TON-01-23-2015

Volume 141 No. 7

Friday, January 23, 2015

Single Copy Cost 50¢

Illinois’ new governor, Bruce Rauner Both sides of the aisle comment on first few days in office

By Zita Henneberry and Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com

“It’s been a great first week. I think Gov. Rauner is setting a new tone for fiscal responsibility,” said Sen. Sue Rezin. “It’s a refreshing tone after more than 10 years of spending money we didn’t have.”

The Republican from Morris is optimistic of the new turns expected in Springfield.

In Rauner’s first executive order released Jan. 13, the day after he was sworn in as governor, the new Illinois Republican governor said, “The state of Illinois needs to rebuild its trust with its citizens, and today’s executive order takes steps to ensure that starts now,” Rauner said. “We have a moral obligation to rebuild the reputation within our state, along with our perception within the country, to ultimately renew taxpayers’ faith in government.”

Rep. Frank Mautino,

a Democrat from Spring Valley, however, has yet to form his opinion on Rauner’s new administration.

“I really don’t want to pass any judgments or try and assess any strengths or weakness off of just pieces of paper I’ve read,” Mautino said.

Sworn in Jan. 12, Rauner has taken action to address the various burdens facing Illinois. In Executive Order 15-09 mentioned above, Rauner addressed the need for ethical responsibility in government.

“Business as usual is over in Illinois, and we need to regain the trust of the taxpayers,” said Rauner.

“Today, we are showing the state of Illinois we have learned our lessons and are changing.”

“The people of Illinois elected a bipartisan government,” Senator Rezin said. “I am confident Gov. Rauner will work with legislators from both sides of the aisle to develop long-term bipartisan solutions to help improve many aspects of

Illinois government that are failing right now.”

Mautino took a different view, “Gov. (Rod) Blagojevich made the same first orders that we’ve seen … the spending freeze and the hiring freeze and the review of contracts (is something) each new administration does when they come in because there are 50,000 contracts that they have to review,” said Mautino.

The fiscal freezes and review of government spending Mautino mentioned are addressed in Rauner’s first executive order.

“Years of bad decisions have put Illinois in a financial crisis,” said Rauner.

“Today we start the process of putting our state back on the road to fiscal stability by reviewing agency spending, stopping contracts and grants, and selling excess state property.”

“We have new opportunities coming to Illinois,” Rezin said. “For 13 years, our state has seen the ramifications of one-party rule.

Instead of comprehensive solutions and long-term

Rauner Page 3

LGS holds annual spelling bee

By Dixie Schroeder news@tonicanews.com

LOSTANT — As students come back from winter break and Lostant Grade School gets back in the swing of things, the junior high school students are always in anticipation of an event — the annual spelling bee.

Lostant Grade School teacher Angela Walgenbach is in charge of the spelling bee each year.

Students from sixth, seventh and eighth grades at the school prepare in Walgenbach’s class. While Walgenbach has been in charge of the bee for only three years, she knows it is a long-lived tradition at Lostant Grade School. The spelling bee is sponsored by the Scripps National Spelling Bee organization.

Illyana Esser, a student in the junior high, knows spelling is a challenge for Vol. 141 No. 7 Two Sections - 12 Pages

Jacob Wiesbrock some students.

“We look at the words, and then practice when we stand up in the front of the room like a real spelling bee,” Esser said. “Spelling is a little hard for me.”

The last couple of years, seventh-grade students have won the bee, and this year was no different.

Lostant Grade School seventh-grader Jacob Wiesbrock won the bee. Runner-up was seventh-grad-

er Ethan Phillips. Last year, Hunter Witzman, another seventh-grade student, won the bee.

Wiesbrock will represent the school at the regional spelling bee on Feb. 21. It will be held at Ottawa High School.

Judges for the Lostant Grade School spelling bee event were Lostant Grade school teacher Jill Newbold and librarian RuthAnn Brizgis. Pronouncer was Lostant Grade School teacher Amy Olson.

Twenty-six students participated in the spelling bee this year. They reviewed words for a week in class and at home. Cassie Gorgus, another junior high student at the school, enjoyed the work with the spelling lists.

“We started last week.

The process consisted of us trying to learn the words better. We did all right most of the time,” Gorgus said.

Shaw Media Service photo/Lyle Ganther

Hikers admire icefall Hikers check out one of the icefalls at Starved Rock State Park in St. Louis Canyon during last weekend’s Winter Wilderness Days. Guided hikes were conducted twice on Jan. 17 and Jan. 18 during the annual event. Icefalls were also found in Wildcat and Tonti canyons at the state park. Nearby Matthiessen State Park also has some icefalls.

Tonica sewer project slowed in Springfield

By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com

TONICA — The Tonica sewer plant project is on hold due to funding woes caused by the November elections.

“With the changing of the guard, the office of the EPA (Illinois Environment Protection Agency) is not sure what’s happening,” said Village President Kevin Sluder. “They’re waiting for the dust to

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clear.”

The village board has secured funding for the plant through a loan from the EPA which would cover the cost of plant construction. With a changeover in political leadership, it is fairly common for the criteria for agency loans to change. Any loans not fully secured can get caught up in the transitional mess, which is where the village’s application sits.

“I don’t understand why this is happening. It’s not

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like they didn’t know the election was coming,” Sluder said. “Everything was rolling along great, and now it’s like our ball got kicked to the curb.”

The village does not have the money to pay for the plant on its own.

The board turned to the EPA for the loan first, since the plant was mandated by the government agency in the first place. In the meantime, the clock

Tonica Page 2

2 Local 2 • The Tonica News • Friday, January 23, 2015

Seeking Sources

Make an impact on a child’s life

Where in the world is The Tonica News? Are you planning a vacation or holiday trip?

Don’t forget to take along a copy of the The Tonica News.

Once you get to your destination, have someone snap a photo of you holding the newspaper, and then send the photo to us along with pertinent information about who is in the photo and where you are. We’ll be happy to share your photo with other Tonica News readers, your friends, family and neighbors. Email your photo and information to news@tonicanews.com.

You can also drop it by our office in Tonica.

January is National Mentoring Month

By Dixie Schroeder news@tonicanews.com

Shaw Media Service photo/Lyle Ganther

Dr. Jason Lafferty of Ladd Family Chiropractic will start offering services at Sapp Brothers on Jan. 6.

Published every Friday at Tonica, IL 61370 Entered at Tonica Post Office as Periodical Mail $22 In LaSalle County $25 Outside of LaSalle County

Contact Publisher Sam Fisher sfisher@tonicanews.com Editor Terri Simon tsimon@tonicanews.com

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Ladd chiropractor offering services at Sapp Brothers

By Lyle Ganther Shaw Media Service

LADD — Dr. Jason Lafferty, who has operated Ladd Family Chiropractic for 11 years, started offering services at Sapp Brothers in Peru, beginning Jan. 6.

“This opportunity has been on my mind for a number of years,” he said.

“I called local truck stops, and Kevin (Cassidy manager at Sapp Brothers) jumped on it.”

Lafferty knew of the great need for this type of service for travelers.

“I have family members

Tonica From Page 1 is ticking on the timetable allotted for the project.

“They’re telling us it may be mid-July before we know what the new rules are. We may have to re-bid the project,” Sluder said. “We’ll be checking with our contractors

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who are truck drivers, and I know about the wear and tear this profession does to them,” he said.

Lafferty will have a room next to the CB Repair Shop at the truck stop where he will have office hours from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Lafferty will offer chiropractic care such as adjustments and spinal exams, and X-rays by appointment only since he will have to do this at his Ladd office. He will also be seeking certification to perform DOT physicals. He wants to not only offer chiroprac-

tic services to truckers, but also to other travelers on Interstate 80 and even local folks, if they so desire.

Lafferty said Sapp Brothers offers chiropractic care at two other trucks stops the company operates in Denver, Colo., and Salt Lake City, Utah.

Lafferty will also send letters to local trucking companies telling them about his office hours at the truck stop to let their drivers know about this new service.

Lafferty said people wanting to call for an appointment after Jan. 6 can call 815-627-6450. He will also accept walk-ins.

Ladd Family Chiropractic’s website is www. laddchiro.com, and it also has a Facebook presence.

to see if they can hold on to our bid for a while, even with other changes coming through. We’re also looking into the U.S. Department of Agriculture for loan possibilities.

