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POLO
Tri-County Press April 3, 2014 Volume 156, Number 28 - $1.00
Sexual Predator
Antique Show
Security Changes
Polo Police are still seeking information about a sexual assault of an 11-year-old. A9
Close to 2,000 people visited the annual antique show in Oregon. A8
Visitors to the Forreston Schools see new security measures this week. A9
What’s Cookin drew a crowd to tasting event By Andy Colbert Reporter
for a fundraiser for the Rock River Center,� Bruns said. Bruns and her friend Diane Palmer went to Haas and after some convincing got the RRC to buy into the concept. It was a risky venture for RRC, as they had never attempted an off-site fundraiser. “It was an awesome idea, ‘let’s go for it’, I said,� Haas said. “It took a lot of coordinating and we were fortunate to have staff with organizational experience. Slowly, the venture began to pick up steam as more and more people were contacted. “We couldn’t let that first meeting bother us. We kept right at it,� Bruns said. “It was just a matter of informing the community and they were great at that.� But, it was Bruns and Palmer who were the driving force behind the event. “From the beginning, Joyce
and I wanted to incorporate more than Oregon. We wanted this to be for the whole county,� Palmer said. Even with the overflow crowds, Haas has no plans at this point in moving “What’s Cookin� to a bigger venue. “Oak Lane was gracious to host this. They’ve been wonderful to work with,� Haas said. “We plan to have it at the end of April instead of March.� Sean Considine, Byron, served as celebrity spokesperson for the event and could be found handing out that chocolate-covered bacon for his joint ventureship with Headon Meats. The deviled eggs served with bugs were provided by Lucky and Louie Larson of Stillman Valley and winners of the “Get Out Alive� reality television show.
What started in Rockford and onto Rochelle has found its way to Oregon. Based off the popular “30 Men Who Cook� concept, the Rock River Center of Oregon created a spin-off called “What’s Cookin�. Playing in front of a packed house of hundreds of eager diners at Oak Lane in Daysville on Saturday, March 26 area cooking teams supplied a myriad of food concoctions, including such exotic offerings as chocolatecovered bacon and deviled eggs topped with bugs. For the less adventuresome, there were also the old standbys, such as a variety of appetizers, meats, salads, breads, soups and desserts. The event served as a fundraiser for the Rock River Center, as patrons paid $20 for entrance. “This is a lot of fun,� said Ed Fane of Oregon, one of the 376 counted attendees. As the hungry masses began to assemble and were first met by the smell of Dick Zimmerman deepfrying catfish outside, it was apparent that this was no Stephanie Kuhn of SK Sweets, Polo, demonstrates how she decorates cakes during ordinary fundraiser. the Whats Cookin event. Photo by Chris Johnson The combination of the bucolic setting of Oak Lane, the vast array of food and party atmosphere also turned “What’s Cookin� into a social gathering par excellence. “We’re thrilled,� Rock River Director Ann Haas said. “Next year, it will be By Chris Johnson even bigger. With this crowd, Reporter we will need to put a tent up.� For an event that had no A look into the animal interested cooking teams care practices in Europe show up at the first planning was presented to the Oregon meeting, “What’s Cookin� Rotary and guests during came a long way in four Rural Urban Day. months. That was about the Veterinarian Abe Trone, time Joyce Bruns proposed Lena, was invited to talk the idea to Haas. about his experience March “I’ve been to the event 26 following an Illinois Farm Jack Hayden serves up a scoop of the ice cream the Mt. at Rochelle and had always Bureau foreign market study Morris Senior Center made for the Whats Cookin event. wanted to do it in Oregon tour held last summer.
Animal care practices a concern for all farmers
“I do a l lot of dairy work in Lena,� Trone said. “What happens in California comes here and what is happening in Europe may be coming here.� Trone along with 11 other farm bureau members traveled through Europe to get a first hand look at the implementation of European Union laws related to animal care. “Our objective was to see as much as we could,� he said. Animal welfare is defined to include how an animal is coping with the conditions in which it lives. The animal needs to be healthy, comfortable, well nourished, safe, and not suffering from pain, fear, and distress. They need to have appropriate shelter and humane slaughter. Trone said this definition was open to interpretation in Europe because many of
Photo by Chris Johnson
Cats running at large continues to be issue By Vinde Wells Editor
Abe Trone talks about a recent trip to Europe during the March 26 Oregon Rotary Meeting. Photo by Chris Johnson
the animal welfare decisions were driven by marketing. The regulation of animal housing is a selling point for consumers, even if there is no scientific proof that it was better for the animal, he said. One chicken farm was a large round building with a
In This Week’s Edition...
retractable roof. “This was built following a consumer survey,� said Trone. “It has Astroturf and toys for the hens to play with.� The eggs from this facility are sold in a round package Turn to A3
Agriculture, A7 Birth, A2 Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6
Mayor Doug Knapp asked the Polo City Council March 17 to table action on limiting cats running at large. He said he wanted to talk with the county Animal Control officials first. Knapp said he is disgusted by some of the problems arising from cats not being taken care of and being allowed to run loose. “I’m not going to have a community where people can’t enjoy their grilling out because of cat feces,� Knapp said.
Fines, B4 Honor Roll, A3 Marriage Licenses, A4 Property Transfers, B3 Sheriff’s Arrests, B4
The issue of roaming cats has come up at several council meeting over the last two years. Last November, Knapp authorized Police Chief Dennis Christen to speak with four residents whose cats had generated complaints from other citizens. The complaints stemmed from cats wandering through certain neighborhoods and urinating and defecating there. “If there are ongoing complaints after that date, Mayor Knapp will ask the city council to take appropriate action via enactment of an
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ordinance which could lead to the issuance of citations,� the letter said. In April of 2012, two residents of Colden Street voiced their concerns about feral cats roaming the neighborhood. At that time, the council discussed passing an ordinance regulating cats, similar to the one that regulates dogs. However, Suits said then that such an ordinance cannot be enforced because state statutes do not allow municipalities to regulate cats.
Deaths, B3 Judith I. Lamia, John R. Long, Ruth E. Straw