Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal April 12, 2018 Volume 155, Number 51 - $1.00
It’s National Telecommunicator Appreciation Week! A9
Former OHS football coach John Bothe is inducted into the Illinois Coaches Hall of Fame. B1
Find out what Ogle County agencies are doing to help protect our children. A10
FFA student and dairy farmer wins state honors By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com A Forreston FFA student received statewide recognition for excellence in her field, and is moving toward national honors. Brooklynn Hollis, a 17-yearold in the FFA program, was recognized as State FFA Proficiency Winner in Dairy Production Placement on March 24. The College of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, hosted 250 FFA students, looking to award a single star pupil in each of 50 proficiencies. In short, that means that Hollis was selected as the best of the best in Illinois in the Dairy Production Placement field. If you asked Hollis about it, though, she’d tell you it’s all just another day on the Jo-Eng Dairy Farms, German Valley. The farm is family-owned and operated, by Hollis’ grandparents Gary and Sally Engbert, parents Todd and Jodi Hollis, and uncle and aunt Michael and Cindy Engbert. “Honestly, I love doing this,” said Hollis. “I still can’t believe I won.” Even when she’s at school, or out enjoying her time with friends, Hollis says she always starts to wonder how her cows are doing. It’s easy to wonder that when you’re personally responsible for their well-being. Regardless of whether it’s a school day or a full day off, Hollis is at the farm
managing heifer reproduction. She pairs heifers with bulls based on genomic testing results - essentially, finding the weak traits of a particular cow, and mating them with a bull whose strong suits match up well. Aside from that process, she’s in charge of making sure they breed on time and managing the herd health, including administering medication and IVs as needed for sick cows. She also milks and feeds the cows, but don’t let that task be understated; Jo-Eng milks more than 400 cows three times per day. Hollis has essentially been working a full career before she’s even out of high school. “It’s a different life as a dairy farmer,” said Jodi Hollis. “Sometimes she needs to be urged to even take a day off and have fun.” Not for nothing, that experience and dedicated has paid off, because she’s being recognized as an expert. How does one get that recognition? It’s not exactly word-of-mouth. FFA teachers nominate students within their chapter for recognition. Forreston FFA advisor Robert Nelson nominated Hollis, and with great honors. “Teachers will nominate what we call a ‘star;’ someone they think is really top-notch,” said Nelson. “On the way to state voting, she beat two ‘stars’ from other districts.” After chapter honors, they move on to sections, of which there are 25, and then districts,
Brooklynn Hollis hooks up a milker to one of the cows in the milking parlor. Milking cows is just one of Hollis’ several daily duties at the Jo-Eng Dairy Farm. Hollis was recognized by the state for excellent work and record-keeping in dairy. Photo by Zach Arbogast
of which there are five. For reference, Forreston is the “chapter,” and competes in a “section” that includes West Carroll, Eastland, Pearl City, Pecatonica, Dakota, River Ridge, Durand, Freeport, Warren, Lena-Winslow, Orangeville, Scales Mound, Stockton, and Galena. A district then includes five sections. Solid proof is required of their knowledge and experience, in the way of a
Cold hands and hot items at spring auction By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com An annual spring auction came with a cold spell, but that didn’t hinder attendees from having a good time. The annual Hazelhurst Spring Consignment Sale that came around again on April 7 at 17748 W. Milledgeville Rd., Polo, hardly felt like “spring.” Temperatures hovered between 30 degrees from the 8:30 a.m. opening and 50 degrees by the evening close, with wind making it feel less than 20 at times. “It looks like everyone’s smoking,” said a passerby in a group of auctioneers. It was cold enough to see your own breath most of the day. It was a stark contrast to last year, where heavy rains left the 30-acre Hazelhurst site muddy as a swamp. However, did the cold temperatures hurt attendance?
