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Serving DeKalb County since 1879
Monday, April 28, 2014
TEA FOR DOLLY AND ME
SOCCER • SPORTS, B1
A tea party fit for royalty Local, A3
DeKalb brings home 5th straight BarbFest title
Baker tries to clear air over plans
UPGRADES ALL AROUND
Nearly 100 attend meeting on NIU’s ‘Bold Ideas Thesis’ By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com DeKALB – When Northern Illinois President Doug Baker on Sunday told almost 100 DeKalb residents he was surprised by their adverse reaction to the university’s bold ideas, they laughed. “The fact that you’re laughing means I don’t think you understand what we’ve been doing, so I’d like to talk to you about that,” Baker said. “I’m seriDoug Baker ous about that. I’m frustrated by the level of communication that has gone on about this. And a lot of that is our fault.” Almost 100 people attended a town hall style meeting Sunday night at First Congregational United Church of Christ in DeKalb to voice concerns and ask questions about the changes proposed at NIU’s campus and the neighborhoods surrounding it. The Sunday event was put on by members of Preserve our Neighborhoods, a group of citizens who live in the neighborhoods around the NIU campus. DeKalb County Board member Misty Haji-Sheikh guided the night, which included presentations from Baker, NIU’s Vice President of Public Safety and Community Relations Bill Nicklas, DeKalb Mayor John Rey and DeKalb County Board member and chair of DeKalb’s landmark commission Sally DeFauw. Baker explained the
If you go DeKalb Mayor John Rey will host a town hall meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday at the DeKalb Municipal Building, 200 S. Fourth St. Residents are invited to learn the facts about the actions under consideration by Northern Illinois University. “Bold Ideas Thesis” that has spurred an uproar among some DeKalb residents was the result of five days of work done by a design team, stressing the fluidity of the ideas. The university also held two “Bold Futures” workshops to think of ways to change campus layout and transportation plans in hopes of reversing declining enrollment, attracting and retaining more students, and creating a greater connection between the university and the city. Dave Carrier, who lives of Fox Hollow Court near the NIU campus, questioned the map in the 10-page thesis that called for housing on the campus’ North 40 field. “When I think of the density there I don’t think you’ll find very many faculty or alumni wanting to live that close together,” Carrier said. “You’re basically making, potentially, a slum area if it’s students.” Baker responded by saying the idea of housing at that location was thrown in by the design team last minute and not a very likely possibility considering the campus has
See NIU, page A10
Photos by Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com
Carol Orr of Sycamore walks through the dispatch room Saturday while on a tour during an open house at the DeKalb Police Department.
Residents tour new DeKalb police station By STEPHEN HABERKORN news@daily-chronicle.com DeKALB – Tours of the new DeKalb Police Department included little extras for children, including letting them experience being locked in a cell. “They thought it was really cool. They really enjoyed everything about it. They were glad that they went,” said Tara Grommes, a Hinckley resident who works in DeKalb. “And, hopefully, they won’t ever end up there. I hope that it gave them an insight to the way that they take care of bad people.” Grommes, her daughter, niece, and two of their friends were among about 200 people to participate in Saturday’s open house at the police station. They received an hour-long tour of the 35,000-square foot, $12.7 million building, which has been fully operational since November. Because of the open house, any bookings during the day were processed by
Carol Dugan (left) of DeKalb tours the Chief of Police Gene Lowery’s office Saturday during an open house at the DeKalb Police Department. allows arrested individuals to wash themselves off if they’ve been sprayed. In the Have you been inside the new old station, this was done by DeKalb police station? Vote officers with a garden hose, online at Daily-Chronicle.com. Cmdr. John Petragallo said. As the tour continued into the station, pictures on the Northern Illinois Uni- the wall in each area showed versity Police Department. its counterpart at the old faThe tours started in the cility on Fourth Street for spacious sally port – the comparison. secure area where “bad “Numerous times I had guys” are brought into the people come up and tell me station. Of note was the pep- that judging from the tour, per spray wash area, which and the condition of the old
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station in the pictures that were displayed, they really knew that we had a great need for this building,” Petragallo said. The new building is an upgrade in every area: space, security, functionality and technology. There are numerous conference rooms of all sizes – one of which has a framed copy of the United States Constitution on the wall. All of the meeting areas contain large glass walls and windows to encourage transparency. There is a large upstairs training room that also can be used for coordinating major cases. The entire building is covered by video and audio surveillance. There is a separate juvenile area, which they didn’t have in the old facility. And the investigation area provides added privacy and security for witnesses. In the old station, a suspect and his accuser could potentially cross paths.
See POLICE, page A10
Illinois Democrats consider new minimum wage plan By KERRY LESTER The Associated Press SPRINGFIELD – With Illinois Democrats struggling to find enough votes to increase the state’s minimum wage, some lawmakers are quietly proposing a less-contentious plan that would ask voters what they think of the idea before the Legislature tries to pass a politically risky bill. But state Sen. Kimberly
Lightford, who is sponsoring the proposal to hike the minimum wage from $8.25 to $10.65 per hour, said putting a nonbinding resolution on the November ballot would only be a “last resort.” Some Democrats in swing suburban and downstate districts have joined Republicans in resisting the effort amid fears that companies would lay off workers or hire fewer new ones. “We just need 30 votes at
the end of the day. That’s what we seemingly don’t have right now,” Lightford said. The Legislature has moved slowly on approving the minimum wage increase, even though Gov. Pat Quinn and other Democrats have made it a core component of their campaign to keep the governor’s mansion and pick up congressional seats in Illinois and across the country. But not all Democrats in
the Legislature are on board with their party’s campaign priority. State Sen. John Sullivan, a Rushville Democrat, told a group of Quincy business leaders earlier this month that he’s “gotten some flack” over his opposition to the legislation, which he said could send businesses to neighboring states with lower minimum wages. “Unemployment hasn’t come down the way I think it
should in Illinois, and I don’t think [higher minimum wage] is going to help move that agenda forward,” Sullivan said. “I’m conflicted on it. It’s a tough issue. But given the current situation, that’s why I wouldn’t support it.” John Jackson, a political science professor at Southern Illinois University, said although increasing the minimum wage makes sense as a talking point for Democrats on
the state and national levels, “I haven’t heard a heard a single [southern Illinois] area legislator salute the idea.” Meanwhile, Republicans remain unified in their opposition to an increase, saying an across-the-board wage hike pushes employers to cut jobs. State Sen. Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove, who is bidding to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen.
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Inside today’s Daily Chronicle Lottery Local news Obituaries
A2 A2-4 A4
National and world news A2, A4, A6-7 Opinions A11 Sports B1-3
See WAGES, page A10
Advice Comics Classified
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