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Saturday, May 31, 2014
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A $10 minimum wage What are local businesses saying? By Goldie Currie gcurrie@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — Last week, the Illinois House passed House Bill 3814 — an advisory referendum to ask voters if they support increasing the state’s minimum wage to $10 an hour. The bill, which is sponsored by House Speaker Michael Madigan, now
goes to the Illinois Senate. After the passing of the bill, Gov. Pat Quinn released a statement about his commitment to raising minimum wage. “Raising the minimum wage will support hardworking men and women across our state and boost Illinois’ economy by increasing spending at local businesses,” he said. “As we work to build a majority to raise the mini-
mum wage in Illinois, this referendum will help us get the job done.” “Democracy is about having a voice. I’m glad that voters will have a chance to make their voices heard on this important issue that will benefit hundreds of thousands of working people across Illinois,” he said. But a “benefit” is not what some local businesses owners are thinking right now. In fact, many look at the potential as a negative impact
on business and feel less people will want to spend money because prices will no doubt have to increase to help pay employees’ wages. Mary Kramer of Kramer’s Kitchen and Catering is just one of the many area non-franchise restaurant owners who will be affected by an increase. Right now, her employees at Kramer’s Kitchen are paid more than the current minimum wage, which is $8.25 an hour, but if an increase of $10 an
hour was to go into effect, all employees at her restaurant will be at less than the minimum wage. “If this goes through, prices are going to go higher, and this will hurt the economy,” she said. “They are saying it will boost economy, but will people really spend more money? With this, prices will go higher.” With food prices already at record highs, many businesses will be forced to raise their prices this summer to help with
costs, but with a possible minimum wage increase lingering, businesses owners will yet again have to anticipate raising their prices. Kramer mentioned that some restaurant owners themselves don’t even make $10 to $12 an hour. “You take whatever is left of the profit, and when there’s no profit, you don’t take any money. So this will be a hit to the owners,” she said. “We take
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PHS to make security upgrades School’s awards ceremony discussed By Donna Barker dbarker@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — Additional security measures will be put into place this summer at Princeton High School. At Wednesday’s meeting of the PHS Board, Superintendent Kirk Haring said PHS has received a $13,000 School Security Grant from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. The grant money will go, in part, for a new school security camera system, in which 32 additional high resolution cameras will be installed. Grant money will also go for a new visitor identification system in which visitors will be required to show their driver’s license/ state identification, which is then scanned and checked against several state databases, Haring said Thursday. After checking the person’s identification, an identification badge will be printed for the visitor. Finally, grant money will also be used to install shatter-resistant film on entry door windows, as required by the grant, Haring said. Haring thanked staff members Barb Valle and Sam Pickard for working together to secure the grant for PHS. The School
PHS Page 3 Year 168 No. 65 One Section - 16 Pages
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BCR photo/Amelia Bystry
Rachel Harris (left) and Francis Morse work together to plant a People’s Garden in a green space next to the Princeton Public Library. The People’s Garden is a “food plot” for pollinators, including honey bees, native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds. Project organizer Ellen Starr, a biologist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Princeton, worked with area groups and individuals to provide needed plants and labor for the garden.
People’s Garden: A lesson in pollination New garden will include native perennial prairie plants By Donna Barker dbarker@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — Motorists traveling on the east edge of Princeton will hopefully see an increase in the number of butterflies, hummingbirds and honey bees in the coming weeks.
A group of area volunteers met Saturday to plant a “People’s Garden” garden on the green space at the intersection of East Peru and Sixth streets, near the Princeton Public Library. Project organizer Ellen Starr, a biologist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service office on East Backbone Road in
Princeton, said this is the first year to have a People’s Garden in Princeton. The garden was planted with all perennial native prairie plants, as well as one redbud tree. Since she lives in Princeton, she’s been looking for ways to increase the public’s awareness of the importance of pollinators and to teach people how pollinators can help on their own properties, Starr said. “This garden is a food plot for pollinators, like honey
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bees, native bees, butterflies and hummingbirds,” Starr said. “All the plants in the garden have a high value for pollinators because their nectar has a high sugar content. (Not all flowers provide high sugar nectar). This is an educational garden demonstrating the native plants that provide high energy nectar or food for the pollinators.”
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