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Serving DeKalb County since 1879
Monday, March 3, 2014
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS
BOYS SWIMMING • SPORTS, B1
Bowl for Kids Sake benefit held Saturday Local, A3
DeKalb’s Hein makes history in 3rd-place finish
Staffing changes made at NIU By DEBBIE BEHRENDS dbehrends@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Northern Illinois University Vice President Bill Nicklas has few more areas of the university to manage since President Doug Baker announced some staffing changes on Friday. Nicklas becomes the vice
development. The new position will add duties that have been spread out under other vice presidential areas and will report directly to the president. Coryell is the deputy chief information officer at Emory University.
Vice president takes on added responsibilities president for operations and community relations. With that title change, he will have responsibility for facilities and human resources added to his existing portfolio of public safety and communi-
ty relations. He also serves as the liaison to the board of trustees. “In my long operational experience as city manager and in private business, I’m comfortable with and looking
forward to my new duties,” Nicklas said. “I have to say, I’m very pleased with the confidence the president has put in me.” Baker also announced the selection of Brett Coryell as
the university’s new chief information officer and vice president for information technology. This position formerly reported to the vice president for outreach, engagement and regional
See NIU, page A4
Sycamore to discuss proposed projects
Maple Syrup Fest demonstrates tradition
By DEBBIE BEHRENDS dbehrends@shawmedia.com
Photos by Erik Anderson for Shaw Media
University of Illinois Master Naturalist Program volunteer Michelle Kilcullen drills a 2- inch hole into a maple tree to show how to drain the sap water Saturday during a demonstration at the Maple Syrup Fest at the Natural Resource Center in Russell Woods Forest Preserve in Genoa.
Weather too cold for trees to release sap water By STEPHEN HABERKORN news@daily-chronicle.com GENOA – For the first time in the history of the annual Maple Syrup Fest at Russell Woods Forest Preserve, the weather kept the sap water from flowing through the trees. Host Peggy Doty, energy and environmental stewardship educator for the University of Illinois Extension at the Natural Resource Center, chose to focus on the unique opportunity this presented. “We don’t sell a product; we’re showing the process,” Doty said. “If we’re doing it right at the prime [time] at the end, they can’t do it for another year, so the chances of them actually trying it are better this year than they’ve ever been.” Finding trees to tap took a little more patience this year, as the desirable hunting grounds across the river became impassable because of extreme ice. After final-
Jacob Handel (from left), Jessica Howland, Alex Handel and Erik Handel take turns stirring water as it boils Saturday. ly locating a suitable maple tree, Michelle Kilcullen drilled a small hole in the side to demonstrate the
simple process. No sap water was released from the tree because it was too cold.
The volunteer from the Illinois Extension master naturalist program actually prefers store-bought, artificial syrup over the homegrown, freshly-tapped variety, though. “It’s definitely got a different taste,” said Kilcullen, of Kirkland. “It’s almost like a different product.” While the colder than usual weather may have kept some people from the event, it still drew over 120 visitors from as far away as Princeton and Elmhurst. For many, the motivation was education and getting out with family. Adam Taylor of Kirkland has several maple trees in his yard and wanted to find out how to tap them. He brought his 12-year-old daughter, Rachel, and her friend Laney Melendez with him. “It’s kind of cool to see all the work that goes into it – teach the
SYCAMORE – Capital improvements totaling about $5.2 million will be discussed at today’s Sycamore City Council meeting. About half of that, just under $2.7 million, will pay for the city’s street maintenance program, according to City Manager Brian Gregory. He said that money will come from the street maintenance and motor fuel tax funds. Another $1.5 million will be directed to the second phase of the sewage treatment plant expansion for a centrifuge and excess flow chlorination. Gregory said when the expansion is complete, it will be capable of treating about 4.9 million gallons a day. Currently, the plant treats about 3 million gallons daily. Funds for phase two of the expansion will come from the sewer impact fee fund. The city’s capital fund will pay for about $36,000 worth of sidewalk repairs, Gregory said. Nearly $430,000 will be spent from sales tax distributive funds to replace what Gregory calls rolling stock – police vehicles, fire and other city vehicles. “We have a systematic rotation to make sure our maintenance costs don’t exceed the value of the vehicle,” Gregory said. He said the city also is looking to replace its phone system and update the city’s website. “It’s difficult to say when the website will be redesigned,” Gregory said. “We’ll start looking at proposals after the start of the city’s fiscal year on May 1.” Gregory said he looks to make the new website more responsive and easier to navigate.
If you go • WHAT: Sycamore City Council • WHEN: 7 p.m. Monday • WHERE: Council Chambers, Sycamore City Center, 308 W. State St.
See SYRUP, page A8
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