, since 92.68 percent of the knowledge I have accumulated comes from television shows produced from 1960 to 1985. This “Golden Age of Television” helped shape me into the man I am today. Soft and pear-like. With the sincere sympathy that I feel for poor little Sarah, I’ve taken it upon myself to come up with a list of must-watch television programming to help bring her up to speed. Here it is, in no particular viewing order. “Hogan’s Heroes:” The majority of what I know about World War II comes from this fine production. Did you know that all Germans speak perfect English? Neither did I.
Greg Wallace FROM THE SKETCHBOOK “Starsky & Hutch:” Even though I grew up amongst the corn stalks of northern Illinois, I felt as though I was a worldly lad because I knew of the urban plight taking place in fictional Bay City. Plus, Huggy Bear taught me some excellent fashion tips that I carry with me to this very day. “Gilligan’s Island:” All of my maritime expertise comes from the Skipper and Gilligan. Granted, they did wreck a boat, but they managed to turn a three-hour tour into a lifetime of Mary-Ann and Ginger on a tropical paradise. This has to count for something. “Go-Go Gophers:” Everything I know about the taming of the wild west comes from a combination of this show and “F-Troop.” which are basically the same show — one’s just a really racist cartoon while the other is a really racist sitcom. “Alf:” People can tell me that “Star Trek” was the prototypical masterpiece that all future science fiction beliefs were based on, but I prefer my space aliens to look like muppets and feast on felines. “Little House on the Prairie:” I developed my finely-honed sense of humor from this program. Do you remember during the opening credits when all of the girls are running down the hill and sweet, little Carrie biffs it and falls flat on her face? Makes me chuckle every time. Add to this list shows such as “Alice,” “The Jeffersons,” “Mannix,” “Fantasy Island,” “Hee-Haw,” “All-
Star Wrestling,” “Captain Kangaroo,” “Family Feud,” “Good Times,” “Baretta,” “The Six Million Dollar Man,” “Super Friends,” “The Price is Right,” “Chico and the Man,” “Laverne and Shirley,” “The Brady Bunch,” “The Monkees,” “Knight Rider,” “Gunsmoke,” “The Carol Burnett Show,” “Bewitched,” “All In The Family,” “The Waltons,” “The Love Boat,” “Barnaby Jones,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Walker Texas Ranger,” “MASH,” ‘Maude,” “Dynasty,” “Facts of Life,” “Eight is Enough,” “Dallas,” “The Dukes of Hazard,” “Rocky and Bullwinkle,” “Roller Derby,” “The Muppet Show,” “Leave it to Beaver,” “Night Court,” “Donny and Marie,” “Real People,” “H.R. Pufnstuf,” “Romper Room,” “The Newlywed Game,” “Sanford and Son,” “Growing Pains,” “The Banana Splits,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Three’s Company,” “Bonanza,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Wonder Woman,” “The Bob Newhart Show,” “Green Acres,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” “The Rockford Files,” “Match Game,” “One Day at a Time” and “The Pink Panther,” and you begin to have a virtual plethora of small-screen knowledge. (I should note that this is intended as only a partial listing but should help any young person on the way to becoming a wellrounded adult. In other words, soft and pear-like.) I’ll have to tell Sarah about this great idea of mine and show her this list a little later. I have to be quiet right now because we just gave her a bottle and put her down for her afternoon nap. You can contact Wallace at gwallace@bcrnews.com. You can follow him on his blog at http://gregwallaceink.blogspot.com.
