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The FORRESTON JOURNAL (USPS No. 205-520) is published weekly by B.F. Shaw Printing Co., Shaw Media. Periodical postage paid at Forreston, Illinois. POSTMASTER Send address changes to FORRESTON JOURNAL, P.O. Box 237, Forreston, IL 61030. Phone 815-732-6166, ext. 2516.

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By ALEXA ZOELLNER azoellner@shawmedia.com

After four years abroad, Mickey Lamping returned to Leaf River in time to take part in the village’s Christmas celebration last weekend.

“It’s nice to finally come home after everything,” said Mickey, a senior airman with the U.S. Air Force who is stationed in Suffolk, England. “Everything slowed us down to come back.”

This is the first time his wife, Sophie Lamping, and their 10-month-old daughter, Alice, have been to the U.S.

The COVID-19 pandemic and travel r e s t r i c t i o n s k e p t t h em fr om vi si t i n g sooner, Mickey said.

“It’s different, but it’s very nice. Everyone’s friendly,” Sophie said when asked her thoughts on the area.

Alice also is enjoying the visit, despite the cold weather, which dipped below 10 degrees Fahrenheit with wind chill during the Dec. 17 Christmas celebration the Lampings attended.

“You love it, don’t you?” Sophie said to her daughter. “You’re cold though. Very cold. We’ll have to come in the summer.”

For the first time, the Christmas market at the Bertolet Building and the Leaf River holiday parade were combined into one event. The tree outside the Bertolet Building was lit up for the community to enjoy.

The cold didn’t really impact the market because it was inside, said Richard Simpson, Bertolet Building president.

“When we started the market last year, it was really, ‘How do I bring a little bit of the English Christmas spirit into the town?’” said Simpson, who grew up in England. “It went really well. Next year, we’re hoping to make it bigger and better.”

The parade was organized by Josh Lamping, former Leaf River village president and currently a member of the Leaf River Fire Protection District. This was the parade’s third year.

“When COVID started, I said, ‘Let’s expand this. Let’s make a parade out of it,’” Josh Lamping said. “That was the first year.”

Attendance wasn’t as great as they had hoped, but it was to be expected with the cold, he said

“ Al l t h i n g s c o n s i de re d, I t h i n k i t worked,” Lamping said. “It’s fun and it’s something to do.”

Alexa Zoellner/Shaw Media TOP LEFT: Alice Lamping, 10 months, of Suffolk, England, sits with Santa and Mrs. Claus during the Leaf River Christmas festival. TOP RIGHT: Teagan Rubright, 2, of Davis, is all bundled up.

FORRESTON LIBRARY

Holiday Hours

The library will be closed Saturday, Dec. 24 for Christmas Eve. We will reopen on Monday, Dec. 26 at 10 a.m.

Hat & Mitten Tree

Our Hat & Mitten tree is up and ready to take your donations of new or gently used winter wear for all ages. Please help us keep our friends and neighbors warm this winter. Donations will be given to area agencies. Thank you for your generosity!

Toddler/Preschool StoryTime - Tuesdays at 10 a.m. Storytime is on break for the holidays and will resume on Tuesday, January 10th. Have fun celebrating with your little ones!

Community Room

Looking for a place to hold your event? Our community room (with a small kitchenette) is available for meetings, parties, showers, family reunions, and more. Please call the library at 815-938-2624 for additional information.

Plastic Recycling

We are collecting film-type plastic for recycling. This includes plastic bags, zipper type baggies (with the zip portion removed), cereal/snack bags, bubble wrap, and other soft plastic . Please make sure bags are free from debris and remove all paper/sticker labels. We cannot accept hard plastic, such as water bottles, milk cartons, etc., for this program. Thank you!

