Your source for community news and sports 7 days a week.
Prime time for pancakes
BIG INNING LIFTS OREGON OVER DIXON
FOOD, A9-10
SOFTBALL, B1
TELEGRAPH
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
DIXON ONE
Consensus on composition Task force puts together plan for board that represents members’ interests BY RACHEL RODGERS rrodgers@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5529 @rj_rodgers
DIXON – The governing board that will anchor the city’s future tourism, marketing and development hub will consist of members encompassing a range of organizations.
Grappling with how to give fair representation to merging organizations like the Dixon Chamber of Commerce and Dixon Main Street, the Dixon One advisory task force made a consensus on the composition of the board during its meeting Tuesday. “We need to make sure all organizations feel they are a part of this and feel valued,” said David Hellmich, task force
Power of the pedal
member and president of Sauk Valley Community College. The task was easier said than done as Dixon One’s mission is to present a merger that appeases both the chamber and Dixon Main Street, which currently have 16-member and 10-member boards, respectively. CONSENSUS CONTINUED ON A5
Next meeting The Dixon One advisory task force next meets at 5:30 p.m. May 10 at City Hall, 121 W. Second St. Go to discoverdixon.org or call City Hall at 815-288-1485 for an agenda or more information.
WHITESIDE COUNTY
DIXON
Dispatch unit likely a casualty of merger Rock Falls probably will close; Sterling, Morrison would stay BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
Jeff Leffelman, 48, of Amboy tries out his new recumbent bike Tuesday afternoon in the parking lot of Green River Cyclery in Dixon. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in September 2009, he’s rallied to become a force in fundraising for MS research. Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
Recumbent bike helping man with MS along path to comfort, if not recovery BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 @CHeimerman_SVM
J
eff Leffelman zipped around the parking lot at Green River Cyclery on Tuesday afternoon on his recumbent bike, a day removed from a 10-mile trek around the Amboy countryside, the longest journey he’s undertaken so far on his new ride. In just 10 days, the bike has done so much for his battle against multiple sclerosis. In turn, it’s put into perspective what he’s been able to accomplish without it.
To help find a cure Team Amboy Walk MS will take part in Walk MS on Sunday at Lincoln Park in Chicago. Go to shawurl.com/2jxa for more information. Search for “Kayak to Cure MS” to book your group’s kayaking trip with Jeff Leffelman as your guide, and search for “Team Amboy Walk MS” on Facebook to learn more about the group and how you can help find a cure.
Online extra Click on this story at saukvalley.com to watch Jeff Leffelman show off his new recumbent bike. Leffelman, 48, was diagnosed in September 2009, while working at a job he loved at Coleman Insights, a music research company in North Carolina. Despite his
and his employer’s efforts to keep him on the job, the disease stripped him of the ability to do it well enough. Reluctantly, he moved back to his hometown of Amboy.
He said he hit rock bottom, which, for an infectiously positive man of the world, was a long way to fall. He’s convinced stress and depression were what put him in a wheelchair 4 years ago. For about 4 months, his legs were so weak he couldn’t get anywhere without it. The free spirit who’d traversed Guatemala, kayaked more miles than many have walked, and generally sought all experiences the world had to offer had become a homebody. A hermit of sorts.
Whiteside County officials continue to work on a dispatch consolidation plan that is due to the state by July 1. The county now has three public safety answering points for emergencies – in Sterling, Rock Falls, and Morrison. Bill Wescott Illinois Senate Mayor of Bill 96, signed Rock Falls into law July 31, 2015, allows no more than two dispatch units in counties with a population of 250,000 or less. Although the plans aren’t yet etched in stone, it’s likely that the dispatch unit in Rock Falls will be the casualty. “As things appear now, Sterling will be the public safety answering point,” Mayor Bill Wescott said. Equipment is a compelling reason to keep services in Sterling, and moving it would be costly.
POWER CONTINUED ON A11
DISPATCH CONTINUED ON A5
STERLING
Education in political participation Officials: Getting involved, urging others to follow suit crucial to process BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 @CHeimerman_SVM
STERLING – Even with 20 years of living in Sterling under her belt, Raquel Sifuentes found voting in the recent primary election intimidating. The immigrant outreach case-
$1.00
TODAY’S EDITION: 24 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 164 ISSUE 254
worker through the YWCA can only imagine what it would be like for the 100 or so Hispanic residents she’s helped become U.S. citizens when they step into a booth. “So I help all these people become citizens,” said Sifuentes, one of about two dozen people who attended a voting educa-
INDEX
ABBY ................... A8 COMICS ...............B6 CROSSWORD....B12
tion event Tuesday at City Hall. “But I don’t want it to end there, for them to become citizens just so they don’t have to renew their resident card. After that, they have no idea how to vote. I help them become citizens, but then what after that?” POLITICAL CONTINUED ON A5
FOOD ..............A9-10 LIFESTYLE ........... A8 LOTTERY ............. A2
Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 POLICE ................ A2
Today’s weather High 56. Low 40. More on A3.
TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE PAPER, CALL 815-284-2224
Sterling mayor Skip Lee (right) listens Tuesday as Dixon Mayor Li Arellano Jr. speaks during a Latino voter education event at Sterling City Hall. Go to saukvalley. com for more photos and video from the event.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B7.