1 Front Volume 142 No. 31
Friday, July 8, 2016
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Tonica School comes under fire Parent: ‘This is not a happy place anymore’
By Zachary J. Pratt news@tonicanews.com
TONICA — Troubled times have hit the Tonica Grade School District. Some community members are voicing their distrust of the administration, while others see cause for hope. The Tonica School Board meeting on Wednesday, June 29, began with public comment, during which time various members of the community stepped forward to voice their grievances against the administration, but there were some who stated their support. Mark Zimmer opened his address with a list of traits: “Integrity, responsibility, respect, fairness, trustworthiness, honesty.” These traits, he explained, are not given to the communi-
ty’s children at birth, but need to be modeled for them and taught to them. He does not see this happening. He sees the problem as originating at the top, a theme which would be repeated throughout the meeting. “Our administration should be held to these standards as well as our children,” he said. Nicole Fundell, a parent of a student who attends the school, presented to the board a question of how the school compares to its state the past few years. “Would you say our school is better off?” she asked. One issue Fundell has with the current state of the school is losses with minimal or no gains. “We cut the preschool program because we didn’t have enough money to pay salary,” Fundell said. “We haven’t gained anything, but we lost a killer program.” Her husband, Ritch Fundell, also voiced concern over
cutting the program but maintaining the salary. He also had another comment to characterize what he believes others feel as well. “There seems to be this dark, negative atmosphere cloud around the school,” he said. “That’s just what I feel when I come here.” Another parent, Stephanie Stasiak, agreed with the comment. “This is not a happy place anymore,” Stasiak said. She went further and explained where she believes the root of the issue to be — all the way at the top. “I believe it is our administration, not the budget,” she said. “Teachers, please stand up to the bullies,” Stasiak urged.
Tonica School Page 3
A smart boater is a safe boater By Terri Simon
Tonica News photo/Dave Cook
of crop-harming pests in the area. A series of insect traps have been installed on the field edges in the area of Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby in LaSalle County. The traps are part of a corn and soybean survey conducted through the University of Illinois Department of Crop Sciences as part of a USDA-NIFA grant. They are looking for potential insect threats including the Old World Bollworm, Egyptian Cottonworm, Asiatic Rice Borer, Cucurbit Beetle, Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, and Kudzu Bug. The discovery of any of these pests could impact corn and soybean yields. Also, after the discovery of
Here in the Illinois Valley, the current tends to run in many residents’ blood. With many rivers, canals and bodies of water at our fingertips, it is a boater’s paradise for those who love the serenity and the excitement of launching a boat in one of the area’s many waterways. Now is the time for boaters to rethink their excursions as the use the public rivers, lakes, canals and creeks that call their names at this time of the year. Weather Rule No. 1 is to always check the forecast before you launch your boat. Especially on the water, a storm can quickly turn a fun and enjoyable day into a nightmare. The National Weather Service (NWS) urges boaters to not rely on their cell phones for a forecast, rather check out the NWS website for updated and current weather conditions that could be hazardous or life threatening. Life Jackets Before you and your family get out on the water this year, make sure you have a life jacket, and more importantly, make sure you wear it. According to the NWS, nearly 85 percent of those who drown while boating were not wearing a life jacket. Wearing a life jacket is one of the most effective and simple life-saving strategies for safe recreational boating. Boaters are required to have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket on board for every passenger on their vessel. Life jackets are available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors.
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Boating Page 2
Kelly Estes, state survey coordinator, installs one of three traps in a soybean field to monitor local pest activity near Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby in LaSalle County. The traps will be inspected every two weeks to track the spread of invasive species.
Unwelcome guests
U of I Extension helping farmers keep crops healthy By Dave Cook
news@tonicanews.com
OGLESBY — Farmers face many challenges throughout the year. Control over the weather may be out of their hands, but others can be managed. Invasive species, insect, plant or disease, can significantly lower yields, and agronomists with the University of Illinois Extension office are constantly working to help farmers combat the relentless spread of the most unwelcome guests to area crops. Extension educator for commercial agriculture Russ Higgins has been working with the Northern Illinois Agronomy Research Center to monitor the proliferation
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