8
BY KEN SCHROEDER [email protected] TONICA Mason Cofoid of Cedar Point is a typical 5-year-old boy. He’s shy around strang- ers, continually wears a smile and can be a ham when a camera is around. Cofoid is also missing a major part of his left leg. He was born with proximal focal femoral deficiency (PFFD), a rare congenital anomaly characterized by failure of normal development of the proximal femur and hip joint. Recon- struction of the hip joint with pelvic and femo- ral osteotomies may be possible in mild cases of PFFD. Severe cases of PFFD may be beyond surgical correction and warrant alternative strategies such as rota- tionplasty or selective amputation to facilitate a prosthetic fitting. Mason’s parents, Matt and Rose, were told by six different hospitals that Mason would never walk — that his con- dition was too severe. That wasn’t a diagno- sis they were willing to accept. The Cofoids took Mason to Shriner’s Hos- pital in Chicago, where they found out the prog- nosis was not as bleak as the other doctors had told them. “He’s been going to Shriner’s Hospital since he was about 6 months old. He got his first prosthetic before he turned a year old and started walking on his own when he was 18 months,” said Rose. “Since then, he’s got- ten a new prosthetic yearly.” Rose said in Febru- ary, Mason had the BMS rotationplasty. “They amputate his leg, turn it around, and reconnect it to help him to walk in a different style of prosthetics to hold him up as a grown man and make him walk better,” Rose said. The rotationplasty will allow Mason to use his BY KEN SCHROEDER [email protected] TONICA – Back in the 1930s, necessity was the mother of invention. In 1937, the Tonica Fire Department used a stock truck, stripped the back end off and built from scratch its first motorized fire truck — one of the first in the area. Times change, and eventually the depart- ment was able to pur- chase new equipment. It eventually sold the truck to the Illinois Valley Shriner’s Club in 1979. There, it became a parade vehicle, including two appearances in parades in Denver, Colo. Recently, efforts began to get the truck back to the fire department as an important part of Toni- ca’s history. As of May 26, that dream became a real- ity, and the 1930s truck is back at the Tonica Fire Department building. When the Shriner’s took possession of the truck, it had fallen into disrepair. It was nearly immobile and covered with rust. “It was a mess,” said Shriner member Keith Klyn. “It was almost noth- ing but rust. We had to really work on it to get it running.” Today, the truck looks nearly new. The body was repainted in 2003, and the engine has been meticulously taken care of. With very few excep- tions, the cab and engine compartment are original equipment. “To touch this, you feel the memories of the guys who put this together,” Tonica firefighter Rick Turri said. “Those men cared enough for this community to spend their time and money putting together something to benefit this town. That’s the true spirit of volun- teerism.” The truck is still paint- ed with the Shriner sym- bols, although Turri said that it will be repainted after the upcoming fire department drawdown. For now, an important piece of history for the department has returned to the building that still houses its 1908 hose trailer. “It’s back where it belongs,” Turri said. 1 Front The Tonica News Volume 140 No. 15 Friday, June 7, 2013 Single Copy Cost 50¢ Vol. 140 No. 15 One Section - 8 Pages © The Tonica News Inside Canada-bound See Page 2 State track meet results See Page 6 ‘Back where it belongs’ Local students play at state baseball tournament Courage comes in all sizes The Tonica Volun- teer Fire Department recently reclaimed its first motorized fire truck from the Illinois Valley Shriner’s Club. Commemorating the occasion are (front left) Shriner Keith Klyn, Smokey Bear, Shriner Bill Garber, chapter President Jack Morgan, (back left) Mason Cofoid of Cedar Point and Shri- ner Bill Thomas. The truck arrived just in time to give young Cofoid the opportunity to board the old vehicle as he under- goes more treatment on his leg. See story below. Tonica News photo/Ken Schroeder Tonica fire truck is back home Putnam County Panthers earn second place Mason Cofoid is on the go BY DIXIE SCHROEDER [email protected] LOSTANT – Evan Krei- ser, Neal Stasell and Ryan Salz have all shared a rather rare experience — they were part of the IHSA Class 1A state champion- ship baseball series. The three boys are stu- dents at Putnam County High School in Granville. The team won its own regional and sectional tournaments and then won at supersectionals in Lisle to be able to punch their ticket to the state championship series that was May 31 and June 1. Kreiser put in time patrolling left field this season. However in the past, he has pitched and filled the catcher’s duties when needed. Stasell played the majority of the season on Putnam Coun- ty’s junior varsity squad at shortstop and second base. Salz played right field but said he would play any position asked. Head coach Dave Gar- cia arranged his hitters in offense with everyone bringing the ability to hit to the plate. Kreiser, Sta- sell and Salz agreed all of the PC players were strong hitters. Mason Cofoid SEE Panthers PAGE 2 SEE Mason PAGE 3

TON-06-07-2013

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Page 1: TON-06-07-2013

By Ken [email protected]

TONICA – Mason Cofoid of Cedar Point is a typical 5-year-old boy. He’s shy around strang-ers, continually wears a smile and can be a ham when a camera is around.

Cofoid is also missing a major part of his left leg. He was born with proximal focal femoral deficiency (PFFD), a rare congenital anomaly characterized by failure

of normal development of the proximal femur and hip joint. Recon-struction of the hip joint with pelvic and femo-ral osteotomies may be possible in mild cases of PFFD. Severe cases of PFFD may be beyond surgical correction and warrant alternative strategies such as rota-tionplasty or selective amputation to facilitate a prosthetic fitting.

Mason’s parents, Matt and Rose, were told by six different hospitals

that Mason would never walk — that his con-dition was too severe. That wasn’t a diagno-sis they were willing to accept.

The Cofoids took Mason to Shriner’s Hos-pital in Chicago, where they found out the prog-nosis was not as bleak as the other doctors had told them.

“He’s been going to Shriner’s Hospital since he was about 6 months old. He got his first prosthetic before he turned a year old and started walking on

his own when he was 18 months,” said Rose. “Since then, he’s got-ten a new prosthetic yearly.”

Rose said in Febru-ary, Mason had the BMS rotationplasty.

“They amputate his leg, turn it around, and reconnect it to help him to walk in a different style of prosthetics to hold him up as a grown man and make him walk better,” Rose said.

The rotationplasty will allow Mason to use his

By Ken [email protected]

TONICA – Back in the 1930s, necessity was the mother of invention. In 1937, the Tonica Fire Department used a stock truck, stripped the back end off and built from scratch its first motorized fire truck — one of the

first in the area.Times change, and

eventually the depart-ment was able to pur-chase new equipment. It eventually sold the truck to the Illinois Valley Shriner’s Club in 1979. There, it became a parade vehicle, including two appearances in parades in Denver, Colo.

Recently, efforts began to get the truck back to the fire department as an important part of Toni-ca’s history. As of May 26, that dream became a real-ity, and the 1930s truck is back at the Tonica Fire Department building.

When the Shriner’s took possession of the truck, it had fallen into disrepair. It was nearly immobile and covered

with rust.“It was a mess,” said

Shriner member Keith Klyn. “It was almost noth-ing but rust. We had to really work on it to get it running.”

Today, the truck looks nearly new. The body was repainted in 2003, and the engine has been meticulously taken care of. With very few excep-tions, the cab and engine

compartment are original equipment.

“To touch this, you feel the memories of the guys who put this together,” Tonica firefighter Rick Turri said. “Those men cared enough for this community to spend their time and money putting together something to benefit this town. That’s the true spirit of volun-teerism.”

