By Jennifer Wheeler
Rockford Register Star
Posted Nov. 10, 2013 @ 10:00 amROCKFORD — One in four children in Winnebago County do not know where they will get their next meal, according to a 2011 study conducted by Feeding America, the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity.In Boone County, it's one in five.And unlike an adult who struggles to find enough to eat, a child can't earn a paycheck to pay for groceries or drive to a food pantry.
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Liquidation via ‘information highway’ best for BPD
Nov. 10, 2013
By Troy A. Bruzewski
Editor
BELVIDERE – The police have taken to a different highway to nab people and the effort starting with writing an item description, rather than a ticket.
The Belvidere Police Dept. is garnering financial results from its efforts on eBay, selling its decommissioned and seized vehicles. For nearly eight years, BPD has used the online location to sell various items, most recently they were of the two-wheel variety.
In October, the department listed two motorcycles that were seized; the pair of Harley-Davidsons brought a total of $9,000. The month prior, a decommissioned SUV and a seized Chevy Tracker netted $3,084.
Mayor Mike Chamberlain said using online auctions has provided numerous benefits for the city and police.
“We’ve found we do better on eBay (than one annual live auction),” he said. “It’s more effective and it’s at a lower cost.”
Annual police and city auctions were once the standard for government to alleviate itself of the accruing merchandise, but taking the effort online helps avoid the multiple potential pitfalls of relying on an auction held live.
Internet auctions present the items to a worldwide audience and aren’t affected by poor weather. One rainy day can affect a budget, when it comes to raising operating funds by a live auction.
“A live auction can go unattended, or have so few bids that they’re too low to accept,” Chamberlain said. “From the online perspective, it’s more efficient and has better success.”
And with the duration of online auctions, people who won’t be available in the auction’s closing seconds can still place their maximum bid days prior, with automatic bidding.
Chief Jan Noble said the results have been excellent for the department and the city.
“We get much more return for using eBay, than we would on a Saturday auction,” he said. “It has greatly benefitted the city and returned tax dollars to the city for items that no longer had use.”
The top bidders are required to visit the department to complete the transaction, paying by certified check or using Paypal. Noble said the reaching effect of online auctions is evident by the distances traveled by those who got the final bid. Top bidders for BPD auctions have come from at least four other states.
Chamberlain said future in-person auctions aren’t out of the question, but in the meantime residents can follow BPD auctions by accessing the seller name “belviderepolice” on eBay.
Retirement, promotion for BPD
Nov. 8, 2013
BELVIDERE – The Belvidere Police Dept. announced one retirement and one promotion.Sergeant Mark Pollock is being promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief of Administrative and Support Services; while Deputy Chief William Falkenstein is retiring after 25 years with the BPD.Pollock started with BPD in April, 1991 and was promoted to Sergeant in June, 1998. He’s been both Sergeant of the Detective Division and Sergeant of the Patrol Division.Falkenstein began with BPD in 1988 and was promoted to Sergeant in 1991, then promoted to Deputy Chief in 1996. .
To read the most up to date BDR stories go to: rvpnews | Belvidere Daily Republican
The above is taken form the November 8, 2013 Boone County Journal which is available free of cost at merchants across the county and on line at: http://www.boonecountyjournal.com/news/2013/Boone-County-News-11-08-13.pdf#page=1
The following legal notice appeared in the Boone County Journal on November 8, 2013.
NOTE: 3% of the increase is due to the Veterans Assistance referendum passed in November 2012.
City and state split road repair work
Nov. 6, 2013
By Troy A. Bruzewski
Editor
BELVIDERE – While the Illinois Tollway remains tattered with orange signs and cones, the intersection of State Street and North Appleton Road is clear of that color.
A joint construction effort between the Illinois Dept. of Transportation and Belvidere Public Works at the intersection, has been completed. The project originated from an arrangement between the two government agencies, in which they share the repair duties along State Street, with IDOT assuming a bit more of the responsibility than the city.
“We basically have a 60/40 agreement with IDOT (for State Street),” Belvidere Public Works director Brent Anderson said. “(IDOT) have to do the two inside lanes and center turn lane, while we’re responsible for the outside lanes and storm sewer.”
