Eryngium Stem Borer Calls Time-Out on High Speed Rail Project

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:24:03 -0500

The continuation of the high speed rail plan on the St.
Louis to Chicago Union Pacific tracks, especially between Pontiac and Dwight, will be subject to a “comment period”, April 11 to May 11, 2012, due to the apparent encroachment of right-of-way construction that will permanently remove trackside prairie containing rattlesnake master plants, the host plant for the Eryngium Stem Borer, an endangered species of moth here in Illinois.
The areas where the host rattlesnake master plant has been discovered include both railroad right-of-way and additional area outside the right-of-way.
Twenty-two different locations for the rattlesnake master plant have been specified on satellite maps between Pontiac and Dwight, referred to as Tier l North.
One area of concern where the rattlesnake master plant has been discovered nearest Dwight is a 34’x42’ area adja- cent to South Odell Road, in the unmowed portion of the ditch area between that road and the Union Pacific tracks. It is across the road from the Dwight Public Works complex.
Of most concern is the construction of railroad siding south of Odell, where the siding impacts 250 linear feet with- in a rattlesnake master plant population.
To mitigate the loss of the Eryngium Stem Borers’ host plant, efforts will include either land acquisition or fee-in- lieu options to be at the discretion of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Both options will be used “to enhance the habitat for rattlesnake master plants and native prairie in general in appropriate areas.”
A public notice stated, “Any moths within the proposed construction area itself would likely be displaced or killed by excavation equipment.”
It is unknown whether the Eryngium Stem Borer moth is actually present within the proposed project limits. Because of nearby stem borer populations and presence of the rattlesnake master plant, however, the stem borer is assumed to be present.
In any event, other populations of these flora and fauna will continue to exist regardless of the proposed high speed rail plan, due to the fact rattlesnake master plant is present in many areas of Illinois.
The adult Stem Borer moth is nocturnal. Therefore, even with additional trains being added to the proposed high speed rail service, there will only be additional train/moth colli- sions if night-time service is added.
The moth flight season is mid-September to October. The trackside construction is expected to begin in April of 2012 and be complete by October 2012.
Eight federal and state agencies will assure compliance with regulations per- tinent to the execution of the conserva- tion plan.
The comment period will be closed on May 11, 2012. If anyone is interest- ed in commenting, they may do so by writing the IDNR, preferably after con- sulting the IDNR’s conservation plan, a copy of which may be reviewed at the Dwight Prairie Creek Library, Pontiac Public Library, or from the IDNR in Springfield.

100th Anniversary of the Titanic Commemorative Dinner

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 22:58:59 -0500

The Dwight Woman’s Club will host the 100th Anniversary of the Titanic Commemorative Dinner and Program, Tuesday, March 27, at the Country Mansion. Edwardian dress is encouraged but not required.
Appetizers and social hour begin at 5:30 p.m. Seating for the program begins at 6:15 p.m., with dinner at 7:30 p.m. This event is appropriate for anyone age 12 or older.
The program, featuring The Tea Ladies of Bloom- ington, also will include Titanic historian Buzz Zeller of Pontiac.
Mr. Zeller will reenact that fateful night on board the Titanic, portraying one of the ship’s most notable passengers, who unfortunately did not survive. Zeller’s 15- minute presentation will include subtle hints and clues as to the identity of this his- toric figure. His presentation will also include several books and Titanic memorabilia on display during the program. Join others on the luxury liner and see if you can guess his identity.
Boarding passes are available for a discounted fee if purchased by March 22 and are available at Berta Hardware, The Country Mansion and Emling Florist in Dwight or in Pontiac at Old Log Cabin Restaurant.
In addition, themed baskets will be raffled that evening. All proceeds benefit the DTHS Scholarship Fund. For tickets or more information, call 815-584-2153.

