The Weekly Post
Thursday August 1, 2013 Vol. 1, No. 23 Hot news tip? Want to advertise? Call (309) 741-9790!
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Ray LaHood considering future career options By BILL KNIGHT
After more than four years as U.S. Secretary of Transportation during the Obama administration and 35 years in government, Republican Ray LaHood is taking time to consider various options and plans to decide his future in the next few weeks. But he notes that whatever his future holds, “our home is Peoria. “After Labor Day, we’ll figure out what we’ll do,” he said. “I’m taking the summer to listen to people. We’ll stay involved, maybe volunteer, maybe help with some not for profit or some other board, [so] we’re going to be For The Weekly Post
spending a lot of time there.” LaHood has spent a lot of time creating a substantial transportation legacy. After serving on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee from 1995 until 2000, he became Transportation Secretary and is credited with its fixing or building thousands of bridges and hundreds of thousands of miles of roads. He also has also shared the credit for: • Helping create 65,000 jobs from government’s economic stimulus; • Launching high-speed rail; • Leading on consumer-friendly initiatives ranging from better fuel efficiency, bicycle-sharing programs and
auto recalls to air safety monitoring, the “Cash for Clunkers” program and distracted driving measures. His leadership arguably stems from a lesson he took from decades of public service. “I learned that you can be successful if you hire good staff and let them do the job,” he says. “When I came to the Department of Transportation I had 100 positions to fill and I interviewed for every one. I tried to hire based on their professional qualifications, to build a team and give them the leverage to do what they do best. “I took two with me [from previous offices]: Marlise Streitmatter, from
WHITNEY’S WALK
Walk revenue tops $130,000
Members of the Grotts extended family pose for a picture during Saturday’s Whitney’s Walk For Life, a memorial to the late Whitney Grotts. The event at Jubilee College State Park raised more than $130,000. See a related column by Jeff Lampe on Page 4.
BRIMFIELD – Unseasonably mild weather helped attract a record number of more than 1,350 participants for Saturday’s 10th annual Whitney’s Walk For Life, held at Jubilee College State Park. That crowd helped generate a record of more than $130,000. “On the day of the walk you always see this sea of green shirts, but usually you can see the grass. It seemed for a while there I could not see the grass. It was wall to wall people, shoulder to shoulder,” said Jamie Sanders of Mental Health America of Illinois Valley. “It was phenomenal.”
Thank Mr. Brown when the lights go on By KARL TAYLOR
When you turn on the lights in Elmwood, Yates City, Brimfield or even Maquon, don’t forget to thank Mr. Brown. When you drive by Max Morse’s house in Elmwood, tip your hat to the man who built that house in 1898. You see, Edwin L. Brown brought electricity to Elmwood in 1891, the third city in Central Illinois, just behind Peoria For The Weekly Post
(1884) and Pekin (1888). Until that year, our ancestors had been using candles and kerosene. Who, in the world, was E. L. Brown? He was born in 1850 near Springfield, Mass., moving with his family to Elmwood in 1856. After graduating from the Taft Academy, Brown operated several businesses, including a book and stationery store, a dry goods store (he bought merchandise in Chicago from Marshall Fields) and eventually the Elm-
wood Paper Mill. When he was running the mill, he was also thinking about electricity. While he used kerosene lamps in his home and businesses, he was a little jealous of his friends in Peoria and Pekin and decided to build a power plant just south of town on the banks of the Kickapoo Creek, believing electricity was the wave of the future. As the Peoria Transcript said Continued on Page 4
your area, and Joan DeBoer.” DeBoer, formerly Deputy Chief of Staff at LaHood’s Congressional office in Washington, was LaHood’s Chief of Staff at DOT; Streitmatter, the daughter of Norma and Joyce Streitmatter of rural Elmwood, was LaHood’s political director in Peoria, and was Deputy Chief of Staff at DOT. Streitmatter, a 1979 graduate of Brimfield High School who has also worked for the Department of Defense and the World Bank, says the upbringing she and LaHood had has helped. “The small-town heritage is extraordinarily valuable,” Streitmatter says. Continued on Page 2
Man charged with child porn By BILL KNIGHT
State and Knox County police executed a search warrant in the 600 block of South Dixon Street last Thursday morning and arrested a 54-year-old Yates City man and charged him with 12 counts of child pornography. Kevin Eugene Martin was charged with four Class-X counts of distribution of child pornography, punishable by 6 to 30 years in prison; four Class-1 counts of distribution of child pornography, punishable by 4 to 15 years in prison; three Class-2 counts of possession of child pornography, punishable by 3 to 7 years; and one Class-3 count of possession of child pornography, with a possibility of 2 to 5 years in prison. “Possessing or distributing child Martin pornography is a horrific crime,” commented Attorney General Lisa Madigan. “Every time an image of a child being sexually assaulted is viewed, it perpetuates the initial offense and further scars these innocent victims. “My office will continue to be relentless in targeting these offenders and working with local law enforcement to arrest and prosecute them.” Part of Operation Glass House, a statewide initiative that Madigan launched to apprehend the most active offenders downloading and trading child pornography online, the search and arrest involved officers from the Knox County Sheriff’s Department. “The operation was out of the Illinois Attorney General’s office,” said Captain Dave Caslin of the Knox For The Weekly Post
Continued on Page 3
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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, August 1, 2013
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LaHOOD: Common ground missing Continued from Page 1
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“Ray is a tremendous example of that. It helps him remain grounded in the rough tumble of Washington, and I found that to be true in my own life.” Before joining the President’s Cabinet, LaHood’s background was a foundation for his years of service. After attending St. Bernard’s Grade School and Spalding Institute in Peoria, he went to Canton Junior College (now Spoon River College) and Bradley University; taught at St. Joseph’s school in Pekin, Holy Family school in Peoria, and Oak Grove West in Bartonville; and worked at the Rock Island County Youth Services Bureau. He became Republican Congressman Tom Railsback’s administrative assistant from 197782, was appointed to fill a State Representative vacancy in 1982, and then joined U.S. Rep.
