Business News

OUTDOOR RECREATION

Polo’s outdoor sw imming pool opens this Saturday

By BRIAN WEIDMAN bweidman@shawmedia.com

At one point in her life, Elizabeth Grogan was an unlikely candidate for her new summer job as the Polo swimming pool manager.

Grogan, 31, was in Mexico more than two decades ago and went for a swim in a lake. It was more than she bargained for.

“I jumped in and freaked out,” Grogan said. “I panicked. I couldn’t get myself to where I felt comfortable to be able to touch. That’s where I experienced some of the distressed drowning situation. I was very scared for a very long time. I would get in the water, but I would never go in the deep end. I was terrified of the deep end.”

A 2008 Oregon High School graduate, Grogan began working for the Freeport Park District shortly after high school. She soon was asked if she would like to teach some aquatic fitness classes. That spurred her on to become a better swimmer.

“For a year, I swam every day in the deep end, getting over that fear,” Grogan said. “I ended up getting certified as a lifeguard and loving it, and I ended up getting certified as a swim instructor.”

Grogan has worked at the Nash Center in Oregon for about 10 years, instructing aquatic fitness classes and teaching novice swimmers young and old how to swim. A big part of her job is getting her students to face their fears of the water, like she did.

“I love seeing that fear, like I had, but at the end of the lessons, they end up loving the water,” Grogan said. “I also have worked with adults that are 60 and older and retired, and want to learn how to swim. I’ve had multiple people that were that age that I taught how to swim. It doesn’t matter what age you are. You can learn how to swim and enjoy the water.”

It is with that background Grogan takes over as manager of the Polo pool. It opens on Saturday, May 29 and will remain open through Labor Day weekend.

Then she will go back to working at the Nash Center, as well as at Stronghold Camp in Oregon, where she teaches aquatics classes and works in the kitchen.

At the Polo pool, she will oversee a staff of 21 lifeguards. Fifteen are high school students, four soon or recently will have graduated, and two are in college. Each must be a certified lifeguard, and Grogan is giving them some last-minute instruction this week in preparation for opening day.

“It will freshen up on their CPR, first aid and all of their rescues,” Grogan said. “I’m very serious about that. We love to have fun, but we also make sure that we’re keeping everyone safe.”

Open swim time is from 1 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Season passes may be bought and pool parties booked at the building adjacent to the pool at 303 E. Webster St.

Starting June 7, water aerobics classes will be held at various times throughout the week. There also will be lap swimming; swim lessons still must be approved by the Park District board.

Call 815-946-3406 for more information.

Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@shawmedia.com ABOVE: Courtney Grobe skims the pool ahead of Saturday’s opening. BELOW LEFT: Kamryn Stockton cleans the pool Tuesday as she and others get ready for opening day.. BELOW RIGHT: Pool manager Elizabeth Grogan is looking forward to a busy summer this year in Polo. For now, the pool will be able to host swimmers at 60% capacity, which is 166.

TRANSPORTATION BUSINESS

LOTS buys land to build transit off ice in Oregon

By RACHEL RODGERS rrodgers@shawmedia.com

The Lee-Ogle Transportation System has purchased land to build a hub in Oregon and expand ridership opportunities for community members.

In November, LOTS won a $2.8 million Rebuild Illinois capital grant to expand services and create a satellite office in Ogle County.

It’s been a goal for the agency for the past couple of years, and will allow routes to begin directly from Ogle County.

“There’s likely an unmet need for public transportation in Ogle County, and this will help meet that need,” LOTS Executive Director Greg Gates said.

The organization recently bought property on 3.7 acres in Oregon, at the corner of Pines Road and state Route 2 for $190,000.

They chose the spot because Oregon is a central location in Ogle County, and it’s close to state Routes 2 and 64, Gates said.

The site will be a smaller scale than the Reagan Transit Center, 210 E. Progress Drive in Dixon, and it likely will be around 15 to 18 months to complete the project.

It will also reduce “dead head” rides where LOTS has to send empty buses to Ogle County, he said.

“There will be a lot more rides available to the public in Ogle County,” Gates said.

The next steps will be to hire an engineering firm and go through a bidding process.

The grant also will fund three new t r a n s i t b u s e s t h a t w i l l b e h a n d i capped-accessible and video cameras for the LOTS fleet.

R i d e r s h i p h a s g r a d u a l l y b e e n improving as coronavirus cases decline and restrictions ease. It’s about double as it was a year ago. For example, LOTS had 838 rides the week of May 3 compared to 402 rides that time last year.

“Hopefully with the pandemic pushing into the background, public transportation can continue to grow, especially in Ogle County,” he said.

Go to lotsil.org to schedule a ride or for more information.

