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1 Front Volume 142 No. 17

Friday, April 1, 2016

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E-filing and civil court cases Supreme Court ruling changes how documents are filed By Dave Cook

news@tonicanews.com

TONICA — The decision recently announced by the Supreme Court of Illinois declared that by Jan. 1, 2018, all circuit courts within the state must be filing their civil case court documents electronically. This decision ensures the use of technology in order to make the system function more efficiently. E-filing means documents

may be filed at any time and from any location. Attorneys and self-represented litigants will no longer have to travel to the clerk’s office before the close of business or to the post office to ensure a document is postmarked on time. “This will allow the people of LaSalle County and their counsel, if represented by an attorney, to file cases, or pleadings within their case, 24 hours a

day, seven days a week. They will no longer be required to come into the courthouse or send their documentation through the mail or delivery service, which will save time and money. The vendor or vendors we choose will seamlessly integrate with our court management software allowing greater efficiency within the court system,” said LaSalle County Circuit Clerk Jim Olson.

LaSalle County has already been taking steps toward making sure the transition between methods goes smoothly. “The recent Supreme Court decision is not unexpected. It has been being discussed for a number of years, starting at the federal level and working its way down to the appellate court (mandated for Jan. 1, 2017) and finally at the circuit court level effective Jan. 1, 2018. With the

cooperation of our court software vendor, we have already begun exploring our options for an e-filing vendor. We have begun the necessary steps to file our application with the State of Illinois for both civil and criminal e-filing,” said Olson. These changes, though beneficial, will come at an expense. Courts will have to acquire and arrange for the necessary equipment and technical sup-

port. They will also have to provide space and assistance for self-represented litigants who don’t have access to a computer and are seeking to e-file documents during regular court hours. “Implementing any new system is a challenge, but we have already set the wheels in motion to be up and running prior to January 2018. Behind the

Filing Page 2

Technical/electrical issues discussed at Lostant By Zachary J. Pratt news@tonicanews.com

Tonica News photo/Dave Cook

With the state’s budget impasses, the lack of state dollars impacts the Putnam County Community Center, which is used by several residents in the Tonica/Lostant area.

Feeling the effects of no state budget Putnam County Community Center feels the effect of no state budget By Dave Cook

news@tonicanews.com

STANDARD — The Putnam County Community Center (PCCC) is a small but important link in making sure residents are healthy and in good spirits. Without this community outreach program, there could be people needing assistance, or perhaps just a friendly visit, who wouldn’t receive it. As with many state-funded entities, there are considerable funds being withheld due to the state being unable to pass a budget. The small staff and others involved with the center continue their good work though and are determined to keep it going.

Vol. 142 No. 17 Two Sections - 20 Pages

PCCC Executive Director Michelle Slutz described the funding challenges the center faces. “We receive federal and state funding; but we have to match the federal money, and we have to raise that ourselves through a variety of fundraisers. The federal part of our budget is only a part though. The state owes us $20,000, and some of the core programs we provide like our Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) or our Congregate Meal Program are state-funded, and we’re not getting any money for those. Costs for building maintenance and the monthly utilities are also a large amount,” said Slutz.

Attendance at the many monthly activities and programs has remained steady, but Slutz spoke of the importance of outreach worker Tamara Beaber’s addition to the center last year. “We had Tamara come on board last March as our outreach worker, and she has done a fantastic job of identifying people who have needs and who we previously hadn’t reached in the community. It’s great she’s been finding these people, but it’s also alarming because without her, those people would go without the help they need. Her salary is state-funded. She

No budget Page 2

LOSTANT — The school in Lostant might be possessed, as jokingly suggested by one board member— or it might simply need work done on its electrical systems. Technical issues with the sound and lighting at the school were topics of discussion at the school board meeting Wednesday, March 23. The issue was brought up in relation to the school’s speakers, which were said to make it difficult to hear during events such as plays and ceremonies. Superintendent Sandra Malahy explained the problem is not with the speakers, so much as it is with the other equipment. “It’s not a speaker problem,” Malahy said. “It’s a microphone problem. This is the problem: the microphone we have is called a direct (microphone). It’s not a surround sound.” Malahy said if the school upgrades the microphones, it might also have to acquire new equipment to work with the devices. “It’s a domino effect,” she said. This is not to say there are no issues with the speakers. Malahy said the speakers, when set up, were put at the front of the stage in such a way that students cannot hear what comes out of them until

the sound bounces back, causing a delay. All these upgrades cost money, which is an issue in itself. “We do not have it to spend,” Malahy said. “So it would have to be some sort of donation or fundraiser.” The school’s issues with technology do not stop there. A problem with the lighting was also mentioned. “One day I’ll leave here at midnight, and they’re off; next day I’ll leave here at midnight, and they’re on,” Malahy said before repeating with a slightly different scenario. “I’ll be here at 6:30 and they’re off; next day I’m here at 6:30 and they’re on. “We have had two electricians in,” Malahy said. “No one can find out what is going on with the lights. Everything is goofed up. We don’t know why right now.” “Possessed,” said board member Quillard Skinner. “School’s possessed.” The lighting needs changes too, which means money is again a factor. “I think we’re in for an electrical overhaul,” Malahy said. In other discussion, the board discussed Senate Bill 100, which would make changes in areas relating to student discipline. “Roughly what the state has done,” Malahy said,

Issues Page 3

2 Local

2 • The Tonica News • Friday, April 1, 2016

Seeking Sources

Filing From Page 1

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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scenes, we are working on procedures and policies that will need to be put in place once approval is granted by the state and our vendor(s) are picked. It is an exciting time for the circuit clerk’s office and we are looking forward to all the electronic initiatives that are in the process of being implemented,” said Olson. Background about e-filing in the state of Illinois According to the Supreme Court of Illinois, e-filing was first approved on Sept. 19, 2002, on a pilot basis. The e-filing pilot program took effect in January the following year in Cook, DuPage, Madison, St. Clair and Will counties. Since then, 15 of Illinois’ 102 counties have sought and been granted approval for e-filing.

No budget From Page 1 canvasses the community and has identified highrisk clients, keeps track of them and has helped more people benefit from our services than I can count, and she’s only been here a year. These are people who either didn’t know about our services or couldn’t get to us,” Slutz said. An important part of many of PCCC’s programs is the socialization they provide. There are different programs each month, but also many reoccurring favorites, such as Bingo, cards, music, meals, crafts, movies, adult coloring and storytellers. Some of the different fund raising events the PCCC will hold through-

A major barrier has been the complications that arise from the operation of at least a dozen different case management software systems in the state’s courts. To address this issue, the Supreme Court will require e-filing to occur through a single Electronic Filing Manager (EFM), which will be integrated with each court’s case management system and the attorney-selected e-filing service provider. The exact cost of implementing a statewide e-filing program will not be known until a vendor is selected to provide electronic filing manager services. The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) will issue a request for information to solicit proposals from vendors and is currently studying funding mechanisms used in other state courts utilizing e-filing and exploring alternatives, including new or increased court fees.

out the year are two vendor fairs (the first of which will be held on April 30), raffles, a dinner at Marko’s which will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on April 12, tortellini sales and the Birdies For Charity event. During this event people pledge an amount to be paid for each birdie made during the PGA’s John Deere Classic which will be held this year from Aug. 11 to Aug 14. Donations are always welcome at any time, and this year the PCCC must raise more than $36,000. Slutz said “We always appreciate donations of necessities, but unfortunately what we need the most are financial donations.” For more information call 815-339-2711, 800757-4579 or visit www. pcaservices.org.

Correction In a recent story about the village of Tonica, the price of a new computer for the police was inaccurate. The correct price is $4,300. The Tonica News regrets the error.

