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Record The Putnam County
Volume 146 No. 9
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Wednesday, October 30, 2013
In the black for PC Schools By Ken Schroeder kschroeder@putnamcountyrecord.com
GRANVILLE — Tom Peffer of Gorenz and Associates presented the Fiscal Year 2013 audit to the Putnam County School Board during the board meeting on Oct. 21, and the news was pretty good.
“There was a $28.5 million fund equity on June 30, 2013. Included in that are fixed assets like the net costs of the buildings and equipment. We strip that out and what I like to call your reserve funds — your trust funds, tort funds. We come down to what we call unencumbered
equity in the operating funds, which was just under $7.5 million,” Peffer said. “That shows an increase over the same analysis from last year of about $638,000.” The audit figures were very similar to the original budgeted amounts, usually within a few percentage points. Peffer
told the board there are usually 10 to 20 percent variances. “This tells me that you pass very realistic budgets,” Peffer said. “And once you get the budget in place, you stick to it.” The district is also maintaining its state financial profile, once again earning a perfect
score for the fiscal year of 4.0. Overall, the district received slightly more than $9 million, an increase over last year of 0.7 percent. Expenditures for the year amounted to slightly more than $8.7 million, an increase of about 1 percent from last year.
The Fiscal Year 2014 audit next year is not expected to be as favorable for the district. This year’s budget includes $165,000 in deficit spending. In other action, the board: • Received a report
See Audit Page 3
Off the streets Hundreds of pounds of drugs are history By Donna Barker Shaw Media Service
More than 800 pounds of unwanted and expired medicines were collected and counted during Saturday’s National Take Back prescription drug day in Bureau and Putnam counties. On Monday, Community Partners Against Substance Abuse coordinator Dawn Conerton said 806 pounds were collected Saturday at the Princeton, Buda, Wyanet, DePue, and Granville police departments as part of the National Take Back event. Saturday’s collection included not only that day’s drop-offs but also included drugs collected during the last six months at the six Prescription Drug Disposal Program (P2D2) drop-box sites in Bureau and Putnam counties. Since beginning the P2D2 program in July 2010, CPASA has worked with area law enforcement agencies, through the P2D2 program and Take Back days, to collect 5,149 pounds of unwanted and expired drugs, Conerton said. “This is an amazing number,” Conerton said. “Every year, I always worry that no one will come for the Take Back days, but we opened at the Princeton Police Department at 10 a.m., and there were already
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Samantha Hulet of Granville hides after school in her family’s Halloween yard decorations.
Ghouls and goblins and all kinds of fun Halloween comes to Putnam County By Dixie Schroeder dschroeder@putnamcountyrecord.com
GRANVILLE — A children’s holiday that has evolved to including adult parties and fun too, Halloween has become a celebration for all ages. Halloween was originally pronounced Hallowe’en, a contraction of All Hallows Eve. Halloween was a celebration the day before All Saints Day which is Nov. 1. All Saints Day is a Catholic holiday noting Christian saints and martyrs which has been observed since the Mid-
dle Ages. Today’s Halloween has evolved into trick-or-treat nights, parties for old and young and pranks for some. In many households in America today, much planning is put into the creation of Halloween costumes and outdoor decorations. Putnam County School children are no different. Preston Shurts of McNabb said, “My favorite part of Halloween is candy. I really like gum. I am going to be a drag racer. It’s a type of racer that has a lot of speed to their cars. It’s far away from this state and those cars probably can speed up to 1,000 miles per hour.” “Of all of Halloween stuff, I like
trick or treating. We go with my friends and family. I’m going to be a squaw girl. I can tell you about the costume. I am going to be painted all green with vines coming down my arms. My mom and my dad and my neighbor are helping me with it,” said Maggie Spratt of Hennepin. “Yes, I dress in Halloween colors a lot; I like Halloween. I like going trick or treating. I go with my friends; my mom and dad and my brother. I’m going to be a girl from the ‘70s. I am going to have a long dress and like have curly hair,” said Hannah Grosick of Mark. Noah Pohlson of Granville said, “I go trick or treating with my mom and dad. I am going to be
a skull commando. A skull commando is like from the army, and he has glasses and a skull mask.” But some school children haven’t got an idea for their Halloween costume. “I haven’t figured out what I’m going to be yet,” said Savanna Bucy of Granville. “Last year I was a bumblebee. I like trick or treating most of all. My favorite candy is SweetTarts.” Some of the earliest customs which came out of the Halloween Americans know today were based in the observance of the Nov. 1 All Saints Day and the Nov. 2 All Souls Day, according to about.com. These
See Halloween Page 2