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Thursday, July 28, 2016
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Breaking down plans — building the future Spokesperson for Master Plan Committee explains the process By Eric Engel eengel@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — During the Princeton Elementary School Board meeting Monday, July 25, Master Plan Committee (MPC) leader Mike Sayler handled the microphone to explain the collective knowledge gained throughout the district’s Master Plan meetings
this spring. “This process started when we were contacted to help out the Princeton Elementary School (PES) District come up with some concepts for either renovating the existing schools or possibly building a new school,” Sayler said, noting there were 30 MPC members who worked to come up with some good options with guid-
ance from Legat and Kmetz architects, the firms associated with the district project. “The architects were part of the overall scheme of looking at all the buildings; they’re the architects, and we are not, so they went through first and really looked at the nuts and bolts of each building.” Sayler said online surveys, numerous community work-
shops and individual school tours — aided by input of the teachers and staff housed in each particular school building — served to broaden an understanding of the actual condition of the district school buildings. “We went through all the schools, which are very dated, and then gathered up all the information,” Sayler said, stat-
ing the committee outreach invited the public to go through and get a first-hand glance for themselves. “It’s always good in any sort of atmosphere to keep the public involved and informed because the worst thing you can do is the old jack in the box — just throwing something out at them with-
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Cards read = families fed
An ‘Optimist’-ic crop Even though the hot and humid weather has kept many inside snuggled up to their air conditioning, that didn’t stop Princeton Optimist Club members from their annual sweet corn sale. The homegrown summer kernels, grown locally, benefit Optimist Club programs throughout the area. You can find the Optimist corn stand in the 600 block of North Main Street, while supplies last. BCR photo/ Amelia Bystry
Farmer’s Market vendors instituting credit and EBT card readers By Eric Engel eengel@bcrnews.com
SPRING VALLEY — Local Farmer’s Markets are a fantastic opportunity for area shoppers to purchase delicious local produce, but some citizens in the community just don’t have the adequate funds to buy the nutritionally-rich fruits and vegetables. In response to that, Joy Kauffman and others are making sure the lettuce on a person’s plate holds more weight than the bills in their wallet. Kauffman, Bureau and Putnam County Health Department’s public health educator, said they’re really trying to increase access at the Farmer’s Market to lower income people, so she’s pushing the growers to take Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) or Link cards, as well as senior vouchers. She’s also encouraging growers to acquire the machinery necessary for buyers to use their credit cards. “One out of every five people has the Link card, and most of those people have kids who need to be eating
healthy; but people aren’t going to show up and ask unless you have the little sign that says we accept Link cards here,” Kauffman said, adding many people buy things that simply don’t nourish their body because they have limited resources. Debb Ladgenski, Spring Valley’s economic development coordinator, said the Spring Valley Farmer’s Market is held at the Heartland Bank parking lot, 100 E. Dakota St., every Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. “The fact vendors can now take credit cards, EBT cards and senior vouchers will make it possible for more residents to enjoy homegrown, farm fresh food,” Ladgenski said. Don Wenzel, owner of Donnie Appleseed Orchard a few miles north of LaSalle, is one of the vendors who has adopted the card reader into his booth, so those with EBT or credit cards have greater financial flexibility while shopping. “Other vendors do the same thing, and I think most people appreciate
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Farther across the yard
Local park districts provide intriguing options for visitors in a variety of ways By Eric Engel eengel@bcrnews.com
Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part series on public parks and how they survive. SPRING VALLEY/WALNUT — When it comes to deciphering whether technology and Year 170 No. 90 One Section - 20 Pages
© Bureau County Republican
backyard entities have lessened the desire to visit city parks, area outdoor enthusiasts agree … parks only aim to amplify what is available in the backyard. Tony Mautino, Spring Valley’s Park Board president, said citizens utilize all nine parks around town because of all the
different resources available to them. From shelters to ball diamonds to soccer fields and swimming pools, Spring Valley residents have a plethora of options from which to choose. “I don’t think the digital age has really hurt anybody because the kids enjoy coming down to the volleyball
courts, which is basically a big sand trap,” Mautino said, adding more people are walking dogs and strollers around the park, and June was a monster month for attendance at the local water hole. “We’re having record crowds at the Spring Valley swimming pool because we have a heated pool.”
Mautino said they get less tax money than they did a decade ago, so it takes greater effort to clean up the pool, the courts and the fields, but the town folk notice and appreciate the efforts.
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