Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS September 21, 2017 Volume 50, Number 49 - $1.00
Volleyball Win
AOP Festival
Bike Ride
The Hawks varsity volleyball team beats Mendota in three games. B1
Read all about Oregon’s upcoming Autumn on Parade festival. Insert
The second annual Tour of Scenic Ogle County will raise funds for VOP. B3
Deficit leads to hiring freeze By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
Mary Salstrom, an Oregon native, was busy painting a portion of the prairie at the Nachusa Grasslands during Autumn on the Prairie on Saturday. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Bison big draw at prairie event Weather was perfect at the Grasslands By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com The weather was perfect and the prairie was in full fall dress, but the bison stole the show again on Saturday at the annual Autumn on the Prairie at Nachusa Grasslands southeast of Oregon on South Lowden Road. Of the nearly 1,000 people who attended the event, 870 took advantage of the wagon rides that took them into the prairie to see the bison herd, under bright blue skies with the temperature in the high 80s. “Lots of people went on the tours,” Bill Kleiman, restoration project director at the Grasslands said. “We had five wagons going.” Turn to A7
Indivisible hopes to educate and inspire public Group calls for citizens to be politically active By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
Visitors to Autumn on the Prairie could ride on hayracks out on the prairie to see the bison herd. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Music and family fun highlight Jam Fest First-ever event set for Saturday on the campus Encore! Mt. Morris will host Jam Fest 2017, a new annual family friendly event, on Saturday, Sept. 23 with an afternoon of live music, tasty food, local artisan businesses, and fun on the historic Mt. Morris campus and band shell. Anderlik, Otto and Church, one of the most versatile acoustic bands in the Midwest, will perform from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the bandshell. Steeped in a variety of musical genres with chops to spare, the trio plays together with finesse and is capable of switching gears to constantly
A looming deficit has prompted the Ogle County Board to unanimously adopt a hiring freeze. Finance Committee Chairman Greg Sparrow, of Rochelle, told the board Tuesday evening that the county is facing a projected shortfall of $750,000 to $1 million in the General Fund unless it takes steps to reduce expenses and bolster revenues. He also recommended freezing wages, and said that will be part of upcoming contract negotiations with the Fraternal Order of Police and other unions that represent some county employees. He said the Finance Committee has already rejected salary increases requests for the new fiscal year that begins Dec. 1 from departments with non-union employees.
Sparrow said that treasurer John Coffman had to borrow from other solvent county funds to pay the bills coming from the General Fund before property tax revenue payments came in. Once the tax payments were received the interfund loans were repaid. The hiring freeze will go into effect immediately, he said, and comes at a good time because several county employees will become eligible for retirement over the next four years. The alternative would have been eliminating the jobs of an estimated 25-30 employees, Sparrow said. “It made sense to do it through attrition,” he said. The county employs more than 200 people. Sparrow also recommended hiring a consultant to do a staff needs study and determine which jobs are essential. “We really need to take a hard long look at our staff,” he said.
amaze and impress any audience. Come hear these talented pickers perform a wide variety of favorite tunes on dobro, mandolin, and guitar. Campus Jam, Aireloom Music Studio and others will participate from 2:30 to 4 p.m. on the historic campus. Bring an instrument and be a part of the fun — all musicians are invited to join in and Jam. Mary Ley leads a children’s show, Dennis Stukenburg will head the blues station, Chris Kolling will host the rock & roll zone, and local guitarist, Mike Bratt will host the country–bluegrass station. Come out and play or just wander and enjoy your favorites. Ukulele Station America
In This Week’s Edition...
will be on the bandshell from 4 to 5 p.m. with John Lindhorst and the Rock River Strummers, featuring the Ukulele Club Players from Lindblom Math & Science Academy of Chicago. The academy is a selective enrollment seventh through 12th grade school located in Englewood on the south side of Chicago. Lindblom’s Ukulele Club was founded by senior Journey Monegain in 2013, to relieve stress and spread positivity and love through the ukulele. The club’s diverse students represent a range of grade levels and musical experience, and often host concerts at school and around the Englewood community. Stronghold Camp and Retreat Center is hosting
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B5-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B3
their stay. Solar Pulse takes the bandshell from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Their musical backgrounds range from gritty guitar licks, rocking bass, popping drums, smooth jazz piano, sax, trumpet, and trombone all molded together for the audience’s listening pleasure. Featuring John Rodriguez on rhythm guitar and vocals; Andrew Schneider on keyboard, melodica, and vocals; Luis Lopez on lead guitar; Duain Altepeter on bass and vocals; Alvin Russell on drums; Cory Ellis on trombone; Tyler Mauer on trumpet; and Anthony Mauer on sax; Solar Pulse is a jazz, funk, and rock-infused band formed in early 2015. The Discover Market Turn to A2
Library News, A3 Marriage Licenses, A4 Public Voice, A4 Property Transfers, B3
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B3
A group of Oregon and Mt. Morris residents took to the streets recently to show their displeasure over the election of U.S. President Donald Trump. Members of Indivisible stood at the intersection of Ill. 64 and McKendrie Avenue on Sept. 8 holding signs promoting tolerance and truth in government and urging citizens to vote. One of the organizers, Mary Francis, of Mt. Morris, said forming the group was a product of frustration over Trump’s election and support
for the January Women’s Marches in Washington DC and other large cities. “I was inspired by the Women’s March and the people who attended,” she said. “I felt like I should be doing something instead of sitting around and complaining.” The local Indivisible group started meeting last February and is part of a nationwide progressive movement that was initiated after Trump’s election. “There’s lots of Indivisible groups all over northern Illinois,” Francis said. The group decided not to affiliate with any political party, but hopes to educate and motivate citizens to take an active part in the political process. “It’s sometimes difficult in Ogle County to talk about Turn to A2
Maja Shoemaker, of Oregon, Chris Kolling, of Mt. Morris, and Becky McCanse, of Oregon, hold signs giving information about Indivisible Sept. 8 in Mt. Morris. Photo by Vinde Wells
Deaths, B4 Margaret J. Bauling, Harold E. Brooks, Frances K. Duro, John G. Griffin, Jerry L. Witmer
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com