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YOUR GOVERNMENT Sauerkraut Days safeguards discussed

Craft show, food trucks and sidewalk painting July 31-Aug. 1

BY JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@oglecountynews.com

This year’s version of Sauerkraut Days and the safeguards that will be in place during a pandemic, was the main topic at the Forreston Village Board meeting on Monday.

Village officials discussed how the town’s main festival will be held safely July 31 through Aug. 1.

There will be four food trucks downtown on Friday and Saturday and again Aug. 7-8.

There will be a craft show on Aug. 1. A sidewalk painting competition will be held July 31-Aug. 1 with a rain date of BY JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@oglecountynews.com

The Polo City Council had an extended discussion at its meeting last week regarding investing in a subdivision in town and approved $7,500 to spend on engineering fees for estimates on factors like curb and gutter.

The city buying and developing the Buffalo Creek Subdivision from Dave and Laurie Sherrick has been discussed briefly at recent meetings. The reasoning for wanting a subdivision is to raise the population in Polo and help the school with enrollment.

Multiple members of the council spoke of a shortage of available homes and lots in Polo. Alderman Randy Schoon said on July 20 that TIF money could be used for some of the costs of developing the subdivision.

Aug. 7-8.

Jane Koeller spoke in the public comment section of the meeting on behalf of the Sauerkraut Days Committee and asked who would be in charge of breaking up groups of people if they gather against the state’s COVID-19 guidelines.

“I’m not going to be the social distance police this weekend,” Koeller said. “I don’t know how you want that to be handled. At the craft show only 50 (people) will be in the fenced-in area. We’re going to do what we can to suppress huge crowds where we can contain it. If I try to go and break people up, they’ll say, ‘Who are you?’”

Two food trucks will be in the main

“I believe this is the single biggest thing that any of us will do if we make this work,” Schoon said. “For one thing, it’s going to save that school. If we lose that school, we lose our identity. And i don’t think time is on our side.”

Alderman Donald Sanders Jr. was the lone vote against approving the money for engineering estimates.

“I don’t want us gambling with the city’s money and hoping it works,” Sanders said. “If there’s a plan for how we’d get people in there, I’m all ears.”

Buying the land from the Sherricks would cost $435,000, Schoon said.

The idea of developing a subdivision elsewhere in town was also discussed. Alderman Jim Busser thinks another location could be easier to sell lots in. Busser mentioned land east, south and southwest of town that could be more parking lot downtown. Two others will be on the south side of Believe in the Children, spaced to encourage social distancing. The craft area’s numbers of people will be monitored on Cherry Street and sidewalk painting will only be done on every other square.

There will be three hand washing stations downtown and signs to encourage social distancing. Concerns were raised after the Ogle County Health Department voiced concerns of people gathering around food trucks in Oregon last weekend.

Forreston Police Chief Mike Boomgarden said his officers will do what they can to break people up if they need to, but arrests won’t be made.

“There will be two of us around,” Boomgarden said. “When I see folks out playing basketball, I say we’d like to have them split up. I haven’t had any problems with the groups. We will cer

POLO CITY COUNCIL City discusses investing in new subdivision

tainly be watching.” attractive for lots if it could be bought.

“I think the city should get involved in developing a subdivision,” Busser said. “ I don’t think that’s the place to do it. I don’t think the ground is good and the lots aren’t a good location. There’s too many valleys and too much low ground.”

The Sherrick land is already subdivided for 51 lots. The positive of buying that land is having the preliminary work already done, Schoon said.

“You’d have to start from square one and foot the bill for the drawing process and the whole ordeal if you went elsewhere,” Schoon said.

There was also talk of getting public input on the possible purchase and development of a subdivision.

“For me to feel comfortable doing this, we’d have to have a public hearing and see what they have to say,” Sanders said.

BerryView On the Go

Cheri Slack of Byron carries apple cider donuts and an aronia berry slush after visiting the BerryView Orchard food truck in Oregon on Saturday. The food truck, making its inaugural appearance, was met by a long line in the morning of anxious customers wanting the specialties from the Mt. Morris orchard. The orchard will be open starting Aug. 29 with a new store currently being constructed.

Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media

COVID-19 & RECREATION Pool closes after some staff exposed to COVID-19

Polo High School’s prom could have been contact source

BY JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@oglecountynews.com

The Polo Pool closed on Monday afternoon due to some staff members being potentially exposed to COVID19 that may have stemmed from Polo High School’s prom on July 18.

The pool, operated by the City of Polo, voluntarily closed after staff members learned of their exposure on Monday. The Ogle County Health Department did not mandate the closure and is working with the pool and the City of Polo on getting testing done.

“We’re not sure how long we’re going to close for,” Polo Pool Manager Kayla Bergstrom said. “We did it on our own. Staff members were exposed. We’re taking precautions and getting people tested. If they’re all negative, then we’ll open the doors. We’re following health Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media

A sign was taped to one of the doors at the Polo Pool on Tuesday announcing that the pool has been temporarily closed due to some staff being “only exposed” to COVID-19. The pool sits empty until it reopens.

department recommendations.”

Bergstrom said she had eight employees lined up for testing at the pool. Polo City Clerk Sydney Bartelt spoke to the OCHD on the pool’s behalf.

OCHD Public Administrator Kyle Auman said contact tracing related to the situation is being performed.

“There were potential links to the prom,” Auman said. “These are the types of situations we want to try to avoid and why we discourage large masked gatherings. We’re still working on contact tracing. We’ve had 50 people linked to the situation. The prom and various other activities.”

Auman said he’s “heard” that the prom, held at the Brandywine in Dixon, was consistent with masking and social distancing but that transmission can still happen through things like touching door handles.

Polo School District Superintendent Kelly Mandrell declined to comment on the situation Tuesday.

The mother of an attendee to the prom confirmed to Ogle County Newspapers on Tuesday that her daughter tested positive after attending the prom.

She was tested July 20 at KSB Hospital and received her positive test on July 27. Other family members, some not showing any symptoms, have also tested positive.