Archive for the ‘ Community Resources ’ Category

Candidates’ Night Thursday to be Televised

Author: yinn

Mar 5

DeKalb City Council Chambers will serve as the setting for a candidates’ night on Thursday evening involving some of the candidates City of DeKalb residents will vote on, and will include a telecast on Channel 14, the city’s public access channel.

The newly reconstituted League of Women Voters of DeKalb County (LWVDC) is hosting. Participating candidates of non-contested races will provide short presentations about themselves and their platforms, while contested races will involve questions from the audience as well.

Find more info at the Chronicle or e-mail leagueofdekalbcounty@gmail.com

Full disclosure: I serve on the LWVDC board of directors.

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Filed under: Calendar, Community Resources, Local Campaigns, Political Campaigns, State Campaigns

Hello DARA

Author: yinn

Feb 21

The DeKalb Area Rental Association (DARA) formed last summer has recently launched its website, called daranow.com.

It’s probably safe to say it’s not a coincidence in timing that DARA was conceived just a few months after the mayor first appointed his Safe/Quality Housing Task Force, and easy to see DARA’s formation at least partly as a defensive measure against the suspected return of the Rental Inspection Program agenda.

However, DARA is already more than an “anti” group. The organization is establishing Building Watch on multi-unit properties, has recently hosted a public meeting about Building Watch with DeKalb police, and is aiming to dovetail these efforts with existing Neighborhood Watch activities.

DARA has also taken upon itself the task of video recording Task Force meetings. A member tells me the recordings will be uploaded to YouTube and linked to the DARA website for easy public access.

The Safe/Quality Housing Task Force will next meet February 28 from 4-6 p.m. in the Municipal Building, council chambers.

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Filed under: Calendar, Community Resources, Council/City Watch

Calling All Cluck Lovers

Author: yinn

Dec 15

Just a Few Hens petitionWant to know more about keeping chickens in the city? Join Hannah Dwyer at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship hall in DeKalb tonight.

Ms. Dwyer has been shepherding a proposal through the legislative process to allow City of DeKalb residents to keep up to five hens for their eggs. City council has so far assigned the draft ordinance to the Citizens’ Environmental Commission and the Planning & Zoning Commission for their recommendations, and these bodies are expected to consider the matter next month.

If the ordinance passes as written, each property owner with a hen permit and a lot size of 10,000 square feet or more will be allowed to keep hens on his or her property.

The UUF hall is on the southeast corner of Fourth and Locust. The informational program begins at 7 p.m.

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Filed under: Calendar, Community Resources, Council/City Watch

YMCA Reaching into DeKalb’s South Side

Author: yinn

Dec 8

Pretty soon, “Y” members who live on the south side of DeKalb may no longer have to travel to the YMCA’s Bethany Road facilities for lap swims and cardio workouts.

Our YMCA will be opening a NEW Y Site at the current Huntley Middle School location on at 1515 S. 4th Street in DeKalb! The Y will have use of the pool on certain days and also the lobby area for exercise equipment. In all, the site will feature 32 pieces of cardio equipment, a dumbbell and stretching area and 3 50″ TV’s.

The new facility is part of a larger program of improvements planned for 2012, which includes renovations to its multi-purpose room and expansion of parking area at the Bethany Road site.

For more info and to enter a naming contest, go here.

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Filed under: Community Resources

A Couple Meetings that May Interest You

Author: yinn

Oct 10

Sustainability Plan Presentation: Tuesday, October 11, 7 p.m. in DeKalb City Council Chambers. Sponsored by DeKalb’s Citizens Environmental Commission, this presentation is designed to introduce the public to the nuts and bolts of creating a citywide sustainability plan. Featured presenter is Aaron Cosentino from the City of Elgin. Cosentino worked with over 100 volunteers to develop a sustainability plan that was adopted by Elgin in August.

An often quoted definition for sustainability is the one put forth by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development: “Sustainability meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

However it is important for each city to arrive at the definition of sustainability which best suits its bioregion and community. The definition making process should include the social, economic, and environmental needs of the community.

DeKalb County/Area League of Women Voters-to-be: Thursday, October 13, 6:30 p.m. in the basement room of Kish Corner Family Restaurant, Sycamore. Anyone who is interested or thinks s/he might be interested in helping reorganize a local chapter of LWV is welcome to attend.