They said their loan criteria should be ready in a month or so.”

In other action, the board approved the construction of a parking

area and driveway from Town & Country’s warehouse to LaSalle Street.

The lane will enter the village’s main thoroughfare across the street from the Illini State Bank. While eliminating one parking spot on LaSalle Street, it will allow Town & Country trucks to park off street and remove congestion.

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LASALLE — As an adult in today’s society it is often forgotten what kind of impact we make on people, especially the young.

January is National Mentoring month. This event was started by the Harvard School of Public Health and MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership.

The group tries to put attention on the importance of mentoring work and how each individual who volunteers can be a mentor in everyday life events.

The National Mentoring Month has goals set to help establish positive effects of young people’s lives. The goals include: The group wants to raise awareness of mentoring in its various forms. It wants to help recruit individuals to mentor, especially in programs that have waiting lists of young people. The group also wishes to help promote the rapid growth of mentoring by recruiting organizations to engage their constituents in mentoring.

The National Mentoring Month organization has local partners in each state who work to create special events in their areas or communities with business partners. These events are designed to help find interested adults who wish to learn how to take their concern for young people and focus it into direct action by becoming mentors.

D’Wayne Bates, director of athletics and activities at LaSalle-Peru High School, is a strong proponent of the mentoring program at the school.

“We stress that in our lifetime we are to contribute and give back to society. No better and humble way than volunteerism.

Our Caval Chord program, truly recreated by Principal Deb Nelson, affords our students the opportu-

nity to truly volunteer as leaders and role models, while earning points and graduation recognition,” Bates said. “A role of mine as director of athletics and student activities is to prepare students with skills for life during and far beyond high school, whether they attend college or start their work career. Volunteerism may be the difference of being selected for a scholarship or being a top candidate for hire. We want to afford our Cavaliers the best opportunity to pursue their dreams, but always humbly serving the community.”

In Illinois, the Illinois Mentoring Partnership (IMP) is the umbrella organization in the state for quality youth mentoring programs. IMP provides resources, technical assistance and advocacy for the state’s mentoring movement.

Currently there are three million children in the state who are being mentored. However this leaves 15 million children who are not, according to IMP. IMP notes children who are mentoring are 27 percent less likely to start drinking, 37 percent less likely to skip classes in school and 46 percent less likely to start using illegal drugs.

The IMP noted that 9 to 15 year olds are at a critical time in their lives where they are highly influenced.

Ninety-two percent of these children who need mentoring are from low income households with 80 percent of this group being from single-parent families. This is where mentoring becomes a critical factor in a child’s development.

An adult who meets with a child for just five hours a week can have a strong impact on that child’s life, according to IMP. Currently there are over 200 youth mentoring programs operating in Illinois.

According to IMP, almost one in five children in the state do not have a caring adult to whom they can turn for guidance and support.

3 Obit Records Friday, January 23, 2015 • The Tonica News • 3

Obituary Alice Harms

Tax Tips 101 Farmers can score with the J shot! Schedule J that is!

By Barb Chambers Special to Tonica News

Schedule J — Income Averaging for Farmers (and for fisherman, but not many commercial fisherman here in the middle of the prairie!)

Have you had a great year? (A good problem to have!) If so, you may be able to reduce your taxes by moving all or part of your farm income to your three prior years and take advantage of any lower

tax rates that you may have had in those years.

This works quite nicely if one or more of those previous years were not as good, and if you were in a lower tax rate bracket.

This won’t always benefit you, but when it does, it can keep your money in your pocket and out of your Uncle Sam’s pocket!

If you qualify as a farmer for 2014, be sure to ask your tax professional if this will make a win for you!

Barb Chambers, CPA

TONICA — Alice E. Harms, 95, of 1064 N. 17th Road, Tonica, died at 3:30 a.m.

Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, at Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru.

She was born Sept. 4, 1919, in Stover, Mo., to Henry and Helena (Steinmeyer) Koester. She married Elmer Harms Oct. 24,1942.

She was a homemaker and member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Tonica. She loved people, quilting, gardening, puzzles and playing euchre at the Putnam County Achievement Center.

She is survived by her six children, Shirley (Andrew) La Freniere of Blue Eye, Mo.,

Barb Chambers resides in McNabb. She can be reached at 815882-2437 or 815-252-2427 or at Baccpa1@gmail. com.

NCAT adds IVCC transit through Tonica and Lostant

OGLESBY — The North Central Area Transit (NCAT) system is adding another route to help meet the demand for public transportation in LaSalle County. Its latest step forward is the immediate beginning of a fixed daily route from Streator to Illinois Valley Community College’s main campus in Oglesby with stops in Lostant and Tonica.

“We believe the new route will attract individuals who need economical transportation to change their lives through new careers, employees needing to upgrade industrial skills and those who need to earn their GEDs,” said IVCC President Jerry Corcoran.

Sara Escatel, IVCC’s director of adult education, said up to 100 students could use the new route each semester to complete their GED studies at IVCC.

Streator Mayor Jimmie Lansford said, “We are trying to knock down barriers people encounter when pursuing a college education and becoming more employable. Now transportation is no longer a barrier.”

The schedule for the new route includes a 7:03 a.m. departure from Streator’s St. Mary’s Cancer Treatment Center parking lot at 614 S. Bloomington St. across from the hospital, with a 7:23 a.m. stop at the front of Illini State Bank in Lostant and a 7:33 a.m. stop at Casey’s parking lot on Route 251 in Tonica.

The two daily return routes from IVCC’s turnaround to Streator – with stops in Tonica and Lostant – are at noon and 3:30 p.m.

The fare is $4 each way or a 10-pack of tickets for $30 and can be purchased from the front desk inside

IVCC’s main entrance or by contacting Streator City Hall at 815-672-2517.

The new route is a partnership between IVCC and the cities of Streator and Ottawa; Ottawa administers public transportation in LaSalle County. It is made possible by financial contributions to NCAT from the city of Streator and IVCC. Ottawa Mayor Robert Eschbach said, “This new route is just the latest example of the strong partnership between IVCC and the city of Ottawa. I want to thank IVCC’s board for its financial contribution.

“The route would not be possible without key financial support from Mayor Lansford and the Streator City Council,” Eschbach added. “I appreciate the ongoing willingness of the mayor and council to help meet the transportation needs of the people of Streator.”

NCICG to host meetings for natural hazard mitigation planning PERU/LACON — North Central Illinois Council of Governments (NCICG) will host two meetings to gather public input to create goals for the region’s multi-jurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (NHMP).

The plan covers Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, Putnam and Stark counties.

Meetings will be at 6 p.m. on Jan. 28 in the Peru Community Room located at the Peru City Hall, 1901 Fourth St., Peru, and at 6 p.m. on Jan. 29 at Lacon City Hall, 406 Fifth St., Lacon.

The format for the meetings will be identical. Throughout the planning process, meetings are being held across the region to give all residents the opportunity to provide input.

In order to receive federal funding for pre-disaster mitigation funds, counties must have an adopted and approved Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan (NHMP). The purpose of a NHMP is to identify the types of natural hazards that impact

a jurisdiction, to assess each jurisdiction’s vulnerability to those hazards and to formulate mitigation strategies that will lessen the severity of natural disasters by protecting human life and property. Every five years, plans must be reviewed and updated to remain active.

For more information about the Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, contact NCICG at 815433-5830 or visit www. ncicg.org.

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Steven (Linda) Harms of Tonica, Samuel Harms of Tonica, Stanley Harms of Leonore, Suzanne (John) Franklin of Woodbridge,Va., and Scott (Corinna) Harms of Tonica; eight grandchildren; one step-granddaughter; eight great-granddaughters; two step-great-grandchildren; and one brother, Clarence (Betty) Koester of California.

She was preceded in death by her husband on June 2, 1997; and three sisters.

Cremation rites have been accorded and burial of ashes will be at a later date in Rutland Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to Putnam County Achievement Center.

The Hurst Funeral Home in Tonica is assisting the family. Online condolences may be viewed and remembrances shared at www.hurstfuneralhomes.com.

IVCC to hold FAFSA workshops OGLESBY — Illinois Valley Community College’s Financial Aid Office will host a series of FAFSA completion workshops in January and February.

Main campus sessions are in E 214 from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

Jan. 23, 3 to 7 p.m. Feb. 5 and 1 to 5 p.m. Feb. 14.

