Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS November 24, 2016 Volume 50, Number 6 - $1.00
Exciting Finish
Sculpture Moved
The Lady Hawks took the lead with seconds left to play Nov. 18 against Prophetstown. B1
SoyPod by Pamela Lee has been moved to a new location by the Oregon Library. A6
Board to discuss conditional use
Painting donated to board
The Mt. Morris Village Board was expected to discuss a zoning change, next year’s tax levy, and electrical aggregation when it met Tuesday evening. According to the agenda, the board would possibly take action on a long-debated and controversial conditional use that allows some kinds of agricultural activity in areas zoned residential. The board voted 4-3 Oct. 11 to approve a recommendation from the Planning Commission to remove language allowing
By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com The son of a former Ogle County Sheriff presented a painting of the old jail, done by a renowned artist, to the Ogle County Board last week. Mike Lang, 73, Oregon, gave the art work, painted by local artist Harry Nurmet, to the board at its Nov. 15 meeting. “My feeling is because of the history…it needs to stay with the county,” Lang said. County board chairman Kim Gouker thanked Lang and his family and said the painting will be displayed in the courthouse. “We will display it here for posterity,” he said. Lang said Nurmet gave the painting to his father Ed Lang in 1969 just before the current jail was completed. Made of red bricks in Italianate style and built in 1874, the jail also served as the residence of the sheriff and his family for decades. It was torn down when the current jail was built. Lang said he remembers growing
Ogle County Board Chairman Kim Gouker, left and Mike Lang, Oregon, hold Harry Nurmet’s painting of the old jail that Lang donated to the county. Photo by Vinde Wells
up in the house when his father was sheriff in the 1950s and 60s. His grandfather Sam Good and a great-uncle also served as sheriff of the county, he said, and lived there as well. Nurmet, who died Dec. 28, 2009 at the age of 100, was a noted artist known for his numerous paintings, especially the Bicentennial mural that was formerly on the side of a building in downtown Oregon. Born in Estonia, the Nurmet and his wife, Linda, and their young son fled from their native country in
early 1941, narrowly avoiding Soviet occupation. They spent the next several years in Germany as displaced persons and came to Oregon in 1950, sponsored by St. Paul Lutheran Church. Nurmet spent his career as an artist for Watt Publishing Company, Mt. Morris, often designing covers for magazines. Local history was important to him, and he drew pen and ink renditions of several landmarks, including the Black Hawk Statue and Oregon Depot.
Statue wrapped for the winter By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Ogle County’s bestknown landmark has his winter coat on once again. For the third consecutive winter, the Black Hawk statue at Lowden State Park near Oregon, has been wrapped to protect it from the elements. A team from Quality Restorations, Inc., Wood Dale, spent three days last week wrapping the 50foot concrete monument in 12 millimeter thick dual-layered polyethylene, padded underneath with blankets, and tied on tight with a half-mile of elastic rope. The rope wrapped around the padded protective plastic covering gives the illusion that the 105-year-old icon is wearing a quilted down snowsuit. Crew supervisor Keith Niles said Friday that the durable black plastic used to cover the statue is designed to keep out moisture, protecting the surface from further damage from the cold and freezing and thawing. The blankets underneath are wrapped around the shoulders and arms to further protect them and to keep their sharp edges from cutting the plastic. Niles said the crew dealt with strong, gusty winds while they worked Thursday and Friday. “We didn’t want to do it in these conditions, but the contract was settled fairly
Workers from Quality Restoration were busy Wednesday wrapping the Black Hawk Statue in preparation for the winter months. Photo by Earleen Hinton
late, and we had to get it done because winter is threatening to come in this weekend,” he said. Quality Restorations, Inc. was hired by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), which has jurisdiction over the statue, to provide and install the protective wrap at a cost of $19,800. IDNR spokesman Tim Schweizer said Monday that restoration work on the statue is expected to begin next spring. No cost estimate is yet available. “IDNR is pursuing an updated estimate from the architect/engineer,” Schweizer said in an email. The money is still expected to come from a Illinois Department of Commerce
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and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) grant and private donations, he said. Created by sculptor Lorado Taft in 1910 as a tribute to Native Americans, the statue stands on a 125foot bluff overlooking the Rock River and draws thousands of visitors each year. It was unveiled and dedicated in 1911. The Black Hawk statue has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2009. Over the years, despite numerous repair efforts, parts of the statue have crumbled and fallen off. Winter weather has been especially devastating. Eight years ago a Sterling couple, Frank and Cherron Rausa, formed the Friends of the Black Hawk Statue, a
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non-profit organization with the purpose of developing a plan and raising funds to have the statue repaired. Through the Rausas’ efforts, more than $750,000 of the estimated $900,000 needed was raised through fundraisers, private donations, and the $350,000 grant to the IDNR from the DCEO. However, Frank Rausa said early this fall that due to red tape and other delays in starting the actual repairs, most of that money has been depleted. The fund is kept with the Illinois Conservation Foundation, an agency that supports IDNR programs.
