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November 3 0, 2015 • $1 .0 0
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Local dancers prepare for ‘The Nutcracker’ By KATIE SMITH ksmith@shawmedia.com GENOA – Sugar plum fairies and dancing Jack-in-the-Boxes twirled their skirts and plied for hours Sunday, in preparation for the December performances of “The Nutcracker.” Between 400 and 600 dancers ranging in experience have been rehearsing for Beth Fowler School
of Dance’s “ The Nutcracker” performances, dance instructor Brooke Fowler said. “There’s age four all the way up to the professional level,” Fowler said. “Our sugar plum fairy, is 19.” The ballet tells the story of young girl, Clara, who is gifted a nutcracker toy soldier at her family’s Christmas Eve party. Through the Clara’s dream, the
audience will watch the nutcracker slay the Rat King and transform into a prince, who leads Clara through a series of holiday-themed adventures. This year’s Clara will we danced by Lindsey Haugen. A first-year instructor, Fowler is approaching the tradition from a new position this time around, she said.
“This is the first time I’m not performing ‘The ‘Nutcracker,’” she said. Having danced since she was three years old, Fowler has been a member of the Beth Fowler Dance Company since 2009, and even has starred as “The Nutcracker’s” Clara. This time, from a distance, she
See NUTCRACKER, page A6
IF YOU GO:
n WHAT: Beth Fowler School of Dance’s “The Nutcracker” n WHERE: The Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St., DeKalb n WHEN: Friday, Saturday and Sunday n CONTACT: 630-945-3344 n WEBSITE: Bethfowlerschoolofdance.com
Suspect’s words draw focus at shooting
MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT
By SADIE GURMAN The Associated Press
campaign’s name, organizers also point out that they serve children of all ages, including teens, who would like to receive a gift that isn’t necessarily a toy. Families looking to register have until Tuesday, and must show a photo ID, proof of all household income for the 30 days or a current month’s medical card, proof of address, and proof of all children younger than 18 years old.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Robert Lewis Dear told authorities “no more baby parts” after being arrested for the shooting of a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic, according to a law enforcement official, part of a rambling statement that investigators are parsing to understand the reasoning behind an assault that left three dead. Colorado Springs police on Sunday said they would not disclose any information on the motive for the attack, a move that guarantees further speculation over the intention of Dear, whom acquaintances described as an odd, reclusive loner, as he prepares for his initial appearance in state court Monday. Planned Parenthood cited witnesses as saying the gunman was motivated by his opposition to abortion. He killed a police officer and two civilians who were accompanying separate Robert Lewis friends to the clinic: Jenni- Dear fer Markovsky, 36, a mother of two and Ke’Arre Stewart, 29, an Iraq War veteran and father of two. The law enforcement official who recounted Dear’s statement spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not allowed to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation. The official said the “no more baby parts” comment was among a number of statements Dear made to authorities after his arrest, making it difficult to know his specific motivation. Still, U.S. Attorney John Walsh said investigators have been in touch with lawyers from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights and National Security divisions, suggesting officials could pursue federal charges in addition to state homicide ones. One possible avenue is the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which makes it a crime to injure or intimidate clinic patients and employees. The attack thrust the clinic to the center of the debate over Planned Parenthood, which was reignited in July when anti-abortion activists released undercover video they said showed the group’s personnel negotiating the sale of fetal organs. Planned Parenthood has denied seeking any payments beyond legally permitted reimbursement costs for donating the organs to researchers. Still, the National Abortion Federation said it has since seen a rise in threats at clinics nationwide. Vicki Cowart, the regional head of Planned Parenthood, said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that the organization has faced hateful speech. “I can’t believe that this isn’t contributing to some folks, mentally unwell or not, thinking that it’s OK to – to target Planned Parenthood or to target abortion providers,” she said. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper on CNN’s State of the Union called the attack “a form of terrorism” and said people need to be mindful of “inflammatory rhetoric.” Anti-abortion activists, part of the
See TOYS, page A6
See SHOOTING, page A6
Photos by Katie Smith – ksmith@shawmedia.com
Rachael Swinson, 9, places her Toys for Tots donations in a box Friday at The Salvation Army. Swinson asked her friends to bring donations, rather than presents, to her tenth birthday party. She donated about 20 gifts, total.
Leading by example Salvation Army seeking Toys for Tots donations; and DeKalb girl donates her birthday gifts How to donate
By KATIE SMITH ksmith@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Rachael Swinson didn’t get any presents at her 10th birthday party. Instead, Swinson asked that everyone invited to her party bring a Toys for Tots donation so come December, all her neighbors might wake up with something special beneath their Christmas trees. Swinson turns 10 on Dec. 12, but she has a birthday party in November to compensate for people’s busy holiday schedules. “In January, some of my favorite You Tubers were doing Toys for Tots shopping,” Swinson said. “I had seen the Toys for Tots boxes but I didn’t know what it was at the time. But then I found out it was for kids in need of toys so I was just like, ‘whoa, that’s really cool.’” In all, Swinson’s guests donated about 20 gifts to the local campaign, which collects new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year and distributes them as Christmas gifts to children from infancy to 18 in the community. The Salvation Army’s DeKalb Corps has teamed up with Toys for Tots, and in all they
n WHAT: Toys for Tots n WHERE: The Salvation Army, 830 Grove Street, DeKalb or any registered drop-off location. n WHEN: Now through Saturday, Dec. 12 n CONTACT: Kathi Hogshead Davis – 779-777-5896 or toysfortots60115@ comcast.net n WEBSITE: Sycamore-il.toysfortots.org n MOST NEEDED ITEM: New books for all ages smile on their face and that’s a pos-
Toys for Tots donations are stored at The Salvation Army, 830 Grove St., DeKalb, itive thing.” Friday. The foundation is expected to provide Christmas toys to about 1,000 Though “toys” is part of the DeKalb County families. expect to gather about 10,000 toys by Dec. 19, said Kathi Hogshead Davis, the DeKalb County coordinator for Toys for Tots. “Any child who’s on the free or reduced lunch program in the school system is eligible for a toy from Toys for Tots,” she said. “In the DeKalb school district, 60 percent of the kids are eligible for a free or reduced lunch.” Through donations, The Salvation Army likely will provide gifts
to more than 2,500 children from 1,000 families in the county. Getting a present on Christmas will hopefully help children from lower-income families feel as fortunate as their more affluent peers, Hogshead Davis said. “I think it’s just the norm in our society that kids get toys. And if the parents can’t supply them then the parents feel bad and the kids feel bad,” she said. “. . . If they can have a little Christmas it puts a
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