NORMAL – After the last regular season meeting between Normal Community High School and Normal Community West High School last month, which NCHS won 45-40, as the final seconds ticked off the clock, Normal West students stood and chanted toward those in NCHS’ bleachers, “Wait ‘Til Regionals!”

Following their performances at NCHS Regionals Tuesday, the showdown the West faithful were hoping for then will become a reality Friday night, starting with a 7:30p.m. tip-off. That’s because first seed Normal West eased past fourth seed Minooka, 68-42, while second seed NCHS conquered third seed Bradley Bourbonnais, 64-46.

Normal West 68, Minooka 42: First seed Normal West’s 68-42 victory over 6-21 Minooka got the evening off to a fast start, with the Wildcats jumping out to an 8-0 lead on a pair of baskets by Austin Stewart and a deuce from Tyler Bell at the 4:18 mark. Minooka cut West’s lead, 10-5, in part, on a trey by Ben Heide with 2:20 to go in the quarter. But a trey from Bell with 2.5 seconds left gave West a 15-5 lead to begin the second quarter.

From there, a 7-0 run, led by a trey from Bradley Hallstein with 3:31 until halftime and a pair of unanswered deuces from Stewart helped push the Wildcats toward their 40-18 halftime lead.

West (19-10) never looked back from that point, doubling the lead on fourth seed Minooka going into the fourth quarter, 56-28.

Hallstein led four West players in double figures with 15 points. He was followed by Bell with 14 points, and Taylor Scheuermann and Stewart each scoring 13. Jake Butler was Minooka’s lone player in double figures, scoring 11.

“I think we had real good energy defensively, and I think that fed into our offense,” said West head coach Brian Cupples. “I thought we were really active. Austin (Stewart) got us going (with) a couple of steals (and) a couple of dunks early.”

Cupples said Minooka “scared” him as a team because they “are really scrappy. They are really physical, and I thought matched that. (Our guys) really played well.”

Cupples said that if there are things he would like to see his team do when they play NCHS on Friday, they would include “moving the ball a little bit better (and) do a better job of setting screens.”

At 7:20p.m., 10 minutes before NCHS was to tip-off against Bradley Bourbonnais, Minooka head coach Scott Tanaka was not available for comment, as he and his team were still behind closed locker room doors.

Normal Community 64, Bradley Bourbonnais 46: Second seed NCHS’ road to the Regional Final against third seed Bradley Bourbonnais had a similar start to what West experienced, starting with a quick 7-0 lead on baskets by Kyle Dierkes and Kevin Bischoff, and free throws by Anthony Beane as response to a technical foul called against the Boilermakers’ Zach Wadley at 4:21 in the first quarter.

NCHS (20-9) owned a 13-4 lead with two minutes left in the quarter, taking a 20-7 lead into the second quarter. Only Kurt Homberg’s trey with 1:05 left in the quarter managed to slow NCHS’ scoring sprint down.

That sprint continued when the second quarter began with back-to-back from Taylor Lierman and Nathan Haynes pushing the Ironmen lead to 24-7. But the Boilermakers struck back with four treys – two from JoVaughn Shivers and one each from Paddy Rooney and Brandon Moliga – to pull within 8, 31-23, with 1:45 left in the quarter.

Although Kevin Bischoff and Anthony Beane scored back-to-back buckets to close out the half for NCHS, the Ironmen owned a 10-point lead, 35-25, going into the intermission.

Fouls committed by Bradley Bourbonnais (8-17) sent Kyle Dierkes to the free throw line to down four free throws, giving NCHS a 41-28 lead with 5:39 left in the third quarter. Beane added two threes to increase the lead to 47-30 with 3:24 left. Although Tim Smith had one trey for the Boilermakers in the quarter, NCHS had a 50-35 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Bradley Bourbonnais pulled within 10, 50-40, to begin the fourth quarter, including two free throws by Shawn Downey. NCHS responded with a bucket from Nathan Haynes and a three from Bischoff to increase NCHS’ lead to 55-40. from there, the Boilermakers would only score six more points on the night – deuces from Wadley, Zarius West, and two free throws from Zach Pallissard to close out the night and assure the Ironmen a victory.

Bischoff led all players in double figures with 18 points. He was followed by 15 from Beane, 13 from Dierkes, and Haynes’ 12. Wadley was the only Boilermaker player in double figures, scoring 11.

“We jumped out to a big lead on them, and maybe, we relaxed a little bit, and (Bradley Bourbonnais) did a good job of fighting all the way to the end,” said NCHS head coach Dave Witzig.

“When they got within 10, we starting getting a little concerned,” Witzig said. “I thought our defense was pretty solid. We just didn’t want any weird stuff to happen (to us). But I’m glad our guys were able to regroup and weathered the storm and have a great second half.”

