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Local artist working on memorial Marengo man looking to honor Gold Star families; monument would be in Ill. cemetery By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com MARENGO – Paul Turnbaugh has found a new way to blend his artistic talents and patriotism. Turnbaugh, a Marengo artist, is helping a national veterans foundation to get a Gold Star Family Memorial Monu-
ment tucked into Springfield’s renowned Oak Ridge Cemetery. After years of painting patriotic scenes, Turnbaugh said he was honored to customize the Illinois memorial. “My art is my mission,” Turnbaugh said. “I do what I can to promote patriotism and support for our military, and in this case, make people
aware of Gold Star families.” The goal for the Illinois committee of the Hershel Woody Williams Medal of Honor Foundation is to unveil the monument by Veterans Day 2016, although they have to secure the land and raise nearly $100,000 first. “We’re convinced we will get it done,” Turnbaugh said.
“We will push for that, but we won’t give up if we are delayed.” Founded in 2012, the foundation aims to put at least one Gold Star family monument in each state. The term “Gold Star” family comes from the service flags first flown during World War II. The flags featured one blue star for every
family member serving in the military. If the family member died, the family would replace the blue star with a gold one. Foundation founder and namesake Williams, a 92-yearold veteran who served in the Marines during World War II, said about 15 monuments are currently in the works and a handful are already in place.
“It is important that we as a country, as Americans, pay tribute to those loved ones who gave a loved one so we can be free,” Williams said. Each memorial is personalized to the place it’s erected. Turnbaugh’s role was to customize the imagery on the
See ARTIST, page A4
Protesters to target shopping district
HUNTLEY, CRYSTAL LAKE, ALGONQUIN LIBRARIES PUSHING DIGITAL RESOURCES
Activists in Chicago might gather Friday on Michigan Avenue By DON BABWIN The Associated Press
Matthew Apgar – mapgar@shawmedia.com
Eric Weideman, 17, sits on a chair inside the Hub, flanked by partially full bookcases Tuesday at Huntley High School in Huntley. Statistics have shown that students check out fewer and fewer books, which is reflected in the Hub’s diminished quantity of available books.
Libraries in area adapt to higher demand for e-books, audiobooks By CAITLIN SWIECA cswieca@shawmedia.com With the holidays approaching, the Huntley Area Public Library is gearing up for what’s become an annual tradition: a rush of patrons seeking material to read on their brand-new e-readers. “People get a new gift for Christmas, a first Kindle or e-reader or iPad, and they will explore what the options are for free from their local library,” said Leigh Ann Porsch, the library’s head of marketing and public relations. “We kind of gear up and update materials and make sure everybody’s got the latest information on how our databases work. We’ve got really great options for people to download for free. It’s a nice alternative.” In September 2015, about 10 percent of the books checked out at Huntley’s library were e-books, with 744 of the library’s users checking out at least one book from the digital catalog. As technology has changed the way people consume media, local libraries have adapted. In addition to a spike in e-book readership, local librarians say audiobooks and online databases also have seen increased interest in
Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com
Pat Steiner (left) of Algonquin and Dorris Botes of Inverness participate in a discussion about the book “Charlotte’s Web” during an adult book club meeting Nov. 19 at the Algonquin Public Library. recent years. An October Pew Research study found that seven in 10 American adults have read a book within the past year, in whole or in part and in any format, which was slightly less than a 2011 figure but in line with findings in 2012 and 2014. The percentage of participants who said they had read a print book dropped from 69 percent in 2014 to 63 percent in 2015,
and e-book readership was at 27 percent, very similar to the 2014 figure. Crystal Lake Public Library head of adult services Cynthia Lopuszynski said the library’s goal is to bring active reading numbers as close to 100 percent as possible. To that end, the library works to use its resources in the most efficient way, budgeting to get the most popular books in the most possible formats.
“Any book we own in print, we own a large-type copy, we will own a CD copy, we will own a playaway, e-book, audiobook,” Lopuszynski said. Data provided by Algonquin Area Public Library marketing associate Diane Strzelecki showed that, between November 2014 and October 2015, 31.9 percent of book checkouts were in an electronic or audio format. Algonquin adult services librarian Kristen McCallum said the library has seen a noticeable spike in audiobook use, reflecting the on-the-go needs of some users. She said some people discovered audiobooks when notable celebrities, such as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, recorded versions of their recent books. From there, users have branched out, found favorite narrators and downloaded books to listen to while running errands or commuting. “For a lot of adults, I think at certain times in your life you’re busier, especially if you have kids and you’re raising a family and working,” McCallum said. “Finding time for pleasure reading is hard. I think for some people this is a way for them to still enjoy literature.”
See LIBRARIES, page A6
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CHICAGO – Small groups of demonstrators gathered again Wednesday to protest the death of a black teen shot by a white police officer, and they urged supporters to join them in trying to shut down Chicago’s famous Michigan Avenue shopping district during the Black Friday shopping bonanza. About two dozen protesters gathered outside Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office a day after authorities released a graphic squad-car video showing the officer firing an entire magazine into 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Jason Van Dyke was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder. The group held banners showing photos of other black people fatally shot by police in Chicago and elsewhere. Several protesters said they were parents of black men killed by Chicago officers. “You cannot kill our children and expect us to be quiet any longer,” protester Quovadis Green said. “It is unacceptable.” Activist Mark Carter called on people to “rise up” and shut down the Magnificent Mile shopping area on Friday. Protesters also planned to target the Board of Trade and other landmarks in the coming days, he said. Carter and others want the Department of Justice to investigate the Chicago Police Department and its history of covering up bad behavior. The Urban League of Chicago joined in the call for a federal investigation, alleging a pattern of “discriminatory harassment” against black people. The Rev. Jesse Jackson said other officers involved in McDonald’s death should be fired or at least suspended. He also wants a special prosecutor appointed to the case, complaining that Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez took too long to bring a murder charge in the shooting, which happened more than a year ago. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton also weighed in, saying McDonald’s family and Chicago residents “deserve justice and accountability.” Clinton, who made the comments
See PROTESTERS, page A4
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