Ottawa Center sessions are 2 to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 30, 3 to 7 p.m. Feb. 3 and 1 to 5 p.m. Feb. 7.

Counselors will assist students in completing the 2015-16 Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Participants should bring a copy of

their 2014 federal tax return or copies of all student and parent W-2 forms (if available) and information on student and parent savings and investments.

Dependent students should bring a copy of their parents’ 2014 federal tax return or W-2 forms (if available) and know their parents’ dates of birth and the date of marriage, separation or divorce.

Because of an anticipated early deadline to be considered for the ISAC MAP Grant, students are encouraged to submit FAFSAs by Feb. 15.

Students and parents may use estimated information if tax information is not yet available.

Prior to the workshop, students and parents need to go to www.fafsa.gov and apply for a PIN number.

Financial aid counselors will review and help finalize applications.

Beginning in March, appointments may be made on main campus by contacting financial aid at 815224-0438. Evening assistance is available from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Conservation cropping seminar Jan. 27 SYCAMORE — University of Illinois Extension-Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, Putnam Unit encourages producers, agribusinesses and others interested, along with Certified Crop Advisers needing CEU credits, to attend the 2015 Illinois Regional Conservation Cropping Seminar on Jan. 27 in Sycamore, “Managing Your Inputs for Healthy Soils.” Five CEUs in soil and water management have been applied for.

The seminar will be held at the DeKalb County Farm Bureau Building, 1350 W. Prairie Drive, Sycamore.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. with the first speaker at 8:40 a.m. The seminar will conclude at 3:30 p.m. with a time to meet with speakers, exhibitors and attendees to follow.

Topics include: Nutrient utilization research and on-farm - Dr. Shalamar Armstrong, Illinois State University Mike Schweitzer, DeKalb County Producer Conservation cropping systems - Clay Mitchell, Iowa Farmer Weeds plus herbicide management with cover crops as part of the system - Gordon Roskamp, Illinois Central College Systems for soil health Dr. Eileen Kladivko, Purdue University Illinois nutrient loss reduction strategy, what and why now - Lauren Lurkins, Illinois Farm Bureau Basics of successful cover crops - Hans Kok, Soil Health Consultant, Ind. Conservation cropping systems farmer panel Soybeans and steward-

ship - Ray Gaesser, Iowa Farmer / American Soybeans Association Meet and greet with speakers, exhibitors and attendees Pre-registration and payment is required. The fee to attend is $20, payable by check or credit card.

Student rate is $10. Lunch is included. Online (credit card) registration can be made at: http://www. ccswcd.com. Mail registration can be made to: Champaign County SWCD, Attn: CCS 2015, 2110 W. Park Court, Suite C, Champaign IL 61821. For more information contact Joe Bybee at 815-787-5480 or 815-757-5465.

For more information call University of Illinois Extension – Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, Putnam Unit at 815-224-0889.

Rauner

but one who will be available during session days.”

Mautino stated he has met with commendable members of Rauner’s team.

In particular, Mautino said he greatly respects Rauner’s budgeting official.

Rezin is also complimentary of some of Rauner’s staff choices.

“I am very pleased and excited Philip Nelson will be the state’s next Department of Agriculture director. As a fourth generation

farmer from Seneca, he is the perfect fit to grow Illinois’ exports, be an advocate for farmers, and help feed not only Illinois residents, but people around world.”

“He’s doing some of the things necessary to wrap your arms around a $35 billion operating budget,” said Mautino, “I look forward to working with them … and continuing to address a lot of the financial problems the state faces.”

From Page 1 planning, we’ve seen shortterm fixes and bad governance. Fortunately, we will now break away from this pattern which will benefit everyone who lives and works in Illinois. I look forward to a new way of thinking at the statehouse and look forward to working with a governor who not only calls Springfield home,

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4 Perspective 4 • The Tonica News • Friday, January 23, 2015

The Editorial Page The Tonica News Sam R Fisher

Terri Simon

Publisher

Editor

The selfie I heard somewhere that 2014 was deemed, “The Year of the Selfie.” For those who don’t embrace technology, a “selfie” is a photo you take of yourself with your smartphone. My iPhone actually has a little icon I can push, and the camera lens switches from what’s in front of me to focusing on me. There I stand in front of the camera lens — wide-eyed with a somewhat stupid look on my face. If I choose, I can snap photos of myself all day long. Not! Actually, I’ve only taken a few selfies — one of my dog and me and a couple of just myself as I attempt to figure out this smartphone — which is considerably smarter than I am. None of the photos turned out great, and they weren’t worthy of posting on Facebook or emailing to friends. I probably should have deleted them, but I decided to keep them just for fun — perhaps a memory of how non-savvy my technological skills Terri Simon really are.

Nevertheless, selfies are a huge part of our world. Perhaps the most famous selfie occurred during the 2014 Oscars, when TV icon Ellen DeGeneres snapped a selfie of herself with many of the celebrities in the crowd. It was fun to watch, and I’m sure it encouraged countless more selfies around the world.

So who thought of the selfie. The verdict remains disputed. Some give credit to an American photographer who was able to snap his own photo in 1829, while others give credit to a Hollywood cameraman who was able to capture himself pictured with many celebrities throughout a period of time. Perhaps the most interesting selfie inventor was an Australian teenager, who snapped his own photo after he injured his mouth after a drunken binge one evening and captured his injured image, actually calling it a selfie.

Quite frankly, I don’t really care who thought of taking one’s own photograph — it’s rather self-serving, and I’m not sure what it actually accomplishes except for the idea that nobody else actually wants to take your photo, so you take it yourself.

Websites abound. There are websites on how to take the perfect selfie; equipment available to make your selfie-taking photos better; some kind of a sickness associated with being obsessed with taking your own photo; and many, many more. People are actually making money on the art of the selfie — the word making it into the Oxford Dictionary in 2013.

As for me, I’m not one who usually likes to have her photo taken — by anyone, including myself. I’m that one who attempts to lean out of the way of the camera lens; the same one who looks ridiculous when the actual photo is seen and I’m nearly bending over backwards to keep from being photographed. I’m also one of those people who likes to stand in the back row of a photograph, even though my 5-foot, 3-inch body begs to differ. If I want to see my face or my body, I’ll look in a mirror — something which I tend to avoid also.

But selfies aren’t going anywhere. There are all kinds of gadgets for sale now to make your selfie experience a better one. I probably won’t invest, but for those who take a lot of selfies, they might be tempted to throw a few bucks into some hardware to improve their self image.

Hmmmm ... While the idea of a selfie is meant to be fun, I have to wonder why we don’t take more time, not to mention pride, in working on our own self image, rather than just capturing it with our cell phones. We live in a world where self esteem causes all kinds of problems, not just for the person with low self esteem but also for those around him/her.

No self-photograph is ever going to capture the quiet thoughts that live within that person smiling at their cell phone. No selfie will show what lives inside of face looking back at you. So perhaps if we worked harder on what’s on the inside, the portrait we take would be a more appropriate reflection of who we really are.

Editor Terri Simon can be reached at tsimon@tonicanews.com.

First Amendment “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

Constitution of the United States, 1789

Susan Siemers Town: Tonica.

Family: Roger Siemers, husband.

Occupation: Retired.

Pets: None.

What is the last book you read: “Country Weekly.”

What is the last TV show you saw: A Christmas movie.

If someone stranded you on a

First Person

would it be: My family.

If someone handed you a million dollars, what would you do with it: Well, I’d give some to my family and pay bills.

What is your favorite area restaurant(s): Garzanelli’s.

deserted island, what would be the meal you would eat forever: Spaghetti.

Would do you like best about your hometown: It’s small, and you never feel like a stranger.

If someone stranded you on a deserted island and you could take only one thing with you, what

Would you change anything about your hometown: We could use a local restaurant.

Hatred doesn’t have to be an order Even though Christmas has passed and you’re now no longer bombarded with Christmas songs, I wanted to share a Christmas story with you; one from just more than 100 years ago.

“War is hell.” William Tecumseh Sherman.

“Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.” John F. Kennedy.

“What a cruel thing war is ... to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors.” Robert E. Lee. It was called “The war to end all wars,” but that was not to be. On a cold Christmas Eve in 1914, World War I was just a few months old.

During the war, soldiers said you were so close to the enemy, you could hear them breathing. It was starting to look as though this war would not end soon, which wore on the hearts of men fighting so far from home.

