Serving the Polo Area Since 1857
POLO
Tri-County Press March 31, 2016 Volume 158, Number 28 - $1.00
Solid Start
On the Trail
Island Concerns
Girls track team starts season Tuesday with win over West Carroll. B1
A father and daughter start hiking the Appalachian Trail. B1
Rock River island owner voices safety concerns to Oregon City Council A7
Weather forced egg hunt inside By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Mother Nature caused a change of plans last week at the Community Easter Egg Hunt at Polo Rehabilitation & Health Care. A cold wind-driven rain that turned to snow March 24 brought the event inside, but that didn’t seem to dampen the enthusiasm of kids or nursing home residents and staff. The original plan was for the eggs to be scattered around the lawn. However, kids from toddlers to 10-year-olds seemed perfectly happy instead to find the colorful treasures in the front lounge, dining room, and activity room. “It’s a great turnout,” said administrator Rhonda Biller as she moved from one area
Antique show is April 2-3
to the next, all crowded with youngsters, their parents, and interested residents. Thursday’s egg hunt was the revival of what used to be a perennial event at the nursing home. “We wanted the residents to be able to enjoy the children again,” Biller said. “They enjoy this so much.” More than 5,000 plastic eggs filled with candy were “hidden” for the youngsters, who were divided into groups by age. Biller expressed her appreciation for everyone who contributed. “We had overwhelming donations of candy and money,” she said. The 5,000 eggs were filled by residents, members of the community coffee group, and staff, she said. “It’s a great volunteer effort,” Biller said.
Eight through 10-year-olds line up, waiting their turn to hunt Easter eggs March 24 at Polo Rehabilitation & Health Care. Cold, wet weather moved the event inside. Photo by Vinde Wells
By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
Crystal Stivers points out an egg to her almost 2-year old granddaughter Annaliese Wakeknight March 24 at the Easter Egg Hunt at Polo Rehabilitation & Health Care. Photo by Vinde Wells
No state budget is hurting local health dept. By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com The Ogle County Health Department is definitely feeling the pinch caused by the failure of Illinois lawmakers to agree on a budget for the current fiscal year. “Without a doubt we’re feeling the effect of the budget impasse,” Ogle County Health Department Administrator Cindy Bauling said Monday. Local state certified health departments receive funding
for public health though the Local Health Protection Grant (LHPG). None of this funding has been paid to local health departments since the start of the state fiscal year last July when the 2015-16 fiscal year began. According to the department’s annual report, that amounted to nearly $80,000 in the 2014-15 fiscal year, almost 10 percent of its total revenues. Other state funding has been significantly reduced as well. Especially hard hit was funding for the Women,
Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutritional Program, which served nearly 3,200 last year. “It’s ironic that the services for the care of the most vulnerable aren’t being funded,” Bauling said. The situation became crucial a few months ago. “December became our tipping point,” Bauling said. “In January we made changes so we could pay our bills.” Those changes included unpaid furloughs for Bauling and two other staff members, as well as a resignation and three retirements.
Those taking one-week furloughs along with Bauling included Joanie Padilla, Director Health Education and Emergency Preparedness, and Paul Harmon, Director of Environmental Health. Deb Cicogna, Director of Clinical Services, stepped down in January to take another job. The three staff members who retired will not be replaced. “That was a tremendous loss of knowledge and expertise,” Bauling said. The remaining staff of
about a dozen people have been cross-training and assuming additional duties, she said. In addition, Bauling herself is planning to step down when her current contract ends in May. Applicants are being sought to fill her post. The drastic decrease in state funding comes on the heels of eight to 10 years of flat funding for local health departments throughout the state, she said. Bauling said she had already been reducing staff Turn to A2
Oregon Library will soon be ADA compliant By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Despite some dust, a few stacks of lumber, and a little disarray, Oregon Public Library Director Andrew Dettmer is enthusiastic when he describes all the changes being made at the historic library. The most obvious is the nearly completely elevator shaft tucked into a corner on the northwest side of the century-old building. Masons continue to lay bricks on the outside of
the cement block structure that will make the library compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. “We’ve been battling the ADA issue for a long time. Accessibility has been an issue for our library and patrons for decades, and these renovations will make it easier for everyone to take advantage of the services the library provides,” Dettmer said. The entire project is expected to be done sometime in May. The elevator will take
In This Week’s Edition...
patrons to all three floors of the library, eliminating the need to use the stairs out front. An entry way will be built around the elevator shaft, and designed to blend with the original brick exterior. Handicapped accessible restrooms are being added in the basement as well. Besides the elevator and handicapped accessible restrooms, another part of meeting ADA standards will be lowering the book stacks A construction crew lays the bricks March 17 on the and increasing the space outside of the new elevator shaft that will make the between them. Oregon Public Library handicapped accessible. Photo Turn to A2
Chamber Chatter, A10 Church Bells, A5 Classifieds, B5-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4
by Vinde Wells
Marriage Licenses, A4 Library News, A9 Oregon Police, B2 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B4
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B3 Weather, A3
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com
A first-time dealer will bring a new genre of collectibles to the Oregon Woman’s Club’s 66th annual antique show this weekend. “One of our new dealers from the Chicago area is bringing Civil War memorabilia. That’s something we haven’t had before,” said show organizer Ron Bry. “I’m really excited about that.” Northern Illinois’ longest running show will be held on Saturday, April 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, April 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Blackhawk Center,1101 W. Jefferson St., Oregon. Of the more than 50 dealers coming to the show, three will be there for the first time. Another new dealer, also from the Chicago area, will offer American art pottery, and the third, from Missouri, is bringing early American art glass and art pottery. Bry said he is especially pleased with the new booths because with the change of date this year, four previous dealers dropped out of the show due to schedule conflicts. “We changed the date because of Easter,” he said. Usually the show is held the last weekend in March, but with Easter falling then, the show was moved to the first weekend of April. The show offers quality antiques from the early 1800s through the retro era of the 1950s and includes all areas of collecting — furniture, glass, china, pottery, toys, primitives, textiles, jewelry, dolls, silver, decorator items, and more. The Oregon Woman’s Club, a member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, sponsors this show as a major fund raising event and uses the proceeds to help fund various community projects and charities. As in past years, the show will be held at the Blackhawk Center sports arena, located on the Oregon public school campus. The facility offers ample parking, handicapped accessibility and a large display and sales area for the dealers. The food concession will be provided by the Chana United Methodist Ladies. The menu will include homemade chicken and noodles, a selection of sandwiches, chips, beverages, and various desserts. Mary Lou’s Crystal Repair, Joliet, will be on hand both days to repair damaged heirlooms “while you wait.” Turn to A3
Deaths, B4 Kent H. Ross Julia Aiken