SVM_Lake Lifestyle_October 2024 by Shaw Media

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For Lake Carroll high-schoolers, fun + three=Fore!

City gets pumped up about pumpkins

Family farm and orchard invites you to take your pick Bar and grill raises a glass and says “Cheers to good friends!”

OCTOBER 2024

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OCTOBER

ake Carroll members know that the lake is a great place to put out the Gone Fishin’ sign and enjoy some R&R: rest and reel-axation.

But they’re not the only ones who get to enjoy the fishing at Illinois’ largest private lake.

From time to time, others have been able to experience the lure of the lake too, like the clients of Rolling Hills Progress Center, a Lanark-based facility that provides vocational services and activities for people with developmental disabilities. The clients were invited to answer a casting call on Aug. 12 at the lake, where they got to be the stars of the day during a fishing outing organized by Lake Carroll residents and the Fishing and Yacht clubs.

The clients enjoyed a few hours fishing at the East Marina and out on the lake on residents’ boats, all under the supervision and assistance of those who know the lake’s fishing spots like the palm of their hand. They delighted in the fish they caught and shared stories of their catches with their fellow co-workers during a cookout toward the end of the day.

Jon, a client at Rolling Hills Progress Center in Lanark, delights at the sight of a bluegill he caught Aug. 12, during an outing at Lake Carroll's East Marina. He is helped by Rolling Hills Executive Director Todd Fransen.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

Fishing Club President James Yenney made sure his club’s volunteers gave Rolling Hills’ clients memories they could cherish.

“It’s a special occasion for the Rolling Hills clients to come out here and enjoy the beauty of Lake Carroll that we get to enjoy on a daily basis,” Yenney said. “Our volunteers really enjoy participating in

events like this, and it’s great for the clients of Rolling Hills to come out and enjoy a day away from their daily routine.”

At the East Marina, some fishers tried their luck from the bank while others took up a higher vantage point on the fishing pier. They got some guidance and tips from Fishing Club volunteers, who lent a hand baiting hooks, casting lines, and helping their guests play the baiting and waiting game, watching for their lures to bobble and lines to twitch.

John Kappel of Lake Carroll spent much of his day helping Austin handle his fishing pole and showing him where to cast his line from the pier. After a few tries, their patience paid off when Austin caught a perch. Elsewhere, others were watching bluegill take the bait.

Kappel also shared with Austin what makes Lake Carroll a neat place to go fishing.

“It’s nothing but peace and serenity out here,” Kappel said. “It’s just beautiful. Everybody’s so friendly.”

What makes fishing so fun for Austin? “Catching the fish,” he told Kappel.

Alyssa tried her luck at various spots along the East Marina. The experience made her reflect on times that she enjoyed fishing alongside her family. She, too, ended up with a couple of bluegills from the lake.

John Kappel of Lake Carroll helps Austin, a client at Rolling Hills Progress Center, with his fishing line at Lake Carroll’s East Marina.

CODYCUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMED

“I learned from my roots,” Alyssa said. “I learned from how my parents learned from their parents, and how my grandparents learned from theirs. It’s like family roots and how the tradition is.”

Alyssa also recalled some important casting advice she learned from her family over the years. “It’s where to aim it,” she said. “Not in the trees, but you’re just aiming it in the water.”

Like Alyssa, Kerry also caught a pair of fish. “You never know what they’re going to do,” Kerry said. “It seems great, don’t it?”

It was great for Rolling Hills Program Director Jenny Sharron, too, who loved

seeing the joy on clients’ faces and the fish on their lines.

She works with clients during enrichment activities that are part of Rolling Hills’ mission, along with the vocational training they get from work routines. She knows how special that events like the fishing trip are to clients.

“It was amazing,” Sharron said. “It was a beautiful day with lots of volunteers who have all been so wonderful. We had a lot of fishing success on the boats. Someone caught six fish by themselves. It’s amazing for the community to do all of this for us, and it’s amazing how everyone here comes together.”

Rolling Hills and the lake’s social clubs hope to make the fishing day an annual event once again after its run of three straight years hit a snag during the coronavirus pandemic. The event began after a wish from a client, Jill, came true through the help of Amanda Klinefelter of Lake Carroll. Jill, who is blind, got to fish from the Klinefelters’ boat and enjoyed the experience so much, that it helped lead to others getting to experience the feeling.

Post-pandemic, the event had been on the back burner until earlier this year when Klinefelter talked about it with Fishing Club member Neil Hightower; that got the ball rolling to resurrect it.

