Serving the Polo Area Since 1857
POLO Summer Ball
June 16, 2016 Volume 158, Number 39 - $1.00
Butterfly Release
Memorial Walk
Read about how some of the summer baseball and softball teams did last week . A10
Tri-County Press
Registration is underway for the annual Lois Nelson Walk. A4
Remember loved ones by releasing a butterfly at Serenity Hospice July 9. A4
Fireworks kick off 50th Town & Country Days Plenty of fun June 16-19 Polo Town & Country Days is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Festivities will once again kick off the festival with the fireworks display on Thursday, June 16. “Since the first show in 2000, the fireworks have been a crowd favorite. Each year the fireworks get better and better, and this year is no exception,” said festival committee member Tami Sterenberg. Bring lawn chairs and blankets and come to the football field. The high school cheerleaders will host concessions. Polo Town and Country Day committee members will collect donations onsite during the fireworks. Donations of any amount are always appreciated. New this year is a rock climbing wall on Saturday, June 18 from 2 to 6 p.m., and also bull riding in the festival tent from 6 to 10 p.m. Before the fireworks, come to the Festival Tent for the Little Miss & Mister contest at 6 p.m., and then stay to listen to Pat Anderson at 7 p.m. Since several of this year’s events require advance registration, print off a registration form at the website www.polodays.org. For more information and registration forms visit the www.polodays.org or call Jon Miller, 815-973-3507.
Schedule of Events Thursday, June 16 5-10 p.m. - Great American Shows Carnival Rides open 5- 8 p.m. - Merchandise Bingo Tent 5-8 p.m. - Dunk Tank 6 p.m. - Little Miss & Mr. Contest- Festival Tent 7 p.m. - Entertainment by Pat Anderson 8:30 p.m. - Concessions at Polo Football Field sponsored by Polo High School Cheerleaders 9:30 p.m. - Fireworks, Polo HS Football Field Friday, June 17 Noon - 10 p.m. - Great American Shows Carnival Rides open ($20 Armbands from 12 p.m.-5 p.m.) Noon - 10 p.m. Merchandise Bingo Noon-5 p.m. - Polo Aplington House and Polo Historical Society Open for Guided Tours Noon-8 p.m. - Dunk Tank 1-3 p.m. - Kids Fun Fair - Face Painting, Games, Prizes, and Pony Rides 1-3 p.m. - 4H Petting Zoo outside Festival tent 5 p.m. - Alumni Night in the beer garden - $2 admission includes drink ticket 6 p.m. - 5K Run Sponsored by Polo Fire Department 5-8 p.m. - DJ Keith Calderon 8:30 p.m. - Dwyer and Michaels
Saturday, June 18 7-11 a.m. - Community Breakfast at Crossroads Community Church (Donations Accepted) 8 a.m.- 3 p.m. - Polo Car Show & Swap Meet 9 a.m. - Volleyball Tournament at High School Field 10 a.m. - Kids Water Fights Polo Fire Department 10 a.m -3 p.m. - Vendor Show Noon-10 p.m. - Great American Carnival Rides Noon-10 p.m. Merchandise Bingo Noon-8 p.m. - Dunk Tank 1-3 p.m. - Variety Show hosted by Polo Area Community Theatre 2-6 p.m. - NEW EVENT… Rock Climbing Wall 5-8 p.m. - Lyle Grobe & the Rhythm Ramblers 6-10 p.m. - NEW EVENT… BULL RIDING 9-11:30 p.m. - Route 38 Sunday, June 19 Noon - Carnival Opens
Former Polo resident David Taylor works for Great American Shows and was in town Tuesday afternoon setting up the Sizzler ride with Meghan Baldwin. Photo by Chris Johnson
12:30 p.m. - Father’s Day Grande Parade
Protesters walk to prison
2 p.m. - Pedal Tractor Races, ages 5-4th grade
By Rachel Rodgers rrodgers@saukvalley.com
2:30 p.m. - Back by As the heat index climbed Popular Demand… Bed into triple digits Saturday, Races 5th grade through a group of activists ended adult their 150-mile trek to protest isolation cells being built at the federal prison in Thomson. Representatives from the Chicago-based organization the law enforcement officers Voices for Creative for the assistance with Nonviolence began walking spreading the word about the from the Windy City to the Special Olympics. Having the torch in Oregon village of 600 residents on was extra special for five May 28, traveling 10 to 19 miles a day and averaging athletes from the VOP. Five athletes won gold about eight hours per stretch. About 50 people, ranging medals to qualify for the in age from 6 months to the summer games that were mid 80s, participated in the held June 10-11. The Flame of Hope was walk, sleeping in churches handed from community to and at campsites along the community before reaching way. The group was at the Ogle the opening ceremony. County Courthouse June 8 Dan Daub, court security for a stop before heading for the Ogle county Sheriff’s west to Polo before getting to Department organized the the prison. local run for the second year. In for the long haul was He was joined during the run by fellow Sheriff’s Deputies 73-year-old Razia Ahmed, a and members of the Oregon, Pakistan native who traveled Byron, and Mt. Morris Police from her home in Scottsdale, Arizona, to be at the starting Departments. Each law enforcement line in Chicago. She became involved with officer raised $100 for the organization in 2007. Special Olympics through “It’s been very hot, but I the Law Enforcement Torch think about the prisoners, Run. The Oregon run was held and conditions are much between the Black Hawk worse for them,” Ahmed said Statue scenic pull off north of while holding a picket sign above her head for a reprieve town to downtown Oregon. Following the run in from the sun. The 25 protesters finishing Oregon the torch was brought to Dixon, Sterling, and Rock the last mile to Thomson oppose several practices by Falls. the U.S. Bureau of Prisons,
Torch run held in Oregon By Chris Johnson cxjohnsonoglecounty news.com Special Olympians were glowing with excitement last week when the Flame of Hope was brought into Oregon. The torch, carried by local law enforcement workers
June 8, was heading to Illinois State University, Normal, for the annual summer Special Olympics for track and field. When the torch reached downtown Oregon, all the athletes were waiting to cheer them on. Athletes from the Village of Progress (VOP) made signs to cheer on and thank
Dan Daub, court security for the Ogle County Sheriff’s Department, left, runs next to Oregon Officer Matt Kalnins, who is carrying the Special Olympics Torch June 8 during the annual torch run through Oregon. Photo by Chris Johnson
In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B5-B10 College News, A4 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, A7 Public Voice, A8 Property Transfers, B3
Sheriff’s Arrests, B2 Social News, A4 Sports, A10, State’s Attorney, B2
including plans to build as many as 1,900 isolation cells at Thomson, and talk of transferring some of the 91 remaining Guantanamo Bay prisoners to the facility. Tim Meadors, La Plata, Missouri, said solitary confinement is a form of torture that is immoral. “This would be the largest concentration of solitary
confinement in the U.S.,” he said. “Being in a cell 23 hours a day doesn’t pacify anyone; it leads to more violence in society because they don’t know how to cope.” Maya Evans, a London native and a peace activist in the UK, has worked with the Chicago organization for Turn to A2
Protester Sabia Rigby waves a peace flag in front of the Ogle County Courthouse. A group of protesters were walking from Chicago to Thomson to protest the prison. Photo by Chris Johnson
Deaths, B3 Mary A. Fassler, Marie A. Nanninga, Bettie R. Withers
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com