Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, Sep 10, 2021
OGLE COUNTY NEWS
14 SPORTS VIEW
It was a busy sports Saturday at OHS complex I
was out of town last weekend and missed all the activity at Oregon High School and playing fields elsewhere. In its busiest weekend of the year, Oregon hosted a football game, volleyball tournament and huge cross country meet. Parking spots were so hard to find on Saturday that Polo cross country team bus driver Trish Bolen told me she almost considered parking in my driveway, as my house abuts Park West. Her or any other bus driver would have been welcome. Credit to all the good people who drive buses. Amidst today’s labor shortage, some schools are in danger of missing athletic competition because of lack of transportation. On a similar note, Kyle Zick recently notified us that Forreston’s week 6 game with East Dubuque was changed to Saturday because of a shortage of officials. Lack of workers is everywhere and will continue to impact high-school sports. I did see a decent fresh-soph football game on Monday night between
Oregon and Forreston, with the Cardinals coming on top 14-0. It also gave me a chance to catch up with new varsity head coach Keynon Janicke. It’s truly a family affair with his parents on the sidelines as photog and statistician. A hometown lad like Keynon could be a lifer as Forreston coach. Sure, some coaches aspire to move to bigger schools, but with a family atmosphere at Forreston that extends beyond kinfolk, what’s the point of leaving. The biggest change from being an assistant to head coach? “I find myself thinking about things a lot more at night, things that (former head coach) Kyle Zick had to figure out,” Janicke said. Forreston’s 28-0 loss to Durand-Pecatonica was not indicative of the how much closer the
game was. Janicke felt his squad gave Du-Pec too many opportunities. The game of the week in the NUIC will be Du-Pec and newcomer Fulton. Hard to gauge how good either team is yet, though Du-Pec has been getting plenty of love from the media. The problem for Du-Pec will come in the playoffs. At 438 students, they are 3A. In 2019, they faced Byron in the first round. Let’s see. Byron beat Stillman Valley 35-0. Stillman Valley beat Rock Falls 48-0 and Rock Falls beat Rockford Christian 56-0. Does that mean RC will lose by 139 points when they play Byron on Friday? One reason Oregon was playing Forreston in a fresh-soph game is that RC used underclassmen on the varsity. Getting back to cross country under coach Tony Hardin, Polo has started its program again. This includes the middle school, as well. This is great news, as distance running is one of the best things for young people and the camaraderie
with fellow opponents is unmatched among other sports. It is also very inexpensive compared to other athletics. Counting both high school and junior high kids, there were over 700 runners at Oregon Park West on Saturday. You could see why parking was at a premium with so many parents, grandparents and the like. I ran in a much smaller 100K race in rural Madison County, Iowa the same day. With its covered bridges and movie of the same name, this area is a tourist draw. Call me prejudiced, but I think Ogle county is more picturesque and our farmland is better looking. The bridges were a nice touch to the race, but overrated. The high point of the 63-mile trek to me was the quaint town of Winterset. What a beautiful downtown courthouse and town square. Additionally, businesses and houses on the main drag had huge American flags on display.
6:30pm and have fun for all ages. Remember to bring your chairs and blankets to watch the movie once it gets dark! Questions? Email melaniew@pololibrary.org or call 815-946-2713 Storytime Saturday In Person - Polo Library Lawn or Pavilion - Sept. 11 & 25 at 10:30 a.m. - Join Ms. Melanie *LIVE* at 10:30 a.m. these Saturdays on the Library Lawn, or in the Library Pavilion, for a story and a craft! - Register by calling 815-946-2713 or emailing melaniew@
pololibrary.org Thursday, Sept. 16 - 10:30 a.m. - Healthy Living for Your Brain & Body PLUS a Free Line Dancing Lesson to Follow For centuries, we’ve known that the health of the brain and the body are connected. But now, science is able to provide insights into how to make lifestyle choices that may help you keep your brain and body healthy as you age. Join us to learn about research in the areas of diet and nutrition, exercise, cognitive activity and social engagement,
and use hands-on tools to help you incorporate these recommendations into a plan for healthy aging. Followed by, 30 minutes of line dance lessons taught by Manager, Education and Community Volunteers, Joe Landmichl from the Rockford Office of the Illinois Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association Tuesday, Sept. 28 - 7 p.m. - Live on Zoom - Twin Disasters - Join us for an informative discussion about the 150th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire and the Peshtigo Fire.
call 815-732- 2724 for any questions.
Now through the 23rd - Interactive Exhibit in the Art Gallery - Learn everything you need to know about recycling and living green. Come upstairs to explore the interactive “Where is Away?” exhibit that has been loaned to us by SCARCE, an award-winning environmental education non-profit dedicated to creating sustainable communities. The exhibit is a 3-dimensional, four-sided, free-standing exhibit that allows a person to explore how to responsibly dispose of common items found around the home.
The items range from plastic bottles and bags to household chemicals, electronics and food scraps with best practice solutions that include composting, recycling at home, or taking them to a special collection center. Libraries by their very nature are “green” in that their resources are shared by the larger community. Please come and see what difference you can make with this traveling exhibit. Open during our normal business hours. Want to bring a group, no problem, call to schedule a time at 815-732-2724.
VIEWS Andy Colbert
POLO LIBRARY Polo Library Hours Polo Library’s open hours are Monday Thursday - 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., Friday - 10 a.m. 4 p.m. and Saturday - 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. - Curbside services will continue to be available during open hours. Saturday, Sept. 11 - Tails & Tales Movie Night - Games & Activities at 6:30 p.m., Outdoor Movie starts at 7:30 p.m. Join Ms. Melanie for games, activities and an outdoor showing of “The Secret Life of Pets”! This family friendly event will start at
OREGON LIBRARY Library Card Sign-Up Month Since 1987, Library Card Sign-up Month has been held each September to mark the beginning of the school year. Oregon Public Library joins the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries nationwide to remind parents, caregivers and students that signing up for a library card is the first step on the path to academic achievement and lifelong learning. Masks Required Masks are required upon entering the Library. Hand sanitizing is requested. Please
Library Book Clubs The Afternoon Book Club meets Wednesday, Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. to discuss The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. Books on Tap meets Thursday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. to discuss The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda. The 2WBC Book Club meets Wednesday, Oct. 13 at 12:30 p.m. to discuss World War Z by Max Brooks. Where is Away? Exhibit at the library -
