In the Service

Air Force Airman Patrick D. Wagenecht graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

He is the son of Chris Wagenecht of Malvern Road, Morrison, Ill. Wagenecht graduated in 2010 from Morrison High School.

James, owner of Best Pets in Morrison, started a Milk & Lunch Fund for a situation that developed at the schools where some students did not have enough money in there lunch account to pay for lunches. James has been working by accepting donations through word of mouth and face book. So far, the Lunch & Milk Fund has paid for 1,627 milks and 219 lunches for Northside Students, 437 lunches for Southside Students, 375 lunches for Jr. High Students, and 384 lunches for High School Students. That adds up to $3,293.43. For more details, pay Best Pets a visit at 207 W Main St. in Morrison, or call (815) 772-2500. (PA photo/A.Williamson)

IBFN Bass State Qualifier Tournament

Mark Klemp of DuPage County, IL (rt) weighs in at 13.89 during the IBFN Bass State Qualifier Tournament where over 150 anglers from across the state competed at the Palisades State Park in Savanna, IL. Next Year the IBFN will be hosting the 2012 B.A.S.S Northern Divisional Tournament and Savanna is one of the cities being considered.

Chadwick Achievers Meet

By Abbygail Merema

Chadwick Achiever Reporter

The Chadwick Achiever’s 4-H Club planted flowers around the Chadwick town gazebo as part of their community service project. Pictured are L to R 4-H’ers Rebecca Alexander, Michelle Grevengoed, Kiana Aude & Bree Hartman.

The Chadwick Achiever’s 4-H club met in June and finished up their talks and demonstrations for the year. After the meeting the club split up and half went to Handel Park to beautify the park by picking up trash and the other half went to plant flowers around the Chadwick town gazebo.

The July meeting will be a tour of projects. We will start in Milledgeville and end up in Chadwick, stopping at members’ homes to view their 4-H projects before the Carroll County Fair in August.

The Chadwick Achievers 4-H Club went to Handel Park to pick up trash and clean up where needed as part of their community service project. Pictured are: L to R 4-H’ers Nathan Merema, Kyle Imel, Doug Williams, Dylan Alexander, Liam Jensen, Justin Alagodi, Abbygail Merema, Natalie Wilkinson. Up high is Harrison Schmidt.

Local Men Write General Electric ACD Tribute

by Stephanie A. Vavra

Stan Mitick, left, and Bob Damerow display the proof copy of the GEACD commemorative book they co-authored.

How does one honor the sixty-one year history of General Electric Appliance Control Department in Morrison, IL? That question was proposed a year ago, by Pastor Jeff McIltrath, Robert Vaughn, and S. Robert Wood.

You start with a unique individual, who has been employed there for 61 years, an incredible memory for all things GE, chronicled the history of this local enterprise over the years, the ability to write clearly and accurately, a desire to write the tribute to his workplace.

Stan R. Mitick meets these criteria. Next, you add a talented co-worker. Mitick was aided in research and writing by GE retiree Robert Damerow, of Thomson, IL. They collaborated over many months to create the text of a book, which other GEACD employees will savor. Damerow designed visual aids to record significant moments in the life of GE.

The book’s title parallels the length of GE’s enterprise in Morrison: General Electric Appliance Control Department, A Legacy Beyond 61 Years, June 1949 to September 2010. The 80-page, softcover book is 9.5 x 8 inches and was produced by thecity1.com, Morrison Online.

A front cover aerial photo shows the GE plant in the winter of 1949-1950. Vintage cars in the parking lot help date the photo. On the back is an aerial photo of the recent plant.

Mitick wrote a 52-page History of GEACD. He and Damerow described 19 Associations, Services, and Education Programs available to the GE “family.” Mitick concluded with an Appendix of Technologies Used and Controls Built.

Were you part of the GE family? Look for yourself in the 230 photos. Many are from in-house photographers, who chronicled daily life at GEACD and outside events. They will surely bring back memories. This is an attractive, readable book. It would be a perfect Father’s Day gift.

Books will arrive the last week of June. Call Stephanie Vavra at 815-772-8718 to reserve your copy, or stop at thecity1.com, 218 W. Main Street, Morrison, IL. The price is $40.

