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Sauk Valley Media • D1

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Tuesday, March 24, 2015

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | EDUCATION

A world at their fingertips Keeping up with technology: Some schools put on Airs.

Others put it in their pocket. Regardless of how they do it, they’re preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s world

BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525 @JPigee84

others, beginning this summer. Classes coming this fall will include introduction to business, introduction to homeland security, introduction to medical assistterling school officials are discussing, sports entertainment and marketing a requirement that students ing, and computer programming. take an online class as a prerequiWhile students will learn online and site to graduate. can work on different units at home, “The intent of that is to prepare them they’ll take all tests on campus, for life after high school,” said district “If students are ready for the unit test, superintendent Tad Everett. “Any train- they will come in and teachers will look ing that students do in career or college at their progress before the students take the test,” SHS principal Jason Auswill have a computer component to it.” tin said.

Although the requirement is still Teachers will be trained on just a proposal at this point, it’s GradPoint at the end of March, one example of how Sauk Valley and a teacher will be available in educators are focusing on using the summer, Austin said. technology to get students ready “For us, everything is about for life after high school. college and career readiness,” While districts have embraced Everett said. “That is why we various types of technology to Tad are changing the way we teach, help prepare their students, Everett because kids are changing the access to computers is different way they learn, and this is what it’s from school to school. really about.”

In Sterling, Everett said, technology is If students are required to take an used to enhance teaching and learning. online class, GradPoint gives them the “How kids learn and how teachers teach is vitally important,” he said. “It’s support they need, Everett said.

“A lot of kids are online learners anythe crux of what we do.” way, so it won’t be a huge transition,” Sterling High School he said.

Over the next couple of years, stuSHS students also have access to dents at Sterling High School will have Apple laptop computers, which would access to 160 classes thanks to Gradmake an online requirement easier.

Point, a comprehensive online learning At the beginning of the school year, all curriculum. students at Sterling High School were GradPoint will give students a chance able to get their hands on an 11-inch to take classes that would otherwise Apple MacBook Air, which they can use not be available at school. Classes will both at school and at home. gradually be released, beginning with EDUCATION CONTINUED ON D3 economics, health and government, and

S

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Sauk Valley Media • D3

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | EDUCATION

Technology enhances education in Sauk Valley schools EDUCATION

Challand Middle School

CONTINUED FROM D2

Other than a couple of issues with sound, Austin reported no major problems so far.

Although the computers are lent to the students at no charge, families are being asked to pay $50 per school year for insurance to cover loss or damage. Those who choose not to pay the $50 will be responsible for the full cost of any damages, up to $1,003, the cost of a computer.

If the computers are damaged because of negligence or irresponsible behavior, families will have to replace them, regardless of insurance.

Beginning next year, all students at Challand Middle School will also have access to a computer.

The school will buy 800 iPads. Each of the 760 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders at the school will have a digital tablet to use at school and at home. The 40 other tablets will be rotated in as needed.

“This will enhance the way teachers teach and the way kids learn,” Everett said. “That is a progressive approach for us and how they learn.”

Dixon Students in the Dixon School District also

have access to technology.

“We have incorporated technology into our classroom for the last 20 years, from classroom computers to computer labs,” said Margo Empen, the district’s assistant superintenMargo dent.

Empen Empen said a number of classrooms are equipped with smartboards.

A one-to-one computer initiative at Dixon High School is also used on a smaller scale.

EDUCATION CONTINUED ON D4

Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com

Sterling High School juniors Britni Shaw and Leon Ramos look at a large TV in their AP U.S. History class in September 2014. The two students were using their Apple MacBook Air laptops to create a newspaper.

The Direction Ahead

Many different roads for local students to take along career paths A student’s future can be found in a pile of sawdust, or a multimillion-dollar renovation. It can take many different directions, and there’s no “one way” sign pointing to a one-size-fits-all approach.

That’s why schools have to be able to see a big picture made up of myriad little details to give their students the best education possible.

In the Sauk Valley, schools have looked at a number of ways to prepare their students for life after graduation.

Sterling In January, the Sterling School Board on got behind a mission to be proactive, not reactive.

The board signed on as supporters of a school reform effort called Vision 20/20.

Tad Everett, one of the 40 superintendents working on the initiative, said the program represents the future of education in Illinois.

“We want legislators to know this is what educators across the state are saying is important for educational agendas,” he said.

Vision 20/20 will focus on increasing the number of effective teachers in Illinois, modernizing curriculum, increasing accountability for school districts and the state, and reconfiguring how Illinois schools are funded.

Other parts of the plan include proposals to offer student loan forgiveness for teachers, fully fund mentoring for new educators, offer more career-oriented instruction for students, and increase parent and community involvement in schools.

School officials hope Vision 20/20 advances through the Legislature over the next 6 years.

Dixon Dixon School District officials are taking a closer look at

renovating school buildings.

About 50 people were at a meeting in February to hear more about the plan and ask questions.

“We have taken the comments we’ve heard, and we think the most appropriate solution for this community is to renovate the buildings that are in place,” said Amy Yurko of BrainSpaces, a Chicago-based school facilities planning consultant.

Renovating the buildings in the school district would cost upward of $111 million.

“We are not saying this is the end plan we are going with, but until we can prove this does not work, we will stick with it, and we need your help to help us make this work,” Yurko said.

If the recommendation is approved by the school board, renovation would be done in phases – or as funding becomes available.

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Yurko said the public could vote on a bond referendum, which, if it passed, would generate $35 million for the first phase of the project. If a second referendum were approved, the district would move on to another phase of the plan.

More information about the plan is available at plandixonschools.info.

Rock Falls There’s more than one kind of bit in students’ future, and a Rock Falls school wants to make sure students know how to use it.

While bits of data can contain a world of information, consider another kind of bit: the one that goes into a drill.

Since the beginning of the school year, eight students at Thome Elementary School have participated in a shop class.

“This class teaches the kids life skills,” said Rob Berry,

who teaches the class. “You never know when you have to cut a board or put in a screw or fix a light switch.”

To help in launching the class, the Bi-County Special Education Cooperative gave the alternative school a $490 mini grant.

Thome School enrolls students with behavior problems and emotional disabilities. Fifty elementary, middle and high school students are enrolled.

The grant money did not come until October, but Berry wanted to start the shop class before that. So, he put up a couple hundred dollars of his own money until the grant was available.

At a class earlier this year, students spent more than an hour learning how to drill a screw into a wooden stud.

“Everyone needs to know how to use a drill and screw,” Berry said.

D4 • Sauk Valley Media

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Tuesday, March 24, 2015

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | EDUCATION WHAT DO WE THINK? What has been your experience, whether as a student or a parent, with technology in education?

Jim Dunn, opinion page editor: Technology in education has greatly improved since my schooling in the 1960s and 1970s, putting a tidal wave of information at students’ fingertips.

I speak, of course, of the World Wide Web and all the digital books, articles, photoJim graphs, videos, and so forth that can be sumDunn moned with a mouse click or screen tap.

I’ll give an example. In high school speech class in 1971, we sophomores sat and listened to Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech on a classroom record player. Today, any student with online access can, at any time, view that speech, study commentary, read more about King’s life, take a Google street view tour of historical neighborhoods linked to King, and print out a text of his speech with very little effort.

With scads of information so much more readily available, students should have that much more time to study, analyze, and absorb it. Right?

We know that isn’t the case for everyone, because other technology competes for students’ attention. Video games, smartphones (with texting, audio and video capabilities), social media, websites, digital music players, streaming online programs, and the like have joined the old standbys of regular TV (with its hundreds of channels), movies and radio to tug at young minds’ available time.

The days of film strips and phonographs are long gone. In the pursuit of education, taking full advantage of the digital world’s wonders, without falling prey to them, must be society’s goal.

Christopher Heimerman, night news editor: Remember laser discs? A high school teacher of mine had us watch a documentary on laser disc, and several students couldn’t hold back the snickers.

The laser disc, despite such a futuristic name, was already a dinosaur. And that Christopher was 20 years ago.

Heimerman Today, the classroom that doesn’t equip its students with tablets is already behind. But there’s a thin line between empowering and enabling, and that’s where I think the modern classroom is failing. It’s become abundantly clear in the past few years, as I read tweets from local studentathletes about how they couldn’t stay awake in class without app X, or instant messenger system Y. While working with a junior hockey team in Michigan, part of my job was to be a liaison for the players. I errantly texted one of them around 10 a.m. one day. Before it could occur to me that the young man was one of our highschoolers, he’d already replied, confirming that an interview on a local radio station during sixth hour would be no problem. I put my head to my desk. Not only did he have his smartphone at his disposal. He felt giving an interview was more important than his AP psychology class.

Given, that young man was born with a silver spoon in hand, but the fact is, you couldn’t have trusted me with such an addictive device while I was a teenager.

And we shouldn’t allow kids to use devices that aren’t regulated and reined in for the purpose of learning.

Carry-in technology rarely has a place in the classroom. No more smartphones. Let’s save our youth from themselves.

Some schools go for a BYOD approach EDUCATION

CONTINUED FROM D3

“We do not have a school-wide one-to-one program,” Empen said.

“We have pockets of oneto-one going on where there is an interest.”

The school primarily uses Windows-based devices, she said.

At Dixon High, the English department is the primary user of laptops and Chromebooks.

Other departments use them as needed.

