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Serving Bureau County Since 1847
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
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Got the winter blues? Nancy Carper gives some suggestions on how to beat them By Goldie Currie gcurrie@bcrnews.com
WYANET — With more snow this past weekend, spring doesn’t seem any closer. The snow is piled up; temperatures are still dipping below zero; and the common
winter blues are beginning to set in for some people. Licensed clinical professional counselor Nancy Carper, whose office is located in downtown Wyanet, said it’s common around this time of year to feel down about the weather. The holidays have quieted
down; social activities might have come to a halt; there is less sunlight outside; and the cold weather makes it difficult to get outside for exercise and to catch some fresh air. Luckily, there are some things to try to shake off that blue feeling. Carper gave her top ideas to try: 1. Get creative with exercise Chances are people are putting off their outdoor exercise
routine. If so, Carper said when it’s too snowy and cold for exercising outside, be creative and try adapting the exercise routine indoors. Utilize the staircase more; try different stretches; do a yoga routine; or get the cardio in with push-ups and jumping jacks. 2. Be productive Tackle the tasks that keep getting pushed aside. Try cleaning out a closet, or sort out a junk drawer. It’s a win-
win situation; the tasks are being accomplished, and the mind is being taken off of whatever is going on outside. 3. Phone a friend Carper said cabin fever can make people have a sense of feeling isolated from others. “It reminds us we’re missing out on contact with a larger support group,” she said. “Being inside so much, we lose
See Blues Page 2
‘Act of God’ Schools applying for waivers By Donna Barker dbarker@bcrnews.com
Many area school districts, but not all, have applied for waivers to amend their school calendars to account for all the weather-related school cancellations they’ve had this year. On Monday, Angie Zarvell, Regional Office of Education superintendent for Bureau, Henry and Stark counties, said lots of local school districts have already applied for the Act of God school day waiver. It’s a one-step process for school districts to amend their school calendars and submit that amendment approval request to her office, which is then submitted to the State Superintendent of Education for final approval. All school districts in Illinois are required to have five emergency days built into their school calendars each year, and it’s very rare for a school district to need more than that number in a school year, Zarvell said, adding but this has been an usual winter. Hopefully there will be no more emergency days this year, Zarvell said. On Monday, Princeton High School Superintendent Kirk Haring said PHS has applied for an Act of God waiver
day for the Feb. 5 school day, which was its sixth missed day this year. The regional superintendent has approved this waiver request, and PHS is waiting for final approval from the state. If approved, these days reduce number of required days of school attendance without a negative impact to general state aid, Haring said. In his administration experience, he’s never had to apply for an Act of God waiver day before. Hopefully, better weather is just around the corner, he said. Ladd Elementary Superintendent Michelle Zeko said her district reached its sixth emergency day last week, on Feb. 5. The five emergency days already built into the Ladd School calendar were all used up in January. She also will apply for the Act of God attendance waiver for her district. This has been a very unusual year, Zeko said. There are some years when few, if any, emergency days are needed. Hopefully, there won’t be any more emergency days needed this year, she said. Spring Valley Elementary School Superintendent Jim Hermes said his district has also applied for an Act of God calendar waiver day. The district is on it sixth cancelled day and will not be making up that day. The
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BCR photo/Goldie Currie
Lindsay Funderberg, a designer at Flowers by Julia in Princeton, arranges a vase of roses, much like the bouquets that will be delivered later this week for the Valentine’s Day holiday. Flowers by Julia owner Julia Cain said the store has thousands of roses and a variety of other flowers to meet the needs of those wishing to surprise their special Valentine.
Preparing for the big day Thousands of roses will be delivered on Friday By Goldie Currie gcurrie@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — Preparations for Valentine’s Day are in full swing this week at local flower and gift shops. As the holiday begins to creep up this
Friday, flowers, cards and chocolates will become items in high demand. At Valley Flowers and Gifts in Spring Valley, owner Chuck Taliani said preparations were beginning to get hectic during the week, but he’s working ahead of the game. Taliani has estimated his business will make about 400 deliveries this Friday. “We’re hoping people will call in during the week, and not last minute.
We’re expecting about 100 orders on Friday morning alone, and we always plan for our walk-ins,” he said. The business is expecting to be a little busier this year with their new promotion of having their bouquets of flowers delivered by someone dressed in a tuxedo. With a new tuxedo business now leasing a spot within Valley Flowers, Taliani got the idea to combine both businesses for the holiday. The eight
delivery drivers will be dressed up in tuxedos by Something Different Tuxedos and More in conjunction with Jim’s Formal Wear. “It’s just something different,” Taliani said. “But there’s been a lot of talk on the street about the new idea. “Who wouldn’t want to get a dozen of roses delivered by someone in a tuxedo? It makes the
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For breaking news, sports and current weather conditions, go to bcrnews.com Year 168 No. 18 One Section - 20 Pages
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