Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS April 13, 2017 Volume 50, Number 26 - $1.00
Track Competition
Easter Events
Harp Concert
The Hawks played host at the annual GebhardtWorley meet on Saturday. B1
Two egg hunts and a party are planned for kids on April 15. A3
Trinity Lutheran Church will host a trio of harpists on April 30. A4
ComEd begins smart meter installation By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com White ComEd vans emblazoned with the words “Smart Meter Installer” swarmed into Oregon and Mt. Morris early this week to begin giving customers new electric meters. Several installers were in each community getting down to the business of replacing old meters with new high tech devices. Mt. Morris Village Clerk Paula Diehl said the installer showed up at her house first thing Tuesday morning. “It only took him a couple of minutes and my electricity flashed for about five seconds,” she said. Mt. Morris, Oregon, Polo, and Forreston officials received notification last month that the installations would begin in April. Work in Oregon began on Monday, and Forreston village buildings already have their smart meters. According to ComEd’s website, employees will install approximately 4 million smart meters in all
ComEd employee April Lobrillo prepares to install a smart meter Tuesday morning at a home at the corner of Clark and Hitt Streets in Mt. Morris. Photo by Vinde Wells
Stillman student recognized A Stillman Valley High School junior was honored on April 7 for success on and off the athletic field. Surrounded by peers, teachers, U.S. Army representatives, and a hall of famer, Jared Van Vleet was recognized as a finalist for the U.S. Army-Pro Football Hall of Fame Award for Excellence. The award is aimed at student-athletes across the country, and is open to all sophomore, junior, and seniors. While studentsathletes are nominated from schools all over the U.S., only 25 are selected as finalists. Van Vleet was introduced by 2014 hall of fame inductee Aeneas Williams, an eighttime Pro Bowl player who played 10 seasons for the Arizona Cardinals and four seasons for the St. Louis Rams. Van Vleet was nominated by teachers and counselors, and when he was given the paperwork to complete, he actually sat on it for a few days. “I wanted to think everything over, do my research, and make sure everything was legitimate,”
“Jared, it is my honor to recognize you as a finalist for this prestigious award.” Pro Football Hall of Famer Aeneas Williams introduces Jared Van Vleet to give his finalist speech. Photo by Zach Arbogast
said Van Vleet. “After a couple of days, I filled the forms out, and the rest is history.” He says that being recognized is a humbling experience, but he felt confident filling out the paperwork that he had a good chance of being selected. “Jared is an amazing student in every facet; he leads by example,” said Principal Leslie Showers. Van Vleet has wrestled and played football every year for the Cardinals, playing right halfback and corner and wrestling at the 126 weight class, placing second
In This Week’s Edition...
at the 2017 IHSA State Championship. Along with a perfect 4.0 GPA and volunteering summers at Rockford Memorial Hospital and local Stillman Valley Wrestling Club, he puts both parts of “student-athlete” to practice. All finalists for the award will be recognized in Canton, Ohio, during the half of fame enshrinement week. Finalists will attend both a game between the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals on Aug. 3 and a luncheon on Aug. 5 where the Award for Excellence winner will be announced.
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B5 Library News, A3
homes and businesses across northern Illinois by the end of 2018. More than 2.5 million have already been installed. Smart meters are digital, electric meters that wirelessly provide secure, two-way communication between the meter and ComEd and also allow customers access to more information about their usage, according to the website. The new digital meters will eliminate the need for meter readers. A flier from ComEd
said that residents and business owners will receive information in their bills and in mailings, first about the new meters, and then as the installation approaches, an approximate date and what happens when the meter is installed. A recorded phone message will be sent a week before the installation. “Sorry we missed you” door hangers will be left if the crew was unable to install the new meter, especially for Turn to A2
Oregon school district has two unfilled seats By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Two area school boards came away from the April 4 Consolidated Election with positions left unfilled. In Oregon, six seats were open but only four of those were on the ballot. Michael Guzman, Corey Buck, Stephanie Haugh, and Brian Wills, all current board members, ran unopposed and were elected to four-year terms. However, two unexpired two-year terms were not
By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com
ComEd’s white vans are clearly identified as smart meter installer vehicles. This one was parked at the corner of Wesley Avenue and Center Street Tuesday. Photo by Vinde Wells
open in time to be listed on the ballot. The school board will appoint individuals to fill those terms and is accepting applications through Friday, April 14 at the district office, 206 S. 10th St., Oregon. Guzman received 1,091 votes, Buck 1,076, Haugh 1,039, and Wills 1,028. In the Forrestville Valley School District, four candidates ran for three four-term terms, but no one ran for a two-year unexpired term. William Braker, a retired
teacher, was the top votegetter with 425. Also elected were Robert DeVries with 415 votes and Joel Ludwig with 401. Jeff Becker was defeated with 277 votes. In the Polo district, all candidates ran unopposed. Justin Brown and David Bucher garnered 658 and 644 votes respectively and were elected to two-year unexpired terms. Elected to four-year terms were Matt Mekeel with 697 votes, V. Robert Cassens with 684, and Kellie O’Leary Call with 610.
Fairies frolic at Nash By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com If you felt a little magic in the air on Saturday, that’s because the Nash Recreation Center, Oregon, hosted a gathering of fairies. Little ladies from all over the region congregated April 8, decked out in fairy wardrobes. The relatively short window between noon and 2:30 p.m. was packed with fun experiences, including building floral crowns with local artist Kate Goss. The girls also created magic fairy wands, planted tiny fairy gardens inside
Marriage Licenses, A4 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B5 Pine Creek News, A3 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3
Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B5 Weather, A3 Zoning, B4
teacups, and enjoyed hair Dickson shared information appointments to show off about each participant. those crowns. “It’s such a great event, Afterwards, families and so many wonderful gathered into the River memories are made here,” Room, where the fairies put said Debbie Leffelman, on a fashion show as parents Oregon Park District enjoyed tea and refreshments Event Coordinator. prepared by Nancy Kerwin Turn to A2 and Lynn Baylor-Ziess. Sixteen girls participated in the fashion show, with Debbie Dickson serving as emcee. Each fairy got to strut down an elevated runway Lucy Beckman’s fairy outfit showcased a while stunning pair of butterfly wings.
Deaths, B4 Viola M. “Totsie” Dykema, Kenneth E. Shipman
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