Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal May 21, 2015 Volume 153, Number 4 - $1.00
Season Finale
Ranger
Recognition
The Lady Cardinals defeated West Carroll but lost a close 2-0 game to Stillman Valley. B1
Read about tourism activities throughout Ogle County. Inside
Ogle County Telecommunicators were recognized for their tornado response. A10
Graduates told change is a good thing in life By Chris Johnson Reporter Sixty-six seniors crossed the stage Sunday afternoon and became graduates of Forreston High School. These graduates were led by valedictorian MacKenzie Heinz. “I can not believe that this day has finally come. I thought it would never come,” said MacKenzie. “Many people are terrified of change, they do not like to change. We like to stay in our comfort zone. Thank goodness our class has changed.” She said in eighth grade the class had monthly talks with principal Travis Heinz, her father. “He told us we were the worst class Forreston has seen,” MacKenzie said. “That got you down and you started thinking. He would
MacKenzie Heinz.
always end with ‘However, you can change your legacy and become the best class.’ Boy was he right.” This year the class of 2015 helped win a football championship, and fourth place in basketball. “Our girls did very well and made it past regionals,” said MacKenzie. “Band,
of course, got first,but that always happens.” She said the class had changed for the better over the past four years, and that change will continue in the future. “Your lives are going to completely change the next two years,” said MacKenzie. “If you are an athlete do not be afraid to try drama. If you are an art person try an intramural. When you try new things your perceptions and ideas will change. Your life will become richer.” When MacKenzie finished it was time for her father Travis to address the graduates. “She is very smart. She stole her father’s speech,” Travis joked. “But I am going to go a bit from the heart.” He said the class of 2015 was one of the most Forreston graduate Gregory Eytalis was all smiles during Sunday’s commencement. Turn to A3 Photo by Chris Johnson
Rain fails to deter lawn enthusiasts from jamboree By Chris Johnson Reporter
Rick Beem, Monticello, Iowa, wipes down his 1987 Cub Cadet Diesel garden tractor to prepare it to show during the annual AJ’s Garden Tractor Jamboree Saturday morning. Photo by Chris Johnson
A blend of passionate owners and unique tractors were not deterred by rain on Saturday. Hundreds of garden tractors were on display at the annual AJ’s Garden Tractor Jamboree on May 16. Rick Beem, Monticello, Iowa, was taking the rain in stride as he wiped down his 1987 Cub Cadet Diesel to make it look good for the show. “This is my first time here,” said Beem. “It is a gathering of like-minded people today.” A small tent over the garden tractor kept most of the rain off. When asked why he chose a Cub Cadet, he had a simple
response. “I like them all,” said Beem. “But, I started with Cub Cadets.” Just down the row from the Cub Cadet was a pair of interesting tractors. A 1962 Farm Hand and a 1975 JC Penny. These two unique tractors were owned by Marvin Stinebaker, Riverton. “Jacobson built the Farm Hand,” said Stinebaker. “I only know of six in the country and I am trying to find more of them.” The tractor was just restored and Saturday was one of the first shows that it has been displayed at. Decals were remade to match the originals. “This tractor needed to be restored,” said Stinebaker.
Restoration was equal parts love of garden tractors and the fact that the Farm Hand is a unique vehicle. Two tractors down was the JC Penny garden tractor. “Simplicity made the tractor for JC Penny for one year in 1975,” said Stinebaker. “It was built for them.” Many companies requested a custom store brand garden tractors but Stinebaker said a JC Penny tractor is not very common. AJ’s Garden Tractor Jamboree kicked off with the traditional parade around the jamboree grounds. The event each May brings out a blend of colorful garden tractors that are displayed and used during the event.
Bison Boom Herd is already helping prairie at the Grasslands By Earleen Hinton General Manager Yes, yes, all the buzz may be about the baby bison boom at Nachusa Grasslands, but the real excitement is what the grown ups are already doing to help restore the prairie. “It’s been super exciting ever since the bison arrived and we are already starting to see success from bison grazing,” said restoration ecologist Cody Considine. “It looks like the bison are eating the grasses around the spring flowers and that’s pretty cool.” While the recent inclusion of the big prairie mammals may be what’s driving
new people to the Nature Conservancy’s 3,500-acre Grasslands, located east of Dixon and south of Oregon, it is the delight in the details that inspires Considine and other Grasslands volunteers who have spent years and hundreds of hours pulling invasive plants, collecting prairie plants seeds, burning, and replanting. “Already we can see where the prairie plants are doing better based on where and what the bison are eating, but from a science research point of view, this study will take several years. Right now, it is very evident they are avoiding the forbs (flowers) and eating the grass,” he said. Bison were reintroduced to the Grasslands in October 2014 when Considine and Bill Kleiman, preserve manager, and Grassland volunteers, made three trips totaling nearly 3,500 miles
In This Week’s Edition...
Bison calves are surrounded by cows at the Nachusa Grasslands. As of last week, 11 calves had been birthed by the Nature Conservancy’s bison herd at the Grasslands. Photo by Earleen Hinton
to transport cows and bulls from established herds in Iowa and South Dakota to the Grasslands. The Grasslands’ herd is the first to live at a TNC preserve east of the Mississippi and also the first conservation herd in Illinois—with a primary purpose of helping the prairie thrive. And so far, the bison seem
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B12 College News, A4 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4
be fitting well into their new home. The first calf was born in early April, followed by 10 soon after. “As of last Saturday, we now have 11 new calves,” said Considine. “We now have 41 in the herd.” The bison, and their calves, have also meant an increase in visitors driving by the bison enclosure, to catch a
Forreston Police, A2 Marriage Licenses, A4 Public Voice, A9 Property Transfers, B6
Sheriff’s Arrests, B4 Social News, A4 Sports, B1-B2 State’s Attorney, B4
glimpse of the new additions. The Grasslands kiosk, located on Lowden Road, offers maps of the Grasslands including where the bison are located. “People are excited about the bison. Now people can come here and learn more about what we do and how they can contribute. They may or may not be able to see
the herd, depending on where they are at. This isn’t a zoo. These are wild animals,” said Considine. Sometimes the herd can be seen grazing on the west side of Lowden Road or from the north side of Stone Barn Road or south from Flagg Road.
Deaths, B3 Frances L. Shadewaldt
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com
Turn to B3