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Friday, August 2, 2013
NIU • SPORTS, B1
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Leaders share vision for DeKalb Downtown, engaging college students top goals stated at State of City By CHRIS BURROWS
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cburrows@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Northern Illinois University President Douglas Baker and DeKalb Mayor John Rey announced plans Thursday to work together to make the downtown DeKalb area engaging and attractive to college students. Standing in front of a photo illustration that combined the NIU campus and downtown, they announced they intend plan to further DeKalb’s City Center plans and said they will travel to the University of Idaho in September, when the NIU football team plays there, to tour successful university housing projects that were completed under Baker. Baker, Rey and Acting City Manager Rudy Espiritu spoke to a crowd of about 150 at the annual State of the City address, which was held Thursday morning at the Hopkins
Go to Daily-Chronicle.com to watch videos from Thursday’s State of the City from DeKalb.
Park Community Center. The city’s accomplishments, financial status and plans for the future were discussed, but the downtown area was featured most prominently. “Mayor Rey and Rudy talked about the need for a close working partnership between the city and the university, and they really reaffirmed my commitment to do that as well,” Baker told the crowd. “It’s really music to my ears.” The City Council first weighed in on DeKalb’s City Center Plan, which is incorporated as part of its Comprehensive Plan, in June. The part of the plan that focuses on the area
west of First Street in downtown has been dubbed Communiversity Commons, but few details, except for a planned shuttle and expanded bike paths, have so far been released. Baker presented his vision. “One game-changing thing that the mayor mentioned – I’d like to reinforce – and that’s the creation of a kind of Communiversity Commons,” he said. “Most universities have a cool university district with shops and cafes and music performance spaces and galleries ... wouldn’t that be cool if that area was doing that?” A survey of NIU students has factored into the plans, Rey said. “The results of that survey was downtown DeKalb was the corner of Annie Glidden and Lincoln Highway,” Rey said. “We need to extend that perception.”
See VISION, page A3
Rob Winner – rwinner@shawmedia.com
DeKalb Mayor John Rey speaks during the State of the City meeting Thursday morning at the Hopkins Park Community Center in DeKalb.
COMMERCE OF EDUCATION Quinn signs medical pot bill By SOPHIA TAREEN The Associated Press
Rob Winner – rwinner@shawmedia.com
Racquel Rossbach lifts two boxes filled with school supplies to be placed into a larger box Tuesday that will be shipped to a New Jersey school at School Tool Box in Sycamore.
Dip expected in back-to-school spending By FELIX SARVER
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fsarver@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Every year a student in elementary or middle school may buy a box of crayons or copy paper – and never use it. A company like School Tool Box will sell truckloads of supplies such as copy paper that company representatives know wind up in a teacher’s storeroom, said Doug Stice, president of the Sycamore-based school supply business. “When a kindergartner is asked to bring in a ream of copy paper, we know that is not for his desk,” he said. As the state tightens education budgets and schools ask families to provide more supplies, companies
How much do you typically spend per child on back-to-school shopping? Vote online at Daily-Chronicle.com.
such as School Tool Box are working with schools to attempt to lower the number of supplies their customers buy. Families are expected to spend an average of $634 on supplies, apparel and electronics, compared with the almost $688 average spent last year, according to a 2013 National Retail Federation survey. The survey polled 5,635 consumers in early July to study back-to-school spending trends.
The survey found some parents may not purchase as much this year, and instead reuse supplies purchased last year and shop more carefully this year. Classroom supplies, clothes and other items typically bought during the back-to-school shopping season were in high demand last year, said Peter Gill, communications director for the Illinois Retail Merchants Association. The economy was sluggish before 2012, but improved last year, he said. “I think, given the opportunity to spend more, people would love to see their kids go to school in a new backpack or new sweater,” Gill said.
See EDUCATION, page A4
By the numbers $26.7 billion: Total spending on back-to-school shopping expected for this year. $72.5 billion: Combined spending on back-to-school and back-to-college spending expected for this year. $634: The average amount families are expected to spend on school supplies, apparel and electronics this year. $836: The average amount college students and parents are expected to spend for back-to-school shopping this year.
CHICAGO – Illinois became the 20th state in the nation to allow the medical use of marijuana Thursday, with Gov. Pat Quinn signing some of the nation’s toughest standards into law. The measure, which takes effect Jan. 1, sets up a four-year pilot program for state-regulated dispensaries and 22 so-called cultivation centers, where the plants will be grown. Quinn, a Chicago Democrat, focused his remarks on how medical marijuana will help seriously ill patients, including veterans, who have been a key focus during his time in office. He also played up Illinois’ standards. “It’s important we do whatever we can to help ease their pain,” Quinn said Thursday at a new medical facility at the University of Chicago. “The reason I’m signing the bill is because it is so tightly and properly drafted.” Under the measure, only patients with serious illnesses or diseases will be allowed to obtain medical marijuana. The bill lists more than 30, such as cancer, muscular dystrophy and lupus. The patients must have established relationships with a doctor and will be limited to 2.5 ounces every two weeks. Currently, 19 other states and Washington, D.C., allow medical marijuana. New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan signed a medical marijuana bill into law last week. Illinois’ rules are among some of the strictest in the nation, according to Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies at the Marijuana Policy Project. The Washington-D.C. based legalization advocacy group tracks state laws and helps some craft bills.
Source: National Retail Federation
See POT, page A3
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