6 Life 6 • The Tonica News • Friday, March 28, 2014
Community Third annual Illinois Valley All-Star game March 29 GRANVILLE — On March 29, Putnam County High School will be hosting the third annual Illinois Valley All-Star basketball games. The girls’ game will begin at 5:30 p.m. It will be followed by a co-ed 3-point contest. The boys’ game will begin after the 3-point contest at approximately 7:30 p.m. The games are being sponsored by The Locker Room, Matt Hostetter from Country Financial and the Illinois Valley Community Hospital Center for Physical Rehab and Aquatics. Admission for the evening will be $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors. Boys’ and girls’ coaches from 24 schools surrounding Putnam County were asked to nominate senior players they felt deserved to play in the game. All players nominated were placed on the ballot and coaches and media were then asked to vote on the nominated players. All players participating will receive a plaque and a T-shirt. The teams are split geo-
graphically into a north and south unit. Athletes on the north team are Kaleb Jakse of LaSalle Peru; Jake Schlosser, Nathan Helle and Ryan Condit of Henry; Miguel Villarreal of Hall; and Jose Raya of DePue. Athletes on the south team are Nick Varvil of Midland; Nolan Sokol of Streator; and Harold Fay and Evan Kreiser of Putnam County. On the girls side, the north squad will have Carly Gonet, Daniela Pavlovich, Stephanie Wilson and Venessa Voss of Putnam County playing. On the south squad, local players will include Sydney Foster of Midland; Haley Ruestman of Fieldcrest; and Morgan Sharisky of Streator. Coach for the boys’ north team is Jason Marquis of Bureau Valley. Russ Witte of Seneca will coach the south team for the boys. Coaching the north girls’ team is James Barnett of Putnam County who will be assisted by Jeff Rehn and Jared Sale. The south squad will be coached by Greg Myroth of Peoria Christian and assisted by Norm Ulich.
Illinois Valley Dolphins place 14th at state By Dixie Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. — The Illinois Valley YMCA Dolphins swam in the YMCA State Championships on March 22 and 23 and placed 14th as a team. Any individual who placed 14th or above contributed to points for
the overall team score. Locally, from Wenona, Cody Smith, 12, participated in six events over the two days. Smith took home a 19th place finish in the 50 yard backstroke and a 20th place in the 100 yard backstroke events. Smith also swam the lead off leg in the 200 yard medley relay.
Recruitment Day for Lostant Fire Department LOSTANT — The Lostant Community Volunteer Fire Department and Ambulance will have a Recruitment Day open house from 1 to 4 p.m. April 12 at the fire department, 101 E. First St. Personnel will be on hand to answer any questions. The event will also include live demon-
strations. Food and soft drinks will be provided by the Lostant Cafe. For more information, contact Gabriel Shull, training officer/recruitment and retention, at 815830-4040 or email gjshull@ gmail.com. Those interested must live or work in the Lostant Fire District to become a member.
Lostant United Methodist Church cancels annual event LOSTANT — Due to the water damage at the Lostant United Methodist Church, the annual soup and sandwich supper will not be held this year.
Bringing the crowd to their feet By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
GRANVILLE — They do their best during every game of the basketball season. Both at home and on the road, they make sure the Putnam County fans enjoy the game. Week in and week out, they suit up and go out on the court to give it their best. They’re the Putnam County cheerleaders. Kaitlyn Foley is the first-year cheerleading sponsor but it’s not her first time in the Putnam County cheerleading organization. Foley graduated from PC in 2009 where she was a cheerleader all four years. From there, she went to Western Illinois University in Macomb where she studied elementary education all four years. In addition to molding the cheerleaders into shape, Foley teaches fourth-grade at Putnam County Primary School. “When the old athletic director was here, he told me there was going to be an opening, and I should apply for it since I was also a cheerleader at Western,” Foley said. “I just always really liked cheerleading.” Most of the girls got into cheerleading because it looked fun,
but many found out it was a bit harder than it seemed, which made it more of an accomplishment. “It takes a lot of coordination and practice, but when you’re done, you feel like you’ve really accomplished something,” Nikki Mertel said. In cheerleading, most girls are bases and a few are fliers. As one might expect, the fliers are the girls who are lifted high and perform the aerial maneuvers. You also might expect they wanted to be in that position, but that’s not always the case. “I didn’t want to do it, but I had to suck it up and do it,” Chloe Judd said. “I’ve been cheerleading for two years.” “I was nervous the first time,” McKenna Downey said. “I kinda volunteered. They asked if I would and I said, ‘Sure.’” The fliers are smaller girls usually starting as freshmen; some will continue as fliers but many will become bases in the varsity years. Bases are generally any girl who spends most of their time with their feet firmly planted on the ground. What was sponsor Foley when she was in school? “I was a base,” Foley said. “No way was I going to fly.”
Tonica News photo/Ken Schroeder
Chloe Judd (top), Nikki Mertel (bottom, left), Megan Wink and Olivia Lindstrom practice cheers in the PCPS gymnasium.