‘Kids Against Hunger”

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:31:15 -0500

A program to provide nutritious, life-saving meals for starving and malnourished children and their families in the United States and developing countries recently garnered some much- needed support from the Dwight community.
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Dwight with assistance from the Dwight Ministerial Alliance sponsored a drive to support “Kids Against Hunger,” a non- profit organization dedicated to ending starvation in the world. Their motto is “Feeding families around the world... and around the corner.”
Funds were raised through individual donations and donation jars at local businesses. When planning the project the group hoped to raise $1,500 to purchase the ingredients for 6,000 meals. Through the generosity of the people of Dwight $3,000 was collected, enough for 12,000 meals. Over 175 volunteers gathered on February 29 at St. Patrick’s Parish Hall to pack and send meals to those in need.
The meals have been formulated by food scientists to provide a rich source of easily digestible protein, carbohydrates and vitamins needed by a malnourished child’s body and mind. The food formula is simple and made from four dry ingredients that are easy to package, keep for long periods and require only boiling with
water to prepare. Despite the simplicity of the food’s con- tent, it is a nutritionally complex and well balanced meal costing only 23 cents per meal.
The food packages were
boxed and shipped to a Kids Against Hunger food pack- aging satellite to be distributed to families in need in over 60 countries. Any excess is being donated to the local food pantries.

Dwight leaders gear up for battle

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 20:21:58 -0600

Gov. Pat Quinn, put up your dukes.
State and local leaders say they’re prepared to fight for Dwight Correctional Center and the 340-plus people it employs.
Quinn announced last week that he plans to close the facility and move its approximate 1,000 inmates to Logan Prison in Lincoln in an effort to save the state about $37 million annually.
Local and state leaders reacted with concern for the economic health of Dwight and Livingston County area and for the already overcrowded prison system, while state lawmakers speculated that the proposal could actually be “leverage” for future budget negotiations.
Dwight Correctional Center opened in 1930 and is the only maximum security women’s prison in the state, as well as starting point for every female inmate in the corrections system where they are processed into the system.
The governor’s plan would shut the facility by Aug. 31.
“The governor has a pattern of announcing closures as a way to provide himself leverage for other areas of the budget,” said State Rep. Jason Barickman, a Champaign Republican.
Regardless of intent, area leaders are taking the threat seriously. About 35 local Dwight, Pontiac and county leaders, state
lawmakers, and AFSCME union representatives met Friday morning at the Livingston County Safety Complex in Ponti- ac to discuss how to fight the governor’s proposal.
Led by Barickman, they stressed unity in the process - which includes an investigation by a bi-partisan legislative committee which will agree or disagree with the governor’s proposal - that will play out in the coming weeks.
Everybody remain calm
Now’s not the time to panic, say lawmakers and area lead- ers who have fought prison closings in the past.
In Pontiac, “for sale” signs cropped up in front of homes throughout the community in 2008 when then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich threatened to shut down Pontiac Correctional Center.
Some Pontiac prison employees - fearing the impending closure - sought transfers elsewhere, sold their homes and moved, said Pontiac Mayor Bob Russell. When the facility didn’t close, some moved back to Pontiac and had to buy a new home.
“They panicked, and the last thing you want to do right now is panic,” Russell said. “Right now things are very preliminary. I wouldn’t overreact. We’ve heard the same thing a
couple of times now and hopefully calmer heads will pre- vail.”
It’s just a proposal
The governor’s proposed budget typically differs dramat- ically from the finished product, said leaders who attended Friday’s meeting.
“It’s the beginning of the budget battle,” said Larry Vaupel, CEO of the Greater Livingston County Economic Development Council. “It starts with his proposal and what ends up getting approved is usually much different than what the governor proposes.”
In fact, last year lawmakers didn’t even start with the governor’s budget, they began building their own, said Rep. Pam Roth, a Morris Republican.
Each year, the governor states his case and lawmakers wrangle until everybody comes up with a compromise.
“This is simply a proposal, but we take it very seriously because it’s the governor who’s making that proposal,” Bar- ickman said. “We remind people that there’s a legal process that needs to be followed.”
In the coming weeks
There’s a specific legal process that must take place once a state facility closure has been announced.
It begins with a notice filed with the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA), a bi- partisan committee that holds hearings and issues an opinion on whether a facility should be closed.
Once that happens, there’s 90 days to complete an inves- tigative process that includes public comment and public hearings followed by a recommendation by COGFA to the governor whether it believes closing the facility is best.
As of Friday, that initial notice that starts the 90-day clock had not been filed.
Once the initial notice is filed and the clock begins ticking, COGFA has 10 days to request a formal recommendation that requires the governor explain his plan - including the number of people affected, details about where the inmates would be relocated, the economic impact to the existing communities and so forth.
The governor’s office has 30 days to gather this information and return it to COGFA.
Once the state’s formal recommendation is filed, a 30-day public comment begins and will include a public hearing in Dwight regarding the impact of such a closure.
Following the public comment period, COGFA has 20 days to make a recommendation. The recommendation is merely advisory.
Final decision rests with lawmakers
Ultimately, though, the final decision boils down to state lawmakers who will cast the votes in favor or against fund- ing the facility.
An appropriations committee is in charge of adding line items to the budget. That committee will soon begin hearings on the various state agency budgets. The department of corrections director will go before the committee and request funding for the facility.
The budget must be passed by lawmakers in both the house and the senate.
The governor can veto a budget line item that includes funding for Dwight Correctional Center. Lawmakers can override his veto with a majority vote in both the house and senate.
Appealing to lawmakers beyond those locally will be an important component to the upcoming fight as well as the focus of future discussions as local leaders work on a clear and unified message, they said Friday.
‘More difficult than Pontiac’
While Dwight officials may be able to take a page from Pontiac’s playbook regarding how to unite the community and rally for its prison, the playing field looks much different.
Several leaders at Friday’s meeting agreed that the fight for Dwight could be even more difficult.
Blagojevich’s proposal to close Pontiac lacked any real detail about where those inmates would go and the consequent cost savings, union leaders said.
Additionally, Pontiac Correctional Center had already received funding when Blagojevich proposed its closure, they said.
The Dwight facility just won’t exist in the governor’s budget.
That means lawmakers will need to add a line item to fund it, said Rep. Pam Roth.
With numerous proposed facility closures spread through- out the state, garnering enough support from other lawmak- ers who will be lobbying for their own local facilities - it may make this fight more difficult, she said.
Regardless, the governor’s proposed budget remains just that - proposed, Barickman said.
“That doesn’t mean we don’t take it seriously,” he said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to happen either.”

