STERLING-MAY 2012-SAUK VALLY SUN

FREE

May 2012

DayByDay Media, LLC 1620 Sauk Rd. Dixon, IL 61021

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID DEKALB, IL PERMIT NO.321 ECRWSS

Sauk Valley Sun

SHOPPER

Vol. 1 Issue 3

Sterling/Rock Falls Edition

POSTAL CUSTOMER

The little shopper with the big impact

Twin City Market TWIN CITY Equals Love By Jane Sheaffer M A R K E T 2010/2011

It’s a common saying that Mom’s cooking tastes best because she cooks with love. And that’s the first thing I feel when I walk into the indoor Twin City Market in Sterling: LOVE. There’s love for baking, love for gardening, love for homegrown food, for art and the creative process, for a connection with the cycles of the earth, and love for those who love those things.

This not-for-profit community farmers market is a sensual place that tickles your eyes, ears, and nose. Happy, peaceful energy and industry fill the large brick room originally built in 1916 to house a produce company. It’s scrupulously clean, illuminated primarily with sunshine from overhead windows and with vendors’ ready smiles. Colorful and eye catching booths stocked with local produce, meat, eggs, baked goods, art, and crafts decorate the perimeter and an aisle down the center. The aroma of kitchen manager Myra Sargent’s coffee and soup make you seek out a taste. After you’ve obtained your delectables from her, you have the chance to sit with old friends, or new ones, at the tables and chairs provided or wander the aisles at your leisure.

Carolyn and Tim Keller from Ye Olde Cider Mill will probably be the first to greet you as you enter. You won’t be able to miss their display of cider and apples and homemade jams and jellies. Want to support natural area preservation? You can pick up some notecards and books there that will benefit Whiteside County Natural Area Guardians. As you proceed, you will find Ada’s raw honey, Brandyanne’s soy candles, Country Home Baking by Ann Koster, and hand made items by The Crafty Ladies, Creative Knitting, and Janet Perkins. Panda Grove Farms has wood crafts along with produce grown this winter with their new hoop house.

Fantasy Sweets and Nuttylicious offer desserts and chocolates, among several other varieties of edibles that can tastily be paired with a cup of coffee served by Eric Epps at Origins Coffee Roasters. If you’re looking for noodles from scratch, see Elizabeth Milne at the Red Shed Bakery booth. In the mood for tamales or enchiladas? Check out Rosemary’s Everything Hut. Mulberry Lane Kitchens and Gardens bakes items using seasonal fruits, including sugar free and gluten free goods. If you’re a “bready” like me, you’ll enjoy the large selection at Zuppa’s Deli toward the back of the room. And don’t forget Fido - even your dog’s palette is served at TCM with Molly’s Munchies.

--Twin City Market Equals Love continued on Page 11.

QC

Roofing Contractors

What’s Inside...

Have Kids?

Fun Jump Coupon Inside!

Great Deals at Utopia Studio & Spa! Accents has Mother’s Day Gifts!

SUPERIOR EXTERIORS 1 I N C

www.SuperiorExteriors1.com

815-626-1679

Gutters Siding Roofing Windows 10.07.10 cf

Call Before 5/31/12 & Receive:

$100 Off Roofing or A Free Getaway

815-626-1679 288-1679

Now hiring motivated, positive sales people. email resume to Mike at Superexterior1@gmail.com

Page 2

F RAMEWORKS

Give The Special Lady In Your Life...

A Gift Certificate - 10% OFF A Bridgewater or Colonial Candle - 25% OFF Tart Burners - Up To 50% OFF Offers Exp. 05/31/12

FRAMEWORKS - 210 W. First St. In Dixon

Waterfront Gifts & Antiques 212 W. 1st St. in Dixon (815) 288-4500

Remember Mom with a treasure that’s lasted through the years!

2 Floors Of Antiques, Re-Purposed & Unique Gift Ideas Tues-Fri 10 to 5 Sat 10 to 4 Closed Sun & Mon Visit Us On Facebook!

Shop Local and $ave!

Introducing Your New Community Website Dixon 61021.com Rock Falls 61071.com Sterling 61081.com Albany 61230.com 61310.com Amboy Ashton 61006.com Chadwick 61014.com Chana 61015.com Erie 61250.com Franklin Grove 61031.com

61252.com Fulton Miledgeville 61051.com Morrison 61270.com Mt Morris 61054.com Oregon 61061.com 61064.com Polo Prophetstown 61277.com Sublette 61367.com 61283.com Tampico Thompson 61285.com

(Areas of the websites are still in development phase)

Stunning Home For Sale R I V E R WHAT A CATCH! This 5 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, 2850 sq ft home has 265 FEET OF SHORELINE FRONTAGE WITH CONCRETE SEAWALL. Great water for boating, skiing & fishing. Professionally landscaped, great patio, blacktop circle driveway, 2 car garage, 1 car garage & a potting shed, too! Roof 2010. 3 furnaces & AC. Pull down stairs to attic with cement floor & great storage space. This waterfront home is perfect for entertaining & everyday living, and did I mention the spectacular river view?! Property located on a private road & has $100/year assessment. Yours for only $350,000!

ock River Beauty In Rock Falls ncredible 5 Bedroom Home iew Is Spectacular xcellent Boating & Fishing

Sauk Valley Sun

green scene

They’re coming, they’re coming...

They’re BACK! Bats – Foe and Friend

by Jane Sheaffer

My first personal encounter with bats happened years ago. I was sitting alone on the floor in my apartment and suddenly felt a distinct and very nearby “whoosh.” I looked up and there it was again, whizzing right by my very long hair. Instinctively, I knew I had just been buzzed by a bat and every horror story I had ever seen, every terrifying tale I had been told, and every warning ever spoken to me about bats and hair came gushing into my mind.

That experience along with another indoor encounter led me to start wondering if all the negative hype was founded in fact. Here are some of the things I’ve learned.

To begin with, and let’s say it right up front, a little less than 5% of tested bats (albeit a biased sample) in Illinois have rabies. On the whole, however, about one half of one percent of the entire bat population is found to be rabid.

So while the statistics are relatively low, they are higher than for any other Illinois wildlife species and are enough to stoke the fires of fear. The best thing to do is to minimize your possibility of physical contact, and certainly don’t try to kill them. First and foremost, bats are a protected species under the Illinois Wildlife Code. In other words, by law, you can’t capture, sell, harm, or kill bats in Illinois, except under very specific circumstances.

Here in Illinois, 12 species make their home, most weighing less than an ounce. In northwestern Illinois, we are most likely to see the Big Brown Bat with wingspans of 12 to 16 inches. During the winter, they hibernate in buildings, caves, or trees and sometimes have to travel quite a distance to find suitable cold-weather accommodations, struggling against loss of habitat and lethal viruses.

Bats are the only mammals that fly. When the bat in my apartment “whooshed” me, it was emitting ultrasonic sounds that boomeranged off my head indicating my distance away, my size and shape, and whether or not I was moving. The bat was not trying to attack me. In fact, bats that are healthy do not attack humans. It was merely trying to figure out its location relative to everything else, and with its expert echolocation skills, the likelihood of it getting tangled in my hair was just about zero. In this way, the bat navigates through the air, eating insects on the fly.

And, boy-oh-boy, can bats eat insects! One bat can eat 3,000 mosquitoes, corn borers, and cutworm moths in a single night. A colony of 150 brown bats like those found in Illinois, can consume enough cucumber beetles each summer to save everyone billions of dollars in crop damage and pesticides annually.

