Volume 141 No. 33
Friday, October 17, 2014
Single Copy Cost 50¢
Revisiting the 2013 flood By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
LOSTANT — The specter of the April 2013 floods came back to haunt the Lostant Village Boards during its Oct. 13 meeting, as the board continues to look for permanent solutions to the Second Street flooding issues.
The board discussed purchasing additional concrete blocks or bushes to slow the water leaving the fields to the east of the village to allow the village’s storm sewer system to move the water without being overwhelmed. Board member Jack Immel questioned the legality of blocking the water flow. “I don’t think what
we’re doing is right; blocking the guy’s water,” Immel said. “You’re a farmer, and times are hard for them. Depending on the rain, it can leave water standing for six hours, 12 hours ... you know what it does to crops?” “I had the Corps of Engineers come in and look at it,” Village Mayor Fred Hartenbower said.
“They said what we’re doing is legal as far as the state is concerned. You can’t have water damaging other people’s property.” Streets and Alleys Chairman Chris Dose asked the blocks used for the water break be moved as residents complained about the look of the barricade. “Are these the same
residents that don’t want their basements flooded?” Hartenbower asked. “I don’t care where we put the blocks. It doesn’t bother me a bit.” Discussion was also held about possibly landscaping the village park to allow water to be directed south to the railroad property, so it might drain into its system. In other action, the
board: • Passed an ordinance to place a piece of real estate up for sale. The parcel was gifted to the village, but the board has determined it has no real need for the property. Interest from residents have been expressed to turn the land into farmland or to build a new
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At home in the spotlight Farb plies her trade wherever she can By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
LOSTANT — “There’s a spotlight waiting, no matter who you are.” — Rock and Roll Heaven. For some of us, the spotlight doesn’t have to wait very long. Lostant’s Sam Farb is one of those people. Whether it’s strutting the floorboard at Engle Lane Theater in Streator or putting on a show with the River Valley Players in Henry, Farb stays busy in musicals throughout the area. Staying busy in musicals means driving a lot for Farb. “In Lostant, you have
to travel for anything (in theater),” Farb said. “For Engel Lane, you have to travel a half an hour, and for Henry you have to travel half an hour.” Farb started out early in theater. Her parents ran a community theater in Hoopeston when she was a child, and she started her stage career at 8. “It was down by Danville. ‘The Hoopeston Playcrafters.’ That was our name,” Farb said, adding, “I’ve been doing this for over 20 years.” Farb is currently playing in “The Marvelous Wonderettes” in Henry portraying Suzy, a role that she also played at Engle Lane earlier this year. Placed in the ‘50s, the play tells the story of a group of high school girls who take the stage at
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Tonica News photos/Dixie Schroeder
LGS students map the cells Ethan Phillips displays his giant cell from science class and Sydney Miller reviews her giant diagrammed cell. The fifth-, sixth- and seventh-grade students in Marjery Archdale and Stephanie Ziel’s science class at Lostant Grade School studied cells and diagrammed them for class presentations. The projects are currently on display in the first floor hall at Lostant Grade School.
What kind of weather will we have this winter?
Check out the signs provided by Mother Nature By Shannon Serpette Shaw Media Service
Wondering how brutal this winter will be? According to popular folklore, you just need to step outside and look for some indicators. • Channel your inner child, and go on a caterpillar hunt — look particularly for the woolly bear caterpillar. Pay close attention to the amount of black that covers its body. A large amount of black allegedly Vol. 141 No. 33 One Section - 8 Pages
means a long, harsh winter is coming. If the center rusty color of the caterpillar seems larger than usual, it supposedly points to a milder winter. • Check out the animals around you. Is their fur thicker than usual? Uh-oh. That could spell bad news for all the cold-weather haters out there. Thick fur supposedly indicates a cold winter approaching. • Start stalking squirrels and birds. Watch their behavior closely. Are they storing acorns and attack-
ing bird feeders at a frenzied pace? That could mean they know something we don’t — a big winter storm is coming. And if the geese start flying south for the winter sooner than usual, that’s also believed to be a sign of a severe winter. • Legend has it acorns can predict what kind of winter it will be. Look at the acorns in your town. Do the shells seem to be thicker than usual, and are there more acorns than usual? If so, make sure you are preShaw Media Service photo/Dick Todd pared for a very cold winter. • Do the spider webs Look to the woolly bear caterpillar if you are wondering what type of weather this winter seem larger than usual? will hold. According to folklore, a large amount of black on the caterpillar means a long,
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severe winter is coming. If the center rusty color of the caterpillar seems bigger than usual, the winter should be milder.
Stay Warm This Fall
Have your furnace checked & cleaned before it gets cold. Or replace that old unit with an efficient Carrier furnace!
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