The above map shows the area of concern for well water contamination on Rockford’s west side. Work will begin next week to hook up 15 homes with contaminated wells to city water, The Rock River Times has learned. (Map courtesy of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency)

By Richard S. Gubbe
Contributing Writer

Work will begin next week to hook up 15 homes with contaminated wells to city water on Rockford’s west side, while the households in the area will become annexed to the city, The Rock River Times has learned.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has contracted Stenstrom Companies LTD. of Rockford to connect 15 homes that have been determined to have benzene-polluted well water.

The annexation of land in the area north of Auburn Street and west of Amerock will be absorbed into the city simultaneously, according to Tim Holdeman, water superintendent for the City of Rockford.

While the federal government will be paying for the connections to the city water supply, the city will be paying for any plumbing problems that occur after the changeover, Holdeman said. That money will come from a grant from the City of Rockford.

“A private well system will deliver 30 to 40 pounds of water pressure while ours delivers 60 to 70 pounds of pressure,” Holdeman said. “There is some possibility when the hook-up occurs that it could create leaks. Any house that is in good repair can withstand 60 to 70 pounds, but the fact is we’re making the change. If hooking up the resident gets any major leaks, where’s our responsibility in this? But the fact is, the USEPA is trying to do something good and we don’t want to do anything negative.

A grant through the Human Services department will cover the costs, Holdeman said, if the homeowner qualifies financially.

“If they qualify, the grant is applicable to small household plumbing repairs,” Holdeman said. There will be no payback or interest for the grant, he said.

Holdeman also said annexation letters have been sent out, and annexation will come shortly before or during the hook-up.

“Everybody is going to get in rather quickly,” Holdeman said. He also said the regular water bill water will include a garbage fee of $14.20 while the average water bill will be $25 to $30 and translate to a $40 to $45 bill for most households with an average family of four to five people.

Although the source of the benzene contamination is being investigated by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), the source has not been determined. The IEPA investigation began last October. The USEPA determined in December that residents on Alliance and Soper avenues, as well as homes on Auburn and Parkside, will be connected to city water at no charge.

Brad Benning of the USEPA field office in Chicago told TRRT that a meeting with Stenstrom construction company and the City of Rockford to coordinate the plan is planned for Feb. 2.

“Work will begin the following week,” Benning said.

Many of the homes in that area tested for more than the allowable EPA limits for benzene, a component of gasoline.

Bids went out to contractors last month. Assistance was requested by the IEPA to the USEPA Oct. 13 for the residents on Soper and Alliance avenues and included the offer and delivery of bottled water in 5-gallon containers to the homes affected in the area around the 1200 block of Soper and Alliance avenues. Homes on Auburn and Parkside streets also were determined to have contaminated wells.

The USEPA connection to city water will include sealing off old wells, Benning said.

Benning said the request for help came Oct. 13 from Bureau of Land Program Director Bruce Everett of the Illinois EPA in Springfield, Ill.

From the Feb. 1-7, 2012, issue

The Wisconsin State Department of Justice continued its persecution of small organic farmer Vernon Hershberger of Loganville, Wis., last week in a circus-like court hearing that saw one of his charges dropped and two women removed from the courtroom.

With an overflow of support and local media coverage looking on, Hershberger was asked to give a statement before the judge waived one of six given regarding his farm and the co-op of people who work on it and prosper from raw dairy and organic food.

The state DOJ has stated Hershberger cannot sell any food products without a proper license. He claims he is not a business but rather a group-owned co-op. He says he is just the caretaker of the animals and the land west of Baraboo, Wis. The state also said he may not manufacture or process any dairy products, nor sell any without a proper license. The state said he also may not have anyone else operate his farm or work in any room or building on his property.

The state charged him with a retail food violation between Aug. 6, 2009, and June 3, 2010, a raw milk producer violation between Feb. 15, 2010, and June 3, 2010, a dairy plant violation between Feb. 15, 2010, and June 3, 2010, and a “holding order” violation between June 2, 2010, and July 8, 2010. Hershberger ignored the raid and went back to business as usual of supplying small amounts of organic products to members, or in his view, fellow owners. The last count was dropped at the last hearing.

The State of Wisconsin appears unwilling to budge on any of it and isn’t flinching after a hailstorm of public pressure in protests, phone calls and e-mails to the state.
The hearing held Jan. 27 in Baraboo was a pretrial proceeding in which Hershberger again appeared without counsel to claims he should not be prosecuted for providing food and raw dairy products to a co-op of neighbors and nearby farmers.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is making an example of Hershberger while also quietly pursuing six other farmers on similar charges.

Hershberger said there were more than 100 people for the rally outside the courthouse.

“The courtroom was so small that 30 people could not get inside at all,” Hershberger said. “Until everything was said and done, the judge struck No. 6 of the prohibitions, but he said the rest will remain standing. I tried to argue the court’s jurisdiction in this case, but the judge would not hear anything of it, being that it was on a different motion.”

When it came time for Hershberger to address the court, he gave the following speech:

“I cannot, in good conscience, tell the 100-plus families who own the food and depend on it to feed their families that they can no longer get food to feed their families. The Almighty God has spoken, and I cannot do otherwise. God’s word in the Bible states in 1 John 3:16-18, quote, ‘Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren. But whoso has this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in Word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.’

“Your honor, I have spent many sleepless hours since signing the bond due to my conscience being plagued by the thought of shutting up my bowels of compassion to my Brethren who are dependent on the food that is provided by and for them on our farm. To most of them, it is not merely a matter of preference, but much more a matter of life or death! If the owners of the food cannot eat their own food, aren’t we living in a communist state? If our farm stopped feeding its owners’ families, there will be literally hundreds of children who will suffer malnutrition and even starvation. Your honor, I would much rather spend the rest of my life behind bars or even die than to be found guilty of such a gross sin before the Almighty God. Col 3:6, quote, ‘For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.”

Two women were removed, one forcibly, from the courtroom after they stood up and shouted at the judge. “I just have to say you have trampled on his constitutional rights,” one woman said. Judge Guy Reynolds asked the two women to leave the courtroom. When one of them refused to budge, a Sauk County Sheriff’s Department employee ushered her out while she continued a vocal protest.

In a statement released later, Hershberger said, “In making this statement, I feel that I have freed myself from the Prohibitions before God, regardless does the Court think so or not.”

Raw milk supporters from around the state and members of Hershberger’s buyers club, Grazin’ Acres, have protested outside the Sauk County Courthouse in Baraboo before each of his first two court appearances.

Hershberger’s co-op issued the following statement: “Vernon Hershberger is privately contracted with Right To Choose Healthy Food members to board, and produce health-giving organic food from members’ animals for members-only consumption. The State of Wisconsin tried to close his farm in 2010 and recently filed multiple charges against him for operating a retail store and dairy without licenses and defying WDA (Wisconsin Dairy Association) orders to not distribute members’ products to them. That is not only a violation of our civil rights, it is a moral assault on our health and well-being.”

Hershberger is free on a $500 signature bond. Hershberger filed a motion for the judge to reconsider closing down his operation, saying his family is financially dependent on the buyers club, and its members depend on the food it provides.

The Mennonite farmer has refused a court-appointed attorney and is now considering private counsel. He is due back in court March 2.

From the Feb. 1-7, 2012, issue

While the constitutionality of various laws may be decided in court, one that affects Illinois citizens is in the midst of controversy. This issue was highlighted in a Chicago Tribune article of Jan. 2: “Eavesdropping vs. public speech.”

The Rock River Times addressed this topic in a Nov. 2, 2011, article, “Legal questions arise on filming of police in public places,” in which we obtained comments from local officials.

Illinois is unique in having some of the strictest regulations on what may be considered eavesdropping, even in public places where no secrecy is intended. To get an update, we interviewed some of the people mentioned in the Tribune article. We have also been in contact with Peter M. Heimlich, an independent researcher with his own blog, who has been following another case that involves a whistleblower.

The Chris Drew case

Joshua Kutnick is an attorney who represents Chris Drew, who, as the Tribune reported, “is accused of making an illegal audio recording of Chicago police during a 2009 arrest for selling art on a downtown street without a permit.”

Kutnick spoke to us by phone Jan. 5:

TRRT: What is your understanding of the Illinois eavesdropping law as it applies to private citizens videotaping or audiotaping in public?

Kutnick: “Videotaping is a different story than audiotaping. A videotape is capturing something that is open and public. You don’t have any right to privacy in walking down the street or looking in the window at Macy’s. But what you say in private conversations —those are protected by the Illinois constitution, and rightfully so. You wouldn’t be able to record this conversation without my consent. But if I did consent, it would be all right.

“Where the water gets muddy in regard to police officers — specifically, those performing their public duties, is undercover police officers who are investigating something and … they could obtain court orders to eavesdrop. They should be able to do this, but in Illinois, we have what is ‘judicial oversight.’ That allows police officers to record — basically a search warrant. It shouldn’t be carte blanche. There are reasons for the Illinois Eavesdropping Act, like a private phone conversation.

“In a situation like Chris Drew, where he is using something to record police conduct, and he is being charged with the recording of that public police action — we feel that he has a right to record the police doing their public duties, and that is exactly what happened here. One of the examples we are citing in our motion to dismiss — if you are driving from home to jury duty and you get lost, and you see a police officer sitting on the side of the road. You ask him for directions, and you turn on your recorder on your cell phone and record what he tells you. Under the Illinois Eavesdropping Act, you’ve just committed a Class 1 felony, because you recorded the conversation with the police officer without his consent. If he consents, that is a different story. That’s why we think the law, as written, is unconstitutional because it criminalizes potentially innocent conduct.

TRRT: Are you aware of any other cases past or present that might have any bearing on the ruling in the Drew case?

Kutnick: “The Crawford County case — People vs. Michael Allison. You can read about the facts of this case. [The case concerned an ordinance violation citation that the City of Robinson issued regarding an alleged abandoned car on Allison’s property. In the circuit court order, it was alleged that Allison used a digital recorder to secretly record conversations with officials including police officers, employees of the Crawford County clerk, the Robinson city attorney’s office, and a judge presiding over the case. The circuit court rejected Allison’s argument but upheld his contentions that the statute violates substantive due process and the First Amendment. Citing the Supreme Court’s discussion of the test for constitutionality in People vs. Madrigal, 241 III 2d 463, 948 NE 2d 591 (2011), the court ruled that the Illinois Eavesdropping Statute was unconstitutional.]

“The judge ruled that it was illegal for him to be prosecuted under the Eavesdropping Act. All the charges against him have been at least temporarily thrown out while the state appeals that to the Illinois Supreme Court. That is what’s going on right now. It was a violation of his constitutional rights, and the state is appealing that ruling directly to the Supreme Court.

“There was also the case called People vs. Tiawanda Moore. She was found not guilty by a jury.[Moore secretly recorded a conversation with two Chicago Police investigators while filing a sexual harassment complaint. It began with police responding to a domestic disturbance at the home of Moore and her boyfriend. They were questioned separately, and Moore claimed that the officer groped her breast and gave her his home phone number. When Moore and her boyfriend attempted to file a complaint, they allegedly were discouraged from doing so. That’s when Moore began to record the conversation on her Blackberry phone. When the case was taken to court, prosecutors alleged that there was a discrepancy in Moore’s statements to the police, and they said there was credible evidence for the prosecution. But the jury found that Moore’s case met the requirements of an exception to the Illinois Eavesdropping Law, and she was acquitted.]

To be continued …

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Supreme Court announced Jan. 25 it will begin allowing video and still cameras in some trial court proceedings. The announcement was made by Chief Justice Thomas Kilbride and was heralded by the Illinois Press Association (IPA) as a move that will allow more openness and transparency in the judicial branch of government.

“Allowance for cameras in all courtrooms is something that the Illinois Press Association has been seeking for many years,” said Dennis DeRossett, executive director of the IPA. “Illinois already allows cameras at the Appellate and Supreme Court level. So, it only makes sense that trial courts be included.”

The new policy is a pilot program subject to review. It is up to the chief judge in each of the 23 circuits to decide whether to implement the program. The policy will allow for up to two video cameras and two still cameras in a courtroom at the same time.

Cameras would not be allowed in juvenile, divorce, adoption, child custody and evidence suppression cases, according to news reports.

Victims of violent crimes, police informants and relocated witnesses also could request they not be photographed, according to the new policy.

DeRossett said: “We applaud Justice Kilbride and the Illinois Supreme Court for taking this step toward greater transparency. We are especially encouraged by comments that Justice Kilbride made to a reporter about how the public eye acts as ‘a check in the balance of power.’”

DeRossett added that greater openness and transparency is the philosophy behind two pieces of new legislation recently introduced that would clarify the availability of search warrants and to relax the state’s eavesdropping law to allow the videotaping of law enforcement officers as they perform their public duty.

The IPA, located in Springfield, represents the interest of more than 480 daily and weekly newspaper members. The Rock River Times is a member of the association.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. –– Friday, Jan. 20, state Rep. Michael Zalewski, D-Riverside, filed legislation, House Bill 4032, to codify Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s opinion that search warrants are considered public records once they are returned to the court.

“The ability of the public to view the judicial process is among our most basic rights and provides an important check and balance,” said Zalewski, a former prosecutor in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. “We shouldn’t have a secret judicial system in Illinois. If circumstances dictate, a judge can use his discretion to seal a record, but there is no reason why search warrants should be routinely kept off-limits from the public.”

Zalewski’s legislation is in response to recent rulings by some Illinois courts that the public has no right of access to search warrant documents. The bill does not seek to alter a judge’s ability to seal search warrant returns or any other documents in a court file.

In her 2007 opinion, Madigan said search warrants are “open to public inspection unless the court enters an order specifically providing otherwise.” The opinion adds that “there is no statutory or other authority for a circuit clerk to unilaterally seal or impound files containing complaints for search warrants, associated affidavits, and the search warrants themselves.”

Josh Sharp, director of Government Relations for the Illinois Press Association (IPA), said: “Search warrants have long been public documents in Illinois as supported by current state statute and the Attorney General. I applaud Rep. Zalewski’s effort to secure transparency and openness in the judiciary and to clarify that unless sealed by a judge, search warrants remain open to public inspection.

“The Attorney General’s opinion speaks for itself,” Sharp added. “It is unfortunate legislation even has to be introduced to respond to a gross misinterpretation of the law. The Cook County court system is the largest in the world, and it’s a legal system where search warrants and their accompanying documents are routinely made available to the public. The Attorney General would not have issued the opinion that she did if transparency was going to interfere with justice in a legal system as vast as Cook County’s.”

The IPA in Springfield, Ill., represents the interests of its 480 daily and weekly newspaper members. The Rock River Times is a member of the association.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

Applications for the vacant seat on the Winnebago County Forest Preserve District (WCFPD) Board of Commissioners are due by 5 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 1.

Application forms are available online at www.wcfpd.org or at WCFPD headquarters, 5500 Northrock Drive, Rockford, IL 61103. Online applications can either be completed online and then printed, or printed and filled out by hand.

Completed applications must include an attached résumé and be returned to WCFPD by scanning and e-mailing to jday@wcfpd.org, or by mail, or deliver in person to WCFPD headquarters.

Applications will be reviewed by the WCFPD commissioners, and the most qualified applicants will be interviewed later in February. The individual selected to fill the vacancy will be required to run for re-election to the WCFPD Board of Commissioners in November.

For more details, call the WCFPD headquarters at (815) 877-6100.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

Living Lands & Waters’ President and Founder Chad Pregracke behind the bar in the brew-pub of the Great River Brewery in Davenport, Iowa, for the Jan. 18 premiere of River Rat Root Beer. Pregracke is pictured on the front of the root beer can, poling a skiff to clean up the Mississippi. Pregracke has been featured in Field and Stream magazine, Time magazine, National Geographic, LIFE magazine, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, PBS, NPR and the Sundance Channel and honored with many environmental awards. River Rat Root Beer will contribute part of its sales to Living Lands & Waters to further its environmental mission, like its Million Trees Project. Visit http://www.livinglandsandwaters.org/milliontrees/default.htm. Pregracke also serves on the Rock River Trail Initiative Council, representing Rock Island County. (Photo by Frank Schier)

Staff Report

DAVENPORT, Iowa — Great River Brewery, where legendary craft brews are made, has come up with a new product, River Rat Root Beer, and this one has gained its legendary status almost instantly. It is named in honor of environmentalist Chad Pregracke, founder and president of Living Lands & Waters and recipient of countless awards. The product was unveiled to the public in a tapping celebration Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 5 p.m. at the Great River Brewery, 332 E. Second St., Davenport, Iowa.

