PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit #250 Dwight, IL 60420 ** ECRWSS ** Local Customer IT’S FREE! Volume 22 • Number 42 Proudly serving the area since 1999 Wednesday, October 14, 2020 Good in Dwight: A Day at the Dwight HistorTical Socihety e Paper by Bill Pearch ther compound the drama, a Discovering North America cannon fired prematurely and Nine Innings at a Time accidentally shot a gentleman named Slane Turner in the arm During the Harrison admin - and body. Despite the commo - istration, Rockford's Register- tion, they played ball and Gazette described Dwight, Dwight defeated Pontiac, 20-13. Illinois, as a first-class commu - The show must go on, right? nity that lacked any form of After joining the Society for amusement. The newspaper American Baseball Research suggested that the village of (SABR) in 2016, I have enjoyed roughly 1,500 residents at that contributing to the organiza - time, located southwest of tion's publications and Baseball Chicago, would make an ideal Biography Project (BioProject). home for a minor league base - I have written about Game Two ball franchise in the Illinois- of the 1918 World Series, pitch - Iowa League. That was 1892, ing coach Leo Mazzone, and and no minor league team has stories about two games at ever called Dwight home. Brooklyn's Ebbets Field (coming soon). Recently, I ex - changed emails with Mary Flott, a retired AUTUMN. When the trees their summer splendor change to raiment red and gold, When the summer moon turns mellow, speech and commu - and the nights are getting cold; When the squirrels hide their acorns, And the woodchucks disappear; Then we know that it nications instructor is autumn, Loveliest season of the year. Charlotte L. Riser from my high school who volun - teers for the Dwight Historical Society. She asked Positive COVID-19 Tests if I knew that the Cubs had played Close DTHS, DCS for Two Weeks an exhibition Due to recent positive test uals who have had contact with dates are already designated as or from home. Building access game in Dwight. results reported by Dwight COVID positive staff mem - Teacher Planning Days. Stu - will only be allowed from 7:45 That tidbit un - Public School staff members, bers,” it read in a statement is - dents are encouraged to utilize a.m. to 4:00 p.m. locked a treasure DPS will be full remote sued by DPS. “Additionally, those days to make up any • The building will be closed to trove of Dwight through Friday, October 23. we are doing everything we missing assignments. all students and guardians for baseball history After consulting the Liv - can to offer full-time, in-person • LACC students will report to two weeks. relegated to the ingston County Health Depart - instruction as soon as possible. their classes per usual, and • Students will utilize Google yellowing ment about CDC guidelines We are working diligently to transportation will be pro - Classroom as the preferred newspapers of and COVID protocols, the de - ensure a safe return. vided. platform to access their classes yesteryear. cision was made that all • LCSSU/RAS classes will and assignments. Dwight Common School and A few important details to run during their normal days • PreK-4th Grade students will Fast forward to 1986 consider: when my family Dwight Township High School and times, and transportation still be using paper/pencil ac - moved to Dwight. Just students will remain at home • Seniors will still report to the will be provided. tivities when necessary and a few months after un - for remote learning for two high school Wednesday, Octo - • After school extra-curricular will be delivered to homes with packing, the New York weeks – returning to school for ber 14, to take the SAT as activities will be held as sched - meal deliveries Friday, October Mets beat the Boston in-person instruction Monday, scheduled. uled. Coaches will communi - 16, or Wednesday, October 21. not Red Sox in seven October 26. • Students will be expected cate with athletes about games to win the “Our number one priority is to be online for remote learn - specific details. Meal Deliveries World Series*. the safety of students and staff, ing Monday, October 19, and • Faculty and staff will have • October 16 – 5 days of meals Around that time, I and we have contacted individ - Tuesday, October 20, as those the option to work from school • October 21 – 5 days of meals reached a high in my baseball card collect - ing. I had loads of Chicago Cubs, specifically Ryne Sandberg and Leon Durham. The piles of Mike Greenwell cards would soon follow. Over the next several years, I played high school and Pony League ball, I organized my During high school, I heard wiffle ball league, and watched about