Dancing their way through another season By Dixie Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
GRANVILLE — You see them performing throughout the school year. Smiles on their faces, dance moves smooth and kicks coordinated. But the Putnam County Panteras want you to know that they are more than just a collection of pretty faces. The scoop is that to be a Pantera you have to have coordination, athleticism, strong memory skills and the ability to smile no matter how nervous you are. The ‘season’ for a Pantera usually starts in the summer with performances at Fourth of July events and ends with the completion of basketball season. In between there is fundraising, Swing Show and the Little Pantera camp among other things they do. Each Pantera has a different background that she brings to the team. Some have had dance training, some have not. Some were cheerleaders, some were not. But all are surprised at how much work it takes. Monica Monroe, a
senior, has been a Pantera for two years. Before that, Monroe was a cheerleader. “I thought it would be more fun and laid back,” she said. “I found out it was, however you still have to work real hard.” “It’s a lot of work, “ Katie Bernardoni said. “I love the competition, I love it a lot more than I thought I would.” “My sophomore year was the first year we ever competed,” cocaptain Brooke Veronda said. “A lot of girls that come on comment that they didn’t know how much work it would be.” Co-captain Becky Arnold said, “We really get along well as a group, so that helps when the work gets hard.” “When I was in the stands in past years, it looked like there was nothing to it. But they made it look easy. You go to practice and have to do it, then you realize there is a lot more to it,” Katie Alleman said. Choreography is the name of the game when becoming a Pantera. Traditionally members can sign up to create a routine for a performance. Competitions are another thing and
often the team will hire someone to create a routine for them. The Panteras compete at the IHSA level as well as in other events. Highlights from the 2013-14 school year have included performing at the Joliet Slammers baseball game last summer and senior night. At the Slammers game, the girls split into two groups and danced on the dugouts. Other members of the Panteras include: Jackie Ossola, Jackie Davis, Kirsten Davis, Taylor Kreiser, Abble Ossola, Lauren Bernardoni, Ellie Foockle, Rachel Maggio, Ashley Kemp, Paige
Griffith and Emily Whitney. Each spring the current seniors make up a dance to learn for tryouts. Then all applicants have a crash course in learning the routine to perform it in front of judges. If a girl has any other special skills like knowing how to do splits or flips they can also demonstrate that in their audition. Jennifer Garcia is the current Pantera coach who will be resigning at the end of the school year. “It will be hard losing our coach,” Kemp said. “But we are a family. We will be OK.”
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2003 Chevy Monte Carlo $4,595
7 Life Friday, March 28, 2014 • The Tonica News • 7
Library Corner Lostant — April 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29: Families First, a state-funded early childhood grant, is a program for families with children ages birth to 3. It is sponsored by the Oglesby Early Childhood Programs. Children will read stories, sing songs, learn finger plays, do an easy art project and have a snack. The program also includes field trips and parent education meetings. Families First meets from 10 to 10:45 a.m. every Tuesday. LaSalle — April 1 and 8: Storytime Express is an interactive mix of stories complemented with a variety of engaging activities like crafts, flannel boards, rhymes, songs and puppets. It is formatted to introduce children to the library and early literacy skills. The shorter, 30-minute length and fast pace make it perfect for active children with shorter attention spans, and the express is a great way for busy parents to share special times with their children. Time will be set aside to help families find just the right books to checkout. Fun and educational, Storytime Express is a free program, open to the public. Storytime Express will be offered from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Tuesdays. For more information, call 815223-2341. Tail-Waggers is an opportunity to read with therapy dogs and will be hosted at 6 p.m. on April 3 and 24 as well as at 4 p.m. on April 8. Bring an adult and book to read with Tillie, the therapy dog. Kids choose a favorite short book or story and read aloud to Tillie for about five minutes. Kids not yet read-
ing independently are welcome to read to the dog and the group with the help of their adult caregiver. Both the audience and Tillie love the pictures, so even nonreaders can hold up the book to show the illustrations to everyone. To help children feel confident in their reading, they should plan to read from a favorite familiar story. Choose a book from the library or from home. For more information, call the library at 815-223-2341. Join the LaSalle Library at 6 p.m. April 8 for Songs of the American Labor Movement. The folk songs are about the people who built America and their struggle to improve the conditions of their labor. One of the premier autoharpists in the world, Adam Miller is a renowned American folksinger and natural-born storyteller. An accomplished folklorist, historian, musicologist, and song-collector, he has amassed a remarkable repertoire of over 5,000 songs. Miller accompanies his rich, resonant baritone voice with lively finger-picking acoustic guitar and stunningly beautiful autoharp melodies. A masterful entertainer who never fails to get his audience singing along, he has distinguished himself as one of the great interpreters of American folktales and folksongs, and as a performer who appeals to audiences of all ages. This program is made possible through funding from the Alwin C. Carus Trust. This program is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the library at 815-223-2341.
