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DeKalb Park District to use $600K in state grants to replace park playground
Grant money will go to League of Women Voters Park on Cotton Avenue
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – The DeKalb Park District recently announced a plan to use $600,000 in state grant money to replace old playground equipment at League of Women Voters Park, 262 Cotton Ave.
The district was awarded the money from the state’s Open Space Land Acquisition and Development Grant program, according to a news release.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Gov. JB Pritzker awarded a total of $55.2 million in grants to 100 Illinois communities for park development projects.
“Since I became governor, it’s been my mission to build stronger, healthier communities across Illinois,” Pritzker said in a news release. “Through the OSLAD program, we’re bringing that vision to life by awarding over $55.2 million to local park projects, expanding green spaces and creating new recreational opportunities for all.”
The full DeKalb park project is estimated to cost $742,000, according to the district. The League of Women Voters Park playground previously was updated in 2009. The park demolition and construction is scheduled to begin in the summer.
DeKalb Park District staff and board members partnered with Upland Design to hold a public meeting June 25 at the park. An online survey also was held from June 25 to July 3. The survey
allowed residents to select playground options and provide additional feedback on park amenities.
The meeting and survey selected a playground theme and amenities including a half basketball court, game area, rain garden and interpretive signage, and fitness equipment stations. The
park’s asphalt trail also will be renovated.
The Open Space Land Acquisition and Development is a cost-sharing program for state and local governments that aids communities in funding land acquisition and park and outdoor recreation project development.
Accuracy is important to The MidWeek. Please call errors to our attention by phone at 815-526-4411 or email at readit@midweeknews.com. PUZZLE ANSWERS puzzlesonpage12
Megann Horstead file photo
The League of Women Voters Park is located at 262 Cotton Ave. in DeKalb.
By MEGANN HORSTEAD mhorstead@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – To help ease the effort to reduce classroom sizes, officials in DeKalb School District 428 are exploring plans to build a new Early Learning Development Center.
District staff brought this topic to debate recently after much internal discussion at the committee level, officials said. The current center also is not up to Illinois school code for serving preschool-aged students, they said.
Billy Hueramo, the district’s director of teaching and learning for primary education, said the district is looking to figure out how it can better serve its preschool program.
“We’re looking to be able to expand our program and be able to fill more spaces,” Hueramo said. “Because as you all know, the earlier we can intervene, the better it’s going to be for our schools but not just our schools, our community as well.”
School officials are now weighing their options as to where to relocate and make room for the center’s students.
Most center students are contained in classrooms at Huntley Middle School, but there is some overflow at Clinton Rosette Middle School, according to the district.
The school board in May 2021 agreed to reduce elementary class sizes from 28 to 25, and secondary class sizes from 35 to 30.
Hueramo said ensuring a safe learning environment is the district’s top priority.
“We renovated Huntley Middle School to be able to have [the center] there,” Hueramo said. “It went from what was meant to be for middle school students for early learning and development center students. We are making good where we can, but we are going to continue to get hit with being inadequately fit building for our students in [the center].”
The district has about 1,700 students who qualify to be at the early learning center, officials said. But the district only has enough space to provide for 340 preschool-aged students.
Hueramo said it’s up in the air how the district may proceed with a new build.
“We do have the Katz family land that the Katz generously donated to us, so that could be an option, but we are looking to explore different opportunities for [the center] and what that would look like,” Hueramo said.
Whether it be donated land or not, the cost of constructing a new building remains uncertain at this time.
Billy Hueramo
Mark Busch file photo
Lincoln Elementary School students line up Aug. 14 outside the school in DeKalb as they arrive for their first day.
Kishwaukee Valley Art League plans January events
54th annual Northern Illinois Art Show set for May 31-June 1
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
SYCAMORE – The Kishwaukee Valley Art League will host several programs and events in January at Gallery on State including a Sycamore High School art exhibit
The student work can be viewed in the gallery’s east window at 322 W. State St. in Sycamore.