The truck is still paint-ed with the Shriner sym-bols, although Turri said that it will be repainted after the upcoming fire department drawdown. For now, an important piece of history for the department has returned to the building that still houses its 1908 hose trailer.

“It’s back where it belongs,” Turri said.

1 Front

The Tonica NewsVolume 140 No. 15 Friday, June 7, 2013

Single Copy Cost 50¢

Vol. 140 No. 15

One Section - 8 Pages

© The Tonica News

Inside

Canada-boundSee Page 2

State track meet results

See Page 6

‘Back where it belongs’

Local students

play at state baseball

tournament

Courage comes in all sizes

The Tonica Volun-teer Fire Department recently reclaimed its first motorized fire truck from the Illinois Valley Shriner’s Club. Commemorating the occasion are (front left) Shriner Keith Klyn, Smokey Bear, Shriner Bill Garber, chapter President Jack Morgan, (back left) Mason Cofoid of Cedar Point and Shri-ner Bill Thomas. The truck arrived just in time to give young Cofoid the opportunity to board the old vehicle as he under-goes more treatment on his leg. See story below.

Tonica News photo/Ken Schroeder

Tonica fire truck is back home

Putnam County Panthers earn second place

Mason Cofoid is on the go

By dixie [email protected]

LOSTANT – Evan Krei-ser, Neal Stasell and Ryan Salz have all shared a rather rare experience — they were part of the IHSA Class 1A state champion-ship baseball series.

The three boys are stu-dents at Putnam County High School in Granville. The team won its own regional and sectional tournaments and then won at supersectionals in Lisle to be able to punch their ticket to the state championship series that was May 31 and June 1.

Kreiser put in time patrolling left field this season. However in the past, he has pitched and filled the catcher’s duties when needed. Stasell played the majority of the season on Putnam Coun-ty’s junior varsity squad at shortstop and second base. Salz played right field but said he would play any position asked.

Head coach Dave Gar-cia arranged his hitters in offense with everyone bringing the ability to hit to the plate. Kreiser, Sta-sell and Salz agreed all of the PC players were strong hitters.

Mason CofoidSee Panthers Page 2 See Mason Page 3

Page 2: TON-06-07-2013

Tonica Boy Scouts are headed on an

adventure

By Dixie [email protected]

PERU – Boy Scout Troop 123 is on a mis-sion. The troop is going to Camp Cache Lake Camp in Canada July 19-27. But when trying to explain exactly where and how to get to the camp ... well, that’s when things get challenging.

The camp is only accessible by water, so the troop will be taking all their supplies and equip-ment with them by boat.

Scout Master Dan Wilcox-en said this camp is really remote.

“It’s in the Crane Lake area in Minnesota,” he said. “The W.D. Boyce Council has a camp there, and it’s just across the border. It’s a 10-mile boat ride to the camp on the lake, so we actually have to go in on Crane Lake and take the lake all the way up to a couple different lake chains to the camp.”

Wilcoxen said in order for all troops to have a chance to stay at the camp, individual troops can only go once every two years. Troops are chosen in a lottery sys-

tem each year to make the trip.

To prepare for the trip, the troop members, which include Scouts from Tonica, are work-ing on badges designed to assist them in their camp-ing experience. Wilcoxen said they learned CPR at the previous meeting and worked on a new badge at the May 30 meeting.

“What we are doing tonight is working on the First Aid Merit badge,” he said. “So obviously, it’s very important when we travel like that to have the knowledge. It is very remote where we will be at. There is no cell phone service, so to know first

aid is a good thing.”Boy Scout Troop 123

meets every Thursday at the Peru Fire House. Lib-erty Fire Department is

the troop’s charter orga-nization. Each week, the troop works on badges,

“We were pretty consis-tent all the way through the line-up,” Kreiser said. “Everyone could hit the ball. You could put us any-where in the line-up, and we could all hit.”

Putnam County had an unusual situation as there were four assistant coaches that worked with the team throughout the season.

“The coaches bought a new aggressive attitude,” Kreiser said. “Coach Book-er had been there (state tournament) last year, and he knew how to handle it. We have a pretty experi-enced coaching staff, and they have been through a lot of games.”

“Coach Cruz had been around for a really long time and coached almost all of his life,” said Stasell. “He just has a lot of great experience.”

Stasell and two fresh-men were brought up near the end of the season to the varsity level.

“He pulled us up and said he wanted to have us get used to it,” Stasell said. “He wanted us to have this experience for next year.”

The experience of post-season play at high school level is somewhat unusual. Stasell, as the new guy, said it went pretty well.

“It was a great experi-ence to be with the team, and I would not ask for a better group of kids to spend it with,” he said.

Kreiser agreed the team got along well all season.

“We all bonded the entire season. We were really close,” he said.

Salz said, “Everybody got along. Even out of base-ball we have made time to help each other out with work and other things.”

Stasell said he was pay-ing attention to how the varsity was doing during the spring season, espe-

cially when he was called up to the team.

“When they started win-ning a lot of games there at the end is when I heard,” he said. “They treated me just like a normal player.”

Kreiser agreed with Garcia that bringing the younger kids up was a good idea.

“They have to get more experience at a bigger level,” he said. “It’s a lot different than the junior varsity. It’s a lot more competitive.”

The entire baseball team not only played in

the spring, but the fall of 2012 as well. This meant the group was together for more than 50 games. All agreed that it helped the team bond and grow tighter.

The state experience included staying two nights in a hotel with all of the other high school teams that competed at state in Class 1A and 2A. The boys said it was fun to talk baseball with other kids in the same situation.

“We just got to hang around, meet a lot of the

teams and talk to them,” said Kreiser.

“It was pretty cool. All the kids were friendly whether we talked about a position someone played or how their games went,” Salz said.

Putnam County prac-ticed at Illinois Central College in between games. Garcia also took the team out to Monical’s on the way home June 1.

“He bought us 15 piz-zas and 100 breadsticks,” Kreiser said. “It was a lot.”

Riding the bus coming back into town in parade-fashion through Hennepin, Mark and Granville meant a lot to the team.

“It showed how much the towns appreciated us,” Kreiser said.

“It was pretty cool because of all the sup-port from the community. Everybody, it seemed like, made time to see everyone on the bus. It meant a lot as well to see all that black and gold in the stands at each game,” Salz said.

They also enjoyed the more formal ceremony when they got back to Put-nam County High School.

Now that baseball sea-son is over, Kreiser, Salz and Stasell said they will be taking it easy, hanging out with friends, maybe doing some fishing, but they will also still be work-ing on skills for baseball.

2 Local2 • The Tonica News • Friday, June 7, 2013

Seeking Sources

The Tonica News is looking for area individu-als to help us with stories we are pursuing. If you or someone you know would be willing to share your stories, please give us a call at 815-442-8419 or email us at [email protected]. We are seeking sources for:

• Someone who owns a train or railroad collec-tion.

• Someone who has a kite collection or who flies kites every spring/summer.

• An individual or fam-ily who has a passion for roughing it and camping.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Tonica NewsP.O. Box 86,Tonica, IL 61370

ContactPublisherSam [email protected]

EditorTerri [email protected]

Managing EditorBarb [email protected]

SubmitThe Tonica News

encourages readers to submit news for publica-tion in our paper. Special events, weddings, births, awards and honors, anni-versaries, promotions, etc. are welcome items for the paper. Some fees may apply.

Schools, businesses, organizations and groups are encouraged to send information on activities and events. If you have attended a function or event and have a photo and/or news, please sub-mit them.