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Lostant hears of volcanoes, space exploration By Zachary J. Pratt news@tonicanews.com

LOSTANT — There was an explosive time at the Lostant School Board meeting as students attended to share what they did for projects regarding volcanoes. Students Ryleigh Wilson, Makayla Ritko and Sydney Miller came to the March 23 board meeting to show the members their projects. “They had to pick a volcano and do a Powerpoint slide show and then build a volcano based on the one they did their slideshow on,” teacher Marjorie Archdale said. Wilson did her project on Mount Vesuvius. “I chose that volcano because the eruption in ‘79 BC killed over 70,000 people in one day,” Wilson said. She also noted that “Mount Vesuvius is the most dangerous volcano in the world.” One topic of note is the volcano’s eruption schedule, which indicates it is past time for an explosion. “There have been 70 years of silence from this volcano,” Wilson said, “and it is set to erupt at any time.” Miller and Ritko also presented their joint project, which was on Mount Erebus. They said they chose this particular volcano because it was a revelation. They had not known of any volcanoes in the Arctic before they

“I want to thank the board for letting me go,” Archdale said. “It was amazing.” The purpose of the conference was to help prepare teachers for the job of educating students on the topics of space and space exploration. One of the aspects of this experience was time with teacher flight training with the Civil Air Patrol. “I did not know what it was for beforehand,” Archdale said, “but they hand you a Ziplock bag before you get on the plane.” She soon discovered the bag’s purpose, though, she says, not through first-hand experience. She was also able to see the Mission Control Center, but if the timing had been slightly different, it would have been in use by other people. “There were dignitaries that were on site,” Archdale said, “and those were President Bush Sr. and the president of Italy, to do a downlink with the International Space Station.” The center has also been prepared for another purpose. “They already have the Mission Control Center ready for the Mars missions in 2020,” Archdale said. Archdale hopes the experience has prepared her to better teach the subjects at hand. “I want our kids to know about space and the history of it,” she said. “I remember the Challenger disaster, but our kids are not going to know it.”

started on the project. Their presentation included a brief look at the origin of the name Erebus, which comes from Greek mythology and is essentially a personification of darkness, having, as the students explained, “filled the corners of the world with darkness.” Both of the presented volcanoes are stratovolcanoes, which Wilson described as “a highly scenic and highly deadly type of volcano.” After presenting their projects, the students also brought out their volcano models, in which they then proceeded to induce eruptions. The ingredients of the explosion were listed as baking soda, vinegar, red dye, and soap. According to Archdale, the students who attended the meeting have a lot to do for school and still managed to do exceptional work on the project. “They are also in our enrichment program, so they have all that on top of it,” Archdale said. “These ladies did an impressive job. “Exceptional job,” Archdale said. “That’s why they came to show you this. We wanted you to see the great work coming out of our programs.” In other science-related discussion, Archdale spoke about her trip to the Space Exploration Educators Conference at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

A PJ party: A fun event on a worrisome journey Breast cancer survivors are invited to enjoy an evening of relaxation, fun

By Goldie Rapp news@tonicanews.com

PRINCETON — The Pink Ribbon Club is gearing up to host its second Pink PJ Party at the AmericInn in Princeton on Friday, April 15, and Saturday, April 16. The overnight event brings together breast

cancer survivors from all over the Illinois Valley and provides a fun, relaxing evening for them to kick-back and take a break from the worries and stress endured on their journeys with cancer. The party includes an evening of manicures, pedicures, massag-

es, facials, Reiki therapy, pizza and other fun options for relaxation. There is also a PJ pageant, where participates decorate, coordinate and “bling” their PJs before showcasing them on the grand stairway of the hotel lobby.

PJ party Page 3

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PJ party From Page 2 Sonnie Blocki, Pink Ribbon Club founder, said the club hosts this party to have fun and be silly, just because it feels so good. “Laughter is good for our souls,” she said. “Who didn’t like a good PJ party growing up? It brings back great feelings and creates great memories. Our 2014 participants still talk about the party.” The 2014 event brought together about 25 area survivors, and Blocki is expecting to see about that many again this year. “Some stay overnight and some just come for the night. Whatever makes it fun,” she said. Abbie Cochran of Princeton was one of the attendees in 2014. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2014 at the age of 31. Cochran underwent a double mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation and reconstructive surgery. Her treatments ended in September 2014, and since then, she has been cancer free. Cochran admits she had some hesitations about attending the PJ Party. The day before she had just shaved her head and began wearing a wig. “Then I figured, what better place to debut the new (hair)do than with a bunch of people who can relate. So it was great timing and gave me the confidence I needed to go to other public places,” she said. Cochran said once she was at the party, the worries fell away, and she had a great time. “It was so nice to relax and be pampered after all I had been through. The social time you get with other survivors is invaluable,” she said. “Still being fairly new to my own personal cancer journey, it was important to surround myself with other survivors and to do that in a fun, light-hearted environment.” Cochran highly recommends this event to other survivors needing a night of relaxation and enjoyment. “It’s impossible to leave this event without having fun, being relaxed, pampered, feeling inspired and hopefully with a new friend,” she said. Lorraine Hamilton of Peru was another attendee at the 2014 PJ Party. Hamilton who was diagnosed with Stage 3B Triple Negative Breast Cancer 14 years ago at the age of 45. She had eight chemo treatments over six months, followed by a mastectomy and 33 radiation treatments. She has since been breast cancer, however, five years ago she was diagnosed with a rare leukemia. The diagnosis is an active malignant blood cancer which has remained stable and is currently

Issues From Page 1 “is they have taken a hands-off approach and dumped it on the teachers. I’m concerned about our students who are always ready for class and prepared to learn, and how this will impact their education. “These kids are going to miss out,” Malahy said. “Roughly what they’re going to do is force the schools to pass the children that are being disruptive, just so they can contin-

being monitored. “There was something so wonderful about bonding with a group whose common denominator is cancer, but cancer was never a part of the experience,” she said. “It was so much fun. Still makes me laugh to think about it.” Hamilton said she hopes everyone who attended in 2014 will be back, along with many new survivors from around the area. “It’s great to take a break from cancer no matter what stage of the journey you’re on,” she said. Nancy Jackson of Mendota was diagnosed with Lymphedema in 2011 during her yearly mammogram. It didn’t come as much of a shock to her as she had lost both her mother and brother to cancer, and had watched another brother battle and beat prostate cancer. Today, Jackson is still taking a chemo pill and will do so for two more years. Along her journey with cancer, Jackson met Blocki, who asked her to help start-up the website and support group for the Pink Ribbon Club. “I have the greatest family and friends, but none of them truly get what I and the other breast cancer survivors have gone through and will continue to go through. The women in the Pink Ribbon Club get it. They lived it and continue to live with a certain amount of fear that it will come back, and with the side effects of the surgeries, the chemo and the radiation. We see our scars every time we look in the mirror, and we have a certain amount of scars the human eye cannot see,” she said. Jackson commended Blocki for being so giving of her time for the Pink Ribbon Club. “She is our backbone of our group,” she said. Jackson was also an attendee at the 2014 PJ Party and said it was a blast and a great opportunity to meet and talk with more survivors. “My daughter, Rachel, came with me. At breakfast the next morning, Rachel said, ‘This was so not what I thought it was going to be like. I thought we were going to sit in a circle, tell our sad stories and pass the Kleenex box,’” she said. “There were tears there, but only from laughing so hard.” Jackson hopes more survivors attend this year’s event. She said it’s a great way to know more of the Pink Ribbon Club women at a deeper level. “I really formed deeper relationships at the event, and we still laugh about some of our memories at the meetings now,” she said. The AmericInn of Princeton is donating rooms for the event. Those interested in attending may bring family and friends. RSVPs must be made by Friday, April 8. Email pinkribbonclub@ sbcglobal.net for more information.

ue teaching,” Skinner said. The board also discussed summer school. The summer school does not fit with many notions people might have. “It’s not for kids who struggle in math or reading,” Malahy said. “It’s for everybody.” However, she noted the low enrollment of eight students and said she is not sure they can justify the expenses for that number of students. She had been hoping for closer to 30. “It’s a really laid back atmosphere,” Malahy said. “It’s not

SBA deadline nears for flood aid Applications due April 12

ATLANTA — The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small aquaculture businesses and private nonprofit organizations in Illinois that April 12 is the deadline to apply for a working capital disaster loan due to excessive rain and flooding beginning on June 1, 2015. The loans are available in all counties in Illinois except for Lake; the counties of Clinton, Des Moines, Jackson, Lee, Louisa, Muscatine and Scott in Iowa; and Cape Girardeau, Clark, Jefferson, Lewis, Lincoln, Marion, Mississippi, Perry, Pike, Ralls, Saint Charles, Saint Louis, Saint Louis City, Sainte Genevieve and Scott in Missouri. “When the Secretary of Agriculture issues a disaster declaration to help farmers recover from damages and losses to crops, the Small Business Administration issues a declaration to eligible entities affect-

debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred. The loans are not intended to replace lost sales or profits. Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https:// disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@ sba.gov. Loan applications can be downloaded from www. sba.gov/disaster. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155. Completed loan applications must be returned to SBA no later than April 12.

DNR hunter safety course scheduled PUTNAM — Area residents will have an opportunity to learn basic principles of safe hunting at a Department of Natural Resources hunter safety course on Friday, April 15, and Saturday, April 16, at the Putnam County Conservation District, Senachwine Unit, Putnam. The class will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on

Saturday. A 1996 state law requires that all hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1980, successfully complete the hunter education course before they can receive their first hunting license. Participants completed the course receive a Hunter Education Certification card verifying that they have passed the course of instruction.

The minimum 10-hour course includes instruction in wildlife management, firearms safety, hunter ethnics, game identification, first aid, survival techniques and regulations. For more information about the course, call Randy Witko at 815-437-2070, or the Putnam County Conservation District at 815-882-2319.