Steakhouse Coming to Downtown Dwight

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:08:07 -0600

The building in downtown Dwight long remembered as “the dime store” and most recently known as Main Street Company is undergoing a major transformation.
Dwight residents Pete and Joy Meister purchased the building in September 2011 and plan to open a restaurant and bar in early June serving steaks and healthy contemporary food.
Station 343, named to honor the fallen firefighters on Sept. 11, 2001, is the product of the couple’s interests.
“Pete has always had a passion for cooking, and he
was on the Cullom Fire Department for years,” Joy said. “Cooking is a strong passion for both of us.”
Station 343 will be a friendly and welcoming family restaurant that strives for high quality at a reason- able price, said Cathy Ferguson, the restaurant’s general manager.
“We want it to be a destination - not just a place to come out and eat,” Ferguson said. “We want them to come from near and far.”
They’ve already hired a chef - Lori Plotz, who many may know as the longtime chef at Chapin’s Restaurant in Morris.
But long before the first steak is served, the Meisters began an even bigger project - overhauling the old building.
“The building needed attention and love - 131 years of it,” Ferguson said.
Work began with clearing out items accumulated over the years - some dating back to the original occupants - the Miller Brothers’ men’s clothing store.
Then the demolition began - tearing down walls, pulling away plaster and lath, tearing down layers of ceiling, taking out all plumb- ing and electrical, and clean- ing out and repaving the basement.
Although much of the building was gutted, they preserved several bits of history including some plaster areas where workers throughout the years had scrawled dozens of notes and signatures, one that dated back to its clothing store days that read: “Putting away fur coats, April 1914 Richard H. Baker.”
The Meisters plan to use the building’s original and natural assets - its hardwood floors, brick walls, and wood ceiling joists to give the restaurant a rustic yet modern feel.
Several unique findings may work their way into the restaurant’s decor, including the long tailor table used as a workbench for the original clothing store, as well as
thankful to their neighbors who have endured dust and other construction noise, as well as the many people with a restaurant background who have given helpful advice.
“Getting into the restaurant business - we’ve met lots of people and everyone has been very supportive and helpful. It has been incredible,” Joy said.
Station 343 is slated for an early June opening date, although they don’t plan to rush the process.
“Pete believes in doing it and doing it right,” Ferguson said. “We’ll open when we’re ready to open. He’s meticulous.”

