TON-11-01-2013

1 Front Volume 140 No. 36

Friday, November 1, 2013

The Tonica News

Single Copy Cost 50¢

Project almost finished at LGS Basement project nearing an end ​By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com

LOSTANT — Lostant Grade School Superintendent Sandra Malahy told the school board the basement project is almost completed at the monthly board meeting Oct. 24.

$5 equals food, fun, prizes and more

By Dixie Schroeder news@tonicanews.com

LEONORE — The Leonore Volunteer Fire Department is hosting a fundraiser at 6 p.m.

Nov. 1. The fundraiser starts with a euchre tournament at 7 p.m., free lunch and more fun in order to raise monies for the upkeep of the department.

LVFD is one of three area fire departments which are a non-tax supported district. This means the department depends on donations and fundraisers to keep it going.

The event will also include door prizes and a gun raffle. For a $5 entry free, LVFD is promising an evening of great fun for a great cause.

Fundraisers are essential for non-taxing fire districts like Leonore.

One of the ways LVFD keeps the department up to date is through the purchase of equipment.

One of the latest purchases is a new fire truck.

“We got the new truck in May of this year,” said Kevin Knecht, secretary of the LVFD. “It is one of two fire engines we have.

They are both Pierces.

People had passed away, and the families had donated in memorial to us. We put that money aside and used that for the truck and equipment that we purchased for the truck.”

See Fundraiser Page 2

“We’re waiting for the two pumps. They’re back ordered, and they’re not here yet,” Malahy said.

“The workers capped off and drained the old pit. They moved the old pump into the new pit to take care of business until we get the new pumps.”

In the process of working on the basement project, it was found the condensation pump in the basement had broken down and had to be replaced at a cost of $1,800. The pump had been worked on some months ago, but the unit could not be repaired.

In other action, the board: • Accepted the resignation of assistant cook Susan Swartz. Jennifer Tooley and Shawna Breckenridge were hired as parttime assistant cooks to replace Swartz. Tooley was also hired as a part-time administrative assistant.

Jerilyn Smith was hired as

a part-time bookkeeper.

• Learned of a possible hacking of the school credit card. The school account had been hacked in December last year.

Malahy canceled the current card and has applied for a new one.

• Approved the eighthgrade trip to Chicago.

• Approved a donation

of $100 from the Lostant Methodist Church Ladies Circle Group for school supplies for needy children.

• Discussed exit surveys for instructors leaving the employment of the school to find what the school district could do to better to serve the needs of teachers and staff.

75 and still going strong Herbst: ‘I can’t sit still’

By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews

LOWELL — In a rustic cedar house overlooking the Vermilion River lives Bob Herbst, a 75-year-old man who isn’t going to slow down for anybody. If you’ve been to Starved Rock Lodge, you’ve seen some of his work. Two eagles Herbst carved with a chainsaw greet you as you drive over the bridge to the lodge.

“I was a Stihl chainsaw rep for 33 years, and I just started carving at some of the open houses, county fairs and whatever,” Herbst said. “I was the first chain saw carver at the Sandwich Fair back in the early ‘70s. I didn’t do it for profit; I did it to promote the chainsaw industry.”

When Herbst left Stihl, he was the longest employee in the United States for the company. At a dinner in his honor, he recalled the early tales of being a rep. At the end of the dinner, the company officers and salespeople present gave him a standing ovation.

“I cried like a baby over that,” Herbst said.

Herbst had to stop chainsaw carving around 10 years ago, when several medical problems brought on by the hobby made the work difficult.

“I just can’t sit there and hold those saws anymore. I’ve got carpal tunnel in my hand from running them with the vibrations from the old ones and half deaf from the sound of the motors,” Herbst said.

While Herbst carved dozens of pieces throughout the years, the only one he still has is a 2-foot-tall planter, carved in a tiki motif.

While he was carving logs with his chainsaw, Herbst designed the house he lives in, based on homes he had seen in

Tonica News photos/Ken Schroeder

Bob Herbst likes to stay busy, as evidenced by some of the handiwork in his home, like the chain saw carving (above) and the wagon wheel bannister (below). At 75 years young, Herbst has retired his chainsaw, but he still keeps busy working with his son in the Vermilion River Rafting business, as well as other activities.

California. The interior walls and ceiling are lacquered cedar and spindles on the second floor that looks over the living room have been replaced with old wagon wheels.

“I got the old buggy wheels down in Indiana, instead of using the dowel rods, and the carved spiral staircase came from Bangor, Maine,” Herbst said. “I love wood.”

These days, Herbst helps his stepson Bob Hazon run the Vermilion River Rafting busi-

Vol. 140 No. 36

ness which has been operating for 16 years.

“When I started out, we had half a dozen rafts and half a dozen kayaks to subsidize my retirement,” Herbst said. “Now we’ve got 56 rafts and 25 kayaks going. We have about twoand-a-half months from May until whenever the river dries up in July. When the crops come up around July, all the rain gets sucked up and there’s no runoff. The river doesn’t have a head water. Which is

fine for me because we have 38 days in a row, 12 to 14 hours a day. But it’s kinda nice working two-and-a-half months and then not have to work the rest of the year.”

Now, he’s helping out a neighbor whose husband recently died by helping harvest the crops, and he doesn’t think he’s slowing down anytime soon.

“I can’t sit still,” Herbst said.

“I’ve got to be doing something.”

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2 Local 2 • The Tonica News • Friday, November 1, 2013

Keeping the Cousins close by

Corrections

In our story ‘Living in a house of cards’ in the Oct. 18 issue, Cara Finney’s place of work was incorrect. She works at D&M Landscaping.

The Tonica News regrets the error.

••• An incorrect date for the Fall Fling at the Putnam County Community Center was printed in the Oct. 25 edition.

The event will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 2. Information submitted to The Tonica News was incorrect.

The Tonica News P.O. Box 86, Tonica, IL 61370 (USPS 633340) 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

Jan and Lloyd Vogel’s collection

By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com

TONICA — Most people have to go to a family reunion in order to see more than a few cousins at one time. Jan and Lloyd Vogel just have to walk into their living room.

Jan has been collecting Enesco Country Cousins figurines for about 30 years, and though her collection is not complete, it is still an impressive assortment. She also has the display barn for the series, something not many collectors can say.

“Arkin’s Rexall Drug Store used to handle them, and he wanted to get out of it. The dealers were the only ones who could have the barn,” said Jan. “For our 25th anniversary, my husband went in and talked to him because we had bought some there before. He said, ‘What do I have to do to get that barn, and then I’ll buy the rest of your stuff?’ And that was my anniversary present.”