Illinois State Police announces Roadside Safety Check to be conducted LASALLE — The Illinois State Police (ISP), District 17, will conduct a Roadside Safety Check (RSC) in LaSalle County during the month of April, according to Lt. Jon Dively. The ISP has zero tolerance for impaired driving in Illinois. Officers working this detail

like normal school at all.” Also, the board had previously discussed and approved the sale of working cash fund bonds, looking at the possibility of a tax freeze. Will Glass of First Midstate came to the meeting, bringing paperwork with him to finalize the decision. “The bonds were sold, and they were purchased locally by the Illini State Bank,” Glass said. Malahy said Illini State Bank has been very kind for the school. “If you see the interest rate they’re going to charge us— 4 percent — is a phenomenal

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ed by the same disaster,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East in Atlanta. Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of this disaster. With the exception of aquaculture enterprises, SBA cannot provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers or ranchers. The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates of 2.625 percent for private nonprofit organizations and 4 percent for small businesses, with terms up to 30 years. The SBA determines eligibility based on the size of the applicant, type of activity and its financial resources. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition. These working capital loans may be used to pay fixed

will be watchful for drivers who are operating vehicles in an unsafe manner, driving with a suspended or revoked driver’s license, transporting open alcoholic beverages or driving under the influence. Alcohol and drug impairment is a significant factor in nearly 40 percent of all

rate.” In other business, a sixthgrade field trip will take the students to Imagine U Studio in Spring Valley. “They will spend the morning learning foundational painting techniques,” Malahy said. “I think it’s a great idea.” Meanwhile, the kindergarten through fifth-grade classes are using another tactic. “Because our classes are so small in those lower grades,” Malahy said, “the teachers met and decided to combine the classes and go somewhere for

fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois. RSCs are designed to keep roads safe by taking dangerous DUI offenders off the road. This project is funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Transportation Safety.

all the kids.” The chosen location is the Peoria Riverfront Museum. Malahy said the trip will be funded by the parent-teacher organization. Also at the meeting, Randy Freeman of the LaSalle County Board spoke briefly to the board about an initiative from the Tri-County Opportunities Council — the Grandparents Program. This program helps schools by bringing in grandparents to help. Freeman said he can get the board more information.

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4 Perspective

4 • The Tonica News • Friday, April 1, 2016

The Editorial Page The Tonica News Sam R Fisher

Terri Simon

Publisher

Editor

Shredded It’s an interesting machine, to say the least. Born out of the need to protect oneself from others, I assume. It’s that relatively inexpensive gadget that eats paper, allowing you to feed it sheet after sheet, and then shreds each piece into oblivion. A paper shredder. Yet another invention I wish I’d thought of, which falls in line right behind paper towTerri els, plastic liners for Simon your slow cookers, Band-Aids for AfriCOMMENTARY can Americans and a whole plethora of other common sense items. While my paper shredder overheats and shuts down for a while after it’s had enough, I’m surprised at how many people actually own one of these machines. With identity theft being a constant worry for all of us (if it’s not, it should be), a paper shredded keeps those bandits from piecing together bits and pieces of your life, including account numbers, addresses and more. I mean really ... I guess if someone wanted to steal your identity and then spent the next 10 years attempting to piece together those little shreds of paper, I’d almost applaud them for their efforts. Thus, the need for a personal paper shredder. It’s the time of year when we are going through a ton of old papers. It’s a tedious job, and not one I enjoy in the least. There are about a million other things I’d rather be doing, but with identity thieves creeping among us and a household that keeps getting fuller and fuller, the need to purge is upon us. Like my grandfather and my mother, I am a saver, so throwing anything away isn’t in my nature, not to mention the permanency of shredding something and destroying it forever. It’s difficult for me, but it has to be accomplished. The filing cabinets are only so big, you know. (Just for the record, though, I could never be featured on an episode of “Hoarders.”) So back to the shredding — financial documents, tax returns, medical information, old bills, anything that has personal information on it, which is a ton of stuff. It’s surprising really, how much one can stow away. And I don’t know about you, but there’s that little fear buried deep within my soul that knows the minute these sheets of paper become shredded into a bazillion pieces ... well, that’s the exact moment I’m going to need it. But I suck it up and look the other way ... and the shredding continues. While it clearly is a hassle — patiently feeding sheet after sheet into this monster’s mouth — I have to admit there’s more to this than just the act of destroying sheets of paper. I know this will sound a bit weird, but shredding old documents from the past is a tremendously cleansing experience. Not only do you have the opportunity to study things that happened years ago, the bigger advantage is the chance to rid yourself of the burden of those documents and move forward. I guess what I’m saying is there are more benefits than just extra room in the filing cabinets. When you shred those old items, they are gone forever, never ever to clutter your mind again. It’s nice. As I was sitting there in front of that shredder the other day, I had this epiphany. Wouldn’t it be great if we had our own personal shredder built into our heads and our hearts, where we could destroy all those things in our lives that tend to eat away at us? Those things that clutter our lives, much like those papers clutter our homes — just feed those thoughts and issues into the mouth of the monster ... and POOF ... gone forever, never ever to haunt us again. What a great contraption that would be! While I have to assume the negative things that eat away at us are there for a reason, I think at some time we have to move forward and let them go, allowing that now proverbial shredder to destroy those thoughts so we can make room in our lives for more productive ones. We tend to be a society that holds on to too much, I think — grudges, words said without thinking, unkind situations ... I could go on and on. I guess I have to wonder just how much better off we would be if we allowed ourselves to let go now and then ... Tonica News Editor Terri Simon can be reached at tsimon@tonicanews.com.

I’ll fold The other day, I was watching a scintillating episode of “Swamp People.” For those of you who are unfamiliar with the premise of this fine program, it’s one of those “reality” television shows that follows a bunch of alligator hunters down in the swamps of Louisiana. I don’t know why it interests me so much. It’s basically a bunch of hairy, smelly-looking men and women that go out in little flat-bottomed boats, talking in some sort of subtitled Cajun gibberish, operating firearms that tend to not work very well. It always ends up with someone shouting “Shoot ‘im! Shoot ‘im!,” and then they haul a dead alligator into the boat. It’s more like I “monitor” the show instead of “watch” the show because I’m just waiting for the one time when the alligator wins. Well, the other day I was “monitoring” a marathon of the program for a couple of intense hours. It was at a critical juncture when my wife decided to interrupt my viewing pleasure. How did she do this you are probably asking yourselves right about now? Throughout the past 25 years of wedded bliss, she has created several different ways to inhibit my well-intentioned television-watching plans. Among these have been, “Honey, the washing machine is off-balance again.” or, “Get in here! The toilet is doing weird things!” or possibly my personal favorite, “ Hey! I don’t think the yard’s going to mow itself!!” Remarkably, she is under the foolish notion that I have the power, ability or desire to deal with any of these situations. But the other day, she went back to one of her tested, tried and true ways of taking me away from my beloved television. She plopped a load of clothes on the floor right in front my reclined visage. They had just come out of the dryer, and evidently, my wife thought I apparently had enough free time that I could fold the laundry. As I mentioned, she has used this

Greg Wallace COMMENTARY ploy many, many times to ruin my television-viewing pleasure throughout the past quarter-century. The last episode of “Seinfeld” was practically ruined by a load of brightly-colored shirts and blouses, and many of the Chicago Bulls six championships were obscured by white sweat socks that were in dire need of being grouped together. Being the sensitive guy that I am, I can usually tell how badly she wants the garments folded by the way in which she drops the pile of laundry. The height at which she drops the clothes basket is a dead giveaway. If she raises the basket above her head before she releases it means she would like them folded in the very near future. Proximity is also a clue. If my body is in any way covered by the clean, warm garments, I’m fairly sure that folding is in my immediate future. The other day, when she wrecked “Swamp People,” she decided to sit down on the couch and help fold. Guilt is another one of her devilish, crafty tricks. Now even though I’m a soft-hearted soul that will gladly do my part when I’m absolutely forced to, there are still some things I will try to get out of when folding clothes. Socks. Folding socks just seems like a waste of time that could be better spent rooting for alligators. I will attempt to stay away from any kind of underwear, especially my own. I know where it’s been and what it’s been through. My daughter has these weird shirts that have this strange inner- and outer-layer thing going on that I always manage to get tangled up. I don’t like to fold anything that has a collar. Those things should go on a hanger anyway. Pants

are easy so I usually like to leave those for my wife and daughter. That’s the kind of guy I am. That pretty much leaves me with the towels. I would venture to guess that I am possibly one of the best towel-folders east of the Mississippi. I have always prided myself on my innate ability to fold a towel like no other. I’ve listed this talent on job résumés. So there we sat in front of the soft glow of televised alligator-death, my wife and I — me with the towels, her with everything else, preparing to fold laundry like there was no tomorrow. As I picked up the royal-blue terry cloth fabric and started in on the first towel, she looked at me from the couch and in a slightly snotty voice told me, “You’re doing it wrong.” After I got my blood pressure to go back down, I calmly and politely asked the know-it-all evil woman, “Why whatever do you mean, dear?” She replied, “They don’t fit in the linen closet the way you do it.” Miss Smarty-Pants then proceeded to show me how she folds towels so that they “fit” properly. I didn’t want to make fun of her crazy, possibly drug-addled ways, but I did point out several issues regarding molecular physics that say the towel is the same size no matter which way you fold the darn thing. It takes up the same amount of space no matter what. Sometimes you just have to push it in the closet a little harder. However, being the benevolent chap that I am, in order to make the cantankerous old lady happy, I folded the towels the way she wanted me to even though I think the whole world can see that my way is better in every conceivable fashion. If you don’t agree with me, I’ll show you my résumé. You can contact Greg Wallace at gregwallaceink7@gmail.com. You can follow him on his blog at http:// gregwallaceink.blogspot.com.

