Serving the Polo Area Since 1857
POLO
Tri-County Press June 15, 2018 Volume 159, Number 7 - $1.00
Indigenous Lecture
GV Days
Woman of the Year
Learn about the indigenous people of Illinois at a June 19 lecture in Byron. A7
German Valley Days offered plenty of family activities. B1
Nancy Adams is named Woman of the Year at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.A2
Polo’s Town & Country Days features family fun By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Polo’s 53rd annual Town & Country Days festival was off to a fine start Wednesday with Swimming Pool Games at the city pool, topped off at dusk on Thursday by a fireworks show at high school football field. “Spicing It Up 2018” is the theme of the festival which will be held through Sunday, June 17. Festival committee member Kim Miller said the festival, which started back in 1966 as a fundraiser for a community outdoor swimming pool, offers a great time for everyone. “It’s a good time for very little money,” she said. “There’s lots of fun things to see and do every day.” Great American Shows is once again providing carnival rides from Thursday evening through Sunday afternoon. Kids Day is Friday from 12 to 5 p.m. Armbands for unlimited carnival rides until 5 p.m. will go on sale at noon for $20 apiece. Besides the carnival, a Kids Fun Fair, open until 3 p.m. offers face-painting, games, and prizes, along with a petting zoo from 1 to 3 p.m. Spaghetti-eating and Jell-Oeating contests and an Oreostacking contest will take place in the festival tent at 2 p.m. The Aplington House and
Polo History Museum will be open for guided tours on Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., and again on Saturday from 12 to 5 p.m. Alumni Night in the beer garden on Friday night at 5 p.m. offers an opportunity to renew acquaintances. Other Friday events include Merchandise Bingo, a dunk tank, and a 5K run. Crossroads Community Church will serve breakfast on Saturday from 7 to 10:30 a.m., and the Polo Car Show & Swap Meet will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration for a volleyball tournament begins at 8:30 a.m. on the PHS football field with the games starting at 9 a.m. Youngsters can keep cool at the Kids Water Fights on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. at the Polo Fire Station. Other Saturday events include a bags tournament, a talent show, Twilight Bingo and music by Lyle Grobe and the Rhythm Ramblers and Route 38 at the beer garden. The Father’s Day Grand Parade will step off at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. The festival will wrap up with more events for youngsters — pedal pull tractor races for kids age 5 to fourth grade at 2 p.m. and a pig scramble at 3 p.m. for kids ages 5-12. The 50/50 drawing will take place at 2 p.m. in the festival tent.
Workers from Great American Shows carefully load the base plates of the Tilt-A-Whirl Tuesday afternoon in preparation for Town & Country Days. Photo by Zach Arbogast
1855 tombstone found next to Patchwork Inn By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com A crew doing excavation at a bed and breakfast in downtown Oregon June 8 made an unexpected discovery. The tombstone of a four-month-old baby who died almost 163 years ago was uncovered about five feet underground next to the foundation of the Patchwork Inn, 122 N. Third St., across the street from the Oregon City Hall. Oregon Police Chief Darin DeHaan said no coffin or remains were found near the headstone which reads “Martha E., daughter of D.G. and E. Clark, Aug. 27, 1855. Aged 4 ms. 9 ds.” He said a metal canister was found some distance away, but he believes it is unrelated to the gravestone. DeHaan said the stone has been turned over to the Ogle County Historical Society for further research. Ogle County Coroner Lou Finch said because no remains were found, nothing more is legally required. “We don’t know where the headstone came from,” he said. “Just because there’s a headstone doesn’t mean there was a burial there. It could have been a headstone that was messed up, and it was used for fill way back when.” Built in the mid-1840s, the Patchwork Inn lays claim to having hosted Abraham Lincoln during a speaking tour in Ogle County in late 1856 when he was campaigning for John C. Fremont, the first Republican Party candidate for U.S. President. Over the years, the building has served as a grocery store, private home, hotel, and boarding
In This Week’s Edition...
house. The two-story brick Greek revival-style inn was built by the William Moore family who came to Oregon from Pennsylvania. The 1850 census lists William Moore as innkeeper, and the building was advertised as Moore’s Hotel. Josh Ehrler, of Mt. Morris, left, and TJ Graden, of Polo, take the Aeronica Champ out of the hangar and onto the runway for Ehrler’s flight lesson. Photo by Vinde Wells
Airport offers flight training By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com A Polo pilot is hoping to bring awareness to the Ogle County Airport and the flight training it offers. “Our main goal is to let people know we’re here and get them interested in flying. We want to get the next generation of barn stormers out there,” said TJ Graden, who owns Graden Aviation, which is headquartered at the airport. The airport, located on Ill. 64 between Mt. Morris and Oregon, is well-known for its fly-in, drive-in breakfasts and also hosts other events, all open A baby’s tombstone was found by excavators to the public. June 8 next to the Patchwork Inn in Oregon. Last year, Graden said, the Photo supplied Ogle County Pilots, Inc., the
Chamber Chatter, A8 Church News, A5 Classifieds, B5-B8 College News, A4
Entertainment, A6 Library News, A3 Marriage Licenses, A4 Pine Creek News, A3
group of shareholders that owns the facility, put in a concrete patio with comfortable furniture and a fire pit to encourage area residents and visitors to come out and watch the planes take off and land on the grass runway. “We want people to come out and watch the planes. They can even have a picnic,” he said with a grin. Graden also hopes to interest more people, especially youth, in learning to fly. Along with crop dusting, his company offers flight training in two of the planes he owns — a bright yellow Aeronica Champ and a Cessna 150. Gerry Hough, of Mt. Morris, is the flight instructor, and Graden is working toward
Property Transfers, B2 Sheriff’s Arrests, B2 Social News, A4 State’s Attorney, B4
getting his instructor’s credentials as well. Along with the Rock River Flyers, a flying club composed of area pilots, Graden sponsors the Young Eagles program for kids ages 8 to 17. The program offers youths basic flight instruction and familiarizes them with airplanes and what it takes to be a pilot. Graden said the number of pilots has diminished in recent years and a future shortage is predicted. “Our goal now is to get the next generation up and flying,” he said. “In the Young Eagles, kids study aviation and go up with the flight instructor. They get to take the controls for a little bit.” Turn to A3
Deaths, B3 Margaret E. Ashbaugh, Harold F. Best, Evelyn M. Brown, Karen M. Dorcey, April L. Roos
Published every Friday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com