Since then, the Vogels have picked up pieces here and there at sales and auctions. The figu-

Tonica News photo/Dixie Schroeder

Jan Vogel views her collection of Country Cousins. Vogel’s husband, Lloyd, made the glass cabinets that display his wife’s collection. rines fill several cases throughout the house.

Neither Jan nor Lloyd could tell you exactly how many they have.

“Probably a couple hundred,” Lloyd said.

In addition to many single pieces, there were several smaller sets within the collection, and Jan has many of those, including sets made especially for holidays that

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in addition to purchasing the barn and a couple dozen pieces for their anniversary, he’s also built the display cabinets for the collection. While the large wooden cabinet in the living room holds the television, the largest and most prominent shelf in it was designed for the display barn.

“His hobby is woodworking when he’s not

farming,” Jan said. “He does it for fun, and he’s done it for all of our kids.”

Most of the display cases Lloyd has built for Jan’s Country Cousins are glass enclosures, for which she’s very grateful.

“I’d hate to dust that many figures that often,” she said. “If I had to, I probably wouldn’t have the collection.”

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she puts out throughout the year. She has a catalogue for the collection from a few years before it was discontinued more than 10 years ago, and she has marked most of the pieces she has in the book.

“I thought I had a lot, but it turns out I don’t have a lot,” she said.

Lloyd is a big supporter of Jan’s collection. In fact,

Tonica News photo/Dixie Schroeder

Leonore Volunteer Fire Department secretary Kevin Knecht reviews equipment on the latest additions to the department.

Fundraiser From Page 1 The LVFD also has a truck which does triple duty as a brush truck, a tanker and a small engine truck. They also are using an old Dodge pickup which is the property of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. This truck also serves as a brush truck.

The department has a 4,000-gallon tanker truck and an equipment van.

“We take care of Leonore and Kangley and everything in between,” Knecht said. “At times it’s a little much, but we don’t have that many calls.”

Area departments oftentimes depend on the auto aid system. This is where various departments will assist neighboring departments when called upon to do so.

“I think last year we had different parts of our territory covered with auto aid,” he said. “There have been times we have left

here with three guys and three trucks, and you know you have somebody else coming to help. So you can get what you need to a site, and hopefully the others bring as well.”

Training is also an important part of being in any fire department. Volunteers must be certified in various areas to be able to fight a fire or handle a call as efficiently as possible.

“Several of us are certified as Firefighter 2 in the department. It is a whole different ball game now with the Hazmat and technical rescue. There are swift water rescue teams; there is just a whole lot of training volunteers have to go through,” Knecht said.

Support from the community is key with the LVFD. “The last several smokers have been outstanding.

Last year was our biggest one ever as far as if we had just a few more people show up, we didn’t know where we were going to put them,” he said.

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3 Obit Records Friday, November 1, 2013 • The Tonica News • 3

‘Connecting Links’ Bluemer publishes 12th book

By Ken Schroeder kschroeder@putnamcountyrecord.com

GRANVILLE — Local author Ron Bluemer has written and published his 12th book. “Connecting Links” picks up where his 2005 book “Here Comes the Boat” left off, expanding on the history of the Illinois Michigan Canal and adding more details of the Hennepin Canal and the Illinois Waterway. This book also adds the impact of the April flooding, including the damage in Marseilles when seven barges struck the Marseilles dam.

“I’ve been a history teacher all my life, so I felt there was a lot of news happening since ‘Here Comes the Boat.’ A lot has changed. There was the flooding this year, that was

Tonica News photo/Ken Schroeder

Ron Bluemer affecting it, and I didn’t have Lock 16 done,” Bluemer said. “Another factor was, I didn’t have a lot on the Hennepin Canal, and I felt that really needed to be expanded. So we walked most of the locks from 14 back to Wyanet and over

by Sheffield, then up and down the feeder and espe-

cially at Rock Falls-Sterling. I wanted to get pictures there.”

The book traces the history of the Illinois Michigan Canal from its original proposal in 1822 through the groundbreaking on July 4, 1836, to its official closure in 1933 with the dedication of the Illinois Waterway.

While most of the photos were taken by Bluemer, he also was able to borrow historical pictures from local libraries, historical societies and Lewis University.

Current photos also sometimes had to come from elsewhere.

“You’re not supposed to take pictures of the waterway, the dams, the locks.

Since 9/11, they put posters up ‘No photography allowed.’ So I had to rely on Corps of Engineer pictures for aerial shots of the locks,” Bluemer said. “I couldn’t get pictures at all down in Peoria because the dam system down there is completely enclosed with vegetation on both sides.”

The book is 240 pages with more than 300 photos. It retails for $23 with tax and shipping, or for $20 when Bluemer appears at special events or as a speaker. Books are also available at IV Foods.

‘Obamacare’ scams emerge as new policies take effect Scammers are exploiting the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as a way to fool Americans into sharing their personal information. Many key provisions of the ACA have either gone into effect or will go into effect soon, so don’t let confusion around the new law cause you to fall for a scam.

How the scam works: You receive a call from someone claiming to be from the federal government. The caller informs you you’ve been selected to receive insurance cards through the new Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”). However, before he/she can mail your card, the caller needs to collect personal information.

Scammers do a lot to make their requests

seem credible. For example, they may have your bank’s routing number and ask you to provide your account number.

Or, they may ask for your credit card or Social Security number, Medicare ID, or other personal information.

Sharing personal information with a scammer puts you at risk for identity theft. Scammers can use the information they obtain to open credit cards in your name or steal from your bank account.

How to spot a scam and protect yourself: Con artists are taking advantage of the confusion and buzz surrounding the Affordable Care Act implementation. Here’s what you can do to protect yourself:

• Hang up; don’t press any buttons; and if you received a voice mail message, don’t call the scammer back. We all like to have the last word, but returning the phone call may just give the con artist information he can use.

• The government typically doesn’t call, text or email. Government agencies normally communicate through the mail, so be very cautious of any unsolicited calls, text messages or emails you receive. Also, if the government is contacting you, they should already have your basic personal information, such as your Social Security number.

• Don’t trust Caller ID. Scammers have technology that lets them display any number or orga-

nization name on your screen.

• There is only one place to shop for a qualified health plan: www.

HealthCare.gov, which is run by the FTC’s Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Who is being targeted?

Anyone can be the victim of this scam, but some groups are more likely to be targeted than others. The new law has special provisions for the following groups: • People 65 years or older • Persons with disabilities • Owners of small businesses More information on the ACA is available from the federal government’s Health Insurance Marketplace.

