Serving the Polo Area Since 1857
POLO Undefeated
Tri-County Press September 25, 2014 Volume 157, Number 1 - $1.00
Snow White
The Polo Marcos cruised past the Missiles 52-27 to win the homecoming game. B1
Returning Home
PACT will perform Snow White with some surprises Sept. 26-28. A12
A Navy officer from Polo was greeted with a surprise homecoming parade Sept. 22. A11
Mark Ebert is Polo’s 25th Citizen of the Year By Vinde Wells Editor
LaBranche. “It’s a privilege to sit among a group of people who don’t know how to say no.� Ebert praised the volunteer spirit of the people who live in Polo. “If I needed help for some project tomorrow, I know I would have your support,� he said. Although Ebert is no stranger to local accolades — he was the 2007 Volunteer of
the Year — he said Monday night’s honor took him by surprise. Polo’s 25th Citizen of the “I was not expecting that,â€? Year proclaimed it a privilege he said with a grin. “I was Monday night to be part of a very surprised.â€? community that shows its Award presenter Tom Suits willingness to pitch in. recounted Ebert’s history “This is the group that of community service, makes this town what it is,â€? beginning with coaching Mark Ebert told the crowd Little League Baseball and of about 100 who attended building sets for plays at the the annual Polo Chamber high school. of Commerce dinner at He has organized and participated in various fundraisers including Habitat for Humanity of Ogle County, lights for the Polo football field, Centennial School playground equipment, Deer Ridge Ministries, Polo Town & Country Days, a new roof for the Polo Public Library, and building a new home for his church’s youth pastor. “This individual has volunteered his time and talent as an auctioneer to benefit many community projects such as Lutheran Social Services, Pheasants Forever, and area churches,â€? Suits said. “He is one of a core of individuals leading the renovation of Polo’s swimming pool. This man has done all these things and more while working fulltime‌â€? Ebert is also active in his Mark Ebert, right, gets a congratulatory hug from Mike church. Faivre Monday night after being named Citizen of the Earlier in the program, Year at the Polo Chamber of Commerce dinner at Turn to A3 LaBranche. Photo by Vinde Wells
Homecoming Parade With firetrucks blowing their sirens behind her, Homecoming Princess Jilli Gorzny covers her ears while riding in the Polo Community High School Homecoming Parade Sept. 19. Riding with her are Prince Ryder Faivre, and King and Queen Andrew Albrecht and Madison Merdian. More Homecoming photos will appear in next week’s paper. Photo by Vinde Wells
Festival will be held Oct. 4-5 By Vinde Wells Editor Volunteer organizers have been busy planning the 44th annual Autumn on Parade festival, slated for Oct. 4-5, in Oregon. An “Autumn of Superheroes� is the theme for this year’s event. “In honor of this year’s theme, entertainers on Saturday on the courthouse
Prairie tours held at grasslands By Chris Johnson Reporter Walking through lush prairie grasses and winding though a savanna was like a trip back in time. There were no cars, roads or power lines visible when exploring portions of East Heinkle Hill Saturday morning at Nachusa Grasslands during Autumn on the Prairie. Thousands of acres of prairie land are being restored
at the grasslands to recreate what the Midwest had in the 1800s. Volunteers have been seeding, planting, clearing, and burning the land to destroy invasive species and return the prairie to all its glory. Mike Crowe, Lindenwood, has been with Nachusa Grasslands for 26 years. “I was one of the first groups of stewards,� he said. “Today you are going to visit East Heinkle Hill. This is an
18-year-old prairie.� Crowe was leading a dozen people on a tour of this secluded part of the grasslands. “It was a sandy corn field,� he said. “Now there is tall Indian grass in the field.� Another grass that was thriving was big blue stem, commonly called turkey foot. A third grass that had patches in the prairie is cordgrass, spartina. “This grass is good for thatched roofs but on the
prairie it is also used for burning,� Crowe said. These was only some of the hundreds of plant species that make up the prairie. As the group walked across the land he would pause at several of the plants. While talking about the White Indigo plant. “This is a legume and has deep roots,� said Crowe. “This allows the plant to grow on this sandy soil.� Turn to A10
square will include Wonder Woman and Captain America,� said festival president Marseyne Snow. “We’ll also have Spiderman doing his acrobatics and Cat Woman will be painting faces.� Back again this year is a post parade show by the South Shore Drill Team on Sunday, following the Harvest Time Parade. “South Shore is always a such a crowd favorite that we decided last year to have them stay a bit longer and do a show after the parade was over,� said Snow. “People really liked that so we’re doing the post parade show again on Jefferson Street in front of the Oregon library.� Snow said this year’s parade, held on Sunday at 1 p.m., is shaping up to be another good one. “In addition to the South Shore Drill Team and the Jesse White Tumblers we have several high school marching bands and novelty entries like a rocket cycle, stilt walkers, and many other
entries,� Snow said. Antique tractors and vintage vehicles, youth groups, and other commercial entries will also be in the parade. True to its roots in 1970, the heart of the festival remains the Farmers’ Market and Craft Show that features booths that offer a variety of arts and crafts ranging from handmade wood items to homemade baked breads. Through cooperation with Ogle County and city officials, booths are located on the historic courthouse lawn and on surrounding city streets, on both days. New to this year’s festival is a “Boot Camp Challenge Obstacle Course� operated by Kid Again Inflatable Fun Shows, in the AOP Fun Zone. “The kids should have a lot of fun with that,� Snow said. Stillman Valley Bank is this year’s Diamond Premium Sponsor. For more events, visit www.autumnonparade.org.
Leaf River family opens a business By Vinde Wells Editor A love for old-fashioned items and agriculture has led a rural Leaf River family to open a new business that features both. Gene and Vicki Miller will host a grand opening Oct. 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to show off Vintage Chicks & Feed at 700 E. Ill. 72, three miles west of Byron. The family enterprise includes the couple as well as their three grown children. The store, which opened Sept. 6, features livestock Mike Crowe, Lindenwood, leads a group through the prairie and savanna during a tour of East Heinkel Hill Saturday and pet food along with what
Vicki calls “rustic relics,� everything from Mason jars to barbed wire art. It all started years ago, daughter Amy Kirchner explained, when her father started selling livestock feed from the store which is just down the road and around the corner from the family farm where they raise Hereford cattle. “We were in 4-H and had livestock projects so Dad started selling feed,� she said. They were hoping to expand the feed business, and decided to add some kind of country store, Vicki said. Turn to A3
morning at Nachusa Grasslands. Photo by Chris Johnson
In This Week’s Edition...
Byron Police, B5 Church News, A5 Classifieds, B8-B14 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, A11 Polo Police, A3 Public Voice, A8 Property Transfers, B4
Sheriff’s Arrests, A11 Social News, A4 Sports, A12, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B7 Weather, A3
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Deaths, B3 Ruby J. Rowland