The project began earlier this fall and traffic was narrowed for roughly a quarter mile, from the intersection to Doc Wolf Drive. Anderson said the project was to replace concrete sections remaining from the last overhaul of that stretch of road, in the 1980s.
Belvidere veteran completes American Legion College
Nov. 5, 2013
INDIANAPOLIS – They came here from nearly every state not knowing what to expect. They were challenged from the beginning to demonstrate creativity, leadership and innovation. They are the 56 members of The American Legion College class of 2013, among them, Terry Abdelnour, a member of American Legion Post 77 in Belvidere.
Members of the class of dedicated, Legionnaires completed a six-day course that saw them lay a solid foundation for American Legion post revitalization in a variety of settings to include a rural area, the inner city, suburban communities, metropolitan areas with special emphasis given to working with the Armed Forces. They were also provided the instruction and tools to construct resolutions for American Legion activities at their respective posts for presentation at a mock department meeting.
The National American Legion College is designed to reinforce a volunteer’s leadership, management and communication skills. This helps prepare young members of The American Legion to lead the nation’s largest wartime veterans organization on the local and state level. The importance of mentorship for both other members and special groups in the community was a central point to several of the activities for the class.
“Your journey is just beginning. Now you must take this new found knowledge back to your post, district and department and pass this on to others,” American Legion National Commander Daniel M. Dellinger told the graduating class.
Abdelnour was nominated by organizational leaders in the state of Illinois.
Belvidere Veterans Day Parade Nov. 11
Nov. 5, 2013
BELVIDERE -- The annual Veteran's Day Parade will begin at 9:30 a.m., Monday, Nov. 11.
Bruce Anderson, parade marshal, will lead the parade from City Parking Lot 5 (between Main St. and Whitney Blvd.) and proceed to the State Street bridge for a brief ceremony.
A rifle squad will assemble at the bridge, and Chaplain Roger Myers from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1461 will offer a prayer. Gold Star Sisters Marilyn Orr, Ann Castro, and Vi Luedtke will cast memorial wreaths upon the water. After a rifle squad salute and Taps, the parade will proceed to the Veteran's Memorial on West Lincoln Ave.
The ceremony at the Veteran's Memorial will begin with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1461 Commander Greg Kelm, Ladies Auxiliary President Kathy Rhoda, American Legion Post 77 Commander Marilyn Riske and Ladies Auxiliary President Tina Abdelnour. Master of ceremonies, Greg Kelm, will be this year's guest speaker.
A closing prayer will be offered.
In case of inclement weather, ceremonies will be held at 10 a.m. at VFW Post 1461, 1210 W. Lincoln Ave. For information, call the VFW at 815-544-2014 or the American Legion at 815-547-7216.
Flora Grange annual Fall Roast Beef Dinner fundraiser to take place Sunday, Nov. 10
Nov. 1, 2013
BELVIDERE-- Flora Grange #1762 invites the public to its annual Fall Roast Beef Dinner, on Sunday, Nov. 10 at Flora Grange Hall, 2105 Stone Quarry Rd., three miles south of Bypass 20 (Appleton exit). Please note the Stone Quarry Bridge over the Tollway is closed, so please use Pearl Street to Bates Rd as an alternate route.
Reservations are being taken for two servings at 11:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Adults are $12 and children ages 6-12 are $5. Call (815) 985-8544 or (815) 494-6927 or (815) 222-6173. Tickets will be available at the door. Carry outs available.
The dinner features a super homemade salad bar and a bake sale of homemade delights and, of course the mouth watering and tender and tasty roast beef prepared by the member “chefs” of Flora Grange.
Proceeds from the dinner will go toward Flora’s community service projects - so enjoy a good home-cooked meal and help others at the same time.
The Grange is a national organization based in Washington DC with 2100 chapters throughout the country. The Grange membership consists of families supporting agriculture and their local communities with a wide variety of community service projects. Flora is one of seven chapters in Boone County which own and operate the Boone County Fair, among other projects.