“At Reagan Middle School, there are gradelevel laptop carts, so each grade can use them at any time when needed,” Empen said. “There are individual teachers that have purchased laptops through grant opportunities and use them for a variety of instructional needs in their classroom.”

Students who don’t have access to a device through the district are allowed to bring their own devices to class to help with school work.

“Our bring-your-owndevice policy has been expanded to allow students to utilize their own tablets and laptops for projects,” Empen said.

As more funds become available, Empen said, computer availability could also expand.

“We are always looking at ways to expand our one-to-one capabilities,” she said. “We look for grants, foundation requests, and local money to meet the educational needs we have.”

At the end of the day, Empen said, the school district is willing to do what it can to help students excel in the classroom.

“I think what’s most important to remember is that technology needs to be seen through the lens of how it can sup-

‘‘ ’’ Technology is a never-ending battle, but we try to keep up the best we can.

Ron McCord Rock Falls High School superintendent

port or enhance our curriculum,” she said.

Rock Falls Ron McCord, superintendent of Rock Falls High School, said the school has computer labs, but it is not a oneto-one school.

“We have several computer labs and mobile labs,” McCord said.

“Our library is more of a media center where computers are more accessible to students.”

The school has made most of its technology strides in the past few

years. McCord said the school district is looking into giving each student the use of a laptop, but first the district wants to build professional development with teachers.

“That is going to take a lot of time,” he said. “We have to teach teachers how to use technology in their classroom before we implement a one-to-one initiative. Not all of teachers are tech wizards.”

In addition, McCord said, the use of laptops has to be written into the curriculum.

Many teachers in the school already use computers in their classroom, including laptops and tablets. Each classroom has a projector that links to the computer so a lesson can be projected.

“Anything that is available on the internet can be projected in front of the whole class,” McCord said.

The hope is the school can use electronic devices with a one-to-one program in the school.

“We have some iPads available for teachers to use for special projects,” McCord said.

The school district has also had a website for the past 10 years, and the school also uses networked copy machines.

No matter what kind of technology is implemented, McCord said, the district will always try to stay caught up.

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Sauk Valley Media • D5

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | RECREATION

Fun times are a’changin’ Parks aren’t just for picnics anymore, as Parks and Rec goes high tech

BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5521 @SeaWarren

In the 21st century, with video games, smart phones, the Internet and all other sorts of who’s-its and what’s-its that distract us from other human beings, one might not exactly consider this to be the dawn of a new era for park departments.

Statewide, the numbers reflect

a world that increasingly turns to technology, and not parks, for recreation. In 2004, total attendance at state parks was 43,473,899. By 2014, that number had dropped to 34,857,482.

But locally, the numbers tell a somewhat different story. Some parks in Lee, Whiteside and Ogle counties have actually seen an increase in visitors from 2004-14.

In fact, the same technology that

some blame for keeping people out of parks has helped park districts.

With the steady march of time, things change. And with people spending increasing amounts of time with technology, the way park districts work have changed, too.

Larry Schuldt, executive director of the Sterling Park District, said that collectively, things are much better now than they used to be.

PARKS CONTINUED ON D6

Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

Amber “Samber Squatch” Phillips runs through blocking drills during practice for the Midwest Derby Divas roller derby in September 2014 at the Dixon Park District roller hockey rink in The Meadows.

WHAT DO WE THINK? What has been your experience, whether as a student or a parent, with technology in education?

Christi Warren, cops & courts reporter: I am so glad I’m not in school anymore. I’m one of those people who hates reading things on a screen. I need the real thing, paper Christi Warren with ink, in my hands.

In my final years of college, the university bookstore was really trying to push e-books. I hate e-books. They are the worst. How am I sup-

posed to read, highlight, take notes, sticky-note, etc. lengthy chapters if it’s only text on my laptop?

Toward the end there, they were pushing e-books so hard that if you begrudgingly agreed to the e-book option (say, for a book you knew you wouldn’t actually ever open, but felt obliged to buy), you could pay about half of what the print textbook cost.

Honestly, I don’t know anyone who took advantage of that deal.

I think in the coming years, that might change.

The only reason it was so difficult for me to learn from a screen, is that’s not the way I was taught to learn. If, perhaps, I was given techniques for notetaking, etc., that applied to digital versions of texts, it wouldn’t have been such a leap for me to buy that digital textbook.

Other aspects of technology, though, I don’t know how I would’ve gone through school without. YouTube, Wikipedia (usually accurate, but take it with a grain of salt), biography.com, filing term papers online, taking timed quizzes online.

Heck, I even took an economics class online through another college, that my alma mater agreed to give me credit for. It’s a whole new world, thanks to the Internet, and I shudder to think of what my education experience would’ve been like, and how much more difficult it would’ve been, to get by without it.

Jermaine Pigee, education and business reporter: Things are much, much different today from when I was a high school student at Normal Community High School in downstate Normal.

When I was in school, we didn’t have smart boards, or iPads to use or Apple Macbook Air laptops like

students have today.

In fact, when I was in school, I had a teacher who was Jermaine beyond Pigee excited to get her hands on an overhead projector.

She would write problems on acetate, which is transparency film, and we could see what she was writing on the projector. (I’d be curious to see if high school kids today know what transparency film is.

But, I digress.)

Our teachers had to reserve a computer lab days in advance. When they did, there were times when the keys would not work or the mouse did not function correctly. It was a pain.

Kids today have it made.

With their iPhones, 1 to 1 computer initiatives and eBooks, it’s easier than ever to get material for a class paper or project.

Today’s teachers are also more versed in technology. Teachers now have been trained to work on a computer and they have been trained to work in an online world.

They are also able to post assignments and grade them online. This makes their job easier as well.

The only problem with advancements in technology is cheating. With easier access to the Internet, students now have more of an opportunity to cheat on their assignments.

Matt Mencarini, reporter: Early on when I was in grade school, the best part of the week was when we got to play Oregon Trail on Apple computers. The screens were small and the graphics were terrible by today’s standards.

In high school, there were computer labs, but teachers still used chalkboards and the projectors with the light and the magnifying lens. The biggest jump in technology during

my education was from college to grad school.

In college, my classmates and I Mett wrote papers Mencarini and did work on laptops, but always in dorms, apartments or the library.

By the time grade school rolled around, every stu-

dent had a laptop in class, typing notes and using the internet as part of class.

Larry Lough, executive editor: I was teaching college-level journalism when computers were introduced to the classroom.

What an exciting, frustrating tool those first, largely unreliable contraptions were for a teacher. I had all my lessons and lectures

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Angel Sierra, online editor: Technology in a public school classroom is usually step behind what regular consumers have at their disposal, but it’s also dependent on the Angel educational Sierra atmosphere established by school districts.

This expectation comes from the community and parents, and through the power of votes. While the superintendent has the ability to pitch ideas, ultimately it’s the school board that can approve or decline technology resolutions.

Throughout my primary school career, I attended a mix of public and private schools. The private schools weren’t religious, and instead belonged to the Department of Defense; I went to school on Army bases.

I’m sure the financial situation is different now, but when students needed something it was provided. When I left for another school, everything changed.

My point is this: If you want kids to have access to the technology that will likely land them a job in the future, a fundamental shift has to happen in the way we approach education.

D6 • Sauk Valley Media

www.saukvalley.com

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | RECREATION

Parks offer fun – and fitness PARKS

CONTINUED FROM D5

“I think the technology has enhanced a lot of things that we do,” he said. “I think the mindset of people, as far as fitness and exercise, has improved. ... If you throw it all together, from a park district standpoint, I think it’s improved.

“You just have to keep moving forward.”

A focus on fitness Gone are the days when families would spend leisurely Sunday afternoons with blankets and kites, picnicking at their local parks, he said.

That’s not to say it never happens anymore – stray book readers and sun worshippers still do visit local parks, but increasingly, the focus of park visits hinge on exercise.

Because of that trend, the Sterling Park District has made it a priority to improve trails and expand the ways it can aid visitors in their workout routines.

Schuldt has been with the park district since 1982.

“It’s funny,” he said.

“When we started building those trails – the first one was at Sinnissippi – you’d never see a soul, and now it’s a lot of different runners, walkers, bikers – a whole variety.

So, I think people are still using the parks, but they’re using them differently.”

Disc golf at Sinnissippi Park, he said, has been amazingly popular.

The shift in focus of people’s lives to a more healthful one has also changed the way things happen at the Westwood Fitness and Sports Center.

“Certainly fitness as an area over the last 20 or 30 years has grown, and that’s obviously a good thing at Westwood,” Schuldt said. “When I

Some local park attendance numbers: Green River State Park, Lee County 2004: 32,853 – 2014: 33,108 Lowden State Park, Ogle County 2004: 278,681 – 2014: 248,466 Mississippi Palisades State Park, Carroll County 2004: 513,397 – 2014: 342,530 Morrison-Rockwood State Park, Whiteside County 2004: 355,623 – 2014: 371,984 Prophetstown State Park, Whiteside County 2004: 220,427 – 2014: 145,963 White Pines State Park, Ogle County 2004: 315,307 – 2014: 318,401 first started at the park district, our fitness area with weightlifting and cardio was less than 100 square feet, and now it’s 12,000 square feet.”

And, he said, an expansion is in the works.

The equipment also is much more advanced.

Westwood features equipment called Virtual Active, which lets you put a visual on a screen so it looks as if you’re running in various outdoor locales, Schuldt said, like Downtown Chicago or a few other places.

