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Happy Saturday morning, Princeton. From pie recipes that taste like autumn to local business buzz, city initiatives, and a heartfelt letter from Lori—this weekend edition is full of community, color, and character. Whether you’re searching for your next job, planning a cozy evening, or baking the perfect fall dessert, we’ve got something for you.

Let’s get it going.

—Justin Bullington

📬IN THIS ISSUE

💡What You Should Know
🏛️City of Princeton
👶Zearing Child Enrichment
🍁The Best Fall Dessert
☀️Princeton Weather
⛽️Princeton Gas Prices
💼Princeton Businesses
👷Princeton Job Openings
🎵Letter From Lori

💡WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

• BCR: Jessica Strauch has been named the new Princeton High School softball coach after coaching at LaSalle-Peru and working with travel teams.

• It's the end of the Jeopardy! road for a Princeton band director.

• Festival 56 Launches Sound Stage Music Series with Rising Country Star Jaden Decker

• Princeton Police are investigating a possible break-in at Casey’s on West Peru Street that occurred at 3:03 a.m Friday.

• The Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce’s 13th Annual Scarecrow Contest invites local businesses to display scarecrows by October 1. Judging is October 2 and winners announced October 13.

• The Princeton Fire Department is holding an open house on October 11, 2025, 9am–12pm. Events include live firefighter demos, a kids’ obstacle course, and free food/drinks.

• The City of Princeton will host an Electronics Recycling Event on Saturday, October 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Bureau County Highway Department; the city’s link provides the list of accepted items.

  📍Outside City Limits

• Boggio's Pumpkin Harvest Craft Show Returns

• Three Felony Charges Filed Against Man Linked To Mendota Shooting

• Mendota Police Urge Drivers To Avoid Route 251 Construction Zone

🏛️FROM THE CITY OF PRINCETON

Community Input Needed – Help Shape Princeton’s Future!

The City of Princeton and the Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce are teaming up in a powerful partnership to take our community to the next level—and we need YOUR voice to help guide the way forward. Whether you’re a resident, business owner, employee, or visitor, your feedback is crucial in shaping the direction of our community.

Behind the scenes, the City and Chamber have been working closely together on key economic development initiatives and long-term planning. But to truly make a lasting impact, we need to hear directly from you—the people who make Princeton such a special place to live, work, and visit.

Tell us what’s working and what’s not. What are Princeton’s greatest strengths? Where do we have room to grow? What would make life here better for residents, businesses, and visitors alike? What support do you need? What opportunities are we missing? Where do we shine?

This is your chance to be heard.

Please take a few minutes to complete the appropriate survey(s)- they are short (just 5 -10 minutes) and your honest feedback will help us know exactly where to focus our time, resources, and attention. If more than one survey applies to you, we kindly ask you to complete both.

Click the link or scan the QR code to begin. Surveys are available via the City of Princeton and Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook pages, through Chamber e-blasts, and on postcards distributed around town. Please share this with your friends, neighbors, fellow business owners, co-workers, and even visitors - the more voices we hear, the better!

If you have any questions or would like to provide additional input, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Jenica Cole at the Chamber or Michael Zearing at City Hall.

Thank you for your time, your honesty, and your continued support in helping Princeton grow stronger, together!

Business Owner Survey: https://forms.gle/cEbLQ5PhnGE2dnDd9

Residents of the 61356 Survey: https://forms.gle/vAznBMmXggpQArhW7

Visitor & Surrounding Communities Survey: https://forms.gle/DkkQqfqqEahpoHdx9

👶ZEARING CHILD ENRICHMENT CENTER

CHILDCARE – Immediate Openings

We have immediate openings for a variety of our Infant, Toddler, and Preschool Programs.

Our School-Age program is currently FULL with no openings at this time.

Enrichment Activities

From drawing and writing to pretend play, we provide a diverse range of activities to foster creativity and social skills to set children up for life readiness.

Preschool Programs

Fun and educational hands-on activities to prepare young children for success in Kindergarten. A focus on emotional regulation.

Infant to Two’s Care

Gentle care and attention for our youngest students, ensuring they feel secure and loved. Start as young as 6 weeks old.

