TEL_03242014

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Student of the month

DIXON BOYS TAKE SECOND AT NIB-12 INDOOR MEET

ROCK FALLS, A3

TRACK, B1

TELEGRAPH Monday, March 24, 2014

SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851

WHITESIDE COUNTY VISION 2030 | PARKS AND RECREATION

Less money to play with?

No need to switch to gravel Official: County will keep its paved roads BY DAVID GIULIANI dgiuliani@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 525

Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

Caleb Walls watches swimming and diving practice in November 2010 from the observation deck at the Duis Center. The Sterling Park District’s recreation center underwent a renovation and extensive updating in 2010.

Park district budgets unlikely to grow, amid new emphasis on appearance

MORRISON – Whiteside County might have to turn some of its roads into gravel within 5 years, an official warned in spring 2011. That prediction by thenCounty Engineer Steve Haring prompted considerable discussion for months in county government. He even began identifying roads that would be converted to gravel. But that process stopped when Haring resigned in December 2011, soon after he had pleaded guilty to a count of misdemeanor theft for having his workers do private work for him on the county clock. A few months later, the county hired Russ Renner, Lee County’s former engineer. In an interview last week, Renner said he didn’t see the need to turn any roads into gravel. “With the money you have available, you try to stretch the dollars as far as you can,” he said. “You try to put together a maintenance system to extend the life of roads.” GRAVEL CONTINUED ON A2

BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 529

Like many local public bodies, park districts will face a challenge to pay for providing services. Publicly funded budgets aren’t expected to increase, said Deb Carey, executive director of Dixon Park District, and 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 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

Tuesday’s edition will include a 52-page special section, “Vision 2030,” that will examine what the Sauk Valley might look like in 2030. We will look at employment, the workforce, education, infrastructure, housing, religion and health care, among other issues.

Breakout body

Special Section coming Tuesday

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. MONEY CONTINUED ON A4

Sauk Valley ‘overbuilt’ with golf courses Economy, sport’s popularity, family dynamic played role in golf’s demise BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 529

As the weather warms and the snow melts, golfers will return to area courses. The future of those local courses could be in doubt, a combination of the sport’s popularity decreasing and a market saturation. When the Sterling Park District bought Emerald Hill Golf Course in 1994, the Sauk Valley had twice as many golf courses as the national average for a like-size community, said Sterling Park District Executive Director Larry Schuldt.

Since then, golf courses have started to close. LakeView Golf Club, west of Sterling, was sold in November 2012 for farm land and development. The Oregon Country Club course closed in 2013 after being sold out of bankruptcy, which has been a refuge for many financially struggling golf clubs. “If you look at national trends, and if you look at local trends, too, there are more courses closing nationally than they’re building,” Schuldt said. “And what does that say? It says we’re overbuilt.” GOLF CONTINUED ON A4

WHITESIDE COUNTY

Bill would bar sex offenders from fairs Rep. Mike Smiddy sponsor of measure BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 521

Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com

Ava Hackman watches as her mother, Jami Hackman, hits her ball in August 2013 at Sunset Golf Course in Mount Morris.

STERLING – Three Whiteside County officials are headed to Springfield today to testify for a bill that could prevent registered sex offenders from attending county fairs. Sheriff Kelly Whiteside Wilhelmi County Sheriff Kelly Wilhelmi described the bill as the brainchild of one of his deputies, Seth Janssen. Janssen, the department’s juvenile relations officer, investigates crimes against children in Whiteside County. OFFENDERS CONTINUED ON A5

$1.00

TODAY’S EDITION: 20 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 163 ISSUE 228

INDEX

COMICS ............... A9 CROSSWORD......B9 DEAR ABBY ......... A7

LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2 NATION/WORLD A10

OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 SPORTS ...............B1

Today’s weather High 36. Low 18. More on A3.

Need work? Check out your classifieds, B4.

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