Both the Duis Center and Westwood also now offer free Wi-Fi, something that, when Schuldt first started with the park district, was not even on the horizon.

“You can bring in your phone or iPad,” he said, “and if you want to watch Netflix while you’re working out, you can do that.”

Members can also choose from a library of virtual exercise classes.

Inside Westwood’s aerobics room, a kiosk lets visitors pick from more than 1,000 different types of exercise programs, which can then be displayed on a large screen through a projector.

“You can do it either by yourself or with others,” Schuldt said. “For us, it’s difficult to find instructors at all hours

of the day, so if you want to work out and do a Zumba class, or do a spin class at one in the afternoon, you can push a button, get on a bike, and do it. So that’s pretty cool, and that’s been pretty well received.”

More ways to connect With the advent of the Internet, it’s becoming easier and easier to keep visitors informed about what’s happening in the district, Schuldt said.

“We try to keep people updated on what’s going on,” he said. “Our web page links to whether the sports fields are available. We keep the scores on there, and the records for activities. We just try to keep people informed.”

Email blasts and a Facebook page also help to keep visitors updated.

The page, which has almost 1,000 likes, posts things such as job openings, photos, and reminders for registration deadlines.

The Dixon Park District is not quite as socialmedia savvy as its Sterling counterpart, but it does have a Facebook presence, which appears to be used mostly to share photos of the parks and, occasionally, a news update.

PARKS CONTINUED ON D7

Our Difference.....

WHAT DO WE THINK? How has your use of parks changed in the past 10 years?

Jim Dunn, opinion page editor: When our children were younger, I valued parks with good, safe playgrounds above all else. Let the kids run and jump and climb and slide and swing, so they’d be tuckered out at the end of the day, and I’d be happy.

But the kids are grown now, and I’ve grown to really appreciate parks for their natural beauty – for preserving and making available to the public the flora and fauna and topography and geology of our region that we might not otherwise see in our backyards, neighborhoods, or farmland.

What fine parks we have in the Sauk Valley! I love the view of the Rock River from Castle Rock. I marvel at the tall trees and flowing creek at White Pines.

Morrison-Rockwood’s lake is peaceful. Lowell Park’s panoramic view of the Rock River is matched only by the stately woods you drive through to reach it.

For some reason, I really treasure Lawrence Park. Perched on an island in the Rock River between Rock Falls and Sterling, the park affords an up-close and personal look at the fast-flowing waterway after it has tumbled over two dams upstream. Elsewhere, you just

don’t find parks on river islands that often. I’ll always remember it.

Angel Sierra, online editor: I have always loved the scenery at our parks.

In fact, if the 2012 proposal to pay a fee for access to state parks had passed, I would have been happy to oblige.

Maintenance always is a concern, but it’s to be expected when the preservations are so large in the Sauk Valley.

Morrison-Rockwood State Park, for example, is 1,164 acres, and offers 92 camping sites, according to its website.

I value the area’s parks so much that for my Eagle Scout service project about 15 years ago I selected Sinnissippi Park in Sterling. Along with a work crew that I put together, we stripped, cleaned, washed, and repainted the open-air activity building that had once found itself stained with graffiti and in disrepair.

The highlight of the day came at the very end, when a family stopped by to celebrate a birthday as we packed up our last cans of paint.

I anticipate I’ll make greater use of area parks over the next decade as my daughter discovers them, too.

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www.saukvalley.com

Sauk Valley Media • D7

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | RECREATION

Technology meets recreation in local park districts PARKS

The Direction Ahead: Paying for parks

CONTINUED FROM D6

Elsewhere online, the park district’s website recently underwent a much-needed revamp.

The new site, dixonparkdistrict.com, features a clean layout and userfriendly interface.

Debra Carey, executive director of the Dixon Park District, has been with the district for 27 years.

“Change is good if it is needed,” she said, “and the changes improve opportunities and services, and lowers cost.”

A large part of that change has come from how the park district markets recreational opportunities for visitors.

“While we used to print, fold, stamp and mail literally thousands of brochures and fliers, much of our registration and adver-

Parks may be all fun and games, but not their budgets Fun and funds: You can’t have one without the other – at least when it comes to services that cities provide residents.

Like many local public bodies, park districts face a challenge paying for the services that people enjoy.

During an interview last year, Deb Carey, executive director of Dixon Park District, said publicly funded budgets aren’t expected to increase, but residents will continue to expect the same – or even increased – level in services.

In Dixon, another factor limits any future increase in revenue – the Property Tax Extension tising is now done on our web page,” Carey said.

But as far as promotion goes, she said, sometimes the classic meth-

o

Limitation Law. “With PTELL already capping our ability to maintain our parks and grounds, the budget will be the No. 1 issue for elected park commissioners,” Carey said in an email. “I cannot imagine nor expect the public to pass referendums and increase their already high tax burdens.”

PTELL – also known as the tax cap – limits how much a public body can raise its tax rate each year, by the lesser of either 5 percent or the change in the Consumer Price Index.

In recent years, that’s been less than 5 percent.

But even those park districts

ods work best.

“Ironically, the very best advertising tool we have is our plain, old-fashioned sign in the front

yard of the park office,” Carey said of the sign on the south side of Route 2, easily seen when heading into town from the

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Larry Schuldt, executive director of Sterling Park District, said districts didn’t used to have to worry about the same things they do now.

“Nobody cared about aesthetics,” he said. “That isn’t that way any longer. Now, what people are looking for is more than just functionality – it’s aesthetics. Things need to look pretty.”

But those aesthetics cost much more than the functionality.

Duis Recreation Center, which opened in 1970, was built for $500,000, Schuldt said, and when the district renovated it in 2010, the cost was almost $4 million.

“Although people are willing to pay more than they used to,” he said, “they’re still not willing to pay to the level of what it actually costs to put those things together.”

To cover the difference, park districts will likely have to explore additional pubicprivate partnerships and even more aggressively pursue grants from the state and federal government.

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D8 • Sauk Valley Media

www.saukvalley.com

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | RECREATION WHAT DO WE THINK? How has your use of parks changed in the past 10 years?

Christopher Heimerman, night news editor: This is a fun one. My wife and I are embarking on the era when our 19-month-old twins will unlock so many of the world’s mysteries as the park. If any of you think you’ve longed for spring, imagine the guy who’s dying to see how much his little girls love the merry-go-round.

The Sauk Valley is in excellent shape, in terms of parks. I can’t wait to bring them to Centennial Park, so they can see the structures that are as thrilling as they are visually stunning, with their colors and fun imagery.

I look forward to taking advantage of such local treasures as Emma Hubbs, and the moment they can swing a racquet, they’ll be enrolled in tennis lessons with the living Dixon legend.

I’ve played dozens of disc golf courses. In fact, my hometown of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, has one of the finest ones nationwide in Silver Creek Park.

But Sinnissippi can hang with the best. With lots of lengthy holes, a few of them relatively new, nice elevation changes and plenty of gorgeous trees to navigate, there’s plenty of variety.

I get pretty giddy when I think about bringing out the girls in a couple of years and giving them a chance to play a free game that helps you stay in great shape, even if you don’t realize you’re getting in one heck of a walk.

Let’s not forget one wonderful park feature that, because of the timing, might be overlooked right now: the pond at Thomas Park in Sterling. Next winter, I’ll help my little girls

lace up their skates for the first time and teach them how to glide, how to spin, and perhaps most importantly, how to fall and get back up again.

Christi Warren, cops and courts reporter In the past 10 years, my park use hasn’t really changed. I’ve always used parks for both exercise and leisure. During the spring and summer, I’ll often be found at Kilgour — my neighborhood park — taking in the sun, reading, or hitting a tennis ball against the backboard. Sometimes I can convince a friendly neighbor who had the same idea to play me in a pick-up game.

I run and take leisurely walks through Sinnissippi and Centennial. I read books and have picnics in Lawrence Park where

I can watch the beautiful Rock River roll by.

When moving here in 2013, being near a park was a top priority for me. I need the greenspace and the beauty in my life, and I found it with Kilgour. From my windows I look out across the street and can see people taking morning walks, and tennis teams practicing. I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Jermaine Pigee, education and business reporter: I’ve looked parks totally different throughout my life.

When I was a child, the park with the biggest slide is where I wanted to be.

If a park had a large slide with twists and turns, I wanted to be there all day. I also wanted a park where I could swing the highest. All I wanted to do was swing high and slide fast.

As I entered my teenage years, my attention turned to the basketball court. In Bloomington, my hometown, it was pretty hard to find an empty basketball court over the summer, especially when I was in high school. My friends and I would spend hours at the park playing basketball.

Today, it’s about scenery and which park has the best breathtaking views. I also think about how I proposed to my wife, Kate. I traveled to Wisconsin and proposed to her at Devil’s Lake State Park in 2012.

There was a beautiful view of the lake, there were sandy beaches and there was not a cloud in a sky.

There were no tall slides or basketball courts anywhere.

When I was younger, I had dreams of proposing, but never in a park. As I look back on it, I would

not have it any other way.

Matt Mencarini, Dixon reporter: I haven’t used parks much in the past 10 years compared to the 10 years prior. I occasionally run through them while I’m out on a run, but don’t spend much time in them.

But despite that, I think they’re important parts of a community.

I grew up just a few blocks from several parks.

It was nice to take a short walk to play baseball or kickball or something else. I can appreciate them as an adult, as a quiet place the community shares.

