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Serving DeKalb County since 1879
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Doors close for good on Brown’s County Market in Sycamore. LOCAL NEWS • A3
Tie vote scuttles Irongate project By DAVID THOMAS dthomas@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Nearly five years after work initially began on it, the 1,273-unit housing development known as Irongate is now considered dead. Despite a full-court press from the city staff in support of it, the DeKalb City Council split its vote on the annexation agreement in first
homes, 123 town houses and 350 senior-oriented units, to an area near DeKalb High School was not right. Baker, in particular, criticized the amount of staff time that has gone into this project, and mentioned that he would like to see ShoDeen Construction, the developer, pay the city for the staff’s time.
DeKalb City Council split on annexation agreement reading with the understanding that the city staff would look to the council on how to proceed after Monday’s vote. Mayor John Rey confirmed that the staff will not work on any aspect of the project now. Annexation agreements require six council members
voting yes, so Monday’s vote of 4-4 was two short of what was needed. Rey and Aldermen Bill Finucane, Bob Snow and Ron Naylor voted in favor of the agreement. Aldermen David Jacobson, Kristen Lash, Dave Baker and Monica O’Leary voted no. Both Snow and Naylor de-
cried the council’s vote, with Snow calling it a shame and Naylor stating it gives the wrong message to developers. Rey also said he was disappointed. “I would think the project with [five] years of effort, having gone into the project thus far, indications we
had from other parties in the community were that they were in agreement,” Rey said. “I am puzzled in what the council wants in that area.” Critics such as Lash and Baker felt that the timing of a project like Irongate, which would have added 1,273
See CITY COUNCIL, page A2
Prosecutors seek to block one possible defense plan
Sowingcommunity
Schmidt may have suffered seizure before fatal crash By JILLIAN DUCHNOWSKI jduchnowski@shawmedia.com
Photos by Monica Maschak - mmaschak@shawmedia.com
Volunteers Scott Setchell and Carey Boehmer pull weeds in the rows of beans Friday at one of the DeKalb County Community Gardens on Bethany Road in DeKalb. The organization more than doubled the number of gardens in its second year from 16 to more than 40.
DeKalb garden organization grows from 16 to more than 40 sites By FELIX SARVER fsarver@shawmedia.com DeKALB – At the Golden Years Plaza in DeKalb, residents tend a garden that can supply about 50 to 60 residents with freshly-grown produce. Brian Allan, property manager for the low-income housing building, said the building was approached by a nonprofit group – the DeKalb County Community Gardens – to develop garden beds this year. Since then, the building has added six garden plots to benefit the residents, he said. “The biggest thing is that it gives fresh produce a lot of times when people can’t afford it,” Allan said. DeKalb County Community Gardens is an organization dedicated to providing a reliable source of food and education for people interested in growing their own food. With the help of grants from DeKalb County Community Foundation, the Roberts Family Foundation, Live Healthy DeKalb, area banks and others, the organization has been in operation for more than a year. After starting with 16 garden
Executive Director of DeKalb County Community Gardens Dan Kenney checks on the sunflowers at one of the community gardens. locations throughout the county, it now has more than 40. At each of those gardens are multiple 5-foot by 10-foot plots. The organization, for instance, has established 50 garden plots with the Genoa Park District. The group’s mission extends beyond gardening, said Dan Kenney, who leads the organization. “It has to do with access to fresh produce and access to land,” he said.
While the gardens are blossoming across the county, the organization finds itself needing to set up signs to distinguish its locations. Sheryl Nakonechny, who is part of the organization, said the group is currently seeking permits from the city of DeKalb to put up signs for a fundraising event Sept. 21. Because some of the gardens are on government property and the signs will last more than several weeks, the organization would have to pay $60 for each sign permit. Nakonechny said the nonprofit is considering an option to set up the signs for the fundraiser in September and paying $10 for each permit instead. At this point, the organization is considering only putting up eight signs because installing them at all gardens would be too big of a project this year, she said. The idea for the signs emerged from within the group’s “Art in the Garden” subgroup. The organization originally planned for children to decorate the signs.
SYCAMORE – Evidence suggests a 49-year-old Sycamore woman suffered a seizure or blackout in the crash that killed two 21-year-olds, but she might not be able to use that as a criminal defense. Patricia Schmidt, of the 28500 block of Brickville Road, is scheduled to stand trial Sept. 30 on charges of aggravated driving under the influence, reckless homicide and reckless driving. She was charged in Patricia connection with the Feb. Schmidt 21, 2011, crash that killed Timothy T. Getzelman of Sycamore and Alexis Y. Weber of Maple Park, who had been a couple for four years. Getzelman and Weber were traveling east on Peace Road in Sycamore about 5:30 p.m. when Schmidt, traveling south on North Main Street, struck Getzelman’s vehicle on the driver’s side. Witnesses said Getzelman had the right of way. Authorities found multiple prescription drugs in Schmidt’s blood, including the anti-anxiety drug lorazepam, phenobarbital, mephobarbital and three others. Prosecutors previously said they plan to argue at trial that Schmidt’s medications were never at an appropriate level for driving. After she had a seizure in 2007, a doctor told her not to drive until her medications were under control, Schmidt’s attorney has said. If convicted of the most serious charge of aggravated driving under the influence, Schmidt could be sentenced to between six and 28 years in prison. On Monday, prosecutors filed a written request asking Presiding Judge Robbin Stuckert to prevent Schmidt’s attorneys from using the blackout or seizure as a defense. Prosecutors argue that neither are legal defenses for the charges Schmidt faces, and other courts have ruled that people are guilty of reckless homicide even if they have a sleeping disorder or fainting incident. Defense attorney Gregg Smith and prosecutors are expected to present their arguments on that request at Schmidt’s next court date, which is Aug. 20.
See GARDEN, page A5 See SCHMIDT, page A5
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