So is it any wonder that on this festive occasion, the soldiers in the trenches decided to celebrate as best they could. They sang Christmas carols, exchanged gifts of food, drink and tobacco, shared stories and played soccer. It was a celebration of life for all of the

Ken Schroeder COMMENTARY

English, French, Scottish and German troops present.

Wait a minute ... German troops?

Yep. Called the Christmas Truce of 1914, soldiers — predominately along the Western front — laid down their weapons and enjoyed the camaraderie of men who understood too well what each side was going through. It didn’t matter on that day what uniforms they wore or how many of their brethren had been killed by the other side. All that mattered was the spirit of giving both sides felt; the realization the men across the trenches were no different than the ones beside you.

And of course, they also took the time to retrieve the fallen soldiers littering the short distance between the opposing trenches and bury the honored dead.

When upper command caught wind of this, there were cries of

outrage. It was high treason to see the enemy as anything other than a deadly threat to a country’s ideology. Units were broken up; men were demoted; and punishments handed down. It was only through the public support of such goodwill such punishments were not more strict.

The ensuing years saw the top brass reminding soldiers fraternizing with the enemy was treason.

But although the practice was not as widespread, the Christmas truce repeated each year through World War I. But never again afterward. The chivalry of war breathed its last in World War I and would ever after be fought with pure hatred instead of the realization soldiers are men doing their duty.

There are still those who see this as treason; but I’m reminded of a quote by Col. Sherman Potter from the TV show “M*A*S*H” that has always struck me as profound.

“Sometimes I think it should be a rule of war that you have to see somebody up close and get to know him before you can shoot him.”

Ken Schroeder can be reached at news@tonicanews.com.

Letters policy Letters to the Editor should not be more than 500 words in length. Only one person can sign a Letter to the Editor. The author of the letter must include his/her name, hometown and telephone number. The author’s name and hometown will be published, however, the telephone number is only used to verify the authenticity of the author’s signature and will not be published. Unsigned letters are never read or published. No letter will be published until The Tonica News contacts the author of the letter to verify the signature. The Tonica News reserves the right to edit or refuse any Letter to the Editor.

5 Life Friday, January 23, 2015 • The Tonica News • 5

Community

Hall/PC places sixth at Kewanee

By Dixie Schroeder

Lostant Student Council will host soup drive LOSTANT — The Student Council at Lostant School is getting ready to host a soup drive the last week of January to correspond with the “Souper Bowl.”

Each class will have a box in the room for collection of cans. The col-

lection will then be given to the Illinois Food Pantry.

The drive will run during the week of Jan. 26-30 and everyone at the school is invited to wear their favorite football apparel. The winning classroom will get a treat. To win a treat, bring in a lot of soup cans.

IVCH commended for efforts to reduce elective deliveries PERU — Illinois Valley Community Hospital’s efforts to work with expectant mothers to reduce the number of early elective deliveries earned the hospital a letter of commendation from the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative (ILPQC).

“We commend you on your hospital’s achievement of ILPQC’s statewide goal of an early elective delivery rate of less than 5 percent,” said the letter received Jan. 9 by Angela O’Bryant, IVCH obstetrics unit nurse manager, from Ann Borders, MD, ILPQC’s Obstetrics Lead.

“Your hospital’s achievement is a critical step towards improving birth outcomes and reducing costs associated with non-medically indicated early elective inductions and elective cesarean sections. This letter officially recognizes your hospital and your perinatal team for this outstanding achievement,” said Borders.

The Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative was formed in late 2012 upon the recommendation of the Illinois Perinatal Advisory Committee Prematurity Task Force to the Illinois legislature. The Task Force recommended a statewide perinatal quality collabora-

tive to work with the Illinois Regionalized Perinatal System to facilitate quality improvement initiatives.

ILPQC collaborates with the Illinois Regionalized Perinatal System, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois State Quality Council, Illinois Chapter of the March of Dimes, Illinois Hospital Association, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, EverThrive Illinois, additional stakeholders and hospitals across the state to provide evidence-based, data-driven quality improvement support and resources to hospitals.

ILPQC provides support through a collaborative infrastructure that allows perinatal quality improvement teams from across the state to share best-practices, challenges, and successes across hospitals.

ILPQC resources include educational webinars, toolkits, a website with links to best-practice materials and the web-based, realtime ILPQC REDCap data collection and reporting system.

Tea Party meeting Jan. 27 OTTAWA — The LaSalle County Tea Party will begin the New Year with a speaker who has worked in and has intimate knowledge of both the Senate and House in Washington, D.C. The Jan. 27 meeting of the LaSalle County Tea Party will be at Pitstick Pavilion, 3401 N. Route 23 in Ottawa. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 7 p.m.

Shonda Werry received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree from world-renowned John Hopkins University.

Werry has worked in both the House of Representatives and the Senate in Washington, D.C. and is a legislative policy analyst who advises conservative political candidates and non-profit organizations.

Her research focuses primarily on issues related to federalism and the constitutional limits on the federal government’s power.

Werry currently serves as the executive director of Competitive Governance Institute, a national non-profit organization focused on solving policy problems at the local level. She is the legislative coordinator for Tea Party Patriots and is the author of numerous articles in leading newspapers and publications.

Tea Party officials have also invited Republican county board members to attend and explain to LaSalle County residents why their first major vote after being seated was to raise the tax levy when the acknowledged unemployment rate in LaSalle is 7.9 percent.

news@tonicanews.com

GRANVILLE – The Hall/PC wrestling co-op placed sixth in Saturday’s Kewanee Invitational.

Mario Flores, at 132 pounds, earned a first round bye, then defeated Christian Jetton of Illinois Valley Chillicothe to earn a place in the final round.

Monmouth’s Anthony Razo beat Flores in the final match, giving Flores (6-5) a second-place finish.

Hall/PCs Ben Garland wrestled at 152 pounds in the invite. Garland earned a bye in the first round, then beat Isaac Boraas of Sherrard. Garland (9-4) then faced Fulton’s Tristan Smith and lost, earning a second-place finish in the meet.

Luke McCook represented the team at the 160 weight division. McCook beat Zach Williams of Monmouth, but then lost to Sherrard’s Tyler Rolling by a pinfall. In wrestlebacks McCook beat Taylor Thompson of Mendota, then lost in the thirdplace match to Kewanee’s Cameron Rohrig. McCook

(8-6) finished the day in fourth place.

James Hall (9-11) continued to show maturity as he earned a second-place finish in his 170-pound weight class.

Hall beat Kody Lambert of Sherrard, Matt Thompson of Knoxville and then lost to Chase Dietrich of IVC for second place.

In the 182-pound weight division, Evan Kiphart (10-14) earned a fifth-place finish on the day. Kiphart beat IVC’s Mike Meister and then lost to Taylor Fleetwood of Fulton. In wrestlebacks he lost to Dalton Holeman of Monmouth and then won over Meister again to earn his fifth-place finish.

In the first home meet of the season against Sherrard, the Hall/PC junior varsity won three of the six matches. Daniel Jefferies won his match at 145 pounds with an 11-4 decision. Marco Uribe, wrestling in the 220pound division, pinned his opponent at 2:00 into the second period of his match. Joe Berg at 152 pounds also won by pinfall with :47 seconds left in

Tonica News photo/Dixie Schroeder

Nathan Diaz wrestles an opponent during the varsity meet. PC/Hall hosted its first home meet of the season against the Sherrard Tigers last week. the third period.

PC/Hall varsity also earned four wins against the state-ranked Sherrard.

In the heavyweight class, Shane Kahounha pinned his opponent at 1:22 in the first period.

Flores, wrestling at 132 pounds, worked his match like a pro, but was behind 8-13 when he found his opening and pinned his opponent at 22.6 seconds left in the third period of their match. In the 160-pound weight class,

McCook took his opportunity in the second period and won by pinfall with 1:20 left in the match.

Hall took a 5-2 lead in the first period and a 12-4 lead in the second period and began to lose his momentum. Hall, however, pulled out a 12-10 win in the third period.

• Hall/PC hosted a home meet on Jan. 21 against Seneca in a tune-up for the Super Dual meet on Jan. 31. This will be senior night for Putnam County.

Stage 212 seeks submissions from directors LASALLE — Stage 212 in LaSalle is currently seeking submissions from directors for the 2016 season.

