PERU — A regional effort is needed to cre-ate jobs in the Illinois Valley area.
That was the message given Aug. 29 at a meet-ing of leaders of busi-nesses, cities, industrial companies and financial institutions held at St. Bede Academy.
The meeting’s purpose
was to identify all possibili-ties to revitalize the Illinois Valley region and to estab-lish jobs for the geographic area, just a little beyond the boundaries of Illinois Valley Community College.
Everett Solon, president of Centrue Bank, acted as chairman of the meeting. He said about eight people gathered in January to dis-cuss the region’s economy and what needs to be done to create jobs.
“We felt at that meet-
ing we had a problem of maintaining young people in our communi-ties, mainly because of not enough good-paying jobs,” said Solon. “Our goal is to assist local economic development area serviced by IVCC, an area that has about 150,000 people.”
Solon said it is better to market the area, not individual communities. LaSalle, Putnam and Bureau counties have a good, quality workforce; good educational system and quality health care, reported Solon.
“We need to capital-ize on those assets,” he said. “We spend about $10,000 a year on each student going through our schools. We gradu-ate about 2,000 seniors a year and have spent $260 million on their educa-tion.”
Solon said there needs to be a push to keep those graduates in the area because businesses are spending that money on their education and not getting their invest-ment of tax dollars back if they leave the area for better-paying jobs else-
where.Peter Limberger, an
entrepreneur and hus-band of Inga Carus of Carus Corporation of Peru, told people assem-bled that he has start-ed new businesses and bought existing compa-nies around the world during his career.
He said many com-munities try to attract one business employ-ing 1,000 people, which rarely happens. He sug-gested it would be better for communities to finan-cially help entrepreneurs create 100 companies
employing two to five people each, a method that is more stable than attracting larger compa-nies.
Limberger said that if 2 percent of the students in the area are aided in starting new businesses, that would mean the cre-ation of 500 jobs.
“Any kind of business means higher quality of services and better down-town areas by encour-aging new and unusual ideas from the younger generation,” he said.
TONICA — About 40 farmers from Cen-tral and South America recently came to the United States to learn about American farm-ing techniques and operations. They visit-ed the Ford farm south of Tonica on Aug. 29 to see the differences
between their opera-tions and those in the United States.
The trip was spon-sored by the interna-tional organization Communicating for Agriculture Education Programs (CAEP) and Bayer CropScience and was locally organized by Illinois Valley Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Develop-
ment (IVAC) represen-tative Marci Duro.
“The way I under-stand it is they wanted to see a farm and a river terminal, and they called Marci and kinda dumped it in her lap,” said Gary Ford, the main owner and opera-tor at Ford Farms. “She knows Gary Andersen, who’s the manager of Northern Partners and asked him what to do.”
“I called Gary, and
I asked him to tell the names of some good farms,” said Duro. “He gave me a couple names; Gary was the first one I called, and he said, ‘Definitely, yes.’”
Ford is a sixth-gen-eration farmer, and he operates the Ford farm with the help of his son, Adam, who is part owner of the enterprise,
1 Front
The Tonica NewsVolume 140 No. 28 Friday, September 6, 2013
TONICA — During the Tonica School District’s August meeting, the board heard the results of the 2012-13 audit. The audit was presented by Joel Hopkins of Hopkins and Associates, and the news wasn’t all good.
The budget audit showed the state owed the school district $50,665 as of June 30. While that money is less than the amount owed the previ-ous year, the stalemate on pension reform in Springfield does not indi-cate things will change anytime soon. Tonica ended up with a deficit balance of $193,657 for the 2012-13 school year.
“The total cash bal-ance for the year for the district on June 30, was $1,470,711, down $194,000 from the prior year,” Hopkins said. “If it’s any consolation, you’re not alone. All of the schools I’ve audited this year are operating in the red.”
According to Illinois State Board of Education Chairman Gery Chico, a growing number of schools are being forced into debt while the state tries to contain the pen-sion debt and spending
less money elsewhere. Chico outlined the prob-lem in an appearance before the Illinois Senate in April.
“Our schools are in free fall right now,” Chico said. “The number of districts deficit spending will increase to 573, or two-thirds, of our school districts. That compares with only 415, or less than 50 percent, just the previous year.”
According to Illinois State Board of Education figures, the state failed to deliver approximately $518 million to school districts last year alone, bringing the total deficit to Illinois school districts to $756 million, an aver-age of $1,100 per stu-dent since 2010. Gov. Pat Quinn has told school dis-tricts that unless things change, that figure could rise another $400 million by 2014.
Locally, the situation is not quite so bleak, according to Hopkins.
“The state is catching up on its obligations,” Hopkins said. “Payments are notoriously slow in the transportation and special education fund-ing, but the state owes local schools less money than it did last year. It’s doing so by cutting back on other funding.”
Tonica News photo/Ken SchroederAbout 40 farmers from Mexico, Brazil and Guatemala stopped at the Ford farm south of Tonica.
See Meeting Page 3
See Farm visit Page 4
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2 Local2 • The Tonica News • Friday, September 6, 2013
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Where in the world is The Tonica News? Are you planning a vacation or holi-day 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 neigh-bors. Email your photo and information to [email protected]. You can also drop it by our office in Tonica.
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GRANVILLE — The Putnam County Library’s 75th anniversary series will host a quilting pro-gram at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 9 at the Granville Library branch.
Mary Jane Serafini, a well-known, long-arm quilter and quilt expert, will present, “Your
Grandmother’s Quilts,” a PowerPoint talk and demonstration on the value and care of quilts.
Serafini owns A Stitch in Time and is a respect-ed expert of quilts. She will be bringing six to eight quilts, the oldest is from the 1850s. There will be a question and answer session, and audi-ence members may bring their own quilts to ask about.
