By Margaret Downing Reporter LOVES PARK – At the Jan. 19 Loves Park City Council meeting, aldermen approved a resolution authorizing Mayor Darryl Lindberg to enter into a 60-month contract on a new phone service usage and telephone system per a contract at a cost not to exceed $591.99 a month – and not to exceed $44,693 over the 5-year life of the contract. IP Communications, Inc. of Loves Park will install and provide the service and equipment to all city locations, excluding phone equipment at Fire Stations No. 1 and 2, as those two locations recently had a new phone system installed. The city will pay 50 percent down with the remaining 50 percent due at installation. An ordinance allowing for a Class E (packaged beer and wine sales at a fueling/gas station/convenience store) for Alpine Mart in the 7600 block of N. Alpine Road was passed. An ordinance providing for a Class F (video gaming) liquor license for Mabel’s Jackpot in the 5700 block of N. Second St. was also approved. Alderman Julie Hobel voted against the motion to approve it. Alderman Clint Little gave the weekly police activity report for the week of Jan. 11-17. A total of 439 calls for service, 256 arrests, and 10 accidents were logged. On the weekly fire department report dated Jan. 18, seven false fire alarm calls, one public service, and one assist police call were reported for the week. The previous week’s calls included one fire call, four false fire alarm calls, one natural gas leak call, three carbon monoxide calls, and two assist police calls. The council approved payment of $18,782.81 in water fund bills, and $65,007.81 in general fund and all other bills, as presented on Jan. 12. Alderman Julie Hobel voted no on the motion to approve the general fund bills. City Clerk Bob Burden reported that the city had received $60,427.49 in Motor Fuel Tax funds from the Illinois Dept. of Transportation for the month of December. Mayor Darryl Lindberg made note of an article that appeared in the Jan. 19 daily newspaper that included an interview with Alderman A. Marie Holmes, who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King in the 1960s, including the Selma, Alabama “Bloody Sunday” march (March 7, 1965), noting that Holmes had quite an amazing story to tell. At the time, Holmes was a student at the University of Illinois.

By Bob Balgemann
Reporter

ROCKFORD – There was more than a rematch of the Green Bay-Seattle professional football game happening at 2 p.m. Jan. 18.
Many were glued to their television sets to watch the Packers and Seahawks vie for the NFC championship and berth in the Super Bowl on Feb. 1.
But quite a few were at Grace United Methodist Church on McFarland Road to watch, and participate in, a Pinewood Derby competition involving the various dens in Cub Scout Troop 206.
Troop 206 meets regularly at Grace, now more than 120 years old but with a relatively new sanctuary built in 1995. Many of its members reside in Machesney Park and Loves Park.
The Rev. Pam Rossmiller, pastor, and volunteer Chuck Drewes also were at the church that Sunday afternoon, welcoming scouts, family members and friends to the derby. They didn’t have to be there.
But they chose to do that as part of the church’s community outreach, which extends to neighboring residents and social service agencies such as Maya’s House, Carpenter’s Place and Rock House Kids.
“The outreach and support of the community comes as we welcome the Cub Scout group to meet in our building once a week,” Rossmiller said.
“The United Methodist Church has a long and rich history of supporting scouts. The partnership has been wonderful. We have supported their fund-raisers, offered hospitality at their events and they have joined in our clean-up days and worshipped with us.”
Drewes stood at one of the entrance doors and greeted those who were in attendance. “We want people to feel welcome when they come in,” he said.
A busy place
The church’s fellowship hall was a busy place that afternoon with 10 scouts entering cars of various designs.
They started by having their entries pass inspection that included being no more than 5 ounces in weight, no more than 7 inches long and having all fire tires touch the track surface.
In addition, Den Chief Keith Yenney, who inspected the tires, said they had to be made in the USA and approved by Boy Scouts of America.
“If one of the tires isn’t touching the surface, it could be an unfair advantage for the car,” said Scott Burkardt, assistant Cubmaster.
He weighed the cars and found one of them was too heavy – by 100th of an ounce – evidence of how precise the checks were that day.
Equipment at the three-lane track’s finish line was sophisticated, as it announced the place winners, the lanes they were in and their exact times.
Competitors were entered according to grade level, with two groups of Webelos, along with the Tiger and Wolf dens. Those finishing first and second advance to the council tournament, usually held in April in Pecatonica. The council’s geographic area is huge, extending to LaCrosse, Wis., on the north, Huntley to the southeast and Dixon to the southwest.
In addition, Best of Show awards went to Caydon Smith from the Wolf den; Gabe Smith from the Tiger den; Brydon Smith in Webelos 1 and Nate Smith in Webelos 2. Brydon and Caydon are brothers, as are Gabe and Nate.