Email to: [email protected]. Photos should be sent as an attachment.

The Tonica News

P.O. Box 86, Tonica, IL 61370 (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

PanthersFrom Page 1

Canada-bound!

Tonica News photo/Dixie SchroederIan Ellis works on earning his First Aid badge at a meeting on May 30.

Tonica News photos/Dixie SchroederEvan Kreiser and Neal Stasell of the Putnam Coun-ty baseball team show off their state medals from winning second place in the state.

Ryan Salz shows his state medal from the Putnam County baseball team, which placed sec-ond in state.

See Scouts Page 3

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foot and ankle as a knee in the future. While the surgery went well, Mason has suffered a setback. When doctors removed the cast after the surgery, they found a seeping wound. He moves around with a wound-vac which helps drain off any infection.

“He’s a tough cookie,” said Rose. “He’s had a hell of a month. We’ve had a couple of bumps since February. We’re living at the hospital now.”

While Mason may not have part of his leg, he has all of his personality and then some.

“He was at the hospi-tal, and they were about to give him an IV,” said Matt. “He’s afraid of nee-

dles, so I was holding on to his leg, and there was a nurse holding each arm. As the nurse was start-ing to insert the needle, he started yelling, ‘Wait, wait!’ When the nurse stopped, he looked up at the nurse and said, ‘That looks dangerous.’”

Mason will soon receive a new prosthet-ic. This prosthetic, com-bined with his February surgery, will allow him to run and ride a bicycle for the first time. While things are looking up, there’s still a long way for him to go.

“He’ll be going to Shri-ner’s until he’s 21, at least every six months,” said Rose. “They’ll make sure his prosthetics fit and watch his leg to make sure it doesn’t self-correct and his foot start to rotate back.”

plays interactive games, and may do activities like fish, swim or even go to the local YMCA. Each month the group goes on local camping trips. Wilcoxen works with assistant Scout leaders Bill Hintz, Eric Slover, Steve Hamrich and Steve Ganz. Parents also help with meetings and trips.

“Each person helps out in different ways,” Wilcoxen said. “They may help out with camping, or we have a treasurer, or with fun-draising. Everyone kind of pitches in as needed and helps out in differ-ent ways.”

To provide program-ming for the current 21 active members, the troop holds fundraisers. They have sold pop-corn, hosted a breakfast and sell snow cones and popcorn on the Fourth of July during the fire-works each year. Wil-coxen is grateful for the parents who help with the troop.

“Good parent sup-port is crucial,” he said. “That is the key. We have good leader sup-

port, but we also have parents as well who help out.”

Tonica resident Ian Ellis is looking forward to July and the camping trip.

“We are going to Can-ada again this year,” Ellis said. “I went once before, and it was real-ly fun. I can even live without electronics; I don’t really use them that much.”

Ellis hooked his friend, Seth Struck, into joining the troop.

“I talked him into it, and it’s been a lot of fun,” he said.

Struck enjoys the camaraderie between the troop members at meetings. He also said earning some of the merit badges has been meaningful. Struck thinks the trip in July should be fun.

“Everyone else talks about it,” he said. “They say it was a lot of fun last time, so I am look-ing forward to it.”

Boy Scout Troop 123 is open to new members anytime of the year. For more information on the troop or to donate for the Canada trip, contact Wilcoxen at [email protected].

3 Obit RecordsFriday, June 7, 2013 • The Tonica News • 3

MasonFrom Page 1

ScoutsFrom Page 2

Looking for 2013 Illinoisans of the DaySPRINGFIELD – The

Illinois State Fair Museum Foundation is looking for 10 individuals to spotlight as Illinoisans of the Day at this year’s Illinois State Fair in August.

The Illinoisan of the Day program recognizes citizens who make a dif-ference in their communi-ties while showing Illinois spirit through hard work and a dedication to help-ing others. Harold Steele of Dover was recognized as a 2011 Illinoisan of the Day.

“Nominating an individ-

ual is as simple as the click of the mouse or picking up the phone,” said Pam Gray, the foundation’s board chair. “By sending in nominations, you can help give these special people in your community the thanks and apprecia-tion they truly deserve.”

Illinoisan of the Day winners will be invited to receive gifts and hon-

ors on stage during their special day at this year’s Illinois State Fair, which takes place Aug. 8-18.

Nomination forms can be requested by calling the Museum Foundation at 217-415-4408. They can also be printed from the museum’s website at www.statefairmuseum.org. The postmark dead-line for nominations is

June 15. All nominees must currently reside in Illinois. Illinoisan of the Day winners and their nominators will be con-tacted by phone in late June to begin arrange-ments for August cer-emonies. Winning names will be announced at the museum foundation’s annual Corndog Kickoff on July 13.

Phyllis HeiderLOSTANT — Phyllis

E. (Moore) Heider, 81, of Lostant passed away Sunday, June 2, 2013, at her home.

Mrs. Heider was born Sept. 7, 1931, in Streator to William and Charlotte (Lawless) Moore. She married Eugene “Snick” Heider on June 2, 1951, at St. John the Baptist Church in Lostant.

She was a graduate of Lostant High School and a member of St. Mary’s Church in Wenona. She worked at the Lipton Tea Factory in Streator for four years and later at the Century Café in Lostant. Together, she and her husband started the H & H Tap in Lostant which later became Bullheads.

S u r v i v o r s include her h u s b a n d , Snick; nine c h i l d r e n , Gary (Linda) Heider of Washington, Ill., Mary Kay Kozak (friend Syl Janu-sick) of Oglesby, Jean (Jim) Gentert of LaSalle, Nancy (Steve) DeRubeis of Wenona, Jacqueline (Max) Actis of Spring Val-ley, James (Sue) Heider of Oglesby, Robert (Denise) Heider of Tonica, Ron-ald (Charlene) Heider of Peru and Susanne (Gregg) Humphries of Plano; 23 grandchildren; three stepgrandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; two stepgreat-grand-children; one brother, John (Marge) Moore of

Lostant; one sister, Dean-na (Larry) Whiteaker of Ottawa; one sister in-law, Bess Moore of Granville; her in-laws, Doris Barr of Lostant, Janet (Harlan) Strode of Lostant, Rus-sell Heider of Streator, Alan (Joyce) Heider of Streator, Joann (Robert) Henderson of Geneseo, Donna Smaling of Bloom-ington and Maxine Brier-ly of Lostant; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Don-ald, Robert and Ray-mond Moore; and one stepgrandson, Zachary Humphries.

Funeral services were held June 5 at the Muel-ler Funeral Home in Lostant followed by Mass of Christian Burial at St.

Mary’s Church in Weno-na with the Rev. Luke Poczworowski, pastor, officiating. Burial was in St. John’s Cemetery, Lostant.

Visitation was held June 4 at the funeral home.

Pallbearers were her 16 grandsons, Derek, Brandon, Brock, Blake, Brent, Brooks, Eric, Kyle, Kurt and Michael Heider, Tom and Luke Kozak, Jeff and Brad Gentert, and Jeremy and Marcus Camatti.

Memorial donations may be directed to St. Mary’s Church in Weno-na or to the charity of the donor’s choice.

The online guestbook may be viewed and remembrances shared at www.MuellerFH.com.

Obituary

Phyllis Heider

Tonica places three students in Top 10 lists of area high schoolsBy Elin Arnold

And dixiE [email protected]

TONICA — Three Ton-ica students were recent-ly recognized on the Top 10 lists of two area high schools.

