A4 Monday, September 23, 2019
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Life-changing opportunity for inmates Home Builders Institute exponentially increases chances of staying out of prison By Brent Bader SHAW MEDIA
SHERIDAN — Calvin Grandberry of Chicago had talents for a potentially successful career in construction. Some of his fellow co-workers told him it should be a priority for himself and for his career. “But I started getting into a lot of trouble, things I shouldn’t be doing,” Grandberry said from inside the fences of Sheridan Correctional Center during a prison open house. Still, he’s determined to ensure those talents are not wasted. He has spent just more than three months in the prison’s Home Builders Institute, which gives inmates hands-on exercises in various trades, effectively giving them a head start when they leave and look for a career. Grandberry was assembling a brick wall along the side of a mock house with the speed and precision of a veteran bricklayer. His skills were put to use in the past, but now there’s a passion behind the work and pride in its completion. Grandberry said supervisors in his past were less concerned with the final product, as “it’s not going to be seen” behind drywall. “I got myself to that point that I want to make that work look like it’s going to be seen,” Grandberry said. He’s one of many inmates taking part in the program that has been in place at Sheridan Correctional Center for 15 years. HBI program manager Scott Eike said the program has a 5% recidivism rate, a drop from the state’s 2018 average of 43% of inmates expected to return to prison. “It’s really rewarding to see these guys when they get out and make something of themselves and turn their lives around,” Eike said. “The ones that you can see in here when light bulbs are going on and then the confidence of ‘Wow, I didn’t realize I could do that.’” Jamar Money of Chicago was more than halfway finished creating a brick fireplace inside the workshop. “I can’t speak for anyone else, but from my perspective I like building things from down to up and then (thinking) ‘I did this,’” Money said. “It makes it fun and interesting.” Money was working across the room from Sonadra Sims. Both said they hope to find a career with their skills when they get out. When given a choice of trade,
BRIEFS Hennepin looks to buy a street sweeper rather than paying for service HENNEPIN — Hennepin mayor Kevin Coleman this month proposed the village purchase its own street sweeper. For what the village pays for street sweeping services, the purchase of a sweeper would pay for itself within three to four years, he said. Board members will inspect a used 1996 GMC street sweeper with 27,000 miles and 1,100 hours of use. If purchased, the village would be the third owner of the equipment that features a stainless steel water tank. The board approved the potential purchase, pending inspection, which is not to exceed $14,800. Members said the village owning its own sweeper also would allow for spot cleaning as needed.
Princeton begins search for new city manager PRINCETON — Princeton City Council this month authorized GovHR USA to commence a city manager search at a cost not to exceed $17,500. Current City Manager Rachel Skaggs is expected to officially resign from her position next month. ä Also this month the council authorized a three-year lease agreement with Steve Keutzer for the building at 1117 N. Church St.
Fish available for Bureau County pond owners PRINCETON — The Bureau County Soil and Water
PHOTOS FOR SHAW MEDIA/ANNETTE BARR
Calvin Grandberry taps down a brick he’s placed on a wall during a bricklaying project for Sheridan Correctional Center’s Home Builder’s Institute program. The program gives inmates a chance to learn a trade while they serve their sentence in hopes it will translate to a career when they’re released. Money chose bricklaying because he had some previous experience with his grandfather. His skills have improved dramatically through the course. His grandfather has been in the hospital, so Money hasn’t been able to update him. “I wish I could talk to him about it. He’d be proud, you know? Because he really tried
to get me to work with him out there for a long time,” Money said. “I’d go in and look at them, I’d lay a couple of bricks, then I’d be gone.” When complete, they’ll take pictures of the fireplace before tearing it down and making something else. Arthur Holmes of Chicago was on the other side of the
David Teafoe paints a Chicago Bears logo with an airbrush kit on a wooden plank during Sheridan Correctional Center’s HBI program. The program sees only 5% of inmates return to prison as a result of participating, compared to the state average of 43%.
Conservation District is holding its annual fish sales for owners of ponds and lakes. Species available include: bluegill, black crappie, channel and albino catfish, fathead minnows, largemouth bass, hybrid sunfish, redear sunfish, and triploid grass carp. Most species are available in a variety of sizes. The deadline for ordering carp is Oct. 4 and all other fish orders are due by Oct. 10. Pick-up will be at 10 a.m. Oct. 10 at the USDA Service Center, 312 East Backbone Road, Princeton. Forms are available at the SWCD office or online at www. bureaucountyswcd.webs.com.
Tree orders arriving Friday for area residents PRINCETON — Area residents who ordered trees from the Bureau County Soil and Water Conservation District can pick them up Friday at Warnecke Woods Natural Area north of Princeton and west of Route 26.
Lostant to buy generator LOSTANT — Lostant Village Board will explore the prospect of obtaining a generator to power the sewer plant lift station that is located at the northwest part of town.
