rrstar.com Volume 159, Number 265 $1.00 Rockford R Star egister Newspaper of the Rock River Valley Tuesday, September 23, 2014 Egan leaves Byron for ‘dream job’ SPORTS, PAGE B1 BEARS HANG ON TO BEAT JETS, 27-19 SPORTS, PAGE B1 MACHESNEY ZONING NIXES DUPLEX PLAN LOCAL, PAGE A4 TODAY WED THU 72°/49° 72°/50° 73°/49° Complete forecast, A2 Mother’s plan upsets daughter A widowed mother’s plan to take a Mediterranean cruise with a gentleman friend has her daughter out of sorts. Annie has some advice. Annie’s Mailbox, B5 NATION/WORLD LOCAL Classified ..B4-5,8 Comics ............ B6 Deaths ............ A5 Local....... A2,4,6,8 Lottery ............ A2 Opinion ........... A7 Sports .......... B1-4 US/World........ A3 J im Oberweis stopped by Monday to talk about his Republi- can campaign for the U.S. Senate. He’s a state sena- tor from Sugar Grove near Aurora and a businessman who owns Oberweis Dairy and Oberweis Securities. Oberweis faces Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, an incumbent since 1997. The race is tightening. In a wide-ranging, hour- long conversation with our Editorial Board, Oberweis discussed issues important to both Illinois and to the nation. Oberweis told us he’s been spending a lot of time on Chicago’s south and west sides, courting the black vote, which Republi- cans rarely, if ever, do. “We’ve been get- ting several prominent endorsements from the African-American com- munity,” Oberweis said, “something that Mr. Durbin professes not to understand.” Three prominent black clergymen, the Rev. Ira Acree, senior pastor of Greater St. John Bible Church, the Rev. Corey Brooks, pastor of New Beginnings Church, and Bishop Larry Trotter, senior pastor of Sweet Holy Spirit Church of Chicago, have endorsed Oberweis. “Our community has suffered a lot under Demo- cratic policies, and a lot of what we’re experiencing, Oberweis touts tax reform and more By Corina Curry Rockford Register Star ROCKFORD — Retired insur- ance agent Larry Lang and seventh-grader Ramon Thurman have been working together on Thurman’s homework, discussing Christian scripture and sharing a meal every Monday night for the past six years. “We barely know each other,” Lang said with a laugh as he sat next to Thurman in a dining room at Maywood Evangelical Free Church. Thurman smiled and nodded his head in agreement. The jokesters are surrounded by other students and volunteers, some of whom are just starting their journey together as members of the Stateline Youth For Christ Stateline Youth For Christ seeks church partners CHUCK SWEENY YOUTH FOR CHRIST Faith-based tutoring club hopes to expand Youth For Christ tutor Renee Anderson reads to Abigail Malget, 5, on Sept. 15 at Maywood Evangelical Free Church in Rockford. Malget brought the book from school. MAX GERSH/RRSTAR.COM SEE YOUTH, A5 Airstrikes against Islamic State militants begin The Pentagon says the U.S. and partner nations have begun airstrikes in Syria against Islamic State mili- tants, using a mix of fighter jets, bombers and Toma- hawk missiles fired from ships in the region. A3 Islamic State militants kill 40 Iraqi troops Islamic State militants disguised in Iraqi army uniforms and driving stolen Humvees killed at least 40 Iraqi soldiers and captured 68 others in western Anbar prov- ince, breaking through a deteriorating Iraqi military offensive in an area where the United States recently broadened its airstrike campaign. A3 By Pete Yost and Alicia A. Caldwell The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Inves- tigators found more than 800 rounds of ammunition, a machete and two hatch- ets in the car of the former soldier accused of scaling the White House fence and sprinting inside the build- ing while carrying a knife, a federal prosecutor said Monday. President Barack Obama said he was “obvi- ously concerned” about the weekend incident. The Secret Service increased security around the famous grounds on Pennsylvania Avenue in the nation’s capital, some guards openly holding weapons, others escort- ing dogs. There was talk of expanding White House security beyond the current area as a major investiga- tion began into the question of how the man managed to get to the building without being stopped. WHITE HOUSE SECURITY 800 rounds found in intruder case By Corina Curry Rockford Register Star ROCKFORD — The Rock- ford Public Library board of trustees voted 6-3 Monday night to offer Lynn Stainbrook the job of executive director. Stainbrook was one of four finalists. She is the current director of the Brown County Library in Green Bay, Wis- consin, where she oversees eight branch libraries, 130 staff and an annual budget of more than $7 million. Before leading the Brown County Library, Stainbrook was the executive librarian at the VOTE Library board makes director pick SEE LIBRARY, A6 Stainbrook SEE SWEENY, A6 SEE SECURITY, A6
