Illinois Tollway: Illinois Tollway to hold meetings on I-90 work. - chicagotribune.com

By Richard Wronski, Tribune Reporter

March 12, 2013

The meetings will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Huntley Village Hall, 10987 Main St.; and 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Belvidere Oasis, at I-90 milepost 24.

The work includes:

•Roadway rebuilding and widening to six lanes will begin in the eastbound lanes between the Elgin Toll Plaza and I-39 in Rockford.

•Bridges on I-90 over the Kishwaukee River, Mosquito Creek, Coon Creek, U.S. Route 20, Sleepy Hollow Road and the Union Pacific Railroad will be rebuilt, as will nine local bridges that carry traffic over the tollway.

•Interchange improvements are planned at Business U.S. Highway 20/State Street in Rockford and Lee Street in Rosemont.

•Work will continue on the new Illinois Highway 47 interchange on I-90 in Huntley. The new interchange is scheduled to open by the end of the year. Six new ramps are being built with all-electronic toll plazas. The bridge carrying Highway 47 traffic over I-90 will be rebuilt.

Click on the following for more details:  Illinois Tollway: Illinois Tollway to hold meetings on I-90 work. - chicagotribune.com

Elect Lydia Gonzalez-- Belvidere Township Clerk

I am running for Belvidere Township Clerk and prepared to serve my community. I would appreciate your vote, affecting the next four years.

I am civic minded, responsive, accessible and dedicated to respond to any type of need the Township people have. I am trained in complaint handling and in evaluating businesses for proper licensing. I am bilingual (Spanish), lived in Belvidere 30 years, 23+ years experience in Office Management, 1977 Belvidere High School Graduate, continued education: Secretarial Science, Dynamics of Behavioral Organization, and Elementary Education.

I have always had a desire to help people which rewarded me with a Community Service Award in 2000 by the National Council of La Raza for $10,000 donation sponsored by Kraft to my favorite charity, a Rockford Arts Endowment Grant for Belvidere schools’ children dance instruction, Outstanding Achievement from former Governor Evan Bayh, Client of the Year from Lakeshore Employment & Training Partnership Inc.

And, I desire to help “The People” of Belvidere Township. If anyone is interested in participating in the process, PLEASE contact me. We may look forward to the future together...and we can succeed in everything. Also, PLEASE inform others you are acquainted with to look me up. Follow me on twitter: lydia@xiapte; and Facebook Boone-County-IL-Democrats, Lee Gonzalez; I may be contacted anytime at 815-323-8693, lydiatownshipclerk2013@gmail.com. It is time for a change and to move forward.

God bless America!

Lydia (Lee) Gonzalez

Precinct Committeewoman Belvidere 4, Ward 1

P.S.  Make a big circle on your calendars around April 9 Election Day and write “Go Vote!” Please vote for me, I will work extremely hard for you and your family.

Revised Agenda for Tuesday’s Belvidere Township Meeting

Special Note:  IX. a –Agenda for town hall meeting

 

AGENDA

BELVIDERE TOWNSHIP

REGULAR MEETING OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD

8200 Fairgrounds Road

March 12, 2013 – 5:00 P.M.

I. Call to Order/Roll Call

II. Pledge of Allegiance

III. Public Input

IV. Discussion and potential action on approval of Prior Meeting’s Minutes

V. Discussion and potential action on Transfers

VI. Reports

a. Supervisor’s Report

b. Highway Commissioner’s Report

c. Assessor’s Report

d. Clerk’s Report

e. Trustee’s Report

VII. Unfinished Business – Discussion and Potential Action May Occur on the following items:

a.

b.

c.

d.

VIII. Legal

a.

b.

IX. New Business

a. Approval of Annual Town Meeting Agenda

b.

X. Discussion and Potential Action on Treasurer’s Report and Approval of Bills

XI. Closed Session

XII. Action on Closed Session Items

XIII. Adjournment

Next Meeting: March 26, 2013 @ 5:00 P.M.

Echoes of Fukushima as toxic management erodes safety at Exelon's Byron, 'world's safest' nuclear plant | The Japan Times

Japanese talk of poor operating conditions at Byron Nuclear Power plant

 

For eight minutes, you’ve raised your middle finger to the meltdown gods,” one reactor operator said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “If anything else happened in that window — and it’s a safe bet one problem causes another — you’re screwed.”

Without any operable safety equipment or a clear idea of what had caused the accident, operators knew the plant was vulnerable to any number of accident scenarios, ranging from the trivial to the catastrophic.

In the aftermath of the incident, the technical details didn’t bother the plant’s reactor operators — it had been an oddball event. The human element, however, was troubling.

Click on the following for the entire story:  Echoes of Fukushima as toxic management erodes safety at Exelon's Byron, 'world's safest' nuclear plant | The Japan Times

Boone County’s January/February Income from video poker

 

Below are the monthly totals for Boone County’s two operating state controlled video poker. January $3,274 and February $3,606.

 

Click on the photocopy to enlarge:

 

These items are available monthly from:  http://www.igb.illinois.gov/revreportsVG/Default.aspx

George W. Bush’s paintings and self-portrait: Critics weigh in.

 

”E-mail accounts close to George W. Bush have apparently been hacked, exposing several private photos of the former president, according to a post from the Smoking Gun. The most interesting of the photos show what appear to be three paintings by W. himself.”

Click on the following to read and see more “W” art:  George W. Bush’s paintings and self-portrait: Critics weigh in.

Update: Christiansen Roofing files bankruptcy - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Mr. Christiansen is the Chairman of the Winnebago County Board.

By Kevin Haas

The company closed its doors in August amid financial struggles. Read that story here. Christiansen filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which governs the liquidation process, six months later. The Feb. 6 filing lists $2.5 million in liabilities.

Click on the following for more details:  Update: Christiansen Roofing files bankruptcy - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

 

The above BBB information is available at:  http://www.bbb.org/chicago/business-reviews/roofing-contractors/christiansen-in-rockford-il-17830

Other interesting articles regarding Christiansen Roofing

The Rockford Park District will take over maintenance of the green roof atop Nicholas Conservatory after Christiansen Roofing has gone out of business.

Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen, who owns the roofing company that bears his surname, said last month that his company would close after financial troubles.

Christiansen Roofing was awarded a $108,300 contract to build the living roof and maintain it for a year. The Park District will take over maintenance duties because of the company's closure, said Laura Pigatti Williamson, deputy director of capital planning and asset management.

Read the entire roof garden article by clicking on the following:  http://www.rrstar.com/blogs/kevinhaas/x2131922141/Green-roof-repairs-Park-Districts-duty-after-Christiansen-Roofing-closure

Christiansen Roofing was the roofing contractor who installed the green roof at Nicholas Conservatory.

The Nicholas Conservatory’s roof was subject to the accusation of “crony capitalism” by Michael Kleen of Rockford.

…” When the Rockford Park District needed to construct a “green roof” at Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens, for example, it awarded the $108,277 contract to none other than Christiansen Roofing, a construction company owned by Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen. Even if the Park District did not hire that particular business as a result of Mr. Christiansen’s political connections, the dozens of other building contractors in the area who were left out of the deal could be forgiven for reaching that conclusion….”

To read more of Mr. Kleen article go to:  http://makleen.com/2012/09/19/public-private-partnerships-or-just-crony-capitalism/