Volume 142 No. 4
Friday, January 1, 2016
Single Copy Cost 50¢
Looking back at 2015 The year in news in review Compiled by Shannon Serpette news@tonicanews.com
Throwing 911 a lifeline Tonica News photo/Dave Cook
In Illinois, 911 dispatch centers, such as the Putnam County center, manned here by Terrie Zilm, face legislation that begins Jan. 1 and will make all 911 surcharges uniform throughout the state and calls for consolidation of some 911 centers.
New legislation aimed at leveling playing field for centers By Goldie Rapp and Shannon Serpette news@tonicanews.com
With the New Year right around the corner, 911 directors and coordinators are waiting to see how upcoming 911 legislation, set to begin Jan. 1, will affect their systems’ bottom lines. Decreasing revenue Over the past few years, 911 systems in the Illinois Valley have watched as their landline totals have dropped drastically — and with it, their revenue. BuEComm (Bureau Emergency Communications) in Bureau County for instance, has faced financial loss every year since 2008, in large part because of the sheer number of people who are abandoning landlines. In 2008, BuEComm was receiving surcharges on more than 16,000 landlines. “Each year that number has decreased by thousands. Today we have 7,778 landlines,” BuEComm Director Diana Stiles said. Bureau County isn’t alone. In neighboring Putnam County, landlines have been dropping too. When Putnam County Enhanced 911 began in 2005, Vol. 142 No. 4 Two Sections - 20 Pages
© The Tonica News
there was a total of 3,052 landlines. That has decreased steadily over the years. “Our landline count is approximately 1,566 lines,” Lynn Haage, 911 coordinator for Putnam County, said. New legislation The money a 911 center brings in is largely dependent on how many wireless lines they get paid for, as well as how many landlines they have and what the fee charged per landline is. New legislation hopes to level the playing field — it will create a uniform charge for all lines, whether landline or wireless. It will also ensure that what one person pays for a surcharge is the same – no matter which part of the state they live in. For example, residents served by BuEComm currently pay $1.95 a month for their landline charge and 73 cents per wireless line, while residents in neighboring Putnam County pay a monthly rate of $3.90 for a landline and 58 cents per wireless line. Beginning Jan. 1, all surcharges are to be a uniform 87 cents for both landlines and wireless lines.
911 Page 3
Digital distress: 911 enters world of video and texts By Shannon Serpette and Goldie Rapp news@tonicanews.com
Despite legislative changes, BuEComm and Putnam County 911 are forging ahead with plans of implementing Next Generation 911, which allows texting, video and other digital media usage. “Putnam County is part of a regional group known as the North Central Illinois System. Our Next Generation equipment is ordered and will be installed hopefully sometime in January 2016,” Lynn Haage, 911 coordinator for Putnam County, said. “However, the purchase and installation of the equipment is only the first phase of the Next Generation project. The next phase will entail completing a fiber
optic ring connecting all participants in the NCIS group. Due to budget constraints on many PSAPs, not everyone in the NCIS group was able to order their equipment at this time.” In Bureau County, BuEComm is still a part of the 10-county Next Generation Alliance, which is a think tank made up of representatives from Winnebago, Stephenson, Ogle, Lee, Jo Daviess, DeKalb, Carroll, Boone, Bureau and McHenry counties. Members of the alliance work together to determine ways to generate funds for Next Generation. The idea has been the more agencies the alliance can work with, the better possibility they could share equipment, resources and help work out kinks in the system.
Digital Page 3
Editor’s note: This is the second part in a series recapping what happened in the Tonica/Lostant area in 2015. April 3 Nationally-known flute artist Jonny Lipford played at the Tonica United Methodist Church recently as he passed through from a tour date in Chicago. April 10 Tonica Grade School completed Round 1 of the new standardized testing, Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. April 17 Three Tonica Grade School students, Janelle Bernardoni, Faith Dauber and Logan Johnson, earned their way to the state level of competition in the Illinois Junior Academy of Science fair. The Lostant Village Board learned that K-9 police officer Jake Graham was resigning April 17 to accept a fulltime position elsewhere. April 24 Tonica village attorney Bob Steele swore in Tonica Village Board members Mike Supan, Dave Wiesbrock and Bob Foltynewicz before the village board meeting April 20. May 1 During its April 22 meeting, the Lostant Grade School voted to keep registration fees at its current level. May 8 Students from Lostant Grade School’s seventh-grade science class worked with students from Harding Grade School in Earlville on planting trees around the Starved Rock State Park visitors center on April 30. May 15 The Tonica News’ Dear Soldier letter drive collected a total of 2,019 letters from throughout the Illinois Valley. Adults and students from Bureau, Putnam and LaSalle counties participated in the drive.
2015 Page 3
2 • The Tonica News • Friday, January 1, 2016
Granville woman dies in crash
Seeking Sources Where in the world is The Tonica News? Are you planning a vacation or holiday trip? Don’t forget to take along a copy of the The Tonica News. Once you get to your destination, have someone snap a photo of you holding the newspaper, and then send the photo to us along with pertinent information about who is in the photo and where you are. We’ll be happy to share your photo with other Tonica News readers, your friends, family and neighbors. Email your photo and information to news@tonicanews.com. You can also drop it by our office in Tonica.
At 9:42 a.m. on Dec. 22, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department responded to a two-vehicle crash on Route 89 near North 850th Avenue in Granville Township. A vehicle driven by Ann M. Ziegert, 60, of Granville was southbound on Route 89 and struck another southbound vehicle from behind. The other vehicle was driven by Ronald L. Brokaw, 60, of Walnut. Brokaw’s vehicle was slowed in traffic because another vehicle was attempting to turn west on North 850th Avenue. Ziegert was pronounced dead at the scene. Bro-
Contact Publisher Sam Fisher sfisher@tonicanews.com Editor Terri Simon tsimon@tonicanews.com
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kaw was transported by PCEMS to St. Margaret’s Hospital where he was
Illinois State Police releases results of Nighttime Enforcement Patrols
(USPS 633340) Published every Friday at Tonica, IL 61370 Entered at Tonica Post Office as Periodical Mail $22 In LaSalle County $25 Outside of LaSalle County
PCR photo/Dave Cook
Emergency personnel responded to a fatal rear-end accident on Route 89, south of Route 71, on Tuesday, Dec. 22.
LASALLE — The Illinois State Police (ISP) announced the results of Nighttime Enforcement Patrols (NITE) held during the late evening hours of Friday, Dec. 18, and the early morning hours of Saturday, Dec. 19. The patrols were conducted in LaSalle County by ISP District 17 officers. There was one citation issued and two written warnings given for registration offenses; one citation issued for a driver’s license offense and one citation issued for an occupant restraint offense. There were zero citations/arrests made for DUI offenses or other alcohol/drug offenses.
Troopers issued a total of 15 citations and gave out 35 warnings during the detail. Alcohol is involved in nearly 40 percent of fatal crashes in Illinois. NITE patrols are designed to keep roads safe by removing alcohol-impaired drivers. However, when other violations are observed such as driving with a suspended or revoked license, operating a vehicle without a valid registration or insurance or safety belt violations, enforcement action may be taken. This project was funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Traffic Safety.
treated and released. The PCSD was assisted by IDOT, the Standard Fire
Department, the Granville Police Department, the Illinois State Police
reconstructionists and the Putnam County death investigator’s office.
ISP announces Roadside Safety Check results LASALLE — The Illinois State Police (ISP) announced the results of a Roadside Safety Check (RSC) held during the late evening hours of Saturday, Dec. 19, and the early morning hours of Sunday, Dec. 20. The detail was conducted on Route 251 at North 25th Road, south of Peru, by ISP District 17 troopers. There were two written warnings given for
registration offenses; one warning given for a driver’s license offense and two citations issued for occupant restraint offenses. There were zero arrests made for DUI offenses or other drug/alcohol offenses. There were a total of four citations issued and 20 written warnings given during the detail. Alcohol is involved in nearly 40 percent of fatal crashes in Illinois. RSCs are designed to remove
alcohol-impaired drivers from the road. However, when other violations are observed such as driving with a suspended or revoked license, operating a vehicle without a valid registration or insurance or safety belt violations, enforcement action may be taken. This project was funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Transportation Safety.
LaSalle County Sheriff At 10 a.m. on Dec. 23, LaSalle County deputies investigated a two-vehicle accident on Route 251 at Interstate 39 in Eden Township. A pickup pulling a trailer, driven by Richard C. McKay, 62, of Bancroft, Mich., was exiting off of I-39 and stopped at Route 251. He attempted to make a left turn and didn’t see a southbound vehicle which
struck behind his truck and in front of his trailer. The vehicle, driven by Kristen L. Swanson, 19, of Peru tried to stop, but ended up in the ditch. A juvenile passenger in Swanson’s vehicle was transported to IVCH by Tonica Ambulance. McKay was cited for failure to yield turning left, given a court date and released.
