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The Tonica NewsVolume 141 No. 3 Friday, March 14, 2014

Single Copy Cost 50¢

Vol. 141 No. 3

One Section - 8 Pages

© The Tonica News

InsideCharity

basketball game planned

See Page 2

Match gameSee Page 4

TVFD receives Small Equipment Grant

Lostant Leaders learn about Peru

Kreiser: ‘A bigger piece of

the puzzle’

$12,860 headed to department for equipment

By Ken Schroedernews@tonicanews.com

TONICA — The Tonica Volunteer Fire Depart-ment was one of 193 fire departments statewide receiving a Small Equip-ment Grant from the Illinois State Fire Mar-

shal and Gov. Pat Quinn. TVFD received $12,860 in grant monies.

In making the grant announcement, Quinn said the fire departments are receiving a total of $4 million to help purchase safety equipment, pro-tective clothing, breath-

ing apparatus and other tools for firefighters. These grants are supported by a small percentage of the sales of all fire insurance sold in Illinois. The depart-ments were eligible for grants up to $26,000.

“The heroic firefighters across the state deserve all the help they can get to keep all Illinois residents safe,” Quinn said. “These investments can help make

the difference in life and death situations in com-munities throughout Illi-nois.”

“With the Small Equip-ment Grant, we’ll be pur-chasing 10 new portable radios for squad members and six flashlights,” Tonica Fire Chief Al Stremlau said. “The flashlights are heavy-duty, fire-rated models designed for use in search and rescue operations.

“The radios will give us enhanced communi-cations during fires, and search and rescue situ-ations,” Stremlau said. “That all comes back to safety and accountability on the ground.”

TVFD received another grant this past fall from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The grant was a 50/50 grant for $9,900. With it, the

department was able to purchase wildland fire gear for all of the current members. Wildland gear is lighter weight and used for field fires and rescue oper-ations where the bulkier gear would be impractical.

“These types of grants are super beneficial to us, since we rely on dona-tions and not tax money to operate our fire depart-ment,” Stremlau said.

By Ken Schroedernews@tonicanews.com

LOSTANT — The Lostant Leaders 4-H Club gathered at Blue Giggles Sweet Shoppe on March 8, but it wasn’t for the food. The 4-Hers were putting the finishing touches on their display for the 4-H International Day from 3 to 6 p.m. on March 22 in the Peter Miller Community Technology Center at Illinois Valley Community College.

“IVCC is having an International Day, and they’re allowing the 4-H groups in the area from LaSalle, Marshall and Putnam counties

to come,” Lostant Leader adult volunteer Tracy Ritko said. “There’s going to be 19 groups there, and each of them have a for-eign country. Our group voted and decided on Peru.”

“We were given a list that had differ-ent foreign exchange students on it, and the group really enjoyed the idea of Peru because we’re so close to the town; and they happened to have an exchange student, so it worked out really well,” President Taylor Urbanowski said. “We voted, and it was either this or Egypt; but someone already took Egypt.”

Among the displays the members were working on were dioramas, a fold-out stand of the flag of Peru and a photo collage. In addition, the group’s adult volunteers will be making des-serts native to Peru for sampling during the event.

The members have enjoyed creating their project and learning about the country of Peru.

“I did Peru flowers and the culture,” member Meleah Mertes said. “There are lots of different kinds of flowers that are native to the country.”

By Ken Schroedernews@tonicanews.com

Editor’s note: This is another story in a series, as the Tonica News talks with members of the boards in the Tonica area and gets their views on what is going on in their communities.

TONICA — Monica Kreiser may be new to the Tonica Village Board, having been elected last spring; however, she’s no stranger to public service. Kreiser has been a sec-retary at Tonica Grade School for seven years and has recently joined the Tonica Volunteer Fire Department and is in the process of taking EMT courses.

Why did she run for the village board?

“I just wanted to be a part of something big-ger than myself,” Kreiser said. “Why not give back? Just to have a voice, an opinion, to be heard. To be a bigger piece of the puzzle.”

Like the other board members, Kreiser sees the biggest item in the vil-lage’s future as the sewer plant which was mandat-ed by the Environmental Protection Agency. That’s not her only goal, how-ever.

“I’d like to see the ball diamond fixed up. I’d like to see two, and see more of a way to develop it,” Kreiser said. “Maybe if

Tonica News photos/Ken SchroederCaden Mertes of the Lostant Leaders 4-H Club explains the diorama of the country of Peru he built for the 4-H International Day at Illinois Valley Commu-nity College on March 22. At right, adult advisor Tracy Ritko (left) supervises as Meleah Mertes and Mikayla Ritko work on a photo collage for their project.

See Kreiser Page 3

2 Local2 • The Tonica News • Friday, March 14, 2014

Seeking Sources

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ContactPublisherSam Fishersfisher@tonicanews.com

EditorTerri Simontsimon@tonicanews.com

IVCH/Rotary charity basketball game planned

Elks children’s orthopedic assessment clinic on April 10

PERU — Call it March Madness for a good cause when, for the fifth con-secutive year, a team of Illinois Valley Commu-nity Hospital physicians helped by other mem-bers of the IVCH staff plays a charity basket-ball game against a squad drawn from the ranks of three local Rotary clubs.