The event is sponsored by Joliet’s Visitation and Aid Society. Proceeds benefit families in need. Reservations are mandated. Aschenbrenner will share ghostly excerpts from her forthcoming book, “Terrors and Travels.” For reservations, call Laurie McPhillips at (630) 553-7018.
Perdew Museum closes season with picnic and Henry Torpedo Boys HENRY — The Charles Perdew Museum end-of-summer picnic starts with food served at noon Sunday, Sept. 29 at the museum, 914 Front St., Henry. Meals are provided and include a hot sandwich, tea and lemonade. Dishes to pass and additional beverages are appreciated. Right after the picnic, the Henry Torpedo Boys will perform at 1 p.m. Also at 1 p.m., Larry Kerestes will conduct a lesson on how to paint a duck decoy. The picnic takes place each year before the museum closes for the season.
Human services group discusses transportation
MENDOTA — The Human Services Transportation Plan Region 3 Transportation Committee for Bureau, DeKalb, Grundy, Kendall, La Salle, Lee, Ogle and Putnam counties JOLIET — La Salle County will meet at 10 a.m. Friday at author and former Ottawa Times correspondent and colum- Mendota Moose Lodge. The Regional Transportation nist Mary Ellen Aschenbrenner Committee is responsible for will present “The Ghosts” of F.S. Allen at 6 p.m., Wednesday the development and implementation of the Human Services at the Jacob Henry Estate, 15 Transportation Plan. Richards St. in Joliet.
Former La Salle County author ready to release her newest ghost story
room, working on plumbing for a mock home. He knew how to fix a leak in his own home prior to the class, but he’s since learned how to fix any issue a homeowner might run into. Holmes said he looks forward to the class every day and it’s something he hopes to continue to do as a profession. “As long as there are people, there’s always going to be houses. And as long as there’s housing, they’re going to need plumbing,” Holmes said. “I’ll always have a job, I’ll always have a hobby. So it’s encouraging.” The inmates also heard a success story during the open house. Lougwin Spann was a former HBI student in the prison and found a career a short time after his release. “You’d be surprised at the inmates in here who had the skills all the time but we just made mistakes,” Spann said. Spann said the skills he learned in the program helped him get a job on the floor of a car factory before earning his forklift license and then later moving to a roofing company.
He said he also has learned to work with co-workers and move on from mistakes. He credits HBI’s program for helping give him a positive outlook on his future. “I just never thought about it,” Spann said. “See, you can’t draft a new idea on a closed mind. It has to be opened somewhere and they did it, HBI did it. They cracked it open that I could do it again.” Additionally, Spann said he has been sober for eight years and said the program has given him the skills he needs to both have a career and keep himself focused on his future. Spann said his advice for others in the program is simple. “It works if you work at it, but you got to want it,” Spann said. WANT TO HELP OR HAVE AN IDEA? Eike said the program is always accepting of donations of community projects. Inmates have designed raffle items, Little Free Libraries, benches and city signs and particularly like working on projects that benefit kids. To donate or ask about a project, call Eike at (815) 496-3540.
PUTNAM COUNTY
Granville accepts proposal to change water/sewer billing Village has over 150 delinquent accounts By Dave Cook SHAW MEDIA
GRANVILLE — Granville Village Board has accepted a proposal to change how residents are billed for water and sewer services in hopes that it will reduce the amount of overdue accounts. Village secretary Tracie Haage reported to the board that there were currently 154 delinquent bills for the month, out of a total of 653 accounts. These represent approximately $19,000 in unpaid services, and of those, 24 were eligible to be “red tagged.” Those 24 accounts represented about $4,000. Haage proposed moving the due date from the 15th of the month to the third Thursday of each month. On the third Friday of each month, “past due” postcards will be mailed with payments required by the following Wednesday. If no payment is made, the water will be shut off that Thursday, and additional fees will be applied to the account. On/off fees will be $50 for each action, and repeat offenders will see those fees double after the third time their water is shut off. Village attorney Brad Popurella will prepare an ordi-
nance for the board to approve next month, and the changes are expected to take effect Jan. 1. Announcements of the change will be included with the water bills for the upcoming months, as well as online. Residents also will receive a 2020 calendar with highlighted due dates in a future bill. PUBLIC WORKS ä Village consultant Mike Richetta reported spray-patch work will begin soon and that the planned seal-coating is expected to begin in early October. ä North Central Illinois Council of Governments is helping the village with an application for an Illinois EPA loan to help fund the future repair of the water main under Shafer Street from Main Street to Hopkins Street. These loans can include forgiveness of a portion of the borrowed amount. ä Board member Jim Pettit said the NCICG also will help the village apply for money to improve the community’s sidewalks through Illinois Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School program. ä The board discussed the need to clear the heavy growth of vegetation in the ditch on the north side of Silverspoon Avenue near the high school to improve water flow. Richetta See GRANVILLE Page A5