Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal April 10, 2014 Volume 151, Number 50 - $1.00
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Building Plans
Tow Fund
The Forreston-Polo Cardinals split a pair of games against Winnebago. B1
The county board will discuss a new sheriff’s building. A11
An internal memo from the sheriff says fees will not be collected for the Tow Fund.A9
IEPA approves plans for wastewater plant By Vinde Wells Editor
Forreston vocal teacher Tom Miller, left, performed a number, introduced by emcee Chip Braker, who hosted the Forrestville’s Got Talent show. After the competitive part of the show, other students performed in Act II, including the FHS Dance Team, who did a repeat performance of their popular glow stick routine. Photo by Kathie Conerton
The planned upgrade to Forreston’s wastewater treatment plant is making progress. Village Engineer Mick Gronewold of Fehr, Graham & Associates, Freeport, told the village board Monday that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has approved the facility and funding plans for the $2.5 million project. He said that if the project stays on track through the IEPA requirements, the board can likely seek bids in June or July and award the contract for the work in October. “Most of the construction
will begin in the spring of 2015,� Gronewold said. The upgrades will include a new box screening and grit removal building, new equipment, repairs to existing tanks, and a new clarifier to increase the plant’s capacity. In other matters, Village President Michael Harn approved a request from Lloyd Zimmerman for the American Legion Riders to install a flag pole and American flag at the cemetery at the corner of Ill. 26 and Willow Street. Zimmerman said the flag pole will be located at the southwest corner of the cemetery and Legion members will keep it maintained.
He said he hopes to have the flag pole installed as soon as the frost is out of the ground, by Memorial Day at the latest. In other business, Public Works Supervisor Alan Cruthis said brush pick-up for the season has begun. Brush placed on the curb is picked up the first and third Mondays of each month during the spring, summer, and fall. Harn said the village will rent a self-propelled sweeper to clean the gravel from snow removal out of the ditches. He said anyone who has an area that needs to be cleaned should call the village hall at 815-938-2400 to be placed on the list.
Large crowd descended on annual Hazelhurst Sale By Earleen Hinton General Manager A perfect spring day greeted winter-weary bidders last Saturday at the annual Hazelhurst Spring Consignment Sale, west of Polo. An estimated crowd of between 5,000-6,000 descended on the 30-acre site with each visitor taking his or her time to walk by rows of farm machinery, cars, and a miscellaneous mix of this and the occasional “what the heck is that?� “We had a real good turnout,� said Lyle Hopkins, who owns and operates Public Auction Service, Polo, with his wife, Sheryl. “No one was able to get out and work in the fields yet so we could not have asked for a more beautiful day.� Temperatures in the high
50s, sunny skies, and a 60plus year tradition helped bring the crowd to the sale site on Saturday. “With all the weather we’ve had this year, we really lucked out,� said Hopkins. The sale has been held west of Polo near the tiny hamlet of Hazelhurst ever since Sheryl’s mother and father, Ruth and Ellery Shank, hosted the first sale on their 30-acre farm site in the 1940s. It started as a venue where local farmers could buy and sell farm machinery. Now, in addition to farm machinery, the sale also includes a wide variety of other items including cars, trucks, lawn tractors, all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, snowblowers, lumber, tires, and other miscellaneous “finds.� Vehicles, primarily pickup trucks hauling trailers of
all sizes, were parked sideby-side on last year’s corn stalk stubble in farm fields that had been transformed into parking lots for the day. The first sale ring started followed at 8:30 a.m. and by midday, three more rings were going strong. One crowd of bidders, some decked out in bib
overalls, followed one ring as it went up and down a row of farm tractors, plows, and rakes—some antique and some not so new. To the northeast, tires, wheels, landscape trees, fencing, and even a sleeper compartment extricated from a semi-truck awaited wouldbe buyers.
In the center, Polo Lions Club members were busy grilling and selling hamburgers, pork chops, bratwurst and hot dogs at the auction’s main concession stand while on the west end, the Ogle County Beef Producers were serving their specialty—ribeye steak sandwiches.