Larry Lough, executive editor: It’s been more than 10 years since I took our children to the park. I still go, but with my dog.

And now I carry a plastic bag. So, yes, my use of parks has changed.

Traveling teams allow districts Quality Repairs Personal Service more offerings, more tourneys PARKS

CONTINUED FROM D7

Youth sports expansion When Carey started at the Dixon Park District, things were a little different as far as recreation options went.

Back then, the district offered only six real recreational outlets: girls slow-pitch softball, the Memorial Pool, day camps, tennis, youth baseball, and one community race called the Nutri-Run. Now, the district offers more than twice that.

Of the original six, the district no longer has the pool and the Nutri-

Run. But the district has since coupled with more partners to add more runs, soccer, golf, girls fast-pitch softball, Dixon Junior Dukes football, Northern Illinois youth tackle football, roller hockey, nature hikes, bird watching, snowshoeing, and bow hunting.

It’s a similar story in Sterling, where the district is offering more and more tournaments for traveling teams in an effort to keep up with the way youth sports are evolving.

“It used to be, for example, summer baseball was just basically played here in town; you played against other kids.”

Schuldt said. While that

still happens, he said, “Now you’re seeing ... there is another group of kids, and they’re traveling and they’re playing elsewhere.”

He said it’s a matter of parents deciding to specialize their kids in sports at a very young age.

“The thinking is that – and I’m not saying I agree with the thinking – but the thinking is: The more I play basketball, the more I wrestle, the more I play baseball, ... then by the time I’m in high school, I’ll be a much better athlete in that sport, and I’m going to be so good that I can then continue on and get a scholarship and play in college,” Schuldt said.

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www.saukvalley.com

Sauk Valley Media • D9

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | REAL ESTATE

Doors are opening again The real estate market is finally starting to even out again after an economy-busting recession threw it off balance – and technology is helping unlock homes’ potential

the bubble burst, much of that wealth rapidly disappeared, and spending was reined in – spending that on average had reached a high of 97 percent of income in 2005.

BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier

A

fter years of unprecedented growth, the housing bubble was about to burst in 2006.

When it did, the ensuing credit crisis is generally considered the primary cause of the Great Recession, which pummeled the U.S. economy from December 2007 to June 2009.

Housing prices had hit an apex in early 2006, after a building boom made new home construction a dangerously large percentage of national gross domestic product. In 2005, new builds were close to 7 percent of the nation’s economic activity.

Fears spiraled, and on Dec. 30, 2008, the Case-Shiller home price index reported its largest price drop in history.

As home prices hit record highs, the $8 trillion in inflated equity had Americans spending more of their income. When

More government regulation In the aftermath of the recession, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act became law in July 2010. The law placed bank regulation in the hands of the government in an effort to increase transparency and better protect consumers.

The onslaught of financial controls also served to tighten credit, making it much more difficult to borrow money to buy a home, or invest in development.

Ed Cox, of Re/Max Sauk Valley, is president of the Hometown Association of Realtors, which serves the Sauk Valley. He said Dodd-Frank not only dramatically changed the banking landscape, it has left its mark on the real estate business.

REAL ESTATE CONTINUED ON D10

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D10 • Sauk Valley Media

www.saukvalley.com

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | REAL ESTATE

High-end housing slower to bounce back than entry-level market REAL ESTATE

CONTINUED FROM D9

“Dodd-Frank has put unrealistic expectations on appraisers,” Cox said.

“It requires cookie-cutter comps, and you can’t adjust it for a particular market.”

Agents now can get only one appraiser for a property, and they aren’t even supposed to speak to an appraiser.

“We’re supposed to be prohibited from talking to appraisers so real estate people can’t influence values,” Cox said.

While real estate professionals understand that a certain amount of reform was needed in light of the subprime mortgage mess,

they fear the government has overcorrected.

“People who don’t work in the business are making rules on lending,” Cox said. “They were too lenient on banks before, and now we’re paying the price for that.”

Sales picking up Housing sales and values have gradually made a comeback since the recession. The massive numbers of foreclosures and short sales are finally decreasing, and homes in all price points are moving a bit faster.

“During the recession, the upper-end houses weren’t even selling because people with money weren’t spending it,” Cox said. “The

homes in the $300,000 to $400,000 range were sitting on the market for 5 or 6 years.”

The $80,000 to $90,000 market rebounded faster because, in this area, it is driven by first-time homebuyers.

Cox said the area housing market had taken a big hit a few years before the recession.

“The local market had been hurt by the loss of manufacturing jobs, especially with the loss of many of our middlemanagement professionals,” Cox said.

New build activity in the area has been slow for many years. Several factors are at play, including tighter credit and an aging population.

‘‘

Dodd-Frank has put unrealistic expectations on appraisers. It requires cookie-cutter comps, and you can’t adjust for a particular market Ed Cox, president, Hometown Association of Realtors

In the five-county northwest Illinois region, it is projected that 21 percent of the population will be 65 and older by 2020.

According to U.S. Census figures, the region’s total population dropped from 213,513 in 2000 to 210,876 in 2010.

Technology Brian Corwell, 52, of Re/Max Sauk Valley, has worked in area real estate for 17 years. Corwell’s father was an original Re/

Max franchise owner, but technology has made the business much different from the one his father knew. When the younger Corwell started, just finding properties with the Multiple Listing Service could eat up a big part of each day.

“When I first started, the MLS was DOS-based with a big spreadsheet, and you had to check lots of boxes to do searches,” Corwell said. “It was all done with dial-up modems, and if some-

’’

thing was wrong with the download matches, you had to start over again.”

When MLS was distributed, it was only as good as its last download, which happened every couple of hours. Now the MLS is a sophisticated and mobile system.

“Now it’s all online and constantly updated – no more downloads for the most recent listings,” Corwell said.

HOUSING CONTINUED ON D11

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www.saukvalley.com

Sauk Valley Media • D11

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | REAL ESTATE

From maps to apps: Home-buyers upgrade their approach HOUSING

CONTINUED FROM D10

The mobile MLS is available for smartphones, iPads, and other devices. Corwell can now set timed searches to clients, and they’ll often have the latest listings in an email before he sees them.

“I’m with the millennials 24/7 now, and most of them prefer to deal with me electronically,” Corwell said.

Corwell is a firm believer in the value of images in his business. Although his company is fairly large and can offer a good technical support network, he takes as many photos as possible for Re/Max to convert to video. He often prefers to put together his own virtual tours.

Corwell is looking forward to soon using the newest in electronic signatures systems.

“If a client is selling a house in Arizona, they can use DocuSign instead of having to scan, print and fax documents for signatures,” Corwell said.

Some shoppers go house-hunting with a newspaper and a map. Others go with a smartphone and an app.

Technology is changing the way home-buyers do business. Today, they can narrow down their search for a home based on several different criteria, and even take a virtual tour – all without even leaving their house.

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D14 • Sauk Valley Media

www.saukvalley.com

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | HEALTH CARE

Center of attention Health care providers put patients at the center of their efforts to embrace change while providing quality care

BY ANGEL SIERRA asierra@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5695 @_angelsierra

The medical sciences sit on a continuum that is expanding in breadth, scope, and reach. Innovation and discovery are part of who we are, and today, local hospitals and health care centers are directing focus and increased resources to patient care, embracing innovation to discover the best ways to treat patients.

The old doctor-knows-best hierarchy is out the window – much like the miasma theory,

once a well-accepted theory that some diseases such as cholera and Black Death were caused by bad air. That theory was eventually replaced by a newer way of thinking called germ theory, which now explains that it’s not the air that’s bad, it’s the microorganisms in it that can make you sick.

The new system of patient care uses a wide lens that keeps the consumer at the center, and emphasizes the concept of a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals.

HEALTH CARE CONTINUED ON D15

Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

KSB opened a walk-in clinic at Rose Plaza on South Galena Avenue in Dixon in 2014.

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | REAL ESTATE

The Direction Ahead

Feds help with regional housing to-do list Earlier this year, it was announced that more than $1.4 million is coming to Sauk Valley public housing agencies from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The money from the Capital Fund Program, which is distributed each year, pays for major large-scale improvements to public housing units, such as roof, plumbing and electrical repairs, and energy upgrades.

It’s part of nearly $116 million awarded to 3,100 public housing authorities statewide.

The Whiteside County Housing Authority plans to use its $429,320 allotment to repair the roofs of 12 buildings at its Coloma Homes complex, as well as to replace tub surrounds in 91 units. The rest of the money

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Electronic dropboxes even make it easier to show the properties.

“When I first started, I had to take the keys for showings from office to office, and drop them off again,” Corwell said.

“Now once someone

enters a building, it can tell me electronically who has been there and when.”

Clients also make use of an ever-increasing number of real estate websites. Corwell said easy access to information makes for well-informed clients, who come to him with a good idea of what they are looking for.

“It cuts across all age groups – even clients in their 60s and 70s are using the electronic information,” Corwell said. “I can’t imagine doing real estate the way we did it before all of the technology.”

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air conditioning in the public areas with high-efficiency units, Executive Director Ed Bochniak said. That should take about $50,000.

The rest of the money will be used to replace water heaters and furnaces with high-efficiency models in about half of the 24 family housing units at Carroll Apartments. The rest will be replaced next year, Bochniak said.

The Ogle County Housing Authority will get $383,755; calls to that agency were not returned Wednesday afternoon.

