Serving the Polo Area Since 1857
POLO
Tri-County Press July 27, 2018 Volume 160, Number 13 - $1.00
Movie released
Fair Guide
Fair Royalty
An Oregon High School grad has completed and released an independent film. A9
The Ogle County Fair offers a wide variety of family fun Aug. 1-5. Inside
Four ladies will compete for the title of Ogle County Fair Queen. A7
Grocery store renovation remains on schedule By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com Work is progressing on Polo’s grocery store with the goal of opening before the end of the year. “We are working on it. We are on schedule,” owner Tushar Patel, of Lanark, said Tuesday. He bought the Polo Food Center, formerly Polo Super Valu, 205 S. Division Ave. (Ill. 26) earlier this
year, with plans to repair and renovate it and open in time for Christmas. The contractor hired to do the work is currently on vacation, Patel said, but will likely be back at it on Monday. Work on the inside of the store has been ongoing, he said. He plans for the store to feature a deli and liquor department as well as offer meats, produce, and dairy products, along with other groceries.
Polo has been without a grocery for a decade, and both the Polo Economic Development Corporation and the Polo City Council have worked diligently to bring one back to town. The city council agreed in February to loan Patel $70,000 in a selfcanceling note to buy the property and make the needed improvements. Under the terms, the city will loan Patel the money from its General
Fund, with the stipulation that the grocery store opens by Dec. 1 of this year and remains in continuous operation until Dec. 31, 2023. If the store is in continuous operation through Dec. 31, 2021, the city will forgive $35,000 of the loan. The remainder will be forgiven if the business is still operating on Dec. 31, 2023. The city hasn’t had a grocery store since 2008 when then owner Yong
Shim closed it. Paul and Terri Koenck owned and operated by Polo Super Valu for many years prior to that. They sold the store to Shim in 2007. He changed the name to Polo Food Center, and it closed several months later. Ahmad Farraj, of Rock Falls, later purchased the property with plans to open a grocery store, but that did not materialize.
Ogle County leads way in area tourism revenue By Pam Eggemeier peggemeier@saukvalley.com
Final preparations for the County Fair Daryl Cave of Mt. Morris was busy Monday replacing boards in the bleachers overlooking the horse arena in preparation for the Ogle County Fair next week. Cave is member of the fair board. The fair opens Aug. 1 and runs through Aug. 5 at the fairgrounds located west of Oregon on Limekiln Road. Photo by Earleen Hinton
New jail will offer improved security and better conditions By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com The plan for Ogle County’s new jail offers better conditions for both corrections officers and prisoners, according to county officials. “It will provide a better workplace, better environment for inmates, and provide more educational opportunities,” Sheriff Brian VanVickle said. “We’re very excited about it.” “The old building is simply outdated,” said county board chairman Kim Gouker. “The new one will provide more efficiency, better security, and improved public safety.” A sally port large enough to accommodate several vehicles for transport-
ing prisoners is a key part of the increased security, Gouker said. Currently, the sally ports at the jail and the judicial center each hold only one vehicle. “Right now, if a vehicle is already in the sally port at the judicial center, the Illinois Department of Corrections has to park their vehicle in the street and walk prisoners in [for court appearances],” Gouker said. “That’s not what we want done. This will allow for better efficiency and handling of inmates for public safety.” The county board approved a plan presented July 17 by Thomas Leonard, of Gilbane Building Company, the firm hired in February for the design and construction of the new facility.
Gilbane is working with Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Inc. Chicago, which was hired last year to do the architectural and engineering design. The new jail will be located in the 100 block of South Sixth Street in Oregon on property already owned by the county. The $26.7 million plan approved by the board was scaled down in size from a preliminary design presented by HOK last year. In an effort to minimize costs, the plan was downsized from three stories to a story and a half, from 70,000 square feet to 50,796 square feet, and from 180 to 200 beds to 152 beds with the capacity to go to 176. Turn to A3
In a record-setting year for Illinois tourism, the four-county Blackhawk Waterways Convention and Visitors Bureau region also saw an uptick in travel-related spending and tax revenues in 2017. Ogle County, one of four counties in the region, brought in the most money, $78.81 million last year, thanks mainly to the Black Hawk Statue, three state parks, and the John Deere Historic Site. The Illinois Office of Tourism announced in May that travelers spent $39.5 billion statewide last year, a $1.1 billion, three percent increase over the previous year. That spending generated $2.95 billion in state and local tax revenue, a $75 million increase. The breakdown by region and county was released July 18. The numbers track the total economic impact of tourism, including travel-related spending, employment and payroll, and tax revenues generated. The Blackhawk Waterways CVB, headquartered in Polo, covers Ogle, Lee, Whiteside, and Carroll counties. Collectively, the region brought in $174.77 million in travel dollars, a 3.78 percent increase from 2016. The number of tourism-related jobs came in an 11,600, a 2.65 percent jump. Tourism brought $4.23 million in tax revenue to the region, up 3.68 percent from the previous year. Whiteside County led the way, percentage-wise with a healthy 7.6 percent boost in travel spending, totaling $39.67 million, and $940 million in local tax revenue, a 7.9 percent bump from 2016. Lee County saw travel spending jump to $33.07 million, a 4.6
“Thanks largely to the Rock and Mississippi Rivers, canoeing, kayaking, biking, hiking and bird-watching is exploding.” — Diane Bausman Executive Director Blackhawk Waterways percent increase, while local tax revenue checked in at $660,000, a 4.8 percent increase. Ogle and Carroll counties saw smaller percentage increases across the board. Ogle, however, has about double the tourism spending seen in Whiteside, even after its healthy jump. Two of Ogle’s biggest attractions are steeped in history – the Black Hawk Statue in Lowden State Park near Oregon and the John Deere Historic Site in Grand Detour. Its three state parks, Lowden, White Pines, in rural Mt. Morris, and Castle Rock, south of Oregon, draw thousands of visitors annually. Many of those visit the White Pines Resort, known for its lodging, fine dining, and dinner theater. Both Lowden and Castle Rock are bordered by the Rock River, which offers boating and fishing. Despite seeing just a 1.7 percent increase, travelers still dropped $78.81 million in Ogle County last year. Ogle received $1.52 million in travel-related tax revenue, a 1.9 percent increase. Travelers brought $23.22 million into Carroll County last year, 1.5 percent better than 2016. Local tax receipts came in at $1.11 million, 1.7 percent more than in the previous year. Turn to A3
Polo Chamber Car Show set for Aug. 11 Cars, trucks, and motorcycles of all makes, models, and years will be on display at the 29th annual Polo Car Show sponsored by the Polo Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, Aug. 11 in the downtown area. The show runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. Awards for the Top 50 will be will be presented at 3 p.m. No classes are designated.
The day will include a swap meet, food vendors, a 50-50 drawing, and prizes. Deejay music will be provided by 3D Sound Company. Car enthusiasts can off the day by attending the Freeport Cruise Night from 4 to 10 p.m. For more information about the car show call the chamber office at 815-9463131.
The Ogle County Board released this artist’s rendering of the proposed Ogle County Jail.
In This Week’s Edition...
Agriculture, B4 Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B5
Library News, B2 Marriage Licenses, A4 Pine Creek News, A3 Polo Police, A2 Public Voice, B6
Property Transfers, B5 Sheriff’s Arrests, B5 Social News, A4 Sports, B2 State’s Attorney, B5
Published every Friday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com
Deaths, B5 Francis P. Bral, Donald E. Wiltfang