This year’s contest will be at 6:30 p.m. March 14 at Parkside School in Peru.

Admission to the game is free but donations will be accepted and divided between the Peru Educa-tion Foundation and the IVCH Foundation.

The IVCH roster will include Dr. Steve Lukan-

cic, Dr. Jim Vaiana, Dr. Robert Pode, Dr. Mark Fernandez and Dr. Scott Millington. Also playing for IVCH will be Tommy Hobbs, the hospital’s chief executive officer, along with physical ther-apist James Schaefer, lab technologist Dale Mar-tyn, materials manage-ment director Jonathan

Allen and quality man-agement supervisor Leo Moran.

The Peru Rotary Club, LaSalle Rotary Club and Illinois Valley Sunrise Rotary Club will all be contributing players to the Rotary team, which will include Jim Hermes, Scott Schweickert, Mike Stariha, Rob Ankiewicz,

Chris Vaske, Mark Cross, John Vezzetti, Dale Tie-man, Matt Baker, Matt Merboth, Jeff Grove, Steve Lamis and Simon Kampwerth.

E n t e r t a i n m e n t between quarters and at halftime will be provided by the LaSalle-Peru High School Cavalettes and the “Little Kickers.”

PERU — The Oglesby Elks 2360 Lodge, in coop-eration with the Illinois Elks Children’s Care Cor-poration, will sponsor a free children’s orthope-dic assessment clinic from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on April 10. The clinic is by appointment only. To make an appointment call the Illinois Elks Children’s

Care office at 1-800-272-0074 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mon-day through Friday. There are no charges for any services at this clinic.

The Elks will hold the clinic at the Illinois Val-ley Community Hospital, 925 West St., Peru, in the first floor EKG/pain clinic area. Dr. Richard Erick-

son of Carol Stream will be the clinician in charge.

No medical referral is necessary for the clinic but physicians are wel-come to refer patients to the clinic for a specific reason or second opin-ion. School nurses are welcome to refer children and families to the clinic.

The Elks Organization

has been working with physically challenged children since 1928 and this is one of the 17 clin-ic locations throughout Illinois. The clinic is an ideal time to have a child reviewed for bone and joint development. The Elks will provide financial assistance to their best of their ability for children

needing further treatment or specialty equipment when the family lacks sufficient resources to do so. In the past, the Elks have purchased therapy services, corrective shoes, braces, wheelchairs and augmentative commu-nication devices to help children overcome a vari-ety of physical challenges.

Photo contributedTommy Hobbs, IVCH CEO (left), confers with IVCH Board Jim Loveland before the 2013 IVCH vs. Rotary charity basketball game.

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3 Obit RecordsFriday, March 14, 2014 • The Tonica News • 3

Tonica Fire releases 2013 call reportTONICA — The

Tonica Volunteer Fire Department released its 2013 call report. During the year, the department respond-ed to 163 emergency calls. There were 81 medical ambulance calls; 26 accident calls; 30 fires and 26 other good intent calls.

Of the fire calls, there were four struc-ture fires, five vehicle fires, five field fires, nine mutual aid fires, one power line down and six mutual aid

change of quarters.The remainder of

the calls consisted of nine carbon monoxide odor investigation, one wash down, two search and rescue, 12 good intent calls, one mutu-al aid hazardous mate-rial and one PC Drill.

There was also one fire service injury.

Auto aid was received from Lostant Fire and Oglesby Fire Departments during the year. Mutual aid was received from Peru Ambulance, Oglesby

Fire and Ambulance, Lostant Fire and Ambulance, Utica Fire and Ambulance, Grand Ridge Fire and Ambu-lance, Putnam County EMS Ambulance, Life Flight Medical Heli-copter, Leonore Fire, LaSalle Fire, Peru Fire, MABAS Tactical Units, Cedar Point and Stan-dard First Responders.

Mutual aid was given to Oglesby Fire and Ambulance, Lostant Fire and Ambulance, Standard Fire, MABAS 25 Hazardous Materials

Team, Putnam County EMS Ambulance and Leonore Fire.

The expense sum-mary showed Illinois Power, $1,953; truck fuel and oil, $3,407; community education, $2,479; education, $649; supplies, $2,272; payroll, $21,715; new equipment, $24,667; telephone, $2,567; t ruck payment , $16,124; insurance, $8,960; ambulance supplies, $6,363; main-tenance, $3,950; and miscellaneous, $6,418.

somebody donated the land, make it more of a park dis-trict because it’s kind of an arm-wrestling match trying to get all the games sched-uled there on time. If noth-ing else, I would to see that expand somehow.”

Kreiser has three years

left of her four-year term and at this point plans on rerunning in 2017.

“I’ve just been here a year, and so far, I can’t see a reason to quit,” she said.

However, she’s in no hurry to move up to the president’s chair.

“I’m just learning my chair,” Kreiser said. “I’m not in any hurry.”

KreiserFrom Page 1

LaSalle County SheriffTONICA — LaSalle

County Deputies inves-tigated a two vehicle crash at the inter-section of North 21st

Road and Route 251 in Tonica on March 7. A car driven by Franklin Hodge, 63, of Camden, Ind., was stopped at

the intersection facing eastbound. He mistak-enly thought it was a four-way stop inter-section and drove out

in the path of James Lock, 68, of Tonica. There were no injuries, and no citations were issued.

