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Tri-County Press August 20, 2015 Volume 157, Number 48 - $1.00
Football Previews
Tree Dedication
Soil Cleanup
The 2015 NUIC football season is here. Read about the Marcos and Cardinals teams. B1
A tree was planted in memory of Alan Steele at White Pines. A6
Ogle County is moving forward with a parking lot project after cleaning up the property. A2
Alderman recommends water system upgrade By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com A Polo alderman recommended adding a water system upgrade to an upcoming sewer system project. Alderman Randy Schoon
suggested hooking up several residences on West Oregon Street to a six-inch water main when the street is excavated to replace sewer mains. “Wouldn’t it make sense to do it while the street is already torn up?” asked Schoon, who lives at 601 W.
Oregon St. Engineer Matt Hanson, Willett, Hofmann & Associates, agreed that the cost would be reduced for the water main project if it is done at the same time as the sewer main. Schoon, who is the chairman of the Water &
Sewer Committee, said two water mains run down West Oregon Street, a three-inch on the north side and a sixinch on the south side. He recommended eliminating the threeinch main and hooking up the dozen or so affected residences to the larger main.
Hanson said no advantage exists to maintaining the smaller main, and the sixinch one is adequate to supply water to homes on both sides of the street. Schoon asked if the water project, which he estimated at roughly $80,000 to $100,000, could be added
to the sewer project, which has qualified for a loan from USDA Rural Development. Hanson said it may not because the sewer project already has preliminary approval. He said he will check into it, however. Work included in the sewer Turn to A2
Tobacco licensing is voted down by board By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com
Muddy Driving Mason Poff, age 11, Polo, competes in the ATV division of the Rock River Riders Motorcycle Club’s annual Mud Bogs on Sunday. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Three people voiced their disappointment Tuesday after the Ogle County Board rejected a measure that would have required licenses for businesses that sell tobacco products. The board turned down the motion to approve the licensing by a vote of 13 to 9. Two board members Nic Bolin, Holcomb, and John Finfrock, Mt. Morris, did not attend the meeting. I’m disappointed,” said Joanie Padilla, county director of Health Education and Emergency Preparedness. She had earlier told the board that she believed the licensing would help discourage businesses from selling tobacco products to anyone 18 or younger. Zachary Prosser and Grant Zickur, both juniors at Rochelle Township High School, also voiced their disappointment. Both had addressed the board, urging members to vote for the measure.
“I’m very disappointed,” Prosser said. “I’ve seen a lot of Rochelle Township High School students involved in tobacco products.” Zickur agreed. “I found it disappointing not so much for charging [the businesses], but as a another avenue to prevent young people from smoking,” he said. The proposal stipulated that any Ogle County business that sells or wants to sell tobacco products must apply annually to the Ogle County Health Department and, if approved, pay a $100 license fee. Padilla said the licensing would give the health department the authority to go into businesses and conduct compliance checks, making sure tobacco products are not being sold to underage youths. Currently, she said, the state of Illinois has no such licensing for businesses selling tobacco products. Oregon, Byron, and Rochelle have obtained grants to do compliance checks for cigarettes, she said, and the Turn to A2
Mt. Morris couple recognized for restoring prairie Land is next to White Pines State Park By Sarah Zuniga Correspondent
When a mother loses a son, it’s only natural that she would want to preserve his memory. That’s exactly what Carol Soderholm did – in a big way. The Mt. Morris woman, along with her husband, Paul, helped return 130 acres of farmland next to White Pines State Park to native prairie grasses and flowers. In the process, they found a way to keep her son’s memory alive forever. The Soderholms, selfproclaimed conservationists who have been married 19 years, named their endeavor the Edward F. Vassallo Land and Water Reserve, after Carol’s son, who died of leukemia in February 2014 – “because he loved it out here, and because he worked hard to help Paul,” she said. In September 2014, the couple’s efforts were recognized by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources when their property was designated a state land and water reserve. With that recognition, the acreage can’t be developed, but it can be passed down or willed to others, which is
what the Soderholms plan to do. “It will all be gifted to an organization that will keep it as beautiful as it is,” Carol said. “It means that the land will be protected forever.” It’s the second-highest designation given by the Nature Preserves Commission of the IDNR. Land and water that support “significant natural heritage or archaeological resources” can be awarded the recognition, according to the department’s website. According to the proposal presented to the commission on the day the designation was granted, turning the land into a reserve will benefit White Pines by providing “important buffer to help protect high-quality natural features” and “prevent any future land uses that might negatively impact the natural resources and outdoor recreational amenities provided for the public” in the park. The couple’s journey began when they transplanted themselves from Chicago to Mount Morris in 1999, bought 51 acres, and built a home. “We were looking for land in the country, you know, to come on the weekends, maybe plant a few trees,” Carol said. “We wanted to do that all our lives. “A real estate agent found this, and there was nothing
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on it; it was flat as a pancake. There were no buildings. We had to hack through an overwhelmed apple orchard to get in here, but we saw the beauty of it right away, and the possibility of it right away.” They began to plant trees on their property, but about 5 years into it, they stopped when they learned the land originally was prairie. Paul read about Nachusa Grasslands in Illinois Outdoors magazine, and “we went over there, and we were immediately hooked on prairie,” he said. “We’ve since become supporters of [the grasslands]. I do a little bit of volunteering out there, and they help us, give technical advice, as well as some help with the restoration of the land.” Paul learned of the Nature Preserves Commission through the same magazine. Through that group he met John Nelson, who works with the commission in northwest Illinois. Nelson helped them get the designation. The Soderholms now have 190 acres, 40 of which is used to grow corn and eight that are leased to organic farmers Danica and Adolfo Parra-Hoehm, who run Belly Fire Farm. “Our hope is that 150, 200 years from now, people will Turn to A2
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Marriage Licenses, A4
Paul Soderholm stands by the sign that now graces the Edward F. Vassallo Land & Water Reserve. Photo by Sarah Zuniga
Renewable Energy Fair is Aug. 22,23 More than 40 workshops and 40 booths will be featured at the 14th annual Illinois Renewable Energy and Sustainable Lifestyles Fair this weekend at the Ogle County Fairgrounds near Oregon. The fair, sponsored by the Illinois Renewable Energy Association (IREA), will be open on Saturday, Aug. 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday, Aug. 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fairgrounds is at 1414 N. Limekiln Road off Ill. 64
Pine Creek News, A3 Public Voice, A9 Property Transfers, B5 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3
just west of Oregon. Workshops will include Living with the Sun on a Hotter Planet, a presentation on coping with climate change by Dave Kozlowski, Woodstock, and Energy Independence, a presentation by Willem Dijstelbergen, Leaf River, on utilizing alternative energy sources. Booths will offer a variety of items and information from organic produce to native plants and instructions for earth-sheltered homes, as well as solar and wind power
Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B3 Zoning Permits, B4
displays. Tickets will be sold at the gate at a cost of $5 per day or $7 for both days for adults. Youths 12-17 will be admitted free, as will younger children who are accompanied by an adult. IREA members are also admitted free. The Ogle County Fairgrounds prohibits pets and alcohol on the property. For more information visit www.illinoisrenew.org or call the IREA at 815-7327332.
Deaths, B5 Esther J. Appler, William S. Besse, Lois V. Curry, Wanda G. Meiners, Kenneth R. Schneiderman
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com