I would like to offer another point of view to go along with that which has been set forth by some. I would offer the perspective that the annual township meeting is exactly the right place and time for the citizens of a township to come together and debate the issues and business of the township. I add that when the township is made up almost entirely of the citizens of one municipality, then the business and issues of that municipality are viable and vital to the discussion of the citizens gathered for the annual meeting. I disagree that this is a “back door maneuver.” I submit for consideration that Thomas Jefferson may have considered it the front door. Read more →
There will be an organizing meeting of the citizens group, Stop the Mega-Dump, on Monday March 26th, 7pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of DeKalb, 158 North 4th Street.
The group will be giving citizens an update of the court process and where the situation with the expansion stands presently. The group will also be planning fund raising possibilities to cover the legal fees involved with the appeal process.
In addition to these items on the agenda will also be a discussion of the next steps. The group will be looking at their options for what follows the Appellate court decision. The citizens group will look at what alternatives there may be regardless of the decision. Read more →
During the public hearings with Waste Management and DeKalb County more than once citizens asked, what about capturing the methane and using it to produce energy. Waste Management’s response was that it was not cost effective at our County landfill. This is not the case just a few miles North of DeKalb outside of Davis Junction at the Orchard Hills Landfill.
Hoosier Energy, a rural electric cooperative based in Bloomington Ind. has $37 million plant to convert methane gas from the landfill into electricity. When methane is converted into electricity a tremendous amount of heat is also produced in the process. That heat could be used by a factory, greenhouse, or other company looking for green-energy heat for operations.
In Racine WI, S.C. Johnson heats and powers a 2.2 million square foot factory with waste heat from landfill gas conversion. Near Detroit a Hoosier Energy methane power plant heats a building for automotive supplier Visteon, saving the company nearly $350,000 a year.
This is another example of looking to the future of solid waste as a source for energy. Another reason why the DeKalb County officials should be using the time the law suit with Waste Management is tied up in the Appellate Court system to be planning for the future. We have had a year to reach out to companies like Hoosier, and there is many and more every month, which is looking for opportunities to take solid waste and turn it into power.
Joe Jencks of the DeKalb and Rockford area has teamed with Pat Wictor, and Greg Greenway, forming a dynamic new male trio. Their harmonies, as much as their lyrics, tell what they are about: warm as a campfire, stirring as a gospel church, rousing as a call to arms. Calling upon contemporary songwriting, and informed by the deep roots of gospel, blues, and folk, the trio weaves a tapestry of harmony that is brilliantly fresh and yet familiar.
Nationally and internationally touring and highly acclaimed individual folk artists in their own right, from three major points on the map – Boston, New York, and Chicago – Pat, Greg, and Joe celebrate the amazing power of singing together. Their combined musical skills will make for an unforgettable evening – three rich voices blending on a well-crafted foundation of guitar, slide guitar, and piano. (You may hear a sampling of their music here.)
Joe Jencks is an international touring performer, songwriter, entertainer, and educator who applies his conservatory training to a contemporary genre and offers the listener the best of both worlds. Joe’s latest release is “Links In A Chain.” He is joined by Greg Greenway, who the Boston Globe has described as “one of the strongest and finest voices in folk music today.” The trio is rounded out with Pat Wictor whom many on the acoustic, blues, folk and Americana circuits are talking about. He has received numerous awards and honors over the past five years and has created five solo CDs.
When these individual talents are woven into a trio the result is a beautiful evening of music, stories, and unforgettable entertainment.
Before they perform on September 3rd you will also have an opportunity to enjoy the sweet mellow harmonies of the Conley Trio, Ellen and Nelle Conley along with Jen Jencks Conley. The Conley trio begins the evening of song at 7:30 pm followed by Brother Sun at 8pm. The concert will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of DeKalb located at 158 North Fourth Street in DeKalb. Tickets will be sold at the door, $15 for general admission, $10 for students and seniors. Refreshments will be available.
On Wednesday August 10th in the park on the corner of North 4th Street and Lincoln Hwy in DeKalb at 5pm there will be a rally of DeKalb County area citizens. They are citizens who are concerned about the lack of focus by elected officials on creating good quality jobs. This rally is part of a nation-wide effort. Similar rallies will be taking place all over the U.S. on the same day, many at the same time. These rallies are sponsored by the Rebuild the American Dream movement. The movement is sponsored by many citizen groups from all across the United States, with MoveOn.org being the avenue for bringing all who care about reclaiming the solid principle of liberty and justice for ALL, together.
The group organizing the event would like to invite all area residents who are concerned about unemployment, concerned about cuts to Medicare, worried about cuts to social security, who know someone facing foreclosure, and who are afraid of the economic future for themselves and their children are urged to attend the rally.
“We do not have a debt crisis in the United States, we have a jobs crisis.” said Dan Kenney one of the event organizers. “By entering into spending cuts when we are in a deep recession will only worsen unemployment. We want everyone who cares about the growing unemployment to come together in the town square and begin to discuss what we as citizens can do to create jobs in our county. When elected officials ignore what the citizens want, then it is time for the citizens to go about creating the communities they want to live in.”
The latest unemployment figures for DeKalb County show an increase of unemployment of over 10%. The lines at area food pantries are growing longer. The group hopes that anyone who is concerned about this will attend the rally. The silent majority is not going to continue to be silent. Bipartisan national polls show that when given the choice only 29% of Americans want Washington to focus on deficit reduction, while 67% favor a focus on job creation. The majority of voters who identify as Republicans, Democrats, Independents, or who align with the Tea Party, all favor putting jobs ahead of the deficit as what most concern them.
For more information visit the Rebuilding the American Dream website. For more information about the local event call: 815-793-0950
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