12 minute read
Library News
2 POLO TRI-COUNTY PRESS BE AT POLO TRI-COUNTY PRESS TRI-COUNTY PRESS TRI-COUNTY oglecountynews.com ShawLocal.com OFFICE 113-115 Peoria Ave. Dixon, IL 61021 Tri-County Press / ShawLocal.com • Friday, Jan 13, 2023 815-732-6166, ext. 2592 SUBSCRIPTIONS $39 in Ogle County, and $52 outside Ogle County. Single-copy price is $1 To subscribe, make a payment or discuss your delivery, call 815-732-6166, ext. 2518, from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday-Friday or send an email to subscriptions@ oglecountynews.com. You also can subscribe online by going to oglecountynews.com and clicking on Subscribe. CLASSIFIED SALES classified@shawlocal.com HELP WANTED employment@shawlocal.com LEGAL NOTICES Exercise with Ronna every Tuesday at 9 a.m. and 10:15 a.m., and every Thursday at 11 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Games every Thursday at 1 p.m. - Euchre, Mexican Train Fourth Thursdays from 10 - 11 a.m. Benefits Access for seniors, Rock River Center staff will be sauklegals@shawlocal.com here to answer questions and help with access to OBITUARIES benefits especially for seniors. saukobits@shawlocal.com Line dancing 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 17Deadline for obituaries is 2 p.m. Tuesday for Friday’s edition Bingo Friday Jan. 13 at 10 a.m. Wheel of Fortune Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 11 a.m. SEND NEWS Mad Hatter Tea Party, light lunch served 11:30 news@oglecountynews.com a.m. on Jan. 18 - wear your Fancy Hat. Publisher PASS Luncheon - Jan. 27 at 11 a.m. (Slider Jennifer Heintzelman burgers and tots) Speaker - Hoo Haven Wildlife815-632-2502 jheintzelman@shawmedia.com Rehab, featuring a live OWL! You don’t want to miss it. Suggested donation $3.
Sunday, Jan. 29 Breakfast and Bluegrass - Breakfast served at 11:30 a.m., Music starts at 12 p.m. Featuring Mountain Grass and Friends Suggested donation $3.
Brain Wits class Jan. 30 at 11:30 a.m., light lunch served.
Valentine’s Dance Friday, Feb. 10 from 6 to 9 p.m. Featuring 3 D sound. Hors d’ oeuvres will be served. Cost $10 per person.
The senior center, in conjunction with American Classic Tours, is offering two extended trips in 2023.
Michigan Shores, July 31 - Aug. 4 Travel around
Children’s Programs
“Tot Time” Tuesdays - Tuesdays at 10 a.m. Ages 0 to 5 yrs, come join Ms. Melanie for a story read, various hands-on play, with a mix of music and art fun for the little ones.
“Maker Monday” - 2nd & 3rd Mondays. Grades K-3rd or Ages 5 to 8, drop-in anytime between 3:30-5 p.m. to “create & construct”; Jan. 16, Grades 4th-12th or Ages 9 to 18, 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. “baking a make” in the library kitchen area.
Ongoing programs - “Reading Buddies”, Seniors to Smalls, Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m.,
Senior Center - Buddy up to enjoy reading time together. For more information or to register call
POLO SENIOR CENTER
Lake Michigan via motorcoach includes Ferry ride across lake Michigan, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Castle Farms, Frederik Meijer Gardens, DeGrandchamps Blueberry farm, Saugatuck Dune Buggy Ride and much more, four breakfasts, four lunches and four dinners included.
Black Hills & Badlands - Oct. 5 -10. This wonderful trip includes roundtrip airfare from Chicago. Stay at beautiful Custer State Park game lodge, see Keystone, Iron Mountain, Bluebell Canyon, take a Jeep Safari to see the buffalo, and enjoy a 1880 train ride. Visit the famous Wall Drug, Mt. Rushmore, the Black Hills, Crazy Horse Memorial and much more. Please call or stop in for more details.
815-946-2713, call or text 815-677-3586, email melaniew@pololibrary.org, go to the Polo Library website or Facebook page to look for the Google form link.
Adult Programs
January Book Clubs
Friday, Jan. 13, 1 p.m., Senior Center - “Three Weeks With My Brother” by Nicholas Sparks.
Monday, Jan. 23, 1:30 p.m., Polo Library - “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig.
Wednesday, Jan. 18, 5 p.m., Polo Library - book & movie discussion of “The Ultimate Gift” and “The Ultimate Life” by Jim Stovall.