The Rock River Times Editor & Publisher Frank Schier, who was at the premiere, said: “What a great root beer! It’s really rich, full and foamy. I can’t wait to make a root beer float with it. The staff at the paper said it was the best they’ve ever tasted! I agree.

“It tastes even better because our friend Chad is on the can, and his tremendous organization, Living Lands & Waters, is a beneficiary of the sales of the sudsy stuff,” Schier said. “I’ve joked for years, ‘I’m a river rat,’ and Chad is now part of the good branding of the best that phrase means, taste-wise and environmentally, too. He’s also kind enough to be on the Rock River Trail Initiative Council for Rock Island County, and he’ll give us another 10,000 oak trees to distribute for free up the 11 counties of the course of the Rock River.

“Chad’s great, and so is this root beer. You should meet all the nice folks who brew it, like Head Brewer Scott Lehnert. Their brew pub is charming and attached to their brewing facility. Stop in and see it; it’s only two hours from Rockford,” said Schier

In announcing the new product, River Rat Root Beer, GRB Brewmaster Paul Krutzfeldt was quick to praise Pregracke. “I’m a recent transplant to the Quad Cities, but even in my landlocked former home in Iowa, I’d heard of him and the work he was doing. It’s impressive. When we opened the brewery here, and Chad became a fan, we’re more than excited to partner with a celebrity,” Krutzfeldt said.

Pregracke, who has been honored by presidents and was chosen by Mitchum as “The Hardest Working Man in America,” couldn’t be more thrilled.

“When the idea for the River Rat Root Beer was first presented to me, I thought it was a fantastic idea … and an honor all in one,” Pregracke said. “There are so many people who have, and continue to do great things for the Mississippi River. The Root Beer tastes awesome and promotes a great cause. I just want to thank GRB for choosing me to highlight this fine product.”

Living Lands & Waters’ President and Founder Chad Pregracke

The product concept and package design was the work of longtime Quad Cities marketing strategist Larry McDonald.

“Great River Brewery gave me a blank sheet of paper with this product, but I know that the brewery is very supportive of worthy causes,” McDonald said. “Living Lands & Waters naturally came to mind. After I roughed out a series of concepts, the idea of making a younger Chad the star of the package kept coming to the top. After all, he’s a heck of a role model, and young people are known to drink root beer. I’m really glad that Paul chose a formulation that lives up to the standard.”

River Rat Root Beer is made with 100 percent pure cane sugar using a traditional recipe. It is packaged in 16-ounce can four-packs and will be available in Quad Cities grocery stores within days. Great River Brewery products are directly distributed through a seven-state area.

Krutzfeldt told The Rock River Times LRB Distributing could handle the product all the way up to the Oregon, Ill., area, and plans to get talks under way with LaMonica Beverage for the rights for the Rockford and northen Illinois area.

For more information, contact Krutzfeldt, Great River Brewery, (563) 323-5210; Madeline Luloff, Living Lands & Waters, (309) 496-9848; or McDonald, (309) 526-8115.

“Calling all river rats!” said Schier. “Buy a couple cases. I did, and we’ll serve it at the next Rock River Trail Initative Council meeting at Vision Beloit, Feb. 5. River Rat Root Beer supports a great cause — a cleaner Mississippi River and more — go to www.livinglandsandwaters.org/. It’s fun and good for everybody!”

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Director Warren Ribley announced Jan. 10 $3,398,444 in capital funding to train nearly 700 weatherization specialists across the state as part of the second phase of the Urban Weatherization Initiative (UWI).

UWI is the nation’s first state-funded weatherization program and one of the largest job creation initiatives to date for urban communities in Illinois.

The Illinois YouthBuild Coalition, Inc., will be receiving $400,000 in grant funding that will be used to provide weatherization specialist training for 84 participants.

The training will be conducted at Comprehensive Community Solutions, Inc., in Rockford, as well as three other coalition member locations in Normal, North Chicago and Waukegan, Ill.

Trainees will be provided with skills they need to become weatherization specialists, and will receive two nationally-recognized certifications. Graduates will be provided assistance with job placement and/or further education upon completion of the 16-week training.

Kerry Knodle, president of the Illinois YouthBuild Coalition, said: “Our network of YouthBuild organizations in Illinois is proud to be at the forefront of this important green job training initiative. In addition to providing state-of-the-art skills training, this initiative will benefit each of these communities in the improvement of energy efficiency and lowering utility costs for residents.”

The Urban Weatherization Initiative (UWI) is funded through the Illinois Jobs Now! capital program. The UWI was initially proposed by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, and currently, $12 million in capital funding has been allotted to UWI to start and fund the program.

Ribley said: “Through weatherization, homeowners are able to increase energy efficiency while reducing their energy costs. The Urban Weatherization Initiative will help revitalize communities and create much-needed jobs in our most disadvantaged neighborhoods.”

For more about the program or to apply for the Rockford training program, contact William Howard at Comprehensive Community Solutions, Inc., at (815) 963-6236.

Comprehensive Community Solutions, Inc./YouthBuild Rockford is at 917 S. Main St., Rockford. Visit www.youthbuildillinois.org for more details.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

High school students interested in learning more about Rock Valley College’s (RVC) Career College programs are invited to attend a special information session from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 2.

The event will be at RVC’s Stenstrom Center for Career Education, 4151 Samuelson Road, next to Rockford Jefferson High School.

Students who attend will have the chance to learn more about dual credit courses (courses in which students earn high school and college credits simultaneously), get help filling out RVC’s application forms for Career College, and find out more about their Career College program of interest from the following options: Automotive Technology, Manufacturing Engineering Technology, Nursing Aide (CNA), Welding Technology and Fire Science.

For more about this special information session, contact Linda Auman at (815) 921-4086 or at l.auman@rockvalleycollege.edu.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

Occupy Rockford and other community groups will rally in opposition to the 2010 Supreme Court Citizens United v. the Federal Election Commission ruling that affirmed that corporations are people and money is speech.

The rally will be from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 20, at the Stanley J. Roszkowski U.S. Courthouse, 211 S. Court St., Rockford.

The Citizens United ruling allowed corporations to donate unlimited sums to election activities, much of it anonymously. The result is that corporate funding can overwhelm any donations made by average citizens.

The rally also supports Move to Amend, which seeks to enact a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United ruling.

A Teach-in on the Citizens United ruling, along with a general discussion of eliminating corporate funding from our election process, will be presented from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Jan. 21, at Unitarian Universalist Church, 4848 Turner St., Rockford.

More information can be found at www.occupyrockford.org.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

Wisconsin small farmer Vernon Hershberger had his day in court, then spent time in jail, and now faces another day in court.

Hershberger was summoned to face state charges relating to his selling of raw milk and other foods through a co-op store on his farm in Loganville, Wis., west of Baraboo, Wis. Many of his supporters, in the dozens, gathered on the courthouse steps last week to show their support, only to watch the legal process extend.

Hershberger had to go through the bond process and was bailed out after posting $500. He faces four criminal counts, a possible two-and-a-half years in prison and more than $13,000 in fines. He’s due back in court for a pretrial hearing Jan. 30.

Hershberger appeared without an attorney, saying before the trial he didn’t need one because he did nothing wrong. The court reminded him of his right to an attorney during the pretrial hearing.

“There is no proof of validity to the complaint so far,” Hershberger told the Sauk County judge.

Hershberger has been offered free legal help, and an attorney has offered to file a lawsuit against the state and is seeking seven plaintiffs. Details of the suit were not available.

“It feels overwhelming that people would drive more than three hours to get here just for me,” Hershberger said on the courthouse steps.

Dozens of protesters gathered in Baraboo to show their support and brought large containers of raw milk and drank it there as a show of support. Two Madison, Wis., television stations covered the event and the hearing.

“It was a very gross, illegal act that the judge pulled off today,” Hershberger told his co-op membership after posting bond.

The state charged him with a retail food violation between Aug. 6, 2009, and June 3, 2010, a raw milk producer violation between Feb. 15, 2010, and June 3, 2010, a dairy plant violation between Feb. 15, 2010, and June 3, 2010, and a “holding order” violation between June 2, 2010, and July 8, 2010. Hershberger ignored the raid and went back to business as usual of supplying small amounts of organic products to members, or in his view, fellow owners.

Hershberger’s co-op issued the following statement: “Vernon Hershberger is privately contracted with Right To Choose Healthy Food members to board, and produce health-giving organic food from members’ animals for members-only consumption. The State of Wisconsin tried to close his farm in 2010 and recently filed multiple charges against him for operating a retail store and dairy without licenses and defying WDA (Wisconsin Dairy Association) orders to not distribute members’ products to them. That is not only a violation of our civil rights, it is a moral assault on our health and well-being.

“Since owner/members of the animals reject state regulations of food preparation and governance, it also rejects the state’s jurisdiction over animals and farm. No harm was done to anyone. Since no food is sold or distributed to the public and is only distributed to members who own the food, there is no crime. The only affront is that Wisconsin does not get its licensing fees and food-control that forces money from small farmers that the state does not earn or deserve. That constitutes state racketeering. Since all Right To Choose Healthy Food (RTCHF) members are part owners of the farm assets, every member’s address is the farm’s address.”

Hershberger’s Grazin’ Acres farm in Loganville was raided soon after then-Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed a bill that would have allowed for limited sales of raw milk in Wisconsin. State officials have said the case had nothing to do with the debate over raw milk, but rather a licensing spat.

Hershberger continues to distribute products and says consumers are leasing animals and consume the products derived from them, exempting him from state licensing requirements.

The complaint makes no mention of his current arrangement, only the past, despite the fact current state law provides an exception for “incidental sales” of raw milk from farmer to consumer.

Hershberger has never laid claim to being a retailer and has continued to sell milk, organic meat and other organic and health-oriented food products.

“I’d have no trouble getting a license if they had one for me,” Hershberger said.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

Michael Burlingame

Staff Report

Michael Burlingame, Ph.D., recognized as one of the premier scholars and biographers of Abraham Lincoln, will present his talk, “Lincoln: the Indispensable Man,” at Rockford College’s Fisher Memorial Chapel at 4 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 19.

Dr. Burlingame’s lecture is the first event of the college’s Spring 2012 Forum Series.

Dr. Burlingame is a premier scholar of Abraham Lincoln, authoring several books while receiving numerous awards for his research.

Referring to Dr. Burlingame’s Abraham Lincoln: A Life, Time magazine Holiday Buying Guide 2008 asserts: “Burlingame is a towering figure in Lincoln scholarship, and students of the 16th president have been waiting for this book for years. For all his learning — Burlingame may know more about Lincoln and his era than anyone in the world. …”

Burlingame is holder of the Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois at Springfield. His presentation, “Lincoln the Indispensable Man,” focuses on how Lincoln’s leadership proved to be the key factor that allowed the North to win the Civil War.

The 1860 presidential election and Lincoln’s victory proved to be a critical turning point for the country. Lincoln’s particular abilities defined the course of the Civil War and America’s history.

The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are required. Fisher Memorial Chapel is accessible. For tickets, contact the Rockford College Box Office at (815) 226-4100.

To see the complete Spring 2012 series line-up, visit http://www.rockford.edu/?ForumSeries. To learn more about Dr. Burlingame, visit http://www.michaelburlingame.com.

Rockford College is also a sponsor of Midway Village and Museum’s 10th Annual Civil War Symposium Saturday, Jan. 21, at which Dr. Burlingame will be the featured speaker.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois will open its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites Jan. 20. They will remain open until April 14.

The sites, which offer free tax preparation for low to moderate income families and individuals, will be at 615 N. Longwood St., in Rockford, and the Goodwill store, 8010 N. Second St., in Machesney Park.

Hours of operation will be from 5 to 8 p.m., Tuesdays, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesdays and Saturdays, at the Rockford site; and 5 to 8 p.m., Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturdays, at the Machesney Park site.

A mobile site will also travel to several locations in the Rockford region and throughout Goodwill’s service area.

Call (815) 494-2936 to schedule an appointment at any of Goodwill’s locations. All information is listed on Goodwill’s website, www.goodwillni.org.

Last year, the VITA sites operated by Goodwill Industries served 1,100 individuals and returned more than $1.5 million to communities. Goodwill’s Rockford and Machesney Park VITA sites are supported by RK Dixon and partially funded by the United Way of Rock River Valley.

The Goodwill VITA site offers free assistance to those with low to moderate incomes, including people with disabilities. Volunteer tax preparers are IRS certified and assist community members in claiming any special credits and deductions for which they may be eligible.

This program is open to families with income less than $50,000 per year and individuals with income less than $25,000 per year.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

PAWS Humane Society will hold “Volunteer With PAWS” open houses at two of their locations from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28.

Locations are the Four PAWS ReSale Boutique, 1414 N. Main St., Rockford; and PETCO, 6305 E. State St., in Rockford’s Forest Plaza shopping center.

Volunteers are needed in the following areas: fund-raising, working events, foster care, adoption events, adoption center, ReSale Boutique, baking/crafting and administrative.

PAWS Humane Society is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to helping animals in need in the Winnebago County and Boone County areas.

Call (815) 299-7297 or visit www.PAWSHS.org for more details.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

The City of Rockford and Rock River Disposal announce the procedure for Rockford residents to follow in response to newly-enacted legislation under the Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Public Act 97-287, which prohibits the disposal of electronic waste into landfills.

Illinois residents are no longer able to dispose of “electronic waste” in their curbside garbage because the above law prohibits disposal of it into landfills. E-waste consists of computers, video game consoles, computer monitors, electronic mice, printers, scanners, televisions, digital converter boxes, electronic keyboards, cable receivers, fax machines, satellite receivers, videocassette recorders, digital video disc recorders, portable digital music players, small-scale servers, DVD players, and cellular telephones.

Rock River Disposal will provide three drop-off sites that are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The drop-off at these locations will be free of charge to Rockford residents. The drop-off locations are as follows:

Rock River Environmental Services

5450 Wansford Way, Suite 225

Rockford, IL 61109

Rock River Disposal

4002 S. Main St.

Rockford, IL 61102

Winnebago Landfill

8403 Lindenwood Road

Rockford, IL 61109

Curbside pick-up is also available for a $35 fee. This fee is separate from the garbage cost reflected on normal water billing. It is a private arrangement between residents and Rock River Disposal. Call (815) 965-2489 during normal business hours to schedule a pick-up with a Customer Service representative.

In addition to the above collection effort, several other outlets for disposal are available. Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful conducts an electronic recovery drive the first Saturday of May and October for most electronic items, except televisions. For more information, call (815) 637-1343 or online at www.knib.org. American Appliances (815-229-1401), Best Buy (815-395-8405), Joseph Behr and Sons (815-987-2680) and Goodwill Industries (815-965-3795) are other local efforts that collect varying types of electronics. Call them for details and working hours.

The Electronics Products Recycling and Reuse Public Act 97-287 went into effect Jan. 1, 2012.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Members of the Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois (ABDI) are distributing booklets that encourage open, honest communication between parents and their children about underage drinking. In partnership with Illinois Principals Association (IPA), distributors are delivering Talking to Teens About Drinking to Illinois schools.

In its eighth year, ABDI’s statewide campaign provides parents with information to discuss with their teens, ideas about role playing, explains the long-term dangers, and helps teens make the right choice about alcohol. IPA members are using the booklets during parent-teacher conferences, orientation, health class, and by coaches. “Since 2004, over 450,000 booklets in both English and Spanish have been provided to approximately 1,350 schools throughout the state,” said Bill Olson, ABDI’s president. “We are pleased that the program has been well received.

The IPA has encouraged its members to provide the booklet to both students and parents. “The booklet can be helpful to youth and parents when discussing the dangers of underage drinking with young people. It is an excellent example of how education leads to prevention,” said Jason Leahy, IPA’s executive director. “I think the booklet is an outstanding resource in numerous capacities.”