Letters policy 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 Bureau County Republican contacts the author of the letter to verify the signature. The Bureau County Republican reserves the right to edit or refuse any Letter to the Editor.

5 Life

Friday, April 1, 2016 • The Tonica News • 5

Community ‘Don’t Dress for Dinner’ auditions announced STREATOR — Community Players of Streator Inc. announces auditions for its second production of the 2016 season, “Don’t Dress for Dinner.” With his wife out of town, an alibi from his best friend and a gourmet chef to add culinary spice, Bernard has the perfect romantic evening planned for his French mistress — or so he thinks. Hidden identities and outrageous infidelities and expose in Marc Camoletti’s sequel to “Boeing –Boeing.” Director Doug Bartelt will hold auditions at Engle Lane Theatre in Streator at 7 p.m. Friday, April 1, and

2 p.m. Saturday, April 2, in the rehearsal hall. Roles to be cast include: Bernard, male, age 40-60; Jacqueline, female, age 40-60; Robert, male, age 40-60; Suzanne, female, age 20-40; George, male, age 20-60; and Suzette, female, age 20-60 with a French accent. Bartelt notes this is a fast-paced farce with some physical requirements with all cast members, including but not limited to falling, running, tripping and more. No previous theatrical experience is required, and auditions are open to anyone. Those wishing to read the script

prior to auditioning may contact the director at 815674-2633. Rehearsals will begin later in April, with production dates set for June 12-18. Rehearsal schedules will be available at auditions, so come prepared with a list of any conflicts. Those who cannot make the audition dates and would like to make alternate arrangements may contact the director. Season tickets are currently available for Engle Lane’s 2016 season by calling the box office manager at 815-672-4066. Prices begin at just $60 for all six shows.

Annual spaghetti dinner on April 4 LASALLE — Lighted Way and Uptown Grill will co-sponsor the annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser on Monday, April 4, at Uptown Grill in LaSalle. Dinner will be served

from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Tickets may be purchased from Lighted Way by calling the school at 815-2241345 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets can also be

purchased at the door that night. The donation for the dinner will be $8. Carry-outs will be available. The chairman for the dinner is Jane Duncan Wamhoff.

Photo contributed

IVCC ‘70s Night organizers at Senica’s Deer Park.

Annual ‘70s Night party set for April 8 OGLESBY — The Illinois Valley Community College Foundation will take guests back 40-plus years at its second annual ‘70s Night Party at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 8, at Senica’s Deer Park Golf Club northeast of Oglesby. Master of ceremonies Mike Riley of Frankfort will again bring ‘70s music, video, classic memorabilia and funky dance moves to the event. Guests will have the opportunity to bid on dozens of live and silent auction items such as tickets to major and minor league sports, comedy clubs, concerts, restaurants, plays, zoos, museums and local artworks. Special items include Chicago White

Sox and St. Louis Cardinals tickets, “Corks for a Cause Wine-pull,” an award-winning lasagna dinner by IVCC’s Lorri Foockle and a package including an HD TV, DVD player and complete “That ‘70s Show” series. In addition, a pair of custom-designed metal guitar barstools constructed by IVCC MIMIC students will be auctioned, and every guest will be eligible to win two tickets to see Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart at the iWireless Center in Moline May 17. Tickets are $25. For information, contact alumni coordinator Janice Corrigan at 815-224-0253 or janice_corrigan@ivcc. edu.

ATTENTION READERS: Sauk Valley Media and Bureau County Republican are publishing a

QUILTED BARN BOOK Photo contributed

Communitywide free meal Dianna Ioerger, Norma Lightle and Tina Lund try out the hot dog grill in preparation for the communitywide free meal on Friday, April 8, at the Lostant Firehouse. The menu will include barbecue, hot dogs, chips and drink. The event, sponsored by the Tonica, Lostant and Richland United Methodist churches, will also include a puppet play, fashion show with items from Closet of Hope and vacation Bible school sign up.

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6 Life/Classifieds

6 • The Tonica News • Friday, April 1, 2016

Tonica kindergarten

pre-registration announced

Amy Decker

Hope Scholarship established at IVCC OGLESBY — Illinois Valley Community College alumnus Amy Decker of Ottawa has established a scholarship at the college to offer hope and financial assistance to single mothers. The Hope Scholarship is a $1,000 annual award for full- or part-time single female parents with children at home. Beginning this fall, recipients will receive $500 each semester for tuition and books. Decker, a graphic designer and marketing assistant at MCS Advertising in Peru, graduated from IVCC’s graphic design technology program in 2013. While at IVCC, Decker was the recipient of Foundation scholarships and vowed to one day create her own award to assist other young women who were facing the same challenges she was enduring. Today, she is raising two sons, age 15 and 12. “I am just a single mom paying it forward for the

scholarships I received while attending IVCC a few years ago. My decision was prompted by Todd Volker’s ethics class assignment to write our own obituary,” Decker said. “If it weren’t for the negative life-changing things that happened the last decade of my life, I would have missed out on a lot of positives. When I was starting this transition into single motherhood and not wanting to be disappointed, I was reminded, ‘Hope does not disappoint.’ Hope has been my favorite word since. I have hope for brighter days, even when they are not always so bright,” she added. IVCC Development Director Fran Brolley said, “Amy is a remarkable, hard-working and giving individual. Her award will offer significant help to single mothers who face many obstacles.” For information about establishing an IVCC Foundation scholarship, call Brolley at 815- 224-0466.

TONICA — Tonica Grade School will hold kindergarten pre-registration for the 2016-17 school year from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, April 7, and Friday, April 8, in the school office. A certified birth certificate and social security card is needed for registration. A child must be 5 years old on or before Sept. 1 in order to enter kindergarten. All new kindergarten students entering the school district for the first time must have a newly completed physical, including a diabetes screening, an eye exam completed by a licensed optome-

trist or ophthalmologist, a lead screening and dental exam. All exams and immunizations must be current/completed in order for the student to enter school on the first day of class in August. All necessary forms will be available at the school office and on line at the school website at www.tonicagradeschool.org. For more information, call the school office 815-442-3420. It is very important to register children so the school can plan for the coming year. If you are unable to attend either of those day, call and let them know your child will be enrolling.

AARP Smart Driver Course will be offered OTTAWA — The AARP Driver Safe Program, a classroom driver refresher course designed especially for drivers age 50 and over, will be offered at the Bridges Senior Center from noon to 4 p.m. Monday, April 11, and Tuesday, April 12. This program aims to help community members retain their driving competency, learn driving strategies, understand the effects of aging on driving, reduce the chance of having an accident and know

when to retire from driving. At completion of this course, participants will receive a certificate that can be presented to their automobile insurance holder that may entitle them to a discount. Participants must attend both days of the class and register with Bridges Senior Center by calling 815-431-8034. There is a fee of $15 for AARP members and $20 for non-members; payable on the first day of class for the instruction book and materials.

Menus and Activities 7 — 9 a.m., Tai Putnam County Chi;April12:45 p.m., Bingo; 1:30 p.m., open cards. Community April 8 — 9 a.m., Forever Fit; 10 a.m., family Center April 4 — Meatballs in gravy, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, apricots. April 5 — Barbecue on bun, baked beans, coleslaw, chips and dip, yogurt with bananas, dessert. April 6 — Fish square, au gratin potatoes, cucumbers, tomato and onion in vinegar, baked apples. April 7 — Meatloaf, au gratin potatoes, corn, rolls and butter, applesauce, dessert. April 8 — Ham salad on wheat bread, diced potatoes, three bean salad, pineapple chunks. Bread, butter, fruit juice and 2% milk are available with meals. For reservations, call 800-757-4579 24 hours in advance of the day’s meal. The menu is subject to change. Meals are available to senior citizens 60 plus at no cost, but donations are appreciated. The meal program is partly funded by donations, so they have a suggested donation of $5 per meal. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m.

