Library News

Wednesday WhoDunIt: April 28 at

10:30 a.m.: Iron Lake by Kent Krueger: Former Chicago cop Cork O’Connor’s life has been spiraling out of control following his decision to move his family back to his hometown of Aurora, Minnesota, a small town off Lake Superior.

His intent was to improve their quality of life, but the result is the loss of his election to be sheriff of Aurora and the break up of his marriage.

However, the murder of the town judge and disappearance of a young boy at the same time a blizzard hits northern Minnesota draws Cork into an investigation that tests his stamina and skills as a lawman.

Join Carol for a discussion of Iron Lake by Kent Krueger.

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten!

Instill a love of reading in your littles. Join the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program! If you have a child that is in preschool or younger, come in and sign them up! They get a surprise for every 100 books read.

Family Story Time: Thursdays at

10 a.m.: There will not be story time on April 1 during Spring Break. We can’t wait to see you again on April 8!

FORRESTON LIBRARY

Library Hours

The library is open with the following hours: Monday 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., 2-7 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., 2 - 6 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. We are closed on Friday and Sunday. Masks are required for everyone over the age of 2 and children under the age of 10 must be accompanied by a responsible party. Curbside pickup is still available for anyone who wishes to use it.

Community Read

Our friends at Freeport Public Library have invited interested patrons to participate in their annual community read, One Book, One Freeport. This year’s selection is “Underground Railroad” by Colson Whitehead. Several activities, some virtual and some in person, are planned for March. If you are interested in reading this book and/or receiving a schedule of events, please call the library or stop in for more information.

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

Instill a lifelong love of reading in your babies and young children with this easy incentive program. Just sign up at the library to receive information and a book log and then start reading! Prizes are awarded at various levels of completion.

Preschool Activities

Looking for fun, engaging activities for your preschooler? Our Grab n Go packets include a Scholastic story paper with a different theme each month, accompanying worksheets/coloring pages, and a code to access online stories and activities. Call to reserve yours or stop in and pick one up for your favorite little person.

Library Updates

Please like our Facebook page to stay up to date with the most current information on our plans and activities and also check out our recently updated website at forrestonlibrary.org. If you have any questions or needs, please feel free to contact us by phone at 815-9382624, email at forrestonpubliclibrary@ gmail.com, or through Facebook messaging.

MT. MORRIS LIBRARY

Window Egg Scavenger Hunt

We have something to help fill some time during Spring Break... there are 10 Easter eggs scattered in business windows around town. Stop by the library and pick up the sheet to write down where you found each egg. As long as you have 8 out of 10 correct, you’ll get a goodie bag! You can drop off your completed sheet to the library any time. You can also email a copy to dawn.mtmorrislib@gmail.com. Let’s have some fun in the sun! (ends Thursday, April 8)

Services Offered

We make copies ($0.25 per black and white page)! We fax ($2 for the first page and $0.50 each additional page)! We can scan a document and send it to email ($2 per document)! We can do voter registration. Come visit us and let us help you!

To-Go Craft Kits for All Ages

We have the following to-go craft kits available: Kids: Paper Plate shamrock hat; Teens: Paper roll shamrock; adults: Shamrock coloring page. Call the library 815-734-4927 or email dawn.mtmorrislib@gmail.com to get yours

Digital Network Access of Illinois Libraries Grant

We were the recipients of a Digital Network Access of Illinois Libraries Grant which allows wifi access 24 hours a day. Simply find MMPL Guest, agree to the Terms & Conditions on the login page and enjoy access for up to 8 hours.

OREGON LIBRARY

National Library Week- Welcome to your library, April 4-10. As part of the National Library Week celebration, when Oregon Public Library cardholders check out reading material, they may receive a scratch-off ticket for every 3 reading material items for a chance to win some readable prizes. There will also be special treats!

Seed swap – Monday, April 12, 2-6 p.m. - Bring seeds to share to the library–fruits, vegetables, flowers and native seeds are the best. Make sure your seeds are labeled with variety, year grown, crop family, days to maturity, location grown, germination rate and skill level. For more information, call 815-732-2724.

POLO LIBRARY

Fireside Chat with John Sandford - 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 14, live on Zoom Join Polo Public Library and other area libraries as we host Author John Sandford for a live discussion. Spots are limited, so call Polo Library at 815-946-2713 to reserve your spot today! Questions for the Q&A portion of the night must be submitted by April 2.

Coffee with a Cop - Wednesday, April 14 - 10:30 a.m. - Polo Library Pavilion Come over to Polo Library for community conversations with a representative of the Polo Police Department. Coffee will be provided. If the weather is threatening, call 815-946-2713 before heading out.

Outdoor Yoga - Monday, April 19- 6 p.m. - Polo Library Lawn Join us on the Library lawn, socially distanced, for Outdoor Yoga. The yoga class will be led by Krystal from ADM Studios Please bring a mat if you have one. Register by calling 815-946-2713 or email library@pololibrary.org

Do You Need Help Registering for Your COVID-19 Vaccine?

Polo Library can help. Call 815-9462713 to register over the phone with one of our staff members, or stop in during our open hours and use one of our two patron computers to register.