Journey to Sierra Leone

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 18:23:28 -0600

Sandy (Kokaly) Abraham, a graduate of Dwight High School, envisioned herself helping others, but until she came to Christ in 2000, she was unsure of the direction to take. Together, with her husband Jeneson whom she married in 2002, their journey toward being missionaries began when they took their first mission trip as a couple to Honduras. Ever since the trip they “have felt God leading us toward a life of missionary work,” says Sandy.
Since 2002, the couple has gone on several trips with a medical focus, along with their children.
Their first trip to Africa in 2006 was a medical mission trip sponsored by their local church, to the small West African country of Benin, which they also visited in 2007 and 2008. Since those trips, God’s call on their lives has been stronger and has pointed them toward Africa. Sandy says, “God is leading us to focus more on the future and become longterm missionaries.Through God’s orchestration we have partnered with Global Outreach Mission.”
Since September 2011, Jeneson and Sandy, along with their children, have been located in Sierra Leone, where they are expected to be for two years, helping with the Mokanji Hospital Project. Jeneson and Sandy will be the primary medical care providers to Mokanji and the surrounding villages.
When they arrived in Sierra Leone, the construction of the hospital was not complete, with only Phase I expected to be done by the end of February. The Abrahams began doing a lot of public health outreach and education. Their focus is teaching people about clean water, sanitation, nutrition, disease prevention, and ministering to the people of Mokanji region spiritually, showing and sharing the love of Jesus Christ. Village life in Mokanji is slower pace, community liv- ing, laid back, rustic and peaceful, according to Sandy. The only running water is from a hand pumped well, and the only electricity is from the rare generator. Food is cooked in a coal pot or over a three stone fire. Either way the fuel is coal. Laundry is done by hand and hung in the hot African sun to dry. Chickens are truly free range and goats are tethered so that they don’t eat up every piece of vegetation or relieve themselves too close to the well. At night, there are more stars than the human eye can comprehend and the only lights you see are little flashlights as people walk by, and lightning flashing in the distance.
So how do Jeneson, a Physician Assistant, and Sandy, a Family Nurse Practitioner, prepare professionally for caring for a rural population in a developing country? According to Sandy, they studied the facts.
There are 5.7 million people in a country, roughly the size of South Carolina. The average life expectancy in Sierra Leone is 47 years, in the U.S. it is 78 years. Maternal mortality is 970/100,000 live births with only forty-two percent of births attended by skilled health personnel. In the U.S. the mortality is 24/100,000 with ninety-nine percent attended by skilled health personnel. Twenty-eight percent of children under the age of five can be categorized as being moderately to severely underweight, compared to the U.S. with only one percent being severely underweight.
In Sierra Leone there are 0.2 physicians and 1.7 nurses or midwives for every 10,000 people. In the U.S., there are 26.7 physicians and 98.2 nurses or midwives for every 10,000 people. The reality of Sierra Leone: there is a great chance that a person will get very ill and a great chance that they will not be able to see anybody who can help them and end up dying from a relatively simple disease process, where prevention or early intervention could have made all the difference in the world.
According to Sandy, there are many who question their sanity and reason for going over to Sierra Leone with three small children, and this statement sums it up. “While there may not be any clearly logical reason for us going, this is what we have felt God lay on our hearts to do and where we feel that God is leading us. And yes, it will not be easy. We will face many challenges both as a family and medically. There will be physical, emotional, and spiritual hardships. And yes, it will not be safe. While there is not much violence in Sierra Leone, there are plen- ty of other dangers in terms of disease, snakes and poor road conditions. But it is right. This is where we are supposed to be going. This is what we are supposed to be doing. But we also need your help. It will be the prayers of the people that will help us during those rough times. Even if we don’t know when or what you are praying, just knowing that you are praying will give us encouragement.”
You can follow the Abrahams and their mission work on their blog site, www.abrahamadventures.blogspot.com. For more information about missionary work visit www.globaloutreachmission.org or www.missingo.org.

