Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS August 27, 2015 Volume 48, Number 46 - $1.00
Volleyball Preview
River Sweep
Serenity Shed
The Oregon Lady Hawks have a talented roster that looks to compete in the conference. B1
Volunteers are needed to help clean the Rock River Sept. 12. A6
Re-purposing donated items and socializing is the goal of a new facility in Oregon. A12
It’s official: Park & Recreation Board is advisory By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com The Park & Recreation Board is now officially has advisory status, thanks to action taken at Tuesday’s Mt. Morris Village Board meeting. The village board adopted a new ordinance regulating the Park & Recreation Board by a 4-0 vote and then re-appointed its four members. Voting on the measure were trustees Don Sorenson, Tim Harvey, Shane Pope, and Jeff Pennington. Jon Murray and Phil
Labash did not attend the meeting. Village president Dan Elsasser said the new ordinance clarifies the language to make the code coincide with how the Park & Recreation Board has been operating. “We’re not giving or taking away anything,” he said. Board members were reappointed to make sure that the procedure and their terms were consistent with the new ordinance. Board members are Jan Hough and Mark Lewis, who are serving four-year terms, and Ed Higley
and Ryan Fletcher, who have twoyear terms. Earlier in the meeting former Park & Recreation Board member Joyce Carr voiced her opposition to the new ordinance. “I think it would be a big mistake to make it an advisory board,” she said. Elsasser told it has been functioning in that capacity for some time. “Not entirely,” Carr replied. Village attorney Rob Lesage said that the old ordinance gave the Park & Recreation Board the
same authority as the village board to enter into contracts and hire and fire employees. “While that’s permissible [under state statutes] it’s not advisable,” he said. Lesage added that village trustees indicated they wanted the Park & Recreation Board to be advisory only, with final authority left with the village board. At a previous meeting, Carr questioned the village board’s decision June 23 to remove the members of the Park & Recreation Board.
At that meeting, in an effort to establish term limits, the village board removed Carr, Higley, Fletcher, and Lewis. They then appointed Hough, Higley, Fletcher, and Lewis. Carr told the village board July 14 that the Park & Recreation Board already had term limits that hadn’t been complied with. In another matter, the village board authorized Lesage to draw up an ordinance limiting parking on East Front Street near Sullivan’s Foods. Turn to A3
Mahoney predicts district will have $770,000 deficit by end of school year
Picking Berries
By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com
Henry Warren, 6, Forreston, picks aronia berries Aug. 23 at BerryView Orchard northwest of Mt. Morris at 7504 W. Midtown Rd. The orchard, owned by Henry’s grandfather Jeff Warren, is holding u-pick days Aug. 29 and 30. Photo by Vinde Wells
Declining property values and stagnant state funding means the Oregon School District will likely be in red ink to the tune of almost $770,000 by the end of the 201516 school year. Superintendent Tom Mahoney told the school board Aug. 17 that he expects an overall deficit of $765,176 in the district’s four main funds next June 30 when the fiscal year ends. The largest shortfall — $816,508 — is projected in the Education Fund. Salaries and most expenses are paid from there. The Operations & Maintenance Fund shows a projected deficit of $83,476. The Transportation Fund and Working Cash Fund, however, show positive balances of $44,576 and $90,232 respectively. Facing a projected deficit of $1.1 million at the end of 201415 school year, the school board made $415,000 in staff cuts last
spring, but Mahoney said the effect was minimal. “Even though $415,000 was cut, revenues reduced by the same amount,” he said. The amount of property taxes the district receives has steadily declined for several years, he said. “The district’s EAV [equalized assessed value] continues to drop. It’s at 2007 levels,” Mahoney said Tuesday. “The loss of local revenue is driving the deficit, and the state has not provided adequate funding. We are receiving over $1,000,000 less than in General State Aid then the amount received in 2007. In districts that are thriving financial, their EAV is starting to climb again.” That may change for the better soon, however. Ogle County Supervisor of Assessments Jim Harrison said property values are due to begin an upward climb. “I think we could safely say we’ve hit bottom,” he said Tuesday.