Apply Today!

📞 Contact Us: 815-875-2335

🌐 Visit Our Website: www.zcec.org

📍 Our Location: 633 Masonic Drive, Princeton, IL 61356

🍁THE PERFECT FALL DESSERT

Maple Bourbon Butter Brickle Pie

There’s a certain kind of dessert that can only be born from the scent of woodsmoke in the air, the crunch of leaves underfoot, and the low sun casting gold through your kitchen window. Fall isn’t about bright, airy sweets — it’s a season that demands depth. Toast. Spice. Crackle. Warmth. And so, I give you the Maple Bourbon Butter Brickle Pie — a dessert invented for the soul of autumn.

🍂 The Flavor Concept

Imagine a marriage between pecan pie, crème brûlée, and a campfire s’more — but all grown up. This dessert features a shortbread crust kissed with crushed toffee bits, a gooey maple custard filling with just a trace of bourbon heat, and a crown of torched brown sugar and butter brickle shards. It’s rustic elegance — both familiar and brand new.

🥧 The Anatomy of Perfection

1. The Crust: Salted Shortbread + Brickle Crumble — Forget flaky. This is dense, buttery, almost cookie-like — made from browned butter, flour, and a whisper of sea salt. Into that dough goes a half cup of crushed toffee (think Heath bar crumbles) to echo the crunch of brittle leaves underfoot. Prebaked until just golden. The salt makes the sweet sing.

2. The Filling: Maple Bourbon Custard — This is not a light, gelatinous custard. It’s sticky. Luscious. Almost sinful. Real maple syrup (not pancake syrup) gets reduced slightly to intensify the earthy sweetness, then folded into a base of egg yolks, cream, vanilla bean paste, and a tablespoon of good Kentucky bourbon. It’s then baked low and slow, just until set with a tremble.

3. The Crown: Torched Brown Sugar + Butter Brickle — After chilling, a generous spoonful of dark brown sugar is smoothed across the custard’s top and torched until crisp, like a crème brûlée. Then comes the finale — a handful of butter brickle shards scattered like golden leaves. They’re made by melting butter and sugar to a quick caramel, then pouring it thin over parchment and smashing it into shards once cooled.

🍁 The Why Behind It

Fall demands comfort, but not monotony. This dessert honors tradition while subverting it. It smells like Thanksgiving, but it isn’t your grandma’s pie. It’s complex — like the season itself. Sweet, yes. But also smoky. Toasted. Spiced. With that little edge of bourbon warmth to keep you honest.

🔥 Serve It With

A dollop of barely sweetened cinnamon whipped cream. Or nothing at all. The pie can carry itself.

✨ Final Thought

If summer is a sundae, fall is a bonfire banquet — and this is the final course. You don’t eat Maple Bourbon Butter Brickle Pie quickly. You take it to the porch. Wrap yourself in a blanket. And taste the turning of the year.

☀️PRINCETON WEATHER

🌤️ Today: Mainly sunny and warm with a high near 85°F. A light NE breeze 5–10 mph and 0% rain chance; UV Index: Moderate. Afternoon humidity runs ~54%, so it’ll feel dry for late September. Sunrise 6:51 AM • Sunset 6:46 PM. Tonight: mostly clear, low around 56°F, winds light/variable (near NNW 7 mph). Moonrise 12:48 PM • Moonset 9:26 PM — Waxing Crescent, night humidity ~76%.

🌤️ Sunday: Partly cloudy and hot, topping out near 86–87°F. Gentle ENE wind 5–10 mph, still 0% rain on tap. Daytime humidity around 61%; UV Index: Moderate. Sunrise 6:52 AM • Sunset 6:44 PM. Evening turns partly cloudy, low near 55°F, with an ESE breeze ~7 mph. Moonrise 1:47 PM • Moonset 10:14 PM — Waxing Crescent, night humidity ~83%.

☀️ Monday: Mostly sunny, seasonably hot with a high near 88°F. Light SSE wind 5–10 mph and 0% precipitation likelihood. Drier feel with humidity near 52%; UV Index: Moderate. Sunrise 6:53 AM • Sunset 6:42 PM. Monday night is partly cloudy, low around 53°F, breeze SSE ~6 mph. Moonrise 2:39 PM • Moonset 11:10 PM — First Quarter, night humidity ~80%.

