FOR_07102014

Page 1

Serving the Forreston area since 1865

FORRESTON Journal July 10, 2014 Volume 152, Number 10 - $1.00

Statue Repairs

Trail Days

Opening Soon

Experts are waiting for the go-ahead from the state to start repairs to Black Hawk. B1

The fifth and final Oregon Trail Days will be held July 19-20. A9

Sinnissippi Centers will move to a brand new Oregon building later this month. B4

With patrol car down, village borrows vehicle By Chris Johnson Reporter An Ogle County Sheriff’s car will be patrolling Forreston but will not be driven by deputies. The patrol car is on loan while Forreston’s squad car is at the dealer getting warranty repairs. Trustee Jeff Freeze asked Forreston Police Chief Mike Boomgarden Monday night about the status of the squad car during a village board meeting. “Bocker has not called me back,� said Boomgarden. “The car was towed to Bocker and it is in their court right now.� Boomgarden said the only indication was an electrical issue, however it appears the engine may be seized. “The vehicle has been maintained and the warranty

is good through 2016,� said Boomgarden. Village President Michael Harn is also the Ogle County Sheriff and loaned the vehicle to Forreston. Harn was absent from Monday’s meeting. Boomgarden said having the use of the sheriff’s department vehicle is helpful, but knows they may not access to the car in the future. “I have a bid out for a used vehicle,� said Boomgarden. “Looking forward, with the new regime, we may not have use of a county squad.� Harn was defeated in the primary election by Brian VanVickle, Rochelle. As of Dec. 1, Harn will complete his term as sheriff. “A spare could be stored in German Valley but nothing has been set,� said Boomgarden. “I have been looking for two years for

another squad car.� The vehicle Boomgarden is looking at would be a Chevy Impala with 150,000 miles on it. If purchased, it would serve as a backup. In other police business, Boomgarden informed the board about an ongoing problem with lockouts at 800 S. Walnut. “We receive three to five call per week from the apartments,� he said. “It has been a little annoying since it sometimes is the same person twice in one day.� Boomgarden has a key to the apartments so the building can be unlocked. He would like to come up with a long term solution to the lockouts. “The elderly have not been a problem,� Boomgarden said. “They have shared Turn to A3

Hillbilly Bible School Above, Uncle Tim Marsh “shoots� his audience with his toilet paper cannon Monday morning on the opening day of Forreston Community Vacation Bible School at Forreston Reformed Church. At left, Marsh flashes a somewhat toothy grin with his helpers Derek DeVries, left, and Seth Nelson. VBS, which has a hillbilly theme, is being held every day this week. Photos by Vinde Wells

Seeds of American were planted 238 years ago By Chris Johnson Reporter

Retired Colonel Chris Miller, U.S. Army, and veteran Doug Wean salute the flag July 4. Photo by Chris Johnson

America’s birthday was celebrated July 4 during a patriotic program on the historic Mt. Morris downtown campus. Retired Colonel Chris Miller, U.S. Army, who has friends and family in Mt. Morris, was the guest speaker for the event. “Usually at these event, the protocol is to say nice things about the dignitaries, but I am going to break protocol today,� said Miller. “Today is not about very important

Festival draws a crowd By Vinde Wells Editor A larger than normal crowd turned out to enjoy Mt. Morris’ Let Freedom Ring festival in perfect summer weather. “We did really well. The weather was beautiful, and all the events were

well-attended,� said LFR Committee Chairman Mark Lewis. After a soggy, cold start July 2 for the annual queen coronation and Little Miss Firecracker pageant, the skies cleared and the mercury soared to a comfy 80 daytime degrees for the rest of the four-day festival.

Lewis said Monday that an exact count was not yet available, but estimated that 5,000 to 8,000 people attended the event. “The fireworks and parade as always were the biggest draws,� he said. He said the crowds at both events appeared to be bigger Turn to A3

Turn to A3

Plans are in the works to transfer two ambulances By Vinde Wells Editor Although it’s not official yet, plans are in the works to transfer the Oregon Ambulance Service, Inc. building and ambulances to the Oregon Fire Protection District. Betty Ferris, who comanaged the service with her husband Jim, said July 2 that the building at 101 Madison St. and two ambulances were given to the fire district the day before. “That’s where they should go. We have to complete the paperwork yet,� she said. Fire Chief Don Heller said Monday that attorneys for both entities are working out the details. “It’s not officially done. The lawyers are still negotiating,� he said. The matter is on the agenda for the July 9 meeting of the

fire protection district board of trustees. The meeting, which is open to the public, starts at 7 p.m. at the fire district’s administration building at 106 S. First St., Oregon. The Oregon Ambulance Service Inc., a not-for-profit corporation, closed its doors June 17, leaving the Oregon community without its own ambulance service. Ferris said then that the closing was due to financial reasons. She notified the fire board at its June 11 meeting. The Oregon Fire Protection District is one of very few fire districts without a taxsupported ambulance service. Fire district officials will likely place a referendum to tax for an ambulance service on the ballot either in November of this year or next April. The fire district signed a

In This Week’s Edition...

10-month contract last week with ATS Medical Services, Loves Park for ambulance service in the fire protection district. Since July 1 an ATS ambulance and crew are based at the Oregon Fire Station and answer calls from there. “The ambulance service is going well,� Heller said Monday. He said ATS has responded to at least a dozen calls in its first few days in Oregon. Calls between June 17 and July 1 were handled by neighboring fire departments’ ambulance services. The fire district, which is 120 square miles and bordered by 10 other fire districts, includes all of OregonNashua Township and portions of Pine Creek, Pine Rock, White Rock, Rockvale, Marion, Grand Detour, and Landon Gradon, age 4, Forreston waves to a fire truck as he and his mom Katie Kalina, Taylor Townships.

Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B12 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B3 Forreston Police, A2

watch the Let Freedom Ring parade in Mt. Morris on July 4. Photo by Earleen Hinton

Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B4 Property Transfers, B5 Sheriff’s Arrests, B4 Social News, A4

Sports, A8, B1 State’s Attorney, B5 Weather, A3 Zoning Permits, B6

Deaths, B2 Lois A. I. Bishop, Donald L. Conklin, Jack E. Dollmeyer, Forrest M. Harris, Douglas A. Pettigrew, Micheal E. Zell

0UBLISHED EVERY 4HURSDAY BY /GLE #OUNTY .EWSPAPERS A DIVISION OF 3HAW -EDIA s WWW OGLECOUNTYNEWS COM


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.