Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal September 14, 2017 Volume 155, Number 21 - $1.00
Cards Win Big
West Nile
Fall Festival
Cardinals roll over Dakota 40-0 in conference action Friday night. B1
West Nile virus detected in mosquito pool in Mt. Morris. B3
Nachusa Grasslands will host Autumn on the Prairie on Saturday. A6
Women show Strolling on the Farms... their gun skills at Tri-County By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com
Joy and Don Groenhagen, Oregon, walk by the old dairy barn at the Irish Lady Farm on Oregon Trail Road during the Farm Stroll on Sunday. The barn is being converted into a wedding venue. Below, Russian Orloff roosters strut their stuff at the Irish Lady Farm. Photos by Earleen Hinton
Unique farms welcomed 100+ visitors By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Raising rare Russian chickens and growing grapes are the focus at Irish Lady Farm on Oregon Trail Road west of Oregon, one of seven stops on Sunday’s first-ever Ogle County Farm Stroll. Owner Will Major, a retired attorney who now
runs a detective agency in DuPage County, and his wife Pat Fennell, who still practices law also in DuPage County, bought the 50-acre farm 17 years ago with the intention of growing grapes for their own winery. They eventually scrapped the winery plan but continue to raise and sell concord, marechal foch, and villiard grapes. Major’s real passion is raising Russian Orloff chickens, a critically endangered and ancient breed. He estimated his flock
at 2,000 birds including roosters, laying hens, and young birds from newly hatched to nearly mature. Orloffs are a dual purpose breed, raised both for meat and the brown eggs they lay, Major said. Because of their flat combs and lack of wattles, Orloffs are especially winter-hardy. Major said he selectively mates his chickens to bring back purity to the breed. “They were crossed with other breeds over the years, and very few of them were pure Orloffs,” he said. “I cull the roosters to get
the breed back to where it should be.” “I hatch all my own eggs - I hatch them in my living room,” he said with a grin. That living room is in the 175-year-old brick home that Major and Fennell have renovated. During the renovations, they found a coin dated 1842 left in the wall by the brick masons. The couple has kept the original flavor of the house as much as possible, including keeping the old floors and woodwork, as well as the kitchen cupboards, Turn to A7
More than 100 women from around Illinois congregated in Polo Saturday for firearms, food, and friendly faces. The Well-Armed Woman Illinois chapters held their first annual state shoot at the Tri-County Gun Club, 3441 S. Brookville Rd., Polo, and women came from all over the state to shoot the breeze and the targets together. As far as an official event goes, around 20 sponsors came to demonstrate their products and conduct controlled tests on the ranges, such as Springfield Armory showing off guns new and old and Crimson Trace offering trials of their laser sights. Anyone familiar with firearms knows that safety is the first and final word when it comes to shooting, and all of the active ranges featured a team of range safety officers and TWAW chapter leaders and instructors keeping things firing properly. Away from the ranges, there was a relaxing, laidback vibe to the event; just a place to get together and enjoy one another’s company. “This event is a great chance for our spread-out chapters to congregate together,” said Lori Sanner, co-state leader from Christian County. “It’s a great chance to meet new people.” When Sanner says spreadout, she isn’t kidding; with 24 TWAW chapters ranging from Williamson County to Lake County, Illinois sports the most of any state. The skill levels of the members varies from
Front to back: Cindy Haas, Jennifer Cooper, and Catherine Down fire down the range, testing out laser sights from Crimson Trace, one of the many sponsors on-site at the first annual Well-Armed Woman Illinois State Shoot. Photo by Zach Arbogast.
seasoned veterans to brand new faces, and Bev Pace, Ogle County chapter member, says that’s part of what makes it all great. “We’re all at different levels, and we all try to help one another,” said Pace. “It’s constantly a learning experience, and we’re a big family together.” Sanner echoed the mission statement established by Carrie Lightfoot, founder of TWAW, in saying that above all else, the group provides women with a chance to educated, equipped, and empowered. Lightfoot created the group in 2012, when her own experienced in exploring firearm education led to bad experiences. She wanted a place where women could feel comfortable and get what they needed out of gun safety and education. “It’s a chance for us to learn shooting sports, defensive, and target shooting, a group and setting that isn’t intimidating or condescending,” said Sanner. Turn to A2
Tae Kwon Do grand master visits martial arts class By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com
Grand Master Sung Jae Park, certified ninth DAN (degree) black belt by the World Tae Kwon Do Federation, demonstrates how to capture a kick and take down an opponent with the help of South Elgin martial artist Federico Treviño. Park conducted a free seminar to students of the Oregon Martial Arts Institute at the Mt. Morris Coliseum. Photo by Zach Arbogast.
In This Week’s Edition...
Church Bells, A5 Classifieds, B5-B8 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4 Library News, A8
An internationally-known Tae Kwon Do Grand Master came to Mt. Morris to help students test for ranks and perform a martial arts seminar, and received a surprise in time for his birthday. Sung Jae Park, a certified ninth degree black belt, Grand Master of Tae Kwon Do, traveled all the way from Indianapolis, Indiana, for the tests at the Mt. Morris Coliseum. The busy day for the Oregon Martial Arts Institute kicked off bright and early at 8:30 a.m. with black belt testing. Park, 71, said he has taught more than 10,000 students since coming to the United States in 1972 to attend DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana.
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B4 Public Voice, A8 Property Transfers, B3 School Menus, A2
He currently leads a Chung Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do school in Indianapolis. “When I first started, it was all about teaching the youngsters,” said Park. “Get them learning discipline, and off of the streets; get them successful in life, and using their abilities to lead good lives.” The institute, which has operated out of the coliseum since February, is lead by Master Randall Cook, a sixth degree black belt certified by the Kukkiwon - the World Tae Kwon Do Headquarters in Seoul, Korea. Park is his mentor. Jesse Petty, of Oregon, and Jennifer Shouer, of Byron, both students of the institute, were testing for the first degree of black belt, and were successful after completing a series of trials testing their technique, strength,
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4 Weather, A3
awareness. According to Shouer, the belt signifies for more than just rank; it was the fruits of hard work and self-improvement. “Studying Tae Kwon Do helped me overcome fear, shyness, worry and insecurity,” said Shouer. “I have experienced the joy of accomplishing things I never thought possible like flying through the air, kicking a board and breaking through my limitations.” Shortly after the testing, Park held a hands-on demonstration seminar for 18 students, all varying in age and rank. Park showcased several techniques in striking, capturing strikes, taking down opponents, and escaping grapples, which students then practiced on one another. Turn to A2
Deaths, B4 Lola J. Duncan, Roger L. Etnyre, Dolores I. Lohmer
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com