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FAMILIAR FACE TAKES OVER AS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
The Land of Lincoln – and horseradish
EASTLAND, B1
FOOD, A9-10
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Wednesday, June 22, 2016 n SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
EDUCATION
YMCAs get a workout partner Dixon and Sterling-Rock Falls Y’s team up with Sauk to bring health and fitness center to college BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 CHeimerman_SVM
DIXON – A partnership that would bring a YMCA extension to Sauk Valley Community College is in the works. Andy McFarlane and Andy Thorn-
ton, CEOs of the Dixon and SterlingRock Falls Family YMCAs, respectively, popped by Monday night’s Board of Trustees meeting to give an update. The original, lofty goal, when they pitched the idea to President Dave Hellmich last fall, was for the YMCAgrade health and fitness center to open
by the upcoming fall semester, but they might have underestimated the number of hurdles that needed clearing. “This partnership is unique,” Thornton told the board. “You have two individual YMCAs and two independent communities that are trying to work with an independent college. So it takes a little bit longer to get through the process.” That said, “We are on the verge of dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s,” Hellmich said.
The center would offer full wellness services, from brand new cardio, freeweight and circuit-training equipment to group classes. Construction is taking place on the first floor of the west mall, where the college is repurposing space for the new center. Classrooms above the gym likely would be used for group workouts and classes. At this juncture, the plan is for the Y’s to lease the extension at Sauk and staff it with their personnel. WORKOUT continued on A114
LEE COUNTY BOARD
TORNADO AT WOODHAVEN | 1 YEAR LATER
‘This is their place’
Speed issue slows down trail proposal Plan on hold as county awaits input from attorney general BY RACHEL RODGERS rrodgers@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5529 @rj_rodgers
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Randy Koehler, director of marketing and sales at Woodhaven, talks Monday about the rebuilding of the amphitheater on the campgrounds.
A year after their home away from home was ravaged by a tornado, Woodhaven’s community is back – and how
FINDING A NEW PURPOSE ...
ROCK FALLS CITY COUNCIL
BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 @CHeimerman_SVM
SUBLETTE – Here’s a testament to the indomitable human spirit: Nearly 1 year after a tornado caused about $2 million in damage at Woodhaven Lakes, the camping resort celebrated Memorial Day with startlingly high numbers. Randy Koehler, Woodhaven Association’s director of marketing and sales, said the 14,513 people who were at the resort Memorial Day weekend represented the highest turnout since 2012. “When the event happened last year, we were really uncertain about the future, and who would be coming back,” Koehler said. “One of the big things we discovered is this is their place. This is where they come to recreate, and they wanted to rebuild. “People weren’t running away from here.” Lee County Sheriff John Simonton, along with his deputies and many other responders, was on the grounds for about 24 consecutive hours after an EF-2 tornado ripped through on June 22. WOODHAVEN continued on A114
DIXON – The Lee County Board on Tuesday postponed moving forward with a proposed UTV trail pending further clarification on what level of access it would offer to trail users. The board also tabled the proposal May 17, requesting a more detailed map outlining on which county roads the utility task vehicles would be permitted. Dixon resident Mark Imfeld, a member of the Black Hawk Trail Riders Club, has been asking governing boards throughout the area for support for the trail, in the hopes of eventually forming a route through northern Illinois that would connect to Wisconsin. TRAILS continued on A54
A tornado turned a lot of trees upside down, but a Woodhaven resident turned what could have been a frown upside down, and painted smiley faces on some of the downed trees.
Budget gets a closer look Administrator tells council city’s fiscal health is stable BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
A reclaimed tree was turned into a bench, with “Woodhaven Strong” carved into it, in recognition of the tornado.
ROCK FALLS – Spending exceeded fiscal year 2016 budget projections, but the city still managed to stay in the black. During Tuesday’s Rock Falls City Council meeting, the city put the fiscal year ended April 30 under a microscope. City Administrator Robbin Blackert said the city’s purchase of 97 acres of interstate land for development bumped up the spending in fiscal year 2016. A debt certificate issuance and a loan from the electric utility generated about $2.7 million for the land buys. “The year-end budget was amended because the expenditures exceeded expectations, so because the land buys put us so far off the original budget, I thought we should go over this,” Blackert said.
Trailers were tossed, toppled and twisted during a tornado last year at Woodhaven Lakes.
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TODAY’S EDITION: 24 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 166 ISSUE 37
INDEX
ABBY.................... A8 BUSINESS.......... A12 COMICS................B7
CROSSWORD.....B11 LIFESTYLE............ A8 LOTTERY.............. A2
OBITUARIES......... A4 OPINION............... A6 POLICE................. A2
BUDGET continued on A54
Today’s weather High 83. Low 67. More on A3.
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