Cathryn Hartman Lydon with Hartman Beverage in Freeport, Ill.; Mike LaLoggia with Hayes Beer Distributing Co. in Rockford; and Mike LaMonica Jr. with LaMonica Beverages in Loves Park, Ill., delivered the booklets to area schools. They agreed: “We are local family-owned businesses, so we take the issue of preventing underage drinking very seriously. These are our sons, daughters, nieces, nephews and neighbors that are confronted with making tough decisions on whether or not to drink alcohol as a teen. The peer pressure is enormous, which is why parents must discuss this issue with their children so they are prepared to make the right choice not to drink. Beer distributors are committed to seeing that alcohol is only consumed legally by adults.”

Joseph E. Loffredo, MSW, Community District 117, said: “The booklet seems to be a great resource and is put together well. Our health teachers are using the booklet and incorporating lessons which require students to discuss the chapter with their parents.” “Our parents should find the information simple and hopefully productive.”

The Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois, a not-for-profit business trade association, represents, maintains and improves the interests of its members who distribute beer of all brewers. ABDI advocates value in the state-based regulatory system by being the unified voice for beer distributors on legislation and regulation, by promoting responsible beer consumption, and by providing educational and other services to meet its members’ needs. Distributors are licensed by the State of Illinois to import and distribute beer to licensed retailers.

For more information about ABDI, visit www.abdi.org.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

Staff Report

After 34 years on the job, Webbs Norman, retired executive director of the Rockford Park District, put all of his lessons learned into a 348-page hardcover book titled Building a Lasting Dream 1909 to 2009: A History of the Rockford Park District.

The full-color book includes interesting facts, hundreds of historical and modern-day photos of local parks, as well as a comprehensive appendix with maps, charts and names of good friends of the district. It is more than a recitation of dates and land acquisitions — it is a true story filled with eloquent leaders, an engaged citizenry and the occasional mishaps that happened along the way.

Norman began his career at the Rockford Park District in 1955 as a seasonal employee working at the summer playground program when he was home from college. In 1972, Norman began his 34-year career as executive director of the Rockford Park District, and helped shape it into an award-winning and nationally-acclaimed park system.

“Hopefully, the people who read it will enjoy it and get something from it, as we did from all the efforts to prepare,” Norman said. “It was very important to me to get this into writing for citizens who are interested, and the employees who provide the service. I think that a public agency that doesn’t inform all of the employees about its history and culture cannot be effective public servants without this knowledge.”

Book-signing event Jan. 11

After 34 years on the job, Webbs Norman, retired executive director of the Rockford Park District, put all of his lessons learned into a 348-page hardcover book titled “Building a Lasting Dream 1909 to 2009: A History of the Rockford Park District.” He is pictured at one of his “field offices,” the former Keedi’s Restaurant. (Photo provided)

Be one of the first to purchase a copy of Norman’s newly-released book. Norman will appear at a book-signing from 5 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 11, at Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, 1354 N. Second St., Rockford. The public is welcome to attend. Books can be purchased at Garden Gate Gifts, inside Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, for a $20 donation.

Book sale proceeds benefit the Rockford Park District Foundation, which assists the Rockford Park District by securing philanthropic support on its behalf, and enhancing awareness of the district’s benefits to the community.

Purchasing a book

Beginning Thursday, Jan. 12, Building a Lasting Dream 1909 to 2009: A History of the Rockford Park District can be purchased at the following locations:

• Webbs Norman Center, 401 S. Main St., Rockford;

• Carlson Ice Arena, 4150 N. Perryville Road, Loves Park; and

• Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, 1354 N. Second St., Rockford.

What others are saying about the book

“Understanding the 100-year development of the Rockford Park District provides great perspective on the history and development of Rockford. Thus, this book has value for anyone who links our great history to the current state of the community.” — Jack Becherer, president of Rock Valley College

Geri Nikolai is a contributor to “Building a Lasting Dream 1909 to 2009: A History of the Rockford Park District.” (Photo provided)

Tim Dimke, current executive director of the Rockford Park District, was a contributor to the book. (Photo provided)

“It is fascinating to read how the forces that propelled the nation in times of prosperity and want, in war and peace, impacted the decisions and programs of the Rockford Park District and, thus, all of us.” — Jim Keeling, attorney and president of the Rockford Park District Foundation

“The book offers facts and surprises. I liked the surprises the best, especially how an elephant’s appetite put a zoo out of business, and the tale of the trolley that (almost) couldn’t. If you live and play here, these are stories you should know.” — Nancy Sylvester, former CEO of Rockford Chamber of Commerce

For more details, contact Rockford Park District’s Customer Service at (815) 987-8800 or visit www.rockford-parkdistrict.org.

From the Jan. 11-17, 2012, issue

The Crunchmaster family of products. (Image provided)

By Richard S. Gubbe
Contributing Writer

LOVES PARK, Ill. — Quietly doing business at Forest Hills and Harlem roads in Loves Park, TH Foods has implanted itself as the American standard for rice snacks and other healthy munchables in the United States.

What started as an idea to supply America with a substitute for fried junk food was introduced by three men in the mid-1980s. They transformed a single idea into a market-dominating global conglomerate owned by foreign interests, run mainly by Americans and eaten in carefully chosen markets worldwide.

Al Lewin was there from the beginning, and along with partners Glen Smith and Mel Tieszen, started a business in the Rock River Valley that grew and grew, but never left. The descendant of that idea, the TH Foods brand, is found in every major food chain across America.

Not many local residents know or hear the name of TH Foods, but then again, most don’t read the package. But the majority of people have heard of Mitsubishi Corporation, which, along with renowned Japanese rice snack maker Kameda, now own TH Foods and its niche market of products deemed safe and good to eat.

Lewin, who moved to Rockford in 1978, Smith, from California, and Tieszen from Chicago, capitalized on a fledgling health snack market to become the kingpins of rice snacks and other “all-natural” snacks in America.

“We were going to make a product low in fat to replace a fried product,” Lewin said of the original idea.

Lewin said he picked the Rockford area for the operations “because I lived here.”

The baking and packaging plant supplies the snacks for store chains and for snack mix packaging under other labels.

“We’re the only rice manufacturer in the country and pretty much control the market and 90 percent of the snack mix market in the U.S. and Canada,” Lewin told The Rock River Times.

“I never dreamed it would have gotten this big, and a lot of it has to do with Mitsubishi and Kameda resources and equipment, along with commodity procurement.”

Kameda is the rice snack leader in Japan and, along with Mitsubishi, began investing in Sesmark Foods, the original company name.

Under the name of Sesmark, the company began operations in 1984 producing sesame snacks, then wheat snacks. In 1989, Mitsubishi and Kameda started to invest in Sesmark. Within two years, the first rice cracker for retail was introduced. The company began bringing in money through exports in 1995.

“It started out as an investment in 1990 as we grew,” Lewin said of the procurement by Mitsubishi and Kameda. “We were using their resources and technology. They increased their ownership over the years, and in 1998, they took control, now owning 100 percent of the shares.”

Lewin said Mitsubishi has more than 50 percent and Kameda has more than 45 percent of ownership.

After the purchase, Lewin served as chief operating officer and executive vice president. Lewin has remained with the company on a consulting basis. The company employs 300 people, and Lewin said the success has brought him great personal satisfaction.

“Our business is growing rapidly. We’re solid with nice growth. We can’t complain,” Lewin said. “We made decisions due to trends in the snack food industry. Being in rice makes perfect sense.”

The steady growth continued throughout the 1990s with the bulk snack program followed by the start of the Mr. Krispers brand of rice chips.

Then, came the health food craze and the acquisition of the Crunchmaster brand with Mr. Krispers Baked Rice Krisps, Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers and Crunchmaster Multi-Seed Crackers. Each of those products followed a trend in what people want, and need, to eat to stay healthy.

In 1998, the Sesmark brand was acquired by the umbrella Liberty Richter group, and the company became Terra Harvest Foods, evolving into the abbreviated TH Foods brand.

Because TH Foods is not publicly traded, Director of Marketing Jim Garsow and Lewin declined to disclose the company’s yearly earnings.

“We’ve been growing at 18 percent a year for the last 10 years, and those are the plans for the next four years,” Lewin said. “We will continue to look at growth and new products and territories.”

The brands

The company has shown its awareness for the need of healthy snack foods by offering products for people with complex digestion problems and major health issues. Crunchmaster is the largest individual brand sold today, Garsow said. Crunchmaster products are in every major grocery chain, as well as being staples in Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.

There are snack food blends available to package under other companies’ brand names. There are 27 varieties of snacks that can be blended or sold separately. This division makes up 25 percent of sales, and the company holds a 90 percent market share in that area nationwide, Garsow said. The company also sells a chia seed product to Costco, and there also are sales to natural food co-ops as well.

All TH Foods are made at the baking facility in Loves Park.

The ingredients

TH Foods has devoured a big bite of the ever-evolving healthy snacks business by using technology from Japan, but not the ingredients. TH Foods incorporates the claim: “Our Crunchmaster products aren’t just crunchy and delicious. They’re healthy and safe for your gluten-free diet.”

The company uses multiple growers from California for the rice and uses South America for other ingredients. All products are classified either organic and/or all-natural. Garsow said the U.S. Department of Agriculture is the certifying agency to audit the suppliers but admitted “organic is a very small part of the business.”

When rice snacks enter the conversation, the public perception is supply comes from foreign-grown products from China, Japan and Thailand.

Garsow said where the TH Foods ingredients come from has been brought to light more with pollution concerns in the East, particularly the Japanese products grown after the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown.

“We fielded those concerns,” Garsow said. “The technology is what comes from Japan.”

The rice fields that surround Niigata along the coast of northern Japan is where the art of handcrafting, aging, baking (on open grills) and perfecting rice crackers began. TH Foods uses proprietary rice-baking techniques in the “Usuyaki” style, Japanese for thin and flat.

Crunchmaster crackers are 100 percent whole grain, cholesterol free, low in sodium, low in saturated fat and contain zero grams of trans fat.

Although all the products, except the original chips, do contain sugar, it’s what they don’t contain — gluten. The baking facility in Loves Park is certified by the Gluten Free Certification Organization. This alternative to wheat crackers opens up a food choice for those with food allergies and diseases such as autism and celiac disease. Celiac disease is a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing parts of food that are important for staying healthy. The damage is the result of a reaction to eating gluten. Gluten is the protein part of wheat, rye, barley and other related grains. Instead, TH Foods uses GMO-free, whole grain and white unbleached rice

The sesame seeds used in Crunchmaster products are grown in the U.S. with a special hybrid that was developed to fit the climate in Texas and Oklahoma. The quinoa and amaranth seeds are sourced from the Andean region in South America. The flax seeds are grown in the plains of the upper Midwest and Canada.

Each of the seeds has distinct tastes and benefits. Quinoa is sometimes called the “mother of all grains,” since it contains a balanced set of essential amino acids.

Studies have shown that amaranth seeds, like oats, may be of benefit for those with hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Studies also have shown that among other benefits, the sesamin in sesame can lower total and LDL cholesterol and raise tocopherol levels. Flax seeds contain high levels of lignans and Omega-3 fatty acids and may help lower cholesterol levels.

Gluten is a natural protein that is found in wheat, rye, spelt, triticale and barley. Foods made from these grains like pizza, bread, cookies and traditional crackers usually contain gluten.

It’s estimated that one of every 133 Americans have celiac disease, which is a chronic inherited digestive disorder that can cause damage to the small intestine. A no-gluten diet also is recommended for those with autism.

“We have a core constituency buying gluten-free foods,” Garsow said, adding that as much as 18 percent of the population prefers or needs gluten-free products. Other TH Foods products are also milk free, meaning they are also casein free.

All other ingredients used are natural, and all the products are baked. Garsow said the competition uses Chinese, Thai and Japanese ingredients. TH Foods products, he added, do not use any artificial flavor enhancers.

The TH verbiage claims the following: “Our scientists work closely with our chef to ensure that each product that we manufacture fits your strict dietary needs and excites your taste buds. We test every production run before shipment to ensure the highest standards of purity. It’s our commitment to your health.”

Only in the past few years have those with special dietary needs been able to obtain snack foods without gluten. Healthy snacks that use rice and other seeds to replace gluten grains are no longer hard to find. The oddity is that they are produced right here in the Rock River Valley.

“We’ve kept a low profile since the beginning,” Lewin said. “But we’re bigger than a lot of people think.”

For more about the company, visit www.thfoods.com or www.crunchmaster.com.

From the Jan. 11-17, 2012, issue

West elevation of the new SwedishAmerican Regional Cancer Center, expected to be completed in the last quarter of 2013. (Rendering by Saavedra Gehlhausen Architects)

Lobby water wall perspective mosaic. (Rendering by Saavedra Gehlhausen Architects)

Staff Report

SwedishAmerican Health System’s board of directors has approved a business plan to build and operate a free-standing outpatient cancer center in collaboration with UW Health and its nationally-recognized University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center.

The new SwedishAmerican Regional Cancer Center will offer services such as medical oncology, chemotherapy and infusion; advanced radiation therapy; and medical imaging at one convenient location. Patients will have access to the latest clinical trials offered by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition, a full complement of holistic and support services will ensure the very best treatment experience.

This announcement follows the establishment of an agreement between the two organizations in 2010, designed to provide highly sophisticated sub-specialty health care to local patients and create more specialized services in Rockford.

“We are very pleased to announce plans for the SwedishAmerican Regional Cancer Center, which will benefit thousands of patients and families throughout northern Illinois on many levels,” said SwedishAmerican President and CEO Dr. Bill Gorski. “More than just a new building, the center will provide convenient access to both SwedishAmerican and UW Carbone Cancer Center specialists, as well as advanced treatments.”

James Dechene, interim president of University Health Care, said: “A comprehensive cancer center is a special place that brings together all kinds of resources for the care of patients. At the UW Carbone Cancer Center, more than 280 physicians and scientists from many different disciplines work collaboratively to translate research discoveries into new treatments for cancer patients. We look forward to working collaboratively with SwedishAmerican and sharing our cancer expertise with patients from throughout the northern Illinois region.”

The new center will be built on a 30-acre site on North Bell School Road in Rockford, acquired from Landmark Group. In close proximity to I-90 and the Riverside exit, the center will be easily accessible to both local and regional patients. In the Rockford metropolitan area, access will be enhanced through the development of a free transportation service for local patients and their families.

SwedishAmerican is preparing to secure state regulatory approval for the new center, which is projected for completion in the last quarter of 2013. This project will have a positive economic impact on Rockford and the surrounding region. In addition to creating approximately 300 construction jobs, by its fourth year of operation, the center is projected to include the equivalent of 104 full-time jobs, including health care providers and support staff.

SwedishAmerican’s affiliation with UW Health also involves other regional strategies that focus on enhancing the delivery of care, advancing medical research, growing regional telemedicine infrastructures and achieving seamless patient transfers and referrals between the two health systems.

From the Jan. 11-17, 2012, issue

In 1964, at the age of 35, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. became the youngest man, the second American and the third black man to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

By Brandon Reid
Assistant Editor

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would be turning 83 if he were alive today as the nation observes Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday, Jan. 16.

A Baptist minister, King became a civil rights activist early in his career and was the leader of the civil rights movement in the United States until April 4, 1968, when he was shot and killed while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn. Born Jan. 15, 1929, in Atlanta, King was just 39 at the time of his death.

In 1964, at the age of 35, King became the youngest man, the second American and the third black man to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other nonviolent means. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004.

Among his notable accomplishments, King led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott; helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, serving as its first president; and led the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Later in his career, King focused on ending poverty and hunger and stopping the Vietnam War.

King was born the middle child of the Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Williams King. He had an older sister, Willie Christine King, and a younger brother, Alfred Daniel Williams King. His father was born Michael King, and he was originally born Michael King Jr., but his father changed both their names to Martin in honor of the German Protestant leader Martin Luther following a family visit to Germany in 1934.

King married Corretta Scott in 1953, and the couple had four children, all of whom went on to be civil rights activists. Corretta Scott King died Jan. 30, 2006.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Aug. 2, 1983, creating a legal public holiday in honor of King. The federal holiday was first recognized in 1986.

