Reading Matters

SPECIAL EVENT Church’s Clothes Closet to be open

June 5-6

Chana Family Clothes Closet at Chana United Methodist Church will be open Friday, June 5 from 1 to 4 p.m. and on Saturday, June 6 from 9 a.m. to noon.

New clothes selections for spring and summer are available for the entire family. (infant through adults) There is a wide variety of styles and sizes with many current and new, never been worn clothing.

All of the clothing is offered at no cost, and everyone is welcome.

Some restrictions and guidelines are requested: • No more than four individuals can be in the Clothes closet at any time. • No individuals under 16 years of age are allowed in the Closet. • Visitors must wear face masks. • Safe gathering practices must be followed.

READING MATTERS Don’t let young readers fall into “CO-VID slide”

School is out for the summer. It has certainly been an unusual end of the school year with remote learning for everyone.

Because of these weeks of at-home learning, it will be even more important this summer to help our children and grandchildren include some reading in our summer schedules.

The importance of reading during the summer months has been studied extensively and results indicate that students who do not read in the summer lose skills, often falling below reading levels they achieved during the school year.

This is referred to as the summer slide. If your children had difficulty keeping up with athome-learning assignments and work, that likely adds eight weeks or so of less reading.

Some are calling it the CO-VID slide.

It can be compared to an athlete who for some reason sits out a season and/or the off-season training.

It takes time to get back to the same performance levels they had previously attained. It is never too late to get back to reading and prevent any more loss of skills.

COMMENTARY Mary Gardner Reading Specialist

There are a few key ideas to consider. One is that time spent reading does matter. It would be best if it was a regular amount of time daily, but you could also work with your children or grandchildren to set a weekly goal.

Fifteen to 30 minutes a day would be enough to make a difference. More than that would be a bonus. This can certainly include time you read to them, no matter their age or grade in school.

A second idea is to consider a broad definition of the kinds of texts to read. Include all kinds of books, magazines, recipes, instructions or directions, or web-based reading on various Internet sites.

Books, of course, can be electronic versions which may offer more appeal. Any reading done in every-day events can count. Think about the reading you do in a program you receive at a baseball game or a play.

Reading recipes and following written directions counts, too. You might keep a log of all the different kinds of reading your family does over the summer.

Also consider reading a wide variety of genres. Your children might set a goal to read at least four or five different genres over the summer.

A public librarian can help you locate new kinds of books to try. (We will hope our libraries can reopen at some point.) You might have children keep a journal or a log and encourage them to write a response to each genre read trying to decide which genres they like and why.

Time spent reading plus reading all kinds and genres of texts (including digital and electronic versions) equals a recipe for summer reading that will prevent a summer reading slide.

Enjoy time this summer reading to and with your children and grandchildren!

• BYRON LIBRARY Continued from Page 9

Hoopla Book Club

Looking to join a Book Club? We’ve got you covered. Join our virtual Hoopla Book Club on Wed, July 1 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Zoom.

Our July read will be “The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek” by Kim Michele Richardson. The story is about a woman who joins the Pack Horse Library Project in the 1930’s.

Set-in the Appalachian mountains, this blue-skinned, young woman bravely forges danger and loneliness as she delivers books to offer a respite from life to the poverty-stricken Appalachia people.

This book is available through Hoopla. Join in the discussion either virtually or over the phone on July 1. Zoom Meeting ID 885 8182 2730; Password 017822 or call in to 312-626-6799.

If you have any questions, please email bethm@byron.lib.il.us or call 815- 234-5107 and ask for Beth.

Online Storytimes

The library may be closed, but that doesn’t mean story time has stopped! Drop by the Byron Library Facebook page every week for virtual story time! Join Miss Cathy at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays for Virtual Baby Boogies, or Miss Julie at 9:30 a.m. for Virtual Story Time. Virtual story times will run weekly through the end of May. No registration needed!

Parking Lot WiFi

Don’t have reliable internet at home? The Byron Library may be closed, but there is still WiFi available! Park along our south wall and look for the WiFi network names and passwords in the window. Available 24/7!

Check out our eBooks!

The library may be closed, but you can still get library books without leaving home! Visit the Byron Library’s webpage to access our eBook resources – OMNI, eRead Illinois, Hoopla, and Biblioboard. All you need is your smart device and your library card. Available 24/7!

Introducing Creativebug!

We now offer Creativebug to our library patrons! It is a go-to resource for high-quality, on-trend arts and crafts instructional videos. With your membership, you’ll enjoy award-winning instructional videos on drawing, painting, sewing, knitting, crochet, quilting, baking and more.

