EXPLORE OPTIMAL HEALTH magazine
ALSO:
LEARN ABOUT RIP’S TAVERN, A LOCAL GEM
MEET JUNE KEELEY, THE ILLINOIS VALLEY PISTOL SHRIMP’S GENERAL MANAGER
TASTY GREEK YOGURT RECIPES
An occasional lazy day is underrated
It’s okay to have a lazy day but not a lazy life. That’s the advice I’ve given my kids since they were little, and it’s a standard I’ve tried to live by my whole life.
I firmly believe that you should always have goals you’re trying to accomplish, whether it’s your career, volunteerism, hobbies, or health that you’re working on. My dad modeled that for me – he always had some project he was dreaming up or a goal he was looking forward to achieving. If he didn’t know how to do something, he would figure it out and give it a try.
I’ve tried to be the same kind of model for my children. I’m always working hard, dreaming
up projects, and making lists to help stay on track. My kids have jam-packed schedules and are in multiple activities, hold jobs, and do well in school, so I know they have bought into the idea of avoiding a lazy life.
But, as I get older, I’m really starting to appreciate more and more the restorative powers of having a lazy day. I feel an overwhelming sense of joy if I see a day on my calendar with nothing written on it. I used to still try to accomplish things on my lazy days – I would try to cram in exercise, errands, and cleaning. But these days, if I see I’m going to have a free day, I try to get all those other
things out of the way so I can truly have nothing to do that day. While I definitely still believe in being productive and busy, I’m also looking forward to scheduling a few more lazy days into my 2025. I hope you find a day or two this month with nothing written on your calendar so you can take a day to relax and recharge your batteries, too.
Best wishes,
Shannon Serpette Niche Editor
Contents
June Keeley Found Her True Passion – Baseball 5
Keeley has been with the Pistol Shrimp from the start.
Give Your Health A Boost 9
Optimal Health has expanded.
Rip’s Tavern 13
An Illinois Valley mainstay for almost 90 years.
Get Better Gut Health 18
Greek yogurt can improve your gut microbiome.
On the cover: Lori Rumbold, owner and operator of Optimal Health, shows off some of her new grocery items. Here, she poses with organic wood-fired pizzas, along with several of her new items. PHOTO BY
KATLYN SANDEN
Do you have a story idea you’d love to read about in Illinois Valley Living magazine? Share your idea with the editor by emailing sserpette@shawmedia.com.
Living magazine
Bureau County Republican P.O. Box 340 Princeton, IL 61356-0340 815-220-6948
General Manager/ Advertising Director Jeanette Smith jmsmith@shawmedia.com
Niche Editor Shannon Serpette sserpette@shawmedia.com
Writers
Brandon LaChance
Katlyn Sanden
Shannon Serpette
Photographer Katlyn Sanden
Designer Liz Klein
June Keeley Found Her True Passion –BASEBALL
Story by Brandon LaChance
The Illinois Valley had a reason to celebrate in the summer of 2024 when the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp won its first Prospect League Championship.
Everyone involved with the Pistol Shrimp played their part in that success, including team owner and field manager Jon Jakiemiec, the players, the staff, the interns, and general manager June Keeley.
Keeley extends the congratulations a step further.
“I tell people when they say congratulations to the team for winning the championship, it’s congratulations to everyone because the entire community is the secret sauce that puts us over the top,” Keeley said.
“You can have the best athletes on the field – the most competitive and fundamentally sound athletes – but they have to have a certain chemistry and work together.
“The enthusiasm and the support from the fans, what the players hear from the fans, is really what sets it apart and makes it all happen. To kind of stand back and look at how
big it has grown and what it has become and what it means to people is amazing,” she added.
Keeley has been with the Pistol Shrimp from the start.
In 2019, the team was founded in DuPage County as the DuPage Pistol Shrimp, with home games played at Benedictine University in Lisle.
