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Serving Bureau County Since 1847
Saturday, June 4, 2016
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Sad state of affairs
As the May 31 deadline passes, two fiscal year Illinois budgets now affected By Eric Engel eengel@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — In discussing Springfield’s failure to pass a budget by May 31, community leaders expressed their disappointment regarding the long-lasting stalemate. Princeton Elementary School (PES) Superintendent Tim Smith said this is the second year in a row the governor and the speaker of the house are letting so
many people down. Smith said PES would probably be able to sustain itself through this Christmas. After 2017 hits, the district would have to commit to a substantial amount of borrowing … or close its doors. “Everybody looks at the local level of government, but the dysfunction and all the issues rest in Springfield,” Smith said. “On the state level, our problems are so much bigger than
people understand.” Smith said the FY17 budget for PES was supposed to be approved by May 31 as well as the FY16 budget being supplied, so now the district is really two budgets behind. Area teachers and faculty are trying to excite the community on district renovations and/or construction, and yet they are contemplating the real possibility the schools they currently have would not even be open.
“Every time I think it can’t get any worse, it does, so now I’m almost conditioned to think it probably will,” Smith said. He said if schools close, great pressure would be placed upon working families to educate and care for their children. The district might possibly have to issue teacher notes — basically loans that cover the PES payroll — and Smith said that would be a horrible idea.
“In my understanding, there are already districts in the state that won’t be able to open next fall,” he said. “By not putting pressure on the state government, we’re putting all the pressure on the people.” Jill Guynn, county director at the University of Illinois Extension Office, said they are operating as conservatively as possible, seeking local donations and relying on volunteers working on fundraising
plans. “We’re monitoring the budget situation and working all available units across the state to save money and figure out our future direction,” she said, stating she’s grateful every day for her dedicated staff and the generous volunteers and local donors, because the state’s failure to provide a budget is stressful on every citizen in Illinois.
Budgets Page 3
Swimming safely
Tips to remember around the water By Terri Simon tsimon@bcrnews.com
It’s that time of year when nothing will help people beat the heat except a dip in the pool or other body of water. Most outdoor public pools in the area are now open for the season, and parents are liable to hear a plethora of pleas to go swimming with friends. While swimming is great fun and a fantastic source of exercise, adults should always take a refresher course on water safety, so they can remind children about the dangers of being in the water. According to www.worldslargestswimminglesson.org, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1-14. Teaching children to swim is a vital skill for drowning prevention along with other key water safety measures everyone — both children and adult alike — should follow when they are in or near the water. The American Red Cross offers the following swimming safety tips people should be aware of before they head out
to the pool or beach: • Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards. • Always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone. • Never leave a young child unattended near water and do not trust a child’s life to another child; teach children to always ask permission to go near water. • Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone. • Maintain constant supervision. • Make sure everyone in the family learns to swim well. Enroll in age-appropriate Red Cross water orientation and learn-to-swim courses. • Those who have a pool should secure it with appropriate barriers. Many children who drown in home pools were out of sight for less than five minutes and in the care of one or both parents at the time. • Avoid distractions when supervising children around water.
Swimming Page 2
BCR photo/Dave Cook
A bountiful harvest at the farmer’s market Dennis Zehr of Tiskilwa’s Coneflower Farm prepares his family’s harvest for sale at the Princeton Farmer’s Market. The market had its opening weekend on May 28 and drew a large crowd to its Main Street location next to the Prouty Building on South Main Street. The market hours are Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Tuesdays from 3 to 5:30 p.m.
Second Story becoming a first choice for area youth Games and free food attract sixth-graders through high-schoolers
By L yle G anther lganther@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — Second Story in Princeton, located above Johnson’s Carpet Shoppe at 1033
N. Main St., has become a popular place for sixth-grade through high school students to hang out with their friends. On a Friday night, the youth facility averages
80-90 students where they can participate in a number of activities or just hang out with their friends in a safe environment. Sixth- through eighth-grade students
are required to leave at 9:30 p.m. with high school students leaving by 11 p.m. Dana and Jeff VanAutreve and Robin and Chris Robbins are the
adults who coordinate Second Story. Students can also come to Second Story on Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m. where they can learn some craft-making skills
and hang out with their friends. About 20-30 students come to the facility on Tuesday nights.
Second Story Page 4
Year 170 No. 67 One Section - 20 Pages
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