Jared HicksOffice: LaSalle County

TreasurerResidence: MarseillesEducation: Bachelor’s

of Finance from North-ern Illinois University DeKalb; Master’s of Busi-ness Administration from St. Francis Univer-sity Joliet.

Experience: Seven years experience in corporate and personal income tax preparation, five years as control-ler/accountant at local orthopedic practice and ambulatory surgi-cal center, 401k plan administrator of both companies, management of payroll operations for more than 150 employ-

ees, acquisition experi-ence in investments and banking, private sector corporate account-ing for a business with worldwide operations, real estate, property and sales tax experience in more than 20 states and foreign countries, and reconciliation and analy-sis of operational data along with budgeting for businesses of all sizes.

What are your top three priorities:

1. To uphold and build upon the high level of professionalism and integrity currently in place.

2. To successfully facilitate the neces-sary technological and statute updates needed

to manage the office. At the county, a new accounting and finan-cial system is being looked at for imple-mentation early next year. Offices will be tied together and upgraded from the old COBOL system currently in place.

3. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and abilities to help bet-ter the county in any issues that may arise.

How would you describe yourself to voters?: I would describe myself to the voters as a young, ener-getic and highly moti-vated individual. I pride myself on my work ethic and strong morals.

I am down to earth and very personable.

Why should voters cast their votes for you?: Voters should vote for me because I believe we need more young people involved in politics. I feel I have the education, experience and qualities necessary to manage the trea-surer’s office and believe that I am the best can-didate for the position. If elected I plan to leave my current employer and work full time at the county offices. The trea-surer’s position is very demanding, and it would be my commitment to the taxpayers to give my full attention to those duties.

Edward McConvilleOffice: LaSalle County

TreasurerAge: 63Residence: PeruEducation: Gradu-

ate of the University of Illinois

Experience: I’ve worked at LaSalle State Bank for seven years, then for the National Bank of Earlville for 33 years.

What are your top three priorities:

1. To review the last three years’ budgets and the last three years’ audits for the treasurer’s office.

2. See what the rec-ommendations were for the audits and see how close we were to budgets and actual expenses.

3. Interview the staff to inventory everybody’s

experience and see what everyone’s specialty is as far as the staff is con-cerned.

How would you describe yourself to vot-ers?: When I reviewed the job requirements for treasurer, I feel with my financial background, it’s a very good fit as far as what experience I have which I can bring to the treasurer’s office.

Why should voters

cast their votes for you?: With 40 years of experience, there’s a lot of the regulations I’m used to in the banking industry and banking audits that I will look for in the treasurer’s office. In the banking industry, there’s a lot of accountability, making sure things are in their place, and I’ll bring that to the table as treasurer of LaSalle County.

Judith Ebner(PERU — Judith A. “Judy” Ebner, 64, of

Peru, formerly of Oglesby, passed away Mon-day, March 10, 2014, at Manor Court of Peru.

She was born Aug. 27, 1949, in LaSalle to Eugene and Aline (Locke) Ebner. She was one of the original Horizon House clients at Claret Knoll in rural Peru and was client at Horizon House in Peru. She was a member of Holy Family Church in Oglesby, Special Olympics and SPEC (Special Persons Encounter Christ).

She is survived by two brothers, Jim (Alice) Ebner of Oglesby and Joe Ebner of Peru; one sister, Janet (Ray) Wolf of Lostant; one sister-in-law, Linda Ebner of Utica; and sev-eral nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Jerry Ebner; and one niece, Carrie Lynn Wolf.

Funeral services were held March 13 at the Prey-Mueller Funeral Home, Oglesby, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at Holy Family Church, Oglesby, with the Rev. Gary Blake, pastor, officiating. Burial was in SS Peter and Paul’s Cemetery in Leonore.

Visitation was held March 13 in the funeral home.Pallbearers were Jennifer Ebner, Tammy Ebner-Land-

graf, Terry Ebner-Kamnikar, Chris Ebner, Jason Ebner and Mike Ebner.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be direct-ed to Horizon House in Peru.

Elmer TarrLEONORE — Elmer Tarr, 79, of Leonore died Wednes-

day, March 5, 2014, in Asta Care Center of Toluca.Cremation rites have been accorded and services will be

held at a later date. The Hurst Funeral Home in Tonica is assisting the family.

Carol StraughnOGLESBY — Carol Joan Straughn, 76, of

rural Oglesby passed away in her home on Saturday, March 8, 2014, after a courageous battle with cancer. She passed peacefully sur-rounded by her family.

Carol was born April 11, 1937, in LaSalle to Harold and Vera (Maurer) Walgenbach. She married Dale V. Straughn on Aug. 24, 1957, in Queen of the Holy Rosary Church in LaSalle.

She was the founder of Straughn Insurance Agency in Lostant as well as an active member of Holy Family Church and the Daughters of Isabella. Throughout the years, she was a dedicated volunteer and gave her time to countless charities and organizations. She enjoyed gardening, music and spending time with her family. Carol continued to be a source of inspiration until the very end, touching the lives of all who knew her with unbridled gen-erosity and loving support. Her greatest joy came from sur-rounding herself with family and friends who were blessed to share in her life.

