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Colbert Column
SPORTS COLUMN
Mother Nature provided a unique Chr istmas Day
Experiencing Christmas without family for the first time ever, the decision was made to spend much of it in the “great outdoors.”
On Christmas Eve morning, I joined about 30 people from a Dixon running club for a few miles on the trails of White Pines State Park. After everyone else left, I ambled about and discovered a new 130-acre plot adjoining the park to the west.
It was the Edward Vassallo Land and Water Reserve, a private entity that is part of the Illinois Nature Preserve System.
Designated in 2014, it has plenty of well-maintained trails amid native grasses and plants – a real hidden gem that can be accessed by simply contacting the private stewardship for permission to use the trails.
Already spoiled by the state parks around Oregon, I did not expect to encounter another beautiful place to enjoy nature.
A f t e r a d e l i g h t f u l e v e n i ng a nd morning of church services, Christmas Day was spent in near solitude at Lowden-Miller State Forest.
With 2,300 acres, a person almost can get lost.
Fortunately, there are markers at every junction of the 22-mile trail system. With so many miles to hike or run on, it is rare to encounter anyone.
On a sunny 50-degree day, I saw less than 10 people, including former Oregon distance coach John Axelson, who joined me for a few miles of running. We both agreed the Lowden-Miller doesn’t get anywhere near the use it should.
Many a day I will be out for hours on end and not see anyone. Do we have too much of a good thing in and around Oregon with Lowden-Miller, White Pines, Castle Rock and Lowden?
White Pines and Lowden State Park get plenty of use, while Castle Rock and Lowden-Miller do not. At least that has been my observations over the years.
White Pines and Lowden have the advantages of a long tradition, camping and attractions. Castle Rock (1978) and Lowden-Miller (1993) are newer and more primitive, though Castle Rock has a few amenities.
I spent much of the day at Castle Rock on a beautiful Dec. 23 and nearly had the place to myself. When you hear of national and state parks overwhelmed with large crowds, the lack of visitors at Castle Rock and L-M are a good problem to have.
Yes, I realize the winter isn’t the best time to gauge park attendance, but the rest of the year is slow, too. Could it be that we are over-saturated with parks? To have that many state parks/forests so close to one town is rare.
Among the runners that came out to White Pines was a school teacher from Clinton, Iowa, that marveled at e v e r y t h i n g O r e g o n h a s t o o f f e r. Nowhere close to Clinton could she find anything like our park system.
In chatting with her, I wondered if any value existed in marketing Oregon as a training Mecca for ultra runners interested in miles and miles of good trails located so close to one another.
Besides the aforementioned parks, a few miles north of town are 20 more miles of trails on nature sites the Byron Forest Preserve maintains. Don’t forget about Bald Hill, with its famous big tree and trails.
Southward, the uniqueness continues with 10 miles of trails at Nachusa Grasslands. If the opportunity to see bison while running isn’t a draw, I don’t know what is.
A stone’s throw away from Nachusa is Franklin Creek State Natural Area, home to several miles of trails with distinctiveness about them, so much so that a brand new 10K race was conducted this fall.
Bald Hill has even jumped into the fray with a nighttime 12-hour race in February. The 75 allotted spots are nearly sold out, an indication of the growth in ultra-running. One could also say it is an indication of how crazy people must be to run throughout the night in the middle of winter.
Sports tourism has become a big business. Admittedly, runners pale in comparison to youth sport enterprises and the like.
And compared with their brethren who bicycle, runners are tighter when it comes to throwing cash around. But if you look at how the trail runners helped a dying mining town such as Leadville, Colorado, come alive as a nationwide running destination, anything is possible.
We don’t have the ruggedness of the Rockies Mountains like Leadville, but I wouldn’t trade what the Oregon area has in terms of trail running for anything.
And for that, I am very grateful to call this my home and also not too bad of a place to spend Christmas alone.
GUEST VIEW
Andy Colbert
• Andy Colbert, an avid runner, has been a sports writer for Shaw Media and has covered high school sports in Ogle County for more than 30 years.
ROCK RIVER CENTER
Activities
Rock River Center is a resource center located at 810 S. 10th St., Oregon. Activities and trips are open to all ages. Call 815-732-3252 or visit www.rockrivercenter.org for more information.
