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Serving Bureau County Since 1847
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Hoping for open gates Gateway provides what’s available and pushes for a state budget solution By Eric Engel eengel@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — When it comes to the budget impasse Illinois residents and businesses are currently wrestling with, Jeff Dean said a conclusion to this financial mess likely won’t come before the beginning of 2017. Dean, president/CEO at Gateway Services, said Gateway has received fund-
ing under court order, but Illinois is spending more money than it’s taking in, making for uncertain times and unreliable income for those who need it most. “We qualified for expedited payments, which ends April 15, but we could see that cycle lengthen,” Dean said, voicing his belief Gateway’s payment cycle throughout the year will be comparable to previous years on programs current-
ly funded, but not without straining stipulations. “The payments will be based on the Fiscal Year 2015 level, so no cost of living adjustments that raises wages or offers support for individuals will be given,” Dean said, adding although the cost of living in Illinois has risen 30 percent since 2008, the state has not changed Gateway’s funding reimbursement rate a single percentage point. “We’re
doing what we can, but our dollars buy less than they once did.” Dean has been managing services similar to Gateway since 1985, yet has never seen the cycle go this long without a budget. Gateway only had to cut a family respite program from its Fiscal Year 2016 budget, yet Mandi Johnson does not underestimate any notion that strips Gateway of its ability to accommodate.
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“The program provided assistance for families throughout the tri-county area, so those families feel the loss,” said Johnson, chief financial officer at Gateway. Some independent living and housing entities have had to reduce their services throughout the area; others have had to close. Dean said discussions with the board have resulted in dissolving the Gateway to the Future Foundation, which
was established in 1996. By doing so, Gateway will have quicker access to funds for services — one of many moves they are making to avoid calamity. “As leadership we can’t panic, or everybody throughout the organization will feel it, and for some individuals, their lives depend on the services and the work we do,” Dean said.
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The 2015 Great Strides Walk in Princeton
Photo contributed
Great Strides
Local Cystic Fibrosis patient to host third annual Great Strides Walk in Princeton By Goldie Rapp grapp@bcrnews.com
BCR photo/Dave Cook
Several Bureau County towns, organizations and clubs hosted Easter egg hunts this past weekend. Treats and candies were abundant — as was the fun had by all, including this little girl at the Easter egg hunt in Wyanet. See Page 2 for more photos of the weekend events.
20 years: Tiskilwa/ Princeton consolidation Former THS educators relay the emotional impact of consolidation with Princeton By Eric Engel eengel@bcrnews.com
Editor’s note: It’s been 20 years since Tiskilwa schools consolidated with Princeton. This is the first in a three-part series highlighting some of the things that have come from that consolidation. TISKILWA — A student sits at their desk with two stacks of books in front of them. One stack has 10 books; the other stack has five. It would
make sense for the stack with 10 books to provide greater knowledge, but what if the reader wasn’t at all interested in the 10-book stack, yet crawled like a bookworm through every page in the fivebook stack? Which stack would offer a student the better opportunity at mental expansion, five books they cherished or 10 books they did not? Such a question rests in the hearts of many community
members who were involved in the Tiskilwa-Princeton consolidation in 1996. Former and current Tiskilwa community members and/or Tiskilwa High School (THS) faculty who were all heavily involved in the proceedings leading up to the consolidation shared their memories of the event. A former female employee who enjoyed many years as a teacher at THS said it was
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PRINCETON — Three years ago, Cheriz Kunkel of Princeton held the first local Great Strides (GS) Walk to benefit Cystic Fibrosis research at Zearing Park. The event was deemed an instant triumph as it raised $13,300 for the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation. After such a successful year, Kunkel brought back the event in 2015 with hopes of making Princeton an official GS Walk site for the foundation. The closest GS Walk was in Peoria, and Kunkel knew if she could bring the walk closer to her community, more of her family and friends would be able to attend the event and help support the cause. “Also, as a small community of 7,000-plus people, we have at least four CF patients, and we have grieved the loss of at least three. There is a strong sense of community, and I knew we could make it work,” she said. Kunkel easily met her goal when more than 125 people showed up to her event last year and together raised $23,000. Princeton is now on the map as being an official GS Walk site. This year, Kunkel is back
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Year 170 No. 38 One Section - 16 Pages
(815) 915-8748 © Bureau County Republican
Photo contributed
Cheriz Kunkel, founder and organizer of the Princeton Great Strides (GS) Walk for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, was recently honored by the CF Foundation, Greater Illinois Peoria Chapter for her hard work and dedication with the GS Walks. Kunkel was named the 2015 Outstanding Great Strides Partner of the Year. She is pictured here with her husband, Andrew.
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