Some gardeners are approaching a busy time of year, so if you didn’t clean, sharpen and ready your tools this past winter — do so now. As weather permits, try and fit in the following:

Begin general cleanup of your lawns and garden beds now, but don’t be too anxious to remove protective mulch, especially from your roses. Cut down perennials that were left standing over the winter — except slow starters like mums and lavender — wait until you see new growth on these and then cut back.

Several aldermen hailed the amendment prohibiting certain in-home businesses adopted last night at the city council meeting, a great addition to the city’s regulations.

One change, however, should have people raising eyebrows over how it will be implemented in practice.

This is the third of three articles explaining the financial situation of Washington Grade School District 52, including Lincoln and Washington middle schools. In the previous articles, I outlined the impact that the state financial crisis is having on D52 and described the current deficit spending in the district. To sum it up, D52 is spending more money than it takes in — about $750,000 more per year. But the district has an ample fund balance. i.e. savings, for the short term — about $5.2 million. To further compound the situation, the State of Illinois is sending a clear message that all Illinois schools could lose significant state revenue over the next two years — about $700,000 for D52. This shortfall will further reduce our savings.

At first glance, it may seem a little confusing why the Washington City Council approved a $5,000 sponsorship of the March Madness Experience at its meeting Feb. 15.
Indeed, in times when city staff is working hard to keep expenses down, even leaving staffing vacancies in several city departments unfilled, it should not be too hard to turn down an out-of-towner looking for a handout, especially one that has to do with a high school sport and usually takes advantage of corporate sponsors.

I know I said in my last column that watching “drunk people struggle to say the alphabet backward while standing on one foot” was not my idea of a good time, but, I have to admit, last week’s citizens police academy class was extremely entertaining.

State trooper Mike Connor, a 22-year law enforcement veteran and a former technician and breath alcohol instructor, gave a presentation explaining how police officers are trained to determine if someone is under the influence of alcohol or drugs when they are pulled over.
As a police officer, specializing in and training other officers for DUI detection and field sobriety testing was a natural inclination for Connor, who grew up in Streator and has, pun intended, alcohol in his blood.

This is the second of three articles explaining the financial situation of Washington Grade School District 52 (Lincoln and Washington Middle schools). In the first article, I outlined the impact that the state financial crisis is having on D52. To sum it up, D52 could potentially lose around $700,000 of state revenue over the next couple of years. Ouch! Also, in the article, I mentioned that the district has started deficit spending in the last two years.

Re: the recent letters to the editor regarding Sara Palin and her quitting her job as the governor of Alaska.
Being an Illinois resident, there are times I wish our own governors would have resigned instead of having to be impeached and/or sent to prison. 
K. Dinkins

I am writing in response to an article entitled, “Reactions, Opinions of Palin’s Planned Visit Vary Greatly,” written by Jennifer Freeman in the Feb. 3 edition of the paper. I found that article limited in scope and incredibly biased towards the Palin visit. Words such as “polarizing,” and “quasi-political celebrity” instantly demonstrated your news editor’s political leanings.

As of Jan. 1, names of youth 17 years of age, or younger, will no longer be printed in this publication’s arrest reports and police news.

It is not part of a policy change within this newsroom. Instead, it was a change at the state level that seemed to catch newsrooms off guard throughout Illinois.

How many classes exist that actually offer students a chance to shoot guns, witness drunk people submit to a sobriety test, see a trained K9 unit in action and put themselves in the position of a police officer?

“The one thing everyone wants to know the first day of class is, ‘When do we get to go to the shooting range?’” Officer James Fussner, the community resource officer at the Washington Police Department, said at our first Citizens Police Academy class Jan. 26 in the Washington Fire Department’s training room.

The jaw-dropping news that Sarah Palin would be the inaugural “Lessons For Leaders” speaker at Five Points Washington hatches a snake’s nest of questions.

Sarah Palin? Leadership?

The mayor’s first monthly “Coffee with the Mayor” at the new city hall was exactly what Mayor Gary Manier wanted: an informal gathering of both community leaders, city staff and residents.
Those who showed up Saturday morning for doughnut holes from Ron’s Donuts, coffee and Manier’s favorite vanilla caramel coffee creamer included chief of police Jim Kuchenbecker, fire chief Mike Vaughn, city administrator Bob Morris, alderman Jim Gee and, of course, Mayor Manier and his wife, Lada.

District 52 Superinendent John Tignor looks at the district’s financial situation in his series of articles as a guest columnist.

Washington Grade School District 52 (Lincoln Grade and Washington Middle schools) has enjoyed many years of financial stability, thanks to the efforts of the previous superintendent and past board members. These individuals made wise and prudent decisions that resulted in many years of balanced budgets and savings for a rainy day. Unfortunately, the rainy day is upon us. 

When the new library was designed, the teen space was purposefully and carefully laid out to welcome young people into our new facility. With a space of their own and the library’s proximity to the high school, along with many activities available to them, our teens are using the library more than ever before. Several teens come to the library regularly to use the computers, do homework, read or just hang out with friends.