LOWELL — At 4 p.m.

Oct. 26, the Tonica Volunteer Fire Department was called to a field fire located along Route 178 and a half mile north of North 2401 Road. On arrival the department found a small all terrain type vehicle completely involved in fire.

The vehicle was a total loss.

TVFD quickly extinguished the fire which had extended to a harvested field and grass waterway.

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CHICAGO — According to the BBB records, fake debt collection scams are on the rise. From September 2011-12, there were 782 complaints.

From September 201213, there were 926, an 84 percent increase from the previous year.

These types of scams can vary. In some instances, consumers are receiving calls stating they need to pay money for a loan they may have never had or to pay a higher amount for a loan that they do have.

It can be difficult to distinguish a legitimate debt collector versus a scammer. However, there are a few red flags consumers should look for.

• Calls seeking payment on a debt for a loan you don’t recognize.

• Refusal by the caller to give you their own contact information.

• Persistent request for personal financial or sensitive information.

• High pressure tactics designed to scare you, by saying that you could get into legal trouble by not paying immediately.

“If people call pretending to be debt collectors, consumers can be at high risk of identity theft,” said Steve J. Bernas, president/CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois. “Consumers have to be cautious with these callers and must never give out personal information with people they do not know.”

The BBB offers the following tips when dealing with a fake debt collector: • Ask the caller for contact information. Ask for their name, name of com-

pany, street address and telephone number.

• Tell the caller you refuse to discuss debt until you receive a written “validation notice,” which is a written notice of the amount of debt and your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. • Stop speaking with the caller.

• If you have the caller’s address, send a letter demanding him or her to stop contacting you.

According to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, if debt collectors receive this letter in writing, they must stop calling you.

• Don’t give personal information. If you don’t know exactly who you’re dealing with, never confirm sensitive information such as your bank account, credit card or Social Security numbers.

Scammers use this information to commit identity theft.

• Contact your creditor. If you actually are in debt but you think the debt collector calling isn’t legitimate, contact your creditor, using contact information from your personal online account.

Your creditor is able to find out who the suspicious caller is and if they are authorized to collect a debt from you.

• Report the call. Don’t hesitate to call the Better Business Bureau or your state Attorney General’s office. Illinois has its own debt collection laws, and these offices are able to help you determine your rights under your state’s laws.

For more tips and information about scams, visit www.bbb.org.

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IDOA grain industry increases Illinois ag exports Agriculture Director Bob Flider added. “Sales are more than triple the $53 million that last year’s tour produced. Our challenge now is to build upon the relationships started on this year’s tour and turn these initial purchases into repeat business.”

The tour, which the department conducts annually, brought 42 foreign grain buyers to Illinois from China, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru, Thailand and Vietnam. Stops included farms, transportation facilities and equipment manufacturers as well as the Chicago Board of Trade and Mercantile Exchange.

Exports account for 42 percent of the agriculture industry’s cash receipts. In 2011, the state sold $8.3

billion in agricultural products overseas, making it the third-leading agricultural exporter in the United States.

This year, for the first time, the Grain Tour was timed to coincide with the Farm Progress Show, where the department organized on-site meetings between foreign buyers and Illinois agribusinesses.

In addition, with the help of federal funding obtained through the State Trade Export Program (STEP), an international database was developed that collected information online from nearly 900 Farm Progress registrants. The department’s foreign trade directors in Hong Kong and Mexico will utilize the database to recruit for future

tours and for potential export opportunities.

The Grain Tour is just one of the strategies the department uses to find markets for Illinois products, support agriculturebased employment and strengthen the Illinois economy.

Last fiscal year, for example, the department participated in 15 international and domestic trade shows, led nine foreign buyers’ missions and industry tours, facilitated 9,030 buyer-seller introductions and disseminated 1,289 trade leads to Illinois companies. These activities generated $61 million in actual sales and another $206 million in projected sales for Illinois food companies and agribusinesses.

Extension celebrates 100 years of extending knowledge Illinois might have been known for growing clover and cranberries rather than corn and soybeans if farmers in the early 1900s hadn’t followed recommendations from University of Illinois Extension agents to apply lime to the state’s highly acidic soil.

Demonstrations at agricultural experiment stations and on farmers’ fields across the state showing the benefits of using lime as a soil additive convinced farmers to use lime to balance the pH, making it possible to produce abundant crops of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and other pH-sensitive plants.

“Lime is made of calcium carbonate, which is also an ingredient in cement, so farmers feared using it. They thought it would make the soil hard,” said Robert Hoeft, U of I Director of Extension in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.

According to Hoeft, the use of lime is just one example from the past 100 years of the value of Extension whose mission is to bring research-based information to the public.

Hybrid corn was another example.

“The process to produce hybrid corn was created by university scientists and passed on to companies to grow and market the seed to farmers.

Extension played a large part in getting farmers to adopt the use of hybrid

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seed by establishing demonstration plots in farmers’ fields. Planting these demonstration plots near well-traveled roads gave farmers the opportunity to visit them to observe the difference in disease pressure and ultimately yield between open-pollinated and hybrid corn,” Hoeft said.

In the mid-1930s, many farm families, unlike their city neighbors, did not have access to electricity. The combined effort of county Extension staff and local citizens to create rural electric cooperatives eventually brought electricity to all of rural America. In later years, Extension also assisted local leadership in organizing rural water systems. Today Extension staff members are working with companies to expand high-speed Internet systems to rural areas.

Although Extension’s roots are in the rural agricultural community, Hoeft said it has spread to urban areas of the state.

Hoeft said food deserts — areas in which people do not have access to a full-

service grocery store — are problematic in both rural and urban settings. “Often they lack transportation to the store,” he said.

One way Extension is addressing the problem in the East St. Louis area is to lease a bus one day per month to transport people from the food desert area to a grocery store, providing them education on the way to the store about how to buy healthy food.

The number of specialists per county may be fewer today than in the 1980s, but technology has allowed Extension to adapt and increase its reach.

Demonstrations are still an important component, but now they can be distributed via the Internet, Hoeft said.

“Today people want information faster,” he said. “Extension’s farmdoc website and its new mobile app is an example of how Extension responded to farmers so that they can get information when and where they want it. With a webinar, we can take a presentation or demonstration right into their home. People can watch

it at their leisure or if they watch it while it’s being broadcast live, they can type a question and get an answer from the presenter in real time.”

Hoeft calls today’s Extension specialists rock stars. “We just need more of them to be able to listen to the public and find out their needs so that we can conduct research to address those problems,” he said.