In The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr., edited by Clayborne Carson, King described his first experience with racism at age 6:

“From the age of three, I had a white playmate who was about my age. We always felt free to play our childhood games together. He did not live in our community, but he was usually around every day; his father owned a store across the street from our home. At the age of six we both entered school — separate schools, of course. I remember how our friendship began to break as soon as we entered school; this was not my desire but his. The climax came when he told me one day that his father had demanded that he would play with me no more. I never will forget what a great shock this was to me. I immediately asked my parents about the motive behind such a statement.

“We were at the dinner table when the situation was discussed, and here for the first time I was made aware of the existence of a race problem. I had never been conscious of it before. As my parents discussed some of the tragedies that had resulted from this problem and some of the insults they themselves had confronted on account of it, I was greatly shocked, and from that moment on I was determined to hate every white person. As I grew older and older this feeling continued to grow.

“My parents would tell me that I should not hate the white man, but that it was my duty as a Christian to love him. The question arose in my mind: How could I love a race of people who hated me and who had been responsible for breaking me up with one of my best childhood friends? This was a great question in my mind for a number of years.”

In his sermon “So Precious that you will Die for it,” given Nov. 5, 1967, at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, King said: “I say to you, this morning, that if you have never found something so dear and so precious to you that you will die for it, then you aren’t fit to live. You may be 38 years old, as I happen to be, and one day, some great opportunity stands before you and calls upon you to stand up for some great principle, some great issue, some great cause. And you refuse to do it because you are afraid. You refuse to do it because you want to live longer. You’re afraid that you will lose your job, or you are afraid that you will be criticized or that you will lose your popularity, or you’re afraid that somebody will stab you or shoot at you or bomb your house. So you refuse to take the stand. Well, you may go on and live until you are 90, but you are just as dead at 38 as you would be at 90. And the cessation of breathing in your life is but the belated announcement of an earlier death of the spirit. You died when you refused to stand up for right. You died when you refused to stand up for truth. You died when you refused to stand up for justice. …

“Don’t ever think that you’re by yourself. Go on to jail if necessary, but you never go alone. Take a stand for that which is right, and the world may misunderstand you, and criticize you. But you never go alone, for somewhere I read that one with God is a majority. And God has a way of transforming a minority into a majority. Walk with him this morning and believe in him and do what is right, and He’ll be with you even until the consummation of the ages. Yes, I’ve seen the lightning flash. I’ve heard the thunder roll. I’ve felt sin breakers dashing, trying to conquer my soul, but I heard the voice of Jesus saying, still to fight on. He promised never to leave me alone, never to leave me alone. No, never alone. No, never alone.”

See the Vibe Entertainment calendars for area King Day events.

From the Jan. 11-17, 2012, issue

Rockford’s 2012 celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been expanded to include a series of community events. Organizers recently announced the addition of a Diversity Business Luncheon and a College Fair, in addition to the traditional daytime program and evening celebration.

“Rockford will join other cities across the country as we shine a spotlight on diversity and giving back to our community,” said Pastor Herbert Johnson, an organizer of the event. “The theme for the year is Building Bridges, Empowering Individuals and Strengthening Communities. We feel it is not only fitting for this community but for communities all across the country as we work towards a brighter future.”

Rockford’s city-wide Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration will consist of a number of activities through community partnerships with local organizations. (Editor’s note: See the Vibe Entertainment calendars for a full listing of area King Day events.) The schedule is as follows:

Thursday, Jan. 12

Diversity Business Luncheon — 11:30 a.m., Cliffbreakers, 700 W. Riverside Blvd.: Keynote speaker is Andrea Zopp, president of The Chicago Urban League. Introductions will be made by Kris Kieper, president and CEO, Rockford YWCA, and Einar Forsman, president, Rockford Chamber of Commerce. Advance registration is required online at www.rockfordkingday.com or by calling (815) 218-3661. Cost is $35 per person.

Thursday-Friday, Jan. 12-13

Live Your Dream College Fair — 6-8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 12, and 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Friday, Jan. 13, at Cliffbreakers, 700 W. Riverside Blvd.: High school students and their parents are invited to explore college and career opportunities. Representatives from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) will be available to assist parents and students with questions, tips for selecting the right college and financial resources. Admission is free. Vendor registration can be made by calling (815) 978-2385 or visiting www.rockfordkingday.com.

Sunday, Jan. 15

An Evening of Remembrance — 6 p.m., at St. Paul Church, 1001 Wigton Ave.: Admission is free.

Monday, Jan. 16

A Day of Celebration — 11 a.m., at West Middle School, 1900 Rockton Ave.: Speakers include Dr. Robert Head, president of Rockford College; Jeremy DeWeerdt, lead pastor of Rockford First; and Gloria Cudia, community activist. Performances by high school and community choirs will also be included. Admission is free.

MLK Monday at Discovery Center — 11 a.m.-3 p.m., at Discovery Center Museum, 711 N. Main St.: Kids can participate in a special project in the art studio, where they can make their own Martin Luther King Dream Viewer. Museum admission is $7 for children and adults, and children 1 and younger are admitted free.

The 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration is organized by the Rockford Ministers’ Fellowship and the Freedom West Foundation. Proceeds will be used to fund college scholarships for local youth.

For more information, visit www.rockfordkingday.com.

From the Jan. 11-17, 2012, issue

The City of Rockford announces that Christmas trees will be picked up on scheduled residential garbage days for the first two full weeks of January 2012. From Jan. 3 through 12, trees may be placed alongside regular trash and will be picked up by Rock River Disposal, garbage contractor for the City of Rockford.

There is also a separate effort conducted by Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful that recycles Christmas trees at 13 drop-off locations throughout Winnebago County from Jan. 1-15. For more information, contact KNIB on the web at www.knib.org or call (815) 637-1343.

From the Jan. 4-10, 2012, issue

The best defense is a good offense. That axiom is proving to be the best strategy for the small farmer in America.

In two instances in neighboring states, the small, organic farmer is taking the initiative while enlisting the help of neighbors as well as local law enforcement to push back after being pushed around.

In Loganville, Wis., the saga of Mennonite farmer Vernon Hershberger has switched from defense to offense after four charges were levied this month. Hershberger has turned the pressure back on the state after being charged with four misdemeanors for selling raw milk and organic foods to his food club.

The state charged him with a retail food violation between Aug. 6, 2009, and June 3, 2010, a raw milk producer violation between Feb. 15, 2010, and June 3, 2010, a dairy plant violation between Feb. 15, 2010, and June 3, 2010, and a “holding order” violation between June 2, 2010, and July 8, 2010. Hershberger ignored the raid and went back to business as usual of supplying small amounts of organic products to members, or in his view, fellow owners.

Hershberger has a Wednesday, Jan. 11, court date at 1 p.m. The date was originally set a week earlier, but Hersberger asked for a continuance to set up a rally by food club members and by local concerned citizens to be held outside the courthouse, 515 Oak St., in the city of Baraboo, before Court Commissioner Leo Grill.

“We are planning to have a rally before court time, but I am not sure yet to what extent it will be,” Hershberger said in a recent e-mail to his membership. “One thing for sure is that we want all the club members there that can possibly make it. Let’s remember how we are set up. I am a member just the same as the rest of you.”

Hershberger’s Grazin’ Acres farm in Loganville was raided in July 2010 soon after then-Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed a bill that would have allowed for limited sales of raw milk in Wisconsin. State officials have said the case had nothing to do with the debate over raw milk, but rather a licensing violation. Hershberger continues to distribute products and says consumers are leasing animals and consume the products derived from them, exempting him from state licensing requirements. The complaint makes no mention of his current arrangement, only the past, despite the fact current state law provides an exception for “incidental sales” of raw milk from farmer to consumer.

Hershberger has never laid claim to being a retailer.

“It just so happens that I am the one who takes care of the cows, which we all share in a lease agreement,” Hershberger said. “Let’s remember that by law, to lease is to own and that is why the state is picking on me. We are just completely overwhelmed at the support that has been shown so far and to think that our case has barely started!”

Many state regulatory agencies and public health officials say raw milk exposes people to disease-causing pathogens. Raw milk advocates say pasteurized milk destroys enzymes, hormones and bacteria that have health benefits.

Hershberger is using the club as a springboard of support.

“We have two members besides the club president who are experienced in law who have volunteered to help with the legal paperwork,” Hershberger said. “The way it looks, even if we don’t come out on top as far as the public or the courts are concerned, I am sure that we all together will be winners! Because, after all, we do have the truth on our side! AMEN. You all have been doing a fantastic job so far, and I am sure that you would do a whole lot more if it would ever be needed. I will try to give my opinion, but I am not trying to hold anyone to that opinion. Feel free to think and act according to what you feel is best.”

Hershberger had this to say about why he thinks he is being singled out as a small farmer trying to deliver organic products to the public.

“I strongly believe that the game of the government is to suck the people out of money so they can have control over them,” Hershberger said. “They do that in many, many different ways. A few of them (small farmers) are filing lawsuits, hiring lawyers and attorneys, paying lobbyists. If we can somehow manage to stay out of those snares as much as possible, I think we will be better off.”

The Amish, as well as the Mennonites, who have embraced electrical and mechanical devices to aid in their farming, have always avoided allopathic medicine. Mennonites are slightly more receptive to Western medical practices.

“I agree with you that all of these that I mentioned have their place in our society. But so do the medical doctors,” Hershberger told his membership in an e-mail. “The thing that all of these have in common these days is that they are way, way out of line. They can all be used to our benefit, but they can very easily become a pitfall to just get us farther and farther away from our spiritual and physical freedoms.”

The state’s Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) took issue with the club, which has members scattered across the state, and raided Vernon’s farm. They taped his refrigerators shut and cited it as a crime scene. The incident, in which Vernon was held at gunpoint in his living room in front of his young family, was captured on video and has been used in two different YouTube presentations for the world to see.

After the raid, Vernon went back to selling raw milk and everything else good to eat. The county prosecutors took a lot of heat from the public for the raid and backed off. Vernons’s wife miscarried last fall, about the same time the state submitted a report for possible state prosecution.

Then came the charges, soon to follow will come his day in court. If the outcome isn’t to his liking, he will continue to press on, government interference notwithstanding.

“We have had three lawyers make an offer to take our case and help us in this predicament that we are in,” Hershberger said. “We have declined every one of them so far. Maybe in the future we will need them, but as of right now, I think we are better off on our own. We also have had three offers to help us do a lawsuit against the DATCP. We will also decline that. I feel very strongly that we can do a whole lot more by just standing up and keeping the truth above our heads rather than fight for it and think that we have help with it to stay on top. By the way, have you thought who would have to pay for all that? I assume you have, the consumer. I would much rather see more of your money going towards buying quality, local foods for
your families, than to use your hard-earned money to fight for a right which we already have.”

Hershberger isn’t the only small farmer to suffer. There has been a network formed, one that uses the telephone, the Internet and e-mail to unite.

“I got a phone call last night from a local farmer who might be in serious trouble in the very near future,” Hershberger said. “I would suggest that we don’t exhaust our measures of support right away as there are probably a lot of needs coming up that we can’t even imagine as of now. If you do feel to donate funds somewhere, by all means, go ahead. We dare not pull apart from each other at this time. United, we will stand, divided we will fall.”

Across the Illinois border in Indiana, raw milk farmer David Hochstetler got a lot of help from local law enforcement to fend off the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

As a raw milk producer, Hochstetler, operator of Forest Grove Dairy south of Middlebury, has endured repeated inspections by federal regulators. His plight prompted Elkhart County Sheriff Brad Rogers to intervene, advising the FDA to stay away or risk arrest.

“With Mr. Hochstetler, he’s had harassment and ongoing visits that were unreasonable,” Rogers recently told the Internet site etruth.com.

Rogers informed the feds in a Dec. 2 e-mail that they would need warrants before conducting any more inspections of Hochstetler’s farm.

The FDA and state government bodies have stood by the claim raw milk is not safe to drink because of the bacteria it can contain. Federal law prohibits commercial transfer of raw milk across state lines. Under Indiana law, it’s illegal to sell raw milk, though producers come up with the arrangements the same as Wisconsin where consumers own or lease milk-producing cows.

In Illinois, it is legal to drive up to a farm and purchase raw milk.

Proponents say the dangers of raw milk are overblown and that the product contains vitally healthy nutrients not found in pasteurized milk.

Rogers, reportedly a Republican with ties to the Elkhart County Tea Party movement, told etruth.com his objection is about governmental bodies ignoring individual rights.

“To me, it’s not about raw milk. It’s about upholding my oath of office and being a guardian of the Constitution,” said Rogers. He said the FDA intervention boiled down to “harassment from federal agencies.”
Rogers e-mailed the FDA, threatening the arrest of federal agents if they tried to inspect Hochstetler’s operation without a warrant.

“This is notice that any further attempts to inspect this farm without a warrant signed by a judge, based on probable cause, will result in federal inspectors’ removal or arrest for trespassing by my officers or I,” the e-mail read in part.

“The arrogance of thinking federal law trumps everything flies in the face of the 10th Amendment (regarding state powers),” Rogers said. “If we think the federal government trumps everything, we’re destined for big trouble in the freedoms here in our country.”

After a back-and-forth between Rogers and the feds, a subpoena for inspection was withdrawn.

There also have been incidents of small farmers in Maryland, Oregon, Nevada, Maine and Vermont rebelling against being pushed around on organic farms and selling organic products.

The court of public opinion can prove to be an effective tool to ease the pressure from government agencies. Many people want to drink raw milk and believe they have the right to do so.

What all raw milk advocates agree upon is that consumers and all citizens need to speak up to cease government intervention.

From the Dec. 28, 2011-Jan. 3, 2012, issue

CHICAGO — President Barack Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first-ever nationwide standard for mercury and air toxics pollution from power plants Dec. 21.

A record 907,000 Americans submitted comments on the standard, which is expected to cut toxic mercury pollution from power plants by 91 percent.

“Today, President Obama stood up to polluters and protected children’s health,” said Bruce Ratain, Clean Energy associate with Environment Illinois. “This landmark achievement reflects what every parent knows: powering our homes should not poison our kids.”

Power plants are the largest single source of mercury pollution in the U.S., and exposure to mercury and other air toxics is linked to cancer, heart disease, neurological damage, birth defects, asthma attacks and premature death. Right now, mercury pollution is so widespread that one in 10 American women of childbearing age has enough mercury in her blood to put her baby at risk, should she become pregnant.

By limiting emissions of mercury and air toxics from power plants, the Obama administration’s new standard is expected to prevent 130,000 cases of childhood asthma symptoms and save 11,000 lives every year.

Momentum for the new federal standard began with state-level standards in Illinois and other states. Such state-level action helped prove that significant cuts in mercury pollution were indeed possible.

Illinois power plants have already achieved significant cuts in mercury pollution under a state mercury rule adopted in 2006, which requires pollution reductions similar to today’s federal standard.

“Illinois has shown the nation that mercury reduction can be done in a way that works for industry and saves lives,” Ratain said. “After our work in the state, Illinois utilities have joined in the call for this federal standard — and we’re proud of that. Because mercury pollution from other states doesn’t respect state lines, today’s nationwide standard is still critical for Illinoisans’ health.”

For decades, the coal industry, many utilities and their allies in Congress and past administrations have successfully delayed cutting mercury and other toxic air pollutants from power plants to protect public health, even though technology to control toxic air pollution is widely available, and already being used by some power plants.

The new life-saving standard announced Dec. 21 has widespread public support in Illinois and nationwide. Last summer, roughly 907,000 Americans submitted comments on the new standards — the most comments ever received for an EPA rule — and the vast majority of them were in support of the standard.

Ratain concluded: “It’s abundantly clear that Illinoisans and people across the country want cleaner air, healthier kids and less toxic pollution spewed into our air. Thankfully, President Obama and EPA are taking action. This landmark standard will improve Illinoisans’ quality of life and protect children today — and for generations to come — from known poisons.”

From the Dec. 28, 2011-Jan. 3, 2012, issue

It’s not too late to enroll at Rock Valley College (RVC) for spring semester.

The Student Center on RVC’s main campus (3301 N. Mulford Road, Rockford) will be open from 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Jan. 7. Staff will be available to assist prospective students who still need to complete any steps of the enrollment process.

Whether you are seeking a degree or certificate, additional training for your current career, or simply want to take some college courses to help you determine a career path, RVC can help you get there.