In my shroud of uneducated fear those many years ago during my first bat encounter, I don’t know how I had the presence of mind to turn on lights and close doors as the bat made its way to darker areas. When we reached the bathroom I discovered an unscreened open window, most certainly its point of entry. I left the door closed and the light on. The morning was a happy one for us both as the window also proved to be its point of exit - AND, I could finally use the bathroom!

Like just about every other living thing on earth, bats make contributions to the rest of us. As do humans, they have their challenges and imperfections, but their nightly insect patrol is a public service that no one can afford to lose.

That, and their innate right to be here is irrefutable.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: For their input on this article, I would like to thank Dr. Joseph F. Merritt of the Illinois Natural History Survey and editor of “Journal of Mammalogy”; Ed Anderson, IDNR Region 1 Natural Heritage Biologist; and Shane Teas, Conservation Police Officer, IDNR Region 1. I can be reached at GreenSceneColumn@gmail.com.

Hey Sunny here, Just letting you know you can advertise here too! Ask about our rates, they’re much lower than you think!

(815)888-4403 SaukSun@gmail.com

eally A Great Value

Need a Vacation?

Travel to ALASKA.. and HAWAII.....great discounted prices for these US destinations.

Jim King Jr. 309-726-6755 www.jimkingjr.com

RE/MAX Sauk Valley

RE/MAX Sauk Valley, 110 E. Lynn Blvd. - Sterling 625-3722

Let our SPECIALISTS help!

Let us get you there without a worry!

Call today

284-AWAY (2929)

Travel Consultants of Dixon, Inc. Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday by appointment

Bring this ad when booking and receive a FREE Gift!

Now through May 31st, 2012.

735 North Galena Ave - Dixon 815 284-AWAY (2929)

Sauk Valley Sun

parenting

The Hardhat Parent

by Jeff Coester

Recently our daughter Christine sent me an article titled; Nurturing moms may help their child’s brain develop. This is the first paragraph: “Preschool children whose moms are loving and nurturing have a larger hippocampus, an area of the brain involved in learning, memory and stress response, when they reach school age, a new study finds.” Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/health/topics/138359599.html#ixzz1ssamXjjb.

One of the key ingredients in nurturing is patience.

God is the greatest model of patience.

Adam and Eve were guilty of the greatest blunder in the history of mankind. God gave them only one rule to keep and they broke it.

God’s creation is marred. The marvelous people, created in God’s image, have messed up. Was God pleased with them? Of course not! Now we will see God’s first recorded public response to failure and disappointment. God’s reaction is the part of the story we don’t talk about. For us, God’s reaction is the most important part of the story.

We cannot know what the Scripture does not say. Does the sky grow dark? Are the clouds in turmoil as they cast thunder and lightning? We have only these words as a description. Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

There is no hysteria. There are no threats. God does not run through the Garden of Eden screaming. God is walking. God is just walking; and we are specifically told it is the cool of the day. God asks them questions. Chaos has replaced order -- and God – is walking – Just Walking! – walking in the Garden – walking in the Garden in the cool of the day.

God is love. God stays calm. God is willing to provide forgiveness. God is calm in His approach to resolving even this problem. Truly that gives every sinner hope. This calm that God displays is a primary need for every parent. The calmness and the patience of a parent give a child hope, security and perspective.

Outrageous displays of impatience are popular in our impulse driven society, but they destroy the hope of a child.

The calm spirit God demonstrates is not an absence of resolve. This unruffled approach does not reflect denial over what has occurred. We must not carry these essential facts to an extreme. Patience is a wonderful attribute, but God is not lacking an opinion regarding what occurred when Adam and Eve ate the fruit. God does not lack insight into how He should respond. The calmness He demonstrates does not mean God has a lack of firmness and will fail to act. It simply means that in the greatest crisis, God models a life habit we should learn to emulate. God stays calm. God does not passively ignore the disobedient actions He has observed. He does not close His mind regarding the consequences of their actions. God does not dismiss the offense with a hearty laugh. There is no excuse because of the burden of their schedule or the skill of the serpent that deceived them. God does not dismiss this rebellion as a phase Adam and Eve are going through.

God is unchanging truth. Jesus said, ‘I am the truth’. He does not change.

In theology we say that means He is immutable. God does stay calm. The truth that defines Him is useful to help us develop a thought process that encourages calm. If we embrace these truths, we will become more like Him.

Page 3

Utopia Studio & Spa

815-626-1160 517 Locust St ~ Sterling

Nichole Gonzalez Monica Walsh Jennifer Danreiter

Women Men & Children Cuts & Styles, Colors & Highlights, Full or Partial Perms, Waxing, Pedicures,

Jasmin Hermes Tanya Turner Sara Hebdon

and Manicures

With This Coupon Get:

With This Coupon Get:

$10 OFF

$3 OFF

HIGHLIGHTS

EYEBROW WAX

At Utopia. Exp. 5-31-12

At Utopia. Exp. 5-31-12

An Ideal Place Of Perfection

Terry Osborne 1503 1st Ave

Rock Falls, IL 61071

815-625-4878 terry.osborne@ countryfinancial.com

Where will your next paycheck come from?

If you can’t work due to illness or injury, your income may stop but your bills will not. Make sure you keep things covered with Disability Income insurance from COUNTRY. It’s a great way to help you build and maintain financial security.

DI500 and DI550 policies issued by COUNTRY Life Insurance Company®, Bloomington, IL. 042012-02626AC

Page 4

Tribute to Moms on Mothers Day

Sauk Valley Sun

In Memory of my Mother, Alta Mae Longanecker-(Excerpts from “Moments” by Richard Longanecker)

It has been said, “Behind every great man, there is a great woman.” That would be MY MOM, Alta Mae. Mom had great elegance. She was beautiful, loving, and a kind woman. She was THAT Mom that every boy and girl would like to have, “caring, giving, loving, and always there for you.” Sometimes, even before you knew you needed her, she knew first. She was over protective sometimes, like a lot of moms can be. As a teen I would say, “Mom, I’m okay, or I’ll be alright.” She would smile, and her beautiful eyes would sparkle and smile as well. She was truly a beautiful woman inside and out.

My mom was a trusted friend. One could talk with her about any subject matter, and she would listen without talking; that when asked a question for an opinion, or answer, she would say, “Being this is important to you, I will find the best answer I can acquire.” My mom was fun loving, having a laugh that was contagious. She would respond to something funny or maybe not so funny at the time, until the truth was known. However, my mom, was also human. She could be very sensitive; easily hurt by words or deeds someone would unknowingly say or do. The only thing that family or friends who understood her could do, was to be with her and hug her. There were times like this that my dad, Hershel, would just hold her and she would melt in his arms. Mom’s greatest joy was having her family members surrounding her. It didn’t matter whether it was a big holiday like Chirstmas, Easter, or Thanksgiving. Year after year She and Dad would put festive meals together for the many who would be seated when it came time to eat. Dad was the cook, and Mom was the baker; putting on the final touches prior to the meal. After prayers, and eating a delicious meal, the fellowship with each other would lead to laughter; talking about the fun times we had shared over the years. Children and husbands; Love and honor your mother and wife. They went through, and will go through more than we will truly understand. PS: To my wife, Beth, and all Moms, Happy Mothers Day. by Richard Longanecker

The Basil Tree Ristorante is Clearly Bon Appetit When you open the front door of The Basil Tree Ristorante, the aroma of a deep, robust, well-seasoned marinara sauce hits you and you realize that this is a real

authentic Italian restaurant. The red sauce not only smells awesome, it tastes great, too. A good marinara sauce is what makes a real Italian restaurant to me, and The Basil Tree Ristorante is just that, with an exclamation point at the end of this sentence to prove the point! A friend and I dined on a Friday evening, and were greeted by a host behind the bar. A waiter sat us and another greeted us at our table. One of the signs of a great Italian restaurant for me are two dishes: spaghetti and lasagna. I know these two be the two staples a great Italian restaurant masters, and on this Friday night, I flipped a mental coin and it came up heads, and it was a basked lasagna night for me. For a choice of soup, I ordered Manhattan clam chowder. For those who don’t know, it is a red-broth-based soup that tastes simply divine. The clams have an earnest taste to them, and the supporting vegetables used are tasty. Manhattan Clam Chowder tastes really authentic at The Basil Tree Ristorante, and is served in a large flat bowl, which is a great and may make it look like a small portion, but it is quite a lot. I liked it and finished the bowl, while my friend didn’t even get half way through. There is no reason to ever add oyster crackers to this soup, not even the bread that is served on the table. The soup is as good as it looks and tastes on its own merit. The lasagna was served on a large plate, with a nice big piece of the baked masterpiece in the center of the great dark red marina meaty sauce. I carefully cut into the lasagna, my hopes that it would taste great were there; I had the feeling it would be good, but knowing at the same time I have had high hopes at some other restaurants around here and in the Chicago suburbs, and having my hopes dashed with poor tasting sauce tasting as if its poured out of a can and cottage cheese used where it does not belong. Not this night. The baked lasagna at The Basil Tree Ristorante is true to form with great ricotta cheese mixed with the meaty red sauce placed in-between soft-but-firm lasagna noodles and a great topping of cheese. It is really a serving for two; I witnessed a man sitting near me with the same order having his waitress say she thought he would have enough for dinner and lunch the next day. My friend ordered the pollo parmisgiana, which in “English” is chicken parmesan,. He had a large flattened chicken breast covered in red sauce and a hearty cheese, served with a side bowl of pasta noodles. He also was pleased with his meal, saying the cheese and sauce were very complimentary to the chicken. While we both had soft drinks (Pepsi products are served), a couple next to us asked about wine. Their waitress said the restaurant sells wine by the bottle, and any the couple didn’t use could be corked and taken home with them. When they hesitated, she offered them a sample of the chardonnay, which they agreed to, and later ordered the whole bottle. Wines served are domestic from fine California vineyards and also from the best wine Italy has to offer. In fact it is bottles of wine, which make up much of the décor of the restaurant, along with artwork and a rough stone look on the walls. Our server was very friendly and attentive, telling us of the daily specials and offering us refills of our soft drinks. The cost of our meals at the Basil Tree are likely in line with some of the more upscale restaurants in the area, and based on the quality of food and restaurant decor, are well below the cost of the same quality of food you may find in a similar restaurant in Rockford, the Quad Cities or Chicago and its suburbs. I would highly recommend this restaurant for anyone who enjoys fine Italian food baked with real Italian food ingredients.

by Spencer Schein

Homes For Sale Buying A Home Is Part Of The American Dream, But For Many Seems Impossible.

CHECK OUT THE LEASE WITH OPTION PROGRAM AT HAUCK HOMES. Our new program has helped many people get in to the home of their dreams. It does not require perfect credit and the down payments start as low as $1000.

Stop by today or call 815-284-2000 for more information.

3 bedroom/2 bath with recent updates in Dixon $19,900

2 bedroom/1 bath with deck & shed in Mt. Morris $12,900 Brand New Home For Sale! Put It In Any Of Our Communities, Or On Your Own Land!! Three Bedrooms, 2 Baths VERY NICE!!

2 bedroom/1 bath Great Starter Home in Dixon $11,900

3 bedroom/2 bath with deck & shed in Lyndon $23,900

Priced At Only $61,900 Price Includes Delivery & Setup.

See Us For More Information Or To Set Up A Showing!

More Homes Available At: Rock River Estates in Dixon Chateau Estates in Dixon Mt. Morris Estates in Mt. Morris Valley Vista in Lyndon Call Today For More Information!

815.284.2000

3 bedroom/2 bath newly refinished in Dixon $39,900

2 bedroom/1 bath Near The River in Dixon $12,900

Sauk Valley Sun

history

Facts & Beginnings

ALL CUTS ARE NOT EQUAL

With the summer approaching, barbecue grills are cleaned and fired up in preparation of the American favorite, the hamburger. Hot off the grill a large patty of meat, a dollop of ketchup, a squirt of mustard, some onion, lettuce, tomato, pickle and other favorite ingredients forming an edible hamburger bun suitable for photography and framing. However, when you pick it up it all falls on your paper plate, if you’re lucky. You curse our design creativity but in error, why is the hamburger-bun not cut in the center?

Blame is generally placed on the cutters of these buns by the bakers as all slicing machines have adjustable cutting blades making the cut at any position on the bun. This is simply passing off the blame on someone who can’t defend themselves. So what is the problem with slicing the buns a little higher?

Measuring approximately one and a quarter inches high, those grocery store buns are generally cut at the half-inch mark rather than at the middle. Hamburger-buns are baked in a mold and they puff up about three-quarters above the top of the mold and are relatively fragile. The “shred line” or what the bottom above the cut line is called, is usually less clean and easier to disfigure the bun’s appearance. From the standpoint of sales, it is much more important to have that high, mushroom appearing top to appeal to the consumer. Therefore, if tradition is not that important to you, it has been suggested you flip the bun over and eat it upside down eliminating a lot of the potential of spillage of meat and condiments.

by Marty Thomas

THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF UPS-AND-DOWNS First used as a hunting device in the sixteenth century in the Philippines, this unique device was made with large wooden disks and strong twine and considered a killing tool. When thrown, the twine easily ensnared an animal, generally by the legs, and then was wrestled to the ground. This simple weapon was very similar to Australia’s boomerang in that both were designed to incapacitate its victims from a distance. The Yo-Yo at this point in time was defiantly not a toy.

American, Donald Duncan during the 1920’s saw first-hand the usage of Philippine Yo-Yo and converted it to a child’s plaything by downsizing the weapon. From there this simple two part item has retained its place in permanent toy history.

However, a toy similar to the yo-yo originated in China about 1000 B.C. constructed of two elaborate ivory disks with a silk cord wound around the center peg. These toys eventually spread to Europe where they were known as a “quiz: and in France as a “badalore.” These versions were richly decorated with jewels and had hand-painted designs that made the disks appear to be wobbling creating a mesmerizing blur. So for over three thousand years, the yo-yo or versions thereof have enjoyed their ups and downs.

Kelly’s

Page 5

Featuring Fine Mexican Food & American Favorites

Restaurant Hours: Monday - Thursday 11am-9pm Friday 11am-10pm Saturday 10am-10pm Bar Hours Monday - Saturday 8am-1am Closed Sunday

Serving Lunch & Dinner

218 Locust St - Sterling 625-9720 or 625-7969

ACCENTS

Brag Worthy Mother’s Day Gifts!

Inside Northland Mall In Sterling

Parkway Center's 25th Anniversary Celebration Tickets In Advance: $30 each or $50 per couple At The Door: $30 each VIP Tables (seats 8): $500 & Includes Dinner - must be reserved by May 1st.

Tickets May Be Purchased At: Parkway Center, Sauk Valley Bank, Crystal Cork, & CGH Gift Shop

* A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Prescott Dental Clinic, a part of the CGH Foundation, who is also celebrating their 25th Anniversary.