Transcript
rrstar.com Volume 159, Number 265 $1.00
Rockford R StaregisterNewspaper of the Rock River Valley
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Egan leaves Byron for ‘dream job’SPORTS, PAGE B1
BEARS HANG ON TO BEAT JETS, 27-19SPORTS, PAGE B1
MACHESNEYZONING NIXESDUPLEX PLANLOCAL, PAGE A4
TODAY WED THU
72°/49° 72°/50° 73°/49°Complete forecast, A2
Mother’s plan upsets daughterA widowed mother’s plan to take a Mediterranean cruise with a gentleman friend has her daughter out of sorts. Annie has some advice. Annie’s Mailbox, B5
NATION/WORLD
LOCAL
Classifi ed ..B4-5,8Comics ............ B6Deaths ............ A5Local....... A2,4,6,8
J im Oberweis stopped by Monday to talk about his Republi-
can campaign for the U.S. Senate. He’s a state sena-tor from Sugar Grove near Aurora and a businessman who owns Oberweis Dairy and Oberweis Securities. Oberweis faces Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfi eld, an incumbent since 1997. The race is tightening.
In a wide-ranging, hour-long conversation with our Editorial Board, Oberweis discussed issues important to both Illinois and to the nation.
Oberweis told us he’s been spending a lot of timeon Chicago’s south and west sides, courting the black vote, which Republi-cans rarely, if ever, do.
“We’ve been get-ting several prominent endorsements from the African-American com-munity,” Oberweis said, “something that Mr. Durbin professes not to understand.”
Three prominent black clergymen, the Rev. Ira Acree, senior pastor of Greater St. John Bible Church, the Rev. Corey Brooks, pastor of New Beginnings Church, and Bishop Larry Trotter, senior pastor of Sweet Holy Spirit Church of Chicago, have endorsed Oberweis.
“Our community has suff ered a lot under Demo-cratic policies, and a lot of what we’re experiencing,
Oberweis touts tax reform and more
By Corina CurryRockford Register Star
ROCKFORD — Retired insur-ance agent Larry Lang and seventh-grader Ramon Thurman have been working together on Thurman’s homework, discussing
Christian scripture and sharing a meal every Monday night for the past six years.
“We barely know each other,” Lang said with a laugh as he sat next to Thurman in a dining room at Maywood Evangelical Free Church. Thurman smiled and
nodded his head in agreement.The jokesters are surrounded
by other students and volunteers, some of whom are just starting their journey together as members of the Stateline Youth For Christ
Stateline Youth For Christ seeks church partners
CHUCK SWEENY
YOUTH FOR CHRIST
Faith-based tutoring club hopes to expand
Youth For Christ tutor Renee Anderson reads to Abigail Malget, 5, on Sept. 15 at Maywood Evangelical Free Church in Rockford. Malget brought the book from school. MAX GERSH/RRSTAR.COM
SEE YOUTH, A5
Airstrikes against Islamic State militants beginThe Pentagon says the U.S. and partner nations have begun airstrikes in Syria against Islamic State mili-tants, using a mix of fi ghter jets, bombers and Toma-hawk missiles fi red from ships in the region. A3
Islamic State militants kill 40 Iraqi troops Islamic State militants disguised in Iraqi army uniforms and driving stolen Humvees killed at least 40 Iraqi soldiers and captured 68 others in western Anbar prov-ince, breaking through a deteriorating Iraqi military off ensive in an area where the United States recently broadened its airstrike campaign. A3
By Pete Yost and Alicia A. CaldwellThe Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Inves-tigators found more than 800 rounds of ammunition,
a machete and two hatch-ets in the car of the former soldier accused of scaling the White House fence and sprinting inside the build-ing while carrying a knife, a federal prosecutor said
Monday. President Barack Obama said he was “obvi-ously concerned” about the weekend incident.
