Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal June 29, 2017 Volume 155, Number 10 - $1.00
Lions Anniversary
Farm Heritage
Driver Dies in Race
For 69 years the Polo Lions have been a fixture in the community. A8
Families share their history & art emerges from old machinery. Insert
An Ohio man was killed when the dragster he was driving crashed at the Byron Dragway. B4
Votes don’t add up for proposed county jail By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com The Ogle County Board’s request for a street closure for a new jail was denied Tuesday even though a majority of the Oregon City Council voted yes. Mayor Ken Williams declared the defeat of the request because although the city council voted 3-2 in favor of it, a super majority of
four yes votes was required to pass it. Williams and commissioners Terry Schuster and Kurt Wilson voted yes, but commissioners Jim Barnes and Tom Izer voted no. In discussion preceding the vote, Barnes called the new jail the “county’s pipe dream.” He said he has a better plan — to locate the new jail on Pines Road and put a courtroom in it to
eliminate the need for transporting prisoners. “The judges can come there. They can take turns,” he said. He also told Ogle County Board Chairman Kim Gouker, Byron, that his desire to construct the new jail at that location could cost him his county board seat in the next election. “Don’t take that as a threat because it’s a promise,” Barnes
said. “Oregon is a beautiful place in the country and we intend to keep it that way.” Izer said property that the county owns both in the downtown and other areas of the city is off the tax rolls because government bodies do not pay real estate taxes. He also held up a petition that he said had hundreds of signatures opposing the current jail plan. Turn to A8
Oregon City Commissioner Tom Izer holds up petitions he said had “hundreds” of signatures against the proposed site of the new jail in Oregon. Photo by Earleen Hinton
New store will open this fall
Perfect temps for KB Tough Run
By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com
By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com
Blue and sunny skies paired with relatively cool temperatures to create the perfect day for the community to come together to “kick butt” to assist those with serious medical issues. Each year, the KB committee hosts a Tough Run fundraising event at the White Pines Ranch, featuring a 5k run, a trail hike, and kid sprint. Alongside the physical events were a Kid Zone game area, Horsey Bingo, a prize wheel, photo booth, and 5050 raffle. Concessions were also available, with pork chop sandwiches served by the Ogle County Pork Producers and craft beer from Rockford’s Prairie Street Brewing Company. The event originally began six years ago, after April Roos, an Oregon resident, was diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in February 2012. Borrowing a phrase from her childhood sports days, KB stands for “Kick Butt”, and Roos says she was determined to kick cancer’s butt. As it turns out, friends and family were eager to help her, establishing a fund raising 5k event to help with
Dale and Carol Collins, Mt. Morris, watch with their grandson, Lewie, as the 5k runners disappear around the bend. Despite being bright and sunny, the temperature stayed right around 70 degrees, making it a perfect day for running. Photo by Zach Arbogast
the financial hardship. It was so successful, and meant so much to Roos, that the event continues on each year - no longer focusing on her, but anyone in the community needing to “KB.” This year, the event was dedicated in memory of Angie Daub-Bergstrom, who died Feb. 10 after battling breast cancer. “Angie has always been a special friend, and she has been a part of the KB team since the beginning,” said Roos. “KB is what Angie was all about; she walked last year’s trail with a cane.” Angela Collins, Mt. Morris, has been a KB committee member since the beginning. She said she first met Daub-Bergstrom during her first battle with cancer. “She had the most wonderful personality, and I fell in love with what a great person she was,” said Collins.
In a fitting tribute to his sister’s hike with a cane, Dan Daub hiked this year’s Angie Daub-Bergstrom Memorial Trail in a full neck brace. Daub serves as an Ogle County Sheriff’s Deputy, usually working as court security at the Ogle County Judicial Center, but has been on medical leave for three weeks after undergoing a full disc replacement surgery. “I’m still restricted in what I can do, but this is such a great cause, and it’s in memory of my sister,” said Daub. “I needed to be here.” The cause in question is the fund raising aspect; while originally established in 2012 to benefit the Roos family, KB now uses each year’s funds to give to the community. “People came out to support me and my family during a hard time, and now that support continues on Turn to B1
A total disc replacement surgery wasn’t enough to keep Ogle County Sheriff Deputy and Court Security Dan Daub from walking the memorial hike in honor of his sister, Angie Daub-Bergstrom. Photo by Zach Arbogast
Within a year of negotiations with two businesses coming to Forreston, one is nearing completion while the other is still up in the air. After the hurdles of getting the property annexed into the village, signage variances, getting a sewer main extension to the property, and all the ensuring paperwork, Dollar General is close to opening at the corner of Ill. 26 and North Baileyville Road. “In the original plan, I believe Dollar General was looking to open by midJuly, but have run into some delays,” said President Mark Metzger. “I’m just happy to be able to say that the village has done every bit of its part, so all that’s left to do is wait for it to open.” According to Laura Somerville, Dollar General Corporate Communications, the current projection is for the store to officially open in the Fall. “Based on the initial construction timeline, I anticipate the store will open by mid to late-fall,” said Somerville. Dollar General first expressed interest in coming to Forreston back in July 2016, contingent upon getting a sewer and water main extension to the property. Similarly, another business looked like it was on its way into Forreston, but became shrouded in uncertainty. Turn to A3
Celebrate the 4th during Let Freedom Ring festival By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com Mt. Morris is pulling out all the stops to celebrate “Red, White and YOU” over this weekend through the Fourth of July. Events include music, art, fireworks, food, and family entertainment beginning June 28 with the coronation of the 2017 Let Freedom Ring Queen Rebecca Hough. “We have a lot planned and now all we need is for the weather to
cooperate,” said longtime LFR Committee Member Jan Hough. “This will be a great opportunity for families to have some fun and celebrate the Fourth.” She said a daughter and granddaughter of the late Sandy Sandstrom, one of the festival’s organizers for many years, will be attending this year’s festival. Mt. Morris residents Gene McGee and Marv Miller will be the marshals for the Grand Parade. These men were members of the group that constructed the bell
In This Week’s Edition...
Business Brief, A7 Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B5
tower that holds the Official Illinois State Freedom Bell on the historic Mt. Morris Campus on Wesley Avenue. At the April 29, 1966 special Let Freedom Ring, Inc. meeting the committee voted to construct a bell tower and place it 30 feet north of and even with the band shell. With Sandstrom as vicechairman of the Illinois Bell Ringing Committee, and Mt. Morris being a major participant of the reinstatement of ringing bells on July 4th, a larger bell had been
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B5 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3
purchased. Now a tower to house the bell needed to be constructed. A bell tower fund raising campaign was begun with the school children from elementary to high school and on May 12, 1966 a door-to-door campaign was put into place. Mt. Morris resident and artist Eric Mann designed the iconic tower and by June 9, 1966 construction was underway. Volunteers and local tradesman built the tower and Howard Fox,
Social News, A4 Sports, B2 State’s Attorney, B5 Weather, A3
senior forester for Sinnissippi Forest in Oregon fabricated the yoke from slippery elm, the same material and dimensions from which the yoke of the Liberty Bell was made. Miller, McGee, and Bill Hazelton, California, are the only living members of the group who worked on the bell tower. Others included “Babe” Tracy. By June 30, 1966 the tower constructed from cement, steel and with a wooden shake roof was Turn to A2
Deaths, B4 Cletus D. Bauer, Eugene R. “Chico” King, Dr. Ronald J. Messer, Linda A. Perrine
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com