Author: princetonmays

The Princeton Public Library will be celebrating National Library Week beginning Monday, April 8. (Shaw File photo)
The Princeton Public Library will be celebrating National Library Week beginning Monday, April 8.
The library at 698 E. Peru St. will offer take-and-make Scrabble tile coasters. They will be available in the circulation area while supplies last.
5:30 p.m. Monday, April 8: All movies in April have a maritime theme. Monday’s movie will be shown in conjunction with the Bureau County Historical Society’s 1912 Exhibit. Because of its distributor contract, the library can’t list movie titles. Call the Circulation Desk for more information about a particular movie night at 815-875-1331, ext 200. All movies are free and open to the public.
10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 9: Preschool story time/craft, Matson Meeting Room, books and libraries, with craft.
1 p.m. Thursday, April 11: Princeton Caregivers Support Group Alzheimer’s support group.
3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11: Youth Dungeons & Dragons for ages 10 and older. For more information, contact the PPL Youth Services Desk at 815-875-1331, ext. 220, or email help@princetonpl.org.
1 p.m. Saturday, April 13: Bureau County Photographers, Curt Johnson will be presenting a program identifying photographers from Bureau County. His presentation includes photographs from some well known county photographers and some new names he’s discovered in the past two years.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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Here are the La Salle County marriage licenses from May 20 through May 31, 2024. (Shaw Media file photo)
Here are the La Salle County marriage licenses from May 20 through May 31, 2024.
Larry Lee Childs of Mendota and Hope Lynn Klement of Dixon
Terry Michael Green of Ottawa and Pamela Jo Green of Ottawa
Hannah Marie Smith of Princeton and Taylor Marie Stacy of Princeton
David Monge Cisneros of Mendota and Yareli Martinez Herrera of Mendota
Joseph Fitzgerald Kennedy of Ottawa and Julianna Alexis Silovic of Ottawa
Frank Anthony Szafranski of Streator and Berneice Elaine Thompson of La Salle
Christian Worm Aaron of Normal and Katelyn Marie Traylor of Normal
Thaddeus Elijah Armstrong of Ottawa and Rachel Barbara Tesch of New Berlin, Wis.
William Donald Zeman of Oglesby and John Michael Wolniak Jr. of Oglesby
Dustin Clay Spencer of Marseilles and Jessica Lynn Spencer of Marseilles
Jaime Barajas of La Salle and Francely Estrada of La Salle
Timothy Lewis Smith of Chicago and Michael Anthony Meller of Chicago
Darren Thomas Cummins of St. Joseph and Kaleigh Jo Gabriel of Assumption
Joan Eduardo Garcia of Princeton and Viviana Yamile Guzman of Princeton
Simon Thomas Brolley of Fort Cavazos, Texas and Hannah Marie Gerber of La Salle
Reece Walters Ehret of Brown Deer, Wis. and Cailyn Ronae Adams of Brown Deer, Wis.
Brandon Paul Eiben of Ottawa and Cammi Michelle Thurlby of Goodyear, Ariz.
Bradley Michael Burash of Streator and Destiny Danae Stevens of Streator
Alexander Joseph Burgher of Spring Valley and Ashley Renee Lynn Jennings of Spring Valley
Kevin Joseph Rybka of Akron, Ohio and Sophie Nicole Pfaff of Morris
Gregory Bernard Anderson of La Salle and Chelsea Lynn Reidies of La Salle
Tajay Romeu Hewitt of Peru and Kasonia Marie Smith of Peru
Dustin Michael Kent of Mendota and Casey Mae Nance of Mendota
Charles Zackery Welch of Streator and Jessica Ann Thomas of Streator
Nikolas Edward Manahan of Spring Valley and Alexa Marie Moriarty of Spring Valley
Branden William Voelkel of Somonauk and Krista Ann Johnson of Somonauk
Terry Lenord Chasse of Sandwich and Louise Elizabeth Wade of Sandwich
Daniel John Dammann of Ottawa and Clair McKenna Sack of Ottawa
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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Woodland Elementary and Junior High School in rural Streator announced the honor for the second quarter of the 2024-2025 school year. (Derek Barichello)
Woodland Elementary and Junior High School in rural Streator announced the honor for the second quarter of the 2024-2025 school year.