Witzig said “there is a lot at stake for us against West” Friday.

“I think we made more shots (in the third and fourth quarters),” said Boilermakers head coach Alex Renchen. “We got them to turn the ball over a little bit, but, that’s what we thought we would have to do tonight, is attack from the parameter and try to get them to turn the ball over.”

Renchen said getting NCHS to turn the ball over was key since his team was playing without the services of starting center Austin Halcomb, who was out sick.

“We were kind of hoping Bischoff and Beane wouldn’t get off (as many shots). Those guys are a load inside. Those guys played real well. They knocked down some big shots. Our fingers were crossed that they would miss shots.”

NORMAL – Normal Town Council members approved a modified resolution concerning signs for the new CVS Pharmacy, one of the anchor stores for the new Uptown Crossing complex along North St. in Uptown Normal.

Council members were able to approve three waivers CVS had discussed with and sought from the Uptown Design Review Commission, by a 4-1 vote, with Council member Cheryl Gaines voting against. The three waivers Council approved were for CVS to have a projecting sign more than 60 inches from the building; to allow CVS to have a 12.56 sq. ft. projecting sign, where Town Code limits such signs to be 12 sq. ft.; and to allow signs with interior lighting.

But while CVS was granted those items by the Council vote, one item will be studied further by CVS and Town Staff, and will return to the Council agenda in May. CVS Pharmacy was looking for the new Uptown location to have something some other CVS outlets routinely have: large window signage.

Part of Gaines’ objection had to do with the amount of signage being put in the windows of the outside of the building. “I just think (such window signs) are not pleasing to the eye,” Gaines said after the meeting.

Adam Skrzeszewski, development representative for Elgin, Ill.-based Sure Light Sign Co., told the Uptown Design Review Commission in November that CVS uses window signage screens to keep people outside from looking into the back of a store’s shelving units. At that time, he told the Review Commission CVS would lose some retail space if they had to remove shelving along the windows.

Skrzeszewski told Council members Monday the use of window signage screens is only done in areas he described as “urban settings.” He said such a sign can be found at a CVS’ store in downtown Chicago.

Operating And Investment Budget Approved: Council members unanimously approved an ordinance adopting the operating and capital investment budget for the Town for fiscal year 2010-11.

Omnibus Agenda Items Approved: Omnibus agenda items approved by the Council included:

• Approval of the minutes of the Council’s regular meeting of Feb.15, 2010.

• Approval of Town of Normal expenditures for payment as of Feb.24, 2010.

• A motion to accept a bid award a contract to Normal-based U. S. Mechanical Services, Inc. for a new pool heater for the Fairview Family Aquatic Center in the amount of $40,350.

• A motion to approve semi-annual salary schedule adjustment for classified Town employees.

• A resolution for the use of Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) Funds to finance General Obligation Bonds to be used for roadway improvements in Uptown Normal.

• A resolution partially and conditionally approving the final development plan for the South Cottage Village PUD.

• A conditional resolution partially approving the Final Plat of South Cottage Village.

• An ordinance amending Sections 22.10-6(A) and 22.10-11 of the Municipal Code of the Town of Normal – Vehicle Relocation Services.

• An ordinance amending “An Ordinance Describing and Designating an Area Located Partially Within the City of Bloomington, Town of Normal and Unincorporated McLean County as an Enterprise Zone.”

NORMAL – Normal’s Unit 5 School Board members heard four “Good News” reports at their regular meeting Feb. 24, held at Sugar Creek Elementary School. Members of the Normal Rotary Club, and three Unit 5 instructors received recognition for recent achievements.

Normal Rotary Coat Drive: Unit 5 recognized members of Normal Rotary Club for their efforts to help some elementary and middle school students in need so that they would have coats for the winter. Normal Rotary Club President Ed Tanton and Coat Drive Committee Co-Chair Connie Gentry attended the meeting. Ron Timmerman is the other Coat Drive Co-Chair.

“We had approximately 126 donated as well as received money donations,” Gentry explained. She said Normal Rotary also received donations of hats and gloves, in addition to coats.

The need for coats became apparent to the district when schools discovered there were students staying home from school because they did not have coats to wear, Gentry said.

The drive ran during November and December, Gentry said. She said Normal Rotary also took monetary donations from people who wanted to help the project, as well as receiving the needed items. She said they raised about $1,100.

NCHS Technology Instructor Receives Grant From WHOI-TV: Normal Community High School technology instructor Don Whitman received a $1,000 Grant from Peoria’s WHOI-TV as part of the station’s on-going “One Class At A Time” program.

