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POLO Golf Sectionals Golfers from Forreston, Oregon, and Polo competed in golf sectionals Oct. 12. B1
Tri-County Press October 15, 2015 Volume 158, Number 4 - $1.00
Gallery Show
Run to the Castle
An Oregon artist is preparing to show her work in New York. A10
A new 5K run will have racers explore the grounds of Stronghold on Oct. 17. A6
Volunteers visiting Honduras Local men plan mission trip in January By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Two local men are looking for volunteers to join them for a winter getaway in the tropics — sort of. Bill Hare, Mt. Morris, and David Poole, Polo, will return to Honduras Jan. 7-17 for a mission trip and are hoping for a few more willing men and women to go with them. “We’d like to have 15 or 16 people,” Hare said. The purpose of the trip is to build homes for families who cannot afford the materials for them. They are going to is Las Palmas, an hour and a half south of the capital city of Tegucigalpa. Details of the upcoming trip will be available in an informational meeting on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. at the Polo Church of the Brethren, 401 S. Congress Ave.
Homes like this one, made of mud and sticks, will be replaced with a structure made of concrete blocks by volunteers on the January mission trip. Photo supplied
Hare, a veteran of 30 such mission trips, urged anyone who is interested in making the trip or helping in any way to attend the meeting. “We need people to go along to learn as well as help us,” he said. “It’s very rewarding.” Poole said he decided to go after hearing Hare’s presentation several years ago, and since then he’s gone eight times. “I’m glad I did. It’s very eye-opening,” he said. His wife Linda, a retired
registered nurse, also goes. Hare explained that the area the group travels to is remote, and its people live in poverty. The only work available to local residents is seasonal and very labor-intensive. “If men can find work, they make maybe $3 a day,” he said. “Goods, when they are available, cost about the same as they do here.” Without modern tools, the jobs they can find are not easy. Turn to A3
“It’s tremendously hard work,” Hare said. Compounding the difficulty is that the area has been experiencing a multiyear drought which has diminished the crops they can grow and harvest, he said. The group of volunteers is tasked with building seven houses in the 10 days they are there. The homes will be simple structures, 18 feet square and made of concrete blocks with corrugated metal roofs and concrete floors. The concrete blocks used for the houses will be made at the building site. Volunteers mix the concrete by hand, usually in a large pit in the ground. The sand and gravel that goes into the concrete mixture must be carried from the river banks. Three blocks can be made at a time, and a good crew can turn out approximately 60 an hour, Hare said. The Polo Council of Churches gave the money for a block-making machine several years ago, making the process far easier than before. Although the new homes
PCHS Royalty Homecoming King Richie Bartnick and Queen Sammi Bushman ride in the parade Oct. 9 with Princess Reece Mekeel and Prince Spencer Nelson. Photo by Vinde Wells
Engineer says Black Hawk should be done next summer By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
Fire Safety Scouts from Polo Pack 337 get set to experience a room in the smoke house Oct. 10 at the Polo Fire Department’s annual hog roast. Pictured left to right seated are: Brian Lopez, Brandon Albano, Jeffrey Donaldson, Wyatt Angier, Alex Albano, Nathaniel Yingling, and firefighter Nick Broege. Kneeling are Henry Donaldson and Raina Lopez. Photo by Vinde Wells
Project engineer Amy Lamb-Woods said Tuesday that restoration work on the Black Hawk Statue should be completed next summer. “We are still in the mockup phase and CSOS [Conservation of Sculpture & Objects Studio, Forest Park] is still working on submittals and samples,” said Lamb-Woods, an engineer with Chicago-based Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SG&H), in an email. Both CSOS and SG&H are under contract, she said, with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) to repair the damage to the 104-year-old statue that stands on a high bluff overlooking the Rock River at Lowden State Park near Oregon. Time and weather have damaged the statue to the point that portions of the exterior have crumbled and fallen off.
The folded arms of the statue, especially the elbows and underneath the arms; the middle of the robe; and the vertical fold in the robe from armpit to toe are the critical areas. Work crews began cleaning the statue during the summer and doing mockups to see what samples of materials would work best for the repairs. Designed by Chicago sculptor Lorado Taft, the concrete statue was poured in December of 1910 and unveiled and dedicated in 1911 as a tribute to all Native Americans. Over the years, it has undergone numerous repairs. The statue was encased in plastic mesh last winter to protect it from further damage from cold, ice, and snow. The protective covering has been left in place because it is also rain-proof and allows the crew to work in wet weather. Turn to A2
Hickory Grove manager said she just needed help By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com A Rochelle businesswoman said she just wanted a little help when she started seeking board members to sit on the Ogle County Civic Center Authority (OCCCA). Robin Baldwin-Gounaris said Oct. 1 that the repairs at the Hickory Grove Banquet Center, 1127 N. Seventh St., were straining her budget, and she wanted board members who have the same goal she does — keeping the business open. “I went out and looked for people who could help save Hickory Grove,” she said.
A Rochelle native, Baldwin-Gounaris, 57, lived in Chicago for many years and returned to Rochelle a decade ago and began managing Hickory Grove, which now includes Hickory Grove Banquets, Abraham’s Bar & Grille, deVine Wine bar, The Pump Club, and Abe’s Tiki Bar. She came under fire Sept. 15 at the Ogle County Board meeting when board member Bruce McKinney, Rochelle, voiced his opposition to the appointment of an applicant to OCCCA. McKinney objected because he said Baldwin-Gounaris has too much influence on who was applying for seats on OCCCA. The State’s Attorney, Juvenile, & Probation Committee interviews
In This Week’s Edition...
Byron Police, B7 Church News, A5 Classifieds, B8-B12 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B6
applicants for OCCCA and then recommends who should be appointed to the county board, which makes the actual appointment. According to Ogle County State’s Attorney Eric Morrow OCCCA owns Hickory Grove and has authority over it. “As far as I know the civic center authority is the owner,” he said Monday. “The county’s only responsibility is appointing the board [OCCCA] members.” It’s not as if OCCCA board members appeared enthusiastic to serve. Until recent months, no one had applied for vacancies on the ninemember board in four years. Turn to A7
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B7 Public Voice, A8 Property Transfers, B6 School Schedule, A11
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Sports, A11, B1, B2 Social News, A4 State’s Attorney, B5
This photo shows what the swimming pool at Hickory Grove Banquet Center, Rochelle, looked like before manager Robin Baldwin-Gounaris turned it into a tiki bar. Photo supplied
Deaths, B5 Dale DeCrane, Thomas E. Heuerman, Rose L. Hoffman, Phyllis J. Hunn, Donald H. Moser
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