“The year before Covid, we had a lot of people out here going fishing, going on boat rides, and having hot dogs,” Klinefelter said. “That’s what we wanted to do this year.”

Yenney also looked at the event as a way to promote Rolling Hills to Lake Carroll residents, he said. The nonprofit industrialized workshop for the developmentally disabled opened in 1976, and its clients complete assembly

and packaging jobs contracted to the facility by the government and commercial industries. Clients are 16 years or older and reside in Carroll County, and acquire basic working and self-care skills through their involvement.

Bringing back the fishing event will also help acquaint Lake Carroll’s newest residents with Rolling Hills, Yenney said.

“When I put out a call for volunteers, we had some members who had just recently become full-time members out here who didn’t really know what Rolling Hills was,” Yenney said. “It gives them awareness that we have this in our community, and it’s a really good thing.”

The outing doesn’t just create priceless memories for the clients, but for volunteers as well.

“One lady caught a walleye, and everybody’s envious about that, because even us fishermen out here don’t catch walleye very often,” Yenney said. “That’s a blessing in disguise.”

Sharron can’t wait for next year’s outing, she said, and hopes that more clients can get to experience the feeling of fun, peace and camaraderie, and the joy of catching fish.

“It makes my heart so happy,” Sharron said. “I’ve been working with a lot of them since 2015, and just to see them be excited and get to meet people and share experiences has been amazing. Just seeing their faces was really it. They’ll be talking about this for weeks, and some will be asking, ‘When are we going to do that again?’” Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

Rolling Hills clients and volunteers capped off their day of fishing with a cookout.

CODYCUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMED

More info

Rolling Hills Progress Center’s mission is to provide vocational and activity services to individuals with development. Find it on Facebook or call 815-493-2321 to learn more about its programs and services.

articipating on the high school golf team is more than just competing against fellow golfers; it’s a learning process that extends outside of the classroom.

For a trio of golfers from Lake Carroll, spending each fall competing for the Eastland High School Cougars program has come with improvement over the course of the past three years.

Braden Anderson, Jaden Brower and Kaya VanMatre look to make each season better than the one before, with head coach and Lake Carroll golf pro Jason Hill helping guide them along the way. The high school season kicked off Aug. 17 at Lake Carroll Golf Course for the Eastland Invitational, and each one of the trio has set a goal of making their junior seasons their best ones yet.

In Illinois High School Association regional competition last season at Byron Hills Golf Course in Port Byron, Braden improved 10 strokes from his performance in the previous year’s regional with an 87. He qualified for sectional competition for the second consecutive year and finished one stroke better at Fyre Lake Golf Club in Sherrard, but missed the cut for the state meet; his sectional performance was a 23-stroke improvement from his freshman year.

Braden also competed in this year’s Lake Carroll Club Championship and Ryder Cup. He carded a 174 at the Club Championship, finishing in the top half of a field of 34 golfers among all flights; and teamed with Colton Boelkes on the Blue Team at the Ryder Club to tie with Trey Sturtevant and past club champion

Josh Heinrich in match play.

Jaden and Kaya finished last year with scores of 108 and 142, respectively, at regional competition at PrairieView Golf Club in Byron; Jaden improved 26 strokes from her regional performance two years ago as a freshman.

Braden is the son of Scott and Kelly Bares and Lonnie Anderson, Jaden is the daughter of Ben and Kristi Brower and Kaya is the daughter of Jason and Altovise VanMatre. Lake Lifestyle recently caught up with Braden, Jaden and Kaya to talk to them about their time out on the golf course this high school season

RUSTY SCHRADER/SVM PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

Dream Kitchens & Baths

hen summer fades, autumn begins to shine as the rich hues of a new season reach for the sky — treetops decked out in their fall finest: reds and oranges and golden yellows that treat us to a feast for the eyes before nature’s medley of colors hibernates under a blanket of white for the winter.

In Mount Carroll, though, the focus is on one color: orange — specifically, those plump pumpkins that conjure up thoughts of Halloween, an undaunted Linus and his greatest hope, and Thanksgiving dessert.

When October winds down, things begin to ramp up in Mount Carroll, where Pumpkin Fest packs a lot of fun into one day and visitors pack the streets downtown on the last Saturday of the month, this year from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on Oct. 26.

The annual event, organized by the town’s chamber of commerce, promises plenty of family fun, from preschoolers riding on barrel trains and decorating pumpkins, to adults who want to try their hand at axe throwing. Concessions from local service organizations will be available and food trucks will be set up, and kids can take their Halloween costumes out for a test spin before trick-or-treat the following week.

