Where Were You?

A child is lying on the side of the road.

There are cuts, blood, and the breathing is not right.

“Dear God, help me get this right.”

Where were you?

We respond with an ambulance, we run the call, we do the work.

At the end I want to find a wall to bang my head against, it helps.

Some calls are not this bad. A few are worse.

I hate doing it, but people need help, and this is what I can do.

Where were you?

These little towns are the heart of the country,

Where people want to live, and help.

We need people to step up, and do what needs to be done.

It is not easy, but it is making a difference.

Where are you?

Chris Markley, Lanark Fire Department

Morrison and the Things That I Love

The things that I love about Morrison are many. I love that I can go to the post office and the postal workers at the windows always smile and call me by my first name, and this is great because it starts my day off just right.

When I am driving down the road people will give a wave and a smile and when I am out walking I can smile and say “hello” to another person walking by and get the same smile and “hello” gesture back.

I can always count on the girls at the hardware store to help me find that “thing” that I am looking for. I don’t know where I would be without our Dollar Stores. The ladies are so helpful and kind there and if you can’t find what you need they will try to order it from another store.

We have some really great eating establishments and gorgeous parks to eat and relax in, too. Our parks are perfect for family time, family reunions or to read a book - and that reminds me of the awesome library and staff that we have. We are so lucky that we have them.

I love that Morrison people care about each other and we are happy when something is good, and we are banded together when something needs fixing. Our church bells sing a song twice a day and it is beautiful and tells a story of how we are united.

Morrison isn’t perfect, but it is what I call home. I am proud that I am from Morrison.

Aubrey Fisher
Morrison, IL

Thomson Prison

I would like to thank Bobby Schilling for trying to advance the Thomson Prison.
Schilling has been in Congress for 18 months, while the Thomson facility was built over a decade ago and never fully used.
Facts are refreshing things.  Some are saying that the Obama Administration pledged not to bring detainees to Thomson in April of 2011, but if you take the time to read the letter for yourself, the Administration leaves itself plenty of wiggle room by outright opposing Congress’ restriction on bringing these detainees to the United States, expressing confidence in Thomson the facility to house such individuals before reluctantly concluding they will comply with “current” law.  Why can’t the Administration just come right out and say this will never happen?

Enter Bobby Schilling.  He wrote the Attorney General in May asking for a clear and unequivocal statement on this issue and on June 5, Attorney General Holder finally said what we all have been waiting to hear.  “. . . we will not move people from Guantanamo, regardless of the state of the law, to Thomson.  That is my pledge as attorney general.”  Imagine if he had been that clear last year?
Bobby Schilling is a problem solver who is not afraid to stand up to his party and I applaud him for trying to make something happen and not sit idly by.

I applaud Congressman Schilling for reaching out to both sides of the aisle to advance this for our region. Keep up the good work.

Sincerely,
Dakota Johansen
Rockford, IL

A Plea to the Whiteside County Board

There have been countless pleas for our so-called leaders to spare us the pain and suffering that come when wind turbines are placed near our homes.

I’ve finally gotten to hear first-hand what these things do when 1900 feet from a home (let alone 1400). They have noise in the house, “sounds like jets.” They have over 4.5 months of shadow flicker lasting anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours—in their home. That’s not counting the time they put up with it in their yard.

Sounds minor, huh? You try to concentrate on something when someone is flicking a light switch on and off in your house.

How is it that all these foreign countries (Ireland, Spain, and others) can come in and promise anything and everything and our boards that are supposed to protect us just smile and feel righteous because they know best? They turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to all the evidence that these monstrosities are ruining innocent, helpless people’s lives. These families are not just NIMBYs—they are suffering.

I believe that every board member should be required to spend a few nights and days in a home surrounded by these things during the months they are most destructive before they would be allowed to vote for them.

The children are being well educated. We have no shortage of electricity. Our roads could be better, but I would rather bounce along and be able to see our beautiful countryside as God meant it to be.

So, my plea is to the Whiteside County Board members who are only looking at the monetary gains to help pay for the Sheley trial. Please, start looking at the long-term damage that will be placed upon the countryside and the long-time residents of our county.

Sue McGinn
Tampico, IL

Thomson Prison Opening Doesn’t Mean Jobs

The elections must be getting closer, with all the political promises to create jobs.

Representative Bobby Schilling joins others in promising that opening the Thompson maximum security prison will “bring hundreds of jobs to this area”.

While I agree that the empty prison is a travesty after Illinois taxpayers paid to have it built, I question the claims that it will create hundreds of jobs-especially if it is bought by the feds.

The prison will have four basic types of jobs-administrative, guards, maintenance and food service. Maximum security prison guards will be highly trained staff and won’t be hired off the streets. In fact, it won’t surprise me if experienced guards at other federal facilities, probably union, pull rank and get transfered-in from other facilities. Is this “job creation” or just job relocation?

