Serving the Polo Area Since 1857
POLO
Tri-County Press June 22, 2017 Volume 159, Number 28 - $1.00
KB Tough Run
LFR Festival
Last Wish
A memorial trail hike will be part of the annual KB Tough Run on Saturday. A6
Make plans now to participate in the Let Freedom Ring Festival. A6, A8
A man’s dying wish was granted through the help of a local hospice. A9
City council saves money on electricity for lights By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com In a meeting that lasted only 18 minutes, the Polo City Council took action Monday to save some money on electricity. The council authorized Mayor Doug Knapp to sign a contract with Constellation
to supply electricity for the city’s dusk to dawn street lights. Consultant Mike Mudge from Rock River Energy Services, Oregon, recommended Constellation as the company offering the lowest rates. He said the city will save approximately $1,300 per year.
In another matter, alderman Randy Schoon said Fischer Excavating, Freeport, will begin the sewer and water main upgrades in about a week. He said the work will likely begin at the intersection of Congress Avenue and Oregon Street. Fischer was awarded a contract June 5 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. Fischer was the low bidder at $932,722. The sewer mains and lift station rehab will be paid for with U.S. Department
Kyker has been working with the city for several months to bring the dilapidated property into compliance with city ordinances. He said Monday that legal proceedings involving the house are nearing conclusion. “I’m moving forward as quickly as possible,” he said.
County board denies permit for dog kennel
Polo Pride at T&C Days
By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com After four days of unwinding with fireworks, carnival rides, spaghetti contests, pig chasing, and parades, another Town & Country Days is in the record books. Polo Town & Country Days wrapped up Sunday afternoon, and the community is already looking forward to next year. For today’s generation, it’s hard to believe that Town & Country Days began in 1966, spearheaded by the Polo Jaycees to raise money for a community pool. Today, the city gathers for four days of celebration. This year, the theme was “Polo Pride.” By far, the biggest exhibition of community pride came Friday in the form of Kidz Day. Inside the giant festival tent between North Green and Jefferson Avenues was a five-hour extravaganza of games, face painting, and
of Agriculture Rural Development grant and loan money, while city funds will be used to pay for the water mains which will cost approximately $227,617. In other business Tim Kyker, Polo, told the council that work is progressing on cleaning out a house which belonged to his late father at 604 N. Adams Ave.
Little Lola Rongner came all the way from Holyoke, Massachusetts to enjoy Town and Country Days, and competed in the Oreo Stacking Contest. She did not win, but she still did great. Photo by Zach Arbogast.
contests, complete with a table of prizes for the taking and contests interspersed throughout the day. This was in addition to the Great American Shows carnival rides available throughout the event period. Children received a card displaying their names, which would have holes punched in it as they played games; better results rewarded more punches, which served as currency at the prize table. “My favorite moment is always when the real little kids are able to play a game and win for the first time,” said Stephanie Kuzlik, who
volunteered throughout the event. “The look of excitement and pride in their abilities is awesome and make all the hard work to goes into kids day and T&C days worth it.” The entire gamut of games included a Ping Pong Bounce, Boozo Bag Toss, Duck Pond, Ring Toss, Penny Drop, Nerf Gun Shooting Range, Toilet Paper Toss, and Hoop-In Wins, where children tried to throw rings around an elephant’s trunk. “The games were kid-friendly and easy to manage,” said Sadie Baumann, who helped
operate the Ping Pong Bounce. “The parents could relax for a while because they were in good hands.” Sadie was one of several volunteers who, after spending several years participating in the games and rides, were now helping younger generations experience the joy. As if the games weren’t enough stimulation, two traditions from years past made a return: the spaghetti eating and Oreo stacking contests. “It’s been about five or six years since we’ve Turn to A2
Reactions were mixed Tuesday evening to the Ogle County Board’s unanimous denial of a special use permit for a dog kennel northeast of Kings. Several members of the audience of more than 50 people applauded the 21-0 decision to turn down a special use request from Christie Hardt, owner of B&C Kennel, Clare, and her husband Robert DeCosta. However, Hardt’s attorney Diane Elliott, DeKalb, expressed her client’s disappointment and said the board’s decision may result in legal action. Hardt and DeCosta had requested the special use permit to operate a commercial dog kennel on property they own at 14189 E. Dutch Rd. in White Rock
Rockin’ River Fest hampered by strong rains By Earleen Hinton ehinton@oglecounty news.com
Austin Graden overtakes D.J. McCoy around the turn during the seven and eight-year-old’s championship round of the Pedal Tractor Races. Photo by Zach Arbogast.
When organizers envisioned a summer festival promoting Oregon along the water, they didn’t mean rain water. Late afternoon storms prompted an early end to Oregon’s inaugural Rockin’ River Fest on Saturday, but Mother Nature cooperated most of the day allowing most events to be held. “Considering the negative forecast for several days in advance, we’re very pleased,” Oregon Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Debbie Dickson said on Monday. “We don’t have definite numbers yet but it was very well-attended. The kids had a great time in the kids area. We saw people having a good time.”
In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B3
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B5 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B3
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B2 State’s Attorney, B5
Township. The site is zoned for agricultural use, and the request asked for a special use permit to allow dog breeding, import and sale of puppies, dog grooming, and dog obedience training at the kennel. After the vote, Elliott said the request should have been granted because it met the county’s criteria for a special use. “B&C Kennel is very disappointed in the county board’s decision,” Elliott said. “This is a land use issue, not a moral issue or even a political issue. B&C Kennel’s application met all of the stated criteria. The county board has disregarded that this is a land use issue and allowed a vocal minority to sway their personal opinions.” She said she would meet with Hardt and DeCosta to Turn to A7
After temperatures climbed into the high 80s by mid-afternoon, at least two heavy rain storms caused festival officials to shut down the event about 4 hours early, nixing a scheduled performance by The Party Doctors, the last band scheduled to play at the River’s Edge Stage Area from 8-11 p.m. and prompting the closure of the Riverside Chill Zone (beer garden). Soggy organizers were breaking the festival grounds down by 7:30 p.m. As a light rain continued to fall, the sun reappeared briefly to create a rainbow to the east of the festival grounds that were located on the west side of the Rock River, below the Oregon dam on property owned by the Oregon Fire Protection District. Turn to A2
Deaths, B4 Lance E. Barnes, Justin E. Clubb, Carroll E. Haijenga, William & Kathrine Incontro, Mark E. Knie, William C. Woodke
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com