Extension units throughout Illinois are currently celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the 1914 signing of the Smith-Lever Act that established cooperative extension services.

A centralized interactive website has been created with photos, Extension highlights, a 100years game, and Pinterest accounts. The site welcomes people to upload photos and comments to help document the 100year legacy of University of Illinois Extension. Visit web.extension.illinois. edu/100yrs.

Source: Robert Hoeft, Interim Associate Dean, Extension and Outreach, rhoeft@uiuc.edu

TONICA — Tonica Volunteer Fire Department Member Dan Francisco completed a 40-hour Hazardous Material Technician Level-A Certification class in Rochelle.

Francisco is a member of M.A.B.A.S. Division 25 Hazardous Materials Response Team.

The course was conducted in accordance with Illinois Fire Service Institute, University of Illi-

nois and Illinois Terrorism Task Force training guidelines.

Some major areas which were covered included information gathering, recognition of indicators and warning signs, responder safety and health, public safety and security, onsite incident management, weapons of mass destruction, hazardous materials and response and decontamination.

Dollars and sense Protecting yourself while shopping online Whether you shop online routinely or infrequently, the risk of identity theft rises as you offer more COMMENTARY and more information about yourself online. What steps should you take?

Don’t use a debit card, and use only one credit card. If your debit card gets hacked, the thieves may be able to access your bank account. But if you use just one credit card for online shopping, you’ll just have one card to cancel if your card number is compromised. (It would also be wise to keep a low credit limit on that particular card.)

Look for the “https://” before you enter personal information. When you see that (look for the “s”), it should indicate that you are transmitting data within a secure site. Depending on your browser, you may also see a padlock symbol at the bottom of the browser window.

Watch what you click – and watch out for fake sites. Pop-ups, attachments from mysterious sources, dubious links – don’t be tempted to explore where they lead. Hackers have created all manner of “phishing” sites and online surveys – seemingly legitimate, but set up to siphon your information. It is better to be skeptical.

Protect your PC. When did you install the security and firewall programs on your computer? Have you updated them recently?

Change stored passwords frequently – and make them really obscure. It is a good idea to change or update your passwords once in a while. Mix letters and numbers, and use an uppercase letter if possible. And never use “password” as your password!

Don’t shop using an unsecured wi-fi connection.

You are really leaving yourself open to identity theft when you shop using public wi-fi. Put away the laptop and wait until you leave that coffee shop or airport terminal. Yes, hackers can tap into your Smartphone via the same tactics by which they can invade your PC. Christian Cyr, CPA, 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 815-925-7501.

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SPRINGFIELD — Business relationships started on the recently-concluded Illinois Grain Tour may pay immediate dividends for Illinois agribusinesses.

The foreign buyers who took part in the five-day, “reverse” trade mission Aug. 25-29 are projecting purchases of $173 million in the coming year.

“Trade-building activities like this are extremely important because Illinois agriculture is an exportdependent industry,” Gov. Pat Quinn said. “These strong sales bring us closer to our goal of doubling Illinois exports by 2015.”

“The results indicate there is strong demand for Illinois grain and grainrelated products and services in foreign markets,”

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5 Perspective Friday, November 1, 2013 • The Tonica News • 5

The Editorial Page The Tonica News Sam R Fisher

Terri Simon

Publisher

Editor

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.

From the editor’s desk Well, like it or not (and I don’t), it happens this Sunday. That’s right. Daylight Saving Time officially ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, when we “fall back” and set our clocks back one hour. Ugh! I always dread the end of Daylight Saving Time, which means for me there are several days when I never see my home in the daylight — since I leave for work before it gets light and come home long after it’s dark! Don’t forget ... set your Terri clocks back one hour before you go to Simon bed on Saturday night, or you’ll be the first one in the pew Sunday morning.

••• I’ve been watching the fields in and around LaSalle County, and it always amazes me how quickly our area farmers harvest their crops. No kidding.

In the morning, I see full fields of corn stalks along the roadside and by afternoon those same cleanlyharvested fields look barren and ready for winter.

I know area farmers and their families put in long hours during the harvest. I also know that’s just part of being a farmer. But I will just offer a few words of friendly advice, for what it’s worth. I have to believe area farmers are tired as they attempt to beat Mother Nature and her tricks. My point to all of this is that I would encourage farmers to get some rest. An exhausted farmer behind the wheel of a large piece of equipment is not a safe farmer. We want all of our area farmers (actually farmers everywhere) to be back for another harvest. Get some rest, my friends.

••• We are actively working on the winter edition of Illinois Valley Living. If you have any feature story ideas, please feel free to send me an email at tsimon@tonicanews.com. As always, this edition promises to be jam-packed with great stories/photos from your friends and neighbors in the Illinois Valley.

••• I hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween.

We were talking in the newsroom about our favorite Halloween treat. If you know anything about newsrooms, you know any sweet treat is our favorite. I know there were a lot of Halloween events for little princesses, Super Heroes, goblins and ghosts in and around LaSalle County. You’ll want to make sure you thank the folks who orchestrated one of the many Halloween events for area children. Those activities require a lot of effort, energy and money, and those folks deserve a good old-fashioned pat on the back!

••• Thought for the day: “I like to call it nighttime brain — the way your mind seems to function on a different frequency than it does during daylight hours — which can be good or bad but also can lead to unexpected epiphanies or experiences that wouldn’t be the same at any other time of day.”

Erin Morgenstern.

Thought for tomorrow: “How lovely are the portals of the night, when stars come out to watch the daylight die.” Thomas Cole.

••• It’s difficult to believe the holidays are just a hop, skip and a jump away. As you plan your gift-giving lists, please remember to add a few names onto it, like your local food pantry, area toy drives, the agencies in the area who take care of our homeless and stray animals, and other benevolent causes. If we each made a small donation, I have to think it would be a better holiday for all.

Also, whenever possible, please remember to shop locally. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

••• Have you taken a fall drive to see the colors? Do it now before Mother Nature and Old Man Winter show their true colors!

••• Have a great week and weekend. Like my friend Yvonne from Tonica says, “Life is not a dress rehearsal!” Don’t put off those special moments with family and friends. Do it now. Take some time for you and those you love. And remember ... you are important to me and the Tonica News.

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

On the street

What do you think of the new fall season of TV shows?

Is there a favorite you watch? Why does it interest you?

“‘The Krugers’ look really cute on Tuesday night.”

Kathryn Swonbigger, Peru

“‘Hostages’ is good. It seems like a good show.”

Rod Strack, Tonica

“I love ‘NCIS’ and both versions, and ‘CSI.’ It is the excitement, the adventure, the teamwork, the cunningness.