Survivors include her husband, Dale; six children, Kath-leen (Allan) Milner of Tonica, Susan (John) Bellino of Standard, Jeanine (Jeff) Snell of LaSalle, Duane (Michele) Straughn of Hennepin, Mary Lynn (David) Uitermarkt of Wayne and Brian (Mike Kelly) Straughn of Columbus, Ohio; 15 grandchildren, Bonnie (Jeffrey) Dzik, Kristy Robertson, Tara and Kevin Milner, Eric (Jenna) Straughn, Chelsi Straughn, John, Andrew and Michael Bellino, Kayla, Jaclyn and Lauren Snell, Shelby Straughn, and Kyle and Kelsey Uitermarkt; six great-grandchildren, Hailey, Leah and Carter Dzik, Karissa and Brayden Robertson, and Lucas Straughn; one sister, Lois (Robert) Cloughley of Florida; and a large extended family.

She was preceded in death by one son, Robert Straughn; one brother, Edward Walgenbach; and two sisters, Adele Hartmann and Audrey Flaherty.

A Mass of Christian burial was March 12 in Holy Family Catholic Church in Oglesby. Burial was in St. Vincent’s Cemetery in LaSalle.

Visitation was held March 11 in the Hurst Funeral Home in Tonica and March 12 from 10 a.m. until the time of ser-vices at the church.

Pallbearers were her six grandsons.In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. Jude’s

Children Research Hospital or Tonica Fire Department.

Obituaries

Carol Straughn

Judith Ebner

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4 Perspective4 • The Tonica News • Friday, March 14, 2014

The Editorial Page

Sam R FisherPublisher

Terri Simoneditor

The Tonica News

When did ‘good’ become ‘good

enough?’

“I will take my grandkids to the park.”

Benita Longoria, Streator

“We are going to get to the field and help the farmers get their crop

in.”Dave Callan, Spring Valley

“I will wash my truck again.”

Craig Harpe, Owensville, Ind.

“I will start painting outside. That is what I

do for a living.”Dave Kneebone, Spring Valley

“Once the snow is gone, the first thing I’m going to do is pick up my yard. I’ve got sticks and such that

have come off of the trees that are buried in the snow.”

Bob Johnson, Streator

Match gameOn a recent Sunday morning,

before going to church, my little daughter found me sitting at the corner of my bed, nervously glanc-ing from side to side, mumbling, “… can’t find a matcher … can’t find a matcher …” over, and over again, oblivious to the fact that she was even in the room with me. As she shook my forearm and asked me what was wrong, I looked deeply into her frightened blue eyes and said, “We have a sock situation.”

Here’s the deal. I grew up in an old farmhouse with an unheated upstairs. Because of this, socks have always been important to me. Not only for warmth and comfort but also for that added peace-of-mind in knowing that if the house catches fire during the night, my feet won’t get cold while standing in the dewy grass.

We are kindred spirits, my socks and me. We go everywhere together. “Why be barefoot when you can wear a pair of socks?” has always been my motto. When I’m old, I plan on being that guy at Disneyland holding his wife’s purse while wearing sandals and white knee-high socks. Hopefully I’ll be wearing other stuff too, but as long as I have the socks, I’ll be good.

As much as I love the act of wearing socks, early on in our marriage, my wife and I came to the conclusion that we both hate the task of folding socks. The whole process of sorting though the pile of hosiery to find “the matchers,” as we like to refer to them, and then wadding them together to stick in a sock drawer, just seemed like a big waste of time. Time that could be bet-ter used to watch the hilarious exploits of Honey Boo Boo and her family. We both literally hate organizing and folding socks. In fact, on more than one occasion in my adult life, I have made the following statement: “If I am ever as rich as Michael Jordan, I would

never wear the same pair of socks twice.” It’s good to have dreams.

So the system that we have adapted for the most part is one where all of the laundered socks are stored in a clothes basket in the bedroom and on the occa-sion that new socks are needed, the person requiring the footwear will sort through the pile until finding the “matchers.” I usually yell “Bingo!” to alert other family members of my successes. It’s a good system. Or at least it usually is. Until that fateful Sunday morn-ing.

Over the years, myself and a group of Western European dip-lomats have developed a color-coded system, recognized by both NATO and the United Nations, to effectively assess my sock situa-tion on a daily basis. For my own personal purposes, all color-coded designations are made courtesy of the fine folks at the Crayola Cray-on corporation. Here they are:

Periwinkle Blue: This designates that all current footwear is almost relatively hole-free and more or less matches in color, size, elastic-ity and general appearance.

Dandelion Yellow: This indi-cates that I am experiencing a sock dilemma. Upon my first rummaging of the sock basket, no suitable matches have been dis-covered. I start to question myself that maybe my standards are just too darn high.

Mango Tango Orange: I am now beginning to experience the first effects of a full-on sock emer-gency. This means that I have exhausted the search of the basket and have gone to checking under the bed and/or couch for strays. This is now turning from a rescue mission into more of a recovery operation. Families might need to be notified.