I suspect most of the administration jobs will also be a re-shuffle, but agree that a few secretarial type jobs might open up somewhere else.

Finally, some well-behaved lower security inmates will get trustee status, and those will be doing the bulk of maintenance work (grounds, painting, laundry) and food service work.

Again, since it’s there and we’ve paid for it, I think it should be opened, but disagree that it’s going to create hundreds of jobs.

Ray Ruthenberg
Stockton, IL

Chadwick Impresses GITAP

Publisher’s Note: This letter was sent to Alan Skoog, Chadwick Lions Club, by Chuck Oestreich of the Grand Illinois Trail And Parks ride, as they rode through during the Chadwick Days Festival.

Dear Alan,

Our bicycle tour last week was very successful-good weather, good people, and good riding-but what greatly helped put it up there at the top was stop at your town on our first day of riding, Sunday, June 10, 2012.

The pork chop lunch was superlative. A number of people told me that the chops, if not the best they had ever eaten, were right up there with the best. Plus, they liked the hospitality that Chadwick gave them, showing the real nature of small town Illinois. I hope that hosting the meal worked out well for you.

Many expressed to me that they would like Chadwick to be a regular part of our tour. And it will, the next time we tour western Illinois, which we hope to do in two or four years. Chadwick left a great impression in our riders’ memories.

Fully 31% of our riders this year were from out-of-state (18 different states), and many of them found their experience in northwestern Illinois very enlightening. And many of our new riders from Illinois found the area around northeast Illinois to be a special place. In particular, they really liked the varied terrain and the city and state parks, with their natural beauty and scenic values.

Some of our aims for this week-long bike ride include:

We spotlight the Grand Illinois Trail.

We introduce many people, from both Illinois and out-of-state, to our state parks and local communities.

We show that non-profit volunteers and state staff members can work together harmoniously and even have some fun in the process.

We make a big contribution to putting Illinois biking and camping on the national frame of reference. And it’s happening, as witness our ridership from out-of-state. And above all, we contribute to positive feelings and impressions that Illinois is indeed a grand state to live in or to visit.

Thanks again,
Chuck, Chairman GITAP

Capitol Report

By Jim Sacia, State Representative, 89th District

Strength and character are two attributes admired by most. Northwest Illinois is an area that has always impressed me with many individuals possessing these qualities – some, simply because of their amazing accomplishments, others for overcoming adversity – perhaps it’s attitude… maybe it’s upbringing. My good friend Jimmy Thulen, the Retired Sheriff of Carroll County, used to tell me “these are people who get knocked down, pick themselves up, brush their britches off, and get on with living”. In other words, they make a good community even better.

There are three such examples I’d like to share with you – My good friend Harry Bowen is one of them. He is the owner of the BOCO Station in Orangeville, IL, has been a fuel distributor for many years, and on the local fire department for over fifty two years. He was just honored by the Massey Collectors Association by being inducted into their newly created Hall of Fame. If you know anything about farming, Massey Harris first and then Massey Ferguson tractors and equipment have been around for years since the invention of their predecessor, the Wallis. Harry has one of the finest collections anywhere and he got it the old fashioned way, he worked for it.

You don’t have to travel far from Orangeville and you find yourself in Elizabeth the home of this year’s “Illinois Country Father of the Year”, an honor bestowed by the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives, Jack Graves, the owner of the Elizabeth Garage. Jack is a mild mannered man and many will remember when the garage burned to the ground several years ago. Most speculated that it would never be rebuilt. Don’t tell Jack Graves that something can’t or shouldn’t be done, he is one of those “can do” people and is being recognized by his family and friends for the great humanitarian that he is.

As a young person, an Army Infantryman back in the 1960’s, very important to me was physical strength. Throughout my life I’ve always admired that quality.

Last week I met the strongest person I’ve ever known. She is a petit attractive young woman and I’m not talking of physical toughness, I’m talking of her personal story which she shared. I was attending a religious freedom rally in Freeport with about 150 others. She told her story of having an abortion at the age of fourteen, some sixteen years ago.

If you are pro-choice, pro-life or have no thought on the subject, you simply had to admire the courage of Lisa Johnson. I can’t imagine the fear that she faced when she discovered her predicament and the strength it took to stand in front of us and share her story. I found myself mesmerized listening to the married mother of three pour her heart out. Strength and character – yes they are amazing attributes.

I will be at the Warren Village Hall, July 11, 2012 at 10:00 a.m., please join me for coffee and conversation.

As always, you can reach me, Sally or Barb at or e-mail us at You can also visit my website at www.jimsacia.com. It’s always a pleasure to hear from you.