1 • Wednesday, February 28, 2018 - Shopper’s Guide
Serving the communities in Stephenson County
Shopper’s Guide
VOL. 80 • NO. 9
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Nick Raab 240 W. Main St., Suite A Lena, IL • 815-369-4225 www.radersinsurance.com 304711
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018
Area veterans plan new memorial CORRESPONDENT
Imagine driving Main Street in downtown Lena and seeing an F4 Phantom jet or one similar to it poised as if for takeoff. Will you think you are confused? Perhaps not if the twelve people who met last week at the Lena American Legion Home have anything to say about it. Terry Yount is a retired sales executive and Terry Cowan is a retired Freeport Policeman. Both are veterans, Yount having served in the Army reserves for 28 years and Cowan having served in the Air Force for 4 years. Their common interest is the F4 Phantom fighter bomber. The two want to bring one of these historic planes to Lena. Both men feel that the history of this aircraft should be preserved. While on active duty, Cowan was an aircraft mechanic. Cowan was responsible for the combat readiness of an F4 that bore the tail number 579. Cowan said, “I began researching the history of the F4 and their fate. We discovered that the Phantom bearing the number 579 is at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, in pieces, having been used for target practice.” Yount and Cowan have decided to establish a memorial to this aircraft and the pilots who so bravely flew them in the service of our nation. But what kind of memorial and where to put it? After talking with Gary Eisenhower of Viet Now in Freeport it was determined that the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial site there wasn’t large enough to display the plane. So, Yount and Cowan began talking to other people and exploring options. It was at this point in time that Henry Saavedra, entered the story. Saavedra is an Army veteran who served in Viet Nam as an infantryman. Saavedra presently serves as a Lena village trustee and has been involved in a number of veterans’ issues and projects over the years. It’s Saavedra’s plan to make this a county wide effort. Saavedra has be-
gun working and planning with all of the American Legion and VFW Posts in the county, in addition to other groups to pull this effort together. “All of us really want to see this happen. By making it an effort of veterans, the Village of Lena and all of Stephenson County, we can get it done,” Saavedra said, Across the road from the American Legion building on Main Street in Lena, along the south side of the railroad tracks is a vacant property. Fred “Fritz” Werhane and his son Jim, owners of the property are donating the land for the building site of the F4 Phantom Memorial. Saavedra and Dennis Bergman, Lena Village President are confident that this plot will be suitable for creating a location for the aircraft where it will be affixed to a pedestal. There it would rest, simulating flight. Cowan said, “The F4 Phantom has a dry weight of 30 thousand pounds. Of course, if we can obtain an F4 much of the internals will have been removed greatly reducing the weight. Bergman said, “There’s some prep work that will have to be done before we get ahead of ourselves. Soil boring tests for hazardous materials as well as what may be needed to be done to carry the load of the plane and pedestal when placed there.” Obviously you can’t just go out and purchase a military airplane. All military equipment that is given to specialized groups is processed by the General Services Administration through state governments. Applications need to be filed, statements of responsibility for the care and upkeep of the item equipment need to be documented. Funding and formation of a non-prof organization need to be planned. Bergman said, “Lena is behind this. Whatever the village can do we’re ready to step up.” “At this moment we’re not sure that there is even an F4 Phantom out there in the military inventory that
COURTESY PHOTO Shopper’s Guide
Le-Win/Orangeville Speech Team
Le-Win/Orangeville speech team coach Tom Fore receives the John M. Hires Distinguished Service Award from Jan Heiteen of the IHSA
McConnell UMC to host annual Soup and Sandwich Lunch Due to flooding in McConnell the McConnell United Methodist Church Soup and Sandwich Lunch has been RESCHEDULED for Sunday, March 4. McConnell United Methodist Church will be hosting their Annual Soup and Sandwich Lunch on Sunday, March 4, from Noon to 1:30 p.m. at the church located
at 211 N. Hulbert Rd. in McConnell. The menu will include all-you-can-eat chili, vegetable beef soup, cheese sandwiches, celery/carrot sticks, dessert and beverage. Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for children (5-12 yrs old). Funds made at this event are used for our new youth ministry and mission projects.
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