14 minute read
Library News
By ALEXA ZOELLNER azoellner@shawmedia.com
After a pared down year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Leaf River Summer Daze is set to be back as big as before.
“We’re excited to have people come out and enjoy the weekend and start the summer with us,” said Laura Werner, Leaf River Lions Club president and Leaf River Summer Daze Committee co-secretary.
Leaf River Summer Daze is scheduled for June 3-5. The majority of the events take place at the River Valley C o m p l e x a n d B e r t o l e t M e m o r i a l Library.
Activities such as the car show and grand parade are back this year, along with other things they had to forgo in 2021 because of the uncertainties surrounding COVID-19, Werner said.
Friday night is the Leaf River Lions Club’s “big night” with fireworks, music and more, she said.
“We try to have family-friendly prices so you can come down and have dinner and enjoy the evening,” Werner said.
On Saturday, there’s lots of food and, of course, the tractor pulls, she said. Children’s games will be in two locations this year – Bertolet Memorial Library and the Leaf River Fire Station.
“Up at the library, the Lions Club does games and stuff,” Werner said. “Everybody wins a prize.”
There’s also Kenny and his barrel wagon rides at the library, she added.
Werner said she wasn’t sure of all the things going on at Sparky’s Kid Zone at the fire station, but knows there will be a bouncy house.
“Then Sunday, we have a bags tournament and the Lions pork chip BBQ,” she said. “Ogle County Pork Producers will be grilling for us Saturday and Sunday. Normally they do it Saturday at the tractor pulls, but this is the first year they’re going to do it for the Lions Club on Sunday.”
Steve Summers, of 95.3 The Bull, will be the parade’s emcee this year, Werner noted.
“It’s a busy weekend,” she said. “It goes quickly, and we’re hoping for good weather.”
Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media Earl’s Dream from Kent competes in the Forreston FFA Alumni Tractor Pull in Leaf River in 2021. Tractor pulls are scheduled again for this year at Leaf River Daze.
POLO LIBRARY
Adult Programs - Wednesday Book 2 Movie group will meet on May 18 to discuss The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Monday Afternoon Book club will meet on May 23 to talk about The Beautiful Forevers by Catharine Boo.
Music in the Pavilion - Just 4 Fun Band
- Saturday, May 21, 7-9 p.m.
Lighthouses of Lake Michigan - Join Laura Keyes as she shares the history, beauty, and surprising stories of some of the more than 120 lighthouses on Lake Michigan on Thursday, May 19 at 6:30 p.m. Seating is limited so don’t hesitate to call 815-946-2713 or email library@pololibrary.org to reserve your spot!
Rock River Valley Mobile Blood Drive
- Help meet the needs in our community! Tuesday, May 24 1-6 p.m. To schedule an appointment email Ellen Finfrock at ellenf@ pololibrary.org or call 815-946-2713.
Library newsletter - Our April/May newsletter is chock full of information on library services and programs. Print copies are available at the library, Lifeline Food Pantry, Polo Senior Center, Polo Fresh Food Market, and Polo Laundromat. If you prefer to receive it electronically visit our website and subscribe.
Special Procedures - Masks are optional for staff and visitors to the library. If you require an access service to fully participate in a program or have any questions about accessibility, please contact Ellen Finfrock at 815-946-2713.
Library Services - Converting VHS to DVD With VHS and other videotape formats disappearing fast now is the perfect time to preserve your videos and other important memories. This new service will allow us to convert your VHS tapes measuring approximately 7x4x1 to DVD for you. For $5 per tape library staff will convert your memories to a more manageable format. Tapes may be dropped off during regular library hours. Unfortunately, our convertor does not accommodate VHS-C (compact videocassette) or mini DV tapes..
Genealogy Assistance - Are you interested in researching your ancestors but don’t know where to start? Do you have a start and need help with your research? Stop by the first Wednesday 5-7 p.m. or the third Saturday 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and let Donna help with your project. Polo Library is now a FamilySearch Affiliate Library which allows access to more digital records when you’re researching at the library.
OREGON LIBRARY
Save the Date! - Read Beyond The Beaten Path Summer Reading Program Kickoff Party, Thursday, May 19, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Join us for the start of your summer on the Library lawn. Rain date May 20, at the same time. This is an “open house” type event. Come and meet some incredible birds of prey, participate in activities, crafts and lots of fun. Come start your summer off right at the Oregon Public Library. Registration is recommended, the first 20 families registered will get to build a birdhouse (one per family). Registration began May 5 at Oregon Public Library.
