Serving the Polo Area Since 1857
POLO
Tri-County Press July 17, 2014 Volume 156, Number 43 - $1.00
Golf Tournament
Short Film
Fair Queen
Alina Llanas competed in the Women’s Lincoln Highway Golf Tournament. A9
A film crew was in Oregon July 13 to shoot a scene for a movie. B1
The 2014 Ogle county Fair Queen will be selected during the July 19 pageant. A7
Bidding process questioned by board members By Vinde Wells Editor Before choosing an employee health insurance provider Tuesday night, several Ogle County Board members raised questions over how the bidding process was conducted. Dick Petrizzo, Davis Junction, questioned board chairman Kim Gouker, Byron, about why one insurance provider, the Crum Halsted Agency, was allowed to submit a second bid, lowering its first estimated cost, after the bids
had been opened. “I think it’s inappropriate that you went and gathered information from only one of the bidders,� Petrizzo said. He also questioned why the Query Agency, the current provider, was not notified as well to submit a second bid. Gouker said he sought the second bid from Crum Halsted because, initially, they had only nine months of insurance claim data to base their bid on, while Query had 11 months. He said the additional data became available for Crum Halsted only after the bids
Illinois (UCCI). Query offers county employees self-funded insurance through the Group Administrators program. Dick Petrizzo IPMG was recommended Davis Junction to the county board by the Finance, Revenue & Lyle Hopkins, Polo. Insurance Committee, which “I would think you would heard presentations from want us to have the most four insurance providers. competitive premium we can,� Gouker said. The Crum Halsted Agency presented costs for the Insurance Program Managers Group (IPMG), a self-funded insurance program sponsored by the By Vinde Wells United Counties Council of Editor
“I think it’s inappropriate that you went and gathered information from only one of the bidders,� —
had been opened. Claims were high during the first six months of the insurance year, which begins Aug. 1, Gouker said, but went down after that. Having the additional information meant Crum Halsted could lower its bid, he said. “Then what was the point of having them bid?� asked
Ed Scherer, Belvidere, president of the Rock Valley RC Flyers Club, dismantles his model plane for the day July 12. Photo by Chris Johnson
Model airplanes soared July 12 What they were flying were remote controlled (RC) model airplanes July 12-13. “These model airplanes average 50 to 60 miles per hour but the high performance planes are pushing 100 miles per hour and there is one plane here today that can go 140,� said Ed Scherer,
on is considered an ARF. “It is an Almost Ready to Fly model,� he said. “This Whether zipping past type of model takes two or spectators at high speeds or three nights to build, but hovering in the air, pilots at some planes are ready to fly the Ogle County Airport put and others are bigger and on a show over the weekend. take two months or more to These pilots were not flying build.� regular planes however. Different models range in price from a couple hundred dollars to thousands of dollars, Scherer said. “The best way to get into model airplanes is to contact one of these clubs here today,� he said. “The Freeport Modelers set up today’s event and they hold training events. My club also has training days.� During training, an instructor will have the master remote control and the student will have a tethered remote. “This is a buddy box,� said Scherer. “The pilot can regain control instantly to correct mistakes. It is a great way to learn about RC planes without worrying about crashing the plane.� Scherer joked that “it is not a matter of if you are going to Larry Calkins, Sterling, a member of the Morrison Model Aircraft flyers owns this scale crash your model plane, but model replica of a Stearman Biplane that was being flown by club president Darryl when are you going to crash,� Turn to A2 Miller July 12 at the Ogle County Airport. Photo by Chris Johnson
In This Week’s Edition...
Belvidere, president of the Rock Valley RC Flyers Club. Model airplane enthusiasts had a variety of models on display both on the ground and in the air. “Flying these model planes is a throwback to when I was 10,� said Scherer. The plane he was working
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B5-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4 Marriage Licenses, A4
Oregon Police, B3 Polo Police, A3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B4 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3
Turn to A7
Plan forming for ambulance Oregon Fire Protection District officials said last week that passing a referendum is likely the only way for the community to establish and maintain its own ambulance service. The fire district board discussed a referendum at its monthly meeting July 9 and answered questions from the handful of district residents who attended. “If the referendum doesn’t pass, I don’t know what we do,� said Elburn attorney Brian O’Connor, who represents the fire board. “Without the referendum, we won’t have an ambulance service in town,� said Fire Chief Don Heller. Oregon has been without its own ambulance service for a
By Chris Johnson Reporter
Committee member Greg Sparrow, Rochelle, said two other bidders, NFP Benefits and A. J. Gallagher Benefit Services, were ruled out early because their bids were much higher than either Crum Halsted’s or Query’s. Pat Saunders, Polo, said
month, ever since the Oregon Ambulance Service, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation, closed its doors June 17. Betty Ferris, who comanaged the service with her husband Jim, said their reasons for closing were financial. She notified the fire board June 11 that the ambulance service was shutting down. For the first two weeks, ambulance calls in the fire district were answered by neighboring fire districts, all of which have their own tax-supported ambulance services. Since July 1 an ambulance and crew from ATS Medical Services, Loves Park, has been based at the Oregon Fire Station and is responding to calls from there. The fire board approved a Turn to A3
Final Trail Days is this weekend By Vinde Wells Editor Weather may be the factor that ensures the final Oregon Trail Days festival goes out with a flair this weekend. With predicted temperatures in the low 80s and only a slight chance of rain Sunday, it could be the best conditions the festival has enjoyed in its five-year history. “The weather looks like it’s going to be just perfect,� said festival organizer Beth Henderson Tuesday. “It’s always been unbearably hot.� For previous festivals, the temperatures have edged toward the century mark with uncomfortably high humidity. The festival, which celebrates the area’s Native American and western heritage, will be held Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 20 at Lowden State Park on River Road just outside Oregon. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days. Organized in 2010 to help raise funds for the restoration of the Black Hawk statue, which sits atop a high bluff at the park, the festival features tipis, Native American dances, a pioneer village, western demonstrations, vendor booths, and plenty of
Social News, A4 Sports, A9 State’s Attorney, B4 Weather, A2
food. A new American Indian dance group will perform this year, Henderson said. Ronald Preston, a member of the San Carlos Apache nation, will perform dances and explain the tradition behind them. “The pioneer area is also greatly expanded,� Henderson said. “And we’re going to have real painted ponies for the first time. They will be painted just like the Indians used to paint them.� “We have lots of kids activities,� she said. “We have face pairing this year and kids can do landscape paintings of the tipis.� Other activities especially geared for kids and their families include pony rides, a pedal train, voyager canoe rides, as well as a variety of arts, crafts, and games. Sunday activities get off to a tasty start with a hearty breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m. at NIU’s Lorado Taft Field Campus located at Lowden State Park. “We’ve already got well over 200 reservations for the Taft breakfast,� Henderson said. For more information and a complete schedule of festival activities go to www. oregontraildays. org.
Deaths, B2 Marilyn Butler, Gerald Gorski, Joanne E. Hutmacher, Delbert L. Rademaker
0UBLISHED EVERY 4HURSDAY BY /GLE #OUNTY .EWSPAPERS A DIVISION OF 3HAW -EDIA s WWW OGLECOUNTYNEWS COM