Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS July 9, 2015 Volume 48, Number 19 - $1.00
Fair Ornaments Limited edition ornaments will help sponsor the Ogle County Fair Queen pageant. A7
At the Band Shell
Kids Contest
Jim Kanas and his trio will perform July 10, and the Kable Band takes the stage July 15. A6
Some laughs were shared during the Little Miss Mister contest. B1
LFR speaker was piloting jet over ocean on 9/11 By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
London to Chicago. “I’d just started my break when the first flight attendant told me I was wanted back in the cockpit,” he told the crowd at the July 4 Let Freedom Ring Patriotic Program. Soon he received a note that gave only sketchy details, but said both towers at the World Trade Center had been hit, that it was a hijacking, and “others may
be in progress.” He locked the cockpit door and posted the plane’s third pilot beside it, armed with a Mt. Morris native Mike crash axe. Ballard was high in the sky Ballard said he was over the Atlantic Ocean on soon informed that the Sept. 11, 2001 when he got flight would be diverted to the word that all was not well Toronto, Canada, because in the U.S. U.S. airspace was closed. He was piloting a United That plan changed quickly Airlines jumbo jet carrying when orders came that 200 passengers and the crew Toronto would not be the from Heathrow Airport in destination after all, and three other airports in Canada were offered as options. After consulting with his crew, Ballard opted to divert to Gander International Airport in Newfoundland. Even that did not prove simple — with enough fuel on board to get to Chicago, the jet was too heavy to make a safe landing at a closer airport. The crew dumped some of the fuel. They planned a precision landing, but Gander’s equipment for that was not working, which meant searching for the airport at a low altitude among the abundant forest. “The trees were looking pretty close,” Ballard said with a grin. They soon found out they were in line with 39 other jumbo jets wanting to land at Gander - an airport accustomed to maybe 10 planes at a time, he said. Once on the ground, they Colton Freeze, 8, is sprayed as he competes in the LFR discovered the usually cool, kiddie water fights Sunday afternoon. Photo by Chris crisp Canadian air was a Johnson muggy 86 degrees.
During the Let Freedom Ring Patriotic Program Saturday, speaker Mike Ballard gestures toward the Mt. Morris Schools that he attended. Also pictured are LFR Queen Paige Carlock and American Legion Commander Stan Ballard. Photo by Vinde Wells
They were instructed to stay in the jet, and that’s when the air-conditioning quit. Ballard ordered the plane’s doors opened to catch the breeze, but was soon sternly instructed to close them for security reasons. Until landing, the passengers had no knowledge
Experts will know in about two weeks whether or not they concocted the right mixture last week to repair Oregon’s most well-known landmark. Black Hawk statue restoration team members Andrzej Dajnowski, from Conservation of Sculpture & Objects Studio, Inc., Forest Park, and Amy Lamb Woods, professional engineer from Simpson, Gumpertz & Heger, Inc., Chicago, were at Lowden State Park July 1 to inject four different mixtures of repair materials into the cracks in the 104-year-old concrete monolith. “We have to let them set and then look at the surface and see how they performed,” Woods said. “We’ll know in about two weeks.” Dajnowski, the project conservator, made four different mixtures of cement and lime in plastic containers and then climbed the scaffolding surrounding the
of the Canadians, especially with little advanced notice. All told, the Gander airport played host to 6,600 passengers and crew members, nine dogs, 10 cats, and two monkeys. “I can’t believe how well that town took care of us,” Turn to A2
Sparrow offers economic tips
Experts search for the right mix By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
of the terrorist attack, and little did anyone imagine they would be guests of the Canadians for the next five days. Ballard said they were kept on the plane for more than 19 hours, deplaning the next morning, but not allowed to take their luggage with them. He praised the hospitality
By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com An economic development advisor told Oregon’s newly formed Economic Community Development Committee Tuesday that there is a golden opportunity for development ready to be seized. Advisor Greg Sparrow, Rochelle, who is also an Ogle County Board member, said the city has a major opportunity because it is the county seat. Amy Lamb Woods removes crumbling materials from the head of the Black Hawk “Being the county seat you statue. Photo supplied by Amy Lamb Woods, Simpson, Gumpertz & Heger, Inc. have a golden opportunity,” 50-foot statue to inject each surface. vertical fold in the robe from said Sparrow. “Oregon is into the cracks using a large Designed by Chicago armpit to toe are the critical only limited by what you go after.” needle and syringe. sculptor Lorado Taft, areas. To discover what direction Woods said two mixtures the statue was poured in The statue was encased in to go, Sparrow challenged were injected in the morning December of 1910 and plastic mesh for the winter the members of the ECDC to and two others would be unveiled and dedicated in to protect it from further answer questions. done in the afternoon. 1911 as a tribute to all Native damage from cold, ice, and “How fast do you want “It’s a very delicate Americans. snow. to go? What do we want process,” she said. It stands on a high bluff The protective covering to go after?” said Sparrow. The team is trying overlooking the Rock River has been left in place, materials with different and draws thousands of Dajnowski said, because it is “You can bring people here. You can develop the river chemistries bought from visitors each year. also rain-proof. different companies to find Time and weather have Placed on the National front. You have tourism which will be the most damaged the statue to the Register of Historic Places in opportunities.” The ECDC will need to effective in repairing the point that portions of it have 2009, the statue was named examine what resources the damaged areas of the statue, crumbled and fallen off. to a less desirable list earlier community has to offer. Woods said. The folded arms of the this year. Sparrow said working The team also removed statue, especially the elbows Landmarks Illinois with the Village of Mt. calcium deposits and loose and underneath the arms; the Turn to A3 Morris is only logical since material from Black Hawk’s middle of the robe; and the
In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B10 College News, A4 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B3
Library News, A3 Marriage Licenses, A4 Public Voice, A8 Property Transfers, B6 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3
Social News, A4 Sports, B2 State’s Attorney, B3 Zoning Permits, B5
“I encourage you to try a tri-city approach with Mt. Morris and Byron. Market the towns and you can attract retail.” — Greg Sparrow the communities share a combined school district. He also said the river is a common element between Oregon and Byron. “This is a good thing,” said Sparrow. “I encourage you to try a tri-city approach with Mt. Morris and Byron. Market the towns and you can attract retail.” He said the area of the three communities has close to 15,000 in population and nearly 40 percent of the county population does not live within city limits. “Embrace this and join forces and bring together the cities,” said Sparrow. There is a railroad spur from Oregon that runs to Mt. Morris. ECDC committee member Tom Golden asked Turn to A9
Deaths, B5 Ruth I. Balluff, Donald E. Blumeyer, Wayne L. Hinrichs, Lynn A. Manis, Wayne E. McBride, Mary J. Moser, Martha Ruthe
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com