Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal September 4, 2014 Volume 152, Number 19 - $1.00
Cards Win Opener
River Sweep
Time for Entries!
The Forreston Cardinals defeat Galena 28-7 in the first game of the 2014 season. B2
Volunteer to help clean up the Rock River on Sept. 6. A10
Sept. 15 is the deadline for entries for Autumn on Parade’s Harvest Time Parade. B3
Abandoned car’s owner located in VA hospital All day search held Tuesday
subject of an all-day search Tuesday, was located in a Chicago hospital. “We verified that he’s a By Vinde Wells patient in the VA hospital Editor in Chicago,� Ogle County The owner of an Sheriff Michael Harn said abandoned car, who was the around 5 p.m. Tuesday. He said the search had
been called off, but he does not yet know if the car’s owner or someone else was driving it, or how it happened to be abandoned in a field along Ridge Road about three miles south of Pines Road. He said deputies searched
the surrounding area on foot and by helicopter after a resident reported the abandoned car Tuesday morning. Harn said he did not know what time the car was found, how long it had been there, or who deputies were
searching for. “We’re trying to find the driver. It looks like someone went for a walk,� Harn said in the mid-afternoon. “No one has reported anyone missing. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. Until we figure out who was
driving the car, we don’t know who we’re looking for.� He said a cell phone was found in the black Volkswagen. No sign of foul play was found in or near the car, Harn said.
River offers scenic beauty By Chris Johnson Reporter From the marshes of Wisconsin, a winding river flows through 11 counties on its way to the Mississippi River. For the past 40 years Frank Schier has been canoeing the Rock River and recently started the Rock River Trail Initiative. Schier was one of the presenters during the Illinois Renewable Energy and Sustainable Lifestyle Fair Aug. 24. “In 1972 I started exploring the river,� he said. “I started canoeing and looking at the beauty.� Not wanting to keep this to himself, Schier began looking at turning the river into an organized trail. This led Schier to look at making the river a National Trail in 2010. “I started talking to officials and Rockford and Winnebago County agreed to spend $20,000 to map the river,� said Schier. “I then went to the National Park Service to start discussions.� These discussions led to a meeting with all 11 counties and 37 municipalities that are along the Rock River. The meeting was held in August 2010. “Winnebago County is the founding county for the trail,� said Schier. “We are lucky to have the support of the Rockford Park District.� This collaboration has led to the forming of urban camp sites along the Rock River in Rockford. “It is a unique experience
to camp in an urban area,� Schier said. These campsites are only part of what the final trail could look like. “The river starts at the Horicon Marsh which is 14,000 acres of beautiful land,� said Schier. “We are trying to set up campsites along the entire river.� A goal of a campsite every eight hours for canoers along with several portages is the first step. “I started doing the costs of campsites and portages,� said Schier. “Currently campsites are lean along the river.� There are also 23 dams on the river and portages would be built to make it safe to paddle down the river, he said. In Oregon, a portage currently exists at Oregon Park East. Signs on the river direct paddlers to the east shore to use the portage to get around the dam. “We also want information kiosks along the river at each community to provide local information for the canoers,� said Schier. “They could also advise the paddlers which channel of the river to use.� All of these upgrades cost money. The estimated costs are an average of $2,500 per site for camping and $250,000 for a portage. Schier said these costs go down if existing services are in place that could be utilized for camping and portages. “There are challenges to the project and we are working to overcome them,� said Schier. With dams along the river, safety was a major goal for the trail.