I also like ‘The Good Wife’ and ‘Scandal;’ whoever wrote that one, they are just thinking all of the time.”

Dan Maack, Tonica

“I watch a lot of ‘Chicago Fire,’ ‘CSI’ and ‘Criminal Minds;’ that is usually what I watch and I catch. They kind of have to do with things that are going on in the world, but you can see an ending to them, either good or bad, but you see that ending.”

Michelle Narczewski, Lostant

Dating credit rating Apparently, it’s a very good thing I’m not single.

It used to be easier, when people judged prospective mates by looks, attitude or compatibility. Apparently, according to a news story from CBS, that’s not enough anymore.

A growing trend among singles is to date others depending on their credit score (and presumably, the other factors as well).

“The credit score affects nearly every aspect of our lives, the job I’m going to get, the apartment that I’m going to live in. Now our credit quality is actually affecting our dating lives,” financial expert Ann Margaret Carrozza said.

I admit, my credit rating is abominable; I’m more of a credit risk than the state of Illinois. It’ll be a while before I can replace my Korean Chevy; my broken dishwasher will gather more cobwebs; and about the only way I

Ken Schroeder COMMENTARY can get a loan is by misspelling it.

Dating? Apparently not if I were, indeed, alone.

Lest you believe I’m making this up, feel free to point your Internet web browser to www. creditscoredating.com, “where good credit scores are sexy.”

On the plus side, pick-up lines are about to reach a new level of hilarity.

“Hi. I’m Ken, I’m a Sagittarius, I like long walks in the moonlight with soft music and Standard & Poor’s has me rated at 788. Can I buy you a drink?”

I can understand this to a point. One of the biggest sources of arguments in a marriage is

money, and we’ve often heard the term “good provider” as a desirable trait in a mate. I just wonder if we haven’t gone overboard with this change of events.

If the accent is being put on financial status – or at least the power to borrow large sums of money – then what does that say about us? Are we gold-diggers at heart, thinking that money can buy us happiness, or at least a boat big enough to sail up to it and drop anchor? Are we so materialistic that romance can be removed from the equation as long as our soulmate has a Platinum American Express card?

For a joke, I decided to try to sign up at creditscoredating.com.

My credit card was declined.

Looks like I’m sitting this one out.

Putnam County Record/Tonica News staff writer Ken Schroeder can be reached at kschroeder@ putnamcountyrecord.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

6 Life 6 • The Tonica News • Friday, November 1, 2013

Community Annual fall fling will be held Nov. 2 STANDARD — The Putnam County Community Center will be having its annual Fall Fling from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 2. There will be lunch,

homemade bake sale, homemade noodles, pasta frittas and raffles. The Putnam County Community Center is located at 128 First St., Standard.

Learn about mental health disorders

HENRY — HenrySenachwine High School will host an information night for the school and community at 6 p.m. Nov. 6 in the high school media center. The topic for this event is mental health in the community led by board certified psychiatric nurse Edi Perdew.

Perdew has a combined 14 years of experience in adult and child behavioral health.

High school students

will take part in a weeklong event ending Nov. 8. They will learn about mental health disorders to create an understanding and awareness and gain resources for proper treatment.

The Happy Hobo will provide the meal for the event. RSVP to Erin Engfehr at 309-364-2829 or eengfehr@hscud5.org by Nov. 4. Child care services can be provided upon request.

Transportation committee to meet MENDOTA — The Human Services Transportation Plan (HSTP) Region 3 Transportation Committee meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Nov. 8 at the Mendota Civic Center, 1901 Tom Merwin Dr., Mendota. Human service organizations with an interest in public transportation are strongly encourage to attend as well as anyone interested in public transit.

The Regional Transportation Committee is responsible for the development and implementation of the HSTP. HSTP identifies transportation needs and develops solutions to improve trans-

portation services for seniors, people with disabilities, individuals with lower incomes, and veterans as well as the general public.

The Illinois Department of Transportation has formed an agreement with North Central Illinois Council of Governments (NCICG) for the purposes of preparing, implementing, and updating the plan for Region 3: Bureau, DeKalb, Grundy, Kendall, LaSalle, Lee, Ogle and Putnam counties. For more information about NCICG or HSTP, visit www.ncicg.org or contact Jacob Matsen at 815-4335830, ext. 15.

Your current internet connection

You on Tonica Telephone internet!

Photos contributed

Learning about fire safety The Lostant Fire Department visited Lostant Grade School during Fire Safety Week. A fire truck and ambulance were brought to the school for the students to see. They were able to view and learn about how some of the emergency equipment is used. They were also allowed to take turns getting inside each vehicle. In these photos contributed by Lostant teacher Leslie Smith, students were able to get their oxygen saturation tested with the ambulance pulse oximeter, learn about how some of the lifesaving equipment works and get a closer look at a Lostant fire truck.

Number of students meeting standards drops SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) recently released 2013 state average test scores that showed Illinois elementary school students are demonstrating growth in learning over the five-year trend under new performance levels.

However, as expected following the board’s move to raise performance levels on the 2013 Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT), the number of students meeting and exceeding state standards dropped.

These higher performance levels provide a more accurate and earlier indication of college and career readiness and better align with the expectations for 11th-graders who take the Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE), which includes the ACT. The ACT is considered the gold standard for measuring college and career readiness.

“By raising the ISAT cut scores in reading and math, we’ve seen the expected drop in student performance, but this drop does not reflect on students as a group or individuals – we raised the bar on

performance levels,” said Illinois State Superintendent of Education Christopher A. Koch. “We needed to raise our expectations at the elementary level, so that students are on track for high school and eventually prepared to succeed in college, career and daily life. As we map student performance over time on the new performance levels, we’re seeing steady growth.”

Students in third through eighth grades last March took the ISAT in reading and mathematics, which were subject to the raised performance levels, while fourth and seventh graders were also tested in science, which did not see a change in performance expectations as new science standards have not yet been approved. Students in 11th grade last April took the PSAE, which tests students in math, reading and science.

The statewide composite score for students meeting and exceeding standards on the ISAT dropped, going from 82.1 in 2012 to 61.9 in 2013. This decline is very similar to the projections

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Koch and board members made in January when they announced the higher cut scores.

Analysis of previous ISAT composite scores for reading and math alone under the new cut scores shows that students demonstrated significant growth during the past five years, increasing overall performance on ISAT reading from 54.8 in 2009 to 59 in 2013. Analysis on ISAT math scores during that same five-year timeline shows an increase from 55.3 in 2009 to 58.7 in 2013. The overall composite math and reading score increased from 55.1 in 2009 to 58.8 in 2013.

