For several decades, bankinghas depended on ‘location, loca-tion, location’ as the primarydelivery channel for depositservices. Branch banking,drive-up tellers, ATMs, were allpart of bank managers shortand long-range plans to make it easy for clients to access thebank and their accounts.

Since Kent Bank’s foundingin 1923, we have participatedin all of the ‘location’ cam-paigns and have grown alongwith our customers. In fact, ouroffices in Freeport and Kent,with our drive-up tellers and 24-Hour ATM is a direct consequence of our desire tomake sure that our clients have easier access to us.

However to make access easier, our current financialand intellectual investments intechnology overshadow almostanything we’ve previously done.It’s crystal clear to us that ourclients are embracing newhabits in the way they do business, manage money, shop,and search for information.Kent Bank is in the forefront of Community Banks to adaptthese new technologies.

Online BankingKent Bank offers a robust

internet banking service usedby clients who routinely do

their banking using a securewebsite using our ‘virtual bank’- without ever driving to one ofour branches.

Online Bill PayingMany Kent Bank clients pay

their bills from home and officecomputers - transforming acheck-writing routine that takesa lot of time to one that takesliterally minutes. Our OnlineBill Pay system sends moneyout of your bank account towhoever you wish. Once thecompany to be paid is setupwithin our bill-pay system, KentBank simply transfers moneyelectronically from clientaccounts to the company beingpaid. Utilities, mortgage pay-ments, loans, brokerages, creditcards and insurance paymentsare very typical payments.

Add to the convenience ofpaying your bills with e-bills.Within Online Bill pay, you canreceive your bills in an electron-ic version delivered to you freeof charge. E-bills are availableto you from hundreds of com-panies with the same informa-tion as your paper bills whileeliminating the clutter. All fromone convenient location and afew clicks.

In March of this year, we’reenhancing our Online Bill Pay service with advances that make transferring money electronically even more convenient.

First, our clientswill be able to ‘log-on’using a single sign-onto access OnlineBanking and OnlineBill Pay. We’ve eliminated the needfor multiple screensin favor of a muchsimpler process.

Kent Bank is alsointroducing Online Bill Pay formobile phones. Our clients willpay bills wherever they are -without the need to be on theinternet or on a computer.

ZashPay®

Haven’t heard about it yet?ZashPay® is a personal payment service that connectsconsumers with a new way tosend and receive money quicklyand securely. Whether payingfor concert tickets, dinner withfriends, fundraisers, dues,allowances or even the baby-sitter, ZashPay® allows our customers to pay people theyknow whenever they desire.Money is sent directly andsecurely from your Kent Bankchecking account to the recipi-ent’s account (and vice-versa)using the recipient’s name andemail address or mobile phonenumber. ZashPay® notifies therecipient that money has beentransferred to their accountalong with simple instructionsto retrieve the funds. Contactus for details.

Mobile BankingMobile Banking, in a very

short time, has moved from a‘nice-to-have’ service to a ‘must-have’ service.

Virtually any cell phone can now be used to access Kent Bank accounts. From flip-phones to the latest Droid®

and iPhone®, our customerscheck account balances, transfer funds, get accountalerts and track deposits nomatter where they are.

Remote Deposit Capture Remote Deposit Capture

allows Kent Bank Businessclients to scan checks andtransmit the scanned images to Kent Bank for posting andclearing. Using a PC, an internet connection and acheck scanner, checks receivedat your store or business canbe scanned to create a digitaldeposit. The digital deposit isthen transmitted over anencrypted internet connectionand posts the deposit to their

Jolene BohnsackKent Bank Vice PresidentFreeport, IL

CommunicatorCommunicatorFebruary 2012 • Freeport, IL

3 8-9 11RISE ‘N SHINE2 BUSINESS AFTERHOURS

HEALTH & WELLNESS FAIR RIBBON CUTTING

IInnssiiddee......SEE BANK ON PAGE 4

Kent Bank’s Investment In Technology Takes Banking Convenience To A New Level

FREEPORT AREACHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The Chamber of Commerce Communicator is published on a monthly basis with the partnership of The Journal-Standard paper. We thank

them for their continual effort to keep this publication in print!

27 W. Stephenson St, Freeport IL 61032www.freeportilchamber.com

Phone: 815.233.1350Fax: 815.235.4038

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Kim Grimes kim.grimes@freeportilchamber.com

MEMBERSHIP SERVICES COORDINATOR:Tiffany King tiffany.king@freeportilchamber.com

RECEPTIONIST: Julie Huber

COMMUNICATION EDITOR: Tony Carton

e want to thank everyonewho attended our recentHealth and Wellness Fair at

the Eagles Club. We also acknowl-edge the many businesses and spon-sors that participated in the Fair.We had a variety of health and well-ness businesses on display and itwas important to showcase theseimportant companies that provideexpertise in health and wellness.The Eagles Club were great host’sand we thank Big Radio for broad-casting at our event.