Bob Michel’s staff, after which LaHood served as U.S. Representative from the 18th Congressional District for 14 years. It all seems to have helped the 67-year-old Peoria native seek common ground, a knack that’s increasingly lost in Washington, he says. “I was a Congressional staffer for 17 years,” he says. “It’s never been like this. It’s not about politics, but policy. On election night in 1994 I said I’d been elected to represent all of the people of the district: veterans, seniors who need help with Social Security, someone who wants to become a citizen – [without] asking about their politics, if they’re registered, if they voted or whatever. “Thirty or forty people, primarily Republicans in the House, [are] a problem,” he continues. “At this point I think it’d be difficult for
people like Eisenhower or Reagan or Nixon – even George H.W. Bush or George W. Bush – to be able to do what they did. [And] Eisenhower was such a visionary. Look at the infrastructure he built: the Interstate system that meant so much in economic development and opportunities. “We’re elected to do what’s right,” he says. “You can have principled stands and a philosophy, [but] what we do is be helpful, make government work.” Something is not working when it comes to issues such as a Farm Bill or government surveillance, adds LaHood, who during his tenure as a Congressman served on both the Agriculture Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. “What’s going on with the Farm Bill is a slap in the face to rural Amer-
ica,” LaHood says. “In 35 years I’ve never seen a time that had this kind of intransigence, a kind of no-vision view, which is not good for rural America. Passing something without food stamps is nonsense. [But] ultimately, they’ll come to grips with it.” Government surveillance eventually will be more effective and less intrusive, says LaHood, who in 2005 voted against renewing the PATRIOT Act because it extended government police powers. “What [whistleblower Edward] Snowden has done is a pretty bad thing,” LaHood says. “It’s not good for our opportunity to collect information and use it in a way that’s good for America. “But there are enough people in Congress, good patriots, that will look out for privacy for Americans. There needs to be a balance.”
Cheer On The Kickapoo-Brimfield St. Jude Runners!
• Runners will be leaving Brimfield High School at 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning and arriving in Kickapoo at 12:45 p.m. for a public pork chop lunch. • Pork chop lunch served from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. • Proceeds support St. Jude. • Watch the St. Jude Telethon at 10:20 p.m. to see Kickapoo/Brimfield runners present our check to St. Jude.
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Come to Jubilee Cafe Wednesday, July 31 4-8 p.m. to support our runners.
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THE WEEK AHEAD HOT PICK This Week!
s Cruise in – The 7th annual Brimfield Super Cruise In to benefit the American Diabetes Association is Aug. 3 from 4-8 p.m. In addition to streets lined with cool cars, the event features kids games, an ice cream social, train rides, grilled pork chops, raffles and a silent auction that closes at 7:15 p.m. There will also be a bags tournament (entry fee $10 per person, register at 2 p.m.) starting at 3 p.m. at the American Legion. Call Joe Arbogast at (309) 678-3639 or Kellie Arbogast at (309) 645-1395.
This Week’s Events
Future Events
s Old Settlers Days – The 124th ans Hog roast – The National Alliance nual Brimfield’s Old Settlers Days are on Mental Illness has its fourth annual Aug 8-10. Country singer Barbara hog roast Saturday at Detweiller Park’s Pine and Dogwood shelters, 11 a.m. to Fairchild has two shows Aug. 10 at 6 and 9 p.m. Visit brimfieldoldsettlers2 p.m. Pulled pork, baked beans, vegetables, drinks and desert. Donation of days.webs.com. s Fiber guild – The $5 suggested. Call Bishop Hill Fiber (309) 693-0541. Publicize Your Event Guild meets Aug 10 at s Elmwood band – Call us at (309) 741-9790 10 a.m. at the West Elmwood’s Municipal or email information about Jersey Methodist Band plays Sunday at 8 your upcoming event to Church. Call (309) p.m. in the Central Park news@wklypost.com. 472-7085. gazebo. s Summer Festa – s Historical tour – Italian-American Society of Peoria The Celebrate world travels of Miss Jean Morron at Pettengill-Morron Historical has its 84th annual Summer Festa picnic Home Museum, 1212 Moss Avenue in Aug. 11, noon to 7 p.m. at Hickory Peoria Sunday 1-4 p.m. Cost $7 adults, Grove Park north of Peoria. Italian food, beverages, gift booths, live music a car $3 children. Call (309) 674-1921. s Mother-daughter crafts – Mother- show, childrens’ activities and more. Addaughter craft night is Aug. 8 at 6 p.m. mission $3 for adults, free for children under 12. Visit www.ItalianAmericanSoat Morrison & Mary Wiley Library. ciety.com. Children must be at least six to attend.