Wine & Beer Tasting Saturday, June 16th 6:00pm - 9:00pm At Parkway Center 1801 Avenue G - Sterling Crystal Cork will be onsite with 30 varieties of wine & 10 different beers.

Hors d’oeuvres, silent auction & entertainment

Presented By Parkway Center & Sauk Valley Bank.

Page 6

Sauk Valley Sun

Introducing my mother...

As far back as I can remember, I loved listening to my parents when they got together with aunts and uncles and talked about when they were young.

I remember sitting cross legged on the floor staring up at them listening intently as my aunts and uncles, •Remote Starts •Auto Accessories my mom and my dad told their stories. And I wasn’t the only one that •DVD Players •Boat Covers loved hearing their stories, my cousins were listening too. When one of •Custom Accessories •Seat Repairs the adults began talking about those •Bed Liners •Convertible Tops good old days, it often sparked a memory in another and so the sto& So Much More •Audio Electrical ries went on from one to another, and I was delighted and so were my cousins!

I remember looking up at these wonderful people I was so proud of. They were Brent Eilers (815)625-3169 405 Elm Ave. Sterling, IL my relatives!!

My aunts and uncles and my mom and dad seemed to enjoy those times too.

When they got to a point where it seemed as though they were done reminiscing, I remember almost pleading for them to tell us more. My mother was the Having served the community best story teller of all four adults because she explained how people, places and since 1857 First Congregational things looked and gave just enough detail in her explanations that it seemed I Church is now known as knew more about her friends than I did my own. Mom thought nothing of getting The Big Red Church. Our up out of the chair so she could stand and show us how tall someone was by reaching up with her arm, and sometimes she would even act as though she was building is historic. Our music is a particular person. She made sure we all knew how their friends looked, how exciting. Our people are friendly. short or tall they were and how well they did in school or if they cheated or got And our message is practical. some of their answers from someone else. I knew the games they played and where they gathered at a place they called “the cave”. It wasn’t what we know Our family will welcome as cave at all, it was nothing more than a circle that they sat on the edge of and your family. dangled their feet.

311 2nd Ave - Sterling I’m getting ahead of myself.

815-625-5112

When my mother Anne was eleven years old, her family, which included her parents, her sister and two brothers, moved to a very rural area outside of Sunday, 9:00 am Sunday School Chicago, called Stickney. My mother often said this is when her life really began.

Sunday, 10:00 am Church Service

I believe one of the main reasons she felt her life began then was because of the very handsome boy that happened to lived right next door!! It didn’t Tuesday, 6:00 pm Prayer Meeting take long until she found out he was three years older than she was and his name Tuesday, 7:00 pm Bible Study was Bob. Since all the kids in the neighborhood went to school in a two room Pastor Jeff & Mary Coester school house, she was able to get to see Bob more often! He was the tallest boy in their school. She really liked this boy and she was thrilled that he lived right next door! Bob had two sisters and one brother. There were times when Bob’s mother asked my mother and her best friend Ann to help her tidy up their house. My mother loved being there, although her friend often threw dirty socks at her. My mother told me, there were times when she and her friend were asked to stay for dinner, which they were thrilled to do. The boy’s father grew a vegetable garden so when my mother and her friend were asked to eat with them, they ate far better there then they did at home and better than most others ate in that area.

My grandmother had very little money for rent but she managed to pay the rent when it was due. It wasn’t long after they moved in, that her neighbors told her no one paid rent there, so from that day on they lived rent free.

(Just so you know, I am not here to approve or disapprove, I’m just passing these stories on as they were told to me.)

Their’s was a very poor neighborhood and that’s putting it mildly. My mom, (Anne), her sister and brothers and all the other kids in this area never really knew how very poor they were because everyone else was just as poor!! Almost all the kids had to wear cardboard in their shoes especially in the winter to attempt to cover the holes in the soles of their shoes. My uncle said there was nothing worse than the sole of his shoe flapping when he walked. Winters were awfully hard for my mother’s family. My mother told me they had to pile coats on their beds at night to help them keep warm...as warm as they could be kept. My Grandmother was afraid to have the oil stove lit all night, so she turned it off before she went to bed. In the morning icicles hung from the windows...on the inside of the windows!!

There are so many wonderful stories!! There were those long walks my mother and her friend Ann took to a hill where they would hide and watch the boys swimming. There was also a place called “mud lake”. I’ve actually seen “mud lake” and climbed down in it. My aunt and uncle took me to see this area I had heard so much about during the years. Mud lake is really nothing but a ditch that filled up with water when it rained. But they had a blast in mud lake!!

There was also the time a friend of my mothers wanted my mom to ditch school with her, and take a bus to visit her aunt. Because her friend was so sure they wouldn’t get caught and said they’d be home long before school let out, my mother “ditched” with her. While they were away from home it began snowing and the snow got too deep for them to come back that day so they had to spend the night at her friend’s aunt and uncle’s home. They both got in big trouble when they got back home the following day.

The tall dark and handsome boy next door and his friends knocked over out houses on Halloween. Most of the kids threw tomatoes at cars.

When they were able to, my mom and her friend Anne worked for farmers. There was one particular farmer who asked them to work in his vegetable field all day for very little money. I remember mom telling us the way the farmer spoke and the words he said. As well as I can type this, he told my mother and her friend to “pick a da beans, one a by one”. When my mother got home that day, she was very dirty from working in the field. My Grandmother was upset and told her to go buy a bar of soap. It took every penny she had worked so hard for to buy that bar of soap.

When my mom was 17 and the boy next door was 20, they got married. The eleven year old little girl and handsome boy next door ended up being my mom and dad.

One day (after my mother and father were married), my mom’s youngest brother, my uncle Joe, was in school and happened to look out the window and when he did he saw his own house moving down the street!!

He had no idea who was taking his house, or where they were taking it! No one told him this was going to happen! I think he said he was in 5th grade at the time.

When my uncle told me this, I asked him what did you do or where did he go, because I was concerned. He said very nonchalantly, after school I just got on my bike and rode around the area until I found our house. He found it, so all’s well that ends well.

Uncle Joe told me that my gramma stayed right there inside the house all the while it was being moved. She definitely had a stubborn streak. I wonder?? Could it be that I have a stubborn streak too?? Me? teehee

“Thanks for stopping by!”

Quality Automotive Interiors •Custom •Original

Marine & Car Audio

By Darlene Rego

WOW!

That looks like some great space for my ad!

Is that what you’re thinking?

Call or email us for information on how to get your ad in here.

(815)888-4403 SaukSun@gmail.com

Sauk Valley Sun NATIONAL WOMEN’S HEALTH WEEK by “IT’S YOUR TIME!”

Page 7

health Inflatable Indoor Playground!

C.A.R.S.

Carol Chandler

National Women’s Health Week is a week long health observance coordinated by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health. It starts on May 13th, Mother’s Day, and ends on May 19th.

The theme for 2012 is “It’s Your Time.” Women tend to look after everyone else first and put themselves last. I hope to empower you to make your health a top priority.

Women should make time to take the following steps to care not only for their physical and emotional health, but also to lower their risk factors for certain diseases.

SCHEDULE REGULAR CHECKUPS AND APPROPRIATE SCREENINGS .This would include a mammogram which your doctor would order based on your age, family history, overall health and personal concerns. Don’t forget blood pressure checks and blood tests, particularly for any health problems in your family history.