BERTOLET LIBRARY

Holiday Hours - Bertolet Memorial Library will have the following hours this holiday season:

Closed - Saturday, Dec. 24 through Monday, Dec. 26; Saturday, Dec. 31, 8 a.m. - 12 noon; Monday, Jan. 2

Mitten Tree - Mittens to wear; Hats for their hair; Scarves for their neck: Gloves too? Check. Our annual Mitten Tree is now on display through the end of December. Please help decorate our Mitten Tree with thick, warm mittens, gloves, hats, and scarves for all ages. Items will be distributed through New Life Community Center in January.

Youth Programs

Reindeer Scavenger Hunt - Visit Bertolet Memorial Library in December and scout out the reindeer displayed throughout the library. Solve the puzzle and get a prize at the circulation desk!

Story Time: Enjoy your holiday season. Miss Jana will be back for Story Time in January!

Big Kids, Big Art - Tuesday, Jan. 17 , 4:30 p.m.

LEGO® Club - First Monday of the month, 5 p.m.

Create with us on the first Monday of each month. We will have the LEGO® bricks waiting for you!

Adult Programs

Adult Book of the Month - Look for the next title in January!

Craft Kits for Adults - Stop by the circulation desk and pick up the December take and make craft. All the materials are provided to make a reindeer candy pot.

Create-a-Card - Will Return in March 2023.

Drop Box - Our drop box is closed until further notice due to water leaks. Please return library materials during business hours. You may also return materials to other local libraries, and they will send them to us via our interlibrary loan system. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Plastic Recycling - We ask that you make sure plastic is clean with no debris in the donation. Also please remove any ziploc-type seals and paper/sticker labels. Thank you for your cooperation.

By EARLEEN HINTON ehinton@shawmedia.com

Cold winter temperatures and biting wind failed to deter volunteers from placing wreaths on the graves of veterans at Daysville Cemetery southeast of O r e g o n a s p a r t o f t h e n a t i o n w i d e Wreaths Across America

The Saturday afternoon event was coordinated by the Rochelle Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution with help from Oregon VFW Post 8 7 3 9 . T h e w r e a t h s w e r e p r o v i d ed through donations.

Laurie Perry, regent of the Rochelle Chapter of the DAR, spoke briefly about the Wreaths Across America program noting that Saturday’s event was part of a national effort to honor local veterans by placing wreaths at their graves.

“All wreaths are sponsored by donation – as is the entire program: trucks, drivers’ time, fuel, everything,” she said.

Ceremonial wreaths were first placed in honor of all of the military services including the U.S. Coast Guard, Merchant Marines and POW/MIAs. Twenty-five volunteers then spread out across the cemetery to place wreaths at each veterans’ grave that already had been marked with U.S. flags.

According to Saturday’s program, 204 veterans are buried at the Daysville Cemetery, located five miles southeast of Oregon on Daysville Road.

Ceremonies also were held at Woodlawn Cemetery in Creston and St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Rochelle. Girls Scouts from Troop 2189 gave the Pledge of Allegiance to open Saturday’s event.

Wreaths Across America Day, held annually in December, also includes a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, in addition to other locations in all 50 states.

According to the Wreaths Across America website: “We understand we have Veterans Day in the fall and Memorial Day in the spring, but our service members sacrifice their time and safety every single day of the year to preserve our freedoms. In many homes, there is an empty seat for one who is serving or one who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. There is no better time to express our appreciation than during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. We hope you will join us at any of our more than 3,400 participating locations to show our veterans and their families that we will not forget. We will never forget.”

For additional information or to donate, visit wreathsacrossamerica. org.

Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media ABOVE: Bill and Stephanie Nelson of Oregon lay wreaths on veterans’ graves at Daysville Cemetery on Dec. 17 during the Wreaths Across America project. Bill was laying a wreath on the grave of Virgil Reed, who fought in the Civil War.

ABOVE: Don Stevens and his daughter, Anne, helped place wreath on veterans’ graves at Daysville Cemetery. LEFT: Devyn, 12, of Oregon places a wreath on a veteran’s grave. RIGHT: John Tuttle of Oregon, a Vietnam War veteran, salutes after laying a wreath in honor of POWs and MIAs.

