TON-12-27-2013

By Ken [email protected]

TONICA – A business is moving out of Tonica, claiming the Tonica Vil-lage Board has singled him out for persecution. Bill Tregoning told the board during its Dec. 19 meeting he would be moving Bill’s Automotive to Wenona after the new year.

“We took an option out on a property outside the area, and we’re moving out by spring,” Tregon-ing said. “I think there’s some turmoil that’s been generated, and we feel the village just keeps ramping it up. It’s strange that one town will donate us acreage, and the other one is chasing us out.”

The dispute stems from a disagreement between

Tregoning and the village concerning the vehicles on Tregoning’s property. The village maintains several of the vehicles are junk, which is a viola-tion of village ordinance. Tregoning said he has clear title to all of the vehicles, and all of them are functional.

Village President Kevin Sluder said many of those vehicles had not moved

for some time, pointing out a Mid-States truck that has sat dormant for 10 years. Tregoning responded the truck was eventually going to be put into service but did work and would be mov-ing with the rest of his business to Wenona.

“All I’m asking for is movement. If you’re mov-ing cars out of there that are junk, that’s all I’m asking,” Sluder said.

Tregoning was told he

would still need to adhere to ordinances until he moved the business.

In other action, the board:

• Discussed the mow-ing agreement with Ton-ica Grade School. School Superintendent John Suarez has asked the board to work with the school to lease a mower between the two govern-ments. Board members decided to pursue other options before making a

final decision.• Received the news

from Village Engineer Jack Kusek the plans for the new sewer plant were awaiting approval from the state. Kusek believes ground-breaking will like-ly not be able to take place until 2015 due to state procedures.

• Received the news from Kusek the Village Inn property was going

1 Front

The Tonica NewsVolume 140 No. 44 Friday, December 27, 2013

Single Copy Cost 50¢

Vol. 140 No. 44

One Section - 8 Pages

© The Tonica News

Tonica business moving south

2013: The year in review

Lostant Grade School still having water problems

Owner says village has singled him out

By Ken [email protected]

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series looking back at 2013.

July 5Cedar Point hosted the

Cedar Point Classic, a new and expanded two-day celebration, July 13 and 14. This celebra-tion included a 16-team, 14-inch men’s softball tournament, live music and plenty of food and drinks, with all profits going to the Cedar Point Fire Department, one of the few non-taxing fire departments left in the Illinois Valley area.

A U.S. Olympic coin set, some Liberty Head gold pieces, and a Martha Washington one dollar note from 1886 were just some of the items that Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford was offer-ing in the Illinois Trea-surer’s Online Unclaimed Property Auction.

July 12In April, a 100-year

flood swamped Lostant and much of the Illinois Valley area. Residents, including Dallas Freeman and Tom Hoyt, were two of about a dozen people who attended the vil-lage board meeting to list their losses and to see what the board was going to do about it. At the July 8 board meeting, Lostant

By Ken [email protected]

LOSTANT – If at first you don’t succeed ...

Board member Bob Lawless told the Lostant Village Board the repairs done on the base-ment sump pump were not

working as hoped. Before the board meeting on Dec. 18, Law-less said he had been in the basement and had to manually start the pump to remove some standing water.

It is believed the sensor array on the pump is the problem, since the pump worked per-

fectly once manually activated. Superintendent Sandra Mala-hy was instructed to contact the installer and to withhold payment until the problem is resolved.

In other action, the board:• Gave final official approval

to the 2013-14 levy with a levy

increase slightly more than 1 percent.

• Discussed the effects of the pension reform bill. Malahy said a lawsuit is due against the leg-islation on the grounds of con-stitutionality.

Tonica News photo/Dixie Schroeder

Tonica Grade School students enjoy holiday partiesThird-grade students at Tonica Grade School play a game to the story “A Night Before Christmas” at their annual holiday party. The students will return to classes Jan. 6. See more photos on Page 2.

See Tonica Page 3

See Lostant Page 2See 2013 Page 4

2 Local2 • The Tonica News • Friday, December 27, 2013

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Izeah Martinson starts to eat at the annual holiday party in Tonica Grade School’s kindergarten class.

Fourth-grader Emily Streht works on a project dur-ing the annual holiday party at Tonica Grade School.

Fifth-grader Brice ‘Santa’ Fundell enjoys a snack during the annual holiday part at Tonica Grade School.

Tonica News photos/Dixie SchroederTonica Grade School third graders Chase Hank, Joshua Soria and Kaylie Thomas get ready for their Christmas party gift exchange on Dec. 20. Teacher Lynn Anderson was reading “The Night Before Christmas” to the class. As the word right or left was spoken in the story, the students passed their presents around appropriately. At the end of the story they were allowed to open them.

• Elected to continue the current methods and

standards for school can-cellations due to weather.

• Continued discussion of exit interview mate-rials for departing staff

and families leaving the school district. The board voted earlier this year to make an effort to find out how the school dis-

trict could improve its services.

• Reviewed the McGraw-Hill Common Core Math program. The

curriculum is being used by the Tonica Grade School District to meet the new Core Curricu-lum standards set by the state. However, Malahy said her experiences with the state board coordi-nating the standards indi-cated the program may not meet the new stan-dards.

• Discussed the kitch-en grease trap project. Recent discoveries may impact the proposed work, but nothing has been determined at this time.

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3 Obit RecordsFriday, December 27, 2013 • The Tonica News • 3

to be subdivided by the owners of the property, and there was already an agreement made for the northern portion of the lot.

• Discussed sending aid to Washington to assist in clean-up and work on the town’s water and sewer problems resulting from the November tornado that swept through the town.

• Looked at possible options for a pillow tax in the village in prepara-tion for potential hotel or motel construction. Board members will look

over some proposals and make a decision at the January board meeting.

Village President Harten-bower said a committee had been formed of Free-man, Hoyt and adjoin-ing landowner Jim Gen-tert. The committee was chaired by Trustee Chris Dose.

The Lostant Sum-mer Fest was scheduled for July 18-21. Lostant Village President Fred Hartenbower was look-ing forward to a great festival.

July 19On July 9, Illinois

became the last state in the nation to allow a gun owner to carry concealed weapons, after the Illi-nois General Assembly voted to override Gov. Pat Quinn’s amendatory veto of House Bill 183. The Senate vote was 41 yeas to 17 nays with Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) voting in favor of the override. The House vote was 77 yeas to 31 nays with Rep. Frank Mautino (D-Spring Valley) also voting in favor of the override.

The Illinois General Assembly passed Sen-ate Bill 2356 to Gov. Pat Quinn’s desk, which would increase speed limits on Illinois’ rural freeways and certain highways from 65 miles per hour to 70 miles per hour.

July 26The new Affordable

Care Act will cost the Tonica School District money. That message was delivered by Mary Jo Boland of Boland Insurance at the July 17 board meeting. Boland Insurance is the dis-trict’s insurance carrier through Humana. Boland was there to offer the district the opportunity to renew its health insur-ance in advance of the normal one-year anni-versary date.

The Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau entered Starved Rock State Park into VirtualTourist .com’s quest to crown the “8th Wonder of the World.” Public voting was open at VirtualTourist.com, a leading travel research website and community that is part of TripAdvi-sor Media Group.

Aug. 2Unemployment in U.S.

Congressional District 16 totaled 10.7 percent, according to figures released from the U.S. Census Bureau. Of the 370,499 people in the district’s labor force, 39,599 were listed as unemployed in the 113th Congress survey. The congressional district covers LaSalle County.