Teams sought for Ag Olympics


A Youth Ag Olympics competition between up to eight teams of local youth will be this year’s special Farm Bureau event at the Stephenson County Fair’s Youth & Family Night on Tuesday July 12. Each team of 5 to 7 members will be paired with a celebrity member for the six competitive events, with the top team earning $300, second $250, and third $200 with cash prizes and participation treats for all teams. Contest regulations and entry forms are available at www.stephensoncfb.org or at the Stephenson County Farm Bureau office, 210 W. Spring Street in Freeport. Entry deadline is June 30, and more information is available by calling (815) 232-3186.

Northwest Illinois Writing Conference to be Held in Stockton

The first annual Northwest Illinois Writing Conference will be held on Saturday, June 18th at the Stockton Library from 1-4:30 p.m.

Lyle Ernst will be one of two featured speakers. His topic will be, “Writing from everyday life.” The subject will include tips for developing your writing; how to form beginnings and endings; proofreading and self-editing; and active voice versus passive voice.

Ernst is an editor and freelance writer from Davenport, Iowa. As a journalist, he’s written for several newspapers in Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. Along with contributing essays for several books, he’s also written articles for numerous magazines including Our Iowa. He’s the resident editor for Visionary Publishing, a company who provides editing and publicity services for both self-published and traditionally published writers. He’s helped writers improve their work and get their writing ready for the submission process.

Kim Sigafus of Warren will be speaking on the ins and outs of traditional publishing versus self-publishing. Having gone both directions, she’s a wealth of information including the pros and cons of each publishing route. She’ll be there to answer questions, and guide writers in the right direction for their work.

Sigafus is an award-winning freelance writer and photographer, originally from Minnesota. She’s written several books, and is currently working on an eight-book fiction series with Ernst. Their book, “The Life and Times of the Ojibwa People” was released in January.

“We look forward to having the conference in Stockton,” says Sigafus. “I’ve met a lot of writers in this area in the last year, and it will be fun to gather them all together for an enjoyable writing day.”

Participants will be encouraged to bring their work to share during small group time. In addition, a fun group writing exercise is scheduled.

The cost for the conference is $35. Pre-registration is required. High school and college students are also encouraged to attend. You can have a registration form sent to you by e-mailing qsouls@hotmail.com, or calling (608) 330-3463. The deadline to register is Friday, June 17th.

Northwest Master Naturalist Program Accepting 2011 Applications

The University of Illinois Extension is currently taking applications for the Northwest Illinois Master Naturalist Program. This program will offer participants to be trained by natural resource instructors about the natural communities found in the northwest Illinois. Participants will learn weekly over the course of three months from August through October.

The curriculum will cover topics ranging from natural history, understanding the natural world, communicating with nature, and environmental ethics & philosophy. The course will also teach people about the natural communities ranging from aquatics, grassland, forestry, special communities, agricultural and urban communities. The course will also include topics on ecosystems management, archaeology, and volunteer service projects opportunities.

Once training is complete participants will complete a volunteer service project to become a certified Master Naturalist. Once certified the Master Naturalists will conduct annual volunteer stewardship and continuing training to maintain their certification.

Interested participants are encouraged to contact the Jo Daviess Extension Office at 815-858-2273. Space is limited and will be based upon paid participants on a first come first serve basis.

Prizes at Polo T&C Days’ Variety Show

The Polo Town & Country Days committee is announcing the addition of raffling off prizes at the Variety Show this year – Saturday, June 18th at 1pm. They will raffle off 3 - $50 Visa Cards to the members of the audience, as well as the performers in the show. If you would like to participate in the show, please call Jennifer Grobe at 815-677-1188.

The 2011 Polo Town & Country Days Festival will be held from June 16- 19th. The festival begins again with our famous Fireworks Display.

The festival will continue on Sunday, June 19th, with the Parade, and the Pig Scramble. Armbands will be on sale for Friday and Sunday for $20 – unlimited rides from 12 – 5pm.

Come and enjoy one of the best small town festivals in the area - Polo Town & Country days! For more information and a schedule of events, visit Polo’s website at www.polodays.org or call 815-677-1188.

WC Wrestling Club Golf Outing

Join in the fun at the West Carroll Wrestling Club’s 2nd Annual Golf Outing, a fundraiser held at Oakville Country Club in Mount Carroll on Friday, June 24.