Genealogy Help - First Wednesday (5-7pm) and Third Saturday (10am-12pm) of each month Are you interested in genealogy but don’t know where to start? Or do you have a start but need some help? Come by Polo Library on the first Wednesday or third Saturday of each month.

Library Book Clubs

The Afternoon Book Club meets Wednesday, April 21 at 1 p.m. to discuss Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict.

Books on Tap Book Club meets at Cork N Tap, pending COVID-19 mitigation recommendations, on Thursday, March. 25 at 6 p.m. to discuss The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate.

Adult Fiction: Things We Didn’t Say by Amy Lynn Green, The Mermaid From Jeju by Sumi Hahn

Adult Non-Fiction: Humor, Seriously by Jennifer Aaker, Dancing In the Mosque by Homeira Qaderi

Kids DVDs: Scoob Audiobook, Chance Of A Lifetime by Jude Deveraux

The New Cookbook Book Club

meets Thursday, April 8 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss Clean and Hungry by Lisa Lillien.

The 2WBC Book Club meets Wednesday, April 12 at 12:30 p.m. to discuss Squeeze Me by Carl Hia.

Cookbook book club -Thursday, April 8 at 6:30 p.m. Easy All-Natural recipes for healthyeating in the real world.

POLO

IL1410450

Annual Water Quality Report for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2020 This report is intended to provide you with important information about your drinking water and the efforts made by the water system to provide safe drinking water. The source of drinking water used by POLO is Ground Water For more information regarding this report contact: Name Mike Mumford Phone (815) 946-3514 This report is intended to provide you with important information about your drinking water and the efforts made by the water system to provide safe drinking water.

This report will not be individually mailed to customers , however a copy is available at City Hall upon request . Polo City Council meetings are held the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month at 7 p.m. in City Hall . The public is welcome to attend and participate .

Source of Drinking Water

The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include: - Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife. - Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming. - Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses. - Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems. - Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPAs Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/ CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800426-4791). If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. We cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Source Water Name

WELL 2 (11805) WELL 3 (11806) WELL 4 (00163) Type of Water Report Status Location GW Active Polo

GW Active Polo

500 GPM GW Active Polo

Source Water Assessment

We want our valued customers to be informed about their water quality. If you would like to learn more, please feel welcome to attend any of our regularly scheduled meetings. The source water assessment for our supply has been completed by the Illinois EPA. If you would like a copy of this information, please stop by City Hall or call our water operator at (815)440-0192. To view a summary version of the completed Source Water Assessments, including: Importance of Source Water; Susceptibility to Contamination Determination; and documentation/recommendation of Source Water Protection Efforts, you may access the Illinois EPA website at http://www.epa.state.il.us/cgi-bin/wp/swap-fact-sheets.pl. Source of Water: POLO Based on information obtained in a Well Site Survey published in 1994 by the Illinois EPA, several potential sources are located within 1,500 feet of the wells. The Illinois EPA has determined that the Polo Community Water Supply’s source water is not suspectibile to contamination. This determination is based on a number of criteria including; monitoring conducted at the wells; monitoring conducted at the entry point to the distribution system; and available hydrogeologic data on the wells.Furthermore, in anticipation of the U.S. EPA’s proposed Ground Water Rule, the Illinois EPA has determined that the Polo Community Water Supply is not vulnerable to viral contamination. This determination is based upon the evaluation of the following criteria during the Vulnerability Waiver Process: the community’s wells are properly constructed with sound integrity and proper siting conditions; a hydraulic barrier exists which should prevent pathogen movement; all potential routes and sanitary defects have been mitigated such that the source water is adequately protected; monitoring data did not indicate a history of disease outbreak; and the sanitary survey of the water supply did not indicate a viral contamination threat. Because the community’s wells are constructed in a confined aquifer, which should prevent the movement of pathogens into the wells, well hydraulics were not considered to be a significant factor in the susceptibility determination. Hence, well hydraulics were not evaluated for this system ground water supply.

2020 Regulated Contaminants Detected

Lead and Copper

Definitions: Action Level Goal (ALG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. ALGs allow for a margin of safety. Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

Lead and Copper Date Sampled MCLG Action Level (AL) 90th Percentile # Sites Over AL Units Violation Likely Source of Contamination

Copper

Lead

08/13/2019 1.3 1.3 0.73

08/13/2019 0 15 1.4 0 ppm N Erosion of natural deposits; preservatives; Corrosion of Leaching from wood household plumbing systems. 0 ppb N Corrosion of household natural deposits. plumbing systems; Erosion of

Water Quality Test Results

Definitions: Avg: Level 1 Assessment:

Level 2 Assessment:

The following tables contain scientific terms and measures, some of which may require explanation. Regulatory compliance with some MCLs are based on running annual average of monthly samples. A Level 1 assessment is a study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system. A Level 2 assessment is a very detailed study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why an E. coli MCL violation has occurred and/or why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system on multiple occasions. Maximum Contaminant Level or MCL: The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal or MCLG: The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. Maximum residual disinfectant level or MRDL: The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.