Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal March 30, 2017 Volume 154, Number 49 - $1.00
Sports Roundup The track teams, baseball and softball teams have started the season. B1
Candidates
Art Show The Phidian Art Show is set to begin on April 11. A6
Meet the candidates running in contested races during the April 4 election. A8&A9
Forrestville will begin full-day kindergarten By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com The Forrestville Valley School District is expanding its kindergarten and Little Cardinals Preschool programs to offer full days, in addition to the traditional half-days. The school board approved the changes to their current programs March 15
beginning with the 20172018 school year. Currently, both kindergarten and preschool are held at German Valley Grade School, and run from 8 a.m. until 10:50 a.m. Starting next school year, a full day will be from 8 a.m. until 2:20 p.m. Little Cardinals is a tuitionbased program, and parents will have the option of half or full days for two to five days
per week. Kindergarten is a straight move to full days, though parents wanting their children to attend half-days can choose to pick them up at 10:50 a.m. According to Superintendent Sheri Smith, the decision came from several factors. Parents have expressed difficulty in managing daycare for children that get
out from school so early, especially if they have other children getting out later. She also said the board has been researching data all over the internet on the effects of full-day kindergarten. and has found great results. “The research shows that children attending full days of kindergarten and preschool have faster, more substantial academic gains, Turn to A3
Parents meetings set
How do you feel about full days for kindergarten and preschool? Do you need more information? The Forrestville Valley School District has scheduled a pair of parent meetings to inform the public about the changes for Tuesday, April 4 and Wednesday, April 5, both at 6 p.m. For kindergarten, these meetings will discuss the full-day program, class times, lunch options, transportation, and a typical day’s schedule. For Little Cardinals Preschool, the meetings will detail full-day and morning options for two, three, four or five days per week. Registration will be April 6-13 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Election will have a variety of choices
Antique show helps historic school
By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com The morning was still young and already the donation jar was filling up to replace the roof on the Chana School Museum. “We’ve had quite a bit of interest and quite a few donations,” said volunteer Mark Herman who was manning the table for the Chana School Foundation along with Earlyne Warmolts March 25 at the 67th annual Oregon Woman’s Club Antique Show at the Blackhawk Center, Oregon. Woman’s club members started a new tradition this year by inviting the Chana School Foundation to have a table at the show. Club members plan to feature a local not-for-profit from now on to give the agency or organization an opportunity to present its mission, activities, goals, and needs to the visiting public. Although it wasn’t yet noon on Saturday, the first day of the two-day show, the pile of money was growing in the foundation’s donation jar. Herman visited with Robert Dillavou, Forreston, about the roofing project.
Robert Dillavou, Forreston, right, gets information from volunteer Mark Herman about the new roof needed at the Chana School Museum March 25 at the 67th annual Oregon Woman’s Club Antique Show. Photo by Vinde Wells
The new metal roof will look like the original wooden shingles and has been approved by the National Register of Historic Places, where the 134-year-old two-room country school is listed, Herman said. Dillavou, a retired teacher, has a soft spot for the restored school. “I went to a country school,” he
said. “And I donated a light for it and the hooks for the coat room.” Outside the parking lot was overflowing, and inside a crowd of buyers visited the more than 50 booths. Lunch tables remained full, and the line was long for food offered by the Chana United Methodist
Ladies. Vendor Chris Robinson, Serena, said he has been coming to the show for 15 to 20 years. “The set-up, the people - it’s a good show,” he said as he wrapped a package for customer Debbie Turn to A2
Voters will decide who will serve on the boards of several governing bodies when they go to the polls on Tuesday, April 4. On the ballot are village boards, city councils, township boards and road commissioners, school boards, community college boards, library boards, park district boards, one forest preserve board, and several fire protection district boards. Although some races are contested, most candidates are shoo-ins running with no competition, and a few seats will remain open after the election because no one filed. The only referendum on the ballot is a .5 percent sales tax increase in the Village of Hillcrest. The purpose of the tax hike is for public infrastructure and property tax relief. Many of the contested races are in the townships, where several road commissioners Turn to A3
Commercial kennel has a ZBA hearing By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com A Forreston man urged Ogle County Board members last week to attend an upcoming Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) hearing about a commercial kennel on the county’s east side. Former county board member Paul White, who is Forreston’s Animal Control Officer, asked board members to go to the hearing on Thursday, March 30. “I would ask board members to do due diligence and attend the meeting,” White said on March 21, without voicing a personal opinion on the matter. The ZBA is scheduled to
hear a request from Robert DeCosta and Christie Hardt, both of Clare, for a special use permit to allow a commercial dog kennel at 14189 E. Dutch Rd. in White Rock Township. The property is zoned Ag-1 (agricultural district). According to the request, activities at the facility will include dog breeding, import and sale of puppies, dog grooming, and obedience training. According to their website, DeCosta and Hardt operate B & C Kennels at 6367 E. Clare Rd., Clare, in DeKalb County. The ZBA hearing, which is open to the public, will be held at 6 p.m. on the third floor of the Ogle County Courthouse, Oregon.
In This Week’s Edition...
What’s Cookin Jen Stark, Flora Blanco, Danielle Hermes, and Kathy Wilkinson made up “Team Sugar Shooters,” representing Oregon Living & Rehabilitation Center with their Triple Chocolate Shooters - which were good enough to win Best Dessert. Turn to A10 to read about the different delectable dishes that were served during the event. Photo by Zach Arbogast.
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B3
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B5
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B5
Deaths, B4-B5 Elizabeth J. Brown, Martha Sue Gilbert, Evelyn G. Hall, Marvin W. Kaney, Julia J. Meyers, Nancy Ryder, Kenneth L. Turner, Virginia A. Waldsmith
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com