No matter what the weather winds up being, it doesn’t deter people from enjoying the fall festival, Pumpkin Fest planning committee chairwoman Diane Bausman said.

“It’s a nice buildup to Halloween,” Bausman said.

“The kids have an extra chance to wear their Halloween costume on the Saturday before Halloween. We’re really hoping the cold holds off. Even when it’s cold, the little kids all come bundled up and still want to do stuff.”

Mount Carroll Chamber

President Pam Sorg has seen families from her hometown and beyond make Pumpkin Fest an annual destination, and enjoys hearing stories from kids about their adventures, and first-time fest families who said they finally got to experience something they’ve been wanting to come to for a while.

“There’s something for the entire family. Some parents say they can’t get around to all of the activities with their kids — it’s that full — but they’re happy because there are a lot of kids there.”

Plans for Pumpkin Fest start coming together throughout the year, during monthly meetings of the committee, who comes up with new ideas and decides which events to bring back. Last year’s addition to the fun was a flash mob dance performance of costumed witches from the River Country Stomp line dancing troupe of Dixon. The witches will be back this year with two performances at the intersection of Main and Market Streets: The first at 10:15 a.m., before a costume parade with kids and pets that they’ll lead, and another at 11:45 a.m.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

with Rustic Ridge Axe Throwing of Oregon bringing its two-lane throwing trailer to town from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

which begins at 8 a.m. and takes walkers and runners all around town throughout varying topography and passing by historic places, with hydration stations available along the way. The race begins and ends at the new Davis Community Center, which opened this spring, on the southeast side of town.

When the committee looked to include a race in the fun, new committee member Jody Swiech took off with it. An avid runner, Swiech worked with the Davis Center and the city to plan the race route and registration arrangements. The cost to participate is $25 (go to daviscommunitycenter. org to register), with prizes for top runners

CONTRIBUTEDPHOTO

in each age group, and for the overall fastest man and woman; each runner also gets a “swag bag” of goodies.

“I’m a runner, and being new to the committee with a great group of ladies I’ve known my whole life, I wanted to give some of my talents and energy to something worthwhile that I thought was fun,” Swiech said. “I’m hopeful that this will just be the beginning, and next year we can call it a ‘second annual.’ A lot of people like to do events like this, even if it’s just two friends who all they do is walk and talk. It appeals to a lot of people, and there are always hardcore people who have run them in less than 20 minutes.”

The downtown streets will be lined with fall and Halloween decor, including an antique fire truck, that will provide a backdrop for photo ops. Plenty of smiles and cute moments happen all around them, Bausman said: “We encourage people to take lots of pictures and post them online, and I’m sure many Christmas cards have been created from it.”

CONTRIBUTEDPHOTO

How big, exactly? That’s for you to guess. Committee member Carol Frey helps coordinate the contest, where people write their guesses on slips of paper and await the announcement of the closest or exact guess at the end of the event; the winner gets $25 in Chamber Bucks for Mount Carroll businesses.

Some people take the challenge seriously, Frey said.

“It’s fun watching them when they are all serious about it,” Frey said. “Some of them will really look at them and study them. Some just put a guess down, but some are just very diligent about looking at them. It’s a lot of fun.”

include story sessions at the Mount Carroll Library after the costume parade, face painting and balloon artistry from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., barrel train rides at the Main Street parking lot from 10 to 1, games, mini-pumpkin races, pumpkin painting, sports-related activities and more.

One of the final kids events of the day will really be a ball: At 1:30 p.m., someone in a boom truck will rise to the occasion near the Main and Market intersection and drop a load of ping-pong balls from the air, sending kids scampering to grab one that can be exchanged for prizes.

Mount Carroll musician Marques Morel will perform vintage country and delta blues music from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Carroll County Courthouse lawn. That’s not all: Additional attractions and fun will be announced before the event on its Facebook page at “Pumpkin Fest! Mt. Carroll, IL.”

which sets up along Market Street on the east section of downtown. The market has been around for more than 30 years, but has grown considerably in the past four, Sorg said, into one of the largest in northwest Illinois. More than 50 vendors are lined up to welcome the Pumpkin Fest crowd, many of whom had a lot of success during last year’s finale.

“It warms my heart to see all of the free activities and all of the vendors do so well,” Sorg said. “It really brings me joy after working so hard on it.”