Bridges Senior Center April 4 — 9 a.m., Tai Chi; 10 a.m., Sewing Circle; 12:45 p.m., Bingo; 1:30 p.m., open cards. April 5 — 9 a.m., Forever Fit; noon, advisory board meeting. April 6 — 9 a.m., Forever Fit.

caregiver support; 1 p.m., Wii bowling. The Bridges Senior Center is a congregate meal site. Meals, provided by Voluntary Action Center, are served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday for a suggested donation of $3.50. A 24-hour advance reservation is required. For more information, call 815-431-8034.

Lostant Grade School Breakfast April 4 — Pancakes with syrup, yogurt, cereal, fruit and juice. April 5 — Breakfast toast, yogurt, cereal, fruit and juice. April 6 — Blueberry bagel, yogurt, cereal, fruit and juice. April 7 — Ham and cheese omelet, yogurt, cereal, fruit and juice. April 8 — Cereal and yogurt, fruit and juice. Lunch April 4 — Sloppy Joe on bun, chips, green beans, applesauce, milk. April 5 — Bosco sticks, cauliflower and broccoli, fruit cocktail, milk. April 6 — Cheese pizza, peas and carrots, peaches, milk. April 7 — Turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, watermelon, milk. April 8 — No lunch, 11:45 a.m. dismissal.

••• Items for the Community section can be emailed to news@tonicanews.com.

–––––––––––––––––––– Classifieds –––––––––––––––––––– General Terms and Policies 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. CLASSIFIED LINE AD & LEGAL DEADLINES: • Friday Paper deadline Friday before by 3pm We Accept Call 815-875-4461 classified@bcrnews.com

- 200 Employment 228 • Help Wanted Looking for: COOKS, WAIT STAFF & DRIVERS. Apply within: Alfano's, 115 West St. Paul Street, Spring Valley, IL

232 • Business Opportunities ********** 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

PROMOTE JOB OPENINGS We can help get your business fully staffed. Call 815-875-4461

- 400 Merchandise

450 • Under $1000

************ HAVE SOMETHING TO SELL?

1 steel horizontal barrel stand, $10; galvanized 1520 gallon water feed trough, $10 each. Call 815-643-2340 150 license plates for IL & MI, 1- IA, $200/offer; secretary desk, $50; walnut table, 2'x4', $20. Call 815-546-2677 25 gallon CNL sprayer. Countyline (TSC). Like new. $100. Call 815-875-4461

Put your ad in for FREE Items $1,000 or less can run FREE for 1 time. Limit of 5 lines. Up to 3 items with price and price totaling under $1,000. 1 ad per household per week. No commercial ads, firearms or animal sales.

28' tri tower, TV aerial, like new $125; (6) 9' heavy end posts, $15 each. Call 815-638-2662

E-mail information to: classified@ bcrnews.com (include your name, address & phone number)

SELL STUFF RIGHT HERE!

No Phone Calls!

72" TV cabinet, holds 40" screen, $100; 20' used counter top, light gray formica, $75; electric range $15. 815-343-6523

ADVERTISE YOUR VEHICLE SALE HERE! In the Classified. Just call 815-875-4461.

Love seat $40; oak triple dresser 9 drawers & mirror, $60. Call 815-879-8001 Vintage cast brass cannonball andirons $75; glass and metal bird lamp $20; classical record sets $3 each. 815-869-3054 White wicker bar with 2 stools, never used, $250. Call 815-875-2162

451 • Free FREE Piano you pickup. Call 815-343-6523

DO YOU HAVE A PLACE TO SELL? The Bureau County Republican Classified can help you find the right person to move in.

- 700 Real Estate For Sale 767 • Mobile Home Sales **************** 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

E-mail items for sale to:

classified@bcrnews.com

Friday, April 1, 2016 • The Tonica News • 7 999 • Legal Notices

999 • Legal Notices

CIRCUIT COURT OF THE THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT LASALLE COUNTY, ILLINOIS ESTATE OF ) SECONDENA ) BALESTRI ) DECEASED ) No. 16-P-49 CLAIM NOTICE Notice is given of the death of Secondena Balestri. Letters of office were issued on March 8,

2106 to John Balestri, 721 Edwards Avenue, LaSalle, IL 61301 and William Balestri, 621 Edwards Avenue, LaSalle, IL 61301 as Co-Administrators whose attorney is John Balestri, 149 Gooding Street, LaSalle, IL 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 8th day of March, 2016.

John Balestri Attorney For Administrator 149 Gooding Street LaSalle IL 61301 Phone: 815-223-6600 Published in the Tonica News March 18, 25 and Apr. 1, 2016.

ESTATE OF ) EDWARD ) KRYSTOFEK, ) DECEASED. ) NO. 16-P-59 PUBLICATION FOR CLAIMS CLAIM NOTICE Estate of EDWARD K R Y S T O F E K , Deceased. Notice is given of the death of EDWARD KRYSTOFEK of Oglesby, Illinois. Letters of office were issued

on March 22, 2016, to LAURIE KRYSTOFEK, 111 Church Street, Oglesby, IL 61348 and to SHARON KRYSTOFEK, 528 N. Columbia Avenue, Oglesby, IL 61348 . Claims against the estate may be filed with the office of the Circuit Clerk, Probate Division, LaSalle County Courthouse, Downtown Courthouse, Ottawa, IL 61350, or with the rep-

resentatives, 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. Jim Olson Clerk of the 13th Judicial Circuit Court Ottawa, Illinois

Published in the Tonica News Apr. 1, 8 and 15, 2016.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT LASALLE COUNTY, ILLINOIS

BIDS Acquiring bids for Mowing for the Village of Tonica. Inquire @ Public Works Dept. 815442-3101. Published in the Tonica News Apr. 1, 2016.

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2B • Spring 2016

Ag Matters

Nine minutes to an education Bureau County Ag Fair runs like a well-oiled machine

Shaw Media photo/Dave Cook

Students learned about farm safety and the functions of different buildings and equipment on a typical farm during their nine minutes at this University of Illinois Extension and 4-H sponsored station.

By Dave Cook

On the cover

Princeton FFA member Zach Read took part in the recent Bureau County Ag Fair at the Bureau County Fairgrounds on March 17. Read shared what he’s learned about the care of goats with the county’s fourth-grade students. Other animals the students learned about at the animal stations were pigs, cattle, horses, donkeys, chickens and rabbits.

Shaw Media Service

PRINCETON — The two-minute warning expired; a cow bell rang in the distance. The students stood and quickly followed their guide to the next station. There, they’d stay for the next nine minutes, their new instructor imparting as much information as possible concerning one of the many facets of Illinois’ agricultural landscape. On March 17, Bureau County fourth-graders were fortunate enough to be a part of the 22nd annual Bureau County Ag Fair held at the Bureau Coun-

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ty Fairgrounds in Princeton. The Ag Fair is a day-long event at which students make timed, nine-minute stops at 14 different stations. These stations taught the children about dairy, embryology, safety, pork, corn, seeds, conservation, beef, soybeans, wheat, technology, equipment, large animals and small animals. Jill Frueh, manager of the Bureau County Farm Bureau, said, “We’ve been doing this for so long, it runs very smoothly now. We owe so much to our volunteers who help make this possible. They do a wonderful job teaching the students about the different parts of agriculture in Illinois.”

The Farm Bureau Women’s Committee and the Bureau County Ag Coalition Committee started the Ag Fair. The Women’s Committee handles the organizing process, and the Ag Coalition members then handle the planning of their individual presentations. Any considerations for changes come through observation of the event, teachers’ input and suggestions from the volunteers. The planning process begins about five months in advance, and the committee works with local businesses, farmers, state and county commodity groups, the

Ag Fair Page 3B

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Spring 2016 • 3B

Ag Matters

Ag Fair From Page 2B University of Illinois Extension, FS, the Soil, Water and Conservation District, local FFA members and Gateway. Volunteers are recruited, 75 in all, to serve as presenters, time-keepers, bus directors, goodie bag distributors and several other positions which help keep the fair running as smoothly as possible. “Ag Fair is the best kept secret in Bureau County,” a teacher attending the event said. This year more than 375 students from 19 classrooms attended the Ag Fair. Presentations throughout the event were well organized, clever and engaging. Students learned about soil conservation through a game show style format. While learning about farming equipment students were able to see precisely how seeds moved through the machinery and into the soil and also how sprayers make their applications to crops. The wheat and corn stations each had a wide range of everyday items containing products from the different grains. Another station used a small scale model of a farm to teach students about safety, how farms are laid out and the different uses for each building and piece of equipment. Students visiting the animal stations were able to talk with and ask questions of local FFA students about the care involved with each different animal. There were rabbits, chickens, sheep, goats, bucket Shaw Media photo/Dave Cook calves, a donkey, a piglet, a horse and a cow. There was also plenty of petting available. Keith Burkman (left) and Mark Miller used their nine minutes to give each class an informative and visual demonstraBeth Schultz, chairman of the Ag Fair, said “This tion of farm equipment, its purpose and safety concerns. Students learned how corn is planted, about the technological event and the work of our volunteers, who all do features of modern tractors and how chemicals are efficiently applied to crops. such a great job, teaches our children how important agriculture is to Illinois and helps provide them with an understanding of the many different parts of the farming in our communities.”

