Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal January 9, 2014 Volume 151, Number 37 - $1.00
Olson Honored
Tree Pick-up
Funding Cut
Longtime coach Terry Olson is remembered by those who knew him. A7
Local FFA members will pick up Christmas trees Jan. 11. B4
An unexpected state funding cut means area school districts must dig deeper to pay bill. A3
School employee could be suspended on Jan. 8 By Vinde Wells Editor The Forrestville Valley School Board was scheduled to hold a special meeting Wednesday with possible action to suspend an employee. The agenda for the meeting included a closed session to discuss personnel issues followed by “possible action� for “suspension of employee without pay pending
dismissal hearing.� Board president Robert Ebbesmeyer declined Tuesday morning to say which employee was involved in the possible action. However, Superintendent Lowell Taylor has been on sick leave since mid-August. The board approved Taylor’s request on Aug. 26 for medical leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The leave was extended
indefinitely at the board’s November meeting, Ebbesmeyer said. Interim Superintendent Jane Eichman has been overseeing the district since Aug. 26 when she was hired by the board. In accordance with state guidelines, Eichman will be paid $550 per day. Because she is a retired superintendent, pension requirements limit her to work 100 days per school year.
Winter weather extends Christmas break 2 days By Vinde Wells Editor
Enjoying the Weather
Students in schools across
A tall snowman, dressed for the winter weather, is stationed in the front yard at Robert Ogle County got their Dillavou’s home at the corner of First Avenue and Pine Street in Forreston. Photo by Christmas break extended on Vinde Wells both ends thanks to the quirks
Snowplows had troubles with extreme weather By Chris Johnson Reporter
The extreme subzero temperatures have left some county snowplows in the shop just when they’re needed on the roads. Ogle County Engineer Curtis Cook said the extreme weather has caused some trucks to malfunction. “Right now the temperatures are causing havoc,� said Cook Monday morning. “Over the last 24 hours we have had trucks freeze up.� The malfunctions are due to the blowing fine snow and the extreme cold and wind. This has left 3 or 4 of the county snowplow fleet on the sidelines to deal with the drifting snow on county roads.
“I think this morning alone I have had 3 or 4 of the 13 trucks down,� said Cook. “Their filter systems have frozen up.� This was just one issue the trucks were having when the temperature outside was nearing 20 below with wind chills of 40 below. “It has been an uphill battle,� said Cook. “Our guys are working hard to keep the trucks running and the roads open.� Steady winds of 15-20 miles per hour and gusts over 30 have contributed to the drifting on the road. Fortunately, the winds have been from different directions over the past few days, Cook said. “Every road in the county has experienced drifting however it is not horrible
because the drifts are lower because of the wind direction changes.� He said if the wind was all out of one direction then the drifting would have been high enough that only heavy equipment would have been able to clear the roads. With the shift in winds there was drifting but each drift was smaller than they could have been. Any drifted roads that the county snowplows are unable to clear during routine routes will be addressed when the wind speed lowers. When the winds finally die down and the temperature rises, Cook said a front end loader will be utilized to help clear the edges of the roads and push the drifts back.
of the weather. Vacation started a day early when an ice storm led to classes being called off on Dec. 20, which was supposed to be the last day of school before the holidays. Then bitter arctic cold with strong winds swept in Sunday night, breaking 20-year-old records and closing schools Monday and Tuesday, which would have the first days back for students.
Ogle County Sheriff Michael Harn said the mercury had dipped to -20 degrees at his home in Forreston by Monday morning. The winds were estimated at 25 to 35 miles per hour. “With the wind that put the wind chill at -49,� Harn said. Tuesday morning was only slightly better the temperature at -13 degrees and somewhat diminished winds. “It’s a safety issue. We can’t have kids outside in weather like this,� Oregon Superintendent Tom Mahoney said Monday, after canceling classes for the second day.
School wasn’t the only thing closed. Ogle County government offices and the judicial center was closed both days, and the Oregon City Hall was shuttered on Monday. The Polo City Council and Forreston Village Board canceled their Monday night meetings and rescheduled them. Mahoney said the district calls off school for the cold when frostbite is likely in a half hour or less of exposure. “We have lots of kids who wait at bus stops, and many others who walk to school,� Turn to A2
Meetings canceled Monday Two municipalities canceled their regular meetings Monday night due to the extreme cold with wind chills approaching -50 degrees.
The Polo City Council rescheduled its meeting to Thursday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. at the city hall, 115 S. Franklin Ave. The Forreston Village
Board has not yet selected a new date for its canceled Jan. 6 meeting. Both meetings are open to the public.
Banjos were made in Oregon Editor’s note: Paul 3ALSTROM IS A HISTORY PROFESSOR AT 3T -ARY OF THE Woods College near Terre (AUTE )ND %DITOR S NOTE 0AUL 3ALSTROM IS A HISTORY PROFESSOR AT 3T -ARY OF THE Woods College near Terre (AUTE )ND
By Paul Salstrom While searching recently for something on google. com, I impulsively clicked on something else that said “Salstrom banjos.� That led to a website called “Banjo Hangout.� As a result, I learned a lot more about Salstrom banjos than I used to know. I learned that, over the years, many postings at Banjo Hangout had called Salstrom banjos unique and had asked how they came about. No one knew much — just that they first appeared in the An Ogle County Highway Department truck drives into Oregon Saturday morning early 1960s and then in the during a light snowfall. The highway department has faced numerous breakdowns mid-1960s were bought out Phil Salstrom III, Oregon, plays a Salstrom banjo, due to the extreme cold temperatures that blanketed the area Monday and Tuesday. by Fender Electric continuing a long-standing family tradition. Photo by Photo by Chris Johnson Turn to B1 Chris Johnson
In This Week’s Edition...
Church Bells, A5 Classifieds, B5-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4
Marriage Licenses, A4 Public Voice, A9 Property Transfers, B4 Sheriff’s Arrests, B4
Social News, A4 Sports, B1 State Police, B2 Weather, A3
Deaths, B2 Willis M. Collman, Joseph Draugelis, Karen M. Martin, Alan R. Steele, Kenneth E. Tornow
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