The Pumpkin Fest Committee is assisted by local organizations to keep the event a fun one each year; they include volunteers from the IMPACT program at Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, the West Carroll High School Student Leadership program, 4-H clubs throughout Carroll County, Mount Carroll Methodist Church, and the Servant Leadership program from Highland Community College in Freeport.

Bausman said. “We have a lot of people tell us that they appreciate it and it’s a good place to take the kids.”

Pumpkin Fest began in 2014, but is not the town’s first Halloween-centric event. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the town hosted October Nights during each weekend of the month with a walking cemetery tour at Oak Hill. Both the current and former event capitalized for several years on the October success of the Raven’s Grin Inn haunted house, which is still an attraction, but only open by appointment.

Bausman, who retired last year as executive director of the Polo-based Blackhawk Waterways Convention and Visitors Bureau for 20 years, has seen how town-wide events and festivals not only bring people to town, but also a lot of revenue for local businesses.

“I think it’s a nice way to showcase Mount Carroll,” Bausman said. “You can look at all of the people and everyone’s having a good time. We’re encouraging our businesses to be open and to offer things, and I think it’s a great way to get people into Mount Carroll.”

Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

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in the days when the Dittmar family first put down roots on their farm, most people who wanted fresh produce would pick their own.

Things haven’t changed much.

A 150 years later, there are still Dittmars on the family farm and people are still picking their own. These days though, the family farm has grown into a business — Dittmar Farms and Orchard, located north of Elizabeth — and the people picking are their

The sesquicentennial family farm in the rolling hills of rural Jo Daviess County offers customers a place where they can pick a peck of apples fresh from the tree, pluck raspberries off the bush, or haul pumpkin that they snapped off the vine.

That’s not all: There’s plenty of fun for the family too: hayrack rides around the farm, a cornfield maze, a petting zoo and playground equipment for the kids, and even live music on select weekends.

Mike Dittmar represents the sixth generation of Dittmars to care for the farm, which has been in his family since 1854, when his great-great-great-grandfather, Erhardt Dittmar, emigrated to the United States from Germany in his late 30s. Mike’s parents, Peg and Richard, are the fifth generation of the family, and the seventh generation are already helping out on the farm: Michael and wife Jonna’s children:

Mike co-owns the farm with Richard and Peg, who turned part of it into an agritourism business 15 years ago that’s been attracting both city and country folk since then.

“It’s all U-pick, family fun, just like on your grandpa’s farm,” Mike said. “Everything is so interactive and experience driven. It’s family oriented. We’ve had people who have hung around for four hours to have fun and enjoy music as well.”

The farm’s business season runs from late August to the end of October. Raspberries and a few apple varieties, such as honeycrisps and galas, are ready to be picked in the first couple of weeks. Pumpkins and other varieties of apples, such as Fujis and pink ladies, await plucking in October. Around 20 different apple varieties are available at various times during the season. Sweet corn also is grown on the farm and sold at local markets throughout the summer.

With new features and fun ideas added each year, the Dittmars enjoy finding new ways to put a smile on customers’ faces during their visits roaming the scenic hills and ridges — and some ideas really take off. Inspired by the success of their slingshot gourd launcher, Mike constructed a large, wooden trebuchet that can fling pumpkins through the air — ones not quite suitable for sale — out toward an open field.

This season also is the first for the farm’s new store and concession building, which also has restrooms and a sheltered picnic area. Construction began last fall, and most of the family aims to have the store’s space full by next year; among what’s on the tables now are bags of butterfly and mushroom styles of popcorn grown on the farm.

Having a building on the farm also meant that the Dittmars could finally make their apple cider donuts on site, after having rented a kitchen in Elizabeth for several years. With each new addition, the Dittmars have come a long way since its first days of business as a simple produce stand, and it’s been a lot of fun — not just for customers, but for the Dittmars too.

“It’s all about our history and it being all family operated and run,” Mike said. “We were an operating dairy farm until the 1990s when my grandpa died, and we didn’t really do anything else for a while other than feed cows. About 15 years ago, we started in the agritourism business. We started with Army tents and porta-potties, and now we have all of this.”

Pumpkins were the crop that helped inspire the Dittmars to go into business. They grew a patch for friends and family to pick from and adding some social activities to make it more fun — and that inspired them to share that experience with the public.

“We started planting them and having a whole weekend where the neighborhood and friends and family could come over,” Peg said. “We had a fire pit, everybody brought food, we grilled out, and picked pumpkins. There were a couple of years where we did fireworks and other fun stuff. We had a lot of fun and it was amazing, so we started it with two Army tents and food from a commercial kitchen in town, and the rest is history.”