Before attending the Jan. 7 event, RVC recommends you complete an online enrollment form at www.rockvalleycollege.edu/enrollmentform.

A photo ID, ACT or SAT scores (if available) and previous college transcripts (if available) should be brought to the Jan. 7 event.

Call (815) 921-4250 for more details.

From the Dec. 28, 2011-Jan. 3, 2012, issue

Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum and Gardens has a 2012 schedule of events and programming encompassing history, education, culture, nature, our families and the Rockford region that will enhance our collective community. They seek your financial support for this calendar of events.

Sponsorships are available for:

• Tinker Restoration Projects

• Tinker With Music

• Year of the Book Exhibits

• Robert Tinker Press Publications

• History Family Days

• Day of the Dead Celebration

Sponsorships are available for companies by calling (815) 964-2424. Sponsorships are: Robert Hall Tinker, $10,000, platinum level; Marty Dorr Manny Tinker, $5,000, gold level; Jessie Dorr Hurd Tinker, $2,500, silver level; Teddy Tinker, $1,000, bronze level; and Marcia Dorr Tinker, $500, copper level. Sponsors in 2012 will receive recognition in the printed programs for their sponsored events and four tickets to their sponsored events. Additional recognition benefits are assigned according to sponsorship level.

Tinker Year of the Book schedule is as follows:

January

14 – Lecture: Dr. Simon Cordery will speak about “The Railroads of Illinois.” 2 p.m.

Lecture, book signing and reception for Dr. Cordery

Tickets available NOW! $5 per person, $3 per member

February

10 – Paranormal Tour at Tinker

Tickets available NOW — $20 per person or $15 per person for members

18 – Family Game Day — Indoor and outdoor Victorian games. How did Victorian children occupy their time during the cold winter months? 1-4 p.m.

Special appearance by award-winning Kilted Snow Weasels snow sculpting team! They will be sculpting all afternoon on the Tinker grounds.

Tickets available NOW! $5 per person, $2 per person for members, $20 per family

March

2 – Book Release Party: Life at Tinker Swiss Cottage: The Journals of Robert Hall Tinker: Vol. 1. 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Visitor Center.

Exhibit: “The Tinker Journals”

8 – Special Access Evening. Get up close and personal with the journals, under direction of the curator.

Tickets: $50 – Advance purchase ONLY. 6-8 p.m.

9 – Members Exhibit Preview. 6-8 p.m.

Exhibit opening reception and preview. Free with your Tinker Membership Card

10 – General Exhibit Opening. General exhibit viewing included in the regular tour admission price. This exhibit runs through April 29, 2012.

30 – Paranormal Tour at Tinker

Tickets available NOW! $20 per person or $15 per person for members

31 – Bloodstains Killer Book Signing/ Meet & Greet 1-5 p.m.

Meet Jeff Mudgett (great-great grandson of H.H. Homes — Serial killer immortalized in The Devil in White City). Purchase his new book, Bloodstains, get a photo and have your book signed. Call for ticket info.

April

3 – Tinker Visions Luncheon at Cliffbreakers Riverside Resort, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

6 – Book Release Party: Life at Tinker Swiss Cottage: The Journals of Robert Hall Tinker, Vol. 2. 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Visitor Center.

14-15 – Spring Art Scene – Original artwork by Jen Mullin Johansson, “The Chairs of Tinker Swiss Cottage,” Friday, 5-9 p.m.

May

4 – Book Release Party: Life at Tinker Swiss Cottage: The Journals of Robert Hall Tinker, Vol. 3. 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Visitor Center.

Exhibit: “The Tinker Rare Books and First Editions”

10 – Special Access Evening. Get up close and personal with the journals, under direction of the curator. Tickets $50 Advance Purchase ONLY. 6-8 p.m.

11 – Members Exhibit Preview, 6-8 p.m.

Exhibit opening reception and preview. Free with your Tinker Membership Card.

12 – General Exhibit Opening. General exhibit viewing included in the regular tour admission price. This exhibit runs through July 1, 2012.

18 – Paranormal Tour at Tinker

Tickets available NOW! $20 per person or $15 per person for members

June

1 – Book Release Party, Tinker’s French Journal – 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Visitor Center.

2 – History Family Camp -10 a.m.- 3 p.m.

$10 per person, $7 per person for members. $30 per family.

8 – Tinker with Music – Dean Moriarty Jazz Band

Tickets $5 per person general admission, $2 per person for members

16 – History Family Camp -10 a.m.- 3 p.m.

$10 per person, $7 per person for members. $30 per family.

30 – History Family Camp -10 a.m.- 3 p.m.

$10 per person, $7 per person for members. $30 per family.

July

4 – The Museum is closed.

13 – Tinker with Music – Ice Cream Social! With the Turtle Creek Ramblers

Tickets $5 per person general admission, $2 per person for members.

14 – History Family Camp -10 a.m.- 3 p.m.

$10 per person, $7 per person for members. $30 per family.

Exhibit: “The Tinker Audubon Books”

19 – Special Access Evening. Get up close and personal with the journals, under direction of the curator.

Tickets: $50 – Advance Purchase ONLY. 6-8 p.m.

20 – Members Exhibit Preview. 6-8 p.m.

Exhibit opening reception and preview. Free with your Tinker Membership Card.

21 – General Exhibit Opening. General exhibit viewing included in the regular tour admission price. This exhibit runs through July 1, 2013.

27 – Paranormal Tour at Tinker

Tickets available NOW! $20 per person or $15 per person for members

28 – History Family Camp -10 a.m.- 3 p.m.

$10 per person, $7 per person for members. $30 per family

August

3 – Book Release Party: Robert Tinker’s Sketch Books, 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Visitor Center.

10 – Tinker with Music – Keith School Rock Camp and The Sons!

Tickets $5 per person general admission, $2 per person for members.

11 – History Family Camp -10 a.m.- 3 p.m.

$10 per person, $7 per person for members. $30 per family.

31 – Book Release Party: The History of Tinker, 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Visitor Center.

September

6 – Special Access Evening. Get up close and personal with the journals, under direction of the curator.

Tickets: $50 – Advance Purchase ONLY. 6-8 p.m.

7 – Members Exhibit Preview, 6-8 p.m.

Exhibit opening reception and preview. Free with your Tinker Membership Card.

8 – General Exhibit Opening. General exhibit viewing included in the regular tour admission price. This exhibit runs through July 1, 2013.

14 – Paranormal Tour at Tinker

Tickets available NOW! $20 per person or $15 per person for members

October

5 – Paranormal Tour at Tinker

Tickets available NOW! $20 per person or $15 per person for members

12-13 – Fall Art Scene – Original artwork curated by Mario Kayo Martinez “Dia de los Muertos”. Friday from 5-9 p.m.

13 – Public Ofrenda – The construction of a public Ofrenda. Dia de los Muertos workshop with presentations and make & take crafts. For ages 5-100. 1-3 p.m.

20 – Dia de los Muertos Workshop with presentations and make & take crafts. For ages 5-100. 1-3 p.m.

Tickets $5 per person general admission, $2 per person for members.

26 – Paranormal Tour at Tinker

Tickets available NOW! $20 per person or $15 per person for members

27 – Dia de los Muertos Workshop with presentations and make & take crafts. For ages 5-100. 1-3 p.m.

Tickets $5 per person general admission, $2 per person for members.

November

2 – Paranormal Tour at Tinker

Tickets available NOW! $20 per person or $15 per person for members

4 – Dia de los Muertos Procession. 1 p.m. Procession will be from Tinker Lane & Winnebago St. and end at the Ethnic Heritage Museum. Free!

22-23 – Museum will be closed.

December

1-31 – Victorian Holiday Tours

24-25 – Museum will be closed.

Note: History Family Camps must be pre-registered and prepaid. For more information on any of these events or to purchase tickets, go to www.tinkercottage.com or call (815) 964-2424.

From the Dec. 28, 2011-Jan. 3, 2012, issue

Railroads in the local area will be the topic of a lecture at 2 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 14, at Rockford’s Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum.

Dr. Simon Cordery, chairman of the History Department at Monmouth College, will present the lecture.

Cordery has served on the Executive Board of the National Railroad Hall of Fame since 2000. He has a bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University, a master’s degree from the University of York and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.

The Jan. 14 lecture will last approximately an hour and will be followed by a question-and-answer period.

Tickets for the lecture are $5 for non-members and $3 for members. Refreshments will be served.

Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum, 411 Kent St., Rockford. Call (815) 964-2424 or e-mail steve@tinkercottage.com for tickets or more information about the event. The museum is online at www.tinkercottage.com.

From the Dec. 28, 2011-Jan. 3, 2012, issue

In preparation for the winter weather, the Rockford Fire Department is encouraging all Rockford residents to participate in Winter Weather Preparedness.

Although this winter season has been relatively mild and free of any remarkable winter storm activity, the winter storm that struck much of Illinois this past February reminds us that severe weather will likely impact us significantly at some point this winter.

Warnings are usually issued well ahead of advancing storms, but only have value if you anticipate the warnings and prepare for the expected conditions. As such, Rockford residents are strongly encouraged to prepare their homes, vehicles, and discuss with family members the potential effects of winter storms as well as learning about how to calmly and safely manage some of the winter season’s challenging conditions. Citizens are encouraged to utilize the Winter Storm Preparedness Guide found on the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) website at www.ready.illinois.gov or by calling (217) 785-9888.

For any other questions regarding Winter Weather Preparedness, contact Division Chief Joe Corl at (815) 987-5568.

From the Dec. 28, 2011-Jan. 3, 2012, issue

Goodwill is partnering with local financial providers and not-for-profit agencies in 2012 to offer Good Dollars and Sense, a 12-hour course in financial management offered free of charge to community members. The course will provide participants with the proper skills and knowledge needed to make the best financial decisions and to achieve their personal financial goals.

Goodwill has operated the Good Dollars and Sense program for a little more than one year, helping educate and assist more than 100 participants in the community with topics including saving and investing, budgeting, improving your credit score, housing essentials and more. The courses have been very successful affecting change in families’ financial abilities, with 81 percent of participants increasing their knowledge and financial confidence and 71 percent of participants making positive changes in their finances in just 60 days.

The courses are supported by the United Way of the Rock River Valley and are taught by local financial experts from Alpine Bank, American Family Insurance Brad Streeter Agency, the Better Business Bureau, Blackhawk Bank, Catholic Financial Life, Family Credit Management Services, Generations Credit Union, MembersAlliance Credit Union, Ray of Hope Negotiations Inc., Rockford Area Affordable Housing Coalition, and Savant Capital Management. Goodwill offers a $50 incentive to students who attend all classes and fulfill follow-up requirements for the course.

Good Dollars and Sense classes in Spanish will be held on every Tuesday and Thursday from Jan. 10-26, 2012, from 10 a.m. to noon, or 6 to 8 p.m. Classes in English will be held every Tuesday and Thursday from Feb. 7-23 from 10 a.m. to noon or 6 to 8 p.m. Classes are open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you are interested in signing up for the classes, contact Goodwill at (815) 987-6203 or e-mail goodsense@goodwillni.org.

From the Dec. 28, 2011-Jan. 3, 2012, issue

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has announced testing for buried toxic chemicals in and around the land north of Kent Creek near the Amerock Corp. plant will take place after the first of 2012, The Rock River Times (TRRT) has learned.

Mark Wagner, the lead investigator for the team assigned to the two-pronged investigation into well water contamination and toxic chemical dumping in the area near the former Amerock facility, said a metal detector, soil sampling equipment and other methodology will be used to identify toxic substances around the creek, in the field north of the creek and around the Northwest Community Center (NWCC).

Wagner said the investigation will move into the second phase after the completion of the groundwater testing to determine the source of benzene contamination found on Alliance and Soper avenues and Auburn and Parkside streets.

The United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced recently it will supply at least 16 homes with free water hookups to the city water supply after the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) requested assistance from the USEPA last October. Identifying the source of the pollution still remains.

Residents in that area complained of foul water last July. The source of the contamination is believed to come from an underground leaking gasoline tank in the area. During its investigation into the groundwater complaints, The Rock River Times also learned of toxic dumping into the area around the former Amerock facility for four decades beginning in 1956. Allegations surfaced of toxic substances from the plant into the creek as well as the burying of chemical drums north of the creek and other pollutants around the community center while Amerock and other businesses were in operation.

“My plan is to employ that whole northern part of Kent Creek with metal detectors and find out what might be there,” Wagner said. “We’re going to survey as much of that area north of the creek that we are able to get to unobstructed. Our metal detector fits on a 2-foot by 4-foot, two-wheel cart. We have to have it be able to be pulled along the surface of the ground. There are some limitations there on what we can do. We wouldn’t be able to get into any areas with trees.”

Wagner added that the area around the bridge that is part of the Mel Anderson Memorial Bike Path will be surveyed as well as the plant itself. He said the IEPA is working out details with the NWCC.

“I think there are some areas there (around the NWCC) we are concerned about,” Wagner said. “There are some areas west of the original plant that we’re going to see if we can’t get into.”

Wagner and members of his team, the Rockford Park District and the Illinois Department of Public Health toured the area last October, but TRRT agreed only to assist in the investigation by supplying information and wait until now to disclose the IEPA’s investigative plan, which includes finding out whether materials are still located in the plant and whether toxic materials were dumped into a well head under the plant.

“We’ll have to be in contact with the parent company of Amerock and the current owners of the facility,” Wagner said. “There will be some coordination there to get permission to go to that property. Part of the process is to identify responsible parties to let them know there’s an investigation. I will check with our attorney to see how many folks they want to get a hold of to tell them we are going to undertake an investigation. In some cases, we contact the last operator of that facility of the actual process that we are investigating. We may just have to notify Newell Rubbermaid to see who they want notified for the Superfund investigation.”

Newell Rubbermaid, Inc., owned Amerock before selling it to Denovo Properties, a toxic waste site cleanup company. Previous owners include Anchor-Hocking Co., Stanley Works and the original owners, the Aldeen family.

The Rockford Park District has cleared the land north of the creek and has plans, Wagner said, to return the land “to a more natural habitat.” He said the clearing of the area will actually aid the IEPA in their search for 55-gallon drums that are allegedly buried in the land there.

“That’s going to aid us when we go out there and do our metal detection survey and start that process. That’s going to be after the first of the year,” Wagner said.

Statements given to TRRT in the past four months led to the IEPA investigation into the burying of drums in the land north of the creek and other possible toxic materials in the land around the NWCC.

“As things wind down on the groundwater side, we’re in the process of gearing up and finding time and working on the access agreement with the community center,” Wagner said. “We had a meeting around the 21st of November with the president of their board and their executive director, and we’re in the process of working out an access agreement with them.”

Reports from residents who lived there in the 1950s and 1960s have included the burying of a crane and other building vehicles and equipment on NWCC property.

“We’ll go back out there after the first of the year and start the process of identifying areas we think we are going to have to investigate further. If they buried an old truck in there, we would be able to go over it with a metal detector, and we’ll be able to see that and plot it on a map and make a decision and find out if it is a hazardous material or not,” Wagner said. “Once we identify a metal object, then we have to decide how we determine whether or not there is any kind of hazardous material.”

Although laws were not in place made by the Environmental Protection Agency until the mid-1970s, the burying of any material that could harm the soil is now prohibited by federal law.

“Nowadays, you can’t just bury things on your property,” Wagner said. “In the past, it happened quite a bit, and our whole catch is it has to be some kind of hazardous material that is impacting the surrounding environment. It helps to have people tell us about specific areas. The more information we get, the more it helps us to come up with an attack plan about what areas to start with and what equipment to use.”

Allegations have been made of the burying of toxic heavy metals, construction equipment and other debris north of Parkside and west of Central avenues in the 1960s and 1970s. Allegations have also been made that Amerock dumped toxic substances into Kent Creek after the plant opened in 1956, continuing through the 1980s and as recently as this year. The plant is being cleaned up by the Denovo Properties, which specializes in cleaning up toxic sites in the United States and then selling them. Past requests to interview Denovo management have been unanswered.

