Rotary Club of Sycamore, Illinois
We meet In Person
Wednesdays at 11:45 a.m.
St. Mary's Parish Activity Center
312 Waterman Street
Sycamore, IL 60178
United States of America
District Site
Bulletins
Venue Map
Club Events
View More...
President
Becky Springer
President Elect
Matt Nelson
Treasurer
Michele Jurkovic
Secretary
Patrick Shafer
Rotary Foundation
Matt Nelson
Sergeant at Arms
Paulette Renault
Newsletter
Subscribe to our eBulletin and stay up to date on the latest news and events.

Click here to sign up!
 
Bills and Donations
Sycamore Rotary News
Ensuring Emergency Services are Just a Phone Call (or Text) Away
Posted by Tim Neubert on Sep 30, 2026
Heather Butler, 9-1-1 Coordinator for the DeKalb County ETSB (Emergency Telephone System Board), shared lots of great information with the club during her presentation this week.
 
Heather started her presentation with a few quick tips that we should all keep in mind:

  • Store emergency medical information and emergency contact in your phone; make sure you are sharing this information.

  • Set up a profile at www.emergencyprofile.org; when emergency information is shared in phone or via the profile, dispatchers receive this information via RapidSOS.

  • Check your phone setting to see the ways 9-1-1 can be called.

The DeKalb County ETSB has 11 members:

  • DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, as designated by the Sheriff.

  • DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office PSAP, as designated by the Sheriff.

  • DeKalb Police Department, as designated by their City Manager/Mayor.

  • DeKalb Police Department PSAP, as designated by their City Manager/Mayor.

  • DeKalb Fire Department, as designated by their City Manager.

  • Sycamore Police and Fire Departments, as designated by their City Manager/Mayor.

  • Sandwich Police and Fire Departments, as designated by their City Manager/Mayor.

  • NIU Police Department, as designated by a Vice President or their designee.

  • Public Member for Northern Rural Communities, as designated by the Sheriff.

  • Public Member for Southern Rural Communities, as designated by the Sheriff.

  • DeKalb County Board Member, as designated by the County Administrator.

The mission of the DeKalb County ETSB is to efficiently and equitably administer 9-1-1 surcharge funding to its 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) to provide reliable state-of-the-art 9-1-1 infrastructure for the professional and effective dispatch of first responders to meet the public safety needs of the citizens, students, motorists, and visitors of DeKalb County.
 
Each PSAP will have the necessary 9-1-1 infrastructure, equipment, network, staff support, supervision, training, and education to effectively respond to emergencies and efficiently dispatch calls for service.
 
The core responsibilities of the DeKalb County ETSB include:

  • ETSB Administration: Provide the framework, operating practices, budget, policies, and strategic planning functions of the ETSB.

  • ETSB 9-1-1 Coordinator: Provide and fund the position of ETSB 9-1-1 Coordinator for the administration of all ETSB operations.

  • 9-1-1 Administration: Provide the necessary funding to the PSAPs for the infrastructure and administration of 9-1-1 services.

  • Dispatch Services: Provide the appropriate funding of dispatch services to the PSAPs in terms of both equipment and personnel.

  • Training and Education: Provide funding for the training and ongoing education of Telecommunicators, PSAP supervisory staff, ETSB 9-1-1 Coordinator, and ETSB Board Members

Strategic Plan Areas of Focus include:

  • 9-1-1 Infrastructure: Provide and maintain a state-of-the-art Next Generation 9-1-1 System for DeKalb County. This includes the necessary equipment, network, redundant connectivity, mapping, upgrades, and IT support to effectively maintain the 9-1-1 system for maximum reliability and efficiency.

  • Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) System: Provide and maintain a modern CAD system for the effective dispatch of calls for service and the accurate maintenance of 9-1-1 records.

  • PSAP Maintenance & Equipment: Provide funding for the necessary maintenance and equipment of each PSAP, to include complete workstations and related items.

  • Radio Dispatch Capabilities: Provide and maintain PSAP radio consoles for the dispatch of calls for service and provide funding for the maintenance of infrastructure items of the County radio system and fire station alerting systems.

  • PSAP Staffing: Provide reimbursement to the PSAP agencies for a portion of the wages of 9-1-1 Telecommunicators, with the percentage of wage reimbursement not to exceed the percentage of time spent on 9-1-1 calls.

  • Training and Education: Provide or fund the initial training, required certifications, and ongoing education for 9-1-1 Telecommunicators. Provide funding for attendance at professional development seminars, specialized training sessions, and state and national 9-1-1 conferences.

  • Mobile Communications: Provide funding for 9-1-1 equipment in mobile command vehicles for use during community events, mass gatherings and emergency situations.

  • PSAP Consolidation: Provide the foresight, planning, and funding for potential future PSAP consolidation measures within DeKalb County.