Originally a nurse, Serafini said she always enjoyed sewing. She and her husband, Dan, raised their five children in the
Putnam County area. Dan found a company which had long arm quilting machines and introduced his wife to it. From then on she was enthralled.
“I have been quilting for customers ever since. I have a great customer base now,” Mary said. “They come and pick up one quilt, and they bring me two more. I’m always busy; it’s a good thing.”
Serafini eventual-ly joined the Covered Bridge Quilters group in Princeton and saw a pro-gram on quilt appraising. The American Quilters
Society has a program where a person can study and go through a process to become certified. This program takes three to five years to complete. There are only 99 people across the United States and Canada who have earned this designation.
“It’s been a great expe-rience. I have learned a lot,” Serafini said. “I have learned a lot about his-tory in relationship to quilts.”
The next step for Serafini is to study to become a National Quilt Association judge. She is
in the beginning phase for this certification.
Quilts, whether older or modern day, have a dollar value as well as a sentimental value. There are many factors that go into deciding how to arrive at this determina-tion. An appraiser must determine person hours, cotton or other fiber pric-es, material prices and if the quilt has been embel-lished.
Workmanship, difficul-ty in pattern, the rarity of the pattern and the originality of the pattern add to the ultimate value of a quilt. The current condition of the quilt is also considered.
“When you look at appraisals on a quilt, it is so amazing to me because when you look at a quilt, you are look-ing at a part of history. Sometimes when we are inspecting the quilt we are seeing things even the owner of the quilt didn’t see,” said Serafini.
Serafini has found mes-sages and dates on quilts and even once found a ring quilted into the quilt itself. With the older quilts, she noted that it is often hard to tell if more than one person worked on it because they were so very good at what they did.
For more information, contact the library at 815-339-2038.
CorrectionIn last week’s Tonica
News under the photo of the Dyer family, the youngest Dyer was mis-identified. His name is Jacob, and he is from Oglesby. The Tonica News regrets the error.
Tonica News photo/Dixie SchroederMary Jane Serafini, owner of “A Stitch in Time”, prepares a Mountain Mist quilt pattern from the 1930s as part of her presentation for the Putnam County Library on Sept. 9.
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generation,” he said. “Young people want to go places at night if they live here, and that means having nice restaurants, art galleries and con-certs.”
He said this can be accomplished by simply helping starving artists find a place to display their artwork.
Two million tour-ists come to this area each year and spent their money. Limberger said there needs to be an effort to attract more tourists and help them leave the expensive sub-urbs and live in this area.
He suggested starting a $1 million incubator pro-gram in the Illinois Valley area to help young entre-preneurs create business-es and jobs. Limberger said he and his wife will be the first to donate funds to start this pro-gram. He felt he needed 20 to 40 investors in the program to reach its $1 million goal.
Limberger said the region needs higher pay-ing jobs even though he wouldn’t turn down companies creating min-imum-wage jobs, but pre-fers those businesses pay-ing higher wages to help the region’s standard of living.
Jack Rooney of Spring-field, a native of Cherry, said the Illinois Valley area has a rich person-ality and culture unlike any other region of the state. He said the area is the heart of the United States with Interstate 80 and Interstate 39.
He said the timing is perfect to help create jobs by smaller compa-nies instead of relying on larger companies that have left the area over the years like the St. Paul Coal Co. plus many fac-tories in the 1970s and 1980s.
Jack Schultz, author of “Boomtown USA” and “The Agurban,” told about communities in the United States help-ing their economy by rec-reating themselves. He cited one of those towns as Peru, Ill., when it spent $100,000 to extend infra-structure two to three miles north when I-80 was first built.
This action by city leaders was controversial at the time, but Peru now gets $5 million a year
in retail sales from the retail created and eight manufacturing compa-nies located there as a result of that investment.
Dick Janko, who orga-nized the meeting on Aug. 29, asked those attending to get the regional orga-nization going to create jobs for the Illinois Val-ley. He can be reached at [email protected].
3 Obit/RecordsFriday, September 6, 2013 • The Tonica News • 3
TONICA — September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. It is a national program that attempts to reach those with a mental and/or substance use dis-order to teach them how
to live a healthy life. The observance’s main focus is to congratulate those in recovery from these conditions and to help others realize treatment is effective, and people can and do recover.
Drug and alcohol abuse is still a big problem in Illinois, and accounts for most of the felonies committed. Drug abuse, especially marijuana, starts early. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, approxi-mately 6.5 percent of
all eighth-graders had used pot during the last month according to a 2012 study. Those figures show a steady increase in usage over the last 10 years.
While alcohol usage is declining nationwide, it still starts early with the same study showing one out of every four 12th-graders got drunk dur-ing the previous month and slightly less partici-pated in binge drinking.
In Illinois, the num-bers are disturbing.
Over 5,500 deaths among Illinois residents each year, more than 5 percent of all deaths, are directly or indirect-ly related to the use of alcohol and other drugs. From 3,600 to 4,000 Illinois residents die each year from acciden-tal injuries related to the use of alcohol. The annual Illinois statewide economic costs associ-ated with alcohol, other drugs and tobacco-relat-ed mortality is in excess of $3.5 billion.
Sept. 9 — Lostant Village, Village Hall, 7:30 p.m.Sept. 11 — Leonore Village, Fire Station, 7:30
p.m.
Charles Gedye
VERONA, Wis. — Charles Alden Gedye, 62, passed away Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013, at his home in Verona, Wis.
He was born Nov. 11, 1950, in Spring Valley to Charles R. and Helen Alden Gedye of Tonica. He married Lorraine “Lorie” Kolupke Oct. 20, 1973, in Spring Valley.