New books at Lostant Library LOSTANT — The Lostant Community Library has added the several new titles to the shelves. For the adult reader, “Second Honeymoon,” the sequel to James Patterson’s 2005 thriller “Honeymoon,” and two books by Iris Johansen — “Taking Eve” and “Silencing Eve” — both from the Eve Duncan series, are now available thanks to a book donation by Lostant resident Jerry Comisky. “Identity Theft” by Anna Davies and “Guitar Notes” by Mary Amato have been added to the young adult section. For the young reader who likes the pictures in books, “One Cool Friend” by Toni Buzzeo is ready for check out. It is the story of Elliot who asks his
father for a penguin as a pet. Patrons should be aware the library hours will be changed for nine days starting next week. The hours will be closed March 28, from 8 a.m. to noon March 29, closed March 30, from noon to 4 p.m. March 31, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 1, closed April 2, from noon to 4 p.m. April 3, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 4. The librarian is also looking for donations of individual craft kits (such as those purchased through Oriental Trading for schools or scouts) and silk flowers of any color or size. These items will be used for the summer reading program. For more information about library hours or making a donation, call 815326-3530.
Manor Court wins major award PERU — Manor Court of Peru has been named among the country’s Best Nursing Homes by the U.S. News and World Report. U.S. News determines its annual rankings through data collected from the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services. The federal agency assigns each nursing center certified by the government a rating of one to five stars through its five-star rating system. This five star rating system was created by Medicare to help consumers, families
and caregivers compare nursing homes based on specific standards. Nursing homes are rated on the following criteria: health inspections, staffing and quality measures. Manor Court of Peru is a five-star facility. Manor Court Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation is part of Liberty Village Retirement Community Campus. For more information or to tour any part of the campus, call 815-224-2200 or visit the website at www.libertyvillageofperu.com.
Fun and learning at the Edible Car Contest at IVCC OGLESBY — High school students dominated the speed competition in the recent Edible Car Contest at Illinois Valley Community College. And while it wasn’t a recordbreaking race, Hall High School took first place for the third year in a row. The fastest car, designed and built by Hall calculus student Taylor Galassi, finished only .01 seconds faster than Ramrod II created by Megan Hewitt, Scott Urnikis, Ty Lenkaitis and Katie Goetsch of Putnam County. LaSalle-Peru and Area Career Center students Riley Stevens, Allie Dickey, and Ross Weber captured third place racing under the name Taters. In what is designed as a team competition, Galassi was allowed to enter on her own. She had been sick and not able to meet with her team as they finalized their entry, but built a car in hopes of being allowed to test it at the contest. While the speed contest continues to be the highlight of the event celebrating National Engineering Week, the 79 participants on 26 teams competed for prizes in nine other categories. The overall winner was a sleek eggplant sporting a graham cracker spoiler built by IVCC math students Tim Negray, Amanda Littlejohn and Nicole Walker. They won firsts in three categories — creativity, most likely to run and a special math category — although they finished in the middle of the pack in speed. The special math category, Schultz’s Scholars, was developed for students enrolled in Cynthia Schultz’s structure of number systems course. Dorene Verucchi Perez, one of the contest orga-
nizers and coordinator of Computer-Aided Design, said, “Our purpose is to demonstrate that STEM, or science, technology, engineering and math, can be creative and fun.” According to participants, the contest succeeded. The major challenge, similar to past years, was figuring out axles and wheels “to make it functional,” as a high school student said. While the cars may have been low tech, the timing mechanism was definitely high tech. Under the guidance of Jim Gibson, electronics program coordinator, electronics students designed, programmed and built a programmable logic controller (PLC) to time speed on the track. The control was connected to a computer running Rockwell automated software. The timing setup utilized a reflective photo eye at the start and finish. Many of the participants said they really enjoyed the teamwork involved and seeing the vehicle work. “It was fun to work together to create something,” said Morgan Phillips of Putnam County. This year, a record 16 high schools participated, with students from Henry-Senachwine entering for the first time. Henry students were advised by chemistry/physics teacher Becky Whited, Hall by math teacher Jill Bruner, Putnam County by science teacher Andrea Skinner, and L-P/ACC by CAD teacher Shawn Schwingle. “Women make up less than 20 percent of the engineering workforce,” she said, explaining that most people believe there is a much higher percentage. “That’s one reason why there is a big push nationally to increase the exposure of young women to STEM.”