The 2-person best ball scramble (9-holes) starts with a 6 pm shotgun start. There will be prizes for closest to the pin, longest drive, and a special $10,000 hole-in-one prize. Food is available.

There is a $40 per team entry fee (cart not included). Proceeds will benefit the West Carroll Youth Wrestling Club. To pre-register, or for more information, please contact Andrew Doty at 815-494-4525.

General Electric ACD Commemorative Book

To honor the sixty-one year history of General Electric Appliance Control Department in Morrison, IL, thecity1.com, Morrison Online, designed a commemorative history of this significant industry. The 80-page softcover book is 9.5 x 8 inches. The price is $40.

A front cover aerial photo shows the GE plant in late 1949 or early 1950. Vintage cars in the parking lot help date the photo. On the back is an aerial photo of the recent plant.

Stan Mitick wrote a 52-page History of GEACD. He and Robert Damerow describe 19 Associations, Services, and Education Programs available to the GE “family.” Mitick included an Appendix of Technologies Used and Controls Built.

Were you part of the GE family? Look for yourself in the 230 photos. Many are from in-house photographers, who chronicled daily life at GEACD and outside events. They will surely bring back memories.

GE employees, their families, or the general community will enjoy this attractive, readable book. It would be a perfect Father’s Day gift.

Books will arrive the last week of June. Call Stephanie Vavra at 815-772-8718 to reserve your copy, or stop at thecity1.com, 218 W. Main Street, Morrison, IL.

Lanark Farmers Market

Twice-Sold Tales, the gently used bookstore run by the Friends of the Lanark Library, will be at Lanark’s Farmer Market. Each week there will be a different theme.

The theme for June 14 will be Father’s Day. Also for the hard to shop for Gift Certificates are available.

Located at 100 S. Broad Street, Suite B, the “used books and more” store is open Monday from 3 to 6 pm, and Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm.

Fulton Bridal & Anniversary Walk Planned

The fifth annual Fulton Bridal & Anniversary Walk titled “Your Wedding, Your Way” is set for Thursday, June 23, 2011, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30p.m. in downtown Fulton. A variety of merchants will be available offering a wide range of event planning services including rental supplies, flowers, photography, catering, banquet facilities, bridal gowns, music, gift registries, and much more.

Vendors will be located inside the Fulton Masonic Lodge, Manny’s Too banquet room, and in downtown stores along 4th Street between 10th and 12th Avenue. While the event is free, brides and/or grooms are asked to register the night of the event at the Fulton Masonic Lodge located at 1014 4th Street. Several prize drawings will be held, including two $100 gift certificates.

The Bridal & Anniversary Walk is sponsored by the Fulton Chamber of Commerce. For further information and a listing of our vendors, please visit www.cityoffulton.us or call 815-589-4545.

NARFE News

Chapter 604 of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) Association will hold their monthly meeting at noon on Thursday, June 16th at the House of Events in Savanna. A luncheon buffet will be available at noon for those who wish to eat. The business meeting will follow at 1 p.m. Come and enjoy a summer afternoon. All active and retired federal employees, spouses and survivors are cordially invited.

Carroll County Democrats

The Carroll County Democrats will hold their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 21st at 7 p.m. in the York Township Public Library in Thomson. All persons interested in promoting the Democratic Party are welcome. For more information, call Gerald L. Bork at 1-815-244-8975.

NIAAA Moving

Northwestern Illinois Area Agency on Aging (NIAAA), a regional agency serving older adults in the nine counties of northwestern Illinois is moving to a new location in Rockford IL on June 20, 2011. NIAAA’s new address is 1111 South Alpine Road, Suite 600, Rockford, IL 61108. NIAAA’s phone and fax numbers remain the same. NIAAA’s new location is on the 6th floor of the Fifth Third Bank building, across the street from the former Colonial Village Mall.

Blood Donors Can Get Going This Summer

Good To Give. Good To Go. Is designed to raise awareness of the need for summer blood donors and to encourage frequent American Red Cross donations. All presenting donors (ages 21 and older) between May 16 and September 17, 2011 will have a chance to win a trip for four to Orlando, Florida each time they visit the Red Cross. Presenting donors of all ages are eligible to win other fun summer prizes during specific holiday timeframes!

Upcoming Blood Donation Opportunity

Date: Friday, June 17, 2011

Time: 12:00-6:00 p.m.