The Lostant Grade School Board announced earlier they would be using a sliding class schedule, which groups students in some classes according to academic ability instead of actual

grade level. The board found out at its July 24 meeting that decision was not appreciated by every parent in the dis-trict.

Aug. 9It was a double cel-

ebration for Tonica Fest 2013. The annual town-wide celebration includ-ed the village’s 160th birthday. Tonica was officially settled in 1853. The event was extended to four days, Aug. 22-25.

In a move designed to add another way to bring more people to the polls, Illinois became the 18th state to allow online voter registration. A priority for Gov. Pat Quinn in 2013, the new legislation allows poten-tial voters to register to vote and take part in the democratic process online.

Aug. 16Residents are see-

ing more coyotes. The coyotes were becoming more adventurous, going into residents’ yards with a little more fre-quency, LaSalle County Animal Control Officer Gary Wind said.

A representative from Valley Petroleum was seen on a bulldozer beginning the process of tearing down the Village Inn on the northwest side of Tonica after months of communication between the company and Tonica officials.

Aug. 23A Tonica man was in

a Quad Cities jail after being apprehended in connection with a late night shooting on Aug. 18 outside Leonore. Richard Felton, 28, was held on two Class X felo-nies — attempted mur-der and aggravated bat-tery with a firearm. Both crimes carry a sentence of 6-30 years in prison with no parole.

The Lostant Grade School Board tentative-ly accepted a bid to fix their basement water problems. The board agreed to the base price of $28,889 from John’s Service and Sales Inc. in Oglesby to install a larger sump and a pump to alleviate the flooding issues.

Aug. 30Richard M. Felton

II, 28, charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery, appeared before LaSalle County Circuit Judge Cynthia Raccuglia on Aug. 21, but his attorney was unable to make it to the hearing. Felton is being held in the LaSalle County Jail in lieu of $300,000 cash bond with his next appearance in LaSalle County Court set for Sept. 16. Felton is accused of allegedly shooting Jeremy Wade of Grand Ridge in the face with the bullet entering between Wade’s nose and mouth. Wade then fell 40 feet into the river and broke a hip. He was able to crawl from the

water and walk to a near-by house where he used a phone to call for help.

The latest news from the U.S. Department of Labor placed Illinois unemployment at 9.1 percent. LaSalle County was in worse shape with a jobless rate of 11.3 per-cent.

Sept. 6During the Tonica

School District’s August meeting, the board heard the results of the 2012-13 audit. The audit was presented by Joel Hop-kins of Hopkins and Associates and showed the state owed the school district $50,665 as of June 30. Tonica ended up with a deficit balance of $193,657 for the 2012-13 school year.

About 40 farmers from Central and South Amer-ica came to the United States to learn about American farming tech-niques and operations. They visited the Ford farm south of Tonica on Aug. 29 to see the dif-ferences between their operations and those in the United States.

Sept. 13The main topic at the

Lostant Village Board meeting on Sept. 9 was flooding. Four residents of Second Street were in attendance looking for answers to the flood-ing problems that have plagued the street for some time. Run-off from the field to the east of the village caused water to pool in the neighbor-hood, causing property damage during the last couple of years, and the heavy April rains this year only heightened the problem.

IVCC Director of Com-munity Relations and Development Fran Brol-ley said Illinois Valley Community College’s enrollment slipped 6 per-cent in head count from 2012. Brolley also said there was a 6 percent in credit hours taken.

Sept. 20Richard Felton had two

more charges added onto his list for his upcom-ing trial date. Felton was previously indicted on charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery stemming from the Aug. 18 shooting of a Grand Ridge man. In a hearing before Circuit Judge H. Chris Ryan on Sept. 16, LaSalle County State’s Attorney Brian Towne added the charg-es of home invasion and residential burglary.

Water and sewer lines in Tonica have obstruc-tions and collapses needing to be fixed soon. Water and Sewer Supervisor Marc Lemrise told the Tonica Village Board during its meet-ing on Sept. 16 a mobile camera was brought in to check lines along Minnehaha Street, and several partial collapses were found along the line where the camera could not get through.

Sept. 27After some last minute

cuts, the Tonica Grade School Board approved the 2013-14 budget, which still included more than $40,000 in defi-cit spending The board approved the budget at a special budget meeting on Sept. 23. Cuts included eliminating attendance at a superintendent/board member seminar and a cutback on available overtime for the main-tenance staff. The board determined they could not make any other cuts without affecting the stu-dents or the community.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported 22 percent of households have felt one or more possible hard-ships in fulfilling their families’ basic needs in the past year. The hard-ships included trouble in meeting basic expenses: Rent or mortgage, utili-ties, phone service cut off, being unable to see a doctor or dentist when needed and not having enough food.

Oct. 4Gov. Pat Quinn

launched Get Covered Illinois, the state’s com-prehensive education and enrollment online platform for uninsured residents to sign up for health coverage under the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA). Get-CoveredIllinois.gov is the official website mar-ketplace where individ-uals, families and small business owners can get connected to their new health insurance options with coverage starting Jan. 1.

A LaSalle man was taken to St. Margaret’s Hospital in Spring Val-ley following a two-vehicle accident. Cedar Point firefighters and other area emergency personnel were called to the scene just before 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 27 at the intersection of Route 71 and Merid-ian Road. The LaSalle County Sheriff’s office reported Gregory T. McAdams, 57, was southbound on Merid-ian Road along the LaSalle-Putnam County line when he failed to stop at the intersection and drove into the path of a westbound semi.

Oct. 11The Tonica Village

Board held a special meet-ing on Oct. 7 to discuss the obstructions in the water and sewer lines in the village, especially the problems along Minneha-ha Street. A mobile cam-era was brought in dur-ing September and sev-eral partial collapses were found along Minnehaha Street where the camera could not get through. There are also some sec-tions where tree roots had grown into the pipes and a section with a fiber optic cable from Tonica Tele-phone crossing through.

TonicaFrom Page 1

2013From Page 1

Quick night for Tonica School Board

By Ken [email protected]

TONICA – It was a quick night for the Ton-ica Grade School Board on Dec. 18, as the board members wasted little time approving the tax levy for the 2013-14 fis-cal year, with no major changes from the current levy.

School Superintendent John Suarez reported to the board on the pen-sion reform bill passed by the state. He told the members lawsuits from state teachers’ organiza-tions would be filed short-ly, challenging the con-stitutionality of the bill. The legislation signed by Gov. Pat Quinn on Dec. 5 reduces the amount of money the state will pay out in pensions. In most cases, that money was sent to the government

in the form of wage taxes and Teacher Retirement System payments, mean-ing money paid in will not be coming out.

In other action, the board:

• Heard a report from Suarez on a proposal made to the village of Tonica regarding mow-ing. Suarez approached Village President Kevin Sluder with the possibil-ity of splitting the cost to lease a mower for both the village and the school. Suarez is hoping the move can save the school district and the village money for other projects.

• Mapped out a plan for school evacuation in the case of an anhydrous ammonia leak.

• Agreed to hold a holi-day party for the staff and faculty. The festivity will take place after the new year.

Robert V. HardyPERU — Robert “Bob” V. Hardy, 78, of Peru passed

away Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013, at his home.He was born Sept. 20, 1935, in LaSalle

to Thomas and Wilma (Gingerich) Hardy. He married Dolores Huffines Feb. 14, 1970.

He worked at Caterpillar and then Sund-strand until he and his wife started Coun-try Catering in 1980 which they operated until 2001 when they retired and sold the business. He was a member of Oglesby Elks Club.