Heather explained that the ETSB is funded through phone line surcharges of just $1.50 per phone line (landline or wireless) based on billing address. ETSB receives about 91 cents of the $1.50. The ETSB also accesses grant funding. The State of Illinois has yearly grants available for consolidation and NG911. DeKalb ETSB received about $1.2M in consolidation grants when we went from four PSAPs down to two. The ETSB has also received NG911 grants for voice loggers, call handling equipment, EMD protocol integration, and indoor mapping of schools.
 
DeKalb County’s Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) include:
 
DeKalb Police Department

  • DeKalb PD

  • DeKalb Fire

  • NIU PD

DeKalb County Sheriff

  • Reminding police, fire, and EMS in county.

  • Also enter all warrants, OOP, and other hot files into state system.

Together our PSAPs support 12 law enforcement agencies, 13 fire and EMS agencies, and staff on average 35 telecommunicators. They answer more than 40,000 emergency calls each year and on average 130,000 non-emergency calls for assistance.
 
So what does the future hold? Heather and her colleagues from other counties are working on Next Generation 9-1-1.

  • DeKalb County is a part of a 9-county alliance called NINGA (Northern Illinois Next Generation Alliance).

  • Worked together to be one of the first in the state and in the nation to have NextGen911, an IP based 9-1-1 system replacing failing old copper phone lines and creating more resiliency and redundancy.

  • About 90% of our 9-1-1 calls are wireless, the remaining being VoIP and landline. Also receive digital alerts for alarms and crash notifications.

Rural Awareness Day at Sycamore Rotary
Posted by Paul Callighan on Sep 16, 2026
Farm values are expanding according to Mark Mommsen of the agriculture real estate and farm investment company Martin, Goodrich, and Waddell (MGW).  Mommsen said the firm specializes in the farm areas of western Iowa, northern Illinois, and southern Wisconsin but has handled businesses throughout the plains, western, and southern states.  They maintain offices in Sycamore and DeWitt, Iowa, and are celebrating 50 years in business.  Mommsen explained the uptick in farm valuations due to the increased use of corn-dependent ethanol and the limited number of farm properties coming up for sale.  He presented a chart showing an average six-thousand-dollar price per acre in 2005 growing to over $16-thousand per acre today.  Mommsen also showed comparisons of farm operational returns with other financial benchmarks from 1970 to 2024.  His data noted a 10.5 % return on farms versus a 7.3% return for the S&P index, a 6.5% return for the New York Stock Exchange, a 7.2% return for triple-A bonds, and a 7.5% return for Gold.  He added that many investors see owning farmland as a “flight to safety” during bad economic times.
 
Mommsen explained the challenges of land ownership and rental plus crop plantings when trying to make a yearly profit.  Mommsen gave an example of how farmer-owned land produced a profit through operations when cash rental of land came in at a loss where both used the same inputs for expenses.  He said modern farming requires close management of land costs and seed costs.  He noted that one way farmers are choosing to increase profits is through organic farming.  Organic corn can bring $13.40 a bushel versus standard corn at $5.36 a bushel, according to Mommsen.  He said the drawback is the estimated 200-300% more field management required for weed control and a somewhat lesser overall land yield than non-organic corn.  Mommsen said his personal observation is that there is a lot of organic farming taking place in DeKalb County.
 
More information on the services of MGW is available on their website at www.mgw.us.com.
Sycamore Rotary and Tales from the Past
Posted by Paul Callighan on Sep 09, 2026
Long-time Sycamore Rotarians and attorney partners Jim Stoddard and Jim Buck gave highlights of the Sycamore Club with many of them coming from their personal archives.  Old copies of the club’s once-annual yearbook were circulated with Jim Stoddard saying many of these items came out of storage as he prepared to move to a new house.  They noted that the club’s charter was granted in 1944 and was formally presented at a fancy dinner at the Fargo Hotel on June 20th.  The first club president was Earl Wetzel of Wetzel Brothers Jewelers.  Other highlights over the years included the inaugural launch of the End Polio Now campaign in 1985.  Today only Pakistan and Afghanistan are considered areas where there is an active polio virus.  Several years later, the male-only membership rule for Rotary was lifted and women, previously relegated to a sub-membership category, could become full members.  Sycamore Rotary’s first woman president was Mary Fasbender, an employee of Sycamore schools.
 
There were several special events in the club’s history that Stoddard and Buck recalled.  One was a rural recognition day to recognize the impact of farm-related business.  Buck noted that broadcast legend Orion Samuelson from WGN was a featured speaker at one such meeting.  Member Larry Berke was remembered as the organizer of special trips featuring dinner and a stage show in Chicago.  Member Paul Michel was remembered as creator of the long-running “Hula-for-Luta” numbered draw-down fundraiser.  And in the spirit of early club protocol, both Buck and Stoddard offered songs for members to join in on as a tribute to meetings from the past.             
The Far-Reaching Impact of the Rotary Foundation
Posted by Paul Callighan on Sep 02, 2026
Club member Jim Stoddard shared background on the Rotary Foundation and recent grant- making at the District level during this week’s meeting.  Stoddard is a member of the District Foundation Committee.
 
