Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal July 20, 2018 Volume 156, Number 13 - $1.00
A Great Week
Butterfly Fest!
Ready to Run?
It was a great week for the Forreston Community Vacation Bible School. A3
The Elkhorn Creek Butterfly Festival is Saturday, July 28. A6
The First Annual Kraut 5K Fun Run/Walk is Friday, Aug. 3 in Forreston. A3
Board approves jail design despite cost concerns By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com Despite concerns over the cost, the Ogle County Board approved the schematic design Tuesday evening for the new jail with an estimated price tag of $26.7 million. The board approved the plan presented by Thomas Leonard, of Gilbane Building Company, by a vote of 21-1 with Lee Meyers, of Byron, casting the only no vote. Board members Nic Bolin, of Holcomb, and Garrett Williams, of Rochelle, did not attend the meeting.
The board hired Gilbane in February for the design and construction of the facility. The firm is based in Providence, Rhode Island, and has offices in numerous locations around the world, including Chicago, They are working with Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Inc., Chicago, the firm hired last year to do the architectural and engineering design. Gilbane and HOK have collaborated on several projects, including the DeKalb County Jail expansion, which is now completed. Leonard showed a drawing of the
exterior of the jail, which has been scaled back from the preliminary plan presented last year. To save money, he said, the jail plan has been downsized from three stories to one and a half stories, from 70,000 square feet to 50,796 square feet, and from 180 to 200 beds to 152 beds with the capacity to go to 176. The total cost was estimated initially at $25 to 28 million. On Tuesday, Leonard said the first numbers he was given for the larger facility put the cost at $28 to 30 million, which makes the current estimate, $26.7 million, reasonable.
Board member Skip Kenney, of Rochelle, had questions. “At first, the jail was larger and looked different, but now it’s more expensive,” he said. Kenney also objected to the flat roof. “In my experience, flat roofs in northern Illinois are problematic,” he said. Leonard said the roof will have a taper to promote drainage. Sheriff Brian VanVickle said the flat roof is necessary to allow for numerous skylights that are required by federal jail standards. Board member Marty Typer, of
Stillman Valley, asked if the cost can be further reduced. HOK project manager Larry Hlavacek said the costs have been already been reduced as much as is possible while still maximizing security and efficiency in the jail. He said all costs have been steadily increasing since the first jail estimates were made two years ago, and steel prices are uncertain because of the recent tariffs imposed by the federal government. The exterior of the jail will be brick and designed to mimic the judicial center.
Drive aims to help students start school year off right By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com Forrestville Valley students start school off the right way every year thanks to community involvement, spurred from the efforts of a Forreston woman. An old African proverb states “it takes a village to raise a child,” and Jane Koeller, of Forreston, says the community proves that every year through the annual Supplying Students Education Tools (S.S.E.T.) 4 School drive. The drive dates back 15 years ago, when Koeller worked for MetLife in Freeport. The company donated for local kids to have school supplies. Koeller immediately volunteered to head such a drive for Forreston, and the S.S.E.T. 4 School drive was officially born. Raising three kids as a single mom at the time, she said she understand the struggle first hand. “This is near and dear to my heart,” Koeller said. “I know what these parents are feeling, and what they go through during the rush to get school supplies.” The program started small, but grew each year. “Our first year started small — maybe 20 kids — and lately it’s at around 130,” said Koeller. The rapid growth each
