Colbert Column

LOCAL HISTORY Train wreck happened near Polo in April 1964

BY BETTY OBENDORF Curator, Polo Historical Society

Ireceived a phone call from Bill Burkardt and he filled me in on the train wreck north of Polo. Later LeRoy Toms called and said to check with Bill since that all happened on some of his property.

Thank you to both of them for the information.

Bill had a date of June of 1964 or 1965 so we had a place to start and Bill definitely remembered the occasion. It was early in the morning and the noise made one wonder what was happening.

As the train got off the track, they hit the railroad ties which made a noise hard to describe. Perhaps a rumbling sound. It made one run to the window as the earth seemed to shake a bit.

Then Diane and Linda of Polo Historical Society found it in the newspapers on the Inter- to know what caused the net. We had the date which accident. Six hundred feet was June 26, 1964 and they of track was ripped up in emailed the articles from the accident and the track Dixon Evening Telegraph and the bed of the track and Freeport Journal Stan- was moved as well by the dard. force of the accident.

The front page of the The train was carrying Dixon Telegraph was new John Deere tractors, unreadable so I went to grain, and dry milk. The the Polo Library assuming Betty Obendorf cars of shelled corn were the Tri-County Press would thrown all over the place. have carried the news. The scattered corn later

I headed for the library with my was purchased by Bill Burkardt. mask on for the first time since Along with the shelled corn was March. I found a new micro fish several cars of dry milk and it was machine and that was an excit- also scattered all over the accident ing find. I was hopeful to find the site. Tri-County Press had carried the The John Deere tractors were story. They did not. So I will rely heavily damaged and had to be on Freeport Journal and the second returned to the factory. Those tracpage of the Dixon Telegraph. tors were also scattered all over the

On that Friday morning the train area. One article stated there were derailment was on the Illinois Cen- several open cars of iron ore. tral Railroad and they did not seem The newspaper articles did not reveal where the train was headed but Bill seemed to think contents were headed overseas.

It took several days for the cleanup and Bill remembers setting up a grill and feeding some of the workers and they were very appreciative of a hot meal. Workers came from Clinton, Iowa and Freeport, Illinois.

Many of the railroad ties were left at the site since they were damaged and they were utilized by the Brantner and Burkardt farms.

Bill said the only way to get to the accident site was across Burkardt’s property and many people just walked across his property to see what was going on. It was a busy place for a while with people coming and going.

The whole incident would have been very interesting for young Jerry Brantner and it was never forgotten by him. He said they had railroad ties around for a long time.

POLO CHAMBER CHATTER

Citizen, Volunteer of the Year

Each year the Polo Chamber of Commerce recognizes one Polo citizen as the Citizen of the Year and one citizen as the Volunteer of the Year.

Eligible nominees should consistently show civic leadership through volunteerism and service to their community.

Services provided to the community should be based on volunteerism outside of the nominee’s normal employment duties.

Those wishing to nominate a candidate that they feel is deserving of these prestigious awards can send in your contact information, the nominee information and the reason you feel the candidate is deserving of this prestigious award to the Polo Chamber of Commerce at P.O. Box 116, Polo, IL 61064.

50-50 winner

Congratulations Branden Rundell, who won The Polo Chamber 50-50 raffle on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Business After Hours

If you are interested and would like to host a Business after Hours or Breakfast before Business call the Chamber at 815946-3131.

Certificates of Recognition

The Polo Chamber of Commerce would like to issue Certificates of Recognition to any Polo Chamber of Commerce business members who are celebrating five years of being in business, or those with five-year increments of being in business in Polo. Contact us so that we can announce your special business celebration during our Annual Dinner.

Get the Word Out

Contact The Polo Chamber of Commerce at 815-946-3131, polochamber@ gmail.com or mail to P.O. Box 116, Polo, IL 61064 if you would like to post your event on the Chamber Sign, Chamber Website (polochamber.org), Chamber Face Book Page and/or the Chamber Chatter.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Two electronic recycling events scheduled for Ogle County residents this month

The next two Ogle County Solid Waste Management electronic recycling drop offs will be on Saturday, Oct.17 from 8 a.m. to noon and Friday, Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the County Annex Building, 909 Pines Road.

The electronics recycling events require permits in advance. Call the OCSWMD at 815-732-4020, or email the department at solidwaste@oglecounty.org.

