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POLO
Tri-County Press October 5, 2017 Volume 159, Number 43 - $1.00
Golfers Advance
Face Lift
Homecoming
Two Polo golfers and two Forreston golfers advance to next week’s sectional. B1
Lorado Taft’s “Fish Boys” fountain was restored by a loving family. A6
The Polo High School held a homecoming parade Friday afternoon. A2
Sump pumps need to follow existing rules By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
Mary Avey serves up a cup of “Jack-O-Lantern Stew” to Kate O’Connor. Polo Rehab’s pumpkin-flavored chili was heavily talked about at Polo’s Chili Cook-Off. Photo by Zach Arbogast
Chili cook-off a tasty success By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecountynews.com Chili sits high on the ladder of good-mood food, and a good mood was certainly in the air Saturday during Polo’s annual Chili Cook-Off, sponsored by the Polo Chamber of Commerce. Louise Quick Park was the battleground for six teams, who started bright and early to put together 10 different stews, all to see who could be crowned a chili champion for 2017. Contestants weren’t allowed to prepare anything ahead of time; all veggie chopping, meat browning, seasoning, sauces, and cooking had to start at 8 a.m. At noon, the great feasting began. For nothing more than an optional donation to the Mike (left) and Cody Winstead share a laugh at their chili tent. Polo’s chamber, community members were given a Chili Cook-Off was as fun and family-friendly as it was delicious. Turn to A3 Photo by Zach Arbogast
Head to Oregon for fall festivities By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Handmade craft items, a parade, and lots of food are just three of the attractions awaiting visitors to Oregon’s Autumn on Parade festival Oct. 7-8. “We have new crafters, new parade entries, and plenty for kids and families to do,” said AOP Committee President Marseyne Snow. “Hopefully the weather holds out, and it looks like it will.” The festival, which started with a handful of vendors selling bittersweet and apples in 1970, is celebrating its 47th anniversary this year. It continues to be organized and run by an all-volunteer committee and is funded through sponsorships, donations, booth fees, and food court revenues. The heart of the festival is the Farmer’s Market and Craft Fair that features upwards of 190 vendors selling a variety of arts and crafts ranging from handmade wood items
Jerry Newman holds a stack of cornstalks as Sandy Boehle and Marseyne Snow tie the stack around one of the poles in downtown Oregon on Sunday in preparation for the upcoming Autumn on Parade festival this weekend. Photo by Earleen Hinton
to homemade baked breads. “We have lots of homemade and homegrown items for sale,” Snow said. Ornamental produce, painted items, jewelry, soaps, candles, antiques, and seasonal items are just a few of the hundreds of items that can be found throughout the craft show. Booths are located around the lawn of the historic Ogle County Courthouse and
In This Week’s Edition...
surrounding streets. There is no charge for admission. Paddlewheel boat rides on the scenic Rock River are offered for the first time this year. “Maxson’s is offering sight-seeing tours on the Pride of Oregon at several different times on Saturday,” Snow said. Visitors to Autumn on Parade can also partake of a variety of scrumptious treats
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B5-B8 Entertainment, A6 Marriage Licenses, A4
in the Food Court where local not-for-profit organizations prepare their specialties each year. Apple fritters, pork chop and ribeye sandwiches, funnel cakes, bratwurst, and gyros are just some of the items offered by service agencies and clubs from Oregon and Ogle County. A new taste treat this year is a biscuits and gravy breakfast on Sunday morning served by The Gathering Place congregation at the Oregon Coliseum, Snow said. If you love a parade, you should love Autumn on Parade’s Harvest Time Parade, slated for Sunday, Oct. 8. The theme for this year’s parade is “Music Then and Now”. “We chose this theme so we can showcase different genres of music for a variety of ages. It is always fun to see how the entrants embrace the theme each year and create entertaining parade entries. Turn to A3
Polo Police, B3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B4 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3
Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4 Weather, A3
Polo residents will soon be getting letters from the city warning them about sump pumps that are illegally connected to the city’s sanitary sewer system. The city council authorized attorney Tom Suits to draw up a letter informing residents that it plans to enforce the city ordinance that prohibits the discharge of storm and unpolluted water from sump pumps and other sources into the sanitary sewer. Mayor Doug Knapp said he is hoping anyone in violation will voluntarily correct the problem. After residents have been notified, city employees will do inspections to make sure sump pumps are in compliance.
Anyone found in violation can be fined from $50 to $750 per day. “We’re enforcing our ordinance as well as the EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency’s),” Water & Sewer Department Supervisor Mike Mumford said. The issue came up after heavy rain for several hours in late July led to sewer backups into several residents’ basements, including at the home of city clerk Sydney Bartelt and her husband Andy. Mumford said eliminating the illegal drainage into the sewer mains will cut the flow in at least half during storms. Normally, he said about 300,000 gallons flow through the city’s sewers, but during heavy storms that can increase to as much as 2.5 million gallons.
Political group holds rally by Courthouse A local political action group took to the streets again last week to get its message out. Members of Indivisible: Mt. Morris/Oregon Political action carried informational signs Friday evening at the corner of Washington and Fourth Streets in Oregon. A similar rally was held Sept. 8 in Mt. Morris. The group is open to all residents of Ogle County who share concerns about the President Donald Trump’s conduct and policies, as well as legislative issues being dealt with in the U. S. Congress. According to information distributed by the group, monthly meetings are held to provide an opportunity to share perspectives on the
issues foster engagement and act in concert with others when contacting the White House or members of Congress. Focuses of the group include gerrymandering, science, the environment, immigration reform, and health care. Meetings are held the fourth Thursday of each month and alternate between morning and evening and Mt. Morris and Oregon to make them more accessible to those interested. The next meeting will be held on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 9:30 a.m. at the Village Bakery, Oregon. For more information visit the group’s Facebook at Indivisible Mt. Morris/ Oregon political action or email francises@comcast.net.
Beverly Opalka, Sally Gray, and Stephen Opalka were three of several Indivisible members who carried informational signs at the intersection of Fourth and Washington Streets, by the Ogle County Courthouse, on Sept. 29. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Deaths, B5 B. Charles Ames, Travis L. Gates, Diane S. Heeren, Lois Elaine Mount
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com