On top of the cost for produce, admission to the farm and orchard is $10 (children 3 and younger are free), which pays for most of the entertainment that is offered. Attractions such as the gourd slingshot and pumpkin-pitching trebuchet, pony rides, and opportunities to drive an antique farm tractor are available for an extra couple of dollars.

One attraction people won’t want to miss, Mike said, is a 25-minute haywagon ride around the farm. The shallow Mill Creek winds through and around the farm, and the hayride crosses over the ford in the creek. When Mike is behind the wheel of the hayrides, he likes to stop the wagon on the water to give riders a chance to look around and soak in all the sights and sounds of the farm seeing and hearing the gentle ripples and rushes of the water while they enjoy the view.

two Saturdays prior to Halloween. The farm partners with local organizations to put a haunted path together, and the admission for each ride goes toward scholarships for local students; more information about the attraction will be announced on the farm’s Facebook page during October.

Tractor-driving experiences and ATV farm tours also are offered during the spring and summer.

In addition to running an agritourism business, the Dittmars also own a pair of vacation rentals. The two-story Arrowhead Treehouse can sleep six and offers access to Mill Creek. Hell’s Branch Cabin, with views of Driftless Area scenery, is also two stories and can sleep eight, and features two bathrooms, a laundry room and a four-season porch.

“We have the best hayride ever,” he said. “We have a lot of gorgeous views. You see lots of animals, a lot of deer, some bald eagles. Some babies will come on crying, and then after they get on the hayride it’ll knock them right out, it’s just so serene.”

The hayrides take some spooky twists and turns the last

The farm isn’t the only place where Mike has done some growing. He also helps growing minds as a teacher at River Ridge High School in Hanover, and did his part to help grow tourism, as Elizabeth’s village president for 15 years, during a time that saw increased tourism to the community, which included the opening of destinations such as Elizabeth’s Grand Antique Company and the Highway 20 Brewing Company, which sells some of its beers at Dittmar’s concession stand.

With visitors coming from all walks of life, the Dittmars hope those who may not be familiar with farm life will gain an appreciation of it.

“Fifty years ago, everyone had a grandpa or an uncle who had a farm that you went to in the fall,” Dittmar said. “There’s just something with the fall harvest that’s in our blood, as a nation, and it’s just awesome.”

Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

f you ever wondered where Sam Malone from “Cheers” wound up after the classic sitcom’s series finale in 1993, check out a Stockton bar and grill.

For three decades, Dan Bergman has seen some people at The Corner Tap do a double take: Are they seeing a fictional former Boston Red Sox pitcher, or a longtime local businessman behind the bar?

Whatever the case may be, Bergman has taken his resemblance to actor and sitcom suds-slinger Ted Danson in stride, and even leans into it with a good-natured smile, creating an atmosphere where friends are family and where everybody knows your know name — even when they give you someone else’s.

“It’s like in ‘Cheers,’ everyone calls me ‘Sammy,’” Bergman said. “Everyone knows everyone, and we’re all kind of like family.”

Cheers to 30 years! Corner Tap owner Dan Bergman is celebrating 30 years in business this fall. Bergman, who bought the bar and grill in October 1994, offers a friendly and fun atmosphere at the Stockton business — and his decades behind the bar aren’t the only reason his face is familiar. A lot of customers call him “Sammy,” because of his resemblance to Ted Danson’s Sam Malone character from the TV show “Cheers.”

The Corner Tap will celebrate 30 years of business in October, but it’s been a bar for much longer than that, “since at least the ‘40s,” Bergman said; it was previously known as B&L’s Friendly Tap before Bergman, originally from Chicago, bought it upon moving to the area to be closer to family.

Folks not familiar with the place might do a double take out side, too. If not for the tell-tale signs of a tavern, out front and in the windows, you might think it’s someone’s house: a browntwo story with a small yard out front and a fenced-in backyard, but that homey vibe fits well with a place where the welcome mat is always out.

“It’s a lot of hours I work, but for the most part the people that come in are happy and interacting with each other, and I enjoy doing that,” Bergman said. “I’m kind of a smart-ass, so maybe people will laugh, and we get a lot of humor out of that as well.”

All sorts of foods — pizzas, burgers, salads, sandwiches — make up the menu, and there are also a few items for the kids as well. Appetizers include mini tacos, cheddar cheese balls, broccoli bites and jalapeno poppers; and for the salad lovers, there’s tossed salad and a chef variety with ham, steak or chicken — plain, buffalo or Cajun styles. Sandwiches include chicken cordon bleu, egg salad, a Reuben, Philly, Italian beef, and even a chicken strip sandwich.