The franchise’s first season was played in Lisle, but then COVID-19 canceled the Prospect League’s 2020 season. The Pistol Shrimp played 18 games in a summer inhouse league started by the Joliet Slammers, with all contests played in Joliet.
In 2021, the team became the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp when they moved to Peru and Schweickert Stadium.
“It’s very rewarding and very validating that everything we’re doing is amounting to success. We won the league championship in six years, but not even a full six years,”
See KEELEY page 6
Keeley
FROM PAGE 5
Keeley said. “Building the team within the community in terms of our attendance records being broken every year and to achieve a Prospect League Championship on the field, it’s huge. Every year the club has been in existence has been unique and has offered its own challenges.
“Strange things have happened. Wonderful things have happened,” she said. “The move to the Illinois Valley in 2021 was so much because we didn’t have any previous relationships with businesses. We didn’t know a lot of people. I’ve lived in the Chicago suburbs my entire adult life and hadn’t really been to the Starved Rock area much.”
However, from the first visit, Keeley appreciated what the Illinois Valley had to offer.
“When Jon and I first visited, we just knew the Illinois Valley felt like home and it was the place to be. There were so many pieces logistically to figuring out how it was going to work, who was going to work, and we needed staff, interns, and a team. Everything shifted because we had planned on being in Lisle but only played one season there before the big move, big change,” she said.
Keeley, who is also an independent insurance broker, is originally from Peru, Indiana, (she laughs and calls it ironic) and resides in Naperville.
However, from mid-May to mid-August, she lives in the Illinois Valley during baseball season.
“The job is too much to drive back and forth every day, even though it’s only a one hour and 15-minute drive,” Keeley said. “I feel very at home in the valley. I’ve gotten to make a lot of
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
Although June Keeley didn’t take an at-bat or make a mound appearance for the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp in 2024, she was instrumental in helping the club win its first Prospect League Championship.
friendships in addition to the relationships that have developed through the team with sponsors, vendors, and community organizations.”
She has built connections with fans and can relay stories she has been told about fans coming to games with their late spouses and their children.
Keeley is also proud to be
a female general manager of a baseball team.
“Being a general manager of a baseball team has not been traditionally a female role. In the Prospect League, there is Jeanie Cooke who is a co-owner of the Danville Dans, whose entire life is baseball,” Keeley said. “We just had the retirement of Ginger Fulton, who was the general manager for the Champion City Kings. And the Johnstown Mill Rats have Sarah Rex as the general manager. Out of the 18 teams in the Prospect League, it is nice we have female representation.
“No one seems to bat an eyelash that I’m a woman and a general manager. When the umpire crews come into town, there isn’t a discernible notice that it’s a female or male in the role. For me, the most satisfying part about me being a female in this role is working with the interns I do. I am showing younger female students that anything is possible. They can have any job they want. They can be a general manager of an MLB team,” Keeley said.
“The sky is the limit, and there is nothing you can’t do. I think it’s showing through action. Here I am as an example that they can do these things too. It’s whatever they put their mind to.”
What is really interesting is how it all started. Keeley didn’t search for a general manager job. She never thought it was something she was going to do.
“I was halfheartedly job hunting. I had been doing a lot of volunteer work,” Keeley said. “My son, Ryan Keeley, had a pitching coach, Mark Sheehan, who told me a friend and business associate of his was starting a baseball team in the Prospect League. He had mentioned the job would be in sales to help with sponsorships and it
June Keeley has a family outside of her baseball family as well. Her daughter Jordan (left) lives and works in Chicago, while her son Ryan (right) is finishing his final year of college in Hilo, Hawaii.
As the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp general manager, June Keeley plans unique events for the team, fans, and sponsors. If there is something planned like Beach Bash Night, she will be there, and she may even take photos like she did with Emme Bottom (right).
should be super easy.
