Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS July 2, 2015 Volume 48, Number 18 - $1.00
Tough Run
7 Vehicle Crash
At the Band Shell
More than 100 runners brave the mud in the 4th annual KB Tough Run. B1
Three are hurt in a crash in a construction zone on I39. B3
The Jimmys will perform July 3, and Katie Sheridan is the Kable Band’s soloist July 8. A6
Freedom Reborn is theme of 2015 LFR festival By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com Celebrate the Fourth of July with food, fireworks, music, and family activities at Mt. Morris’ 52nd annual Let Freedom Ring Festival. Freedom Reborn is the theme for the this year’s celebration. The festival began Wednesday evening with the crowning of the 2015 LFR Queen. Two Oregon High School seniors, Paige Carlock and Cheyanne Terry, were vying for the honor.
Festival chairman Mark Lewis said the beer garden will be at a new location this year on the campus uptown rather than in the street. The beer garden will be open on Friday from 5 to 12 p.m. and again on Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m. Also new this year is magician and ventriloquist Gene Cordova, sponsored by the Evangelical Free Church of Mt. Morris on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the band shell. “This is a new family-oriented event,” Lewis said. Music will be a big part of the
festival. Radio station 97ZOK will do a live broadcast and house party Friday and Saturday from 9 p.m. to midnight from the band shell. “That’s a new event for us, too,” Lewis said. The Jimmys will perform on Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the band shell, compliments of the Mt. Morris Jamboree. Other Friday events include a bags tournament at 4 p.m. on Wesley Avenue, food court from 4 to 8 p.m. and Farmers Market from 4 to 7 p.m. on the south end of the
campus, a silent auction from 5 to 9 p.m. in Felker building, and a craft fair from 5 to 8 p.m. on the north end of the campus. The celebration begins early in the morning on the Fourth with the Firefighter’s Breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. at the firehouse, the Lois Nelson Walk at 8:30 a.m. at Dillehay Park, the Patriotic Program at noon followed at 1 p.m. by the 52nd annual ringing of the Official Illinois State Freedom Bell. The Grand Parade steps off at 2 p.m. with a wide array of local
organization floats, bands, classic cars, antique vehicles, novelty units, and other entries. The 4th of July is the optimal time for Mounder Class Reunions – several classes will have special vehicles in the parade this year. Grand Parade Marshal will be long time Kable Band Director Warren Reckmeyer, who is retiring after 60 years with the Kable Concert Band, 59 years of which he has been the director. Patriotic Program speaker will Turn to A2
Getting ready to help
Radio enthusiasts contact Slovenia By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com Whiskey-nine-golf-delta. Whiskey-nine-golf-delta. With these simple words, Gene Duncan, Oregon, made radio contact half way around the world Saturday night. “W-nine-golf-delta, you are 59638,” came a voice back on the radio. “You are 5918 Illinois,” relied Duncan. With this quick exchange, Duncan had a confirmed contact with Slovenia, a country east of Italy in Europe. “His name is Jenneis,” said Duncan. “I have talked to him before.” The signal was logged by Jerry Shirer, Oregon, to document the contact. Duncan and Shirer were taking part in an amateur radio field day being held in the Rock River Center’s parking lot on S. 10th Street. This was one of 346 confirmed international contacts Duncan has made in his 58 years of having an amateur radio license. “My favorite is talking to foreign countries,” said Duncan. “I have talked to Japan quite a bit and other stations in Asia. It is a fun activity.” Duncan has been broadcasting since he received an amateur radio license in 1957. “I lived north of Stratford
and had a table Crosley radio and heard broadcasts,” said Duncan. “It was something I got interested in with a couple other guys and we all got our licenses at the same time.” Duncan has been broadcasting ever since. When he went to the nursing home, he received permission to have a radio tower installed so he could continue his passion every day. During the field day Duncan and Shirer were teaming up to make contacts. “You need to move the dial back and forth trying to get a good signal,” said Duncan. With every contact made, Shirer was making a log in a computer program. “We are keeping track of where we have talked to tonight,” he said. “We log all contacts.” In the first hour of the field day there were confirmed contacts in Tennessee, Michigan, Indiana, South Carolina, Kansas, New Jersey, Mississippi, Ohio, and Pennsylvania in the United States and the one contact in Slovenia. Duncan has his amateur extra class license which grants him access to all the amateur high frequency bands. Some of the radio enthusiasts at the field day had a general class license which grants access to a restricted number of bandwidths.
