1 Front Volume 140 No. 16
Friday, June 14, 2013
The Tonica News
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Lostant meeting goes to the dogs By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
LOSTANT — Resident Robert Meziarka has a bone to pick with the Lostant Village Board. He appeared before the board on June 10 to voice his displeasure over the village ordinance on dog ownership which levies a fee of $175 on anyone with three or more dogs. During the meeting, he questioned several of the board members on why the fee was issued.
Board member Mike Collins told Meziarka that one of his neighbors had complained of issues with dogs. Meziarka was also reminded there has been a longstanding fee on the books, and the recent ordinance change merely elevated the fee from $150 to $175. Meziarka repeatedly asked the board members what they had against dogs and dog owners who kept three or more dogs, and insisted on knowing what facts the board had to justify the fee.
Village board President Fred Hartenbower explained the reasoning. “We almost raised it to $500. The problem is the dog population is out of control,” Hartenbower said. “Multiple people have been bit in the last two years. You can control one dog; you might be able to control two; three — I don’t think you can.” “You should be basing this decision on what other towns are doing,” Meziarka said.
“No. We are going to base it on how do we keep people from being bit in this town? I’ve got multiple complaints. You can’t walk down the street without seeing loose dogs,” Hartenbower said. “We just feel that $175 is a fair charge for any costs the village may incur,” said board member Dave Mertes. “It also acts as a bit of a deterrent for folks that might have had five or six dogs to just have two. It’s just a safety thing.” In other business, the board:
• Replied to a resident’s inquiry that the village is still investigating the slashing of tires downtown earlier this year. The board had heard rumors that the person responsible had left the state, but nothing is known for certain about who did it or why. • Discussed some flooding issues that are currently plaguing the village. The village is currently investigating the possibility of barricading the area along the east side of
town where water run-off is causing the problem. Hartenbower outlined a possible three-step solution but estimated the first stage to cost approximately $5,000 to purchase the barricades. The board will form a committee to look into the problem further. • Passed a resolution for $31,000 in Motor Fuel Tax funds to be used for road work. The resolution was passed to inform the Illinois Department of Transportation where the funds are spent.
Where’s the beef ... and what does it cost? Area farmer weighs in a reason behind the rise in beef prices By Goldie Currie Shaw Media Service
Trends in the cattleman business have taken a toll on the beef market. With things like drought, dwindling cattle ranches and the increase in export, the prices of beef have escalated. Earlier this week, area farmer Larry Magnuson, who owns a cattle farm with about 34 cattle head, weighed in on a few of the factors behind the rising beef prices. To him, the first and foremost factor is the lingering drought. “Two and a half years of drought has really been a cause,” said Magnuson. Drought has dried up food sources including grass in pastures and hay crops. “They’ve (farmers) got nothing to feed them, so they are taking them to market, and the numbers are way down,” he said. The number of cattle being taken to slaughter houses is at its lowest since 1950, and Magnuson said states like Texas, the Dakotas and Washington have seen the worst numbers of all. Feeding the cattle hasn’t gotten any cheaper. Mag-
nuson said last year a “little square hay bale” doubled from $5 to $9, while larger round hay bales went from $60 to $150. “It’s costing more to feed them, and hay isn’t cheap,” he said. Besides the drought, Magnuson touched on another issue that is affecting the cattle business. Young farmers are steering away from cattle and knocking down fences around pasture fields to make room for soybeans and corn crops. Magnuson said farmers in the market have been getting one-third more for their crops than they did a couple years ago. He also said in the past two years, corn has risen to $7.50 and $8.50 a bushel. Plus, building a cow herd takes more time and patience, which nobody seems to have much of these days. Magnuson said why would young farmers want to hassle with building a fence; keeping cattle in; having to round them up if they get out; waiting a year to breed them; and then find out the calf
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Tonica News photo/Ken Schroeder
Dropping in for breakfast The latest Fly-in/Drive-in Breakfast was held on June 9 at Hartenbower Hecates Airport east of Tonica. Several pilots and their aircraft — including an early 20th Century Army bi-plane and a helicopter — flew in for a bite to eat, The breakfast has been a long-standing tradition and is held the second Sunday of each month from May to September. The next breakfast will be 7 to 11 a.m. on July 14.
Just one more drink? Groups want to lower the legal limit By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
The National Transportation Safety Council (NTSC) last month recommended lowering the blood alcohol limit from the driving while intoxicated from .08 percent to .05 percent. Since then, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White has indicated the idea merits
“further study.” Currently, .08 percent is the law in every state in America, but more than 100 countries overseas have lowered their legal limit to .05 according to the NTSC. The recommendation has its opponents and its supporters. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is endorsing the proposal,
Inside
Vol. 140 No. 16 One Section - 8 Pages
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although they would prefer to see the limit lowered further. “As a mother whose child was killed by a drunk driver, the most important thing to me is preventing as many families as possible from suffering similar tragedies,” said MADD National President Jan Withers. “MADD is focused on eliminating this completely preventable tragedy from our roadways.”
Lucky in Lostant
Steak dinner fundraiser
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Understandably, tavern and liquor store owners across the country are opposed to the idea. On average, a woman weighing 140 pounds would reach the proposed legal limit after only one drink, while men of 200 pounds or more would require three to four to reach that level. However, statistics show that 70 percent of drunk driving
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