Caroline Centko, Gwen Chapman, Reese Handzus, Todd Hollander, Brooklyn Hunt, Colson Jones, Piper Lefler, Summer Long, Vrushal Patel, Valentina Rodriguez, Sophie Rogers, Brooke Sass, Gwen Wissen
Wesley Bennett, Sadie Davis, Olivia Decker, Jacey Emanuelson, Brantley Melvin, Gracelynn Ondek, David Ostring, Liliana Reel, Victoria Reel, Adalyn Renken, Andrew Salisbury, Wyatt Stephens, Annagail White
Avery Brust, Arayah Day, Hannah Decker, Hannah Dedic, Easton Defenbaugh, Monroe Denham, Alex Freer, Briggs Handzus, Rylee Reel
Luisa Cueto-Marin, Jaylin Lowe, Vivien McCoy, Grayson Wissen
Jase Fink, Adrianna Kuehn, McKenna Murphy, Zeel Patel, Olivia Reinmann, Morgan Ruff
Tessa Galyen, Gracie James, Adalynn Lankford, Elizabeth Llamas
Gloria Andrews, Kylen Dimmig, Dylan McCoy, Jayden McCranie, Aubrey McMeen, Owen Starkey
Harley Breese, Gracelyn Cain, Wade Centko, Erin Christie, Davin Cook, Camden Danko, Melanie DeLara, Stanley Duda, Lakin Grady, Jakob Granados, Liam Kennedy, Connor Koetz, McKenna McDonald, Chaislie Scassiferro, Dutch Wachowski
Anya Bussell, Mollie Darm, Payton Davis, Owen DeMoss, Max Follmer, Piper Grubaugh, Ellie Jones, Bradley Matsko, Jacob Nees, Elizabeth Reel, Henry Shockley
Brooklyn Baker, Ziva Haydon, Sam Hoffmeyer, Parker Hopkins, Connor Price, Melody Reel, Michael Sunday, Sophie Wright
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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Brennan’s Bar and Grill, 139 E. Walnut St., Oglesby, announced a temporary closure of its kitchen. (Shaw Local News Network)
Brennan’s Bar and Grill, 139 E. Walnut St., Oglesby, announced a temporary closure of its kitchen.
“The challenges we’ve been facing recently have been unexpected, and while we’ve done our best to adapt and keep things running smoothly, we believe that taking this pause will give us the opportunity to regroup, reassess, and ensure we’re delivering the best possible experience for all of you when we reopen,” the business posted to its social media page.
“We truly appreciate your understanding during this time. We know this may come as disappointing news to many of you, and we are so grateful for your continued support. In the meantime, we’ll be keeping you updated on our plans moving forward and can’t wait to welcome you all back when we’re ready.”
Sunday was the last day serving food.
The Times / NewsTribune / Bureau County Republican is committed to keeping readers up to date with business happenings in the area. Much of our reporting relies on what we see and hear, but we’re also reaching out to readers for tips on business items. If you have a tip to share for Eyes on Enterprise, email newsroom@mywebtimes.com.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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Ellen Nabeti (center) and team Simon’s Squad members leap into freezing waters at the 2025 Penguin Plunge Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025 at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa. (Ryan Grieves, Ryan Grieves, Ryan Grieves, Ryan Grieves, Ryan Grieves, Ryan Grieves, Ryan Grieves)
The words “shocking,” “amazing” and “incredible” were heard often at the 15th annual Penguin Plunge Saturday afternoon in Ottawa.
And while they could have been used interchangeably, the adjectives most often referred to specific aspects of the 15th annual fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Three more members of the Simon’s Squad jump into frigid waters at the Penguin Plunge Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025 at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa. Simon’s Squad raised $35,000 of the $106,000 raised by the event.
Shocking was the word of choice by those braving the 42 degree temperatures and 15 mph winds before and after jumping in to the frigid pond at Skydive Chicago.
Amazing came to mind when considering that 191 benevolent people and 14 complete teams sacrificed their comfort to raise money for such a worthy cause.
Incredible best described the effort that on the day raised more than $106,000 to help make the wishes of children in health distress come true.
Those funds should make 2025 an even better year than last when Make-A-Wish Illinois granted 12 wishes to children just in La Salle County alone, bringing the local effort’s total to 38 since Linda Johnson first initiated the local event 15 years ago.
Bringing in a good chunk of that money was Simon’s Squad, named for Glen Ellyn’s Simon Nabeti who got to experience his wish of going to the Super Bowl before he died this last October.
