1 Front Volume 141 No. 2
Friday, March 7, 2014
The Tonica News
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Fewer deer permits likely for 2014-15 By Donna Barker Shaw Media Service
OTTAWA — LaSalle County deer hunters, as well as those in 40 other Illinois counties, could see a decrease in the number of deer hunting permits granted for the 201415 year by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).
IDNR Director Marc Miller said the possible decrease in the number of granted deer permits would reflect a revision of deer population objectives for the state. The revision follows a twoyear review of Illinois deer management efforts, taking into account such factors as automobile/car crashes and hunting statistics, he said.
“The IDNR manages deer by county and state population goals, and as a result of our two-year review, we’re making changes for many counties. In these counties our strategy is shifting from deer herd reduction to maintaining or increasing deer populations,” Miller said. Natural resource biologists have determined deer population goals can
now be increased in those affected counties, while still keeping the overall numbers at levels which will reduce conflicts between deer and people, such as automobile/deer accidents and farm crop damages, Miller said. The biologists have given several factors which have contributed to the deer population decline, including adverse weather con-
ditions, herd reduction efforts, and in some locations, deer mortality due to outbreaks of epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD, Miller said. The LaSalle County Sheriff’s Department does not keep records on car/ deer accidents. However, LaSalle County saw a 33 percent decrease in the number of firearm-killed deer during the 2013 fire-
arm hunting season, a decrease from 1,209 harvested to 802. Statewide, the IDNR reported hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 74,191 deer during the 2013-14 firearm seasons, compared with 99,546 deer harvested in 2012-13. Ken Schroeder of the Tonica News contributed to this story.
Math: Not just a subject Lostant Grade Schools gets some hands-on knowledge By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
LOSTANT — Often during school, a student might ask, “When am I ever going to use that?” In Missy Einhaus’ math class at Lostant Grade School, they’re learning exactly that. Einhaus has been having guest teachers — parents of the students — come to her classroom during recent weeks to show students how math skills are important in their jobs. Einhaus said for some students, it’s been an eyeopening experience. The first guest was Ben Alleman. He works for Mennie Machine Co. Part of his job entails measuring drilled holes and determining if they are within tolerance levels for a specific part. Measurements were within hundredths of an inch, something none of the children expected. Einhaus explained the program. “In Common Core, they’re trying to get more kids job-ready. We’ve done so much drilling and practice that the kids aren’t applying math problems to real life situations,” Einhaus said. “I went to a conference in Springfield and learned how high schools are using it too and about more realistic problems in math.”
See Math Page 3
Tonica News photo/Ken Schroeder
Administering the ashes Father Hans Flonder applies ashes to the forehead of a parishioner on the first day of Lent at St. John the Baptist Church in Lostant. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season. The symbol of the cross on the forehead is a reminder of mortality,
History through eastern eyes Walczynski to present program, ‘Light in the Dark Ages’ By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
TONICA — Tonica’s Mark Walczynski is a world traveler. As an adjunct history teacher at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, his fascination with history has inspired him to travel to historical sites all over the world.
At 6:30 p.m. March 20 at the Hennepin Library, Walczynski will present, “Light in the Dark Ages,” a program which provides a look into the Dark Ages and the keepers of classical knowledge which created a path toward the Renaissance. “Light in the Dark Ages” looks at how the Byzantines, the Eastern Romans and their city of Constantinople
Vol. 141 No. 2
preserved classical learning and advanced Western culture with knowledge that continues to benefit people even today. “I’ve always enjoyed history my entire life, and one of the places I always wanted to see, if I had to pick one place in the world to go to, would be Turkey. The country of Turkey, in my view, is an archaeological site, the entire county, about 16 levels deep,” Walczynski said. “Some of the most fabulous
history of mankind happened there, and one of the places I was really, really interested in was the Byzantine Empire in old Constantinople. Today, it’s Istanbul.” It’s often said history is written by the winners; when a country is taken by another culture, the accomplishments of the country become trivialized by the invading culture.
See Walczynski Page 2
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