Fee previously was $25 per machine

By ALEXA ZOELLNER azoellner@shawmedia.com

Ogle County upped its annual video gaming terminal fee to $150 during its Dec. 20 board meeting.

Ogle County Board members voted 17-4 to raise the fee, effective May 1, 2022. Board Chairperson John Finfrock and board members Dan Miller, Joseph Simms and Stan Asp voted no.

“It was passed at committee a while b a c k , b u t n e v e r c a m e b e f o r e t h e board,” Finfrock said.

The Ogle County Liquor Control Commission recommended the $150 fee during its April 19 meeting.

The fee previously was $25 per terminal. A state law passed Dec. 17, 2021, allows the county to raise the fee to no more than $250 per machine per year.

The new fee set by the county board applies only to establishments under the jurisdiction of Ogle County. The f e e c o v e r s a f i s c a l y e a r o f M a y 1 through April 30.

ARPA economic grants OK’d

C o u n t y b o a r d m e m b e r s a l s o approved the following economic development grants, which are funded from American Rescue Plan Act dollars received by the county:

The village of Forreston received $17,375 for a LED sign and HVAC upgrades to a new village hall building.

The Byron Fire Protection District got $23,000 for extrication equipment.

EMS-Emergency Operations Center was given $5,000 to cover lost revenue.

Old jail demolition update

Demolition of the old county jail is “moving along very nicely,” said Don Griffin, Ogle County Board member and Long Range Planning chairperson. The building has been completely removed, along with underground materials, and the space is being filled in.

“We hope to have that finished up at the end of the week,” Griffin said.

The Ogle County Board approved a bid of $98,000 to raze the building on Oct. 18 after receiving a total of eight bids for the project.

The cost of demolition will be paid for using American Rescue Plan Act monies; that expenditure also was approved by board members Oct. 18.

The jail was located at 107 S. Fifth St., just south of the historic Ogle County Courthouse that was built in 1891. The courthouse still houses several county offices. The new Ogle County Correctional Center, located west of the Ogle County Judicial Center, opened in November 2020.

The judicial center, located in the 100 block of South Fifth Street west of the courthouse, houses courtrooms and county offices affiliated with the court system.

The current plan for the site is to add one row of parking stalls and sidewalks on the east side of the existing parking lot and leave the rest as green space.

Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media A Martin & Co. truck unloads gravel as workers fill in the basement of the old Ogle County Jail on Tuesday. Demolition of the 1969 jail started Dec. 5.

Sheriff: ‘Dr ive merry, bright and sober’ this holiday season

The Ogle County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the Illinois Department of Transportation to remind motorists about the dangers of impaired driving.

From Dec. 16 through Jan. 2, law enforcement across Illinois will step up enforcement efforts with a high visibility “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Drive High. Get a DUI” traffic safety campaign.

“We want everyone in our communities to enjoy the holidays without worrying about the dangers of impaired drivers,” Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said in a news release. “During the campaign, you can expect to see extra safety patrols. We will show zero tolerance for alcohol- and drug-impaired driving to help ensure everyone makes it to and from their holiday festivities safely.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, in 2020, a total of 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver.

On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2016 to 2020, with one person killed in an alcohol-related crash every 45 minutes in 2020.

Before the holiday fun begins, make a plan for a sober ride home and remember these tips:

Designate a sober driver or make a plan to use public transportation or a ride-sharing service to get home safely.

If you see an impaired driver on the road, pull over and contact the Sheriff’s Office.

Have a friend who is about to drive impaired? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get them home safely. They’ll thank you later.

Always buckle up!

The holiday enforcement campaign is administered by IDOT with federal highway safety funds managed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, VanVickle said. Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle

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Program ‘will help communities streamline policies, implement best practices’ to prepare for influx of electric vehicles

By ALEXA ZOELLNER azoellner@shawmedia.com

Polo is participating in an initiative to help local governments prepare to meet a growing demand for electric vehicles and EV charging infrastructure.