Emily Schmidt was named among the Top 10 graduates of the Class of 2013 at LaSalle-Peru Township High School. Schmidt also received the Perfect Attendance Award.

Schmidt was the recipi-ent of the U.S. Marine Scholastic Award, Presi-dent’s Award for Aca-demic Excellence and Renaissance Gold Cord Achievement Award. She was also a National Merit Commended Scholar and

received the German Award and American History Award.

S c h m i d t was a mem-ber of the For-eign Language Club, Scholastic Bowl, Science Club (treasurer), Book Club and WYSE, in which she received first place in English and sec-ond place in biology in regional competition and third in biology in sec-tionals.

Schmidt was a two-year choir member and participated in the all-state choir last year. She had also been a member of Student Council, Art Club and Impressions. She was a member of the Math Team that went to state this year, receiving

second place in conics and second place as a team.

Schmidt will study global studies at the University of Illinois at Springfield this fall. She is the daugh-ter of Joseph and Jane Schmidt of Tonica.

In Granville, Dusty Miller and Ryan Salz were named among the Top 10 students of the Class of 2013 at Putnam County High School.

Dustin Miller is the son of Don and Mini Miller of Tonica. Miller played basketball for four years and was a member of FFA for four years. He was in National Honor Society.

Miller plans to attend

Illinois Cen-tral College then trans-fer to Illinois State Univer-sity to study Ag Business Management.

Ryan Patrick Salz, son of Jon and Jolene of Tonica, played baseball and bas-ketball at Putnam County High. He was a Natural Helper and in National Honor Society, WYSE and FFA. He received a sports-manship award in base-ball his junior year. Salz placed second in physics in WYSE testing.

Salz will attend Illi-nois Valley Community College for two years before transferring to a four-year university to study agricultural engi-neering.

Emily Schmidt

Dustin Miller

Ryan Salz

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4 Biz Ag4 • The Tonica News • Friday, June 7, 2013

Meeting calendar

‘Women Caring for the Land’ planned in Princeton

USDA to count land uses across the state

CRP sign-up ends June 14

June 10 - Lostant Village Board, Lostant Village Hall, 7:30 p.m.

June 12 - Leonore Village Board, Leonore Fire Station, 7:30 p.m.

PRINCETON — Women who own or manage farm-land in Bureau, Lee and LaSalle counties are invited to participate in a free con-servation discussion and field tour on June 12 in Princeton. The program is called “Women Caring for the Land.”

Nearly half the farmland in Illinois is currently owned or co-owned by women. More women now manage farmland on their own, as they inherit it from their spouses or parents. Many women wonder whether they are doing all they can to improve soil and water quality, while maintaining high agricultural produc-tivity. Many are unsure of exactly how to reach their conservation goals and what resources are avail-able to help them. If they are leasing their farmland, they wonder how best to discuss their concerns and goals with their tenants.

“I’m excited about this opportunity to talk con-servation with women farm owners and opera-tors,” said Stacy James, a scientist at Prairie Rivers Network. “We have been working with Friends of Big Bureau Creek Watershed to promote land stewardship activities since 2011, and connecting with women is an important part of our project.”

Women Caring for the Land offers a women-only, peer-to-peer, informal dis-cussion format to allow women landowners to talk about their individual land stewardship goals and share information with one anoth-er. Women conservationists will help facilitate the dis-cussion and share resources that can help you such as USDA cost-share programs and other tools. There will also be an invited guest from Illinois Farm Bureau to discuss rental rates.

“We want to help farm-ers access opportunities to implement voluntary con-servation practices that improve water quality and agricultural sustainability, while sustaining profit-ability,” said Jen Filipiak, conservation associate for the Illinois Stewardship Alliance. “And we know that if we aren’t explic-itly including women in the conversation, then we are, in effect, excluding them. We need to make sure conservation oppor-tunities are equally acces-sible to women owners and operators.”

The meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m. June 12 in Shoemake Hall at the Bureau County Metro Center, 837 Park Ave. West, Princeton. Conti-nental breakfast and lunch are included. The meeting will wrap up at noon, and an optional field tour will wrap up at 3 p.m.

Space is limited and res-ervations are required. For questions or to RSVP, call or email Teresa Bullock, American Farmland Trust, at (815) 753-6365 or [email protected]. If you have any conservation topics in particular you would like to discuss, please acknowl-edge that request in your RSVP.

This session of “Women Caring for the Land” is sponsored by the Women, Food and Agriculture Network (WFAN) in partnership with American Farmland Trust, Prairie Rivers Net-work and Friends of the Big Bureau Creek Water-shed. Staff from these orga-nizations as well as USDA NRCS will be on hand to answer questions.

For more information, visit http://www.farmland.org/programs/environ-ment/solutions/Bureau-County-Workshop.asp.

SPRINGFIELD – The USDA’s National Agricul-tural Statistics Service (NASS) will spend the first two weeks of June survey-ing thousands of farmers across Illinois to get a clear indication of the production and supply of major com-modities for 2013. NASS will compile information collected across the coun-try into publicly accessible reports, but preserve the confidentiality of individual farmer information.

Through two major mid-year surveys, the June Agri-cultural Survey and the June Area Survey, NASS

will gather data on what crops have been planted and what commodities are in storage. This information will provide a comprehen-sive picture of how things are shaping up in 2013 for the U.S. agriculture indus-try.

“The agriculture survey is done online, by mail or by phone, but for the area survey, we visit randomly selected tracts of land and interview the operators of any farm or ranch on that land. We collect infor-mation on crop acreage – including biotech crops—as well as grain stocks, live-

stock inventory, cash rents, land values and value of sales,” said Mark Schle-usener, state statistician of the NASS Illinois Field Office.

“This information is a critical component of sev-eral key national reports, including the annual acre-age report and the quarterly grain stocks report, both to be released on June 28. Sur-vey data also contribute to NASS’s monthly and annu-al crop production reports and various other crop and livestock-related pub-lications, including USDA’s World Agricultural Supply

and Demand Estimates,” Schleusener said.

As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential by law.

“NASS safeguards the pri-vacy of all responses and publishes only state- and national-level data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identi-fied,” Schleusener said.

All reports are available on the NASS website: www.nass.usda.gov. For more information on NASS sur-veys and reports, call the NASS Illinois Field Office at 800-622-9865.

SPRINGFIELD – The U.S. Department of Agri-culture’s (USDA) Illinois Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director Scherrie Gia-manco reminded farm-ers and ranchers the USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign-up will end on June 14.

Giamanco also announced the restart of sign-up for continu-ous CRP, including the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Initiative (SAFE), the Highly Erodible Land (HEL) Initiative, the Grassland Restoration Initiative, the Pollinator Habitat Initiative and other related initiatives. Sign-up for continu-ous CRP began on May 13 and will continue through Sept. 30.

“As always, we expect strong competition to enroll acres into CRP, and we urge interested producers to maximize their environmental benefits and to make cost-effective offers,” said Giamanco. “CRP is an important program for protecting envi-ronmentally sensitive lands from erosion and sedimentation, and for ensuring the sustain-ability of our groundwa-

ter, lakes, rivers, ponds and streams. Through the voluntary participa-tion of our farmers and ranchers, CRP helps us to protect our natu-ral resources, preserve wildlife habitat and bring good paying jobs to rural America related to hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation. “

Giamanco encouraged producers to look into CRP’s other enrollment opportunities offered on a continuous, non-com-petitive, sign-up basis.

Producers enrolled in CRP plant long-term, resource-conserving covers to improve the quality of water, con-trol soil erosion and develop wildlife habitat. In return, USDA pro-vides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Contract duration is between 10 and 15 years. Currently, 27 mil-lion acres are enrolled in CRP through 700,000 contracts on 390,000 farms throughout the U.S., with enrollment in 49 states and Puer-to Rico. Contracts on an estimated 3.3 mil-lion acres will expire on Sept. 30.

For more information on CRP and other FSA programs, visit a local FSA service center or www.fsa.usda.gov.

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Page 5: TON-06-07-2013

5 PerspectiveFriday, June 7, 2013 • The Tonica News • 5

The Editorial Page

Sam R FisherPublisher

Terri Simoneditor

The Tonica News

Letters to the Editor should not be more than 500 words in length. Only one person can sign a Letter to the Editor. The author of the letter must include his/her name, hometown and telephone number. The author’s name and home-town will be published, however, the telephone number is only used to verify the authenticity of the author’s signature and will not be published. Unsigned letters are never read or published. No letter will be published until The Tonica News contacts the author of the letter to verify the signature. The Tonica News reserves the right to edit or refuse any Letter to the Editor.

The bell tolls for me

The final school bell has rung in LaSalle County. For area students, the thought of homework is a million miles away; getting up early to catch the school bus isn’t going to happen; and the daily rou-tine of school is just a memory. That’s right. Like Alice Cooper once sang, “School’s out for the sum-mer.”

I got into a traffic situation the other day over by a school in Princeton. Nor-mally, I try to avoid getting mixed up in all the hoopla of students boarding buses, walking home or waiting for their adult to pick them up after their school day. Not thinking though, I turned onto a street, and the next thing I knew, I found myself waiting for quite some time as children were leaving the building and boarding school buses to take them home.

Most of the children carried large bags or back-packs with them — clearly filled with the rem-nants of their school year. While I don’t think the staff who was monitoring the mass exit that day would mind me telling you they looked a bit bedraggled, I couldn’t help but notice the expres-sions on the kids’ faces ... Truly, it was utter bliss.

Do you remember? I do.Even though I basically enjoyed school during

my younger years, stepping off that school bus on the last day of school evoked a freedom that is difficult to describe. Even though I knew there was never going to be any Mickey Mouse ears in my summer kingdom, it didn’t matter. Summer vacation meant days of self-generated adven-tures, independence, reckless abandonment and the opportunity kick structure to the curb and concentrate on fun.

What I wouldn’t give for a good, old-fashioned, three-month summer vacation! You?

Years ago when we had tried my grandmother’s patience to the umpteenth degree, she would mutter the following phase ... “I wish I could just get in the car and keep on going ...” It was usu-ally followed with an innocent question from us like, “Where would you go Grandma?” which was answered by a simple, “Anywhere!” Those exchanges happened more than 50 years ago, but finally ... today I understand.

Can you imagine jumping in the car and just driving? Going anywhere yet nowhere? Fleeing? Leaving everything you know behind and not looking back?

OK, even though we knew there was no chance of Grandma going anywhere — predominantly because she didn’t have a driver’s license, we knew that if she did leave for a while, that she would always return. But there’s something so sweet, so enticing about a summer vacation filled with no obligations, no deadlines, no worries ... a full, three months of freedom from it all.

Don’t misunderstand. I love my life and every-body who I choose to allow in it, yet still the idea of a carefree, three-month vacation sure seems appealing to me. Just the thought of it makes me smile. I even find myself daydreaming about the possibilities. That’s kind of nutty, isn’t it? But I guess if I can’t really do it, I can at least dream about it, pretend, imagine. Which is exactly what summer should be all about ...

While there aren’t many of us who can kick our obligations to the curb for three months, I think we should challenge ourselves to carve out as much time as possible to enjoy this upcoming summer season. Like myself, I think many are so caught up in our day-to-day routines that we don’t allow ourselves any freedom to remember what summer should be all about ... fun! And the next thing we know ... Old Man Winter will be knocking on our door.

So let’s do it. Let’s pretend our own adult school bell has rung. Let’s concentrate on having a fun-filled summer — one of reckless abandon and self-generated adventures. I think we deserve it ... You?

Putnam County Record Editor Terri Simon can be reached at [email protected].

“I would love BBQ ribs, macaroni salad and old-fashioned cherry

pie.”Sandy Powell, Lostant

“Pizza.”Katelynn Missel, Lostant

“Sweet corn and steak.”Toni Hartenbower, Lostant

“Hot dogs on the grill.”Refugio Martinez, Tonica

“The all-you-can-eat corn boil like the one at the Lostant summerfest each year.”

Fred Hartenbower, Lostant

TerriSimon

Pickin’ and a grinnin’They (whoever comprises the

famous group of experts known as they) have been quoted as say-ing, “Admission is the first step on the road to recovery.” This thought process recently has had an immeasurable impact on my life, as I’ve for too many years now drifted anchor-less across the choppy seas of constant denial, to the detriment of my immediate family and most social relation-ships.

So now, after many sleepless nights and much self reflection, here I stand before my God, my family and you ... the dear, faith-ful readership ... prepared to bare my soul, admit my fallacies, and bring to light my innermost regrets and inadequacies.

You may want to sit down, take a deep breath, and grab a nearby hanky because the following statement will be shocking in its brutal honesty and truthfulness. I, Chuck Mason, in this moment of weakness, do hereby man up and admit to owning, and at times, attempting to play a BANJO.

I know it’s difficult to compre-hend the enormity and grave-ness of this fact, so please, take a minute or two to gather yourself, wipe your eyes and hug your loved ones before continuing.

Play is most likely the wrong term to use, though, as play con-notes to most a pleasurable or stress reducing experience: a pastime which brings enjoyment and untold happiness to those

involved. Such is not the case with the BANJO. I secretly imag-ine that someday my lengthy, self-penned obituary will appear in these very pages, leading with the announcement of an untimely passing after a lifelong battle with the BANJO. Yes, the old chap fought the good fight, was on the doorstep of remission, but ultimately the BANJO had taken its toll. He went somewhat peacefully, still trying to master a forward-reverse finger roll.

Admittedly, the BANJO is not the most ear friendly instrument, falling on the annoyance chart somewhere on the less pleasing side of the cowbell, yet still sev-eral notches above the bassoon. It has been shown to be more effective than a scarecrow at eliminating small mammals from the garden, causes young chil-dren to cry out for their mother in the middle of the night, and has brought elderly church ladies to their knees in prayer. Even in the hands of an expert, it can be piercing and almost painful to listen to, conjuring up visions of toothless moonshiners, the more disturbing scenes from “Deliver-ance,” or “Hee Haw.”

I’m guessing my unfounded and

un-explainable attraction to the BANJO (and really bad jokes) can be traced back to “Hee-Haw,” that cornball, hillbilly (or the politi-cally correct term “Appalachian American”) variety show which was a staple of TV viewing during my impressionable growing up era. There was Roy Clark, pickin’ and a grinnin’; Grandpa Jones singing “Mountain Dew” while attacking his instrument with the fervor of a hyena bringing down a diseased wildebeest; and String-bean, who made wearing pants far below your waistline fashionable, long before the first gangsta rap-per showed us his boxers.

Changes in my musical tastes had nearly erased any thoughts of the BANJO, relegating those memories to the foggy, distant past, until the day I uncovered the case in the far reaches of a backroom closet while help-ing my parents move. As I, with trembling hands, popped open the latches, those memories came rushing back with a vividness unmatched. Cradling the long neglected instrument, I tuned the rusty strings, and knowing full well the end result of my actions, strummed a single chord. Then I wept silently to myself ...