The organization is seeking wellknown, highly recognizable shows for the winter, spring, summer and fall slots, but will also entertain proposals for special “5th Show” productions, typically small cast and a little out of the ordinary, to run in a slot outside of the regular season.

Winter productions are typically small musicals or comedy/ dramas, the spring and fall shows are comedy/dramas, and the summer production is traditionally a

big musical, but other proposals will be considered. The organization will consider all submissions, including repeats of past shows if they have not been performed in the last 20 years.

Anyone interested in submitting a play for consideration should contact Natalie Smigel at 815-2243025 or email stage212@att.net for application information. Visitors to stage212.org will find a reference list of all productions Stage 212 has put on in their history, as well as a director’s resume and application available for download. Applications are due March 1, and should

be emailed to stage212@att.net, dropped off at the Stage 212 box office, 700 First St., LaSalle during regular office hours or mailed to Stage 212, Inc. P.O. Box 198, LaSalle, IL 61301. A final selection will be made for recommendation to the Management Committee of Stage 212 in May of 2015.

Stage 212 has been the Illinois Valley’s community theater since 1968 and welcomes anyone interested in participating in a stage production, regardless of previous experience. For more information about its current season, call 815224-3025.

IVCC offers free training for I-READ tutors OGLESBY — The I-READ Adult Literacy Program at Illinois Valley Community College will conduct free training sessions for new volunteer tutors in February.

Volunteers must have a desire to work with adult learners and be willing to tutor two to three hours each week, but volunteers do not need to have teaching experience. Fifteen hours of training are required for all volunteer tutors.

Required training sessions will be from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 7 and Feb. 21 in Room CTC-221 at IVCC’s main campus. Participants should bring a sack lunch as lunch is not provided.

Visiting an adult education classroom is an additional training component.

After completing the training, tutors are matched with learners age 17 or older whose reading or math skills are below the ninthgrade level or who need to improve their English

language skills. Volunteers may choose to tutor in one-to-one sessions at a local library or in smallgroup sessions at an adult education classroom within the IVCC district.

Free online tutor training is another option for volunteers whose sched-

ules do not allow them to participate in the February training sessions. For information on the I-READ program, go to http:// www.ivcc.edu/adulted.

To register for the training sessions, contact Angela Dunlap, I-READ program manager, at 815-

224-0372 or Chris Warren, I-READ literacy specialist, at 815-224-0345. The I-READ program is made possible by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a Division of the Office of Secretary of State, using state funds designated for literacy.

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6 Life 6 • The Tonica News • Friday, January 23, 2015

Menus and Activities Lostant Grade School Breakfast Jan. 26 – French toast, breakfast bar, bacon, yogurt, cereal, fruit, juice, milk.

Jan. 27 – Danish, yogurt, cereal, fruit, juice, milk.

Jan. 28 – Wholegrain English Muffin, sausage patty, yogurt, cereal, fruit, juice, milk.

Jan. 29 – Banana mini-muffin, yogurt, cereal, fruit, juice, milk.

Jan. 30 – Pop-Tart, string cheese, yogurt, cereal, fruit, juice, milk.

Lunch Jan. 26 – Hot dog, baked beans, peaches, milk.

Jan. 27 – Tortellini soup, lettuce salad, garlic bread, blueberry cake, milk.

Jan. 28 – Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, apricots, milk.

Jan. 29 – Bosco sticks, carrots, pears, milk.

Jan. 30 – Baked chicken, scalloped potatoes, Sidekick, milk.

Activities Jan. 27 – 6 p.m., LGS volleyball at home.

Jan. 29 – 6 p.m., LGS Volleyball at home.

Tonica Grade School Breakfast Jan. 26 – Pancake and sausage on a stick, cereal, granola, yogurt or toast, fruit, juice, milk.

Jan. 27 – Pancakes, cereal, granola, yogurt or toast, fruit, juice, milk.

Jan. 28 – Scrambled eggs, cereal, granola, yogurt or toast, fruit, juice, milk.

Jan. 29 – French toast sticks, cereal, granola, yogurt or toast, fruit, juice, milk.

Jan. 30 – Bagel and cream cheese, cereal, granola, yogurt or toast, fruit, juice, milk.

Lunch Jan. 26 – Breaded beef patty, bread, mashed potatoes, fruit side kick, gravy, milk.

Jan. 27 – Roasted chicken, dinner roll or PBJ, corn, steamed broccoli, fruit, milk.

Jan. 28 – Cheese Bosco sticks, marinara sauce, cauliflower and carrots, fruit, grahams, milk.

Jan. 29 – Salad bar: diced ham or chicken, shredded cheese, croutons, assorted veggies and fruit, banana bread, or PBJ, fruit, carrots, banana bread, milk.

Jan. 30 – Taco in a bag, taco meat, shredded cheese, refried beans, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, onions, salsa, fruit, sour cream, nacho corn chips, cookie, milk.

Activities Jan. 24 – Basketball, seventh-grade regional, time and location TBA. Jan. 26 – 5 p.m., volleyball vs. Mendota Northbrook.

Jan. 27 – 5 p.m., volleyball at Milton Pope.

Jan. 31 – Basketball, eighth-grade regional, time and location TBA.

Putnam County Community Center Jan. 26 – Cream of broccoli soup, crackers, BLT sandwich, orange.

Jan. 27 – Baked chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, buttered corn, rolls and butter, peaches, dessert.

Jan. 28 – Meatballs, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, bread, fruit cocktail.

Jan. 29 – Barbecue on bun, baked beans, carrot sticks, fruit, dessert.

Jan. 30 – Barbecue on bun, baked beans, carrot sticks, fruit, dessert.

ICGA elects new officers, board members BLOOMINGTON — Kenneth Hartman Jr., a farmer from Waterloo, has been elected president of the Illinois Corn Growers Association (ICGA) for 2014-15 at its reorganizational meeting on Nov. 25.

Hartman has served on the ICGA board for six years, most recently as vice president. As District 14 director, he represents corn farmers in Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, St. Clair and Washington counties.

Joining Hartman in leadership roles are Vice President Jeff Jarboe of Loda, Treasurer Glenna Taylor of Oakland and Secretary Bill Leigh of Minonk. Elected to lead

Library corner LaSalle Library Every Tuesday in January, the LaSalle Public Library will offer preschoolers, ages 3 to 5 years, and their caregivers Storytime Express, an interactive mix of stories complemented with a variety of engaging activities like crafts, flannel boards, rhymes, songs and puppets. The program is formatted to introduce children to the library and to early literacy skills. The shorter 30-minute length and fast pace make it perfect for active children with shorter attention spans, and the Storytime Express is a great way for busy parents to share special times with their children. A bit of the program time will be set aside to help families find just the right books to check out. Snowflakes, sledding, snowmen, snow days, all things winter, hibernation, bears – teddy and sleeping — thousands of books for sharing at home.

Fun and educational, Storytime Express is a free program, open to the public. Storytime Express will be offered most Tuesdays from 11:45 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. If you plan to attend, call on Monday of the program week at 815223-2341; this helps staff ensure that ample craft kits will be available for all participants.

IVCC announces spring productions OGLESBY — Illinois Valley Community College’s theatre department has announced spring productions as well as auditions for all shows.

The lineup includes the original historical play, “Legacy,” co-written by director David A. Kuester and Megan Norlin. Kuester will also direct the IVCC Comedy Improv Team.

Musical theatre director Don Grant Zellmer will direct and choreograph “Sugar Babies – The Burlesque Musical,” as well as direct and choreograph the IVCC Show Choir for a themed revue.

“Sugar Babies” starred Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller in its Broadway

run, and Zellmer worked extensively with Rooney in his touring show.

“I have been in and produced several productions of ‘Sugar Babies,’” Zellmer said, “and always found the show a riot – with terrific music. Working with Mickey and doing some of those sketches with ‘the Master’ really gave me a love of the old Burlesque comedy style.”

The show is a fast-moving revue that pays loving tribute to the comics, singers, and “Burly-Cuties” that sang and danced through this type of strictly American entertainment.

“Legacy” will be performed in conjunction with the Abraham Lincoln

counties.

At large directors elected are Wayne Anderson of Geneseo (interlocking director with the Illinois Farm Bureau), Grant Noland of Blue Mound and Gary Hudson of Hindsboro.