The Bureau County Housing Authority’s share is $304,111; Executive Director Laurel Hand was in a training session Wednesday and unavailable for comment.

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will pay for security guards who patrol all of the authority’s properties, said Lynn Deter, the agency’s executive director.

The Lee County Housing Authority will use its $222,664 to pay off bonds it sold in 2005 to fund a major renovation of its units, Executive Director Thomas Myers said.

A small amount of money might be left over; that will go into the operations fund, he said.

The Carroll County Housing Authority will receive $96,479, which it plans to use for energyefficient upgrades to its Mest Manor and Carroll Apartments.

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Tuesday, March 24, 2015

www.saukvalley.com

Sauk Valley Media • D15

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | HEALTH CARE

Technology and bureaucracy change the face of health care HEALTH CARE

CONTINUED FROM D14

Today’s consumers, meanwhile, prize immediacy and have come to expect fast answers.

Local health care providers seek much the same: speed, efficiency and accuracy. It’s those similar goals that drive Sauk Valley providers to embrace innovation to discover the best way to treat patients.

But at times, there can be a dichotomy between the speed patients want and the realities of medicine. The best quality wellness, recovery and treatment can take time.

That’s where identifying – and managing – expectations comes into play.

Weathering the storm “The mission” is a phrase that rings throughout a conversation with Dr. Paul G. Steinke, chief executive officer at CGH Medical Center and its clinics. He oversees 1,400 employees.

Steinke echoed the phrase several times while he highlighted goals, and provided a condition check on the company’s health in a March interview with Sauk Valley Media.

“I’m excited about the future,” he said.

Consumers and employees are reaping the benefits of several expansion projects at CGH, such as a renovated emergency room, cath lab, and Ready Care, a downtown Sterling satellite clinic that opened in 2009.

The recent recession cast a shadow over the

Sauk Valley, and businesses, including those in health care, were asked to participate in cost-saving initiatives to better manage the bottom line, he said.

“There were things we had to change structurally … higher premiums and out-of-pocket deductibles,” Steinke said. “Thankfully, we didn’t have to lay anyone off during the economic downturn.”

He also acknowledged challenges imposed by the Affordable Care Act, and an increased burden on the hospital from public aid. More than 60 percent of business comes from Medicare and Medicaid recipients, and hospitals lose money on every one of those patients, he said.

“As government gets more and more involved in the care we deliver, it’s more controlled, and there is less flexibility in the way we do things,” he added.

A new paradigm within the industry adds to the company’s wellness portfolio.

Electronic intensive care unit, or “eICU,” was launched in March at CGH, and is a step toward the world of telemedicine, offering expertise from doctors who might not directly service the Sauk Valley. “[Medical staff] are in the background silently providing an additional layer of observation … for our eICU beds at CGH Medical Center,” reads a promotional document. The unit is linked to a call center in Oak Brook owned by Advocate Health Care, and is staffed around the clock.

By remotely connecting medical professionals to patients, the hospital can facilitate direct emergency care, and push the satisfaction level from good to great.

“It’s a technology that’s becoming more mainstream,” said Steinke, who pointed out that the leadership team considers it a necessity now, although it is a costly program and is not billed to patients.

In the past, someone would visit the doctor only after getting sick — it was episodic, he explained. Now, health care has become part of a continuum Leveraging technology like the eICU, and attracting new specialties to the Sauk Valley, will help the community stay healthy, Steinke said.

CGH Medical Center made about $200 million in net patient revenue last year, compared to KSB Hospital’s $126 million. The numbers represent the amounts taken in, but before expenses are paid. In the end, $10.8 million and $2.7 million remained as net operating balances, respectively.

Steinke confirmed that the hospital was on solid ground as the largest employer in Whiteside County, and one of the top earners in the area.

A patient-first mentality Both CGH Medical Center and KSB Hospital are bringing advancements to their electronic medical records capabilities after the federal mandate required hospitals to make the switch.

HEALTH CARE CONTINUED ON D16

WHAT DO WE THINK? How have your health care experiences changed because of technology, for better or worse?

Jim Dunn, opinion page editor: Medical technology helped me deal with prostate cancer, as it has helped many other men.

Several years ago, my family doctor ordered a routine blood test, which found my PSA level was elevated. I was referred to a urologist, and a biopsy test discovered cancer.

I was concerned by the diagnosis, and I had many questions, which the urologist answered. But as the surgery, hospitalization, and recovery progressed, I had more and more questions in between my doctor visits.

Thank goodness for the Internet.

Through it, I found helpful information from medical and Cancer Society websites. I watched a series of YouTube videos posted by a prostate cancer survivor. I read postings from cancer survivors about their experiences.

And I discovered a prostate cancer support group in the Illinois Quad Cities.

I drove there, attended a meeting, and received helpful advice from members.

While modern medical technology aided my diagnosis and treatment, com-

puter technology helped me learn how others had coped. And I really appreciated the knowledge.

Christi Warren, reporter: I like technology when it comes to my health care.

The fact that I can go to any CGH Medical Center provider, and they automatically can pull up my list of medications, and my history of care there provides me a great sense of comfort.

I look forward to the day when those records are universally accessible by hospitals. The idea of being involved in an accident in Connecticut, or where have you, and them not knowing my medical history is a problem, and one that would be fixed by such a platform.

Larry Lough, executive editor: How wonderful it is to communicate with my doctor (or her nurse) through the clinic’s website, where I can schedule appointments, check test results, and connect at my convenience. I don’t know that technology has made me healthier, but it’s made me a better, more engaged patient.

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D16 • Sauk Valley Media

www.saukvalley.com

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | HEALTH CARE

The Direction Ahead

Improvements happening in all Sauk Valley health care networks If Sauk Valley’s health care system were a play, its title would be “Progress,” and its starring role would be the patient.

And in a supporting – but no less important – role would be the health care professionals who provide care and support to patients.

All those actors had a bigger and better stage to play on this past year, as area health care systems expanded and upgraded their services.

Morrison Morrison Community Hospital opened a diabetic center to help combat the serious, chronic disease.

The facility, which opened in September, is led by Dr. Priyanka Gauravi, an endocrinologist (a physician who specializes in treating disorders of the endocrine system, such as diabetes).

Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. Most of the food eaten is turned into glucose for the body to use for energy. The pancreas makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the body’s cells.

When you have diabetes, the body either does not make enough insulin or cannot use its own insulin as well as it should, which causes sugar to build up in the blood.

Patients can also suffer from complications such as

heart disease, vision loss and amputations. The burden of diabetes is even higher among minority populations.

There are also plans to bring on a diabetic educator to help diabetics learn about the disease and develop the skills they need to manage it successfully.

The diabetic educator also will teach patients about nutrition, proper activity levels and glucose monitoring.

“The whole idea of the center is to give comprehensive care to the diabetics in this area,” Gauravi said. “There are quite a few diabetics in the area, and we can definitely have a positive impact.”

Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

Dixon KSB Hospital opened a walkin clinic on the south side of town in July.

The clinic at 1672 S. Galena Ave., opened in partnership with Physicians Immediate Care, has an X-ray machine, lab testing and seven exam rooms, including a pediatric room and a trauma room.

Physicians Immediate Care is handling the new clinic’s dayto-day operations, while KSB offers clinical support, patient referrals, and help in transferring patient forms and charts between general physicians in the KSB network and the clinic, said Tom Demmer, the hospital’s director of marketing.

“I think if you look across the country right now, there’s

Dr. Priyanka Gauravi is heading the new diabetic clinic at Morrison Community Hospital. a real movement to be more patient-centered,” he said.

“People are trying to make things as easy as possible to make sure they can see the right people at the right time.”

KSB also opened a physical therapy facility in the same building.

The walk-in clinic can handle urgent medical needs when a patient can’t wait to see a general physician and doesn’t need to visit an emergency room. Its trauma room can perform minor procedures such as cleaning and stitching wounds and setting and putting splints on some broken bones, said Moha Mehta, a

spokeswoman for Physicians Immediate Care.

The clinic is there for patients, she said, “When it’s urgent but not an emergency.”

Sterling

Time is of the essence when it comes to treating heart problems, and earlier this year, CGH Medical Center added a tool to help buy patients some more time.

Because of the important role the cardiac catheterization lab has played in saving lives at CGH Medical Center has added a second cath lab, which opened February.

CGH does between 100 and 120 cardiac cath procedures

each month.

Cardiac health professionals are driven by what is commonly referred to as door to balloon time – the time it takes for patients to get treatment right after a heart attack.

“The national standard is 90 minutes, and having this second lab allows us to consistently do this,” said Valerie Sigafus, an RN and assistant director of invasive cardiology. “With one lab, if someone was already in there, you can’t just stop in the middle of a procedure.”

Dr. Paul Steinke, CGH president and CEO, said the second lab will make it easier for patients to address heart issues quickly and without leaving town.

Steinke said the quicker a patient can get into the cath lab, the better chance staff has to preserve heart function.

The catheterization procedure involves the insertion of a thin, flexible tube into an artery in a patient’s groin or arm. The catheter is slowly moved farther into the artery and allows cardiologists to see the inside of the arteries and heart. Doctors can then determine whether a patient needs angioplasty, stents, balloons, or pacemaker implantation.

“Ten years ago, heart attack patients had to go out of town.

For a community our size,” Steinke said. “We’re so thankful that we can do this here.”