He is survived by his wife, Dolores of Peru; two daughters, Debra (Larry) Brown of Hennepin and Patricia Hardy Liles of LaSalle; three sons, Mark Hardy of LaSalle, Robert Hardy Jr. of LaSalle and Patrick (Janet) Hardy of Colorado; five stepchildren, Doug (Josie) Burcar of Leonore, Brian (Cindy) Burcar of Lostant, Michael Burcar of LaSalle, Barbara (Mark) Woycik of Colorado and Kathleen (Bill) Mercer of Lostant; 16 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; one brother, Thomas E. (Laurie) Hardy of Texas; and one sister, Mary Lou (Clarence) Smith of Granville.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one broth-er, William Hardy; and one sister, Leona Clark.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Dec. 27 at the Mueller Funeral Home in Peru with the Rev. Robert Spilman of Nativity of Our Lord Church in Spring Val-ley officiating. Visitation will be from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Dec. 27 at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be directed to IV Food Pantry or IV Pads.

The online guestbook may be viewed and remem-brances shared at www.MuellerFH.com.

Obituary

Robert Hardy

See 2013 Page 4

HurstFuneralHome

Tonica, IL223-0380

4 Biz Ag4 • The Tonica News • Friday, December 27, 2013

Gov. Pat Quinn joined local officials on Oct. 7 to announce $3.2 million in Illinois Jobs Now! capi-tal investments to repair municipal, township and county infrastructure in Bureau, DeKalb, Grundy, Kendall and LaSalle coun-ties. LaSalle County’s share amounted to $955,010.

Oct. 18A DNA test was ordered

for Richard M. Felton, 28, of 163 S. Mayfield St., Chicago (who also holds a Tonica address), who appeared in court on Oct. 10. Felton was asked to submit to a saliva test as well as to give his palm prints to add to current fingerprint samples. Felton’s lawyer, Myron Goldstein of Chicago, con-sented to the motion as it is routinely filed in violent felony cases. Felton has been charged with allegedly shooting Jeremy Wade, 28 of Grand Ridge, on Aug. 18 on the Sandy Ford Bridge over the Vermilion River.

Utica’s annual Burgoo Festival was enjoyed by thousands on Oct. 12 and 13. Several festival-goers enjoyed the famous bur-goo — a Pioneer stew made from meat and vegetables and cooked over an open fire throughout the night. The event, sponsored by the LaSalle County Histori-cal Society, is the organiza-tion’s largest fundraiser of the year and includes food, vendors, entertainment and more.

Oct. 25Joel Hopkins of Hopkins

and Associates brought some depressing news to the Tonica Village Board during its meeting on Oct. 21. The village ended its Fis-cal Year 2013 with a deficit of approximately $29,000. The figure was driven by losses in the capital projects fund and the water, sewer and garbage fund of $66,000 and $60,000 respectively.

Village President Fred Hartenbower present-ed the results of a meet-ing with local residents to the Lostant Village Board on Oct. 14. The meeting was aimed at finding solu-tions to alleviate the flood-ing problems on Second Street and was attended by many residents, including John Gentert, the farmer whose property abuts the area. Several possible solu-tions were presented, but the main problem is fund-ing any projects.

Nov. 1Lostant Grade School

Superintendent Sandra Malahy told the school board the basement proj-

ect is almost completed at the monthly board meet-ing Oct. 24. “We’re waiting for the two pumps. They’re back ordered, and they’re not here yet,” Malahy said. “The workers capped off and drained the old pit. They moved the old pump into the new pit to take care of business until we get the new pumps.”

Local author Ron Blue-mer had written and pub-lished his 12th book. “Con-necting Links” picked up where his 2005 book “Here Comes the Boat” left off, expanding on the history of the Illinois Michigan Canal and adding more details of the Hennepin Canal and the Illinois Waterway. This book included the impact of the April flooding, includ-ing the damage in Marseilles when seven barges struck the Marseilles dam.

Nov. 8American Legion Post

of Ottawa and other area veterans participated in the honor guard event at the War Memorial in Washington Park in Otta-wa. This was the fifth year of a vigil program where area veterans sign up to take 15 minute shifts as honor guards. The event started on Nov. 1 with an opening ceremony and ended 24 hours later on Nov. 2.

On Nov. 2, Illinois Val-ley Community College unveiled the Peter Miller Community Technology Center. IVCC President Jerry Corcoran credited State Rep. Frank Mautino (D-Spring Valley) and for-mer State Sen. Gary Dahl (R-Granville) for helping to secure 75 percent of the project’s construction funding from the state.

Nov. 15LaSalle County Sheriff

Tom Templeton said vio-lent crime was not a major problem in LaSalle Coun-ty and property crimes were down. “Between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2012, the rural areas of LaSalle County reported 148 bur-glaries and 255 thefts,” Templeton said. “This year, from Jan. 1 to Nov. 5, we’ve had only 84 burglaries and 180 thefts. Unless we have a major crime wave, our numbers will be way down from last year.”

Water and sewage issues dominated the meet-ing of the Lostant Vil-lage Board Nov. 11. With some minor equipment problems reported and a needed repainting of both the interior and exterior of the water tower, water and sewer supervisor Dave Mertes told the board it needed to consider the pos-sibility of a rate hike.

Nov. 22Village attorney Bob

Steele presented the pro-posed tax levy for the 2014 fiscal year to the Tonica Village Board on Nov. 18. The levy called for a $2,000 increase over the current $90,000 levy. Steele said it was a reasonable amount and thought it was a con-servative levy.

Accused gunman Rich-ard Felton spent his holi-day season in the LaSalle County Jail. Felton waived his right to a speedy trial when his lawyer, Chicago attorney Myron Goldstein, asked for a continuance during his Nov. 15 court appearance. Opening argu-ments in Felton’s case were scheduled to start on Nov. 18. With the continuance granted by Raccuglia, his next court appearance will be a status hearing on Jan. 23. Felton is charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery in the Aug. 18 shooting of Jeremy Wade, 28 of Grand Ridge.

Nov. 29Starting in June 2014,

same-sex couples will be able to obtain marriage licenses in Illinois due to legislation signed by Gov. Pat Quinn. Once the law takes effect, many coun-ty clerks did not expect any additional paperwork or expense to their office, although LaSalle County Clerk JoAnn Carretto was operating on a wait-and-see basis.

The hiring and re-arrangement of office and cafeteria staff was the main focus during the Lostant Grade School board meet-ing on Nov. 19. The board accepted the resignation of Gerilynn Smith as book-keeper and Jennifer Tooley surrendered her position as part-time assistant cook to increase her current assign-ment as part-time adminis-trative assistant to full-time

effective Dec. 2. Physical education instructor Steph-anie Ziel added the position of part-time assistant cook to her duties.

Dec. 6The state of Illinois was

attempting to save money by requiring the Illinois State Board of Education to redraw the map of the state’s Regional Offices of Education. The purpose of these offices is to provide support and teacher train-ing for various programs throughout the state. The new map took the former 44 regions and merged them into 35. LaSalle Coun-ty’s office absorbed Putnam and Marshall counties from the former regional office of Putnam/Marshall/Woodford counties.

Hunters in Illinois har-vested a preliminary total of 55,708 deer during the opening weekend of the 2013 Illinois Firearm Deer Season on Nov. 22-24, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The preliminary harvest total of 55,708 for the first three days of the 2013 firearm season was down from the first weekend harvest of 72,111 deer during the 2012 season.