I recently attended the IllinoisChamber of Commerce’s AnnualLegislative Summit in Springfieldattended by 100 ChamberExecutives from around the state.The Keynote Speaker was IllinoisState Treasurer Dan Rutherford. We also heard from the IllinoisChamber’s Vice President of PoliticalAffairs Todd Maisch. As has beenthe case the past few years at thissummit the financial news comingout of Springfield is very depressing.The State Treasurer reporting somestaggering statistics including:Illinois tax payer’s debt from borrow-ing - $44.3 billion (was only $12Billion in 2002), Illinois taxpayer’sunpaid bills – 8.5 billion, Illinoisunfunded pension and retiree healthcare liabilities - $140 billion. EachIllinois family shoulders this debt –

over $40,000per house-hold. Thesenumbersare shockingbut real.Hopefullyour electedofficials cansee the need tonot continue tospend money thestate does not have. Stay tuned andwe will see how this turns out forthe sake of our children and grandchildren.

On a more positive note we wantto thank Fifth-Third Bank for host-ing January’s Business after Hours.We had a great turn out and we witnessed a lot of great networking.We look forward to this month’sBusiness after Hours next Thursdayat the Eagles Club. We also want tothank the Baymont Inn & Suites forhosting this months Rise ‘N ShineBreakfast and we look forward toour next Breakfast at Kent Bank.Our next large event is theChamber’s Annual Dinner March22nd featuring Rick Dickinson fromDubuque and we are very excited to hear his message on the many positive things that have been going on in Dubuque.

Page 2 F R E E P O R T A R E A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

February 23Chamber Ambassador MeetingStephenson Co. Farm Bureau

7:30 am

February 23Business after Hours

Eagles Club5 – 7 pm

March 7Rise ‘N Shine Breakfast

Kent Bank7:30 – 8:30 am

March 8Finance Committee Meeting

Chamber Conference Room #27:30 am

DATES TOREMEMBER...DATES TOREMEMBER...

WKim’s Korner

afterH URS

Our First Business after Hours in 2012 was hosted by Fifth Third Bank. Agreat group of people attended to network and enjoy some delicious food! Wewould like to say Thank you to Fifth Third Bank for all their hospitality to theChamber family!

BUSINESSH URSafter

Malcolm Eaton EnterprisesExecutive Director to retire

After leading MALCOLMEATON Enterprises 14 years,Sue Swanson is retiring asexecutive director. Her last dayat MALCOLM EATON will beFebruary 29.

“On behalf theBoard of Directorsand everyone atMALCOLM EATONEnterprises, we wishSue well in herfuture endeavors.We appreciate allthat she has accom-plished during her leadership to moveMALCOLM EATON Enterprisesforward and know that she willbe missed,” said BobbiDykstra, MALCOLM EATONEnterprises Board of Directorspresident

At Swanson’s request, no for-mal public farewell celebrationis planned.

With Swanson’s departureapproaching, the Board ofDirectors has named an inter-im executive director to handleday-to-day operations. TomKlemm, a current board mem-ber and former board presi-dent, will serve in this capacity.

To help provide a smooth tran-sition, Klemm has alreadystarted and will remain in therole until a new director hasstarted. The director searchwill formally begin later thismonth. A search committeehas been selected.

“The search commit-tee understands thatMALCOLM EATONEnterprises is a strong, consumer-focusedorganization because ofits staff, consumers,families, volunteers andpartners. We are seek-

ing an individual who will helpguide the organization to thesame great levels of achieve-ment that we have come toexpect. Our goal will be forMALCOLM EATON Enterprisesto continue to prosper for manyyears to come,” Dykstra

Highland Business Instituteto host small business start-up seminarThe Highland Community

College Business Institute willbe offering the free seminar,"1st Steps to Starting a SmallBusiness," from 6 to 8 p.m.March 8 in the HCCStudent/Conference Center,H201. The program is for thosethinking of starting a businessor in the early growth stages oftheir new business.Presenter Gary M. Smith is abusiness counselor and direc-tor for Southwest WisconsinSmall Business DevelopmentCenter through the Universityof Wisconsin-Platteville. Duringhis presentation, future entre-preneurs will learn about thevarious resources available toassist them in preparing asmall business plan, legalstructures, permits and financ-ing options.

Attendees are encouraged tobring specific questions abouttheir own businesses. A majori-ty of the allotted time will bespent discussing businessplans – the structure, the con-tent expectations and financialanalysis – and how to continu-ally improve upon them.Those interested in reserving aspace for the seminar shouldcontact Kathleen Weber at815.291.6981.

HighlandCommunity Collegeoffers: ManagingConflict for BetterResults-

We all have dis-agreements with co-workers, customers,and suppliers— family andeven with ourselves! When dis-agreement moves to confronta-tion and conflict, it oftenbecomes destructive. Learn toshift to a process that allowssatisfaction of everyone’s

needs. April 29, 9:00 a.m.-12:00p.m., HCC Freeport, $65

In-Office Tubal Ligation atFHN Celebrates a One-YearMilestone

FHN recently celebrated ananniversary of their implemen-tation of the in-office TubalLigation procedure, known asEssure. This is a simple officeprocedure allows a physician toperform permanent sterilizationby blocking a woman’sFallopian tubes using a spe-cialized instrument that leavesno scars. Introduced to theoffice setting at FHN in late2010, the Essure procedureoffers women the option of having her tubes tied and thenreturning to full activity in twoor three days.

Essure has been FDA-approved since 2002, and hasbeen proven to be a safe andeffective method of permanentsterilization. Following the pro-cedure, the patient returns in90 days for an X-ray confirma-tion test.