The league’s next general meeting is set for 7 p.m. Feb. 6 at the gallery. Members will present artwork created for the Secret Subject challenge.
The next art rotation at Gallery on State will begin Jan. 13.
KVAL was assigned a Northern Illinois University student marketing team during the fall. The team offered ideas on ways to improve the league. The students met with general and board members and presented final recommendations on Dec. 6.
The suggestions included expanding KVAL’s brand recognition; increasing digital media campaigns, membership and volunteer reten -
tion; grant availability; and understanding other art galleries.
Dates have been set for the league’s 54th annual Northern Illi -
nois Art Show. It will take place May 31 and June 1 on the front lawn of the DeKalb County Courthouse, 133 W. State St., Sycamore. The show will
feature up to 70 artisans exhibiting various fine arts and crafts mediums. To apply, visit kval-nfp.org or the gallery.
James the Magician
LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS
Somonauk library’s Tots Tales program begins Jan. 8
SOMONAUK – The Somonauk Public Library will host a Tot Tales program for children ages newborn to 3.
The free program will be held at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 8, 22 and 29 at the library, 700 E. Lasalle St.
The program will introduce participants to songs, rhymes, hand motions, and books.
Registration is required; call 815-4982440.
DeKalb library schedules photo editing program
DeKALB – Wield the power of photo editing in a workshop-style program at the DeKalb Public Library using the free online image editor Sumo Paint.
The program will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 6, in 309 Creative. It is intended for teens and adults.
For more information, contact Patrick at patrickc@dkpl.org or 815-756-9568 ext. 2115.
– Shaw Local News Network
Photo provided by the Kishwaukee Valley Art League
The Kishwaukee Valley Art League worked with a team of Northern Illinois University marketing students during the fall to discover ways to improve the league. The students met with general and board members and presented final recommendations on Dec. 6.
Rooted For Good lists January Grow Mobile food pantry dates
SHAW
LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – Rooted For Good released a list of January locations for Grow Mobile, a mobile food pantry that offers free food and household items to all who visit, no requirements necessary.
Rooted For Good is working to ensure the well-being of residents, staff and volunteers. Organizers ask that people practice good hand hygiene and stay home if they are ill.
To receive Grow Mobile alerts, text FreeGroceries to 844-727-2012.
Grow Mobile dates in January:
• 3 to 5 p.m. Jan. 2 at University Village Apartments, 722 N. Annie Glidden Road, DeKalb.
• 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 7 at the
• DISTRICT 428
Continued from page 3
As discussions continue and if it’s eventually determined that a standalone facility would best serve needs, that would most likely happen on the donated land, so there’s no additional land needed, officials said.
Superintendent Minerva Garcia-Sanchez stressed the urgency with which the district needs to act.
“This area is considered an early childhood desert,” Garcia-Sanchez said.
Board Vice President Christopher Boyes questioned the district’s handling of the matter, saying he believes it raises concerns about the process. Boyes referenced other district projects and public input.
Neither the district’s plans for the Beyond One Barb Transition Center or Dr. Leroy A. Mitchell Elementary School required the board to go out to referendum for approval.
“We have cut the taxpayers out twice on deciding whether something that should be up to them has occurred,” Boyes said. “Are we going
Clinton Township Community Building, 160 W. Lincoln Highway, Waterman.
• 11 a.m. to noon Jan. 9 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 830 N. Annie Glidden Road, DeKalb.
• 3 to 5 p.m. Jan. 14 at the Cortland Lions Club Shelter, 70 S. Llanos St., Cortland.
• 3:30 to 5 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Malta Historical and Genealogical Society, 127 N. Third St., Malta.
• 3 to 5 p.m. Jan. 21 at University Village Apartments, 722 N. Annie Glidden Road, DeKalb.
• 11 a.m. to noon Jan. 23 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 830 N. Annie Glidden Road, DeKalb.