For the most up to date BDR articles go to: rvpnews | Belvidere Daily Republican
Nov. 5, 2013
BELVIDERE -- The annual Veteran's Day Parade will begin at 9:30 a.m., Monday, Nov. 11.
Bruce Anderson, parade marshal, will lead the parade from City Parking Lot 5 (between Main St. and Whitney Blvd.) and proceed to the State Street bridge for a brief ceremony.
A rifle squad will assemble at the bridge, and Chaplain Roger Myers from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1461 will offer a prayer. Gold Star Sisters Marilyn Orr, Ann Castro, and Vi Luedtke will cast memorial wreaths upon the water. After a rifle squad salute and Taps, the parade will proceed to the Veteran's Memorial on West Lincoln Ave.
The ceremony at the Veteran's Memorial will begin with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1461 Commander Greg Kelm, Ladies Auxiliary President Kathy Rhoda, American Legion Post 77 Commander Marilyn Riske and Ladies Auxiliary President Tina Abdelnour. Master of ceremonies, Greg Kelm, will be this year's guest speaker.
A closing prayer will be offered.
In case of inclement weather, ceremonies will be held at 10 a.m. at VFW Post 1461, 1210 W. Lincoln Ave. For information, call the VFW at 815-544-2014 or the American Legion at 815-547-7216.
Nov. 1, 2013
By Bob Balgemann
POPLAR GROVE - The village's administration committee has become the first governmental body in northern Boone County to consider an intergovernmental agreement with the Capron Rescue Squad.
It basically states that the village will utilize ambulance service from Capron Rescue before calling someone else.
The agreement as written brought immediate opposition from committee member Don Bawden.
While it's a village-wide agreement it would not apply to subdivisions south of Orth Road, because they are not within the squad's 144-square-mile district. Still, Bawden said there were too many questions to be answered at this point for some of those subdivisions, such as Bel-Air, Prairie Green and the Knolls, to make that kind of a decision.
Ambulance service for that area is provided by Lifeline in Belvidere.
Beyond that, Boone County's 911 dispatch center decides which ambulance is assigned to a call for help. Proximity of the ambulance to the location of the emergency is part of the decision-making process, as is availability.
There is a back-up plan in place for use when the primary ambulance is busy. For Capron Rescue, mutual aid comes from the Harvard Rescue Squad for the northeastern side of the district and from Harlem-Roscoe for the northwest side, with Lifeline filling in the rest of that area.
Village President John Neitzel pointed out Capron Rescue, which is being renamed North Boone EMS to more accurately reflect its service area, has been covering north Boone since 1957.
Doing 'very good job'
"I personally think they do a very good job providing that service," he said. He added that North Boone Fire District 3 was considering the operation of an ambulance service. As a resident and taxpayer, he said he saw that as a duplication of service and additional expense for taxpayers.
Bawden said he disagreed with that "big time."
He said the agreement didn't specify it was for the area north of Orth Road and that he would never call an ambulance that's one-third further away.
Village Attorney Roxanne Sosnowski said she briefly reviewed the agreement, which came from rescue district attorney Jim Hursh, from a legal standpoint. "I sent a number of revisions to Mr. Hursh and have not received a response," she said.
She confirmed that the 911 dispatch center would send the closest ambulance to the call for assistance. She said she did know if the agreement was "a legal edict" as to which ambulance is called first.
"I can't vote for something that's not true, resolution or no resolution," Bawden said.
Neitzel suggested further discussion on the matter and obtaining suggestions from counsel. "Mr. Bawden has some good points," he said.
In the meantime, suggested revisions to the agreement will be sent to Hursh, Neitzel and village administrator Mark Lynch.
Poplar Grove Village Trustee Owen Costanza also is president of the Capron Rescue Squad District Board of Trustees. He was not at the committee meeting but said Oct. 29 that residents north of Orth Road already approved use of the Capron Rescue Squad when they voted in favor of paying a tax to help finance the service. The proposed intergovernmental agreement merely is an extension of that, he said.
The agreement also will be presented at some point to the Capron, Caledonia and Timberlane village boards, Boone County government and the unincorporated Candlewick Lake community.
