DDC-4-29-2013

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Serving DeKalb County since 1879

Monday, April 29, 2013

SYCAMORE • SCENE, A8

FOOTBALL • SPORTS, B1

Cinco de Mayo celebration provides food, music, fun

Four Huskies agree to free-agent deals

Evergreen disputes flood report Owner says county’s assessment of damages is not accurate By DAVID THOMAS dthomas@shawmedia.com SYCAMORE – The owner of Evergreen Village Mobile Home Park is at odds with DeKalb County officials over the county’s assessment of the flood damage to properties in the trailer park. On Wednesday, the county notified Evergreen residents that 39 trailers had been damaged 50 percent or more during the flooding that occurred earlier this month. Those trailers cannot be repaired unless the residents seek a permit from the county.

Evergreen Village owner Frank Santoro angrily disputed the county’s findings. “None of these houses got damaged because no water got in them,” Santoro said. He demonstrated how the water level on a number of properties had not reached the floor level of any trailer. “It’s mind boggling.” “These are people who are supposed to know what they’re taking about,” he said. There did seem to be some confusion over what the county was doing among residents at the park. A plan to relocate the residents of the park with the help of a $4.2 million federal

grant is under way. County officials say that it is this effort that makes it necessary for them to closely follow regulations. Although Santoro said he doesn’t think county officials were fair, they were following standard protocol, said Paul Miller, the county’s planning, zoning and building director. When assessing damage, officials compare the estimated cost of the damage with the fair market value of the property. Iftheamountofthedamageisgreater than 50 percent of the property’s

See DAMAGE, page A6 Rob Winner – rwinner@shawmedia.com

Quinn says concealed carry a city matter

Frank Santoro, owner of Evergreen Village Mobile Home Park in Sycamore, throws his hands up in frustration Friday while looking over homes that were damaged by flood waters from recent rains.

CONSTRUCTION SEASON SET TO START IN DeKALB COUNTY

The ASSOCIATED PRESS SPRINGFIELD – With about 40 days before a federal court-ordered deadline to enact a law allowing public possession of firearms, Gov. Pat Quinn is holding fast to the notion that decisions about who may carry guns – and where – should be made at city hall, not by a statewide standard. But the reality in the Statehouse is that majority Democrats are having difficulty convincing lawmakers to leave any gun decisions to local control, even if it’s just for Chicago and Cook County, let alone giving police chiefs and county sheriffs statewide veto power. A federal appeals court in December ruled that the state’s last-in-the-nation ban on the carrying of Gov. Pat concealed weapons is Quinn unconstitutional and gave lawmakers until June 9 to legalize the practice. Gun owners are adamant the law be uniform across Illinois. They want the General Assembly to produce a “shall issue” bill, requiring permits be issued to most anyone who obtains the necessary training and passes background checks. Gun-control forces favor “may issue” measures that give law enforcement officials veto power. Quinn, a Chicago Democrat, reiterated his position last week that cities with so-called “home rule” decision-making authority should be able to decide public gun possession within their limits. It may be, however, that he’s mostly concerned about Chicago, adding later the “need to battle for that principle” should apply to “at least major parts of our state that have been really challenged by gun violence.”

Projects paving way OFFICIALS URGE PATIENCE AS SUMMER WORK GETS UNDER WAY Rob Winner – rwinner@shawmedia.com

The bridge crossing the Kishwaukee River on Baseline Road just south of Genoa is scheduled for replacement later this year. BELOW: Vehicles are seen Thursday crossing the “T” intersection of Lincoln Highway and Carroll Avenue near the new DeKalb police station. The city plans to change the intersection into a fourway stop. By JEFF ENGELHARDT jengelhardt@shawmedia.com DeKALB – As the warm weather rolls in, so too will the construction crews get to work on area roads. Millions of dollars are set to be spent on widening and repaving roads and replacing bridges in DeKalb County this summer. Most of the projects will not cause closures or delays, but residents should expect a few inconveniences on the roads.

DeKALB Major projects: Bethany Road

widening, Taylor Street widening and intersection improvements at Carol Avenue and Route 38. DeKalb residents can expect some minor delays on Bethany Road between First Street and Meadow Trail West starting in about a month. DeKalb City Engineer Joel Maurer said that stretch of road would be widened, which will require lane shifts for commuters. The project is the city’s most expensive this summer at about $900,000, but 75 percent of the total

See CONSTRUCTION, page A3

Inside today’s Daily Chronicle Lottery Local news Obituaries

A2 A3 , A5 A5

National and world news Opinions Sports

Weather A2, A5 A11 B1-3

Advice Comics Classified

B4 B5 B6-10

High:

74

Low:

58


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