Jacobs holds information fair for Fulton seniors

FULTON – Providing local and state resources to communities is something on which Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-Moline, prides himself.

Wednesday, he brought those services to Fulton, in the form of an information fair for seniors.

Jacobs considers the senior population a crucial key to the development of a community, and he is more than willing to tap into that wealth of knowledge to improve the 36th Senate District, he said.

"I always find myself listening to seniors. Most of the time I am talking to people, but when I'm approached by a senior, I listen," Jacobs said. "There's a lot of things we can ask them to do in this country that we haven't yet. We need to ask them to help us."

But Wednesday's event at the Robert Fulton Community Center wasn't about asking seniors for their help, it was about asking how the state, and Jacobs in particular, can help them.

Various programs and agencies were on hand to provide information, including Foster Grandparents, Whiteside County Public Transportation, the Illinois State Treasurer, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, and various health care agencies.

As guests browsed the information booths, Jacobs, who faces GOP challenger Neil Anderson of Rock Island in the Nov. 4 election, used his time to listen to concerns seniors had for their community.

One thing in particular that caught his attention is the possible renovation of the former Drives Inc. office building on 10th Avenue. He said he'd try to help find state funding opportunities to ensure the project goes through.

For some, that mentality was familiar: Jacobs' father, Denny, was a longtime state senator, and one major impact he had on Fulton was pushing to get funding for the construction of de Immigrant Windmill, the city's biggest tourist attraction and the heart of many community events.

The senior fair gave Jacobs the chance to reconnect with the city and its people, which is what he loves most about being a state senator, he said.

"It's nice to be in a business where I have the potential to communicate with real people. I represent a huge area, that is made up of both city and rural. We've taken care of the cities; it's time we focus on the rural communities now."