Burnt Sienna: The situation has now escalated into a Category-One Sock Disaster. (You can tell the seriousness I am trying to convey by my usage of capital letters.) No matching socks have been found at this juncture, and prospects do not look promising. I have been known to actually check the “crisper” drawer in the refrigerator just to be thorough. At this point, generals gather in the White House situation room to retrieve the nuclear codes and get their keys ready in case of impending world-wide pandemo-nium. It’s always good to be pre-pared.

Wild Watermelon Red: A complete and total sock catas-trophe has just occurred. All sock-matching hope has been abandoned. Thankfully, this has never occurred. However, scien-tists planning for this eventual-ity have made comparisons to a meteor striking the earth and plunging us into another ice age. In other words, a total and com-plete obliteration of society as we know it. This might be why we don’t have dinosaurs anymore. If this ever happens, I plan to climb back under the covers in my mismatched stockings, play that Aerosmith song and wait for the impending Armageddon.

Luckily, that Sunday morning, I was mercifully able to scrape together a pair that were some-what similar in hue but woefully different in length and texture. Since we were running late for church, I decided that this was my best option, and I pulled the two strangers on to my feet and stuck them in my shoes. As I entered the sun-filled sanctuary, I don’t know if anyone else could tell, but I was walking with a noticeable limp.

Until that moment, I never knew how good Michael Jordan has it.

You can contact Wallace at gwallace@bcrnews.com. You can follow him on his blog at http://gregwallaceink.blogspot.com.

This is a long preface, but I need to set the stage.Back in 1979, I was involved in my first auto

accident. On a night when everyone was driving 20 mph on Interstate 80 due to a very icy road, a Datsun 280Z (pretty car, but not meant for Illinois winters) passed me doing 50. Unfortunately, imme-diately afterwards, he drove over a bridge, and the momentum and black ice caught up with his luck and gave it a sound thrashing. In the process of his spinning out of control, he struck my car (a ‘75 Gran Torino — that thing was a tank) and forced another car into the guardrail. My car was the only one that left under its own power.

Flash forward to this lovely winter. On the way home from a late night board meeting, my little Chevy Aveo struck a deer from behind. Bambi was pronounced dead on the scene, but my tiny little clown car had only superficial damage.

I took my car into a body shop to get it looked at and find out what it was going to cost. Inside the shop was a fairly new mini-van of domestic con-struction that had hit a deer which then hopped off into the woods with nary a twitch. The body shop manager was trying to convince the driver to total it out, since repairs were more than half what the car was worth.

Afterwards, the manager came out, did a lap around my car, then asked where the deer hit my car.

Incidentally, my car is six years old. It was also built overseas.

In North Korea.While I’m not saying this couldn’t have been a

fluke, I will say, compared to my other American-made car, my Aveo has been almost problem-free.

It seems in many different fields, a lot of people have decided that “good” actually means “good enough.” The care and pride in workmanship that America was once known for has been replaced with “Let’s get it out the door and go on to the next one.”

I don’t believe that a majority of us think that way, but the minority that do have tainted our rep-utation. Unfortunately, many of those people are upper management in big business. The aim is not necessarily to make a quality product as much as a profitable product. “It’s back to perfect” repairs are now “It’s fixed, now leave me alone.” The phrase “Good as new” is no longer an assurance that something is truly fixed.

So, as we’re laughing at the threats and military capabilities of North Korea, I’m looking at my 1.4 liter deerslayer and remembering that every piece of equipment our military uses was built by the lowest bidder.

Tonica News staff writer Ken Schroeder can be reached at news@tonicanews.com.

KenSchroeder

COMMENTARY

First Amendment“Congress shall make no law respecting an

establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom

of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

Constitution of the United States, 1789

GregWallaceFROM THE SKETCHBOOK

On the street Spring is just around the corner. What are you going to do when the snow finally all melts?

5 Open PageFriday, March 14, 2014 • The Tonica News • 5

Spending that St. Patrick’s Day fortune

How it all startedS

aint Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a cultural and reli-gious holiday celebrated on March 17. The holiday is named after Saint Patrick (c. AD 385–461), the most commonly recognized patron saint of Ireland.

• Patrick was not Irish but rather was born in Britain in the fourth century into a wealthy aristocratic Christian family. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave for seven years. According to his Confession, Patrick was told by God in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would then board a ship and return to Britain. He followed that dream. Back in Britain, Patrick studied for the priesthood and returned to Ireland in 432 as a bishop to bring Christianity to the Irish who had a polytheism faith.

• It is believed that Saint Patrick died on March 17 in the year 461 AD.• Saint Patrick’s Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century.• St. Patrick’s Day has also become also a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history.

Source: National Geographic

Where to get that corned beef and cabbage in the Illinois ValleySpring Valley Bar and GrillSPRING VALLEY — Spring Valley Bar and Grill will be serving corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on March 17. They will also be serving Reuben sandwiches and corned beef sandwiches.

Wise Guys Bar and GrillPRINCETON — Wise Guys Bar and Grill will be serving corned beef, cabbage, red potatoes and carrots on March 15-17. They will also be serving green beer on those days as well.

KaddywampusGRANVILLE — Kaddywampus will be serving corned beef, cabbage and Reuben sandwiches from 9 a.m. to midnight March 15.

Ye Olde Underground InnPRINCETON — The Ye Olde Underground Inn will have a special of corned beef and cabbage in addition to their regular menu March 14-17. They will also have Irish beers available.