The ISAT science composite score – not impacted by the raised cut scores — went from 79.8 in 2012 to 80.0 in 2013.

The composite score for the PSAE, given to 11th-graders, increased from 51.3 in 2012 to 51.9 in 2013. Performance level cut scores for the PSAE were not raised as the test includes the ACT.

See Students Page 7

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7 Life Friday, November 1, 2013 • The Tonica News • 7

Supans celebrate 50th Teen driving deaths down nearly 60 percent Secretary of State Jesse White these provisions continue to wedding anniversary announced teen driving deaths work as we intended. When I Mr. and Mrs. Michael Supan of Tonica will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a family dinner, hosted by their children, on Nov. 3 at Verucchi’s Ristorante.

The couple will also take a trip to Arizona at a later date.

Michael R. Supan and the former Linda L. Foster were married Nov. 3, 1963, at the Wenona Presbyterian Church.

Judy (Foster) Schumacher was the maid of honor and Nancy Peterson (deceased) and Patricia (Keenan) Rohlen were bridesmaids. Duane Carr was the best man and Dick Duvall and Denil Hays Jr. were groomsmen. Russell and Roger Wright were ushers.

The couple has two children, Michele (Duane)

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Supan Straughn of Hennepin and Michael (Pam) Supan of Tonica. They also have four grandchildren and three great-grandsons.

The Supans are the founders of The Fender Menders of Peru, established in 1985.

Tonica Grade School Menus Breakfast Nov. 4 — Sausage/egg tortilla, cereal, yogurt or toast, fruit, juice, white or chocolate milk.

Nov. 5 — Pancake and sausage on a stick, cereal, yogurt or toast, fruit, juice, white or chocolate milk.

Nov. 6 — Scrambled eggs, cereal, yogurt or toast, fruit, juice, white or chocolate milk.

Nov. 7 — Muffin, cereal, yogurt or toast, fruit, juice, white or chocolate milk.

Nov. 8 — No school.

Lunch Nov. 4 — Cheese bosco sticks, marinara sauce, romaine lettuce, peaches, graham crackers, milk.

Nov. 5 — Hamburger, cheese slice, french fries, applesauce, pickles, milk.

Nov. 6 — Hot ham and cheese on burn or peanut butter and jelly, carrots, green beans, pears, milk.

Nov. 7 — Taco in a bag, apple slices and caramel sauce, milk.

Nov. 8 — No school.

••• Items for the Community section can be emailed to news@tonicanews.com.

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are down nearly 60 percent in Illinois as the country recognizes National Teen Driver Safety Week Oct. 20-26.

Illinois’ Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program was cited as one of the contributing factors to the decline in fatalities.

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, there were 144 teen driving deaths in 2007. Since White’s efforts to overhaul the GDL law took effect in 2008, teen driving fatalities have decreased by nearly 60 percent – with 58 teen driving deaths in 2012.

“The goal is to save lives,” White said. “I am pleased that

first convened the Teen Driver Safety Task Force, we knew we had our work cut out for us. We knew that automobile crashes were the leading cause of death for teens, and we worked hard to strengthen our GDL program and make it one of the best in the nation. While too many teens are still dying on our roads, we can take some solace in the fact that far fewer teens have died in crashes since we greatly strengthened our GDL program.”

Illinois’ GDL program better prepares novice, teen drivers by giving them more time to obtain valuable driving experience while under the watchful eye of a parent or guardian, limiting in-car

distractions and requiring teens to earn their way from one stage to the next by avoiding traffic convictions. State and national traffic safety organizations have praised Illinois’ stronger GDL program as one of the best in the nation.

To learn more about the state’s Graduated Driver Licensing program, visit www.cyberdriveillinois.com.

Students

ing us the resources to support our teachers and students in this important work.”

Jeff Mays, president of the Illinois Business Round Table, supports the state’s move to the Common Core Learning Standards and higher performance level cut scores, saying that both initiatives will promote a more serious and perhaps more urgent dialogue among schools within Illinois, and more importantly, between the school, parents and students about the level of achievement needed to meet the challenges before them.

“By realigning all ISAT scoring expectations to those of the high school test (Prairie State Achievement Exam-PSAE), the State Board of Education has signaled that all students and schools will be held to the same expectations,” Mays said. “This means that a large number of students and schools that met standards in 2012 will no longer be told they met standards on the Spring 2013 ISATs. If schools are truly about the kids, isn’t it better that kids know sooner rather than later where they truly stand on their education path?”

Student demographics and performance • The number of districts declined from 891 in 2003 to 863 in 2013; there were 376 elementary districts, 100 high school districts and 387 unit districts.

• In 2012-13, the total enrollment in Illinois public schools was 2,054,155, down more than 12,000 (12,537) students from 2012.

• Since 1999, the percentage of low-income students has increased from 36.1 percent to 49.8 percent in 2013.

• Minority enrollment increased from 38 percent in 1999 to 49.4 percent. The increase is attributed to the growth of the Hispanic student population, which increased from 13.9 percent in 1999 to 24.1 percent of all students in 2013.

• The number of Limited-English Proficient (LEP) students increased from 6.3 percent in 2003 to 9.5 percent in 2013. LEP students include those who are eligible for bilingual education.

ISBE has produced the School Report Card since 1986 for every public school and district in Illinois.

State report cards have been produced since 2002 and are required under No Child Left Behind.

From Page 6 Prior to raising the cut scores, a disconnect existed between the ISAT and the higher expectations of the PSAE with 82 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards on the ISAT statewide in 2012, while only 51 percent met or exceeded standards on the PSAE that same year. Educators have wanted to remedy that disconnect by raising expectations earlier to provide a more accurate indication of whether a student is on track for post-secondary success.

“We appreciate the coherence and clarity the Illinois State Board of Education is bringing to the need for schools to focus on college and career readiness, and specifically the help and support the Common Core State Standards provide as far as curricular direction and focus is concerned,’’ said Dr. Eric Twadell, superintendent of Adlai Stevenson High School District 125. “Clearly, education for the 21st Century is changing dramatically, and we’re grateful to the ISBE for provid-

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8 History/Class 8 • The Tonica News • Friday, November 1, 2013

Sending holiday cheer to service members worldwide MAGNOLIA — Making sure those serving in the nation’s Armed Forces receive their presents and care packages in time for the holidays is a priority for friends and family members of military personnel serving around the world and for the U.S. Postal Service.

“We want to remind our customers about these important mailing dates,” said Magnolia Postmaster Yvone Mercer. “This will help ensure cards, letters and packages arrive in time for the holidays.”