Rock River Trail founder Frank Schier explains a document created to rate the Rock River. This page shows how difficult the section of river is for boaters and canoers. Photo by Chris Johnson
“In Oregon there are signs warning of the dam,� said Schier. “The first is a sign 5,050 feet from the dam to advise boaters to stay to the left [east shore].� A second sign is 500 feet from the dam advising canoers that there is a dam ahead and a portage available on the east shore. Finally at Oregon Park East the park district has a portage sign marking a safe location to exit the river. “We are working on installing signs along the entire river with uniform markings, “ said Schier. One aspect of creating the trail system was making the river the cleanest tributary to the Mississippi River. “Our goal is to make it the cleanest tributary,� said Schier. “We are working on it.�
To accomplish this the Rock River Sweep is helping with the cause. “I have been participating in the Rock River Sweep with Frank Masterman,� said Schier. “The fifth formal Rock River Sweep is Saturday, Sept. 6. We need to address pollution on the river.� During the sweep volunteers go out and clean the entire length of the river. The worst pollution spill in recent memory occurred in 2009 when a train derailed in Rockford. “This caused the worst fish kill in Illinois history,� said Schier. He said the combination of ethanol from the derailment along with runoff from farm fields that were just fertilized contributed to the fish kill. To monitor the condition
of the river Schier would like to see civilian monitoring stations every five miles along the river. “You could have school kids do basic PH tests for science class,� he said. The derailment along with the fish kill made communities aware of the river in ways they may not have known before 2009, said Schier. “We are doing this because of ecotourism and staycations,� said Schier. “We want to encourage people to explore the Rock River. No one wants to fish or water ski in dirty water.� He said there is more tourism along the Rock River than people realize and forming the trail is one way to spread the word about tourism. Each spring 10,000 trees
are donated to plant along the river. “The trees have been planted for the past four years and we have 40,000 trees planted so far,� said Schier. Each county along the river receives 910 trees each year with half going to the public sector and half going to private residents within the watershed. Thirty-seven waterways flow into the Rock River along with numerous creeks. The first priority is to plant trees along the Rock River but depending on the need these trees could go to a resident along one of the 37 waterways that flow into the river. The Rock River Trail Initiative council met in November of 2011 and Turn to A9
Oregon will soon lose to its only hardware store By Vinde Wells Editor Business was brisk Tuesday morning at Basler’s Ace Hardware, Oregon, as customers flocked in to take advantage of the store’s going-out-of-business discounts. The large sign at the store’s entrance on Pines Road proclaimed “Sale 40% off Everything,� bringing in a steady stream of cars, pickup trucks, and vans loading up on landscaping materials, paint, tools, and everything else the store has offered the
community for the last 40 years. At the back of the store, owner Jeff Basler waited on customers and chatted with well-wishers who congratulated him on his retirement. “Best thing I ever did. You won’t be sorry,� said one 80ish man as he added an item to his cart. Basler, 63, is retiring and closing the store on Oct. 1. “It’s been in the works for a while,� he said. “After 40 years in the business and working 60 hours a week, my wife told me it’s time to
In This Week’s Edition...
retire.� Attempts to sell the business over the last several months were unsuccessful, he said. “I talked to six different prospective buyers — one just two weeks ago — but couldn’t get it worked out,� he said. He said his two daughters and son-in-law, who have worked at the business for several years, are not interested in taking it over. “Then the Farmer’s Almanac came out and said what next winter will be like and I told my wife ‘I’m
Church Bells, A5 Classifieds, B8-B12 Entertainment, A6 Marriage Licenses, A4
coming along to Florida,’� Basler said with a grin. The magazine is forecasting a cold, snowy winter for much of northern Illinois. Basler and his wife Cindy bought the hardware store from Ed and Thelma Zumdahl in 1974. At that time it was located in downtown Oregon on the northeast corner of Washington and Third Streets. Basler moved the store to its present spot on Pines Road and expanded it in 1998. The store employed 15
Oregon Police, B3 Property Transfers, B6 Public Voice, A8 Sheriff’s Arrests, B7
Store owner Jeff Basler, center, his son-in-law J.D. Heather, and daughter Kim Basler took time for a photo in between serving customers who came for close-out bargains at Basler’s Ace Hardware, Oregon, on Monday. Turn to A3 The store will close for good on Oct. 1. Photo by Vinde Wells
Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B5 Zoning Permits, B6
Deaths, B5 Edward B. Bryant, Yvonne S. James, Arlene F. Kness, Evelyn J. Pederson
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