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Tri-County Press April 23, 2015 Volume 157, Number 31 - $1.00
First Place
Looting Charge
PACT Performs
Polo-Forreston went up against tough schools during the Byron Relays April 16. B1
A Stillman Valley man is charged with taking tornado donations. A2
School House Rock will be performed this weekend at the Polo Town Hall. A2
Swimsuit rules for lifeguards sparks controversy By Vinde Wells Editor Attire for lifeguards at the Polo City Pool sparked a lively discussion at Monday night’s city council meeting. The topic was raised when Park Board Chairman Larry Loomis introduced a proposed pool procedure manual for the council’s approval. The type of swimsuit
required for female lifeguards proved to be the most controversial part of the manual. A new rule in the manual says all lifeguards must wear red swimming suits, and that female lifeguards must wear one-piece suits, with two-piece suits and bikinis prohibited. Currently lifeguards can wear suits of their own choosing.
A decision on the manual was postponed pending further “tweaks” and an official recommendation from the Park Board. Loomis said the 24-page manual, which includes pool regulations, job descriptions, and a host of procedures, is the result of several months of study and consideration by a subcommittee of the Park Board. Several mothers of female
lifeguards voiced their concern that one-piece suits do not work well for all figure types. One said a two-piece suit with a sports bra-type top stays in place better on girls who are “well-endowed.” Alderman Cheryl Galor, who is chairman of the Parks Committee, said the reason for having the suits all alike is to make lifeguards more identifiable at a glance, and
By Chris Johnson Reporter
early evening. The family’s dog later climbed out of the rubble. The field where the glove was found is along Ill. 64 about six miles northeast of VanVickle’s home. Metzger and other students, Courtney Byerhof, Riley Lee, Shane Wilson, Wyatt Doubler, Jesse Beck, Devin Phillips, and Noah Young, gave their time to help local farmers clean up debris from their fields. The mitt isn’t the only item missing that’s been found in the days since the storm. VanVickle said his passport was found in Monroe Center, his son’s sports jersey — still on the hanger — turned up in McHenry County, and several more items showed up farther north. “It seems like most of the stuff ended up in Genoa City, Wis., Twin Lakes, Wis., and Harvard,” he said. The sign for Grubsteakers, a restaurant at the intersection of Ill. 64 and 251, also was found in Harvard.
The owner of an Ogle County landmark now has a day named after her. Ava Mirtoska, owner of Grubsteakers, learned Tuesday night that May 7 will be Ava Mirtoska Day in Ogle County. During Tuesday’s county board meeting, board chairman Kim Gouker read a proclamation declaring Mirtoska a hero for her actions in getting customers Zach Metzger and Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle and employees safely into show a baseball mitt that belonged to VanVickle’s grandfather. Metzger, who was helping cleaning up a storm cellar April 9 debris from an EF4 tornado that swept through Ogle during the EF4 tornado that County April 9, found the mitt in a field about six miles destroyed the restaurant. “We lost a landmark this northeast of VanVickle’s home, which was demolished month in Grubsteakers,” said in the storm. Photo supplied Gouker. “It has been there as Twelve people took of his neighbors’ houses was far back as I can remember. refuge in a storm cellar at removed within days with Ava runs Grubsteakers and Grubsteakers and suffered the help of friends, family, Grubsteakers is Ava.” only minor injuries while volunteers, and clean-up Gouker said he talked to the tornado destroyed the crews. several people who were restaurant and several A week after the storm, at the restaurant when the houses to the east of it. construction was underway. tornado struck around 7 p.m. Receipts from the “We started building our “They said without Ava restaurant were found in new house on Thursday we would have had some rural Woodstock. [April 16],” VanVickle said fatalities,” he said. “She What was left of Monday. “Everyone has made sure they got into the VanVickle’s home and many been amazing.” cellar.” Looking back on that day, Mirtoska said she would do everything the same. “I am glad everybody is safe,” Mirtoska said. “It is good they call me hero, but I feel like I would do it anytime it happens. I hope it never happens again.” She said the restaurant is run for the customers and they were her first thought when the storm hit. “For a minute, I was not believing this was happening,” said Mirtoska. “I am seeing the craziness out there. Everyone was saying tornado warning. I was going like, it’s just a storm.” But something clicked with Mirtoska when she was looking out the window watching the storm roll in. “I was looking out through the window and seeing something coming really fast and really dark,” she said. “It was still too far to see if it was a tornado, but I am seeing something dark. That second I said, ‘uh-oh, this is serious.’ “ At that moment Mirtoska told her employees and A crew from Civil Construction, Freeport, was at work April 17 cleaning up the debris from two buildings on East customers to get into the Mason Street that were demolished April 12 after they started to collapse. Jim O’Connor owns the property. Photo storm cellar to take shelter. by Vinde Wells “It was very fast and Students volunteering to clean up debris last week from the recent EF4 tornado found a valued family keepsake blown into a field. Zach Metzger, one of several students from the Chana Education Center, spotted an old baseball mitt in the middle of the field April 15. The glove, it turned out, belonged to Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle and was thought to be lost forever when the April 9 tornado destroyed his home west of Rochelle. “It was my grandpa’s high school glove, “ VanVickle said. “My grandma gave it to me when he died. We kept it on a shelf in our entry way. I remember as a little kid playing ball with him, and that’s the glove he used. I was glad to get it back.” VanVickle, his wife Marla, and their two children were all away from home when the tornado smashed their home and more than 30 others in the
Building Demolition
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Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B10 College News, A4 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B5
authoritative appearance. Galor said other pools, such as the one at Nash Recreation Center, Oregon, require female lifeguards to wear one-piece identical swimsuits. Male lifeguards also wear identical swim trunks. Nash lifeguards wear shorts and T-shirts over their swimsuits unless they are in the water. Turn to A2
Business owner is called a hero
Grandfather’s glove was found By Vinde Wells Editor
the uniform look gives the lifeguards more authority. Alderman Troy Boothe said a one-piece suit is more likely to stay in place when rescuing a distressed swimmer because someone who believes he or she is drowning may grab onto the suit in their panic. He said a one-piece suit may also discourage flirting and distraction, and gives the lifeguard a more official,
Marriage Licenses, A4 Public Voice, A8 Polo Police, A2 Property Transfers, B5 Sheriff’s Arrests, B4
Social News, A4 Sports, B1-B2 State’s Attorney, B4 Weather, A3 Zoning, B5
quick. I was trying to get everyone down,” she said. “I was trying to do this as fast as possible.” Following the storm the community rallied around Mirtoska and her employers. Volunteers were on the property the next morning to help clean up. “It makes me feel good,” Mirtoska said. “I am happy to be here and I am happy to be around good people and everyone who helps.” The hardest part is just beginning for Mirtoska and her son. They plan on rebuilding the restaurant. “I am working on it,” Mirtoska said. “I’m working to get back in business. My employees need jobs and my customers need a place to go. It’s so hard, with insurance, this and that, and everything.” One of the hurdles that Mirtoska will need to overcome is a slight change in location. Because of setback requirements today, the old restaurant, built in the 1940s, is located too close to the intersection of Ill. 251 and Ill. 64. “I cannot build in the same place,” she said. “I need to move it a little bit further down. So many things I have to go through. I am not giving up. I am going to work on it. “ Mirtoska employed 10 people at the restaurant. Several have received employment offers after the storm and businesses reached out to Mirtoska to see if they can help with the rebuilding. “I appreciate everybody,” said Mirtoska. “I always know I am around good people. I can not thank them enough. I feel like I am around family with all this help. I can never thank them enough.” Mirtoska has owned Grubsteakers for 11 years. Previously known as the Sipe’s Corner gas station and restaurant, it had been a fixture with farmers and travelers alike since the 1940s. For at least three decades, it has been called Grubsteakers, continuing to maintain the reputation of good food at a reasonable cost.
Deaths, B6 Aida Blough, Patricia L. Leopold, Stanley C. Ludwig, Wayne L. Moring, Patricia Unger
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