T h e S e c r e t S e r v i c e increased security around the famous grounds on
Pennsylvania Avenue in the nation’s capital, some guards openly holding weapons, others escort-ing dogs. There was talk of expanding White House security beyond the current
area as a major investiga-tion began into the question of how the man managed to get to the building without being stopped.
WHITE HOUSE SECURITY
800 rounds found in intruder case
By Corina CurryRockford Register Star
ROCKFORD — The Rock-ford Public Library board of trustees voted 6-3 Monday night to off er Lynn Stainbrook
the job of executive director.Stainbrook was one of four
finalists. She is the current director of the Brown County Library in Green Bay, Wis-consin, where she oversees eight branch libraries, 130
staff and an annual budget of more than $7 million. Before leading the Brown County Library, Stainbrook was the executive librarian at the
VOTE
Library board makes director pick
SEE LIBRARY, A6StainbrookSEE SWEENY, A6
SEE SECURITY, A6
Tuesday, September 23, 2014 A5ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR
Tutoring Club.“It’s pretty awesome,”
Thurman said. Lang is like family, he explained. He’s a friend, too — an important one. “We read together. ... He’s helped me a lot with things, school-wise and Bible-wise.”
Youth For Christ, known throughout the region in the 1960s, ‘70 and ‘80s for its popular Campus Life high school clubs, shifted its focus to tutoring at-risk youth in the ‘80 when inter-est in Campus Life waned.
Today, Youth For Christ is looking to take its tutoring clubs to the next level. To do that, it needs partners.
One-on-one focusAfter-school programs
can be a dime a dozen.Almost every commu-
nity center or Boys & Girls club has one. Some schools have them. Churches have
them. Some focus on tutor-ing. Some host basketball leagues.
Youth For Christ leaders think their program stands out and has stood the test of time because of its simple three-prong approach: social, educational and spir-itual. Each student gets his or her own tutor. They keep their tutors the entire year, sometimes multiple years in
a row. It’s a long-term rela-tionship, leaders explained, and the students know that. Consistency matters.
When Jacob Palmer arrived three years ago as a fourth-grader, tutor Donna Wernberg knew the boy needed help with read-ing. Every Monday night, the pair met and reviewed vocabulary words. They’d read together. Sometimes
they’d play hangman.“I really needed the help,”
Palmer said. “Now, I’m get-ting Bs.”
Changed livesFor the 2013-2014 school
year, Youth For Christ operated seven tutor-ing programs at churches in Winnebago, Boone and Ogle counties. The
clubs served 109 children in grades kindergarten through fi ve. The children were students at 33 schools, public and private.
Dennis Elrick, ministry director of tutoring clubs, would like to see the pro-gram double in size. He’d especially like to see more clubs on the city’s west side.
Elrick, who has been run-ning Maywood’s club the
past 12 years with his wife, Sherri, is eager to share what he’s learned.
“I can train them. I can give them the information and supplies and teach-ing materials,” Elrick said. “What we need is other churches who want to have a club, who see what we’re doing and want to see some of the same results in their neighborhood.
“Getting the volunteers is the hardest part.”
Once established, the clubs help families and churches, too, said May-wood Executive Pastor Gary Kniseley.
“We have seen changed lives,” Kniseley said. “It’s strengthening families that don’t necessarily have the means to get this kind of help for their kids if they had to pay for it. In our members, you see a sense of ownership and wanting to make change.”