Wednesdays are taco days. Lunch specials, such as meat loaf, lasagna, and hot beef and mashed potatoes, also are available, and they bring people through the door just as much as the beer does.

“We get a lot of people who come in during the lunch hour for our specials, because they know they’ll get something like what someone will cook for them at home,” Bergman said. “It’s the same here.”

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Hungry? The Corner Tap’s menu offers a selection of filling food, from the ooey-

gooey goodness of Chicago-style pizza, to an Italian beef sandwich, to the Mexican burger with jalapeno peppers and nacho cheese, to farmer fries topped with nacho cheese and ground beef, and more. “We get a lot of people who come in during the lunch hour for our specials,” said owner Dan Bergman. PHOTOS: CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

Burgers come with one-third or halfpound patties, and for those who like them hot, there’s a Mexican burger with jalapenos and nacho cheese. The farmer fries — ground beef with fries and nacho cheese — are another menu item that can come with various toppings.

The pizza oven fires up just before 5 p.m., and with Bergman’s roots, it’s no surprise that there’s Chicago-style pizza on the menu. It’s a popular seller that comes in 10-, 12- or 14-inch sizes. Along with the usual gamut of popular toppings, there’s also sauerkraut, jalapenos and Canadian bacon and pineapple. Thin crust and pan style pizzas also are available.

“Most of the pizzas we sell are thin crust, but with the Chicago style, you had better like cheese if you want to order one of those,” Bergman said. “The sauce is on the very top of the pizza after it’s cooked, instead of the bottom. We get a lot of people who order them all of the time.”

One of the specialty pizzas is a Reuben style, topped with corned beef, sauerkraut, thousand island dressing and two kinds of cheeses. The pizza has the luck — and leftovers — of the Irish to thank for its place on the menu.

Stop by and have a seat, inside or out ... Corner Tap customers can belly up to the bar, or pull up a chair — inside or out. The patio out back offers them a chance to enjoy a breath of fresh air, and is available for private parties.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

Arrow Group acquires Tony Edwards Electric

Congratulations to Tony Edwards on his well-earned retirement! After 35 years serving the greater Galena area, Tony Edwards is hanging up his tool belt and retiring.

Galena-based Arrow Group will carry on his legacy, combining tradition and innovation to serve the Galena area.

The Corner Tap, 128 N. Main St. in downtown Stockton, is open from 10 to 1 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 11 to 1 a.m. Sunday. Pizza orders begin at 5 p.m. daily.

Find it on Facebook, go to cornertapbar.com or call 815947-2067 to place a carryout order or for more information.

“One year, after St. Patrick’s Day, we had a lot of leftover corned beef and cabbage, and one of the girls who worked here said, ‘Let’s make a Reuben pizza, just like a Reuben,’” Bergman said. “It has thousand island dressing, Swiss and Mozzarella cheeses, corned beef — that is one hell of a good pizza, we sell a lot of those, too.”

Incorporating an idea from a waitress is typical of Bergman’s approach to running the bar. His team of 15 cooks and waitresses is a big part of his bar’s success, and they enjoy the friendly and fun atmosphere there.

“It’s not successful just because of me, though,” Bergman said. “If I didn’t have the employees I’ve had for 30 years, I wouldn’t even be here.”

Bergman has seen his share of people come and go through his 30 years, and he’s even rubbed off on some of them, who’ve carried some of what they’ve learned from him to other jobs, whether it’s his sense of humor or ideas for the menu at their own bar and grill, like the Reuben pizza

Caitlynn Snyder has been a bartender at The Corner Tap for 12 years, and is one of Bergman’s most experienced employees. She’s taken a liking to his humor and understanding, she said.

“This guy right here (Bergman) — to know ‘Sammy,’ he’s the most caring, probably the best person you could work for,” Snyder said. “He, all around, would drop anything for you.”

In the bar’s fenced back yard, there’s shaded seating, restrooms, cornhole boards and a grill, space that can be rented out for private parties or other events. Inside, gambling machines are available for those who want to try their luck.

After 30 years in business, Bergman has found the formula to keep his customers happy: creating a place where folks are happy to raise a glass and say “Cheers!”

“I hope they make some friends, enjoy themselves and want to come back,” Bergman said. “Maybe you’ll want to be friends with some of the people and want to hang out with them.”

Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com