Serving the Polo Area Since 1857
POLO
Tri-County Press May 17, 2018 Volume 160, Number 3 - $1.00
Boys Track Wins NUIC
Grad Section
Third on the List
Forreston-Polo boys finish first at NUIC track meet. B1
Ogle County seniors are set to graduate this month. Insert
The Black Hawk Statue finishes third in a statewide contest for most scenic spot. A8
Two new toys will be hitting the Polo Pool thanks to the generosity of the William and Beverly Burkardt Family Foundation. Left, the foundation will purchase an Aqua Zip N and slide for the pool. Right, This rendering shows the style of slide the Polo pool will be gaining thanks to the William and Beverly Burkardt Family Foundation. Photos Supplied.
Zipline and slide to replace pool’s diving boards By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com The diving boards may be history at the Polo City Pool, but two brand new pieces of equipment are slated to take their place by early July. Thanks to the generosity of a Polo family, a zipline and a slide will be ordered as soon as all the state hurdles are cleared. Pool manager Kayla
Bergstrom said Monday that the William and Beverly Burkardt Family Foundation has donated the money to purchase and install the new pool features. The cost of the slide is about $10,000 and the zipline will cost $7,500, not including the installation and permitting fees. The city council found out last November that the 50-year-old, original diving boards were worn out and no longer safe. Besides that, a pool expert told
them the deep end of the pool was not adequate for the boards, making it dangerous for anyone diving in. The council was all set to purchase a shorter board but found out that wasn’t going to work either. “The structure of the deep end does not fit the state qualifications of a diving well,” Bergstrom said. “We were hoping for a smaller, shorter board, but the state would not approve it.”
The zipline and slide will be purchased just as soon as the permits for them arrive from the Illinois Department of Public Health, which Bergstrom said she expects will happen this week. “We have verbal approval,” she said. Bergstrom said she already has the enthusiastic approval of the kids who have stopped by the pool on their way home from school. “I’ve showed the pictures [of
the zipline and slide] to a bunch of kids and they’re pumped!” she said with a smile. “We’re bummed out about the boards, but safety comes first.” The zipline will go on east side of the deep end. Users will step on a pad to grab the zipline, which will drop them mid-pool into deep water. The slide will be positioned on the southwest corner of the pool. Installation should be complete in about six weeks after purchase.
Bergstrom is also researching a set of ADA-approved steps that can be lowered into the pool when needed to replace the ladder. Mark and Kathy Scholl and their family, of Polo, have offered to pay for those. “I’m overwhelmed by the donations,” Bergstrom said. Lifeguards will also have a new chair when the pool opens in a few weeks. A new, safer chair is already in place at the pool’s shallow end.
WPR holds grand opening By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com The ribbon was cut Monday signaling the official opening of the newly expanded White Pines Resort playhouse and retreat center. WPR President Elizabeth George was also celebrating 30 years as the concessionaire at the lodge within the White Pines State Park. “After 30 years, it was time to rejuvenate here,” George said at Monday’s ribbon-cutting. “It’s now a showcase for the state and a place everyone can be proud of.” The expansion means a brand new stage with state-of-the art
lighting and sound, seating for 40 more guests in the dining room, with the goal of creating a retreat center to attract corporate groups. Ground was broken last October for the expansion of the dinner theater and lodge, and the project was completed late last year. At the ground-breaking, George announced that the lodge had been renamed the White Pines Resort. Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Wayne Rosenthal praised George’s commitment to the publicprivate partnership that he said has made the lodge successful over the years, along with her hard work and perseverance on
the expansion project. “She’s been an outstanding partner with the IDNR for more than 30 years,” he said. Jerry Campagna, WPR Vice President of Operations, said the expansion will allow the facility to host national, and possibly international business retreats. Also in the works, he said, is a program to teach leadership and life skills to Polo High School students who have completed their junior year. The three-day workshop will connect the students with leaders of local businesses and could result in internships. Fifteen students have signed up for the program which is scheduled for August, Beth George, President of White Pines Resort, cuts the ribbon with Wayne Rosenthal, Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director. Photo by Zach Arbogast. Campagna said.
Too few apply for county committees and boards By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com The recurring problem of too few people stepping up to serve on local boards and committees is once again plaguing the Ogle County Board. “We have several vacancies again,” Vice Chairman John Finfrock, of Mt. Morris, said at Tuesday’s meeting. After the meeting Finfrock pointed to the Ogle County Civic Center Authority Board and the Franklin Grove Fire Protection District Board, which both have had vacancies for several months and no applicants to fill them. “We’re looking for people who are
willing to serve our communities, that’s what it comes down to,” he said. The county board appoints the members of several county-wide boards such as the 911 Emergency Telephone System Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Regional Planning Commission, Board of Review, Civic Center Authority, Board of Health, Mental Health 708 Board, Farmland Assessment Review Board, Housing Authority, Soil & Water Conservation District Board, and Sheriff’s Merit Commission, and also local boards including several fire protection district boards, the Byron Museum District Board, and the Lost Lake River
In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Library News, A3 Marriage Licenses, A4
Conservancy District Board. Some of are paid positions, while others are not. In recent years, people aren’t always coming forth to apply. Over the years, fire boards have often had seats that went unfilled for several months. While some fire board are appointed by the county board, others are elected by voters within their districts. Having an elected, rather than appointed, board takes a referendum. Several years ago, the nine-member Ogle County Civic Center Authority Board went for a few years with no one applying for sometimes as many as five
Pine Creek News, A3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B4 Sheriff’s Arrests, B4
vacancies. That problem was resolved in 2015 when several Rochelle residents agreed to serve, but has once again become a problem in recent months. Current vacancies include two seats on the Mental Health 708 Board, two on the Board of Health, five on the 911 ETS Board, three on the Civic Center Authority, and one each on the Byron Museum District, Housing Authority, and Franklin Grove Fire Protection District Board. Finfrock said most of the boards do not require a lot of time, and the application process is simple. Those interested must submit an
Social News, A4 Sports, A10, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, 5 Zoning, B5
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application which is reviewed by the Ogle County State’s Attorney’s & Juvenile & Probation Committee. That committee then schedules individual interviews with applicants and makes a recommendation to the county board, which makes the final decision. The county board announces vacancies and makes appointments on a monthly basis. Finfrock said anyone interested in applying should call the County Clerk’s office at 815-732-1110 for more information. The deadline to apply for the current vacancies is 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 1.
Deaths, B5 Dorothy M. Gilbert Francis C. Oltmanns