STAY ACTIVE. Most authorities suggest at least 30 minutes of exercise at least three times a week. One of the best exercises is walking. If a friend goes with you, it can be a very pleasant experience. Or join an organized exercise program with an instructor.

EAT A HEALTHY DIET. Balance the calories that you eat and the calories you burn off by being active. One of the main problems is portion management. Moderation is the key here.

OPTIMIZE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH. Get adequate sleep and try to reduce your stress. You deserve it. Make an appointment with yourself for some “alone time” every day, even if it is only for a few minutes.

AVOID UNHEALTHY ACTIVITIES. Smoking and not wearing a seat belt or protective gear when needed causes many health hazards

AVOID MORE THAN ONE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE DAILY.

Complete Autowerks Repair Services

505 W. Lynn Blvd

In Sterling Behind Kroger

632-3630

$1.00 OFF

Hours: Tuesday-Friday 3-7 Saturday 10-6 Sunday 12-5

This Deal Won’t Last Long!

New 2008 Gulfstream Gulf Breeze

Call Today 815-284-2000

Valid Tuesday - Thursday.

Limit 4 Kids Per Coupon. Exp. 06/07/12

Pampered Pawz “Pampering Your Pup To Pawfection”

$5 OFF

ANY PET’S GROOMING

Only $17,900 Used this camper would be $22,000. THIS IS UNUSED!

ADMISSION

Grooming For Dogs & Cats All Breeds & Sizes!

Expires 6-5-12

(865) 255-6388

Kayla Hunt ~ 3512 E. Lincoln Way, Sterling

OPEN 24/7 1600 CLUBS NATIONWIDE PERSONAL TRAINERS TANNING BEDS

Dixon

First Month Free Plus A Free Month Of Tanning

Rock Falls

1323 N. Galena Ave At Anytime Fitness in Dixon or Rock Falls.With 107 S. 1st Ave qualified membership purchase. Exp 6-15-12 Dixon, IL 61021 Rock Falls, IL 61071 815-285-4855 815-564-9000 anytimefitness.com

Page 8

Sauk Valley Sun

green living

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

An Affordable Assisted Lifestyle Community For The Older Adult Of All Income Levels!

2205 Oak Grove Ave. Sterling, IL For More Information Call Diane At 815-625-7045 Jill Horn Independent Distributor Dixon, IL (815) 441-3959

“Clearly The Best” www.jillhorn.myshaklee.com

30% OFF

Shaklee weight management products -and/or Get Clean Water Filtration System Offer Expires. 6/5/12

by Jill Horn

This phrase is used often to help us conserve energy and not use up our natural resources. I remember growing up and always reusing things like plastic bags, boxes and many other items. I grew up in a family of nine and there was not money to waste on buying items that could be washed and reused or handed down instead of discarded. I’m glad now that this was something I learned to do early on. There is a book put out by the creators of the magazine “Real Simple” that’s titled, 799 New Uses for Old Things. I see there is a trend now to reuse old things in new ways and this book is helpful for people who like to do just that.

When I lived in Guatemala, I thought Americans appeared to be the most materialistic people there. We are just used to having a car for every adult in the house or even having a house for that matter. We are used to having more than one TV and computer in the house and having the latest cell phone or other electronic gadget that comes out. Fewer Guatemalans had these things and didn’t seem to need them. Before I returned to the US, I tried to think of the things that had changed for me while living there and make a plan to not change back once I returned to the US. I planned to have fewer things and to be happy living that way. I still do that. Americans just have so much stuff. So if you are trying to reduce what you have, beware that reducing means not only getting rid of the old but limiting new purchases as well.

Recycling is now the thing to do. There are certainly many places you can recycle your plastic, paper and cardboard if it’s not picked up right at your home. Now there is also an electronics-recycling center in Dixon next to the Leydig Center on Warp Road. So not only can you drop off items at the Leydig Center, you can drop off electronics (including computers) next door.

In last month’s article I talked about using concentrated cleaning products that require you to add your own water. You also reuse the spray bottles so there are fewer plastic bottles in the landfill. Along those lines you can also stop buying bottled water and use a water filtration system and reuse your own water bottle. Switching will save you money and plastic and free up space in your refrigerator. So this is another way to reduce waste and reuse products.

Would you like to see the power of a Monthly Direct Mailer?

Get your ad here and find out!

815-888-4403

APARTMENT FOR RENT ONE MONTH FREE!* * With approved application, security deposit, and 12 month lease.

2 Bedrooms, All Electric, Laundry Facility, Garages Available, Quiet & Peaceful

RIVER RIDGE APARTMENTS 3602 River Rd - Sterling Located Next To Aldi 815-414-2288

Only $495 per mo nth

Sauk Valley Sun

Page 9

$650.00 Closing Costs

3 Year ARM* 2.97% Interest Rate 3.16% APR**

Refinance GREAT Term plus a GREAT RATE*

Sterling

Rock Falls

Dixon

815-626-5996

815-632-4747

815-284-2300

Member FDIC

NMLS# 407869

*Subject to credit approval. **Rates adjust after 3 years. Based on $100,000 loan with 20% down payment. Payments do not include taxes and Insurance.

DIXON 815-288-3366

489 Il Rte. 2 ~ Dixon, Il 61021

www.dixonflm.com

ONE PRICE • ONE PLAN • ONE GOAL • ONE TEAM

HOME OF THE HASSLE FREE BUYING

Valerie Ford General Manager

Friendly, Local Employees To Service All Your Vehicle Needs!

1996 Ford Explorer 4X4

$3,995*

Stk# BC6862A

2000 Ford Focus

$4,995*

Stk# AC6859A

2002 Ford Explorer 4X4

$5,995*

Stk# BC6863A

2000 Ford F150 4X4

$6,995*

Stk# BC6829A

2001 Jeep Wrangler

$9,995*

Stk# FC6779A

Look For Ou

Green

r

Tag Pr

icing!

2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500

$18,495*

Stk# BC6824A

Our BEST Price Clearly Marked In EVERY Window - EVERY Day! 2011 Ford Taurus AWD

$22,995*

Stk#AC6939A

1999 Ford F350 4X4 7.3L

$10,995*

Stk# VA6317B

2008 Chrysler Sebring Convert

$12,995*

Stk# FAC6886A

2008 Pontiac Torrent

$13,995*

Stk# GP4812A

2010 Dodge Journey

$15,995*

Stk#AC6816A

2008 Lincoln MKZ

$16,995*

Stk# DC6774A

*Does not include tax, title, license, or doc fee. Must qualify for all incentives and rebates. See dealer for details. Dealer not responsible for pricing errors. Offer Exp. 05-31-12

Page 10

Beer & Wine Tasting

Parkway Center Retirement Community is celebrating their 25th Anniversary this year. A Wine & Beer Tasting event is scheduled for Saturday, June 16th on Parkway’s campus. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Prescott Dental Clinic.

The Prescott Dental Clinic is partially funded through the CGH Health Foundation who is also celebrating their 25th Anniversary this year.

The Prescott Dental Clinic was started in 1987 by Dick Prescott and his late wife Juanita. Joan Hermes, Executive Director for the CGH Health Foundation said that in 2011 the Prescott Dental Clinic served 6,691 total patients 4,015 were children ages 19 and under and 2,676 adults which were primarily emergency care. The clinic employs 3.5 full time equivalent dentists, 7 dentist full time, 10 suites, 1 full time hygienist, 10 dental assistants, 2 students now and another 2 in a month from now.