“In the past, patients whowanted to get their ‘tubes tied’faced surgery, up to 2 weeksoff from regular activities, andan incision scar,” said NicolaiHinds, MD. “The Essuremethod allows us to block theFallopian tubes in a simpleoffice procedure, resulting inno scar, no hospital stay, andvery little recovery time.”For more information or toschedule an appointment, call toll-free 1-877-6000-FHN(1-877-600-0346) ext. 969.

Page 3F R E E P O R T A R E A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

109 South Galena Ave.Freeport, IL 61032

815-232-7100

We’ll ... MMaakkee iitt HHaammppttoonn!!

Rise’n’ShineRise’n’Shine

Baymont Inn & Suites was the February site of the ChamberRise ‘N Shine Breakfast. Along with an early morning chance tonetwork, our hosts provided a wonderful breakfast for all theattendees. Thank you Diana Kuhlemeier and Baymont Inn & Suitesfor doing such a great job hosting this important networking event!

MEMBERnewsMEMBERnews

Special Education Workshop:Ask Dr. Erin Wade, theBehavioral Specialist

RAMP and the Parent MentorProject with Freeport SchoolDistrict 145 and Extra StepsSupport Group, present aSpecial Education Workshop“Asking the BehavioralSpecialist, Dr. Erin Wade” on February 28, 2012 from 6:30-8:30pm at the FirstUnited Methodist Church, 530 Lily Creek Rd in Freeport.This workshop is open to everyone. Two CPDU’s will be offered and Certificates ofCompletion are available.Refreshments will be served.Space is limited so please RSVP toParentMentorConnieKraft at ckraft@rampcil.org or 815-233-1128.

Highland Concert Band toperform spring chambermusic concert

The HCC instrumental musicdepartment will present theSpring Chamber Concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, February 26, at

Park Hills Evangelical Churchlocated at 2525 W. StephensonSt., Freeport.

The Highland Concert Band,directed by Scott Stich, will befeaturing chamber music andwill highlight a multitude ofsmall groups. The groups include a woodwindtrio and quintet, a clarinetchoir, a flute choir, a saxo-phone choir, and a woodwindchoir. The brasswill be repre-sentedby a brasschoir, adouble brass quartet, and a brass quintet. Apercussion quintet will performas well.

Homemade desserts and coffee will be available for purchase. This concert is freeand open to the public.

KEEP THE WHEELS TURNINGStroll-A-Thon to BenefitSenior Resource Center’s BusTransportation

Now in its fifth year, the2012 Stroll-A-Thon is a community fundraising event

designed for Senior Citizen par-ticipants, but adults and chil-dren of all ages are welcome.People using canes, walkers,and wheelchairs are especiallyencouraged to attend, as areowners with their therapy dogsand other well-behaved pets.Participants can come as ateam or as individual walkers.

The 2012 Stroll-A-Thon is on Saturday, March 24, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, and heldindoors at Oakley CourtsAssisted Living located at 3117Kunkle Boulevard in Freeport.All proceeds will be donated to the Senior Resource Center(SRC) to help fund their bustransportation service for seniors in Stephenson Countywhich has been operating forsome 29 years.

The funding need has neverbeen greater. Last year therewere some 100 walkers and$12,000 was raised, however,the Senior TransportationProgram still had a net loss of $38,000. In fact, fundingreductions from grants andincreased costs have forced theSRC to reduce their service. As

Kent Bank account. All fromthe convenience of their office.

Real Time ProcessingComplimenting the advanced

technology of our MobileBanking service, Kent Bank willsoon initiate Real TimeProcessing. In practical terms,real-time processing is aboutprocessing bank transactionsas they happen rather thanmany hours later, as mostbanks do today - a giant stepfor a community bank like KentBank. Real-time processingremoves the waiting periodbefore funds can be used.

There is no question that thecashless, mobile society is uponus. We feel strongly that thesenew technologies will makefinancial services easier to useand offer greater convenienceand security - thanks to the advances in cashless transactions.

Why wait? Contact KentBank today or visit us atwww.kentbnk.com. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.

You grow. We grow. Together.

Page 4 F R E E P O R T A R E A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

BANK continued from page 1

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Employee BenefitsThat Work as Hard asYour Employees Do.Boyd Consulting Group, Inc. provides avariety of benefit options to meet the needsand objectives of your company. We provideemployee benefit packages tailored to yourbusiness.

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Our staff of experienced benefits professionalscan design benefits programs that makesense for your company and your employees.We have specialists in all lines of employeebenefits, with the experience and know-howto keep your programs running smoothly andyour employees happy.

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Page 5F R E E P O R T A R E A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

Chapel Hill Memorial GardensJack Myers Consulting

QBE the Americas

Iron-T JunctionBrown’s Shoes

Family Affair Café

LeBaron & Miller InteriorsWinter Construction Inc.

Fehr-Graham & Associates

Fruth-Simmer Insurance AgencyFreeport Massage Center

Twice As Nice ConsignmentsFloor Covering Plus

Hulsebus-Gehlsen ChiropracticCulligan Water Conditioning

Union Savings BankBill George Plumbing & Heating

AquaLandBaymont Inn and Suites

Dental ConnectionsFamily Health QuestNewby Design WorksCitizens State Bank

Farmers Insurance Group-Lynn KempelMidtown Center

Schofield Plumbing

State Farm Insurance – Jon SpachmanC. J. Vitner Co., Inc.