Today’s patients are partners in health care HEALTH CARE

CONTINUED FROM D15

SUPPORT

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The process of combining all records into a single product is about 75 percent complete at KSB Hospital, said CEO Dave Schreiner, and will help physicians understand as much as possible about the patient to achieve a correct diagnosis.

“We have to provide value to our patients with less money,” said Schreiner, who pointed out that about 40 percent of hospitals didn’t make money last year.

But that doesn’t mean the hospital is skimping on services.

“We work through our vendors in research and development,” he said, adding that new lobby registration kiosks soon will make the admission process less stressful.

CGH and KSB share a philosophy that hospitals around the country increasingly are moving toward – a family-based practice.

“Every hospital has a different culture, … [but] we are lucky how engaged our community is with us,” said Kristie Geil, chief nursing officer at CGH Medical Center, who

comes from a long line a nurses in the family.

“They deserve a hotel experience, and frankly, for the money, they deserve it,” she said. “We are a service industry … [and are] becoming more like other service industries, instead of separate.”

Fifty years ago, patients were not seen as partners in health care, and physicians usually had the final word, she said.

“There were no choices.”

Fast forward to today, and patients want to be kept informed about their care, Geil said.

Because feedback can be critical to the team, it’s a strong reason that hospitals such as KSB have assembled patientexperience committees and share the intelligence with every department.

“Physicians can’t work isolated, or in a silo,” said Linda Clemen, chief nursing officer at KSB, who has more than 29 years of experience.

“They can’t do it by themselves.”

It’s all about the patient’s perception, she said, and it’s just a matter of identifying the expectation.

Clemen said the goal is to “wow” them.

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www.saukvalley.com

Sauk Valley Media • D17

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | PEOPLE Population changes by county: 2010-13

CARROLL

OGLE

2010: 15,387 2000: 16,674 Difference: -1,287 Percentage: -7.72

2010: 53,497 2000: 51,032 Difference: +2,465 Percentage: +4.83

WHITESIDE

LEE

2010: 58,498 2000: 60,653 Difference: -2,155 Percentage: -3.55

Map Key Population increase

2010: 36,031 2000: 36,062 Difference: -31 Percentage: -0.09

BUREAU 2010: 34,978 2000: 35,503 Difference:-525 Percentage: -1.48

Population decrease

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

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Sauk Valley’s rise and fall Decreases and increases: Census paints a picture of the area that isn’t always in line with the rest of the nation

BY KATHLEEN A. SCHULTZ kschultz@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5535 @KathleenSchul10

More Hispanics, less money; more seniors, fewer rural residents.

As goes the nation, so goes the Sauk Valley? Not necessarily.

Fewer rural residents, yes.

According to the 2010 Census, most towns and counties in northwestern Illinois lost population over the past decade, as opposed to the 1990s, when the Census showed that most of the area saw increases.

Economic factors, and especially a decline in manufacturing, gets the lion’s share of the blame for the drain.

Of the five counties in the Sauk Valley, only Ogle County’s population increased – by nearly 5 percent, from 51,032 to 53,497. That county is known for its success in attracting industry over the past quartercentury.

The 2013 Census estimate, however, predicted a drop to 52,385.

Whiteside County saw its population drop 3.5 percent over the past 10 years, from 60,653 to 58,498. Much of the loss came to the western part of the county – Fulton’s population dipped from 3,881 to 3,481, or 10.3 percent, and Morrison decreased from 4,447 to 4,188, or 5.8 percent.

CENSUS CONTINUED ON D19

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D18 • Sauk Valley Media

www.saukvalley.com

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | PEOPLE Percentages of population, 18 and younger

High school graduates, by percentage

Jurisdiction Sterling

2010 25.4%

2000 27.9%

1990 25.9%

Rock Falls

25.2%

28.1%

27.5%

Dixon

19.8%

23.4%

22.5%

Whiteside County

23.1%

27.8%

26.8%

Lee County

21.0%

26.8%

25.9%

State

24.4%

29.1%

25.8%

Percentages of population, 65 and older

Jurisdiction Sterling

2010 81.7%

2000 78.4%

1990 74.0%

Rock Falls

82.0%

72.5%

66.1%

Dixon

81.3%

73.8%

73.9%

Whiteside County

86.5%

79.8%

73.3%

Lee County

86.0%

80.2%

76.3%

State

86.6%

81.4%

76.2%

2010 16.5%

2000 16.9%

1990 16.5%

Rock Falls

15.7%

15.9%

15.3%

Dixon

14.3%

14.9%

16.1%

Whiteside County

17.9%

16.1%

14.9%

Lee County

16.0%

14.7%

14.7%

State

12.5%

12.1%

12.6%

Jurisdiction Sterling

2010 15.3%

2000 10.8%

1990 NA

Rock Falls

19.5%

11.5%

NA

Dixon

10.5%

10.1%

NA

Whiteside County

11.7%

8.5%

11.0%

9.5%

7.7%

8.8%

13.1%

10.7%

NA

Lee County State

Bachelor’s degree, by percentage

Jurisdiction Sterling

Persons below poverty level, by percentage

Jurisdiction Sterling

2010 16.6%

2000 12.1%

1990 13.0%

9.2%

5.9%

4.5%

Dixon

14.8%

12.7%

11.2%

Whiteside County

15.6%

11.3%

9.9%

Lee County

15.4%

13.2%

11.8%

State

30.7%

26.1%

21.0%

Rock Falls

Language other than English spoken at home, by percentage Jurisdiction Sterling

2010 13.2%

2000 13.0%

1990 9.4%

Rock Falls

8.7%

8.4%

5.6%

Dixon

5.0%

4.2%

4.7%

Whiteside County

6.9%

6.9%

5.4%

Lee County

3.9%

3.8%

3.4%

22.0%

19.2%

13.1%

State

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, compiled by SVM staff

The Direction Ahead

Local students get bilingual In 2010 in Sterling, less than 20 percent of the city’s residents were of Hispanic or Latino origin, according to the U.S. Census.

Three years later, that number had risen to over 24 percent.

With a growing numbers of Hispanics in the community – and across the nation – being bilingual is becoming more of a benefit, not only socially, but economically as well.

Jenna Lopez is well aware of that.

Her daughter, Sophia, is only a preschooler, but her mother already is preparing for her future.

Jenna Lopez, who is also a reading specialist at Jefferson Elementary School, plans to enroll her daughter in a new dual language program being launched at the school.

“If she is bilingual, she will be more successful,” said Lopez, 30. “She may not understand right now, but when it comes to school and jobs in the future, she will have more opportunities.”

The voluntary program is designed to create biliterate students – those who will be able to read, write and speak English and Spanish.

According to the Sterling School District, students who participate in dual language programs develop strong reasoning skills, improving their understanding of math and science; develop respect and appreciation for other cultures; and improve their career options.

A dual language program also is the most effective model for students whose home language is Spanish.

The program goals are to have students develop a high level of proficiency in both languages; to have students who perform at or above grade level in both languages, and to have students who have “positive crosscultural attitudes and behaviors, and high levels of self-esteem.”

The program will begin with kindergartners and follow them as they advance into higher grades.

The first classroom will be at Jefferson, which has K-2 students, with both English- and Spanish-speaking students learning both languages.

Because the district allows open enrollment, children who normally would attend Franklin Elementary, Sterling’s other K-2 school, can apply

to attend Jefferson. Whether they will be accepted depends on that year’s enrollment numbers.

Once students enter Washington Elementary School as third-graders, a program will start there.

To be eligible, students must be 5

by Sept. 1 of the school year in which they want to participate; demonstrate strong oral language skills in their first language; demonstrate kindergarten readiness; and have parents who are willing to commit to the program through fifth grade.

The kindergarten classroom will have a bilingual teacher and a bilingual teaching aide. Eighty percent of the class will be taught in Spanish, and 20 percent will be taught in English. Hand motions and other techniques will be used to help students understand the language.

The percentage changes to 70-30 in second grade, and 60-40 in third grade. In fourth and fifth grades, 50 percent of the instruction will be in Spanish and 50 percent will be in English.

“Because we have a high population of Spanish speakers in the area, we choose Spanish and English for our two languages for the program,” Dail said. “With our current personnel, we are fortunate that we have teachers who are bilingual.”

Plans call for adding some dual language classes at the middle and high school levels.

“Students will also get a seal of biliteracy on their transcript,” Dail said.

“Colleges and employers will see that.”

Dail has heard no opposition to the program.

“It’s a voluntary program, so it’s not like we are making every kindergartner go into the program,” she said. “People I’ve spoke to want their students to have this opportunity. I’ve already gotten calls from interested parents.”

Lopez said she looks forward to her daughter starting the class.

“I’ve had many career opportunities because I am bilingual,” she said. “If you have a job candidate who is English-speaking and a candidate who is bilingual, the bilingual candidate will get more of an advantage over the English speaker because she can offer more.”