Library Book Clubs
The Cocktails & Crimes Book Club will meet on May 15 at 2 p.m. at Breakers Saloon Eatery to discuss?. Stop by the Library and get the book to find out the title.
The Afternoon Book Club meets Wednesday, May 18 at 1 p.m. to discuss Moonlight in Odessa by Janet Skeslien Charles.
Books On Tap will meet Thursday, May 26 at 6 p.m. at Cork N Tap to discuss The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave.
Teen Book Association will meet Saturday, May 28 at 10 a.m. to discuss Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson. The TBA will meet the last Saturday of each month at 10 a.m.
The 2WBC Book Club meets Wednesday, June 8 at 12:30 p.m. to discuss Ghost by Jason Reynolds.
Preschool StoryTime (18 months- 5 years)
StoryTime now meets on Mondays at 9:30 a.m., now through May 16. Registration is required and masks are recommended.
Yoga - Mondays at 9:30 a.m.
Krystal Casey will be teaching a Monday morning yoga class at the library. We are all human; we are all part of something greater; we are all connected. Her personal mission is to inspire a spirit of oneness, acceptance, love, and peace among the community and empower all Americans to live their dream lives, every day. Registration is required, at www.oregonpubliclibrary.com.
We now have a Seed LIBRARY!
To add seeds that you have saved or purchased to the collection, bring them to the Circulation Desk and request a seed envelope for each plant. Please fill out as much of the information on the envelope as you can, put in enough seeds to grow at least five plants, and return the envelope to the Circulation staff. You do not need to have a library card to donate seeds or ‘borrow’ seeds. Our intention is to make wholesome food available to our community members.
Photo provided Three Oregon High School senior athletes will be playing sports next year as freshmen at their respective colleges. Jenae Bothe will compete in track and field for Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Jared Glendenning will play golf and Taylar Rufer will play soccer at Kishwaukee College in Malta, Illinois. Pictured here are Bothe and Glendenning. Rufer was unavailable when the photo was taken.
Girls track and field
The Dixon, Rock Falls and Oregon girls track and field teams competed at the Big Northern Conference Meet on May 5 in Rockford, and the three local teams finished 3-4-5 in the final team standings.
Host Rockford Christian won the title with 112 points, with Winnebago right behind at 108. Dixon was third (84), and Rock Falls edged out Oregon 67-66 for fourth.
Jenae Bothe had the highlight of the meet to lead the Hawks, breaking the BNC record in the discus with a toss of 137 feet, 3 inches. It broke the conference record of 133-7 by Hampshire’s Erin Salinas in 2003, and also topped Allison Kereven’s Oregon record of 125-11.
Bothe also won the shot put (41-7 1/2), an event she already holds the school record. Sophie Stender had Oregon’s other win, taking the 100 hurdles (16.81 seconds) and also finishing second in the 300 hurdles (52.83). Ava Wight was runner-up in the triple jump (30-2).
Sonya Plescia took third in the pole vault (7-0) and fourth in the triple jump (27-10 1/2), and Rylie Roberston finished fourth in the 100 hurdles (18.00 seconds) for the Hawks. Jennica Ciesel added a fifth in the high jump (4-10).
Forreston-Polo 4th at NUIC Meet: Fulton finished with 84 points to earn the runner-up spot to Galena-East Dubuque-River Ridge (146.33) at the NUIC Meet in Pecatonica.
Dakota took third (72.33), Amboy-LaMoille-Ohio-AFC was fourth (62), and Forreston-Polo finished fifth (59). Milledgeville-Eastland placed eighth (18), and West Carroll was ninth (17).
Sydni Badertscher won the shot put (10.54 meters) and discus (31.82 meters) to lead
Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media Oregon’s Rylie Robertson clears a hurdle in the 100 hurdles during the sectional prep meet at Landers-Loomis Field on Monday.
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the Cardinals, and Letrese Buisker won the high jump (1.65 meters) and finished fourth in both the 100 hurdles (17.58 seconds) and 300 hurdles (50.70 seconds). She also teamed with Ennen Ferris, Autum Pritchard and Emileigh Williams to take third in the 4x100 (54.56 seconds).
Pritchard added a third in the 400 (1:05.07), and Kamryn Stockton finished fifth in both the 1,600 (6:37.61) and 3,200 (14:46.10) for Forreston-Polo.
Softball
North Boone 5, Oregon 0: The Hawks saw their five-game winning streak snapped with a shutout loss in a Big Northern Conference road game.