Only 12 days ago, Ellen Nabeti, Simon’s mother and captain of Simon’s Squad, said her team was sitting at about $14,000, but wanted to get to $20,000 so that MAW would be able to fund two wishes instead of one.
However, his family and friends really came through even better than that, raising and donating the largest sum of any team, $35,000.
“The team really took off at the end,” Nabeti said. “We got a whole bunch of good buddies went to work and we exceeded what we’d hoped, and we’re happy to do it. Simon would have loved this, to see all these people here doing this. These people are amazing.”
Simon would have enjoyed watching his friend, Niko Vardalos, and his sister, Sophia, jump off the dock into the icy waters.
“It was just … shocking. I’ve never been so cold,” Sophia said with a still-shivering chuckle, “but we’re happy to do this, for Simon.”
The timing of the Plunge was perfect timing for the family of Lucas, a 4-year-old boy from Oglesby who has been suffering from cystic fibrosis. Though his wish was originally slated for October but was postponed because of a hurricane, they will ignore the recent snow that’s fallen on Florida and will be leaving on Monday for Disney World in Orlando, where he hopes to see his favorite character, Mickey Mouse.
“This is incredible,” Lucas’ mother, Haley King, said of the event as a whole. “Seeing things like this, it gives you hope, to think that so many people come out and support this.
“We’re just so thankful that this whole thing is happening. I thought it would be we’d tell them what we wanted to do and it would happen, but it’s so much more than that. There’s definitely a lot more involved with this than I realized … It’s been absolutely amazing.”
So overwhelming was the response to the drive that organizers actually ran out of Make-A-Wish participant T-shirts and had to promise to mail them out once more were obtained.
“That’s just a great problem to have,” MAW Gift Officer/Community Programs leader Ashley White said. “We are so honored that everyone could be here today to do something so extreme and brave, to support our brave Wish kids like they do every day in fighting critical illness.
“I wish truly changes a child’s life and your bravery today will make so many wishes come true. Our children need heroes like you. We are so happy we could help make this happen.”
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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Lupe Corral with Corral Interior & Exterior drills a piece of drywall inside the Second Story Teen Center on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2024, in Princeton. Construction is coming along nicely. Work is expected to be completed in the spring of 2025. (Scott Anderson)
Second Story Teen Center in Princeton has a lot to look forward to in 2025, thanks to the hard work put in the previous year.
The nonprofit that provides a safe drop-in place for teens to gather is closing in on finishing its new facility at 125 S. Main St. Work is expected to be completed in the spring.
The center, however, is $250,000 short of completing the project and organizers are asking the community for donations. The goal is to reach $600,000 to $700,000 for the facility.
Every week, Second Story Teen Center provides meals, mentorship and a safe place for about 150 sixth through 12th grades throughout Bureau County to gather, grow and thrive. Over the years, the center has been instrumental in fostering positive change in the community, contributing to a decline in teen suicide rates and teen theft, said founder Jeff VanAutreve.
Second Story Teen Center has outgrown its current location at 1033½ N. Main St. The new space will allow the nonprofit to expand upon its offerings.
After receiving zoning approval from the city of Princeton, volunteers and supporters broke ground in April on the 6,000-square-foot building.
To donate, visit secondstoryteencenter.org or contact Van Autreve at 815-303-4111. Checks and contributions should be made payable to Second Story Teen Center.
Jeff VanAutreve, founder Second Story Teen Center, moves a piece of drywall on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2024, in Princeton. Construction is coming along nicely. Work is expected to be completed in the spring of 2025. The center is $250,000 short of completing the project. The organization is asking the community for donations. Every week, Second Story Teen Center provides meals, mentorship and a safe place for about 150 teens to gather, grow, and thrive. Over the years, the center has been instrumental in fostering positive change in the community, contributing to a decline in teen suicide rates and teen theft. (Scott Anderson)
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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The River Bend Food Bank will bring its mobile food pantry 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, to the Bureau County Fairgrounds, 811 W. Peru St., Princeton. (Provided)
The River Bend Food Bank will bring its mobile food pantry at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, to the Bureau County Fairgrounds, 811 W. Peru St., Princeton.
Registration will be from 9:15 to 10 a.m. Arrive no more than 30 minutes before distribution begins. Distribution will be indoors. The process can take up to two hours. Laundry baskets are good for using in the food pantry.
The distribution is in partnership with Bureau County Food Pantry, the Old Wheels Club and First Lutheran Church.