Shaw Media photo/Dave Cook

Jill Frueh (left), manager of the Bureau County Farm Bureau and Beth Schultz, chairman of the Ag Fair, both Shaw Media photo/Dave Cook commented on how smoothly the event runs after 22 years and of how much its success depends on the work of the When students visited the animal stations they not only learned about the care needed for each animal, but were also able to interact with them. Here, Princeton FFA member Aaron Sears shows the students one of his sheep. 75 volunteers involved.

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4B • Spring 2016

Ag Matters

From the crop to the tank ... Marquis Energy hits 1 billion gallon milestone By Dave Cook Shaw Media Service

HENNEPIN — Since April 20, 2008, Marquis Energy has been producing ethanol in Putnam County. Seven and one-half years later, through the continuous enhancement of their production method, the team at Marquis Energy — approximately 150 people, reached the milestone of having produced one billion gallons of ethanol. Everyone knows it’s an ethanol plant and has seen the endless parade of trucks traveling to and from the facility or the barges regularly working their way down the river, but what about having an understanding of what actually happens there? Marquis Energy produces more than just ethanol. The process of making ethanol creates additional opportunities for marketable products. They also make use of every advantage Putnam County has to offer an industry located within its borders: Easy interstate access, rail roads, the Illinois River and manpower from throughout the area. Jeff Peterson, president and director of risk management, said, “That’s our strength here, the logistics. Being located on the Illinois River is a huge key to our success.”

The process

The transition from corn to ethanol begins as the corn, from as far away as 60 miles, is loaded into one of the roughly 300 to 400 trucks per day traveling into the plant. Those trucks deliver a total of 300,000-400,000 bushels of corn per day. After being weighed at the entrance, the corn is unloaded and directed into storage silos. The plant can store up to 2.4 million bushels, enough for approximately six to seven days worth of ethanol production. After the corn is taken out of storage, it travels by conveyor to the hammer mill where it’s ground into a flour. From there, the flour is mixed with water and enzymes to create a mash that begins the chemical process of breaking down the starch into simple sugars. This helps prepare the corn for efficient fermentation, and optimized fermentation leads to increased yield and profitability. The mix enters a slurry tank for retention time to allow the enzymes time to work. The corn mash absorbs heat from the 200-degree cook water, so to maintain the optimum 185 degree temperature for the enzymes, the mixture travels through steam-powered jet heaters. The heat provides a physical process of breaking down the starch. Andy Rowe, process manager, said, “After more retention time and enzymes, an operator will send yeast into the tank and let it grow and reproduce for about eight hours before we fill the fermentation tank with the mash

Shaw Media photo/Dave Cook

Calvin Tussey, process board operator at Marquis Energy, is able to monitor every aspect of the corn to ethanol fermentation process from his station at the Hennepin ethanol plant. Marquis Energy took seven and one-half years to produce 1 billion gallons of ethanol. With the addition of its new facility, the company expects to reach the 2 billion milestone by 2020. mixture.” Fermentation is the biological process which converts sugars into cellular energy, producing ethanol and carbon dioxide as a result. Some ethanol plants sell the carbon dioxide to industries which have a need for it, such as beverage companies, providing the plant with another product and revenue source. “We don’t sell our CO2, the logistics for us to reach a viable market do not work out favorably, so we do not market it,” said Peterson. Marquis’ typical fermentation time is about two days. “You might hear in the alcoholic beverage industry of fermentation times of weeks or months, but we don’t

Marquis Energy Page 5B

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Spring 2016 • 5B

Ag Matters

Marquis Energy From Page 4B have that kind of time. We add a lot to help it out, enzymes and yeast propagation come into play,” Rowe said. When the fermentation process is finished the mixture is typically 16 percent alcohol by weight. From one of the 16 fermentation tanks, the blend travels through three columns of distillation. Distillation is the action of purifying a liquid through a process of evaporation and condensation. “One separates the liquids from the solids, which then go to a different part of the plant. The other two columns refine the liquids into 190 proof alcohol, the most you can distill before you start to boil off too much water. To get to 200 proof (or 100 percent alcohol) we use molecular sieves. They’re big enough for water molecules, but not for ethanol. We put it under pressure, and it gets squeezed through and removes the last 5 percent of water. The water removed goes back into the distillation process. The ethanol is also denatured with gasoline to make it unfit for consumption,” Rowe said. The separated solids are sent to the dryer building where they travel through a centrifuge. After the centrifuge the solids are a wet cake called wet distillers grains with solubles (WDGS) with an approximately 60 percent moisture level and are usable as animal feed. Due to the level of moisture and chance for spoilage, the WDGS is not suitable for export and typically remains in the local area. The solids designated for export leave the centrifuge

Marquis Energy Page 6B

Shaw Media photo/Dave Cook

Mary Ann Kidd, lab technician, helps ensure Marquis Energy is producing the highest quality ethanol possible by continuously monitoring and testing samples throughout the process.

Marquis Energy employs approximately 150 people from throughout the area and with the addition of its second unit, the company is expecting many years of continued success and growth. Shaw Media photo/Dave Cook

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6B • Spring 2016

Ag Matters

Marquis Energy From Page 5B

and travel through a set of three dryers, each removing more moisture. The 60 percent moisture of the WDGS is lowered to about 11 percent. These solids are called dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) and are suitable for export as animal feed after an additional step. “The water that’s spun out of the centrifuges goes through a series of evaporators and basically gets boiled down to a syrup. The syrup goes through another set of centrifuges that removes the corn oil which is then sold to bio-diesel and different entities. The syrup is then added to the DDGS to make it a higher quality product rich in protein and fat. It’s a highly digestible and cost effective feed supplement for livestock,” Rowe said.

The people

These non-stop and complicated processes are managed and monitored continuously with a state-of-the art control system and a surprisingly small staff considering the size of the operation. Marquis’ production capability has recently doubled since the completion of their new south unit, essentially a mirror image of the north unit. Approximately 25 maintenance people, two lab techs, one chemist, the board operators and others work to ensure the plant runs cleanly, efficiently and is producing the highest quality products possible. Lab technician Mary Ann Kidd said, “We continuously collect various samples from throughout the plant and run various tests. We check moisture levels, sugar analysis, acid levels and more.” Process board operator Calvin Tussey jokingly began by saying he liked to call himself a 21st century moonshiner, but added more seriously, “This is one of the last, truly domestic industries left in the rust belt. I think it makes people feel good that something is expanding in the area.”

The finished product

The finished ethanol is delivered to one of the six storage tanks, each holding approximately a million gallons. Two of those tanks are near Marquis’ barge terminal. There are barges for both the DDGS and ethanol. Trucks drop loads of the DDGS into a hopper which feeds them up through a chute and into the barge. As ethanol is loaded into it’s barge, a flare

Shaw Media photo/Dave Cook

Marquis Energy Process Manager Andy Rowe stands in front of one of the several fermentation coolers designed to drop the temperature of the mixture to proper levels. burns off the excess vapors to ensure everyone’s safety. Marquis also delivers ethanol to the marketplace via truck and rail car. According to Bio-diesel Magazine, a truck holds about 7,000 gallons, a rail car roughly 25,000 gallons and a barge is capable of holding approximately 400,000 gallons. This means each barge is the equivalent of 16 rail cars or almost 60 trucks. “We’re constantly taking product out to our barge terminal where our logistics team schedules loads. With the added production from the new facility, we’re going to have to start doing a DDGS barge about six days a week. The ethanol barges will probably be about one a day. We haven’t done a lot of rail in the past, but with the added volume, we’ll be shipping out every month on rail as well, but not as much as we do on barges,”

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said Rowe. With the new unit having entered production, Marquis Energy expects to be able to produce roughly 800,000 gallons per day and about 300 million gallons per year. They are looking forward to reaching the 2 billion gallon milestone by 2020. Vice President Jason Marquis said, “We are proud of the team here at Marquis energy to have produced over a billion gallons of renewable fuels throughout the past seven and a half years. This accomplishment highlights the hard work and dedication of our team which contributes to our local farm economy and also the world’s energy markets. We appreciate all of the people who have contributed to hitting this milestone and look forward to continuing our business relationships in the Central Illinois area.”

