Mt. Morris trustees say no to owning DLR
Oregon Republican Reporter / ShawLocal.com • Friday, Jun 17, 2022
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Village board members urge Oregon School District to hold onto building for two to three years as ‘safety net’ By ALEXA ZOELLNER
azoellner@shawmedia.com Mt. Morris Village Board trustees declined the Oregon School District Board’s offer to take ownership of the David L. Rahn Junior High School building. “We strongly recommend that the Oregon School Board reconsider pursuing any disposition of the DLR building for a period of two to three years,” Village President Phil Labash read from a prepared statement at the village board’s June 14 meeting. “This includes the potential transfer of DLR to the Village of Mt. Morris.” Oregon School District Superintendent
David L. Rahn Junior High School is located on Brayton Road in Mt. Morris. Tom Mahoney went before the Mt. Morris Village Board on May 24 at the behest of school board members to ask if village officials were interested in the property. Discussion or consideration of the transfer was not on the agenda for that village board meeting, so trustees were unable to talk about, or take action on, the matter at that time. On Tuesday, village trustees unanimously voted to decline the offer of ownership following a closed session. The closed
session lasted less than 10 minutes. School board members on Feb. 22 voted 4-2 to close DLR at the end of the 2021-22 school year, despite pleas from Mt. Morris officials and residents to keep the school open. Seventh grade and eighth grade students will attend Oregon High School, which is 5 miles to the east in Oregon. DLR was the last remaining school in Mt. Morris. The Mt. Morris School District merged with the Oregon School District in 1994 because of financial reasons. Mahoney first proposed closing DLR in May 2021, citing decreasing enrollment throughout the district and increasing maintenance costs at DLR as reasons to do so. “We continue to believe this decision is wrong, shortsighted and not in the best interest of students, staff and district families,” Labash said. “Immediate disposition of the building through sale, transfer or demolition will eliminate a critical safety net, should serious issues arise as a result of this decision.”
Owners of Patchwork Inn to speak at ‘Those Were the Days’ on June 25 Chris Martin asked Kent and Kathy Lawrence if they would like to make a presentation at the June 25, “Those Were the Days” program held at Oregon Depot Museum. Their response was why? “We are not longtime residents of the community; we are not active in local organizations; what do we have to offer?” His response, “Tell us why did you come to Oregon; why are you involved with the Patchwork Inn; and why you are involved with The Coliseum of Art, Antiques and Americana? Tell us your story.” Good questions, so in a weak moment, they said yes and will present a talk on their energy efficient home, (called Kickapoo Dwelling) and their public space (called Kickapoo Center), as well as how they became involved with the Patch-
Photos provided
At left, an old photo shows visitors standing on the upper porch of the Inn. At right is a recent photo of what the Patchwork Inn looks like today. It is located in the 100 block of North Third Street in Oregon. work Inn, and some of its history, and the Coliseum. The program begins at 10 a.m. The Executive Director of the Coliseum Museum (CMAAA) Mike Glenn will also be present. The discussion will not be historical in nature, although it will contain “history of the Patchwork
Inn” as Kent and Kathy have come to know it. The Lawrences said they have come to truly enjoy learning about aspects of Oregon via presentations at the Oregon Depot Museum and hope the public will enjoy a slightly different view from relatively new residents.
The Afternoon Book Club meets Wednesday, July 20 at 1 p.m. to discuss The Rose Code by Kate Quinn.
potential wrongful convictions. Registration required, www.oregonpubliclibrary.com.
OREGON LIBRARY Book Clubs Books On Tap will meet Thursday, June 23, at 6 p.m. at Cork N Tap to discuss The Cactus by Sarah Hayward. Teen Book Association will meet Saturday, June 25 at 10 a.m. to discuss Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. Cocktails and Crimes will meet on July 10 at 2 p.m. (grab a book to find out where). The 2WBC Book Club meets Wednesday, July 13 at 12:30 p.m. to discuss Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire.
Crime, Killers and Wrongful Convictions: A hodge-podge of true crime research and stories from central Illinois, June 20, at 6:30 p.m. In-person Virtual Program - Illinois Wesleyan University psychology professor Amanda Vicary will discuss some of her research into why people, especially women, are drawn to true crime and also will discuss two central Illinois cases of
An Evening with Chef Kwame Onwuachi - Wednesday, June 22 at 7 p.m. - Virtual Event Join award-winning chef and former Top Chef contestant Kwame Onwuachi as he discusses his new cookbook My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, visit www. oregonpubliclibrary.com or call 815-732-2724.
