1 Front Volume 141 No. 14
Friday, March 13, 2015
Single Copy Cost 50¢
Tonica farmer breaks 100 bushel ceiling Arkels grows 104 bushel per acre soybeans By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
TONICA — The U.S. Department of Agriculture released figures for the Illinois 2014 soybean crop on Feb. 26. Estimates put the record-breaking total at an average of slightly more than 50 bushels per acre, a level once thought impossible
to break. Don’t tell that to Dan Arkels. “It started a year ago when I went to Commodity Classic in San Antonio. I was approached by a representative from Stoller USA; they make biological products,” Arkels said. “We got together and he said, ‘The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) has a yield contest, and we would like to help you accomplish that goal.’ I had tried for a couple of years, and I couldn’t even get close. I got within the mid-80s, but I couldn’t get any closer.”
The extra help and determination must have made a difference. On a 30 acre test plot, Arkels answered the ISA 100 Bushel Challenge with a 103.95 bushel per acre crop, nearly 15 bushels per acre more than the previous record. Arkels said it didn’t happen overnight; it took a lot of work. “It wasn’t easy, but it can be done, if you have the right soil and the right growing season,” Arkels said. “I had fertility down for 100 bushel crop; potash and phosphate to support that crop and
nitrogen was applied to the crop in small increments throughout the growing season. The latest seed technology from Pioneer and a full-season bean, and we took care of them with a lot of application of product throughout the growing season. “We did two ground applications with foliar products in them, and then four aerial applications after that,” Arkels said. “We had a sprayer over that field six times altogether, and each time we
Arkels Page 2
March is Music In Our Schools Month
By Dixie Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
TONICA — March is Music In Our Schools Month, according to the National Association of Music Educators (NAME). Music and the arts are basic to the quality and richness of life and are an essential component of every child’s education. Research has found that learning music not only fosters learning in other core subjects such as math and reading, but it also teaches important life skills. A high-quality music education provides opportunities to perform, improvise, compose and arrange music in all mediums, including the use of technology. These music experiences are an effective vehicle for transmitting self-confidence, self-discipline, cooperative learning, social interaction and cultural awareness and will foster continual musical development in all students. Tonica Grade School Superintendent John Suarez is familiar with the research supporting the positive impact music education has in our schools. “I think the brain-based research out there shows the importance of having the arts in our curriculum,” Suarez said. “I think that one thing that the United States does better than any country in the world, regardless of what test scores say, is that we have a patent on creativity. When you notice, other countries come here to learn about computer science, to learn about music, to learn about art. It is because we are the best at it. We don’t want to lose that. Not to demean our core curriculum, but music and the arts make a decent curriculum a good curriculum and a good curriculum a great curriculum. It’s about stimulating creative thought. It is about what makes a student smart and building upon that.” One of the ways music can add to learning is in the area of visual and verbal communication. In an article published in the Pacific Standard magazine, studies
Tonica News photo/Dixie Schroeder
Emily Strehl (left), Erin Gray and Bella Lambert practice during a band lesson with Glen Studebaker, Tonica Grade School’s music teacher. on children ages 4 to 6 years of age have been impressive. These children, who participated in a month of musical training which included rhythm, pitch, melody, voice and basic musical concepts, had an improvement in their ability to understand words and their meanings.
Students age 8 to 11 who participated in extracurricular music classes developed higher verbal IQs and their visual ability improved compared to students who did not have these classes. A study published in Science Daily magazine demonstrated that children
as young as 1 year old benefited from music. When these children participated in interactive music lessons with their parents, they had a greater ability to communicate and showed signs of
Music Page 3
Mautino announces cancer diagnosis SPRING VALLEY — State Rep. Frank Mautino on Tuesday, March 10, released the following statement about the treatment he is receiving for recently diagnosed esophageal cancer: “During a routine physical in late JanuVol. 141 No. 14 One Section - 8 Pages
ary, my doctor found a mass. Following a biopsy in February, I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. My family and I are thankful for the skilled physicians working with me. My prognosis is good, and I expect to make a full recovery.
“I am currently receiving chemotherapy treatment, which will be followed by several weeks of chemotherapy and radiation treatment and surgery. While my activity in the district may be limited while I receive treatment, I have adjusted
KETTMAN HEATING & PLUMBING, INC.
© The Tonica News
107 E. Harrison Ct. • Granville www.kettmanheating.com
my treatment schedule so I can continue representing local residents, both in my district and in the State Capitol. “My family and I would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers at this time.”
Call for Great Pricing on A New Air Conditioner, Furnace or Generator!
815-339-6124 Generators
GENERAC SERVICE DEALER
Fast, Friendly & DEPENDABLE!