Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal September 11, 2014 Volume 152, Number 20 - $1.00
Road Win
AOP Oct. 4-5
Mark Twain
The Cardinals traveled to South Beloit and returned home with a victory. B1
Oregon’s 44th Autumn on Parade festival is Oct. 4-5. Insert
The Oregon Rotary Club held its annual Mark Twain Day at Maxons Sept. 6. A9
Enrollment is Forreston schools went up slightly By Vinde Wells Editor For the first time in several years, one local school district has more students this year than last, while enrollment at two others remains down. Enrollment in the Forrestville Valley School District is on the upswing with a gain of 24 students this year for a total of 906, compared to last year’s 882. “This is the first year since 2007-08 that enrollment increased,� said Forrestville Valley Superintendent Sheri
Smith. That year the district had 1,065 students. Smith attributed the increase to new families moving into the district. Forreston Junior-Senior High School, which includes grades 6-12, increased from 456 last year to 470 this year, a gain of 14 students, and Forreston Grade School, which houses kindergarten through fifth grade, gained 18 students to go from 305 last year to 323 this year. German Valley Grade School, however, lost eight
“This is the first year since 2007-08 that enrollment increased,� — Sheri Smith Forrestville Valley Superintendent students, going from 121 to 113. Students in preschool through second grade attend classes there. Enrollments in the Oregon and Polo School Districts declined again this year, as has been the recent trend for most area districts. Oregon Schools decreased from 1470 last year to 1448
this year, an overall loss of 22 students. Associate Superintendent Adam Larsen said the loss is apparently due to families moving out of the district for employment. “It appears to be moveouts,� he said. “We had 137 [new] non-12th grade students who were enrolled
at some point last year but not this year. Compare that to only 95 students who are new this year in grades other than kindergarten. It’s more exports than imports. Anecdotally, I’d attribute this to jobs. I know a few families who moved out of state to find better work.� Although the high school lost 26 students from 485 to 459 and the junior high 18, going from 210 to 192, the news is not all bad. Oregon Elementary School picked up 22 students, with the enrollment there going
from 775 to 797. Polo Schools, with the smallest enrollment, took the hardest hit, losing a total of 47 students from 650 at this time last year to 603 this year. Superintendent Chris Rademacher agreed with Larsen that jobs plays an important role in the loss. “We have been affected by the closing of the printing plants in Mt. Morris. This is a downward trend at the schools in our area,� he said. Polo has faced steadily Turn to A3
Volunteers clean the Rock River By Chris Johnson Reporter Picking up a piece of trash is easy, but picking up thousands of pieces of trash in one morning requires the help of a team of volunteers. These volunteers were taking part in the sixth annual Rock River Sweep Saturday morning. “The volunteers are very important to this sweep,� said section organizer Mark Nehrkorn. “We can not get the coverage without them.� Volunteers gathered at Kiwanis Park at 7:30 a.m. to learn about the plan to clean the river from the Oregon boat launch south to Castle Rock. “The biggest thing out there. Safety,� said Nehrkorn. “You know, if it does not look safe to pick up, do not touch it. We don’t want anyone Turn to A3 Trevor Drayton, Forreston, enjoys a doughnut before the Rock River Sweep began Saturday morning. Photo by Chris Johnson
Police complaints are unfounded By Chris Johnson Reporter Village officials have heard several complaints about the Forreston Police Department but they are unfounded, according to village president Michael Harn. Harn told the village board Sept. 2 that the department is doing a good job. “I think they are doing a wonderful job,� said Harn. “People hear horror stories. We do not pick on people. If you get arrested you did something wrong.� Complaints are taken seriously, however. Harn would like the public to know how much the department helps the community. “If you hear stupid comments about the police department please correct them,� said Harn. “Don’t complain when an officer is having lunch at Subway.� He said one person complained that an officer was targeting a bar patron
because the officer was having lunch next door. “We are also not arresting the elderly for jaywalking,� said Harn. There have been several complaints about juveniles wandering around the village at night. “We have had a problem with people wandering at night,� said police chief Mike Boomgarden. “Contact us about suspicious activities.� There are also problems with several individuals walking down the middle of the street. During the board meeting Boomgarden and Harn had to go outside to talk with an individual that was walking down the middle of Ill. 72 by the village hall. Boomgarden said pedestrians need to walk on the sidewalk or on the edge of the road on streets without a sidewalk. “We do not go after jaywalkers,� said Boomgarden.
In This Week’s Edition...
Burt Schoor, Oregon, paddles away from shore before turning his motor on in the deeper water Saturday morning. Schoor was heading to the islands north of the Oregon dam to help clean it during the annual Rock River Sweep. Photo by Chris Johnson
Administration building is progressing By Chris Johnson Reporter The new Ogle County Sheriff’s Administration Building is taking shape. “The building is starting to show physical changes,� said Ogle County Long Range Planning Commission chairman Don Griffin Tuesday morning. “You see a lot of changes happening with the exterior of the building. Brick layers are on site and anyone driving past the construction site can start to see how the building will look when complete. “The exterior walls are up and workers were installing fiber board insulation and laying bricks,� said Griffin. “Some of the decorative bricks were also installed.� Work on the exterior will continue for the next two months. Griffin is cautiously optimistic that the building will be completely enclosed from the weather in November. “We are looking to be closed up by November and be working on the inside,� he said. “I think the contractors are doing a good job with the project.�
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B9-B14 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B8
The bricks for the new Ogle County Sheriff’s Administration building arrived last week and workers from A-One Group were moving stacks of bricks around the job site to stage them for the brick layers. Photo by Chris Johnson
The cement floor was poured this week and the sheet metal has been installed on the roof. “There is still a lot of work to be completed before the interior of the building can be worked on,� said Griffin. Once the site was prepared, there have been few issues with the project. “There have been no real issues but there are little things that always come up on projects of these magnitudes,� said Griffin. “You learn a lot about a project with the small change orders.� He said the employees that will be using the new building have had input to make sure
Marriage Licenses, A4 Public Voice, A10 Property Transfers, B3 Sheriff’s Arrests, B7
everything is how it needs to be. Changing an outlet location is an easy change before the walls are covered with drywall. Griffin said their are meetings held where everyone involved in the construction provides updates. Any issues with the building are addressed during these meetings. The $4.1 million building will replace the old sheriff’s administration building the county received from the E.D. Etnyre Company. “That building has served its purpose and now we can afford to do something to get a building that will serve the
Social News, A4 Sports, A13, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B3
public,� said Griffin. Technology needs have changed over the years and the new building will accommodate it, he said. The new building will also be fully handicapped accessible and have adequate restroom facilities for the employees. Currently the Ogle County Emergency Management Agency (OCEMA) is not using a portable building for their office space. Griffin said a county committee is discussing if OCEMA will have an office in the new administration building or have an office in the courthouse.
Deaths, B4 Beverly J. Hammer, June A. Hinrichs, Barbara L. Holland, Helen I. Palmer
0UBLISHED EVERY 4HURSDAY BY /GLE #OUNTY .EWSPAPERS A DIVISION OF 3HAW -EDIA s WWW OGLECOUNTYNEWS COM