The city is one of 16 members of the EV Readiness Program’s inaugural cohort. The program, which was launched earlier this year by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and ComEd, “will help communities streamline policies and implement best practices for safe and effective regional transportation electrification,” according to a news release on MayorsCaucus. org.

“We’d like to set the standard for the little towns,” Polo Alderperson Beth Sundman told fellow city council members during their Dec. 5 meeting. “We want to be a leader in an area and show everybody else that this can be done in a town this size.”

Municipalities in the cohort range in population from Polo’s 2,291 to Chicago’s 2,746,388.

According to the 2020 census, Polo, Deer Park, University Park, Hampshire and Glencoe each have fewer than 9,000 residents; Richton Park’s population is 12,775. Geneva, Darien, Maywood, Hanover Park, Carol Stream, Oak Park and Skokie each have between 21,000 and 68,000 residents. Aurora’s population is 180,542 and Kane County’s is 516,522.

“They [Chicago’s representatives] made a comment about being the elephant in the room,” said Sundman, referencing an in-person meeting of the cohort she and City Clerk Sydney Bartelt attended. “So when it came around to us, I was like, ‘Well if they’re the elephant, we’re the mouse in the room because this is what we’re dealing with.’”

Bartelt applied for the program on behalf of Polo.

There are 17 goals related to preparation that Polo is supposed to accomplish within the next six months, Sundman said. She noted that it might take longer than that, but once the goals are met, the city will receive a plaque declaring its EV Ready Bronze designation.

Beyond the 17 Bronze designation goals, there are goals that will earn a municipality Silver or Gold designation, according to the news release.

“My concern was scalability and them being able to help us do this even on a smaller scaled area,” Sundman said. “But I’m excited because I really think that if we can get even one of these stations somewhere in town and get on these databases for people who have EV cars who need to charge while they’re in transport [we’ll draw people into Polo].”

If someone is driving an EV from Monroe to Dixon and their battery needs to charge, having Polo as an option to stop and charge benefits the city, she said.

“They may pull in here, plug in, and they’ve got to hang for half an hour,” Sundman noted. “Meanwhile, they can walk to Shell, walk to the market, walk downtown, go look at a tree. We kind of hold them hostage while they are charging, which gives them a chance to see what we can offer.

“If they can go downtown and they can see the restaurants and they can see options and they can see stores and they can see the stuff here, then that might encourage them to come back,” she continued. “So that was my personal hope for that.”

According to the Illinois Secretary of State’s website, there were 35,504 EVs in the state and 53 EVs in Ogle County as of Nov. 15, 2021. As of Nov. 15 of this year, there are 55,333 EVs in Illinois and 77 in Ogle County. These totals do not include hybrid vehicles.

The state’s records of EVs per county go back to November 2017; at that point there were 8,031 EVs in the state and three in Ogle County.

Lee Count y looking to increase speed limit on Lowell Park Road

By RACHEL RODGERS rrodgers@shawmedia.com

The Lee County Board will be voting next week on reverting the speed limit on a portion of Lowell Park Road back to 55 mph.

In October 2020, the board approved changing the speed limit from 55 mph to 45 mph from Timber Creek Road to Pilgrim Road following safety concerns from residents.

Pilgrim Road marks where Lee County ends and Ogle County begins.

Lee County Board members wanted to reevaluate the speed zone, and the Lee County Highway Department conducted a speed study for Lowell Park Road from Penrose to Pilgrim roads in July.

The study found that 88% of drivers were violating the limit. The average for about 85% of drivers was 59 mph, and the prevailing speed was around 56 mph.

Prevailing speed is determined to reflect what a majority of the drivers will drive at what they judge to be safe and proper.

The board will vote on a resolution saying that “an increase in the posted speed limit on Lowell Park Road from Timber Creek Road to Pilgrim Road is reasonable and necessary for the safety of the motoring public.” The 45-mph speed limit on Lowell Park Road begins at Pilgrim Road once the road enters Lee County.