Mt. Morris trustees say no to owning DLR
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Tri-County Press / ShawLocal.com • Friday, Jun 17, 2022
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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 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
David L. Rahn Junior High School is located on Brayton Road in Mt. Morris. 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.”
CHAMBER CHATTER Movies in the Park Join the Polo Chamber for free family fun during our summer Movies in the Park. Movies begin at dusk, approximately 8:30 p.m. and popcorn is provided. June 24: Space Jam: A New Legacy at Louise
Quick Park July 15: Luca at the Polo Pool July 29: Goonies at Louise Quick Park Polo Summer Lunch Program The Polo Kidz Café started June 6. They provide
free and healthy lunches for children in Polo every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Faith United Methodist Church. Van pickup is available at the Pool Park, Polo Library or by calling Wheels of Faith at 815-6778194.
PINE CREEK NEWS BY KAREN MERLAK Tonight marks the end of another beautiful week. Now, we’ll prepare for some uncomfortable temperatures. With God’s help, we can face any challenge that comes our way. He is our shelter in every storm. For His sustaining love, we are truly thankful. This morning in church, we were greeted by Brian Toms. Pastor Suzanne Hall Stout shared her message for the week. We are glad to spend time together and online. Later this month, we will host an installation service for Suzanne. On Saturday morning, I joined the women for our monthly breakfast get-together. The ladies met at the beautiful, newly built home of Lyle and Sheryl Hopkins. Sheryl hosted the breakfast and provided a tour before the meal. Joining in the fellowship were Vicki Hay, Sandra Ford, Sharon Baker, Judy Riffle and Suzanne Hall Stout. We had a delicious meal and a lively visit. Belonging to a church family means we have people to share our sorrows and our laughter. On Friday afternoon, James and Nancy Hopkins met their daughter Amy Yoder, her husband, Jon, and son, Nolan in Dixon for lunch. Amy, Jon and Nolan were
returning from a trip to the west. The family toured many states including North and South Dakota and Wyoming. This Friday evening, Clint and I were guests at my brother’s home. Ben Bittinger, his wife, Jo, and son, Garrett, had us over for dinner and, of course, games. We had a great visit before Clint prepared to leave for North Carolina. Clint and I have had a fun time together. We spent Saturday afternoon visiting garage sales and driving around the area. I took him to see one of the houses where his grandma lived. He kept asking to hear more stories about the years that have passed and I was happy to share them. This week, Matt will make the trip from Hawaii to North Carolina. He spent the last month cleaning out and packing his belongings for his trip. One issue that he is facing is moving his cat, Alice. Matt has always had a love of animals, especially cats. Alice is a beautiful cat with long gray fur, and she is blind. I was very impressed with Alice. She manages to move around Matt’s house without much trouble, including balancing on the back of his recliner. Once in a while, we would hear her meow to indicate that she was lost. She would get herself turned around and needed help. Matt would make a little noise
and soon Alice was making her way back to him. At times, many of us have felt that we were turned around and needed help to find our way. The noise and distractions of our everyday lives can leave us feeling lost. When we have nowhere else to turn, we can call out to God. We call out to our Father and He hears us. He makes His presence known and He directs back to the safety of His care. We only need to concentrate on His voice to be found. We can always count on Him to lead us back. As for Matt and Alice, he has made sure she will have everything she needs for the long journey. Soon, she will be getting used to new surroundings and relying on Matt’s care to help. Alice is a lucky cat to be so loved. And we are so blessed to be loved by God. I hope to see you next Sunday in our church in the country. Look for some of our members at the Town and Country Festival where we will be helping. Come and join us for a time of worship. Our church family gladly welcomes you.
• Karen Merlak lives in Polo and is a member of the Pine Creek Christian Church.
