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Friday, June 7, 2013
GIRLS SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR
ATHLETIC HISTORY • LOCAL, A3
Midfielder led Barbs to NI Big 12 East title Sports, B1
Sycamore woman reflects on pro baseball career
Kelli Cardine
Pension session’s worth unclear Area legislators skeptical that return to capital will solve impasse By DAVID THOMAS dthomas@shawmedia.com SPRINGFIELD – Hours after Illinois’ bond rating was downgraded again Thursday for failing to address its almost $100 billion pension liability, Gov. Pat Quinn called for a special legislative session June 19. Local lawmakers’ reactions were mixed on the prospect of re-
turning to Springfield less than a week after their spring session adjourned May 31 with no movement on the issue. Rep. Robert Pritchard, R-Hinckley, said he was surprised by the announcement because he wasn’t sure if an agreement had been reached among the legislative leaders. House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton, both Chicago Democrats, each
championed their own proposals during the spring session, which passed their own chambers but failed to gain traction in the other. “I was surprised because when we left Springfield Friday, the leaders were poles apart,” Pritchard said. “I can’t imagine they have backed off what they advocated all session. I can’t imagine they would, all of sudden, have an ‘a-ha’ moment and decide on a different
proposal.” In his statement, Quinn called for the legislators to finish the job on pension reform, and cited Thursday’s downgrade from Moody’s Investors Service. Moody’s dropped Illinois from A3 to A2, and maintained its negative outlook. On Monday, Fitch Ratings downgraded Illinois’ bond rating from A to A-.
See PENSIONS, page A4
Rep. Tom Demmer R-Dixon
Rep. Robert Pritchard R-Hinckley
Sen. Dave Syverson R-Rockford
Voice your opinion Will the state Legislature’s special session succeed in passing a pension reform bill? Vote online at Daily-Chronicle.com.
Painting the town pink
Library leaders detail project Funding, timing noted for DeKalb expansion plans By DAVID THOMAS dthomas@shawmedia.com
Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com
ABOVE: Clarice Pepper, 33, of Kirkland signs Jessica the pink firetruck in honor of her aunt Sarah, who died from breast cancer, Thursday at the ninth annual Ladies Night Out event for breast cancer awareness in downtown Sycamore. The firetruck was driven down from McHenry to be at the event. BELOW: Florence Mathison (right) speaks with Sarah Schneider at her Mary Kay booth at the Ladies Night Out event. The event was inspired by Mathison, who is a 25-year breast cancer survivor.
Ladies Night Out event in Sycamore raises breast cancer awareness By STEPHANIE HICKMAN
To donate:
shickman@shawmedia.com
Send cash or checks payable to “Ladies Night Out” to D&D Jewelers, 303 W. State St., Sycamore, IL 60178; or NB&T, 230 W. State St., Sycamore, IL 60178
S
YCAMORE – Jessica represents every woman affected by cancer. She travels all over the country collecting signatures from women who have battled the disease or have someone close to them who has suffered. Jessica is not a person. She is a pink firetruck. Steve Rusin, a firefighter who volunteers to drive the truck from McHenry with the Pink Heals organization, pointed out to passers-by that there are no breast cancer ribbons anywhere on the truck. “We don’t honor a disease,” Rusin said. “We honor the women fighting a disease.” Some of those women and many others flocked to the streets of downtown Sycamore for the city’s ninth annual Ladies Night Out fundraiser to raise awareness for cancer research. One of the women who signed
her name on the pink firetruck was Florence Mathison, a breast cancer survivor for 25 years, and the woman who inspired the event almost a decade ago. Mathison’s daughter, Dawn Sukach, who owns D&D Jewelers with her husband Don, wanted to raise money for cancer research
to help find a cure. What started as a small fundraiser turned into more than $65,000 for cancer research in less than 10 years. The funds raised from Thursday’s event will go to Kishwaukee Community Hospital, The Cancer Center at Kishwaukee Community Hospital
and the local American Cancer Society chapter. Mathison said she is proud of what the event has accomplished and how much it has grown. Cheri Cesaroni and her daughter, Brianna, have made the event a tradition. Not only is it fun but it’s also important to support the cause, Cesaroni said. “You know what we’re all here for,” she said. “[We’re here] in hopes to find a cure.” While a cure has yet to be found, Mathison said it’s still possible to beat the disease. “You’ve got to be proactive,” she said. “You’ve got to be on it. If you can catch it in time, it’s not a death sentence. You can have a story like mine.”
DeKALB – DeKalb Public Library leaders’ decision to renovate the current space while building a massive expansion won’t cost taxpayers any more money, library Director Dee Coover said Thursday. For months, library leaders have been assembling a local match to secure a state construction grant. They pared back the $24 million plan by deciding to postpone renovations to the existing 83-yearold Haish Memorial Library, 309 Oak St. But they recently added those renovations back into the project after state officials offered more grant money. “The possibility was out there that the new building would get done, but the old building would have not been renovated [until later],” Coover said. “It was always the original plan. It hasn’t grown at all.”
See LIBRARY, page A4
The details DeKalb Public Library expansion funding • State grant: $11.6 million • City bonds: $6.5 million • Bank loans: $2.8 million • DeKalb TIF funds: $2 million • Library reserves: $900,000 DeKalb Public Library construction timeline • July 17: Approve construction manager • Sept. 9: Start work on the parking lot south of Oak Street • Nov. 29: Finish work on the parking lot south of Oak Street • March 31: Start building expansion • July 17, 2015: Expansion opens • July 20, 2015: Renovation of older space begins • Feb. 12, 2016: Entire library opens • March 4, 2016: Project complete
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