All classes are taught by experts, with new classes added daily. All you need is your library card to gain free access: https://www.creativebug.com/ lib/byronlib

Library Cards

Don’t have a library card to access our digital services? No send us a selfie, a picture of your driver’s license, a picture of your utility bill, and your cellphone number, and we will email you your new library card number and PIN number. Your actual card will be mailed out to you.

Local History

Are you interested in local history? The library has several resources to get you started in your search. Check out the library’s local history page at http:// byron.lib.il.us/services/local-history/. Available 24/7!

Visit the Byron Library Facebook page to keep up to date on library news and virtual programs!

Be sure to also check out the Byron Library and Byron Library Teen Instagram pages!

COVID-19 & BUSINESS Couple forced to re-plan wedding after resort closes

Over 50 weddings were planned at the venue this year

BY JEFF HELFRICH

jhelfrich@oglecountynews.com

Rebecca King was going down an aisle at Target when she learned of White Pines Resort’s plan to close and declare bankruptcy.

She sat down and cried in the aisle. She planned to have her wedding there on Sept. 26.

King and 50 other brides had to cancel weddings after Concessionaire Beth George made her decision last week due to COVID-19 business restriction impacts. George ran the resort for 31 years, hosting over 1,200 weddings.

“I was devastated,” King said. “For couples, just because of the sentiment that went into it and the business. A lot of things run through your head. The anxiety of being done planning and just having to wait to say I do and then getting thrown back into planning.”

King has moved her wedding to a venue near the quad cities where she lives. She had to cut down on guests and re-plan most of it with just a four month window.

Rebecca King and Colin DePrez planned to get married at White Pines Resort this fall before the business closed with plans to declare bankruptcy due to COVID-19 business restrictions impacting revenue. Photo supplied.

Part of the reason she and her fiancée, Colin DePrez, chose White Pines was its all-inclusive style with restaurant and cabins. Less planning had to be done. They also chose the resort initially due to its proximity for family and its scenery.

“I went to White Pines when I was a kid,” King, who grew up in Rockford, said. “Our dream wedding was Colorado. We love beautiful scenery and that’s something we connected on. White Pines was ideal for that and our families.”

Before White Pines Resort made its decision to close for good. King and DePrez thought their date was safe with COVID-19 threatening only summer weddings. After everything happened, they wanted to keep the same date due to the month being special to them and DePrez and many guests having limited schedule flexibility with careers in firefighting.

Having to schedule a new wedding did not harm the couple financially. Their new arrangements are cheaper and they received a full refund from White Pines Resort. George has been raising money to pay back the brides and guests before she enters bankruptcy.

A GoFundMe page has raised nearly $19,000 to help with those efforts. The resort attempted to hold a gift shop sale to raise additional money, but it was shut down by the conservation police due to the business being nonessential.

The inventory from that sale will be sold at Starved Rock Lodge and Conference center when it reopens on May 29. George says she now has enough money to pay all the brides and guests what she owes.

King decided to attend the gift shop sale Monday before it was shut down, but never made it inside.

“I wanted a memory of our dream wedding that was supposed to be,” King said. “It’s the marriage that matters, not the wedding. But we had dreams of it. If other brides read this, stay positive. Think out of the box and go with the flow.”

PUBLIC VOICE

Unemployed can apply for insurance

Dear Editor:

People who have lost their health insurance because they have lost their jobs can go to www.healthcare.gov and apply for Obamacare within 60 days of losing coverage because they have had a life changing event.

Some may be eligible for low cost subsidized coverage under the Affordable Care Act or receive Medicaid. It will probably be less costly than making COBRA payments.

Even though it is predicted that up to 27 million Americans may lose their health insurance due to being newly unemployed by the pandemic, the Trump administration has declined to advertise and inform people of this opportunity to obtain health insurance, nor would they consider allowing open enrollment beyond the 60 days grace period.

In fact, the Trump administration is currently going before the Supreme Court in an attempt to end the Affordable Care Act entirely and end health coverage for millions of Americans.

Congressman Adam Kinzinger is also working to end Obamacare. Contact him and tell him that people need this health care coverage now more than ever.

Julia Hammer

Polo

Memorial Day held in Polo

To the Editor:

You can prevent us from church and Masses on Sunday, you can call us elderly at 65, you can insist we wear a mask and stay six feet away from other folks, but there is no way we can be prevented from remembering our fallen men and women on Memorial Day, 2020.

The little town of Polo, USA, celebrated this day with rain on its way and then heavy rain with so many citizens showing their strong devotion to our American Flag and our fallen men and women.

We truly represent God and Country and we will never forget. Rita Jacks

Polo

An eye exam is a good idea, especially if things are starting to look a little fuzzy around the edges.

Dr. Kurt K. Nelson Optometrist

629 N. Galena Avenue, Dixon, Illinois • 815-284-6866 Member of the American Optometric Association. Therapeutic Licensed.