Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS February 11, 2016 Volume 48, Number 50 - $1.00
Sectional Qualifiers
Habitat Home
Primary Election
Three Hawk wrestlers advanced out of the tough Polo Regional Feb. 6. B1
Families are welcome to apply for the next Habitat Home. A4
Early voting and voter registration is underway at the Ogle County Courthouse. A9
Village board learns about revitalization plan By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com A former Mt. Morris resident’s vision for the downtown has gained the support of the village’s Economic Development Group (EDG). EDG Chairman Rob Urish asked the village board Tuesday for funds to help with the expenses associated with bringing experts to the village for a conference about the unfolding plan. Urish told the board that Andrea (Thorngren) Burchette, who now lives in St. Charles, brought her
vision about how the campus area downtown could become a destination for artists of all kinds. He said the success of the music venues at the bandshell could be expanded to include painters, sculptors, and other artists. Along with that, Urish said the empty storefronts could become specialty stores for arts and crafts, coffee shops, and related businesses that would bring both artists and visitors to town. “It’s got a lot of potential but it’s not going to happen overnight,” he said. Larry Mulholland, an expert is
“It’s got a lot of potential but it’s not going to happen overnight.” —Rob Urish revitalizing business communities, has agreed to lead a three-day conference at the Pinecrest Grove Community Center at no cost, Urish said. The conference would include experts in fields related to revitalization and interested residents. Urish said he will come back to
the board Feb. 23 with a definite amount needed to pay for the lodging and meals for the experts who will attend the conference. In other business, after several months of discussion, the board passed an ordinance governing semi parking. The new ordinance prohibits semi-tractors and semi-trailers from parking on residential streets except when conducting business. In another matter, the board approved establishing a conditional use that would allow agricultural activities in areas zoned residential.
Mediation continues
State budget battle forces NICIL to close Oregon office
By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com A mediation session late last month did not produce a contract settlement between the Oregon School Board and the Oregon Education Support Personnel Association (OESPA), but the two sides will continue to meet. “The association and board met Jan. 28 in mediation but were not able to come to a settlement on a contract,” the two sides said in a jointly issued statement. “Both groups are confident that a fair settlement will be reached through mediation.” The next session with a federal mediator is scheduled for March 3. The OESPA’s three-year contract with the school district expired June 30, and contract negotiations began May 27. The OESPA has more than 100 members and represents technical department support staff, cooks and the assistant head cook, instructional aides and other aides, bus drivers and aides, nurses and aides, custodians and maintenance, and secretaries. Oregon School Superintendent Tom Mahoney said in December that the two sides have agreed not to comment publicly about the issues and negotiations except in joint statements.
The conditional use allows row crops to be planted on residential parcels of 10 acres or more for a period of five years. Before taking effect, the conditional use must be approved by the Planning Commission as a text amendment to the village zoning code. The matter came up Jan. 26 when Dan Luepkes asked the board to allow him to farm the 12-plus acres he owns west of the bowling alley on Mud Creek Road. The board also met in closed session to discuss pending or probable litigation.
By Jermaine Pigee jpigee@saukvalley.com The budget battle in Springfield has claimed another casualty, and the fallout will impact dozens of disabled residents in the Oregon area. The Northwestern Illinois Center for Independent Living will shut down its Oregon branch office at the Rock River Center, 810 S. 10th St., effective March 1. “It is with great sadness that we find it necessary to close this office due to the Illinois budget impasse,” NICIL Executive Director Michele Miller said in a press release last week. “It is one more loss for people with disabilities due to political jockeying,” NICIL provides services for the disabled and caregiver training. “We will still be able to deliver services in the five counties that we serve, we just won’t have that location,” Miller said. “It was convenient for customers to come to that office because we could meet in private. Now, they will have to come to Sterling to meet with us, or arrange to meet in the community they live in.” NICIL’s central office in Sterling is at 412 Locust St. Like many social service
February Finds A warm, sunny day brought shoppers to February Finds antiques and collectibles market Feb. 6 at the Mt. Morris Moose Family Center. Above, Kathy Knutti, Mt. Morris, takes a close look at a figurine, and at right, Claudia Wasmund, Coleta, checks over a tea towel. Photos by Vinde Wells
Michelle Miller
agencies in Illinois, NICIL has been swimming hard against the tide of uncertainty and lack of funding. NICIL has 250 clients, Miller said. Roughly 30 to 40 will be directly affected by the closing of the Oregon office “This is not a decision that the board of directors has come to lightly,” NICIL Board President Mary Mahan-Deatherage said in the release. “We have been monitoring this situation for more than a year. Michele and her staff have worked diligently and economically to keep services at their maximum level.” This isn’t the first time NICIL has had to make hard choices. In July, four staff members were cut from the Turn to A2
Fifth grader wins OES spelling bee By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com With words from sky to cranny, all 21 contestants aced the first round of the annual spelling bee at Oregon Elementary School Feb. 5. The contestants, in grades 4-6, one by one took their turns spelling while assistant principal Ben Hickerson pronounced the words and gave definitions when requested. Fellow students, teachers, parents, and grandparents packed into the gym at the Etnyre Wing to listen, learn, and offer encouragement.
By the end of Round 8, the spellers had thinned to just three, and fifth grader Cayden Lewis emerged with a decisive win. Also competing in the final round were fifth grader Alexys Davis and sixth grader Mya Hernandez. Alexys went first and missed the word autumn, and then Mya missed vicinity, leaving just Cayden. Cayden thought for a moment, took a deep breath and correctly spelled macaw. To clinch the win, he was required to spell one more word correctly, and sailed through cyberspace with an ever-widening grin.
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That left the two girls in a run-off round for runner-up. Alexys won the second place spot by correctly spelling banquet, while Mya missed modular. Cayden said he was surprised to win, partly because he had not been preparing for the bee quite as much as he should have. “I practiced only about one week before the bee because I couldn’t find my words,” he said. Alexys said she had been sharpening her spelling skills at least every other day in preparation. Cayden will compete against 38 other students in
Byron Police, B4 Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Library News, A2
grades 4-8 in the Lee-OgleWhiteside Regional Spelling Bee on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. at Dixon High School. If he is unable to participate, Alexys will take his place. The winner of the Regional Bee receives an all-expense paid trip to National Harbor, Maryland to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee at the end of May. Prizes include MerriamWebster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Amazon.com gift cards, 2016 United States Mint Proof Set, Encyclopedia Britannica Fifth grader Cayden Lewis reacts to being named the online subscription, medals, winner of the Oregon Elementary School spelling bee on and pins. Feb. 5. Photo by Vinde Wells
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B5 Pine Creek News, A2 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B4
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, A10, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B3 Zoning Permits, B4
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com
Deaths, B4-B5 Gladys M. Appel Flora Jean Samuel Judith K. Snook