Denny Elrick laughs while talking with students, par-ents and tutors Sept. 15 at Maywood Evangelical Free Church in Rockford. PHOTOS BY MAX GERSH/RRSTAR.COM
Ramon Thurman, 12, and his Youth For Christ tutor, Larry Lang, laugh while talking Sept. 15 at Maywood Evangelical Free Church in Rockford. Lang has been tutoring Thurman for about six years.
; ,
nor (Richard) Marsh; sec-
ond cousins, Greg (Paula)
Marsh and Dan (Mike Hel-
strom) Marsh. Predeceased
by parents and husband.
Funeral service will be at
2 p.m. Thursday, September
25, 2014 with a visitation
from 1:30 p.m. until service
time in Honquest Family
Funeral Home with Crema-
tory, 4311 N. Mulford Road,
Loves Park. In lieu of flow-
ers, memorials to Wesley
Willows. Burial in Arlington
Memorial Park Cemetery.
To share a memory or ex-
press condolences, visit
honquestfh.com.
GERALDINE E. VAN BUSKIRK, 89 ROCKFORD — Geraldine E.
Van Buskirk, 89, passed
away on Thursday, Septem-
ber 18, 2014. Born in Rock-
ford on September 2, 1925 to
Edwin and Esther (Ber-
genson) Johnson. She was a
graduate of East High
School; married Lawrence
Van Buskirk on June 15,
1968 in Rockford; he prede-
ceased her on September 9,
1988. Member of St. Paul
Lutheran Church and did
volunteer work for the
American Cancer Society,
Crusader Thrift Shop and
Mobile Meals. Survived by
her two step-children, Hope
(Richard) Bond and Larry
Van Buskirk; cousin, Elea-
service at 10 a.m., officiated
by the Rev. Brent Dahlseng,
and a lunch afterward. Me-
morials to Grace Lutheran
Church or Wesley Willows -
Kirk’s Place. Arrangements
by Anderson-Long-Klontz
Funeral Home & Cremation
Services LTD.
JACK R. OSWALD, 92 ROCKFORD — Jack R.
Oswald, 92 passed away
Aug. 29, 2014, lovingly sur-
rounded by his family. He
was born in Rockford on
Oct. 5, 1921, to Charles and
Iva Oswald. Jack, as a mem-
ber of the Greatest Genera-
tion was a Sergeant in the
Marine Corps, serving in the
South Pacific in WW2. He
returned from the war and
married Nellie Olson in
1945. He raised three chil-
dren on the Rock River in
“the house that Jack built”.
He is survived by Nellie; his
children, Lynn (Cathy)
Oswald, Gayle (Ellwyn) En-
glof, and Julie (Richard)
Harvey; grandchildren, Ja-
son (Missy) Oswald, David
(Lindsey) Oswald, Ila
(Marco Bernasconi) Englof,
Carla Englof, Nicole Walton,
and Dustin (Lauren) Fiepke;
6 great-grandchildren; and
brother Gene (Mary)
Oswald. At Grace Lutheran
Church, Jack was a Scout-
master of Troop 17, taught
Sunday School, and was a
member of church council.
He worked at Alga Reece
Sheet Metal for many years
and in later years formed
his own sheet metal busi-
ness. Jack managed the lo-
cal Sheet Metal Apprentice
Program for 20 years and
served as an instructor;
served on the Harlem
School Board for 12 years,
president 2 years, and on the
Regional Board of School
Trustees. He loved to travel,
to help people and to build
things. Of all of his accom-
plishments, he was most
proud of the fact that all of
his children and grandchil-
dren earned college degrees.
Jack’s life will be cele-
brated at Grace Lutheran
Church, 343 Grand Ave.,
Loves Park, on Friday, Sept.
26. Visitation at 9 a.m. and
i ffi i d
King of Cranberry Twp., PA;
twin great-nieces, Mya and
Ella; and nephew, Brett
(Erin) Hoffman of Ruther
Glen, VA. He was preceded
in death by his father.
