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Sterling, 4 others LOCAL MAYOR AIMS look to go 3-0 FOR STATEHOUSE SEAT LOCAL, A5 WEEK 3 COVERAGE INSIDE
SILVER LININGS | A WALLACE STREET RETROSPECTIVE
The birth of a community Sterling’s Hispanic roots sprung from the Wallace Street neighborhood of the early 20th century. The arrival of the Silver City boxcar settlement in the late 1940s made it a melting pot. Northwestern Steel and Wire Co. was the lifeblood of the neighborhood, providing jobs and the means to a better life, as well as a common thread found in the fabric of the modern-day Sauk Valley.
LEE COUNTY
In case of emergency, or if you just need a hand Volunteer corps ready to help area communities BY CASSANDRA ZIMMERMAN Special to SVWeekend
DIXON – It’s more than just neighbors helping neighbors; it’s neighbors trained to help neighbors. The Lee County Volunteer Corps was launched April 29, 2014, to address a need: providing emergency assistance. But it quickly grew to encompass a much larger mission that also includes helping out at community events and fundraisers, finding missing persons, doing damage assessments after severe weather, ... anything an organization could use a hand with. For example, Corps members went to Rochelle to help with donation distribution after tornadoes hit the area in April, and they helped at the Lee County Sheriff’s 5K to raise money for Special Olympics. VOLUNTEER CONTINUED ON A3
STERLING Dora Flosi pulls family members in a wagon in front of their house at 747 Wallace St. in Sterling during the 1930s. The neighborhood no longer exists, but the little girl seated in the wagon, Oleria Jean Flosi (Portner today), has been organizing a Wallace Street reunion for about 30 years. Her brother, Leo Flosi, is seated behind her, and her cousin, Roy Flosi, is seated behind Leo.
From a seed to a tree
BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
Hispanic presence in Sterling began with Garcia family BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5523 @CHeimerman_SVM
STERLING – If only Manuel Garcia Sr. were around to behold the veritable redwood he planted about a century ago. One of the first two Mexicans to settle in Sterling, he became the first Hispanic to work at Northwestern Steel and Wire Co. (then known as Northwestern Barb Wire Co.), according to his protege, Manuel Jr. The century-over-century change is staggering. According to factfinder.census.gov, in 2013, Hispanics made up 24.4 percent of the population
About Silver Linings This is the first of a 4-week series about Wallace Street and Silver City that will be published in SV Weekend editions. in Sterling. And to think that, unlike the Tex-Mex exodus that would follow for the next few decades, Garcia’s arrival was something of an accident. He’d heard so much about Chicago; that’s where he wanted to be. In the early 1910s, he and a buddy crossed the Mexican border and landed jobs with the railroad, allowing them to
Sunny & chilly
VOLUME 8 ISSUE 2 52 Pages
Today: 65/43 For the forecast, see Page A10
More stories today
Race, size, ability didn’t matter to kids on Wallace Street. Page A9 Heimerman: “Their time is running out.” Page A8 travel. When they reached the turntable in Nelson, they saw trucks labeled Chicago Northwest. So they asked where the loop was and whether they could walk to it, and were pointed to Sterling. They got as far as the viaduct, where, exhausted, they went to sleep, only to be arrested for loitering. PRESENCE CONTINUED ON A8
Business
Smartphone technology is a godsend for the blind and visually impaired. See Page C1
Creating a plan to chart city’s future
Michael Krabbenhoeft/ mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com
Lifelong Sterling resident Manuel Garcia Jr., 88, takes a break from conversation for a photo during the Wallace Street reunion Aug. 30 at Centennial Park in Rock Falls.
STERLING – Five major themes have emerged from focus groups used to help the city develop a 5-year strategic plan. Geneva-based consultant Peter Burchard LLC and facilitator Gerald Gabris were hired to oversee the process at the April 6 City Council meeting. Three focus groups were formed to help the city determine its top priorities in the next few years. One group was made up of about 30 residents who were representative of different segments of the community, including business, students, service organizations, retirees, and young people. FUTURE CONTINUED ON A5
Community Students learn a lot at Madison Elementary School in Dixon – including how to grow a garden, from spring planting to fall harvest. See Page C12
Index Births................ C5
Lottery .............. A2
Business........... C1
Markets .......... A12
Classified .......... B6
Obituaries ......... A4
Comics ............. B5
Opinion............. A6
Community ..... C12
Scoreboard ...... B3
Crossword Saturday ......... B11
Scrapbook ....... C3
Crossword Sunday ............. C8
Support groups .. C5
Dave Ramsey ... C1
Weather.......... A12
Dear Abby ........ C6
Wheels ........... B12
Sports .............. B1 Travel .............. C10