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Wednesday, December 18, 2013
HOSTING MADE EASY • FOOD, C1
DeKALB FOOTBALL • SPORTS, B1
A guide to holiday party food essentials
Recruiting interest continues to build for Dre Brown Bryant Irving assists a registered shopper Tuesday at the holiday distribution event at The Salvation Army in DeKalb.
SALVATION ARMY DISTRIBUTION
The joy of
GIVING
Greenbrier parking rules take effect Jan.1 Changes to make parking orderly, safe for residents By FELIX SARVER fsarver@shawmedia.com
Photos by Rob Winner – rwinner@shawmedia.com
Emma Carlson (from right), 12, Breanna Hamrick, 12, and Travis Haak, 13, all of Kirkland, help wrap Christmas gifts Tuesday during the holiday distribution event at The Salvation Army in DeKalb.
More than 2,500 children benefit from long-running event registered to receive donations. “We have enough toys,” Cho said. “Our community is so generous, we can provide two toys and a clothing item per child, stuffed animals and a game for each family.” Each registered family was assigned a time to arrive, with new groups arriving every 15 minutes. All they needed was the registration ticket and a photo ID. Cho said another distribution takes place in Sandwich to serve the southern portion of the county. Members of the DeKalb County Detachment of the Marine Corps League, the group that collects Toys for Tots, also
By DEBBIE BEHRENDS dbehrends@shawmedia.com DeKALB – The Salvation Army was a crowded – but jolly – place Tuesday during the first day of holiday clothing and toy distribution. Along with Marine Corps League members who collect toys, the minister and churchgoers from Mayfield United Congregational Church of Christ, Salvation Army Capts. Michael and Alisha Cho pitched in helping registrants “shop” for toys, clothing and books. “We have good volunteers, but we could always use more,” Michael Cho said. “We expect about 800 parents to come through today.”
Evelyn Saur (front) of DeKalb looks over gifts while being assisted by Dick Dowen during the holiday distribution event Tuesday at The Salvation Army in DeKalb. Distribution will continue today at The Salvation Army,
830 Grove St. in DeKalb. More than 2,500 children had been
DeKALB – For Daniel Gazinski, the new parking rules for Greenbrier Road in DeKalb next year could ease the traffic on the street. “It might help, because we have people who park by our house who block our driveway,” he said. Gazinski is a Northern Illinois University student who has lived at the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house on the street for the past two years. Although the building has its own parking lot, he said it’s difficult for the fraternity residents to drive in or out. Starting in January, drivers will not be allowed to park on the north side of Greenbrier. The south side of the street will allow parking, but it will be for residents only and require a permit. The DeKalb City Council approved the changes Oct. 14 in a 6-0 vote, according to online city records. DeKalb Police Chief Gene Lowery said the parking changes to the street have been discussed among city and police officials, DeKalb Area Rental Association representatives, Greek Row representatives and property owners. A similar parking restriction was applied to Edgebrook and Kimberly drives and police saw a dramatic decrease in the need for police service in those areas, he said. Police are hoping for the same effect on Greenbrier. Excess parking tends to come from people visiting the community who are not residents or students who do not live in the area, he said. “Greenbrier Road … has to date in 2013 been one of our highest demand service area,” he said. “Those services being public safety-related such as police and fire.”
Gene Lowery DeKalb police chief
How to get a parking permit n Visit the DeKalb Police Department at 700 W. Lincoln Highway n Provide proof of residency, vehicle’s make, model, color and registration plate number n Provide valid photo identification n A deposit of $10 will be required upon issuance n Permits will be valid Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2014. For information, call 815-7488400.
See GIVING, page A7 See GREENBRIER, page A7
Survey: Economists say U.S. income gap holds back economy By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER The Associated Press WASHINGTON – The growing gap between the richest Americans and everyone else isn’t bad just for individuals. It’s hurting the U.S. economy. So says a majority of more than three dozen economists surveyed last week by The Associated Press. Their concerns tap into a debate that’s intensified as middle-class pay has stagnated while wealthier households have thrived. A key source of the economists’ concern: Higher pay and outsize stock market gains are
flowing mainly to affluent Americans. Yet these households spend less of their money than do low- and middle-income consumers who make up most of the population but whose pay is barely rising. “What you want is a broader spending base,” said Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond James, a financial advisory firm. “You want more people spending money.” Spending by wealthier Americans, given the weight of their dollars, does help drive the economy. But analysts say the economy would be better able to sustain its growth if the riches were
more evenly dispersed. For one thing, a plunge in stock prices typically leads wealthier Americans to cut sharply back on their spending. “The broader the improvement, the more likely it will be sustained,” said Michael Niemira, chief economist at the International Council of Shopping Centers. A wide gap in pay limits the ability of poorer and middle-income Americans to improve their living standards, the economists say. About 80 percent of stock market wealth is held by the richest 10 percent of Americans. That means the stock mar-
ket’s outsize gains this year have mostly benefited the already affluent. Those trends have fueled an escalating political debate. In a speech this month, President Barack Obama called income inequality “the defining challenge of our time.” Obama also called for an increase in the federal minimum wage, now $7.25. Republican leaders in the House oppose an increase, arguing that it would slow hiring. Several states are acting on their own. California, Connecticut and Rhode Island raised their minimum wages this year. Last
month, voters in New Jersey approved an increase in the minimum to $8.25 an hour from $7.25. Income inequality has steadily worsened in recent decades, according to government data and academic studies. The most recent census figures show that the average income for the wealthiest 5 percent of U.S. households, adjusted for inflation, has surged 17 percent in the past 20 years. By contrast, average income for the middle 20 percent of households has risen less than 5 percent. The AP survey collected the views of private, corporate
See SURVEY, page A7
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President Barack Obama called income inequality “the defining challenge of our time.”
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