’Tis the season to be careful

Posted 2/15/19

Be careful of potholes. There are a lot of them. Driving Illinois Route 38 from Rochelle to Creston is like negotiating an obstacle course. The worst seem between Rochelle and Mulford Road. I think that is due to the number of semi trucks going to the landfill.

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’Tis the season to be careful

Posted

Be careful of potholes. There are a lot of them. Driving Illinois Route 38 from Rochelle to Creston is like negotiating an obstacle course. The worst seem between Rochelle and Mulford Road. I think that is due to the number of semi trucks going to the landfill.
Seventh Street is also getting pretty pock marked. Again, I think the number of trucks rumbling down that street really causes the roads to fall apart sooner.
I look at Chicago news a lot, and was a little concerned to read about the bridge girders that cracked and broke during the cold spell. These were steel beams.
Every time I go over the overpass, I wonder if I am going to be the car that causes it to collapse. In fairness, every bridge I go over in life could collapse under me at any given moment. Sometimes if I am behind a semi on Illinois Route 251 I go really slow to make sure he makes it across the overpass.
Yes, I do have some strange fears.
Double yes, the state needs to find money to improve our roads and maintain our bridges.

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I read a startling statistic last week. In a story about homeowners wanting to detach from one school district and join another, the article stated 49 percent of Illinois students are classified as low income. 
Consider that for a moment. Nearly half the kids attending school are from low income homes. That generally means they may not have the supplies they need, or the clothing, or the shoes, or the books at home to read.
I am glad Rochelle schools offer lunch to all students, regardless of income levels and during the summer, the lunch in the park serves all youngsters under age 18 with a nutritious meal.  
I don’t know if the state raising the minimum wage to $15 will help those families or hurt them. Surely, some stores will opt for more automation, like self-serve ordering stations used in our local McDonalds, or the self-checkout lanes at retailers.
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It really is a small world.
My brother and sister-in-law recently moved from California to Florida. They were in a furniture store in Sarasota and got on the topic of homes. Bob said they first moved  to California from Illinois, and the sales person said she too was from Illinois.
She said she was from a small town he probably had not heard of — Rochelle! Bob said he had been there many times.
I believe she said her father-in-law ran Nelson’s Shoes.

Terry Dickow is a retired elementary school teacher with lots of opinions, some you will like, some you won’t. He can be contacted at terrydickow@gmail.com.