Keep your family safe this winter SPRINGFIELD— With cold temperatures during the winter, the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal encourages residents to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning by ensuring their homes have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas byproduct of burning fossil fuels.
At elevated levels, carbon monoxide (CO) causes sickness and, if not detected, death. Simply having working carbon monoxide detectors in your home and regularly testing them can prevent awful consequences. Fossil fuels like natural gas are used to heat the vast majority of American homes, and faulty heating equipment accounts for
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nearly one third of accidental carbon monoxide deaths. These can include your home heating system, improperly vented gas appliances, kerosene or propane space heaters, charcoal grills and Sterno-type fuels. “Most carbon monoxide fatalities happen in the winter months when residents understandably dial up their thermo-
stats,” said Illinois State Fire Marshal Matt Perez. “Make sure your home has working carbon monoxide alarms, so if something goes wrong with your heating system, you know when to get outside.” Perez also reminds residents to never use a gas generator, grill, oven or range to heat the inside of their home or garage.
Friday, January 1, 2016 • The Tonica News • 3
911 From Page 1
Haage is cautiously optimistic the new legislation won’t negatively impact the Putnam County 911 system’s finances. “If the fee structure is figured how it was explained to me, Putnam County will not see an adverse result to the new fee structure. Again, it is difficult to come up with any concrete figures until we know exactly how the state implements the new fee structure,” she said. That’s not the only change 911 systems will see in 2016. Haage said all 911 centers in Illinois will now be governed by the Illinois State Police. “Besides seeing how the new fee structure shakes out, it will be interesting to see how the shift of administration at the state level will affect each PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point),” Haage said. “Currently the ICC (Illinois Commerce Commission) oversees the administration of the 911 centers and beginning Jan. 1, 2016, that administration will be transferred to the Illinois State Police.” In Bureau County, BuEComm currently receives just under $400,000 a year in surcharge money. While it’s still unknown just how much that number will change with the new legislation on Jan. 1, Stiles said she was told that BuEComm should receive close to what it’s getting today — around $389,000. On a positive note, there will be a reduction in 911 network costs, which the state will pick-up. Stiles said it should make up the difference. Stiles said she believes the new legislation will have a positive impact on Bureau County in that it will establish a more fair and
equitable distribution of 911 surcharges. “Some jurisdictions have a lot of money in reserves because of the way their agency budgets are implemented, or they run at a huge loss because they don’t collect enough on surcharge because of population. The state’s goal is to distribute funds so that everyone has an adequate amount of money to run their centers,” Stiles said. “The other positive with the legislation is to eliminate redundant 911 centers. It doesn’t make good business to have multiple 911 centers paying large costs to fund those centers within a few miles of each other when they could effectively be ran out of one center.” Consolidation efforts Another part of the new 911 legislation is calling for consolidation of 911 centers around the state by July 1, 2017. BuEComm has looked into a few consolidation options. Bureau County did join in on the Illinois Valley Regional 911 Planning Committee, however, planning hit a wall when the grant to build the facility did not come through due to budget issues at the state level. Bureau County has also looked at contracting services with another agency in a neighboring county who would be willing to take on the 911 services. Consolidating with another county, however, introduces new financial concerns for BuEComm, according to Stiles. If Bureau County was to consolidate with another county, its current ETSB Board would have to cease to exist and consolidate with the county it merges with; meaning all monies and fees from Bureau County would then be sent away to that county.
Sauk Valley Bridal Fair scheduled for Feb. 7 Does your business sell products and services for weddings, receptions, catering, flowers and more? If so, the Sauk Valley Bridal Fair is a perfect venue to showcase your products or service. Sauk Valley Media is accepting vendor booths for the 2016 Sauk Valley Bridal Fair on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sauk Valley Community College, located on Route 2 between Sterling and Dixon. Bridal Fair 2016 is considered the area’s largest bridal fair and is an event
designed for brides to help plan their perfect wedding, all in one stop. The bridal fair will feature exhibits from cakes to tuxedos and everything in between. All brides who register could win fabulous prizes including $75, $150 and $300 certificates to use at the vendor of their choice plus more than 30 other door prizes from participating vendors. For information about becoming a vendor, call Jennifer Heintzelman at 815-625-3600, ext. 5630, or email marketing@ saukvalley.com.
Stiles said it’s a big risk for Bureau County to give over roughly $400,000 a year with no guarantee on how it would be spent for services in the area. “My fears are giving all of our funding revenue to another county or agency and those funds not being used in Bureau County in the most optimum manner or Bureau County not having a fair representation for those fund uses,” Stiles said. “An intergovernmental agreement would give us some protection and would help to regulate the use of our funds, but I still believe the best use of our funds and the best option for Bureau County residents is to stay here focusing 100 percent of our revenue in Bureau County.” Stiles said BuEComm has extended the offer to any agency that would like to consider coming to Bureau County for 911 services, because they either cannot afford to continue within their own county or are not happy with their consolidation choices in their own county. “We would be open to working with them for us to do their dispatching, either as a contracting of services or possibly as a consolidation of services. Of course, we would make sure that we are not compromising our 911 services within Bureau County if we do this,” she said. In October, Stiles addressed the Bureau County Board about the new legislation and its impact on BuEComm. She requested Bureau County Board Chairman Dale Anderson appoint members to a committee that is now working with the Bureau County ETSB to find a solution to keep 911 services afloat in Bureau County in the midst of new legislation demands.
2015 From Page 1
May 22 The Tonica Police Department was investigating several burglaries at residences, businesses and the preschool, which happened between late May 14 and early May 15. May 29 The Tonica School Board agreed to purchase new digital textbooks for the seventhand eighth-grade history courses. The Lostant Talent Show at Lostant School on May 19 showcased the talents of nine performers. June 5 The Mt. Palatine Cemetery Board has been working to restore the 1.5 acre nature preserve/historical
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cemetery. The board has a contract with John Heider of Monticello’s R.I.P Ltd. to locate and restore lost graver markers. June 12 Lostant Elementary students enjoyed their field day on June 2. During field day, the students get to spend one of their last days of the school year participating in
Sharing the load Bernabei: ‘We’re optimistic’ By Dave Cook and Shannon Serpette news@bcrnews.com
Though the rules have yet to be finalized concerning new legislation for 911 surcharges and plans are still being developed for a regional 911 center, change is coming. Peru Police Chief Doug Bernabei, who is also chairman of the Illinois Valley Regional Dispatch Center Planning Board, isn’t sure what the new legislation will do to the plan several cities were exploring for a regional center with a tentative location in LaSalle County. “We don’t know yet because the rules haven’t been finalized, and we don’t yet know what the exact terms are going to be; but we’re optimistic the plans will work out. The legislation only covers the broad parameters and gives power
Digital From Page 1 “The state will mandate Next Generation in the future and the most cost effective way of being able to offer it is as a part of a combined alliance,” Diana Stiles, BuECfun activities, like dodgeball. June 19 The village of Tonica discussed its need to upgrade the current water system map on June 15. At that point, the village was using a hand-drawn map of the water system. A professional map would cost a little more than $4,000. The board also discussed the possibility of
to a 911 advisory board to implement terms,” said Bernabei. Because of the rapid development of technology and the tightening of budgets which all communities are working to get through, regionalization may be unavoidable for some 911 systems. “Other than the fact of the budget fight in Springfield, I’d like to believe it’s a good thing. In the grand scheme of things, regionalization has to happen because of changing technology, and someone has to take the lead. We don’t have a choice. I wish we did, but we don’t,” said Bernabei. Other 911 systems, like Putnam County, say they won’t be required to consolidate under new legislation. “Legislation regarding consolidation of PSAPs does not affect Putnam County due to our population and the fact that we currently have one PSAP with one ETSB Board serving the entire county,” Lynn Haage, 911 coordinator for Putnam County, said. omm director said. “No matter what direction we take in Bureau County for 911 services, I believe we need to continue to work with those counties and this alliance to make sure we can offer the most advanced 911 services in the most cost-effective manner.”
just buying a locator to help identify where gas lines and water mains were located. June 26 Students at Lostant Grade School received a thank you note from Hiawatha School. The students, staff and community of Lostant raised $340 for Hiawatha School after a tornado hit the district.
