Jessica Harris told members of the Sycamore Rotary Club she is passionate about being a good person as she pursues her studies and interacts with others. The high school senior is a volunteer tutor through the National Honor Society where she was recognized for her leadership, service, and scholarship. Other extracurricular activities include membership in Key Club and the school tennis team. The past couple of summers she has worked full-time at the local School Tool Box warehouse. After high school graduation, Jessica plans to attend college majoring in business or marketing. She is donating her Rotary check to TAILS Humane Society where she is a past volunteer.
Sycamore Assistant City Manager Maggie Peck gave an upbeat overview of the city’s successful implementation of a Tax Increment Finance District (TIF) and their hopes for a second example with a recently approved new TIF. A TIF establishes a base tax value for a defined area targeted for upgrades with any value-added revenue coming from those improvements going into a special fund. This fund is then used to pay for things like infrastructure enhancements, environmental cleanups, and building renovations. TIF’s are highly regulated and require an agreement from all taxing bodies such as the school district, community college district, library district, township, and county.
Peck explained that the city’s first TIF was for the near downtown area dominated by the former factory that now includes Blumen Gardens where Rotary meets. Established in 2000, the TIF allowed for extensive environmental cleanup of the factory site, a unique parking lot expansion and improvement for the AutoMeter Company and the city, and restoration of the former downtown train depot to become the home of the DeKalb County Community Foundation. The city invested almost $463,000 in money from the TIF in these improvements along with other community development funds. Although a TIF is certified for 23 years and can even be renewed, Sycamore elected to close their TIF almost three years early and turn their attention to another area for improvement.
The city’s new TIF encompasses the Sycamore Industrial Park complex (former Anaconda wire factory) and extends east to North Main Street and was created at the end of last year. A study placed taxable value of the area at $2.7 million with a potential value of $9 million after investments during the life of the TIF. Peck praised the cooperation in creating the new TIF by all local taxing bodies. She said the city’s approach to a TIF district recognizes the city’s past, enhances its existing conditions, and looks forward to a bright future. Peck called this the city’s commitment to good governance.
Donations are currently being requested for the Sycamore Food Pantry. Bring a bottle of laundry detergent...or $10 for Julie Sgarlata to purchase one. Money is easier to handle.
Personal hygiene items (bar soap, shampoo, etc.) are also being sought.
Posted by Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation on Jan 12, 2022
We see the decision to vaccinate as a civic and humanitarian imperative. Rotary is not a political or religious organization, it is a service organization and this is the lens through which we are advising you of our position.
Global vaccination is the path to ending the pandemic and the emergence of new variants. Rotary endorses and strongly encourages vaccination for all individuals including our members who are currently able to be vaccinated against COVID-19. In areas where COVID-19 is surging, communities are facing extreme challenges, health systems are overwhelmed, and contentious rhetoric is dividing us. It is critical that the virus be contained so that the world may begin to heal. To that end, the purpose of this statement is to reinforce Rotary’s position.
Misinformation has become an “infodemic” that hinders the fight against COVID-19. In line with our Four-Way Test, Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation are committed to providing our members with science-based information.
Rotary International staff at One Rotary Center were required to be vaccinated by 10 October 2021, as a criterion for employment after that date. RI’s employee vaccination rate stands at over 99 percent.
Globally, Rotary is actively engaged in assuring equity in vaccine access to all people. Our efforts have included advocacy with the G-20, and a proof-of-concept program with GAVI/COVAX to leverage our frontline experience with polio eradication to facilitate vaccine delivery in several low- and middle-income countries where Rotarians are active. While we know many clubs are already deeply involved in COVID-19 prevention, we are working on additional strategies to multiply our collective efforts. GAVI/COVAX is a partnership including WHO and UNICEF focused on global access and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines.
Those children for whom vaccines are not currently available are at significant risk. Until vaccines are available for all children, the vaccination of adults is the best way to protect children who cannot be vaccinated. Pediatric admissions for COVID-19 are rising precipitously in areas of low vaccination.
Rotary salutes health care workers everywhere as they continue to provide lifesaving services. Local recognition of these heroes by each of our clubs can help to encourage them to continue their important work. Rotary abhors any harassment and attacks on healthcare workers.
Rotary and Rotaract clubs are encouraged to
set good examples by being exemplary role models;
redouble their efforts to support COVID-19 treatment, prevention, and vaccination efforts.
Vaccines have proven to be one of the greatest advances of modern medicine. The World Health Organization estimates that vaccines save between 2 to 3 million children’s lives each year, and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative estimates the polio vaccine has saved more than 19 million children from paralysis. Vaccines are safe, effective and are responsible for eliminating or controlling many other vaccine-preventable diseases such as smallpox, measles, rubella, and Ebola. And now, there is the opportunity to end the COVID-19 pandemic through vaccines.
The eradication of polio remains a goal of the highest order for Rotary. We can apply the lessons we have learned in fighting polio to the efforts in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
February 7, 1812 – British novelist Charles Dickens (“David Copperfield”, “Oliver Twist”, “A Christmas Carol”) is born in Portsmouth, England.
February 9, 1773 – The 9th U. S. President, William Henry Harrison, is born in Berkeley, Virginia. He was sworn into office on March 4, 1841 but died 32 days later from complications from a cold he caught during his inaugural ceremonies.
February 11, 1847 – Prolific inventor Thomas Edison is born in Milan, Ohio. Throughout his lifetime he acquires over 1,200 patents.
February 12, 1809 – The 16th President of the U. S., Abraham Lincoln, is born in a log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. By the time he was a young man his family had relocated to Illinois where he became a self-taught lawyer, then served in both the state General Assembly and U. S. Congress. He became President in 1861, guided the Union through the Civil War, and abolished slavery. He was assassinated just a few days after Lee’s surrender to Grant at Appomattox.
February 6, 1952 – Princess Elizabeth becomes Queen of Great Britain after the death of her father, King George VI, following a long illness. Her official coronation takes place on June 2, 1953. Her 70 years on the throne makes her the longest serving British monarch in history.
February 8, 1910 – The Boy Scouts of America was founded by William Boyce in Washington, D.C. modeled after the British Boy Scouts.
February 9, 1964 – With his now famous words, “Ladies and gentlemen…The Beatles”, TV host Ed Sullivan brought the British singing group to American television in a program viewed by what was then a record audience estimated at 73 million viewers.
February 11, 1929 – Italian dictator Benito Mussolini granted political independence to Vatican City and recognized the sovereignty of the Pope over the 110-acre site.
During her visit as last week's Rotary Reader and after talking about the club's commitment to literacy, President Paulette Berg presented this gift from the Rotary Club of Sycamore to Mrs. Harris' 3rd Grade class at South Prairie Elementary School.
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