Eric Brantley the owner of Crystal Cork in Dixon will be onsite with 30 varieties of wine and 10 different beers. VIP tables, which seat 8 are available for $500 and include dinner and special select amenities to enhance your evening out. Advanced tickets sales are available for $30 each or $50 per couple and can be purchased at Parkway Center’s business office, the hospital gift shop and Sauk Valley Bank, 201 W. 3rd Street, Sterling, who is a co-sponsor of this event will accept charge cards for tickets or tables.

For more information call Parkway Center 815-626-1121.

The PAPER ESCAPE Used Paperbacks & Comic Books, Trading Cards & Supplies, Role Playing Games & Accessories, Fantasy Collectibles, Coin Supplies, Costume Rentals & Much More!

205 W. First St. Dixon (815) 284-7567 paperescape.com

30 years in Downtown Dixon!

Galena Steak House

Mother’s Day Brunch Fried Chicken, Roasted Turkey, Pot Roast, Dressing, Mashed Potatoes, Vegetables, Diced Potatoes, French Toast, Waffles, Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Biscuits & Gravy, Dessert Bar, and Soup & Salad Bar.

Adults $14.99 Kids $6.99 3 & Under - Free 1101 N. Galena Ave - Dixon

Sauk Valley Sun

fitness

Yoga With Nancy

by Nancy Nesyto-Freske

Certified Yoga Instructor & Theraputic Yoga Instructor HOW CAN YOGA BE OF BENEFIT TO US AS WE AGE?

The benefits of yoga can be enjoyed by any age group. For an aging population, the benefits can be measured in not only maintaining or improving strength, flexibility and balance, but also in how we view life in general.

Here are some known benefits of a regular Yoga practice, taken from the Mayo Clinic’s website: Here’s the link: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/yoga/ CM00004 “The potential health benefits of yoga are numerous and may include:

• Stress reduction. With its quiet, precise movements, yoga draws your focus away from your busy, chaotic day and toward calm as you move your body through poses that require balance and concentration.

• Increased fitness. As you learn and refine new poses, you may enjoy improved balance, flexibility, range of motion and strength. And this means you’re less likely to injure yourself in other physical endeavors or in your daily activities.

• Management of chronic health conditions. Yoga might help with a variety of health conditions, such as cancer, depression, pain, anxiety and insomnia, by helping with sleep problems, fatigue and mood. Yoga also can help reduce heart rate and blood pressure.

• Weight loss. If you’re overweight or have binge-eating disorder, yoga may help you make the healthy lifestyle changes necessary to gain control of your eating and drop those extra pounds.”

With osteoporosis, for example, Yoga can be an excellent way to increase bone density. Exercise is often recommended to those with osteoporosis or osteopenia. However, doing exercise can be a tricky situation. Yes, the exercise is good but the added stress to the joints, such as jarring in an aerobic-type exercise, can cause pain and injury to joints, resulting in the person discontinuing the exercise program. In Yoga, the muscles gently pull on the bones, causing no harm to joints if practiced appropriately. This added “stress” to the bone causes the bone to increase density! This is a gentle stress, not a jarring stress.

As mentioned in last month’s column, not all Yoga classes are created equal. Some are much more strenuous than others, resulting in injury, increased pain, or discouragement. If you are over the age of 40, I highly recommend finding a class that is designed for beginning students, not an “all levels” class. Be sure to seek out a class that stresses gentle movements.

If you have any questions about health-related problems that weren’t addressed here, please send an email to me at nancy@dixonyoga.com.

Sterling 625-1851 Dixon 288-3211

www.slimnhanks.com

Sauk Valley Sun Twin City Market Equals Love continued from front page --

Interested in dynamite images of local scenes?

Linnea Koch Photography will give you plenty from which to choose. When you find one you like, you can step to the center of the room and arrange to have it framed and matted by Framescapes of Rock Falls.

Of all the vendors, however, I have to admit a partiality to the family farmers who raise their livestock with access to the range, who allow them excellent forage, and who treat them humanely. Welcome Hollyhock Farms, Heritage Beef, and Janssen Family Farms! If you want to support businesses that care about the quality of life their animals are provided, then you will be interested in the wide variety of beef, pork, and chicken products these local families have to offer.

After visiting TCM, you may get the urge to plunge your trowel in the soil yourself. I encourage you to talk with Charlin Nolan from Sterling Farms. She grows organic produce and herbs and is willing to trade some of her bounty for some of your labor!

My descriptions, though, don’t do any one of these vendors justice – each has so much more to offer than I have space to describe. My best advice?

Just go there and see for yourself! They’re located at 106 Avenue A in Sterling, Illinois and open every Saturday, year round, from 8 A.M to Noon.

Special Orders Don’t Upset Us

Page 11

There used to be a major Fast Food restaurant which in its theme-song indicated “special orders don’t upset us.” I had forgotten about that, as in our society today, sometimes special orders upset people, but not the drive-thru cashier at Taco Bell, 405 Locust St., Sterling, at about 12:25 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon in late April.

According to my receipt, the cashier’s name was Glen C, and Glen had taken a special order before mine, and that got me thinking: Maybe I could ask for a special order, too. A woman who was ahead of me in the drive-thru line ordered a couple of individual items and then asked the cashier if she could get the meat and beans or tomatoes from a taco in a bowl? She said her mother was elderly, and could not eat the hard shell or lettuce, and so she was essentially ordering a shell-less taco. Glen didn’t take more than a couple seconds to say sure. The woman also ordered a Pepsi, and then went to get her order.

Then it was my turn. Now if you have not had the Doritos Locos Tacos, what are you waiting for? I got three of them a couple weeks earlier and they are everything they are said to be and everything you think they are: a big Doritos taco shell, but with less “orange-stuff” left on your fingertips.

On this trip, I was ordering lunch and was going to eat it at work. I ordered the crunchy taco combo, which is No. 8 on the board for those taking count. I asked the cashier – at this time I didn’t know he was Glen – if I could get the Doritos tacos in place of the crunchy tacos. He said I could, it would just cost 30 cents more per taco. I didn’t take more than a few seconds to say OK.

I got what I wanted for 90 cents more, less than $1 for the extra order.

That was fantastic. And my drink at this Taco Bell is almost always Mountain Dew Baja Blast, a bluish-green soda which at times to me tastes a bit like a liquid medicine, but that makes no difference to me. I think it tastes great.

I think more and more restaurants are doing special orders, either adding on a few cents to the order or offering it for free, to make the customer happy. A happy customer is someone who is more willing to come back and spend more money.

Those restaurants that don’t do special orders are taking chances. In this day and age, where every penny is special – there was a penny on the brick underneath the drive-thru window which I pointed to Glen, and he took it – that to not consider a special order is taking the chance that the first time you take someone’s order is the last time you will see this customer.

By Spencer Schein

If you are reading this, so are your potential customers.

Call for Details.

ADVERTISE HERE

(815)888-4403

come as you are

Love God, Love People, Serve The World!

Service Times Saturday 6pm Sunday 10am 806 E. Lynn Blvd - Sterling (815) 626-1827 www.abidingwordchurch.org

Rev. Scott & Terri Porter

Children’s Church & Nursery At All Services

Fusion Middle School Group 6th, 7th, 8th Grades Sunday @ 10am

“The Link” Youth Group High School Age Thursday @ 6:30pm

Page 12

Singles Of Sauk S.O.S.

Mission Statement: To encourage and create a safe singles gathering in a friendly environment for fellowship and wholesome activities.

Location & Events Always Changing!

All Ages Welcome!