He graduated from Tonica High School, Illinois Valley Community Col-lege and Northern Illinois University, where he earned his Bachelor of Sci-ence in Biology. He also served in the U.S. Air Force. He began his career as an electron microscopist at the University of Chicago in 1978. He then worked at the University of Illinois and later at the University of Wisconsin - Madison as a research technician in various fields ranging from cancer research to plant pathology. His interest in computer technology led him in a new direction as a computer consultant eventually working for the state of Wisconsin until his retire-ment in 2011.
He had many hobbies, including photography and horticulture, and was a talented and imagina-tive artist and guitarist. His most recent hobbies included reading, woodcarving and winemaking.
He was a member of the Prairie Home Vintners. He and Lorie also enjoyed cooking, camping, canoeing, hiking, biking and cross-country skiing.
He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Lorie; one sister, Barbara (James) Winn of Streator; one brother-in-law, Joseph (Barbara) Kolupke of Ala-mosa, Colo.; one sister-in-law, Elizabeth (Alan) Portzen of Dalzell; 12 nieces and nephews; 23 great-nieces and great-nephews; 15 great-great nieces and great-great nephews; relatives in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and England; friends around the globe; and his beloved cats, Cricket and Spryte.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Ronald L. Gedye.
A celebration of Chuck’s life is being planned for May 2014 at The Barn at Harvest Moon Pond in Poynette, Wis. Memorial donations may be made to the Iowa County Humane Society or the Verona Public Library.
Tonica News photo/Lyle GantherJack Schultz, author of “Boomtown USA”, was one of the speakers at Aug. 29’s meeting to set up a regional economic development program.
Obituary
Charles Gedye
MeetingFrom Page 1
“We felt at that meeting we
had a problem of maintaining young people
in our commu-nities, mainly because of not enough good-paying jobs.”
Call for an appointment: (815) 664-5236, (815) 252-5536
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4 Biz Ag4 • The Tonica News • Friday, September 6, 2013
Second installment of LaSalle County
taxes due
Gilligan named Extension’s new youth development director
OTTAWA — The second installment of real estate taxes in LaSalle County is due on Sept. 9. Donald Lamps, LaSalle Coun-ty treasurer, reminds residents the Illinois statue requires a 1.5 percent per month delinquency penalty beginning the day after the due date.
Taxpayers who are enrolled in the auto-matic withdrawal option will have their second installment electronically with-drawn from their bank account on Sept. 9.
Payments may be made by credit card online at www.illinoispay.com. This option ends Sept. 24. Payment by check are accepted at most LaSalle County banks and other finan-cial institutions. There is also a drive through drop box open 24 hours in the east park-ing lot of the govern-mental complex, 707 E. Etna Road in Otta-wa. Taxpayers can also mail their taxes to the treasurer’s office, P.O. Box 1560 in Ottawa.
For questions, call 815-434-8219.
Breanne Gilligan is the new youth development director at the University of Illinois Extension.
Gilligan will work with youth development and 4-H staff in Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall and Put-nam counties. She will provide leadership for the unit in delivering the plan of work to meet local needs, collaborate with colleagues and Universi-ty staff and specialists to bring new programs and research-based materials to the area, and serve as a liaison with University of Illinois State 4-H Office, staff and resources.
“Previously, Breanne held the position of 4-H Extension program coor-dinator in LaSalle Coun-ty. Breanne has success-fully worked with 4-H youth members in Com-munity Clubs and SPIN
Clubs, coordinated com-mittees of volunteers, and partnered with communi-ty agencies and schools to build strong programming to meet local needs,” said Jill Guynn, county direc-tor.
Gilligan’s professional experience also includes elementary teacher; pre-school teacher; after-school site coordina-
tor; and foster care case aide. She holds a Bach-elor’s of Science degree in communication stud-ies and Master of Arts in teaching.
“Since beginning my career with Extension, I have had the pleasure of working alongside dedicated volunteers to build the local 4-H Youth Development program,”
GilIigan said. “I am look-ing forward to expand-ing our research-based educational programs to address issues and con-cerns and that will contin-ue to expand 4-H services, and to assist other agen-cies, schools and commu-nity partners in meeting their goals as well. The 4-H Youth Development Program has so much to offer to children, teens and families. I am pleased to provide the resources and services of University of Illinois Extension to communities across our four county area. Please feel free to contact me to learn more about all we have to offer.”
Gilligan was raised in Peru and graduated from LaSalle-Peru High School. She can be reached at 815-433-0707 or by email at [email protected] .
Tonica News photo/Dixie Schroeder
Lukach Seed donates to Tonica Fire DepartmentLukach Seed Agency has donated $500 to the Tonica Volunteer Fire Department. Receiving the check was Al Stremlau (center) from co-owners George Lukach (left) and Dan Lukach. Lukach Seed Agency was awarded this money by DuPont Pioneer for its dedication to customer-focused activities throughout the year. DuPont Pioneer is the world’s leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics, providing high quality seeds to farmers in more than 90 countries. Pio-neer provides agronomic support and services to help increase farmer productivity and profitability and strives to develop sustainable agricultural systems for people everywhere.
Tonica News photo/Ken SchroederFew of the visiting farmers spoke English, so all of the information had to pass through an interpreter, Aluisio Oliveira (left) of the CAEP. Briefing the farmers on U.S. farming practices are Adam Ford, Gary Ford and Marci Duro of the IVAC.
Farm visitFrom Page 1
and his father, Burdette Ford.
The visiting farmers
were guided by CAEP representative Aloisio Oliveira, who acted as an interpreter between Ford and the farmers. Through him, Ford told the farm-
ers some facts about Illi-nois corn and harvests, and he answered several questions before giving the visitors a tour of his facilities.