PORN: More than 10,000 images Continued from Page 1
County Sheriff’s Department. “We assisted them.” Martin is being held in the Knox County Jail. Judge James Standard of the Ninth Judicial Circuit set his bond at $500,000. Prosecutors said more than 10,000 photographs and images containing pornographic images of adult males engaging in sexual acts with underage females were seized, but Assistant State’s Attorney Elisa Tanner said three times as many images eventually could be retrieved. Based on financial information provided by Martin, Tanner said the state recommended he be assigned a public defender, and Standard appointed Public Defender James Harrell to represent Martin. Martin’s next court appearance is set for Aug. 5. This is the 46th arrest since Opera-
tion Glass House was launched in August 2010. That year, its investigations revealed a disturbing trend of offenders trading violent videos of children being raped, and thereafter its focus has been on apprehending offenders who are seen trading and watching such videos involving kids, including infants and toddlers. Using a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Madigan’s office also runs the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which investigates child exploitation crimes and trains law enforcement agencies. Since 2006, the task force has been involved in 603 arrests of sexual predators and has provided training and education for more than 299,000 parents, teachers and students and for more than 16,000 law enforcement professionals.
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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, August 1, 2013
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The Weekly Post is published every Thursday (except the last weeks of December and June) by Lampe Publications LLC, 115 W. Main St., Elmwood, IL 61529. All phone numbers listed are in area code (309). Postmaster – Send address changes to The Weekly Post, P.O. Box 745, Elmwood, IL 61529 Phone – 741-9790 Fax – 741-9365 Email – news@wklypost.com Office Hours – Mon-Wed 9-5, Thurs 9-12, Fri 9-4 News – Jeff Lampe 231-6040 Classifieds – Shelly Brodine 741-9790 Advertising – Steve Neal 696-6130 Deadlines – News due Tuesdays by noon. Retail ads and classifieds due Mondays by noon. Quote of the Week: – “I am an expert of electricity. My father occupied the chair of applied electricity at the state prison.” – W.C. Fields Devoured by 13,781+ readers every week!
Grotts hopes to walk herself out of a job
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In a perfect world, there would never be another Whitney’s Walk For Life. So says Karen Grotts of Brimfield, who helped start the event that last Saturday packed several thousand people into Jubilee College State Park. Unfortunately we live in a very flawed world. Despite money and research and Jeff events like Whitney’s Walk, LAMPE we must still contend with hard-to-treat diseases and mental health problems. And all too often, a young person commits suicide. Depression is the third-leading cause of death for youths age 15-24. So every July for the past 10 years, Grotts and her family have helped organize an impressive –
though still painful – memorial to their late daughter Whitney. “The walk day is ... bittersweet would be the word,” Grotts said. “The scab doesn’t come all the way open. After a number of years you figure out how to live with it, I guess. I just don’t let myself go all the way back.” All the way back is to 2004 when 16-year-old Whitney Grotts took her own life after battling undiagnosed depression. There were signs, though, signs the Grotts family missed. “The hard part for me is I didn’t pick up on it,” Karen Grotts said. “People need to figure out (suicide) is a disease, not a weakness or whatever people put on it.” So the Grotts family organized a memorial walk. The first year they hoped to net $5,000, then raised $35,000. The second year Karen tracked 1,200 walkers on an Excel sheet.
Since then, welcome organizational help has come from Mental Health of America, which receives 90 percent of the proceeds. The walk has raised more than $700,000 and this year set a record with more than $130,000. Satellite events have sprung up across the area. A chili cook-off. Lifefest in Farmington. A motorcycle ride. A plant sale. A golf outing. A mud derby. A whiffle ball tournament. “There’s one lady and her friend who make earrings they sell at different venues. And every year they contribute $5,000 to $6,000,” Grotts said. “It’s all these people just coming together with their own thing and contributing. “I know (programs funded by Whitney’s Walk) are making a difference and saving people. If they weren’t, I would have quit.”
Contact Jeff Lampe at 231-6040 or jeff@wklypost.com
LIGHTS: No electricity provided during daylight Continued from Page 1
in January 1891, “Our bright little sister city, Elmwood is to the front again; and is to be lighted private and corporate [homes and businesses] by electricity.” According to the Elmwood Gazette (Feb. 1, 1905), “Service from dusk to midnight was usual but all-night service was established in Elmwood. Monthly flat rates were established ... and extravagant use grew to be universal. ... Premises were wired without charge.” The Elmwood Electric Company did not provide electricity during the daylight hours, however, an omission preventing homeowners from buying and benefiting from electric refrigerators and other appliances that appeared a few years later. In two or three years Brown discovered that more people were demanding electric service, and to 408 E. Knoxville St. Brimfield, IL 61517
make his investment work out, he needed to serve more customers. So E. L. explored the possibility of supplying current to Yates City. There were skeptics. The country was in the midst of a severe economic recession, and many wondered if people could afford or would be willing to switch to electricity. Moreover, others were not convinced that Brown’s company could send power three miles away. And the materials for extending the line were quite high. Cedar posts cost 65-90 cents each, copper wire ran 10 cents a pound, and the cost of labor was sky high – $1.25 to $2.50 a day. Brown didn’t listen. He connected Elmwood and Yates City. According to a writer for the Peoria Transcript, “Thus were inaugurated the earliest town-to-town and the first rural electric lines in
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Illinois and perhaps in the United States or elsewhere ... Brimfield, Douglas, Maquon, Princeville ... were added.” Brown’s gamble was a roaring success. Brown’s success, however, was not a secret. In late 1912 he began quiet negotiations with a group of New York and Philadelphia banks for the sale of the Elmwood Electric Company. At that time the Central Illinois Light Company was being formed and that holding company began buying up small electric companies in the middle of the state. No one knows what the Browns received for their company, but according to the Ameren historian, such purchases ran from $150,000 to $250,000, probably a huge amount of money in 1913. So when you turn the lights on or off, don’t forget to thank E. L. Brown for lighting up your life.