Interested in helping? If you’re interested in donating, collection bins for the S.S.E.T. 4 School drive are located at the following locations: Koeller Forreston Hardware, 104 E Main St, Forreston Forreston Public Library, 204 1st Ave, Forreston Bertolet Memorial Library, 705 Main St, Leaf River German American State Bank, 100 Church St, German Valley The supplies most in need are: spiral notebooks, loose leaf notebook paper, glue, colored pencils, crayons, and markers. Questions about donations or pick-up? Contact Jane Koeller at 815-266-1095. There is also a Facebook page, https://www. facebook.com/SSET-4-School-155254321282400/ year also introduced more collection opportunities. By 2008, drop-off locations were established at Forreston Public Library, Bertolet Memorial Library in Leaf River, and German American State Bank, German Valley. Aside from donations from private citizens all year long, local groups like the local Lions Clubs, American Legion, and American Legion Riders contribute. Between monetary donations for buying supplies, and outright supplies donations, around $2,500 worth of school necessities are provided for families each year. An organized, U-shaped buffet of backpacks, pencils, glue, and more will be set up on Tuesday, Aug. 7 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Gary and Jane Koeller’s garage, 405 S. Fourth Ave., Forreston. Supplies exclude shoes, ear phones, and paint, but that’s
about it. Should a parent be unlucky enough to have to miss the drive day for one reason or another, Koeller takes calls and schedules personal pickup appointments for around a week after the day. Finally, any unused supplies are carried over for the next year, but not before a couple of backpacks are filled with supplies and left with Forreston High School, for students new to the school district who need a good start. After all that, does Koeller take the credit for herself? Not even a little. “I’m the mouth of this body, but the community is what gives the program arms and legs, to get moving,” said Koeller. “The entire program is community-funded. It is phenomenal.” When all is said and done, and the supplies are handed out, Koeller says the greatest
Jane Koeller holds a backpack which will be available along with all kinds of school supplies through the S.S.E.T. 4 School drive. Donations can be dropped of at several locations including Koeller’s Forreston Hardware. Photo by Zach Arbogast
motivation is the joy the families experience. “I do this for the parents who leave with happy tears in their eyes, and for the kids who light up and say thank you,” Koeller
said. Along with a deep appreciation for the community, Koeller expressed thankfulness for help she gets for the program from
Forrestville Valley teachers Jill Bunders and Stacey Bolen. “It works out so nice, and the kids appreciate familiar, friendly faces when they show up,” she said.
Fair to offer affordable family fun
Filling the Boot
By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
Leaf River firefighter Gary Shuman holds a boot at the Leaf River Fire Station last Friday evening to raise funds for the family of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, firefighter Cory Barr, who was killed in the line of duty July 10 while battling a natural gas explosion. He is survived by his wife and twin daughters. Photo by Vinde Wells
From the queen pageant to the livestock shows, the 165th Ogle County Fair set for Aug. 1-5 will offer non-stop family entertainment at an affordable cost. “We’re praying for nice weather,” said Harlan Holm, fair board president. The fair begins with the crowning the 2018 fair queen on Wednesday, Aug. 1 and features the traditional grand stand shows — truck and tractor pulls on Wednesday and Thursday, Big
In This Week’s Edition...
Byron Library, A7 Church Bells, A5 Classifieds, B5-B8 Entertainment, A6
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B3 Polo Library, A8 Public Voice, A7
Hat Rodeo on Friday, and the demolition derby on Saturday. Holm urged the public to take a look at the projects done by local 4-H club members, as well as other youth. “Come to the fair and support the youth,” he said. “They do a lot of work hard work on their projects all year. That’s why we’re here.” Their efforts will be on display throughout the fair. The project shows cover a wide array of topics from traditional livestock, foods, and clothing to electricity, woodworking, and computer science. In an effort to make the fair
Property Transfers, B3 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 State’s Attorney, B2
Published every Friday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com
affordable for families, the fair board is again including unlimited carnival rides with the $8 general admission fee at the gate. Tickets can be purchased in advance at a cost of $6 per person, a $2 discount from the gate price, at Casey’s General Store in Oregon, Mt. Morris, Polo, Stillman Valley, and Byron. Holm said more volunteers are needed to help at the gate and with parking. Call Rosanne Hurst at 815440-3601 to volunteer at the gate, and Jon Sheely at 815-9782264 to help with parking.
Deaths, B4 Irvin H. Bolthouse, Dorothy M. Modler, Donald L. Smith