First meeting held for new volunteer corps By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com
Gene Duncan, right, says his id W9GD into the radio when trying to make contact with other radio enthusiasts Saturday afternoon while, Jerry Shirer, N9XR, watches on. Photo by Chris Johnson
“You have three levels of licenses,” said Charlie Anderson, Oregon. “You need to know theory for the extra license. I have not received my extra license yet.” A beginner in amateur radio can earn a technician class license with has limited access to high frequency bands. Licenses are good for 10 years. Duncan said he needed to know Morse code to earn a license but that requirement has been removed from current testing. Each person with a license receives a call sign. Duncan’s call sign is W9GD, which is why he began his contacts by saying
whiskey-nine-golf-delta. “Each letter has a name,” said Anderson. The words used in amateur radio are the NATO Phonetic Alphabet with some slight variations. “Zulu, zed or zanzibar are not often used,” said Anderson. “When you hear Q-R-zed it is someone asking to repeat what you said. The Q-codes were used in Morse code.” Amateur radio enthusiasts gather every June for a nationwide field day. “We get together the last weekend in June each year,” said Anderson. “You gather all the contacts and we receive a certificate. It is pretty cool.” This year a field day
was held at the Rock River Center. “I think this is awesome,” said Ann Haas, the center’s executive director. “We are a community resource center and this event may spark an interest in amateur radio.” The Rock River Center board gave permission for the field day to be held in the parking lot and have a 40 foot radio tower put up for the weekend. The field day was sponsored by the National Association for Amateur Radio (ARRL). For anyone interested in learning how to earn a amateur license or to join a radio club, the ARRL has contact information for area clubs at www.arrl.org.
Ogle County officials took the first step Tuesday toward building an Ogle County Volunteer Corps that could be called upon to help during emergencies. “After the April 9 tornado we decided to get going on the volunteer corps,” said Ogle County Director of Health Education and Emergency Preparedness Joanie Padilla during an informational meeting Tuesday night about volunteer opportunities. “We watched the storm on radar and knew it would not be good.” Following the storm, thousands of volunteers descended on the county and Rochelle to offer help. Seeing the jobs these volunteers were able to assist affected families with was the spark to create a local group of volunteers to respond to emergencies. The first meeting to form such a group was held Tuesday at the Ogle County Courthouse. “The physical part (of recovery) is easy,” said Turn to A3
County bans e-cigarettes in public places By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com As of July 1, the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) is prohibited in virtually all public and work places in Ogle County. Joanie Padilla, county director of Health Education and Emergency Preparedness, cited a growing trend of youths using e-cigarettes as the reason for the ban. “My main impetus for this ordinance is that youths are using them,” Padilla said Tuesday. “I’ve had several educators tell me it’s a
problem even at the middle school level. I hope we can begin to get a handle on it.” The ban expands on the SmokeFree Illinois Act (SFIA) passed in 2008. It disallows smoking, and now “vaping” (smoking e-cigarettes), in offices, theaters, museums, libraries, educational institutions, schools, commercial establishments, enclosed shopping centers, retail stores, restaurants, bars, private clubs and gaming facilities. A first-time violation will result
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Church Bells, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B5 Marriage Licenses, A4
in a $100 citation for the offender and a $250 citation for a business. Second offenses will be $250 and $500. Businesses will be subject to a $2,500 fine for “subsequent offenses within one year for not taking steps to prevent the use of smoking,” according to the news release. E-cigarettes heat a liquid solution that contains “propylene glycol, glycerin, nicotine and flavorings,” Padilla’s news release said. Users inhale the substance to simulate cigarette smoking.
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“The health effects of e-cigarettes are not well-understood,” according to the news release. “According to the World Health Organization, e-cigarettes are probably less harmful than traditional cigarettes, but the level of risk reduction is unknown. It could take years to discover if e-cigarettes vapors cause cancer or other diseases. The ban on e-cigarettes in public places is a precautionary measure to protect nonsmokers from exposure to nicotine and other toxicants.” Padilla said via email that Chicago and “many of its suburbs”
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B3
have adopted similar policies, adding the Illinois General Assembly is considering adding it to the SFIA. The ordinance covers all places in Ogle County where traditional smoking products are banned. “We introduced it to the [Ogle County] Board of Health in May unofficially, and officially in June,” Padilla wrote in her email. “This ordinance mirrors the Smoke-Free Illinois Act in every way, except that it also bans electronic Turn to A9
Deaths, B5 Douglas E. Fitzsimmons, Robert L. Jenkins, Luanne Kalas, Carl D. Weber, Philip J. Zaffer
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com