Check out www.saukchurch.com Or Call Linda at 815-631-1541

Sauk Valley Sun

small business

What’s Brad Talking About?

by Brad Monson “The Decisions We Make”

Small business intrigues me because of the close relationship it has to life itself. Sometimes, it seems we are barely surviving, whereas in other instances, we thrive.

Continuously I try to find out what the “recipe” is for thriving. To put it more succinctly, what decisions did I make to put me where I am in life? The responsibility is ultimately mine.

As I said in my last column, certain challenges inevitably face us where make decisions. Some of these decisions are much harder than others as they involve taking risks and getting out of our comfort zone. Usually, when we do anything which is new, we have a certain period of time in the beginning of the process where we learn what we must do to progress from one task to another, until finally, we feel confident about our accomplishments and can usually do it better the next time.

Our core beliefs in life have a direct bearing on figuring out which decisions to look at making and which to stay away from. Like it or not, if we make a mistake in our decisions, it will usually catch up with us down the road, just as when we make a good decision, it can provide a “springboard” for making other successful actions in life.

I am always looking for that secret elixir that provides successful decisions. For example, what was I doing at that time in my life when I made that decision? What was I feeling? What were my goals during that period of time?

Was I true to myself? It is almost like I try to build a tuning fork that can give me a sense of which path to take in life. I learn not to take even the slightest, smallest decisions for granted. I find that everything is predicated on those previous moments of clarity when the complicated is reduced to the simple. Suddenly, the integration of my total being is maximized and I feel a great sense of accomplishment. Maslow’s Hierarchy would call that “self-actualization”. For me, it does not happen every day. But to capture that sense of self, that feeling of knowing your true ability in life, can give me more than any amount of money can.

Being aware of where it is I am in life and where I want to go is important.

But, being aware who I am as a person, and doing what is congruent to my true nature and core beliefs is the most important first step I take. Being “right” in life versus being “happy” can definitely be opposing forces.

Someone once told me, “Time is our sweet enemy”. We have so much time to “play with”. That is why I try to maximize my time with a balanced attitude.

Usually, (and I have done it often), when I make decisions to overextend myself, is when I waste my time. For more information about Brad, go to www.bradmonson.com

New Company... Same Excellent Service

Eric Bird Broker/Owner 815-973-6768

Exceptional Farmette!

Kilgore Park Area!

Laurie Sandoval Broker Associate 815-499-1587

Jo Bryson Broker Associate 815-946-3999

NE Dixon Ranch!

New Listing!

Header 5 + acres north of Sterling with brick home with 2000+ Sq. Ft. featuring beautiful oak woodworking & flooring. New 90x50 Wick pole building built in ‘07 plus barn & fenced pasture. Call Laurie!

Price Reduced! Exceptionally well built home with amazing architecture & unique features. New roof in ‘10, 2 fireplaces, & beautifully vaulted ceilings in the living room are just a few of the many features. Call Laurie! $149,900 MLS # 115284

Freshly painted & ready for you and your family! 3 beds, 1 3/4 baths, separate large family room all on the back 9 of Rock River Golf & Pool. Call Jo to view!

Check out this clean, NE Dixon ranch offering 3 bedrooms and main floor everything. Newer kitchen cabinets and laminate flooring. 1 car garage & nice sized back yard on a low traffic street.

$146,500

$69,900

Open Ranch Floor Plan!

Large Lot!

Walk To The River!

Better Than Rent!

3 bedroom, 2 bathroom open ranch floor plan on a large lot located in river access subdivision between Dixon & Sterling.

Full basement with potential for 4th bedroom and family room. Call Laurie!

So much to offer! 3 beds, 1 3/4 bath, 3 garage stalls, huge lot and so many updates. A must see - In Walnut!

Call Jo to view!

Price Reduction! Check out this affordable Sterling 3 bedroom with main floor remodeled bath, fenced yard, and 1 car garage. Walking distance of the river and the Canal Bridge. Call Laurie!

Attention Investors! This is not a drive by. Come take a look! 3 bedrooms, newer roof & flooring. Call Jo for details.

$129,900

$128,000

$24,900

$35,000

$259,900

MLS # 118636

MLS # 118615

MLS # 118434

MLS # 118573

MLS # 117422

1688 Brandywine Lane, Dixon - Office (815) 288-0998

MLS # 118433

MLS # 118424

Sauk Valley Sun

Page 13

www.BrandywineDixon.com

441 IL Rte. 2 - Dixon

Celebrate Mother’s Day Special Mother’s Day Brunch Limited Seating - Call Early Last Year We Sold Out! Baked Sugar Cured Ham (Hand Carved), Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli Rice Casserole, Buttered Corn, Farm Fresh Scrambled Eggs, Hickory Smoked Bacon, Plump Breakfast Sausage, Roasted Breakfast Potatoes, Corned Beef Hash, Our Own Biscuits & Gravy, Cinnamon French Toast, Made-To-Order Belgian Waffles, Full Salad Bar, Brandywine Famous Hors d’oeuvres Station, Coffee/Juice and Dessert Bar! PLUS OUR SPECIAL KIDS BUFFET!

Only $19.99

Sunday, May 13th

Seniors $18.99 Kids $8.99

Call Now For Reservations On Illinois Route 2 Between Dixon & Sterling

815-284-8484

Page 14

DIXON

DIXON Immanuel Lutheran Church ELCA - Pastor Frank Langhoff 1013 Franklin Grove Road.

(815) 284-2804 Saturday Service at 5:30 pm Sunday Services at 8 am and 10:30 am Immanueldixon.org

Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church LCMS-Pastor David Andermann 2035 IL Rt. 26 N (815) 284-4554 Sundays Service at 9 am

Sauk Valley Sun

local churches STERLING

The Big Red Church Pastor Jeff Coester 311 2nd Ave. (815) 625-5112 Sunday School 9 am Sunday Worship 10 am Tuesday Prayer Mtg 6 pm Tuesday Bible Study 7 pm

STERLING

STERLING

Amazing Grace of Sterling Pastor Lorne Shlomer 512 2nd Ave. (815) 625-9300 Saturday Service 7pm Sunday Service 10am Wednesday Service 7pm revivalfires.net

Abiding Word Church Pastor Scott Porter 806 E. Lynn Blvd.

(815) 626-1827 Saturday Service at 6:00 pm Sunday Services at 10:00 am abidingwordchurch.org

Want to see your church listed? Only $99 per year. Call 815-888-4403.

a tidbit about our writers...

Favorite Restaurant In The Sauk Valley

Brad Monson Dixon Drum and Bugle Corp Band plssssssssssssss!.............. without a doubt...the best bang for your buck(and your butt) is.........The Town and Country Family Restaurant located on North Galena Avenue here in Dixon.(Where the old A&W Restaurant used to be, next to the Car Wash). The food is great and there is plenty of it!!! The owner is Bajramoski-Bilgair(see attached picture of Bajra and myself) from Masedonija or as we would say Macedonia....he has been there forever with his family and the place is packed on the weekends. What I like the best is the family atmosphere and the great service, in addition to the food.

Jane Sheaffer I have always loved the Touch of Thai Restaurant since it opened. I greatly appreciate that they will cook dishes to order, accommodating dietary requirements. The food turns out great no matter what I ask them to do!

Joshua Hauck I am super picky when it comes to deli sandwiches. Cobblestone has mastered an art that I will munch on anytime I get the chance. Plus you can’t go wrong with an amazing sandwich followed up by some of the best ice cream in the world! (the above statement might be based on opinion. :P I recommend the Godfather sandwich. Yum!)