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www.saukvalley.com

Sauk Valley Media • D19

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | PEOPLE

Lee County population holds steady in 2010 census White population, by percentage

Hispanic population, by percentage

Jurisdiction Sterling

2010 82.5%

2000 84.4%

1990 89.2%

Jurisdiction Sterling

2010 24.2%

2000 19.2%

1990 15.8%

Rock Falls

91.5%

91.8%

93.4%

Rock Falls

15.1%

11.5%

10.0%

Dixon

83.9%

86.3%

89.2%

Dixon

6.7%

4.3%

2.1%

Whiteside County

95.8%

92.8%

94.9%

Whiteside County

11.2%

8.8%

7.4%

Lee County

92.4%

92.7%

94.6%

Lee County

5.1%

3.2%

2.1%

State

71.5%

73.5%

78.3%

State

15.8%

12.3%

7.9%

Black population, by percentage

Foreign born, by percentage

Jurisdiction Sterling

2010 3.0%

2000 2.2%

1990 1.7%

Jurisdiction Sterling

2010 5.1%

2000 5.4%

1990 3.6%

Rock Falls

1.5%

2.2%

0.8%

Rock Falls

3.7%

3.3%

2.1%

10.2%

10.5%

7.8%

Dixon

2.8%

2.6%

1.2%

Whiteside County

1.7%

1.0%

0.7%

Whiteside County

3.0%

2.8%

1.8%

Lee County

5.2%

4.9%

3.6%

Lee County

2.1%

1.9%

1.0%

14.5%

15.1%

14.8%

13.7%

12.3%

8.3%

Dixon

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CENSUS

CONTINUED FROM D17

The 2013 estimate for the county predicted an even further decline, to 57,557.

In that decade, Sterling lost half of a percentage point of its population, dropping by 81 people to 15,370. That was expected to slip even further, to 15,152, by 2013.

On the other side of the river, Rock Falls fell by 3.2 percent, from 9,580 to 9,266, and was predicted to hit 9,213 by 2013.

Dixon dropped by 1.3 percent, from 15,941 to 15,733. A further loss of 400 people was predicted.

Lee County stayed nearly the same in 2010, losing just 31 people, totaling 36,031, but the 2013 estimate was 34,858.

Carroll County saw its population take a dive for the second decade in a row. It lost nearly 8 percent of its population in the 10 years between 2000 and 2010, going from 16,767 to 15,387. The 2013 prediction sees the decrease continuing, down to 14,910.

In 2003, Carroll County lost about 700 manufacturing jobs with plant closings, including Dura Co. in Mount Carroll and Elkay in Lanark.

SAUK CENSUS CONTINUED ON D20

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D20 • Sauk Valley Media

www.saukvalley.com

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | PEOPLE

Sauk Valley gets less gray SAUK CENSUS

CONTINUED FROM D19

According to the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which tracks demographic changes in non-metropolitan America, in 2013, 46.2 million people, about 15 percent of the nation’s population, lived in non-metro counties.

That number came, however, as a result of a 3-year population decline, the first such period of overall population decline in non-metro America.

The change was spotty, though, with some rural counties losing people, and others gaining.

According to the ERS, “nonmetro population growth from net migration peaked in 2006, then declined precipitously and shifted geographically in response to rising unemployment, housing market challenges, energy-sector developments and other factors.

“Suburban expansion and migration to scenic, retirement-recreation destinations have been primary drivers of rural demographic change for several decades, but for the time being at least, their influence has considerably weakened.”

More impoverished The Sauk Valley definitely has seen an increase in poverty.

In Rock Falls, nearly one in five people lived below the poverty line in 2010: 19.7 percent, compared to 16.4 percent in Sterling and 12.2 percent in Dixon.

Of the Sauk Valley’s five counties, Carroll had the highest percentage of poor, with 13.7 percent of it residents living below the poverty line, followed

by Whiteside at 12 percent; Bureau at 11.6 percent, Ogle at 11.3 percent and Lee at 10.7 percent.

Those numbers represent significant increases over the decade.

In 2000, only 11.5 percent of Rock Falls residents lived below the poverty line, 10.8 percent of Sterling and 10.1 percent in Dixon.

In 2000, Carroll’s percentage was 9.6; Whiteside, 8.5; Bureau, 7.1; Ogle, 7.1; and Lee, 7.3.

Statewide, 14.7 percent of people lived below the poverty line in 2010, compared to 10.7 percent a decade earlier.

Employment figures certainly influence those numbers. According to the Census, the percentage of employed people 16 and older dropped from 2000 to 2010, from 58.7 percent to 56.3 percent in Carroll County; from 60.1 percent to 57.5 percent in Whiteside; from 62.5 percent to 58.1 percent in Bureau; from 64.1 percent to 60.4 percent in Ogle; and from 57.5 percent to 55.5 percent in Lee County.

Race, ethnicity More people of Hispanic and Latino heritage?

Also yes.

Like the rest of the nation, the Sauk Valley’s Hispanic population is growing.

According to 2010 Census figures, 16 percent of America’s population were of Hispanic or Latino origin, 3 percent more than 10 years earlier.

In Sterling in 2010, 24.2 percent of the city’s 15,439 people were Hispanic or Latino, compared to 19.2 percent, or 15,451, in 2000.

The higher-thannational number likely is result of the large numbers of Mexican workers who moved to town in

the early to mid-20th century to work at the now-defunct Northwestern Steel and Wire Mill.

In Dixon, Hispanics accounted for 4.3 percent of the population in 2000; that number rose to 6.7 percent in 2010. Rock Falls’ population was 11.5 percent Hispanic in 2000, and 15.1 percent in 2010.

The number of AfricanAmericans accounted for 10.5 percent of Dixon’s population in 2000; 2.9 percent of Sterling’s; and 0.9 of Rock Falls’. In 2010, those numbers were 10.2 percent in Dixon, 3 percent in Sterling,, and 1.5 percent in Rock Falls.

Seniors More local seniors?

Oddly, no.

When it come to aging residents, Sauk Valley numbers actually are declining a bit.

Census numbers show that in 2000, 16.9 percent of Sterling’s population was older than 65; that number dipped to 16.5 percent in 2010.

Dixon’s numbers went from 14.9 percent to 14.3 percent, and Rock Falls went from 15.9 percent to 15.7 percent.

That comes at a time when the nation as a whole is getting grayer.

According to the Census, 12.4 percent of the U.S. population in 2000 was 65 or older; in 2010, the number was 13 percent.

It might not seem like much of a change, but those numbers represent a 15.1 percent growth over the decade, while the overall population grew only 9.7 percent.

Men made up 41.2 percent of that population in 2000; in 2010, their numbers grew to 43.1 percent of those 65 and older. Women’s numbers dropped, from 58.8 percent to 56.9 percent of older Americans.

What the census shows How many people live in your community, according to the 2010 U.S. Census?

Has your city or village’s population grown or declined?

Community ........... 2010 pop...... 2000 pop.............Change ........... % Change Amboy ...........................2,500............ 2,561...................–61 .................–2.44% Ashton ..............................972............ 1,142.................–170 ...............–14.89% Byron .............................3,753.............. 2,91.................+836 .............. +28.66% Chadwick ..........................551............... 505...................+46 ................ +9.11% Coleta ...............................164............... 155.....................+9 ................ +5.81% Compton ...........................303............... 347...................–44 ...............–12.68% Deer Grove ..........................48................. 48...................N/A .................... 0.0% Dixon............................15,733.......... 15,941.................–208 ................. -1.30% Erie.................................1,602............ 1,589...................+13 ................ +0.82% Frank. Grove .................1,021............ 1,052...................–31 .................–2.95% Fulton .............................3,481............ 3,881................. -400 ............... -10.31% Harmon .............................120............... 149...................–29 ...............–19.46% Lanark ............................1,457............ 1,584.................–127 .................–8.02% Lyndon ..............................648............... 566...................+82 .............. +14.49% Manlius..............................359............... 355.....................+4 ................ +1.13% Milledgeville ....................1,032............ 1,016...................+16 ................ +1.57% Morrison .........................4,188............ 4,447................. -259 ................. -5.82% Mt. Carroll ......................1,717............ 1,832.................–115 .................–6.28% Mt. Morris .......................2,998............ 3,013...................–15 .................–0.50% Nelson ...............................170............... 163.....................+7 ................ +4.29% New Bedford .......................75................. 95...................–20 ...............–21.05% Ohio ..................................513............... 540...................–27 ...................–5.0% Oregon ...........................3,721............ 4,060.................–339 .................–8.35% Paw Paw ...........................870............... 852...................+18 ................ +2.11% Polo ...............................2,335............ 2,477.................–142 .................–5.73% Prophetstown .................2,080............ 2,023...................+57 ................ +2.82% Rochelle .........................9,574............ 9,424.................+150 ................ +1.59% Rock Falls ......................9,266............ 9,580................. -312 ................. -3.28% Sheffield ............................926............... 946...................–20 .................–2.11% Sterling .........................15,370.......... 15,451................... -81 ................. -0.52% Steward ............................256............... 271...................–15 .................–5.54% Sublette.............................449............... 456.....................–7 .................–1.54% Tampico ............................790............... 772...................+18 ................ +2.33% Thomson ...........................590............... 559...................+31 ................ +5.55% Walnut ............................1,416............ 1,461...................–45 .................–3.08% West Brooklyn ...................142............... 174...................–32 ...............–18.39% www.edwardjones.com

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Tuesday, March 24, 2015

www.saukvalley.com

Sauk Valley Media • D21

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The cost of doing the people’s business Cities face financial hurdles when jumping on the latest technological bandwagon

BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529 @MattMencarini

Local governments aren’t the quickest adopters of technology, and the big upfront cost is one reason.

It’s the dilemma local governments often face. It can take a lot of money to implement new technology, but the city will eventually realize the savings, though sometimes years afterward – if the municipality can wait that long.

