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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 edition

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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

Oregon Republican Reporter, Ogle County News and oglecountynews.com are a division of Shaw Media. Ogle County Newspapers also prints the Mt. MorrisTimes , Forreston Journal, and Polo’s Tri-County Press .

The OREGON REPUBLICAN REPORTER (USPS No. 411-420) is published weekly by B.F. Shaw Printing Co., Shaw Media. Periodical postage paid at Oregon, Illinois, 61061. POSTMASTER Send address changes to OGLE REPUBLICAN REPORTER, P.O. Box 8, Oregon, IL 61061. Phone 815-732-6166, ext. 5306.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2021

SPECIAL EVENT

Chamber’s spr ing cleanup day is Apr il 24

By ALEXA ZOELLNER azoellner@shawmedia.com

The Oregon Chamber of Commerce invites residents to join in a spring cleanup day.

“This is something that had been coming up over the years,” Chamber Executive Director Liz Vos said. “We decided it was time to take some action and help our community.”

Residents can sign up to receive assistance, or to provide it, she said. The event will run from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 24.

Three reasons to participate are:

It’s a fun way to help make the town look even nicer just in time for summer.

It’s a chance to get out of the house and work alongside your neighbors.

If you get done early enough, you’ll have time for a cookout!

A cleanup day was held last fall and it went great, Vos said.

Five households received assistance from about 50 volunteers, and the city helped out by providing a dumpster for rubbish, she said.

“We had encouraged Oregon residents to reach out to us at the chamber if they needed a hand with their front porches or lawns,” she said. “There are people in the community who, maybe they’re elderly, don’t have help right now, or maybe they have a disability or maybe they’re just overwhelmed with life. They have so much going on and they’re taking care of family members or having to work three jobs and they just need a hand.”

The volunteers got together afterward and wanted to do it again, Vos said.

All informa tion, including sign-up forms for receiving assistance and to volunteer, can be found at www.oregonil. com/oregons-community-clean-up-day. Interested parties also can call Vos at 815732-2100.

CIT Y REMINDERS

The Oregon Police Department has issued the following reminders for citizens living inside the city limits.

Weeds

Grass or any weeds such as jimson, burdock, ragweed, thistles, cocklebur, or other weeds of like kind, that are more than 6 inches in height, on any lot, block tract or parcel of land situated along any street or avenue in the city, or in the space between the curbline and the sidewalk line of any street, alley, or avenue in any such lot, block, tract, or parcel of land in the city, are hereby declared to be a nuisance.

Any owner, occupant, or agent of any such lot, block tract or parcel of land shall allow said nuisance to exist shall be deemed guilty of a violation of this code.

Unlawful Burning

Only dry branches, leaves and grass clippings can be burned in the city limits. Branches shall not exceed 1 1/2 inches in diameter. No burning shall commence prior to 10 a.m. nor shall it be allowed later than sunset.

All non-recreational fires must be extinguished by sunset. Smoldering is not allowed at any time. Burning permitted no earlier than March 1 and shall end no later than Nov. 30 of each year.

No burning shall take place on any right-of-way, street, or alley in the city limits. All fires and burning shall be supervised and attended at all times by an adult. No yard waste shall be transported into the city limits from outside of the city.

OREGON LIBRARY

Oregon Public Library Procedures

Masks are recommended upon entering the Library. Holds can be placed online through the catalog, over the phone with Library staff, or through our mobile App - PrairieCat Mobile. Remember to check our Facebook posts or the local papers for new releases! Please call 815-732- 2724 for any questions.

National Library Week - Connect with Your Library! April 3-9

As part of the National Library Week celebration, when Oregon Public Library cardholders check out reading material, they may receive a scratch-off ticket for every 3 reading material items for a chance to win some readable prizes. Scratch off your ticket and see if you win! Winning ticket holders may select one of the prize packages that are now on display at the Library. There will also be special treats for patrons checking out materials!

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country. “Connect with Your Library,” promotes the idea that libraries are places to get connected to technology by using broadband, computers, and other resources. Libraries also offer opportunities to connect with media, programs, ideas, and classes—in addition to books.

Library Book Clubs

The 2WBC Book Club meets Wednesday, April 13 at 12:30 p.m. to discuss The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey.

The Afternoon Book Club meets Wednesday, April 20 at 1 p.m. to discuss Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney.

Books On Tap will meet Thursday, April 28 at 6 p.m. at Cork N Tap to discuss Northern Spy by Flynn Berry.

New Book Club- Cocktails & Crimes – April 13 at 6:30 p.m. (grab a book to find out where) This book club is for the fans of True Crime. Part of the mystery each month will be the book we read and the location, date and time of the meeting. You can pick up the book for April at the library or visit our Goodreads page to see the description. Each month, the location, date and time of the club will be revealed in the next book chosen and will never be in the same place twice in a row. It’s a mystery. If you would like to join this book club, stop by and get the book for April and find out more information.

Seed Swap– Tuesday, April 12 from 2-6 p.m.

