Tis the season to be jolly…..just a little over a week until the big day.

I love seeing all the houses decorated. Last year was a dark year, but this year there seems to be more houses with lights.

COVID-19 has been rough on businesses and people. I don’t think one Rochelle restaurant closed because of COVID-19.  A couple of small businesses have even opened, which is a good sign.

I do think the city’s incentive program, where utility credits of $60 were given to people who accumulated $300 in receipts from local businesses, helped a lot in keeping local doors open.

That program is over at the end of December, but hopefully people will have discovered some new places to shop and eat and will continue to support those local merchants in the new year.

Hickory Grove

It’s good to see a contract issued for the taking down of Hickory Grove.  

I think the facility was poorly designed from the start. Who puts a restaurant on the second floor with no visibility from the street? The restaurant facilities were on the second floor, and a banquet room on the first and third floors. I am no architect, but it just seems to me to be poor planning from the start.

20^th Street

If you are driving on 20th Street or Flagg Road, I urge you to be extra cautious at that intersection. I have seen cars run the red on Flagg Road several times in the past few weeks. I came close to doing it myself when the light turned yellow and I was about 20 feet from the intersection. If you are doing 45 m.p.h. you need almost 120 feet for thinking and braking distances, according to a couple of web sites for safe driving. Slamming on the brakes is not always an option, especially if there are cars behind you.

Maybe the yellows need to be longer, or a second or two more for lights to turn green after the others turn red. All I know is that you need to be careful.

School

Being a retired teacher, I still talk to working teachers.

A common complaint I have heard from several is that kids don’t seem to have the respect for teachers and staff they had before the pandemic.

Talking during class, getting up and wandering around the room at will, not finishing assignments, all seem to be common complaints.

Maybe kids need a lesson about respect from someone at home.

Terry Dickow can be contacted at terrydickow@gmail.com