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Thursday, November 24, 2016
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Public asks BV Board for unified approach Split still exists on district’s plan approved last month By Goldie Rapp grapp@bcrnews.com
MANLIUS — Justin Yepsen was among three of seven board members to vote last month against a plan for the Bureau Valley district to build a new school in Sheffield and upgrade two other buildings. At Tuesday’s meeting, he and other school board
members heard from community members who aren’t completely behind the plan either. The message he’s received, he said, is the board needs to compromise and be more unified on a proposal before sending it to the public for its approval. Yepsen said there are several reasons he can never support the current plan.
“I think if we listen to our teachers, administrators and parents, it’s not the right thing [to do],” he said. “I think we need to step back and see what’s best for our school district — not what’s best for one individual or one individual town or us as a board.” The board has until Jan. 17 to submit a referendum question for the April 2017 election.
Don King, another board member who voted against the proposal last month, said it’s hard enough to get a referendum passed when a school board is fully behind it, let alone when it is split on the decision. “With that, who are the winners if this vote fails in April? Not Bureau Valley,” he said. The current proposal is to build a new third-
“Who are the winners if this vote fails in April? Not Bureau Valley.” Bureau Valley Board member Don King through-eighth-grade school building in Sheffield. There also would be upgrades to the air conditioning in the Wyanet building and the HVAC in the Walnut building. Board President Rick Cernovich, Kent Siltman,
Happy Thanksgiving!
Don DeWaele and Bill Gebeck voted yes on that plan; Yepsen, King and Matt Wiggim voted no. During public comment at Tuesday’s meeting, Mike English of the BV CommU-
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Park district denies request Vendors, music, food, artists and more will need another venue By Dave Cook dcook@bcrnews.com
accounts for the increase in premiums. The council unanimously approved the renewal. Also at the meeting, city engineer Mike Richetta of Chamlin and Associates updated the council on the Safe Routes to School project which was recently completed. He said he was pleased with project. Richetta also updated the council on the pre-
PRINCETON — Local business owner Jennifer Kinsman learned her request to use Princeton’s City-County Park as the site of an event with more than 70 vendors, music, food, artist demonstrations, activities and more, was denied during the Princeton Park District meeting on Nov. 21. Kinsman hoped it would become a regular event helping to expose Princeton and the park to more visitors. The board failed to give a second to board member Dennis Nink’s motion to vote on the request. The event was mostly viewed by the board as a money-making attempt, and the other board members felt it had no place in a public park. Board President Gene Englehart also said some local merchants were against the idea of “popup” businesses, and that while he admired her “ingenuity and drive,” he couldn’t support closing down a public park for private enterprise. Princeton Park District Executive Director Elaine Russell said neither the city nor the county wanted to be involved in the decision-making process, but that if the request was
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Park district Page 4
BCR photo/Mike Vaughn
While this turkey might have been the one that got away this year, there will be plenty of other birds adorning Thanksgiving tables across the county. The Bureau County Republican wishes each and everyone of you a blessed Thanksgiving holiday, filled with many memories and a myriad of special moments. Thanksgiving is a day to count our blessings — may your list be an endless one.
Higher premiums on SV properties
Captain Edward Templeton honored news@bcrnews.com
SPRING VALLEY — Shelly Samolinski of Dakota Street Insurance addressed the council at its meeting Monday, Nov. 21, to explain the property and liability insurance renewal with Illinois Counties Risk Management Trust. The premiums doubled from last year. SamoYear 170 No. 141 One Section - 24 Pages
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linski explained, “The increase in premiums is because all of the properties owned by the city were recently appraised at Mayor Walt Marini’s request.” The properties owned by the city have not been appraised in several years, according to Marini. The property values have changed drastically since the last appraisal, which in addition to the addition of the wastewater treatment plant,
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