FOR_07172014

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Serving the Forreston area since 1865

FORRESTON Journal July 17, 2014 Volume 152, Number 12 - $1.00

Golf Tournament

Short Film

Fair Queen

Alina Llanas competed in the Women’s Lincoln Highway Golf Tournament. A9

A film crew was in Oregon July 13 to shoot a scene for a movie. B1

The 2014 Ogle county Fair Queen will be selected during the July 19 pageant. A7

County board members question bidding process By Vinde Wells Editor Before choosing an employee health insurance provider Tuesday night, several Ogle County Board members raised questions over how the bidding process was conducted. Dick Petrizzo, Davis Junction, questioned board chairman Kim Gouker, Byron, about why one

insurance provider, the Crum Halsted Agency, was allowed to submit a second bid, lowering its first estimated cost, after the bids had been opened. “I think it’s inappropriate that you went and gathered information from only one of the bidders,� Petrizzo said. He also questioned why the Query Agency, the current provider, was not notified as well to submit a

second bid. Gouker said he sought the second bid from Crum Halsted because, initially, they had only nine months of insurance claim data to base their bid on, while Query had 11 months. He said the additional data became available for Crum Halsted only after the bids had been opened. Claims were high during the first six months of the

insurance year, which begins Aug. 1, Gouker said, but went down after that. Having the additional information meant Crum Halsted could lower its bid, he said. “Then what was the point of having them bid?� asked Lyle Hopkins, Polo. “I would think you would want us to have the most competitive premium we can,� Gouker said.

The Crum Halsted Agency presented costs for the Insurance Program Managers Group (IPMG), a self-funded insurance program sponsored by the United Counties Council of Illinois (UCCI). Query offers county employees self-funded insurance through the Group Administrators program. IPMG was recommended to the county board by

the Finance, Revenue & Insurance Committee, which heard presentations from four insurance providers. Committee member Greg Sparrow, Rochelle, said two other bidders, NFP Benefits and A. J. Gallagher Benefit Services, were ruled out early because their bids were much higher than either Crum Halsted’s or Query’s. Pat Saunders, Polo, said Turn to A7

Native American heritage shown during festival By Vinde Wells Editor Weather may be the factor that ensures the final Oregon Trail Days festival goes out with a flair this weekend. With predicted temperatures in the low 80s and only a slight chance of rain Sunday, it could be the best conditions the festival has enjoyed in its five-year history. “The weather looks like it’s going to be just perfect,� said festival organizer Beth Henderson Tuesday. “It’s always been unbearably hot.� For previous festivals, the temperatures have edged toward the century mark with uncomfortably high humidity. The festival, which celebrates the area’s Native American and western heritage, will be held Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 20 at Lowden State Park on River Road just outside Oregon. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days. Organized in 2010 to help raise funds for the restoration of the Black Hawk statue, which sits atop a high bluff at the park, the festival features tipis, Native American dances, a pioneer village, western demonstrations, vendor booths, and plenty of

food. A new American Indian dance group will perform this year, Henderson said. Ronald Preston, a member of the San Carlos Apache nation, will perform dances and explain the tradition behind them. “The pioneer area is also greatly expanded,� Henderson said. “And we’re going to have real painted ponies for the first time. They will be painted just like the Indians used to paint them.� “We have lots of kids activities,� she said. “We have face pairing this year and kids can do landscape paintings of the tipis.� Other activities especially geared for kids and their families include pony rides, a pedal train, voyager canoe rides, as well as a variety of arts, crafts, and games. Sunday activities get off to a tasty start with a hearty breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m. at NIU’s Lorado Taft Field Campus located at Lowden State Park. “We’ve already got well over 200 reservations for the Taft breakfast,� Henderson said. For more information and a complete schedule of festival activities go to www. oregontraildays. org.

Sauerkraut Day will be on Aug. 2 The Forreston American Legion Family is sponsoring its sixth annual Car Show as part of the yearly Sauerkraut Day on Saturday, Aug. 2 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Forreston Memorial Park. More than 150 cars and motorcycles are expected during the daylong show. Dash plaques will be given to the first 75 entries and door prizes will be given out during the day. Sauerkraut dinners will be served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Music will be provided by 3D Sound. For questions concerning car entries, call Bret

Schemel, American Legion Riders, 815-238-0713. Bouncy rides will be sponsored by Forreston Area Business Association, a bake sale sponsored by Faith Lutheran Church, cash bingo, petting zoo, craft booths and ball games, all sponsored by the Forreston Lions Club. Karaoke will be held at the city park from 5 to 9 p.m. A Community Church Service will be held Sunday, Aug. 3 at 9:30 a.m. at the park, followed by a community breakfast at the fire department from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

In This Week’s Edition...

Larry Calkins, Sterling, a member of the Morrison Model Aircraft flyers, adds fuel to this model Stearman biplane he brought to the Ogle County Airport July 12. Photo by Chris Johnson

High flying models were displayed By Chris Johnson Reporter Whether zipping past spectators at high speeds or hovering in the air, pilots at the Ogle County Airport put on a show over the weekend. These pilots were not flying regular planes however. What they were flying were remote controlled (RC) model airplanes July 12-13. “These model airplanes average 50 to 60 miles per hour but the high performance planes are pushing 100 miles per hour and there is one plane here today that can go 140,� said Ed Scherer, Belvidere, president of the Rock Valley RC Flyers Club. Model airplane enthusiasts had a variety of models on display both on the ground and in the air. “Flying these model planes is a throwback to when I was 10,� said Scherer. The plane he was working on is considered an ARF. “It is an Almost Ready to Fly model,� he said. “This type of model takes two or three nights to build, but some planes are ready to fly and others are bigger and take two months or more to build.� Different models range in

Church News, A5 Classifieds, B5-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4 Marriage Licenses, A4

This may look like a full size plane flying high above Ogle County, however it is an scale model replica of a Stearman Biplane. Larry Calkins, Sterling, a member of the Morrison Model Aircraft flyers owns this model that was being flown by club president Darryl Miller. Photo by Chris Johnson

price from a couple hundred dollars to thousands of dollars, Scherer said. “The best way to get into model airplanes is to contact one of these clubs here today,� he said. “The Freeport Modelers set up today’s event and they hold training events. My club also has training days.� During training, an instructor will have the master remote control and the student will have a tethered remote. “This is a buddy box,� said Scherer. “The pilot can regain control instantly to

Oregon Police, B3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B4 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3

correct mistakes. It is a great way to learn about RC planes without worrying about crashing the plane.� Scherer joked that “it is not a matter of if you are going to crash your model plane, but when are you going to crash,� but some of this risk goes away when learning with the buddy box for the first few flights. He said training days allow someone to try flying a model plane without the expense of purchasing a kit. “See if you like it before buying your first plane,� said Scherer. “A big mistake

Social News, A4 Sports, A9 State’s Attorney, B4 Weather, A2

people make is buying a plane that looks cool but is hard to fly. In this hobby you need to crawl before you can walk.� Larry Calkins, Sterling, a member of the Morrison Model Aircraft Flyers, said it can take a month of practice to get comfortable flying a model plane. “The more practice you can get the better you will be at flying,� said Calkins. “After a month you can solo most planes, but take your time and ask questions.� The Midwest RC Turn to A3

Deaths, B2 Marilyn Butler, Gerald Gorski, Joanne E. Hutmacher, Delbert L. Rademaker

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