I would like to continue, but it’s time to change strings on my ukulele. Sorry.

Chuck Mason, a self-described opinionated wiseguy, resides in Princeton. He can be reached at [email protected].

ChuckMason

COMMENTARY

On the street What is your favorite summer meal?

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

Page 6: TON-06-07-2013

6 Life6 • The Tonica News • Friday, June 7, 2013

Community Tonica students make a strong presence at state track meet

By Dixie [email protected]

CHARLESTON — The Tonica Junior High School track team had a strong presence at the state track competition in May. Ten student/athletes competed in multiple events and ran some of the best times of the rain-abbreviated season.

The 4x200 meter eighth-grade boys relay team of Ryan Stevens, Jonathan Siemers, Kyle Christman and seventh-grader Nick McGee ran a time of 2:01.57, which was one of their best times of the year.

Stevens ran in the 110 hurdles, making it to the semifinals and finished with a time of 16.95, good for 12th place.

Christman was also triple entered in solo events. He cleared 5 foot, 2 inches in the high jump, taking 12th place. He placed 15th in the 400-meter dash with a time of 57.87. Christman also took 13th place in the semi-finals of the 100-meter

dash with a time of 12.35.The Tonica girls sev-

enth-grade track team took a 4x100 relay team to state that consisted of Adia Sherbeyn, Ange-la Bernardoni, Kend-all Yeruski and Lindsey Rimes. The team ran a time of 59.74 in the state race.

Sherbeyn also ran in the 800-meter run, fin-ishing 18th with a time of 2:44.75. Rimes was entered in the 100-meter hurdles, running a fast run but accidentally stumbling out of her lane

for a disqualification. Rimes had better luck in the 200-meter dash, plac-ing 20th with a time of 29.41.

Madison Freeman placed 12th overall in the discus with a throw of 70 feet, 6 inches. Freeman also threw shot put and placed sixth for the sec-ond year in a row with a distance of 27.55 inches.

Taylor Johnson par-ticipated in the 400-meter run with a time of 1:09.42. This was her third year qualifying for the event.

Coaches for the teams were Carrie Christman and Nick Heuser. Christ-man said both coaches were happy with the results of the overall sea-son.

“It was a very tough track season with most of our meets cancelled,” she said. “The major-ity of our practices were held inside due to the weather conditions this spring. Making it to state is a wonderful experience and a great accomplish-ment. We are very proud of all our athletes.”

Fundraiser set for June 8

KidneyMobile in Peru

Childbirth classes in July

Brush Up for Birth class

TONICA – June 8 will be the annual drawdown fundraiser for the Ton-ica Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Department.

A dinner will be served from 4 to 6:30 p.m. but tickets must be pur-chased from a mem-ber to attend the din-ner. The drawdown will

start shortly after 6 p.m. Once the drawdown is completed, around 8:30 p.m., the event is open to the public 21 years old or older. The band “3 Day Weekend” will play from about 9 p.m. until around midnight. No one is allowed to bring in food or alcohol.

PERU – Free screenings for chronic kidney disease will be available when the National Kidney Founda-tion of Illinois’ KidneyMo-bile comes to Illinois Val-ley Community Hospital in Peru on June 14 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

The screenings, which will be held in IVCH Con-ference Room A, include blood pressure, blood sugar, weight and body mass index checks. A urine sample will also be taken. People who have diabetes may be asked to have blood drawn (at no

charge) depending upon their blood sugar readings. IVCH nurses will be avail-able for counseling about what the test results mean.

The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois says the KidneyMobile’s mis-sion is to educate high-risk individuals on kidney dis-ease prevention and pro-vide educational informa-tion for successfully man-aging diabetes and hyper-tension — the two leading causes of kidney disease.

Pre-registration is requested by calling 815-780-3337.

PERU – The next series of Prepared Childbirth classes for women in the last trimester of pregnancy begins at 7 p.m. July 3 in Conference Room A at Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru. Addition-al sessions are scheduled for July 10, 17 and 24.

Taught by Tess Freiburg, R.N., this free class con-centrates on Lamaze instruction, presenting

one phase of the Lamaze method of childbirth at each of the four sessions. All participants are asked to dress comfortably and to bring two pillows and one blanket or exercise mat to each session.

The Prepared Childbirth series is offered every other month. To register for the class, call IVCH Event Registration at 815-780-3337.

PERU – Women who have given birth before and are expecting again can review basic child-birth information and pro-cedures by attending the next “Brush Up for Birth” class at 7 p.m. June 18 in the conference room of the new obstetrics unit at Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru.

Taught by registered nurse Sandy Marini, this free one-session class for veteran moms reviews the stages of labor, teaches helpful breathing patterns to use during labor, and provides other informa-tion.

For more information or to register for the class, call 815-780-3337.

Red Cross blood drive is June 21 at IVCHPERU – Illinois Valley

Community Hospital in Peru will host an Amer-ican Red Cross blood drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 21 in Confer-ence Room A.

Blood donors who have not given in the eight-week period before June 21 will be eligible to donate blood at the IVCH drive.

Blood donors need to be at least 17 years old,

in good health and weigh at least 110 pounds. Dou-ble red cell donors can give at the IVCH blood drive.

Appointments to give blood can be made by calling Jackie Barr at IVCH at 815-780-3387

or by emailing a message to [email protected].

Walk-in donors will also be welcome.

• • •

Stories and photosfor the Community

section can beemailed to

[email protected]

Photo contributedTonica Junior High School finished the track season with 10 students qualifying for the IESA State track meet. Pictured are John Siemers (from left), Ryan Ste-vens, Lindsey Rimes, Taylor Johnson, Angela Bernardoni, Adia Sherbeyn, Kyle Christman, Madison Freeman, Nick McGee and Kendall Yeruski.

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Thank You The family of Velora Schroeder wishes to thank the many family, friends, and neighbors for your acts of kindness during our dear aunt’s passing. The cards, memorials, visits, food and prayers are deeply appreciated. A special thanks to the Tonica Methodist women for serving the delicious lunch after the services. Aunt Velora was a special lady who loved her extended family and enjoyed visiting with them, believed in hard work, and remained rooted in her faith. She was thankful to remain on her family farm for the majority of her life, thanks to her home healthcare aides, especially Peggy Turner. Aunt Velora was looking forward to celebrating her 100th birthday on July 4, but she was also ready to go to her heavenly home. We find comfort knowing that she is now free from any pain and suffering and can live in the presence of her King. We are grateful for the Christian example she left for our families and thankful for the concern of her many lifetime friends. May God bless you for your love and compassion.

Don, Dean, Dale & David Straughn familiesDuane & Janet Rose families

Suzanne JaegerJerry & Melinda Stephens family

Rosseta & John Morrison

Page 7: TON-06-07-2013

7 LifeFriday, June 7, 2013 • The Tonica News • 7

Recipe CornerI thought you might enjoy a few reci-

pes that require only a few ingredients and are as easy to make as they are tasty.