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Spring 2016 • 7B

Ag Matters

29 new industrial products open new markets for soy Farmer-funded projects drive innovations in soy chemistry ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Last year, the soy checkoff partnered with researchers to develop 29 new soy-based products that replace petrochemicals and help manufacturers meet sustainability objectives. These products, and hundreds of others developed with checkoff support, add value to U.S. soy and expand its market potential. “At a time when prices are low, it’s more important than ever to increase demand for U.S. soy,” said checkoff farmer-leader Jim Domagalski, a soybean farmer from Columbus, Mich. “Part of that is finding new ways to use it.” Products developed with checkoff support in 2015 include an insulating foam that helps green building contractors earn LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, soy-based adhesives that replace formaldehyde without compromising quality, lubricants and solvents that reduce reliance on petrochemicals, and rubber belting that farmers can use in their equipment. New uses have helped farmers increase demand for U.S. soy from 14 million bushels in 2003 to more than 111 million bushels in 2013. This sales trajectory is expected to continue as a result of the soy checkoff’s ongoing commitment to support the discovery of new soy technologies and share previous research findings that companies use to create more sustainable products. New soy-based products and ingredients introduced in 2015 as a result of checkoff support include:

Plastics

Best Rest EcoLux™ – a soy-foam mattress by Best Rest USA HeatLox XT™ – insulating foam for buildings by Demilec, Inc. U-Pack 5310™ – foam-in-place packaging foam by WFI Global UCore+™ – foam used to insulate plastic window frames by WFIGlobal Rubber WCCO Conveyor Belt – soy-and-rubber belting by

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Natural Environmental Barrier® – a new coating by Green Eagle Technologies ProSoy 7460™ – a soy-protein-based pigment binder for water-based flexographic and gravure inks. by Applied Protein Systems

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SOYAD Adhesive™ – an adhesive used in the manufacture of hardwood plywood by Solenis Acous-Tec Adhesive™ – an adhesive used to manufacture acoustic panels by W. F. Taylor ProSoy 4410™ – a soy-protein-based adhesive for paper substrates by Applied Protein Systems ProSoy 4315™ – a soy-based additive that can replace phenol formaldehyde in wood adhesives by Applied Protein Systems Paper ProSoy 5452™ – a soy-protein-based binder and additive for paper and paperboard coatings by Applied Protein Systems ProSoy5820™ – a lower cost soy-based binder and additive for paper and paperboard coatings Applied Protein Systems

Solvents

Elevance Clean™ 1000 – a solvent for industrial formulations by Elevance Renewable Services Elevance Clean™ 1200 – a solvent for industrial formulations by Elevance Renewable Services STEPOSOL SB-W® – a solvent for degreasing that also acts as a lubricating agent by STEPAN Company STEPOSOL SB-D® – a solvent for degreasing by STEPAN Company Lubricants Elevance ConcertGC-350™ – a processing aid for lithium grease manufacture by Elevance Renewable Sciences Soy Lube SL 100™ – a soy-based lubricant by BioKleen

BioLubeSD™ – a soy-based lubricant by Synalloy and Manufacturers Chemicals LLC Other industrial opportunities Me-Pro™ – a soy-based aquaculture feed by Prairie Aquatech Me-ProPlus™ – an enhanced soy-based aquaculture feed by Prairie Aquatech PETROSTEPQ-50S® – a down-hole corrosion inhibitor for oil wells by STEPAN Company NatureWax® – premium candle wax by Elevance Renewable Sciences ElevanceSoft CG-100® – emollients for personal care products by Elevance Renewable Sciences Elevance Smooth CS-100® – a film-forming material for personal care products by Elevance Renewable Sciences Defoamer Soy™ – a defoaming agent by Synalloy and Manufacturers Chemicals LLC Defoamer Eco Care™ – a defoaming agent by Synalloy and Manufacturers Chemicals LLC American Soybean Wax™ – a candle-making staple by Swan Creek Candle Company The 70 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy’s customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff. For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org. You can also visit them on Facebook, or you can follow them on Twitter or view their YouTube channel. ••• Watch your local newspaper for more information on how check-off dollars are being spent in and around the state of Illinois and/or nationally throughout the year.

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8B • Spring 2016

Ag Matters

Illinois farmland values, rent trends continue downward

Prices paid for Illinois farmland as well as rates being paid to rent the same ground have continued their downward trend for a second year according to a state-wide survey conducted by the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. The results were released recently at the annual Illinois Farmland Values Conference. Prices paid for land rated excellent and good both dropped by 8 percentage points during 2015, while average land dropped 9 percent last year, according to the study results. By definition, excellent land typically yields more than 190 bushels of corn per acre, Good land yields between 170–190 bushels and average yields between 150-170 bushels per acre. The study is a result of a state-wide survey that was conducted in January among Illinois Society members and others within the industry. In releasing the survey results, it was noted values regressed but remained relatively strong for excellent land, and there are pockets of strength that still exist. The presentation was made by David Klein, AFM Soy Capital Ag Services, Bloomington, overall co-chair of the annual Land Values Project which is conducted by ISPFMRA. His co-chair is Dale Aupperle, AFM, ARA, Heartland Ag Group, Forsyth.

Klein went on to explain buyers are still willing to pay a premium for high quality soil. He noted average prices paid for excellent quality land in January 2015 were at $12,600 per acre. This compared to $11,600 at the end of the year. Lower farm income to blame In all cases, reduced commodity prices were blamed for the reductions in land prices as well as rent rates across the state. “All of agriculture is watching corn and soybean prices to see which direction our earnings will take in 2016,” Klein explained. He referred to the overall earnings outlook as ‘diminishing,’ and added that crop insurance is an important income safety net. Aupperle also cited lower commodity prices for drop in Return on Investment (ROI). “Our traditional 3.5 percent to 4.0 percent ROI has been diminished as well. Those returns are now in the 2.5 percent range.” He added, however, that “investors still find this acceptable in an unstable general economy.” Cash rent levels will continue decline An analysis of cash rent levels was done by Gary Schnitkey, Ph.D., University of Illinois Department of Ag and Consumer Economics. “Survey results indicate that income levels in 2015

from owning farmland were below 2014 levels, continuing a string of declining return years that began in 2013. Cash rents in 2016 decreased from 2015 levels and, if trends continue, we’ll see lower cash rents again in 2017. Respondents expect very little farmland to change hands because the current farm operator is unwilling to pay the desired cash rent. They also feel they could find other farm operators to replace current operators if the need arises. In those same categories, incomes in 2015 decreased from 2014 with net drops of $46 per acre of excellent land for traditional crop share, negative $37 for cash rent and negative $58 for custom farming. Projected rent rates for will vary from a high of $350 per acre to $275 per acre for excellent land; $300 to $250 for good land; $260 to $191 for average land, and $208-$150 for fair land. In retrospect, mid-range rent rates for 2007 were $183 for excellent land, $164 for good land, and $144 for average soil. Values peaked in 2013 at $396 for excellent land, $339 for good land, and $285 for average land. Looking to the future the survey respondents expect 2017 cash rents to be lower than in 2016. Forty-one percent expect decreases of between $25 and $50 and 50 percent expect the decrease to range between $5 and $25

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per acre. None are expecting rents to increase. A challenging year According to Klein, “2015 provided us a challenging year. Record harvests of our main crops the past two years led to downward pressure on prices. Farm income and farmland values are adjusting, but there are signs of optimism. “Interest rates and farm debt-to-asset ratios remain historically low as farmers manage their balance sheets. Crop input costs continue to come down. Domestic beef, pork and poultry production are all projected to increase in 2016 – pork and poultry to record levels.” Summary observations • Sellers of farmland Estates accounted for 54 percent of the volume of Illinois farmland sold. Will there begin to be a higher percentage of other categories in 2016? • Buyers of farmland Farmers accounted for 60 percent of the purchase made in 2015. Most were reinvesting into their farm business, where they know the value as well as anyone! When farmers stepped aside, investors were looking for opportunities in an uncertain financial market. • Methods of sale - Most farms were sold by private treaty in 2015, a sign more negotiating was occurring. Thirty-five percent of the transactions were at auction. In an uncertain mar-

ket, auctions can bring decision-makers together in a hurry! As a result, some firecrackers continued to be let off and more “no sales” occurred at auction. • Cash rents – Generally speaking, farm incomes were lower in 2015 and are projected to be even lower in 2016. This reduced crop share leases as compared to cash rents. Cash rents for 2015 declined by roughly $25 per acre to a $350 average on excellent quality farmland. Most ISPFMRA members expect 2016 cash rents on excellent quality soil farms to be another $25 per acre lower than the current year at $325 or less. • Belt tightening can be heard throughout the countryside. Lower corn and soybean prices will reduce net farm income by over 20 percent in 2016. Spring crop insurance prices will be the lowest since 2006, and input costs today are nearly double what they were then. • Livestock industry - Beef, swine and poultry production numbers are all planned to grow in 2016, but livestock farmers have started to feel their own pinch of lower prices. • Auction sales – Auction sales continue to show pockets of both strength and relative softness. Class A farms selling at Mt. Carroll for $14,400, Brimfield for $13,500, and Mendota for $12,000 early in 2016 show strength still exists in areas,

but an increasing number of “No Sales” in November/ December 2015 also shows that every farm auction isn’t bringing expectations every time. • Tract sizes - Tract sizes were generally larger in 2015 than 2014. The largest tracts were often purchased at a premium by institutional or absentee investor landowners seeking to place significant holdings into farmland. • Transitional/development land – Fewer tracts of land were sold for development than in past years in downstate Illinois. More activity is picking up in the collar counties. • Institutional money – Larger tracts of land have drawn interest again from institutional investors, pension funds and others. • Drainage pays – 2015 taught many landowners across the state the value of good drainage on our productive cropland. • 1031 tax free exchange influence – These continue to be used by landowners making even money trades to create larger tracts of land where they can be farmed more efficiently. • Farmland availability – Farmland supply to the market remained fairly tight throughout 2015 until year end when the seasonal increase occurred in November and December. Most of our membership expects 2016 to see a larger supply come to the market.