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4 • The Tonica News • Friday, January 1, 2016
The Editorial Page The Tonica News Sam R Fisher
Terri Simon
Publisher
Editor
Our promise to you ... I am a member of the media. As the editor of this newspaper, as well as three other newspapers and a handful of magazines and special sections we regularly insert into our newspapers and distribute by other means, I take the job very seriously — although that doesn’t mean I don’t attempt to have some fun at any and all possible moments. The media. The words tend to stick in my throat sometimes, especially when I hear those two words mentioned in a negative context — which happens a lot locally, nationally and around the world. While I know most of the comments aren’t aimed at me or the hard-working folks in this Terri Simon newsroom, it still stings and stays with me for quite some time — kind of like a slap in the face that still burns long after the hand has left your cheek. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. The media ... gets blamed for slanting stories, only reporting negative news, ignoring important facts to make the story appear in a certain manner, taking things out of context, stirring the proverbial pot ... do I need to go on? You get the idea. Personally, I’d love to tell you those aforementioned things never happen, but unfortunately they do. Media outlets around the world adhere to their own set of standards, which might work for them ... but quite frankly, it makes it really difficult for those of us who hang our press hats on integrity and credibility. My thoughts — and the newsroom here knows this — is that we are only as good as our last edition, our last story. Every day we begin again. We can’t rest on our laurels or our awards from the past. We owe it to you, our readers, and to ourselves to be the best we can be every day, every edition. That’s just how we roll here ... and I’m proud of that. We’re all proud of that here. Quite frankly, I’m saddened by those media outlets who spin the news to their liking. They give us all a bad name, but more importantly, they really do themselves a disservice, since a newspaper or other media outlet should only be about the facts — nothing more, nothing less. To print, publish or spew out the news that isn’t what we believe to be 100 percent accurate is to discredit not just themselves, but also the industry. And if the old phrase that “one bad apple ruins the whole bunch” can ever apply, this is clearly a good example of that. OK, I know I’m on a roll here, but I heard a couple of people talking the other day as they stood in front of a rack of newspapers — of which this newspaper was included. The one person appeared to be looking at the headlines on all the newspapers, as the other person said, “I never read newspapers or watch the news. It’s all so negative.” The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and while I wanted to deliver a quick rant about how ignorant and unfounded that statement was, I took a deep breath and walked away, leaving me to ponder this person’s words and fume about it for the next couple of hours ... OK, it was more like the next couple of days. You know, I’m sorry the news is oftentimes negative. I really am. But negative things happen, and unfortunately that is news. On the flip side though — and I can only speak for my newspapers here, we report tons and tons of good, positive, wholesome news in our newspapers. From education to sports to great community events ... I could go on and on. We expend countless resources — money, energy, personnel and effort — to cover those good news stories, and we even constantly encourage our readers to send in their good news events and happenings, so we can share them as well. Actually, we take a lot of pride in those good positive stories, and we have an unspoken rule here that we will publish a good news story on Page 1 or Page 2 of every edition of every newspaper. Most times that happens. We are proud of that. Will we make mistakes? Yes, but we will let you know when we do, unlike other industries who really don’t have to answer to anyone other than themselves. So it’s 2016, my friends, and as new year comes about, I just want you to know that we take a lot of pride in what we do here for you, our readers. Our unbiased, ethical and positive (when possible) reporting is our gift to you again this year. It’s how a good media company should work ... and we do. And I don’t mind telling you there’s not a staff member at this newspaper who isn’t proud of that. And if you would, do me a favor. When you hear the words “the media” mentioned in a negative context, have those folks give me a call or let them know “your media” doesn’t subscribe to practices that aren’t ethical or proper. And for the record, we will always hang our hats on those journalistic principles. Tonica News Editor Terri Simon can be reached at tsimon@tonicanews.com.
A mountaintop experience I have never had the pleasure of snow skiing. Because I am afraid of heights and imminent injury or impending death, I have never felt the need to strap a couple of waxed sticks of wood to my feet and be drug up some mountain side on a rickety little lift, only to be dropped at the top, then propelled through the cold and snow to the bottom. The thought has just never appealed to me. Call me crazy! At my age, I find it is a grand adventure just to walk the snowy path from my front door to my car door without acrobatic antics (although I’m sure my neighbors would be delighted!). My mother, however, thought at one point in her life that this might be a good idea. I don’t know if she really wanted to, or if my father conned her into it somehow. My mother is not known to be a big risk-taker, so I can’t imagine it was her idea. Maybe the allure of the scenic Colorado pictures were just too overwhelming for her. Throughout the years, she has told us the story of her one big skiing experience. It seems she actually went through all of the procedures to
Lori Boekeloo COMMENTARY allow her to GET to the top of the mountain. She donned the gear. She took the mini course to instruct her how NOT to hit a tree at blinding speed. She knew the basics, climbed aboard the lift and got to the top ... and did so while looking particularly stylish in her ‘70s snow bunny garb and Marilyn Monroe sunglasses. Once there, however, she discovered she was too frightened to actually launch herself down the side of the mountain. She tells of how embarrassed she was by the precocious children who had attended the instructional class with her. They had all caught on and raced with confidence past her as they hurled themselves headlong to the bottom, somehow avoiding trees and other obstacles (like my mother who was frozen with fear!). She said her salvation came in the
form of a snow conditioning truck. It was this vehicle’s job to go down the mountain and prepare the snow for safer skiing. My mother got behind it, pointed her toes inward so she STAYED behind it, and followed it down the mountain to safety. She knew she had to follow that truck. She knew that with her limited talent in skiing, if she were to have strayed from the path it had prepared, she would be doomed. Isn’t our walk with Christ like that? We know so little, He knows so much. Why would we want to be anywhere but right behind Him, following Him to the safety of the eternal lodge ... complete with roaring fire, snugly blanket, hot cocoa and marshmallows? Why stray from the path only to meet with icy spots and trees and maybe an occasional rabid raccoon? Focus on His taillights and He will take you right where you need to be! Lori Boekeloo of Hennepin is a mother of three. She can be reached at lorianne67@hotmail.com, or friend her on Facebook for more humor and inspiration on a daily basis.
Music theory When I was around the age of 7 or 8, I can distinctly remember decorating the family Christmas tree with my sister. We had just finished stringing the lights, and we were starting to hang some our old glass ornaments when, for some reason, we started whistling some holiday songs. We didn’t sing them. We just whistled. Loudly. This went on for quite some time, and we progressively got louder and louder. This is when Mom came out of the kitchen. She had a pretty tense look on her face and nervously, yet nicely, asked my sister and I to basically never ever whistle together under her roof again in her lifetime. Those weren’t her exact words, but by the way her eye was twitching, I could read between the lines. I can see why mom was bothered. Quite honestly, my sister is horribly tone deaf, and her pitchy caterwauling whistle probably put Mom over the edge. I knew that she brought my talent level down that day. Now, I was always told that you should never be afraid to make a joyous noise, no matter how bad it is. I believe that actor Will Ferrell put it best in the movie “Elf” when his character Buddy said, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!” I have always believed that, much like the little drummer boy, my gift to the world is my music. Fast forward 40-some years into the future to a couple of weeks ago. I was riding in the passenger seat of our car while my wife took her place behind the steering wheel. I was
Greg Wallace COMMENTARY bored, so I started messing around with the radio. As we drove through the scenic countryside of Northern Illinois, we started listening to a radio station that happened to be playing Christmas music. I smiled. As the first notes of “Feliz Navidad” by José Feliciano started to come through the speakers, I looked at my wife and told her that I felt like making a joyous noise. She cringed because to her, that could mean one of two things. Either I was going to sing or I was about to break wind. Evidently, she didn’t enjoy either possible scenario. As I reached over to turn up the volume just a little bit, I started belting it out with José. For those of you not familiar with the song, half of it is in English while the other half is in Spanish. I took Spanish for a year or so back in high school, but I don’t remember very many words. So instead of singing the actual words, I just rhythmically blurted out a bunch of nonsensical gibberish. I was in the zone. As the third verse started to kick in, my wife inexplicably turned the volume down. I asked her what the deal was. She slowly turned her head toward mine, and then I saw it. The exact same twitchy-eye stare that l had seen from my mother
back in the 1970s. My wife proceeded to inform me I really needed to stop singing. I believe she used the term “horrible” to describe my joyous noise. Could it truly be that I’m not as good of a singer as I’ve always believed myself to be? I mean I realize that I’m no Art Garfunkel, but could I really be that bad? Impossible, I thought. In my head, my voice can really rock it. Since then, I’ve really started to pay attention to what comes out of my mouth when I sing. At church the other day, I came to a startling revelation during “Oh Come All Ye Faithful.” It has to do with my vocal range. It is rather limited to say the least. I came to the epiphany that I only sing one note. Instead of my voice going up and down, it actually just gets louder and softer. The other thing I realized is that the particular note that I sing has never been used in any song ever written during the entire history of mankind. How disappointing. But I’m not going to let this get me down. I still believe that every now and then, you just have to let it out and sing loud and proud, no matter if it is only one incredibly inaudible musical note. It just has to be done. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m feeling the need to let out another resounding, joyous noise. You might want to crack the window a little bit. Have a merry Christmas. Talk to you next year. You can contact Wallace at gregwallaceink7@gmail.com. You can follow him on his blog at http:// gregwallaceink.blogspot.com.