Photos by Earleen Hinton – ehinton@shawmedia.com Lee-Ogle Transportation System recently purchased land in Oregon to build a hub in Oregon.

COUNT Y NEWS

K itchen Table in Rochelle is seeking volunteers

By BRIAN WEIDMAN bweidman@shawmedia.com

Amy Hayden is looking for a few more people to gather around The Kitchen Table.

Hayden is the vice president of the board of directors for The Kitchen Table, which she described as a “community café” at 7034 S. Klondike Road in Rochelle. It relies largely on volunteer help, and more are being sought to work shifts 2 days a week.

“We know that in order to keep costs down, make everything affordable, keep it running and running as successfully as we can, we rely on our v o l u n t e e rs , ” H a y d e n s a i d . “ E a c h night, we need a lot of volunteers to make the operation go, so we’re reaching out, especially as the COVID mitigations are lowering and people are more comfortable out in public.”

The Kitchen Table has been in operation for about 4 years, and serves meals on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

A suggested donation of $5 per meal is the going rate to eat at The Kitchen Table. Some people pay more than that, while others pay less – or nothing. It is a chance for those in need to get a hot meal at least twice a week. There is also a brunch on the first Sunday of each month, as well as a steak fry the third Friday of each month.

There is a cook on staff who is in charge of preparing around 115 meals per session, while the rest of the operation is volunteer. Hayden noted she currently has a pool of 12 volunteers to draw from, and seven or eight of them are there both days, from start to finish – usually about 1:30 p.m. for preparation until about 7 p.m. for cleanup.

Ideally, that volunteer pool will grow to about 40 people, to work once a week, every other week, or even just a few hours at a time. Some of the jobs include waitresses, meal delivery, food preparation, certified food handlers, dishwashers, cashiers and parking lot runners.

Hayden is hoping to attract individuals with some hours to spare, or perhaps a corporate situation where a b u s i n e s s w o u l d h a v e s o m e o f i t s employees take over for a night.

“Some of our positions are really easy and you can just sign up on our website and help us,” Hayden said. “Other ones take a little bit more training, but there’s a job for everyone.”

The Kitchen Table has been able to remain viable due to some government grants, donations from community members, and customers who pay extra for their meals.

“We’re really overwhelmed each month with the generosity of our community,” Hayden said.

COVID-19 was not able to take down The Kitchen Table, as it remained open with carryout and delivery service. There were also take-and-bake Fridays, where a meal would be partially baked, the customer would pick it up or have it delivered, and then finish baking it at home. That program continues now.

“We did that constantly during COVID because we knew there was a lot of food insecurity,” Hayden said. “Instead of weekly, we’re doing that on a monthly basis, and that’s still getting quite a turnout.”

For more information, call 815-5619074.

Photo provided The Kitchen Table in Rochelle serves food to those in need and is looking for volunteers.

SPECIAL EVENT

Forreston FFA A lumni tractor pull Saturday, June 5

The Forreston FFA Alumni will be hosting the 10th Annual Truck and Tractor Pull at Leaf River Daze on Saturday, June 5.

Following a tractor parade, the pull will feature classes for antique tractors at noon, farm tractors at 2 p.m., trucks at 4 p.m., and Badger State Pullers at 7 p.m.

The entry fee for pullers is $25 per hook.

In order to provide an event that brings the community together, there will be no admission fee this year, but donations will be accepted at the gate. Funds raised will go toward supporting Forreston High School Ag Education and FFA Chapter.

The pull will be held on the track behind the old Leaf River Grade School. This event would not be possible without our sponsors

“Thank you to our Platinum Sponsor: BVS Diesel; Gold Sponsors: Peabudy’s North, Helm Truck and Equipment, MAD Acres; Silver Sponsors: Buckshot Ridge Farms and Excavating, Bocker Ruff, Seward Ag Supply, Dambman Service, Inc., Burris SeedBryce Sandahl, German American State Bank, US Auctioneers, Inc., Pearl City Elevator, Inc., Compeer Financial, Solutions Bank, Martin & Company Excavating, Heels and Hardhats Contracting, and Leaf River Land and Cattle,” said Josh Bolen, Forreston FFA Alumni Vice President.

For more information, like the Forreston FFA Alumni on Facebook.

“We look forward to seeing you at the 10th Annual Truck and Tractor Pull on June 5,” said Bolen. The Forreston FFA Alumni will host its Alumni Tractor and Truck Pull on June 5 during Leaf River Daze.

Photo provided

ARRIVING FALL 2021!

We are pleased to announce that we broke ground in late April on a new branch office in Mount Morris, Illinois, located at 1 W Hitt Street. Expected to open in the fall of 2021, the new office will feature two drive-through lanes with an ATM, ample parking, and safe deposit services. The branch will continue offering personal, commercial, and mortgage banking services.

Visit our website for more details!

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