The ICGA Board — which coordinates and conducts market development, legislative and public relations programs to benefit corn producers — consists of 15 directors representing specific districts and an additional three at-large directors. They are elected yearly by members of the Illinois Corn Growers Association.

the Exports Committee were Chairman Aron Carlson of Winnebago and Vice Chairman Grant Noland of Blue Mound. Elected to lead the Industrial Committee were Chairman Justin Durdan of Utica and Vice Chairman Ted Mottaz of Elmwood. Elected to lead the Grassroots Committee were Chairman Gary Hudson of Hindsboro and Vice Chairman Randy DeSutter of Woodhull.

Re-elected to serve as directors on the state board are: District 5 — Justin Durdan of Utica, representing farmers in Grundy, LaSalle, and Livingston

exhibit coming to IVCC March 24 to May 1. The historical drama is presented in the days of “Chitaqua” entertainment, then diverts to flashbacks during the Civil War era and features vignettes of characters with connections to the Illinois Valley such as Anne Dickey Wallace, General Wallace and Abraham Lincoln.

The show was written

by Kuester and Megan Norlin several years ago and will be adapted further to commemorate the Lincoln exhibit.

“We’re thrilled to have such a great reason to debut this show and to bring to life these fascinating characters,” said Kuester.

January Tail-Waggers Club at the LaSalle Library.

The LaSalle Public Library is inviting families to join in stories with the library’s “Reading Loving Therapy Dogs!” This year, the LaSalle Public Library is very fortunate. Nancy Fryxell will be back with her dog, Elli, and Pam Booras will return with her dog, Tillie, and another reading dog, Gus. On Jan. 27 at 4 p.m., join the library when Nancy and Elli visit.

Kids choose a favorite short book or story and read aloud to a reading dog for about five minutes.

The dogs love stories, and everyone is encouraged to read. For kids who are not yet reading independently,

parents may read while the child holds the book and turns the pages. Both the audience and the dogs love the pictures, so even non-readers can hold up the book to show the illustrations to everyone. To help children feel confident in their reading, they should plan to read from a favorite familiar story. Choose a book from the library or from home.

Readers usually read more than once, depending on how many participants are at the Tail-Waggers event.

Kids love to read to the dogs because dogs love the stories, even when words have to be worked out, are missed, or are misspoken. Dogs aren’t judgmental – they don’t

correct, or interrupt; they simply appreciate stories and readers.

For more information, call the library at 815-2232341. The LaSalle Public Library is located at 305 Marquette in LaSalle.

Lostant Library

The Lostant Library hosts Library Time each week.

This birth to pre-school program for children and their caretakers has resumed after the holiday break. Volunteer Shauna Breckenridge, with assistance from the Oglesby Public Pre-School program, is host. The event is from 10 to 10:45 a.m. on Tuesdays and includes stories, singing, crafts and a snack.

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7 Life/Classifieds Friday, January 23, 2015 • The Tonica News • 7

Better Business Bureau’s Top 10 scams of 2014 CHICAGO — In 2014, the Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois received numerous calls and emails concerning various scams, new and old. The 10 scams having the greatest impact on consumers involved new ways to cheat people out of money and steal personal identity information, or sometimes both. While they may use emails and other digital communications, they focus on deception and people being too busy to first check out the source of the communication.

“This year, scammers found new ways to steal from innocent consumers and businesses, whether it be through multiple data breaches, fake invoice schemes, or even by pretending to be government officials,” said Steve Bernas, president and CEO of the BBB. “Some scams were widespread, getting a lot of people for small amounts. Others were more narrowly focused, taking people for thousands or tens of thousands of dollars.”

In no particular order, the Top 10 scams of 2014, according to the BBB serving Chicago and Northern Illinois, were: • Data breaches — Hackers are getting into computer systems that store financial and personal data then using it for fraud. Financial information was taken from many large retailers and social security numbers from a large hospital chain in the Chicago and northern Illinois area. Affected companies are obligated by law to notify customers about breaches. Although

you cannot avoid a data breach itself, you can prepare yourself for what may follow once your personal information has been stolen.

Keep track of your finances. Check credit card statements. Sign up for card usage notifications. Check your accounts online. Call your bank or credit card company if something seems suspicious on your statements.

• IRS imposters — Calls from scammers claiming to be IRS officials swept the country in 2014.

Thousands of calls were made to individuals threatening jail, deportation and loss of property if payment was not made. The Chicago and northern Illinois area had losses of around one million dollars.

Consumers were left voicemails saying they need to call the IRS immediately to avoid legal consequences. Hang up if you receive one of these calls. Do not provide any personal information. Contact the FCC and the FTC. • Click-Bait schemes — Sensational or provocative content, especially on social media, attracts attention and draws visitors to a particular web page. These stories were often used to trick consumers into clicking on links that go to fraudulent websites. When clicked on, malware is installed on your computer or smartphone. Don’t click on videos or photos that claim to be “exclusive,” “shocking” or “sensational.” Delete social media messages or emails that raise red flags in your mind. Take a moment to hover over a link to see its true destination.

• Fake utility bills — This sum-

mer, scammers targeted individual consumers and businesses with false claims that their utility bills were delinquent and their services were in danger of being disconnected. Many got calls from scammers who demanded they immediately pay their alleged delinquent accounts. If you receive one of these calls, do not provide any personal or financial information.

Make sure to call your utility service provider directly and verify a call was made.

• Pre-paid cards — Pre-paid debit cards such as GreenDot Money Cards, Wal-Mart MoneyCard and Western Union MoneyWise became a risk for consumers. Scammers, posing as “support reps” for these companies, tell consumers they need a refund for the money on the card, and they request a person’s credit and checking account numbers.

This information gives scammers access to the pre-paid card and your financial accounts. Never give out financial information to someone you don’t know. To verify the request, call the card company at the phone number listed on the card, or the company’s general number.

• Tech support scams — This fall, there was a surge in reports of consumers receiving calls from individuals claiming Microsoft has been notified of errors or viruses on their computers that need removal. The scammer persuades the victim to download a program which allows remote access to their computer. Once access is gained, the scammer shows typ-

ical computer errors, which are still enough to convince the owner there is a problem. They then offer to fix the problems for anywhere from $200 to $400. Never give control of your computer to a third party unless it is a support team with whom you are a customer and can confirm that they are legitimate. To verify the request, call the company at the business’ general number listed in official documentation.

• Advance fee loans — Advance fee loans — also known as short-term high-rate loans, cash advance loans, check advance loans, payday loans or title loans — are very expensive forms of credit. Consumers are solicited by telemarketers, contacted by email, or see offers in classified sections of newspapers and magazines or on the Internet. Many times consumers never receive their loan, in spite of paying up front fees.

Check on a business beforehand.

Read the fine print. Get everything in writing. These are important steps to avoid being taken advantage of with advance fee loans.

• Fake lottery and sweepstakes — Lottery and sweepstakes scams usually begin with a phone call or an email. The consumers are told they won a large sum of money, but they must first pay fees and taxes. Victims wire this money, but never get their “winnings” or get back the money they sent.

Consumers need to keep in mind when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you never entered a contest, you can’t win. And you should never pay to

claim a prize.

• Office supplies/school supply scams — A company falsely sent invoices to schools and school districts. Districts were billed for bulk purchase of textbooks that were never requested or received.

This technique is also used on businesses for amounts that are a few hundred dollars. Inquiries received no responses; calls to a phone number routes to a series of voice mail boxes or mail drops.

Always cross check invoices with purchase orders. Check out new vendors or suppliers with the BBB. • Phishing scams — Scams using email were more common in 2014. Cyber-criminals pose as legitimate businesses to get financial information via emails. Links in the email can put a virus on your computer that hunts for your personal and financial information to use for identity theft or other illegal activities. Be cautious of clicking on links in unexpected emails. If you are expecting a confirmation receipt, log into your account and check for confirmation there. Be wary of emails that contain attached files. Don’t respond to unsolicited emails.

Don’t click on links in unsolicited emails.

“Before giving any company your personal or financial information, review the business on the BBB website,” said Bernas. “And remember, if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

For more information on scams, visit www.bbb.org, like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

Floodplain management course will be offered in February The LaSalle County Emergency Management Agency has been working along with the city of Ottawa, Sen. Sue Rezin, and Illinois Department of Natural Resources Office of Water Resources to bring “Floodplain Management Development through the National Flood Insurance Program” course to LaSalle County.

