Improvements to Create Jobs, Make Rail Movements More Efficient

BELLWOOD - Governor Pat Quinn today was joined by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Union Pacific Railroad President and COO Lance Fritz to announce that the Union Pacific (UP) and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) are making a significant investment in Metra's West Line. Each will invest $45 million for the construction of a new third main line track on the UP/Metra's West Line, from River Forest to Melrose Park and then from West Chicago to Geneva. The announcement is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to create jobs and build a 21st century infrastructure that will drive Illinois' economy forward.

"Today we are investing in jobs that will help solidify Illinois' status as the premier rail center of the nation," Governor Quinn said. "This final piece of the West Line improvement program will enhance commuter and freight travel on one of our state's busiest rail lines. Building world-class infrastructure is vital to a healthy economy and today's investment will help get us there."

The West Line improvements are designed to ensure smoother traffic flow and reduce conflicts between the commuter and freight trains that share the line. Earlier projects completed by Metra and UP modernized the signal system and added crossovers to make freight movement more efficient.  A third phase on the West Line - improving the Lombard and Wheaton Metra stations - will be finished in 2015. The West Line third track construction announced today is the final step that will allow the 59 Metra trains and 70 freight trains that use the line each day to operate at the same time, a critical step to improving the line's reliability and efficiency.

The announcement was made during a celebration to mark the completion of a CREATE rail project that included the construction of a rail overpass, the rehabilitation of two passenger stations and the addition of pedestrian tunnels in Bellwood and Berkeley, and signal and track improvements along the UP/Metra West Line. The project created and supported 1,000 jobs and was funded primarily through a $52 million TIGER grant, a $27 million commitment from UP and other freight railroad partners, other federal funding of $3 million, and a $615,000 investment by the state of Illinois.

The CREATE program has completed a total of 21 projects and generated 10,000 jobs and has caused a 30 percent improvement in passenger and freight reliability. The program has been supported by a total of $500 million from the state, $450 million from the federal government, $325 million from the railroad industry and $30 million from the city of Chicago.

"Our nation's system of bridges, rail, and roads is the strength of the nation, tying us together and giving us access to the world," U.S. Senator Dick Durbin said. "Chicago remains the busiest rail hub in the United States, with more than 1,000 trains passing through the region every day. Protecting and investing in our nation's infrastructure, and specifically in Illinois' transportation network, is one of my top priorities. The CREATE project we're celebrating the completion of today created and supported 1,000 jobs while relieving congestion and delays on the most frequently used UP rail line into Chicago. As additional CREATE projects are completed, we'll see the full economic impact of the federal investments in infrastructure for which I've fought and will continue to support."

"In addition to our investments in CREATE projects, Union Pacific has invested $1 billion in private funding in our infrastructure improvements in Illinois during the past five years," Union Pacific President and COO Lance Fritz said. "The additional joint investment in the West Line improvement project - $45 million each from IDOT and Union Pacific - is critical to train operations, since the line accounts for 70 freight and 59 passenger trains a day. When completed, operations will be smoother for our customers and Chicagoland commuters, and I know outlying communities will appreciate not having freight trains staged until the morning or afternoon commuter rush hours are over."

In Chicago, Union Pacific's 2,900 employees move two million freight cars each year and serve more than 100,000 passengers each day.

"This is a new day for Metra, one in which we want to ensure that every project we execute puts commuters first," Metra Chairman Martin Oberman said. "We are confident the West Line improvements will greatly improve the commuter experience."

Chicago is the busiest rail hub of the nation, handling 1,300 freight and passenger trains every day. CREATE was started in 2003 to attract and invest funds in the infrastructure necessary to maintain Chicago's leading rail status. The rail industry has invested an additional $2 billion in capital improvements that complement its investment in CREATE.

The state of Illinois' portion of the third track project is part of Governor Quinn's $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program, which is supporting more than 439,000 jobs over six years. Illinois Jobs Now! is the largest construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest construction programs in the nation.

Being young and inexperienced can be intimidating for stay-at-home entrepreneurs, but it doesn't mean you're making mistakes, says veteran businesswoman Renae Christine.

Fresh out of college at 23, she thought she'd done something wrong when the wholesaler for her stationery company assigned her a personal representative.

"In reality I was doing so much business with them that they wanted to ensure my satisfaction," says Christine, a serial entrepreneur who has created dozens of successful home-based businesses for herself and others. She shares practical how-to advice in her new book, "Home Business Startup Bible," (http://richmombusiness.com/).

She was the busy mother of a 2-year-old and she'd just returned home - to the mess left in the wake of last-minute packing -- when the rep showed up, she says.

"I was mortified when he walked into my home/business and he was shocked, but the experience marked my first success as an official business," she says. "It was actually the beginning of a great relationship."

Though it turned out well, Christine says her first years in business would have been much happier if she hadn't had to deal with her own painful feelings of self-doubt, embarrassment, guilt, etc.

"The good news is - no stay-at-home entrepreneur needs to feel that way," she says.

