BCR-03-29-2014

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Serving Bureau County Since 1847

Saturday, March 29, 2014

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The county wants your input By Donna Barker dbarker@bcrnews.com

Bureau County residents have two more opportunities to take advantage of public meetings to discuss the county’s comprehensive plan and the future of Bureau County.

On Thursday, Bureau County Zoning Enforcement Office Director Kris Donarski said the first two public meetings, held earlier this week in Manlius and LaMoille, went very well, with a lot of good comments from citizens. The final two meetings are set for 7 p.m. Tuesday

at the Buda Community Hall and at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Bureau County Courthouse in Princeton. Citizens may attend either meeting, regardless of where they live, she said. The Bureau County Regional Planning Commission set up the four public meetings to get

input from residents on issues and ideas concerning the development and future of Bureau County. The public meetings will help identify the values of the county, look at the county’s strengths and weaknesses, identify issues and opportunities and create a vision for the future,

all from the public’s point of view, Donarski said. The meetings will be about 60-90 minutes in length. Comments gathered from the public hearings will be used by the planning commission as it updates the county’s existing comprehensive plan, which was complet-

ed in the 1960s. Donarski said citizen participation is very important to the comprehensive planning process and will help the planning commission in defining goals and objectives to help shape the county’s future.

See Input Page 3

Princeton looks at new budget Sewer system upgrades, new police cars By Donna Barker dbarker@bcrnews.com

PRINCETON — The city of Princeton’s budget may not be where he wants it, but it is heading in the right direction, City Manager Jeff Clawson said at Thursday’s special meeting and budget planning discussion of the Princeton City Council. During the nearly twohour meeting, Clawson went through each of the budget funds, saying the goal is to have each fund able to sustain itself without needing transfers from other city funds. He likes the trend he is seeing with interfund transfers becoming less and individual funds able to pay more of their own expenses. The big issue before the city is needed capital projects, most specifically funding for sanitary sewer upgrades in various areas, including South Church Street and the Bailey subdivision, Clawson said, the proposed budget does have $400,000 for sanitary sewer projects, but that money is just a start and not enough to do all that’s needed. In his comments, Mayor Keith Cain said the city’s sanitary system does need to be updated, but the city also needs to crackdown on people who are illegally connecting their sump pumps to the city’s

See Budget Page 3

BCR photo/Goldie Currie

Looking for a good read

Kristen Slutz (left) and Bryanna Poorman take a break from work at Perry Memorial Hospital and shop through the children’s book selection during Thursday’s book fair sponsored by the Perry Memorial Auxiliary. Poorman aided Slutz with her selection of the perfect reads for her niece. The book fair was open to the public on Thursday and Friday inside the Medical Office Building lobby at the hospital.

Steppin’ Out for Our Babies By Goldie Currie gcurrie@bcrnews.com

PRINCETON — The seventh annual Steppin’ Out for Our Babies event is just a toe tap away. The March of Dimes fundraiser will be held Thursday, April 10 at Wise Guys Bar and Grill in Princeton and will feature an evening of fabulous food, fun and auction. Coordinators and volunteers are revving up to host another great affair with hopes of raising plenty of funds to help save the babies.

March of Dimes Division Director Peggy Cain confirmed March of Dimes is the only agency that can say it has touched every person in the United States. “Whether they had a polio vaccine or had/ known/been a premature, or had/was a baby that had the newborn screening after they were born or took folic acid, etc.,” she said. “Supporting this event is important because our mission is to make sure all babies have a healthy start.” The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with tastings from several restaurants and caterers, who will be serving sample size portions of their signature dishes.

Cain said guests will be introduced to 11 new restaurants this year, including Wise Guys, Chestnut Street Inn, Kaddywampus Sports Grill, Grandma Rosie’s Sweet Treats, The Farmer’s Wife — Cakes For All by Alexa Doll, The Feed Store & Watering Hole, J’adore Panini’s & Crepes, Simply Fresh, Four and Twenty Cafe, Myrtle’s Cafe and Pie and Flour House Bakery. A couple of the hot items up for grabs at the auction table is two weekends in a cottage in Holland, Mich.

See Steppin’ Out Page 4

For breaking news, sports and current weather conditions, go to bcrnews.com Year 168 No. 38 Two Sections - 28 Pages

98213 00012 1 © Bureau County Republican 7

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