Cheese-Stuffed Meat Loaf1 1/2 pounds ground beef1 26- to 28-ounce jar Ragu Chunky

Garden-style pasta sauce1 large egg, slightly beaten1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

(about 8 ounces)1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh

parsleyHeat oven to 350°. In large bowl, com-

bine beef, 1/3 cup Ragu Pasta sauce, egg and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper. In a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, shape into 12-by-8-inch rectangle. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups cheese and parsley down center leaving 1/4-inch border. Roll, starting at long end, jelly roll style. Press ends together to seal. Bake, uncovered, 45 minutes. Pour remain-ing sauce over meat loaf and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Crispy Oven Baked Chicken4 boneless skinless chicken breast

halves (about 4 ounces each)3/4 cup roasted red pepper salsaNon-stick cooking spray1 cup crushed baked tortilla chipsCherry tomatoes

Wash chicken, pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken in shallow pan or place in large resealable plastic food bag. Pour salsa over chicken.

Cover with foil or seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator overnight. Heat oven to 350°. Coat baking sheet with spray. Place crushed chips on waxed paper. Remove chicken from salsa. Discard salsa. Roll chicken in crushed chips. Place on baking sheet and bake 45 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and chips are crisp. Serve hot. Garnish with tomatoes.

Cheesy Beef Stroganoff1 pound ground beef2 cups water3 cups (6 ounces) medium egg

noodles, uncooked3/4 pound (12 ounces) Velveeta

cheese, cut up1 10 3/4-ounce can condensed cream

of mushroom soup1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Brown meat in large skillet. Drain. Stir in water. Bring to boil. Stir in noodles. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer 8 minutes or until noodles are tender. Add Velveeta, soup and pepper. Stir until cheese is melted.

Do you have a quick recipe you’d like to share with other readers? Email it to me at [email protected]. Please remember to include your name, address and telephone number (telephone number won’t be published). Happy Quick Cooking!

Library CornerLASALLE: The LaSalle

Public Library Summer Reading Program, “Not Extinct at the LaSalle Public Library,” is filled with fun programming for all ages. Readers are invited to challenge themselves to complet-ing the “PaleoTraveler” game on the library’s room-sized game board, and families are invited to attend a variety of events that include Dino-Mites Preschool Storytime; the Preschool Storytime Express; “A Dinosaur Named After Me” art fun and “Yikes! What IS This?” in this upcoming week.

Dino-Mites, espe-cially for children ages 3 through 5 years is every Monday, through July 1, beginning at 10:30 a.m. and repeated at 2 p.m. The event is primarily for children who can sit for a story and work with their

grown-up on a simple craft. Registration is required.

The Storytime Express continues through sum-mer reading. It is held every Tuesday, through July 2 at 11:45 a.m. Like Dino-Mites, it is for chil-dren ages 3 through 5 who can sit for a story and work with their grown-up on a simple craft. Stories are linked to individual letters in the alphabet and are complemented by an alphabet craft. Registra-tion required.

“A Dinosaur Named After Me” art fun is especially for children in second and third grades. This program features the popular book by the same title by Bernard Most and a drawing workshop that challenges participants to create a dinosaur drawing that incorporates features of

the artists … dinosaurs are unique just like them. The program will be held June 10 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Registration is required.

Geologist Mike Phil-lips asks you to identify a fossil in the “Yikes! What IS This?” class. This hands-on program is for the entire family but will be most appreciated by children ages 6 years and up and their grown-ups. It will be held on June 13 at 6:30 p.m.

All library programs are free and open to the public. For more infor-mation, visit or call the library at 815-223-2341. The library is located at 305 Marquette in LaSalle.

LOSTANT: The Lostant Library will hold its preschool reading hour on June 11 at 10:30 a.m. This program serves children birth through preschool age.

Vendors wantedMENDOTA — The

Crafters Market Place and Flea Market will again be featured at Mendota’s annual Sweet Corn Festi-val on Aug. 10 and 11.

More than 200 artists, craftsmen and flea market dealers are expected for the show. Reserved spaces are available and they will try to keep areas for craft and flea market separated.

Anyone wishing a space must reserve it in advance by contacting

the Mendota Area Cham-ber of Commerce office at 815-539-6507, by email to [email protected] or by mail to P.O. Box 620, Mendota, IL 61342.

Spaces are approxi-mately 10-by-10-feet and are $70 for the week-end. Sending a check will reserve a space.

Show hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. There are also one-day spaces available

for Saturday only at $35 per space.

The event will be held in Veterans’ Park on Route 34 and in the Mendota Elks Club parking lot on Indiana Avenue as well as on the adjacent Jefferson Street.

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Page 8: TON-06-07-2013

8 History/Class8 • The Tonica News • Friday, June 7, 2013

Putnam County Community Center menus

June 10 – Meatballs with marinara sauce, American fries, corn on the cob, fresh orange, bun.

June 11 – Seasoned chicken quarter, red potato wedges, broccoli florets, applesauce, peanut butter and crackers.

June 12 – Country fried steak with gravy, mashed potatoes, kidney bean salad, citrus cup, biscuit.

June 13 – Father’s Day cook-out.June 14 – Roast pork with gravy, cheddar

mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, Hawaiian salad, brownie, wheat roll.

Grants available for field tripsSPRINGFIELD – Before clearing

out their desks for the summer, teachers and principals should mark Sept. 1 on their calendars. That’s the deadline for schools to apply for a field trip grant to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

The Winnick Family Foundation is offering field trip grants through the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation. They’re for Grades 4 through 12 in public and private schools nationwide

that have a low-income enrollment above 30 percent.

The grants help defray the cost of transportation to the presiden-tial library and museum. Groups receiving a grant are also exempt from the museum admission fee. A total of $20,500 is available to distribute this year.

Visit http://bit.ly/WinnickGrant for grant applications, which must be postmarked by Sept. 1. The grant awards will be announced beginning Oct. 1. For more infor-

mation, call 217-558-8929 or email [email protected]/.

A total of 25 schools and orga-nizations received grants for the 2012-13 school year.

The field trip grants are coor-dinated through the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum’s Department of Educa-tion, which provides educational opportunities for learners of all ages to explore Illinois and Ameri-can history and the legacy of Abra-ham Lincoln.

History ... according to The Tonica News10 years ago

Bertha Lena Cabal of Peru, formerly of Lostant, celebrated her 100th birth-day on May 2. A quiet family cel-ebration in her honor was observed at Heritage Manor in Peru where she had resided for the past three years. Cabal was born May 2, 1903, and was the daughter of Nicholas and Emma Appel. She married George Cabal on Nov. 30, 1940. He died June 5, 1972. They had two children: Donald (Audrey) Cabal of Streator and Karen (Kenneth) Sons of Tonica. She also has six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Tiger Cub Scouts Cory Lauer, Cody O’Brien, Wes Allison, Evan Kreiser, Blake Billeg, Ben Patterson and Dalton Kutz graduated to Wolf Scouts and received the gold scarf. Brownie Girl Scout Troop 9 from Lostant and Tonica created and donat-ed birthday baskets to the Illinois Val-ley Food Pantry. The baskets were made in a 9x13 cake pan and contained a cake mix, frosting, candles, plates, napkins, party hats and balloons. Troop members included Jessica Lijewski, Becky Arnold, Marie Janusick, Lauren Strehl, Sabrina Smith, Amelia Lind-strom, Rachael Lock, Mischelle Pear-son and Machelle Wall.

The Tonica PTC sponsored an Easter Egg Hunt for area youngsters on April 10 and 11 at Tonica Grade School. The pre-schoolers hunted on April 10.

Tonica United Methodist Women met for their regular meeting on April 9. The Mother-Daughter Banquet was planned for May 21 at McFerson Hall.

