Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS October 27, 2016 Volume 50, Number 2 - $1.00
Sectional Bound The Hawks Cross Country Team will run at Oregon Park West Saturday morning. B1
Pumpkin Crop
Comprehensive Plan
Halloween will be filled with pumpkins in Illinois. A9
The Oregon Park District is working to update its comprehensive master plan. A7
Colored pencil artists unite at “Artbeat Away” By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com A collaboration between a Geneva-based art studio and a superstar pencil artist brought a colorful day to Pinecrest Community recently. Oct. 15 was a day of art and culture in the Mt. Morris area. The day began with “An Artbeat Away,” a colored pencil technique instructional, hosted by Beech Tree Studio, inside the
Pinecrest Grove Community Center. Based in Geneva, the studio is run by artist and owner Andria Thorngren Burchett, a Mt. Morris native. This is the third year in a row that Beech Tree Studios has hosted a retreat to Mt. Morris, and accompanying Burchett was a guest artist and friend, Amy Lindenberger from North Canton, Ohio. Lindenberger is a founding member of the Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA), and has
Amy Lindenberger demonstrates shading techniques using an eraser pencil. A small crowd gathered around to watch closely. Photo by Zach Arbogast
had her work published in internationally-distributed books, such as The Best of Colored Pencil I, II, and IV, and Creative Colored Pencil Portraits. Lindenberger demonstrated how to create soft-focus landscapes with graphite and colored pencil to a group of about 40 people – double the amount she is used to. In the technique, students used a powdered-graphite base, and were shown how to essentially “draw” with erasers; starting dark and adding light. “The reception has been great; it’s so different that everyone finds it really interested,” Lindenberger said. It’s also a quicker process; this type of piece can be finished in anywhere from half to one-third the time of a conventional piece. Of the 40 students in attendance, most came all the way from Chicago to learn from Amy. Burchett also helped spearhead the Encore! Mt. Morris initiative, and she says the whole event tied beautifully into the vision of bringing art and culture back to Mt. Morris.
A crowd of around 40 people came from as far as Chicago to take part in the art retreat and learn from guest artist Lindenberger. Photo by Zach Arbogast
No cause yet for fatal fire By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com The fire that claimed the lives of a Byron mother and her preschool son last week remains under investigation. Byron Fire Chief Galen Bennett said that he has not yet been notified of the cause of the Oct. 19 fire in the house at 2020 N. Silverthorn Drive, where Maggie Meyer, 31, and her 3-year-old son Amos lived. “As far as I know they’re still investigating,” he said
By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com Awards for distinguished service, recognition of efforts, great food, and cookies fresh from the soonto-open bakery highlighted the 47th annual Village of Progress banquet last week. More than 300 people attended the event, emceed by Tom Wadsworth for the 17th year in a row, on Oct. 19 at St. Mary’s Community Center, Oregon.. For a sweet dessert treat, every place at the tables included a shortbread cookie decorated with The Village Bakery’s logo and slogan “Baking a difference.” The bakery, at the corner of Third and Washington in downtown Oregon, is VOP’s most recent enterprise and is slated to open before the end of this year. Before awards were given
bedroom when the fire broke out. The child and his father were taken to Rockford Memorial Hospital, where Amos was pronounced dead. Firefighters also could hear smoke alarms going off and encountered heavy smoke when they arrived. Maggie Meyer was found dead on the couch on the first floor. At the scene last week, Bennett said firefighters encountered very little fire, Turn to A2
Heroin abuse is on the rise in Ogle County
Several honored during banquet 47th annual VOP Banquet was held at St. Mary’s Oct. 19
Tuesday morning. Bennett said the investigation is being handled by the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Ogle County Sheriff’s Department. The fire was reported around 6:40 a.m., apparently by Meyer’s ex-husband and the boy’s father, Duane C. Meyer, who was there to pick up the youngster. When firefighters arrived, Meyer and a Byron police officer were performing CPR on Amos, who was reportedly in an upstairs
Editor’s note: This is the first of a 4-part series on the growing use of heroin in Ogle County and how it is affecting governmental agencies, addicts, family members and the political process. Sandra Braddock grasps the Robert Moehle Personal Achievement Award Oct. 19 at the Village of Progress 47th Annual Banquet.
out, Jackie Fransen was recognized as the manager for the new Village Bakery. Fransen has 20 years of experience in food service and has served for 10 years as head of food service at Oregon Living and Rehabilitation Center. She’s also ran her own bakery. The first award given was the John Herrmann Personal Achievement Award, named for Herrmann’s 30 years of service - 24 as village board member, and a foundation board member until his death, which went to consumer Sharon Good. Good spent nine years working at VOP. In 1999, she moved on to work at a local grocery store washing dishes until 2011. She then moved to Springfield to do janitorial Stillman Valley’s Will Glendenning wins the $1,000 duties for a local Hardee’s. In June 2015, she returned Peter Cacciatore Memorial Scholarship Award at the Village of Progress 47th Annual Banquet Oct. 19.
Turn to A6 Sauk Valley Media photos by Philip Marruffo
In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B5
Marriage Licenses, A4 Mt. Morris Police, A3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B3
By Andy Colbert acolbert@oglecounty news.com The perception of a heroin junkie has changed. The image of society castoffs with needles sticking out of an arm in a back alley is gone. In its place are everyday citizens trying to support an insidious habit. “The stigma of heroin usage has changed,” Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said. “It’s every walk of life and has become a much more serious issue in this county. Besides the crime aspect, it is tearing families apart.” Brooke Plachno has noticed the same thing from her position as Adult Probation Supervisor for the Ogle County Drug Court. Three overdoses resulting in death have occurred since March. “It has grabbed people from all ages, sexes and socioeconomics,” Plachno said. Why has heroin usage
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4
transitioned from big cities to rural areas? “It’s become less expensive than prescription drugs and more accessible,” VanVickle said. Heroin is also more powerful than other drugs. It is 2-4 times more potent Sheriff Brian than VanVickle morphine and much faster. “It’s frightening how easy it is to get,” Plachno said. “When people can’t get their prescription refills or pills on the street, they go to heroin. We’re not seeing meth or cocaine like we used to.” “Most of the heroin is coming from Rockford,” Chief Deputy Danny White said. Ogle County is a part of the Stateline Area Narcotic Task Force, along with several other area counties and municipalities. “In January of 2015, we put an officer on the task force full time to combat drug usage, taking a regional approach to the problem,” Turn to A2
Deaths, B4 Rev. William D. Brooks, David W. Churney, Avis Hays, Amos Patrick Meyer, Margaret A. Meyer
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com