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POLO
Tri-County Press May 18, 2017 Volume 159, Number 23 - $1.00
Postseason
Summer Music
Tractor Jamboree
The spring sports seasons are in the middle of the postseason for area teams. B1
The Friday music series in Mt. Morris returns June 2. A6
The eighth annual AJ’s Garden Tractor Jamboree will be held on Saturday. A6
Council postpones awarding water/sewer bids Alderman has issue with the low bidder By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com An alderman’s objection Monday evening to the low bidder on a sewer and water upgrade led the Polo City Council to table the project for further study.
Alderman Randy Schoon objected to accepting the low bidder, Fischer Excavating, Freeport, to replace sewer and water mains on Maple Avenue and Oregon Street, install new water services on Oregon Street, and rehabilitate the lift station on South Congress Avenue. He said the City of Dixon currently has a dispute with Fischer. “Why would we want them here?” Schoon said. Dixon City Manager Cole
“I don’t want to see us get sued, but I have real concerns here.” — Randy Schoon Polo Alderman O’Donnell said Tuesday that the city is withholding final payment from Fischer due to a “deficiency in work” on a recent project there. Fischer was one of five bidders on Polo’s project. Schoon said he has heard of other municipalities
that have had issues with Fischer’s work. He told engineer Matt Hansen of Willett, Hofmann & Associates, Dixon, that he should check into it further. Hansen said that in his experience, Fischer’s work has been satisfactory.
“Generally, the work they’ve done for us has been good,” he said. He asked Schoon who he should call to verify problems. “I need to know who to call, where the problems have been,” Hansen said. “It’s 12 miles from us,” Schoon replied, referring to Dixon. Hansen explained that to bypass Fischer as the low bidder, the council would have to show that the
company is not a responsible bidder. Schoon said a Fischer crew smashed a sewer hookup while replacing a main in Polo a few years ago. While they replaced the hook-up, he said, the main to the house was also damaged and led to a leak that cost the city $4,000 to repair. Hansen said state law and U.S. Department of Agriculture rules require that municipalities award Turn to A2
County Board buys into path Plan is for adding a bike path from Oregon to Lowden State Park By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
On the Farm A Polo farmer works his ground along Pines Road Monday evening in an effort to beat the predicted rain. Field work in much of Ogle County has been slowed by wet conditions. Monday night’s storms passed to the north. Photo by Vinde Wells
WWII Re-enactment comes to Oregon By Earleen Hinton ehinton@oglecounty news.com The German soldier climbed on the 1944 DKW NZ 350-1 motorcycle, kick started it, put an unfiltered Camel cigarette in his mouth, and casually drove on to the sidewalk on the north side of the Ogle County Courthouse?!?! Yep. That was just part of the scene on the courthouse square in Oregon last Saturday as the World War Two Historical Reenacting Society began an Armed Forces Weekend Commemoration that culminates this weekend with a WWII Battle Reenactment at Stronghold Camp and Retreat Center, north of Oregon. “We were just out on a day trip and we saw all this and had to stop,” said Sandy Russell, Rock Falls. In addition to the motorcycle “all this” included a WWII Jeep, tents, and gear along with living history re-enactors in uniforms from a couple of wars including Vietnam. “We are with C Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantry
World War Two Historical Re-enactment Society member Richard Russo, dressed as a German soldier, speaks to Karl, Max, Gunnar, and Liz Smith of Chicago, about the 1944 DKW NZ 350-1 German motorcycle that was on display on the Ogle County Courthouse Square on Saturday as pre-event publicity for the World War II encampment and re-enactment at Stronghold Camp and Retreat Center May 20-21. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Regiment, 101st Airborne Division,” said re-enactor Todd Lamb, from Crystal Lake as he showed passersby his gear. World War II tanks, jeeps, and motorcycles along with re-created battles with troops in uniforms are all planned at Stronghold on May 20-21. Approximately 360 living history re-enactors from various states will be at this fundraising event for Stronghold, held
In This Week’s Edition...
in conjunction with the World War Two Historical Reenacting Society. “There will be World War II re-enactors in World War II-type encampments along with vehicles from that era on display,” said Rich Russo, a member of the society’s event development team (and the German soldier on Saturday). “We try to make everything look as historically realistic as possible.”
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B3
The event will include uniform and weapon demonstrations with reenactors portraying troops from Germany, Poland, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and, of course, the United States. “We plan on having a German Red Cross Field Hospital and a European cafe that will be open to the public,” Russo said. “We will have flyovers and pyro-technics, weather permitting.” A USO show complete with period music is also being planned for Saturday night. “The USO show will be held in our Brubaker Center’s dining hall with a cash bar being run by the Oregon VFW,” said Danny Pierce, executive director at Stronghold. “Period piece music will be played.” “The music will be WWII era with swing, and we are encouraging the public to dress in 1940-era costumes to get in the mood,” said Russo. Battle re-enactments will be held twice on Saturday and Sunday (around 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.) on the grounds with a special battle in the
Oregon Police, B3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B5 Sheriff’s Arrests, B4
The Ogle County Board agreed Tuesday evening to cooperate with two other governmental bodies to take a step toward getting a bike path that connects Oregon to Lowden State Park. The board voted to pay a portion of the cost of a Phase 1 engineering study that would make getting a state grant for the project more likely. Board chairman Kim Gouker, Byron, said the Oregon Park District officials asked the county to contribute $19,000 toward the $59,000 study for the Rock River Heritage Trail. The park district will pay $21,000, and the City of Oregon has agreed to pay $19,000. The park district has applied for an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant for the $1 million project. Gouker said having the study will enhance the chances that the grant application will be successful. He said the grant would cover 80 percent of the cost
and the park district and city will pay the remaining 20 percent. “They will not be asking us for anything more,” Gouker said. Before the meeting, park district executive director Erin Folk said having the financial commitment from all three government bodies makes the case stronger for getting the grant. “It’s a $1 million project so spending $59,000 to have 80 percent of that paid by a grant seems like a good idea,” she said. Board member Marcia Heuer, Oregon, asked if getting the grant is likely to happen. Engineer Curtis Cook from Chastain & Associates LLC, Rockford, said success is not guaranteed, but last year the state did not award any ITEP grants without Phase 1 engineering studies. Board member Pat Saunders, Polo, who cast the only dissenting vote, voiced concerns that the county could be facing even more state revenue cuts in the coming year. She said property values have rebounded somewhat in the last year, but are still Turn to A8
Check Presentation Mark Imfeld, Chuck Goldie, and Steve Dilger from the Blackhawk Trail Riders presented a check for $1,800 to Kathy Wragg for the Polo Lifeline Food Pantry at Monday’s Polo City Council meeting. Photo by Cheryl Galor
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Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B5 Zoning Permits, B5
Deaths, B4 Kenneth R. Miller, Morris R. Pieper, William A. Sweet
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com