Photo contributed
Tiffany Green (from left), administrator, Darcee Fanning, regional manager, and Debra Duffell, director of nursing, are pictured at a recent corporate meeting and annual awards banquet. They were presented with the five-star award along with three other awards earned by Manor Court of Peru.
IVSO ‘Trivia with Friends’ fundraiser UTICA — The Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra will sponsor a “Trivia with Friends” fundraising event on May 2. This event will be held at Celebrations 150 in Utica. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and trivia will begin at 7 p.m. Food will be available for purchase and there will be a cash bar. Also included in the evening is a silent auc-
tion, 50/50 raffle, “Stock the Bar” raffle and prizes. The cost is $10 per person with 6-10 people per table. There are sponsorship opportunities for businesses and individuals as well. For ticket reservations or information regarding sponsorships, contact Jayne Henry at 815-252-1419 or email your request to jaynehenry@netscape.net.
Thursday Club TONICA — The Thursday Club will be meeting at 2 p.m. April 3 in McPherson Hall at the Tonica Methodist Church. Hostess Jackie Gould will present the program on gardening.
Rev. L.L. Henkel scholarship LASALLE — The Rev. L.L. Henkel, a longtime LaSalle resident, established in his will the Rev. L.L. Henkel College Student Undergraduate Trust to benefit the city of LaSalle students. Heartland Bank and Trust Co., as trustee of the Henkel Scholarship Trust, is seeking applications for the 2014 scholarship award.
Application forms and criteria are available at the LaSalle County Regional Superintendent of Schools website, www.roe35.org. All applications and accompanying letters of support must be filed with the LaSalle County Regional Superintendent of Schools by April 30 in order to be considered for the 2014 scholarship award.
Leonore VoLunteer Fire Department
Smoker
Friday, April 4th Doors open at 6 pm Euchre Tournament 7 pm $5 entry Non-tax supported district
8 History/Classifieds 8 • The Tonica News • Friday, March 28, 2014
Putting real life careers into math lessons
Menus Lostant Grade School Breakfast March 31 — Biscuits and gravy, cereal, milk, juice, yogurt. April 1 — Donuts, cereal, milk, juice, yogurt. April 2 — Eggs and bacon, cereal, milk, juice, yogurt. April 3 — Pigs in a blanket, cereal, milk, juice, yogurt. April 4 — Breakfast pizza, cereal, milk, juice, yogurt. Lunch March 31 — Ham roll up, chips, baked beans, peaches, milk. April 1 — Chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, corn, pineapple, milk. April 2 — Pancake, breakfast potatoes, peaches, milk. April 3 — Pasta, lettuce salad, peas, pears, bread butter, milk. April 4 — Pizza, lettuce salad, corn, mixed fruit, milk.
College briefs Schmidt named to dean’s list SPRINGFIELD — Emily Schmidt of Tonica has been named to the University of Illinois Springfield dean’s list for the 2013 fall semester. To qualify for the designation, a student must be an undergraduate who took at least eight graded semester hours and maintained a grade point average of at least 3.75 for the semester.
Miller graduates from ICC EAST PEORIA — Donald Adolph Miller III of Tonica graduated from Illinois Central College with a certificate. He was a part of the more than 800 graduates completed their respective program requirements at Illinois Central College during the Fall 2013 semester.
– Classifieds – General Terms and Policies
- 700 Real Estate For Sale
The Tonica News reserves the right to classify correctly, edit, reject or cancel any advertisement at any time in accordance with its policy. All ads must be checked for errors by the advertiser, on the first day of publication. We will be responsible for the first incorrect insertion, and its liabilities shall be limited to the price on one insertion.