• 4 to 6 p.m. Jan. 28 at St. Paul the Apostle Parish, 340 W. Arnold Road, Sandwich.
to try and do it three times now within a year-and-a-half put another building to our taxpayers without giving them a say by going around without a referendum?”
Garcia-Sanchez said she doesn’t believe the district is obligated to go out to referendum.
She said she would consult with the district’s legal counsel about the logistics to help appease Boyes.
“Because it’s not a requirement, I’m not sure how [it] would bode to do that officially,” Garcia-Sanchez said.
The district anticipates using funds generated from activity stemming from south side development and the DeKalb County Enterprise Zone to pay for a new Center, if approved, officials said.
Armir Doka, the district’s director of business and finance, said the district has ruled out going to the taxpayers for funding.
“We’re looking to set aside these tax revenues coming in with the southern corridor including e-zone,” Doka said. “That is our projection on not going to taxpayer or raising the rate just simply capitalizing on that growth.”
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Month to month
By CAMDEN LAZENBY clazenby@shawmedia.com
SYCAMORE – From centennial and 50th anniversaries to a broken world record and the joy of birth, there was a lot happening in DeKalb County in 2024.
Here are some of the most heartwarming, newsworthy and unique stories to run in the MidWeek in 2024.
January: Pop-up cross country skiing events in DeKalb County
In January 2024, officials with a Northern Illinois University program and a local park district came up with an answer for cabin fever: a pop-up cross country skiing event.
Sycamore Park District representative Sarah Rex said the 101-year-old park district held a cross-country skiing pop-up event at the Sycamore Park District Golf Course on Jan. 28 with the help of NIU’s outdoor recreation group, NIU Outdoor Adventure.
Christine Lagattolla, associate director of external affairs for NIU Recreation, said NIU Outdoor Adventure does programming with Sycamore Park District year round, but the pop-up cross country skiing event is scheduled when Mother Nature cooperates.
DeKalb County was pummeled with two major snowstorms in mid January, leaving plenty of snow on the ground for some winter fun.
“We do this about every year, for the past several years, if we get lucky with some snow. And it looks like we’re going to have some snow for awhile, so that’s good,” Lagattolla said.
February: New office to open at NIU for U.S. Geological Survey
The U.S. Geological Survey opened a branch on Northern Illinois University’s campus in 2024.
School officials said in Feburary they think the move will boost collaborations and foster more research opportunities.
Karinne Bredberg, NIU’s director of the office of innovation, said the university entered into an agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey to house the Central Midwest Water Science Center in the former NIU Department of Technology print shop. The survey houses an office on Peace Road in DeKalb, which will relocate to NIU campus under the new plan.
She expects the move to bolster the university’s research and education.
“The collaboration agreement is basically just strengthening the partnership we’ve already had with [the survey],” Bredberg said. “We’ve had a long standing partnership with them.
They work with our faculty, and have hired students, and interns and graduate students. It’s just really bolstering the research that they do, and that we do, and making it a collaborative effort.”
March:
Mexican art exhibit finds home in NIU library
Mexico City artists built dozens of alebrijes for a largely outdoor exhibit in DuPage County in 2022. In early 2024, 22 of those folk art pieces were put back on display in DeKalb.
The alebrijes, a Mexican art tradition created in the 1930s by Pedro Linares, were made at Cantigny Park by artists who currently reside in Mexico City, according to a digital Northern Illinois University exhibit.
Fernando Ramirez, president and founder of the Mexican Cultural Center of DuPage County, said the art exhibit was expected to be a short term program. Public demand has kept it on display, however.
“We had a great response. People kept asking us about it, and we wanted to figure out a way to continue doing it. We never planned on continuing these pieces,” Ramirez said. “But the artists were wanting to continue doing it, so they helped us refurbish a lot of these and reconstruct them.”
April: Captain of country’s first all-Black high school rowing team says sport gave him discipline
In April, an award-winning author from the west side of Chicago told dozens on Northern Illinois University’s campus how competitive rowing gave him the fortitude he needed to rise above his childhood circumstances.
