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Sycamore’s Action 2020 plan goes to next phase Park district board approves committees By ADAM POULISSE apoulisse@shawmedia.com
Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
Dr. Mark Regnier, of Genesis Pediatric Medicine in Sycamore, draws a vaccine Thursday. Illinois allows residents to opt their children out of immunizations for religious and medical reasons.
Preventing measles Most DeKalb County schools hit target vaccination rate By KATIE DAHLSTROM
Vaccination rates in DeKalb County schools
kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com SYCAMORE – Sycamore pediatrician Mark Regnier knew that science supported his decision to give his son the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine. But that didn’t mean he was without worry. Regnier had two very different messages spinning in his mind when he took his son Luke for his first immunizations more than a decade ago. As a doctor, he understood the importance of vaccinating children. But as a father, he knew there were growing concerns about the side effects of the vaccine. “I knew I had to make an informed decision based on the facts,” Regnier said. “But the climate of uncertainty at the time made my subjective fears very real.” His son was vaccinated, a decision Regnier never seriously doubted, and he doesn’t think other parents should. With the recent outbreak of the measles, local health officials are encouraging residents to have children vaccinated, as a rising number of unvaccinated residents could threaten the population. Illinois allows residents to
School/district Genoa-Kingston 424 Indian Creek 425 Hiawatha 426 Sycamore 427 DeKalb 428 Hinckley-Rock Rock 429 Sandwich 430 Somonauk 432 St. Mary DeKalb St. Mary Sycamore Cornerstone Christian Academy International Montessori Academy Montessori Children’s House
Enrolled 1,837 769 610 3,774 6,257 696 2,256 840 194 236 329 64 22
Vaccinated 1,821 754 598 3,714 6,152 652 2,236 820 190 227 291 57 22
Percent 99 98 98 98 98.3 93.6 99 97.6 98 96 88 89 100
Source: Illinois State Board of Education
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between the 2003-04 school year and the 2013-14 school year, dropping from 99 percent to 98 percent, Are you concerned about vaccination according to data from the Illinois rates at your child’s school? Vote State Board of Education. online at Daily-Chronicle.com. In the county’s public schools, the public school district with the lowest rate of vaccinated students opt their children out of immu- was Hinckley-Big Rock School nizations for religious and med- District 429, with nearly 94 perical reasons. In DeKalb County, cent of its students vaccinated. the percentage of school children The highest were Genoa-Kingston who were vaccinated fell slightly School District 424 and Somonauk
School District 432, which both had 99 percent vaccination rates in the 2013-14 school year. In total, 188 students in DeKalb County had religious exemptions from the MMR vaccine in the 2013-14 school year, state records show. Among private schools, Cornerstone Christian Academy fell
See MEASLES, page A5
SYCAMORE – The Sycamore park board moved ahead with its Action 2020 plan to beautify portions of the district by officiated resident committees, and it is now turning to the community for volunteers. During a special meeting Thursday evening, the park district board finalized the committees for each of the planned projects – a dog park, a splashpad, a sled hill, a golf course irrigation, a community center and trails – as well as a timeline of when the projects will be completed. In addition, the district set application due dates of May 31 for trail and community center members and of Sept. 15 for a sled committee. “This way, we’re Applications for the golf course irrigation able to add focus. committee are not due Different people until September 2017. The dog park, to be have different overseen by district Commissioner Daryl passions, and this Graves, and the splash- lets people focus pad, to be overseen by board Treasurer Ann on that passion.” Tucker, have the earliest start dates. Applications for those committees are due by March 15, and will be available on the district’s official website and on the official Sycamore Ted Strack Park District Facebook page at a later date. Sycamore Park District “The work they need board president to do needs to be done sooner to help with design and development,” district Executive Director Dan Gibble said earlier this week. After the committee members are chosen, planning will officially begin on both the splashpad and dog park in May and continue through April 2016, according to a news release. The splashpad is expected to open in summer 2019, and the dog park will open in fall 2019, according to a news release. In November, the Sycamore voters passed a tax rate referendum to carry out the plan, which at the time was known as Vision 20/20. In addition, the board approved establishing fundraising, marketing and professional services to help generate revenue and wordof-mouth for the projects. Each is made up of Sycamore Park District board members. “This way, we’re able to add focus,” board President Ted Strack said. “Different people have different passions, and this lets people focus on that passion.”
Marathon talks produce Ukraine peace deal; cease-fire Sunday By YURAS KARMANAU and JIM HEINTZ The Associated Press MINSK, Belarus – The peace deal reached Thursday for Ukraine, if it holds, would be a partial win for both Moscow and Kiev: Ukraine retains the separatist eastern regions and regains control of its border with Russia, while Russia holds strong leverage to keep Ukraine from ever becoming part of NATO. But neither side came away
from the marathon talks unscathed. There’s no sign Russia soon will escape the Western sanctions that have driven its economy down sharply, and Kiev’s price for regaining control of the border with Russia is to grant significant new power to the east. But the complicated calculus of whether any side came out ahead truly can’t be determined unless a single, straightforward term is fulfilled: halting the shooting
and artillery salvos that have killed more than 5,300 people since April. That is supposed to happen Sunday, at one minute after midnight. A cease-fire called in September never fully took hold, and fighting escalated sharply in the past month. Questions remain about whether either side possesses the will or discipline to ensure a truce this time. The cease-fire is to be monitored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe’s observer mission in Ukraine. But that “will probably go nowhere if there isn’t a huge political will to beef up the OSCE, pull in many more monitors, give them clear support,” said analyst Judy Dempsey, an associate of the Carnegie Europe think-tank. The OSCE mission head, Ertugrul Apakan, said Thursday he expected it would expand by the end of the month
See UKRAINE, page A5
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Giving love
40 days of service Season’s end
Girl Scout troop hands out valentines to cancer center patients / A3
County churches prepare for Indian Creek loses the Lenten season, starting to Amboy in regional Ash Wednesday / B8 title game, 54-38 / B1
AP photo
Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks to the media after the peace talks Thursday in Minsk, Belarus.
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