The committee that put the event together included Mary Borth, Hallie Sergeant, the Rev. Becky Brault and Gladys Aleman. The church sponsored a rummage sale on May 3. Marcia Krieser and Mary Ann Beenenga were chairpersons.

Chief Randy Ott called the monthly meeting of the Tonica Volunteer Fire Department to order on April 7. There were three fires, one accident and three ambulance calls for March. Com-munications Specialist Gladys Alleman received a certificate of completion from MABAS for attending a commu-nications and dispatching of MABAS calls on Feb. 10. The station’s water relief valve had been inspected and tested. Additional work was planned. A grant application had been submitted to FEMA by Al Stremlau and Jeff Riggs.

The top 10 for the class of 2003 at LaSalle-Peru Township High School included Tonica native Jennifer Hartenbower. Hartenbower planned to study at Millikin University to major in theatre and English education. She is the daughter of Carol and Dan Harten-bower. She was named to the LP Honor Society, was an Illinois State Scholar and a Merit Recognition scholar among all her other accomplishments while in high school.

LaSalle-Peru Township High School senior Jeremy Ott was the recipient of the William Plantan football scholar-ship in the amount of $1.500. Ott is the son of James and Lorayne Ott of Toni-ca. The scholarship was in memory of William Plant, a 1950 LPHS grad and outstanding athlete.

Jessica Schiffbauer and Rachel Micheli represented Tonica Grade School at the Illinois State Science Fair at the University of Illinois in Cham-paign. Schiffbauer received an “out-standing’ award while there. Micheli also received a first place on her proj-ect.

On May 17 the Tonica School track team traveled to Peoria Richwoods high school to compete in the state track finals. Participants included Rachel Micheli, Nick Burgett, Megan Moore, Kari Breckenridge, Tara Ferrari, Brittney Janz, Tyler Alleman, Cameron Puetz, Joey Goskusky, Kevin Milner and Brittnee Wojciechowski. Coaches for the team were Nick Heuser and Vickey Goskusky.

Chris Ryan of Utica graduated from LaSalle-Peru High School. He is the son of Joan Ryan of Utica and Chris Ryan of Tonica. He is also the grandson of the late Howard and Helen Ryan of Tonica.

110 years agoLouis Frederick and Amelia Bruch,

and Samuel Frederick and Katie Bruch were wed at a double ceremony on March 26. Frank Myers and Lena Puetz married on March 3. Conrad Zimmer-man and Ida Lock on March 19. The last two couples were from Richland Township. E.H Rose of Grant, Iowa, and Mary Chesling of Richland Township married on March 19. Henry Noll and Anna Giese married on March 11. J.D. Bumgarner and Anna Filing married on March 24. J.L. Johnson and Ethel Klep-fer of LaSalle married on March 3.

Two rural routes were established out of Lostant on Feb. 16. Route 12 was 23 miles long and served 415 persons east of Lostant and Route 13 was 23 and one-half miles in length and served 540 people west of Lostant including the south half of Mount Palatine. C.E. Lambourne was carrier on 12 and Wyatt Brenner on 13.

130 years agoA county Sunday school conven-

tion was held in Tonica on the 23rd of March. Delegates were present from nearly every city and village in the county. The Alva Greenman place of 80 acres was sold for $5,300. O.F. Efvergerg bought a quarter section of land in Shelby County Iowa for eigh-teen dollars an acre.

J.W. Leininger moved in town from the farm. E. Martin and family moved to Kansas. Henry Bullock moved back to his farm. Dr. Jennings moved into the house he bought of Fred Ambrose on Oak Street.

The high school and grammar room gave a program at the close of the win-ter term in March. Taking part was: Mason Bullock, Lulu Richey, Charles McFerson, Lizzie Seery, Ida Blacke, Estella Hillman, Cora Gunn, Anna Knapp and Leila Nickerson.

W.H. Holdridge retired from the firm of Burgess, Holdridge and Co., and the new firm name was Burgess, Flint and Hartenbower. A new meat market was opened in Tonica. E.G. Thompson installed a new generator for his soda fountain that cost $175.

NOTICE Lake Wildwood Association is cur-rently accepting bids for the “2013 Pavilion/Concession Stand Residing Project.” To request bid documents, call the Lake Wildwood office at (309) 463-2047 ext. 1. Bids will be due by June 21, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. Lake Wildwood hires and awards con-tracts in accordance with all Federal and State non-discrimination laws.Published in the Tonica News June 7, 2013.

- 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.

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Please call 815-866-4500or 815-664-4433

232 • BusinessOpportunities

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

AdvertisingDepartment of the

Tonica NewsDoes not have the op-portunity to fully inves-tigate the credibility ofeach advertiser appear-ing within thesecolumns. If an offersounds “too good to betrue” it probably is.Proceed with caution ifyou are asked to sendmoney or to give acredit card number.Proceed with caution incalling 900 phone num-bers. All phone num-bers prefixed by”900”are charged to theCALLER. Charges maybe assessed on a “perminute” basis ratherthan a “per call” basis.The Tonica News Clas-sifieds makes every ef-fort to qualify thesecharges for the reader.If you have a concernabout an advertiser,please contact:

Better BusinessBureau

330 North WabashChicago, IL 60611

312 832-0500

STANDARD 4th & BerryStreet. Thursday, Friday,June 6, 7; 9am-3pm. Leather motorcycle jacket,TVs, name brand clothes,household, misc.

- 400 -Merchandise

450 • Under $1000

460 • Garage Sales

* * * * * * * * * * * * HAVE SOMETHING

TO SELL?

Put your ad in for FREE

Items $1,000 or lesscan run FREE for 1week. Limit of 5 lines.Up to 3 items with priceand price totaling under$1,000. 1 ad per house-hold per week.

No commercial ads,firearms or

animal sales.

E-mail information to:classified@

bcrnews.com(include your name, ad-dress & phone number)

or mail to: BCR, PO Box 340,

Princeton, IL 61356No Phone Calls!

PRINCETON 216 BryantWoods Drive. Thursday,June 6, 1pm-7pm; Friday,June 7, 9am-5pm. Lots of nice items forhome. Rugs, jewelry,books, 4 Bamboo leatherchairs, black lacquer handpainted alter cabinet &china cabinet, vases, pot-tery pieces, much more!

RAIN OR SHINE!To view large pieces call815-973-5376

460 • Garage Sales

PRINCETON 836 MayfairDrive. Friday, June 7,8am-3pm & Saturday,June 8, 8am-1pm.

MULTI-FAMILY SALE!Women's regular & plussized clothing, manyhousehold items, lots ofbaskets, car seats, boost-er seats & much more!

PRINCETON 1025 SouthEuclid Avenue. Thursday,June 6, 4pm-8pm; Friday,June 7, 9am-2pm; Satur-day, June 8, 9am-12pm.Bitty Baby, American Girl,iPod Touch (32gb), MatchBox cars/tracks, FisherPrice Little People, Res-cue Heroes, K'nex, Erec-tor, dinosaurs, NintendoDS, Easy Bake Oven, MADmagazines (1980's),Longaberger, Mikasadishes, yarn, craft kits,books, games, puzzles,Treadmill, head board,clothes 25¢ and MUCHMORE

TONICA 429 North 2ndStreet. Friday, June 7, Sat-urday, June 8; 9am-2pm.

GARAGE/MOVING SALEMen's & women's cloth-ing; tools; shovels; gar-dening tools; furniture;kitchen items; JohnDeere lawn mower; lots ofeverything

460 • Garage Sales

E-mail items for sale to:[email protected]

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