Go to www.riverbendfoodbank.org for more information.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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Karen Anderson will give a presentation at the Streator Public Library entitled “More than a color.”The talk is scheduled 4 to 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, at the library 130 S. Park St. (Bill Freskos)
Karen Anderson will give a presentation at the Streator Public Library entitled “More than a color.”
The talk is scheduled 4 to 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, at the library 130 S. Park St.
An artist and speaker, Anderson honors Black women by examining how beauty standards have devalued Black beauty over centuries.
For more information on library events, call 815-672-2729.
Additionally, the library will host a reptile scavenger hunt the week of Feb. 18.
Search the library and find all of the hidden items. The theme changes weekly.
4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18: Little’s Art Time, children ages 3 to 9. Get creative with friends in the library. Learn how to draw or have fun with paint.
5 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18: Reptile storytime, children. Scales and tales at Reptile Storytime this week. Learn more about reptiles as the library leads fun stories and activities.
1 to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19: Cozy Mystery Book Club, adults. This book club specializes in cozy mysteries. Inquire about the current book at the front desk.
3 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19: Game Time, ages 10 through teens. Video games, board games, puzzles and more.
6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19: Let’s Talk: True Crime, teens/adults. Are you intrigued by true crimes? Love the thrill of solving the case? Then you’ll love this club! Join the library to chat about some of the craziest true crimes to happen.
10 to 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 20: Playful pages, children 4 and younger. A toddler playdate hosted in the library
1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22: Tabletop gaming, public. Enjoy some tabletop gaming with provided games in the library! Bring a friend and have some fun.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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New Ottawa firefighter Max Biesack, who recently graduated from the Illinois Fire Service Institute Fire Academy and was hired in February, poses for a picture with Deputy Chief Mike Mills and Fire Chief Brian Bressner. (Photo Provided By Ottawa Fire Department)
Max Biesack graduated from the Illinois Fire Service Institute Academy and will join the Ottawa Fire Department in the upcoming weeks.
He was hired and sworn in along with six other firefighters in February.
Biesack will spend the next several weeks completing additional courses in vehicle extrication and other fire operations.
Once these courses are finished, he will join shift two as a firefighter/EMT-B while beginning a yearlong paramedic program.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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If Oglesby residents voted to have a city manager and decided they didn’t like it, they’d need to hold a referendum four years later to revert to the current form. Naperville attorney Karl Ottosen spelled out other pros and cons at a Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, forum on the referendum set for April 1. (Tom Collins)
A common question asked about the April 1 referendum is whether it’s advisory or binding.
“Some people think this is advisory, and it’s not.”
At a Wednesday forum, Oglesby Plan Commission Chairman Ken Ficek tried to quell such confusion once and for all. The referendum is binding, he said, and the city would hire a city manager with a majority “yes” vote.
“Some people think this is advisory, and it’s not,” Ficek said.
To eliminate additional confusion over how a manager form of government would work, the commission brought in a guest speaker: Karl Ottosen, a Naperville attorney who has represented municipalities and school districts and who agreed to speak for free.
“I don’t have any skin in the game,” Ottosen said. “I don’t care.”
But Ottosen said there are pros and cons to be aware of.
Karl Ottosen speaks Karl Ottosen discusses the pros and cons of Oglesby’s proposed hiring of a city manager. (Tom Collins)
First, a manager wouldn’t necessarily report to the mayor. The manager is hired by the City Council, which in Oglesby’s case means a three-vote majority would result in a person getting day-to-day authority over the departments.
“If this were to pass, [then] the manager is in charge of the departments, not the City Council,” he said.
Second, if Oglesby found it didn’t work, it would have to wait four years to hold a referendum on whether to abandon the managerial form of government. The clock starts ticking the date a manager is hired, not when the question passes.
“I have no knowledge of [a city] that has done so,” Ottosen said. “I don’t know of one that has rescinded it.”
Third, the council would enter into a contract with a city manager. That contract, he said, should not exceed the mayor’s term of office.
Ottosen further noted that he’s not for or against a managerial form of government. Oglesby, however, is in a rare category having a commission form of government while considering adding a city manager – and an experienced city manager in Oglesby’s budget might not be easy to find.
“The commissioner is a little funky by itself. The managerial form is funky,” Ottosen said. “Welcome to Illinois.”
Ficek noted that it isn’t the form of government that decides a city’s success or failure.
“It’s really the people who are elected who make the difference,” he said.
Notable questions or comments from the floor:

Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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