Thursday Jan. 14, 2016 Vol. 3, No. 44
The Weekly Post
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Elmwood bank buys Palace Theatre at auction By BILL KNIGHT
ELMWOOD – Hours after Jennifer Beard’s family enjoyed the comedy “Daddy’s Home” at the Palace Theatre here, her bank successfully bid for the property in a sheriff’s foreclosure sale on Monday morning. Beard is president of Farmers State Bank, whose bid of $192,330.85 was accepted to buy both the Palace and the shuttered Garden Theater in Canton. There were no other bids. The theater was closed on Monday and there were no immediate plans for any movies to be shown. Also present at the County Courtroom 203 were Rick LeHew from ElmWeekly Post Staff Writer
Rosefield sets culvert guidelines
wood Theater Co., and Elmwood Economic Development Officer Dick Taylor. LeHew said the investor group, which has raised $230,000 from more than 30 investors, this week planned meetings of its steering committee and investors and was given a walk-through at the theater on Tuesday. LeHew said the group hopes to work out a purchase agreement with Farmers State Bank as soon as possible. Depending on the timing, a grand reopening could come in early February. The foreclosure concerned four defaulted loans taken by Vern Reynolds and Reynolds Theaters Entertainment, Inc., according to Farmers State Bank, including the Garden Theater in Can-
The marquee is temporarily blank at the Palace Theatre in Elmwood.
ton. “We contacted the renters at the Canton theater [New Hope Community Church] and told them they can stay for now but we plan to put it up for sale,”
COLD CRITTERS
said Beard. “The Palace is not going to be listed [for sale] immediately.” Court documents say no payments were made on Reynolds’ first mortgage since October of 2014 and none on a second mortgage since December of 2014. In court filings, Farmers State Bank (FSB) said it was owed more than $157,000 on the first mortgage and about $13,000 on the second. With legal expenses and additional fees, Farmers said it was owed more than $180,000 plus interest of $29.67 per day since Oct. 26, when the court issued the sale order. The sale’s final determination will be made on Jan. 20 by Judge Katherine Continued on Page 2
Princeville ‘summit’ open to all
By BILL KNIGHT
ROSEFIELD – Rosefield Township Trustees on Wednesday (Jan. 6) unanimously approved new guidelines for the installation of residential and commercial culverts, effective immediately. The new standards affect properties abutting Township roads, and require prior approval and fees to notify the Township of such improvements and ensure the correct size of culverts to accommodate water. “That’s all I want,” said Rosefield Highway Commissioner Matt Windish. “We just don’t want someone using plastic or a four-inch pipe or gravel dumped in a ditch.” Township involvement “will cost us more than the fees,” he added. The requirements are identical to Peoria County standards, except Rosefield residents will need Windish’s approval instead of Peoria County Engineer Amy McLaren. The fee for residential culverts will be $25; commercial with culverts will pay more, depending on driveway widths. Rosefield residents may contact the
By BILL KNIGHT
For The Weekly Post
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PRINCEVILLE – When three community boards hold their joint “Meeting of the Boards” next Thursday (Jan. 21) the event is not some smalltown turf war, but a sensible expression of common ground. Meeting twice a year since 2008, the get-together of the Lillie M. Evans Library, Princeville School and Princeville Village Boards is an opportunity to interact and Duling share information with each other and the public, participants say. “We find it very valuable,” said Shannon Duling, Superintendent of Princeville School District 326. “It is great to see all of the wonderful things going on throughout all of the organizations and throughout Princeville. “I think it also helps us all ‘keep on the same page’,” he added. The meetings rotate between the For The Weekly Post
Coping with the Cold Birds always amaze in the cold of winter with their tiny feet, perched on branches with no mittens or gloves. Canada geese are even more impressive, sitting or standing on ice. How do they do it? Sparrows, like the one at right, seek shelter in dense foliage to avoid the elements, huddle together for warmth, tuck in their heads and feet and puff up their feathers. They also shiver to raise their metabolic rate. Geese add fat to help insulate from the cold and also grow an extra set of downy feathers for insulation. Chickadees and finches will add up to 10 percent of their winter body weight in fat to serve as insulation. That’s one reason offering birds high-fat foods helps during the winter. Birds also have scales on their legs and feet that minimize heat loss. And they can restrict the blood flow to their extremities to reduce heat loss. Photos and words by Jeff Lampe
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