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A shake with Obama (hands & knees) My dad taught me how to shake hands. He told me you needed to have a firm handshake, not one that would crush whoever’s hand you were shaking, but also not one that allowed your own to be crushed should the person on the other end be some sort of sadist. I wasn’t very old when he taught me that. I’ve tried to remember that throughout my life. I’ve been on both ends. Jon I’ve had people GALLAGHER grab my hand before I was quite ready for them, and the result had to be a very unpleasant one for them. On the other – er, ah – hand, I’ve grabbed a few hands that felt like I was holding a piece of raw liver. I like Aaron Schock, our Congressman, but the man needs to learn how to shake hands. When he offers his hand, more often than not, it’s a lot like taking that piece of liver I was talking about earlier. I understand that the man shakes hands about a million times a day and that his hand must
get tired, but if he ever expects to become more than just our Congressman (and I suspect he does ... I’m told he can sometimes be heard humming “Hail to the Chief” to himself), then he needs to learn to buck it up and build up the muscles in his hand. At Knox College in Galesburg, they have a thing they do at the beginning of the school year that’s pretty awesome. You shake hands with every single person on campus. They call it “the Pumphandle” and it works like this: The president of the college starts it off, somewhere in the middle of the Quad (the wide open grassy area between the buildings), shaking hands with the dean, who then stands by the president. Then, someone else comes along and shakes hands with both of them, then joins them in line. This continues with everyone starting with the president, working their way down the line, then joining the line. This line snakes its way throughout the Quad until every single person on campus has shaken hands with everyone else. It’s very impressive, and if you’re lucky enough to participate (I’ve been in three), you end up My search even included a few hours in the then-bustling Chicago Loop retail area. I knew I was not going to suddenly look like James Dean because I had that jacket, but it could say something about my penchant for rebellion. I never found one. I was joined in such quests by myriads of other kids, and it carried into adulthood. I sold men’s clothes part-time for 25 years and saw the yearly changes in fashion and expectations. In the 1960s, a man working in management at Cat wore a suit – not a sport coat and slacks, but a suit. The company had an image to project and casual dress was not a part of it. The question of what we wear today, and what it says about us and how others perceive us, has taken on the appellation “profiling,” which is usually used to decry an unfair judgment. I suggest those who see me dressed in slacks, shirt and tie as I ply my trade as a salesman for H & H likely see me as an anachronism, and that is exactly what I want. They rarely see a salesman dressed like I am come in their doors, and they remember what
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shaking several hundred hands. It’s a way to kick off each school year at Knox. At the end, you tend to have a sore hand, but you get used to it. I bring this up only because of what happened on July 24 in Galesburg. President Barack Obama showed up in town to give a speech. I had press credentials so I could cover the event for the New Zephyr newspaper, but because of that, I was banished to an area reserved for the press. The President didn’t really care about us; he was there to meet “real” people. After his speech, Mr. Obama went along a small dividing wall, shaking hands with everyone he could. He even grabbed and held a Continued on Page 6
Perception of others is our responsibility
Choosing the clothes we wear at any time of any day is a conscious decision. Babies are at the mercy of the adults in their lives who have decided something will look good on Jane or Johnny, but it is not very long before the little ones begin to participate in those choices and even reject what has been chosen for them. As a proud member of the “older youth group,” I have made many of those choices, and it has been a rare time when I simply grabbed Mit what was most BERES immediately available and threw it on. We are aware others will see us, and we choose how we show ourselves to them with the intent of making an impression. I was 15 when I first saw the movie “Rebel Without a Cause.” I spent an afternoon in Pekin and Peoria, easily accessible from Pekin by bus in 1956, searching the clothing stores for a red jacket like James Dean wore in the film.
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may be perceived as an eccentricity. It is my hope they also see someone trying to show respect for them and their place of business. Conversely, if one knows a piece of attire carries with it the connotation of a thug or hoodlum – the zippered black leather jacket back in my youth was such a costume – choosing to dress in that fashion begs to be noticed and “profiled.” When an Orthodox Jew wears his skull cap, he sure does not think he is going to be identified as a Roman Catholic. I was teaching in Elmwood in the mid-’70s and vividly remember three attractive young ladies who wore combat boots and fatigues to school in what I thought was an effort to look less appealing and make a statement about women’s rights. Each of you could list a myriad of examples. We cannot pretend that how we dress makes no difference. How others perceive us is our responsibility, not theirs.
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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, August 1, 2013
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The Brimfield High School Class of 1956 held its 57-year class reunion on Saturday, July 27. Eleven of the class of 24 were able to attend. Six members are deceased. Participants were given a tour of the new high school by retired Superintendent Dennis McNamara. After the tour the class presented a plaque to honor McNamara’s 23 years of service to the Brimfield School District as a principal and superintendent. In the evening the class dined and shared many reminiscences at the Lariat Club in Peoria. Attendees are pictured: (Front row, left to right): Donna (Carroll) Brookhart, Nancee (Heinz) Jacobson, Bev (Lyons) Kingdon, Mary Ann (Cluskey) Koehler. (Back row, l to r) James Dean, Bob Emerick, Rolland Ekena, Roger Higgs, Bill Hauk, Bart Nelson and Harold Johnson
GALLAGHER: A firm handshake Continued from Page 5
nine-month old baby who will have all sorts of tales to tell his grandchildren many years down the road. I interviewed a few people who had a short audience with the Prez, and was busy doing whatever it is I thought a reporter ought to be doing. In other words, I wasn’t doing much, but I was trying to make it look good. A Secret Service agent came up and put a hand on my shoulder. This will get your attention. “Come with me, please,” he said. If a Secret Service agent putting his hand on your shoulder doesn’t get your attention, that comment will. My knees decided that they liked it right where they were. The only thought going through my mind was, “What did I do?” and “Do I have proof I didn’t?” He led me through the rest of the press people and ushered me behind a curtain. I managed to ask the gentleman, “What’d I do?” but he wouldn’t say. Then again, he was smiling. We stepped through the curtain, and there, 10 feet away, was President
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Obama. The Secret Service guy who had escorted me backstage blocked my exit and was smiling even more. The President made his way over to me and extended his hand. He introduced himself (like I didn’t know) and shook my hand. It was a good, firm handshake and I managed to grip his hand back to prove that despite the fact that my knees were pounding together and that I desperately needed a change of underwear, I was no wimp. He said some very nice, personal things to me, released my hand, and went on. I’m still not sure who set up the meeting. There are several candidates from people at Knox to people I’ve written nice things about to former members of the original Zephyr staff. I’d love to know so I could say thanks. I may not agree with everything the president has to say, and I may from time to time criticize something he does, but it was an honor to shake hands with a President, whether he’s Democrat, Republican or Martian. It’s nice that he’s got a good, firm, warm handshake, too.