Dec. 13The ink was barely dry

on the pension reform legislation signed into law by Gov. Quinn on Dec. 5, and those affected made it known they believed the legislation was unconstitu-tional. The new law counts on saving $160 billion over the next 30 years, largely by sharply curbing cost-of-living increases to retirees and requiring many current workers to skip up to five annual cost of living bumps when they retire. It also will boost the retirement age for current workers by up to five years, depending on their current age.

It was a successful blood drive at the Tonica Unit-ed Methodist Church on Dec. 9 with several people showing up to give the gift of life. Unfortunately, this may have been the last one. Tonican Mary Kay Keutzer organizing the blood drive at the church every eight weeks for the last 17 years, but she retired from the duty after this drive.

2013From Page 3

Quinn announces $500,000 for LaSalle

County bridge project

Pesticide applicator test-only session at LaSalle

County Extension

OTTAWA – Gov. Pat Quinn announced capi-tal investments of more than $500,000 for a bridge replacement proj-ect in LaSalle County, part of his Illinois Jobs Now! capital construc-tion program.

The project will be overseen by the Illinois Department of Transpor-tation.

The bridge carrying Illinois Route 71 over a tributary of the Fox River will be replaced for $567,905 by Stark Exca-vating Inc. of Blooming-ton, the lowest of three bidders.

“I want to commend Gov. Quinn for the release of the funds to upgrade these bridges. It is because of Gov.

Quinn’s leadership that we were able to get the capital bill that provides funding for these bridg-es,” State Representative Don Moffitt (R-Gilson) said. “These projects continue in our efforts to make Illinois a safer place to live and travel. Repair of these bridges shows the importance of having a capital bill for Illinois. It also shows why we will need additional capital building programs in the future as there are even more bridges in need of repair.”

These projects are part of Quinn’s $31 bil-lion Illinois Jobs Now! program, which is pro-jected to support more than 439,000 jobs over six years.

OTTAWA – The University of Illinois Extension – Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, Put-nam Unit is offering a test-only session for private pesticide appli-cators.

The test-only session will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Jan. 14 at the LaSalle Coun-ty Extension Office located at 1689 N. 31st Road, Suite 2, in Otta-wa. Testing will begin at 10 a.m. Advance reg-istration is required by Jan. 13. Call University of Illinois Extension-LaSalle County Office at 815-433-0707 to register. If you need a reasonable accommo-dation to participate, please indicate when calling/registering.

There is no charge for the testing session. The Illinois Depart-ment of Agriculture will administer the test. Participants may bring a calculator. New Pri-vate Applicator Train-ing Manuals came out in 2011-12. The manual and workbook can be purchased online or at local Extension offices.

The University of Illi-nois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employ-ment. Visit their web-site at http://web.exten-sion.illinois.edu/blmp/

If you have questions or need more informa-tion call University of Illinois Extension – Bureau, LaSalle, Mar-shall, Putnam Unit at 815-875-2878.

Get your news online! — Check out www.toni-canews.com.

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It’s that time of year again! The lights glimmer on every street corner. The kitchens burst with heavenly smells. The trees shelter a pile of wrapped presents ...

Yes, Christmas is coming, but I’m actually refer-ring to the beloved final exams. Just when I am ready for winter break after a long semester, school puts a damper on the excitement with a load of weighty tests.

In my case, when the teacher suggested on the first day of class that studying a little bit every day would be a good idea, I casually scoffed at the remark and came home from school to do whatever pleased me that day.

All too soon, though, Christ-mas break is just around the corner, and along with it comes some pretty big tests coming up that I haven’t studied for one bit yet.

One thing that I can’t stand, though, is failure. I’m a sore loser, and I hate disappointing myself and others, so alas, the studying must begin. Fortu-nately, I’ve completed two tests already that were not cumulative (just testing over the last chapters covered), but the rest are. I now have to go back and try to reinvent my studying habits, so that I can cover a semester’s worth of notes glaring up at me.

To put it mildly, this rarely works. First off, I am already sick of studying from my first two tests, and I dread the hours of staring at pages of notes that are still to come. It is just too much to expect anyone to be able to sit and study for hours when they are not used to it, and then to expect them to instantly remember all they have crammed into their brains for the last several hours on the test is utterly impossible! Unless they happen to have a photographic memory. And to anyone who does; I am sorely jealous … Since most people do not enjoy and are not prac-ticed at studying for hours on end, memorizing hundreds of notes, it burns them out quickly.

To me, this sounds eerily like some other things popular in the coming weeks, say maybe like New Year’s resolutions? I already hear radio stations chattering about the list of changes people wish to make to their lives that will instantly be imple-mented when January first strikes. Honestly, I am all for fixing up areas in my life where I am lack-ing, but it is the way that people go about it that doesn’t quite work out.

Typically, people will attack their resolutions with gusto the first couple weeks of January, and there are even those determined, driven people who stick with them all year (for whom I hold great respect), but the majority lose interest or get tired of the work all too quickly. And I’m sad to say that I have been one of those people.

The problem doesn’t lie in the resolution. I truly do think everyone needs to examine their lives and try to make themselves the best they can be in order to live life to its fullest. In my opinion, though,the issue is that we force ourselves all at once to take on a new habit or lifestyle that burns us out because we are not used to it.

Just like trying to sit and study for hours on end because I haven’t been going over my notes all along, I usually find myself far more interested in the pretty landscape outside my window or the peppy Christmas jingle playing in the next room. Next thing I know, I’m up cleaning my room or attending to some other task I would never nor-mally be so willing to do. Ironically I seem to know how it goes all too well …

The only answer I can gather from my limited experience is that I need to bite off smaller pieces at a time. All through the year I need to spend a

5 PerspectiveFriday, December 27, 2013 • The Tonica News • 5

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.

‘It’s the most glorious time of

the year ...’

Families are defined differently than when we were young. Mod-ern families can consist of two women or two men with adopted children or mixed families of dif-ferent races and religions, and of course, the traditional man and wife marriage we are more accus-tomed to knowing. Sometimes people live together for years, and never marry or wait for years before they do. There can be no wedding ceremony or very elabo-rate ones.

Whatever the arrangement, these people see themselves as a family. I guess I’m here to say, “Whatever the package, it is a family, and I want it to be as strong and safe as it can be.”

I came from a family that was as dopey as any. I feel fortunate I always felt safe, secure and loved, and I know that isn’t the case with many of you all. Maybe I was drawn to the work that gave me so much joy because I wanted the same things for others.

I have one living sibling, and I talk to her several times a week on the phone. She helps me remember things that are precious

to me from my past family, and in her wisdom, she urges me on as I try to age as gracefully as she has. I traveled to see her last year, and I am so happy I did.

Make time to visit each other even though they live far away. At least email, call and have someone set up an Internet visit, so you can see each other. There is no excuse not to communicate with others in this new age.

Sometimes we feel challenged by what is going on in the fam-ily, and as the `elder statesmen,” perhaps we can help members get along better. First, we need to get rid of our own resentments and the idea of never forgiving a slight by somebody. This just feeds the fire and keeps the feud going. Resentments diminish us in many, many ways.

Next we should reach out to any siblings estranged from the rest. It

may not work, but maybe it will, and the reward is new life for all. “I’m sorry” goes a long way. And even if you think you are right, give it up and move on. Our days are too precious to miss out on seeing members that are discon-nected or distant.

