COMMUNITY CORNER WILDCAT SPORTS $1.00 Fixup a flavorful Baseball team Vol. 43, Issue 16 2 sections • 22 pages spring table looks to breakskid Not over 75% advertising www.freepressadvocate.com WILMINGTON, IL | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017 | A FREE PRESS NEWSPAPER D’Orazio to 209-U deficit spends, but positioned well enue stream. Heidemann wrote in his state average, declining state Board hears Larry Heidemann report to the board. Those support over the last decade serve as WBSA updated the district’s finan- windfalls gave the district a has led to deficit spending prospects for, cial plan to reflect current fund balance in excess of $22 that has become worrisome, revenue and expense trends, million in the 2013-2014 Heidemann wrote. threats to its look at new threats, and con- school year. In just three Heidemann used 10 grand marshal sidered every variable that years, deficit spending has years of actual financial data financial future can affect the district’s finan- the fund balance down to and the current budget to BY BRENT SUMNER cial outlook. about $18 million. find revenue and expense STAFF WRITER BY PAM MONSON The long-awaited state Nearly 70 percent of the patterns, and used those EDITOR capital improvement grant district’s operating funds trends to forecast the finan- Bernie D’Orazio of of $9 million, and a federal come from property taxes, cial health of the district over D’Orazio Ford may not School District 209-U’s impact makeup package of about 15 percent from feder- a 10-year horizon. have always been a part of financial planner says it’s not $5 million replenished oper- al sources and about 16 per- “There are three kinds of the Wilmington communi- time to panic, but the Board ating funds that had been cent is state education dol- districts that I deal with; ty, but even during his of Education does need to do temporarily used to fund lars (down from 35 percent those that make things hap- youth, he garnered a a better job of controlling its construction, which swelled to 40 percent a decade ago). pen, those that watch things respect for the Wilmington employee costs in light of fund balances in the recent Although the district’s happen and then there are Baseball and Softball current and continuing near term enough to cover operating expenses are SEE 209-U, PAGE 2 Association. threats to the district’s rev- ongoing deficit spending,” growing no faster than the “I participated in base- ball, but I was in Coal City,” said Bernie, talking about his time spent with youth BERNIE D’ORAZIO baseball. “We used to get our butts kicked by munity. Wilmington.” That reflects in his That said, Bernie is a generosity toward the part of the Wilmington town, and also leads to him community these days, being honored this year as with about 70 percent of his the grand marshal for the dealership’s customer base SEE D’ORAZIO, PAGE 2 being from the local com- Spring clean the medicine chest Police department, Coalition, to host drug take back and shredding event STAFF REPORT report in surveys that they get their drugs from family The Wilmington and friends, according to Coalition for a Healthy the DEA. Americans under- Community and stand that cleaning out old Wilmington Police prescription drugs from Department will host a free their medicine cabinets, prescription drug take back kitchen drawers and bed- and document shredding side tables reduces acci- event on April 29. dents, thefts and the mis- This is the second such use and abuse of these sub- event hosted by Coalition stances, including opioid and Police Department, in painkillers. conjunction with National “The medicine cabinet Drug take-Back Day events is the place where a lot of sponsored by the DEA. youth got started with pre- WILMINGTON MAYOR MARTY ORR (right) administered the oath of office to Mao, (center) the police department’s new canine The majority of pre- scription drugs, that lead to officer, on Tuesday, April 19. Mao’s handler, Officer Kris Hopper (center left) took the oath for his new partner. Chief Phil Arnold scription drug abusers SEE TAKE BACK PAGE 2 (left) witnessed the oath. Canine crime fighter sworn in Pennsylvania on April 13, a hair is the perfect breed for Drug-sniffing week early. this kind of work, the chief “He did very well ... he’s said. Park Board canine is a fast learner,” commented Officer Kris Hopper will Phil Arnold, chief of police. be Mao’s handler. He started a fast learner Mao, pronounced working with the dog March “May-o,” is a German short- 20. president BY PAM MONSON hair pointer. His main pur- Chief Arnold’s squad car was put back into