Rock Falls police cars will likely get computers during the coming fiscal year, said City Administrator Robbin Blackert.

The police department has needed the equipment for a while, but hasn’t been able to afford it. The city will make the move this year, Blackert said, and deal with the initial upfront cost. The computers will allow officers to be better connected to information and each other, she said.

Sometimes, the payback comes more quickly.

Sterling High School and Wallace Elementary School are the only two Sterling Public Schools buildings without geothermal energy. The district started installing units around 2008, as a way to

save money.

Geothermal energy draws air from underground, where the temperature remains constant, and use it to heat or cool a building.

The costs are high at the outset, but energy savings can be almost immediate.

The cost versus the eventual payoff are factors that Sterling leaders have to weigh whenever they considers adding a new technology, said Mayor Skip Lee. In the years after the initial purchase, he said, the only cost is usually maintenance.

“As we replace equipment, of course we try to make sure, technologically, we’re staying in the race,” he said. “...

You try and stay current. Sometimes people don’t understand that if you’re going to be technologically there, there’s an upfront cost. And many times that’s the hurdle to get over.”

As an example, Lee said the City Council was given laptop computers, which are loaded with agendas, meeting minutes, and meeting packets in an effort to reduce paper use and the hours needed to compile those items for elected officials.

LOCAL GOV’T CONTINUED ON D22

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D22 • Sauk Valley Media

www.saukvalley.com

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Be it a lightpost or a Facebook post, cities strive to keep current LOCAL GOV’T

do even more.

“Well, I think we need to do more with that,” Burke said. “... And things were discussed at the strategic planning, about having more Internet access to the public and so forth. So I think we’re going to see quite a bit of that.”

Rock Falls Alderman John Watts, after he was elected in 2011, pushed the city to get a Facebook page and started it himself.

The city used Facebook to communicate with residents when the city was without water for several days in 2014 after a failure in the control panel at the 12th Avenue pump station, and when the city had smaller boil orders or a power outage.

Dixon is budgeting about $80,000 for the next fiscal year, which

CONTINUED FROM D21

In the long term, the city will save money. But the city had to commit to paying the cost of laptops for six council members and a mayor, realizing that the savings might not be seen for years.

The key for the city, Lee said, was to find laptops that wouldn’t be obsolete in a few years and weren’t equipped with unnecessary software or hardware, which would have increased the initial cost.

Dixon Mayor Jim Burke said the addition of City Administrator David Nord has increased the city’s presence online – Nord has a blog and Twitter account he uses for the city – but Burke said he’d like the city to

‘‘

residents can see or use themselves.

The GIS mapping comes at a big cost, she said, but the city has to keep up with new technology when it can.

Lee said Sterling has seen cost savings and more efficiency by consolidating its Fire Department’s administration with Rock Falls, and has a study that says more cost saving, and new technology for both cities, could come from consolidating police and fire dispatch operations.

“Anytime you’re looking at technology, you have to say, ‘OK, am I going to amortize this cost and realize the savings in an acceptable period?’” he said. “I would argue, if it takes me 30 years to get my money back, why would we want to do it?”

Anytime you’re looking at technology, you have to say, ‘OK, am I going to amortize this cost and realize the savings in an acceptable period?’ I would argue, if it takes me 30 years to get my money back, why would we want to do it?”

Sterling Mayor Skip Lee

starts May 1, to replace the phone systems at City Hall and the Public Safety building.

Other possible internal technology upgrades could involve the wireless network, mapping software for the cemetery, and a sonar for the fire department.

The phone systems in the two buildings aren’t connected, and there have been service interruptions, although not 911 service, in the past few years.

Nord has used his Twit-

ter account @DaveNord1 to share photos of the city, information, and links to his blog posts.

The blog – www.dixonillinois.blogspot.com – has touched on topics such as City Hall renovations to snow removal to sales taxes to opportunities for the arts in Dixon.

Possibly the most visible new technology Dixon has already started to implement is LED traffic lights. They are more energy efficient and will save the city money.

The same style of lights

’’

have been installed as street lights in Rock Falls along the Avenue G bridge, said City Administrator Blackert.

Behind the scenes, cities face other challenges keeping up with the latest technology.

Because the city runs the utilities, she said, the geographic information system (GIS) is critically important to the city and is regularly updated with new computers and new technology, although it’s not the kind of technology that’s flashy or that

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www.saukvalley.com

Sauk Valley Media • D23

DIRECTIONS 2015: THE 21ST CENTURY SAUK VALLEY | LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The bottom line can be a tightrope City leaders face their share of challenges balancing income and spending

BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529 @MattMencarini

In the wake of the recession, local governments were faced with new challenges as some saw less revenue or uncertain revenue from the usual tax-supported funds.

Cities had to rely more on reserve balances to plug gaps where immediate needs were present.

Throughout the state, municipalities tried to be more efficient with services, while locally they tried to plan as best they could for what might come next.

That, Sterling Mayor Skip Lee said, was a challenge, despite plenty of research, “The worst part of the last 10 years has been the lack of predictability on what we’re going to be getting for revenues,” he said. “You expect that [unpredictably] when you’re talking about licenses and fees. ... But the state replacement tax, motor fuel tax, sales tax and even the property levies have been so varying, that it makes it tough to predict.”

Lee said it’s got to the point where he considers himself lucky if he can get two sources to predict the same revenue level for one tax.

Even an organization like the Illinois Municipal League, which lobbies on behalf of local governments, can find it difficult to accurately predict how much state funding will make it to cities, Lee said.

Property values in the area have decreased, Lee said, and sales tax figures fluctuate on a regular basis. Cities can collect franchise fees through cable TV bills, but even that source has seen a decline amid competing information services.

“People are dropping cable as quick as they can do it, for a variety of reasons, which are service related” Lee said.

Dixon Mayor Jim Burke said it’s difficult to determine what budget shortfalls were the result of the recession and what came as a result of former comptroller Rita Crundwell’s multimillion-dollar theft.

“Obviously, it was a tough time for the city,” he said. “The Crundwell situation – of course which we were not aware of at that point – was compounding it.

We didn’t have a lot of reserves or anything.

That was the main thing.

The other thing is we had taken on the new Public Safety Building indebtedness, too. It was pretty slim around here, no question about that.”

In Rock Falls, the city had an advantage because it didn’t rely as heavily on sales tax revenue, said City Administrator Robbin Blackert.

Because revenue in Rock Falls relies more heavily on utility fees from sewer, water and electricity, the city didn’t have the dramatic revenue dip seen in other municipalities.

In fact, Blackert said, the city saw its revenue grow at a small pace.

While Rock Falls wasn’t faced with cuts, the city’s biggest problem was the overall increase in expenses, Blackert said, adding that it’s bound by collective bargaining agreements to increase salaries by 2 percent, which she said is a reasonable increase, but an increase nonetheless.

The cuts Rock Falls had to make, she said, were

smaller and likely not noticed by most residents.

In 2012, video gambling terminals started to show up in the Sauk Valley, and that’s resulted in a revenue boost for local governments, with Rock Falls expecting $90,000 next year and Dixon having about $160,000 of unspent revenue from the machines.

Dixon is considering using that money to build boat docks on the Rock River.

Rock Falls decided to allocate its video gambling money for police department vehicles.

Sterling had to make cuts and in 2010 and laid off three firefighters, a move Lee said was painful and controversial at the time – and still might be for some.

Since then, he said, other cities have made similar cuts, but Sterling was able to minimize additional staff cuts, even though the city might be slow to fill some positions as a result of budget issues.

Sterling has and will continue to look for partnerships.

“We try to do as much as we can ourselves, especially in the world of public works, because that keeps our cost down.

But we are always looking at options,” Lee said.

“The day is gone when you can be close-minded and say, ‘We’re going to do it this way for the next 500 years.’”

Putting together a city budget can be like putting together a puzzle, but sometimes city leaders don’t have all the pieces. Recession, state funding – even theft, they all add up to uncertainty One of those options became a reality in 2013, when Sterling and Rock Falls approved the longdiscussed consolidation of their fire departments.

The idea began when both cities were looking for cost-saving measures.

The cities split the cost of the fire chief, which includes a $90,000 salary, insurance, pension and other costs, based on the populations. The ratios can be adjusted if there’s a population shift.

Lee said Sterling shouldn’t oppose future consolidations or joint agreements with Rock

Falls, potentially including the police departments. There are also some aspects of both cities that each can’t develop on their own, like the riverfront.

The key, Lee said, will be to find partnerships, with other governments or even private companies, that make sense for the city and its goals.

Burke said Dixon’s sales tax revenue continues to increase steadily, as it has during his 16 years as mayor.

“Let’s face it, we’re in pretty darn good, solid financial condition with

what we’ve done, with the debt we got rid of,” he said. “We got about $13 million that’s not, at this point, earmarked for anything.”

The city has received about $39 million in restitution from the sale of Crundwell’s property and assets and a settlement with its former auditors and bank. The biggest portion of the money that the city spent paid off about $12.4 million in bonds, which saved the city nearly $4 million in interest costs. The city also took care of some internal debt.

Dixon has worked to make repairs, upgrades and purchases that were put off during the recession and because of Crundwell’s $54 million theft. The city is getting “very close,” Burke said, to being back where it should be.

“We also need to be very conscious about adding labor and employees to the city,” he said. “We really got to be careful with that. ... Capital projects are a one-time deal. New employees are forever.

And I think we’re all conscious of that.”