Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal September 15, 2016 Volume 154, Number 21 - $1.00
Golfers Compete
Under Wraps
Flu Clinics
The Cardinals traveled to Silver Ridge Monday to take on the Oregon Hawks. B1
Black Hawk statue will again be protected from the elements. A9
The Ogle County Health Department will host several flu clinics around Ogle County. A7
River is cleaned at annual sweep By Earleen Hinton ehinton@oglecounty news.com A little rain didn’t deter 50 volunteers from doing their part to clean up the Rock River during the eighth annual Rock River Sweep Sept. 10. “It wasn’t our sunniest day, but we still had a decent turnout,” said Rock River Sweep.Org President Mark Nehrkorn. “We still had 50 people come out to pick up trash in the rain.” Volunteers started at 7:30 a.m. picking up trash and debris along and in a sevenmile stretch of the Rock River from the boat launch on Ill. 2, south to the boat launch at Castle Rock State Park. Some walked the shores while others used boats and canoes to fish garbage from the water. “We had the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ boat along with canoes and flat-bottom boats and kayaks out collecting,” said Angela Mahoney, volunteer coordinator. “White Pelican Canoe & Kayak Rental, Inc., donated 10 canoes for us to use along with their shuttle service.”
Sidewalk Sales Above, Jane and Gary Koeller arrange items on a table in front of Koeller’s Forreston Hardware for the sidewalk sales Sept. 9 held in conjunction with the area-wide garages sales. At right, Norene Sweetwood offered a table full of bargains in front of her store Sweetwood Interiors Photos by Vinde Wells
Turn to A3
Customers head to Grubsteakers Restaurant was rebuilt after April 2015 tornado
It’s Homecoming Week at FHS Numerous activities are on the schedule to celebrate Homecoming Week at Forreston High School Sept. 12-17.
Collected bags and debris were brought back to “Sweep HQ” a pop up tent at Kiwanis Park by small dump trucks provided by the Oregon Park District and Ogle County Highway Department where volunteers then sorted the trash for recyclables. In addition to the usual debris and trash —tires and beer cans— this year’s event brought in the tub of an old washing machine. “We also had your typical dock items and of course several tires,” Nehrkorn said. “Someone found a Mallord duck decoy which we gave to DNR.” Oregon Mayor Ken Williams, who volunteered at the event, said he found a Trump for President sign. “It came in very handy. I used it to cover my head when it rained,” he chuckled. “One of the volunteers wanted it.” Frank Masterman started the Rock River Sweep in Oregon in 2009. The longtime Oregon resident was helping at Saturday’s event. “I am very pleased it is continuing,” he said. “I knew it would continue because it
Dress-up days with varying themes and floating building were held Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The dress-up theme for
Thursday is Neon Day, and for Friday is Red, Black & White Spirit Day. The finishing touches will be put on floats Thursday
By Andy Colbert acolbert@oglecounty news.com
after school in preparation for the annual Homecoming Parade at 6 p.m. The pep rally will be held Turn to A2
Like hundreds of other customers, Candy Trudell eagerly walked into Grubsteakers Restaurant upon it’s reopening last week. All were hungry for the home-style food and sense of community that had been missing since an April 9, 2015 tornado destroyed the restaurant. “This corner means so much to this generation and those before them,” Trudell said. Traveling with her father from the family farm in rural Polo to deliver cattle to the Chicago stockyards over 50 years ago, Trudell remembers many a stop at the corner of highways 251 and 64. “Originally, it was Sipes Corner. Grandma Sipes started the food business,” Trudell said. “I’m not sure how many different owners have been here, but it’s Homecoming senior attendants at Forreston High Schools pictured from left to right in the front row are: Amanda always good food.” Owner Ava Mirtoska was Anderson, Emily Langill, and Keileigh Kloepping. Back row: Joseph Fiorello, Bryan Edler, and Brittan DeVries. The hard at work on Thursday coronation will be held Saturday night at the Homecoming Dance.Photo supplied
In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B5 Forreston Police, A3
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B5 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B5 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3
Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4 Zoning, B4
morning trying to rectify a problem with the credit card machine, as she welcomed Trudell and a friend to the brand new building. “So far, things have gone well. It’s good to have all the regulars back,” Mirtoska said. Trudell is more than a regular. Living in a house a few hundred yards east of Grubsteakers, she survived the tornado with her boyfriend Bill Hubbard’s mother. The seven-generation Hubbard family farm is directly across the corner from Grubsteakers and still exhibits remnants of the damage an EF-4 storm can wreak. In an odd twist of fate, some of the farm equipment flew across the corner, landing on the house Mrs. Hubbard and Candy were in. Though the house was destroyed by the tornado and the farm still needs major repairs, Trudell looked forward to returning to Grubsteakers, a place that has become a landmark because of the tornado. “Even before the storm, this was a famous crossroads. You meet so many people you haven’t seen for a while,” Trudell said. Turn to A10
Deaths, B4 Darlene E. Bocker, John A. DeVries, Sandra L. Janssen, Betty R. White
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com