There are a limited number of permits for each event and the deadline for acquiring a permit is noon on the Wednesday prior to each event.

These electronics recycling events are for Ogle County residents only and each permit is valid for a specific date.

The advance permitting system was implemented,

beginning in August 2020, in response to extremely long lines and safety issues at the June and July electronics collection events.

Users of the program have expressed gratitude to the OCSWMD for the permit system, which has resulted in reduced wait times and a more efficient drop-off experience.

Accepted items include all televisions, computers, computer monitors, computer hardware and cables, printers, FAX machines, copiers, scanners, video gaming items, VCR-DVD players, cable and satellite boxes, cell phones, tablets, laptops, radios, stereo equipment, digital clocks, holiday light strands, extension cords, phone systems, rechargeable batteries, CFL bulbs, and printer ink cartridges.

Non-acceptable items are: Items smoke detectors, coffee makers, toasters, bread makers, vacuum cleaners, fans, heaters, air conditioners or dehumidifiers, lamps, power tools, alkaline batteries, LED bulbs, exercise equipment, medical equipment of any kind, toys or drones, business or institutional electronic items, and any packaging from electronic items such as boxes, plastic wrapping, and Styrofoam.

Remove all batteries from devices, discard the alkaline batteries, and recycle the rechargeable ones at the event.

Call the OCSWMD at 815-732-4020, go to oglecounty.org, or Ogle County Solid Waste Management Dept. on Facebook for more information.

SPORTS COLUMN ‘Bago team embodies what prep sports should be

When it comes to royalty in Illinois high school cross country, the one school that stands out is Elmhurst York and its 28 state boys titles. But, if the totality of boys and girls programs were put together, it’s hard to argue against Winnebago.

Primarily for that reason, coaches Joe and Janet Erb were recently named to the Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall-of-Fame.

They have a pair of boys state titles and three top 3 finishes in cross country at Winnebago. The girls side has been even better with five straight titles from 2005-09 and a dominating state win in 2019.

The ITCCCA is a tough HOF to get into, with only 6 candidates selected this year out of 40 nominations. Add in thousands of coaches over the years and the odds of making the cut are rare.

Here at Oregon, we are fortunate in that Joe Mortimer, Art Carlson and Doug Engle are members, with Jim Spratt a likely shoo-in.

A husband-wife combination like the Erbs is almost unheard of.

Indeed, it is more than gaudy stats that make Joe and Janet Erb special. One of the criteria for selection by the ITCCCA is character.

“They had such a huge impact on my life and are two charismatic, caring people,” said former all-stater Hayley (Thomas) Ness. “They had a spe-

COMMENTARY Andy Colbert

cial way of creating a bond with you that makes you run your best. They were like that with every single person. Because of their words and action, you felt important.”

Unlike other more cut-throat sports, Joe and Janet are willing to do all they can to promote cross country.

“The Erbs are a legend around here, but are willing to help any of us develop our cross country programs,” said Oregon coach Tim Gipper. “They have a true love of running and are great people to be around. Because of them, all of us are better.”

Both the Erbs had the benefit of growing up in the Indian program, with Janet coming over from Pecatonica as part of a coop and Joe a local since he was one year old. It was cross country where they became high-school sweethearts.

“When they went away to different colleges, they separated for awhile, but running brought them back together,” said Jeremy Stevens, the greatest runner to come out of the fabled program. “Now, it has become full circle with their own kids running for them.”

Under Roger Fredrickson and the Erbs, the girls have 13 state titles, four more than second-best Naperville North. Unfortunately, there will be no state meet this fall to make it No. 14.

After last season ended, Joe Erb made it clear that the 2020 team had the potential to be the best ever in 1A. With the entire group coming back, they could have competed with the best in 2A and 3A.

“Winnebago has the talent to run with anyone in the state,” said Mike Newman, state cross country expert.

What has transpired in Winnebago is what prep sports ultimately should be about. There is an environment of love and respect between coach and athlete. That’s obvious by watching the team conduct itself at meets, be it performing at the highest levels on the biggest stages, teamwork or exhibiting what local meet official Galen Bennett calls outstanding sportsmanship.

“The hall of fame is without a doubt, a huge honor,” Joe Erb said. “But, for me it has always been and will always be about relationships with my athletes. I couldn’t be prouder of the adults they have become.”

See COLBERT, Page 9