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July 16 , 2015 • $1 .0 0
DAILY CHRONICLE
CHARLIE BROWN & FRIENDS ‘Snoopy! The Musical’ to benefit Sandwich Opera House / C1
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DeKalb officials moving on up
Talent on display
Police, fire, public works departments employees promoted By BRITTANY KEEPERMAN bkeeperman@shawmedia.com
Photos by Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
Justene Jennings, 17, of DeKalb, listens to 4-H judge Julie Sorensen talk about her stained glass project during the 4-H general projects judging Wednesday at the DeKalb County Farm Bureau in Sycamore. Jennings made the stained glass window for her church, the First Congregational Church in DeKalb and won a blue ribbon during the fiber/glass/plastic and heritage arts judging.
Students look back on 4-H experiences at projects judging On the Web
By KATIE SMITH ksmith@shawmedia.com DeKALB – An open window at First Congregational Church in DeKalb inspired the most beautiful piece of art Julie Sorensen said she has seen in her 20 years judging the 4-H general projects show. The piece was a stained-glass window made by Justene Jennings, 17, of DeKalb. Jennings brought it to the projects judging room at the DeKalb County Farm Bureau Center for Agriculture on Wednesday. “There’s a window in the church that has a lot of light coming through it, and they wanted to do something with that area,” Jennings said. “So I asked them if they would like a stained-glass window.” Judging of DeKalb County’s 4-H general projects began Wednesday, and each participant received either a white, red or blue ribbon – blue indicating that all expectations were met or exceeded, Nicole Groezinger, 4H program coordinator for DeKalb County said. About 150 4-Hers from around DeKalb County were expected to register Wednesday and today for the general projects show. The mere size of the window was an indication of how much
To view a video of the 4-H general projects show, visit this story online at Daily-Chronicle.com.
Voice your opinion Have you ever participated in a 4-H program? Vote now at Daily-Chronicle.com. ready,” Groezinger said. “So this is their end event and they get to be judged by community members who are experts in the field.” The final project Jennings presented Wednesday was the result Jennings’, and her artwork, have here as far as the unity of what she of eight years of patience and hard grown since the first, significant- knows techniquewise – the choices work devoted to mastering a “dyly smaller piece she made through that she made, the materials, her ing art,” Sorensen said. 4-H eight years ago, Jennings said. use of elements and principles of “I think that it requires paJennings’ window received a design,” Sorensen said. “It’s not tience, and it requires maturity blue ribbon, and brought her a step just an angel in a circle. It is way and I’m not sure that that’s the kind closer to presenting her artwork at more than that.” of style for most kids these days,” the Illinois State Fair, which runs Judging will continue from 8:30 Sorensen said. “They’re wanting to Aug. 13 to 23 in Springfield. to 11 a.m. Thursday at the DeKalb get things done quicker.” “I just got through explaining to County Farm Bureau building. The mere size of the window her that it’s probably one of the best “They’ve been working on these things I’ve ever seen come through projects all year long getting things See 4-H, page A4
Cora Vandermeer, 18, of Sandwich, makes some last minute touch-ups to her fiber string art project before seeing a judge at the 4-H general projects judging Wednesday at the DeKalb County Farm Bureau in Sycamore. Vandermeer has been in 4-H for 10 years and showed two projects Wednesday and will show one today.
DeKALB – Six people were promoted this week within the city’s police, fire and public works departments. The promotions were highlighted as recommendations based on the city’s pay, compensation and classification study, City Manager Anne Marie Gaura said. “The promotions will allow the organizations to do the following,” she said, “to recognize and reward outstanding performance, create Jeff streamlined efficiencies and re- McMaster sponsibilities within these three departments, address compression issues ... and most importantly, appropriately address future succession planning.” “Compression issues” refers to employees approaching the pay of those who supervise them through Robert Redel working overtime and other compensation. Jake Keck, Jeff McMaster, James McDougall, Tracy Smith, Robert Redel and John Petragallo were honored at the City Council meeting Monday for their work within their respective departJohn ments. Petragallo Keck, in the Public Works Department, was promoted from operations and maintenance manager to support services superintendent. Keck has lived in DeKalb his entire life and has been in the public works department since 1993. John Laskowski, interim public works director, called Keck “in- Tracey Smith valuable” and said he had the ability to step into multiple roles. “His exceptional knowledge about construction, water mains and underground construction acts as a fantastic liaison between staff and contractors,” Laskowski said. “He’s been operating out of James the water division, but whenever McDougall the street superintendent or water superintendent are on vacation or absent, Jake is versatile enough to step into those
See PROMOTION, page A4
Temporary budget, likely doomed, goes to Rauner’s desk By JOHN O’CONNOR and SOPHIA TAREEN The Associated Press SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers sent a stop-gap budget plan Wednesday to Gov. Bruce Rauner, who will likely dismiss the one piece to emerge from a flurry of Capitol activity, which did little to move the state toward a yearlong spending agreement. Despite the first-year Republican governor’s well-
known opposition, the Senate put up a partisan vote on a $2.3 billion, one-month budget to keep state government functioning; approved 39-0 with 15 voting “present.” Democrats, who have used provisional fiscal plans several times in the past decade, want to keep essential and emergency services available during the budget standoff. Rauner wants a permanent fix. But the day’s bursts of activity provided more heat than
light. Majority Democrats in the House readied but delayed a final vote on funding $18 million in additional July expenses after hearing someJohn timesheart-rendCullterton ing testimony from clients of state services on the struggles apparent two weeks into
the state’s new fiscal year. Meanwhile, the Senate voted to override Rauner’s vetoes of several budget bills, though House reluctance spells certain failure, and a plan billed as a property-tax freeze compromise with Rauner by Democratic Senate President John Cullerton fell short. The governor’s office did not respond to requests for comment and he did not make a public appearance. This spring, legislative
Democrats were behind a $36 billion budget that they acknowledged had a deficit of up to $4 billion. They want a tax increase to cover “vital” services, while Rauner has first demanded action on pro-business and political reforms such as restrictions on compensation for injured workers and officeholder term limits. The Senate’s interim financial plan was the lone substantive proposal that made progress, but not before hoots of
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Republican derision. “This puts us on a path to cementing in an out-of-balance, unconstitutional budget,” Senate Republican budget leader Matt Murphy of Palatine said during floor debate. “Let’s stop doing this a month at a time and get down to the business of compromising on the fundamental reforms necessary to make Illinois great again.” After the new fiscal year
See BUDGET, page A1
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