“We’re in the process of figuring out the best way to go about investigating that without causing disruption of the business they have going on in there,” Wagner said of looking for toxic materials that may be inside the plant. “We’re going to have to work with them to find out exactly where that was, what they have in there now and the best way to approach that. At some point, it’s going to depend on more of what we’re going to be able to get out of the files and compare them as related to what they did in the different areas of the building.”

If Amerock indeed dumped toxic waste into the creek from any or all of the five tubes that are still in place behind the factory, Wagner said his team has the technology to find the source and identify the type of toxic substances that could include dangerous heavy metals such as cyanide, chromium, nickel and zinc.

“We would use the sediment around the creek to establish historic release,” Wagner said. “We’re going to look into first, whether or not we can find anything in the creek itself, and then, through our investigation of the plant, we’ll see if any of those are related to processes that took place within the building. We normally take several background samples so we can establish attribution. We take samples well upstream from where the facility is so we can rule out any other sources.”

Maggie Carson, spokesman for the IEPA, said: “Mark’s group does their investigation in accordance with (USPEA) Superfund regulations. That’s the Superfund process. It’s a little bit different than the state, so he has these notifications built into that system. To get on a Superfund list is a long and complex process. Mark is working on the early phases. He wants to be Superfund compliant as he works through it, should that eventuality bear out. The percentage of those that reach that high level of scrutiny is a pretty small percentage.”

The USEPA deemed the groundwater contamination in the area a Superfund Program site as it stepped in to pay for water hookups in the area. Once the origin has been determined, the remediation process will begin. USEPA Department of Land Project Manager Brad Benning told TRRT recently that the funds to hook up the 16 residents in that area not currently with city water will come from the Superfund Program.

“If we can connect the well contamination to the Superfund project, then the state would go and start the cost recovery process,” Wagner said, noting the USEPA would be looking for remediation from the toxic waste violator or violators. As for remediation for toxic dumping around Amerock, the USEPA will handle that.

“They’re separate situations,” Wagner said. “If we’re talking strictly Amerock, remediation would be in accordance with their (USEPA) guidelines. Any kind of cost recovery they would do. There are other options to avoid being listed on the Superfund list and being part of a cleanup mandated by the federal EPA.”

If a company is deemed responsible, the USEPA and IEPA will first let them clean it up on their own.

“The responsible party is given every opportunity to step up to do Superfund-compliant cleanup,” Wagner said. “If we find that they do have releases that warrant cleanup, they have the option to do that voluntarily. They have the opportunity throughout the process, as we investigate them, to actually step up and do that cleanup on their own.”

Wagner also said the federal EPA will come in an emergency situation if necessary and “protect people as long as the process is going on.”

Carson added: “It’s to their benefit to do so rather than go through the legal process. It’s triple the cost. There is a penalty built into if we end up doing it and end up having to recover costs.”

Meantime, the IEPA is trying to determine the source of the groundwater contamination in the area, with possible remediation coming from the state district attorney’s office. The state IEPA team has found that the shallow groundwater underneath the homes runs from west to east, meaning the source would most likely come west of the neighborhood. The state and county have taken numerous rounds of samples from that area over the past four months.

“(The IEPA lab) gave us tentative results, but they haven’t finalized them yet,” Wagner said. “There’s some quality assurance checks that they do before they go final on them to make sure those numbers aren’t going to change.”

The IEPA took samples on one more house on Johnston “outside our area of concern to confirm that we have the plume defined,” Wagner said. “We’re going to have some meetings based on those results that we got in and start looking at how to go about connecting that information to an actual source. We have a staff geologist that will make that call. After we get the information together, we’ll give him a chance to look through it, and then he’ll have to decide if there’s enough data there to go ahead or see if there are areas we need to go back on.”

TRRT learned that one possible source is the Mobil gas station on Auburn Street, a previous offender of a leaking underground storage tank.

“They’re in our underground leaking storage tank program,” Wagner said. “Right now, they’re working with us on some release that they’ve had in the past. It’s an ongoing investigation. When we get data back from the lab, we will contact people we think are responsible. We have not identified a single source yet.”

Although the IEPA has put the groundwater investigation first, if there are possible violations currently seen by residents around Kent Creek from the plant, they should call the local IEPA office at (815) 987-7760.

“There’s always the ability to call our field office so they can immediately send someone out to have a more timely response to it,” Wagner said. “They’re the actual ones who would be responsible for current activities in the building. That would be something we would follow up with our field office if we think they are in violation of anything currently.”

Possible violations can also be reported by contacting The Rock River Times at (815) 964-9767 or contact@rockrivertimes.com.

From the Dec. 21-27, 2011, issue

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has agreed to hook up at least 16 residences in the neighborhood north of Auburn Street and west of the former Amerock plant to the city water supply in the wake of finding contaminated wells in the area.

Although the source of the benzene contamination being investigated by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has not been determined, the USEPA has decided residents located on Alliance and Soper avenues as well as homes located on Auburn and Parkside that are not connected to city water will be offered to be connected at no charge.

“Any home in that area on a private well was offered connection by the USEPA. We’re going to hook up 16 homes to city water without charge,” said Bradley Benning of the USEPA Region 5 office in Chicago. “Those are the remaining homes in the area of concern that are still on private wells. Everyone else in the area is on city water.”

Many of the homes in that area tested for more than the allowable EPA limits for benzene, a component of gasoline.

“The homes showed detection in that area, and the potential is there that even the homes that show non-detect are likely down the road going to show some contamination,” Benning told The Rock River Times (TRRT) in an exclusive interview. “The decision was made to hook everybody up in that area regardless.”

The USEPA offered each resident not already hooked up to city water the chance to do so at an invitation-only meeting at the Winnebago County Health Department Dec. 7. Although the media were not invited to attend, TRRT learned of the offer through Benning, and it was confirmed by residents who attended.

“Bids went out to contractors the other day and are due back on the 19th,” he said. “Work will probably begin by the first of the year.”

Assistance was requested by the IEPA to the USEPA Oct. 13 for the residents on Soper and Alliance avenues and included the offer of bottled water in 5-gallon containers. TRRT learned by door-to-door survey that only two residents established contact. Since then, other residents have received bottled water in the area of the 1200 block of Soper and Alliance avenues.

“Bottled water was just a temporary solution to get them water right away,” Benning said. “The solution was either a full-house filtration system or connection to city water. Since the mains were already in place, it was likely cheaper to hook them up rather than the filtration option. We decided to go with the connection option. There is no maintenance on that (city water). Residents would have to replace the filter media (in filtration).”

The connection to city water will include sealing off old wells, Benning said. He added water bill rates will be double those of city residents, unless the neighborhood is annexed, which may be forthcoming, he added.

Benning said the request for help came Oct. 13 from Bureau of Land official Bruce Everett of the Illinois EPA in Springfield.

“They requested assistance from us for assessment and possible funding under the Superfund Program,” Benning said. “It’s mostly an issue with funding. Local, state, there’s no funding mechanism for them to do this.”

Benning said the area qualifies under the USEPA Superfund Program “based on groundwater contamination in this small area because the contaminated plume basically is underneath this neighborhood. The homes qualify, the area I guess you can say qualifies. The action taken strictly is to provide safe drinking water to the homes.”

As for who or which business is found responsible for the benzene contamination, Benning said, remains with the IEPA.

“There won’t be any action by us to do any remediation,” Benning said. “The state may continue to investigate a responsible party. If one is found, there may be corrective action or remediation that would be required of someone to stop the plume from continuing.”

Benning said all homes in the square area will be offered hookups, with as many as 16 identified to this point. No houses on Johnston Avenue have been added to the list, although more tests have been conducted by the IEPA recently in the 1200 block, Benning said. If those houses show a presence of benzene, they will be added, he said. One home in the 1200 block has not been added because it is boarded up, he said.

“I’m assuming everyone will probably want it,” Benning said of the hookups. “But there is nothing on Johnston right now. Results are still coming in to the state. If it’s showing benzene, we would consider adding it. We haven’t received the final results yet.”

The state IEPA declined to comment about the matter when contacted by TRRT. The IEPA has offered little information about their investigation about well water contamination, citing privacy issues.

Although the source of the plume has yet to be confirmed, TRRT has confirmed the IEPA has contacted the Mobil gas station on Auburn Street between Johnston and Day about the matter. Three black state trucks were reportedly seen at the station the week before Thanksgiving at the same time another IEPA truck was gathering samples from the ground in the area. The IEPA confirmed it had been testing the soil.

Lead investigator Mark Wagner of the IEPA confirmed the white truck belonged to the IEPA and confirmed the visit to the Mobil station but did not name them as the source.

Wagner confirmed the white truck seen during Thanksgiving week “has a hydraulic press that comes out of the back and was taking samples.” He added the IEPA “met with the Mobil station on the 21st.”

Maggie Carson, spokesman for the IEPA in Springfield, said the IEPA did collect another series of water samples in the area recently. She added they were at the IEPA lab and that Wagner’s team was awaiting results.

“We are in the process of evaluating it with groundwater flow and direction,” Carson said.

Carson added that more specific information was “private and confidential.”

Benning of the USEPA said the plume of the contamination “is heading due east.”

Carson declined to elaborate on the Dec. 7 meeting that included residents in the area as well as city, county and state officials.

“They were private meetings,” she said.

Sue Fuller, spokesman for the Winnebago County Health Department, also declined to disclose any details of the meeting, saying, “It was between the home owners and the Illinois EPA and the USEPA.” She added the WCHD was only the host of the Dec. 7 meeting.

Benning, who attended the meeting, said, “We had a meeting to ask the homeowners and offered them connection” at the Winnebago County Health Department Dec. 7. Benning said officials from the City of Rockford, the IEPA and the WCHD were present. He said the meeting was not private.

“It was just informational,” he said.

No media outlets were informed of the meeting, Fuller said.

Previously, public meetings were held at the Northwest Community Center in July and August to discuss possible well water contamination after WCHD testing showed well contamination of Volatile Organic Chemicals benzene, toluene and xylene in as many as six neighborhood wells.

Media outlets and neighborhood residents were invited to those meetings held in late July and early August hosted by city, Illinois Department of Public Health and WCHD officials to discuss testing and resident options. At that time, residents were informed a hookup to city water would cost around $2,000 plus the cost of sealing off their wells, which is valued at approximately $600.

The IEPA became involved in the matter in September and began testing wells themselves in October. The number of wells reported tainted by VOCs has varied over the past four months.

From the Dec. 14-20, 2011, issue

The original version of Defense Spending Bill 1867 submitted in the United States Senate last week sent rights activists into an unnecessary tizzy. When the first version of the bill for appropriations to fund the Department of Defense came up, the bill contained language that could have allowed any American to be arrested, detained and held as long as deemed necessary as a terrorist suspect.

Media outlets and every activist organization from Occupy America to the American Civil Liberties Union chastised the Senate for taking away everyone’s civil rights. Everything from a call to arms to the use of the word “fascist” when describing our 100 senators could be found on the web.

The rush to judgment was premature.

The defense bill appropriates for fiscal year 2012 activities of the Department of Defense, military construction, defense activities of the Department of Energy, military personnel strengths and other purposes.

The bill was drafted by U.S. Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Carl Levin, D-Mich., but there were 381 amendments proposed to the original bill, most of which were not adopted. The controversial text can be found in Section 1031 of this enormously cumbersome, $600 billion epic. Numerous amendments to change this section were proposed, but the most important was the one introduced by California Sen. Diane Feinstein (D) and sponsored by Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

Durbin made a passionate speech in the Senate to support the Feinstein amendment to alter the original document.

The following was contained in Durbin’s speech: “The Senator from California has not only read the law, she has written many laws, and her competence in advocating this important constitutional question has been proven over and over. So, I thank her for having the determination and courage to stand up for her convictions against some who would be critical of anyone who broaches the subject. This is a controversial subject. We are talking about the security of Americans. We are talking about terrorism.

“… We establish standards of conduct and justice, and particularly as it relates to the people who live in America, our citizens and legal residents who are in the United States. That is what this debate is about.

“This is an important bill. … But this provision they have added in this bill is a serious mistake — serious. It is serious enough for me to support Senator Feinstein in her efforts to change and remove the language. Why? First, we know the law enforcement officials in the United States of America, the Attorney General’s Office, the FBI have done a good job in keeping America safe. They have arrested over 300 suspected terrorists in the United States — over 300 of them — and they have tried them in the criminal courts of America, on trial, in public, for the world to see that these people will be held to the standards of trial as an American citizen. Of those 300, they have successfully prosecuted over 300 alleged terrorists, then incarcerated them in the prisons of America, including Marion, Ill., in my home state, where they are safely and humanely incarcerated.

“The message to the world is: We are going to keep America safe, but we are going to do it by playing by the rules that make us America. Due process is one of those rules, and it has worked. It has worked under two administrations.

“Now comes this bill and a suggestion that we need to change the rules. The suggestion is, in this measure, that we will do something that has not been done in America before. Section 1031 of this bill, for the first time in the history of America, will authorize the indefinite detention of American citizens in the United States. This is unprecedented. In my view, as chair of the Constitution Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary, it raises serious constitutional concerns.

“Senator Levin and Senator McCain disagree. In an op-ed piece for the Washington Post, they recently wrote: ‘No provision in the legislation expands the authority under which detainees can be held in military custody.’

“But look at the plain language of section 1031. There is no exclusion for U.S. citizens. So the question is, if we believe an American citizen is guilty or will be guilty of acts of terrorism, can we detain them indefinitely? Can we ignore their constitutional rights and hold them indefinitely, without warning them of their right to remain silent, without advising them of their right to counsel, without giving them the basic protections of our Constitution? I don’t believe that should be the standard.

“Now, this bill changes, unfortunately, a fundamental aspect of that. It says if an American citizen is detained and suspected to be involved in terrorism with al-Qaida or other groups, they can be held indefinitely without being given their constitutional rights.

“I appreciate that Senator Levin and Senator McCain have said they are willing to consider excluding U.S. persons, but section 1031 doesn’t. I hope they do.”

The Feinstein Amendment, which excluded U.S. citizens, passed 99-1 and the entire bill passed 93-7.

Sen. Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following summary Dec. 2 of detainee provisions approved Dec. 1:

“Because of the many questions that have been raised relating to the detainee provisions in the defense authorization bill, I felt it was important to provide this summary of the language approved by the Senate. I hope it will be a useful reference for those who are interested in this important issue.”

Levin’s statement included the following: “Section 1031: Affirmation of Authority of the Armed Forces of the United States to Detain Covered Persons Pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force. Section 1031 reaffirms the military’s existing authority to detain individuals captured in the course of hostilities in accordance with the law of war. The authority extends to any person who: (1) planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001; or (2) was part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces in hostilities against the United States. This provision codifies detention authority that has been adopted by two administrations, has been upheld in the courts, and has a centuries-long foundation in the law of war. An amendment adopted on the Senate floor by a 99-1 vote confirms that nothing in the provision “shall be construed to affect existing law or authorities relating to the detention of United States citizens, lawful resident aliens of the United States, or any other persons who are captured or arrested in the United States.”

Despite Durbin’s speech and Levin’s clarification, all heck broke loose as websites issued caustic statements that said Americans were losing their civil rights and said that bill was the beginning of the end of Americans’ basic freedoms.

Perhaps the most dramatic came from the American Civil Liberties Union, which posted on its website the following: “The other 93 are traitors to the Constitution of The United States. At the very least, they should be impeached. Even if President Obama vetoes the bill, those who voted yes have got to go. They are obviously corporate property.”

U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., still opposes some of the detainee provisions, even as amended by Sen. Feinstein. However, he told The Rock River Times in an e-mail that he voted to advance the bill through the process because of all of the legislation’s other important aspects, such as raising military pay.

Kirk made the following statement during a WIFR TV interview Dec. 2:

“My one concern is the legislation appears to have authorized the United States military to arrest American citizens inside the United States if there is a suspicion that they are connected to terror. I think that’s the wrong way to go. As an American citizen, you have unalienable rights under the Constitution to counsel, to a grand jury indictment, to trial by a jury of your peers be convicted beyond a shadow of a doubt. I don’t think any legislation passed by the Congress can take those rights away from you and which is why I didn’t support that section of the bill.”