Saxer Accounting Services, LLCTender Loving Care

State Farm Insurance – Steve JohnsonSkate Station

Sanitary CleanersProvena St. Joseph Campus

GOLD MEMBERS

SILVER MEMBERS

Law Offices of Ralph E. ElliottRock River Valley Blood Center

Berner Food & BeverageJohn H. Vogt

Country Insurance & FinancialServices - Rick Wilson

Spherion Staffing GroupFreeport Insurance Center

Alwayz CookiesRite-Way Furniture & ApplianceFishburn, Whiton, Thruman, LTD

Freeport Community FoundationBomar Heating & CoolingStout Insurance Agency

Freidag Associates CPAsAltman Automotive Inc.Integrity Investments

Swift Hospitality Group, Inc.Behr Iron & Metal

Tri-State Seamless GuttersLiberty Village of Freeport

Above and Beyond AssociatesCarlson Canine Camp

Furst StaffingCathy’s Custom Cakery

Columbia CollegeWinter & Associates

Ultrasonic Power Corp.Freeport Park District

Eagles ClubMonroe Clinic

Downing Remodeling General Contractors, IncFlachtemeier Monuments

BRONZE MEMBERS

2012 PREFERREDMEMBERS

2012 PREFERREDMEMBERS

We would like to give specialrecognition to the following

businesses that provide extrasupport to the Freeport Area

Chamber of Commerce.

We would like to give specialrecognition to the following

businesses that provide extrasupport to the Freeport Area

Chamber of Commerce.

Page 6 F R E E P O R T A R E A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

of February 1 of this year, thetimes rides are offered havebeen cut to 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.Previously the bus service wasavailable until 3 p.m. In addi-tion, passengers must maketheir medical appointmentsbefore 11:30 a.m. and rides willbe available on a first-come-first-service basiswith priority givento medical appoint-ments. The phonenumber to schedulea ride remains to same: 815-233-5678.

Additionally, theSRC is increasingvolunteer involvement in the dispatching of thebus as well as assisting with driving. Riders are also beingasked to help offset expensesthrough voluntary donations.The suggested amount is $3.00 per trip, the same ratecurrently charged for publictransportation in Freeport.

“Riders will be receivingmonthly summaries of thetransportation services theyhave received,” says Kelly

Hillan, Executive Director ofSRC, “and we welcome theircooperation in helping bydonating as much as they areable, to offset the financialstrain.”

When asked to describeSenior Transportation at theSRC. Hillan explains “What we provide is specialized

transportation forseniors age 60and older thatenhances theCity’s publictransportationand more readilymeets a senior’sunique needs by providing door-through-door assistance vs. door-to-door

escorting riders to and from the bus and up the sidewalkscarrying packages up the stairsand setting them inside thedoor.”

The pubic is also invited tolend support – as a Stroll-A-Thon walker, donor, exhibitor,or event sponsor.

Sponsorships are availableranging from $75 to $750 andup. Exhibitors are invited to

display their information at theevent for a fee of $30, andpledges are sought from indi-viduals as well as teams.

Sponsors to date include:Able Home Health, Big Radio,Family Health Quest, FreeportHome Medical Equipment,Freeport Lincoln Mall, FreeportRehabilitation and Healthcare,Freeport Shopping News,Journal Standard. LibertyVillage, Met Life Auto andHome, Oakley Courts AssistedLiving, Parkview, Prairie Ridgeand Meadow Ridge Apartments,Provena St. Joseph Campus,Reed’s Auto Repair, and StateBank.

Exhibitors to date includeAble Home Health, ComfortKeepers, Community CareSystems, Meadow Ridge,Oakley Courts and PrairieRidge.

Donations of any amount are welcome and may be madeout to: Senior ResourceCenter, Attention Stroll-A-Thon2012 and sent to 1237 WestGalena Avenue in the LincolnMall. For more information,contact Bob Cable at the Senior Center at 815-235-9777or Lisa Lobdell at Oakley

Courts Assisted Living at 815-233-5129. Cindy Rackow, RAMP YouthEducation Advocate presentsIEP Goals & Objectives forParents of Children withDisabilitiesRAMP Youth EducationAdvocate, Cindy Rackow willpresent IEP Goals andObjectives, a ParentInformational Workshop forParents of Children withDisabilities. The workshop willbe held on Saturday, March10, 2012 from 1:00-3:00pm atthe Orangeville UnitedMethodist Church, 111 S. EastStreet in Orangeville. The workshop is free. Please bring a copy of your child’s IEP to the workshop.