TO Letter THE Editor
Spread this message To the Editor, Recently in the Bureau County Republican has appeared a couple of articles that touched on the topic of homeless veterans. Part of President (Barack) Obama’s 2010 initiative, “Opening Doors,” is a toll free hotline 1-877-424-3838 (1-877-4AIDVET). This number, which is manned 24/7, will put any homeless veteran, anywhere, at any time, in touch with resources and help. “Opening Doors,” working with local and state agencies, has helped in reducing homeless among our veterans by
36 percent since 2010. The state of Virginia has reported eliminating homelessness among its veterans as has the cities of Houston, New Orleans and others. In spite of these successes, there is much work yet needed to be done. Spreading word of the existence of this hotline is something we can all do. I urge all readers of the BCR to post this number on social media and help spread awareness of this program. Have a need? Call. Want to help? Spread the word. In the Spirit of Brotherhood ... Mike Kohr, Bureau County Board, District 18 Princeton
Letters policy Letters to the Editor should not be more than 500 words in length. Only one person can sign a Letter to the Editor. The author of the letter must include his/her name, hometown and telephone number. The author’s name and hometown will be published, however, the telephone number is only used to verify the authenticity of the author’s signature and will not be published. Unsigned letters are never read or published. The Putnam County Record reserves the right to edit or refuse any Letter to the Editor.
Friday, January 1, 2016 • The Tonica News • 5
Community Tonica Fire Department responds to accident TONICA — The Tonica Fire Department was called out for a rollover accident at 9:44 a.m. Monday, Dec. 28, on Interstate 39 in the area of Mile Marker 47. On arrival, the department found that a pickup truck had rolled over. The
two occupants were evaluated by EMS personnel. There were no injuries. State police investigated the accident. Tonica responded with an ambulance, pumper and rescue truck. Tonica command cleared the scene in about an hour.
Menus and Activities Lostant Grade School Breakfast Jan. 4 — Scrambled eggs and toast, yogurt, cereal, fruit and juice. Jan. 5 — Honeybun, yogurt, cereal, fruit and juice. Jan. 6 — Doughnuts, yogurt, cereal, fruit and juice. Jan. 7 — Pancakes and syrup, yogurt, cereal, fruit and juice. Jan. 8 — Biscuits and gravy, yogurt, cereal, fruit and juice. Lunch Jan. 4 — Nachos and cheese, green beans, applesauce, milk. Jan. 5 — Sausage pizza, peas, mandarin oranges, milk. Jan. 6 — Tortellini soup, salad with French and ranch dressing, peaches, milk. Jan. 7 — Tenderloin on bun, tater tots, cantaloupe, milk. Jan. 8 — No lunch served, 11:45 a.m. dismissal.
Tonica Grade School Breakfast Jan. 4 — Powder sugar or chocolate doughnuts or cereal, toast, granola, yogurt, fruit, juice, milk. Jan. 5 — Waffle or cereal, toast, granola, yogurt, fruit, juice, milk. Jan. 6 — Cheese omelet or cereal, toast, granola, yogurt, fruit, juice, milk. Jan. 7 — Sausage, egg and cheese biscuit or cereal, toast, granola, yogurt, fruit, juice, milk. Jan. 8 — Smoothie, toaster pastry or cereal, toast, granola, yogurt, fruit, juice, milk. Lunch Jan. 4 — Cheese bosco stick, marinara sauce, fruit, corn, cookie, milk. Jan. 5 — Cheese ravioli, spaghetti sauce with meat, romaine lettuce with salad dressing, fruit, pudding, garlic bread, milk. Jan. 6 — No lunch, early dismissal. Jan. 7 — Grilled cheese, tomato soup, crackers, green beans, apple slices, caramel, milk. Jan. 8 — Tacos with meat and refried beans, fruit/veggie bar, salad dressings and salsa, milk.
Bridges Senior Center Jan. 4 — 9 a.m., Tai Chi; 10 a.m., Sewing Circle; 12:45 p.m., Bingo; 1:30 p.m., open cards. Jan. 5 — 9 a.m., Forever Fit. Jan. 6 — 9 a.m., Forever Fit. Jan. 7 — 9 a.m., Tai Chi; 12:45 p.m., Bingo; 1:30 p.m., open cards. Jan. 8 — 9 a.m., Forever Fit; 10 a.m., Family Caregiver support group; 1 p.m., open Wii bowling. The Bridges Senior Center is a congregate meal site. Meals, provided by Voluntary Action Center, are served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday for a suggested donation of $3.50. A 24-hour advance reservation is required. For more information, call 815-431-8034.
Putnam County Community Center Jan. 4 — Sirloin steak, baked potato with sour cream, lettuce salad with toppings, corn, applesauce. Jan. 5 — Burgers, baked beans, coleslaw, bananas, dessert. Jan. 6 — Baked macaroni and cheese, barbecue on bun, carrot sticks, green beans, fruit cocktail. Jan. 7 — Meatloaf, au gratin potatoes, corn, rolls and butter, orange, dessert. Jan. 8 — Chicken patty on bun, french fries, peas/carrots, peaches, cookie. Bread, butter, fruit juice and 2% milk are available with meals. For reservations, call 800-757-4579 24 hours in advance of the day’s meal. The menu is subject to change. Meals are available to senior citizens 60 plus at no cost, but donations are appreciated. The meal program is partly funded by donations, so they have a suggested donation of $5 per meal. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m.
River Valley Players auditions announced Performances will begin on April 16 HENRY — River Valley Players auditions for the musical comedy “Somethings Afoot” will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24, and 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26, at St. John’s Community Center, 1301 Second St. in Henry. In this spoof of classic Agatha Christie detective stories, 10 unfortunate souls are invited for “a marvelous weekend in the country air” at a secluded English estate, but find quite a different scenario when they’re stranded during a thunderstorm. When someone is found murdered, it’s a frantic race against the clock for the guests to escape the strange happening within the mansion. As tensions rise, each guest becomes a suspect. Who will eventually be identified as the devious culprit to the mayhem that lurks in every room? Set in 1935 with a rousing vaudeville-style score, this suspenseful satire is a smashing good time – and far funnier than foul play should be. Audiences just might die laughing. Roles are available for six men
and four women (one of the male roles, Dr. Grayburn, may be cast with a female): • Lettie: The saucy maid. Mezzo Soprano/Alto. • Flint: The caretaker. Tenor. • Clive: The fussy butler. Baritone. • Hope Langdon: The ingénue. Soprano. • Dr. Grayburn: The family doctor. Tenor. • Nigel Rancour: The disreputable black-sheep nephew. Tenor. • Lady Grace Manley-Prowe: The grande dame. Mezzo Soprano. • Colonel Gillweather: The old Army man. Bass. • Miss Tweed: The tweedy, elderly amateur detective. Mezzo Soprano. • Geoffrey: The young uninvited guest. Tenor. Also needed are five to six stage hands to create the magic involving the intricate set and special effects needed for the show. Although the cast is limited to the characters listed, there is opportunity to be involved with making the show come to life. It is only necessary to attend one of the auditions. Newcom-
ers and theatre veterans alike are welcome and encouraged to audition. Prepare 16 to 32 bars of a musical theatre song that best shows your range. Bring sheet music in your key, as an accompanist will be provided. If you do not have sheet music, a selection of music books of familiar songs will be available for you to use. Be prepared to read from the script and demonstrate simple stage movement. The characters have accents ranging from cockney to upper class British accents. Wear appropriate clothing and shoes that allow freedom of movement. If you are unable to attend the scheduled auditions, contact Charlotte Balensiefen by calling 309-364-3563. Copies of the script are available at the Henry Public Library and may be checked out for one week. Scripts must be returned before auditions. Rehearsals will be held at St. John’s Community Theatre and will usually be Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. Bring to auditions a list of potential conflicts with scheduled rehearsals. There will be five performances — April 16, 17, 22, 23 and 24.
Appointments available at satellite offices Bridges Senior Center offers appointments at a satellite office in various communities. Staff will be at these locations, once a month to answer questions and help with paperwork. Make an appointment for assistance. These offices will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on these dates unless otherwise specified. Call Bridges Senior Center for more information at 815-431-8034. • Streator at Bruce Township Hall, 216 N. Sterling St.: Closed on Jan. 6. Call 815-673-
28th annual IVCH Foundation Ball on Jan. 16 LASALLE — The Illinois Valley Community Hospital Foundation’s 28th annual benefit ball is set for Saturday, Jan. 16, at Celebrations 150 in LaSalle. The event, which is the Foundation’s principal fundraiser, begins with cocktails at 6 p.m. and includes a grand buffet dinner (prime rib, ham and fish), dancing to In Style Entertainment and the Chuck Cunningham Band, and the opportunity to win prizes by playing various games of chance. Reservations are $47.50 per person and can be made by calling Jheri Emmerling, Foundation secretary, at 815780-4642 or by registering and making payment online at www.ivch.org. Elaine Buckman, a member of the IVCH Foundation board of directors, chairs the committee that plans the ball.
2215 for an appointment on Feb. 3. • LaSalle at Illinois Valley Center For Independent Living, 18 Gunia Drive: Call 815-431-8034 for appointments on Jan. 20 and Feb. 16.