“If anything, it helped it,” said Sheryl Hopkins,co-owner and operator of Public Auction Service, Polo, with her husband Lyle. “The farmers can’t get out in the field with the climate the way it is, so they need something to do for the day.” Vendors echoed Sheryl’s sentiment; when asked if the chill was hurting business for the Ogle County Beef Producers, Phil Fossler, of Polo, said “Lord, no!” The beef producers were selling their famous ribeye steak sandwiches, among other treats, to hungry patrons browsing the sales. “Since 20 minutes in, we’ve had a line for ribeyes, which is good for us,” said Fossler. “When it’s cold, farmers eat, and they like to eat beef.” The beef producers weren’t the only grub stop, as the Polo Lions cook up burgers, brats, and other grilled meats every year in the main concession
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students go through an interview process. Hollis had the advantage of this not being her first “rodeo.” In 2017, she entered judging in the Dairy Production Entrepreneurship field. She qualified for state honors, but did not win. “Between that time, and the different contests within FFA, it helped prepare me for the interview process,” said Hollis. “I’m not as nervous this time around, because it’s at least a
record book that includes detailed records of safety procedures, milk production, tests conducted and results, earned income (with taxes factored out), economy expenses, and every other detail even mildly associated with her responsibilities. “With the record books, you can figure out quite quickly who does their work, and who does not,” said Nelson. Once the record books have been studied thoroughly,
little familiar to me.” Jodi and Brooklynn both credited Nelson with being a supportive teacher, but he says it’s all on the students. “The way I look at it with the kids, they put in the time, and the chapter should support them,” said Nelson. Hollis competes for a National FFA Award in July. She will receive plaques for her current accomplishments in June at the Illinois FFA convention in Springfield.
Volunteers tackle fundraising for Black Hawk By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
11-year-old Kaleb McPhail rode out with a John Deere zero-turn Ztrak mower for $35, courtesy of the Hazelhurst Spring Consignment Sale. Photo by Zach Arbogast
stand attached to the central office. As good as the food is, though, it’s not the main attraction. Folks come from surrounding communities, and even nearby states, to see acres and acres of one man’s junk about to become another man’s treasure. “I grew up in Oklahoma, and you had one of these sorts of things every weekend,” said Alan Harrison, of Dixon. “This
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B6 Marriage Licenses, A4
is a real piece of Americana, and you just don’t see it as much anymore.” Scattered among the Americana in question was anything from fully functioning tractors, lawn mowers, and post hole diggers, to things like the front hood off of a big rig, or the back bed from a pickup. It also wasn’t a bad place for tires, with nearly an entire row filled. Turn To A2
Oregon Police, B2 Public Voice, A6 Property Transfers, B4 School Menus, A3 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3
A new volunteer group is attempting to raise funds as well as hope for the restoration of the Black Hawk statue. Oregon Together’s recently formed Black Hawk Restoration Team has plans to raise the estimated $500,000 needed to complete the repairs to the 107-year-old landmark that stands on a 125-foot bluff overlooking the Rock River at Lowden State Park. Team chairman Jan Stilson said members of the team met March 28 with representatives from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Conservation Foundation, Lowden State Park, and the Northern Illinois University Taft Field Campus to discuss the project, which was begun in 2014. Created by sculptor Lorado Taft in 1910 and listed on the
Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4 Zoning, B4
National Register of Historic Places since 2009, the concrete statue needs the repairs due to the ravages of weather and time. It was unveiled and dedicated in 1911. Over the years, despite numerous repair efforts, parts of the statue have crumbled and fallen off. Winter weather has been especially devastating. Before being encased in protective wrap almost four years ago, the 48-foot-tall landmark drew 400,000 visitors a year, according to state and regional tourism officials. Because it is situated in a state park, the statue is under the jurisdiction of the IDNR. At a team meeting Tuesday morning, Stilson said IDNR officials have agreed to remove the black plastic which has encased the statue for the last two winters. Ed Cross, IDNR Director of Turn To A8
Deaths, B5 Mary “Joyce” Franklin, Robert A. Gillick, Kathryn M. Laskos, Vincent P. Musso
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com