“I met with Jon in the fall of 2018. At the meeting, I figured out quickly the position was so much more than a simple ad-selling position over the phone. I knew Jon needed someone to be a manager and take care of the behind-the-scenes aspects of baseball. He and I clicked right away. He brought me in
When a player signs with the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp, the first thing they do is go to the field for general manager June Keeley to get them outfitted for the season. Throughout the season, Keeley maintains relationships with the players during events and games.
as general manager, and the rest is history.”
Taking the chance to explore her options led her on this path.
“This little meeting for a part-time sales job led to me being a general manager and it has become a really big part of my life. It’s been the best part of my life for the last six years and into the future,” she said.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
M.R.Holmbeck,D.V.M.
B.R.Sondgeroth,D.V.M.
A.M.Adams,D.V.M. K.A.Reed,D.V.M.
Curator Jessica Gray has opened the archives and selected images that have rarely been seen, or in many cases, have never been on display. Every image features a Bureau County citizen or local artist.
Come learn these individuals’ interesting and varied stories of life in early Bureau County through to present day.
Paintings are paired with items the subjects treasured, created, or used in life, adding a personalizing touch to who these individuals were.
Visitors are invited to help identify the subjects in two of the portraits as the individuals are unknown. Everyone has a story, help us tell theirs.
BUREAU COUNTY HISTORY CENTER
Portrait of a young girl, unknown
Army Staff Sergeant Lincoln HollinsaidWright Seaman, Princeton’s First Fire Chief
Picturedfromleft:
Give Your Health A Boost
Optimal HealtH Has expanded
Story and photos by Katlyn Sanden
Navigating your health journey can be challenging, even if you’re relatively healthy. But if you throw in a food allergy, an unknown ailment, or your own child suffering, it’s enough to put you right over the edge.
Whether you find yourself in despair because you can’t enjoy food like you used to before you found out about an allergy, you’re struggling with a chronic condition and can’t seem to find answers, or you’re just yearning for a healthier diet, Optimal Health can be a good resource. Optimal Health, located in Princeton, is a grocer that also offers a variety of supplements and vitamins.
“I was an essential business during COVID as I sold food and supplements,” Optimal Health owner Lori Rumbold said. “People grew to depend on a place with products to help with their immune system and to purchase groceries with fewer people shopping.”
Rumbold, who is a Certified Natural Health Professional, opened Optimal Health in 2012 based on a community need.
“I didn’t feel I had time for that as I had three kids,” Rumbold said. “We also raised cattle, but I stepped out in faith. I had no idea how to get started, but remembered ordering from Now Foods through a co-op. I reached out to them to try and fill the two shelves I started with.”
Since then, Rumbold has expanded into a larger building and has had to expand differ-
See HEALTH page 10
Lori Rumbold says that when creating a healthier lifestyle, simple changes can make the most impact, such as choosing dye-free candy. She offers a whole aisle of candy.
FROM PAGE 9
ent areas of her business along the way.
“I started with supplements and would listen to customers’ needs as they would stop in the store,” said Rumbold regarding her store’s evolvement. “Within two years, I was adding food. My goal has always been to offer quality products at affordable prices, but being a small business, I did not have the buying power.”
That changed this past fall when Rumbold joined a cooperative with one of her distributors.
“Optimal Health, along with 400 other independent health stores, now have buying power to offer better prices on organic food and supplements,” Rumbold said.
With this new development, Optimal Health now offers products from the CADIA food line. It’s a nationally known company that packages its organic and high-quality products under the CADIA brand. Some of the most popular products Rumbold can’t seem to keep in stock are frozen veggies, fruit, pizza, cheese, canned vegetables, peanut butter, almond butter, laundry detergent, and dish soap.
“It can be a challenge figuring out which products to carry,” said Rumbold. “We do our best to listen to what our customers need but are always looking for new and exciting products and food. There are many with food sensitivities. We love being here for people who feel helpless and discouraged with a different food allergy diagnosis by introducing them to delicious foods that they can eat. We also carry items that everyone can enjoy.”
PHOTO BY KATLYN SANDEN
Rowe Casa Organics is a new line at Optimal Health that customers love.
