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COMETS HIT THEIR STRIDE The pressure’s AGAINST PROPHETS on in the kitchen BOYS BASKETBALL, B1
FOOD, A9-A10
dailyGAZETTE Wednesday, February 1, 2017 n SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
DIXON | CAPITAL PROJECTS PLAN
EDUCATION
Framing the city’s big picture City Council poised to vote on an ambitious plan that would provide framework for $30 million wish list
Rock Falls Middle School students react as Hammy, the Rockford IceHogs mascot, makes an appearance during an assembly Tuesday afternoon. Seventh-grader Aidan Buckingham (top-left, standing), 12, couldn’t contain his happiness. “I’m so excited,” he said after the assembly. “I’ve always wanted to go to a Rockford IceHogs game. I’ve heard they’re really good.”
Reaching their
LEARN AND LIVE
G AL Staff and students have been working together toward fostering better relationships, and their latest project should prove to be a real ice-breaker BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 CHeimerman_SVM
ROCK FALLS – In 2 weeks, Rock Falls Middle School’s 320some students and 25 staffers are going on a field trip – to a Rockford IceHogs game. Seventh-grader Aidan Buckingham, for one, is ready. Online extra As the IceHogs’ comically grumpy, Read this story lovably frumpy mascot, Hammy, at saukvalley. waddled into the gym Tuesday aftercom to watch noon, Aidan stood on the bleachers Rock Falls Middle and pumped his fist with approval. School Principal “I was shocked, I was like, ‘Uhhhh … Kyle Ackman awesome!’” the 12-year-old said. announce that the It didn’t take long for the realization school is taking a to settle in: He’s going to his first Icefield trip Feb. 15 Hogs game. to the Rockford Sixth-grader Juan Hernandez? He’s IceHogs’ game. going to his first hockey game, period. After more than half the students got their pictures taken with Hammy, Juan still was basking in the glow as he packed up at his locker. “I just can’t believe we’re going to an IceHogs game,” Hernandez said. GOAL continued on A114
christopher HEIMERMAN Heimerman is the Enterprise and Projects Editor at SVM. He can be reached at cheimerman@ saukvalley. com or 815-625-3600, ext. 5523.
Climate change is real at this school Staff committed to giving students a voice – and listening to it
BY RACHEL RODGERS rrodgers@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5529 @rj_rodgers
DIXON – The City Council plans to vote on a 5-year framework that outlines about $30 million in capital projects Monday. City Manager Cole O’Donnell presented the council on Dec. 12 with a draft of the city’s first capital improvement plan, about 200 pages of priority projects and ways to fund them for fiscal years 2018 through 2022. Half of the expenses, $14 million to $15 million, are geared toward a long list of infrastructure improvements – including about $2.3 million for repairing and resurfacing Depot Avenue from Fifth to Seventh streets, and $1.2 million for replacing the water main on South Galena Avenue from River to Fourth streets. “This is an ambitious undertaking, but honestly, only a small percentage of what needs to be completed,” he said. The plan serves as a playbook for prioritizing projects and also works as a financial tool for the city to create long-range estimates of revenues and expenses, which can help spot funding troubles down the road. Expenses in the water and wastewater departments are both expected to outpace revenues, with the water fund projected to be about $600,000 in the red by the end of next fiscal year and about $3 million in the hole at the end of 5 years. PLAN continued on A54
INSIDE
BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 CHeimerman_SVM
C
redit Kyle Ackman, principal at Rock Falls Middle School, with a gutsy, grinder goal. Credit his staff, and his students, with a gorgeous assist. Don’t care for hockey? It’s OK. We’re not talking about hockey. Sure, at Tuesday’s assembly, the student body found out they’re going to the Rockford IceHogs school day game Feb. 15, but that reward is simply emblematic of work the school’s climate team has been doing for nearly 2 years. CLIMATE continued on A114
Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com
Rock Falls Middle School eighth-grader Max Parker fist-bumps Hammy.
Photos by Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
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TODAY’S EDITION: 24 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 163 ISSUE 37
INDEX
ABBY.................... A8 BUSINESS.......... A12 COMICS................B6
CROSSWORD.......B8 LIFESTYLE............ A8 LOTTERY.............. A2
These kids are on a roll St. Mary’s seventh-grader Brennen Cook zips around other students while rollerskating in the school gym Tuesday morning. The students were taking a break from class to have some fun as part of the school’s celebration of National Catholic Schools Week. To see what else Catholic school students in the Twin Cities were doing Tuesday, check out the photo package on Page A3
POLICE................. A2 OBITUARIES......... A4 OPINION............... A6
Today’s weather High 35. Low 15. More on A3.
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