Registration is requested for anyone planning to attend a scheduled program or class at Rock River Center.
January 2022 Yoga for ALL Ages
Jennifer Pierce EdD, leads movement and exercises using yoga and mindfulness concepts.
Incorporating these techniques into your lifestyle can enhance health, increase strength, improve balance and flexibility, and reduce depression and anxiety.
Classes will be held Monday and Wednesday, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Class dates are: Jan. 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26, and 31. All participants should arrive 5-10 minutes before the class starts; bring a yoga mat, water bottle, and wear loose-fitting clothing.
Enrollment Options are: $35: Advance Enrollment for 1 class a week (1 free class), $70: Advance Enrollment for all 16 dates (2 free classes), $5 Drop-In Rate per class (No free classes)
Advance enrollment is encouraged to get free class time. Space may be limited. Call 815-732-3252 to sign up.
Domestic Abuse Awareness Program
HOPE of Ogle County will be at Rock River Center to facilitate an informational program on Domestic Abuse Awareness. This program will take place on Jan. 10, from 10-11 a.m. at Rock River Center.
Join us if you would like to know: What is domestic abuse? How to recognize the signs? HOPE of Ogle County services/ How they can help. How to make a referral to HOPE.
Be prepared to learn statistics, important facts, resources and answers to your questions. Handouts will be available.
To sign up for this very informative free program, call 815-732-3252.
Nicor Gas Sharing Program
NICOR GAS sharing program is available to assist those NICOR customers whose income is above 150% of poverty level and less than 250% of the poverty level.
For a 1-person household the 30-day income minimum gross must be at least $2,148, but no more than the limit of $2,683,
For a 3-person household the minimum gross monthly income must be at least $3,661, but no more than $4,575, etc. This program is available through Aug. 31.
You can apply for the NICOR GAS Sharing program through the Rock River Center. Call 800-541-5479 or 815-732-3252 for more information or to make an appointment.
2021 Heating Assistance - LIHEAP
Colder weather is just around the corner and we all will be experiencing higher utility bills as we need to turn on the heat in our homes. There are two programs that help those with low-income pay for their heating utility bills.
The LIHEAP program continues to accept applications for assistance with paying heating bills.
Tri County Opportunities Council is the agency that processes those applications and they will be available at two locations in Ogle County, Oregon and Rochelle, by appointment only.
The Oregon Tri-County Office is located inside the Rock River Center, 810 S 10th Street. Appointments are available. Call 815-732-2907 for an appointment in Oregon.
The Rochelle Tri County Office is located at 306 N 6th Street. Appointments are available Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Call 815-562-6938 for an appointment in Rochelle.
In order to qualify, your household must meet the following income guidelines, no more than 200% of the poverty level. For a 1-person household the 30-day income limit is $2,147; 2-person household is $2,903; 3-person household is $3,660, etc.
SPORTS
A lston appreciates team, sea son dur ing title r un
BY TY REYNOLDS treynolds@shawmedia.com
For 20 months, the Polo Marcos had their sights set on a second straight Illinois 8-Man Football Association state championship.
After a senior-heavy team won the school’s first team state title in 2019, the sophomores and freshmen who spent that fall mostly watching from the sideline knew they wanted to do it again.
But the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the 2020 season into the spring of 2021, and forced the cancellation of the playoffs. So the dream of claiming another crown simmered through another offseason before they got the chance again.
The Marcos certainly seized the opportunity. They followed up a perfect regular season with a memorable playoff run, ending with a come-frombehind 12-7 win over Orangeville in a defensive slugfest in the I8FA state championship game to cap a perfect season.
And while he deflects a lot of the credit and praise to his players and coaching staff, Polo’s Ted Alston is the Sauk Valley Media’s 2021 Football Coach of the Year.
In 2019, Polo cruised to the I8FA state championship in its first season in 8-man. That team scored 559 points and allowed only 124 over 12 games, an
See ALSTON, Page 10
Polo coach Ted Alston is the 2021 SVM Football Coach of the Year.
Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@shawmedia.com
ATT E N T I O N V E N D O R S ! Bridal Fair 2022
SUNDAY, FEB. 6, 2022 12PM - 3PM
Northland Mall • Sterling, IL Booth Space Is Still Available Showcase Your Products or Services to Local Brides Deadline is January 14th
Sponsored By:
