🥊The Moose, Conference Champs, and Lock-Ins

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Happy Saturday morning, Princeton. This will be a very short newsletter, as I’m currently running a church lock-in. We’ve played basketball, dodgeball, video games, volleyball, and a lot more. We’ve eaten pizza, chips, cookies, and have consumed gallons of soda. Lock-ins are a young man’s game, and I am getting less…young.

Let’s get it to it.

—Justin Bullington

💡WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

• The Princeton Moose Lodge will host a Valentine’s Dance from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14.

• BCR: Princeton claims first conference wrestling championship since 2011

• Bureau County Sheriff Report 1/30/2025

• FBI Warns of Online Romance Scams Ahead of Valentines Day

• Princeton won 69-60 on the road at Kewanee

• Princeton Police Chief Tom Kammerer announced to the City Council that a new warming center has opened at the Arukah Living Room on Route 26, operating nightly from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Volunteers are needed to staff shifts (8 p.m. to 2 a.m. and 2 to 7 a.m.); those interested can contact Tammy at 815-866-9557.

• The Princeton Public Schools Foundation will hold its annual Trivia Night fundraiser on February 22 at The Cliff Event Center in Princeton. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with trivia starting at 7:00 p.m. Teams can have up to 8 participants, and the cost is $160 per team. This 21+ event features free snacks, prizes, and raffles. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase at The Cliff. To participate, register by February 14 at www.ppsf.gives. Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged.

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🥊LETTER FROM LORI

How many people do you know who are intentionally negative? Too many! In recent years, we’ve seen a trend of people hiding behind their keyboards—like a nerdy kid in a snowball fight—slinging criticisms from the safety of their homes with locked doors. No one steps up to an adversary anymore, looks them in the eye, and spits in their face when they disagree.

On local Facebook pages, you see “anonymous” instead of a name when someone leaves a nasty comment about a person, a situation, or an establishment. Is there any pride in mowing someone down if you don’t reveal who’s driving the lawnmower?

I don’t think Muhammad Ali ever wore a mask in the ring. He was proud of pummeling his opponent to a bloody pulp. He danced around the ring, arms waving, greeting the cheers with a smile and a sense of accomplishment.

In 2024, I faced what I call “concerned citizens” and “uninformed critics.” They filed reports to officials who protected their identities. They unjustly accused me of things that were false or had reasonable explanations. They backed me into a corner, forcing me to defend myself.

After round three (or was it four? Five? Maybe I made it to the ninth round), I was bloody, weak, and tired, hanging onto the ropes. I was sweaty—not my best look. My hair was disheveled, but that was nothing new. I was on the brink of defeat. No one would have been surprised if I signaled my manager to throw in the towel.

But then, something happened.

I looked into the crowd—and there stood my inspiration.

There was the kid who finally got to see the animal he had dreamed of but never encountered. The awkward teen who found their passion at the store and began to blossom. The lonely woman who wandered in, spoke with me for an hour, and kept returning weekly for conversation.

There was the family yearning for a companion but working within a tight budget—so we found something perfect for them to love. The former prisoner who needed encouragement and discovered a cheering section at my desk—only to return a year later to share his successes. And my eyes met those of the college student who prioritized visiting me, an old lady, while home on break.

I wiped the sweat from my eyes (though I probably still stunk), stood up straight, spit on my gloves (isn’t that what they do in the movies?), and started swinging.

Step by step, inch by inch, I began to claim victory—not by hiding, but by looking my opponent in the eyes and whispering, “You will not win.”

Who am I kidding? I’m a loudmouth. I shouted it!

So in 2025, I am claiming my victory, and I’m doing it in full view. No hiding. No cowering.

So to all the Joe Fraziers out there—BRING IT!

I know who’s on my side!

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

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