If family gatherings are tense, perhaps smaller groups could work or not being so rigid about how the holidays are celebrated. We all don’t have to go to the same place at the same time and eat the same meal every single year! We need to be mindful of our children’s traditions they have established and be flexible toward their plans and schedules. Be sure you consider their in-laws’ plans and ask about how to accommo-date everybody. Plan gatherings together to get closer and make the larger family more bonded. We might even learn some new rituals and traditions that will expand our world and enhance our lives.

Just think, we all can help the expanding world become a better family by starting with our own.

Nedda Simon can be reached at [email protected].

Considerations by NeddaNedda Simon

COMMENTARY

DanaeRossCOMMENTARY

“I believe in them, but usually I don’t do well at

keeping them when I make them. I haven’t got any

planned for next year yet.”Susan Siemers, Tonica

“Nope, I haven’t really thought of any. I don’t really do them. I never really have done them.”

Brandy Iverson, Tonica

“I haven’t really thought about it yet. Yes I tried it once, and it didn’t work. I know a lot of people that it has

worked for. Like my uncle, he quits drinking until Lent every year. He sticks to his guns. I never really have

thought about it yet this year.”Dave Cate, Tonica

“I’m terrible about New Year resolutions. I’ve

made them before, and they don’t stick.”

Shauna Breckenridge, Lostant

“I haven’t made any, but I do believe in them.”

Rick Hildebrand,Tonica

little time going over what I am learning, so that when the final exam comes, I can just fine tune my knowledge and breeze through it.

Instead of trying to change our lives instantly at the NewYear, it would work better to examine them regularly, trying constantly to improve our minds, bodies, careers, families or whatever it might be that needs some attention. I want to be in tip top shape all year round, not just in January! And if I am con-stantly working at it all year, then I will be practiced and more likely to stick with whatever I am trying to

achieve.So, here it comes … I hear the carols jingling all

around town. I see the glittering snow covering the ground. I feel the New Year barreling its way in. And thus, I want to make a fresh start, but not like last year. This year I will take it one step at a time, and with any luck, next year at this time, I will still be reaping the benefits. How about you?

Danae Ross is a freshman at Illinois Valley Com-munity College. She can be reached at [email protected].

On the street Have you made any New Year’s resolutions?

By Dixie [email protected]

GRANVILLE — The Putnam County Panthers took on Tri-County nem-esis, the Peoria Chris-tian Chargers in R.M. Germano Gymnasium on Dec. 20. In a heart pounding game in which the lead changed hands and was close the entire time, the Panthers came out of the fight on top with a final score of 75 to 61.

The game started off with the referees assess-ing the Chargers a tech-nical foul for dunking the ball during warm-ups. Harold Fay was sent to the line and made both shots to send the Pan-thers to an early 2 to 0 lead.

The first quarter then set the pace for the con-test. While the score ended in the Panthers favor 19 to 18, rebounds were tight with the Pan-thers getting the edge seven to six. Each team had a blocked shot and the home team edged out the visitors in assists four to three. Turnovers were in the Chargers’ favor with four assessed to them while the Pan-thers only had two. The Panthers’ Evan Krei-ser led the scorers with eight points in the quar-ter while Fay had seven. PC coach Josh Nauman noted that the Chargers had some difficulty with the Panthers’ defense in the first quarter.

“They were attacking our press a little differ-ent. They looked like they were a little lost to begin with and they were making a lot of mistakes,” Nauman said. “We have that happen with a lot of

teams and our press.”The action really heat-

ed up in the second quar-ter. The score went back and forth with the Pan-thers being on the los-ing end by two to three points each time. How-ever Austin Biagini’s last second two point shot tied the game up at the half 32 to 32. Rebounds again were close in the quarter nine to eight in the Panthers’ favor. Each team upped the pressure on defense, causing four turnovers to their oppo-nents game in the second quarter. Putnam County had two blocked shots and one steal as well. Sophomore phenom Alec Veverka got into foul trouble early and saw limited action in the second half of the game. Senior Andrew Gavin of the Chargers took the main bulk of scoring responsibility with 13 points in the quarter.

“We didn’t shoot real well in that quarter,” Nauman said. “We luck-ily starting shooting good again after that.”

The third quarter again was quite the nail biter with both teams tied at the end 49 all. The Pan-thers outrebounded the Chargers by one and each team had a blocked shot in the quarter. Fay continued to shoot the hot hand at the free throw line upping his total point output at the end of the third quar-ter to 15 while Kreiser added 12. Crowd favorite Michael Weide went to the net and added seven of his 10 points in this quarter.

Shots were flying for the Panthers in the fourth quarter as they outscored the Chargers

26 to 12. A lot of this came in the first six minutes of the quarter as eventual game lead-ing scorer Fay made 14 of his total 29 points in this quarter. Rebounding was again slightly tilted toward the Panthers’ favor by three. The Pan-thers’ defense upped the ante on the Chargers as they committed six turn-overs in this quarter.

Fay had his third straight 28 point or more game on the season. Fol-lowing Fay for overall scoring for the Panthers was Kreiser with 14 and Weide with 12. The Pan-thers’ biggest support was their 74 percent free

throw shooting rate. Nau-man was pleased with his team’s shooting abilities in the game.

“We played a lot bet-ter than last Friday (in the loss at Roanoke-Benson).” he said. “Made some free throws tonight instead of last Friday when we should have hit them.”

For the Chargers, Gavin again came through for his team with a total of 22 points while Dakota Bennington tossed in 12 points.

The Panthers’ regular scheduled play will start again on Jan. 10 with an away game at Streator Woodland.

PCHS junior varsity drop gameBy Dixie SchroeDer

[email protected]

GRANVILLE — The Putnam County High School Junior Var-sity Panthers lost a tough game at home Dec. 20 against the Peoria Christian Junior Varsity Chargers. The Panthers tried to play catch up the entire game with a final score in the Chargers’ favor 61-50.

The first quarter had the Pan-thers starting slow and having to come from behind 20 to 6. How-ever, in the second quarter the Panthers outscored the Chargers 13-12, making the halftime score 32 to 19. In the third quarter the action really picked up with the Panthers again outscoring the Chargers 15 to 13, so the opposi-tion was taking a thinner lead 45 to 34 into the fourth and final quarter. However the team could not just pull it off in the fourth quarter and the game ended at 61 to 50.

The Panthers were led by the potent combination of Christian Harris with 16 points and Joe Berg who followed him with 15 points. Harris led all scorers for the game. Berg’s points were all from the three-point circle. Mike

Miller followed with eight points and Jordan Hatton chipped in six points.

For the Chargers, their team was led by Anthony Riley with 15 points and Derek Schaffner with

11 points.The head coach of the JV Pan-

thers is Jim Vipond. The Junior Varsity Panthers will be back in action on Jan. 10 in an away game at Streator Woodland.

Stage 212 prepares to open 2014 season

‘Gypsy’ auditions set for Jan. 22 and 23

LASALLE — Stage 212 opens its 2014 season with “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” the memorable musical comedy by William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin that showcases six quirky stu-dents, played by adults, as they compete in a spelling bee run by three equally quirky adults.

Included in the cast are Megan Cullinan as Rona Lisa Peretti, Andy Decker as Douglas Panch, Doug Bartelt as Mitch Mahoney, Emily Brodzik as Olive Ostrovsky, Phil Grant as William Barfee, Christin Chamberlain as Logainne Schwartz and Grubenierre, Becky Mar-tin as Marcy Park, Tom Bailey as Leaf Coneybear and Derek Zinke as Chip Tolentino.