• Marseilles at the American Legion, 571 Rutland St.: Closed on Jan. 27. Call 815-4318034 for an appointment on Feb. 24. A potluck will be at noon, with free blood pressure checks
from noon to 12:30 p.m. and Bingo at 1 p.m. Blood pressure checks will be provided by Marseilles Nursing Service. Bingo is sponsored by Rivershores HealthCare and Rehabilitation Center.
ATTENTION READERS: Sauk Valley Media and Bureau County Republican is publishing a
QUILTED BARN BOOK in 2016 If you would like your barn to be included in this publication, please submit a photo, along with some basic information to: Sauk Valley Media, Quilted Barn Book 3600 E. Lincolnway, Sterling, IL 61081 or Bureau County Republican, Quilted Barn Book 800 Ace Rd., Princeton, IL 61356
Owner(s) of barn: __________________________________ Address of barn: ___________________________________ Information about barn: _____________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
6 • The Tonica News • Friday, January 1, 2016
Local water quality among IVCC honors projects OGLESBY — Water quality, teen/ college drinking and tuition costs were among the projects presented at Illinois Valley Community College’s annual “Honorspalooza” recently. As part of their honors project, Brittany Blomquist of Hennepin, Trevor Finnan of Utica, Matt Goluba of Seneca and Brandon Miller of Ottawa investigated water pollution in the Illinois Valley and will present their conclusions about the safety of local rivers to the Peru Rotary Friday, Dec. 18. Madison Dhesse and Vanessa Olivares of Spring Valley, and Nicole Stevenson of Ottawa investigated teen/college drinking in the Illinois Valley and discovered that, while we do not have many teenage/college drinkers, there is still need to educate youth about the dangers of drinking. The trio presented their findings to Hall High School students Nov. 30. As an independent project for chemistry, Aubrey Molln of LaMoille created and performed a lab
for forming a silver mirror inside a Christmas ornament. She also wrote lab instructions to replicate the process, which chemistry instructor Promise Yong will use as a future lab for the course. As an independent project for principles of macroeconomics, Caleb Dougherty and Sean “Mickey” Walker of Ottawa studied the rising cost of higher education and discovered tuition has risen much faster than the rate of inflation the last 40 years. However, they found the value of a community college and four-year degree remains high due to the significant income increase graduates enjoy over a lifetime. The group encouraged peers to look at transfer institutions outside of Illinois such as Florida State, which may be less expensive than Illinois’ public universities. English instructor and honors program director Adam Oldaker credited instructors Alan Philips, anthropology, Abhijeet Bhattacharya, economics, Larry Ault, chemistry, Dominic
Sarsah, physics and mathematics, and Yong for assisting with the projects. Oldaker taught the orientation, project and portfolio courses. “I am proud not only of our honors students, but also the great professors who helped the students learn to their fullest potential and create some amazing projects,” Oldaker said. Oldaker said 16 first-semester students presented plans for the orientation course, seven presented results of civic-engagements for the project course, 13 presented special projects for cultural anthropology, four presented independent projects in economics, physics and chemistry and one student exhibited her honors portfolio. IVCC President Jerry Corcoran and Oldaker published an article about IVCC’s program in the 2015 fall/ winter edition of the Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council. For information about the honors program, contact Oldaker at 815224-0326 or email adam_oldaker@ ivcc.edu.
10 tips to help you keep your New Year’s resolutions Chances are at some time in your life you’ve made a New Year’s resolution — and then broken it. This year, stop the cycle of resolving to make change and then not following through. If your resolution is to take better care of yourself and get healthy, you will have a much better year if your resolution sticks. Here are 10 tips to help you get started. 1. Be realistic The surest way to fall short of your goal is to make your goal unattainable. For instance, resolving to NEVER eat your favorite food again is setting you up to fail. Instead, strive for a goal that is attainable, such as avoiding it more often than you do now. 2. Plan ahead Don’t make your resolution on New Year’s Eve. If you wait until the last minute, it will be based on your mindset that particular day. Instead, it should be planned well before Dec. 31 arrives. 3. Outline your plan Decide how you will deal with the temptation to skip that exercise class or have that piece of cake. This could include calling on a friend for help, practicing positive thinking and self-
talk, or reminding yourself how your “bad” will affect your goal. 4. Make a “pros” and “cons” list It may help to see a list of items on paper to keep your motivation strong. Develop this list over time, and ask others to contribute to it. Keep your list with you and refer to it when you need help keeping your resolve. 5. Talk about it Don’t keep your resolution a secret. Tell friends and family members who will be there to support your resolve to change yourself for the better or improve your health. The best-case scenario is to find a buddy who shares your New Year’s resolution and motivate each other. 6. Reward yourself This doesn’t mean that you can eat an entire box of chocolates if your resolution is to eat a better diet. Instead, celebrate your success by treating yourself to something you enjoy that doesn’t contradict your resolution. If you have been sticking to your promise to eat better, for example, reward yourself with new fitness clothing or by going to a movie with a friend. 7. Track your progress Keep track of each small success.
Short-term goals are easier to keep, and each small accomplishment will help keep you motivated. Instead of focusing on losing 30 pounds, focus on losing the first five. Keep a food journal to help you stay on track, and reward yourself for each five pounds lost. 8. Don’t beat yourself up Obsessing over the occasional slip won’t help you achieve your goal. Do the best you can each day, and take one day at a time. 9. Stick to it Experts say it takes about 21 days for a new activity to become a habit and six months for it to become part of your personality. It won’t happen overnight, so be persistent and patient! 10. Keep trying If you have totally run out of steam when it comes to keeping your resolution by mid-February, don’t despair. Start over again! Recommit yourself for 24 hours. You can do anything for 24 hours. The 24-hour increments will soon build on each other, and before you know it, you will be back on track. Source: http://life.gaiam.com.
Tonica Fire Department responds to accident TONICA — The Tonica Fire Department was called out for a one-vehicle accident on Route 178 and North 2345th Road at 1:44 p.m. Monday, Dec. 28. The occupants of the vehicle were evaluated by medical personnel. There
were no injuries. Tonica responded with an ambulance, pumper and rescue truck. County and conservation police were on scene. Tonica command cleared the scene in about an hour.
Bridges Senior Center Briefs Learn about healthy choices A program, “Eating Smart Being Active,” will be offered by the University Of Illinois Extension from 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 26 and Feb. 23 at Bridges Senior Center. It will provide opportunities for participants to “raise their voice,” practice new skills, learn from each other, enjoy a series of successes and grow confident in their new-found knowledge and abilities. The participants will learn healthy lifestyle choices. Register by calling 815-431-8034.
Potluck Bridges Senior Center will have a potluck at noon Saturday, Jan. 13. Bring a dish to share. Cards and board games will follow the potluck. Call 815-431-8034 for further information.
Wii Bowling tournament Sign up for the Wii Bowling tournament, a great way to socialize and enjoy some friendly competition at the same time. The tournament will be held on Fridays from Feb. 5 to March 11. The first session will begin at 1 p.m. and the second session will begin at 2:30 p.m. There is a $5 entry fee which will be used for prizes. Registration is required by Feb. 3. A Wii Bowling banquet potluck will be held at noon March 18. Everyone will bring a dish to share, and the tournament prizes will be awarded.
Weight loss program planned PERU — An Illinois Valley Community Hospital physician Dr. Elizabeth Ritz will present a free program, “Weight Loss the Healthy Way,” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 7, in the IVCH room at Peru Mall. The program will include a question-and-answer session following Dr. Ritz’s prepared remarks. Refreshments will be available. Although there is no charge to attend the program, pre-registration is requested by calling IVCH at 815-7803337.
––––––––––––––––––––– Classifieds –––––––––––––––––––– General Terms and Policies
The Tonica News reserves the right to classify correctly, edit, reject or cancel any advertisement at any time in accordance with its policy. All ads must be checked for errors by the advertiser, on the first day of publication. We will be responsible for the first incorrect insertion, and its liabilities shall be limited to the price on one insertion. CLASSIFIED LINE AD & LEGAL DEADLINES: • Friday Paper deadline Friday before by 3pm We Accept Call 815-875-4461 classified@bcrnews.com
See It Right Here!
The Tonica News Classifieds 815-875-4461
- 200 Employment
- 400 Merchandise
- 700 Real Estate For Sale
232 • Business Opportunities
450 • Under $1000
767 • Mobile Home Sales
********** THE CLASSIFIED Advertising Department of the Tonica News Does not have the opportunity to fully investigate the credibility of each advertiser appearing within these columns. If an offer sounds “too good to be true” it probably is. Proceed with caution if you are asked to send money or to give a credit card number. Proceed with caution in calling 900 phone numbers. All phone numbers prefixed by”900” are charged to the CALLER. Charges may be assessed on a “per minute” basis rather than a “per call” basis. The Tonica News Classifieds makes every effort to qualify these charges for the reader. If you have a concern about an advertiser, please contact: Better Business Bureau 330 North Wabash Chicago, IL 60611 312 832-0500
PROMOTE JOB OPENINGS Call us to find out how we can help. 815-875-4461
5 piece place setting of Spode Christmas dishes. $280; 10 stemmed goblets, $100. Call 815-6632433, Spring Valley Medium size polyvinyl dog house, $10; truck ball hitch, $5. Call 815-488-6009
YOU’LL FIND IT right here in the Bureau County Republican Classified! ************ HAVE SOMETHING TO SELL? Put your ad in for FREE Items $1,000 or less can run FREE for 1 time. Limit of 5 lines. Up to 3 items with price and price totaling under $1,000. 1 ad per household per week. No commercial ads, firearms or animal sales. E-mail information to: classified@ bcrnews.com (include your name, address & phone number) No Phone Calls!