Candlelight Walk offers family fun By Earleen Hinton ehinton@oglecounty news.com Horse drawn carriage rides, live reindeer, and of course, Santa Claus, are all part of the plan for the 30th Candlelight Walk, slated for Saturday, Nov. 26 in downtown Oregon. “Food, fun and festivities for the whole family, this long-time local tradition is the perfect way to gather together and enjoy the spirit of the season,” said Debbie Dickson, executive director of the Oregon Chamber of Commerce and Candleligght Walk Committee member. “Entertainment, goodies and giveaways are just a small part of the evening events.” The chill in the air is the perfect cue for this year’s event. “Take a stroll down Candy Cane Lane, see live reindeer, warm yourself at the fire stands. We’ll be serving up yummy s’mores, apple cider
donuts, grilled pork chop sandwiches and more,” said Dickson. Free horse drawn rides for the whole family will be offered from 4 p.m. to approximately 7:30 p.m. The line for this popular attraction will begin on Franklin Street, on the north side of the Oregon Coliseum. This event is sponsored by Exelon Generation – Byron Station, ExpressLane Shell, and KSB Medical Group. Rides are available on a first come, first served basis. “There may be a line and there is no guarantee on wait time or which wagon will trot you about town,” Dickson said. “Our Coco Hut and coffee stand will offer steamy beverages to chase away the chill while you visit.” Holiday Gift Fair The Holiday Gift Fair will be held on the main floor of the Coliseum. “You will find Turn to A11
Lawmaker had to deal with daughter’s death Editor’s note: This is the last 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. By Andy Colbert acolbert@oglecounty news.com
In 2006, Illinois Senator Kyle McCarter’s daughter Amber was found dead alongside train tracks near East St. Louis, the result of a heroin overdose. Surprisingly, McCarter was one of 11 senators that voted against $60-million Ogle County Newspapers in state funding for heroin reporter Zach Arbogast addicts last year. contributed to this story.
Library News, A3 Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B3 Property Transfers, B4
farming from the zoning code and authorized village attorney Rob LeSage to prepare new ordinances to that end. That action reversed a board decision earlier this year to allow row crops as a conditional use under certain circumstances. The agenda also called for a presentation on residential electrical aggregation from Mike Mudge of Rock River Energy. The board was also expected to approve its tax levy for the upcoming year.
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B3
“In my eight years in the senate, I have enjoyed seeing human services help people, but have a hard time seeing results,” McCarter said. Despite the myriad of rehab programs, social service agencies and enacted laws for the addict, recovery rates are abysmally low. Some estimates are that 90 percent of drug addicts go back to their old ways, including Amber McCarter. Treatment centers become revolving doors and other methods employed by government seem to be limited in their scope. “Government is not good at transforming lives,” McCarter said. “About the Turn to A10
Deaths, B4 Sally A. Baumgardner, Linda Burr, Terry L. Colcord, Lucille R. Lovell, Michael W. Schwartz
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