Main Street BBQWYANET — Main Street BBQ will be serving corned beef and cabbage from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. March 13-15.

Duffy’s TavernUTICA — Duffy’s Tavern will be serving corned beef and cabbage from March 9-17 all day. They will also have other Irish specialties available. Duffy’s will make any beer green.

The Feed StoreMALDEN — The Feed Store will be serving a corned beef, cabbage, potato and carrot dinner along with a salad on March 15. Reuben sandwiches will also be on the menu.

Z Best Cafe on MainSHEFFIELD — Z Best will be serving corned beef and cab-bage on March 15.

Kelly’s PlaceTISKILWA — Kelly’s Place will be serving corned beef, cab-bage, potatoes and carrots all day on March 17. Green beer available upon request.

The Garden Room GrillePRINCETON — The Garden Room Grille will serve corned beef and cabbage from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5 to 8 p.m. on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. They will also serve Reubens and a soup special.

Uptown Bar and GrillLASALLE — Uptown Bar and Grill will serve corned beef and cabbage and Reubens from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on St. Patrick’s Day on March 17.

Lincoln’s PlazaPRINCETON — Lincoln’s Plaza will serve corned beef, cabbage and carrots from 11 a.m. to when supplies run out on March 17.

Myrtle’s CafePRINCETON — Myrtle’s Cafe will serve corned beef, cab-bage and sweet potatoes from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on St. Pat-rick’s Day on March 17.

Indian Valley InnTISKILWA — Indian Valley Inn will serve corned beef and cabbage with boiled potatoes and carrots from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4:30 to 8 p.m. on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.

Pagan O’Leary’sGRANVILLE — Pagan O’Leary’s will be serving corned beef and cabbage with potatoes and carrots beginning March 15.

Four and Twenty CafePRINCETON — Four and Twenty Cafe will celebrate the Irish beginning March 14. They will be serving smoked salmon and potato cake sliders with chips on March 14. On March 15-17, they will serve braised corned beef, sau-teed, buttered cabbage, carrots and caraway, Irish champ with chives and authentic Irish soda bread. Soup will be an Irish pub seafood chowder with Irish soda bread. They will also be serving Irish cream lattes. They are open for lunch from 11:15 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Princeton Moose LodgePRINCETON — The Princeton Moose Lodge will serve corned beef and cabbage and ham and cabbage from 5 to 8 p.m. March 15.

Bureau County Republican recipe columnist Judy Dyke said it’s not St. Patrick’s Day without corned beef and cabbage. Here’s her recipe for the well-known St. Patrick’s Day feast.

They say there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. How would you spend your pot of gold?

““I would buy season

tickets to the St.

Louis Cardinals.

Everybody hates

a winner, you

know. I would

turn over most

of the money to

my wife. I would

let her tell me

how we were

going to spend

it. I would spend

it on frivolous

things like St.

Louis Cardinals

baseball tickets. I

am sure I would do the usual things with

it. I would pay off my student loans that

will never end. I would also build a moat

around my house to keep my relatives

and in-laws out.”

John Suarez

Tonica Grade School SuperinTendenT

““Once I took care of my family’s

needs and my immediate families, I

would share it with those in

need throughout our county as

well as Central Illinois area and choose some of the appropriate

charities like St. Jude’s.”

Jay MccrackenpuTnaM counTy

SchoolS SuperinTendenT

““Oh, boy. I would spend

my pot of gold helping my

family and others. I guess I would spend

my pot of gold by helping to make

others’ lives easier.”

TiM SMiThprinceTon

eleMenTary School SuperinTendenT

Corned beef and cabbageI medium onion cut into wedges4 large red potatoes, quartered1 lb. baby carrots3 cups water3 garlic cloves, minced1 bay leaf2 tablespoons sugar2 tablespoons cider vinegar1/2 teaspoon pepper1 corned beef brisket with spice packet,

2-1/2 to 3 pounds, cut in half1 small head of cabbage, cut into wedges

Place onion, potatoes and carrots in a 5-quart slow cooker. Combine the water, garlic, bay leaf, sugar, vinegar, pepper and contents of spice packet. Pour over vegetables. Top with brisket and cabbage. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf before serving. Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Most anybody who has celebrated St. Patrick’s Day at an establishment that serves beer, probably has tipped a few glasses of green beer? How do they do that? Tony Mautino, who is retired from Mautino’s Distributing in Spring Valley, said it’s very simple.“Green food dye. Just put a drop of food dye in the glass and fill it up. And it a done deal,” Mautino said. “It’s as easy as that!”

6 Life6 • The Tonica News • Friday, March 14, 2014

CommunityLibrary Notes

LaSalle Library hosts Earhart programLASALLE — The LaSalle Public Library will host

Leslie Goddard at 6 p.m. March 18 as she presents her first-person portrayal of Amelia Earhart.

Earhart’s courageous exploits and spirited person-ality made her an international celebrity in the early 20th century. She was the first woman to cross the Atlantic by airplane in 1928 and the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1932. She set numerous speed and altitude records and received high honors and awards. On July 2, 1937, she and her naviga-tor Fred Noonan mysteriously disappeared over the Pacific Ocean during their attempted round-the-world flight. Set in 1937, this first-person program recounts Earhart’s life, the many records she broke, her uncon-ventional views on marriage and her tireless work to promote aviation and opportunities for women.