Spring 2016 • 9B

Ag Matters

A drought in the political field Presidential candidates failing to address agricultural issues By Dave Cook

and

Pam Eggemeier

Shaw Media Service

Harold Steele, 93, of Dover has had a long and distinguished agricultural career which has taken him all the way to Washington, D.C.. A lifelong farmer from Bureau County, Steele has served in many important roles, including president of the Illinois Farm Bureau and a member of the board of directors of the American Farm Bureau. In 1987, he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as chairman of the National Commission of Agricultural Finance. President George H.W. Bush selected Steele as chief executive officer of the Farm Credit Administration, the regulator of the farm credit system. Steele was recently asked why agricultural issues don’t play a bigger role in Midwestern presidential politics. “I think it’s very simple; farmers aren’t many in numbers,” he said. “A politician is looking for votes, so farm-

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ers don’t cut it unless the politician understands that many other people have jobs because of the farmer. “It’s unfortunate, but that’s the way it is. But, more politicians are going to continue in the same way because there are going to be fewer and fewer farmers, and politicians don’t look at this correctly.” Although the presidential election kicked off in Iowa, where corn is king, candidates in both the Republican and Democratic parties have managed to dodge what’s most important to Midwestern farmers. “If it weren’t for there being such an important early primary in Iowa, we might not hear anything about ag from the candidates,” said Adam Nielsen, director of national legislation and policy development for Illinois Farm Bureau. Farmers say renewable fuels is about the only issue that has brought much input from the candidates because of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s November ruling on biofuel requirements.

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“Short of the Renewable Fuel Standards, I haven’t heard any significant policy statements for ag from any of the candidates,” said Jim Schielein, a Lee County farmer. Steele said politicians aren’t the only ones to blame for the current state of politics. “I think we, the people, have been very shortsighted for many years,” he said. “We haven’t been helping this nation by not having a very high quality of person getting into politics. We don’t have many good politicians who are here for one purpose, to serve the country.” Nielsen said farmers are challenged by a cyclical downturn, and while this environment certainly isn’t reminiscent of the great farm crisis of the 1980s, lower commodities prices should merit some discussion. “We’re just coming out of the ‘glory days’ where income was high, and farmers were able to make invest-

Politics Page 10B

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10B • Spring 2016

Politics From Page 9B

ments, and now income is running behind production costs,” Nielsen said. Plunging commodities prices, especially oil and metals, are shaking the global economy, leaving farmers wondering how low ag-related commodities could go. “Oil has been a wake-up call for farmers, and it’s been a nervous time for any commodity,” Schielein said. “If you translate what’s happened with oil prices to corn, we’d be at $2.” While the 2014 farm bill has brought a workable safety net, farmers fear crop insurance might fall woefully short if corn drops below the $3 level. That scenario could have farmers calling for the return of the ad hoc disaster system that disappeared in the farm bill. The importance of finding new markets grows as crop prices drop, pushing trade issues near the top of Farm Bureau’s legislative priority list this year. Ag leaders are struggling to find a candidate in either party who can make strides on exports. “There is a protectionist strain that runs through both parties now, and they are equally bad on trade,” Nielsen said. Ag interests are pushing for the enactment of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement with 12 Pacific Rim nations, that among many other things, would lower trade barriers for Midwest farmers. Negotiations between the nations that started nearly 8 years ago wrapped up in October, but the pact faces stiff challenges in Congress. Some of ag’s top issues mirror those of business at large, so the candidates have addressed them in a general fashion. Immigration would be a prime example, and Nielsen fears the issue is one of many to have fallen victim to theatrics. “Farm Bureau has worked hard on immigration for the last few years, and it’s obvious that we need a clearer policy,” Nielsen said. “The candidates haven’t talked about it much in reference to ag, and it’s almost turned into a competition to see who’s most anti-immigrant.” The immigration issue also is a good example of how difficult it can be to figure out the candidates’ positions on an issue. Several have flipflopped on their immigration policy stances since the campaigning began, and complicated conditions are often attached to those positions. Political analysts are struggling to find clarity, so it’s no surprise that voters are as well. Farm Bureau doesn’t formally endorse presidential candidates, but it takes a key leadership position in smoking out

Ag Matters candidates’ positions on their prioritized issues. That task is made more difficult by the GOP logjam that remains – 11 candidates were still in the race going into the Feb. 1 Iowa caucus. The field began to winnow soon after. “When we have nominees, they’ll sit down with advisers and write specific positions on ag,” Nielsen said. “Then we’ll look more carefully at the candidates’ records, but now there isn’t much to look at.” Schielein said he’s hoping the tenor of the campaigning will become more thoughtful as the field narrows. “As some candidates drop out, we should start seeing more focus on the issues,” Schielein said. “It’s the nature of the beast – there’s a lot of theater early, but at some point, they have to stop with the reality-TV politics.” Voters were trying to decipher the politics of 12 GOP candidates and three Democrats who were still in the game heading into Iowa. Polls showed only Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio grabbing more than 7 percent of the vote among the crowded Republican field. “This election field is different – we have a billionaire who went bankrupt and resurrected himself, a self-described socialist, and populists on

either side of the aisle,” Schielein said. The ag lobby is still well organized and wields considerable influence in both parties, but political pundits contend there are some dynamics at play that have made it riskier for candidates to line up with ag interests. “The ag lobby is still powerful, but it has generally fallen out of favor with both parties,” said Scot Schraufnagel, a political science professor at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. The declining number of farmers who are running bigger businesses can make support of many key ag issues a tougher sell with political strategists. “With fewer small farms, Democrats that used to identify with the family farm are less inclined to support farmers who now are running a large corporation,” Schraufnagel said. He said the GOP is hesitant to be linked with such issues as price supports and ethanol while espousing fiscal conservativism. Political strategists call for ignoring an issue you can’t win, and many ag issues can be painted as lose-lose propositions. “While candidates don’t want to offend the ag lobby, openly supporting the ag lobby can be perceived as support of more government spending,” Schraufnagel said.

Regulatory pressures on farmers is a key concern every year, but the ag lobby has rallied hard against the implementation of the Waters of the United States, or WOTUS, rule. The rule would pinpoint the reach of the nation’s Clean Water Act, bringing some smaller waterways such as streams and wetlands into federal jurisdiction. Farmers using those areas would be forced to meet environmental permit requirements of the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers. The issue has stalled along party lines, with Republicans calling the rule another example of “executive overreach”, and a violation of the rights of states and private property owners. “We’re hoping they’ll take their foot off the accelerator on regulations when ag prices are down,” Nielsen said. U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, who formed an agriculture committee in the 16th Congressional District, also has his eye on the regulatory hurdles faced by agriculture. “I think our next president needs to empower our agribusinesses, and allow them to continue driving our economy without fear of costly and burdensome regulations,” Kinzinger said. “It will be important to keep the standards of the 2014 House Farm Bill intact,

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and I hope that our next president gives greater attention to reigning in the overreaching EPA.” The congressman said he, too, is disappointed in the lack of meaningful conversation about several important ag-related issues. He said he holds out hope that something of substance will come up in future debates. “I do wish there was more discussion of what the candidates plan to do to tackle the WOTUS regulation, address the EPA’s slow rollout of RFS levels, expand trade with foreign countries, and other areas that are still in flux,” Kinzinger said. Steele, the Bureau County farmer, spoke with sadness as he discussed the generation of young farmers that agriculture lost back in the early 1980s because of politics and finances, and he doesn’t want to see that happen to future generations. He also spoke of the importance of education. “We need more young farmers, and it takes

Harold Steele financial strength to have this happen. We also need a stronger system of education about where our food comes from, how it gets on the plate and the importance of knowing this,” said Steele. Steele was unable, however, to favor any particular candidate for their agricultural positions. “I haven’t heard them address this subject, so I don’t feel that I know the candidates well enough in that area to say that one is better than another,” he said.

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