Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS November 5, 2015 Volume 48, Number 36 - $1.00
Regional Loss
Halloween
Scam Alert
The Lady Hawks were sent packing during a thrilling volleyball regional final. B1
Results of the Halloween Costume Contest are announced. A9
Consumers should be on the lookout for new credit card scams. B3
Benefit planned for 5-year-old By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com A benefit this month will help a Mt. Morris boy who is suffering from a lifethreatening disease. Five-year-old Conner Pretzsch is fighting Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), a rare cancer, for the second time in his life. The benefit will be held Saturday, Nov. 21 at 5 p.m. at the Dixon VFW, 1560 Franklin Grove Rd., Dixon, and will include a silent auction, 50-50 raffle, deejay, meal, and bake sale. Donations will be used to help Conner, a kindergartner at Oregon Elementary School, get treatments and care. Conner’s mother Brittany Pretzsch said his battle began when he took a minor fall at age 2. Because he was in a lot of pain, she took him to the doctor, who found a tumor on his spine and sent them to Chicago for a biopsy the following day. Doctors in Chicago diagnosed Conner with LCH on Aug. 3, 2012 and prescribed chemotherapy
Tasty Treats Trunk or Treat sponsored by the Evangelical Free Church of Mt. Morris was held Oct. 31. Above, Mia Ortega and Olivia Chavez, dressed as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum get sweet treats from Santa (AKA Cindy Belleque). At right, two-yearold Lysle Warner, Oregon, shows off on a saddle provided by Liz Hansen, left, Photos by Vinde Wells
Conner Pretzsch
administered through a port. The chemo helped and Conner was in remission for two years, but now the cancer has returned and was discovered in his brain in September. The original tumor was on two vertebrae, one of which was destroyed and the other severely damaged, Brittany said. “Sometimes he’s uncomfortable,” she said. “He’s in a back brace all the way from his hips to his armpits.” Brittany said her son has had two surgeries already and now has sleep issues and symptoms of diabetes. Turn to A2
What is LCH? Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease that usually affects children and involves the rapid increase of Langerhans cells, abnormal cells deriving from bone marrow and capable of migrating. Its manifestations range from isolated bone lesions to affecting multiple systems in the body.
Fundraising is underway for Gov. Lowden statue Committee’s goal is to raise $200,000 By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Fundraising has begun for a new marble statue that will honor Illinois Gov. Frank O. Lowden on the Ogle County Courthouse lawn. Stacy Flanagan, chairman of the Governor Lowden Memorial Committee, said Monday that committee members plan to raise at least $200,000 to cover the cost and installation of the statue, which will be situated on the northeast side of the courthouse lawn facing Ill. 2. The statue will be sculpted by Stillman Valley native Cody Janes, who currently lives in Volo. Janes said the statue will be slightly larger than life and be mounted on a marble base. “It will commemorate everything Lowden did for Oregon and Ogle County,” he said.
Once the funds are raised, Janes estimated that the work to complete the statue will take about two years. “It takes some time to carve a statue from stone,” he said. “The process is not as fast as casting it in bronze.” The county board gave its approval in June of 2013 to locate the statue on the courthouse lawn. Lowden, who served as the 25th Illinois Governor from 1917-1921, sponsored picnics each July 4 for several years on the courthouse lawn. Lowden and his wife Florence Pullman Lowden purchased land in Ogle County in 1899, which they developed into Sinnissippi Farms, southeast of Oregon. They lived there for many years. Besides serving as Governor, Lowden served as a U.S. Congressman and was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Illinois National Guard. He was appointed by President Calvin Coolidge as a member of the Memorial Commission for the Mt. Rushmore National Park in South Dakota.
In This Week’s Edition...
Members of the Governor Lowden Memorial Committee are pictured left to right: Dave Stenger, Oregon, Chris Martin, Oregon, Stacy Flanagan, Oregon, sculptor Cody Janes, Volo, Paul White, Forreston, Dan Janes, Stillman Valley, Tom Suits, Polo, and Marty Typer, Stillman Valley. Photo supplied
Lowden was also law professor at Northwestern University, Evanston. Several local areas are named for him, including Lowden State Park, Lowden-Miller State Forest, and Boy Scouts of America Camp Lowden. Flanagan said the statue
Birth, A4 Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B6
project will be funded by private donations. The committee recently received its 501c3, not-forprofit designation and can now begin the fundraising phase of the project. “The committee will be contacting potential donors,” Flanagan said. “And we will
Library News, A3 Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B6 Public Voice, A8 Property Transfers, B3
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4, A7 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4
apply for grants.” She said the tiered giving system will come with incentives. Every donor will receive a commemorate gift depending on the amount of the contribution. The incentives range from a print of Lowden for a $500 donation to a marble bust of
the former governor for a $100,000 donation. An artist’s rendition of the statue is not yet available. For more information about the project call Flanagan at 815-9704801 or email her at stacyflanagan81@hotmail. com.
Deaths, B4 Mary C. Fox, Lois L. Hagemann, Cindy A. Walker
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com