To the northwest, two rows of used cars, trucks and boats were lined up ready for new owners. Some came equipped with handmade signs like “new brakes, new rotors, runs great, good work car� taped to their windows. An old rusty Nash Turn to A3
Donated tractor draws in bidders The 1966 tractor was hard to miss when visitors walked into the 2014 Hazelhurst Spring Consignment Sale on Saturday. Yes, John Deere tractors always draw the interest of the green and gold faithful, but this one was starting to catch the eyes of others. Maybe it was the way the sun sparkled off the bright green and gold while a burst of red, white and blue in a smartly designed American flag, seemed to unfurl across the 4020’s hood. Or was it the buzz that 75 percent of the sale price would be donated to the Polo Lions Club? Either way, the interest level was high when auctioneer Lenny Bryson started to sell the “parade ready� tractor. “This John Deere 1040 has been donated by the Bocker family.
Seventy-five percent of the sale price will go to the Polo Lions Club and the other 25 percent will go to a charity that the buyer wants it to go to,� said Byrson. “In other words, the Bocker family is donating this tractor. What a great, great donation.� The bidding quickly reached $21,000. “This is all for a great cause folks,� said Bryson in between bids. “What a great tractor. Now $21,500 do I hear $22,000... yesss...now how about $22,500?� After a another minute or so, Bryson closed the deal. “Going once, twice, sold! You all know the story, we want to thank you all very, very much,� he said. Chuck McCormick, Geneva, was the successful
Auctioneer Lenny Bryson auctions off the 1966 John Deere tractor at the Hazelhurst Sale on April 5 as a spotter looks for bids. The tractor was donated by the Bocker family with 75 percent of the $22,000 sale price being donated to the Polo Lions Club with the remaining 25 percent to be donated to a charity of the purchaser’s choice. Turn to A10 Photo by Earleen Hinton
Two face felony charges after shooting By Vinde Wells Editor Two people are facing felony charges in connection with a shooting last month in rural Byron. Ogle County State’s Attorney Michael Rock said Tuesday that Brandon McMahon, 20, has been charged with attempted first degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated discharge of a firearm, possession of a A 1925 Nash automobile with a front license plate from weapon by a gang member, 1934 was one of the “project cars� at the Hazelhurst and possession of a weapon Consignment Sale on April 5. Photo by Earleen Hinton by a felon.
In This Week’s Edition...
Church Bells, A5 Classifieds, B6-B12 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B6 Marriage Licenses, A4
Rachel Deiter, 18, Machesney Park, has been charged with concealing or aiding a fugitive. Assistant State’s Attorney Joshua Versluys said that Deiter is accused of attempting to prevent McMahon’s arrest after the shooting by fleeing with him from the county. He was arrested in Rockford. McMahon is accused of shooting Wyatt Ackerson, 19, Byron, during a confrontation at a party in the early morning hours of March 22 at a residence on
Oregon Police, B4 Public Voice, A8 Property Transfers, B2 Service News, A4 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3
North Hoisington Road, northwest of Byron. Ackerson remains in the hospital. Deiter is being held in the Ogle County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bond, Versluys said. She was arraigned March 28, and a public defender was appointed to represent her. In addition, Rock said, a juvenile may also be involved in the incident, but he would not give further details. McMahon, a parolee, is currently being held in the
Social News, A4 Sports, A12, B1 State’s Attorney, B4 Zoning Permits, B6
Winnebago County Jail. He has also been charged with a shooting in Winnebago County. According to Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) records, McMahon was paroled from state prison in July of 2013. He was sentenced to three years in the IDOC in 2010 after being convicted on several charges, including armed robbery (no firearm) and possession of a firearm by a gang member. All the offenses occurred in Winnebago County.
Deaths, B3 Phyllis A. Brashaw, Neil D. Johnson. James M. Schoonhoven, Darrell O. Wagner
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