Dwight Facebook Page Offers Trip Down Memory Lane

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 21:13:02 -0600

by Madelyn Fogarty madelynfogarty@yahoo.com
It is sometimes strange how life moves for- ward but the recesses of our minds hold all the fond memories of the past – memories of things seemingly forgotten only to come spilling out when triggered by maybe just the right smell, song, picture or conversation. The floodgates open, and we are instantly transported back in time. This phenomenon is happening now for several hundred people currently taking a trip down memory lane through an internet Facebook group titled “You might be from or lived in Dwight if...”.
The idea for the group came from retired DGS Science teacher, Bill King. Mr. King grew up in a small rural Missouri community, and after moving around a bit and spending 24 years teaching in Gibson City, King, and his wife Connie, landed in Dwight where he taught for ten years before retiring. The Kings currently live in Lake Summerset, IL.
With the help of King’s daughter Julie, the Facebook page was formed in August 2011.
“I happened to see some of my friends on Facebook who belonged to pages similar to the one Dwight page. I noticed that Dwight and Gibson City did not have those types of pages, so my daughter Julie King Lyons decided to start one for Dwight,” King told The Paper. “I began to organize the site and invited around 30 of my Dwight Facebook friends to join. Those “friends” began to invite others and it started to mushroom very rapidly.” 
And grow it did. The popularity of the page was “overwhelming” for King at first as more and more requests for membership poured in. Within just a few months, the group has reached 734 members. “At first, it was overwhelming due to the fact that lots of requests came in and wound up on my email account...That problem caused me to have to work a lot just to take care of the requests to join and then delete the email from my inbox. Luckily, I discovered that I could add some more administrators and this took a lot of work off of my shoulders...two women volunteered to help me...I really, really appreciate their help in taking requests to join the page. I also put a message out on Facebook to my connections in Gibson City for someone to start a site for Gibson City. One of my ex students took up the challenge and they now have 600 members.”
Members to Dwight’s page share memories of Dwight and pictures - lots of historic or just nostalgic pictures - that whisk other members back in time and strike up virtual conversations. For example, do you remember going to Harry’s Meat Market? The wooden floors in Andrew’s Grocery Store? Buying candy at Kaiser’s “Dime” store? Do you recall getting your foot measured at Stitzer’s Shoe Store? Do you have memories of buying white gym suits at Van Eman’s and how that store wrapped packages in brown paper and string? Did you buy presents at Roeder's Gift shop? How about shopping at LeDon’s Clothing Store? Or, did you shop at Faith’s for women’s clothing?
Did you waitress at the Triangle Cafe, the N&J Cafe, or Beyer’s Restaurant? Or perhaps you were a car hop at the Dog ‘N Suds? Do you recall stopping at the News Stand for ice cream and a real cherry coke? Do you remember skating on flooded parking lots in downtown Dwight? Did you go to downtown street dances or to movies at the Blackstone Theater? (which by the way, one member confirmed that the last movie to play there was "Airport 79" on Dec. 13, 1979.) Did you take your worn out shoes to Riccolo’s Shoe Repair? Or are you a Keeley Institute history buff?
Maybe your childhood memories take you back to the East Side and West Side schools? Perhaps you just fondly remember the rocket slide in Renfrew Park? Or stopping at Ohlendorf’s bakery on your way to school for a fried cinnamon roll? Speaking of Ohlendorf’s bakery, comments and pictures about these locally famous, unduplicated baked goods generate a lot of good memories – one posted picture of similar looking fried cinnamon rolls and a single smiling picture of a pumpkin cookie received dozens of happy comments....Bob Ohlendorf, as an Ohlendorf bakery fan myself, PLEASE take notice.... Anyway, whatever your memories, you can be sure that others probably have some of the same.
“I have enjoyed the web-site because it lets me stay in touch with people from Dwight that I knew or were in my classes,” said King. “I also enjoy reading the comments from some of the older residents and finding out information about things before our time in Dwight.” Like many members, Rob Carlson who grew up in Dwight, moved away years ago. Carlson, who currently lives in Pasadena, CA, has strong ties to Dwight with his parents, family and lots of memories still here. Carlson loves Dwight’s history and has shared several interesting pictures on the site.
“The memories shared may be from many different eras, based on the person's age, but the overall theme is of gratitude for having been so lucky to have grown up in Dwight,” Carlson told The Paper regarding the popularity of the site. “Some posts are very funny, some sad because so many of the characters are no longer with us, and sometimes you learn a piece of Dwight history that you never knew."
So, if you are looking to take a trip this winter, but don’t want to leave the house, consider joining this nostalgic Facebook page - the trip down memory lane is very inexpensive...and worth a tour.