**************** PUBLISHER'S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call, HUD tollfree at 800 669-9777. The toll-free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 800 927-9275
E-mail items for sale to: classified@bcrnews.com
Friday, January 1, 2016 • The Tonica News • 7 999 • Legal Notices
999 • Legal Notices
999 • Legal Notices
999 • Legal Notices
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA STATE OF ILLINOIS COUNTY OF LASALLE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF ) NEMORIO A. RODRIQUEZ ) Deceased ) No. 15-P-262 NOTICE TO HEIRS AND LEGATEES WHOSE NAMES OR ADDRESSES ARE UNKNOWN AND CLAIM NOTICE
Notice is given of the death of NEMORIO A. RODRIQUEZ of Peru, Illinois. Letters of office were issued on December 9, 2015 to Tammy Robinson, 22 West Hwy. 6, Peru, IL 61354, whose attorney is Bernabei, Balestri & Fiocchi, 149 Gooding Street, LaSalle, IL 61301. 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 was entered by the Court on December 9, 2015 admitting the decedent’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 be testimony of the witnesses to the will in open court or other evidence, as provided in Section 6-21 of the Probate Act of 1975 (755 ILCS 5/6-21). You also have the right under Section 8-1 of the Probate Act of 1975 (755 ILCS 5/8-1) to contest the validity of the will by fining a petition with the court within 6 months after admission of the will to probate. Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk, Probate Division,
Downtown Courthouse, Ottawa, Illinois 61350, or with the representative, or both, on or before June 13, 2016, 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 ten days after it has been filed. Published in the Tonica News Dec. 25, 2015 and Jan. 1 and 8, 2016.
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2 2 • Winter 2015
Ag Matters
To ‘bee’ or not to ‘bee’ Honey bee population facing recent decline, affecting natural pollination By Eric Engel eengel@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — “If the bee disappeared off the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live.” — excerpt from “The Life of the Bee,” by Maurice Maeterlinck. Jeremy Widmer is a man of action. He was raised to contribute to every cause worthy of effort, so he does not stand around idle when work is at hand. After learning 40 percent of privately-kept bees in the U.S. died from “colony collapse disorder” in 2014, Widmer knew it was time to “bee” part of the solution, so he started his own hive. Widmer said he began with a single queen bee cell and a couple frames of bees, and before long he had to split the hive, which involves purposely creating two separate hives, each with a queen and tens of thousands of worker bees. He said the goal is not only to keep all your bees and make an income off selling bees and the honey they produce, but to also lit-
Shaw Media photo/Eric Engel
Princeton native Jeremy Widmer shows his son, Garrett, how to properly tend to their bees at Widmer’s bee farm north of Princeton. erally keep the world fed. “Raising bees has been a thing for over 2,000 years, as if mankind has always understood its need for pollination,” Widmer said, as farmraised bees along with wild bees are responsible for the pollination of an estimated 80 percent of food crops in the United
States. Widmer explained bees land on a male plant and collect pollen to bring it back to their hive. In the process of landing on hundreds of different plants, excess pollen from one plant is unintentionally, and yet
“Researchers think some of the recent issues are due to pesticides and herbicides used in agriculture because it confuses the bees navigational system.” Jeremy Widmer
Bees Page 3
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3 Winter 2015 • 3
Ag Matters
Bees From Page 2 unintentionally, and yet naturally, spread to the next plant by the bees. The end result of this cross-pollination is essentially the fruit of their efforts. Less bees means less pollination, which means less fruit. “Researchers think some of the recent issues are due to pesticides and herbicides used in agriculture because it confuses the bees navigational system,” Widmer said, noting bees will travel up to three miles looking for nectar, and they will perform a ‘waggle dance’ when they return to the hive, an intrinsically understood language of movement that indicates to the other bees where the pollen is located. He also said mites, known as varroa destructors, live on the back of a bee and feed off them and fall into the comb before an egg is capped and feed off the larvae. The varroa destructors, as well as trachealmites, lower the bees immune systems, as do different diseases. Chalkbrood is a fungal disease that starves the larvae by stealing their food. American foulbrood spores are ingested by larvae and rob the nutrients necessary for the larvae to Shaw Media photo/Eric Engel continue maturation. Viruses associated with wing defor- North of Princeton, Jeremy Widmer’s bees stick to their task of producing honey from pollen they collect. mity or paralysis eliminate a bee’s ability to fly, and obviously a grounded bee will not survive. Although considered improvements in the field of agriculture, Widmer explained how recent innovations in pesticides and herbicides have eliminated many flowering weed plants bees have commonly relied on as a pollen and nectar source. If ingested by bees, certain sprayed chemicals certainly cause anatomical deterioration, and extensive stretches of cold weather and excessive moisture also negatively affect the growth of plants bees depend on. “There are a bunch of factors that contribute to colony collapse; if it was just one thing we could fix it,” Widmer said, noting a new program called Drift Watch, an online resource warning when farmers will be spraying their fields, allows beekeepers to lock up their apiaries for a few days to protect their bees. Widmer has an obvious enthusiasm for his boxes full of buzz, and a humble appreciation for the wondrous natural asset bees are to our integral routines as human beings. “There are so many things going on inside of a bee hive; it’s hard to fathom a little group of insects have such an impact on what we have,” Widmer said, understanding his responsiShaw Media photo/Eric Engel bility to his fellow man in maintaining a healthy bee popula- Individual planks are easily removed from the hive at Jeremy Widmer’s bee farm so he can properly analyze his bees tion. “Their pollination techniques are vital to our way of life.” and their product.
Farmers are a vital part of our community. We’d like to see you stay that way.
The agriculture industry is full of surprises. That’s why it’s important to use caution and observe safe farming practices every day. We’re proud to salute our area farmers and ranchers who go the extra mile to keep their families, employees and themselves safe on the job.
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4 4 • Winter 2015
Ag Matters
All the buzz ... Princeton native has a ‘sweet’ time farming bees while assisting his habitat By Eric Engel eengel@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — Raw honey sells for around $10 a pound on the market these days, but to produce one pound of honey, bees have to collectively gather pollen from over eight million flowers. It’s a good thing Jeremy Widmer has 90,000 bees at his disposal. Widmer, of Princeton, was talking to his chiropractor last year and learned about the vast depopulation of honey bees in the U.S. throughout the last decade. He acquired a queen cell and a couple frames of bees from his chiropractor, and his bee farm northeast of Princeton has been humming ever since. “There’s big money in bees with honey and the
Buzz Page 5
Shaw Media photo/Eric Engel
Bees do many different “dances” that provide directions to pollen sources for their fellow hive dwellers or show a perceived enemy they are not in the mood to be messed with. A bee will travel up to three miles to find pollen used in producing honey.
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5 Winter 2015 • 5
Ag Matters
Buzz From Page 4
selling of bees the main sources of income for a bee farmer,” Widmer said, indicating three pounds of bees and a queen can net a bee farmer $150 per transaction, and when a percentage dies off, everyone’s buying the next spring. “The goal is to not let your bees go off into the wild and swarm somewhere, but to get them into a box, and then you’re making money off them,” Widmer said. Aside from financial prosperity, Widmer is also helping the agricultural infrastructure of his surroundings, as bees are responsible for pollinating the majority of food crops we rely on year after year. The dwindling bee population directly affects the proper accumulation of necessary food sources on both a culinary and cultural level, as the pollinated crops are integral to a great number of industrial materials as well as family meals. Widmer said bees are preparing for winter each year from the initial days of spring onward. After a nurse bee takes care of young brood bees and feeds larvae for a number of weeks, they transition to field bees and collect pollen on a constant cycle of flight to and from the hive. A bee’s lifespan lasts no more than a few months. “They literally work themselves to death, as they are coming back and forth so much during the nectar flow,” Widmer said, explaining they will travel up to three miles in search of pollen and perform a “waggle dance” upon returning that acts as a navigational language to their cohorts indicating the location of sweet spots. “If I move the hive 20 feet, all the worker bees that are out will come back and hover where the hive was and not know where the hive is,” Widmer noted, reiterating the precision of the intrinsic directional system bees use to survive. A single queen bee exists in each hive, and all the worker bees are female. After a mating flight with male drone bees each spring, a mated queen bee accepted by the colony will start laying up to 2,000 eggs each day. When a hive is deemed overpopulated, scout bees are sent out to find a new hive location, and the queen will lay new queen cells before exiting with half the hive. The remaining bees tend to the new queen cells.
