Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS February 4, 2016 Volume 48, Number 49 - $1.00
Tough Loss
New Venue
The Lady Hawks are grounded by Dixon 46-30 on Senior Night . B1
Dabbling Kids
First Fridays will be at Pinecrest Grove Feb. 5 with live music. A6
The annual Day of Dabbling will be held in Oregon at the Church of God Feb. 27. A7
Value of Byron Station stays at $482.4 million By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
Oregon Elementary students took part in the school’s annual Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser last week. Here, Shaun Blake jumps as Natalie Roesslein twirls. The event was held in the Oregon High School gym. Photo by Earleen Hinton
OES students Jump Rope for Heart Oregon Elementary students were busy last week jumping rope to help battle heart disease. Oregon Elementary School students raised donations to support the American Heart Association’s Jump Rope for Heart, a nationwide event that encourages active lifestyles for children while teaching the value of community service. The program engages parents, teachers
and students by teaching the benefits of a heart healthy lifestyle and the different ways to become more active. On Jan. 28-29, students put those teachings to practice at the Oregon High School gym to jump rope and participate in the time-honored cardiovascular exercise. Students raised $8,000 for the event last year with all proceeds going to the American Heart Association.
School officials hope that this year’s donations will top the $10,000 mark. “Our community is very close so almost everyone knows somebody affected by cardiovascular disease. It’s an opportunity to raise money for a great cause but also teach students how we can keep our hearts healthy with fun games and activities for heart healthy habits,” said Oregon Elementary PE Teacher Lori Gipper.
Board members favor allowing farming in town By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com A local landowner may be allowed to grow row crops on his 12-plus acres inside the Mt. Morris village limits. The board considered a request Jan. 26 made by Dan Luepkes at its previous meeting to farm the land he owns west of the bowling alley on Mud Creek Road. Attorney Rob LeSage said when the property was annexed into the village almost two decades ago, it was zoned R-2 (residential)
which does not allow farming. He said farming is also not a special use under residential zoning. However, he said, it could be allowed as a conditional use, but recommended limiting the use to row crops to eliminate the possibility of livestock being raised there. When the property was first annexed into the village, a developer was interested in building houses there. However, the plan fell through and the land has remained vacant. Village trustee Tim Harvey said he would favor allowing
farming. “That would take care of the weed problem,” he said. Trustee Phil Labash said he would prefer the conditional use to have a time limit, such as five years, to allow the property to be developed sometime in the future. After a closed session, the board approved a motion to offer Sullivan’s Foods a revised incentive agreement. In May of 2014, the board approved an $858,170 agreement with Sullivan’s for the new grocery store. That agreement included an annual payment to Sullivan’s
of $50,000 for each of the next 12 years, for a total of $600,000; a real estate tax abatement totaling $140,000, and sales tax rebates for 12 years estimated at $118,170. Village President Dan Elsasser said the revised agreement eliminates the annual payment of $50,000 in return for additional sales tax rebates for 12 years. “It’s going to be the same amount overall, but it will come from a different place,” he said. The board also approved a salary package for employees.
Having a shop is dream come true By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Owning her own shop was a dream Donna Kuntzelman nurtured for 27 years. It came true a year and a half ago when she opened Chatty Lady Creations, a flower and unique gift shop, in the River Valley Complex in Leaf River. “Scott and I went to Galena on our honeymoon and I saw a little shop there,” Kuntzelman, 49, said. “I said someday I’m going to have my own shop.” After working several years as a lab technician, Kuntzelman was ready for a change and saw a help wanted ad for County Market. Her boss quickly recognized her natural talent and gave her a job in the Donna Kuntzelman puts the finishing touches on one of the flower shop — a perfect fit. dolls she makes from paper clay. Photo by Vinde Wells Soon she was doing orders
In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4 Library News, A3
“I never tell anyone no. I love to make anything. There’s nothing like seeing someone’s reaction to something you did.” —Donna Kuntzelman at home and decided the time had come to fulfill her dream. Kuntzelman opened her shop featuring flowers and much more in July of 2014. Besides floral arrangements and plants, Kuntzelman offers balloon bouquets, candy bouquets, gift baskets, Ravens Brew coffee, gourmet chocolate boxes, gift wrapping, and her own one-of-kind gifts and customized decorating. One of her specialties is making figures or “dolls,” Turn to A3
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, A7 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B4 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3
The Ogle County Board of Review (BOR) disappointed both sides of a tax appeal last week and struck the middle ground when it set the value of Exelon’s Byron Generating Station. After a hearing arguments from attorneys for Exelon and the Byron School District Jan. 28, the BOR set the nuclear plant’s value at $482.4 million — the same as a year ago. Exelon’s attorney Terry Moritz argued that the assessed value of the plant should be $238 million, while Josh Whitt, representing the Byron School District, presented information setting the value at $609 million. “I’m disappointed. I thought our attorneys made the case that the plant’s value is $609 million,” said Byron School Superintendent James Hammack. “However, I respect the work of the Board of Review — that’s a tough decision.” Byron Station Communications Manager Paul Dempsey said Exelon is willing to pull its weight but wants fair treatment. “Exelon Generation is always committed to paying its fair share of property taxes. Like every taxpayer, Exelon Generation expects fair treatment in the collection of taxes to support the needs of the county,” he said. “We are open to entering an agreement to resolve the property tax issues for Byron Generating Station.” Ogle County Supervisor of Assessment Jim Harrison set the plant’s value at $482.4 million last fall after the BOR chose that amount at a tax appeal hearing in January
of 2015. The assessment set in 2015 affects taxes paid in 2016. “Not a whole lot has changed since last year,” Harrison said. He said the plant’s 20-year operating license extension came in November, a month after the assessment was set. BOR Chairman Joe Yockey said the threemember board based its decision on the assessed value of the Exelon’s Braidwood generating station, which is considered a “twin” of Byron and is of similar age. A seven-year agreement between Exelon and the taxing bodies affected by the Braidwood plant set the value at $455 million for 2014, $445 million for 2015 and 2016, $455 million for 2017, $460 million for 2018, $465 million of 2019, and $470 million for 2020. Officials on both sides declined to comment on whether or not Exelon and the taxing bodies are currently negotiating a multiyear agreement for the Byron plant’s value. Exelon and the Byron School District, which draws the largest share of taxes from the plant, have appealed the BOR decision for 2012, 2013, and 2014 to the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB). PTAB recently set an April date to hear the 2012 appeal, and Yockey said that decision, once it comes, will be helpful in the future. “With the upcoming hearing at PTAB, we can use that number to get an agreement on the value,” he said. Exelon paid more than $32 million in real estate taxes in 2015 to 11 taxing Turn to A3
Antiques and more at February Finds Antiques, vintage collectibles, and artwork will be just some of the items for sale this weekend at the annual February Finds Antique and Collectibles Market. The event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Mt. Morris Moose Family Center, 485 E. Hitt St. The market is a fundraising event for the family center. More than 20 carefully selected dealers have reserved booths, and currently all booth spaces are filled. All displayed antiques, vintage collectibles, and artwork are for sale.
Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4 Weather, A3
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com
Merchandise includes antique furniture, antique tools, primitives, tins, lamps, vintage clothing and jewelry, tin toys, collectibles, quilts and frames, artwork, stamps, postcards, tin lunch pails, local advertising memorabilia, Depression glass, pottery and enamelware. Admittance is $3 per person. Children age 5 and younger will be admitted free. Children must be accompanied by an adult. At the same time, the Let Freedom Ring Committee will hold its annual bake sale to raise funds for the 2016 Fourth of July festival.
Deaths, B5 David E. Reinke, Brian D. Tremble