Helping to get packages on their way, the Postal Service offers a discount on its largest priority mail

flat rate box at $14.85.

The price includes a $2 per box discount for military mail being sent to air/ army post office, fleet post office and diplomatic post office (APO, FPO, DPO) destinations worldwide.

Priority mail flat rate boxes are available at no cost at local post offices, or can be ordered online at shop.usps.com. Postage, labels and customs forms can be printed online anytime using Click-N-Ship.

To ensure timely delivery of holiday wishes by Dec. 25, send cards and packages to military APO, FPO, DPO addresses overseas no later than the mailing dates in the graph.

Use the Military Care Kit to send presents and/or care packages With Priority Mail supplies as the packaging of choice for families preparing care packages for service members overseas, the Postal Service created a free “Military Care Kit” based on the items most frequently requested by military families.

The kit contains: Two Priority Mail APO/FPO Flat Rate Boxes, two Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Boxes, Pri-

ority Mail tape, Priority Mail address labels and appropriate customs forms.

To order the kit, call 800610-8734. Guidelines for packing, addressing, and shipping items to U.S. troops can be found at usps.com/ ship/apo-fpo-guidelines.htm.

To order flat-rate boxes featuring the “America Supports You” logo, go to store. usps.com.

Military Mail Addressed To and From

APO/FPO AE ZIPs 090-092

Dec. 17

Dec. 10

Dec. 10

Dec. 3

Nov. 26

Nov. 12

APO/FPO AE ZIP 093

N/A

Dec. 3

Dec. 3

Dec. 3

Nov. 26

Nov. 12

APO/FPO AE ZIPs 094-098

Dec. 17

Dec. 10

Dec. 10

Dec. 3

Nov. 26

Nov. 12

APO/FPO AA ZIP 340

Dec. 17

Dec. 10

Dec. 10

Dec. 3

Nov. 26

Nov. 12

APO/FPO AP ZIPs 962-966

Dec. 17

Dec. 10

Dec. 10

Dec. 3

Nov. 26

Nov. 12

1 PMEMS is available to selected military/diplomatic post offices. Check with your local Post Office to determine if this service is available to an APO/FPO/DPO address.

2 PAL is a service that provides air transportation for parcels on a space-available basis. PAL is available for Standard Post items not exceeding 30 pounds in weight or 60 inches in length and girth combined. The applicable PAL fee must be paid in addition to the regular surface price for each addressed piece sent by PAL service.

3.) SAM parcels are paid at Standard Post prices with maximum weight and size limits of 15 pounds and 60 inches in length and girth combined. SAM parcels are first transported domestically by surface and then to overseas destinations by air on a space-available basis.

Addressing the package 1.) Write out the service members full name in the address.

2.) Include the unit and APO/ FPO/DPO address with the 9-digit ZIP Code (if one is assigned). For example:

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

CLASSIFIED LINE AD & LEGAL DEADLINES: • Friday Paper deadline Friday before by 3pm We Accept Call 815-875-4461 classified@bcrnews.com

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No commercial ads, firearms or animal sales.

E-mail information to: classified@ bcrnews.com (include your name, address & phone number)

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999 • Legal Notices IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT LASALLE COUNTY, OTTAWA, ILLINOIS PROBATE DIVISION ESTATE OF ) CECELIA FUNFSINN, ) Deceased. ) No. 2013 – P – 198 CLAIM NOTICE Notice is given of

Priority Mail Express First-Class Parcel Military Mail Letters Priority Airlift Mail Space Standard Service and Cards Mail (SAM)3 (PAL)2 Available Post (PMEMS)1

999 • Legal Notices the death of CECELIA FUNFSINN of Peru, Illinois.

Letters of Office were issued on October 15, 2013 to Richard Funfsinn as Executor and Representative of 503 McHugh Road, Yorkville, IL 60560 whose Attorney is Lisa Olivero of Olivero & Olivero Law Offices, 1611 Fifth Street, Peru, IL 61354-2603.

Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk, Probate Division, in the LaSalle County Courthouse, 119 W. Madison Street, Ottawa, IL 61350, or with the Representative, or both, within six (6) months from the date of the first publication of this Notice. If a claim notice is mailed or delivered personally to a creditor of the decedent, the creditor’s claim may be filed within three (3) months from the date of mailing or delivery

Example 1: CPT JOHN DOE, UNIT 2050 BOX 4190, APO AP 96278-2050 Example 2: SGT ROBERT SMITH, PSC 802 BOX 74, APO AE 09499-0074

Example 3: SEAMAN JOSEPH SMITH, USCGC HAMILTON, FPO AP 96667-3931 Example 4: MSG JANE DOE, CMR 1250, APO AA 09045-1000 3.) Include a return address.

999 • Legal Notices

999 • Legal Notices

999 • Legal Notices

of this notice, or within six (6) months from the date of first publication, whichever is later. Any claim not filed within the time allowed is barred.

Copies of a claim filed with the Clerk must be mailed or delivered to the Representative and to the Attorney within ten (10) days after it has been filed with the Clerk of the Court and proof of such mailing or delivery must be filed with the Clerk.

ANDREW F. SKOOG CIRCUIT CLERK – LASALLE COUNTY LASALLE COUNTY COURT HOUSE 119 WEST MADISON STREET OTTAWA, IL 61350 ATTORNEY LISA OLIVERO Olivero & Olivero Law Offices Attorney for the Estate 1611 Fifth Street Peru, IL 61354-2603 Phone (815) 224-2030 Fax (815) 224-2900 Published in the Tonica News Oct. 25, Nov. 1 and 8, 2013.

July 1, 2012 1,255,882; Ending Fund Balances - June 30, 2013 980,383 .

Operations & Maintenance: Local Sources 157,950 ; State Sources 100,320; Total Direct Receipts/ Revenues 258,270; Total Direct Disbursements/ Expenditures 237,311; Other Sources/Uses of Funds -0-; Beginning Fund Balances - July 1, 2012 48,641; Ending Fund Balances - June 30, 2013 69,600.

Debt Services: Local Sources 37; Total Direct Receipts/Revenues 37; Beginning Fund Balances July 1, 2012 7,562; Ending Fund Balances June 30, 2013 7,599.

Transportation: Local Sources 37,799; FlowThrough Receipts/Revenues from One District to Another District 124,481; Total Direct Receipts/ Revenues 162,280; Total Direct Disbursements/ Expenditures 140,299; Beginning Fund Balances July 1, 2012 73,279; Ending Fund Balances - June 30, 2013 95,260.