Despite the confusion, the bill has been sent to the House of Representatives, where U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Ill., is well aware of the controversy and issued the following statement to The Rock River Times:

“There is no language in the Senate-passed version of the defense bill that would authorize the U.S. military to arrest and detain U.S. citizens indefinitely without trial. There was some broad language included in the version of the bill that passed the Senate Armed Services Committee, but that was changed by the Feinstein amendment when it went before the full Senate, which passed it by a vote of 99-1. Now, that provision clearly states that it does not apply to U.S. citizens and legal residents.”

Manzullo said the vote on the final version of the defense bill is expected sometime this week.

From the Dec. 14-20, 2011, issue

SAUNEMIN, Ill. — The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) has approved the construction of the Harms-Kevin House factory hog farm proposal near the town of Saunemin, Ill., in Livingston County.

The approval was issued by IDOA despite concerns raised by the Livingston County Board, which recommended denial of the application because of concerns about its impacts to the area’s water resources.

Nov. 30, the IDOA sent a letter to Patrick Harms stating that construction of his 4,500-head hog facility could proceed. The IDOA’s approval of the project ignored a Sept. 15, 2011, resolution enacted by the Livingston County Board, which recommended the denial of the application because it did not meet the criteria set forth in the Livestock Management Facilities Act. In addition, the county requested hydrology studies of the area be conducted to identify and protect their water resources.

The IDOA approved construction of the facility without requiring a hydrology study of the area. According to documents obtained from the IDOA under the Freedom of Information Act, the only water study undertaken was a well-pump test at the site, which actually showed decreases in groundwater levels in one of the two nearby observation wells. While groundwater depletion was documented at one of the observation wells, this was attributed to “atmospheric pressure” as opposed to the pumping that was taking place at the Harms-Kevin House site.

Additional questions remain as to whether the well-pump test was adequate to show the true impacts the facility will have on neighboring residents’ groundwater wells. Julie Fox, a neighboring resident, is concerned because the test was based on what appear to be extremely low estimates made by Harms regarding how much water the facility would actually use. In addition, the test only showed the impacts to groundwater after pumping took place for 123 minutes.

“How can a 123-minute pump test possibly show the long-term effects to groundwater?” Fox questioned.

“When the county board decided to recommend denial of the application, they voted that a hydrology study be done with the results meeting the satisfaction of the neighbors with regard to their water supplies,” Fox continued. “Neither the study nor the results meet my satisfaction. Further, a 123-minute well-pump test is not equivalent to a hydrology study.”

From the Dec. 14-20, 2011, issue

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois State Police officials announced Dec. 8 they are not required to release the names and addresses of individuals who possess Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) cards based on a Peoria County Circuit Court ruling.

The court also found the release of names is exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which permanently bars the Illinois State Police from revealing the identities of the state’s firearm owners.

In September 2010, the Illinois State Police (ISP) received a FOIA request seeking the name and date of issuance and the expiration of each person with a FOID card in the ISP’s FOID database. The Illinois State Police argued the request posed an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. The agency was sued, and after months of citing exemptions of endangerment to the lives and safety of law enforcement officers and citizens, a permanent injunction was entered.

Former Gov. James R. Thompson and Matthew R. Carter of Winston & Strawn LLP argued on ISP’s behalf that concerns for public safety are not speculative, and provided the court with several examples of recent murders in which the victims, one a Chicago Police officer, were murdered for guns.

“The Illinois State Police has a duty to protect the citizens of Illinois, and to ensure that they are not unnecessarily placed at risk,” said Illinois State Police Director Hiram Grau. “At the same time, we must constantly balance the dissemination of public information against the privacy rights of individuals when responding to Freedom of Information Act requests in determining whether the information should, in fact, be made available to the public.”

The Illinois State Police has made every effort to provide statistical data, while balancing the Freedom of Information Act process with the unwarranted invasion of personal privacy throughout the legal proceedings. The agency acted accordingly under the law, citing private information and an unwarranted invasion of privacy for those in possession of a FOID card.

From the Dec. 14-20, 2011, issue

A public meeting to discuss the U.S. Postal Service’s proposal to move mail processing operations from Rockford to Madison, Wis., has been delayed yet again — to 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 5, at Best Western Clock Tower Resort & Conference Center, 7801 E. State St., Rockford.

The meeting was originally scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 8, then was pushed back to Thursday, Dec. 15.

The delay comes after U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo (R-Ill.) requested the meeting be postponed until early January. He also demanded to see the data the U.S. Postal Service used to support the proposal to close the Rockford facility.

The closure of the Rockford facility would cost the area nearly 200 jobs and would cause delays in mail delivery to homes and businesses in the eight northern Illinois counties served by the Rockford facility — Boone, Winnebago, Stephenson, Jo Daviess, Carroll, Whiteside, Ogle and Lee.

Manzullo worked with Rockford postal officials during the last consolidation study in 2006 to present alternative information that persuaded the Postal Service to abandon its plan to move Rockford mail processing operations to the Chicago suburbs.

With the deep decline in mail volume as a result of the current economic conditions and continuing electronic diversion, the Postal Service has an excess of employees and equipment in some mail processing operations. A study was begun Sept. 15 at the Rockford facility to determine the feasibility of consolidating redundant operations to see if any efficiencies and cost savings would be achieved.

Initial study results support consolidating mail processing operations that are currently being undertaken at the Madison, Wis., facility to increase efficiency and improve productivity.

While no final decision has been reached, Postal Service managers will give an overview of the reasons for the proposal and its possible outcomes, and will listen to community input and concerns.

A summary of the proposal and presentation materials will be made available online one week prior to the meeting at http://about.usps.com/streamlining-operations/area-mail-processing.htm.

Anyone who wishes to submit comments in writing can send them to Manager of Consumer and Industry Contact, Lakeland District, P.O. Box 5008, Milwaukee, Wis., 53201-5008.

Public comments will be accepted through Jan. 21, 2012.

From the Dec. 14-20, 2011, issue

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The federal government is trying to crack down on abuse of food stamp benefits, as the cost of the nationwide program continues to climb toward record heights.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced new rules Dec. 6 intended to curtail the illegal practice by food stamp recipients of using the Internet to trade their government aid for cash.

Food stamps must be used by their recipients according to the specific parameters set out by the federal government. Selling one’s benefits to another person for cash is specifically prohibited.

There were 1,715 cases of fraud in Illinois in fiscal 2011, said Januari Smith, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Human Services, which administers the food stamp program in Illinois.

Food stamps, known in Illinois as LINK cards, are a joint federal-state program that provides low-income households with credits to buy food.

To circumvent the law, some people have used social media to set up deals to illegally sell their benefits.

An Illinois Statehouse News search of Twitter posts using the words “food, stamps, sell” turns up results like “This is illegal but I needa sell my food lmao…. wanna buy?” and “Found someone to sell me some food stamps.”

States were unsure whether they could act if someone simply posted on Twitter his intent to sell his food stamps or if officials had to wait until the actual sale took place.

USDA’s new rules said someone saying online he wants to sell his benefits is punishable in the same way as someone who actually sells his benefits.

Depending on the amount of money involved, punishment of those who commit food stamp fraud ranges from no longer receiving aid to being convicted of a felony and serving a prison sentence.

Fraud of less than $150, which is more than the worth of the average monthly LINK card, is a misdemeanor and can result in up to a year in jail for the seller and buyer.

Kevin Concannon, the undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services division of the USDA, said in a written statement: “This (Obama) administration is committed to meeting the highest standards when it comes to protecting taxpayer dollars and enhancing the integrity of the program to ensure those dollars are invested wisely so the American people can have confidence in overall program performance.”

Nationally, for every $100 of food stamp assistance provided, about $1 is spent fraudulently, according to the USDA.

The percentage of fraud happening online is unknown. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported finding about 70 posts on Facebook nationwide either selling or asking to buy food stamps.

Smith of DHS said all forms of fraud receive the equal attention from the department.

Repeated calls to the USDA were not returned.

Other changes the USDA announced Dec. 6 include the following:

• Allowing states to take stronger action against those request an excessive amount of replacement benefit cards;

• Pursuing stronger penalties for retailers that accept food stamps fraudulently; and

• Upgrading the food stamp computer tracking programs.

“To keep up with the latest trafficking strategies, we’re using state-of-the-art technology to identify new threats,” Concannon said. “We’re continuing to enhance the effectiveness of our data mining and analysis strategies.”

The USDA’s announcement comes at the same time as the number of people receiving food stamps nationwide hits more than 46 million people, a record high. In Illinois, the number of participants has increased from 1.3 million in fiscal 2008 to 1.7 million in fiscal 2010, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit focusing on the major health-care issues facing the United States.

The cost of the program also has increased. Food stamp recipients in Illinois received $2.8 billion in benefits in fiscal 2010 compared with $1.7 billion in fiscal 2008, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The cost of the program nationally has gone from $34.6 billion in fiscal 2008 to $64.7 billion in fiscal 2010, according to the foundation.

Lawmakers in Illinois tried passing a law last spring that would require photo IDs on LINK cards. The legislation was watered down to only a study of the costs of adding the identification requirement, which stalled in the Illinois Senate.

From the Dec. 14-20, 2011, issue

A public meeting to discuss the U.S. Postal Service’s proposal to move mail processing operations from Rockford to Madison, Wis., has been delayed yet again — to 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 5, at Best Western Clock Tower Resort & Conference Center, 7801 E. State St., Rockford.

The meeting was originally scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 8, then was pushed back to Thursday, Dec. 15.

The delay comes after U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo (R-Ill.) requested the meeting be postponed until early January. He also demanded to see the data the U.S. Postal Service used to support the proposal to close the Rockford facility.

The closure of the Rockford facility would cost the area nearly 200 jobs and would cause delays in mail delivery to homes and businesses in the eight northern Illinois counties served by the Rockford facility — Boone, Winnebago, Stephenson, Jo Daviess, Carroll, Whiteside, Ogle and Lee.

Manzullo worked with Rockford postal officials during the last consolidation study in 2006 to present alternative information that persuaded the Postal Service to abandon its plan to move Rockford mail processing operations to the Chicago suburbs.

“The Rockford processing center was under a similar review six years ago and we found that the data in the previous USPS was incorrect, and resulted in keeping the Rockford facility open,” Manzullo said. “It is impossible to effectively offer comment on a proposal without knowing the assumptions and information that underlie the proposal.”

The Rockford mail processing center is consistently rated among the most efficient centers in the nation, and Rockford workers provide overnight delivery service to their customers in ZIP codes starting with 610 and 611.

Manzullo is working with U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) to keep the jobs and overnight delivery service in northern Illinois.

Manzullo, Durbin and Kirk met with Postmaster General Pat Donahoe Nov. 1 to share their concerns with the potential move of operations to Wisconsin and the damage it would cause to northern Illinois. During the meeting, Donahoe said he would share the study data with the members of Congress.

With the deep decline in mail volume as a result of the current economic conditions and continuing electronic diversion, the Postal Service has an excess of employees and equipment in some mail processing operations. A study was begun Sept. 15 at the Rockford facility to determine the feasibility of consolidating redundant operations to see if any efficiencies and cost savings would be achieved.

Initial study results support consolidating mail processing operations that are currently being undertaken at the Madison, Wis., facility to increase efficiency and improve productivity.

While no final decision has been reached, Postal Service managers will give an overview of the reasons for the proposal and its possible outcomes, and will listen to community input and concerns.

A summary of the proposal and presentation materials will be made available online one week prior to the meeting at http://about.usps.com/streamlining-operations/area-mail-processing.htm.

Anyone who wishes to submit comments in writing can send them to Manager of Consumer and Industry Contact, Lakeland District, P.O. Box 5008, Milwaukee, WI, 53201-5008.

Public comments will be accepted through Jan. 21, 2012.

Give a gift that leaves a legacy by buying a lagoon brick this holiday season.

The Rockford Park District Foundation is selling lagoon bricks that will help pave the way for a new patio area outside of Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, 1354 N. Second St., Rockford.

The new patio area is part of the Lagoon Restoration Project, which began in October and will be complete in summer 2012.

The Lagoon Restoration Project includes a lagoon overlook deck with related stone wall; a pedestrian bridge; an infinity pond; water features; an aquatic boardwalk; paving and benches; and landscape plantings.

One 7-inch-by-9-inch brick can be purchased for a donation of $150 or more; each brick has five lines of engraving with a 12-character limit per line. Bricks must be purchased by May 1, 2012. Only 2,000 bricks are available, and could be sold out before that date. Gift certificates are available.

Bricks are available to buy online at www.rockfordparkdistrict.org/give, or can be purchased in person at the Rockford Park District Foundation office, 401 S. Main St., Rockford.

For more details, contact Lisa Alexander, Rockford Park District Foundation Donor Relations coordinator, at (815) 987-1632, or e-mail lisaalexander@rockfordparkdistrict.org.

From the Dec. 7-13, 2011, issue

After more than 10 years at the 406 N. Main St. location in downtown Rockford, the members of First Presbyterian Church have voted to place their building and property for sale Jan. 1, 2012. The congregation is now in a thoughtful, prayerful process of considering their many relocation options for the church and its mission. Meantime, the worship services, programs, associations, partnerships and community service projects will continue as before. Track the news and progress at www.firstpresrockford.com.

From the Dec. 7-13, 2011, issue

Winter is approaching, and the year 2011 is quickly drawing to a close. The Rockford Historical Society announces its annual membership drive for the year 2012. These are challenging economic times for all of us, including nonprofit organizations. You can be part of this local historical organization that will give you a comprehensive view of our local history. The Rockford Historical Society provides special programs, projects, field trips and meetings for which you will be notified as they occur throughout the year. Your paid membership also includes the cost of the Society’s local research paper called Nuggets.

Cost of membership is: $15 individual, $20 family, $30 for a Contributing Member, or $150 for a Life Member. You can contribute in other ways as well. The Society would like to know, what are your interests? You could give a presentation; research a historic home, business or person; write an article for Nuggets of History; or help in planning and organizing a Society activity.

To join, send your name, address, phone number, e-mail address and your check to: Linda K. Robertson, 1745 Douglas St., Rockford, IL 61103-4725. If you have any questions, call Linda at (815) 964-1882.

Your membership for January-December 2012 will be greatly appreciated!

From the Dec. 7-13, 2011, issue

We are pleased to report good progress during November toward the objectives of establishing a recreational Rock River Water Trail and a scenic and historic Rock River Route.

The Rock River Trail Initiative (RTTI) Council was established and held its first meeting Nov. 4 at the beautiful offices of Vision Beloit. Information about the council is available on the website, www.rockrivertrail.com. The next meeting will be Feb. 3, 2012, also in Beloit, Wis.

In early November, the common councils of Beloit, Janesville and Mayville adopted resolutions of support for the trail initiative. With this action, we now have documents of support from the five Wisconsin counties through which the Rock River flows (Fond du Lac, Dodge, Jefferson, Dane and Rock), all 13 cities and villages along the river in Wisconsin, the lake management districts for Lake Sinissippi and Lake Koshkonong, and key community, conservation and tourism organizations. We believe this is quite a significant milestone that echoes the commonality we all share with the wonderful natural resource that flows through our river communities.

In Illinois, the Rockford City Council passed a resolution of support for the trail initiative Nov. 21. Near the stateline, Rockton Village Board members Zach Baker and Tricia Davey have introduced a resolution of support for the RRTI at the committee level. Further downstream, efforts are under way for an informational meeting on the trail initiative in Sterling, Ill. Dec. 9 with key civic and community leaders of Lee, Whiteside and Henry counties. We see exciting areas of cooperation with Friends of the Hennepin Canal and look forward to meeting them and representatives of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in Sterling. And, we are working with Sally Heffernan of the City of Rock Island and the River Action folks to organize an informational meeting in Rock Island in January. We look forward to the participation and contributions of the fine people and organizations of these beautiful Rock River communities.

The Wisconsin Department of Tourism awarded a grant to the Jefferson County Economic Development Consortium for brand identity, marketing and promotion of an enhanced tourism program. The award cited two new initiatives for the county that are expected to play a key role in the development effort. One of the new initiatives is the Rock River Trail Initiative.

Two public information meetings have been held in Wisconsin to receive input on the proposed recreation water trail and scenic and historic river route. A third public meeting will be held in Rock County, probably in December.