In addition to visiting the farm, the group also visited the Northern Partners Cooperative elevator and the Illinois Farm Progress Show.
Photo contributed
Breanne Gilligan
Peru 815-224-2200 • Princeton 815-875-6600www.simplythefinest.net
Join Terri Simon for a book signing of her new book:
Sept. 7: Hornbaker Gardens Artisan Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sept. 14: Homestead Festival from 10 a.m. to noon on the Verizon lawn next to the Prouty Building
Sept. 15: Homestead Festival from noon to 3 p.m. on the Verizon lawn next to the Prouty Building (Rain location inside the Prouty Building)
While supplies last.
Book Signing
Not all that long ago, many people thought social media (Facebook, My Space, etc.) was a safe place to post all of your life events. Then employers started using what you posted as a reason to dismiss you or not hire you in the first place.
Up until the last week of July, it was legal for employers to ask you for your passwords to social media accounts, so they could see what you were up to. Some employers even demanded that you befriend them, so they were privy to your thoughts and deeds. Fortunately, the federal legislature unanimously passed a bill that made those practices illegal (although the best way around such problems is not to post incriminating things in the first place, but I digress).
I hope you don’t think your cell phone is any safer.
For years, you’ve heard those rumors that people can listen in on your cellular phone calls with the right know-how and equipment, and most of you probably marked those down as urban legends or tales from con-spiracy theorists.
Oops. Turns out it’s totally true.
If you Google “intercept-ing cell phone calls,” you’ll get about 121,000 pages of response. While I don’t think all of them tell you how to do it, every site on the first 10 pages of hits (which means more than 100 websites) not only tells you it can be done but tells you how to do it. What’s slightly more disturbing is there’s more than one method explained — a lot more.
Things are now a bit more interesting.
Up until mid-August, people in Brazil were able to download an app from Google Play called “Boyfriend Tracker,” which caused a pretty big stir. With the app, you could receive cop-ies of someone’s texts, listen to their phone calls or know exactly where they were (did
you know your phone has a built-in GPS that can not only be tracked by satellite, but also relayed to another phone? You do now!). The app is no longer available, but it’s still out there.
That’s OK. There are still sev-eral others out there, ready to keep tabs on your loved ones. Some are marketed to keep tabs on your children, others for your other family members, etc.
Do you see the possible abuse here? If not, you should know I can set you up as my family member I want to keep tabs on. Welcome to the newest tool in stalking.
During the gun debate, I heard many people say, “The govern-ment can’t tell me what I can or can’t do with my property.” They feel that the government has no right to regulate in any way what you own and how you use it.
I wonder how they feel about this.
Tonica News/Putnam County Record Staff Writer Ken Schro-eder can be reached at [email protected].
Once I determine which international govern-ing body has the sole authority, there must be a procedure, or some excruciatingly detailed pro-tocol to follow, when one wishes to petition for a change in the usual way of doing things. I’m talk-ing about the age old, “in sickness and in health, for better or worse,” traditional mar-riage vows.
While the idea of promising to give yourself so completely and unselfishly to another is serious business and quite appeal-ing for many, I am proposing the addition of a single amendment which would, on the surface, appear to alleviate what I perceive to be the most friction-causing event to the newly (or not so newly) betrothed. Whether performed by the local justice of’ the peace or your clergy member of choice, the simple phrase “and when shopping for furniture” could be tagged onto the end of the “I do” response segment of the ceremony, and when delivered with conviction and undying love, would leave nary a dry eye amongst the guests.
I would never have thought this to be a serious consideration for wedded bliss, but for the fact that my wife and I, after 20 some odd years of marriage, (I’m not using odd as in “I have no idea how long we’ve been married.” I’m using odd as in “At times I can be very odd.”) began the long, arduous task of thinking about refurnishing the family room in our home.
Reluctantly, I trudged off with my beloved to the We Have a Payment Option for You Mega-Furniture Warehouse. This is where we met “Steve,” the overly zealous yet personable sales-man. His name was Mark, but to save embarrass-ment, he shall be “Steve” from here on.
Steve greeted us with a practiced, friendly smile, a firm handshake, and the textbook “How are you folks today? What can I help you with?” greeting.
“Well Steve, we’re shoppin’ for furniture. You got some?”
He blinked nervously while pondering my response, as I continued.
“We’re just starting to look. You know, get-ting ideas. Let us wander around, peruse your fine home furnishings, discuss some things,” I said. “But I’ll tell you, if you notice us sitting on a couch whispering and nodding our heads, it would be in your best interest to hurry over with some fabric samples.”
Steve should have simply walked away, but he countered with his best “Law and Order” court-room style line of questioning.
“So,” he continued, “What styles or colors do you folks have in mind today? Do you prefer big, overstuffed pieces or are your tastes more mini-mal?”
If Steve had been a dog, he would have instant-ly sensed the change in my demeanor and warily backed away while avoiding direct eye contact.
“It’s like this Steve,” I began. “My dear wife, she likes what you’d call Earth tones. You know, tan, tan variants, or shades of tan. Those colors in the crayola box rarely used, except for desert landscapes, sand dollars or chimpanzee faces. If we had been cavemen, the blood I used to sketch hunting scenes on the cavern walls would have been too much color. She’s more traditional, style wise, while I would prefer something not totally out of place on the set of a Tim Burton movie. She enjoys comfortable, inviting furnish-ings. I, on the other hand, am not running a bed and breakfast. Comfort only causes visitors to linger and overstay their welcome. Show me something unforgiving and scratchy, preferably in orange.”
Needless to say, Steve did not make a sale that day. And I found out how important a comfort-able couch is that night.
Chuck Mason, a self-described opinionated wiseguy, can be reached at [email protected].
