Well, if you didn’t realize Daylight Saving Time began on Sunday ... I’m sure you’ve probably figured it out by now. I sure had a difficult time getting up to go to work Monday morning. I tend to be an early riser, so dragging my tired old self out of bed Monday morning was probably just a psychological reaction, rather than a physical one. Funny how one’s mind can play with your internal time clock.
Wow! Have you taken a walk around your yard lately? If your yard looks like mine, the tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, narcissus and more seemed to have grown about five inches this past weekend. Likewise, the buds on the trees and shrubs are quite evident too. And the birds ... my, oh my! Monday morning it sounded like a symphony in my backyard. Even with one hour less of sleep, the warm weather and the sound of those seemingly happy birds made life seem perfect. What do you think?
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So what’s the BigDeal? Following are the Bureau County Republican’s BigDeals! for the week. These deals are sure to help you cash in on some great items. The number of deals are limited each week, so check them out early at www.bcrnews.com.
• At Combined Cleaning & Restoration of Princeton, you can get your carpet professionally cleaned for only $58 — that’s normally a $116 value, so you save 50 percent!
• At The Chocolate Shoppe in Utica get seven pieces of milk chocolate covered bacon strips for only $10, and $11 savings over the regular cost of $21.
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March Mayhem? The NCAA tournament begins tonight (Tuesday) with the First Four games. Once those winners are plugged into our contest bracket, the challenge is on. Just log on to www.bcrnews.com and click on the contest tab to make your picks for the brackets. Then sit back and watch the First Four games, fill in the rest of your bracket and get set for Thursday night’s round of games.
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The Checkered Flag Challenge is underway. Week 3 is already in the record books. Tony Stewart kept Jimmy Johnson at bay to win the race in Las Vegas. If you have not created a team yet, log on to www.bcrnews.com and click on the contest tab to pick your favorite drivers. There are great prizes each week; the overall grand prizes are racing packages to Michigan International Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway. You can still get in on the action. Your best 15 races are used for your overall score at the end of the season.
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I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of the nearly 150 folks who turned out for the BCR’s Home Rule Forum, which was held last week. A big thanks also to our panelists that evening; Gary Swanson and his work with sound; Brian Hurley from our corporate office; the BCR staff; and of course, the Bureau County Metro Center, who has proven to be so easy to work with on any event.
Now the rest is up to you. The primary is on March 20 — one week from today. You don’t need to declare a party to vote in the primary. Just ask for a non-partisan ballot, and you can still vote on the home rule issue.
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The BCR is seeking sources for the following fun feature stories.
• Is your job title, “Professional Pet Sitter?” If so, we’d like to tell readers about you and your job in honor of Professional Pet Sitter Week in March. Contact Donna Barker at 815-8875-4461, ext. 244, or email her at dbarker@bcrnews.com.
• Are you a master of the Sleeper, the Walk the Dog or the Around the World? If so, we know you are a yo-yo enthusiast, and we’d like to feature you in an upcoming story to celebrate Yo-Yo Week on March 21-25. Contact Barb Kromphardt at 815-875-4461, ext. 242, or email her at bkromphardt@bcrnews.com.
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Spring is in the air. Take a deep breath and exhale. Repeat often. And remember ... you are important to me and the BCR.
