LAWN AND GARDEN WILDCAT SPORTS $1.00 Create a vertical Trackteam hosts Vol. 43, Issue 17 2 sections • 22 pages growth garden! seniornight Not over 75% advertising www.freepressadvocate.com WILMINGTON, IL | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017 | A FREE PRESS NEWSPAPER Town to spruce Public contends board violated state law BY PAM MONSON Commissioners held a special meeting replacement behind closed doors, and EDITOR Friday, April 21, to select somebody to then adjourn. The agenda did not indi- up for Route 66 fill the board seat being vacated by Tom cate that any action would be taken. As many as five residents and The Glenn. Glenn is moving out of the dis- While the Illinois Open Meetings Free Press Advocate filed or plan to file trict and is no longer eligible to serve. Act permits discussion of items not requests for the Illinois Attorney He presented three potential succes- specifically listed on the agenda, the celebration General’s office to review last Friday’s sors to board for consideration; Randy Act does not permit action at that actions of the Park Board to determine Hill, Jerrick Longest and Britton Roth. meeting. As noted by the Illinois BY PAM MONSON whether state law was violated. Each was interviewed during closed Attorney General’s Public Access EDITOR Meanwhile, the board is preparing a session before Glenn was asked to Counselor in Opinion 16-015, “Senate correct its error at a time when an leave so the remaining board members debate on House Bill 4687, which Highlighting how established majority can maintain could discuss the candidates. became PA 97-827, effective Jan. 1, much of an asset Route control. According to the meeting agenda, SEE VIOLATED, PAGE 6 66 is to the community, The Island Park District Board of the board intended to discuss Glenn’s city administrator Frank Koehler recently sent a friendly letter to property owners in and around the down- town business district, “I AM NOT A ROCKET SCIENTIST, AND I AM NOT THE FIRST GUY TO DO THIS, asking them to spruce up for the 11th annual BUT I FEEL LIKE THESE ARE UNIQUE.” Route 66 Red Carpet KENNETH SCHULTZ Corridor Celebration on CRAFTSMAN Saturday, May 6, and Sunday, May 7. “No other roadway is as synony- mous with travel, adventure and fun as Route 66,” he wrote. The Red Carpet Corridor event celebrates Route 66 and the important place it holds in the history and cur- rent success of the community. There’ll be lots to do in downtown Wilmington on Saturday, when the Women of Wilmington and down- town merchants put on a sidewalk sale to beat all others, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Don’t forget to stray a couple blocks from the main event to shop one of the city’s biggest antique malls, Milltown Market, at the corner of North Kankakee and Mill Street. Shoppers will be able to find antiques, imports, gifts, collectibles and more. The Wilmington Lions Club will be grilling and chill- ing downtown. Every sandwich they sell helps the volun- teers bring the community free activities like the June kids fishing derby. Those who want to try something a lit- tle different can stop in at Nelly’s on Route 66 and try a bison burger. At noon, the Chamber of Commerce will hold a laughing baby contest for infants up to 1 year of age, at the Chamber tent on North Water at Jackson Street. Prizes will be awarded to the tots who laugh first, loudest or strongest. Parents and siblings can be as silly as needed SEE RCC, PAGE 2 Council agrees to let developer slide - for now KEN SCHULTZ takes pride in his work, whether it be making his wild turkey wingbone calls or fletching his own arrows. BY PAM MONSON owner, Adar RidgePort EDITOR Industrial Partners, is able to extend Ridge Way The Wilmington City Boulevard south of Tower Council agreed last week to Road, as required by the allow a property owner to annexation agreement. obtain an occupancy per- The annexation agree- Call of the wild mit for a building that is ment provides that the nearing completion, before roads are to be constructed could during the time he was the developer finishes in phases on an as-needed Wilmington man’s in. When he left the service some required site work. basis, and gives the city the hobby in tune he was hired at AT&T, work- The council approved authority to withhold an ing there for 30 years. a Proceed at Your Own Risk occupancy permit for a with turkeys “I was 51 years old, was agreement with Adar building site until the a mid-manager, and they RidgePort Industrial developer extends the BY BRENT SUMNER came out with a retirement plan. Low and behold, I Partners at its regular roads. STAFF WRITER meeting on April 18. The extension of