5 PerspectiveFriday, September 6, 2013 • The Tonica News • 5
‘And when shopping for furniture’
Big Brother? He’s sitting next to you
“I love it. I am all about the outdoors, and I love being outside. I would take heat above winter
any day. It doesn’t bother me.”
Tammy Lester, Tonica
“Wait until after today. I am going to the Farm Progress Show. It will be sun screen,
hat, plenty of liquid and finding air conditioning
whenever possible.”Fae Holin, St. Paul, Minn.
“I just drink a lot of fluids.”Chad Keller, Metamora
“I have classes where there is air conditioning, and I work in air condi-tioning. That is the only two places I am ever at.”
Brandi Smith, Lostant
“I work all the time in air conditioning, and I
sleep in air conditioning so I am OK with it.”
Teresa Rowell, Tonica
The Editorial Page
Sam R FisherPublisher
Terri Simoneditor
The Tonica News
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 home-town 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.
ChuckMason
COMMENTARY
KenSchroeder
COMMENTARY
On the street With the extreme weather conditions and heat, how have you been handling the heat?
First Amendment“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
Constitution of the United States, 1789
6 Life6 • The Tonica News • Friday, September 6, 2013
MCNABB — The Putnam Coun-ty Junior High School Lady Pumas took on the Tonica Junior High School Lady Braves on Aug. 27 and won 13-8.
C.C. Davis started the game for the Lady Pumas and pitched five
innings with five strikeouts for the win. Davis is now 9-0 on the year. Olivia Holmes came in for the last two innings, tossing three strike-outs and three walks.
Putnam County hitting had a lot of success against the Lady Braves with Lindsey DiazDeLeon, Car-leigh Wellenreiter and Davis all going two for four. Alivia Resur-
reccion, Jordyn Friel and Holmes all went one for four. Brea Schorn went two for two, and Skylar Gre-vengoed went one for one.
The Lady Pumas will play Sept. 7 in the Puma Classic at the McNabb town ball diamonds. The Tonica Lady Braves will play Sept. 5 at home versus Ranson/St. Michael.
LASALLE — The AIM Family Church Conference, hosted by Mighty Word Church in LaSalle, will open with a 7 p.m. service on Sept. 17 and continue with ser-vices at the same time on Wednes-day, Thursday and Friday.
The public is invited to experi-ence the presence of the Lord, “All Things are Possible.” This con-ference will enhance your belief that God is able and willing to be involved in our lives on a daily basis.
This year’s featured speakers are Prophet Ed Traut from Pro-phetic Life Ministry in San Anto-nio, Texas; Pastor Terry Mathews from Oasis Family Church in Albuquerque, N.M.; and the Rev. Mark Willhite of Praise Life Fel-lowship in Bakersfield, Calif.
Traut was born and raised in South Africa, the first generation of German holocaust refugees. He pastored for several years and later started Prophetic Voice Min-
istries in South Africa. In 1998 he moved his family to San Anto-nio, Texas, where he founded Pro-phetic Life Ministry. He is known for the accuracy and consistency with which the Lord leads him to impart life-changing personal and corporate prophecies.
Pastor Terry and Angel Mathews started Oasis Family Church in Albuquerque, N.M., in 1982. Pas-tor Terry moves in the Prophetic Psalmist anointing, allowing the Holy Spirit freedom to bring dem-onstrations of love and power. He has served as an area representa-tive for FCF International over the Rocky Mountain area and is currently the West Coast regional representative.
Willhite travels nationally and ministers in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that the Lord can show Himself strong through His mani-fested presence, the ministry of His Word, and the power of praise and worship. He is a psalmist
who loves the Lord and loves to take people to the throne of God through praise and worship. He has ministered extensively throughout the United States, Australia and Europe. He has also ministered in New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, Hungary, Italy, Indonesia and Fiji.
Pastors Tom and Phyllis Arnold will also be ministering during the conference. They are the senior pastors of Mighty Word Church and the founders of AIM (Associ-ated Interdependent Ministries). AIM is an association of ministers from around the world who are committed to the teaching of the Word of God and Building Leaders that Last. They invite everyone in the Illinois Valley to attend these services.
For more information, call 815-224-4067, ext. 114, or visit aimassociation.org. Mighty Word Church is at 599 Canaan Drive in LaSalle, exit 77 on Interstate 80.
Wish-granting volunteers sought in L-P area
Wheels for Nathan event set for Oct. 12
Relay for Life team will hold pastry sale
PEORIA — Make-A-Wish Illinois will host a free training session for wish-granting volunteers in the Peru area on Oct. 22 with a 5 p.m. check-in and training from 5:15 to 7:45 p.m. Exact training location will be provided to trainees upon sign up. Volunteers bilingual in English and Spanish are especially needed.
Wish-Granting volunteers will work in teams of two to help grant the wishes of children in
their community. Volunteers plan and carry out wishes from start to finish with support from the Make-A-Wish staff. Wish-granters are asked to give 10-12 hours per month to grant at least three wishes per year.
To attend the training, poten-tial volunteers must complete the volunteer application and online training in advance; there-fore RSVP is required by Oct. 10.
Space is limited and pre-registra-tion is required. Reserve a spot by contacting Tonisha Daniel at [email protected] or 312-602-9413. All volunteers must be over 21 and submit an applica-tion, reference,background check, complete an online and brief in-person training to begin granting wishes.
For more information, visit www.illinois.wish.org.
LOSTANT — A benefit will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Oct. 12 at Dave’s Lost-Ant Cafe, Route 251 south of Lostant, to help Nathan Burcar.
Nathan is the 8-year-old son of Doug Burcar and Kyla Vanlandegan and is suffering from Duch-enne’s, a rare and debili-tating form of Muscular Dystrophy. Proceeds from this event will be used to purchase a power wheelchair for Nathan as well as ramps into their homes.