Donations to the Rotary Foundation are set up for both operational support and ongoing return to Districts for their grant making purposes.  Donations to the Annual Fund are held for three years with income going to Foundation Operations.  After this, monies are split between the World Fund for global grants and programs and District Designated Funds for local grant-making. There are several forms of recognition for Foundation donations.  Sustaining members give $100 or more a year, Paul Harris Fellows are recognized for giving a cumulative $1,000 to the Foundation, Paul Harris Society members give $1,000 or more annually, and Every Rotarian Every Year Club recognition goes to clubs reaching $100 per capita giving plus all dues paying members give at least $25 to the Annual Fund.
 
Stoddard went through a list of recent grants at the District level to show the impact of Foundation donated funds that come back for local distribution.  A grant of $12,000 was given to a project in Brazil for minimally invasive Thoracic Surgery as an extension of an earlier disease prevention and treatment initiative from last year.  A $10,000 grant will go to Baja, Mexico for dog collars to combat Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.  A mental health services and education grant of $10,000 will go to a project in Kosovo.  A $10,000 grant will go for a water system expansion in Guatemala.   A $5,000 grant for Epilepsy awareness will go for a project in Zambia.
 
For those interested in hearing more about the District Foundation activities, Stoddard said the annual Foundation dinner will be held November 5th in Rock Falls.
Keicher Gives Overview of Challenges Faced by State Government
 
Posted by Paul Callighan on Aug 26, 2026
A legislative update was given to Sycamore Rotarians at this week’s meeting by club member and State Representative Jeff Keicher.  Keicher raised concerns about state legislation that creates or increases taxes and fees and cited several specific examples.
 
Saying “transit news in not good,” Keicher said a new transit agency structure in the state was specifically designed to overcome hundreds of millions of dollars in Chicago transit budget deficits.  An outcome is increased toll road charges.  Keicher explained that the new 20-member Northern Illinois Transit Agency will oversee the CTA, PACE, and METRA services.  He noted the agency board automatically favors Chicago because five members represent the City, five are from Cook County, five are appointed by the Governor, and only five come from the remaining five counties in the new Agency’s footprint.  Keicher said the Agency’s taxing and fee authority is the reason he will oppose METRA bringing commuter rail to DeKalb noting the City’s bus service to METRA’s nearest stop in Elburn is meeting this service need.
 
Keicher went through several health care related actions pointing out what he said were measures that will increase costs to taxpayers and those with insurance.  He said a new tax on insurance policies is expected to generate $160-$180 million a year but only $25 million is earmarked for health care funding.  Keicher said the balance goes into the state general revenue fund with no guarantee it will help health care.  He said he was the only dissenting vote in the Illinois House on this issue while Senator Dave Syverson from the local area was the only dissenting vote in the Illinois Senate.  In another example, he noted passage of legislation to subsidize certain breath inhaler costs by placing a cap on out-of-pocket payments but with no financial “means” test in place.  This means it applies to all applicable prescriptions and puts cost recovery on insurance benefit providers who then recover the cost from policyholders.
 
Issues related to rising energy prices were also addressed by Keicher.  He noted that generation costs set by the multi-state PJM Transmission system are the primary driver for these increased costs and are beyond state control.  A combination of increasing power demand with multi-state and federal policies that limit or remove existing generation facilities from the power grid are causing an imbalance that negatively impacts price according to Keicher.  He said making it easier to build carbon-free generation in Illinois, including nuclear power plants, is a way to help improve pricing markets.  Keicher said big power users, such as data centers, are going to be built somewhere, so it is not in the state’s best interest to prevent their construction based solely on the potential for higher electricity prices.
 
When asked about the possibility of legislation to retain the Chicago Bears in Illinois, Keicher said he is not directly involved in any negotiations, but thinks there is still a chance some type an agreement will be worked out.   
President Springer Kicks Off Planning for the New Rotary Year
Posted by Paul Callighan on Aug 19, 2026
This week’s Rotary meeting was a club assembly focused on planning.  President Becky Springer led everyone in an opening session on membership.  She said this year’s Membership Committee will be made up of all club Rotarians to make boosting attendance a top priority.  Initial ideas included ways to reduce dues or create flexible membership options, equip members with details on of Rotary scholarships and grants, have handouts to give people, promote the power of the personal invitation to bring potential members to a meeting, heighten visibility of fellowship and service project events, and leveraging the Pumpkinfest Pancake Breakfast as a recruiting opportunity.
 
Springer also set aside time for other club committees to hold initial meetings to map out goals for the year.  Those committees are Fellowship, Foundations, New Generations, Public Image, Scholarships, and Service.
 
Look for more information on Committee organizations and activities coming from President Springer via ClubRunner emails.