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“The misconception about bees is they’re here to sting you, but you’re robbing them when you take their honey.” Jeremy Widmer When multiple queen cells hatch, there is a fight to the death resulting in a single new queen. If all queen cells falter, a new queen must be bought, because a hive without a queen results in lame workers. Through natural or human efforts, hives can be split as many times as is mandated for reproductive or spatial needs. Despite the monumental amount of pollinated flowers necessary to produce honey, Widmer said his bees will likely produce close to 100 pound of honey in a given season, which involves fanning nectar until the moisture content drops from 90 to 20 percent. Pure, organic honey is anti-bacterial and helps with allergies, and honey has been found in ancient tombs that was still fresh enough for human consumption. He warned against messing with the hive during the evening or when the bees are irritated, as he has been stung multiple times and said the “roar” of an aggressive swarm can overwhelm a person quickly. “The misconception about bees is they’re here to sting you, but you’re robbing them when you take their honey,” Widmer said, adding the bees will give warnings not to steal their food before fronting an attack, and a farmer only takes the surplus of honey. “They produce more than what they need.” With diseases, mites, agricultural chemicals and weather all adversely affecting the national bee population lately, Widmer enjoys offering a helping hand — and landing a few coins never hurts. “There’s so much going on with bees. You learn something new every day because they have such a big social structure,” he said, embracing a booming bee farm and the prospects of a honey vendor enterprise next year with his 4-year-old son, Garrett, under the moniker, “G’s Bees.” “Show bees to someone, and the next thing you know they want to get into it,” he said. “They are such a unique creature.”
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Shaw Media photo/Eric Engel
Jeremy Widmer uses a fogging machine to calm his bees before he handles the planks of comb inside their hive.
Shaw Media photo/Eric Engel
Although he started only one year ago, Jeremy Widmer’s bee farm already houses 90,000 bees.
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6 6 • Winter 2015
Ag Matters
High tunnel growing videos available to farmers/educators URBANA — Through an Illinois Department of Agriculture Sustainable Agriculture grant, University of Illinois Extension in partnership with Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) conducted high tunnel vegetable production research during the winter of 2014 and produced a series of videos on topics for building beds, planting, growing, pest management, and harvesting. The videos are available to educators and farmers wanting to teach or learn how to start production in a high tunnel. High tunnels are minimally heated, low-cost, plastic-covered greenhouses that use little or no energy from fossil fuels to heat or ventilate the structure. Within the structure, solar energy is trapped and used to warm the air and soil. Crops are grown directly in soil without the use of artificial media. Benefits of using high tunnels include extending the growing season of many high-value crops such as melons, peppers, tomatoes and strawberries; protecting crops from weather extremes such as temperature, sunlight, strong winds, driving rain and destructive hail; and protecting crops from harmful insects, wildlife and diseases that can lower marketable yield. High tunnels can be used to intercrop many vegetable species. On a small plot of land, high tunnels permit intensive production of food crops. Experienced growers Gus Jones and
Andy Heck of Small Axe Market Gardens managed the daily farming practices in the high tunnels. The project used a diverse crop plan to demonstrate a practical scenario for local direct market farmers. The project goals looked at utilizing existing high tunnel technologies for sustainable farming research of winter production in order to increase the diversity and year-round availability of local produce, while giving farmers the tools they need to increase winter profits through season-extending high tunnel practices. View the videos at the U of I Extension YouTube channel playlist at https:// www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIq7XlTOe3aniYq-lA4NJd-tx1q9VHrIY, Winter High Tunnel Project or at www. llcc.edu/llcc-garden. Additional information about high tunnels, such as the publication, “Growing Under High Tunnels in Illinois and the Midwest” by Zachary Grant, a local food systems and small farms Extension educator, can be found on the University of Illinois Extension Local Food Systems and Small Farms website (go to Information and Resources for You and click on High Tunnels). For more information about the videos and the project, contact Marnie Record at marnie.record@llcc.edu or Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant at cvnghgrn@illinois.edu. Source: University of Illinois Extension.
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Small farms webinar series to begin in January URBANA – University of Illinois Extension will present a weekly educational series for the small farm community. This series will provide practical knowledge on emerging topics that advance local food production in Illinois. Online presentations will give small farm producers a look at how leading practices in production, management and marketing enable operations to improve profitability and sustainability. This year’s series includes new topics such as farm pond ecology, producing Shiitake mushrooms, the emerging local grain economy in Illinois, raising meat birds on pasture, and growing great blackberries. The free webinars will be held from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursdays during January through March. The topics for this webinar series include: Jan. 14 – Lean Farming: Cutting Waste and Maximizing Efficiency on Small Farms, Zack Grant, U of I Extension local food systems and small farms educator. Jan. 21 – Soils and Soil Fertility for Small Farms, Mike Roegge, U of I Extension local food systems and small farms educator. Jan. 28 – Farm Pond Ecology: Managing for Desirable Plants and Fish, David Shiley, U of I Extension local food systems and small farms educator. Feb. 4 – Producing Shiitake Mushrooms, Grant McCarty, U of I Extension local food systems and small farms educator. Feb. 11 – Managing Horse Pastures
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7 Winter 2015 • 7
Ag Matters
Studies show how crop prices and climate variables affect yield and acreage URBANA – When corn prices increase, farmers reap higher yields by making changes. According to a recent University of Illinois study, about one-third of the yield increase derives from more intensive management practices and twothirds from cropping additional acreage. Agricultural economist Madhu Khanna says the findings dampen the ongoing debate about the food price and land use changes due to corn ethanol. “There has been a lot of controversy about the impact of biofuel production and corn ethanol production on corn prices because it affects the estimates of the indirect landuse change caused by corn ethanol,” Khanna said. “This in turn affects the carbon-intensity calculations for corn ethanol used to estimate how corn ethanol can comply with the Low-Carbon Fuel Standard in California which seeks to reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of transportation fuel in California by 10 percent by 2020. From this research, knowing that corn yields are responsive to corn prices lowers the magnitude of land-use change related to carbon-intensity of corn ethanol.” The study drew from 30 years of data (1977 to 2007) from the National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS) of the USDA on
county-level corn and soybean yield and acreage in the rain-fed region of the United States—east of the Great Plains. The study also looked at climate variables, both for the 30-year period and in predictions for what temperature and precipitation will be in the years 2040 to 2050 and in the longer range to 2080. “Using predictions from a variety of climate models, we simulated what the changes would imply for corn and soybean yields,” Khanna said. “There is a lot of variability. We can expect anywhere from 7 to 12 percent reduction in corn yields under slow-warming scenarios to as much as 40 percent reduction on average under the more rapid-warming scenarios. “We also find that, by including the potential for prices to impact corn yields, it actually reduces the adverse impact on corn yields that can be attributed to climate variables,” Khanna said. Previous studies show climate change leading to a much larger reduction in yields in the long run. “When you take into account that there is adaptation and farmers can change their practices in response to prices, we find those estimates to be about 10 percent higher than what they would be without farmers’ responsiveness.” Khanna says it’s import-
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ant not to attribute all of the change that might occur in response to climate change to climate variables alone, but to recognize the potential for adaptation while trying to understand what the future might look like under climate change. “We know from this study that higher crop prices will lead farmers to invest more and improve production on their existing land,” Khanna said. “And although we cannot disaggregate and specify what the changes were that led to increases in yield, we do find a statistically significant relationship between higher corn prices and higher yield per acre. And we don’t find the same results in the case of soybeans. Based on some of our other research, we know that when a farmer expands corn production, the expansion is onto soybean land and soybean moves onto more marginal land. That’s why we see more of that price increase.” In examining growing degree days, the study found, as expected, that having a longer growing season and warmer weather is beneficial to a crop, but as it creeps closer to threshold levels, more warming can actually have a negative effect. Khanna said it has a U-shaped effect on crop yields. “We also find clear evidence that having a large
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number of days above the threshold has a significant adverse impact on crop yields,” Khanna said. “Compared to temperature, precipitation changes have a smaller impact – but also a U-shaped effect where, up to a point, precipitation is good, but too much rain can have a negative impact on crop yields. In general, the study found that south and southeast regions will have a much more negative impact from climate change than the upper Midwest. “Our findings provide evidence of the potential for adaptation because
farmers can be expected to respond to higher crop prices that may accompany climate change,” Khanna said. “Consequently, the net impact of climate change may not be as negative because farmers are going to be able to use better practices in order to compensate to some extent.” Khanna stressed that any assessment of the landuse effect of corn ethanol should consider what this study learned about the responsiveness of corn yield to prices. It is particularly important because the estimate of the indirect
land-use change caused by higher corn prices due to corn ethanol uses global equilibrium models and the responsiveness of corn yields to corn prices is an important parameter in those models. The results of this study can help guide the discussion about models which estimate the carbon footprint of corn ethanol. “Responsiveness of crop yield and acreage to prices and climate” was written by Ruiqing Miao, Madhu Khanna, and Haixiao Huang and published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics.