TLC Baby Line with Spuds is Abandoned

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:39:24 -0600

by Tom Tock
Dori McGuire of Discovery Communications informed The Paper this week that Discovery “is not moving forward with the TLC Baby line with Spuds.”
Discovery Communications, the nation’s number one non-fiction media company, announced in March of 2011 that they had a partner- ship with Spuds, 200 South Franklin St., Dwight, to introduce a line of infants and toddlers feeding products created from reclaimed potato starch.
It was to be the first product launch under a new TLC Baby franchise from Discovery Communications franchise division.
The feeding products were to be designed and manufactured by Spuds. Spuds had created “natural and organic infant and toddler essentials inspired by the Discovery network’s popular baby programming.”
Originally, the TLC Baby line of products was to have been introduced to retailers in the Spring of 2011, but the date was changed to Spring of 2012.
Discovery Communications was asked, but gave no reason for abandoning their partnership with Spuds. No future plans were indicated.
An attempt to question Tim Wymore, president of Spuds, about his company’s present and future plans was unsuccessful.
February 21 of 2011,
Spuds received a loan of $150,000 from Dwight’s revolving loan fund, after Wymore and Maurice Birt, Spuds officers, told Village Council members that Spuds had deadlines to meet with the TLC Baby division of Discovery Communications, and that Spuds production would have to be outsourced in order to meet those dead- lines.
According to Wymore, the $150,000 would facilitate marketing and personnel to get the product moving. Sales, design, and tooling would remain in Dwight with 15-30 jobs.
Dwight’s Council had to make a quick decision or Spuds could take the entire operation elsewhere, according to a March 2, 2011, story in The Paper. Only three Council members were present, but they were joined by the Mayor in casting the necessary four votes to approve the $150,000 loan.
The loan nearly depleted the village’s revolving loan fund.
A $75,000 loan to Spuds had been approved by the four Dwight Village Council members present at a July 26, 2010 meeting.
In May, 2011, the Greater Livingston Co. Economic Development Council announced its participation, along with the Bank of Pontiac, Freestar Bank, and State Bank of Graymont, in a $272,000 mortgage loan to Spuds.