Production staff includes Director Scot Smigel, producer Ellen Marincic, assistant Direc-tor Kyle Foley, music Director Megan Cullinan, choreographer Deana

Brown, light operator Matt Boehm, sound oper-ator Andrew Paden and spotlight operators Jessica Gray and Yvette Lucas.

“The 25th Annual Put-nam County Spelling Bee” will be presented Jan. 24-26 and Jan. 31-Feb. 2 at Stage 212, 700 First St., LaSalle. Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m. Tickets will be available to the general public for $20 each beginning Jan. 6. Box office hours are 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Tickets may also be pur-chased online by visiting the Stage 212 website at www.stage212.org or reserved over the phone with Visa, MasterCard or Discover. Call 815-224-3025 for details.

“The 25th Annual Put-nam County Spelling Bee” is presented by special arrangement with Music Theater International.

OGLESBY — Children’s auditions for the Illinois Valley Community Col-lege theatre department production of the musi-cal “Gypsy” will be Jan. 22 with a second round of auditions for adults and teenagers Jan. 23. The director and choreographer will be Don Grant Zellmer.

Children 13 and under will audition at 4 p.m. Jan. 22 in the Cultural Centre followed by auditions for adults and teenagers 14 and older at 4 p.m. Jan. 23.

Roles are open to all members of the commu-nity. Zellmer emphasized “Gypsy” is a large cast show with opportunities for performers of many ages, including mature perform-ers. Technical (sound and

lighting) as well as crew and backstage opportuni-ties are also available.

Participants should prepare a song and bring sheet music (accompanist provided) or CD accompa-niment. Additional music will be taught, as well as choreography. Registra-tion in advance of audi-tions is not necessary but audition forms can be filled out in advance under the Auditions link at www.ivcc.edu/theatre. For information, email [email protected].

“Gypsy” will be produced by David A. Kuester with music direction by Norman Engstrom and technical direction by Jenna Stinson. The musical plays April 10-13.

Thanks NeighborBrighter holidays for area seniors

To the Editor,On behalf of the staff at Home Instead Senior Care,

I would like to thank everyone who helped with this year’s very successful Be a Santa to a Senior Program.

With support from generous shoppers, non-profit agencies that work with seniors, and our retail part-ners that hosted the Christmas trees, we were able to collect more than 500 gifts for local seniors who otherwise might have been overlooked this holiday season.

We also would like to thank the many volunteers, who shared their time to collect, wrap and deliver the gifts to 525 area seniors, many of whom struggle to make ends meet.

Thanks to all those who helped us brighten the holi-days for our local seniors and truly making a differ-ence in our community.Gail Gander, program coordinator of Home Instead

Senior CarePeru

6 Life6 • The Tonica News • Friday, December 27, 2013

Community Panthers top Tri-County foe Chargers

Tonica News photo/Ken SchroederEvan Kreiser (33) shots over the heads of three Peoria Christian defenders during the game on Dec. 20.

Tonica News photo/Ken SchroederChristian Harris (4) drives in for a shot around a Peoria Christian defender on Dec. 20.

7 LifeFriday, December 27, 2013 • The Tonica News • 7

Putnam County Community CenterMenus

Dec. 30 – Chili with beans, corn, tropical fruit, juice cup, corn-bread.

Dec. 31 – PCCC closed — Happy New Year!

Jan. 1 – PCCC closed — Happy New Year!

Putnam County Com-munity Center serves lunch every day, Monday through Friday. Res-ervations are required

24 hours in advance by calling 815-339-2711. Suggested donations for Monday, Wednesday, Friday is $3. Suggested donations for Tuesday, Thursday is $5.

ActivitiesDec. 31 and Jan. 1 —

PCCC closed — Happy Holidays!

Jan. 2 — PCCC re-opens.

Library CornerLaSalle — Jan. 7 and 14 — Storytime Express is

an interactive mix of stories complemented with a variety of engaging activities like crafts, flannel boards, rhymes, songs and puppets. It is format-ted to introduce children to the library and early literacy skills. The shorter, 30-minute length and fast pace make it perfect for active children with shorter attention spans, and the express is a great way for busy parents to share special times with their children. A bit of the program time will be set aside to help families find just the right books to check-out.

Fun and educational, Storytime Express is a free program, open to the public. Storytime Express will be offered from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Tues-days. For more information, call 815-223-2341.

Lostant — Jan. 7 and 14 — Families First, a state funded early childhood grant, is a program for families with children ages birth to 3. It is spon-sored by the Oglesby Early Childhood Programs. Children will read stories, sing songs, learn finger plays, do an easy art project and have a snack. The program also includes field trips and parent educa-tion meetings. Families First meets every Tuesday from 10 to 10:45 a.m.

Library Time begins at 10 a.m. every Tuesday when school is in session

For children birth through school age and a care-giver. Enjoy story time with Miss Sue as well as a craft, music and dance, a snack and various fun activities like puppet play, games, rhythm band and more. For more information, call the library at 815-368-3530.

PC-Hall junior varsity wrestling squad winsBy Dixie SchroeDer

[email protected]

PEOTONE — The PC/Hall Wres-tling co-op brought their ‘A’ game to the Peotone Junior Varsity wrestling tournament on Dec. 21. The team took first place out of 12 teams that participated on the day, scoring over all points.

The meet started at the 126-pound weight class with Nat Diaz taking third place. Tyler Taber stepped up to take a first place in

the 145-pound weight class while Luke McCook took second overall in the 160-pound weight class.

The second first place finish on the day was earned by Josh McCo-nnell at the 170-pound weight class. In the same division, Nick Bouxsein took fourth. In the 182-pound weight division, Josh Hall took a second place.

PC/Hall scored a double place-ment when teammates Matt Brid-dick and Evan Kiphart took first and second place respectively

after wrestling each other in the finals.

This feat was repeated at the 220-pound level with Trevor Case and Isaac Marquez taking third and fourth place respectively. The last meet of the day where PC/Hall placed on the day was the heavyweight division where Shane Khounnha placed fourth.

The next meet for the PC/Hall Wrestling co-op will be on Jan. 4 at Kewanee with Ashton Franklin Center, Farmington and Kewanee.

Starved Rock State Park happeningsUTICA – The year is almost fin-

ished, but there is still lots to see and do at Starved Rock State Park.

Art in the Park is a collection of more than 30 pieces of art (mostly woodcarvings and several bronze sculptures) at Starved Rock Lodge and State Park. The new-est sculpture is a 12-foot totem of manufactured steel by sculp-tor Michael Jones. The new steel totem is located in front of the hotel entrance.

Self-guided tours take 30-45 min-utes. A brochure, with a map of the “Art in the Park” collection, is available in the Starved Rock Visi-tor Center. The first piece of “pub-lic art” in the collection at Starved Rock Lodge is also the largest. Chief Walks with the Wind stands 12 feet tall and was created by sculptor Peter “Wolf” Toth in 1989.

Lodge President/CEO Terry Cross has added more than 30 other works of art to the collection, which includes the bronze “Eagle in Flight,” “Crow Medicine Man” and the Foxes at Fox Ridge.

Many of the chainsaw sculptors were commissioned to take dead trees on the property and trans-form them into replicas of wildlife and significant figures.

The collection is wheelchair and stroller friendly and is free to the public. Most of the sculptures are outside, but several are located within the Lodge.