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8 8 • Winter 2015
Ag Matters
Ethanol production and corn consumption prospects for 2016 URBANA – Estimates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) indicate that U.S. production of fuel ethanol totaled 14.313 billion gallons during the 2014 calendar year. That quantity is 1.02 billion gallons more than produced in 2013. University of Illinois agricultural economist Darrel Good provided the analysis of ethanol production and corn consumption prospects for 2016 that follows. For the first nine months of 2015, EIA monthly estimates indicate that domestic ethanol production was 3.6 percent larger than during the same period in 2014. Weekly EIA estimates indicate ethanol production in October and November this year exceeded that of a year ago by 3.1 percent. Production in December is expected to be slightly smaller than the record monthly production of 1.295 billion gallons in December 2014. For the year, ethanol production will likely be at least 3 percent larger than in 2014, reaching about 14.745 billion gallons. Production at that level will require about 5.25 billion bushels of feedstock, mostly corn, for conventional ethanol production in 2015. Estimates of domestic ethanol consumption are based on EIA estimates of the volume of fuel ethanol production, imports, exports, and changes in domestic stock levels. Consumption was a record 13.444 billion gallons in 2014. Of that total, about 13.353 billion gallons was conventional ethanol made almost entirely from corn. Consumption during the first nine months of 2015 was 4 percent larger than during the same period last year. Consumption for the year is on pace to reach 13.982 billion gallons, with about 13.897 billion gallons being conventional ethanol. Domestic ethanol consumption during the year ahead will be influenced by two related factors. The first follows from the biofuels volume requirements in the EPA final rule making for 2014-16 RFS standards released on Nov. 30. Those standards require 18.11 billion gallons of biofuels con-
sumption in 2016, 1.18 billion more than required in 2015 and 710 million gallons more than in the preliminary rule making released in May. The requirement for advanced biofuels was set at 3.61 billion gallons, 730 million more than the 2015 requirement and 380 million more than was required in the preliminary rule making. The difference between the total and the advanced requirement is the implied requirement for conventional biofuel (ethanol). The conventional requirement is referred to as an implied requirement because it can also be satisfied with discretionary blending of advanced biofuels. That implied requirement is at 14.5 billion gallons for 2016, up from 14.05 billion gallons in 2015 and 14.0 billion gallons in the preliminary rule making for 2016. The second and related factor that will influence domestic ethanol consumption is the expected level of domestic gasoline consumption because the blending requirements are actually enforced as a fraction of gasoline consumption. Based on EIA projections, consumption is expected to increase from 139.38 billion gallons in 2015 to 139.96 billion gallons in 2016. That expected increase of 580 million gallons follows an expected increase of 2.9 billion gallons in 2015. The conventional ethanol mandate of 14.5 billion gallons reflects an expected small increase in the E-10 blend wall and a “push” to include larger quantities of higher ethanol blends (E-15 and E-85) in the domestic fuel supply. If the 2016 gasoline consumption forecast is correct, the E-10 blend wall will be 13.996 billion gallons. Because some gasoline is consumed without ethanol and some with higher ethanol blends, the effective E-10 blend wall is thought to be 13.856 billion gallons (9.9 percent of gasoline consumption). A portion of the 13.856 billion gallons will be provided in the form of advanced ethanol, including cellulosic, but mostly imported
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Brazilian ethanol. The EPA projects consumption of advanced ethanol in 2015 at only 85 million gallons. We estimate that about 70 million gallons of that total will be Brazilian ethanol. That consumption is projected to increase to 249 million gallons in 2016 based on much larger imports of Brazilian ethanol in response to changing fuel standards in California. That would leave the conventional ethanol E-10 blend wall at 13.607 billion gallons. In addition to E-10, however, some ethanol will be consumed in higher blends, mostly E-85. The EPA has projected E-85 consumption in 2016 at 400 million gallons. That would be equivalent to 296 million gallons of ethanol, assuming an average blend of 74 percent ethanol. Total consumption of conventional ethanol would be projected at 13.903 billion gallons, essentially the same as consumed in 2015. The difference between the RFS requirement of 14.5 billion gallons and the projected consumption of 13.903 billion gallons (597 million gallons) would have to be met with some combination of retirement of RINs stocks, additional quantities of E-85, or blending of additional quantities of advanced biofuels. If ethanol exports in 2016 are near the level of 2015 and there is no change in the level of ethanol stocks in 2016, the projected level of domestic consumption of conventional ethanol in 2016 points to about the
same requirement for conventional ethanol feedstock (mostly corn) in 2016 as in 2015. This outcome is very different from the initial reaction that an increase in the implied conventional ethanol requirement from the preliminary to final rule making for 2016 of 500 million gallons would result in a measurable increase in feedstock consumption. The projected level of domestic conventional ethanol consumption in 2016 developed here could be conservative for two reasons. First, the projection of domestic gasoline consumption appears conservative. A more plausible scenario with continued low gasoline prices might be for gasoline consumption to be about two billion gallons larger than the current EIA projection. Second, the projection of ethanol imports may be too aggressive, depending on how California fuel policy unfolds. On the other hand, the EPA projection of E-85 consumption in 2016 may be a bit too high. Domestic conventional ethanol consumption in 2016 could be about 200 million gallons larger than projected, requiring an additional 70 million bushels of feedstock. Still, feedstock consumption would be only slightly larger than in 2015. A larger increase in feedstock consumption will require some combination of a larger increase in domestic gasoline consumption, larger consumption of higher ethanol blends, and an increase in ethanol exports.
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9 Winter 2015 • 9
Ag Matters
USDA announces $3.4 million available through International Wheat Partnership Research Program WASHINGTON, D.C. – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of $3.4 million for research projects in support of the new International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP) program. “Wheat is one of the world’s most important staple crops, providing a significant amount of daily calories and protein throughout the world,” said Secretary Vilsack. “By 2050, the demand for wheat as part of a reliable, affordable, and nutritious diet will grow alongside the world population, and continued wheat research will play an important role in ensuring its continued availability.” Awards for this program will be made through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), which is authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. The new International Wheat Yield Partnership program seeks to enhance agriculture research that can benefit the global community and support the G20 nations’ Wheat Initiative with the key aims of enhancing the genetic component of wheat yield and developing new wheat varieties that are adaptable to different geographical regions and environmental conditions. The programs priorities will focus on breakthroughs for
wheat breeding using new technologies and also discoveries that lead to significantly greater yield; further, applications that demonstrate coordination and collaboration with international partners are encouraged. Applications are due May 3, 2016 and more information may be found in the NIFA-IWYP Request for Applications. Along with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the international partners involved with IWYP include the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council of the United Kingdom (BBSRC); Grains Research and Development Corporation of Australia (GRDC); Department of Biotechnology of India (DBT), from Mexico, the Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo (CIMMYT); Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC); from France, the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA); and from Switzerland, the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA). AFRI is NIFA’s flagship competitive grants program and was established under the 2008 Farm Bill. The program addresses six priority areas to continue building a foundation of knowledge in fundamental and applied food and agricultural sciences critical for solving cur-
rent and future societal challenges. These priority areas include: 1. Plant health and production and plant products; 2. Animal health and production and animal products; 3. Food safety, nutrition and health; 4. Renewable energy, natural resources and environment; 5. Agriculture systems and technology; and
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Ag Matters
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Ag Matters
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Serving Illinois since 2003 for all your pressure washing equipment sales and service needs. We believe in supporting American Manufacturing. Our customer service guarantee and service knowledge sets us apart from any other service company. Contact us today for more information! *Servicing most all brands.
SALES • SERVICE • PARTS • EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION 110 W. RAILROAD ST. , SHEFFIELD, IL 61361 815-454-2120 (PH) 815-454-2156 (FAX) WWW.CUSTOMWASHONE.COM INFO@CUSTOMWASHONE.COM
Serving Illinois since 2003 for all your Champion Air Compressor sales and service needs. We believe in supporting American Manufacturing. Our customer service guarantee and service knowledge sets us apart from any other service company. Certified technicians available for on-site service. Contact us today for more information!
12 12 • Winter 2015
Ag Matters
January through April is the best time to build! Planning NOW for “Winter construction” can save thousands! Please contact us for more information!
Garages
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Farm Building
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Equestrian
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Commercial
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Homes
Worth the Wait Good things come to those who wait. For a limited time, receive a free upgrade to our new and exclusive Morton Foundation System when you buy a Morton building to be constructed between January and April 2016. For more information on this offer and our foundation system call or visit us online at mortonbuildings.com
Steve Hamm
Atkinson, IL. • 309-936-7282 steve.hamm@mortonbuildings.com
Certain restrictions may apply. Check with your local Morton Construction Center for details and availability. Patented product used with permission of Perma-Column, Inc. ©2014 Morton Buildings, Inc. A listing of GC licenses available at http://mortonbuildings.com/licenses. Reference Code 043