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Player, coach of the year honored GIRLS BASKETBALL, B1
REAGAN REMEMBERED AT ANNUAL EVENT LINCOLN DAY DINNER, A5
EDUCATION | OREGON HIGH SCHOOL’S OPEN PROGRAM
ELECTION 2016 | LEE COUNTY JAIL REFERENDUM
Chances taken Sheriff Teen rides holds high hopes
program to internship, breakthroughs BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 @CHeimerman_SVM
OREGON – Chance Merrill is living proof that you can be what you want to be. For example, you don’t have to have even gone fishing, let alone be old enough to drive a boat without adult supervision, to work for a fishing company. The 16-year-old web design wizard is a junior at Oregon High School, and an original member of Open Program alumni. The 2015-16 school year was the nontraditional learning environment’s pilot campaign. First hour, he takes Open Program Passions, the first-year class for juniors developed by his classmate, Ellen Reckamp. In addition to helping students set up campus visits, job-shadowing opportunities, and practice interviews, Passions also brings students to unique opportunities. Last month, the juniors took part in an entrepreneurial convention at Rock Valley College, where they went from classroom to classroom, session to session, learning about tricks of the business trade. In one session, Merrill and three random group members were given 10 minutes to form a plan for a theoretical app for the company fishwithme.net. It’s a web-based network that helps anglers get together to share costs, fishing trips, tips and techniques. CHANCE CONTINUED ON A8
Simonton ‘optimistic’ about big decision on Tuesday’s ballot BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
Photos by Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com
Oregon junior Chance Merrill, 16, sits in front of a computer showing the home page of fishwithme.net during Open Program Passions first hour Thursday at Oregon High School. Merrill landed an unpaid internship with the web-based fishing community company, and has also created a stoichiometry calculator.
Pilot soars to second-year success Students, faculty reflect on life before, after Open Program BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 @CHeimerman_SVM
OREGON – Alyssa Theisen was bored. B-O-R-E-D, bored. Think dinner table. Mom or Dad asks, “How was school today, dear?” “I did some math … got an A,” said Alyssa, 15, playing along before laughing a bit. Jokes aside, she was going through the motions as a freshman. Her parents were proud of her straight As. She wasn’t, necessarily. Where was the satisfaction? “I just did my work, got it done and kept my grades
up,” she said. “Get up, go to school. Done. Going through the motions got me by. But I didn’t enjoy school. I might have gotten an A on the test, but I didn’t necessarily understand it.” Then her English teacher, Aaron Sitze, told his class about this new program the school would be launching that fall. In Open Program, students would be urged to grow at their own pace. They’d be empowered to take ownership of their education. In the first three periods, they’d have to achieve several things: their math and English requirements, as mandated by state learning standards; and a multipronged project during second semester that would benefit the community.
A few showers
VOLUME 8 ISSUE 28 40 Pages
Today: 62/52 For the forecast, see Page A13
Oregon High School sophomore Alyssa Theisen works on a project during Open Program on Thursday morning at the high school.
SUCCESS CONTINUED ON A8
Online extra
Find this story at saukvalley.com to watch English teacher Aaron Sitze and sophomore Alyssa Theisen go over her thesis for “The Great Gatsby.” Search for OHS Open Program on Facebook to learn more about the program.
Business
Garage sales have a new face as buyers turn to social media. See Page C1
Community Stained glass artist Nancy Lee Hames Lillyman puts her blood, sweat and tears into her work. See our Working Artists photo series inside. See Page C12
DIXON – Lee County Sheriff John Simonton is convinced that most residents understand the need for a new jail, but on Tuesday, county officials will find out how many voters want to pay for it. Simonton has given 23 informational presentations countywide, and he said he is feeling cautiously optimistic about voter sentiment, especially after a significant change was made to the message. While the referendum on the primary ballot asks for a 1 percent sales tax increase through the County Retailers Occupation Tax for Public Facilities, the amount could be halved if approved by voters. “In my conversations with folks, I’d say well over 90 percent of them see the need for a new jail, and the presentations got much better when we’re talking about half of what’s on the ballot,” Simonton said. The county’s revenue from the 1 percent tax hike had initially been an estimated $900,000, but was later discovered to be closer to $2.2 million annually. Rough estimates on the cost of a new jail are between $12 million and $15 million for a facility with 80 to 90 beds. Bids for the project can’t go out until the referendum is approved. Because it was too late to make a change on the ballot, the Lee County Board passed a resolution stating that it intends to pass an ordinance reducing the tax by a half-percent if the referendum is approved.
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HOPES CONTINUED ON A2
In my conversations with folks, I’d say well over 90 percent of them see the need for a new jail, and the presentations got much better when we’re talking about half of what’s on the ballot.
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John Simonton, Lee County sheriff
More election coverage on A3
County clerk office veteran, outsider vying for seat in Carroll County. Three seek Republican party nomination for Illinois House’s 74th District.
Index Births................ C7
Lottery .............. A2
Business........... C1
Markets .......... A13
Classified .......... B8
Obituaries ......... A4
Comics ........... A12
Opinion............. A6
Community ..... C12
Scoreboard ...... B4
Crossword Saturday ......... B12
Scrapbook ....... C3
Crossword Sunday ............. C8
Support groups .. C7
Dave Ramsey ... C1
Weather.......... A13
Dear Abby ........ C6
Wheels ........... B14
Sports .............. B1 Travel .............. C10