Arshay Cooper visited NIU on April 11 to speak in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium in the Holmes Student Center for Project FLEX, a university program that helps incarcerated youth in northern Illinois find better paths through sports.
Project FLEX – which stands for fitness, leadership, experience – brought about a half-dozen youth from the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice Illinois Youth Center in Warrenville to hear Cooper’s presentation.
Cooper told those youth that competitive rowing taught him how to not step over the messes left by others, both abstract and real, and to take time to make the world a better place than he found it. It also allowed him to fulfill his childhood dream by becoming a personal chef for World Wrestling Entertainment, Warner Brothers film sets and professional athletes.
“Sometimes as young people we
Mark Busch file photo
Two of the alebrijes, Lacuarium (left) by Alejandro Camacho Barrera, and Tochtli by Perla Miriam Salgado Zamorano, are on display Feb. 29 in Founders Memorial Library at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.
Camden Lazenby file photo
Arshay Cooper visited NIU on April 11 to speak in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium in the Holmes Student Center for Project FLEX, a university program that helps incarcerated youth in northern Illinois find better paths through sports.
Mark Busch file photo
Finley Frankel (front), 6, and Olivia Weller, 9, both of DeKalb, kick up some snow Jan. 9 as they cruise down the sled hill at Hopkins Park in DeKalb.
• STANDOUT STORIES
Continued from page 6
want lightning to strike, but here’s the thing: Lightning just doesn’t strike,” Cooper said. “You have to have something in you to attract the lightning, and for me it was commitment, it was self-control, it was discipline, it was connection, it was love, it was forgiveness.”
May: Voluntary Action Center celebrates 50 years of community service in DeKalb County
A DeKalb County nonprofit that provides hot meals to the needy, nutrition programs for day cares and transportation for those without it turned 50 this year.
The Voluntary Action Center, 1606 Bethany Road in Sycamore, started in 1974 as a volunteer clearing house. After refining its focus and mission, the organization has morphed into one of the most tenured volunteer organizations in DeKalb County.
Nate Kloster, COO for the organization said the center has two main focuses: transportation and nutrition. It provides transit services for rural DeKalb County – everything outside of DeKalb, Sycamore and Cortland.
The bus services are open to the public, Kloster said but the services are geared toward residents older than 55 and those with disabilities.
“Our desire is to really help, and our focus is intentional about seniors and those with disabilities, and folks that don’t have access to transportation or needs the services of a lift or assistance getting on and off the vehicle,” Kloster said. “We do a lot of work with folks that go to dialysis, for example, every week. So we kind of relieve the family member from having to get them to the appointment.”
June: Blumen Gardens celebrates 35 years in Sycamore with next generation
Joel and Joan Barczak set up an unassuming gardening shop in Sycamore more than a generation ago, and after multiple family and business expansions they celebrated 35 years at Blumen Gardens in June.
After three and a half decades of business, Joel Barczak said he thought 2024 was the right time to “let someone else do the heavy lifting.”
The celebration signified a transition of sorts: Their daughter and sonin-law have begun to take over managerial roles at the popular garden center and banquet venue. And soon the business will be handed off.
Jill Mandeville now is a co-owner and partner of Blumen Gardens with her parents. She said she didn’t grow up dreaming of taking over her family business, however. After becoming a registered dietician and seeing the world, romance – like her parents, who met on the first day of classes at Kishwaukee College in 1981 – changed her life when she met Keith Mandeville, who’s now her husband, in New Zealand.
“[I] never thought in a million years I would work here, and then I went and traveled and I met my husband who’s Canadian, and so I started traveling back and forth from Canada and I started working here part-time,” Jill Mandeville said. “I needed somewhere to work part-time so I could go and visit him, and then I ended up started working here and I loved it.”