Funeral services will be
held at 1 p.m. Saturday,
Sept. 27, 2014 in the Far-
rell-Holland-Gale Funeral
Home, 136 W. Roosevelt
Rd., Stillman Valley with
pastor Rick Lindholtz offici-
ating. Burial will be in
Stillman Valley Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Fri-
day from 6 to 8 p.m. in the
funeral home. Memorials
may be directed to the
Byron Booster Club.
www.farrellhollandgale.com
.
DANIEL R. HOFFMAN, 60 STILLMAN VALLEY —
Daniel R. Hoffman, 60, of
Stillman Valley, formerly of
Byron, died Sunday Sept. 21,
2014 at his home, after bat-
tling COPD for the last sev-
eral years. He was born
January 8, 1954 in Rockford,
IL the son of Paul R. and
Ruth (Hendershott) Hoff-
man. Dan grew up on a farm
north of Byron and was a
1972 graduate of Byron
High School, where he was a
class officer, excelled in
sports, and was a member of
the National Honor society.
He attended University of
Illinois on an academic
scholarship. Dan retired
from ComEd at the Byron
Nuclear Station. He was
confirmed in 1967 at the
United Church of Byron and
attended Valley Evangelical
Covenant Church in Still-
man Valley. Dan enjoyed the
outdoors, traveling, and was
a loyal Illini, Cubs, and
Bears fan. Survivors include
his mother, Ruth of Stillman
Valley; brothers, Paul
(Janice) Hoffman of Cran-
berry Twp., PA, and John
Hoffman of Springfield, IL;
nieces, Ellena (Chad) Rick-
man of Springfield, IL,
Heather (Russ) Duncan of
Irvine CA, Kathryn (Justin)
i f C b A
Wisconsin, in 1941, and
Bayless Business College,
Dubuque, Iowa, in 1942.
Gerry married Elden E.
Cook on December 7, 1943,
in Apple River. She worked
at the Savanna Ordinance, in
Savanna during WWII. To-
gether, Gerry and Elden
owned and operated Broad-
lawn Motel in Manchester,
Iowa. Upon its sale, they
purchased and operated the
Gold Star Motel and Restau-
rant in Rockford from 1970-
1997, retiring on May 2,
1997. Gerry was a member
of First Presbyterian
Church, Winnebago. She
was an avid Chicago Cubs
fan, rarely missing a game
on TV or radio. Gerry is lov-
ingly survived by her sons,
Gary (Liz) Cook, of Monroe
City, Mo., Dennis (Jane)
Cook, of Rockton, David
(Rita) Cook of Rockford and
Greg (Ona) Cook of Rock-
ford; 12 grandchildren; 18
great-grandchildren; 4
great-great-grandchildren;
and niece, Linda (Jim) Jack-
son of Madison, Wis. She
was predeceased by her
parents; husband, Elden on
May 16, 2002; infant son;
great-grandson, Benjamin
Cook; sister, Viola (Edward)
Simison; nephew, Donald
Simison; brothers-in-law,
Donald Cook and William
Parrish.
Service at 11 a.m. Thurs-
day, September 25, 2014, in
Genandt Funeral Home, 602
N. Elida St., Winnebago,
with visitation from 10 a.m.
until service time; the Rev.
Steve Shullanberger, pastor
of First Presbyterian
Church, will officiate. Pri-
vate burial in Elmwood
Cemetery, Warren. Memori-
als to First Presbyterian
Church.
GERALDINE E. 'GERRY' COOK, 90 ROCKFORD — Geraldine E.
“Gerry” Cook, 90, of Rock-
ford, died Saturday, Sep-
tember 20, 2014, in Alden-
Park Strathmoor, Rockford.
Born March 13,
1924, in Warren,
the daughter of
Ella Hirth.
Graduated from
Hazel Green
High School,
i i i 94 d
O B I T U A R I E SDeath noticesROCKFORD: Geraldine E. Cook, 90
