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Local farmers eligible for low-interest loans AGRICULTURE, A3
MORRISON COMPETING WITH NUMBERS SLIDE PREP FOOTBALL PREVIEW, B1
dailyGAZETTE Thursday, August 13, 2015
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
STERLING
The park district that Duis built First parks director, youth sports innovator, dies at 87 BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
STERLING – Frank “Moe” Duis, 87, the city’s first parks director, died Wednesday at CGH Medical Center. When Duis took the helm at Ster-
ling Park District, there were no facilities, only land. Now the park district’s most recognizable building bears his name – a tribute to the growth of the system during his nearly 40 years there, 23 as its leader. Duis actually holds the distinction of being both the first part-
and full-time director. A teacher and track coach at Challand Middle School, he also ran recreational programs for the park district during the summers. In 1965, the park district board made him the fulltime director, the first of only three in the organization’s history. “He had an unbelievable work
ethic, and he was still teaching when he was a part-time director,” said Pete Dillon, a longtime friend and colleague. “As the scope of the job grew, he finally quit teaching and worked full time as parks director.”
Frank R. “Moe” Duis Oct. 3, 1927Aug. 12, 2015
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WHEN THE BELL RINGS, THEY HIT THE SWINGS STERLING
DIXON PARKS
Estimated statue cost sees uptick Board still mulling whether to ‘parent’ fundraising campaign BY BRENDEN WEST bwest@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529 @BWest_SVM
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
ABOVE: Olivia Frump (left) and Charley Frank, both 5 and of Sterling, feel the wind in their hair as they whip around the Swinger at the St. Andrew Catholic School Back to School Carnival on Wednesday in the Northland Mall parking lot. Wednesday was opening night for the carnival, which runs through Sunday. RIGHT: Don’t like to fly solo? Riders on Pharoah’s Fury hang on during their thrill ride at the carnival.
More on the carnival ... and more For more information on the carnival, check out our local entertainment listings on A9-12. Keep turning the pages to A13-14 for the lowdown on the Whiteside County Fair, which fires up next week.
STERLING PUBLIC SCHOOLS
$38.1 million budget gets preliminary pass For second straight year, education fund balanced BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525 @JPigee84
STERLING – The Sterling School Board on Wednesday voted to approve the district’s preliminary $38.1 million budget for the 2015-16 school year. The board also scheduled a
$1.00
public hearing on the budget for 7 p.m. Sept. 23 at the high school library. The school district’s budget will be on display for the next 30 days in the school district’s office. The board will get the official budget numbers in September, once hiring is finished and more is known
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about state aid. The proposed $38.1 million budget includes a balanced education fund of $28.6 million. “Two years in a row, we’ve had a balanced budget,” said Tad Everett, superintendent. The education fund, which is 75 percent of the budget,
ABBY ................... A8 BUSINESS ........... A7 COMICS ...............B7
CROSSWORD....B12 LIFESTYLE ........... A8 LOTTERY ............. A2
pays for teacher salaries, books and supplies. It has a surplus of $16,785. Each year, the state pays school districts $6,119 per student, an amount called the foundation level. Last year, schools received 88 percent of that; this year, they are set to receive 92 percent. That’s $9.3 million, up $150,000 from last year, officials said. OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 POLICE ................ A2
DIXON – The estimated cost of the proposed Ronald Reagan lifeguard statue at Lowell Park has grown. For 2 years, former Mayor Jim Burke has been on an eightperson committee that includes Ron Pritchard, chairman of the Dixon Park District Board. The committee (formerly a branch of Dixon Tourism and the city) paid for a rendering of what a statue could look like, with original cost estimates pegging the project at $200,000, according to Pritchard. Burke presented recent findings during Wednesday’s park board meeting. The latest estimate brings the project cost to $300,000, including $15,000 for maintenance and $20,000 for contingency. This budget also includes pricing for landscaping and a visual exhibit, though $200,000 worth of the project would go to the 10-foot-tall hollow bronze statue of young Reagan. Burke said all funds would be raised privately. But the question facing the board is whether to let the statue committee funnel money through the park district’s budget. Pritchard has consulted the district’s attorney about the legality. “He didn’t find anything illegal,” he said, “but he wondered about the appropriateness.” Burke passed out an email from Grand Prairie, Texas, native Kevin Dopp – a recent Lowell Park visitor who believes more can be done to commemorate Reagan. Dopp said there was no indica
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He didn’t find anything illegal, but he wondered about the appropriateness.
Ron Pritchard, chairman of Dixon Park District Board, on his conversation with district’s attorney
Today’s weather High 87. Low 68. More on A3.
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