July: Sycamore popcorn stand turns 100
Cassie’s Popcorn Stand celebrated its centennial in 2024, and the family operation behind the tasty kernels
Mark Busch file photo
Volunteers Chris Sauter (right) and Stephanie Barring, (second from right) both from DeKalb, pick up a Meals on Wheels delivery to distribute April 23 at the Voluntary Action Center in Sycamore. VAC is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Photo provided by the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce
LOOKING BACK
1925 – 100 YEARS AGO
Members of the DeKalb fire department had a busy time yesterday afternoon, when a call for help at the Charles Willrett farm, south of town was received, following very quickly with an alarm from the Daae home on South Fourth Street. Due to the thoughtlessness of the people telephoning from the country, the boys did not have the correct location, until inquiry had been made, “Spark Plug” made the country trip, while the other two trucks answered the alarm at the Daae home. When the chemical truck arrived in the country the trouble was over while the roof at the Daae home was damaged by the fire. The department officials urge that when calls for help are sent in from the country that extra efforts be put forth to give the location of the farm.
Mayor J. J. Kingsley today acted as desk sergeant at the police station for a short time. Chief James Scott was at home for lunch but a few moments when the ambulance call following an accident near Afton Center was received and Officer Ben Peck made the trip. Until the chief returned from home, the mayor was answering the telephone and gave other matters his attention, even to playing a game of cards with Edward Johnson.
People of DeKalb still have a heart for the unfortunate fellows of the country, if the donations of cash, coffee, sugar and other food at the police station in response to the plea made in The Chronicle yesterday, is a criterion. For some time, the police department officials have been trying to devise ways and means of giving these travelers who sleep on the cement floor at night, with a newspaper for a covering, or a pillow, something to eat before they are escorted to the city limits the next morning.
Nineteen patients are now at the DeKalb County Tuberculosis Sanitorium on the Sycamore Road, and there are four or five on the waiting list, according to reports today, and the list is the first time in the history of the institution, that it has been taxed to its capacity during the winter months. Oftentimes during the warm weather there are 19 or 20 patients at the place, because some of them can be cared for in tents.
1950 – 75 YEARS AGO
Although the principal activity of a fire department is to fight fires, there are a number of occasions when the department is called for extracurricular tasks. Last evening about 10:30 o’clock the department was called to flush gasoline from the street on the Lincoln Highway between Fifth and Sixth streets. A leak in the gas tank of an auto was responsible for considerable gasoline on the roadway. This morning about 10:45 o’clock a run was made to 541 N. Seventh St. where Fire Chief Stanley Tastad and fireman Francis Cliffe were called upon to affect a rescue of a pet cat which was in a tree.
Although motorists have been warned against the practice of parking their vehicles on property of the North Western Railroad, the practice is continued and
yesterday autos blocked the path of the switch train near Third Street. About 1:15 o’clock Wednesday afternoon the DeKalb police were notified that cars were blocking the switch track and that the train was unable to pass. The police ticketed the cars for illegal parking and a tow truck was summoned to move two of the vehicles from the tracks so that the switch train could continue with its business.
With the Christmas buying rush completed, activity in the DeKalb business district is gradually returning to normal at this time. While there were a number downtown yesterday and today it was far from the hustle and bustle of the fore part of the month when the shoppers crowded the business area each day. Many of the stores are in the process of dismantling their Christmas decorations and are now preparing for the annual inventory. Exchanging presents is also a popular activity this week.
With the streets icy at this time, motorists are having their troubles and adding to their difficulties are youngsters on their sleds. Chief of Police John Remsey warns youngsters to be very careful while sliding and not to dash into streets as cars are unable to stop or swerve on the icy streets. A number of complaints concerning youngsters using sleds on the streets have been received and catastrophes have been narrowly averted on a number of occasions. Parents are requested to caution their children about the dangers of using their sleds on the roadways.
1975 – 50 YEARS AGO
For those of you with atomic clocks, the new year will be a second late. Scientists in charge of precision atomic clocks around the world have agreed to stop their time pieces for one second to let the earth catch up to the world’s time scale. The “leap second” is required because earth’s rotation is slowing slightly.