Col. Frank L. Smith. He tons of MLB games. But oddly possessed powerful political enough, that was when my card drive and was instrumental in collecting dwindled. I also never Dwight's early days. Smith, who knew much about Dwight's rich received his honorary title from baseball history. Illinois Governor John Riley While living there, I heard Tanner, gained notoriety on a the legend of the Prince of national political stage, but I Wales' trip to Dwight in 1860. never knew of his passion for Traveling under the alias Lord the national pastime and forma - Renfrew, the future King Ed - tion of the village's semi-profes - ward VII visited the area while sional team. Earlier this enjoying a hunting expedition. summer, I wrote his official Subtle name, huh? Perhaps this SABR bio as an individual who event will weave itself into a fu - was famous outside of baseball. ture storyline of Victoria. Prob - He was responsible for bringing ably not, but one of Dwight's multiple professional teams to earliest baseball teams adopted Dwight for exhibition games the name Dwight Renfrews. during his lifetime. The Detroit But there is a bizarre story Tigers (1907), Washington Sen - about a baseball game from that ators (1908), Chicago Cubs era that appeared in the Chicago (1912), Pittsburgh Rebels Tribune. (1915) and Chicago Whales Prior to a game between the (1915) appeared in Dwight be - Renfrews and Pontiac Athletics cause of Col. Smith's efforts. on August 14, 1874, Dwight's After digging through my OLD ROUTE 66 FAMILY RESTAURANT, 105 South Old Route 66 in Dwight, has re-opened its doors! The Captain J.B. Parsons com - Col. Smith notes, I noticed the restaurant temporarily closed in March, and began plans for major renovations – both inside and out – that manded an elaborate military name Eddie Higgins kept ap - have since been completed. You may visit and dine in, or they also offer carry-out and delivery. Pictured at the spectacle. During the display, a pearing in box scores. Other ribbon cutting ceremony are the Ahmedi family, owner/operators of the establishment, alongside area community steam engine from Pontiac's fire than his pitching performance members involved with the re-opening. company exploded and injured against the Tigers on October a number of onlookers. To fur - (continued on page 3) Page 2 Wednesday, October 14, 2020 The Paper FOR THE RECORD Temps - 2020 Oct. 1 – high 59°, low 39° It’s History… Tickets Issued to a motel on Northbrook Dr. .04” precip. by Dwight Police for a domestic disturbance. Ar - Oct. 2 – high 58°, low 39° October 1: Kelvin Hester, rested were Steven P. Norris, Oct. 3 – high 56°, low 42° driving 21-25 MPH above 41, and Jennifer Williams, 46, .27” precip. limit. for Domestic Battery. They Oct. 4 – high 54°, low 30° October 2: Lisa M. Witheft, were taken to Grundy Cty. Jail; Oct. 5 – high 63°, low 31° driving 21-25 MPH above 6:43 p.m., Arrested on an In- Oct. 6 – high 75°, low 50° limit. State Warrant was James Beier, Oct. 7 – high 79°, low 43° October 3: Breia M. Barry- 75, of Dwight. He was given a One Year Ag o – Oct. 14 , 2019 White, driving 21-25 MPH new court date. high 55°, low 32° above limit; Giykese October 8: 2:02 a.m., DeMichael U. Bailey, driving Dwight Police were dispatched 15-20 MPH above limit. to 12 W. Northbrook Dr. A It’s A Scam! October 4: Joseph M. O’ - semi driver advised a male LsSalle County Sheriff Tom Connor, driving 21-25 MPH driving another semi struck his Templeton has issued a state - above limit. vehicle and left the scene. ment regarding scam telephone calls being received by citizens Persons in the police report of LaSalle County. are innocent of any charges Sheriff Templeton said that until proven guilty in a court of the caller will identify them - law. selves as deputies of the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Of - Dwight Police Blotter fice and inform the victim that October 2: 7:42 p.m., Weekly Ambulance Runs there is an arrest warrant out - Dwight Officers were dis - by Dwight EMS standing for them. The caller THE OLD KEPPLINGER BLOCK on the northwest corner of Mazon and Franklin that patched to W. Northbrook for a October 1: Prairie, trauma, then advises the victim to call burned on October 10, 1891. All of the wooden structures were gone in about two hours. hit-and-run property damage. A St. James. a telephone number to make Losers were George Kepplinger, Star & Herald, North Star, Thomas Perry, Barr & Dame, semi driver advised his parked October 2: Renfrew, med - arrangements to post bail, gen - Mrs. Koehnlein, M. Rinehart, Mrs. A. Strufe, John Crocker, Leslie E. Keeley Co., and unoccupied truck was ical, Morris. erally requested bail is gift Ketcham & Smith, Mrs.