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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, August 1, 2013
Elmwood proposes 8.8% budget cut By BILL KNIGHT
ELMWOOD – New revenue streams such as video gaming taxes and fines for violations of local ordinances more than make up for the absence of one-time grants in Elmwood’s proposed appropriations budget, the subject of a 6:45 p.m. public hearing on Tuesday prior to the City Council meeting. The proposed budget of $3,044,118 is 8.8 percent lower than the current $3,337,541. In the accompanying chart are a few selected line items from the 22page proposed ordinance. Income tax revenues are anticipated to increase by 17.2 percent and zoning fees by 400 percent, according to the budget, drafted by the council and Treasurer Harold Jehle. That said, new expenses are anticipated too, from mandated police radios to pricier insurance coverage, which increased $6,500. “Liability insurance is up due to added equip-
Line item
Current Appropriations (FY 2012-13)
For The Weekly Post
Proposed Appropriations (FY 2013-14)
Revenues Income tax Video Gaming tax Zoning Impound fees Drug fines
185,000 -5,000 ---
217,000 8,500 20,000 5,000 6,000
Expenditures Police Protection Fund Liability/Property Damage Insurance Recreation & Playground Fund Municipal Band Fund Street & Bridge Fund Tax Increment Financing No. 2 Zoning
98,000 23,500 58,000 6,500 217,800 20,679 25,000
113,000 30,000 64,000 7,150 240,300 24,318 22,500
ment – i.e., [a new] generator, and added insurance costs,” said Alderman Bob Paige, budget committee chair. The projected $32,000 increase in revenues from state income taxes stems from the expiration of a temporary payroll tax break of 2 percent, which Congress let end in “fiscal cliff” negotiations in January. So Illinois’ 2011 income tax hike from 3-5 percent will no longer be offset by a federal tax break. The state’s Safe Routes to School program will continue. “The city is 100 percent reimbursed for engineering costs of new
sidewalks from the state,” Paige said. Not continuing at comparable levels will be two federally funded grants and Streetscape spending: • The CDAP (Community Development Assistance Program) grant program assists Illinois communities, and Elmwood in Fiscal Year 2012 received $418,084
but next year expects just $152,847. • U.S. Department of Agriculture revolving loan fund that permitted $75,000 in spending in FY 2012 and will be $45,165 next year. • Spending of $113,954 for “Series 2011 Construction” linked to the Streetscape project will drop to $19,071.
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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, August 1, 2013
OBITUARIES Walter L. Boyer
HANNA CITY – Walter L. “Skeet” Boyer, 94, of Hanna City, brother of a Yates City man, died on July 23 at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria. He was born April 13, 1919, in Hanna City to Harry Anderson and Caroline (Sleeth) Boyer. Skeet married Mildred Baggs on June 1, 1940, in St. Louis, Mo. She preceded him in death on Feb. 5, 2006. Surviving are two brothers, Robert (Vera) Boyer of Yates City and George Boyer of Canton; one sister, Alice Hauser of Colorado; a son, Gary (Pat) Boyer of Hanna City; a son-in-law, Warren Satter-
Today’s Obituaries
• Walter L. Boyer, 94, Hanna City
lee of Early, Texas; six grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. Also preceding him in death were his parents; his daughter, Gail Ann Satterlee; three brothers; and four sisters. Skeet was a lifelong farmer and plumber. He was a member of Maple Lane Country Club in Elmwood and a former member of the Farmington Moose Lodge No. 1571. Services were planned for July
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29 at Anderson-Sedgwick Funeral Home in Farmington; burial, with military honors, will be in Texas Union Cemetery in Trivoli. He was an Army Air Corps veteran, serving from 1944 to 1946, during World War II in the Asiatic Pacific Theater. To view Skeet’s memorial DVD or submit condolences, go to www.sedgwickfuneralhomes.com. Obituary Policy: We print basic obituaries for free. Longer obituaries cost $1 per column inch and $5 per picture. Forms are available at The Weekly Post, 115 W. Main St.; Elmwood, IL. Or call 309-741-9790.