Please contact Cindy Rackowat RAMP (815)233-1128 orcrackow@rampcil.org for questions, more information orto request accommodations/accessible formats for workshop.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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Page 8 F R E E P O R T A R E A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

January 28, 2012

FAIR&WellnessWellness

Health1st annual

Gold Sponsors VENDORS

FHNFreeport Family Chiropractic

& AcupunctureHulsebus-Gehlsen ChiropracticChiro-WorksLena Living CenterMonroe ClinicUnity Hospice of Western Illinois LLC

Silver Sponsors VENDORS

CurvesFamily Health QuestHighland Community CollegeHighland Business InstituteParkviewProvena St. Joseph CampusStephenson Nursing CenterUniversity of Illinois Extension,

Stephenson County

VENDORSAnytime Fitness of FreeportArthritis FoundationBig RadioChildren’s Dyslexia Center-NW ILCub FoodsFreeport Bicycle CompanyFreeport Massage CenterHighlandview Dental ExcellenceHospice Care of AmericaJansen Heating and

Air ConditioningMeadow Ridge/Prairie Ridge

ApartmentsNatural Healing ExpressNorthern Illinois Physical

Therapy ServicesRAMP, Inc.Rock River Valley Blood CenterThin & Healthy’s Total SolutionYMCA

Page 9F R E E P O R T A R E A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

Highland Community Collegeoffers: Communication Skillsfor Supervisors

Miscommunication in theworkplace often occurs becausepeople misunderstand what is actually being said. Bodylanguage may communicatemeaning more accurately thanspoken words. Listening techniques discussed and modeled so participants learnto look for the meaning behindthe message. March 11, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., HCC Freeport $65

Highland faculty and staffreceive Excellence Awards

Highland Community Collegeemployees joined fellow colleagues on January 12 tohonor individuals with thisyear’s Excellence Awards. Theawards recognize employees for quality work, creativity,honesty, integrity, self-development and excellence intheir professional relationships.

A committee, made up ofExcellence Award recipientsfrom the previous two years,selected the winners in eachcategory: support staff, part-

time faculty, full-time facultyand administrator. This year’srecipients were fine arts director Allen Redford, equinescience instructor AnkiFockstedt, IT technician BrianLeahy, student advisor HeatherMoore and nursing instructorChrislyn Senneff.

Allen Redford, afamiliar presenceat choral produc-tions, has excelledin his position asdirector of finearts. While persist-ently setting futuregoals for the finearts department, as an instructor hecontinues challeng-ing students toperform more ambitious works.He has also organized new traditions, such as the sold-outMadrigal dinners, that will con-tinue to showcase Highland’stalent to Northwest Illinois. Hisability to rally involvement bothon-campus and off-campus willcontinue to promote the arts atHighland for years to come.

Anki Fockstedt is a passion-ate equine science instructorthat has made a significant

impact in a short amount oftime. Most notable was her rolein the addition of an associateof applied science degree inequine science and four newcertificates. Fockstedt hasworked well beyond her class-room duties to secure hands-

on training sitesand industry-guid-ed curriculum. Herstudent reviewsalso illustrate herpersonal touch andapproachability.She consistentlyworks to strength-en relationships inthe equine industryto better advise herstudents, as well asincrease their

employment opportunities.Brian Leahy is an IT techni-

cian for Highland’s InformationTechnology ServicesDepartment. While most peoplehe encounters on campus arein midst of a computer crisis,he was nominated for his calmunder pressure. He possessesan obvious attention-to-detailand instills confidence with hisup-to-date knowledge of thefield. His peers noted that hisprofessional opinion is well-respected, but they would alsotrust him with sensitive mat-ters having seen his integrityfirsthand. In addition to win-ning over his co-workers, hevolunteers his time to pursuehis passion for animals bytending to the on-campus fishtank.

Advisor Heather Moore notonly maintains solid relation-ships with campus personnelto create academic plans forstudents, but she’s also avail-able as an instructor for stu-dents taking English courses.Her increased responsibilities,in addition to numerous pro-fessional development opportu-nities, have not gone unnoticedby her peers or advisees. Herhonest, patient demeanor has gained her the trust andrespect of students. She continues to find new ways of implementing Highland standards of integrity and professionalism while still promoting her passion for language.

The HighlandCommunity CollegeFoundation also annuallyrecognizes one employee with

the Opel Award named for aHighland founder, Don Opel.The award recognizes employ-ees who go “above and beyond”in serving or promoting theCollege. This year theFoundation presented theaward to nursing instructorChrislyn Senneff received hernomination based on her tire-less work as an ambassadorfor the nursing program

throughout the community.Her knowledgeable presencewhen guiding tours of thefacility, exhibiting a passion for nursing or offering helpfuladvice goes far beyond theclassroom. One of Senneff’sefforts helped an internationalnursing student not only finishher ADN program, but alsohelped her research master’sdegree programs in the U.S.Her cooperative attitude andgenuine fondness for Highlandstudents are evident in herwork.

Prairie Wind Magazine NowAccepting Submissions for2012 Edition

Submissions are now beingaccepted for the TwentiethAnniversary Issue of the PrairieWind magazine, a collection oforiginal poetry, prose, visualart, and recorded music contributed by students, staff,alumni, and other members of the Highland Community.Submission guidelines areavailable at www.theprairiewind.org. The deadline isFebruary 24, 2012. Moreinformation is available fromeither of the magazine’s facultyadvisors:

Sam Tucibatsam.tucibat@highland.edu

(815) 599-3614

Bob Apollonibob.apolloni@highland.edu

(815) 599-3479

Prairie Wind has been published annually since 1992 under the auspices ofHighland Community College,

Page 10 F R E E P O R T A R E A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

Your cardiovascular system is pretty busy today It’s circulating your blood 12,000 miles through over 60,000 miles of arteries, veins and capillaries.

