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Serving Bureau County Since 1847
Saturday, October 19, 2013
County treasurer announces retirement Cattani-Urbanowski will not seek re-election By Goldie Currie gcurrie@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — After 20 years of serving as Bureau County Treasurer — and 40 years total in the treasurer’s office, Nina CattaniUrbanowski has announced she will not be seeking reelection in 2014. Urbanowski has plans to retire at the end of her current term next December. “I’m very thankful to the voters of Bureau County for their vote of confidence over the years and for allowing me to serve the public at a job that I have always enjoyed,” she said. Urbanowski began working in the treasurer’s office the day after she finished classes at Illinois Valley Community College. “Forty years ago, they didn’t have computers or anything. So they had these big books and hired people to credit payments of real estate taxes in the books,” she said. She had only worked that position a few months, when one of the employees in the office left, and she was promoted to work with payroll and appropriations. A few years later, the chief deputy working under county treasurer Madge Noble left the office, and Urbanowski was promoted to chief deputy. In 1994, Noble retired, and Urbanowski ran for treasurer. She admits holding an elected position was something she never imagined she’d ever do in life. “I just really wanted to work in an office, but I had no idea this is where it would go. It’s been a great job, and I’ve really enjoyed it,” she said.
See Retirement Page 4 Year 167 No. 126 One Section - 20 Pages
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Hall gets its report card Graduation rate: ‘Nothing to be proud of By Becky Kramer news@bcrnews.com
SPRING VALLEY — Hall High School got its state report card, and the superintendent isn’t happy, acknowledging there is work to do. Superintendent Mike Struna presented the Fiscal Year 2013 School Report Card at the regular school board meeting on Wednesday. Hall receives 63 percent of its revenue from local state taxes and 24 percent from general state aid.
The school currently spends $7,712 in instructional expenses to educate each child in the district. The state average is $6,974. The report card indicates the attendance rate is 95 percent, which is important because it affects the amount of general state aid the district receives. The graduation rate in 2013 was 78 percent which Struna said was “nothing to be proud of” and indicated it was an area the district needs to do better on. Some ways the district is trying to increase that rate is by implementing interventions such as summer school, online classes and academic RTI.
Struna said he is concerned about the academic progress of the students. In 2013, only 47 percent of students met or exceeded the Illinois Learning Standards in reading, math and science. “We have to get those scores up,” Struna said. Some ways the teachers are trying to increase reading scores is by teaching reading in subject areas such as science, social studies and math because half of the test is composed of non-fiction passages. Struna said the school is working toward providing the students more opportunities
See Hall Page 2
BCR photo/Goldie Currie
Illinois Valley Living Magazine honored its Women of Distinction at a luncheon at Deer Park Country Club in Oglesby. Pictured are (from left) Women of Distinction Pat Schou of Princeton; Teresa Zearing of Princeton; Loretta Volker of Princeton; Dawn Conerton of Magnolia; Lisa Clinton of Cherry; Nedda Simon of Princeton; Judith Wilkins Wright of rural Tiskilwa; Kim Abel of Mendota; Mary Ann Cernovich of Sheffield; and Kathy Casstevens of Utica.
Illinois Valley Living honors Women of Distinction By BCR Staff news@bcrnews.com
OGLESBY — There were flowers and linen tablecloths. There was plenty of laughter and smiles, mixed with a few tears. There was insight and reflection. There was food and fun and all the makings for a day to remember ... The Bureau County Republican’s Illinois Valley Living Magazine sponsored its long-awaited Women of Distinction Award luncheon Thursday at Deer Park Country Club in Oglesby. A packed house — comprised mostly of women and a handful
of fellows — spent the afternoon to help honor the 10 women chosen as the inaugural Women of Distinction in the Illinois Valley: Kim Abel of Mendota; Kathy Casstevens of Utica; Mary Ann Cernovich of Sheffield; Lisa Clinton of Cherry; Dawn Conerton of Magnolia; Pat Schou, Nedda Simon, Loretta Volker and Teresa Zearing, all of Princeton; and Judith Wilkins Wright of rural Tiskilwa. Each Woman of Distinction spoke to the crowd, many sharing anecdotes and experiences about their roles in their respective communities. They were stories of volunteerism, strength, challenges and kindness.
They spoke passionately about what they do, and their uplifting messages — without exception — were inspirational to those in attendance. The women received a standing ovation at the conclusion of the event. Keynote speaker Kathy O’Malley, a Princeton resident who is the co-host of WGN’s “Kathy and Judy Show” wowed the crowd with an address mixed with humor, personal experiences and considerable fun, but easily turned her words into statements full of impact that spoke of women, their bonds, their strength.
See WOD Page 2
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