Yoga with Becka - Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 6 to 7
POLO LIBRARY
p.m.
Yoga with Becka Reese from “On the Move” Fitness Center. Call 815-946-2713 or email library@pololibrary.org to register.
Craft Night w/ Tiffany Warren from Weath-
ered & Warren - Thursday, Jan. 19 at 5 p.m. “Wood Disc Decorating”. Instructional craft class on how to photo &/or word transfer onto wooden discs. Please bring 4x6 photos (bring more than 1 photo option) to transfer the image over to the wood disc.
Drop in anytime between 5-5:30 to get started, project may take up to 50 minutes. Limited spaces available.
General Manager Earleen Hinton 815-632-2591 ehinton@shawmedia.com
News Alexa Zoellner 815-632-2590 azoellner@shawmedia.com
Advertising Sales Jennifer Heintzelman 815-632-2502 jheintzelman@shawmedia.com
The Tri-County Press, Ogle County News and oglecountynews.com are a division of Shaw Media. Ogle County Newspapers also prints the Mt. Morris Times, Forreston Journal and Oregon Republican Reporter.
The TRI-COUNTY PRESS (USPS No. 638-530) is published weekly by B.F. Shaw Printing Co., Shaw Media. Periodical postage paid at Polo, Illinois. POSTMASTER Send address changes to TRI-COUNTY PRESS, 113 N. Franklin, Polo, IL 61064. Phone 815-732-6166, ext. 2516.
All rights reserved. Copyright 2023
PINE CREEK NEWS
By KAREN MERLAK
It has been a very dreary start to the new year. While our days seem dark on the outside, our hearts are filled with the light of the world. Jesus fills our hearts with light and love every day of the year. For His constant presence, we are truly thankful.
T h i s m o r n i n g i n c h u r c h , w e w e r e greeted by Deb Ohlwine, with some help from her granddaughter, Claire. Pastor Suzanne Hall Stout shared her message for the New Year. Pastor Suzanne shared a special message of the magi with the children, Amelia, Fiona, and Claire.
After church, several of us stayed to help take down the Christmas decorations from the sanctuary and Fellowship Hall. Like most places, the space seems very empty without the trees and lights. We look forward to doing it all again when the holidays come around.
My sons, Matt and Clint, and I have shared several phone calls over the past week. It isn’t always good news they have to share. I am thankful they are growing up and learning to navigate through all life’s situations.
Matt has shared that he has started the process to leave the military. He will have one more year and will be leaving next January. Clint will follow after a while. For now, Matt is planning on staying in North Carolina.
I am very proud of both of them and their service.
This week, I started back at school in Forreston. We spent our first few days back getting reacquainted and working on goals for the new quarter. The year is flying by so quickly and we are halfway through this academic year.
One big change is that I am setting my alarm again in the mornings. I enjoyed sleeping in during the break. I have known for a very long time that I am not a morning person. I prefer to work late into the evening.
For years, I enjoyed the quiet after the kids were put to bed. There also is a part of me that puts everything off until the last minute. While I may like working late into the night, it makes getting up with an alarm that much harder.
I set several alarms in 15-minute increments to help me. These are set mostly because I am afraid of not waking up on time. I really don’t want to be late for work and I don’t want to miss out on what is to come. Just like I don’t want to miss out on what God has to offer.
Each day, we can see God’s love and care for us. We see it in the beautiful sunrise and in the delicate snowflakes of winter. We see God’s love in our family and friends that surround and support us. We know about His love in the gift He sent us, His Son, Jesus.
He is always here for us. While we are here on earth, we can open ourselves to God so we won’t miss out on the goodness He has for us. In the mornings, I will admit to hitting my snooze button. When it comes to knowing and loving God, I will gladly rise and shine.
I hope to see you next Sunday in our little church in the country. We meet in person and online on our Facebook page. Our family invites you to come and learn about our Creator. We gladly welcome you for a time of praise and worship.
By ALEXA ZOELLNER azoellner@shawmedia.com
An effort to restore the American Legion Memorial Fountain in Mt. Morris is taking shape.
The Mt. Morris Economic Development Corporation, a nonprofit 501(c) (3), has acquired ownership of the lot on which the fountain is located, said Rob Urish, a member of the Mt. Morris Economic Development Corporation. The property address is 16 S. Wesley Ave., Mt. Morris.
