Your source for community news and sports 7 days a week.
THREE LOCALS TO PLAY IN SHRINE GAME LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT, A8-10
FOOTBALL, B1
dailyGAZETTE
Thursday, July 10, 2014
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
COLOMA TOWNSHIP | NEW LEADERSHIP
Blanton appointed supervisor Former mayor gets nod over RF Chamber director BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570
ROCK FALLS – Coloma Township has a new supervisor, and it’s likely he won’t need many introductions. Former Rock Falls Mayor David Blanton was appointed to serve out the term of Debra Burke, who retired May
14 after taking the blame for years of financial reporting problems within the township office. Burke’s term was set to expire in 2017. Blanton and Bethany Bland, Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce executive director, were the only candidates. Both were at the board meeting Wednesday, where they
answered questions from trustees, township staff and the public. When asked why they thought they were the best person for the job, Bland stressed communication and organization. “I would bring open communication to the office,” Bland said. “I have a history
of working with programs to organize finances, and I have a technology background that would help put a system in place and get the public more involved.” Blanton stressed his experience as a businessman and government official.
‘‘
Compared to what I saw when I first came into the mayor’s office, this is nothing. We’ll all sit down, learn the operations, and resolve our problems.
’’
SUPERVISOR CONTINUED ON A4
KIDS GET CRAFTY, THANKS TO READING PROGRAM IN DIXON
David Blanton Former Rock Falls mayor named new Coloma Township supervisor
DIXON | STREETSCAPE UPDATE
Part of First St. plenty strong Passing test puts it on course to reopen by this weekend BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Collin Scott, 8, of Dixon reaches for a sticker to decorate his craft box during the Dixon Public Library’s weekly craft day, part of its summer reading program.
ABOVE: Woody Wasson hands a treat to Willow, a therapy dog who met Ruby (left), 4, and Emmaline Burger, 6, and other children at craft day at the library. RIGHT: Lily Scott, 2, places stickers on her craft box at the library. The Scott children make it most every week to the Wednesday craft day, part of the library’s summer reading program.
COMING SATURDAY See pictures from the annual Petunia Festival parade in the SV Weekend edition.
DIXON – First Street, between Galena and Hennepin avenues, passed a big test Wednesday. The concrete passed its strength test, required by the Illinois Department of Transportation, as it can support at least 3,500 pounds per square inch. On Friday, Willett Hofmann & Associates, the engineering company handling the east side of the streetscape project, said the Jeff portion of First Kuhn Street could be r e o p e n e d t h i s Commissioner says end of week. week still a On Wednesday, good target Jeff Kuhn, the for part of First commissioner of Street streets and public to reopen. improvements, said the end of this week was still a good general target. When the concrete was poured, samples were taken for each day of the work and sent to a testing facilities. The samples collected were to be tested at 3, 7 and 14 days after the pour. It was the sample tested 7 days after the pouring that passed the test. As a result, the 14-day sample did not have to be tested. FIRST CONTINUED ON A4
$1.00
TODAY’S EDITION: 28 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 160 ISSUE 151
INDEX
BUSINESS ......... A14 COMICS ...............B7 CROSSWORD....B12
DEAR ABBY ......... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2 OBITUARIES ........ A4
OPINION .............. A6 PLAN!T ................. A8 SPORTS ...............B1
Today’s weather High 80. Low 57. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B8.
TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE PAPER, CALL 815-625-3600 OR 800-798-4085