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CLIPPERS TRY ON A NEW DIVISION FOR SIZE PREP FOOTBALL, B1
A grand time in the park PLAN!T, A9-12
dailyGAZETTE Thursday, July 7, 2016 n SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
BUSINESS
STERLING
Photos by Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
They started out on a farm, but they’ll end up in a living room. Old pieces of barn board wait to be cut and finished at Green River Barn Salvage.
Photos by Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com
Veterans sit around a table and enjoy coffee at the Soldiers Lounge on Wednesday afternoon as they share stories.
At ease, soldier
PABLO VAZQUEZ His daughter, Jacqueline Vazquez, will be deployed this year. “I’m very proud of that.”
Soldiers Lounge not only serves as a place where veterans can relax, but where friends and family can find support
MOE RHODES Memories of war still haunt Vietnam and Gulf War veteran.
BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 CHeimerman_SVM
JOHN ESPINOZA
STERLING – This is how things often go at Soldiers Lounge. War stories bring laughs, but also draw tangents to subjects like discipline and respect, and how younger generations are sorely lacking in both. Online extra Then it happens. The Read this story at topic turns to Honor saukvalley.com to Flights. One of the five men hear veterans talk sitting around the table at Soldiers Lounge Wednesday afternoon, about experiences Army veteran Dave Reyes, during their service. is planning to go on one soon. To his left is John Espinoza, a Marine veteran who was a guardian on a 2009 flight. He shares a few anecdotes from the powerful experience. It reminds Moe Rhodes of when the touring miniature version of the Vietnam Memorial made a stop in Rock Falls. LOUNGE continued on A54
For veterans, just being able to talk about their service is “like going to confession.”
SERGIO SOTELO Putting his last dollar into running Soldiers Lounge, with help from donors and the “good Lord.”
Chairmen of the boards Opportunity knocks on old barn doors for a pair of Newman grads BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5525 @JPigee84
WALNUT – For some people, an old barn is nothing more than an eyesore. But for Green River Barn Salvage owners Austin Ryan and Austin Sensenig, an old barn is a new opportunity to make some money. The two 2010 Newman High School graduates, both 24 and longtime friends, use wood from old corn cribs and barns to make tables, cabinets and other furniture. “Most of the time, we will go in a gutted building and take the pieces that we want,” Ryan said. “That is a way to save something before it’s destroyed.” Green River Barn Salvage, in operation since May 2015, is housed in a old shop on a farm where Sensenig lives, just outside of Walnut. “We are always in contact with anyone who has an excavator or a backhoe,” said Ryan, who lives in Rock Falls. “We can make dinner tables, benches, bookshelves, bird feeders, bird houses, everything.” The two also sell antiques, such as old bottles, lanterns, signs, tools and lawn care equipment. BOARDS continued on A54
Austin Ryan (left) and Austin Sensenig haul out pieces from an old barn for their business, Green River Barn Salvage.
LEE COUNTY
County closing in on picking a candidate Board narrows down list for administrator position, poised to make an offer BY RACHEL RODGERS rrodgers@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5529 @rj_rodgers
DIXON – The county is honing in on a new administrator. The Lee County Board began searching for its first administrator in the fall,
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with a targeted hire date of March 1. Three candidates were chosen from two rounds of searches, but each declined the offer for financial or geographical reasons. The board reopened the search after its March 16 meeting, and five board members formed a selection commit-
INDEX
ABBY.................... A8 COMICS................B6 CROSSWORD.....B10
tee. Four finalists were chosen from a pool of 19 applicants from the area and out of state, and the committee interviewed them Tuesday. “I think we found someone,” board member Marilyn Shippert said. Committee members interviewed each finalist for about an hour, ask-
LIFESTYLE............ A8 LOTTERY.............. A2 NATION................. A7
OBITUARIES......... A4 OPINION............... A6 POLICE................. A2
ing questions about their management styles and what they expect with the position. Their names are not being released at this time, but Shippert, the committee chairwoman, said they hope to make a choice soon. CANDIDATE continued on A54
Today’s weather High 88. Low 70. More on A3.
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