TEL-11-07-2013

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LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT, A7-8

SPECIAL NIGHT FOR OREGON’S MILLER PREP FOOTBALL, B1

TELEGRAPH

Thursday, November 7, 2013

SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851

DIXON | THE CRUNDWELL AFTERMATH

Ballot question; money saver Council supports choice, not Settlement money to help repay change in form of government bonds early, save $3.8 million city’s form of government. While the commissioners fully support citizens’ right to vote on the issue, they don’t necessarily support the potential change. A mayor-appointed task force had recommended the ballot question. Commissioners Dennis Considine and Colleen Brechon said they opposed the change to establish a city manager.

BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 529

DIXON – The Dixon City Council might not support a switch to the city manager form of government, but it wants to give citizens that option. At a special meeting Wednesday, the council unanimously approved an ordinance to place a referendum on the November 2014 general election ballot so that voters can choose the

BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 529

DIXON – The city will save nearly $4 million under an agreement with Midland States Bank, which has agreed to allow an early payoff of three bonds. The bonds were issued in 2008, 2010 and 2011 and, under the bond arrangements, couldn’t be paid off any sooner than 2018, 2020 and 2021, respectively, Finance Director Paula Meyer said Wednesday.

BALLOT CONTINUED ON A2

But after Meyer and Commissioner Dave Blackburn met a few weeks ago with Jeffrey Lovett, the bank’s regional market president, the bank agreed to let the city pay off the bonds now, saving about $3.87 million in interest. The bank had no obligation to allow the early payment, Meyer said, but the city approached the bank because officials believed taxpayers deserved to have the city try. SAVER CONTINUED ON A5

ENTERPRISE SERIES ILLINOIS TOWNSHIPS

TOWERING PRESENCE IN DIXON

‘I’m not good at math’ Supervisor breaks down, takes blame BY DAVID GIULIANI dgiuliani@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 525

Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

With the newly painted south side water tower visible in the background, ComEd employees continue to work on towers and insulators in Dixon on Wednesday afternoon. The rains subsided Wednesday, but today’s forecasted high is only 47, with winds expected to reach up to 20 mph.

ILLINOIS | GAY MARRIAGE

Few civil unions so far in Sauk Valley Local lawmakers split on same-sex marriage BY DAVID GIULIANI dgiuliani@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 525

Two years ago, the Illinois Legislature approved civil unions, which granted the rights of marriage – but not the right to marry – to straight and gay couples. Since that time, Whiteside and Lee counties have each recorded 10 civil unions. On Tuesday, the Illinois House passed a Senate bill to allow same-sex marriage, which Gov. Pat Quinn is expected to sign. The bill would take effect in June. Barb Schwamberger, founder of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays Sauk Valley, was surprised with the number of civil unions in the Sauk Valley, saying she thought it would be higher. She said some gay couples in the area

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TODAY’S EDITION: 28 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 163 ISSUE 134

AP

Gov. Pat Quinn speaks to reporters Wednesday in Springfield. With the Legislature’s blessing, proponents of gay marriage in Illinois now turn to implementation. Quinn must sign the bill, but has until it takes effect July 1. have gone to other states to get married. Most people around here accept those relationships, she said, but some fear the

INDEX

BUSINESS ......... A10 COMICS ...............B4 CROSSWORD....B13

consequences if they go public. “People are afraid. People can be hateful,” Schwamberger said. “Sometimes we’re not totally aware of that because it’s underground.” She knows a prominent couple in the community who are reluctant to reveal their relationship publicly. In the Legislature, local lawmakers voted along party lines. The two Democrats representing Whiteside County, Sen. Mike Jacobs of East Moline and Rep. Mike Smiddy of Hillsdale, supported the bill, while the two Dixon Republicans, Sen. Tim Bivins and Rep. Tom Demmer, voted against it. Demmer said his office received thousands of messages – in the form of emails, letters and phone calls – about the issue, most opposing gay marriage. The majority of messages came from inside his district, he said.

DEAR ABBY ......... A9 LOTTERY ............. A2 PLAN!T ................. A7

FEW CONTINUED ON A2

OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 SPORTS ...............B1

ROCK FALLS – The embattled head of Coloma Township broke down in tears during an interview Wednesday and took the blame for the township’s financial reporting problems. “It’s all on me,” Supervisor Debra Burke said in an interview at her township office. This admission followed two Sauk Valley Media stories that reported the township’s failure to file reports with the state and in the newspaper. When the township finally got around to publishing reports, they included many wrong figures. On Tuesday, Burke, who has been supervisor since 1981, sent an email to township trustees blaming cemetery manager Mary Bowman for sending information to the newspaper about problems in the financial reports. BLAME CONTINUED ON A5

Under the Radar: Many townships, little scrutiny

About this series Today’s story is part of a yearlong occasional series about townships in Illinois.

Today’s weather High 51. Low 26. More on A3.

Look ahead

Festival of Trees preview, A12-14.

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