Rachel Skaggs, who has been shopping at Optimal Health for over 6 years, said she’d be lost without this store in Princeton.
“I am so blessed to have Optimal Health in Princeton,” said Skaggs. “My daughter has food allergies, and I’ve always been able to find safe food and snacks for her. The options are endless, and the price point is perfect. It allows me to provide new options for my daughter that are safe for her. They’re always getting in new products. The personal touch is even more amazing. Lori and her entire staff go above and beyond to get in items and help you find exactly what you’re looking for. It’s also my personal favorite spot to stop and find a healthy snack and drink when I need a little afternoon pick-me-up.”
Skaggs said her new favorite items are frozen organic fruits and says the price point is awesome.
In addition to Skaggs’ favorites, Optimal Health offers gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, and other items containing none of the nine allergens. They also offer homemade, gluten-free baked goods, including muffins, scones, cookies, protein bites, and other dessert items from their bakery.
While it can be challenging running a small business with minimum wage increases and other incentives cut, Rumbold is eager to see all the opportunities Optimal Health will
A gluten-free oatmeal cream pie is just one of the goodies from their bakery.
Left: Here’s a sample of some organic food products mixed in with some allergy-friendly food items. Rumbold says the mac and cheese is popular with kids. She offers regular mac and cheese along with gluten-free and dairy-free.
have from this new cooperative. She looks forward to passing those opportunities on to her customers as well. She offers a 10 percent discount on cases of grocery items you can’t find anywhere else.
Rumbold says opportunities like these and the sense of community Optimal Health provides keep her going despite uncertain economic times.
“My employees and our customers are the greatest joys. They have become like family. We get to know the customers on a personal level. It brightens our day when they come in and share how much we have helped them and how much they appreciate us being there. We are definitely here for our community and trying to fill a need,” she said.
Ashley Person, an Optimal Health team member, says they truly are like family.
“I’m so thankful that Princeton has a store like Optimal Health that offers quality supplements and organic groceries at affordable prices,” Person said. “My 4-year-old daughter has been taking supplements from Optimal Health since she was a baby. She loves all the snacks, too. I feel good as a mom knowing I am giving her quality supplements and food that’s good for her. It is such an amazing place to work because we’re like a family. Lori is the best, and I’ve learned so much from her.”
PHOTOS BY KATLYN SANDEN
When Angie Panizzi and Gabe Leonard
Rip’s Tavern, an Illinois Valley mainstay for almost 90 years
Story by Brandon LaChance
If you live in the Illinois Valley, you’re almost certainly familiar with Rip’s Tavern.
Established in 1936 by Sylvio “Rip” and Emma Gualandri, the establishment at 311 N. Main St. in Ladd has been serving chicken, crispies, pickles, fried appetizers, beer, and liquor for 89 years.
Current owners Angie Panizzi and Gabe Leonard, who are siblings, have been part of the ride for more than two decades and have capitalized on the great food and sense of community since taking ownership on July 1, 2019.
“I started working there in the fall of 2002, and I’ve worked there ever since,” said Panizzi, 41, a Spring Valley native. “I worked
there when I went to college at both Illinois Valley Community College and Columbia College in Chicago because I’d come back to work. When I was home from college on a break and working, I met my husband, Matt Panizzi, at Rip’s.”
The sense of community is one of the reasons Panizzi is so drawn to Rip’s.
“I just like being part of people’s stories. In the 23 years I’ve been involved, a lot changes. You’re really a part of people’s lives. I’ve seen people come into Rip’s and have their first dates, their first child, and their first grandchild. I hear stories, ‘I had my first date here 50 years ago’ or ‘My wife and I came to Rip’s after we got married 65 years ago and we
See RIP’S page 14
took over Rip’s Tavern on July 1, 2014, the first thing they agreed on was not changing the recipe. The chicken has been fried the same since Rip’s was established in 1936.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
Rip’s
FROM PAGE 13
have come back every year since.’ I love the tradition,” she said.