Forreston 13, Milledgeville 0: The Cardinals exploded for a 10-run third inning and cruised to a five-inning victory over the Missiles.
Jenna Greenfield went 2 for 3 with two RBIs, Rylee Broshous homered and drove in three runs, and Ella Ingram went 2 for 2 with a triple and two RBIs to lead Forreston at the plate. Kara Erdmann pitched a two-hitter, striking out 11 without a walk.
Marissa Sturrup took the loss for Milledgeville, striking out seven and allowing six hits across four innings.
Oregon 5, Stillman Valley 4: Mia Tampel pitched a complete game, allowing eight hits and three earned runs while striking out 12, to lead the Hawks to a Big Northern road win.
Liz Mois went 3 for 4, Mia Trampel went 2 for 4 with one RBI, and Gracen Pitts went 2 for 3 with two RBIs to lead Oregon at the plate.
Maddie Smith went 3 for 3 with one RBI, Josie Larson went 2 for 3 with one RBI, and Addison Wythe went 2 for 4 with one RBI to lead Stillman Valley hitters.
Wythe took the loss, allowing seven hits and two runs across 4 1/3 innings. She struck out three and walked one.
Genoa-Kingston 7, Forrston 3: The Cardinals fell to the Cogs in May 10 action. Rylee Broshous was 2-for-4 with a double and a triple. Breanna Loster was 1-for-1 with an RBI and Alaina Miller was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Baseball
Stillman Valley 1, Oregon 0: The Hawks lost a heartbreaker on the road in Big Northern Conference play.
Ashton-Franklin Center 13, Polo 0: Jordan Harris thew a one-hitter, striking out 16 and walking two in a complete game, and he also went 3 for 5 at the plate and drove in a run to lead the Raiders past the Marcos.
Carson Rueff went 2 for 3 with two RBIs, Evan Kopp went 2 for 5 with three RBIs, and Braiden Runkle went 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Michael Cochrane drove in two runs for AFC.
Blake Diehl had the lone hit for Polo. Nolan Hahn pitched three innings for the Marcos, allowing five hits, three runs and four walks, and striking out two.
East Dubuque 13, Forreston 6: The Cardinals lost an NUIC crossover game at home, as four Warriors pitchers combined on a two-hitter.
Both teams scored four runs in the first inning, but East Dubuque added two more four-run frames in the third and fifth to pull away.
Noah Johnson had the lone RBI for Forreston, and he and Mason Fox each had a hit; Fox’s was a double. Tommy Appel scored twice, as the Cardinals took advantage of 10 walks and four hit batsmen.
Milledgeville 6, Forreston 3: The Missiles got rolling with a four-run third inning and never looked back, claiming an NUIC South win over the Cardinals.
Caden Vandyke went 3 for 4 with one RBI, and Connor Nye went 2 for 3 with one RBI to pace Milledgeville hitters.
Nye was the winning pitcher. Over 5 2/3 innings, he allowed two hits, three runs and five walks, and earned nine strikeouts. Kieren Harris threw 1 1/3 innings of relief, conceding one hit and one walk, while striking out three.
Mason Fox went 1 for 2 with two RBIs to
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Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media Milledgeville’s Caden VanDyke waits for the throw as Forreston’s Logan Dyson beats it out during May 5 action in Forreston.
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lead Forreston, and Blake Greenfield had one RBI. Owen Greenfield took the loss, going 6 2/3 innings on the mound and allowing seven hits and five runs (one earned) and striking out 10 without a walk.
Forreston 12, Milledgeville 0, 5 inn.: The Cardinals scored eight runs in the first inning and rolled to an NUIC South win over the Missiles.
Jacob Fiorello went 3 for 4 with three RBIs, and Owen Greenfield went 1 for 3 with two RBIs to lead Forreston at the plate. Dylan Greenfield threw a complete-game one-hitter for the win, striking out eight and walking two.
Cayden Akers had the lone hit for Milledgeville. Caden VanDyke went 4 1/3 innings on the mound for the Missiles, allowing one hit, four runs and four walks while striking out four. Carter Dudley took the loss, throwing 2/3 of an inning.
Forreston 11, Warren-Stockton 10: The Cardinals battled back from an 8-0 deficit in the first inning en route to this win on May 10.
Softball
See SPORTS ROUNDUP, Page 18
Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media Milledgeville’s Payton Sarber slides into third as Forreston’s Noah Johnson waits for the throw from catcher Logan Dyson during May 5 action in Forreston.
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