The afternoon will include face painting, a balloon artist and a bounce house for chil-
dren. There will be a hog roast, live entertainment, a 50/50 drawing, auctions and raffles. A drawing for a 1985 Harley Davidson Sportster XLX 1000 will be at 5:30 p.m. Tickets for the motorcycle draw-ing are available now at Uncle Stewy’s Road House in Spring Valley. You need not be present for this drawing.
An account has also been opened at Illini State Bank for those who may not be able to attend but would like to help.
For more information, call Doug at 815-481-3274 or Josie at 815-876-0307.
HENNEPIN — The Hen-nepin Relay for Life team will conduct its annual butterbraid coffee cake, cookie dough, apple dumpling and pumpkin roll sale until Sept. 20.
Orders will be deliv-ered Oct. 18, and team members will pick up
their orders that day at the Hennepin Methodist Church.
Orders can be placed with team members or by calling team captain Betty Dean at 815-925-7098, chairman Linda DeMat-tia at 815-339-6139 or Ila Weddell at 815-925-7147.
Thanks NeighborThanks to all
To the Editor,We want to add our thanks to the Tonica Fest
Committee for their time, hard work, energy and great ideas in planning such a great weekend of celebration. It is impossible to list all of the people involved, but we have to mention the museum, carni-val, various booths, wrestling, car show and food. The magnificent display of fire equipment certainly says a lot for the community, and firemen who dedicate their time. We were so honored to be a part of the 160-year celebration. We have lived here most of our 88 years and witnessed many of the changes shown in the museum. Thanks to all.
Every game ... free food, giveaways, touchdown bonuses! Best TV’s in the area, even on the patio and in the men’s room!
Bears season starts sept. 8th
Serving Tues-Sat, 11am- 2pmBoth healthy &
naughty choices! Will you be
naughty or nice?
Lunches!We offer:
•
•
•
Your choice of our elegant dining room or our white high peak 3200 square foot (40x80) tent with modern profile. Both overlooking a spectacular view of our PGA golf course.Beautifully landscaped grounds for outdoor ceremonies.Custom menus and professional service.
7 LifeFriday, September 6, 2013 • The Tonica News • 7
Recipe CornerSchool is back in session now, so we have to come
up with sandwiches for lunchboxes to keep the kids happy and full. It’s a long day to sit still in a classroom if you’re still hungry. You can also use one of these for a quick dinner. Make a salad and some bread, and dinner is on.
Ranch Turkey Wraps1/4 cup cream cheese, softened1/4 cup prepared ranch salad dressing4 flour tortillas3/4 pound sliced deli turkey8 slices Monterey Jack cheese1 medium tomato, sliced
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and salad dress-ing until smooth. Spread over tortillas. Layer with turkey, cheese and tomato. Roll up tightly, cut in half. Serve with some chips and a pickle and some apple slices. Freeze a juice container. It will keep the lunch cold plus be ready to drink by lunch.
Italian Submarine1 1-pound loaf unsliced Italian bread2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil2 to 4 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano1 medium tomato, thinly sliced1/2 pound thinly sliced deli ham1/4 pound sliced provolone cheese1/4 pound thinly sliced hard salami
Cut bread in half lengthwise. Hollow out bottom half, leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Brush oil over cut sides of bread. Combine the Parmesan cheese and oregano. Sprinkle over bread. On the bottom half, layer the tomato, ham, provolone and salami. Replace bread top. Cut into four servings. Put in a bag of corn curls, pickle slices and a bag of grapes. Freeze a juice con-tainer to keep lunch cold.
Do you have a sandwich or back-to-school recipe you’d like to share with other readers? Email it to me at [email protected]. Please remember to include your name, address and telephone number (telephone number won’t be published). Happy Back to School!
JudyDyke
GRANDMA JUDY’S CAFE
MenusPutnam County Community
CenterSept. 9 — Chicken with broccoli
and cheese, rice pilaf, peas and onions, cinnamon applesauce, rai-sins, dinner roll.
Library CornerLASALLE — The program “Shelfari — What’s It All
About?” will be presented at 6 p.m. Sept. 26 at the LaSalle Public Library.
Shelfari is a social cataloging website for books. Shelfari users build virtual bookshelves of the titles they own or have read and can rate, review, tag and discuss their books. Users can also cre-ate groups that other members may join, create discussions and talk about books or other topics. Recommendations can be sent to friends on the site for what books to read.
Nancy Nieslawski, an experienced user, will walk guests through the website. This program is free and open to the public.
Streator Elks will hold clinicSTREATOR – The Streator Elks 591 Lodge, in
cooperation with the Illinois Elks Children’s Care Corporation, will sponsor a free children’s orthope-dic assessment clinic from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sept. 9 at the Orthopedic Associates of Streator, the office of Dr. A. Roy, 205 S. Park St., Streator.
The clinic is and is by appointment only. To make an appointment, call the Illinois Elks Children’s Care office at 800-272-0074 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. No medical referral is necessary for the clinic but physicians are wel-come to refer patients to the clinic for a specific reason or second opinion. School nurses are wel-come to refer children and families to the clinic.
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8 History/Classifieds8 • The Tonica News • Friday, September 6, 2013
History ... according to The Tonica News
68 years agoMrs. Margaret Thomp-
son, accompanied by Min-nie Gallop and Ruth Jones of Oglesby, came home from a visit with the for-mer’s son, Cl Robert Beard, at Percy Jones Hospital in Battle Creek, Mich., where he had undergone some surgery while there.
Pfc Glen Ryan was one of the boys who has always retained the same address as regards regiment and APO number during his three years of service whether in the states or overseas.