Dwight’s Damaged Garrett Park ‘Unacceptable

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:57:32 -0600

Dwight Village Board
by Madelyn Fogarty madelynfogarty@yahoo.com
Frustrated community members gathered at the January 9 meeting of the Dwight Village Board of Trustees wanting answers regarding the tornado-damaged Garrett Park ball fields and calling the current situation “unacceptable.”
With three years approaching since the June 2010 tornado swept through Dwight, little has been done to repair damages at the park used for Dwight Youth baseball and softball. Summer of 2010 saw no play on the fields following the tornado and last summer the fields saw limited use as the village waited to find out if a requested Illinois Parc Grant would be available to help fund a new facility. The grant, a State 75 percent /Village 25 percent proposition, had been applied for by the Village in November 2010 with hopes of being used for a proposed four-field base- ball/softball complex with an estimated cost of $1.3 million. Awarding of grant money was continually delayed by the State, and when finally made, it excluded Dwight’s request. Organizers of the league and the community members have expressed their exhausted patience with the situation and pushed the board to take action.
“My frustration comes from knowing in September or October that there was no grant money and here we sit in January and still no plan,” said Youth Baseball Vice President Mike Calandro.
“Keep in mind, it is January 9 and our season starts in April”, said Calandro. “We are under the gun.”
While no bids have been secured for the repairs, Mayor Wilkey indicated that the village is still working to resolve several insurance questions and that there is not enough insurance money available to cover the pending repairs.
“We don’t have nearly enough money for what you people are asking for,” Mayor Wilkey told the group, indicating that $39,000 was received for concession stand damages, but the lowest replacement cost, with additional bathroom facilities, that could be found was $150,000.
But League representatives would not settle for the response.
“What we are asking for is to have the weeds pulled out of the ground and give our kids a place to play,” said Calandro. “We are not asking for LED lights or astro turf.”
Dwight Village Trustee Jared Anderson sided with the League indicating there was money available to start repairs for things such as the damaged fence and crow’s nest.
“October 3 is now over three months ago,” stated Anderson, regarding how long it has been since news of the denied Parc Grant was received. “The things we know that could be done aren’t being done. It is inexcusable.” Anderson went on to say that “best case” scenario for starting repairs now would be middle of March since securing formal bids requires a “six to eight week window” for the bid process.
Pushing the Mayor for a commitment on getting the project completed, local resident Sean Connolly asked for a deadline.
“Is it safe to say that by the end of 2012 it will be done?” pressed Connolly. “Yep,” responded Mayor Wilkey before moving to other business. A Properties Committee meeting has been set for January 16 to discuss plans for Garrett Park .
In other matters, the board passed an ordinance reducing the speed limit on Fieldman Road from Columbia Street east to Route
47 (blacktop running behind South Subdivision). The new 35 mph speed limit will be posted and is effective immediately. Columbia Street west to Route 66, which is in the jurisdiction of Livingston County, will remain at 55 mph until a study can be completed to determine if a reduction in speed is necessary on this stretch of road as well.
The board also:
• approved a SHOW BUS donation of $500.
• approved a GLCEDC annual investment of $8,520 ($2 per capita based on a population of 4,260).
• learned that newly-hired Dwight Police Officer Brett Middleton has started academy training and is expected to graduate March 29.
• approved a fund transfer of $70,794.55 from the Sewer Fund to the Sewer Replacement Reserve Fund for paying interest on the wastewater treatment plant loan.
• a Dwight Community Chest donation request was not considered by the Board since the Village has opted to donate to individual group requests instead.
The next meeting of the Dwight Village Board of Trustees will be Monday, January 23, 6:30 p.m., in the Public Services Complex.

Harm’s Farm Being Built Despite Objections

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 21:49:45 -0600

by Rachel Ramsey
On November 30 the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) sent a letter to Patrick Harms of Forrest stating that construction of one of his proposed 4,500-head hog facilities could proceed.
This project, named Harms-Kevin’s House, is a swine finishing facility that will be located 2.9 miles south of Saunemin.
The IDOA’s approval of this project ignored a September 15 non-binding recommendation from the Livingston County Board.
The Livingston County Board’s Ag Committee voted against the building of the two hog facilities after listening to concerns from the local community that would be affected by the projects.
Eldon Ruff, chairman of the Ag Committee, noted of their September 15 decision, “Our main concern is the water system and how it will affect the neighbors, especially the ones to the east of the proposed sites.”
The county board recommended a hydrology study of the area to judge the impact the farms would have on the surrounding community; however, the IDOA approved construction of the Harms-Kevin facility without requiring a study.
The application for the other farm, Harms-Stoller Facility, is still pending. The State’s Department of Agriculture explains that even though construction is underway, the department still has to sign off on the project before it goes into service.

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