Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, April 2, 2021
OGLE COUNTY NEWS
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SPECIAL EVENT
Mobile food pantry coming to Mt. Morris Church of Brethren on Tuesday, April 6
Loaves & Fish Food Pantry alongside Northern Illinois Food Bank is hosting a Mobile Food Pantry on Tuesday, April 6, from 10 – 11:30 a.m. The truck will be located at Mt. Morris Church of the Brethren, 409 W. Brayton Road, and is open anyone in Ogle County. Loaves & Fish Food Pantry is open on the first and third Thursdays from 4:30 – 7 p.m. and the second and fourth Mondays from 2-4:30 p.m.
Anyone in the Mt. Morris/Leaf River area experiencing food insecurity is eligible to receive food. The Mobile Pantries are an extra food distribution. You do not need to have a referral, and no proof of income is required. The pantry is located in the lower level of the Mt. Morris Church of the Brethren, 409 W. Brayton Road, Mt. Morris. If you have any questions, call 815-734-4573 and leave a message.
IN BRIEF PAG scholarships available Scholarship applications for Performing Arts Guild are now available at the OHS guidance office or can be downloaded from the website at: www.performingartsguild.com These scholarships are limited to individuals living in Mt Morris and Oregon or attending the Oregon School District. Applications are open to anyone interested in studying the arts. This includes, but is not limited to, performing, directing, teaching drama, music, visual arts, technical crafts, set design, etc. Scholarship application deadline is April 23. Scholarships will be awarded on May 13, at the OHS Honors Night.
LOCAL HISTORY
Remember Maxson’s orange rolls at the Pines? F
irst I want to thank everyone for all the beautiful cards and messages we received on our 70th anniversary. I still remember it as if it were yesterday. Walking into the little baking room where John Maxson of White Pines restaurant was covered with flour. We discussed what my wedding cake would be like. It was to have white lilies of the valley on it with little green leaves. The morning of the wedding, my sister Ruby Jean, Kenneth, and I picked it up. Kenneth sat in the back seat of the car and held the cake as we headed for the Lutheran Church in Polo. I was not too concerned about the bride and groom seeing each other before the wedding on that day 70 years ago. How many of you remember John Maxson and his orange rolls at the Pines? He had this small little room where he did all of his baking and his signature orange rolls stood out like no others. He had quite a sense of humor. He loved to tuck his baking apron around his waist and head out to the dining room to say hello to the guests. I remember one day in particular when I was just giving the dessert menu to a group of ladies. Johnny stopped at the table and added to my dessert spiel. “Oh, and we have Brown Betty!” Now there was such a dessert as Brown Betty, but we did not have that at the White Pines. Of course they all wanted this new dessert. John quickly turned and headed back to the kitchen with me following. I said to him, “What are we going to do since they all want this dessert that we do not have?” He laughed and said, “Just go back and tell them we are all out of it!!” And that was what I did. We all had many stories to tell at the White Pines and I always enjoyed going back there to eat. I would think of all the polishing of the furniture and the logs in those unique rooms. Hopefully it will be open again someday when this virus is all gone. We had our second shot three weeks ago. We have started to go out a little and we gathered with friends for an evening dinner on St. Patrick’s Day downtown.
COMMENTARY Betty Obendorf Polo Historical Society
It was good to see everyone and catch up. The problem is that you have huddled in your house for so long that you are inclined to just want to stay home. However the days are warming up and it is just great to get out and walk around the yard. The little weeds are easy to pull at the present. The crocus that I planted last fall from a fundraiser Krista had in Wisconsin is starting to bloom. I am enjoying watching those. Also from her fundraiser, I got some daffodil bulbs and they are coming up. I had lots of daffodils in Eagle Point and the first thing I did when we moved into the little house in town was plant them there. I enjoyed them from my kitchen window. So I am looking forward to seeing the ones I have planted here when they start to bloom. Polo Economic Development is going to use this same fundraiser to help Polo. You will be hearing from us later on as we promote selling bulbs to beautify Polo. Keep us in mind for this fall promotion. I am glad we can now start to get out to see how our outside came through last winter’s cold days. I am finished with the articles on the women and the making of the atomic bomb at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Thank you for all the nice comments. One person who contacted me has family in that area and they had never spoken of Oak Ridge and the atomic bomb. She wondered if they even knew about it. The element of secrecy was very imbedded in the people who worked there and never seemed to go away. I want to get back to the making of the old Edgewood golf course at the edge of Polo. That means going to the library and doing more research. A person is reluctant to get out and about
Photo supplied by Betty Obendorf
John Maxson stands in front of the lodge at White Pines State Park in 1949. too much since we still have the virus lurking around. My aunt who will be 99 in June has had Covid pneumonia for several weeks. Believe it or not, she is coming through it and we all thought she would not survive. It is tricky stuff. Someone has asked me to write about early education in Ogle County so I have dug out the big folders from our files. I am sorting through all the information I found many years ago before I put the display together at Aplington House. So coming up will be old Edgewood Golf Course and early education.