Bring seeds to share to the library– fruits, vegetables, flowers and native seeds are the best. Make sure your seeds are labeled with variety, year grown, crop family, days to maturity, location grown, germination rate and skill level. NO GMO SEEDS OR SEEDS OVER 2 YEARS OLD. U of I Extension Office Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists will be on hand to answer questions. For more information, contact (815) 732-2724. If you haven’t seen it yet, come check out our new seed lending library.

Stories Aboard the Titanic – Thursday, April 14 at 1 p.m.

On April 14, 1912, the H.M.S. Titanic strikes an ice berg and sends out an S.O.S. At 1:30 a.m. NY Times Managing Editor, Carr Van Anda, reads that wireless message. RJ Lindsey portrays Carr Van And, who narrates a slide program detailing the ship’s construction, its luxurious accommodations and modern safety features.

He then recounts hour by hour the events of that dramatic maiden voyage. As the ship slowly sinks, Van Anda tells the stories of several passengers from First, Second and Third class; Who were they? Why were they on board? What finally happened to them?

Registration required, 815-732-2724 or visit www.oregonpubliclibrary.com.

Snow, mud, bids all par t of Hazelhurst Spr ing Consignment Sale

By EARLEEN HINTON ehinton@oglecountynews.com

A day earlier or a day later would have made the annual Hazelhurst Spring Consignment Sale a l o t m o r e p l e a s a n t , b u t M o t h e r Nature accommodates no one –including area farmers looking to sell or buy equipment.

A heavy wet snow fell across the 30-acre sale site between Polo and M i l l e d g e v i l l e a l l - d a y S a t u r d a y m a k i n g t h e v e n u e v e r y , v e ry muddy and chilly.

“We’ve had snow before the sale, but not actually on the day of the sale. And this is a wet, heavy snow,” said Sheryl Hopkins, of Public Auction Service, on sale day.

The annual event is held every spring and includes farm machinery, automobiles, lawn tractors and just about whatever else someone brings in before sale day.

The event has become a generational “must do” for some area farmers.

“I’ve been coming here for 40 years,” said Dan Langy of Lena who was busy chatting with two buddies from Lena and Stockton. “It could be worse weather.”

Mark Engelkens of Freeport adapted his ATV with an umbrella to protect him and his passenger from the elements.

“I’ve been going to get an actual roof for it, but for now this works,” he said smiling as the machine slithered across a muddy pathway.

Sara Coleman and her toddlers, Lucy and Cole, trekked their way through the mud en route to finding her husband across the field at a sale ring.

“We were trying to buy a well pump, but it went too high for us,” she said while extricating Lucy from a mud rut.

The mud was a major attraction

See HAZELHURST, Page 4

Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media Toddler Lucy Coleman of Rockford expressed what many visitors to this year’s Hazelhurst Spring Consignment Sale were thinking when heavy, wet snow fell throughout the event. Lucy was walking with her mom, Sara, and Cole, her 3-year-old brother, before her mom picked her up and carried her to see her dad who was bidding on items on the east side of the sale grounds.

A NOTE TO OUR COMMUNITY: We remain open, so we can provide essential services to the community!

Just in Just in E a s t e r D i n i n g ! T ime for At Rite-Way, we’re ready to provide: APPLIANCE & DINING ROOM SALEE & DINING ROOM • Appliances, appliance parts & service for homes & businesses • Furniture for working at home & necessary furniture for your home • Business furniture for other essential • businesses

Have questions about service, parts, & new production information? The public can come to Rite-Way at 20 E. Stephenson Street. Hours are Monday thru Friday, 9am to 5pm, & Saturday 9am to 4pm.You can also call the store.

A L L

APPLIANCES SALE PRICED!

Rite-Way's Management & Staff are available to Support Our Community in every way they can. Be Safe & Stay Well.We will get through these very difficult times.Take Care. We have to be America Strong.

Over 40 Dining Room Sets to choose from!

BUNDLE PRICING AVAILABLE!

20 E. Stephenson St, Downtown Freeport • 815-235-4911 ritewayfreeport.com • Monday-Friday 9-5, Saturday 9-4

GREAT SELECTION OF REFURBISHED APPLIANCES

FREE DELIVERY & REMOVAL OF OLD APPLIANCES

Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media ABOVE: Wet snow fell during this year’s Hazelhurst Spring Consignment Sale on April 2 turning the walkways to mud between rows of farm machinery for sale. BELOW LEFT: Mack Engelkens used a strategically placed umbrella to shield himself from the wet snow. BELOW RIGHT: Auctioneer Lenny Bryson takes bids on an antique tractor.

for Kasen Bocker, 8, of Leaf R i v e r w h o m a d e s u r e h e splashed through mud behind a row of tractors while waiting for his dad and brother to catch up.

“We just got here a few minutes ago,” said Randy, Kasen’s dad. “We usually come over every year.”

The Polo Lions Club operates the main food booth in the center of the sale site. The covered building was a popular place for visitors to get out of the snow and grab a hot dog, cheeseburger or pork chop sandwich and chat with friends and neighbors.

“We had a steady crowd,” Lion Mike Faivre said.

H o p k i n s , w h o s e f a m i l y started the event years ago, said overall the day was a success.

“We had a decent crowd,” H o p k i n s s a i d o n S u n d a y. “Items sold well and we had 450 online bidders so overall it was a good crowd.”