This means the atomic clocks which tick off hours, minutes and seconds of the same length would get ahead of the earth after a while. Twelve noon would come earlier and earlier in the day.
Area construction workers have found a way to “recycle” dirt. When projects involved getting rid of truckloads of dirt, the Hopkins Park area became a planned dumping site, and soon, a ski slope was built. The slope is now ready, if the weatherman would cooperate and provide snow.
2000 – 25 YEARS AGO
Water jugs are disappearing as loaves of bread are snatched off the shelves. Many people are pouring in the doors to purchase propane, while a few leave the bank, having closed their accounts. And New Year’s Day, and the arrival of the millennium, is just hours away. For some, turning over another new year is no big deal. But others are stocking up every way they can to prepare themselves for any problem Y2K might bring.
Humane Manufacturing LLC is under investigation by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for allegedly violating state air pollution regulations. Humane, based in Baraboo, Wis., leases a plant in Genoa to mold matting from tire retreading materials. Some nearby residents claim the odor resulting from the manufacturing process is intolerable.
People throughout the area will be celebrating the arrival of the new millennium in a variety of ways. Is there some special place where people will be ushering in 2000? The Chronicle is looking to run several pictures of area people celebrating the millennium as it arrives.
– Compiled by Sue Breese
Photo courtesy of the DeKalb County History Center Archives
The DeKalb Post Office at the corner of Lincoln Highway and South First Street is seen as the building transitions to the administration center for the DeKalb School District in October 1960.
Photo provided by the DeKalb County
Esther Mae Nesbitt’s gravesite memorial plaque at Elmwood Cemetery in Sycamore memorializes her 21 years of service.
Esther Mae Nesbitt memorial scholarship applications open
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
SYCAMORE – A scholarship fund at the DeKalb County Community Foundation is accepting online applications through February to support medical students seeking financial aid.
Online applications for the Esther Mae Nesbitt Medical Student Scholarship Fund are available beginning in February each year at dekalbccf.org/ scholarships, according to a news release.
Esther Mae Nesbitt, a lifelong Sycamore resident, established the Nesbitt Medical Student scholarship from her estate, according to the Foundation. Nesbitt wished to assist medical students in financial need, especially DeKalb County residents and women. She wanted to encourage their entry into general practice, either in DeKalb County or any county in Illinois with a population of less than 50,000 residents.
“The Esther Mae Nesbitt Scholarship allowed me to attend my preferred medical school and diminished my post-graduation debt,” past recipient Dr. Photine Liakos said. “It also inspired me to explore job opportunities in the DeKalb/Sycamore area after completing my training. It has been an honor to serve on the selection committee. I work to raise awareness of this scholarship so others can benefit from the same opportunity and continue its legacy.”
Esther Mae Nesbitt was born on July 21, 1913, to Dr. John B. Nesbitt and Jessie Doloras Doty. On Oct. 1, 1942, Nesbitt enlisted as an aviation cadet in the Women’s Army Corps, at which time her civil occupation was postal clerk or photographer. She served as an artist in the WAC until shortly before she died in 1971. She never married, according to the Foundation.
A plaque at her gravesite in the
Elmwood Cemetery, Sycamore, memorializes Nesbitt’s 21 years of service. She was with the first World War II WAC unit to land on Omaha Beach. As a trained artist, she was assigned the duty of map custodian for all ordinances in the European War Room. The maps under her care showed the locations of military units, supply depots, and supply routes. The information she provided on an hourly basis to the generals saved lives, according to the Foundation. Master Sgt. Nesbitt was the only non-commissioned European Theatre of Operations officer to receive the French Croix Guerre Medal.
