Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal August 28, 2014 Volume 152, Number 18 - $1.00
Season Preview
River Sweep
Ice Bucket Challenge
The Lady Cardinals volleyball team is ready to begin the 2014 fall season. B1
Volunteers are needed to help clean the Rock River Sept. 6. A6
Staff at Serenity House and Home took part in the Ice Bucket Challenge Aug. 22. A12
Peanuts banned at grade schools By Vinde Wells Editor Mom’s old standby peanutbutter sandwich is no longer welcome at two local elementary schools — even if it’s part of a sack lunch from home. Forrestville Valley Superintendent Sheri Smith told the school board Aug. 20 that peanuts and all nuts that grow on trees are banned this year at Forreston and German Valley Grade Schools. She said that decision was made because seven elementary students, including her own child, have allergies to peanuts. Smith said a letter has been sent home to parents informing them of the policy.
The letter, from elementary principal Travis Heinz, read that if a student brings a nut product, even in a lunch or snack from home, the item will be taken away, placed in a plastic bag, and sent back home. A reminder label will be placed on the bag saying “FGS/GVGS are nut free schools, please enjoy this at home.� Smith said Aug. 22 that if the item bagged is part of a lunch, the student will be given food from the cafeteria to replace it. She said the junior high and high schools aren’t included in the ban because no students there have nut allergies. In the past, she said, the
schools notified parents, asking them not to sent nut products, only when a student in their child’s classroom had a nut allergy. “It’s becoming more widespread so it’s just easier to implement school-wide,� Smith said. The Aug. 29 menu for German Valley Grade School still listed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich last Friday, but Smith said she would check into that. “We aren’t serving peanuts,� she said. The menu was changed to “cook’s choice� later that day. More information about the policy is available on the school website at www. fvvsd221.org.
Officials at Oregon and Polo schools also have procedures in place to protect students with nut and other food allergies. Oregon Superintendent Tom Mahoney said an area is set aside in the cafeteria for students who suffer from peanut allergies. He said parents are alerted when their child is riding a bus or in a classroom with a child who is allergic to nuts. In those cases, he said parents are asked not to send food containing nuts in their children’s lunches or snacks. “We cannot control what students bring in a lunch, but we do ask for parents’ Jeff Whitson takes a hamburger off the grill while Tom cooperation,� Mahoney said. Slater and Pastor Scott Ralston cook hot dogs and brats
Community Picnic
Turn to A3 Aug. 23 at the Forreston Area Community Picnic and Faith Lutheran Church. Photo by Vinde Wells
Speaker urges collaborative disaster planning By Vinde Wells Editor Setting aside differences and preconceived ideas has made it possible for the citizens of a small city in Kansas to rebuild “green� in the wake of a devastating tornado. “It has to be a collaborative effort. We have to change how we think about sustainability,� said Bob Dixson, mayor of Greensburg, Kans., when he spoke to a group of about 60 people at the Illinois Renewable Energy and Sustainable Lifestyles Fair Aug. 23 at the Ogle County Fairgrounds. Dixson was the keynote
speaker at the 13th annual fair, and he brought a message of encouragement about rebuilding after a disaster and going as “greenâ€? as possible whatever the situation. Greensburg, then a city of more than 1,500 people, was 95 percent destroyed on May 4, 2007 by an EF5 tornado. Eleven residents died. “In the blink of an eye your life can be changed,â€? Dixson said. “It didn’t matter what our socio-economic status was, we were all homeless. We went from a tree-lined community‌.to rubble.â€? The tornado packed 205 mph sustained winds and was more than a mile wide — almost as broad as the town.
Homes, businesses, schools, churches, and government buildings were all destroyed when the storm swept through in the early evening. Dixson said he knows all too well how the loss felt. He and his wife Ann rode out the storm in the basement of their 100-plus-year-old Victorian “dream home.� They were unhurt, but nothing was left of the house or their possessions. Despite the devastation, he said, residents of the community were determined to rebuild their homes and city. “We were blessed with an opportunity to rebuild,� he
said. Weekly planning meetings of 400-500 townsfolk and expert facilitators were held in a tent. “We developed a long term plan and came back together as a community at those meetings,� he said. “The meetings restored hope.� Elected mayor a year after the tornado, Dixson said he has to change his mindset when “green and sustainable� was first discussed. “I just cringed,� he said with a grin. Dixson said he began to realize that “green and sustainable� really means Bob Dixson, mayor of Greensburg, Kans., provided this
Turn to A2 photo of his home following a 2007 tornado.
High Flying Granny
91-year-old tandem skydives on Aug. 24 By Earleen Hinton General Manager
Cold Shower Junior Abby Peterson reacts to having a bucket of ice water dumped over her head during the ice bucket challenge the team completed Aug. 22 after the scrimmage game. Photo by Chris Johnson
In This Week’s Edition...
It’s OK to scream. That was just one tip Dorothy Morris received on Sunday before jumping out of a plane over Rochelle at 14,000 feet. Turns out the 91-year-old great grandmother didn’t need it anyway. “I forgot to scream. I was too busy looking around. I think I wanted to, but it was so thrilling I forgot,� the Mt. Morris resident said shortly after landing with her tandem skydiving instructor Paul Piccolo. Surrounded by nearly 50 family members and friends, Morris jumped with Piccolo at the Chicagoland Skydiving Center in Rochelle on a hot and humid Sunday afternoon. She decided to try skydiving after hearing her niece, Kathy Qualkinbush, DeKalb, talk about how much she enjoyed her “jumps�. “She kept bringing it up and finally
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B9-B14 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B3 Marriage Licenses, A4
Oregon Police, B7 Public Voice, A12 Property Transfers, B8 Sheriff’s Arrests, B4
Paul Piccolo, chief instructor at the Chicagoland Skydiving Center, checks his altimeter as he tandem jumps with Dorothy Morris, 91, Mt. Morris on Sunday. Photo by Michael Squires
I said ‘Ok, I will arrange it’,â€? said Qualkinbush who has made hundred of jumps. “Initially, I was surprised, but knowing her it made sense. I mean, she’s on Facebook‌I’m sure she’ll put this on too.â€? This was not the first visit for Morris to the skydiving center. She had watched other skydivers jump while eating at the Flight Deck Bar & Grill, located adjacent to the landing area. “I just love watching them jump,â€? she said. “We’ve come over for the evening meals so I’ve seen them over and over. I told Kathy I think I could
do that.� After signing the necessary pre-form jumps at the registration desk, Morris made her way into a nearby room where she watched a video about her upcoming experience. One of the tips encouraged screaming because “it actually helps� combat the anxiety. Another urged jumpers to let their jumping partner know if they felt nauseated so the professional could “take evasive action� and avoid any splash back.
Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B8 Weather, A12
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Turn to B6
Deaths, B3 Lila V. Kaufman, Frances M. O’Brien