PUBLIC RECORD Thieves targeting catalytic converters
LAND AUCTION Selling 118 (+/-) Acres of Peoria County Farm Real Estate Located at 8418 and 7926 S. Kingston Mines Rd. Glasford, IL
TUES. AUG. 27 @ 9:30 A.M. AUCTION TO BE HELD AT THE HANNA CITY SPORTSMANS CLUB OPEN HOUSE: Tuesday Eve, August 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. Web Site: www.cowserauction.com This farm contains approx. 118 (+/-) acres with the FSA map showing 105.72 (+/-) acres of tillable farmland. Improved with 2 story home, garage, machine shed, grain bins, hay barn. See web site or call Col. Gail Cowser 309-678-5224 for information or appointment. SHEILA A. ZINSER & GARY W. MELZ AND GARY W. MELZ & LINDA K. MELZ, OWNERS
The Peoria County Sheriff’s office is investigating the apparent theft of a catalytic converter from a parked vehicle in Brimfield on July 29, and a possibly related attempt that weekend in Kickapoo. One motorist called police when he returned to his parked car and discovered that the catalytic converter had been cut from the undercarriage of his 2006 Honda. In a similar incident, the owner of a 2012 Dodge truck reported marks on that vehicle’s exhaust system that could have been made by a battery-powered saw. Catalytic converters are increasingly targeted by thieves who hope to sell the stolen equipment to a scrap yard for about $100. Most vulnerable to thieves are vehicles parked for long periods of time in large lots and vehicles that sit higher off the pavement. Law enforcement and insurers recommend parking in welllighted areas, engraving an identi-
fying number on the converter or securing the converter to the vehicle’s frame.
Stopped for speeding, ticketed for having pot
ELMWOOD – Joshua Thompson, 26, of Elmwood about 8:40 p.m. July 27 was driving a 2003 Toyota when an Elmwood police officer saw multiple traffic violations and pulled over the vehicle, according to reports. After ticketing Thompson for speeding, the motorist was asked if he was carrying guns or drugs and he told police, “I keep my pot at home.” However, police found a joint in the car, issued a city-ordinance violation for possession of cannabis and impounded his car. Thompson was given an Aug. 29 notice to appear in court.
Princeville man busted with cocaine in truck
ELMWOOD – Roger Potter, 32, of Princeville, was traveling on Main Street in Elmwood about 9
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p.m. July 20 when he was pulled over for a routine traffic stop. A K-9 patrol dog detected an illegal substance, and a search of his 2001 Dodge truck uncovered a small bottle that field-tested positive for the presence of cocaine, according to police. Potter was charged with possession of a controlled substance and issued a citation for an improper headlamp.
Williamsfield man reports damage to lawn
WILLIAMSFIELD – Todd Moore, 49, of Williamsfield about 4 p.m. July 27 reported damage to his property on Knox Road 1850N, where Knox County Sheriff’s officers observed destruction by a vehicle driving on its front and back yards. Charges of criminal damage to property and criminal trespass are pending, as police investigate.
Police reports
• Brian Clelland, 33, of Elmwood on July 21 was ticketed for driving while his license was suspended. His 1999 Chevrolet was impounded.
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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, August 1, 2013
FOR ANSWERS SEE PAGE 8
Page 9
1. ASTRONOMY: What are the Van Allen belts? 2. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What kind of animal is described as ursine? 3. U.S. STATES: What is the only state that has a one-syllable name? 4. FAMOUS QUOTES: What comedian once said, "Human beings are the only creatures on earth that allow their children to come back home"? 5. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What percentage of people are left-handed? 6. FOOD & DRINK: What is the spice that gives curry powder its yellow color? 7. ADVERTISING: What peanut butter brand advertises with the slogan, "the No. 1 choice of choosy moms and dads"? 8. U.S. PRESIDENTS: What was the only state that presidential candidate George McGovern carried in the 1972 election? 9. GEOGRAPHY: What is the largest man-made lake in the U.S.? 10. PSYCHOLOGY: What kind of fear is represented by phasmophobia? Answers 1. Regions of trapped radiation surrounding Earth 2. Bears 3. Maine 4. Bill Cosby 5. About 10 percent 6. Turmeric 7. Jif 8. Massachusetts 9. Lake Mead, created by Hoover Dam 10. A fear of ghosts (c) 2013 King Features Synd., Inc.
FARM FIELD
Analyst: Beef industry set for turnaround By DEBRA LEVEY LARSON
URBANA – The number of beef animals has fallen since 2007 due to drought-ravaged pastures and due to the high prices of corn, soybean meal and forages. Although expansion is expected to start slowly, the beef industry is about to reverse its downward trend, said Chris Hurt, a Purdue University Extension economist. “Pastures and ranges have returned to favorable conditions for much of the country, including the Northeast, the Southeast, the Midwest and the Northern Great Plains,” said Hurt. “Nationally, 73 percent of pastures are rated in the fair, good or excellent condition this year compared to only 46 percent at this time last year. “Markets are expecting feed prices to drop sharply when new crop harvest gets under way,” he continued. Beef cow operations in some parts of the country where pastures have been restored are probaFor The Weekly Post
bly getting ready to retain heifers, Hurt said. Beef cow numbers have declined in the Southeast by about 700,000 head, or 12 percent, since 2007. Midwest numbers have dropped 680,000 head, or 14 percent. According to Hurt, the initial retention of heifers will likely occur in areas primarily east of the Mississippi River, plus the Delta, the western Corn Belt, and the northern Great Plains.
This is a large area that has 57 percent of the nation’s beef cows. “Lower feed prices alone will not be enough to get retention started, but higher calf prices will be required as well,” Hurt said. “Oklahoma 500-to-550 pound calves have increased by about 15 cents per pound since early June, and 600-to650 pound steer calves have increased by 13 cents per pound. However, Hurt added,
these levels are not likely to stimulate major beef herd expansion. “USDA expects beef production to be down about 4 percent in the last half of 2013 and by 5 percent in the first half of 2014,” he said. “Retail beef prices, already at record highs, will move even higher in the coming 12 months – at a time when poultry and pork price increases are moderating or even falling.”