767 • Mobile Home Sales
CLASSIFIED LINE AD & LEGAL DEADLINES: • Friday Paper deadline Friday before by 3pm We Accept Call 815-875-4461 classified@bcrnews.com ********** THE CLASSIFIED Advertising Department of the Tonica News Does not have the opportunity to fully investigate the credibility of each advertiser appearing within these columns. If an offer sounds “too good to be true” it probably is. Proceed with caution if you are asked to send money or to give a credit card number. Proceed with caution in calling 900 phone numbers. All phone numbers prefixed by”900” are charged to the CALLER. Charges may be assessed on a “per minute” basis rather than a “per call” basis. The Tonica News Classifieds makes every effort to qualify these charges for the reader. If you have a concern about an advertiser, please contact: Better Business Bureau 330 North Wabash Chicago, IL 60611 312 832-0500
**************** PUBLISHER'S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call, HUD tollfree at 800 669-9777. The toll-free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 800 927-9275
TONICA TOWN-WIDE GARAGE SALES Will be Friday, May 2nd & Saturday, May 3rd $5 to be on map. Call 815-883-1552 deadline to get on map is April 25.
By Melissa Einhaus Special to The Tonica News
LOSTANT — On Feb. 11, Melissa Einhaus’ math group was visited by the first of, hopefully, many parents who will come to visit the math classroom. Parents were invited to share how they use math on the job. Mrs. Einhaus communicates with the parents about what they do on the job and relates that to the math curriculum. The first guest was Ben Alleman. He works for Mennie Machine Co. A portion of his job entails measuring drilled holes and determining if they are within tolerance levels for a specific part. He helped the math group
Photo contributed
Tracy Daugherty shows the students in Melissa Einhaus’ match group how math is used in physical therapy. set up math expressions which would tell him if a drilled hole was within an allowable range. Students were surprised and challenged at having to set up math operations independently. This lesson was a real eye opener
to many of the students. Setting up real life math problems will be part of how the children are assessed and how they apply math knowledge to real life situations. The next guest was Tracy Daugherty. She
is a physical therapist. She does some work with determining gait speed for mobility measures. She also does a lot to measure physical ability, range of motions, intended physical movement, along with many other things. The students were up and moving, measuring some of their own physical abilities with Daugherty. The students will be working to calculate their own gait speed, along with several real life physical therapist problems. The math group hopes to have many more visitors. Parents should let Einhaus know if they would be willing to come in and share some real life math the students.
IVCC summer registration starts April 1 OGLESBY — Registration for Illinois Valley Community College’s summer session begins April 1 followed by fall registration April 9. Online summer enrollment begins at 8 a.m. April 1 followed by in-person registration at noon while
phone, fax and mail opens at 2 p.m., said Director of Admissions and Interim Associate Vice President for Student Services Mark Grzybowski. Fall enrollment begins online at 8 a.m. April 9 followed by in-person registration at noon and phone, fax and
mail at 2 p.m. Summer/fall schedules are available on campus, at Ottawa Center, select local grocers and online at www.ivcc.edu/schedules. To register online, students need a WebAdvisor account. For help in setting up the account,
visit IVCC’s Computer Resource Center in Room D-201 or go online to www.ivcc.edu/webadvisor. Summer session A begins May 19, session B May 27 and C and D June 11. Ottawa Center’s summer starts May 27.
999 • Legal Notices
999 • Legal Notices
999 • Legal Notices
999 • Legal Notices
CIRCUIT COURT OF THE THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT LASALLE COUNTY, ILLINOIS ESTATE OF ) BERNICE ) ROSPLOCH ) Deceased ) No. 14-P-56 CLAIM NOTICE Notice is given of the death of BERNICE ROSPLOCH. Letters of Office were issued on March 19, 2014, to JAMES F. PYSZKA, 505 Garfield Ave., LaSalle, IL 61301 as Executor whose attorney is John, Balestri, 149 Gooding Street, LaSalle, Illinois 61301. Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Clerk of Court, LaSalle County Courthouse, Ottawa, Illinois 61350, or with the representative, or both, within 6 months from the date of issuance of letters and any claim not filed within that period is barred. Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed. Dated this 19th day of March, 2014. Attorney John Balestri Attorney for Estate 149 Gooding Street
LaSalle, IL 61301 815-223-6600 Published in the Tonica News Mar.28, Apr. 4 and 11, 2014.