☀️ Tuesday: Mostly sunny again; afternoon high around 85–86°F. Light SSE wind 5–10 mph, 0% rain chance, and humidity ~57%; UV Index: Moderate. Sunrise 6:54 AM • Sunset 6:41 PM. Night: partly cloudy, low near 57°F, winds light/variable. Moonrise 3:24 PM — Waxing Gibbous, night humidity ~76%.

🌤️ Wednesday: Partly cloudy and very warm, high near 82–84°F. SSE breeze 5–10 mph with 0% rain expected; daytime humidity ~58%. Sunrise 6:55 AM • Sunset 6:39 PM. Wednesday night brings a few clouds, low around 55°F, winds SSE ~5 mph. Moonrise 4:01 PM • Moonset 12:14 AM — Waxing Gibbous, night humidity ~74%.

⛽️PRINCETON GAS PRICES

Regular

Amoco, 720 N Main St: $3.09
Sullivan’s Foods: $3.11
Casey’s West/North: $3.09
Beck’s West/North: $3.15
Road Ranger, N Main St: $3.09
Shell, 2225 N Main St: $3.15

Peru Gas 👀

Sapp Bros.: $2.94

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💼PRINCETON BUSINESSES #SHOPLOCAL

• Art lessons for kids ages 8 to 14 begin October 8 at the Prairie Arts Center Gallery, taught by Judy Gosse for $10 per lesson plus a $20 materials fee.

• Little Blue Dress in Princeton is featuring a new striped sweater for $56, available in Small through Large. They’re also gearing up for Witches Night Out next Friday with extended hours, a gift with purchase, and festive fun.

• Wild Honey Boutique is offering 40% off, fun bracelets, and new fall outfits. They’re open Wednesday from 10 to 5:30, and online orders come with a chance to snag a free gift.

• Believe Foundation t-shirts are now available at Sophisticuts Salon & Wellness, with 100% of proceeds supporting local families facing cancer.

• Witches Night Out at the Knox Hotel includes a $5 murder mystery event on October 3 with character clues and a prize drawing for a free night’s stay.

• Lenny & Joon’s will be popping up for Witches Night Out on October 3 from 4–9 PM, offering cozy soups, desserts, and drinks.

• The Knack invites the community to paint fall pottery while sipping festive drinks during their open hours Thursday through Sunday.

• Tossed & Found Resale + Consignment has new arrivals and is open behind Sullivans until 5:00 PM today.

• Five 22 has added a new fall dress to its lineup, perfect for weddings or seasonal outings, and invites shoppers to stop by.

• Corner Chair Market is celebrating spooky season with pumpkins, ghosts, witches, and more festive fall decor.

• Hoffman’s Patterns of the Past has new handcrafted Polish pottery in stock, including a snowman treat jar and holiday tree votive candle holder. These pieces are hand-painted and full of heirloom-worthy charm, perfect for early gift shopping.

• Rachel Rene is offering custom soaps for special events. Full bars can be personalized with color, scent, and label—perfect for weddings, showers, or gifts.

• Faith’s Fabulous Treats is hiring in Princeton and Lacon. Open Monday–Saturday 11am–9pm, Sunday 11am–8pm.

Upcoming:

• Witches Night Out is happening Friday, October 3rd from 4–10 PM. Enjoy a magical evening of shopping, food, drinks, and live music downtown. Celebrate the 10th anniversary with spooky fun and local deals.

• Hosted by Bureau County Fair, the Halloween Parade will take place Saturday, October 4th at 5:30pm. To register to participate, contact the Princeton Chamber at 815-875-2616.

• Celebrate the season with games, activities, and fun for the whole family while we come together to honor October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Come and enjoy free crafts, bake walk, games, & a scavenger hunt. Saturday, October 11, 10:00am to 2:00pm, Soldiers and Sailors Park.

• Princeton’s Oktoberfest will be held on October 18th at Rotary Park. Visitors can enjoy food, drinks, games, and traditional German music from the Heidelberg German Band. The event promises festive community vibes with Bavarian flair.