“I’ve spent over half of my life at Rip’s. It’s part of my story. It’s part of my kids’ stories. It’s where I met my husband. We had pictures taken there for our wedding reception. It’s neat being part of the community and everybody’s lives,” she added.
Leonard, 33, who first worked for Rip’s in January 2014, remembers Rip’s dinners when he was a kid. Since his older sister brought him into the Rip’s Tavern landscape, he’s never left.
“Rip’s has always been an important part of my life growing up. My sister worked there when we would always eat at our grandparent’s house on a lot of Sundays in Ladd. When I was eating Rip’s half-dark chicken when I was 8 years old, I never thought I’d own the place eventually,” said Leonard.
“It’s been an amazing experience. It’s a lot of hard work, but we have a great community that always comes together. Talk about experience; we only owned Rip’s for eight months before COVID-19 happened. We closed the dining room and started curbside service. Lines were two blocks long instead of wrapped around indoors. Here we are six years later, and we’re doing well,” he said.
The sister-brother duo bought the restaurant and bar from Bill and Dave Rounds. Employees were worried about who the next owner could be when the Rounds announced they were interested in selling. They were then relieved when Panizzi and Leonard became the new bosses.
Betha Ghighi, who started at Rip’s in 1998 and is still currently employed, looked for other jobs because she thought her time at Rip’s was over. She’s glad she stayed.
“I remember it being so busy when I started. They threw me in as a waitress because I was 18 and couldn’t be behind the bar. Then it evolved into me bartending. People are in shock when I say I’ve been there since 1998, but I wouldn’t know what I’d do without Rip’s,” Ghighi said.
“It’s my normal routine. I enjoy being there. I enjoy the people. It’s fun. It’s busy. It’s a whole vibe. I honestly can’t imagine my life without Rip’s and the environment,” Ghighi
Angie Panizzi and Gabe Leonard are siblings who grew up in Spring Valley. Panizzi started working at Rip’s Tavern in 2002 and Leonard in 2014. Through their time as employees, they fell in love with the food, the community, and the culture Rip’s offers. They purchased the Illinois Valley staple from Dave and Bill Rounds on July 1, 2019.
said. “People ask me if I get sick of the food. Absolutely not. I don’t order chicken from anywhere else because it is the best chicken around. Why would I order anywhere else?”
Panizzi and Leonard are happy to hear these sentiments because they have similar ones. Morphing from employee to employer may be hard for some, but the pair have been able to move forward through any adversity because of their cohesion, quality staff, and a supportive community.
“We have worked together really well. We have always been close. Gabe is a lot younger than me, so there isn’t a lot of competitiveness or anything like that,” Panizzi said. “I’ve also worked at Rip’s a lot longer than him. I don’t want to say I’m the boss because I definitely couldn’t do it without him.
“Sometimes, he follows my lead, but what
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
In 2020, Rip’s Tavern became a curbside pickup business due to COVID-19. Although customers can eat inside now, curbside and carryout orders are still popular choices. Since 2020, Rip’s has built a fully finished outside patio. he does is so important and so amazing. He stepped into cooking really well. Before we started doing the final stuff to take over ownership, Gabe was a bartender. Now he runs the kitchen,” she said.
Although they were spoken to at two different times and locations for this story, they both said the same thing – they couldn’t do it without the other.
“Angie and I do it together. We’re a great team. I can’t do it without her. She brought me on. I’ve always looked up to her. We make it work. It’s great to still have the lines with people waiting to eat Rip’s chicken. There is nothing like it,” Leonard said. “It’s my bias, but I do think we have the best chicken in the area. We’ve always kept it the same through all of the generations. As things change with the economy and the landscape of the restaurant world, we are doing our best to keep everything the same as it has been since the beginning.