Place: United Methodist Church, 450 E. Locust Street in Lanark

Appointment Contact: Yvonne Nelson @ 493-2957

Sponsored By: Lanark Lions Club and Lanark Mothers Club

Rural Chadwick Man Dies In Farm Accident

Gary Hartman, of rural Chadwick, was pronounced dead Thursday evening, June 9th at a farm near Chadwick. The cause of death at this time appears to be from a farm accident involving a tractor rollover. Responding to the scene was the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Chadwick Fire Department, Chadwick Ambulance and the Carroll County Coroner’s Office.

Northern Illinois TEA Party Presents Speaker on ‘Obamacare’

The 6:30 p.m. June 23rd meeting of Northern IL Tea Party will feature Dr. Arie Friedman, who practices general pediatrics in Lake County, Illinois, and holds a faculty appointment in the Department of Pediatrics at Northwestern Medical School. Highly dedicated to responsible health care reform, Dr. Friedman has become a widely recognized expert and frequently requested speaker on the subjects of health care finance and reform.

In addition to his academic knowledge, Dr. Friedman brings to the table the experiences of founding a medical practice, running a small business, and providing hundreds of hours of free care to the medically underserved. Dr. Friedman currently serves as the Director of Illinois Docs 4 Patient Care, the NRCC’s National Director of Physician Outreach, and the Illinois GOP’s Health Care Coalition Chairman.

Dr. Friedman has been encouraged to pursue a statewide candidacy in the 2012 election cycle.

Dr. Friedman’s biography reads like a good novel with his time in the Navy as a distinguished helicopter pilot, graduating later at the top of his class in medical school and now leading a successful Pediatric practice. During his seven years of active duty, Dr. Friedman flew SH-60B Seahawk helicopters out of Naval Air Station North Island, California, from which he deployed twice, including once to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Desert Storm.

Reservations are not required, and the public is welcome to come to 302 W. Main Street, Rockton, at 6:30 on Thursday, June 23 to hear Dr. Friedman speak on the topic of ObamaCare. For more information, call 815-277-1144, or email INFO@TeaParty-NIL.com

Benefit for Karl McPeek, Sr.

A benefit is being planned for Karl McPeek, Sr. of Stockton. The event will take place Friday, June 17 starting at 4:30 p.m. at the Stockton High School. Karl had his second leg amputation on March 17. After spending three weeks in th University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison, Karl and his wife Rhonda are facing huge medical expenses.

Karl sold Crow’s seed corn in JoDaviess and Carroll counties for many years. His problems began in 1999 when his right foot was diagnosed with Charcot Foot which is a shifting and deterioration of the bones in the foot. In 2004 his left foot was diagnosed with a flesh eating organism that caused severe damage that couldn’t be repaired after 7 months in and out of the hospital. Because of complications Karl had his left leg amputated below the knee in April of 2005 and his right leg amputated below the knee in March of 2011.

The goal is to get prosthetic legs for Karl so he can walk again and be able to be outdoors doing chores and other farm work.The benefit is being planned to help purchase two prosthetic legs for Karl to be able to walk again.

Please join us in an evening of food, entertainment, competitions, a silent auction, raffles, and a bake sale. Brett Pierce will be serving his prize winning barbecued pork along with baked beans, coleslaw, cheese, and chips. A children’s meal featuring hot dogs will also be available. Local musical entertainment will be performing all evening.

Any donations would be greatly appreciated. For more information contact Brenda Pierce at 815-947-2064.

Big Meadows Blood Drive

Big Meadows will be hosting an American Red Cross Blood Drive on Wednesday, June 22 from 12 pm – 6 pm in the chapel area of Big Meadows. Walk ins are welcome however, appointments are strongly encouraged and can be made by calling 815-273-2238. All presenting donors will be entered into a raffle for a pair of Chicago White Sox Tickets.

Carroll County 4-H Penny Project

The Carroll County 4-H Federation is collecting pennies for Riverview Center, as one of their community service projects. The money collected will be used to help women and child in domestic situations. If you would like to contribute you can find cans at the following locations: In Mt. Carroll - THE National Bank Clay Street location, Savanna-Thomson State Bank; In Milledgeville – Casey’s and Milledgeville State Bank. If you have any questions call Leanne Rahn, Community Worker and 4-H and youth, at University of Illinois Extension Office, (815) 244-9444.

