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Waiting in the HOCKEY? IN JULY? RECREATION, A2 wings for Emma YOUTH TENNIS, B1
dailyGAZETTE Tuesday, July 28, 2015
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
ROCK FALLS | HENNEPIN CANAL
Still no lease for annexation IDNR: Staffing issues slowing long-awaited process BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
ROCK FALLS – The city’s efforts to annex 2.2 miles of the Hennepin Canal have been slowed by the very problem that was cited as a compelling reason for drawing up the agreement. More than a decade of staffing cuts at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources have made it increasingly difficult for the agen-
cy to keep up with the large areas that each office has to maintain. The agency’s funding and staffing have been cut by more than half since 2002, making local government annexations mutually beneficial. The city would like to be involved in maintaining the area because of the canal’s importance to recreation and tourism. “Annexation would allow us to work together to achieve our goal, which is for the state and city to get
a much better product out there,” said Dave Hahne, superintendent of Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park. Momentum for annexation picked up last year, and the Hennepin Canal-Trails Committee was formed. One of the new committee’s primary tasks was to expedite a lease agreement with IDNR that details how maintenance work is divided. ANNEXATION CONTINUED ON A3
Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com
Shown is the start of the Hennepin feeder canal in Rock Falls near the Rock River. Staffing cuts at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources are delaying the lease for the canal’s annexation.
ROCK FALLS
Going up? You bet. Riverfront hotel coming together, despite handful of obstacles
SAUK VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Enrollment takes a dip; 2016 budget follows suit Final number about $300K less than the one approved in June BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525 @JPigee84
Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com
Workers position walls on the second floor of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites along the Rock Falls riverfront Monday afternoon. Last May, the city announced plans for the 68-room hotel to anchor redevelopment efforts in the RB&W District. The project marched forward despite myriad obstacles: Construction was delayed by lack of available space between the East Second Street site and the Rock River. This spring, the construction team had to wait for a main structure beam. In addition to the hotel delays, a $400,000 state grant the city plans to use for the green space project has been frozen by Gov. Bruce Rauner, further complicating development plans in the area. For more on the fallout from the deadlock in Springfield, see A5.
RECREATION
River advocates to launch sports expo Vendors, organizations invited to free event at Moonlight Bay BY KATHLEEN A. SCHULTZ kschultz@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5535 @KathleenSchul10
STERLING – It’s no secret that Dave Druen loves the great outdoors. The Sterling businessman, owner of Dave’s Outdoor World, has spent years reveling in the beauty of the Rock River and the Hennepin Canal, promoting their economic benefits and advocating for their care and upkeep. Now he and fellow Rock River Trail Initiative council member Matthew Hilligoss are taking their passion for the local waterways to another level, by creating a free outdoor-
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themed event they hope will attract people from all over, and draw attention to the Sauk Valley’s natural wonders. Vendors regionwide are invited to participate in the inaugural Outdoor Sports Expo, to be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dave Druen Aug. 22 at Moonlight Bay Marina. Admission will be free for vendors and the public, Druen said in an email.
INDEX
To sign up For more information or to sign up for the inaugural Outdoor Sports Expo, to be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 22 at Moonlight Bay Marina, 1552 Mound Hill Road, contact Dave Druen at 815-716-3366 or davesoutdoorworld@gmail. com, or find Dave’s Outdoor World on Facebook. Admission is free to vendors and the public.
EXPO CONTINUED ON A4
ABBY ................... A7 BUSINESS ......... A12 COMICS ............... A9
CROSSWORD....B11 LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2
NATION/WORLD .. A8 OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6
DIXON – Anticipating a dip in enrollment, the Sauk Valley Community College Board of Trustees on Monday night approved a budget a bit lower than previously expected. The $14.9 million 2016 budget has $307,250 less than the tentative budget the board approved in June. School officials expect a 7 percent enrollment decline for the upcoming school year. At this time last year, students signed up for a little more than 20,000 credit hours, compared to a 18,000 credit hours projection for the 2015-16 year. “Students still have a couple weeks to register for classes, so this number can go up or down,” said Melissa Dye, dean of business services at Sauk. “This is just a guess as to where we are at right now.” School officials base their revenue dollars off the credit hours students sign up for, instead of a head count. “You can have one person taking 9 hours, or another person taking 12 hours,” Dye said. Instead of making painful cuts or raising tuition to offset the shortfall, Dye said Sauk will spend some of the $6.1 million the college has in cash reserves. BUDGET CONTINUED ON A4
Next meeting The next Sauk Valley Community College Board of Trustees meeting will be at 6 p.m. August 24 in the third floor board room, 173 state Route 2, Dixon. Visit www.svcc.edu or call 815-8356303 for an agenda or more information.
Today’s weather High 88. Low 72. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B6.
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