Ridge retired.” A 1.5 million square Way will require the devel- The Homewood native foot building that will be oper to work around wet- tried his hand at farming, occupied by General Mills land issues that the Army ilmington res- buying 15 acres in Michigan. is under construction at Corps of Engineers has to ident Before long is expanded into the east edge of the sign off on, explained city Kenneth 65 acres. RidgePort Logistics Center, administrator Frank W “I was always farming, along the Interstate 55 Koehler. The property Schultz puts pride in but it was part-time until I frontage road, and will be just about everything retired,” he said. “My wife completed before the SEE SLIDE, PAGE 5 he does. That’s evident !"#$#%&'(&)*+,$&-./,+* and I had a good time up KEN SCHULTZ’S homemade turkey call is made out of the there, and so did our chil- with his hand-made three wingbones from a wild turkey. He forms all three bones dren. We never lived up there turkey calls that not into the call, and uses some leftovers to fashion the lanyard. year round. I just loved it.” only get the attention Schultz also takes time after making each one to personalize Schultz said that when of a strutting tom, them with some pen “engravings.” the Lord wanted him to stop they’ve become the farming, he let him know. Now, the 78-year-old is envy of local hunters off his labor and it has paid not afraid of work,” he said. enjoying his retirement days WPD joining state’s lucky enough to get off whether it be the time he “I was a technician for nine by staying busy with hunt- their hands on one. spent working at AT&T, years, was promoted to man- ing, hobbies, family and his working his blueberry farm agement at AT&T, and have The work he puts into faith. first distracted in Michigan, or time he never been afraid of work.” To understand his these atypical wing bone spends at his church, Schultz was in the Navy calls is quite meticulous. “I am German, and I am and got ranked as high as he SEE CALL, PAGE 2 driving week effort Schultz has built his life Officers of the In support of National Wilmington Police Distracted Driving Department will be paying Awareness Month, and in extra attention to drivers an effort to bring attention who are texting this week, to the dangers and conse- because as distracted driv- quences associated with ing is becoming more driving distracted, accepted by drivers, it’s Governor Bruce Rauner Superintendent joins budget effort also becoming more haz- issued a proclamation and pay school districts millions 400 superintendents from • Improve the state's ardous. both houses passed resolu- STAFF REPORT of dollars owed in unpaid across the state in a call for education funding formula From Jan. 1, 2016 to tions identifying April 24 bills this year. action,” Swick said. “We and invest in students and the present, the through 28 as Illinois This week, Dr. Matt As legislators return to need to end the impasse schools, including higher Wilmington Police Distracted Driving Swick, superintendent of Springfield following spring now and move forward with education, throughout the Department issued 57 Awareness Week. School District 209-U, break, school districts are a budget that will serve the state. compliance tickets and 35 The Illinois joined more than 400 school using school marquees to two million K-12 Illinois • Pay school districts traffic citations for unlaw- Association of Chiefs of chiefs from across the state, share their frustration with public school students who what they are owed this year. ful use of electronic com- Police (ILACP), in partner- representing 1.3 million stu- the state budget crisis and represent our future.” While K-12 education munication devices — dis- ship with AAA, and sup- dents, in calling for the taking to social media with a The superintendents has benefited from a partial- tracted driving. The ported by the Illinois State Illinois General Assembly to call to #PassILBudget. The are calling on members of department is participat- Police, SafetyServe.com, immediately pass a state SEE BUDGET PAGE 6 state now owes Wilmington the Illinois General ing in the first Illinois the National Safety budget. The grassroots ini- School District more than Assembly and the governor Distracted Driving Council, the Illinois tiative, called “Pass Illinois' $580,000, and has been to do the following: Awareness Week in an Insurance Association and Budget!” also urges lawmak- operating without a full • Immediately, and effort to educate motorists almost 300 law enforce ers and the governor to budget for the past 22 with bipartisan support, about the dangers of tex- improve the state's educa- SEE WPD, PAGE 6 months.