If you’ve taken a great photo at Starved Rock in the past year, enter it in the Nature In Focus Photo Contest. Photos must be submitted before Feb. 17. Entries will be judged, and winners will be announced at the annual Photo Show on Feb. 23. An exhibit of all the photos entered will be in the Great Hall from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Themes this year are Special Effects, Humorous, Wildlife, Can-yon/Landscape, People/Hikers and Macro. There are also new catego-ries this year which include the General category and Youth under age 18.

There is a limit of two photos per person and a CD containing images for entry must be submitted along with the photos. Entered photos must have been taken in the past calendar year, and all photos must be unframed and at least 5-inch-es-by-7-inches up to 9-inches-by-12-inches. A completed, signed entry form must be attached to the back of each photo entered in the contest, and the name of the

photographer, title, or other text must not appear on the front of any entry.

All entries remain the property of photographer, but Starved Rock Lodge reserves the right to use them in future publications.

Any photos determined to have been taken off the marked trails at Starved Rock State Park will be disqualified. Prizes must be claimed within 30 days of notifica-tion, or the prizes will be forfeited. Winning entries will be those that best reflect Starved Rock Lodge, Starved Rock State Park. Decisions by the judges are final.

Each winner must agree in writ-ing that their name, likeness, city, winning photo may be used by Starved Rock Lodge for promotion-al and publication purposes with-out additional compensation. Prior to receiving prizes, each winner will be required to sign a release provided by Starved Rock Lodge to this effect and obtain a release or permission from anyone without proprietary rights in their winning photograph. Refusal to provide such releases or permissions will signify entrant’s disqualification in this photo contest, and any prizes will be forfeited.

Girl Scout cookie time comes early; pre-orders now being acceptedGirl Scouts of Central

Illinois (GSCI) for the first time will take pre-orders for cookie sales. Starting Dec. 20, the girls began taking pre-orders using the traditional order card format. Direct sale of cookies will then begin on Feb. 3, 2014.

By introducing the opportunity to take pre-orders, cookie custom-ers are able to ensure supply of their favorite Girl Scout cookies, and troops get a solid base of how many boxes they need to order to fulfill the demand in their areas. Troops will then place their pre-orders as well as order extra cases they will use for direct cus-tomer sales.

“Last year was the first year Girl Scouts of Central Illinois used the direct sale format, and the troops were very success-ful. By using this format, troop profits increased by 25 to 35 percent; more girls earned free member-ship; participants earned 26 percent more Cookie Dough; and we had over 110 percent more girls reach the 250- and 500-box level. But the suc-

cess did not come with-out a few growing pains,” Pam Kovacevich, CEO of GSCI, said. “The pre-order approach will allow Girl Scouts to set higher and more accurate goals, as well as carry the right supply for their buyers.”

The new cookie on the sheet this year is Cran-berry Citrus Crisp. Cook-ie lovers can also place their orders early for all their traditional favorites, including Thin Mints, Shortbread, Peanut But-ter Patties, Peanut But-ter Sandwiches, Caramel deLites, Lemonades, and Thanks-A-Lots.

Girl Scouts of Central Illinois will also once again participate in Oper-ation Cookie Share. The effort to provide cookies to military troops domes-tically and overseas start-ed in 2010. Since then, GSCI has provided more than $825,000 worth of Girl Scout cookies to the women and men in our armed forces at home and abroad. In fact, Girl Scouts of Central Illi-nois were so successful that this achievement is entered in the Illinois Congressional Records.

“The cookie program is something our girls and the communities look for-ward to every year. Not only is it fun and excit-ing for the Girl Scouts, it teaches them a number of skills – both social and academic – that will help them grow as students and future business lead-ers,” Kovacevich added.

The Girl Scout Cookie Program has grown into a leading business and financial literacy program that is run by and for girls. The program pro-vides an important ingre-dient for leadership by

helping girls develop five key skills:

• Goal setting• Decision making• Money management• People skills• Business ethicsThe financial literacy

skills taught through Girl Scouts have proven to be a key factor in shaping financial and personal success for alumnae. An impact study about the value of Girl Scouting reveals that Girl Scout alumnae have a higher income/socioeconomic status, a greater level of civic engagement, and are

overall more successful than their non-Girl Scout peers (published by the Girl Scout Research Insti-tute, 2012).

Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA is the world’s pre-eminent lead-ership development orga-nization for girls with 8.2 million girl and adult members worldwide. Girl Scouts builds girls

of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts of Central Illi-nois serves 21,000 girls and 5,000 adult members annually in 38 counties throughout central Illi-nois. For more informa-tion, visit www.GetYour-GirlPower.org or call your local Girl Scout Service Center at 877-231-1446.

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8 History/Classified

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 19th day of November, 2013.

NELLIE M. DIXON, WILLIAM J. DIXON,

and JOHN W. DIXONExecutors of the Estate

of JUNE M. DIXON, DECEASED

Published in the Tonica News Dec. 20, 27, 2013 and Jan. 3, 2014.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE THIRTEENTH

JUDICIAL CIRCUITLASALLE COUNTY, OTTAWA, ILLINOISPROBATE DIVISIONIN THE MATTER OF) THE ESTATE OF )DOROTHY M. )DANIEL, ) DECEASED )

NO. 13-P-059 Notice is given to Creditors of the death of DOROTHY M. DANIEL of 140 N. 6th St., Princeton, Illinois, who died on March 20th, 2013. Letters of Office were issued to ROSE MARIE LUND of 12570 2100 North Ave., Princeton, Illinois 61356, of whose attorney is 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 June

30th, 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 19th day of November, 2013.

ROSE MARIE LUNDEXECUTOR OF

THE ESTATE OF DOROTHY M. DANIEL,

DECEASEDPublished in the Tonica News Dec. 20, 27, 2013 and Jan. 3, 2014.

NOTICE Public Notice is here-by given on December 13, 2013, a certificate was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of LaSalle County, Illinois concerning the business known as CNJ STYLE located at 11 Bailey Creek Dr., Tonica, IL 61370 which certificate sets forth the following changes in the opera-tion thereof: the follow-ing person ceased doing business under the above assumed name and have no further con-nection with or finan-cial interest in the busi-ness carried on under such assumed name, Christine N. Eimer. Dated December 13, 2013.

/s/Christine N. EimerApplicant

Published in the Tonica News Dec. 20, 27, 2013 and Jan. 3, 2014.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE THIRTEENTH

JUDICIAL CIRCUITLASALLE COUNTY, OTTAWA, ILLINOISPROBATE DIVISIONIN THE MATTER OF) THE ESTATE OF )JUNE M. DIXON ) DECEASED )

NO. 13-P-212 Notice is given to Creditors of the death of JUNE M. DIXON of 205 W. First St., Streator, Illinois, who died on October 21, 2013. Letters of Office were issued to NELLIE M. DIXON of 205 W. First St., Streator, Illinois 61364 and WILLIAM J. DIXON of 43 East 20th, Floor 2, New York, NY 10003 and JOHN W. DIXON of W. 304 N. 7180 County Rd. E., Hartland, WI 53029 all of whose attorney is 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 June 30th, 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

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

LASALLE COUNTY, ILLINOISESTATE OF )LETITIA GRUBAR, ) DECEASED. )

2013-P-232NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS AND HEIRS

AND LEGATEESWHOSE NAMES OR ADDRESSES ARE

UNKNOWNAND

CLAIM NOTICE Estate of LETITIA GRUBAR, Deceased. Notice is given of the death of LETITIA GRUBAR, of Lostant, Illinois. Letters of office were issued on December 13, 2013, to GERALD M. HUNTER, 129 W. Walnut Street, Oglesby, IL 61348, who is the attorney for the estate. Notice is given to any heirs or legatees whose names or addresses are not stated in the Petition for Letters of Office, that an order entered by the Court on December 13, 2013, admitting the dece-dent’s will to probate. Within 42 days after the date of the order of admission you may file a petition with the Court to require proof of the will by testi-mony of the witnesses to the will in open court or other evidence, as provided in 755 ILCS 5/6-21. You also have the right under 755 ILCS 5/8-1 to contest the validity of the will by filing a petition with the Court within 6 months after admission of the will to probate. 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 representative, or both, within 6 months from the date of issuance of letters, or if a claim notice is mailed or delivered personally to a creditor of the decedent, on or before the date stated in that notice. Any claim not filed within the time allowed is barred. Copies of a claim filed with the Clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed.

