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Wanted: County administrator County board members meet at the drawing board By Goldie Currie gcurrie@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — The Fees and Salaries Committee of the Bureau County Board went to the drawing board on Thursday
to begin putting together a job description for the future county board administrator position. Using the previous job description of the position from 2007 as a foundation, the board members combed through the
document as they brainstormed areas that needed to be added or subtracted to the foundation. Discussion was led by board member Steve Sondgeroth. Board member Tom Dobrich started out by saying he felt the 2007 description of the position was a great start of what he felt the county is looking for today, but he agreed
the description needed updating and revisions. In a general discussion about the position, it became clear the committee is leaning toward the idea the administrator would be a human resources “go-to” person. “What we would want this administrator to do for us is be that person elected officials could go to help them with their
employees,” Dobrich said. County board member Marshann Entwhistle added the county needs a person to develop policies for all elected officials to use as a general guide for various issues. It was agreed by all that the administrator would not be a supervisor over the elected officials, but more a collaborator and guide to efficiently solve
matters related to policy. “They would collaborate with elected officials with a goal to set a policy that works across the board,” said Dobrich. “We need someone that has the skills set to work and present information in such a way that an elected official says, ‘I can see the value in that,’”
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Manlius Fire gets grant Money will be used to aid in firefighter safety By Goldie Currie gcurrie@bcrnews.com
MANLUS — The Manlius Fire Protection District is $19,539.25 richer thanks to the Small Equipment Grant Program, which provides funds to various fire departments around the state. Manlius was chosen as one of 50 fire departments to receive money this year through the state program. The departments are able to use the money on safety equipment, protective clothing, breathing apparatus and other tools for firefighters. Manlius Fire Protection District was the only department in Bureau County to receive a portion of the total $945,845 investment. Aaron Roush, Manlius fire chief, was pleased upon hearing about being chosen for the grant. “It’s a huge relief for a small department,” he said. “With the rising costs of everything, it’s weight of the shoulders for something you’d normally have to wait three or fours years to save for.” Roush said the fire protection district will use the money to replace about 25 air cylinder bottles, which are used for the breathing apparatus firefighters wear when entering a structure fire. Roush said the typical air cylinder bottle can last about 15 years. He said the grant came at the right time as Manlius’ Year 168 No. 150 One Section - 20 Pages
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equipment was coming up on their last years to be used, and the district would have had to use money out of their pockets for the replacement. “As far as safety, it’s a huge thing for us. It will help keep everyone safe and will keep our equipment up to date, so when we show up on scene, we won’t want to worry about someone’s safety,” he said. According to a press release issued by Gov. Pat Quinn’s office, the investments for the Small Equipment Grant program are supported by a small percentage of the fire insurance sales sold in Illinois. The Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office received 328 applications requesting more than $6.9 million in funding this year. The Small Equipment Grant committee, comprised of members of the fire service, examined the applications in a blind review and recommended the $945,845 in available grant money to be awarded to 50 of the fire departments who submitted applications. The departments were eligible for grants up to $26,000. “This grant program is a critical resource in these tight times for municipal budgets,” Illinois State Fire Marshal Larry Matkaitis said. “These funds help first responders obtain the right equipment and tools that meet current safety standards.” Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com.
BCR photo/Zita Henneberry
‘And visions of sugarplums danced in their heads ...’ Mothers and their children gather around Princeton Public Library’s Head of Youth Services Ron McCutchan during story hour Tuesday morning. McCutchan read a variety of stories with a focus on Christmas themes, and he led the children in acting out “The Twelve Days Of Christmas.”
Report card time in DePue Otto: ‘We have a gap to close’ By Zita Henneberry zhenneberry@bcrnews.com
DePue — “There really isn’t anything on the school report card that we aren’t already working on,” said DePue District Superintendent Randall Otto. The school report cards for all public schools in Illinois were released in late October and provide
a range of information about Illinois schools. Information on class size, teacher and administrator salaries, students’ average test scores, and more can be found through the Illinois Report Card Website (illinoisreportcard. com). “Our test scores have been historically low, however unlike many districts, we made the change to straight Common Core a few years ago,” said Otto, “It wasn’t until now that our students were getting
tested on what they had been learning.” The recent scores at DePue Schools fell below the state average. The Ready For College Coursework (RCC) score provides the percentage of students who scored a combined score of 21 or higher on the ACT. The RCC score in DePue was 17 percent, compared to 46 percent in the state. The Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE) tests students in both reading and mathematics. The report card shows
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the DePue district had 31 percent of its students meet the state standards in these areas. The state average was 54 percent. “We hope that we will see an increase in our scores as time goes on,” said Otto. He explained the school has implemented various programs to raise test scores faster, where quality results have already been seen. In past years, DePue had a high graduation rate with 100 percent of its students graduating in four years in 2011. However, in the past two years
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