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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, August 1, 2013
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IN BRIEF Heritage Singers to visit Elmwood
525 Hurff Drive, Elmwood OPEN HOUSE! Aug. 2 - 2-4 p.m. Beautiful new construction home for sale by Darrell Dunbar Designer/Builder. Home features an 2,035 s.f. open floor plan with flex space, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, partial stone exterior with covered back patio. Master suite with whirlpool tub and custom tile shower. Other amenities include hardwood flooring throughout main living areas, off white maple kitchen cabinets with granite countertops, large pantry, built ins around fireplace, drop zone & more! $275,000. Call 309-696-6911 for more information.
FARM CARE
FARM MANAGEMENT • REAL ESTATE SALES
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NOTICE The Animal Control Committee, and The Elmwood Police Dept. Are posting the following excerpts of ordinances for your benefit.
3-1-3 INJURY TO PROPERTY (A) Unlawful. It shall be unlawful for any person owning or possessing a dog or cat to go upon any sidewalk, parkway, or private lands or premises without the permission of the owner of such premises and break, bruise, tear up, crush or injure any lawn, flower bed, plant, shrub, tree or garden in any manner whatsoever, or to defecate thereon. (B) Waste Products Accumulation. It shall be unlawful for any person to cause or permit a dog or cat to be on property, public or private, not owned or possessed by such person unless such person has in his immediate possession an appropriate device for scooping excrement and an appropriate depository for the transmission of excrement to a receptacle located upon property owned or possessed by such person. This Section shall not apply to a person who is visually or physically handicapped. 3-2-3 INNOCULATION TO BE PERFORMED BY LICENSED VETERINARIAN; ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATE. The inoculation of dogs required by Section 3-2-2-(A) shall be performed by a veterinarian duly licensed to practice his profession in this State. Upon performing such innoculation, such veterinarian shall issue to the owner or keeper a certificate showing such fact and shall also deliver to the owner or keeper a metallic or other suitable tag to be attached to the collar or harness of the dog, which tag shall also certify to the fact of the innoculation against rabies. 3-2-7 RESTRAINT OF DOGS. The owner or keeper of a dog shall keep the dog under restraint at all times and shall not permit such dog to be at large, off the premises of the property of the owner or keeper, unless the dog is under complete control as defined in Section 3-1-2. (See 65 ILCS Sec. 5/11-20.9) 3-1-2 “LEASH” means a cord, rope, strap, or chain which shall be securely fastened to the collar or harness of a dog or other animal and shall be of sufficient strength to keep such dog or other animal under control. (See 65 ILCS Sec. 5/2.14) 28-1-7 ANIMALS No person shall: (A) Bring any dangerous animal into any municipal park; or (B) Permit any dog to be in any park unless such dog is on a leash;
Fines for the above infractions range to $750.
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ELMWOOD – The Heritage Singers of Maranatha Baptist Bible College in Watertown, Wisc. will perform at Elmwood Baptist Church Sunday at 6 p.m. The Heritage Singers are a mixed vocal ensemble that has traveled to the East Coast and through the Midwest this summer. Their repertoire will also include brass music. Pastor Fitzgerald invites all to attend.
Local students earn ISU degrees
cording to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) The original deadline was July 9 and it was previously changed to July 24. “It’s been extended again because the State of Illinois thought that there are other people who needed time to apply,” said Richard Gifford of FEMA’s joint field office for Illinois. More than 87,000 home inspections have been completed, the agency says, but the
number of approved applications totals about 58,000. FEMA has OK’d $144 million in grants awarded to help people with flood-related expenses. Of that, more than $124 million has been approved for housing assistance and more than $20 million has been approved to cover other essential disasterrelated needs. People may register by calling FEMA’s Helpline at (800) 621-3362; online at www.DisasterAs-
sistance.gov.
This ‘n that
Robert “Bobby” Johnson of Elmwood graduated from Western Illinois University with a Bachelor’s degree in communications. He is the son of Phil and Cathy Johnson of Elmwood. ... Joseph Cohea of Yates City was named to the Dean’s List at Columbia College Chicago this spring. ... Ryan Wilbur of Brimfield and Abbygayle Anderson of Edwards were named the Dean’s List at Drake University this spring.
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Four of more than 3,000 students awarded degrees from Illinois State University at the end of spring semester in May are from The Weekly Post circulation area. All four earned Bachelor’s degrees: Brittany Ludolph (Brimfield), Alejandro Montoya (Elmwood), Brooke Rawlings (Edwards) and Joseph Wiltz (Elmwood).
FEMA extends deadline for aid
Area residents affected by the flooding that occurred between April 16 and May 5 who want to apply for federal disaster assistance have until Thursday, Aug. 8,ac-
CHURCH LISTINGS EDWARDS Christ Alive! Community Church Pastor Lance Zaerr 9320 W US Highway 150 Edwards (309) 231-8272 www.christalivecc.com Sun. School: 9:15 am Worship: 10:30 am
ELMWOOD Crossroads Assembly of God Pastor Tim Cavallo 615 E. Ash St., Elmwood (309) 830-4259 Sun. Worship: 10:30 am
YATES CITY Faith United Presbyterian Church Rev. Chris Deacon 107 W. Bishop St. Yates City, IL 61572 (309) 358-1170 Worship: 9 am Sun. School: 10:15 am Thurs. Choir: 7:30 pm
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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, August 1, 2013
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Cassidy Coulter, Elmwood
The last, but certainly not least, Athlete of the Week for the outstanding Class of 2013 is Lady Trojan 4-year shot and disc thrower Cassidy “Cass” Coulter. When she was in fifth grade, Coach Jim Valla saw Cassidy’s talent for weight throwing, and she was hooked. In doing this, Cass most enjoys working with teammates, and she also appreciates support from her parents Randy and Robyn Coulter. This helped get “Cass Cass” both a shot and disc berth in the IESA state meet in eighth grade. Taking pictures for the EHS yearbook is a passion. She also finds chemistry interesting. A career in radiography, starting at Illinois Central College, is in Cassidy’s future. When not readying for a career or throwing shot and disc, she enjoys, like most kids her age, being with friends. Cassidy has been part of an outstanding athletic Class of 2013, which has provided great memories and will certainly inspire great successes from classes of the future! – Phil Johnson
FOUR DAYS: Losing streak ended in `81 vs. Toulon Continued from Page 12
four days. Within a week, Bob had something like 28 kids out for football. The rest of the story is we survived and played the season and had a lot of kids come out. We didn’t win a game that year, but the next year we won three games. The first win was at Toulon and that ended what was then the longest losing streak in the state.