Carroll County Open Horse & Pony Show

An Open Horse and Pony Show, sponsored by the Carroll County Boots ‘N Spurs 4-H Equine Club, will be held Saturday, July 2, at the Carroll Co. Fairgrounds near Milledgeville. The show will be held rain or shine. Enter at the west gate. There will be a lunch stand on the grounds by “Purple Scrappers” Relay for Life Team. The show will be held at the horse arena, located at the west end of the fairgrounds. The arena was built and is sponsored by the Boots ‘N Spurs 4-H Equine Club. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m. at the arena, with the show starting at 8:30 a.m. There are 47 classes to choose from. A negative Coggins Test is required.

Class sponsorships are available to any individual, family, business, etc. that would like to be a sponsor.

For more information, for a show flyer, or if you would like to sponsor a class, contact Jessica Hartman, Linda Gengenbach, Steve Hollewell or Carroll County University of Illinois Extension Office at 815-244-9444 or e-mail Leanne Rahn at lrahn@illinois.edu.

Highland Community College to Honor GED Completers

Highland Community College’s 38th Annual General Education Development (GED) Recognition Ceremony honoring the 2010-2011 GED completers will be held on Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011 in the HCC Student/Conference Center (Building H), at 7:30 p.m.

Students who have completed the requirements for the General Education Development certificate as part of Highland’s Adult Education program will be invited, along with their friends and families, to participate in the celebration of the students’ accomplishment. The public is also invited to attend this ceremony.

Highland President, Dr. Joe Kanosky, and Vice-President of Academic Services, Mr. Tim Hood, will be present to give remarks. Director of Adult Education, Mark Jansen, will present the certificates to the completers. Also in attendance will be Aaron Mercier and Amy Jo Clemens, Regional Superintendents of Carroll/Jo Daviess/Stephenson Counties, and Lee/Ogle Counties, respectively. Staff and instructors of the Adult Education program, along with volunteers from the Adult Volunteer Literacy program, will be on hand to help facilitate the event.

It is anticipated that approximately 70 students have completed their GED requirements during the past year and many will be honored at the Recognition Ceremony.

One of the highlights of the evening features a series of student speakers who have participated in the Adult Education program and received their GED. The speakers will relate some of their experiences and describe what this accomplishment means to each of them.

For additional information about Highland Community College’s GED program, call the Adult Education Department at 815-599-3460.

Crossroads Announces New Pastor

Crossroads Community Church in Morrison is very excited to announce our new Campus Pastor, Jon Neal. He and his wife, Brittany, moved to Morrison last December as our Crave Student Ministries Pastors and were recently offered the position of Campus Pastor. Jon has been active in full time ministry for the past ten years and was ordained Sunday evening at the Jeanette Lloyd Theater in Freeport, IL. Jon, Brittany, and their three children look forward to the opportunity of serving here in Morrison. “We are very excited about this transition and we are in great anticipation of the awesome things God has in store for our town.”

Crossroads Community Church meets at the Morrison Institute of Technology School every Sunday morning at 9AM and 10:45AM. We would love to have you join us.

2nd Amendment and Concealed Carry:

Where Do Top Cops Stand on These Issues?

Sauk Valley Tea Party Meeting To Discuss Gun Issues

The Sauk Valley Tea Party will be joined by local Sheriffs at the Loveland Community Building, Dixon IL Tuesday, June 28 at 6:30pm. All meetings of the Sauk Valley Tea Party are open to the public. Citizens are encouraged to attend and join the discussion about the meeting topic.

Sheriffs from Lee, Ogle and Whiteside County: John Varga, Michael Harn, and Kelly Wilhelmi will join us to share their opinions on 2nd Amendment issues such as concealed carry and gun violence. HB148, The Family and Personal Protection Act, was recently voted down by the IL Legislature. This bill had bipartisan support and would have meant that Illinois would finally acknowledge the Constitutional Right of Illinois citizens to protect themselves beyond their own property lines.

We invite citizens from Sterling, Dixon and our surrounding areas to join us and learn more about these issues.

For information on the Sauk Valley Tea Party or more details on Tuesday’s meeting, please visit our website, SAUKVALLEYTEAPARTY.COM or email us at SaukValleyTeaParty@live.com.