GAZ_10062015

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Your source for community news and sports 7 days a week.

Missed deadline House lost means fines in fire COLOMA TOWNSHIP, A3

SVM ATHLETES OFSPORTS, THE WEEK B3

ROCK FALLS, A2

dailyGAZETTE Tuesday, October 6, 2015

SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854

STERLING

More eyesores targeted Nonprofit to help raze sites; zoning code overhaul OK’d BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier

STERLING – The city will use money from a state grant program to demolish two structures on its list of blighted properties. The council on Monday approved the low bid of $24,000 from CP’s Demolition in Sterling to take down the structure at 506-508 W. Third St., and a multi-family residential build-

ing at 1002 W. Fourth St. Four bids were received for the job. The city acquired the Third Street duplex through foreclosure proceedings in January. The Fourth Street property was relinquished to the city in October 2014, through the abandonment process. The previous owner had not paid taxes on the property for several years and it fell into further disrepair. Several issues, including asbestos and long-term water damage, made

it cost-prohibitive to rehabilitate the properties. Grass will be planted on the vacant lots. The grant to eliminate blighted properties was awarded through the Illinois Housing Development Authority. The grant terms require that the city partner with a nonprofit organization. The city has transferred ownership to Rock Island Growth Corp. for grant administration. EYESORES CONTINUED ON A5

Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

Traffic drives Monday afternoon past the structure at 506-508 W. Third St. in Sterling, one of two properties the city will demolish, thanks to a state grant program.

SAUK VALLEY C.C.

SAUK VALLEY | THEATER

DeKalb or Route 2? That’s up to students Degrees will be more accessible, thanks to agreements with NIU BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525 @JPigee84

DIXON – Next week, Sauk Valley Community College will ink two agreements with Northern Illinois University. One will be a reverse transfer agreement, which will allow students who transfer from Sauk to NIU without an associate degree to earn a 2-year degree using credit from NIU courses. The second agreement, called 3+1, will allow manufacturing and technology students to get a bachelor’s degree without stepping foot on NIU’s DeKalb campus. The agreements will be signed by NIU President Doug Baker and Sauk President Dave Hellmich and will take effect immediately.

Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com

Meghan Clodfelter sings as Princess Fiona during rehearsal for “Shrek the Musical,” put on in 2013 by Centennial Auditorium Summer Theatre Academy. The Sterling High School venue has partnered with Sauk Valley Community College and Woodlawn Arts Academy to form the Sauk Valley Theatre Alliance, which will pool its resources in hopes of raising the bar for local theater. BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525 @JPigee84

Make your plans

STERLING – Three local schools are combining resources and staff to create a new way to bring plays to the public. Centennial Auditorium, owned by Sterling Schools and the Sterling Schools Foundation, Sauk Valley Community College and the private Woodlawn Arts Academy are now the Sauk Valley Theatre Alliance. The agreement allows the trio to share money, employees, equipment,

See the schedule of the alliance’s six productions on A4. props, and other resources. The three gave the alliance kind of a dry run last year by working closely together, said Tim Schlegel, theater director for Sterling Schools. New this year: The alliance will sell season tickets, six plays for $36, which, organizers say, is 20 percent cheaper than buying individual tickets, which still will be available at the door.

In addition, the three now have staff-sharing agreements. For example, Sauk hired Connor Price to be its director of theater productions, and he also joins Sterling Schools as an assistant to the speech team. The alliance will pay his salary, each entity paying its share from its own budget, Schlegel said. And rather than each entity advertising on its own, the alliance will share expenses, again using money from their individual budgets.

STUDENTS CONTINUED ON A3

Putting ink to paper NIU President Doug Baker and Sauk President Dave Hellmich will sign the agreements at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 13 at Sauk, 173 state Route 2, Dixon.

ALIGN CONTINUED ON A4

DIXON PARKS

WEATHER HEATING UP AGAIN

Mayor broaches topic of consolidation Council could put nonbinding question on spring ballot BY BRENDEN WEST bwest@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529 @BWest_SVM

DIXON – Before, there were whispers. At Monday night’s council meeting, Mayor Li Arellano Jr. turned up the volume on the possibility of the city and the

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Dixon Park District consolidating. According to Arellano, a group has been petitioning Dixon leaders to put a citizens referendum to voters. But according to Park Board President Ron Pritchard – who attended Monday’s meeting – the district has “no interest” in operating under the city’s umbrella. He later backtracked to say four of the five board members don’t favor consolidating. Rather than put the petition up for a vote, Arellano proposed

INDEX

the city put a nonbinding referendum on a ballot to gauge whether the public is in favor of the consolidation. After the meeting, Arellano said the topic has been of interest “for some time.” It was brought up during his campaign, and he said consolidation is a trend with governments across the state. “People have been talking about this behind the scenes,” Arellano said.

ABBY ................... A7 BUSINESS ......... A10 COMICS ............... A8

Philip Marruffo/ pmarruffo@ saukvalley.com

Michael Wesley goes up for a layup in front of his sister, Michelle, while playing basketball Monday afternoon at Millwheel Park in Milledgeville. Highs in the mid-70s are expected the next 3 days. Get more details on A3.

CONSOLIDATION CONTINUED ON A4

CROSSWORD....B10 LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2

NATION/WORLD .. A9 OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6

Today’s weather High 74. Low 53. More on A3.

Need work? Check out your classifieds, B5.

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