Confirmed 2015 dates for the free course are Feb. 23-27 with the exam for certified floodplain manager (CFM) on Feb. 27.

The course will begin at 1 p.m.

Feb. 23 and run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 24-26 and conclude around noon on Feb. 27. The IASFM Certified Floodplain Manager Exam will be administered about 1 p.m. The class requires a minimum of 20 students and has a maximum of 40 students.

The course is taught by FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Md. Local officials responsible for administering local floodplain management ordinances, including but not limited to floodplain

management administrators, building inspectors, code enforcement/zoning officers, planners, city/county managers, attorneys, engineers and public works officials. Federal/state/regional floodplain managers also are encouraged to attend. The course is designed for those officials with limited floodplain management experience.

While E273 is not a Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) course, it is a course that prepares individuals to sit for the CFM

exam. There will be a CFM on hand Feb. 27 to administer and proctor the exam for certifying floodplain managers.

FEMA Region V Mitigation Office indicates there are a few things participants must do before attending class: All participants must have a FEMA Student Identification (SID) number and can register for one at https://cdp.dhs.gov/ femasid/register.

There are two prerequisites to this class (participants can bring

their certificate with them to first day of class) and below are the links to both: Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) – approximately 30 minutes at http://www.fema.gov/ media/fhm/firm/ot_firm.htm.

Federal Insurance Studies (FIS) – approximately 40 minutes at http://www.fema.gov/media/ fhm/fis/ot_fis.htm.

Contact the LaSalle County EMA office with any questions at 815-433-5622 or info@lasallecountyema.org.

––––––––––– Classifieds –––––––––– General Terms and Policies

- 200 Employment

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- 700 Real Estate For Sale

The Tonica News reserves the right to classify correctly, edit, reject or cancel any advertisement at any time in accordance with its policy. All ads must be checked for errors by the advertiser, on the first day of publication. We will be responsible for the first incorrect insertion, and its liabilities shall be limited to the price on one insertion.

232 • Business Opportunities

450 • Under $1000

767 • Mobile Home Sales

CLASSIFIED LINE AD & LEGAL DEADLINES: • Friday Paper deadline Friday before by 3pm We Accept Call 815-875-4461 classified@bcrnews.com YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU MIGHT FIND right here in the Tonica News Classified! You could find furniture, appliances, pets, musical instruments, tools, anything. You might even find a kitchen sink!

********** THE CLASSIFIED Advertising Department of the Tonica News Does not have the opportunity to fully investigate the credibility of each advertiser appearing within these columns. If an offer sounds “too good to be true” it probably is.

Proceed with caution if you are asked to send money or to give a credit card number.

Proceed with caution in calling 900 phone numbers. All phone numbers prefixed by”900” are charged to the CALLER. Charges may be assessed on a “per minute” basis rather than a “per call” basis.

The Tonica News Classifieds makes every effort to qualify these charges for the reader.

If you have a concern about an advertiser, please contact: Better Business Bureau 330 North Wabash Chicago, IL 60611 312 832-0500

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Up to 3 items with price and price totaling under $1,000. 1 ad per household per week.

No commercial ads, firearms or animal sales.

E-mail information to: classified@ bcrnews.com (include your name, address & phone number) No Phone Calls!

**************** PUBLISHER'S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.”

Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis.

To complain of discrimination call, HUD tollfree at 800 669-9777.

The toll-free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 800 927-9275

999 • Legal Notices NOTICE Public Notice is hereby given that on January 13, 2015 a certificate was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of LaSalle County, Illinois, setting forth the names and post-office addresses of all the persons owning, conducting and transacting the business known as E. Addison Interior Painting and Design located at 501 W. Boys St., Streator, IL. Dated: January 13, 2015.

Scott Scheuer Applicant Published in the Tonica News Jan. 23, 30 and Feb. 6, 2015.

LEGAL NOTICES The Tonica News Classified brings you the legal information you have a right to know.

Check out each publication for information and stay informed!

E-mail items for sale to: classified@bcrnews.com

8 • The Tonica News • Friday, January 23, 2015

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January 2015 • 1

Finance Matters

A Publication of

What can you expect to see in 2015

By John Kiernan, personal finance editor

Special to the BCR

A crystal ball is a valuable thing. After all, if any of us truly had one, we could make a killing in the stock market. But while 20-20 vision is ultimately reserved for hindsight and no one can actually predict the future, we can indeed make some educated guesses as to what the coming months will hold for our wallets.

Doing so is especially important as we prepare to ring in the New Year, and turn the page on 2014 because it will enable us to chart a path toward financial success in 2015 and away from missteps and money loss. With that in mind, CardHub’s editors have consulted a number of prominent financial experts in making predic-

tions for what 2015 has in store for the credit markets, from debt levels to interest rate.

2015 predictions The Federal Reserve has kept short-term interest rates near zero for some time now, and there is little reason to expect significant changes in this regard as we enter 2015, despite the feds recently curtailing its bond-buying program. That’s because the feds have also pledged to suppress rates for a “considerable time.”

With that being said, there is a divide among the experts consulted in terms of the fate of rates in the New Year. Most of them believe that credit card interest rates will hold steady, including Matt R. Sheridan, a senior lecturer

Predictions Page 2

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Finance Matters

Predictions From Page 1 in finance at Ohio State University, who says, “I do not expect a meaningful rise in rates in 2015.

The credit card companies have strong pricing power with Libor falling and improving fundamentals … In addition, with oil prices down almost 30 percent, it is reasonable to expect strong consumer spending in the coming months which will boost credit card transactions.”

A few others, however, foresee increases of 1 to 2 percentage points in 2015.

“I expect short-term rates to rise during 2015, and hence credit card interest rates to rise,” says Hal Heaton, the Denny Brown Professor of Finance at Brigham Young University. “The forward rates on short-term rates are looking at about a 1 percent (100 basis point) rise during 2015.”

With that in mind, it’s fair to expect slight increases in average rates, yet an overall market where it is still very inexpensive to borrow.

All of the experts consulted expect credit to be in greater abundance in 2015 due to a confluence of factors, from the improvement of the economy and household balance sheets to the need for banks to boost profits in the absence of significantly higher interest rates. So,

if you have been unable to open a credit card of late, you might have more luck in the coming year. “(Credit will be) modestly more available, since bank credit quality and capital adequacy levels are much improved over 2012 and 2013; the U.S. economy is growing (albeit slowly); the unemployment rate is falling; and commercial bank appetites for risk-taking is vastly improved from levels observed in 2009 through 2013,” says D. Anthony Plath, an assistant professor of finance at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. “In addition, the ability of banks to continue boosting profits through loan reserve release is just about over, and operating costs in the industry are currently quite low for most banks; so the only way for banks to post profit increases in 2015 and 2016 is through enhanced revenue generation.”

While many economic indicators are painting a relatively rosy picture of our economic trajectory, credit card debt levels are one metric offering cause for concern. We’ve steadily added more and more credit card debt over the past three years, from a $36.8 billion build-up in 2012 to $38.8 billion in 2013 and now a projected $54.8 in 2014. We can only expect this downhill slide to continue in 2015, as consumers clearly have

not learned anything about the dangers of overleveraging from the trials and tribulations of the Great Recession.

Our panel of experts tends to agree with this assessment. Ryan M. Brewer, assistant professor of finance at IUPUI Columbus, believes that, “Consumer debt levels will rise slightly as consumer confidence continues its slightly upward trend going forward. Americans will take on a bit more debt as they begin to see wages rise and jobs continue to be comparatively more available versus in recent times.”

In recent years, we have forecast the mobile wallet industry gaining little traction with consumers.

This year appears to be different, however, following the high-profile release of Apple Pay. Not only did Apple Pay hit the market with a great deal

of hype, but early returns have shown the system to be a success at the relatively small number of stores equipped to replace it. As more stores come online and as Apple Payequipped devices further permeate the market, we can only expect adoption to increase significantly – further extending the lead Apple has established for itself over the rest of the mobile payments market.

The end of 2014 saw the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau introduce a new set of rules for the prepaid card market.

Among them are a number of provisions that classify overdraft protection as an extension of credit and extend credit-related underwriting rules to prepaid cards as a result. This, of course, begs the question of what will become of checking account overdraft rules.

