Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal September 17, 2015 Volume 153, Number 21 - $1.00
Volleyball Victory
Garden Colors
Prairie Tours
Forreston needed three games to defeat Polo Sept. 10 in a home volleyball match. B1
Learn fall planting tips to have a colorful spring garden. A8-A9
Forty tours are scheduled at Nachusa Grasslands during Autumn on the Prairie. A6
Appointments questioned by bd. members
Clean Sweep Annual event held to pick up trash along the Rock River
Concern was raised Tuesday By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com
By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com Volunteers spread out along the Rock River on a cool Saturday morning to do their part to keep a natural resource clean. The seventh annual Rock River Sweep was held to clean debris from the river and the shore from the Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin through the Mississippi River in Moline. “I want to thank all the volunteers,” said Oregon section coordinator Mark Nehrkorn. “This is what really makes this event. We are always pleasantly surprised with the turnout. It always helps makes the river a better place.” More than 35 volunteers participated in the Oregon Area Sweep this year. They walked the banks of the river and paddled down the river to pick up trash. This year the Illinois
Volunteers were out to help pick up trash along the Rock River Saturday morning. Above several volunteers pick up trash on the east bank of the Rock River during the Rock River Sweep. At left, Rick O’Neil from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Fisheries points to sections of the river that he will be taking a boat to help clean the river. Photos by Chris Johnson
Department of Natural Resources was represented and had a large boat to help with the cleanup. “We have grown fond of this river,” said Nehrkorn. The idea of cleaning the river during an annual organized
event was introduced by Frank Masterman, Oregon in 2008. “This was his idea and his baby and he brought it to life. Thank you for initiating this,” Nehrkorn said to Masterman. The event started in Oregon and each year organizers are
hopeful the event will expand to include the entire Rock River. “More areas are getting involved,” said Ogle County Solid Waste Management Turn to A3
Packards on display at Oregon Depot By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com The historic Oregon Depot looked even more historic Saturday afternoon when antique cars and their drivers visited the 1913 building which is now a museum. Nine Packards and one DeSoto made the depot look like it was filled will people waiting for a passenger train to arrive. Members of the Packards of Chicagoland car club cruised through Ogle County over the
weekend with their rides from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Linne Dose, Glenview, was driving his 1937 Packard during the cruise. “We had 20 cars that made the drive out Thursday evening,” he said. Dose’s Packard is a Super Eight with a straight eight engine. The car also was built with a 12 cylinder engine. “Believe it or not this is one of the smaller Packards and has 135 horsepower,” he said.” His car was outfitted perfectly for a trip to a train depot.
“This car has a luggage rack,” Dose said with a smile. The 1937 Packard has had at least four owners over the decades and Dose owned it for the past 16. Having the cars at the depot brought out several spectators. “These are pretty neat cars,” said Craig Carpenter, Oregon, while admiring the Packards. One of the rarest Packards was brought to the depot — a 1942 Packard Super-8 onesixty. This car, owned by Don House, Ringwood, is one of
only two known survivors of its models. The vehicle was built just before an executive order halted production and switched manufacturing to wartime efforts. House said less than 500 of these club sedans were produced. Members of the car club were offered a tour of the depot and listened to a lecture about the historical aspects of the building by local historian Otto Dick. The Oregon Depot is open on Saturday mornings.
Two Ogle County Board members raised questions Tuesday evening about committee appointments. Bruce McKinney, Rochelle, and Lee Meyers, Byron, asked for four committee appointments to be voted on separately instead of with the rest of the consent agenda items. McKinney said he believes one person has too much influence on who has been applying for vacancies on the Ogle County Civic Center Authority (OCCCA), which oversees the Hickory Grove Civic Center in Rochelle. He said a tenant of the building encourages people with her point of view to apply for the vacancies. “We need board members who will stand up to her,” McKinney said. The State’s Attorney, Juvenile, & Probation Committee interviews applicants for various committee vacancies and then recommends who should be appointed to the county board, which makes the appointment. McKinney told the board a different applicant than recommended should be appointed to one of the two vacancies on OCCCA. He amended a motion to appoint Sally Sawicki instead of Lynda Larcom, who was recommended by the State’s Attorney, Juvenile, & Probation Committee. He said Sawicki has more experience. “She has 20 years experience on this board and knows what’s going on,” McKinney said. Board member Bill Welty, Chana, who is on the State’s Attorney, Juvenile, & Probation Committee, said the recommendations were based on interviews done with the applicants. Turn to A6
Laundromat may open in Mt. Morris By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com
Mt. Morris may soon be getting a new laundromat on Ill. 64. Matt Dusing asked the village board Sept. 8 for a break on water and sewer rates for three years while he gets the business up and running. He told the board he is buying the building where a laundromat was formerly located and plans to reestablish a business there. He said he plans to make improvements inside and out and hopes to be open for business by January. “I see this as a positive,” said trustee Jeff Pennington, who is chairman of the Water & Sewer Committee. Dusing asked for a 100 percent abatement of the fees the first year, 75 percent the second year, and 50 percent the third year. Pennington said Dusing will have to pay the surcharge on both water and sewer use because the village board cannot abate that due to regulations set by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). The village has loans through the IEPA for recent improvements made to both the water and sewer systems. The surcharge was levied to help repay the loans. Trustee Phil Labash, who is Finance Committee chairman, said although the village would be abating an estimated $300 to $400 per month in fees, the property currently generates no water, sewer, or surcharge fees. He estimated that the surcharge Dusing will pay will bring in more than $24,000 over the three years. Village president Dan Elsasser said he will have The Oregon Depot had even more of a historical feel to it Saturday afternoon with a row of 1930s through 1950s Packards and the village attorney draw up an agreement with Dusing for the abatements. The board will take a DeSoto parked by the building. Photo by Chris Johnson action on that in the near future.
In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B5
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B6 Property Transfers, B4 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3
Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B5
Deaths, B5 Donald L. Boyd, Donald W. Cox, Richard A. Petit Sr.
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com