“The fountain was erected in 1926 in honor of World War I servicemen,” U r i s h s a i d . “ T h e l o c a l A m e r i c a n Legion Post [No. 143] underwrote the erection of it. There are stones there from all over the world, but predominately North America and the Midwest.”
Kable News Co. and Kable Product Services deeded the property to the EDC for $0 in exchange for a property appraisal the company could use as a tax write-off, Urish said. Originally, Kable executives wanted $10,000 for the property, he said.
The appraisal came in at $125,000, and the tax benefit of a donation of that amount “far exceeds the $10,000” originally sough, Urish said.
The EDC has been in contact with the Wisconsin-based Kohler Foundation regarding restoration of the fountain, he said.
The tentative plan is to deed the property to the Kohler Foundation, which in turn will underwrite the restoration of the fountain later this year, Urish said. Before that can happen, t h o u g h , t h e K o h l e r F o un da t i o n ’ s board has to approve the project.
Once the fountain is restored, the property will be deeded back to the village of Mt. Morris, Urish said.
“If it all comes to pass, we’re hoping to have a centennial celebration in 2026,” he said.
Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media The memorial on the campus in downtown Mt. Morris was created by the Mt. Morris American Legion in 1926.
Off icials exploring barrier poles near intersection
Commissioners discuss options following Sunday auto accident
By ALEXA ZOELLNER azoellner@shawmedia.com
A weekend crash has prompted Oregon city officials to ask the Illinois D e p a r t m e n t o f T r a n s p o r t a t i o n whether barrier poles can be added to the northwest corner of Illinois Routes 2 and 64.
A n S U V e n d ed u p i n t h e g l a s s garage door of Ogle County Brewery –which is located on that corner – after it was struck by another vehicle whose driver ran a red light early Sunday afternoon. No one was injured, according to police.
“We were really lucky. We dodged a bullet on this one that nobody was there [in the way] when this car went through,” Streets and Public Improvements Commissioner Tim Krug told fellow council members Tuesday. “It’s just a matter of time. It’s going to happen.”
Ogle County Brewery’s address is 400 W. Washington St., which is the name of Route 64 within city limits; Route 2 is called Fourth Street in city limits.
The barrier poles are relatively easy to install, Finance Commissioner Terry Schuster said. It’s an idea worth pursuing, he said.
“We were lucky there was no one sitting at a table by the door because the door just swept in,” Mayor Ken Williams said. “We also talked about, had they gone in closer to the street, they would have gone through the window and knocked over one of those tanks because that little knee wall’s not going to stop an SUV from coming through.
“So you hear about those things and you have to look and say, ‘What can we do to keep our citizens safe and our community safe?’” he added.
Krug noted that while the city isn’t legally liable for the intersection, there still is a level of moral responsibility. As such, he has instructed Public Works Director Bill Covell to reach out to IDOT.
“We don’t want somebody to get seriously injured or dead and thought we could have done something,” Krug said.
In other business, council members:
Unanimously approved a preliminary elevation and water line designs for a proposed Dollar General at 1192 Illinois Route 64 (E. Washington St.). The approval was sought by the developer prior to it doing full site plans to bring to Dollar General, City Administrator Darin DeHaan said. The project is not yet a sure thing, he said.
Unanimously approved job descriptions for a deputy police chief and a Public Works mechanic/heavy equipment operator.
SPECIAL EVENT
Recycle your electronics Jan. 27 in Oregon; permits are required in advance, but they are free
The Ogle County Solid Waste Management Department (OCSWMD) will host a residential electronics recycling event on Jan. 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 909 Pines Road in Oregon.
This event is for Ogle County residents only and a free permit is required in advance of the event.
To obtain a free permit call 815-732-4020 or email solidwaste@oglecountyil.gov by 4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26.
Accepted items include all televisions and computer monitors, computers, computer hardware and cables, laptops, tablets, cellphones, printers, FAX machines, scanners, shredders (no tubs), copiers, video gaming equipment, DVD/VCRs, cable/satellite boxes, stereo equipment, radios, digital clocks, cameras, calculators, phone systems, holiday light strands, extension cords, rechargeable batteries, printer ink cartridges, CD/DVDs, and
CFL bulbs.
Microwave ovens are accepted for $5 per unit. Cash or check is accepted.
There is a limit of seven large or bulky items per permit and one permit per county household per month.
Business or institutional electronic materials are not accepted at these events.
For more information about this recycling event call the OCSWMD at the number listed earlier, visit www.oglecounty.org, or go on Facebook at Ogle County Solid Waste Management Dept.