We expect them to get

the same treatment as prepaid cards, much to the chagrin of the banking industry. That means banks will have to evaluate customers’ ability to pay prior to offering them overdraft protection as well as send them regular statements when they avail themselves of the service and refrain from automatically using one’s balance to pay the overdraft bill, among other requirements.

Chip-based credit cards have slowly crept into the consciousness of the general public, as more and more financial institutions begin to offer them to U.S. markets in the face of high-profile data breaches and impending changes to card network rules. This process will only intensify in 2015, as fraud liability rules that will transfer the burden of paying for unauthorized charges from banks to merchants who have not updated their payment terminals to chip card readers are scheduled to take effect in October. The more chipbased cards and chip card readers are on the market, the harder it will be for fraudsters to steal credit card information.

While some may refer to 2014 as the Year of the Data Breach, such a label displays an inherent level of optimism that is unlikely to prove accurate. The types of massive data breaches that afflicted the likes of Michael’s,

P.F. Chang’s and Home Depot will decline yet undoubtedly continue as the calendar turns to 2015, fostering consumer concern over privacy and fraudulent money loss, creating a public relations nightmare for retailers, and putting financial pressure on banks. These intrusions simply appear to be a fact of life in modern commerce, something one must learn to adapt to rather than solve completely.

“We live in an era where data breaches are not an IF, they’re a WHEN,” says Mike Whitman, program coordinator for BBA-Information Security and Assurance at Kennesaw State University. “Perfect security is a myth. Any organization, any individual can be the target of a data breach.”

Rewards remained strong in 2014, with the value of both cash back and points/miles initial bonuses increasing 7 percent – 18 percent relative to 2013. In fact, not only did the best initial bonuses on the market remain available, but the upper reaches of the rewards market got even more crowded as newly competitive offers were introduced. And while the average base earn rate for cash back credit cards fell about 4 percent, the value of ongoing points/miles crept up about 1 percent.

Predictions Page 4

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January 2015 • 3

Finance Matters

Meaningful conversations ...

Lessons learned as an advisor apply to everyday life Most of my work day is spent talking to clients and colleagues. It’s funny how day-today conversations can so easily become superficial. The lessons I have learned and continue to learn have brought me to a wonderful place; a place where conversations become meaningful, a place where financial planning truly becomes effective, a place where clients are friends and friends are clients.

I finally realized long ago that my 45-page financial

plans were not effective. The pages were a maze of awesome investment projections and impressive tax calculations, forecasting the next 35 years of my clients’ lives. But what were the recipients of such wonderful analytic information actually receiving? Not much!

In fact, in most cases these financial plans were nothing more than a bunch of mumbo-jumbo to my clients’ ears.

What they really wanted was someone listening to them and their story … someone to understand their situation.

And while the financial plan was one of the most important pieces of the puzzle, the details were generally not that interesting to the client. Much

Five rules to negotiate a better salary (BPT) — Between networking, polishing your resume, applying and interviewing, finding a job is time consuming. Once the offer comes in, all your hard work is done, right?

Not necessarily. Now is the time for negotiating — a process few people are comfortable with. Skipping it, however, can mean that you miss out on better benefits or a higher salary.

“You should always negotiate a higher salary,” says Vanessa Jackson, director of career services

at The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago. “Hiring managers expect this, so they do not start by offering the highest salary in their range.”

Rule 1: Be polite. The first rule when it comes to negotiating is to always be polite. “Say ‘Thank you very much for this opportunity. I am so excited to join your company.’ Then move into the negotiation,” says Shannon Delecki, assistant director of career services at The Art Institute of Michigan.

really what folks wanted was to engage and get to the heart of matters; to the truth of the situation and the understanding of people … They wanted meaningful conversation.

Of course this idea, “meaningful conversation” is not only important when engaging a client in a financial setting.

It’s also part of life we need to embrace. So ask yourself — “What is the best way to create meaningful conversation?” It’s easy … just think of that friend or family member who is no longer with us. Imagine all the things you wish you knew about that person but never really took the time to ask. If you just had a chance to ask him all the things you never did … if you just had one more day of meaningful conversation with him … but unfortunately

more interesting was the mutual understanding of a personal situation and the implied trust between two people which came from meaningful conversation.

I often used to greet clients with a perfunctory, “How are you?” Although those three words sounded like a greeting, they actually were my way of simply saying, “Hi, let’s get started.” Once the meeting began I would jump right into a long explanation of a client’s statement, a review of the current economy or perhaps recite the figures on a tax return. But once again I was completely missing the point. Were these facts and figures important?

Of course they were … but

Your requests should never sound like demands.

If they do, you could negotiate your way right out of a job. Remember, the negotiation is a balancing act. You want a higher salary but you’re looking to work with the person on the other end of the negotiation, so be respectful and use good manners always.

Rule 2: Know your worth.

Make sure you’ve done your research. “Know the average salaries for the position and for the market,” says Delecki. That means what others with similar experience would make in the same city where you’ll be working.

And this isn’t a time to be

modest about your potential value to the company.

“Tell the company why you are worth more than you are being offered. Show them how you will contribute to the company’s profits and help their bottom

you don’t have that opportunity. But there is no reason you can’t ask the same questions to a friend, colleague or family member today.

Christian Cyr Engage yourself in meaningful conversation.

You don’t have to be an advisor building a financial plan to truly understand someone’s perspective; you just have to ask the right questions. The answers lead to more questions, and the time begins to fly.

Christian Cyr is a financial advisor in Hennepin. If you are Interested in reading more, his monthly newsletter is available at Cyrfinancial.com or by calling Cyr Financial at 815-9257501.

line,” advises Delecki.

Rule 3: Ask for the right amount. Ask for too little and you’ll sell yourself short, but if you ask for too much, you’ll risk offending your future employer.

How much should you ask

for? Jackson recommends anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 above the company’s offer. After conveying your gratitude for the job offer, confidently state:

Salary Page 4

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4 • January 2015

Predictions From Page 2 CardHub also expects similarly little change in the value of rewards in 2015. While many of the best customers on the market have already availed themselves of a lucrative initial bonus deal, these offers – together with attractive ongoing earning rates, preferably across all transactions – have proven especially adept at catching the attention of customers and leading them to switch allegiances to a new credit card company. In this post-recession environment, in which the most wealthy and responsible customers are so valuable, it is unlikely that issuers will remove their best bait so soon.

While the real estate market has

Finance Matters plateaued of late, failing to truly usher the country out of the recession it helped create, most estimates are optimistic for 2015. Modest improvements are expected thanks to interest rates that will remain near record lows as well as a more robust job market, pent-up purchasing demand, and increased credit availability due to new mortgage guidelines.

For example, Robert S. Chirinko, professor of finance at the University of Illinois at Chicago, foresees “a slight rise in rates, as the effects of QE dissipate and the housing recovery proceeds slowly.”

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac recently announced new underwriting rules that reduce the required down payment for homebuyers from 5 percent to 3 percent. This

will serve to increase the number of people purchasing a home with less than a 20 percent down payment and therefore in the market for mortgage insurance. FHA-backed loans were the preferred means of satisfying this requirement during the Great Recession, but the cost of FHA premiums has nearly doubled in the past few years, according to WalletHub’s latest Mortgage Insurance Report. Now, consumers can save up to $12,000 in just the first five years of having their loan by opting for the combination of a conventional mortgage and private mortgage insurance rather than an FHA loan. More and more consumers will wake up to the realities of this tradeoff as the real estate market improves, which should drastically increase the popularity of PMI.

Salary From Page 3 “I’m hoping to negotiate a salary closer to $XX.” Rule 4: Don’t forget other benefits. There are times that companies may not be able to budge on the dollar amount, but that doesn’t mean negotiations are done. This could be an opportunity to negotiate other benefits like paid time off. “Ask the company whether they can be more flexible about vacation or PTO days,” says Delecki.

In addition to vacation days, other benefits that you could try to negotiate

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for include flex time for working from home and subsidized day-care costs.

“I’ve known people who negotiated for immediate vesting in the company’s 401(k),” observes Jackson.

Rule 5: Be realistic. Keep in mind, people negotiating higher-level jobs will likely have more success negotiating. If you are just out of college and accepting an entry-level job, employers typically will not negotiate much, if at all.

Young professionals can always ask, but they must be realistic about what they should ask for and about what an employer is likely to approve.