LaSalle Library hosts Irish storiesLASALLE — After LaSalle’s Irish Fun Day Parade at

2:20 p.m. March 15, join the LaSalle Public Library for “Humorous Stories of Irish Heritage” featuring story-teller Mick Henneberry.

Irish storytellers are famous for their wit and inven-tiveness. The extraordinary range of Irish stories comes from a folktale tradition more than 2,000 years old. Hear Henneberry tell Irish stories for all ages. His grandpa told Irish stories of humor which he is now proud to share. He brings his own love of rhythm and his experience of the last 20 years of storytelling to this program. Henneberry has been performing on the stage, starting on the unicycle, since he was 4 years old. He uses juggling, drumming, trumpet playing and humor in his stories. Sharing a love of poetry with rhyme and rhyme and cowboy and show biz tales, Henneberry, with his Irish background, brings a unique perspective to the storytelling stage.

Funding for this free program is provided by the Alwin C. Carus Trust. This program is open to the public.

Bridges Senior CenterMarch 17 — Noon, St. Patrick’s Day lunch featur-

ing corned beef and cabbage. Donation is $3.50; 12:45 p.m., trivia contest; 11 a.m., blood pressure check; 9 a.m., Tai Chi; 11 a.m., Sewing Circle.

March 18 — 5 p.m., Grandparents Raising Grandchildren; 9 a.m., Forever Fit; 10 a.m., Soldier’s Angels; 12:30 p.m., AARP 2570 Open Cards.

March 19 — 10:15 a.m., beginner computer class; 9 a.m., Forever Fit.

March 20 — 9 a.m., Tai Chi; 12:45 p.m., Bingo.March 21 — 12:30 p.m., Wii bowling tournament;

9 a.m., Forever Fit.

Alzheimer support group to meetPERU — The Alzheimer’s Caring Friends support

group for caregivers, family and friends meets at 6 p.m. March 25 at the Red Cross office, 1530 Fourth St., Peru.

LaSalle County Genealogy Guild to meetOTTAWA — The LaSalle Coun-

ty Genealogy Guild will meet at 1 p.m. March 15 at the Guild Library, 115 W. Glover St. in Ottawa. The speaker for the month of March is Janice Fritsch, PLCGS, a graduate of the National Institute of Genea-logical Studies, with a professional learning certificate in genealogical studies. She is the past president

of the Illinois State Genealogi-cal Society and a director on the Federation of Genealogical Societ-ies Board. Fritsch has more than 19 years of research experience as a genealogical researcher and lecturer.

Fritsch will give a presentation on the Civil War military records. These records can yield informa-

tion about ancestors that can-not be found elsewhere. Through the case study of Civil War sol-dier Bennett Sapp and his widow Rebecca Lake Sapp Rhodes Hamil-ton, Civil War service records and the widow’s pension will be used as examples to show the many details of their life that is revealed within.

Mary Anna Patterson took along a copy of The Ton-ica News to Nara, Japan, where she is pictured at the Todai-ji Temple on Nov. 8, 2013. Mary Anna and husband, Dave Patterson, were on an OAT tour. The statue god in the picture is Binzuru (Pindola Bhar-adraja), which was made during the 18th century. He is wearing red since red is the color to expel demons and illness and promotes healing. Pindola was one of the 16 arahats who were disciples of Buddha. It is believed that when a person rubs a part of the statue and then rubs the corresponding part of their body, all ailments will disappear.

Tonica High School alumni dinner Sept. 6TONICA — The Tonica High School alumni dinner

will be Sept. 6 at the Oglesby Elks. Cocktails will start at 6 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m. The tickets will be $25 each with checks payable to Tonica Alumni. Reservations with remittance should be sent to Mary Ellen Goodbred, 2173 E. 675th Road, Tonica, IL 61370. Include the year graduated, if the class is celebrating a reunion and need special seating arrangements. Tonica Grade School graduates are also invited.

PUBLIC NOTICEDuring the next several weeks, extensive damage to roads can be caused by normal truck loads. Therefore, COUNTY & TOWNSHIP roads are limited to 70% of gross vehicle weight limits from February 1, 2014 until May 1, 2014. Fines of up to $1000 may be assessed for violations. Please stay legal and help us minimize the cost of road repairs, by respecting weight limits during this period. Permission to haul heavier loads may be authorized by the County Engineer on a case by case basis.If you have questions about weight limits or need to haul a heavier load, call the County Engineer, Patrick Sloan, (309) 246-6401.Published in the Putnam County Record Mar. 12, 2014.

For SALEIn TonIca, ILLInoIs

815-488-8456Bob Folty • Box 41, Tonica, IL 61370

3,000 sq. ft. for only $69,000!

