Serving Ogle County since 1851
OREGON Republican Reporter
September 17, 2015 Volume 165, Number 40 - $1.00
Hawks Win
Garden Colors
Prairie Tours
Oregon controlled the ball to down the Rockets in Rock Falls Friday night. B1
Learn fall planting tips to have a colorful spring garden. A8-A9
Forty tours are scheduled at Nachusa Grasslands during Autumn on the Prairie. A6
County board members question appointments By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com Two Ogle County Board members raised questions Tuesday evening about committee appointments. Bruce McKinney, Rochelle, and Lee Meyers, Byron, asked for four committee appointments to be voted on separately instead of with the rest of the consent agenda
items. McKinney said he believes one person has too much influence on who has been applying for vacancies on the Ogle County Civic Center Authority (OCCCA), which oversees the Hickory Grove Civic Center in Rochelle. He said a tenant of the building encourages people with her point of view to apply for the vacancies.
“We need board members who will stand up to her,” McKinney said. The State’s Attorney, Juvenile, & Probation Committee interviews applicants for various committee vacancies and then recommends who should be appointed to the county board, which makes the appointment. McKinney told the board
a different applicant than recommended should be appointed to one of the two vacancies on OCCCA. He amended a motion to appoint Sally Sawicki instead of Lynda Larcom, who was recommended by the State’s Attorney, Juvenile, & Probation Committee. He said Sawicki has more experience.
“She has 20 years experience on this board and knows what’s going on,” McKinney said. Board member Bill Welty, Chana, who is on the State’s Attorney, Juvenile, & Probation Committee, said the recommendations were based on interviews done with the applicants.
By Andy Colbert acolbert@oglecounty news.com
Conference West offer girls soccer in the spring, with the exceptions being Oregon and Rock Falls. Rock Falls has neither a boys or girls program, while girls from Oregon are afforded the opportunity to play with the boys in the fall. One of those girls, senior Anni Wilson, spoke up in favor of making a separation. “I know girls that would love to play, but are not interested in playing with the boys,” Wilson said. Accusations were also made about an unfriendly and intimidating environment the girls have encountered among the males on the team. It was also pointed out that playing with the boys reduces chances for a college scholarship. One of the more impassioned pleas came from former Oregon volleyball coach Christy Sitze. “Not offering girls soccer is an embarrassment,” Sitze said. “I think it’s the world’s most popular sport and we’re not offering it? I don’t understand, if it is self-funded, why it is being denied?” Mahoney replied that no decision has been made. “Your argument is solid, but I need to look how this impacts everyone else,” he Turn to A2
Group says it is time for girls soccer at OHS
Volunteers pick up trash on the east bank of the Rock River during the Rock River Sweep. Photo by Chris Johnson
Volunteers clean up Rock River By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com Volunteers spread out along the Rock River on a cool Saturday morning to do their part to keep a natural resource clean. The seventh annual Rock River Sweep was held to clean debris from the river and the shore from the Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin through the Mississippi River in Moline. “I want to thank all the volunteers,” said Oregon section coordinator Mark Nehrkorn. “This is what
really makes this event. We are always pleasantly surprised with the turnout. It always helps makes the river a better place.” More than 35 volunteers participated in the Oregon Area Sweep this year. They walked the banks of the river and paddled down the river to pick up trash. This year the Illinois Department of Natural Resources was represented and had a large boat to help with the cleanup. “We have grown fond of this river,” said Nehrkorn. The idea of cleaning the river during an annual
Scout Alex George carries trash Saturday morning while the rest of his fellow scouts continue to collect trash along the banks of the Rock River Photo by Chris Johnson
organized event was introduced by Frank Masterman, Oregon in 2008. “This was his idea and his baby and he brought it to life. Thank you for initiating
Turn to A6
this,” Nehrkorn said to Masterman. The event started in Oregon and each year Turn to A2
There is a grass roots movement afoot to start girls soccer at the high school in Oregon, as numerous testimonies were given during an informational meeting between the district’s administration and 60 parents and students of all ages on Monday night. “I think there is a big passion for soccer,” said Julie Reckamp, a spokesperson for the group and one of many who addressed superintendent Tom Mahoney, athletic director Mike Lawton and board members Stephanie Haugh and Terry Wilken. “I want a good reason why we can’t have soccer for the girls. Soccer is their whole life.” Major concerns presented by the administration were budgetary restraints, a declining enrollment, and how it would impact the other two girls programs in the spring - track and softball. “We have a mechanism in place to raise $8,000 to 10,000 a year to be selffunding,” local soccer organizer Jim Zalzalah said. “It’s a win-win for the school.” Currently, six of the eight schools in the Big Northern
Vintage Packards were on display at Oregon Depot By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com The historic Oregon Depot looked even more historic Saturday afternoon when antique cars and their drivers visited the 1913 building which is now a museum. Nine Packards and one DeSoto made the depot look like it was filled will people waiting for a passenger train to arrive. Members of the Packards of Chicagoland car club cruised through Ogle County over the weekend with their rides from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Linne Dose, Glenview, was driving his 1937 Packard during the cruise. “We had 20 cars that made the drive out Thursday evening,” he said.
Dose’s Packard is a Super Eight with a straight eight engine. The car also was built with a 12 cylinder engine. “Believe it or not this is one of the smaller Packards and has 135 horsepower,” he said.” His car was outfitted perfectly for a trip to a train depot. “This car has a luggage rack,” Dose said with a smile. The 1937 Packard has had at least four owners over the decades and Dose owned it for the past 16. Having the cars at the depot brought out several spectators. “These are pretty neat cars,” said Craig Carpenter, Oregon, while admiring the Packards. One of the rarest Packards was brought to the depot
In This Week’s Edition...
— a 1942 Packard Super-8 one-sixty. This car, owned by Don House, Ringwood, is one of only two known survivors of
its models. The vehicle was built just before an executive order halted production and switched manufacturing to
wartime efforts. House said less than 500 of these club sedans were produced. Members of the car club
were offered a tour of the depot and listened to a lecture about the historical aspects of the building by local historian Otto Dick.
The Oregon Depot had even more of a historical feel to it Saturday afternoon with a row of 1930s through 1950s Packards and a DeSoto parked by the building. Photo by Chris Johnson
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B5
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B6 Property Transfers, B4 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3
Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B5
Deaths, B5 Donald L. Boyd, Donald W. Cox, Richard A. Petit Sr.
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com