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FULTON FRESHMAN TAKES A SHOT AT STATE TRACK AND FIELD, B1
Bone up (and out) on chicken recipes FOOD, A9-11
dailyGAZETTE Wednesday, May 18, 2016
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
ROCK FALLS | CITY COUNCIL
Trails get support, but not enough Council votes in favor of bond process, but still falls short of majority needed to move it forward BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
ROCK FALLS – Riverfront development plans hit a speed bump Tuesday when the City Council turned down a request to begin the bond process for a key project. A representative from Robert W. Baird & Co. was brought in for a special
finance committee session before the council meeting. The committee gave its recommendation for the underwriters to work on a $2 million bond proposal to pay for the first phase of the RB&W District recreational trail project. The council’s approval also would have been needed later to accept the quotes for the bond. An unexpectedly short-handed council fell one vote short of approving the
bond request. Aldermen George Logan and Brian Snow were absent, and Daehle Reitzel recused himself because of his downtown business interests. The vote was 3-2 in favor of the committee’s recommendation, but a fourth yes vote was needed for a majority on the normally eight-member council. The bond payments would have come from revenue generated by the riverfront tax increment financing district,
and hotel-motel tax money from the new Holiday Inn Express & Suites. Payments on this bond would have been for interest only in the first year. Aldermen Rod Kleckler and Troy Ebenezer cast the votes against pursuing the bond services at this time. Kleckler said it seemed like the wrong time to start the trail project. TRAILS CONTINUED ON A4
LEE COUNTY
ROCK FALLS
The carnival’s back in town
Project catches a second wind Board approves giving company a 3-year extension BY RACHEL RODGERS rrodgers@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5529 @rj_rodgers
Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
Chantel Underhile, 14 (left) and Mackenzie Lindsey, both of Rock Falls, take a walk in Rock Falls on Tuesday as the St. Andrew Spring Carnival is set up in the background. The carnival runs today through Sunday along the Rock Falls riverfront, near Avenue A and East Second Street, and will feature rides, games, food, entertainment – and good weather. Carnival-goers should be treated to a mild and pleasant forecast, with mostly sunny days and temperatures ranging from the mid 60s today to the mid 70s by Sunday. For those who just can’t get enough of the rides, $20 armbands are available and good for unlimited rides from 5 to 9 p.m. today through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
EDUCATION
‘It made all the difference in the world’ Sauk alumni share some of their top muse stories with fellow graduates BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 @CHeimerman_SVM
DIXON – Inspiration has many faces. For Deisy Diaz, the inspiration to excel in school came from her parents, Claudia and Antonio, who overcame poverty and never let their children feel need. For Michael Barth, it was not only his bloodline, but also his college family – the faculty and administrators at Sauk Valley Community College, many of whom he became close friends with over the past 3 years. SAUK CONTINUED ON A5
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TODAY’S EDITION: 24 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 162 ISSUE 114
INDEX
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Michael Barth receives congratulations Friday from Sauk Valley Community College President David Hellmich during the commencement ceremony.
ABBY ................... A8 BUSINESS ........... A7 COMICS ...............B6
CROSSWORD....B12 FOOD ..............A9-11 LIFESTYLE ........... A8
LOTTERY ............. A2 OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6
DIXON – After several months on the back burner, the Lee County Board Monday approved an extension for the Green River wind energy project, which involves building dozens of turbines across about 13,500 acres in Lee and Whiteside counties. Mainstream Renewable Energy began developing the wind farm in 2009. Geronimo Energy, which acquired the project in December 2013, was given a 3-year extension for the special-use permits required to build the turbines, which were set to expire this month. The vote was 14-9. With the county projecting a possible deficit next year, board member Arlan McClain said they need to be mindful of generating more revenue sources, and the wind farm could help provide additional income for the county. “We don’t have an expense problem, we have a revenue problem,” McClain said. Geronimo attorney Doug Lee said the development would bring an equalized assessed valuation north of $20 million. “If the Green River project is built, it would be by far the largest taxpayer in the county,” Lee said. Before the vote, board member Marilyn Shippert said members should honor the recommendation the county zoning board gave them 3 years ago to reject the wind farm construction.
Today’s weather High 66. Low 43. More on A3.
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WIND CONTINUED ON A5
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