From the Directors

By Susan Lawler

Summer is quickly coming to an end; and fall is in the air. September is a great month to get out and take some walks, go to Lowell Park where you can already see the leaves changing. Life has been different these past 6 months. Lee County Council on Aging has been working hard to keep our drivers on the road, transporting our seniors to all their important destinations. Our staff is getting ready for Open Enrollment, and we are booking weddings and events for 2021.

LCCOA knows how hard it has been for all our seniors in Lee County and every day the staff and I are trying to come-up with new ideas to help our seniors feel engaged. We are still waiting for a few more items to fill our time capsule, so please put your thinking caps on and send us those items, so that 50 years from now the next generation of seniors can see how we all endured this Covid -19.

By Tori McDaniel

School’s Back in Session!

Fall is upon us which means school is back in session. For some, this is a relief and provides a small amount of normalcy. For others, it means a new way of learning. No matter the route your family chooses for the coming school year, we wish you a healthy and happy year! If you’re a family that is heading back to school and needing transportation, we are here for you! If you’re new to using WCPT for your children, here’s what you need to know: Butterfly Garden

I hope you have had a chance to visit our garden on Galena Avenue. Every month we have been adding new plants and items to our garden. So many of our residents of Lee County have enjoyed sipping coffee and watching the butterflies land on our newly planted flowers. LCCOA’s new sign is coming along, and we are optimistic it will be finished by next month. This sign has been a long time coming, but we finally received the donations necessary to renovate this 50 year old sign. Thank you seniors for your donations; you been asking us to do something about our tattered old sign and we listened. We are not high tech, but we are simple and elegant as our building portrays.

An Old-Fashion

Sidewalk Sale

Mark your calendars we are having a sidewalk sale on Sept. 11, • Your child MUST not be eligible to ride the school bus. If your child is eligible to ride the school bus then they must do so. Per grant guidelines, we can’t provide rides for your child. • If your child is eligible to ride with us, there’s a few things we will need to start transportation: • Please call us when you have 10 minutes available so we can set your child up in our system. We will need the following information: Name, DOB, Phone Number, Address, School, Drop-off (espe2020. Put your mask on and gloves and come shop at LCCOA’s first annual sidewalk sale. It should be great fun and we have a few surprises in store for you. Our price is a quarter and item, or a goodwill donation; LCCOA never turns down an extra quarter or two. Make sure you tell all your friends to come on down to a bonanza of a sale.

Passing of our Friends

LCCOA lost two friends this past July. James Love Jr. passed away on July 27th. James gave it a good fight; but God needed him home. James served his country in the United States Army and was extremely active in his church. God was a great and important part of James’s life, no wonder God took him home so early. James was a favorite rider on Lee County Council on Aging’s senior buses. The staff and I spoke with him daily, he always had a kind word to say about our drivers and staff. I truly enjoyed my conversations with James. I remember in March we conversed about the chili super and how so many attended this event. I told him next year you will need to make your special Mexican dishes to complement our chili, or better yet make our chili Mexican style, he just laughed. All of our drivers and staff cially if this will be a babysitter), and more. • We will also send you an informational sheet that we will ask that you sign and send back to us. It will explain behaviors we expect on the bus and consequences if rules are not followed. For example, we will expect your child to remain seated with their seatbelt fastened. If your child should decide to run about the bus while in motion, the driver would pull over and report the incident to our dispatchers whom would then call to inform you. This would be considered a warning and if your child were to do this again, they would not be able to ride the bus due to safety issues. • We also ask that you ensure there is someone to greet your child when the bus arrives so the driver knows someone is home to care for the child. will miss James he was a big part of our everyday life. He added laughter and kindness to all of us here at LCCOA. I am sure God has great plans for James in Heaven; maybe he will be the keeper of all the cockatiels. The next time you see a cockatiel say a prayer for James; I know he is praying for all of us.

On July 26th. Linda Nolan passed away. Linda had a beautiful smile just like the beautiful person she was.

Linda was a Texan born and raised; but soon moved into the Dixon life style. She loved flowers and I know she would love what LCCOA is doing with our memorial garden. Linda spent over 15 years working at KSB and enjoyed our lunches we delivered from KSB. LCCOA drivers and staff will miss Linda. We know how hard it is for Dennis and her children, God did take her too soon. She had so many more years to give to her family; but we know God has plans for Linda. Her smile could light up a room and we know Heaven is a brighter place because she is there. May God be with her and her family.

Until next time LCCOA a place where you belong a place to call home.

From the WCSC Executive Director

– Susan

• Due to COVID we also require that your child wear a mask while on board and they must not be ill.

What does back to school mean to everyone else?

It means, that you should call as soon as you know of a transportation need. In years past, the school year is extremely busy! Since this year is a little different with a mix of in person and remote learning, we aren’t positive what days will look like for us. However, we also have to remember that we aren’t filling our buses to capacity. To attempt to incorporate social distancing we are limiting our buses to just 3 riders at a time. This will also apply to the school children so wait times may be increased.

We hope everyone has wonderful school year and please remember to call us in advance, 815-625-RIDE.

– Tori

Golden Echo published monthly by Sauk Valley Media, 113-115 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon, IL 61021, in cooperation with the Lee County Council on Aging and Whiteside County Senior Center.

Golden Echo disclaims any liability for any advertisements published herein and in no way endorses or guarantees these ads.

Press releases of interest to seniors will be accepted at 100 W. Second St., Dixon, IL 61021; or 1207 W. Ninth St., Sterling, IL 61081. Deadline for submission is the 15th of each month.

Golden Echo does not discriminate in admission to programs or treatment or employment in programs or activities in compliance with the Illinois Human Rights Act; the U.S. Civil Rights Act; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act; the Age Discrimination Act; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; and the U.S. and Illinois Constitutions. If you feel you have been discriminated against, you have a right to file a complaint with the Illinois Department of Aging. For information, call 800-252-8966 (Voice & TDD), or contact the director of Lee County Council on Aging, 100 W. Second St., Dixon, IL 61021 or telephone 815-288-9236; or Whiteside County Senior Center, 1207 W. Ninth St., Sterling, IL 61081 or 815-622-9230.

The senior centers do not require duration of residency or citizenship as a condition of participation in any services or programs funded by the Northwestern Illinois Area Agency on Aging. Residency or citizenship may be a requirement for other programs that the senior centers may provide assistance with in application or accessing of same. Services are made available, in part, with funds provided under Title III-B of the Older American Act, and the Illinois General Revenue Funds, through the Northwestern Illinois Area Agency on Aging. We are a United Way-funded agency.