“Rip’s is a social gathering,” Leonard added. “People come from all over the state and out of the state and will wait one and a half hours. They come with a common interest – eat great fried chicken and have a beer. People can relax at Rip’s and have a good time. It’s a party. We always want it to be a good time and a good experience for customers.”
Get Better Gut Health
Greek yogurt can improve your gut microbiome
By Shannon Serpette
Medical experts are constantly learning new ways in which a healthy gut microbiome can influence people’s health. Incorporating probiotic-rich Greek yogurt into your diet is one way to improve your gut microbiome. When you improve your diet, the healthy bacteria you ingest may help with things like better food digestion, improved nutrient absorption, and even a stronger immune system.
Here are some Greek yogurt recipes to try the next time you want to make something new in the kitchen.
Greek Yogurt Dressing
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
DIRECTIONS
Whisk all the ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use, and it can be used for three to four days after making it.
Ranch Greek Yogurt Dressing
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup plain Greek Yogurt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried chives
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon honey (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Put all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Up to two tablespoons of water can be added to thin the dress, if desired.
Broccoli Salad
INGREDIENTS
5 slices thick-cut bacon
1 pound broccoli florets
1/2 medium red onion
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons of apple cider or red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey or granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/3 cup dried cranberries
DIRECTIONS
Cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large skillet and cook over medium-low heat until browned and
crisp. Meanwhile, cut the broccoli florets into ¾-inch pieces and finely chop the red onion. Place the onion and broccoli in a large bowl. Add the shredded cheddar cheese to the bowl.
When the bacon is fully cooked, put it on a paper towel-lined plate. Move two tablespoons of the bacon grease to a medium bowl. Discard the rest of the fat in the skillet and keep the skillet handy for later use. Add the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, vinegar, honey or sugar, salt and black pepper to the bacon fat and whisk together in the medium bowl. Put the skillet over medium heat and put in the sunflower seeds. Cook them, stirring often until lightly toasted, about two minutes. Mix in the sunflower seeds, dressing, the cooked bacon, and dried cranberries to the broccoli mixture. Stir until well-combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Greek Yogurt Cheesecake
INGREDIENTS FOR THE CRUST
1 and 1/2 graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 and 3/4 cup Greek yogurt, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice
INGREDIENTS FOR THE TOPPING
1 and 1/2 cups of fresh strawberries and blueberries mixed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon chia seeds, optional
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, prepare a water bath pan and wrap a 9-inch springform pan tightly with foil.
In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and sugar. Stir until mixed well. Press evenly into the bottom of the springform pan, using the bottom of a cup to flatten it down. Bake for eight minutes, remove from oven, and allow to cool. When it is cooled, wrap the bottom and edges tightly with foil and reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
Make the cheesecake filling by using a mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth, about two minutes. Add in the granulated sugar, Greek yogurt, vanilla, and lemon juice, beating again until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing on low to medium
speed. Avoid overmixing. Pour the cheesecake filling onto the crust in the springform pan. Place the pan in the bottom of a roasting pan that has one inch of hot water in the bottom.
Bake in oven for about 45 to 55 minutes or until the middle has set. It should jiggle a little but also look firm. Turn off the oven, open the oven door slightly, and allow cheesecake to cool in the oven for one hour before taking it out of the oven. Cover the cheesecake and chill it for 8 hours in the refrigerator.
For the berry topping, bring the berries and lemon juice to simmer in a small pan. Cook down for about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chia seeds to thicken the mixture if desired. Serve with the cheesecake.
Illinois’ longest operating lumberyard continues to thrive along Peru’s historic riverfront. Maze Lumber has been providing top quality building materials to Illinois Valley contractors and homeowners for over 177 years, still owned by the founding fathers (Maze).
Located in a 15,000-square foot showroom and office, we offer building materials for the modern home as well as a full line of the traditional lumber items used in home building, commercial construction, and industrial applications. Our experienced sales staff takes pride in their ability to provide knowledgeable assistance along with prompt delivery at reasonable prices.
