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Park district seeks BALL FROM 1950 BEARS Lowell Park vandals GAME STILL INFLATED MILLEDGEVILLE, B1
DIXON, A3
TELEGRAPH Tuesday, July 21, 2015
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
DIXON
Close, but no council member Mayor: List of candidates narrowed to two Firm picked to lead city manager search BY BRENDEN WEST bwest@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529 @BWest_SVM
DIXON – The City Council will be short-handed at least a little while longer. However, after an hourlong executive session meeting Monday, Mayor Li Arellano said the list of candidates to succeed Jesse Arjes has been narrowed to two. The city could appoint a new councilman as early as next week, Arellano added. “We’re getting down to specific names,” he said. “We’ve had a number of people put forward their
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This meeting, I think we really got it drilled down, narrowed down. But we weren’t quite there for a decision tonight. Li Arellano Jr., Dixon mayor
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BY BRENDEN WEST bwest@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529 @BWest_SVM
Click on this story at saukvalley.com to see videos of Mayor Arellano discussing the council member search.
names. We came down to what I would call maybe our top two, if I can be so bold. There was a lot of discussion on [the top two candidates]. I think the council as a whole just isn’t quite there, and there’s a strong desire for us to all be on the same page.”
Arjes resigned July 9, making Monday’s meeting the 11th day his seat has stayed vacant. According to state statute, the city has 60 days to appoint a successor.
DIXON – The council selected the closest, and second-least-expensive qualifying consulting firm to conduct the search for a full-time city manager during Monday’s regular meeting. GovHR of Northbrook will begin gathering applicants for a city-appointed selection committee to pore over in the coming months. City officials hope to fill that vacancy this fall, with David Nord holding down the office in the interim.
CANDIDATES CONTINUED ON A4
FIRM CONTINUED ON A5
ILLINOIS
STERLING | CAMP INVENTION
Let them build it ... they will come Mentally disabled allowance gets cut Governor: No stopping the automatic reduction BY CARLA K. JOHNSON The Associated Press
Photos by Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
Tyler Zepezauer of Dixon takes apart a computer Monday during the Camp Invention at Woodlawn Arts Academy in Sterling. The camp incorporates subject matter from STEM courses – science, technology, engineering and math – and places an emphasis on its students tapping into their creativity.
Imagination in high gear at Woodlawn Arts Academy program BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525 @JPigee84
STERLING – Two classrooms inside Woodlawn Arts Academy looked like organized chaos Monday afternoon. Various torn-apart computers and VCRs were in one room. Papers, pencils, wires and batteries were scattered around another room. Students ran from one desk to another, nearly running into each other at times. The students were on a mission – a mission to invent the next big thing that can used in their daily lives. Thirty-five local elementary students, ranging from first to sixth grade, are participating in Camp Invention, a weeklong foray into innovation and creativity. The camp teaches students the importance of science, technology, engineering and math – or STEM courses. BUILD IT CONTINUED ON A9
Nolan Houzenga of Morrison works with circuitry Monday at Camp Invention at Woodlawn Arts Academy.
CHICAGO – Advocates want Gov. Bruce Rauner to restore a $60 monthly allowance for adults with developmental disabilities, but his administration insists there’s no way to stop an automatic reduction to the allowance, especially given Illinois’ finances. People with disabilities use the pocket money for things like haircuts, coffee and movies. It comes from their Social Security checks, with the remainder routed to the state to help pay for their housing. In the first increase in two decades, lawmakers temporarily raised the allowance last year to $60, up from $50 for people in group homes and from $30 for residents of intermediate care facilities. Now, it’s returning to the lower levels in place before the law, which granted the increase for fiscal year 2015 only. Parents, advocates and facility operators worked “long and hard” for the increase and never thought it was temporary, said Laurie Jerue, founder of Illinois Parents of Adults with Developmental Disabilities United. “It’s their money,” she said. “It just seems so insulting to take away a lousy $10 a month from people who otherwise don’t have any spending money.” Her 26-year-old daughter, Sarah Jerue, has autism and lives in a state-funded home in Naperville. “She’ll use (the allowance) to get a special ice cream cone or coffee,” Jerue said of her daughter, who is mostly nonverbal so was unable to talk about what the allowance means to her. ALLOWANCE CONTINUED ON A9
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TODAY’S EDITION: 24 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 164 ISSUE 57
INDEX
ABBY ................... A7 BUSINESS ......... A10 COMICS ...............B6
CROSSWORD....B11 LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2
NATION/WORLD .. A8 OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6
Today’s weather High 79. Low 57. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B7.
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