New York Style Sandwiches Cedar Crest Ice Cream Over 30 New York Style Sandwiches!

Best Beef and Gyro’s around!

24 Flavors of Cedar Crest Ice Cream!

WE DELIVER

815-626-9999

Open 10:30am to 10pm - 7 days a week!

603 Freeport Rd, Sterling, IL 61081 Darlene Rego To choose a favorite is tough because my husband and I have a couple of favorite places to eat. One of these is “Dynasty” in Sterling . They have Chinese food to carry out or eat in. We usually carry out. Our other favorite is “Wendys” here in Dixon!

Jeff & Mary Coester We love The Basil Tree in Dixon and have been there lunch, dinner and Rehearsal Dinners.

Their Wait Staff seems especially interested in your happiness. I did have a great grilled Prime Rib at The Candlelight, Rock Falls too!

Jill Horn My favorite restaurant in the Sauk Valley area is The River’s Edge Inn. I love their frog legs and the view. It’s hard to find a restaurant that serves frog legs anymore!

Ken Hauck I pretty much eat every meal at Galena Steakhouse (my wife & I really do at out a lot!).

I love their salad bar. Being from Chicago, though, I often crave a good Chicago Dog. At that time I head to Sow Belly’s. I don’t let my wife go with because she tries to order ketchup on her hotdog!

Katie Hauck How can I choose a favorite? I LOVE FOOD! I guess it depends on what I am in the mood for. If it’s a good burger I crave I always head to Flynnie’s. If it’s a pepperoni, with extra cheese pizza I order carry out from Lil Angelos. If I’m in the mood for some delicious tacos I head to Fiesta Cancun, but if I feel like some sesame chicken with crab rangoons I love Panda. There are just way too many great choices. This questions was way too hard this month!

Nancy Nesyto-Freske My favorite restaurant is Touch of Thai. It’s on First, just east of Peoria. I like the selection, quality and taste. I am eager to try the new restaurant around the corner from my studio Orom. It’s on First, just west of Peoria.

Chuck Miller As food & beverage director at The Brandywine, I rarely dine out.

You never see a mailman take a walk on his day off, I’m just saying.

Galena Steak House

#1

would like to take this opportunity to say Thank You to all of our customers for voting us as your #1 steakhouse for over 9 years!

We appreciate your continued support!

1101 N. Galena Ave - Dixon 815-285-1625 f

Sow Belly’s The Taste of Chicago in Dixon

$1.00 Off Any Purchase

Limit one per customer.

Expires: 5/31/12

Carol Chandler Favorite restaurant Applebees and anything that has an oriental buffet!

Open Daily 10am - 10pm Open late Friday & Saturday

• Chicago Style Dogs • Pizza By The Slice • Gyros • Vienna Beef • Burgers • So Much More!

92 S. Peoria Avenue - Dixon

815-288-1234

Sauk Valley Sun

Page 15

Make Extra Money Flexible Schedule Informative Event In Dixon Every Thursday at 7:30pm

Part Time/Full Time $10-$15/hr plus bonuses

Comfort Inn 136 Plaza Dr. Dixon, IL

Questions: Dean Payne 815-757-0578 dcpayne61@gmail.com

Meeting Ticket Bring to Meeting to Register for Give Away

“Please, Sir. I want some more.” “More!?”

We now have several locations where you can pick up your free copy of the Sauk Valley Sun! Find one near you!

Look for our boxes outside of these locations.

Dixon:

County Market Anytime Fitness Flynnie’s Red Apple

Sterling:

County Market Kroger The Spot

Rock Falls:

Save-A-Lot Family Table Friendship House

See the title there? “please, sir. I want some more.” “more!?”

Do you get the reference? :)

service directory

To See Your Business Advertised Here Please Call 815-888-4403.

A/C HEATING

BACKHOE SERVICES

SP Heating & Cooling Serving the Sauk Valley Sales & Service Call Today 815-716-0189

Joe Valdez Excavating & Hauling, Concrete Installation & Removal, Tree Trimming.

Lee, Ogle & Whiteside CALL JOE 815-994-2468

APPLIANCE REPAIR Prescott’s 3610 East Lincolnway Sterling, IL 61081 Sales—Service– Delivery 815-626-2996

CARPENTRY Your ad could be here ONLY $19/month

CARPET CLEANING Kennay’s Carpet Care Dixon 815-288-7336

COMPUTER REPAIR DC Computers Network, wireless, PC, Security 742 N Galena Ave. Dixon, IL 61021 815-288-4695

DUMPSTER RENTAL

Your ad could be here ONLY $19/month

ELECTRICIAN Your ad could be here ONLY $19/month

EMBROIDERY

GUNS & AMMO

Downtown Sports 1202 S. Galena Ave. Dixon 815-284-2255 embroidery & screen printing. Price Match Guarantee.

JT Sales Guns, Zombie Targets, Hornedy Ammo, T-Shirts 2058 Lowell Park Rd-Dixon 815-994-6128 jtsalesstore.com 10% off ammo

FURNITURE REPAIR Days Furniture Repair Expert Repair & regluing on sofas, chairs, recliners & much more 1513 5th Ave Sterling 815-626-5136

GUTTERS American Energy Savers Dixon & Sterling Dan Maloney 815-288-4525

HOME IMPROVEMENT Your ad could be here ONLY $19/ month - Ask About Bold Type & Logos

LANDSCAPING Yardmans If you like rates at dependable prices call Chris.

Quality assured.

815-441-9450 815-213-3721

MASSAGE THERAPY

SEWER & SEPTIC

Joe’s Sewer & The Wright MasSeptic: sage Repairs, PumpCarol Wright LMT ing, 1411 E. 4th St. Installation, Electric Sewer Boring.

Sterling Licensed, Bond815-441-2675 ed & Ins. Specializing in 1437 Nelson Rd deep tissue & Dixon myofacial work.

815-994-2468 Voted #1 in Sauk TREE Valley.

PAINTING Mel’s Painting Experienced Insured 815-625-2707 815-441-2126

SERVICE

Your ad could be here ONLY $19/ month

Page 16

Sauk Valley Sun

Bird Realty 1688 Brandywine Lane Dixon, IL (815) 288-0998

Come See How Our Growing Team Of Trusted Agents Can Help You!

Eric Bird Broker/Owner 815-973-6768

Laurie Sandoval Broker Associate 815-499-1587

Jo Bryson Broker Associate 815-946-3999

OIL CHANGE

DIXON

Includes 55 Point Vehicle Inspection and Fluids Topped Off

489 Il Rte. 2 ~ Dixon, Il 61021 815-288-3366

www.dixonflm.com

HOME OF THE HASSLE FREE BUYING FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT SPECIAL

$59

95

DIXON

COUPON MUST BE PRESENTED TO SERVICE ADVISOR AT TIME OF CHECK IN EXPIRES 5-31-12

COOLANT FLUSH SPECIAL

$99

95

DIXON

COUPON MUST BE PRESENTED TO SERVICE ADVISOR AT TIME OF CHECK IN EXPIRES 5-31-12

$12

95

DIXON

*Oil change includes up to 5 quarts of oil.

Diesel & synthetic extra. Does not include tax & disposal.

FOUR TIRE MAIL-IN REBATE SPECIAL When purchasing Goodyear, Pirelli, Continental, Hankook, Dunlop, and Yokohama

$100

00

DIXON

COUPON MUST BE PRESENTED TO SERVICE ADVISOR AT TIME OF CHECK IN EXPIRES 5-31-12