NCHS teacher Michelle Byers wrote WHOI-TV to nominate Whitman because of his work with students who are part of his Personal Computer Hardware class and a computer club Whitman oversees during after school hours. The computer club and PC hardware class works on rebuilding and updating computers for families of NCHS students who may not be able to afford new or updated computers.

WHOI-TV and CEFCU Credit Union give the award out on a bi-weekly basis to area teachers who are nominated by co-workers or students. The money can be used for supplies, classroom tools, or other necessities.

NCHS Band Director Serves As Guest Conductor: Josh Masterman, NCHS Band director, was recognized by Board members for being invited to be guest conductor for the Springfield Public Schools All-City Music Festival, which was held on Feb. 23.

Normal West Consumer Sciences Teacher Honored: Teri Wilson, a teacher at Normal Community West High School, has been named Teacher of the Year for 2009-2010 by Illinois Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (IAFCS). IAFCS presented Wilson with the honor at the group’s annual conference on Feb. 26, held at the Par-A-Dice Hotel in East Peoria.

The award recognizes outstanding educational programs, methods, techniques, and activities in the field of family and consumer sciences. West Principal Tom Eder, in a memo to Board members about Wilson’s accomplishments, explained she “restructured a playschool into an Early Childhood Education Program as part of the Family and Consumer Science program at (West).”

Beginning in the 2010-2011 school year, students will be able to earn dual credit at Heartland Community College through this high school curriculum.

As winner of the IAFCS Teacher of the year award, Wilson’s name will be submitted to the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences 2010 National Teacher of the Year award program. Winning entries from each state are submitted to AAFCS for national competition. From this group, the top teachers of the year are selected, and will be announced at AAFCS’ 2010 Annual Conference. This year’s conference will be held on June 24 in Cleveland, Ohio.

NORMAL – At their first meeting in February, Normal’s Unit 5 School Board sought ways to reduce its budget, looking to make between $6 million-$10 million in cuts.

At their meeting on Feb. 24, held at Sugar Creek Elementary School, District Superintendent Gary Niehaus said district officials found areas and personnel to cut, managing to make $7.5 million in budget reductions. The budget cuts manage to touch nearly all areas affected by the district.

The breakdown of the total areas where cuts will be to be made looks like this:

• A total of $779,700 will be reduced from the budget that pays for Unit 5’s central office and administration.

• A total of $3,047,300 will be cut from District-wide programs, including State programs, Gifted Education, staff development, library services throughout the district, and assessment and testing.

• A total of $1,737,900 will be cut from the district’s Elementary Education budget, which includes six full-time teachers’ salaries, 51 teaching assistants’ salaries, and budgets for supplies and equipment. It also includes eliminating on full-time school administrative manager.

• A total of $807,900 will be cut from the district’s middle school budget, including eliminating one full-time school administrative manager, and six full-time teachers. Also, there will be a reduction in how much will be spent on textbooks, supplies, and equipment.

• A total of $1,114,200 will be cut from the district’s budget for high school expenses, including eliminating 1 school administrative manager’s position, and 13 full-time teaching positions, 10 full time teaching assistant positions. In addition, money available for a driver’s education vehicle, textbooks, supplies, and equipment have also been slashed.

Niehaus said as yet unknown teacher resignations and retirements could help Unit 5 return some of the six full-time elementary teachers affected by the cuts.

Martin Getty, Unit 5’s interim Chief Financial Officer, told Board members the district is still owed $6 million by the State of Illinois. Getty said that, should Unit 5 receive all the cash the state owes it, the district would be able to have a balanced budget.

Niehaus told Board members he met with all of Unit 5’s school principals in January, asking them to look into their budgets to see where they could make reductions, in relation to their schools’ needs for the 2010-2011 school year.

For the past two months, until Feb. 19, school principals have been under a spending freeze. Niehaus added principals were also asked to submit a list of needs for their schools for the next school year.

Niehaus said Unit 5 officials are now waiting for Gov. Pat Quinn’s “State of the State Address,” which Quinn has postponed once already, but has rescheduled for Mar. 10, to see what Quinn will announce about education funding.

“This (situation) is not a fix that will happen in one action by our legislature,” Niehaus told Board members. “It could be a 2- or 3-year endurance test for Unit 5 (once cuts are made).”

Board member Scott Lay commented that reductions made by the district “need to spread equally (throughout the district). We need to make things equal. It’s painful to reduce (our) certified teaching staff.”

Answering a question from Board Vice President John Puzauskas, Getty said he expects Unit 5 will have an end balance of $3.3 million in its education fund at the end of fiscal 2010. Unit 5’s fiscal year ends on June 30.

Benjamin School Chooses “Bears” Nickname: The nicknames of the teams represented by Unit 5’s 15 elementary schools go almost from A to Z. Specifically, they go from Bobcats (at Brigham Elementary) to Pumas (at Pepper Ridge Elementary). Prospective future students of the new Benjamin Elementary School chose “Bears” for their school nickname in a telephone survey.