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Filed under: Calendar, Community Resources

Latest FDIC Orders Include Bank in Shabbona

Author: yinn

Oct 1

Farmers’ and Traders’ State Bank in Shabbona recently agreed to accept a Consent Order from the FDIC. FDIC issued the order one month ago and made it public yesterday, as is its usual procedure.

Yesterday also a bank in Plano, Texas, became the 74th bank to close in the U.S. in 2011. Bank failures peaked last year at 157, and in 2009 we had 140. Failing banks tend to be smaller this year than in the past few.

Still, the list of troubled institutions continues to grow. FDIC does not publish its official problem banks list, but Calculated Risk Blog has posted an unofficial list using public information since August 2009 when its count was 389, and by the end of this past July it was 995. The list does not include bank failures or unassisted mergers.

CR’s on citybarbs’ Public Policy blogroll. It’s my go-to for housing information.

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Filed under: Community Resources, County Watch

Corn Fest Financials

Author: yinn

Aug 30

YearRevenuesExpensesGrantsGain/LossAssets
2004129,016153,600?-24,58425,805
2005174,734140,839?33,89559,700
2006183,392163,69825,20019,69479,394
2007167,509156,1743,00011,33590,699
2008160,999178,5194,000-17,52073,179
2009183,662184,376300-1,01472,165

2004-5: No grants were allocated as such for these years but there were expenses listed as “contributions,” of $2,500 and $3,064, respectively.

2006: Yowza.

2007: There was rain and flooding.

2008: This was Corn Fest’s first year at the airport.

2009: Lady Antebellum probably saved their hash.

Source: Grant Space Tools

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Filed under: Community Resources | Tagged as:

Town Hall Next Week at Conexion Comunidad

Author: yinn

Aug 26

Third Ward Alderman Kristen Lash will hold a town hall meeting next Wednesday, August 31.

So far, participants are:

Kristen Lash, 3rd Ward Alderman
Jim Luebke, DeKalb Township Trustee
Paul Stoddard, County Board, District 9
Julia Fauci, County Board, District 9

Alderman Lash hopes also to include a representative of the District 428 school board.

The town hall will begin with each official giving a brief update of the happenings at his/her unit of government. A public question-and-comment period follows, during which audience members may address an individual or the entire panel.

Conexion Comunidad is at 637 N. 11th Street. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.

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Filed under: Community Resources, Council/City Watch, County Watch, Dist 428, Goo-goo Files | Tagged as:

58 Banks Closed So Far in 2011

Author: yinn

Jul 28

There have been 58 bank closures through July 22, five of them in Illinois, including one in St. Charles.

Daily Markets looks at the current climate.

Looking back, there were 157 bank failures in 2010, 140 in 2009 and 25 in 2008.

While the financials of bigger banks have been stabilizing on the back of an economic recovery, many smaller banks are still struggling to survive. Nagging issues like rock-bottom home prices along with still-high loan defaults and unemployment levels continue to trouble such institutions.

Lingering effects of the financial crisis continue to weigh on many banks. It becomes a prerequisite for such banks to absorb bad loans offered during the credit explosion, making them susceptible to severe problems. The uncertain environment is aggravating the risk of bank failures even further.

Failures were expected to peak in 2010, and it looks like the numbers are on track for fewer failures in 2011, but it won’t be a precipitous fall.

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Filed under: Community Resources, National/International | Tagged as:

Feed’Em Soup Wins a New Toyota

Author: yinn

Jul 18

DeKalb County’s Feed’Em Soup Community Project just won a new vehicle in the Toyota 100 Cars for Good program.

After announcing 500 non-profit finalists in April, Toyota has been in the process of giving away one car per day for 100 days.

The winners are selected by popular vote on Toyota USA’s Facebook page. Feed’Em Soup won in voting yesterday, and got official word today during the noon hour.

From Feed’Em Soup’s Facebook page:

Thank You to everyone who voted. Thank you to everyone who shared the link with their friends and families. Thank you to everyone who helped spread the word. Thank you to everyone for your support. Yesterday was inspiring. Thank you all for your help in bringing that Toyota vehicle to help the people of Dekalb County. Thank You.

Feed’Em Soup was one of 10 Illinois finalists that include Anderson Animal Shelter in South Elgin and Project HOPEFUL from Joliet, an educational organization that conducts workshops on adopting children with HIV.

Congrats!

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Filed under: Community Resources
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