We had four straight 0-9 seasons but we beat Toulon to break the streak and won three games that year. By the time those freshman were seniors they went 6-3 and almost made the playoffs. And then Curran had three straight teams that did make the playoffs (198586 through 1987-88). Of course that consolidation with Brimfield these days has really helped. In football, more than other sports, you need numbers.
So we’re looking forward to another successful football season in Elmwood. But at one time the program was closed for four days. So you’ve got to give a lot of credit to Bob Curran for saving the program. (NOTE: Curran also credits varsity assistants Dave Clark and Joe Almasi and frosh-soph coaches Mike Pryor and Kevin Jaggard with helping turn things around).
SPORTS: No rush on softball coach Continued from Page 12
James Clark is coach of the Williamsfield junior high team, which also starts practice on Monday. Softball No decision has been made on a softball coach for the Brimfield-Elmwood varsity program. Brimfield athletic director Jim Blane said the selection will probably come after the school year starts. “We want to do it right and not rush into anything,” Blane said. “We’ve got some real talent ready in Elmwood and Brimfield. “I’ve had several travel ball coaches who are interested, but I really feel sports are an extension of the classroom, not the summer. We want some-
one who is going to be a good communicator and leader.” Junior high softball is already underway in Elmwood, Williamsfield and Brimfield. Golf Elmwood and Brimfield are no longer working under a cooperative agreement for golf. Dianne Burwell is the new coach at Elmwood. Practice starts Aug. 19 at 4 p.m. at Maple Lane Country Club. The parent meeting follows practice at 6 p.m. at the country club. Kevin Kreider is head coach in Brimfield, whose first match is Aug. 19 at Mt. Hawley Country Club. Andy Fritz is head golf coach in Williamsfield.
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THE WEEKLY POST • Thursday, August 1, 2013
Weekly Post Sports
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Calm before storm for local prep sports teams By JEFF LAMPE
The local sports scene is going to get very busy very soon. But not yet. For a few days most area athletes enjoy a lull. During this brief interim between games, matches and meets, here’s a quick rundown on some items of interest to the prep sports fan. Football The calm before the storm is here for Elmwood-Brimfield football players. After a summer of weighlifting, team camp and light Monday practices, football players get a break until practice starts Aug. 14 at 4 p.m. Once equipment is handed out and coaches meet with parents tonight at 6 p.m., players will have a few weeks to contemplate a season that starts Aug. 30 at home vs. Peoria Heights. Volleyball Troy Tilly has taken over the Brimfield-Elmwood varsity volleyball program and likes what he saw in open gyms and a Peoria summer league. “I’ve got a team loaded with seniors,” Tilly said. Practice starts Aug. 14 and the first match is Sept. 3 at home vs. Havana. Shan Waid will continue as junior varWeekly Post Staff Writer
While wet weather on Tuesday closed the course at Maple Lane Country Club in Elmwood, golfers have enjoyed a good summer of weather. Watch for a story on local golf courses in the Aug. 15 edition of The Weekly Post.
Four days without football How would you like a football story this time? How about something from 1980-81 when Elmwood’s football program was officially closed for four days. I was athletic director and we had 11 kids sign up for football. We were in the Blackhawk ConferBig Frank ence, which is a MAVETZ tough conference. I went to the school board and told them we couldn’t field a team with just
11 kids. They asked what I wanted to do and I said we had to drop it. They agreed. Well, after that I got to thinking. Bob Curran was a coach in our junior high. He was a baseball coach and a basketball coach and he knew a lot of the kids. So I said to Bob, “I bet you could get a lot of kids out for football and save the program.” He said, “Maybe.” I told him I had confidence in him. So I went back to the board and officially our program was gone for just Continued on Page 11
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sity coach. Tyson Hart is Williamsfield volleyball coach. Cross Country Elmwood-Brimfield cross country practice starts Aug. 14 at 4 p.m. at Elmwood High School and the parent meeting is Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. Junior high cross country at Elmwood starts practice Aug. 5 at 6:30 p.m., which is also the time of the parent meeting in the elementary school. Brimfield also fields a junior high team and Williamsfield will have a squad for the first time this fall. Baseball Brandon Porter is the new head varsity and junior high coach at Brimfield, where practice is set to start for the junior high team on Monday at 5 p.m. at City Park. Porter had been coach of the junior high program at Elmwood, where Jim Valla has been picked as his replacement. Best known for basketball success, Valla started the junior high baseball program in 1995 with Kyle Begner, and won a regional in 1997. Elmwood junior high practice starts Monday from 5-7 p.m. at Diamond 2 in Sweetwater Park. Continued on Page 11