70 years agoMr. and Mrs. Frank Vul-
cani of Standard became the parents of their fourth daughter on Aug. 6 at St. Margaret’s Hospital.
The silver anniversary district sales managers convention of the Moews Seed Co. was held in the Hotel Kaskaskia.
PFC Howard Schrowang was home from Fort Knox, Ky., where he had been stationed since his return to this country from Korea.
Miss Hazel Stevens of Wheaton became the bride of Dr. Harry Riegel of Dwight in an informal ceremony at the home of her mother, Mrs. William Stevens, in Wheaton on Aug. 2.
Many Tonica people attended various programs during the LaSallenial Centennial celebration. There were 175 floats, 26 bands and 225 units in the annual parade.
Mr. and Mrs. Howard Dysart, Granville mor-tician and wife, were in serious condition at Holy Rosary hospital in Mile City, Mont., where they were removed 80 miles by ambulance from Baker, Mont., after suffering inju-ries when their car, driven by Mr. Dysart, left the high-way and crashed down a steep embankment.
Tips to help parents, students start the school year strong
PERU — It’s back to school once again.
But this hyped-up, commercial back-to-school rush to equip stu-dents with new garments and gear often gets in the way of the real prepara-tions that parents and kids should focus on for a successful school year.
“Starting a new school year can be a daunting experience for many stu-dents, and failing to get off on the right foot can set the tone for the rest of the academic year,” Peru’s Sylvan Learning Center Daniel Callahan said. “Parents need to take the right steps start-ing now to make sure their students are pre-pared to tackle new aca-demic challenges with the right habits and daily routines. This includes trying not to be so con-sumed with showing up in the latest fashions; it’s not that important. That’s why Sylvan Learn-ing has put together four simple tips for parents and four simple tips for children that can help boost student success in the new school year.”
Here are four things parents can do to help their children achieve better academic results:
• Impose the two-week rule: With later bedtimes over the summer, chil-dren need to ease back into their school rou-tine rather than having a sudden change their first day of school.
• Reintroduce regu-lar meal times: During summer months, kids tend to grab a snack several times during the day. Parents can start reminding students to get back into a three-meal-a-day schedule in order to regulate their system into the back-to-school mode. Nutrition is an important factor in academic performance, and eating a healthy, balanced breakfast and lunch keeps kids alert throughout the day.
• Family calendar: Time management is tricky for everyone, espe-cially kids and teens, but planning is an important way to save everyone’s sanity. Having major deadlines, due dates, events and extracurricu-
lar activities in one place helps kids visualize their week, manage their time and stay on track.
• Don’t ditch good habits: If you and your child have established a good summer learn-ing routine, when school starts try not to forsake all of the fun reading, writing and art activi-ties that kept your child engaged all summer.
Here are four impor-tant things that students can follow to improve the academic quality of the school year.
• Organize: Organi-zation is not overrated. Keeping notes, projects and reading materials in logical order helps students find what they need right away, cut-ting down on time spent tracking things down, and allowing more time for actual studying.
• Take good notes: Yes, it does matter. Tak-ing good notes helps keep kids’ grades up, especially in middle or high school. To boost note-taking skills, stu-dents should practice picking out the “main
ideas” in conversations, news reports, or maga-zine articles.
• Concentrate: Stay-ing focused is easier for some kids than oth-ers. Students need to do their best to avoid distractions in class. This means keeping cell phones tucked away and being vocal if a chatty classmate is too distract-ing.
• Speak up: Students often can get tripped up by homework or test instructions. Students should know it’s OK to speak up if they don’t understand testing or homework directions. Students should also lis-ten carefully and spend plenty of time reading directions.
Sylvan Learning also reminds parents that even with the best prep-aration many students still may need extra help to meet new academic challenges or to bolster study skills. Getting help at the first sign of trouble will prevent stu-dents from falling fur-ther behind as the year progresses.
Blood drive set for Sept. 10 in HennepinHENNEPIN — September is
National Preparedness Month, a time for Americans to prepare for emergencies of all types, including ones that require blood transfu-sions.
By giving blood through the American Red Cross, donors help ensure an adequate supply is available.
An American Red Cross blood
drive has been scheduled for 2 to 6 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Hennepin Pool in Hennepin.
It can take up to three days for donated blood to be tested, processed and made available for patients, so the blood on the shelves is what saves the day when an emergency strikes.
Currently, eligible donors of all blood types, especially O negative,
A negative and B negative, are needed for the Red Cross to read-ily meet patient needs.
Donors who gave blood at the start of summer may now be eli-gible to donate again.
Help the Red Cross be prepared by making an appointment to donate blood. To make an appoint-ment, visit redcrossblood.org or call 800-RED CROSS.
Lostant townwide garage sales Sept. 7LOSTANT — The bi-annual fall townwide garage
sales in Lostant will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 7. Rain or shine, everyone is welcome.
Sublette Car Show on Sept. 7SUBLETTE — The annual Sublette Car Show will be
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 7 along Route 52 across from Vaessen Brothers Chevrolet and near the Sub-lette BP station. This show will feature more than 30 Kaisers and Frazers owned by Sublette residents, Willys-Overland, Hudson and Nash automobiles. The Chicago Milwaukee Hudson Club will hold a meet in conjunction with the show, and Nash Collectors will also be participating. There will be a special Chevro-let exhibit.
There is no registration fee and there will be no judging. Donations will be accepted for the Salvation Army.