In 2024, the Esther Mae Nesbitt Medical Student Scholarship Fund was transferred from Old National Bank’s Trust Department to the DeKalb County Community Foundation, along with eight other funds. The funds, now entrusted to the Community Foundation for administration, include Arnold and Mildred Erickson Scholarship Fund, Arnold and Mildred Erickson Fund, Bernice Kirkus Scholarship Fund, Lorene Brown Scholarship Fund, Mary K. Roberts Scholarship Fund, O. Robert Hoover & Anna and Emma Hoehn Scholarship Fund, Oneita J. Waltenberger Scholarship Fund, and the Thomas B. and Grace Stevenson Jones Scholarship Fund.
“We at the Community Foundation are honored to be the permanent stewards of Ms. Nesbitt’s legacy of leadership, sacrifice, and investing in others through this important Scholarship Fund,” Executive Director Dan Templin said in the release.
Students interested in applying for the Esther Mae Nesbitt Medical Student Scholarship Fund are encouraged to review the guidelines and award criteria. Community Foundation scholarships will open for applications in February 2025. Visit dekalbccf.org/ scholarships for more information.
Creating Safer Homes for Aging in Place: A Free Educational Event
Aging in place is a vital goal for many older adults who wish to maintain their independence and enjoy the comfort of their own home. According to a report by the AARP Public Policy Institute, nearly 90% of seniors over age 65 prefer to stay in their home for as long as possible. However, many may overlook the potential risks and challenges associated with aging in place.
Home Instead of Dekalb, IL is thrilled to invite the community to a FREE educational event, “Home Safety - Ways to Accommodate Aging in Place,” which will offer valuable insights and strategies for creating a safer living environment. This event will take place on Thursday, January 9th, at 11 a.m. in the Zimmerman Room at the Dekalb Public Library.
Attendees can look forward to learning about simple modifications that can be made to their home, such as adjusting lighting, installing grab bars, and reducing clutter. These changes can significantly lower the risk of falls and
accidents at home. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and receive personalized recommendations during a Q&A session.
This event is perfect for older adults, their family members, and caregivers seeking to make their home safer and more accommodating for aging in place. It’s also an excellent chance for anyone interested in learning about home safety and modifications for seniors. The event is free to attend, and light refreshments will be provided.
At Home Instead, we recognize the importance of making informed decisions about aging in place. We offer resources to support older adults in living independently at home. Together, we can help older adults lead a safer and more fulfilling life in their home.
Take advantage of this FREE event, and please spread the word to anyone who might benefit from this valuable information. We look forward to seeing you there!
Instead
2585 Sycamore Rd. DeKalb,
Community Foundation
Continued from page 7
promised to stick around for more generations.
Lifelong Sycamore resident Cassie Oltman took over ownership of Cassie’s Popcorn Stand from her mother in 2010. The family has owned the business for more than 40 years. Oltman said she thinks “it is awesome” to be a part of the Sycamore popcorn stand’s legacy.
“The public, everybody’s great. They come up for the popcorn. We have people that come almost daily to fill their buckets. It’s great to be here with the community,” Oltman, 59, said during a centennial celebration July 25.
August: Genoa brothers set basketball Guinness World Record
A pair of Genoa brothers this summer set a world record for most bounce passes with a basketball in a minute by a team of two younger than 16.
Cole Krueger and Caleb Krueger completed 80 bounce passes within a minute to claim the world record at 15 and 13 years old, respectively.
The boys’ dad, Matt Krueger, helped them navigate the requirements of making their record official with Guinness World Records, which included providing continuous footage measuring the distance between their passes and the size of the ball.
“I thought it was good,” Matt Krueger said. “Guinness book of records is very specific. You have to be exactly a certain distance. We had to have it filmed in slow-mo. We had to have witnesses. We had to have all this stuff. The process of working with them is really intense.”
September: Genoa-Kingston
cheerleader
with inoperable brain tumor hopes to help others
A Genoa-Kingston High School cheerleader had the support of her peers, coaches and teachers at a Friday night football game in September, where they rallied to fundraise and help her through a life-altering illness.
