Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal
March 15, 2018 Volume 155, Number 47 - $1.00
‘Bago Takes Second
Coloring Contest
Farm Focus
Winnebago’s boys basketball team takes second at the 2A state tournament. B1
Attention kids!! Color our Easter Bunny and enter it in our contest! B6
Agriculture-releated articles and photos make up these special pages. A7-10
Ag Secretary speaks at toy show and craft fair By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com Forreston celebrated 30 years of successful farm toy and craft shows with a special visit from the state’s Director of Agriculture. Forreston High School opened its doors March 10 to 660 bargain hunters hungry for deals, nostalgia, and family time as the 30th annual Forreston FFA Alumni Toy Show & Craft Fair kicked off. A couple hours in, guests could take a break inside the cafeteria, as the Illinois Secretary of Agriculture Raymond Poe paid a visit to FHS. He spoke to the crowd, often addressing the impact of, and need for, FFA students. “Right now, they’re at a Raymond Poe, llinois Secretary of Agriculture, spoke at the fortunate age; they’re going to Forreston FFA Farm Toy & Craft Show Saturday morning, as inherit a multi-billion dollar part of celebrating the event’s 30th anniversary. Photo by business,” said Poe. “I think Zach Arbogast the average age of agriculture
farmers is in the upper fifties, so there’s a lot of opportunity to come on up.” He addressed the need for even more agriculture students, as the current projected graduating fields don’t meet the demand for jobs. “According to a recent study, there’s 58,000 job openings in the next five years in agriculture. The problem is, we’re only going to graduate about 35,000,” Poe said. “You can see we’re going to be about 22,000 jobs behind, and we’re going to need some veterinarians, engineers, teachers, and those kind of things.” According to Poe, Illinois needs about 51 agriculture teachers per year, but only 16 students are going into agriculture education. Poe said there could be a link between lower enrollment numbers and a lack of boasting and self-advertisement.
“We don’t brag enough about ourselves,” he said. “We need to be out there, letting people understand we represent 25 percent of the economy in Illinois. It’s growing, and like I mentioned a minute ago, there’s so many jobs.” Poe concluded his speech saying that not only is agriculture critical, but it represents the most important business in Illinois. Afterwards, the crowd returned to hitting up the toy show and craft fair. The high school gymnasium was packed with 98 tables, operated by 25 vendors. Rick Garnhart, who oversees the toy show every year, said space fills up fast, and people don’t always realize that. “I have people calling me up asking me for a table too close to the event, and they’re not too happy when I tell them there’s only room left outside the main gym,” Garnhart said. “We get new people every
year, not always the same ones.” A good way to tell the success of a show, according to Garnhart, is whether or not you see bags on the way out. “When you see people carrying bags, that’s the good sign,” he said. “It’s extra money for the kids, and that’s our main goal here.” The craft fair, in the junior high gym, saw 23 vendors across 25 tables, with items like quilts, plants, and products made from alpacas. In the cafeteria, 52 items were up for silent auction, like baskets full of John Deere toys and memorabilia, a music-playing 1963 Chevrolet Corvette, and a block of baby Swiss cheese from the Forreston Lions. The toy show and craft fair represent one of Forreston FFA Alumni’s major fundraisers, with the next being a tractor and truck pull on June 2 during Leaf River Daze.
Above, left: From left to right, Merida Shore, Ashley Wichman, Raelyn Yaeger, and Tucker Wichman, all of Dakota, sit at Tucker’s display at the Forreston FFA Farm Toy & Craft Fair. The display, made from his personal collection of farm toys, took one and a half hours to set up. Above, right: Shelby Howlett, 7, of Dixon, eyeballs a collection of Swiss Colony plates from Burley and Faye Linhart’s tables at the Forreston FFA Farm Toy & Craft Show. Photos by Zach Arbogast
Forreston TIF district approved Stricter guidelines on pool fences, fee increases, and new regulations for accessory buildings By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com A Tax Increment Finance District has been launched in Forreston. The Forreston Village Board unanimously approved the ordinances March 5 that establish the TIF district. The idea for a TIF and Business Development District were first discussed on March 6, 2017. Nearly a full year to the day later, both have been implemented. The BDD was established on Sept. 18. The TIF district finances economic development projects by freezing the equalized assessed value (EAV) of the affected area for 23 years.
Taxing bodies then draw taxes from that frozen EAV, not from any increase in the EAV over the time period of the TIF. Taxpayers in the TIF, however, pay taxes on the EAV with its increases. The amount of taxes from the EAV increases (above the frozen level) go into a fund to be spent only on the TIF district. The TIF money can be used for building and renovation projects as well as infrastructure. In other action, the board made changes to the pool permit ordinance, and established an accessory building ordinance. Pools always required a fence surrounding them, but whereas residents could put up their pools first, and the fence afterward, they now will be required to have the fence installed before the pool goes in. Citizens that have at least 75 percent of the fence built, with the proof of the remaining quarter being ready to install, can work it out with village officials to begin the pool setup. “Our problem last summer was that people kept saying ‘my fence has been ordered, it’s coming,’ and as the summer
In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B5 Marriage Licenses, A4
goes by, they have their pool up and running with no fence in sight,” said Village Clerk Courtney Warren. “This helps eliminate that headache.” Pool and building permit fees have also increased, from $25 to $50. The village board also passed regulations on accessory buildings, such as sheds, gazebos, and detached garages. The ordinance details that the buildings must be compatible with the principal use, cannot be used as dwellings in residential districts, cannot be located closer than five feet from principal buildings, and must be located outside easements. They cannot exceed 15 feet to the roof peak, nor be taller than the principal building, and any overhead doors cannot exceed nine feet in height. Accessory buildings also cannot exceed 900 square feet, nor exceed 30 percent of the backyard, and may not be placed on raised blocks or piers. The village board meets again on Monday, March 19 at 7 p.m. at the This map outlines the Forreston TIF district. Improved properties Forreston Village Hall, 102 S. Walnut are highlighted in light blue, vacant properties in dark blue, and Ave. The meeting is open to the public. parcels exempted from the TIF in yellow. Photo supplied.
Oregon Police, B5 Property Transfers, B4 School Menus, A3 Sheriff’s Arrests, B4 Social News, A4
Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B5 Zoning. B5
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com
Deaths, B4 Pauline J. Buttel Daniel M. Dunlap Shirley Stevens