Andrew SkoogClerk of the 13th Judicial Circuit Court

Ottawa, IllinoisPublished in the Tonica News Dec. 27, 2013, Jan. 3 and 10, 2013.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE 13TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

LASALLE COUNTY - OTTAWA, ILLINOIS WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. ) PLAINTIFF ) VS ) TOSHA J DOTY; WILLIAM E DOTY; ) DEFENDANTS )

13 CH 224507 CLARK STREET MARSEILLES, IL 61341 NOTICE OF SALE PURSUANT TO JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE UNDER ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE ACT ***THIS DOCUMENT IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT ON A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE*** PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered by said Court in the above entitled cause on October 9, 2013, Sheriff (eff. 1/11/12) in LASALLE County, Illinois, will on February 4, 2014, in LaSalle County Courthouse707 East Etna Rd (North Door) Ottawa, IL 61350, at 11:30 a.m., sell at public auction and sale to the highest bidder for cash, all and singular, the following described real estate mentioned in said Judgment, situated in the County of LASALLE, State of Illinois, or so much thereof as shall be sufficient to satisfy said Judgment:

THE EAST 3 FEET OF LOT 18 AND ALL OF LOT 19 IN BLOCK 10 IN MARSEILLES LAND AND WATER POWER COMPANY ADDITION TO MARSEILLES, SITUATED IN THE CITY OF MARSEILLES; ALL SITUATED IN LASALLE COUNTY, ILLINOIS. TAX NO. 15-49-118-009 COMMONLY KNOWN AS: 507 CLARK STREET MARSEILLES, IL 61341 Description of Improvements: SINGLE FAMILY HOME WITH DETACHED 2 CAR GARAGE.

The Judgment amount was $84,496.29. Sale Terms: This is an “AS IS” sale for “CASH”. The suc-cessful bidder must deposit 25% down by certified funds; balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. NO REFUNDS. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments or special taxes levied against said real estate, water bills, etc., and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to plaintiff. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon pay-ment in full of the bid amount, the purchaser shall receive a Certificate of Sale, which will entitle the purchaser to a Deed to the real estate after confir-mation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. The successful purchaser has the sole responsibility/expense of evicting any tenants or other individuals presently in possession of the subject premises. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act,

765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DYAS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. For Information: Visit our website at http:\\service.atty-pierce.com. Between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. only - Pierce & Associates, Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 1 North Dearborn, Chicago, Illinois 60602. Tel. No. (312) 372-2060. Please refer to file #PA1310406 Plaintiff’s attorney is not required to provide addi-tional information other than that set forth in this notice of sale.I579284Published in the Tonica News Dec. 27, 2013, Jan. 3 and 10, 2014.

999 • Legal Notices 999 • Legal Notices999 • Legal Notices 999 • Legal Notices

999 • Legal Notices

– Classifieds –

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE 13TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT LASALLE COUNTY -

OTTAWA, ILLINOIS WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. ) PLAINTIFF ) VS ) TOSHA J DOTY; WILLIAM E DOTY; ) DEFENDANTS )

13 CH 224507 CLARK STREET MARSEILLES, IL

61341 NOTICE OF SALE PURSUANT TO JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE UNDER ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE ACT ***THIS DOCUMENT IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT ON A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE*** PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered by said Court in the above entitled cause on October 9, 2013, Sheriff (eff. 1/11/12) in LASALLE County, Illinois, will on February 4, 2014, in LaSalle County Courthouse707 East Etna Rd (North Door) Ottawa, IL 61350, at 11:30 a.m., sell at public auction and sale to the highest bidder for cash, all and singular, the following described real estate mentioned in said Judgment, situ-ated in the County of LASALLE, State of Illinois, or so much thereof as shall be sufficient to satisfy said Judgment: TAX NO. 15-49-118-009 COMMONLY KNOWN AS: 507 CLARK STREET MARSEILLES, IL 61341 Description of Improvements: SINGLE FAMILY HOME WITH DETACHED 2 CAR GARAGE. The Judgment amount was $84,496.29. Sale Terms: This is an “AS IS” sale for “CASH”. The successful bidder must deposit 25% down by certified funds; balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. NO REFUNDS. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments or special taxes levied against said real estate, water bills, etc., and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to plaintiff. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the bid amount, the purchaser shall receive a Certificate of Sale, which will entitle the purchaser to a Deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. The successful purchaser has the sole responsibility/expense of evicting any tenants or other individuals presently in posses-sion of the subject premises. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DYAS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. For Information: Visit our website at http:\\service.atty-pierce.com. Between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. only - Pierce & Associates, Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 1 North Dearborn, Chicago, Illinois 60602. Tel. No. (312) 372-2060. Please refer to file #PA1310406 Plaintiff’s attorney is not required to provide additional information other than that set forth in this notice of sale.I579284Published in the Tonica News Dec. 27, 2013, Jan. 3 and 10, 2014.

For SALEIn TonIca, ILLInoIs

all or Part of 4,500 sq. Feet815-488-8456

Bob Folty • Box 41, Tonica, IL 61370

No reasonable offer will be refused!

- 200 -Employment

232 • BusinessOpportunities

- 400 -Merchandise

450 • Under $1000

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.

CLASSIFIED LINE AD &LEGAL DEADLINES:

• Friday Paper deadline Friday before by 3pm

We Accept

Call [email protected]

General Termsand Policies

**********THE CLASSIFIED

AdvertisingDepartment of the

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

* * * * * * * * * * * * 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)

No Phone Calls!

- 700 -Real Estate For Sale

767 • Mobile Home Sales

****************PUBLISHER'S NOTICE

All real estate advertis-ing in this newspaper issubject to the FairHousing Act whichmakes it illegal to ad-vertise “any preference,limitation or discrimina-tion based on race, col-or, religion, sex, handi-cap, familial status ornational origin, or an in-tention, to make anysuch preference, limita-tion or discrimination.”Familial status includeschildren under the ageof 18 living with par-ents or legal custodi-ans, pregnant womenand people securingcustody of children un-der 18.This newspaper will notknowingly accept anyadvertising for real es-tate which is in viola-tion of the law. Ourreaders are hereby in-formed that alldwellings advertised inthis newspaper areavailable on an equalopportunity basis.To complain of discrim-ination call, HUD toll-free at 800 669-9777.The toll-free telephonenumber for the hearingimpaired is 800 927-9275

We’re Taking FreeClassified Advertisingfor all items valued under $1,000!

• Up to 5 lines of copy• 3 items maximum in ad• 1 ad per week, per household• Private party sales only• Excludes services, firearms & animal sales

E-mail itemsfor sale to:classified@

bcrnews.com

8 • The Tonica News • Friday, December 27, 2013