Serving Ogle County since 1851
OREGON Republican Reporter
October 22, 2015 Volume 165, Number 45 - $1.00
Regional Champs!
Memorial Work
Armed Robbery
The Hawk soccer team wins its first regional in dramatic fashion B1
The revamped veterans memorial will be dedicated Nov. 11. A2
Two men and a juvenile are arrested for robbing a Davis Junction liquor store. A12
District’s administrative costs are questioned Staff questions need for nine administrators By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com Representatives from the teachers union, district staff, and community voiced their concerns over administrative costs in the Oregon School District Monday night. “It really hurts me to think that we have nine administrators,” said Donna Gruber, a tax payer and former employee in the
district. “That is an awful lot for a district our size. Some things, I think, are legal. Do you check your ethics at the door? What is ethically right for this community, and what is legally right are two different things.” Gruber made her comments during a public hearing called to waive the limitation of administrative costs. She said the district paying these administrators when they can not pay bus drivers is not right. “What are your ethics and what do you want for this community?” Gruber said. “You need to really think
about it.” The school board needs to take a look into why the district has nine administrators, she said. “The person that helps the children is the teacher and support staff,” Gruber said. “This is Oregon. This is not Chicago. This is not Byron. We do not have tons of money, but we need to make every dollar count. This counts when you are in the trenches. It does not when you are sitting behind a desk.” The crowd of 30 gathered at the school district office for the hearing gave Gruber Turn to A2
More than 30 people attended a public hearing at the Oregon Community Unit School District 220 District Office Monday night. They came to hear about the administrative costs and to weigh in on what they think the district should do with administrative salaries. Photo by Chris Johnson
Board votes to spend $600,000 By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com
Harry Spell, Art Casting of Illinois, Oregon, and Sculptor Renee Bemis, St. Charles, examines her finished bronze War Dogs Tuesday morning before the sculpture was shipped to Memorial Park in Columbia South Carolina. Photo by Chris Johnson
Vietnam war dogs remembered by new sculpture Bronze sculpture cast by Art Casting of Illinois, Inc. By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com A Vietnam veteran’s dog will be remembered forever through a bronze sculpture that was cast in Oregon. While the sculpture War Dogs by Renee Bemis, Saint Charles, did not use a specific soldier’s or dog’s likeness, many elements link the sculpture to Johnny Mayo, Columbia, South Carolina, and his dog Kelly. “I supplied the canteens, the ruck, the harness, the uniform, and the weapon so the artist could use them,” said Mayo. “The artist put my dog’s ID number in the ear. He was 819-Alpha.”
These items were used by Mayo from 1969-1971 when he was in Vietnam as an Army scout dog handler. “I kept my original harness and leash for the dog. No one else had possession of this until I shipped them to Renee. It was scary to let them go,” he said. Once Renee finished the sculpture, the items were safely returned to Mayo. Seeing the completed sculpture Tuesday morning at Art Casting of Illinois, Inc., Oregon, brought back memories of Vietnam for Mayo. “My first dog was killed fourth day out,” he said. “Kelly I had the rest of my time.” When Mayo left Vietnam in 1971 he never saw Kelly again. “Tragically the dog teams in Vietnam were rotated,” he said. “When we would come back, Kelly Veteran Johnny Mayo, Columbia, South Carolina, was would take a new handler and it in Oregon Tuesday morning to see the completed War Turn to A11 Dogs bronze sculpture by Saint Charles artist Renee
The Ogle County Board voted to spend more than $600,000 Tuesday on real estate, maintenance projects, and a jail study. The money will come from the Long Range Planning Fund, the revenues of which come from the host fees paid by garbage collection firms to dump refuse in the landfills within the county. The fees currently amount to approximately $3 million per year. Following a 20-minute closed session, the board voted 20-3 to offer $190,000 to purchase a building in Rochelle from Rochelle Community Hospital. Board members Lyle Hopkins, Polo, Pat Saunders, Polo, and Lee Meyers, Byron, cast the no votes. Nic Bolin, Holcomb, did not attend the meeting. Board chairman Kim Gouker, Byron, said the county currently rents the basement of the building at 510 Lincoln Highway to use as its Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Rochelle Clinic is in the upstairs but will likely move out in the spring when a new building is completed. Gouker said the hospital put the building up for sale because of the facilities that are under construction. “They can stay as long as they like,” he said. “But once they move out we are looking at moving the health department clinic that’s in Rochelle to that location.” Probation offices already located in Rochelle may also move into the building, he said. The moves hinge on whether or not hospital officials accept the county’s offer. Gouker said the health department currently pays $43,000 annually to rent space in Rochelle, and the probation department pays $7,500 in annual rent. The board also approved a bid of $97,115 from N Trak Group LLC, Loves Park, to demolish the old sheriff’s building at 103 Jefferson St., Oregon. Architect Guy Gelhausen said he expects the project to be completed early next year after asbestos and an underground tank are removed. A bid for $339,848 from Stenstrom Excavation & Blacktop Group, Rockford, was approved to pave six parking lots owned by the county. Gehlhausen said because asphalt plants are closing for the winter, except for some Turn to A11
Bemis. Photo by Chris Johnson
In This Week’s Edition...
Church Bells, A5 Classifieds, B7-B12 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B6 Marriage Licenses, A4
Oregon Library, A7 Oregon Police, B6 Public Voice, A9 Property Transfers, B6
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B3
Deaths, B5 Delores M. Barnhart, Patricia M. Fay, William R. Fay, Veva L. Manthei, Beverly J. Shuman
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com