NOTICE OF SALE of Property owned by the Village of Tonica and Invitation to Bid Thereon PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT the Board of Trustees of the Village of Tonica, Illinois, will receive sealed bids for the purchase, under the successful bid, of the fee simple interest in the following real property: Outlot three of the Original Town of Tonica excepting the south twenty (20) feet thereof, situated in LaSalle County, Illinois and subject to a water line easement to Village of Tonica which property is generally located at 207 South Peru St., Tonica, Illinois, and is currently vacant property. Bids for the purchase of the aforesaid interest in the above described property are hereby invited and will be received by the Village Clerk at the Tonica Village Hall between the hours of 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on the date above for the opening of bids. Said proposals shall be addressed to: Tonica Village Board of Trustees c/o Village Clerk of Tonica Tonica Village Hall P.O. Box 268 308 Uncas St. Tonica, Il 61370 and shall bear the legend ‘PROPOSAL –SALE OF REAL ESTATE, PERU ST. TONICA, ILLINOIS, and the name and address of the bidder. All bids received will be publicly opened and read aloud at the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Tonica at 7:00 p.m. on April 21, 2014. A contract may be awarded to the highest bidder whose bid is found to be in the best interests of the Village. The minimum bid amount is $9,000.00. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any informalities or irregularities in the bidding. The Board of Trustees further reserves the right to review and study any and all bids and to make a contract award within thirty days after the bids have been opened and publicly read. Copies of the bidding documents may be obtained at the office of the Village Clerk. Heather Sherman, Village Clerk Published in the Tonica News Mar. 14, 21 and 28, 2014.
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT LASALLE COUNTY, OTTAWA, ILLINOIS PROBATE DIVISION ESTATE OF ) DIANA M. GALLUP, ) Deceased. ) No. 2014 - P - 40 CLAIM NOTICE Notice is given of the death of DIANA M. GALLUP of Oglesby, Illinois. Letters of Office were issued on March 4, 2014 to Rita Alafogiannis as Executor and Representative of 436 Clark Street, Oglesby, IL 61348 whose Attorney is Lisa Olivero of Olivero & Olivero Law Offices, 1611 Fifth Street, Peru, IL 61354-2603. Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk, Probate Division, in the LaSalle County Courthouse, 119 W. Madison Street, Ottawa, IL 61350, or with the Representative, or both, within six (6) months from the date of the first publication of this Notice. If a claim notice is mailed or delivered personally to a creditor of the decedent, the creditor’s claim may be filed within three (3) months from the date of mailing or delivery of this notice, or within six (6) months from the date of first publication, whichever is later. Any claim not filed within the time allowed is barred. Copies of a claim filed with the Clerk must be mailed or delivered to the Representative and to the Attorney within ten (10) days after it has been filed with the Clerk of the Court and proof of such mailing or delivery must be filed with the Clerk. ANDREW F. SKOOG CIRCUIT CLERK – LASALLE COUNTY LASALLE COUNTY COURTHOUSE 119 WEST MADISON STREET OTTAWA, IL 61350 ATTORNEY LISA OLIVERO Olivero & Olivero Law Offices Attorney for the Estate 1611 Fifth Street Peru, IL 61354-2603 Phone (815) 224-2030 Fax (815) 224-2900 Published in the Tonica News Mar. 14, 21 and 28, 2014.
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to the legal voters, residents of the Town of Deer Park in the County of LaSalle and State of Illinois, that the Annual Town Meeting of said Town will take place on: Tuesday, April 8, 2014, at the hour of 6:30 o’clock p.m. at the Deer Park Town Hall, 2346 East 1025th Road, Ottawa, IL for the transaction of the miscellaneous business of the said town; and after a Moderator having been elected, will proceed to hear and consider reports of officers, and decide on such measures as may, in pursuance of law, come before the meeting; and especially to consider and decide the following: (1) transfer of funds from one or more funds to other or different funds and (2) authorize the sale of surplus equipment (if any). Dated: March 20, 2014 Rebecca Ceszyk, Township Clerk Published in the Tonica News Mar. 28, 2014.
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