Serving the Polo Area Since 1857
POLO
Tri-County Press September 18, 2014 Volume 156, Number 52 - $1.00
Marcos Win
Ready to Run
Unit of Honor
The Marcos football team went on the road and defeated Stockton to remain undefeated. B1
Registration is now open for the annual AOP 5K and fun run. B2
Habitat for Humanity will be recognized during Autumn on Parade Oct. 4-5. A8
Repairs to pool will cost more By Vinde Wells Editor Just when the Polo officials thought the city swimming pool was good to go, several more repairs are needed. Pool supervisor Terry Jenkins told the city council Monday night that filter in the baby pool has developed a leak, the drain to the main pool leaks, the shallow end of the pool has buckled, and drainage from the park where the pool is located is inadequate. Although he said he doesn’t have bids from contractors, he estimated all the work will cost less than $100,000. In recent years, repairs to the 47-year-old pool have cost approximately $200,000. Last spring, the city replaced the wet pit and filter room at a cost of around $100,000, of which $38,000 was offset by a state grant. Fundraisers were held from 2012-13 to replace the aging bathhouse, a project that has just begun. The estimated cost is $75,000. Volunteers began demolition of the old bathhouse on Sept. 13, and that will be completed Sept. 20. Jenkins said only two companies are qualified to do the new list of repairs, and he has contacted both of them. He said the work should begin in October if the pool is to open on time next summer. The leak in the baby pool filter can be corrected by simply routing it into the new
filter room built for the main pool, Jenkins said. He said he has voiced concern for some time that the drain in the main pool might fail due to its age. That happened this summer, he said. Jenkins estimated the cost of correcting the baby pool filter, repairing the drain of the main pool, and taking the buckles out of the shallow end at $75,000. Correcting the drainage problems in the park will be another $15,000, he said. Jenkins said the fact that the pool is made of aluminum means it can be repaired. He commended city officials for making that decision back when the pool was built. Although the repairs are expensive, the upside, he said, is that with what has already been done, and what he recommends, the pool will be like new. “You won’t have any more pipes that are 47 years old,� Jenkins said. “For $300,000 you have a brand new pool that’s going to be here a long time.� Alderman Troy Boothe asked how much a new pool would cost. Jenkins replied it would be at least $1 million. Alderman Cheryl Galor asked where the money would come from for the repairs. Alderman Louise Hall also expressed concern about how the city will pay for the work since it wasn’t budgeted. “It’s either that or you don’t have a pool,�Jenkins said.
The Polo FFA held a field demonstration Sept. 11 where Chris Casper, a Pioneer seed representative, talked about the varieties of soybeans planted in the FFA test plot. Photo by Chris Johnson
Soy bean talk at FFA test field Five varieties were planted By Chris Johnson Reporter Polo FFA members learned about soybean varieties last week during a plot demonstration. Pioneer Coop representative Chris Casper talked about the five varieties of beans the FFA students had growing in a field behind the high school. Each bean had a different characteristic and ideal growing conditions. One bean, the P28T33R, has one of the top yields in Illinois. “It is our top selling bean in this area,� said Casper. “It is not the prettiest bean but is has top yields.� The letters in the bean correspond to the genetics and traits of the bean while
School board president dies By Chris Johnson Reporter The Polo School Board lost one of its own Monday. Board President Gene Schmidt, 54, passed away at his home. “He was a supporter of
everything Polo,� said Polo School Superintendent Chris Rademacher Tuesday afternoon. “We will celebrate his life.� Rademacher said the school district will assist Schmidt’s family. Schmidt has been a member
of the school board for more than 10 years. He was routinely seen supporting students at various school activities. Funeral arrangements were completed by Polo Family Funeral Home. (IS OBITUARY APPEARS ON "
the numbers identify base genetics and maturity of the bean. For this bean P is the brand Pioneer, 28 is the maturity of the bean, T is for a T-series Bean, 33 is a number assigned to identify the bean within the T series, and R signifies the beans are Roundup Ready. This information is useful for farmers and seed sellers so beans can be matched to growing conditions. “Having these field plots in a high school setting is useful at getting our youth involved in agriculture,� said Casper. “I know there is an age gap in farming. We are helping get kids involved in agriculture.� Following the discussion on soybeans the FFA students invited the guests at the event to join the club for a dinner in the high school gym.
Masons to celebrate 150th By Vinde Wells Editor One of Oregon’s most active organizations will celebrate a major milestone this month. Oregon Masonic Lodge 420 will mark its 150th anniversary and rededicate its building at 117 1/2 S. Fourth
Only two school districts in Ogle County are seeing an uptick in enrollment this year. For most districts, the downward trend that began a few years ago is continuing. The Forrestville Valley and Rochelle Township High School Districts, in opposite corners of the county, have slightly more students than last year. Forrestville Valley, a K-12 district, gained 24 students from last year to boost enrollment from 882 to 906, the first increase since 2007Ted Boddiger, Polo, examines a custom canoe at the Grand Detour Arts Festival held 08 when enrollment stood at at the John Deere Historic Site on Sunday. The handcrafted canoe was made by the 1,065. Rochelle High School Navarro Canoe Co. in Rosk Island. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B12 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B3
St. on Saturday, Sept. 27. “It’s remarkable for an organization to remain active for this long,� said Mark Shaulis, Worshipful Master of the lodge. The milestone is especially significant because lodge members are wrapping up an extensive renovation of the second floor of their building,
where lodge activities take place. Shaulis said the project has included installing new carpet throughout, converting a storage area into a library, completely redoing the tall wooden staircase and entry area, remodeling the dining Turn to A4
Enrollments decline at several school districts By Vinde Wells Editor
In This Week’s Edition...
The Polo FFA held a field demonstration Sept. 11 where Chris Casper, a Pioneer seed representative, talked about the varieties of soybeans planted in the FFA test plot. Photo by Chris Johnson
Marriage Licenses, A4 Polo Police, A2 Public Voice, B2 Property Transfers, B6
gained 25 students for a current enrollment of 948 students in grade 9-12. Superintendent Richard Craven said the modest gain comes on the heels of three years of declining numbers. He anticipates another gain next year. “Because the current eighth grade is large, we expect to go up another 30 students next year,� Craven said. “Then enrollment will level off again. I think a good healthy number for us is 1,000 to 1,100 kids.� While it’s difficult to pinpoint the cause of the decline, Craven believes the slowdown in the housing market is a factor. “Very few new houses are being built. It’s hard for
Sheriff’s Arrests, B6 Social News, A4 Sports, B1 State’s Attorney, B5
people to sell homes,� he said. The elementary districts that feed into Rochelle Township High School District also have decreasing enrollments. Rochelle Elementary Superintendent Todd Prusator said the number of students has declined over the last 10 years. This year is no exception — enrollment is 1,572 compared to last year’s 1,598. Creston Elementary has decreased from 116 students last year to 111 this year. At Eswood Elementary the student body went from 91 last year to 82 this year, and the enrollment for Kings Elementary School went Turn to A7
Deaths, B3 Joan Hagemann, George E. Schmidt, Carl L. Stoner
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