UNITED STATES OF AMERICASTATE OF ILLINOS COUNTY OF LASALLE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF ) MELANIA C. KREWER ) Deceased )

No. 14-P-13 NOTICE TO HEIRS AND LEGATEES WHOSE

NAMES OR ADDRESSES ARE UNKNOWN AND CLAIM NOTICE

Notice is given of the death of Melania C. Krewer. Letters of Office were issued on February 19, 2014, to Elaine Karczewski, 1455 Lafayette Street, LaSalle, IL whose attorney is John Balestri, 149 Gooding Street, LaSalle, Illinois 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 entered by the Court on February 19, 2014 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 tes-timony 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 be filing 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 August 22, 2014, or, if a claim notice is mailed or delivered personally to a creditor of the decendent, 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 Mar. 7, 14 and 21, 2014.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

LASALLE COUNTY, OTTAWA, ILLINOISPROBATE DIVISION

ESTATE OF )DIANA M. GALLUP, ) Deceased. )

No. 2014 - P - 40CLAIM NOTICE

Notice is given of the death of DIANA M. GALLUP of Oglesby, Illinois. Letters of Office were issued on March 4, 2014 to Rita Alafogiannis as Executor and Representative of 436 Clark Street, Oglesby, IL 61348 whose Attorney is Lisa Olivero of Olivero & Olivero Law

BIDS Acquiring bids for mowing for the Village of Tonica. Inquire @ Village Hall. 815-442-3104.Published in the Tonica News Mar. 14, 2014.

CIRCUIT COURT OF THE THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT LASALLE COUNTY,

ILLINOISESTATE OF ) RICHARD F. )WOLLACK ) Deceased )

No. 14-P-18 CLAIM NOTICE

Notice is given of the death of Richard F. Wollack. Letters of Office were issued on February 19, 2014, to Kelli Ajdinoski, 1601 Eastview Ave., Danville, IL 61832 as Administrator whose attorney is John, Balestri, 149 Gooding Street, LaSalle, Illinois 61301. Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Clerk of Court, LaSalle County Courthouse, Ottawa, Illinois 61350, or with the representative, or both, within 6 months from the date of issuance of let-ters and any claim not filed within that period is barred. Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed. Dated this 21st day of February, 2014.

Attorney John BalestriAttorney for Estate149 Gooding Street

LaSalle, IL 61301815-223-6600

Published in the Tonica News Mar. 7, 14 and 21, 2014.

Offices, 1611 Fifth Street, Peru, IL 61354-2603. Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk, Probate Division, in the LaSalle County Courthouse, 119 W. Madison Street, Ottawa, IL 61350, or with the Representative, or both, within six (6) months from the date of the first publication of this Notice. If a claim notice is mailed or delivered personally to a creditor of the decedent, the creditor’s claim may be filed within three (3) months from the date of mailing or deliv-ery of this notice, or within six (6) months from the date of first publication, whichever is later. Any claim not filed within the time allowed is barred. Copies of a claim filed with the Clerk must be mailed or delivered to the Representative and to the Attorney within ten (10) days after it has been filed with the Clerk of the Court and proof of such mailing or delivery must be filed with the Clerk.

ANDREW F. SKOOGCIRCUIT CLERK – LASALLE COUNTY

LASALLE COUNTY COURTHOUSE119 WEST MADISON STREET

OTTAWA, IL 61350ATTORNEY LISA OLIVEROOlivero & Olivero Law OfficesAttorney for the Estate1611 Fifth StreetPeru, IL 61354-2603Phone (815) 224-2030Fax (815) 224-2900Published in the Tonica News Mar. 14, 21 and 28, 2014.

NOTICE OF SALEof Property owned by the Village of Tonica

and Invitation to Bid Thereon PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT the Board of Trustees of the Village of Tonica, Illinois, will receive sealed bids for the purchase, under the successful bid, of the fee simple interest in the fol-lowing real property:

Outlot three of the Original Town of Tonica excepting the south twenty (20)

feet thereof, situated in LaSalle County, Illinois and subject to a water line ease-ment to Village of Tonica

which property is generally located at 207 South Peru St., Tonica, Illinois, and is currently vacant property. Bids for the purchase of the aforesaid interest in the above described property are hereby invited and will be received by the Village Clerk at the Tonica Village Hall between the hours of 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on the date above for the opening of bids. Said proposals shall be addressed to:

Tonica Village Board of Trusteesc/o Village Clerk of TonicaTonica Village HallP.O. Box 268 308 Uncas St.Tonica, Il 61370

and shall bear the legend ‘PROPOSAL –SALE OF REAL ESTATE, PERU ST. TONICA, ILLINOIS, and the name and address of the bidder. All bids received will be publicly opened and read aloud at the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Tonica at 7:00 p.m. on April 21, 2014. A contract may be awarded to the highest bidder whose bid is found to be in the best interests of the Village. The minimum bid amount is $9,000.00. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any informalities or irregu-larities in the bidding. The Board of Trustees further reserves the right to review and study any and all bids and to make a contract award within thirty days after the bids have been opened and publicly read. Copies of the bidding documents may be obtained at the office of the Village Clerk. Heather Sherman, Village Clerk Published in the Tonica News Mar. 14, 21 and 28, 2014.

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

- 200 -Employment

228 • Help Wanted

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 815-875-4461classified@bcrnews.com

General Termsand Policies

* * * * * * * * * * * * 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!

LOSTANT LIBRARY seek-ing Part-time help 8 hoursper month and fill in whenneeded. Apply at: 102West 3rd Street, Lostant

7Friday, March 14, 2014 • The Tonica News • 7

88 • The Tonica News • Friday, March 14, 2014