In the coming weeks, future students of Cedar Ridge Elementary will get to choose the team nickname for their school. The choices have been narrowed down to either Rockets, Raptors, or Rhinos.

Superintendent Gets New Contract, Raise: Board members discussed and approved a 1 percent raise for Niehaus at the meeting. The new contract is for five years, and Niehaus will receive a 1 percent raise next year, followed by salary increases that would be between 1 percent and 4 percent per year, based on performance. Niehaus currently makes $188,260. The first raise would hike that to $190,142.

The vote to approve the raise was 6-1, with Board member Mark Pritchett voting against the raise, but not because of Niehaus’ job performance.

Pritchett said his vote would be based upon “compensatory funds,” – in other words, the amount being paid out, and had nothing to do with Niehaus personally or the job Niehaus was doing as superintendent.

Board member Gail Ann Briggs pointed out that factors that went into approving the raise included responses to questionnaires evaluating Niehaus’ performance that went to Unit 5 employees.

Sugar Creek’s New Look Gets Toured, Appreciated: A second floor addition, including classrooms with Smartboards, and a common area where large groups of students from more than one class can be taught at one time, were part of a school tour given to about 20 former Sugar Creek students who themselves are now parents. The tour took place prior to the start of the School Board meeting. The Board’s meeting was held in a common study area on the school’s second floor.

Among the areas seen on the tour were the newly designed library with lower shelving, and a new gym that is larger than the one that was built when the building first was constructed.

The school’s old gym is now doubles as the school cafeteria/general assembly area. The building now has a new, larger kitchen area which allows staff to be able to cook on site, rather than have food trucked in, which could only be reheated before serving.

Unit 5 Board President Meta Mickens-Baker joined the tour, and during the meeting, publicly thanked those responsible, which included representatives from Perkins & Will Architects; Peoria-based LZT Associates; Chicago-based Turner Construction; and Jeff Monahan, construction manager for Unit 5.

Bill Legett, president of Sugar Creek’s Parent-Teacher Organization, addressed Board members, expressing thanks for all their support in making the building upgrade possible.

NORMAL – A slow offensive start did not help Normal West’s girls basketball team as they tangled with Moline in the Class 4A Sectional held on the Wildcats’ home floor Tuesday night.

Moline got off to a quick 12-3 start after one quarter on their way to a 53-31 final, ending the season for the Wildcats, and their coach, Angie Codron.

Moline faced Edwardsville, the winner of the other Class 4A Sectional between East St. Louis Senior High and Edwardsville, held at Normal West on Thursday.

Moline (31-1) jumped out to a fast 6-0 lead on a basket each from Emily Kauzlarich and Amanda Smith, and two free throws by Marquisha Harris.

West (22-7) could only muster a free throw and a deuce by Lauren Berry in separate plays to get started, while Moline, cutting the lead to 6-3. after that, the Maroons went on a 6-0 run on two free throws each from Harris and Kauzlarich, on the way to a 12-3 lead with which to open the second quarter.

West gained momentum in the second quarter, getting a three-point basket from Kauzlarich, while Moline charged forward from their starting point. Moline owned a 25-13 halftime lead.

Moline went on a 9-0 rush in the third quarter which featured a pair of buckets by Brittany Bush, pushing the Maroons toward the 40-18 lead they held against the Wildcats going into the fourth quarter.

Each team scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, but Moline was jolted by and the home crowd was pleased by the Wildcats’ play in the last two minutes as Sara Motsinger and Brandi Reed outscored Moline during that time block 7-1, with Reed sinking two baskets and a free throw, and Motsinger downing a deuce and a free throw toward the game’s close.

Bush led all scorers with 16 points. She was followed by Harris, who scored an additional 12 for Moline. Reed was West’s lone player in double-figures, with 13 points.

Codron said her seniors played with the mindset that they would play every game as though it was their last game. “When it comes right down to it, it’s the seniors that will take over and try to do the things it takes to win the game. I think she was just being a senior.”

Regarding the Wildcats’ first quarter sputter, Codron said her players found themselves “in a situation this program hasn’t been in for a while. We went a step further this year. Last year, we made it to the Regional Championship and lost. So this year is a situation that these kids haven’t been in before, and I think the way we played in the first quarter was due to being in an unfamiliar situation. But they came out of it in the second quarter.”

“We were just proud of the girls’ effort tonight,” said Moline head coach Steve Ford. “Our defense stepped up and limited (West’s) opportunities, then, we just did enough offensively to handle the game.”

Ford said his team was looking for “a little more drive to the rim from West’s players, (but) they didn’t seem to do that early on.