I missed the first cash mob sponsored by the City of Rochelle.

At a cash mob, people bring money to spend at a local business. They meet at Rochelle City Hall where the business being ‘mobbed’ is announced. Shoppers then go and spend $10, $20 or whatever amount they choose in that store.

It seems a great way to promote local businesses and at the same time give those folks a little boost during these troubling times.

The next cash mob is Aug. 28. Shoppers should meet in the north city hall parking lot at 11:30 a.m. and then the business will be revealed. After that, it’s time to shop.

Hopefully I can make the next one.

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Aug. 28 seems so far away, but it’s only two weeks. This summer has been so weird, I have actually lost interest in it. I’m not sure I am looking forward to fall either.

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I drove to DeKalb recently and Illinois Route 38 is nice. The repaving project turned out great. I could not feel any bumps, dips, ruts or pot holes. My only problem was I may have exceeded the limit a bit because the road was so smooth.  

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A reminder: Handicap parking spaces are for people with handicaps. If you are an able-bodied person going into a store, do not park in the handicap spaces. It does not matter that the driver is handicap if the driver is not going into the store. The person with a disability has to be the one leaving the vehicle and going into the store.  

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Without giving too much personal information, I have made two trips to the emergency room at Rochelle Community Hospital recently. The entire staff — from the receptionist checking us in, to the doctor, nurses, aids, and the entire staff — have just been super. There are a lot of negatives to feeling sick, but the folks at RCH go a long way to make you feel better physically and mentally.

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I think it would be nice if the city could arrange a roundtable community discussion on ways groups and organizations can help schools and students this year. Students will need supervision when not in school. If parents are working, where can youngsters go?  Is there a way to provide safe, supervised day care at a nominal cost this fall? And for students practicing  distance learning, are there indoor places they can go to do schoolwork?

It takes a village.