Work continues on planning the Rock River Water Trail. We have information from Illinois and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources, the National Park Service, OpenLands of Northeastern Illinois and other sources to assist in developing the water trail plan and map. We will inventory existing water trail facilities, including access points, boat launches, dams, camping sites and parks, along the entire river course. We will also work with county, municipal and community organizations to conduct a gap analysis of the water trail, identifying possible needs for future development of trail facilities.

Certain sections of the proposed Scenic and Historic Rock River Route are established, while designation of roads in other sections is in process. A number of the highways selected for the river route use existing bike routes and are lovely to travel, whether in a car or on a bike! There is a balance to achieve between a desire to showcase the scenic beauty of the river with its enticing twists and turns through pastoral farmland and natural terrain and the need to designate a road route that is relatively straightforward to sign mark and navigate and not too challenging to the weekend traveler. We also are designing the route so far as is practicable to pass through our river communities and provide the road traveler an experience with the cultural heritage, local flavor and ambiance of each community.

As always, if you have questions, comments and recommendations please let us know.

Greg Farnham, coordinator, Juneau, Wis., (920) 386-2450, waterdown@powerweb.net.

Frank Schier, Founder and Coordinator, Rockford, Ill., (815) 964-9767, frank.schier@rockrivertimes.com.

Dave Druen, coordinator, Sterling, Ill., (815) 716-3366, dave8062@gmail.com.

From the Dec. 7-13, 2011, issue

A helicopter trims trees along ComEd power lines near the Pecatonica Prairie Path Dec. 5. The helicopter, operated by Asplundh Tree Services, runs 10 24-inch rotating saw blades suspended beneath the aircraft along the trees. The trimming will continue all the way to Freeport. The helicopter is manned by one pilot. (Photo by Jon McGinty)

From the Dec. 7-13, 2011, issue

The U.S. Postal Service will hold a public meeting to discuss its proposal to move mail processing operations from the Rockford Processing and Distribution Center into the Madison, Wis., Processing and Distribution Center.

The meeting will be at 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 15, inside the Best Western Clock Tower Resort & Conference Center, 7801 E. State St., Rockford.

With the deep decline in mail volume as a result of the current economic conditions and continuing electronic diversion, the Postal Service has an excess of employees and equipment in some mail processing operations. A study was begun Sept. 15 at the Rockford facility to determine the feasibility of consolidating redundant operations to see if any efficiencies and cost savings would be achieved.

Initial study results support consolidating mail processing operations that are currently being handled at the Madison, Wis., facility to increase efficiency and improve productivity.

While no final decision has been reached, Postal Service managers will give an overview of the reasons for the proposal and its possible outcomes, and will listen to community input and concerns. A summary of the proposal and presentation materials will be made available online one week prior to the meeting at http://about.usps.com/streamlining-operations/area-mail-processing.htm.

Anyone who wishes to submit comments in writing can send them to Manager of Consumer and Industry Contact, Lakeland District, P.O. Box 5008, Milwaukee, WI, 53201-5008.

Public comments will be accepted through Dec. 31.

From the Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2011, issue

The Raw Milk Freedom Riders, a group that comprises “Food Freedom Advocates” from across the United States, will be staging a raw milk transport over the Wisconsin border and into Chicago Thursday, Dec. 8, culminating in a rally at Independence Park.

The caravan and “Free Milk and Cookies” rally has been organized to protest the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) policies regarding interstate commerce regulation of the sale and distribution of raw milk. Wisconsin law prohibits such sales by independent farms, while Illinois laws allow the sale of raw milk by farmers to consumers.

The group of advocates will be transporting 100 gallons of raw milk across the border from Walworth, Wis., into Illinois north of Harvard, then arriving for a rally at Independence Park, 3850 W. Irving Park Road, in Chicago. The route planned is through Harvard and Marengo onto I-90 beginning at 11:30 a.m. and arriving in Chicago approximately 90 minutes later.

Organizers and advocates will be making speeches about lost freedoms of the independent farmer. A similar “Freedom Ride” was staged in Maryland. No arrests were reported.

Wisconsin farmers who sell raw milk to individuals through cooperatives are donating the milk, but are remaining anonymous to avoid prosecution.

“The farmers are going to be anonymous so they are not a target of the FDA,” organizer Max Kane said.

Food Freedom organizers that include Kane, David Gumpert, Liz Reitzig, Kathy Pirtle, John Moody, Jim Marlowe and others say they are “dedicated to raw milk choice and food freedom.”

The statement issued by the group includes the following:

“We hope you will join us for a rally and peaceful demonstration at Independence Park in Chicago. We are welcoming EVERYONE to join us at the rally and help make a HUGE statement to the FDA on our movement toward personal choice, dietary privacy, and food freedom! We are informing the FDA of our intentions and inviting them to the party as we caravan over 100 gallons of raw milk from Wisconsin and then distribute in Chicago at Independence Park. It is time to challenge the FDA on the law that turns honest parents and farmers into criminals for transporting raw milk across state lines.”

Kane, of Viroqua, Wis., said a permit has been acquired for the rally in Chicago. He said organizers picked Independence Park “because it had a good name.”

The program will include speakers advocating change to FDA and state regulations regarding raw milk consumption. The program will conclude with a milk-and-cookie toast.

E-mail questions to the Freedom Riders at rawmilkfreedomriders@gmail.com.

For additional information, see www.RawMilkFreedomRiders.com.

Kane, who calls himself “a student of nutrition,” said he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 10 years old. Now in his early 30s, he said “natural remedies” cured him.

“My full-time job is to take care of my body,” Kane told The Rock River Times. “I was injured by the medical profession with dangerous drugs and medications.”

Eating all foods raw — meat, dairy and vegetables — Kane said, eliminated his disease.

“My health now is excellent,” he said. “I eat 100 percent raw food and organic food. I consume raw milk, beef, chicken, pork and eggs. I give 100 percent credit to the raw foods. If you eat that way, your health will improve.”

Kane said bacteria in foods, such as e-coli and trichinosis, “don’t cause disease. People who watch TV are just brain-dead zombies. TV is god, whether they have any personal experience or not. Whatever the doctor says is god. The TV and doctor are the authority figures. People bow before them and don’t ask questions. They are emotionally attached to a belief system out of fear.”

Wisconsin dairy farmers have been waiting for the opportunity to legally sell raw milk directly to consumers, but have been stalled in the state legislature on numerous occasions. Senate Bill 108, introduced by state Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, last May 26 was referred to the Senate Agriculture, Forestry and Higher Education Committee, according to state Rep. Chris Danou, D-Trempealeau, a bill co-sponsor. Action is not expected anytime soon.

Senate Bill 108 would allow a dairy farmer with a license and a Grade A permit to register with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) for the right to sell unpasteurized milk and milk products. The DATCP’s testing and milk quality rules would not apply to a registered farmer who milks fewer than 20 cows.

While Wisconsin state politicians have shown reluctance to buck up against the powerful dairy industry lobby, small farmers have ignored the current regulations. Often, they sell milk to co-op customers who pay to belong. Farmers say co-op members are part owners of their farms and, thus, the state has no right to regulate them.

One small, organic farmer, Vernon Hershberger, of Loganville, has chosen to ignore the state regulations because he says they violate his basic freedoms. Hershberger was raided by the DATCP in July 2010. The raid was captured on film and posted on YouTube. The film shows the Mennonite farmer, his pregnant wife and children held in their living room 35 miles west of the Dells at gunpoint while state officials poured out his raw milk and sealed his refrigerators and freezers with yellow crime scene tape. His wife later miscarried.

While state officials have virtually left him alone since as a result of a public outcry, Hershberger received a letter recently from the DATCP summoning him to their office to meet Dec. 1. Hershberger has said attending the meeting would only acknowledge to the state that he is a retailer and not a co-op farmer, and he said he doesn’t plan to attend.

Stay tuned.

Richard Gubbe is an award-winning journalist of 38 years, public relations specialist and Reiki Master Teacher. He is a longtime Rockford resident who has taught preventative health, visualization and Reiki at Rock Valley College since 2003.

From the Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2011, issue

Two hearings were scheduled for annexation of expansion areas for I-39 at Baxter Road (Cherry Valley) and annexation of expansion areas for Pagel Pit (New Milford). Hearings in both communities involve proposed changes in zoning from Agricultural (AG) to Light Industrial (LI).

A hearing was held in Cherry Valley at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 29, before the Planning and Zoning Commission at the Village Hall, 806 E. State St., Cherry Valley. Under consideration were proposed annexation agreements to be entered into by and between the Village of Cherry Valley and the owners of the unincorporated properties at: 5185 and 51XX Baxter Road. These properties are generally located along Baxter Road between Interstate 39 and South Mulford Road.

A later hearing will be held at 6:45 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 6, before the Board of Trustees of the Village of Cherry Valley at the Village Hall, 806 E. State St. At this hearing, members of the public are invited to attend and will be given an opportunity to address the members of the Village Board of the Village of Cherry Valley.

Hearings will be held before the Board of Trustees of the Village of New Milford at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 30, at the Village Hall, 6771 S. 11th St., Rockford. Hearings will also be held before the Zoning Board of Appeals at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 30, at the Village Hall, 6771 S. 11th St., Rockford. Under consideration will be proposed annexation agreements to be entered into by and between the Village of New Milford and the owners of the unincorporated properties at: 4202, 41XX, 3524, XX, 4214, 3722, 3556, 3870, 3890, 3610, 3580 and 3844 Baxter Road. These properties are generally located along Baxter Road between Lindenwood Road and Interstate 39. Members of the public are invited to attend and will be given an opportunity to address the New Milford Village Board members or the members of the Zoning Board of Appeals, respectively.

From the Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2011, issue

The Kishwaukee Road bridge, just south of Chicago-Rockford International Airport, opened to traffic Friday, Nov. 25.

The bridge carries traffic on Kishwaukee Road over the Kishwaukee River, where the Kishwaukee and the Rock rivers converge.

Funding for this $4 million project was from the Illinois Major Bridge Program, which utilizes Federal Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program Funds, along with county funds providing the local match.

Planning, grant applications and engineering for replacement of this 62-year-old bridge were started in 2004. Kishwaukee Road has been closed at this location since construction started April 25.

The new three-span steel girder bridge is now wider and includes accommodation for a future multi-use path.

Kishwaukee Road is a vital transportation corridor connecting Rockford and communities to the south and west.

From the Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2011, issue

Olson Funeral Chapels, North Chapel, will give an afternoon presentation, “Help for the Holidays,” from 3 to 4:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 11, at their facility, 2811 N. Main St., Rockford.

This is a program offered at no charge for anyone experiencing Christmas after the loss of loved ones. The program will include candle lighting, helpful handouts, and refreshments.

If you would like to participate in this thoughtful expression of remembrance, reserve your spot by calling (815) 636-4750.

From the Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2011, issue

Spay Illinois is a statewide program that is making it easy for people to have their pets spayed or neutered. Spay Illinois runs a toll-free number for the state of Illinois that anyone can call to find low-cost options in their area. Call (877) 475-SPAY (7729) or locally, (708) 301-1300.

The goal of Spay Illinois is to reduce the number of animals euthanized in Illinois every year by making people aware of low-cost services, subsidized funds, and programs for low-income owners who cannot afford to have their pet altered.

Spay/Neuter pricing in this area is as follows: Male dog, $75; female dog, $85-$100; female cat, $70 and male cat, $50. There are no income qualifications to use Spay Illinois, no county restrictions or number of animals that can be fixed through the program. Don’t breed or buy while homeless pets die. Please spay and neuter or adopt a shelter pet. Call (877) 457-SPAY (7729) or locally, (708) 301-1300 for more information.

From the Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2011, issue

Nicor Gas is working to leave a green footprint for future generations by taking steps to preserve our natural environment, including restoring areas of native vegetation at several facilities and reducing the impact of constructing new underground pipelines in environmentally sensitive areas. (Photo provided)

From Nicor Gas newsletter

Our Commitment to the Environment: As one of the nation’s largest natural gas distribution companies, Nicor Gas has made it a priority to be a good steward of the natural resources we all share. We believe it is important to preserve and protect our environment and leave a “green” footprint for future generations. Our efforts include protecting the rich biodiversity of northern Illinois; limiting our own energy use and managing waste responsibly; understanding and taking steps to minimize Nicor Gas’ greenhouse gas emissions profile; and helping customers lower their energy use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In this publication, we are pleased to highlight some of our environmental initiatives:

• Protecting Biodiversity:

Nicor Gas is working to leave a green footprint for future generations by taking steps to preserve our natural environment, including restoring areas of native vegetation at several of our facilities and reducing the impact of constructing new underground pipelines in environmentally sensitive areas.

• “LEEDING” the Way to Greener Buildings:

Nicor Gas makes energy efficiency a priority in its operations. Since 2008, the company has opened three new reporting centers, each featuring energy-efficient systems and some of the latest green technologies and materials. The company’s Des Plaines reporting center earned Gold certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, a recognized green building certification system.

• Creating a Greener Vehicle Fleet:

Nicor Gas’ Fleet and Field Operations departments have worked to “right size” their vehicles, replacing larger vehicles with smaller, more fuel-efficient ones wherever possible. This initiative not only reduced fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, but also inventory and vehicle maintenance costs.

• Investing in Technology to Manage Emissions:

Pneumatic controls are used to manage the pressure and volume of gas flowing through a natural gas utility’s pipeline system. As part of normal operation, most pneumatic controls emit, or “bleed,” some gas to the atmosphere. Since 1997, Nicor Gas has replaced more than 175 high-bleed pneumatic valves at its transmission stations with newer low-bleed valves.

• Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions:

Nicor Gas is working to minimize greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations. As a partner in the U.S. EPA’s Natural Gas STAR program, we have joined with others in the energy industry to voluntarily reduce methane emissions and, as a result, lessen the impact of global warming.

Want to learn more?

Visit www.nicorgas.com to download a copy of our first Sustainability Report, where you can read about what we’re doing to build and maintain a sustainable business, one that is responsive to the needs of all those whose lives we touch.

How to contact Nicor

Nicor has Community Relations Directors that represent every community we serve. To get in touch with the director for your community, please contact Margi Schiemann at (630) 388-2546.

For more information on Nicor’s philanthropic outreach in your community, please contact Julian Brown at (630) 388-2763.

For State Governmental Relations, please contact Dorothy Foster at (630)388-2546.

To reach our Customer Care Center, please call 1-888-Nicor4u.

For our guidelines on grants and donations, visit nicor.com and click on “Nicor in the Community.”

From the Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2011, issue

This holiday shopping season will send thousands of consumers not to stores, but to their smartphones and computers. In fact, according to the online shopping blog Drop Down Deals, six out of 10 consumers say they’ll do most of their shopping online.

With that much cyber activity, scammers are poised to strike. And with so many consumers using their smartphones online, mobile malware and malicious mobile apps have become a major concern. McAfee, a computer security vendor, cites a 76 percent increase in malware attacks in the second quarter of 2011 compared to the first.

“The main target is Android phones,” said Dennis Horton, director of the Rockford Regional Office of the Better Business Bureau (BBB). “However, users of Apple products iPhones and iPads are not exempt, either. A few years ago, it was nearly unthinkable that Macs or any Apple product would be open to attack, but with increasing popularity — cyber criminals have stepped up their game.”

Additionally, Horton said, “New malware has been found that targets QR codes and mobile apps that will steal information from smartphones.”

While shopping online, if consumers are not wary, millions of dollars could be lost, and a ruined Christmas could be the result. The BBB offers the following recommendations:

• Only download apps from official app stores, such as iTunes and Android Market.

• Do not respond to unsolicited e-mail.

• Do not post information about your holiday travel plans on social networking sites. And watch out for “too-good-to-be-true” offers on these sites as well.

• Never provide personal or financial information to participate in online promotions.

• Never use unsecured websites for purchases.

• Make sure you update your security software.

In their search for great buys, shoppers should know who they are dealing with, especially if they are unfamiliar with the seller. Always go to www.bbb.org and check their BBB Business Review.

It’s projected that online shopping will generate nearly $1.1 billion in sales this holiday season, a fact that does not go unnoticed by cyber criminals. For more about Cybercrime and what consumers can do to protect themselves, contact Horton at dhorton@chicago.bbb.org or (815) 963-2226.

From the Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2011, issue