THURSDAY
Jan uar y 22 , 2015 • $1 . 0 0
CLUTCH VICTORY NIU holds off Akron’s late rally / B1 HIGH
LOW
33 22 Complete forecast on page A8
daily-chronicle.com
SERVING DEKALB COUNTY SINCE 1879
Facebook.com/dailychronicle
@dailychronicle
Bridges get approval to be replaced County Board votes for new bridges at Coltonville, South Paw Paw roads By ADAM POULISSE apoulisse@shawmedia.com Aging bridges that have faced decades of strain by both cars and weather will soon get a complete makeover. The DeKalb County Board on Wednesday unanimously passed two resolutions to
replace the Coltonville Road bridge, as well as two bridges on South Paw Paw Road. The projects mostly will be funded by federal dollars, with construction beginning around the Fourth of July and ending by next winter, said Nathan Schwartz, a county engineer. Plans previously had been
State to revamp funding for schools
submitted to IDOT for review, and land acquisition near the Coltonville Road bridge has to be verified before the project can begin, Schwartz said. Replacing the Coltonville Road bridge, which is about a half-mile east of North First Street over the Kishwaukee River, is estimated to cost about $3.4 million. Eighty percent will be covered by federal bridge dollars, while local tax dollars will afford the rest. During his County Highway Annual Report at
already have been made, such as reinforced support beams. “It was in quite bad shape,” The appointment of the Jail Schwartz said. “We had to do Solution Committee was stricksome repairs just this past en from Wednesday’s agenda. year because it was in tough Appointments will take place at shape, and we wanted to the next meeting, Feb. 18, after the make sure it made it through board reviews a formal resolution the winter safely.” outlining the committee’s goals. The two bridges to be replaced on South Paw Paw Road, a mile and mile-andWednesday’s board meeting, a-half long, respectively, are Schwartz presented a slide- located west of Suydam Road show that contained photos of over the west branch of Paw the Coltonville Road bridge, Paw Run Creek. which included repairs that Eighty percent of the proj-
What’s next?
ect will be covered by federal funds, with the remaining 20 percent covered by a township bridge, county and township funds, Schwartz said. County Board member and County Highway Committee chairman John Gudmunson said it’s time the bridges are finally replaced. “The salt that’s put on the bridge during the winter erodes the edges,” he said. “Most of the bridges being replaced have to be at least 50 years old.”
LOCAL AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS REACH OUT TO WORLD
By KERRY LESTER The Associated Press SPRINGFIELD – The Democrat sponsoring a contentious plan to overhaul the state’s nearly 20-yearold school funding formula said he’s altering the bill to help remove partisan and regional opposition for ease of passage. State Sen. Andy Manar of Bunker Hill proposed a measure last year to make school funding more equitable by directing state money to poorer districts at the expense of wealthier ones. It passed the Senate but stalled in the House. So, this session, he’s making one major change that aims to even out inequities: a new provision accounting for regional cost differences, such as higher teacher salaries in districts where the cost of living is higher. High-poverty districts in the Chicago area still would get a boost in their funding allotment, but poor districts in central and southern Illinois would now see smaller gains under the changes. Specific funding details have not yet been calculated by the State Board of Education, which has done previous analyses. Manar, who shared a draft of the legislation with The Associated Press, said he plans to file the changes in the coming days. Last session’s failed legislation, which Republicans said unfairly created a system of “winners and losers,” was frequently used in campaign mailers against Democrats in suburban swing districts. “The changes are based on constructive criticism that’s coming mostly from suburban superintendents,” Manar said. School funding could emerge as a key focus in the months ahead as Gov. Bruce Rauner sets out to work with a Democratic-led Legislature. An anticipated multibillion-dollar budget hole gives the divided government more incentive to revamp school funding to protect already struggling school districts that can’t make up the difference with property taxes. Rauner, who invested millions of his own money in education reform before running for office, indicated during his gubernatorial campaign debate that he didn’t support Manar’s original bill but said the funding formula should be overhauled. Under the current formula, Illinois schools receive general state aid funds to offset the basic cost of educating students through a formula factoring in poverty levels. But districts also get grants for programs such as special
Photos by Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
HAM Mike Heiderscheidt, WD9GNX call sign, performs an on-air net test for other amateur HAM radio operators Monday from his Waterman basement. Heiderscheidt conducts the test at 9 p.m. every Monday night to call roll and play the weekly rain report on-air for other HAMs to check their signal strengths.
Over the airwaves Amateur radio facts
By ADAM POULISSE apoulisse@shawmedia.com Mike Heiderscheidt was sitting in the basement of his Waterman home Monday night, but the world was at his fingertips. Machines beeped and squawked to life all around the 74-year-old. With a hand-held microphone – similar to the ones used by truck drivers – Heiderscheidt did roll call for a list of amateur radio users and call letters from as far as Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Amateur radio users squawked back, checking their signal strength and reception, a weekly practice called “opening the net.” On Monday, 26 HAM radio operators responded loud and clear – most of the time – to Heiderscheidt’s roll call. “This is a good night,” Heiderscheidt said. “Usually only 15 to 20 people check in because they’re doing something else. But this is a good test. In an emergency, we know we’re able to communicate with each other.” A syndicated weather report ran for nine minutes before Heiderscheidt got back on air to announce his amateur radio station’s call letters – WD9GNX.
n 236 amateur radio licenses in DeKalb County. n Nine amateur radio sections in the U.S. We are in section 8. n Amateur radios work behind-thescenes at the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival to help the parade run smoothly. n Amateur radio considers large islands as their own country.
Hung on the wall of his Waterman HAM shack next to his many amateur radio accolades, Mike Heiderscheidt – WD9GNX call sign – displays the QSL card confirming he spoke in January 1979 with the Rev. Marshall Moran in Kathmandu, Nepal. With the call sign 9NIMM, Moran was the only licensed amateur radio operator in Nepal at the time Heiderscheidt contacted him. Amateur radio stations can only broadcast for 10 minutes before they have to ID themselves on air again, Heiderscheidt said. Welcome to Heiderscheidt’s HAM radio section of his basement – his “ham shack,” as he calls it. “It’s a hobby. It’s fun,” said Heiderscheidt, who received his
amateur radio license in 1977. HAM radio, or amateur radio, might seem primitive compared with today’s technology, such as podcasts and cellphones, but it’s a hobby still enjoyed by many, primarily older, residents, and local enthusiasts say their number has grown. There are 236 amateur radio
operators in DeKalb County, but some of their licenses recently expired, said Bob Yurs, president of Kishwaukee Amateur Radio Club, which has 40 members who are mostly older residents from DeKalb County. The youngest member is Yurs’ 18-year-old grandson. Club meetings are at 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at Community of Christ Church in DeKalb, 1200 S. Malta Drive. “For a while, membership didn’t grow a lot,” Yurs said. “Over the last few years, we’ve increased by several new people. “I got to admit, the HAM radio has been taken away from the
See HAM RADIO, page A6
See FUNDING, page A6
A&E
LOCAL
LOCAL
WHERE IT’S AT
Seen on TV
Pieced together
Deficits
‘Selma’ sparks interest in historic civil rights city / C1
Residents sign beam to be used in DeKalb Public Library expansion / A3
D-428 risks draining reserves with current spending levels / A3
A&E.......................................C1 Advice ................................ C3 Classified....................... C5-6 Comics ............................... C4 Local News.................... A3-4 Lottery................................ A2
Nation&World.............. A2, 5 Opinion...............................A7 Puzzles ............................... C3 Sports..............................B1-4 State ...................................A4 Weather .............................A8