Library News

2 MT. MORRIS TIMES MT. MORRIS TIMES MT. MO RRIS BE AT oglecountynews.com ShawLocal.com OFFICE 1113-115 Peoria Ave. Dixon, IL 61021 (815) 732-6166 ext. 2592 Fax: (815) 284-2078 BY ALEXA ZOELLNER azoellner@shawmedia.com MT. MORRIS — A new way to report problems with Mt. Morris streets, terrace Mt. Morris Times / oglecountynews.com • Friday, Sep 17, 2021 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday SUBSCRIPTIONS $39 in Ogle County, and $52 outside Ogle County. Single-copy price is $1 To subscribe, make a payment or discuss your delivery, call 1-866-979-1053 Monday-Friday or send an e-mail to subscriptions@ oglecountynews.com. You also can subscribe online by going to oglecountynews.com and clicking on Subscribe. CLASSIFIED SALES 815-220-6942 apicco@shawmedia.com OBITUARIES 815-632-2534 phartman@shawmedia.com Deadline for obituaries is 2 p.m. Tuesday for Friday’s UPCOMING EVENTS trees and sidewalks is available on the village’s website. The new web page — which went live last month — allows residents to fill out a form detailing their complaint or request for maintenance, Village President Phil Labash said. Once submitted, the information automatically populates a spreadsheet that allows officials to more easily identify, prioritize and follow up on the handling of areas of concern, he said. “Before, they hand a slip of paper to someone and it gets stuck in a pocket,” Streets Trustee Ed Higley said. “Next thing, a month or two goes by [and nothing’s been done].” This new reporting system prevents edition issues from getting lost in the pipeline of communication, he said.

Higley said he checks the spreadsheet daily and, if there’s something new, he contacts the resident to check in and find out more. The city tries to send someone out to at least evaluate the situation within 24- to 48 hours of receiving a report, he said.

The uniform reporting system is a big advantage because it allows city staff to be consistent in how they track and respond to requests, Labash said.

“If someone calls the superintendent of streets, a village trustee or the clerk, or whether they log it themselves, we all use that portal,” he said.

Residents with complaints or concerns still can contact city officials, and the officials will input the complaint into the system for the resident, Higley said.

Those filling out the online complaint form will be asked to provide: the date of

LOCAL NEWS

Streets complaint por tal up and r unning the request; their name, address, phone n u m b e r a n d , i f p o s s i b l e , t h e i r e m a il address; select which area of concern is being reported — street repair or maintenance issue, sidewalk needs repair or replacement or a street evaluation is needed; and a brief description of the problem. The request will be added to a running list and prioritized by streets department staff based on their evaluation. If an email address is provided in the form, a confirmation email will be sent after the person clicks “submit.” This is the first portal the city has made, but if it works well, it could lead to similar reporting systems for other kinds of complaints, Labash said. “We’re trying to get a feel for this one first,” he said.

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Publisher Jennifer Heintzelman 815-632-2502 jheintzelman@shawmedia.com

General Manager Earleen Hinton 815-632-2591 ehinton@shawmedia.com

News Alexa Zoellner 815-632-2590 azoellner@shawmedia.com

Advertising Sales Patty Bridgeman 815-632-2555 pbridgeman@ shawmedia.com

Chick Thing flea market Sept. 18

Vintage Chicks & Feed’s fifth annual Chick Thing outdoor market is set for Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event highlights local small businesses and entrepreneurs selling a variety of products and vintage items.

It will feature more than 20 vendors and four food trucks at Vintage Chicks & Feed, located at 700 Illinois Route 72 East in Leaf River.

For more information, call 815-973-2432.

Back Roads Market set for Sept. 25

Spend next Saturday traveling the countryside amidst corn fields, enjoying the scenery — and don’t forget to visit the Back Roads Market stops.

The Back Roads Market is set for Sept. 25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Each market is clean, organized and full of fun. There are no admission fees.

Participating locations are:

Hough’s Maple Lane Farm

3788 North Mt. Morris Road, Mt. Morris

Satisfy your maple cravings by choosing from candies, syrup, maple cinnamon rolls and local honey, plus dog treats, mums, a variety of hostas and plants and a few “old finds.”

Berryview Orchard

7504 West Midtown Road, Mt. Morris

You’ll find a variety of juicy apples, Aronia berries, slushies, a farm stocked with meats from Nelson Farms, giftware, treats, jams and cider donuts. Food concessions are by Jen’s Artisan Breads.

Funky Junk 6410 West Grove Road, Mt. Morris

At Funky Junk, you’ll find vendors with vintage goods, refurbished furniture, clothes, retro items, primitives and jack-o-lanterns. While there, grab baked goods from Bobbi’s Country Catering. Good concessions provided by Sunset Golf Club Mount Morris.

Vintage Chicks & Feed 700 E. Illinois Route 72, Leaf River

This quaint shop is celebrating its seventh anniversary. Browse through the store filled with vintage wares, lotions, soaps, local honey, antiques, barn goods and so much more.

Mt. Morris Times, Ogle County News and oglecountynews.com are a division of Shaw Media. Ogle County Newspapers also prints the Mt. MorrisTimes , OregonRepublicanReporter, and Polo’s Tri-CountyPress .

The MT. MORRIS TIMES (USPS No. 365-440) is published weekly by B.F. Shaw Printing Co., Shaw Media. Periodical postage paid at Mt. Morris, Illinois. POSTMASTER Send address changes to MT. MORRIS TIMES, P.O. Box 8, Oregon, IL 61061. Phone 815-732-6166, ext. 2516.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2021

MT. MORRIS LIBRARY

Masks Required

Due to the upsurge in cases, we are requiring everyone over the age of two to wear masks in the library. We understand how everyone feels, but we ask for your understanding and cooperation. Thank you!

Library Surveys

We are asking for your input concerning the library hours and services. Surveys are available at the library and the Village Hall. It is just 5 questions long, and you can make any comments or suggestions. We want your help in order to serve the community more effectively.

Curbside Service Available!

We want to remind everyone that you still have the option of having your materials delivered to your vehicle. If you have holds waiting for you, call us to tell us you are on your way, and we will bring them out to your vehicle when you arrive. Call us if you need more information.

Storytime

We will be having story time on Wednesdays at 11:15 a.m. Donna Wells will be our guest reader. All preschool children are welcome.

Adult Book Club

The September book will be Code Girls by Liza Mundy. Contact the library to get a copy. This group will meet in-person at the library on Monday, Sept. 27. No registration required.

Display Case Showings

We have a new display for the month of September. The art work of Sharon Wallace and Carrie Lay is brightening up our library. Come and check it out! (Our display case schedule is full for 2021 but we’re taking reservations for next year! If you have a collection you would like to display, let us know!)

Rock River Center

The Rock River Center has a representative in our library the second Thursday of every month. Services provided by Rock River Center are designed to enable older and disabled persons to remain independent, thereby avoiding costly long-term care. No appointment necessary.

Adult Programming

We are trying to get back into the swing of offering monthly programs for adults. We would love to hear from you. Do evenings or weekends work better? Do you have any program ideas? Do you have a program you would like to share? Contact Mary Cheatwood at the library.