Municipal Retirement/Social Security: Local Sources 76,250; Flow-Through Receipts/Revenues from One District to Another District 17,847; Total Direct Receipts/Revenues 94,097; Total Direct Disbursements/Expenditures 88,677; Beginning Fund Balances - July 1, 2012 1,149; Ending Fund Balances - June 30, 2013 6,569.

Working Cash: Local Sources 16,526; Total Direct Receipts/Revenues 16,526; Beginning Fund Balances - July 1, 2012 172,174; Ending Fund Balances - June 30, 2013 188,700.

Tort: Local Sources 38,649; Total Direct Receipts/ Revenues 38,649; Total Direct Disbursements/ Expenditures 37,757; Beginning Fund Balances July 1, 2012 34,522; Ending Fund Balances June 30, 2013 35,414.

Fire Prevention & Safety: Local Sources 16,027; Total Direct Receipts/Revenues 16,027; Beginning Fund Balances - July 1, 20121 71,159; Ending Fund Balances - June 30, 2013 87,186.

GROSS PAYMENT FOR CERTIFIED PERSONNEL Salary Range: Less Than $25,000: NICOLE ANDERSON, JUDITH ARENZ, CLAUDIA BACHMAN, RACHEL BAKER, JULIE BEENENGA, KATHLEEN BENSON, STEFAN BERNAL, BEN BOLDT, CRISTEN CLARK, LOIS CROASDALE, LYNN CWIKLA, KATIE ELLESON, ALICIA FARMER, RAYLENE GROSSI, DARLENE HESS, PATRICIA HOFMANN, ASHLEIGH HOPS, NICOLE HURST, CARLA KEITH, RONDA KETNER, SUSAN KONIECZY, MARY KOZLOWSKI, SARAH MAKEEVER-SHUMWAY, DARLENE MEKLEY, SHANNON MORENO, KATHI MORGAN-HANSON, BRENNAN REEDER, ELLEN RICCI, GRETCHEN SCHAEFER, SCOTT SCHENNUM, ELIZABETH SENICA, CARLEE SKINNER, NATALIE SMIGEL, WILLIAM DEAN SUMMERS, MICHAEL WELCH Salary Range: $25,000 - $39,999: AMY CACCIATORI, MELISSA CASSIDY, CARRIE CHRISTMAN, CHRISTINE DRAG, JEAN GLEIM, NICHOLAS HEUSER, BETSY PATYK, CHRISTINE VOLK Salary Range: $40,000 - $59,999: LYNN ANDERSON, KIRSTEN AUGSPOLS, DAVID DOWNING, MARIE FIOCCHI, TRUDY FORKNER, JANE HOFFMANN, SHANNON MARCINKUS,

JANET MARTIN, CINDY WEILAND Salary Range: $90,000 and over: JOHN SUAREZ GROSS PAYMENT FOR NON-CERTIFIED PERSONNEL Salary Range: Less Than $25,000: LYNN ANDERSON, MORENA ANDRADE-DUNCAN, JULIE BEENENGA, LOIS BEENENGA, ERIKA BLAUVELT, KATHRYN BREWER, MICHELLE CARMEAN, MELISSA CASSIDY, CARRIE CHRISTMAN, JOAN CLAUDNIC, CARRIE COLMANE, MARIANNE DRAPER, PAMELA FORD, MARY JO FREEMAN, ELIZABETH GILLESPIE, LINDA HEJL, DARLENE HESS, NICHOLAS HEUSER, ASHLEIGH HOPPS, COLLEEN HUSKA, MICHELINE JOHNSON, MARY KOZLOWSKI, LANA LAMBOLEY, CONNIE LAUER AMY MARETA, JOSEPH MARTIN, VICKI MCKNIGHT, LORI NOVOTNEY, JOYCE OBERMILLER , BETSY PATYK, BARBARA PUETZ NOELLE SAUTER, CARLEE SKINNER, JESSICA WHIPPLE Salary Range: $25,000 - $39,999: MONICA KREISER, JESSICA SCHNEIDER Salary Range: $40,000 - $59,999: JOHN RODRICK, DAN STOFFLE Payments over $2,500, excluding wages and salaries.

941 EFTPS $144,539.61 AMEREN $16,141.93 APPLE, INC $61,429.95 MELISSA CASSIDY $4,560.00 CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL $10,808.59 CONSTELLATION NEW ENERGY $27,458.68 CSC LEARNING $5,920.00 COMMON GOAL $3,022.77 DURATECH $4,958.00 EMPLOYERS PREFERRED $16,357.00 FICEK $4,398.00 FOX RIVER $43,255.55 GRAINCO FS $25,153.84 GRASSERS $3,370.00 HADDOCK $7,398.00 HOPKINS $4,000.00 HORTON GROUP $17,590.00 HUMANA $122,441.00 IDOR $53,882.00 IMPREST FUND $8,747.00 LEASE $4,555.00 LOSTANT CUSD #425 $47,443.00 LAURA MENTGEN $21,332.00 NCIMD $10,112.00 OGLESBY $20,892.00 OPPENHEIMER $6,350.00 PERU PUBLIC SCHOOLS $15,425.00 QUILL $2,695.00 LASALLE CO ROE $3,000.00 SIMPLEX GRINNELL $3,426.00 STERLING ROOFING $34,600.00 STREATOR FARM MART $3,459.00 SUPREME RADIO $4,406.00 RUYLE $15,619.00 TRS $56,458.00 IFT $11,927.00 VISA $13,633.00 WALT ZUKOWSKI $6,484.00 Published in the Tonica News Nov.1, 2013.

ANNUAL STATEMENT OF AFFAIRS SUMMARY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2013 Copies of the detailed Annual Statement of Affairs for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2013, will be available for public inspection in the school district/joint agreement administrative office by December 1, 2013. Individuals wanting to review this Annual Statement of Affairs should contact: Tonica CCSD #79, 535 N 1981 RD, TONICA, IL 61370, 815-442-3420, M-F 7-4.

Also by January 15, 2014 the detailed Annual Statement of Affairs for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2013, will be posted on the Illinois State Board of Education’s website @ www.isbe.net SUMMARY: The following is the Annual Statement that is required to be published by the school district/joint agreement for the past fiscal year.

Statement of Operations as of June 30, 2013 Educational: Local Sources 918,881; FlowThrough Receipts/Revenues from One District to Another District 418,444; State Sources 173,972; Federal Sources -0-; Total Direct Receipts/ Revenues 1,511,297; Total Direct Disbursements/ Expenditures 1,786,796; Beginning Fund Balances -