Learn more about your cardiovascular system when you join Prasad Kilaru MD, FSCAI, FACC for a free presentation Wednesday, February 22 at 5:30 p.m. In addition to reviewing the cardiovascular system, Dr. Kilaru will discuss coronary artery disease, its risks and ways to keep it at bay. He’ll also explain procedures done at FHN including stents, pacemakers and angioplasties. Free blood pressure screens will be offered.

This presentation will be held at FHN Family Healthcare Center – Burchard Hills, 1010 W. Fairway Drive, Freeport. Call us toll-free at 1-877-6000-FHN (1-877-600-0346) ext. 944 or visit www.fhn.org/heart to register.

SP

EA

KE

RS

ER

IES

2998 West Pearl City Road,Freeport, Illinois, 61032. It is a cooperative project of theHumanities, Graphic Design,Art, and Music departments inthe Division of Humanities andSocial Sciences. Each issue iscreated by an editorial boardcomposed of students and volunteer community memberswho are guided by a team offaculty advisors. Find a list of the advisors at www.theprairiewind.org/advisors.htm.

Highland Business Institutenow offers Ed2go onlinecourses

The Highland BusinessInstitute is pleased toannounce a program thatmakes it easy for individuals totake high-quality, non-creditonline courses no matter wherethey are located. Through apartnership with Ed2go,Highland now offers hundredsof classes on a variety of topics.Highland Community College'sDean of Business andTechnology Scott Andersonexplained that finding enoughpeople interested in the sametopic, on the same day, at thesame location has been a challenge for the BusinessInstitute. Ed2go now offers anice alternative for those seek-ing personal or professionaldevelopment.

"The main advantage of partnering with Ed2go is thatthey have a multitude of courses our clients may want,"said Anderson. "Being onlinealso means students are nottied to a certain location, andwe are not worried about aminimum head count."

Through well-crafted lessons,expert online instruction, and interaction with fellow students, students gain valuable knowledge. The courses can be convenientlyaccessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from anywherewith an Internet connection.New sessions of each six-weekonline course start monthly,with two lessons released everyweek. Each high-quality courseincludes comprehensive lessons, quizzes, assignmentsand a discussion area.Dedicated instructors facilitateevery course by pacing learners, answering questions,

giving feedback and facilitating discussions.

To learn more about theupcoming February 15 session,visit them online at Ed2go orcall 815.599.3604.

HighlandCommunityCollegeannouncesServiceAwardrecipients

HighlandCommunityCollege

employees were recognized fortheir years of service as part ofthe Opening Days activities onJanuary 12, 2012. The 2011Service Award Recipientsincluded the following:

FIVE YEARS: Kathy Bangasser, Director ofFinancial Aid; Juliet D'Souza,Instructor; Bonnie Hale,Administrative Assistant(Grant); Mark Jansen, Directorof Adult Education; JanetKaiser, Director of UpwardBound

TEN YEARS:Carol Gage, AdministrativeAssistant; Diane Gallagher,Trustee; Beth Groshans,Coordinator of Women'sAthletics; Jill Janssen, VP ofAdministrative Services; Jim Palmer, Instructor

FIFTEEN YEARS: Corey Engel, MaintenanceMechanic; Liz Gerber, AssociateVP of Student Services; PaulGiaimo, Instructor; TonyGrahame, Instructor; ChuckGraves, MaintenanceMechanic; Rhonda Perry,Executive Assistant; MikeSleezer, Instructor; DawnSwitzer, Secretary (Grant);Tracey Williams, StudentRetention Specialist

TWENTY YEARS:Sherry Maves, AdministrativeAssistant (Grant); AllenRedford, Instructor

THIRTY YEARS:Dr. Joe Kanosky, President

Page 11F R E E P O R T A R E A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

RibbonRibboncuttingcutting

The Chamber cut the ribbon at Kintzel Chiropractic located at 888 W. GalenaAvenue. It was our honor to be there to help celebratethis very special day and to welcome Lori Kintzel backhome to Freeport! If you are in need of a Chiropractorstop by Kintzel Chiropractic today.

Free EnterpriseDrives Prosperity -If We Let Itby Tom Donohue for USChamber

Assaults on the free enter-prise system have gone global.We’ve heard them in the UnitedStates for months. But a debaterecently erupted at the WorldEconomic Forum in Davos,Switzerland, where some criticssuggested that capitalism wasto blame for the European debtcrisis, widespread unemploy-ment, and the fragile state ofthe world’s economy. Some officials in Davos went so far asto call for a complete overhaulof the free market system.

Are they right? Is capitalismbroken? Is the free market system failing us? Not on yourlife.

While not perfect, the freeenterprise system remains thesingle most effective way to create widespread prosperityand opportunity. Those whohave the freedom and incentiveto put their creativity to workgenerate new ideas and foster

innovations. They create wealthand opportunities and improvelife for everyone.