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👷PRINCETON JOB OPENINGS

• Walmart in Princeton is hiring a full-time Apparel Team Supervisor with a competitive hourly wage ranging from $20 to $33, plus potential performance-based incentives and premium pay. The role includes supervising the salesfloor, helping customers, organizing merchandise, and ensuring displays remain in order. Benefits include health, vision, and dental insurance, 401(k), paid parental and family leave, PTO/PPTO, disability coverage, and more. Applicants can apply directly through the company site via Indeed.

• Casey’s General Store is hiring full-time and part-time Team Members at $15.00–$19.75 per hour, offering flexible shifts including mornings, evenings, overnights, and weekends. Responsibilities include stocking, cleaning, operating the register, and preparing food, with no prior experience required and cross-training provided. Benefits include tuition assistance, health insurance, 401(k) with a 6% match, DailyPay access, holiday pay, food and drink discounts, and a customizable career path. Team Members are encouraged to demonstrate a positive attitude, reliability, and teamwork in a fast-paced retail environment.

• OSF HealthCare in Princeton, IL is hiring a full-time Medical Office Assistant for Prompt Care at a rate of $17.60 per hour, with eligibility for a sign-on bonus of $1,500–$2,000 depending on experience. The position involves both clinical and front office duties, including patient care support and administrative tasks aligned with medical assistant training. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED, six months of experience with computers and Microsoft Office, and six months of clinical experience in a healthcare facility. OSF offers a comprehensive benefits package focused on compensation, recognition, well-being, and career growth.

🌼DANDELION WISHES REFURBISHED FURNITURE

Michelle DeVoss has this hand-painted jewelry cabinet available at her home shop in Princeton for $135. Standing 40” tall by 15” wide and 8” deep, it’s a one-of-a-kind statement piece. 

Be sure to follow “Dandelion Wishes Refurbished Furniture” on Facebook for upcoming projects! Michelle can be reached through Facebook Messenger or by email at [email protected]. 

🎵LETTER FROM LORI

How do you start your day? I usually greet the morning through one crusty eye, with a grumble, then roll over to snatch another five minutes… ten minutes… fifteen minutes as I poke the snooze alarm on my relentless phone. I also spend an inordinate amount of time assessing my various aches and pains, deciding whether they might be a precursor to something ultimately fatal or just the result of wearing down my “meat suit” by pushing the limits of my physical capabilities over the years. Now that I’m older, I have this luxury.

As a younger woman, in my previous life, this was not how I awoke. In those days, with children in the house and a husband to tend to, I didn’t need to set an alarm. Having a three-year-old cannonball onto you—knees first into your uterus—was enough to catapult you to your feet. Immediately my duties began. My feet hit the ground running, and they didn’t stop. There was no time for hot coffee and devotions. There was a bus schedule, daycare kids arriving (which required a bra and clothing that wouldn’t scar them for life), and critters that needed tending. There were phone calls to make, appointments to schedule, lists to be written, and plans to be made. I ran two businesses from my home and volunteered with the March of Dimes and other local organizations.

My mornings were anything but quiet.

Now, I 🎵 rise and stretch and try to come to life 🎵 (Dolly throwback reference). I drink hot hazelnut coffee with sugar and caramel sauce. I put on my old-lady glasses and read my devotions with Beulah the Terrorist (my cat) purring in my lap. I’m relaxed, fueling my mind, body, and spirit for the day. It’s slow. I ease into my morning instead of being launched into it like a boulder in a catapult.

I love it. I’ve earned it.

I don’t regret one chaotic moment of those early years. At the time, though I was weary from the effort, I loved that life too—full of whirlwind activities and constant gear-shifting like Jeff Gordon at the Indy 500. Those were character-building, core-memory-making years. They were important. If that’s where you are in your current life, count your blessings and know your day is coming… the day when you wake up to birds singing instead of toddlers screaming, and your morning body assessment will revolve around arthritic joints, not the possibility of a hysterectomy because your female parts exploded on impact.

Lori owns the Book-el-ZOO in Princeton. It’s not just a pet shop — it’s an experience!

Want to advertise? Email: [email protected].