For the first time in several years, Harrison said, the Illinois Department of Revenue has reported that assessments are finally reflecting sale prices. He said the real estate market in the county is slowly improving. Before the market tanked in 2008, he said, the county had 150 to 175 real estate transactions per month. After that, the number of monthly transactions dropped to around 50, and has now increased to about 100. Harrison said the EAV will take time to catch up to what’s happening with the real estate market because assessments are based on a three-year average of sales. The school district’s EAV was $179.8 million in 2007 and increased to a high of $208.7 million in 2011, and since then has steadily declined to $179 million projected for 2016. From 2007 to 2015, the major funding from the state has decreased from $4.7 million to $3.3 million.
O’Rourke and Eden get Oregon Chamber awards White lies get volunteers to awards dinner By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com Little white lies were required to make sure two Oregon men attended the annual Oregon Chamber of Commerce Dinner on Aug. 20. Tim O’Rourke and Stan Eden were both expecting to represent organizations they volunteer with. Little did they know they would be the stars of the show. “I would have never been here if they hadn’t faked me out,” said O’Rourke after being named the Citizen of the Year. He was attending the event to represent the Candlelight Walk committee, an event he has been part of for years. “A soft spoken and kind spirit, always professional and friendly, this individual keeps well hidden the countless ways that the seeds of his efforts have taken root and thrived
beyond measure,” said Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Debbie Dickson. “As an educator, his humor and creativity in the classroom captured the attention of our future – the youth of our town - opening minds to the possibility, potential and promise that a cultivated mind can achieve. He has lent a well rounded and attentive forethought to boards and committees, speaking after careful examination of the facts, and lending insightful contributions that best serve the organization. “A conduit of our community history, this docent loves sharing the experience of a ‘walk back in time’ with others,” she continued. “As we all know, there are those not particularly glamorous tasks, that none the less need handling, and this gentleman has certainly rolled up his sleeves, unloading trucks, and stocking and delivering essential supplies for and to those in need. In these days of busy, busy, busy, this shining star is an exemplary individual whom some of you may recognize as ‘Mr. Peppermint of Candlelight
In This Week’s Edition...
Walk fame’.” Even after being named citizen of the year, O’Rourke was downplaying the honor. “I don’t deserve this. I just do what I like,” he said. “ All those years of Little League, I never got an award, I just wanted to be in the background.” He quickly steered the talk to students he had the opportunity to teach in the Oregon School District for many years as their fourth and fifth grade teacher. His love of baseball was something he always shared with his students. After school, Mr. O. as he was 2015 Volunteer of the Year Stan Eden is surrounded by his family after accepting the called by several students, honor. Pictured, left to right, are: Janet Eden, Maggie Eden, Teresa Eden, Chelsea Eden, held baseball card trading Levi Eden, Michaela Eden, Stan, Loretta, and Mark Eden. Photo by Earleen Hinton activities in his classroom. Volunteer of the Year as an anchor trait. From veteran and an active To this day he is a devoted Minutes before O’Rourke church committees providing member of the Oregon VFW, Chicago White Sox fan. received his award, Stan Eden, winter coats and Christmas this man serves as a Post “I never give up on the White Sox and they will win representing the Autumn gifts for children in need, Officer, marches in parades, this year — another game I on Parade Committee, was to service on the Oregon serves breakfasts and packs seated with his wife Loretta Rotary Club, the tireless baskets for families in need hope,” O’Rourke said. He even remembered with fellow AOP members and countless contributions at holiday time. Although when this reporter brought trying to finish his blueberry this outstanding individual now retired, farming runs Chicago Cubs cupcakes to dessert when Dickson started makes for the benefit of through his veins and he class for a birthday party, to read a biography of this others is exactly why he is so continues to serve the needs deserving of tonight’s award,” of area farmers, advising and to see the reaction of Mr. year’s volunteer of the year. “Never seeking she said. consulting, and reminiscing O, before revealing a White Eden paused and briefly I suspect, over the toils, Sox cupcake, because there recognition or the spotlight, was no way a White Sox fan this years’ shining star looked up, as Dickson frustrations and fascinations recipient has volunteerism continued: “An honorable Turn to A10 could eat a Cubs cupcake.
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B12 Entertainment, A6 Library News, A3
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B6 Property Transfers, B4 Sheriff’s Arrests, B5
Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B3
Deaths, B5
Christopher H. Ascher, Doris R. Blake, Sandra L. Brady, Nancy A. Bunger, Dolores I. Gecan, James A. Hinkle, Lorraine E. Krueger
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com