What poses a threat to prosperity isn’t free enterprise,but expansive government andpolicies that weigh down theprivate sector and poison theenvironment for business. Oneindicator of the health of freeenterprise is the HeritageFoundation’s EconomicFreedom Index, which measures the extent to which entrepreneurship can thrive ina nation’s economy. The greatera nation’s economic freedom,the greater its prosperity. Sizeof government, openness ofmarkets, regulatory efficiency,and rule of law are key factorsthat contribute to—or conspireagainst—economic freedom.

America’s economic freedomhas fallen in the 2012 index,largely due to runaway government spending and over-regulation. Meanwhile, theCongressional Budget Officehas forecast another $1 trillionin annual deficits this year. Andthis administration continues topursue some of the costliest,most burdensome regulationsin history.

Page 12 F R E E P O R T A R E A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

NEWCreative Counseling • Mary Kay/Independent Beauty Consultant

Lafferty Insurance Agency • Highland Business InstituteKintzel Chiropractic • Royal Oaks Antiques & Collectables

Boyd Consulting • SimPol Miracles • Freeport Moose Family Center

RENEWEDBaumgartner Furniture Services • Dakota Plumbing Freeport School District #145 • State Bank Freeport

Christensen Home Town Realtors • Thompson & Kopp, CPASTAR Manufacturing Division of STAR Forge Inc.

Ross Auto Glass • Stephenson County Health DepartmentJansen Heating & Air Conditioning • Quality Auto Body, Inc.

Stephenson County CVB • Williams-Manny, Inc. • Bocker GroupLemanski Heating and Air Conditioning • RAMP, Inc.

Precision Drive and Control, Inc. • Carpenter's Local 790FHN • Higher Grounds Coffee • Addi Cakes • Kolb-Lena, Inc.

Elite Travel, LLC. • Stephenson Nursing CenterFisher Excavating • Freeport Autoclinic, Inc. • Columbia College

Two Men And A Truck • Fox Heritage Travel • John VogtFreeport Flite Center • Stephen S. Schmelzle, Attorney at Law

ABC Advertising • Carlson Canine Camp • Duke HerrlingHeavy Equipment Services, Inc. • Savant Capital, LLC

Nexus Office Systems, Inc. • Highland Community CollegeFreeport Soft Water • Rock River Valley Blood Center

Reed's Auto Repair • Dave DeMeester Landscaping • Jim FritzFreeport Lincoln Mall • Stone's Hallmark • Wendy's

Friends Forever Humane Society • Malcolm Eaton EnterprisesWal-Mart • Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois

Freeport Area Church Cooperative • Deininger's Floral ShopFreeport Community Public School Fund • The Journal-Standard

March of Dimes Northern Illinois Divison • Fieldstone Inn Freeport Park District • Fishburn Whiton Thruman, LTDLaw Office of Ralph E. Elliott • United Way of NW Illinois

Downing's Remodeling Contractors Inc. • The Cheese MarketOak Brook Trail Condominium Association • Blain's Farm & Fleet

State Farm Insurance - Ted Fritz • Well Fargo AdvisorsSecurity First Title Co. • Highland Community College Foundation

Wipfli LLP • Highland Community College Alumni Association

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It’s no surprise that the economic freedom of Europeannations has also declined. Themajor drags on their economicfreedom—unsustainable socialspending and massive welfareprograms—are also the sourceof the EU’s sovereign debt crisis. So, no, capitalism hasn’tpushed those countries to theeconomic brink—top heavygovernment has. It shouldserve as a sobering call toAmerican leaders to reform ourentitlement programs so thatthey’ll be solvent for futuregenerations without devouringour budget.

If we’re going to remain aneconomically free nation, driven by the ideas and innovations of our people andbusinesses, we’ve got to let thefree markets work. We’ve got to break the shackles of debt,deficits, and over-regulation.We’ve got to clear away theimpediments to prosperity andlet capitalism do what it doesbest—grow the economy andcreate jobs.

How to choose thebest hosted VoIPsystem for yourSmall to Mediumsized businessBy: Which VOIP

An efficient and economicaltelephone communication system is necessary for anycompany, but even moreimportant for a small andmedium-sized business on atight budget. VoIP telephony isthe most appropriate solutionfor a small or medium sized

business enterprise, with awide range of features and costbenefits. Startups especiallybenefit from VoIP, since they donot have the burden of existingequipment and infrastructureto deal with.

VoIP stands for “Voice OverInternet Protocol”, which is atechnology that allows you tomake phone calls using yourBroadband Internet connectioninstead of your regular phoneservice. It is also sometimesreferred to as Voice over IP,Broadband phone, Internetphone service and DigitalVoice. Yes, it is a marketinggame by the different serviceproviders but they all use thesame core technology.

You still simply pick up yourregular phone, dial a numberand talk. VoIP is simple and isfor everyone. It does not matterif the person you are callinghas VoIP or not, this is alltaken care of by your VoIPservice provider.

The only requirement for thistechnology is a high speedInternet connection, such asDSL, cable, T1, etc.

VoIP requires a bandwidth ofup to 90Kbps depending on thevoice compression algorithmchosen by the service provider.This is a higher bandwidththan dial-up Internet so aBroadband Internet connectionis a basic requirement.

Benefits of VoIP TechnologyThere are numerous

advantages to VoIP technologyover the traditional circuitswitched system. For example:

• No circuit switched PrivateBranch eXchange (PBX) isrequired. This is a large andvery expensive piece of equipment used by larger companies to connect their

internal telephone lines to thePSTN.