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE THIRTEENTH
JUDICIAL CIRCUITLASALLE COUNTY, OTTAWA, ILLINOISPROBATE DIVISION
IN THE MATTER OF) THE ESTATE OF )JAMES KUDLA, ) DECEASED )
NO. 2013 - P -154 Notice is given to Creditors of the death of JAMES KUDLA of the City of PERU, County of LASALLE and State of Illinois, who died on 27th day of July, 2013. Letters of Office were issued to CARRIE HELMIG, 1619 Sixth Street, Peru, 61354 Illinois on August 13, 2013, as Executor, whose attorneys are HELMIG & HELMIG, 1824 Fourth Street, Peru, Illinois, 61354. Claims against the Estate may be filed in the office of the Clerk, Circuit Court, in the Lasalle County Courthouse, Ottawa, Illinois 61350, or with the representatives, or both, on or before February 28, 2014 , which date is not less than 6 months from date of first publi-cation, or, if mailing or delivery of a notice from the representative is required by section 18-3 of the Probate Act of 2000, the date stated in that notice. Any claim not filed on or before said date is barred. Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must
be mailed or delivered by the claimant to the representative and to the attorney within ten (10) days after it has been filed. GIVEN this 13th day of August A.D., 2013.
CARRIE HELMIGEXECUTOR OF THE
LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
OF JAMES KUDLA, DECEASED
1619 Sixth StreetPeru, Illinois 61354
Published in the Tonica News Aug. 23, 30 and Sept. 6, 2013.
LOSTANT COmmUNITY LIBRARY 2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT
July 1, 2012 Balance $ 1698.28Receipts LaSalle Co Tax $ 25971.29 IL Replacement Tax 309.37 Interest 11.16 Per Capita Grant 935.26 Grace Davis Trust 266.00 Non-Resident Fee 35.00 Donations 5.00 Total Receipts $ 27533.08Disbursements Computer $ 1471.44 Total Payroll 16446.13 Office Supplies 38.31 Utilities 2769.10 Library Supplies 2499.76 Insurance 1573.00 Legal Fees 633.90 Accounting 355.00 Postage 138.90 Maintenance 658.03 Building Repair 2076.35 Total Disbursements $ 28659.92Balance June 30, 2013 $ 561.44
Jessica Urbanowski, TreasurerState of Illinois
County of LaSalle Signed and attested before me on 8/16/2013 by Jessica Urbanowski, Treasurer
Sheri O’Brien, Notary PublicPublished in the Tonica News Sept. 6, 2013.
The Tonica Newsreserves the right to classi-fy correctly, edit, reject orcancel any advertisementat any time in accordancewith its policy. All ads mustbe checked for errors bythe advertiser, on the firstday of publication. We willbe responsible for the firstincorrect insertion, and itsliabilities shall be limited tothe price on one insertion.
Tonica NewsDoes not have the op-portunity to fully inves-tigate the credibility ofeach advertiser appear-ing within thesecolumns. If an offersounds “too good to betrue” it probably is.Proceed with caution ifyou are asked to sendmoney or to give acredit card number.Proceed with caution incalling 900 phone num-bers. All phone num-bers prefixed by”900”are charged to theCALLER. Charges maybe assessed on a “perminute” basis ratherthan a “per call” basis.The Tonica News Clas-sifieds makes every ef-fort to qualify thesecharges for the reader.If you have a concernabout an advertiser,please contact:
Better BusinessBureau
330 North WabashChicago, IL 60611
312 832-0500
- 400 -Merchandise
446 • Farm Products
450 • Under $1000
* * * * * * * * * * * * HAVE SOMETHING
TO SELL?
Put your ad in for FREE
Items $1,000 or lesscan run FREE for 1time. Limit of 5 lines.Up to 3 items with priceand price totaling under$1,000. 1 ad per house-hold per week.
No commercial ads,firearms or
animal sales.
E-mail information to:classified@
bcrnews.com(include your name, ad-dress & phone number)
or mail to: BCR, PO Box 340,
Princeton, IL 61356No Phone Calls!
Visit Morrissey's Farmsfor all your produce
needs.We also have canningTomatoes, Michigan andIL Peaches. Located 3miles south of Putnam onRt. 29. (at our old locationin the pavilion at Hobo's).309-236-8837
PRINCETON 1335 Deer-field Road (Country Oaks)(off 26 near golf course).Friday, September 6,1pm-6pm; Saturday,September 7, 9am-5pm;Sunday, September 8,9am-1pm. 1 weekend only
MOVING SALELiving room, kitchen ta-ble, dining room, masterbedroom set, guest bed-room, chairs, desks, TV's,lamps, futon, lawn/gardenequipment & tools, Art-work, GE washer/dryer(frontload), gas BBQ,(2011) John Deere 48"D140 mower, and more
460 • Garage Sales
PRINCETON 303 Park Av-enue East. Friday,September 6, 8am-6pm;Saturday, September8am-12pm.
MULTI-FAMILY SALE .Boy's clothes, name brandadult clothes, furniture,dishes, kitchen items, bi-cycles parts, oil paintings
Sunday, September 15FLEA MARKET
BUREAU COUNTYFAIRGROUNDS
811 West Peru, Princeton.8:00 am to 2:00 pm.
$1.00 admissionFree Parking
Food Stand is available.Antiques, Collectibles,New & Vintage items
PRINCETON 726 Park Av-enue West. Thursday,September 5, 3pm-6pm;Friday, September 6, 8am-1pm. 2 FAMILY SALE. Boys size 8/10 and up,girls, junior clothes (namebrand) like new condition,larger size women's cloth-ing, books, toys, house-wares, kitchen table
460 • Garage Sales
RURAL PRINCETON13101 IL Hwy 26, 3 milessouth of Princeton on Rt26 (before Golf Course).Friday, September 6,10am-6pm; Saturday,September 7, 10am-4pm.Furniture, household,books, knickknacks, misc.No clothes
ADVERTISE GARAGE SALES OR YARD SALES!
The Tonica News can promote your garage sale or yard sale Just call 815-875-4461.