rotation as EDITOR pose will be to find nar- cotics. He will not be trained the canine vehicle, and is for a second purpose, scheduled to be wrapped as a black-and-white at the end to resign One of outgoing Mayor because the department of the month. Arnold is now Marty Orr’s last privileges in wants narcotics detection to BY PAM MONSON be the thing he does best. He driving an administrative office was administering the vehicle, without all the EDITOR oath of office to the was taught to find marijua- na, cocaine, heroin, equipment needed if it were Wilmington Police being used as a patrol car. The president of the Department’s floppy-eared methamphetamine and MAO Island Park District board crack cocaine. Mao was sworn in dur- crime fighter, Mao, the drug- ing the council’s regular of Commissioners is sniffing canine. Chief Arnold wanted train every other week. The expected to tender his res- Mao to have a skill typically meeting on Tuesday, April Donations from Will 19. Officer Hopper was canine unit will work a rotat- ignation during a special County State’s Attorney Jim taught to explosives detec- ing shift. When officers meeting on Friday evening. tion dogs, the ability to find a expected to complete his Glasgow, local businesses, certification on Wednesday. Hopper and Mao are not on President Tom Glenn is hint of a scent on the open organizations and individu- The crime-fighting duo’s first duty, the department will moving to better care for an air and follow it back to its als made it possible for the tour of duty will be elderly family member. police department to rein- source. Shallow Creek obtain assistance from other He’ll still have a Thursday. active-duty units in the area. state its canine unit. Mao agreed to deliver it in a nar- Mao will live with SEE GLENN PAGE 2 completed his training at cotics detection training Hopper, and the team will TOM GLENN Shallow Creek Kennels in package. The German short- The Free Press Advocate, Wednesday, April 19, 2017, page 2 WWW.FREEPRESSNEWSPAPERS.COM Sign-up for senior freeze, exemptions Lemonade for sale The Custer Township Assessors Office To qualify, seniors must be 65-years- will host a senior event on Wednesday, April old, own and live in the home and have a 26, from 9 a.m. to noon, at the Custer total household income of $55,000 or less. Township building. Staff from the Will Participants must bring their drivers license, County Assessors Office will be available to income for 2016 (1099) and the latest tax bill. assist seniors. The event will allow seniors 65-years or For more information, call Custer older to sign-up for the senior freeze and Township Assessor Pam Hall at 815-693- exemptions which aid in reducing the real 5643 at the Will County Supervisor of estate taxes. Assessment Office 815-740-4321. left in the bank now would looked at that for a number allow it to operate for of years, with some worry 209-U between 330 and 360 days if that if they ever do that it had no revenue coming in they’d make it permanent.” — most districts try to keep The financial planner three to six months worth of calls all three threats stealth cash reserves. District 209- issues. They start slowly, any those that say, ‘what in the U is comfortably above that can be tolerated on their devil just happened?’” he but sliding, and can expect own for a couple of years, said. “I congratulate to hit the 180 days of reserve but “the problem with those Wilmington for being in the funds mark by the 2025- are they each increase and first category, trying to make 2026 school year, depending compound,” he said. “If it things happen and stay on what happens on the was a one-time effect, one ahead of the curve.” state level. Heidemann has year, that would be one Although the district identified three potential thing, but the way those are has a cushion in the bank, threats to school district structured ... they get bigger Heidemann said it has a $1 funding being discussed in and bigger and bigger and million to $2 million annual !"#$%&'()*+"%" Springfield: more dramatic.” KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS at St. Rose School, 626 S. Kankakee St., Wilmington, will host a structural deficit, one that’s not caused by a short-term • Reduced state aid that He projects that the lemonade stand on Friday, April 28, from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 2 p.m. Shown are Ronnie and factor. There was very little helps fund essentials con- compounded effect of all Khloe serving refreshments. Lemonade, brownies and cookies will be for sale for $1 each with the board could or should tinues to decline.