The capital expenditure andoperating costs necessary for aPBX can be substantial. Withbusiness VoIP all that isrequired is a BroadbandInternet Service and a router toroute eachpacketbased call to theInternet.The businessVoIP serviceprovideris thenresponsiblefor bridging the calls from theInternet to their destination,whether that is to another VoIPphone user or the PSTN. Thisis often referred to as a hostedVoIP or IP PBX solution. All ofthe technology for handlingyour calls resides at the business VoIP service provider.You can access and changeyour VoIP features (e.g. addingnumbers, forwarding calls etc)simply by accessing a securewebsite run by your businessVoIP service provider.

• Business VoIP is a digital

packet based system. Thismeans that numerous Internetphone calls can be made at thesame time and can be sentover the same Local AreaNetwork (LAN) that is used foryour computer Internet access.This is a very cost effective

way to make telephone calls.

• The voice packets travelover the Internetinstead of thePSTN. TheInternet is notheavily regulatedlike the PSTN so calls are so

cheap to make that many business plans simply charge a fixed monthly fee and thatcovers all of your callsregardless of their destination.

• Many larger businesses havemultiple locations some ofwhich may be in another stateand some of which could be on the other side of the world.Usually these locations areconnected to a company widedata network (Wide AreaNetwork for example). With abusiness VoIP system,

Page 13F R E E P O R T A R E A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

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extension dialing is such thatthe location is irrelevant. Anemployee in Seattle can call acolleague in London through asimple 4 digit extension and atno additional cost. This isbecause the call is sent overthe company’s network on theInternet rather than throughtraditional long distance calling. This feature alone canbe very attractive to businesseswishing to save money on theirphone bills.

• Business VoIP provides a vastarray of features. Receive yourfaxes and voicemail via emailor with a web browser.

Conference calling, Caller ID,Call forwarding, Going away onbusiness - take your IP phoneor Analog Telephone Adapter(ATA) with you and your number goes with you or configure your phone to call-forward. Many more featuresare thrown in as standard.

• All telephone and dataadministration can be handledby one Information Services(IS) department.

This can save a business a

considerable amount of money.However as most small businesses do not have anyonededicated to anything relatedto IT, there is a very largevalue add by having a hostedVoIP solution that is off-premise and managed by aVoIP provider. There is also the benefit of no more costly on-site maintenance due to fees to do something as simple asadding another extension.

• Business VoIP dramaticallysimplifies portability andinstallation. Assuming your IPtelephone or ATA is configuredfor Dynamic Host

Configuration Protocol(DHCP), you can move yourphone anywhere and still keepthe same phone number sinceit will receive an IP addressdynamically. This is like moving your laptop and stillbeing able to log in to your network. It is estimated that itcan cost hundreds of dollars tomove a telephone in a regularcircuit switched network dueto labor costs and the cost ofreconfiguring the PBX. Thesecosts are not incurred in a

business VoIP phone systemsince the IP network does notcare about your location.

• Toll free number cost savings. Many small business-es are still paying per minutefees for these numbers. With aVoIP solution, the toll freenumbers can be provided at afixed monthly fee. This keepscosts under control and manybusinesses have realized largecost savings through this feature alone.

CelebrateValentine’s Daywithout breaking thebank or the beltline

Valentine’s Day brings tomind fancy dinner, boxes ofchocolate and heart-shapedcandies—but you can avoidbusting your diet while cele-brating with your sweetheart.

Try these suggestions:

• Go out for lunch instead of dinner to take advantage ofsmaller portions.

• Or, get romantic and sharea meal at dinner to cut thecalories

• Choose flowers or another gift rather than chocolate or candy

• Make your own healthy meal at home

• For a romantic dessert, make dark chocolate fonduewith lots of fruit

A hat tip to KMBoyd and allthe folks at the Boyd ConsultingGroup for these great tips.

Page 14 F R E E P O R T A R E A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

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WASH YOURHANDS!WASH YOURHANDS!

Noroviruses are a group ofrelated viruses that affect theintestinal tract causing gas-troenteritis illness.

Many of the norovirusescause similar symptoms thatusuallyoccurbetween24hoursand 48hoursafterexpo-sure.Theyincludenausea,vomiting, diarrhea, abdominalpain, body aches, headache,tiredness and low-grade fever.Symptoms typically last 24hours to 60 hours and subsideon their own.

These viruses do not multi-ply outside the human body.The viruses are present in thefeces of infected persons andcan be transmitted to otherswhen hands are not thorough-ly washed after having a bowelmovement

Q: If I have had a norovirusinfection in the past, can I getit again?A: YES

Wash your hands. Wash yourfood. Wash possibly infectedclothing and bedding. Wash,wash and WASH! and use soap

Learn more at Norwalk Virus

http://bit.ly/xu1rRI

And a hat tip to the IllinoisDepartment of Health.

We would like to than everyone who attended theChamber Annual Legislative Luncheon at the FreeportCountry Club. The Chamber would like to say a specialthank you to our Guest Speakers State RepresentativeJim Sacia and

State Senator TimBivens for takingtime out of theirbusy schedules

to give us this important

update.

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