Genoa-Kingston High School and Middle School Athletic Director Philip Jerbi said the fundraising event supported Kalista Breda – a freshman
cheerleader who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor as an eighth grader.
Breda’s mother, Jess Evertsen, wrote in an email to Shaw Local News Network that she and her daughter were blown away by the scope of the fundraiser.
“Kalista was so happy to know that all of these people wanted to support her and cared about her so much,” Evertsen wrote. “Kalista and I were just talking about how so many families going through the same thing don’t always have a community of fighters behind them, so we are so incredibly blessed and thankful for all of these ‘krusaders’ helping Kalista fight this fight!”
October: Meet the Kingston mom birthing joy for others
When Paula Pacey gave birth in October, she didn’t take home the human she helped create, but she knew that when she signed up to be a surrogate.
Instead, Pacey, 35, of Kingston, helped others welcome the miracle of life into their home: A married couple from Washington now have their first child through Pacey’s surrogacy. Already a mother of five, Pacey, who works as a nurse in Rockford, was nine months pregnant when she spoke with Shaw Local about her surrogacy.
November: Stage Coach Players, DeKalb community donate Thanksgiving meals
A DeKalb-based acting troupe took it upon themselves to give back to the community that attends their performances by partnering with The Salvation Army to help fill plates for Thanksgiving.
In November, Stage Coach Players donated dozens of Thanksgiving meals to people who may have otherwise not been able to afford the tastiest parts of the holiday. Although many members of the group contributed to the more than 50 boxes of meals that were donated, organizers said the wider DeKalb community got in on the endeavor.
Gloria Dennison, a member of Stage Coach Players and one of the main organizers of the charitable effort, said she was “really impressed with the outpouring of giving from the community.”
On the final night of the donation drive, the basement of the Stage Coach Theatre, 126 S. Fifth St., DeKalb, was packed with nonperishable Thanksgiving meal items.
“They have given cash so that we can get the gift cards for the turkeys,” Dennison said. “They have given us all kinds of, as you can see, mountains of food.”
December: At Cozy Corner, DeKalb seniors gather for fun, relaxation
A new community space designed to provide local seniors with a cozy and welcoming environment to relax and connect opened in early December with the help of Elder Care Services of DeKalb County.
Dubbed Cozy Corner, the space has
its home in the agency’s building at 1701 E. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb. It’s also where Elder Care Services staff members can share information about their offerings to anyone who walks in seeking a hangout space.
John Rey, president of the Elder Care Services board of directors, said he’s excited for Cozy Corner because it will allow older members of the community to interact with their peers.
“The Cozy Corner really is more for socialization, having our clients come in and have a comfortable place to socialize with other older adults,” Rey said. “It avoids the isolation if they can come and just have socialization with other adults. It really is a comfortable setting.”
WinterFest to return Jan. 18 to Genoa forest preserve
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
GENOA – The University of Illinois Extension and DeKalb County Forest Preserve will host its annual WinterFest to celebrate the season.
WinterFest will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Natural Resources Education Center at Rus-
Attendees can participate in activities including an outdoor digital scavenger hunt and the Wisdom Hunt Nature Trail. Tips and tricks to feed and identify winter birds will be shared by Peggy Anesi, a University of Illinois Extension educator, at the
center’s bird-viewing window.
“This is a festival about the season of winter, so it doesn’t matter if we have snow,” Anesi said in a news release.
A guided forest preserve hike, followed by a “how to become a citizen scientist” presentation, is set for 10 a.m. Children can create a make-andtake craft and have their face or
hands painted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A winter survival game show with prizes will be held at 1 p.m. The center is accepting donations to help cover materials.
The Genoa Prairie Gems 4-H Club also will sell lunch items to support the club.
For information, call 815-784-2000 or email mariantt@illinois.edu.
Photo provided by Jess Evertsen
On Sept. 6, a brain cancer awareness fundraiser was held during a Genoa-Kingston High School home football game. The proceeds went to the family of Kalista Breda, a high school freshman diagnosed with brain cancer.
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