She offers these tips for maintaining professionalism in business without sacrificing - or feeling guilty about -- family.

•  Don't apologize for your kids. We need to stop apologizing for our kids' squawks and energy while we're on the phone or in meetings. Kids are kids and to them, Mommy is Mommy and their home is their home 24/7. If anything, we can all learn from our children and lighten up during business chats.

•  Don't pick up the phone when you're not ready. I used to think I had to say yes to everyone, including the telephone whenever it rang. Don't answer the phone if you're not ready to speak; if it's important, the caller will leave a message. Consider an online chat system for your website; I use a free one via craftysyntax.com.

•  Add a disclosure message to your call-answering service. My disclosure indicates the quickest way to reach me, which is chat or email. Email is quickly becoming everyone's preferred method of communication anyway, and this way, we all have a digital trail that will help us stay organized.

•  Say no and don't apologize for it. You can say no to lots of things, like PTA meetings and extra bake sales for your kids' school. When you say yes to those things, you are saying no to your business. You have to think of your new business as if you are your own boss. Would you ask your boss for a day off so you can sell cupcakes? Probably not.

•  Pick a neutral location. If you need to have business meetings in person, I suggest choosing a neutral place like a coffee shop. Don't allow them to come to your home and, if you can avoid it, don't go to their office. If you're negotiating, this can give them a home-field advantage.

•  Just say it. I continue to attend trade shows. When I tell companies that I work from home, they might give me an indifferent attitude and hastily move on to chat up a brick-and-mortar owner. I simply take my business elsewhere; I know the value of my business, and so will another vendor.

About Renae Christine

Renae Christine is the owner of by Renae Christine, a company that has launched several successful businesses and has helped launch dozens more for others. A journalist, she's known for her popular YouTube videos (search Rich Mom Business channel), which use humor and pragmatism to advise others who want to launch home-based businesses. She recently published "Home Business Startup Bible," (www.richmombusiness.com), a comprehensive how-to guide. Christine is also the founder of the Rich Mom Business University and has come into popular demand as a speaker.

Gilda's Club Quad Cities is enhancing their surroundings with a therapeutic LiveScreen® from Roof Top Sedums of the Quad Cities. This vertical growing system gives people the chance to create accessible gardens with herbs and vegetables, annuals, perennials or succulents in small spaces. This new innovation can turn any space into a vertical garden. LiveScreen® is a big innovation in the green industry and features a mobile, fully assembled unit that comes two-sided on wheels, and ready to plant.

In 2013, Gilda's Club received a grant from Tom's of Maine 50 States to support an initiative called G.R.O.W. which stands for Giving Resources Organically Within.  Gilda's Club Quad Cities Outreach Manager, Erin Williams says, "Through this initiative, our goal is to provide access and information on organic fruits and vegetables. We wanted to have an on-site community garden for our members who have all been impacted by a cancer diagnosis. The LiveScreen® was the perfect solution. It allows folks to participate in the gardening process, no matter what their level of physical ability. We didn't have the appropriate space on our property for an organic garden, so the LiveScreen® really addressed the problem. We love that it is self-watering, needs no weeding, and animals don't seem to bother it. Our members have already benefited from it greatly, through the planting process, weekly salad luncheons and having the opportunity to try things they might not otherwise have the chance to do."

LiveWall® products, which include LiveScreen® are being added to locations throughout the country in a variety of settings from traditional home gardens, to business court yards or as therapeutic green spaces for hospitals, assisted living centers and schools.  Co-founder of Roof Top Sedums, Teresa Nelson explains, "We are excited to have an example of this new product available here in the Quad Cities.  LiveScreen® is a big innovation in our industry and really opens up commercial and residential buildings to a whole new look and feel; we really couldn't grow vertically effectively in the past."

Inspired by traditional window boxes, the LiveWall® and LiveScreen® feature rows of square planters oriented upwards to mimic natural plant growth. Both products use an irrigation system at each planter level meant to resemble natural rain flow over plants.  LiveWall® and LiveScreen® planters can be pre-grown and look immediately beautiful upon install.  Even in non-growing seasons, both LiveWall® and LiveScreen® remain attractive, because the planters have a brick-like look that blends in well with surroundings.

To learn more about a LiveScreen®, LiveWall® Outdoor, LiveWall® Indoor or  LiveRoof® green roof system, visit our website at www.rooftopsedums.com

APPLETON, WI (06/27/2014)(readMedia)-- David Spitzfaden, son of Thomas Spitzfaden, Moline, and the late Cathy Spitzfaden, earned a bachelor of arts degree cum laude with a major in economics from Lawrence University Sunday, June 15 at the college's 165th commencement. Spitzfaden is a 2010 graduate of Moline Senior High School.

Award-winning broadcast journalist Charles Gibson, former anchor of ABC's "World News" and long-time co-anchor of "Good Morning, America," was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree as part of the commencement ceremonies.

About Lawrence University

Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and the book "Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College." Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.